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Tag: Behavior & Decision Psychology

  • Functional impairment partly links internalising symptoms and low wellbeing

    What the study found

    The study found that functional impairment, meaning reduced ability to carry out important life roles and activities, explained part of the link between internalising symptoms and low wellbeing. This pattern was clearer for generalised anxiety and less consistent for depression, especially persistent depression.

    Why the authors say this matters

    The authors conclude that impairment linked to internalising symptoms is an important research area and therapeutic target. They suggest this is especially relevant for understanding how anxiety relates to reduced wellbeing.

    What the researchers tested

    The researchers studied a community sample of 408 people using semi-structured clinical interviews and self-report measures. They examined major depression, persistent depression, and generalised anxiety, along with impairment and wellbeing, using structural equation models; they also looked at whether impairment linked individual symptoms to wellbeing.

    What worked and what didn't

    Impairment accounted for part of the association between interviewer-rated major depression and generalised anxiety symptoms and wellbeing. It did not account for persistent depression symptoms in the same way. The anxiety findings were replicated with self-report measures, but the depression findings were not, and indirect effects generally remained over one month only when baseline wellbeing was not controlled.

    What to keep in mind

    The abstract does not describe detailed limitations beyond the note that some findings were less consistent across measures and over time. The study summary also does not provide enough information to judge causality beyond the tested associations.

    • Functional impairment explained part of the link between internalising symptoms and reduced wellbeing.
    • The pattern was most consistent for generalised anxiety symptoms.
    • The impairment link for depression was less consistent, and it did not appear for persistent depression in the main analyses.
    • Individual symptoms such as uncontrollability, restlessness, irritability, sleep disturbance, fatigue, and trouble concentrating were linked to impairment and lower wellbeing.
    • Indirect effects generally persisted over one month only when baseline wellbeing was not controlled.

  • Stress-related willingness to wait varied over seconds, not days

    What the study found

    The study found that willingness to wait, described as an individual's discount factor, changed reliably over seconds in response to endogenous stress but did not show the same variation over days.

    Why the authors say this matters

    The authors conclude that these findings matter for understanding how stress affects economic decisions made at different time scales. They suggest that fluctuations in stress responses to the environment may help explain consumer behaviors such as impulse purchases, even among healthy adults.

    What the researchers tested

    The researchers used a multi-session design with 34 participants to examine whether chronic stress measures were associated with economic choices across different time scales within the same people. They measured chronic stress using questionnaires, saliva, and hair samples.

    What worked and what didn't

    The degree to which people thought waiting was worthwhile varied reliably over seconds in response to endogenous stress. It did not vary over days in the same way. The abstract also notes that little was known before this study about how chronic stress influences decisions about immediate versus delayed rewards.

    What to keep in mind

    The abstract gives no detailed limitations beyond the small sample size of 34 participants. It also does not provide full information on the task design, effect sizes, or whether the findings generalize beyond this study population.

    • Endogenous stress was linked to changes in willingness to wait over seconds.
    • The same measure did not vary reliably over days.
    • The study used questionnaires, saliva, and hair samples to assess chronic stress.
    • The sample included 34 participants in a multi-session design.
    • The authors connect the findings to economic decisions such as impulse purchases.