Graduate Student Journal of Psychology

Attachment Style as a Partial Mediator Between Self-Reported Obsessive-Compulsive and Depressive Symptoms

2026-02-18T05:17:10+00:00

Associations between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression are unclear; some individuals’ depression and low mood improve once OCD symptoms reduce, while others’ depressive symptoms persist. The present study sought to replicate findings that identified a moderating role of attachment style on the relationship between OCD and depression. The present study also tested a novel conceptualisation via which chronic mental distress associated with OCD may be associated with greater insecure attachment, making individuals vulnerable to persisting depressive symptoms . Participants who self-reported a formal or self-identified OCD diagnosis completed validated psychometric measures. Moderation and mediation analyses were conducted to examine the role of self-reported attachment style scores in the relationship between obsessive-compulsive (OC) and depressive symptoms in a non-clinical sample. Contrary to findings from clinical samples, attachment style scores did not significantly moderate the relationship between OC and depressive symptoms. There was a significant indirect effect of attachment style scores on the relationship between OC and depressive symptoms, with greater OC symptom severity being associated with greater insecure attachment scores and greater depressive symptoms. Further research is warranted to better understand how attachment style-related therapies or interventions may benefit individuals with OCD by safeguarding or improving attachment security and, by extension, alleviating depressive symptoms.

Understanding Cultural Influences on Ideal Emotions in South Asian and Americans Using Affect Valuation Theory

2026-03-11T19:35:55+00:00

Affect Valuation Theory (AVT) proposes that cultural factors influence how individuals ideally want to feel (ideal affect) and how they actually feel (actual affect). Prior research has examined differences in high-arousal positive (HAP) and low-arousal positive (LAP) as well as high-arousal negative (HAN) and low-arousal negative (LAN) affect, mostly between East Asian and American populations, demonstrating that cultural norms shape emotional preferences and experiences. The present study extends this line of research by investigating preferences for LAP and HAP emotions in South Asian and American populations. Participants included 75 Americans and 13 South Asians recruited from Denison University’s “Introduction to Psychology” course and through word-of-mouth, as well as 145 participants aged 18 to 35 years from India (part of the South Asian group) recruited via Prolific. Mixed-model ANOVA was used with affect type as a within-subjects factor and culture as a between-subjects factor to analyze the data. The findings showed significance for both HAP and LAP in ideal affect among Americans and South Asians. This study aims to explore cross-cultural variations in affect valuation, focusing on how South Asians differ from previously studied groups in their ideal and actual affective states. Findings contribute to the broader understanding of cultural influences on emotion and expand the scope of AVT to include South Asian contexts.

Raising the Pressure: How Maternal Parenting Style Relates to Academic Performance Anxiety and Resilience in Graduate Students

2026-02-18T05:13:26+00:00

Graduate education demands considerable cognitive, emotional, and social effort, often placing students under substantial pressure to perform. While such environments can support growth, they also increase the risk of aca- demic performance anxiety, which may hinder well-being and achievement. Prior research shows that Baumrind’s parenting styles—authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive—shape emotional regulation, motivation, and coping. However, most studies focus on younger populations, collectivist cultures, or outcome-based academic indicators, with limited attention to how maternal caregiving affects psychological functioning in graduate stu- dents within individualistic Western contexts. This study examined whether maternal parenting style and academic resilience relate to academic performance anxiety in graduate students. The goal was to understand whether early relational experiences and resilience may shape adulthood functioning in high-pressure performance settings to inform more robust mental health support for graduate students. 53 full-time, graduate students completed an online survey that included the Parental Authority Questionnaire–Maternal Version, the Academic Resilience Scale, and an adapted version of the Sport Anxiety Scale-2 modified for academic settings. Authoritarian maternal parenting significantly predicted higher academic performance anxiety, particularly somatic symptoms and worry. Academic resilience significantly and negatively predicted academic performance anxiety and was associated with fewer somatic symptoms, less worry, and reduced concentration difficulties. These findings suggest that authori- tarian caregiving may heighten academic stress, whereas resilience serves as a protective factor. Results underscore the enduring influence of early maternal relationships and highlight the value of resilience-based interventions for supporting graduate student mental health.

The Influence of Anxiety and Depression on Time Perception: A Cognitive and Affective Perspective

2026-02-18T05:11:19+00:00

Objective: Anxiety and depression are prevalent mental health conditions associated with disruptions in cognitive processes, including time perception. Guided by Arousal Level Theory, this study examined how anxiety and de- pressive symptoms, along with physiological arousal (heart rate), relate to subjective time perception. Method: A sample of 45 graduate students completed the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), underwent heart rate measurement, and performed time production tasks (10- , 30-, and 60-second intervals). Results: Contrary to predictions derived from arousal-based models, depressive symptoms were associated with greater time underestimation (p = .019), suggesting a faster internal clock. Anxiety showed a mar- ginal association (p = .055), and heart rate was not significantly related to time perception. Conclusions: These findings suggest that arousal-based explanations alone may be insufficient to account for time perception distor- tions in depression. Instead, cognitive and affective processes, such as rumination and attentional rigidity, may play a more central role. Findings should be interpreted cautiously, given the correlational design and limitations of the mood induction procedure.

Social Dominance Orientation, Sociopolitical Attitudes, and Beliefs on Current Political Issues

2025-11-13T22:17:00+00:00

This study investigates the relationship between social dominance orientation (SDO) and sociopolitical beliefs, fo- cusing on issues such as reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and election security. It also examines the indirect effects of sociodemographic characteristics, including age, gender, religion, race, education, and employment. An online survey was conducted with 587 adults who completed questionnaires on demographic characteristics, social dominance orientation, and current political beliefs. Factor analysis was used to identify key sociopolitical belief factors, and structural equation modeling assessed the relationships between SDO, sociodemographic characteristics, and political beliefs. The analysis revealed four main factors of sociopolitical beliefs: general political issues, women’s/ LGBTQ+ rights, fraud/power, and bias/appeal to emotions. SDO was significantly associated with all four factors, showing negative relationships with general political issues and women’s/LGBTQ+ rights, and positive relationships with fraud/power and bias/appeal to emotions. Sociodemographic characteristics such as age, gender, religion, and education also showed significant associations with SDO and political beliefs. The findings highlight the complex interplay between SDO, sociodemographic characteristics, and sociopolitical beliefs. However, limitations related to sample demographics, recruitment via social media, and the use of a shortened SDO scale should be considered when interpreting the generalizability of findings. Understanding these relationships can inform the design and implemen- tation of social policies aimed at addressing hierarchical social ordering and promoting egalitarian values.

Effectiveness of Cognitive Hypnotherapy in Mental Diorders: A Systematic Review (2018–2023)

2026-03-31T23:29:01+00:00

Hypnotherapy is a growing field within psychology. However, its effectiveness in treating mental health disorders was last reviewed by the Australian Psychological Society (APS) in 2018. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the evidence from 2018 to 2023 and determine the effectiveness of cognitive hypnotherapy. The methodology followed the PRISMA guidelines and the relevant Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools. A total of six papers were identified as meeting the criteria. Significant symptom reduction was observed in five studies, and cognitive hypno- therapy was reported to be as effective as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in treating depression. The review suggests that hypnotherapy is a viable treatment option. Despite contrasting results from Rousseaux et al. (2022), the review highlights that tailored, interactive approaches may enhance the benefits of cognitive hypnotherapy. Future research should examine the effectiveness of different hypnotherapy techniques to determine whether certain hypnotherapeu- tic techniques are associated with different therapeutic outcomes.