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Interpretation biases (IBs) play a central role in cognitive models of anxiety disorders and are considered a transdiagnostic feature across anxiety disorders and severity levels. However, the magnitude of this bias in anxiety and modulating factors are largely unknown. In this three-level meta-analysis, we investigated the associations between IBs and symptoms of anxiety. Database searches (PsycINFO, PubMed, ProQuest Dissertations) led to 295 samples with 1,450 contrasts. An overall medium effect size (g = 0.48, 95% confidence interval = [0.43, 0.52]) was found. Equivalent effect sizes were found for youths and adults and different disorder categories and clinical statuses. Effect sizes were larger for studies using direct measures, verbal stimuli, disorder-specific stimuli, and negative (as opposed to positive) stimuli. Overall, results are consistent with the view that anxiety is associated with IBs across different disorders and severity levels. These findings have implications for cognitive theories of anxiety and clinical interventions.

By conveying cues of their current fertility, females can provide valuable reproductive information to conspecifics. Our closest relatives, non-human primates, employ diverse strategies, including olfactory cues from the anogenital region, to communicate information about female fertility. While their shared phylogeny with humans suggests that analogous olfactory cues may have been preserved in modern women, empirical evidence is lacking. In a comprehensive two-fold approach, we investigated fertility-related shifts in the chemical composition of women’s vulvar volatiles as well as men’s ability to perceive them. We collected vulvar odour from 28 naturally cycling women (students, academic staff members, and citizen of G¨ ottingen) on up to ten days of their menstrual cycle, focusing on fertile days. For 146 vulvar samples (subsample of n =16 women), we assessed whether their volatile profiles varied in relation to female fertility using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Simulating a first encounter, 139 men evaluated a total of 274 vulvar odour samples from 28 women, collected on different cycle days. We used hormonal analyses to confirm women’s fertile days. We assessed variation in chemical composition and male odour ratings in relation to women’s conception probability, temporal distance to ovulation, and ovarian hormone levels. We found no evidence for chemical changes allowing tracking of fertility across the cycle. However, in the immediate assessment (i.e., without tracking), no significant effects were found for any predictors except conception risk. Notably, the significance of the conception risk effect varied depending on the model specification. Further, men’s attraction to vulvar odour was not significantly predicted by female fertility. Overall, our data suggests a relatively low retention of chemical fertility cues in vulvar odour of modern women.

Understanding the interplay of persons, situations, and behavior (the Personality Triad) is a key task of psychology. However, previous research has largely focused on Western samples. We examined the Personality Triad across cultures with N = 15,221 participants from 61 countries and one geographic region. Participants reported on one situation from their daily lives. We examined (1) situation characteristic–behavioral state, (2) trait–behavioral state, and (3) trait–situation characteristic associations, as well as (4) trait × situation characteristic interactions predicting behavioral states. We focused on six traits (Big Five, Honesty-Humility), seven situation characteristics (Duty, Intellect, Adversity, Mating, pOsitivity, Negativity, Sociality), and three self-reported behavioral states (Agency, Enthusiasm, Self-Negativity). Importantly, we included 15 country-level variables (collectivism, self-construal, cultural value orientations, tightness, independent and interdependent happiness, national socioeconomic status) as moderators that might contribute to country differences in the Personality Triad. Bayesian multilevel models showed sizable and expected situation characteristic–behavioral state and trait–behavioral state associations with a high degree of generalization across countries, some cultural differences, and moderator effects contradicting theoretical expectations. For instance, we found weaker situation characteristic effects in collectivistic cultures and stronger trait effects in embedded cultures. Trait–situation characteristic associations were meaningful but smaller, and trait × situation characteristic interactions were small and less often significant (although we observed some expected interactions). We found little evidence for country differences in the latter two relations. We discuss implications and future directions for cross-cultural work on the Personality Triad, including replications and extensions using intensive-longitudinal designs.

This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Revised Sociosexual Orientation Inventory (SOI-R) in a Ukrainian sample. A sample of 469 adults aged 18–60 years (M = 27.8, SD = 8.9, 20% males) completed Q&A form on sociodemographic data, Ukrainian translation of the SOI-R, measures of personality organization, and meanings of sexual behavior. A three-factor original model with correlated latent variables showed a good fit to the Ukrainian data: χ2 = 60.7, p < 0.001, χ2/df=2.5, NFI=0.962, CFI=0.976, TLI=0.964, GFI=0.970, SRMR=0.059, RMSEA=0.06. Cronbach’s α for internal consistency was high (0.77–0.86 for total score and subscales). Convergent validity was established by significant positive correlations of SOI-R subscales with personality diffuseness and meanings of sexual behavior related to satisfaction of personal needs. In line with prior research, this study revealed that unrestricted sociosexuality was more characteristic of men, younger individuals, singles, and those with lower levels of formal education. The results suggest that the Ukrainian version of the SOI-R scale is a reliable and valid measure of sociosexual orientation, accurately measuring the diversity of this important aspect of human sexual behavior.