Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-qxdb6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T16:10:35.964Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Emotional Processing and Personality as Predictors of Obsessive-compulsive Symptoms in College Students

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 June 2019

Daniel Calero Vivas ,
Elena Felipe-Castaño  and
Benito León
Daniel Calero Vivas
Affiliation:
Universidad de Extremadura (Spain)
Elena Felipe-Castaño*
Affiliation:
Universidad de Extremadura (Spain)
Benito León
Affiliation:
Universidad de Extremadura (Spain)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Elena Felipe-Castaño. Universidad de Extremadura. Departamento de Psicología y Antropología. Avenida de la Universidad, S/N. 10003 Cáceres (Spain). E-mail: efelipe@unex.es
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The categorical definition of obsessive-compulsive disorder, and exclusive focus on thoughts and behaviors, have constrained the study and treatment of its symptoms. The present study’s aim was to search for relationships among emotional processing dimensions, five major personality dimensions, and self-perceived obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The participants were 100 college students, and the questionnaires used were a selection of images from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS), the Self-assessment Manikin (SAM), the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS), and the NEO-FFI. We found differences in emotional processing dimensions between participants with high and low DOCS scores, grouped according to sex (d = .56); and evidence that the neuroticism and agreeableness dimensions predict self-perceived obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Emotional processing dimensions and personality are considered useful to comprehending obsessive-compulsive symptoms, which lends support to dimensional models of OC symptomatology, as well as planning and developing psychological interventions.

Keywords

college studentsemotionsemotional processingobsessive-compulsive symptomspersonality
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 22 , 2019 , E32
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2019 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

How to cite this article:

Calero Vivas, D., Felipe-Castaño, E., & León, B. (2019). Emotional processing and personality as predictors of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in college students. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 22. e32. Doi:10.1017/sjp.2019.31

References

Abramowitz, J. S., Deacon, B. J., Olatunji, B. O., Wheaton, M. G., Berman, N. C., Losardo, D. T. K. R., … Hale, L. R. (2010). Assessment of obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions: Development and evaluation of the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. Psychological Assessment, 22, 180–198. http://doi.org/10.1037/a0018260CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Alonso, P., Menchón, J. M., Jiménez, S., Segalas, J., Mataix-Cols, D., Jaurrieta, N., … Pujol, J. (2008). Personality dimensions in obsessive-compulsive disorder: Relation to clinical variables. Psychiatry Research, 15, 159–168. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2006.06.003CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berle, D., & Phillips, E. S. (2006). Disgust and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: An update. Psychiatry: Interpersonal and Biological Processes, 69(3), 228–238. http://doi.org/10.1521/psyc.2006.69.3.228CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bradley, M. M., & Lang, P. J. (1994). Measuring emotion: The Self-Assessment Manikin and the semantic differential. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 25(1), 49–59. http://doi.org/10.1016/0005-7916(94)90063-9CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Buhlmann, U., Wacker, R., & Dziobek, I. (2015). Inferring other people’s states of mind: Comparison across social anxiety, body dysmorphic, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 34, 107–113. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2015.06.003CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Casado, Y., Cobos, P., Godoy, A., Machado-Pinheiro, W., & Vila, J. (2011). Emotional processing in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 25, 1068–1071. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2011.07.003CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cisler, J. M., Brady, R. E., Olatunji, B. O., & Lohr, J. M. (2010). Disgust and obsessive beliefs in contamination-related OCD. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 34(5), 439–448. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-009-9253-yCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cisler, J. M., Olatunji, B. O., & Lohr, J. M. (2009). Disgust, fear, and the anxiety disorders: A critical review. Clinical Psychology Review, 29(1), 34–46. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2008.09.007CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Costa, P. T., & McCrae, R. R. (1992). Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R) and NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) professional manual. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.Google Scholar
Daros, A. R., Zakzanis, K. K., & Rector, N. A. (2014). A quantitative analysis of facial emotion recognition in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Psychiatry Research, 215, 514–521. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2013.11.029CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Decety, J., & Moriguchi, Y. (2007). The empathic brain and its dysfunction in psychiatric populations: Implications for intervention across different clinical conditions. BioPsychosocial Medicine, 1, 22. http://doi.org/10.1186/1751-0759-1-22CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
First, M. B., Spitzer, R. L., Gibbon, M., & Williams, J. B. (1999). Entrevista Clínica Estructurada para los Trastornos del Eje I del DSM–IV, versión clínica (SCID–I VC) [Structured Clinical Interview for DSM–IV Axis I Disorders, clinical version (SCID–I CV]. Barcelona, Spain: Masson.Google Scholar
Fontenelle, L. F., Soares, I. D., Miele, F., Borges, M. C., Prazeres, A. M., Rangé, B. P., & Moll, J. (2009). Empathy and symptoms dimensions of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorders. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 43, 455–463. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2008.05.007CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fullana, M. A., López-Sola, C., & Pertusa, A. (2010). Translation and adaptation to Spanish of the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS) . Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina.Google Scholar
Fullana, M. A., Mataix-Cols, D., Caspi, A., Harrington, H., Grisham, J. R., Moffitt, T. E., & Poulton, R. (2009). Obsessions and compulsions in the community: Prevalence, interference, help-seeking, developmental stability, and co-occurring psychiatric conditions. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 166, 329–336. http://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2008.08071006CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fullana, M. A., Tortella-Feliu, M., Caseras, X., Andión, O., Torrubia, R., & Mataix-Cols, D. (2005). Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised in a non-clinical sample. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 19, 893–903. http://doi.org//10.1016/j.janxdis.2004.10.004CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gibbs, N. A. (1996). Nonclinical populations in research on obsessive-compulsive disorder: A critical review. Clinical Psychology Review, 16, 729–773. http://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-7358(96)00043-8CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Herrero, R., Castilla, D., Vizcaíno, Y., Molinari, G., García-Palacios, A., & Botella, C. (2013). Avances en el tratamiento psicológico de la fibromialgia: El uso de la realidad virtual para la inducción de emociones positivas y la promoción de la activación comportamental. Un estudio piloto [Advances in the psychological treatment of fibromyalgia: The use of virtual reality to induce positive emotions and promote activity pacing. A pilot study]. Revista Argentina de Clínica Psicológica, XXII, 111–120.Google Scholar
Hopwood, C. J., Quigley, B. D., Grilo, C. M., Sanislow, C. A., McGlashan, T. H., Yen, S., , L. C. (2008). Personality traits and mental health treatment utilization. Personality and Mental Health, 2, 207–217. http://doi.org/10.1002/pmh.51CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Inchausti, F., Delgado, A. R., & Prieto, G. (2015). Obsessive-compulsive disorder and its relationship with disgust vulnerability and conscientiousness. Psicothema, 27(3), 254–260.Google ScholarPubMed
Kyrios, M., Hordern, C., & Fassnacht, D. B. (2015). Predictors of response to cognitive behavior therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology 1, 15, 181–190. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijchp.2015.07.003CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lang, P. J. (1995). The emotional probe. Studies of motivation and attention. American Psychologist, 50(5), 372–385. http://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.50.5.372CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lang, P. J., Bradley, M. M., & Cuthbert, B. N. (2008). International affective picture system (IAPS): Affective ratings of pictures and instruction manual. Technical report A–8. Gainesville, FL: University of Florida.Google Scholar
Lang, P. J., Greenwald, M. K., Bradley, M. M., & Hamm, A. O. (1993). Looking at pictures: Affective, facial, visceral, and behavioral reactions. Psychophysiology, 30, 261–273. http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8986.1993.tb03352.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lithari, C., Frantzidis, C. A., Papadelis, C., Vivas, A. B., Klados, M. A., Kourtidou-Papadeli, C., … Bamidis, P. D. (2010). Are females more responsive to emotional stimuli? A neurophysiological study across arousal and valence dimensions. Brain Topography, 23, 27–40. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10548-009-0130-5CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
López-Solá, C., Gutiérrez, F., Pino, A., Rosado, S., Taberner, J., Segalàs, C., … Fullana, M. A. (2014). Spanish version of the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS): Psychometric properties and relation to obsessive beliefs. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 55, 206–214. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2013.08.015CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
MacDonald, B., & Davey, G. C. (2005). Inflated responsibility and perseverative checking: The effect of negative mood. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 114, 176–182. http://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.114.1.176CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Magnavita, J. J. (2006). The centrality of emotion in unifying and accelerating psychotherapy. Journal of Clinical Psychology: In Session, 62, 585–596. http://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.20250CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Malouff, J. M., Thorsteinsson, E. B., & Schutte, N. S. (2005). The relationship between the Five-Factor Model of personality and symptoms of clinical disorders: A meta-analysis. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 27, 101–114. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-005-5384-yCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mancini, F., & Gangemi, A. (2015). Deontological guilt and obsessive compulsive disorder. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 49, 157–163. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2015.05.003CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moltó, J. Segarra, P., López, R., Esteller, À., Fonfría, A., Pastor, M. C., & Poy, R. (2013). Adaptación española del “International Affective Pictures System” (IAPS). Tercera parte [Spanish adaptation of the “International Affective Picture System” (IAPS). Third part]. Anales de Psicología, 29(3), 965–984. http://doi.org/10.6018/analesps.29.3.153591CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moltó, J., Montañés, S., Poy, R., Segarra, P., Pastor, M. C., Irún, M. P., & Vila, J. (1999). Un nuevo método para el estudio experimental de las emociones: El International Affective Picture System (IAPS). Adaptación española [A new method for the experimental study of emotions: The International Affective Picture System (IAPS). Spanish adaptation]. Revista de Psicología General y Aplicada, 52(1), 55–87.Google Scholar
Montagne, B., de Geus, F., Kessels, R. P. C., Denys, D., de Haan, E. H. F., & Westenberg, H. G. M. (2008). Perception of facial expressions in obsessive-compulsive disorder: A dimensional approach. European Journal of Psychiatry, 23, 26–28. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2007.07.007CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rector, N. A., Hood, K., Richter, M. A., & Bagby, R. M. (2002). Obsessive-compulsive disorder and the five-factor model of personality: Distinction and overlap with major depressive disorder. Behavioral Research and Therapy, 40, 1205–1219. http://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7967(02)00024-4CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rhèaume, J., Ladouceur, R., & Freeston, M. H. (2000). The prediction of obsessive-compulsive tendencies: Does perfectionism play a significant role? Personality and Individual Differences, 28, 583–592. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(99)00121-XCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roncero, M., Fornés, G., García-Soriano, G., & Belloch, A. (2014). Modelo de personalidad HEXACO: Relaciones con psicopatología emocional en una muestra española [The HEXACO model of personality: Relationships with emotional psychopathology in a Spanish sample]. Revista de Psicopatología y Psicología Clínica, 19(1), 1–14. http://doi.org/10.5944/rppc.vol.19.num.1.2014.12929CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sachs-Ericksson, N., & Ciarlo, J. A. (2000). Gender, social roles, and mental health: An epidemiological perspective. Sex Roles, 43, 605–628. http://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007148407005CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vila, J., Sánchez, M., Ramírez, I., Fernández, M. C., Cobos, P., Rodríguez, S., … Moltó, J. (2001). El Sistema Internacional de Imágenes Afectivas (IAPS): Adaptación española. Segunda parte [The International Affective Picture System (IAPS): Spanish adaptation. Second part]. Revista de Psicología General y Aplicada, 54, 635–657.Google Scholar
Watson, D. (1999). Dimensions underlying the anxiety disorders: A hierarchical perspective. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 12, 181–186. http://doi.org/10.1097/00001504-199903000-00007CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Carey, G. (1988). Positive and negative affectivity and their relation to anxiety and depressive disorders. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 97(3), 346–353. http://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.97.3.346CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed