Biomedical subjects

Helene H Fung

Publications and source records attributed to Helene H Fung.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Factorial structure of a short version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the factor structure of a ten-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10). METHOD: Two hundred and thirty-one Chinese persons aged 60-92 were individually interviewed with the CESD-10. The data were subject to confirmatory factor analysis testing several competing models. The one-factor model hypothesizes that all ten items are loaded on a single factor. In the two-factor model, positive affect items are loaded on one factor, and the remaining items on the other. The three-factor model distinguishes between positive affect, depressed affect, and somatic symptoms. RESULTS: The three-factor model was the best fitting model, with a comparative fit index of 0.95 and a standardized root mean square residual of 0.06. Depressed affect and somatic symptoms were highly correlated, and both were moderately correlated with positive affect. Nonetheless, all three factors appeared to tap a common underlying construct of depression-when a higher-order construct of depression was allowed to explain the intercorrelations of the three factors, depressed affect loaded at 0.88, somatic symptoms loaded at 0.92, and positive affect loaded at 0.51, on the higher-order construct. CONCLUSION: The data provided support for the factorial validity of the CESD-10.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

Cultural variation in affect valuation.

The authors propose that how people want to feel ("ideal affect") differs from how they actually feel ("actual affect") and that cultural factors influence ideal more than actual affect. In 2 studies, controlling for actual affect, the authors found that European American (EA) and Asian American (AA) individuals value high-arousal positive affect (e.g., excitement) more than do Hong Kong Chinese (CH). On the other hand, CH and AA individuals value low-arousal positive affect (e.g., calm) more than do EA individuals. For all groups, the discrepancy between ideal and actual affect correlates with depression. These findings illustrate the distinctiveness of ideal and actual affect, show that culture influences ideal affect more than actual affect, and indicate that both play a role in mental health.

Acculturation↗

PubMed2006

Age differences in the sixth personality factor: age differences in interpersonal relatedness among Canadians and Hong Kong Chinese.

Cross-cultural studies on personality in which a combined etic-emic approach has been used have found a 6th personality factor--Interpersonal Relatedness--in addition to the usual Big Five. The authors examined age differences in Interpersonal Relatedness among Canadians and Hong Kong Chinese after statistically controlling for the Big Five. Age differences in some aspects of Interpersonal Relatedness were found among Hong Kong Chinese but not among Canadians, suggesting that development of some personality characteristics may differ across cultures.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Motivational changes in response to blocked goals and foreshortened time: testing alternatives to socioemotional selectivity theory.

Socioemotional selectivity theory contends that when people perceive time as limited, they prioritize emotionally meaningful goals. Although empirical support for the theory has been found in several studies, 2 alternative explanations for the pattern of findings remain: (a) emotional goals are pursued by default because nonemotional goals are blocked, and (b) emotional goals are pursued in search of emotional support rather than emotional meaning. This study tested these alternatives by examining social goals in response to blocked goals and foreshortened time. Findings reveal distinct motivational patterns, as reflected in social preferences and self-reported social goals, in response to the 2 types of constraints.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Sending memorable messages to the old: age differences in preferences and memory for advertisements.

Socioemotional selectivity theory holds that people of different ages prioritize different types of goals. As people age and increasingly perceive time as finite, they attach greater importance to goals that are emotionally meaningful. Because the goals that people pursue so centrally influence cognition, the authors hypothesize that persuasive messages, specifically advertisements, would be preferred and better remembered by older adults when they promise to help realize emotionally meaningful goals, whereas younger adults would not show this bias. The authors also predict that modifying time perspective would reduce age differences. Findings provide qualified support for each of these predictions.

Adolescent↗