Behavioral Science

Marked by Pattern: Contextual, Site-Specific, and Symptom Severity Patterns in Trichotillomania and Excoriation Disorder
 

Shelby Richardson
Abilene Christian University

Trichotillomania and Excoriation Disorder are classified as obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, and they are characterized by recurrent hair-pulling and skin-picking behaviors, respectively. Individuals with these body-focused repetitive behaviors may experience physical damage as well as social, emotional, and occupational impairment. There is a substantial knowledge gap regarding how contextual variables relate to hair-pulling and skin-picking sites, as well as how these sites co-occur among individuals with Trichotillomania and Excoriation Disorder. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the associations between contextual variables and affected body sites, identify patterns of co-occurring pulling and picking sites, and investigate the relationship between symptom severity and affected body sites. Participants were recruited through online support communities and organizations to complete a quantitative Qualtrics survey. Results revealed that most correlations between co-occurring body sites were positive and significant, suggesting that individuals who pull or pick from one site are more likely to at additional sites. Distinct facial and body-site clusters emerged, and a potential explanation is that individuals may seek similar sensory experiences from anatomically adjacent sites, such as texture or pain tolerance. Additionally, greater numbers of pulling or picking sites were associated with greater symptom severity; however, certain sites may serve as predictors of greater severity. These findings suggest that body-site involvement may play an important role in understanding BFRBs and supporting individualized assessment and treatment. Future research should replicate these findings and investigate site-specific assessment and intervention strategies, especially for body-site clusters.

The Principles of Attraction: Assessing the Prevalence of a Revised Law of Attraction Framework

Andrew Saldana 
Baylor University

The Law of Attraction states that thoughts and feelings alone will invariably bring external events and materials into existence (Atkinson, 1906). However, no credible empirical evidence supports these claims, and research suggests that belief in them may pose psychological risks (Dixon et al., 2023; Mehra & Chakravarty, 2024). This study introduces the Principles of Attraction, a revised framework that grounds these ideas in a more scientifically plausible perspective. This study examined the prevalence of the Principles of Attraction among college students using a newly developed measure, the Elkins Principles of Attraction Scale (EPOAS), and tested its reliability and discriminant validity. It was hypothesized that the Principles of Attraction would be prevalent, positively associated with religious faith and life satisfaction, and would have stronger endorsement compared to the Law of Attraction. A sample of 200 college students (49.5% male, 48% female; M = 20.51 years) was recruited through social media postings, text messages, and word-of-mouth to complete an online survey. Results indicated that belief in the Principles of Attraction was prevalent among college students (M = 3.91), and associated with religious faith (r = .67**) and life satisfaction (r = .33**). The EPOAS had good discriminant validity (r = -.19**) and reliability (α = .95). Additionally, college students had stronger endorsement of the Principles of Attraction (78.2%) compared to the Law of Attraction (68.3%). Future research should further evaluate the psychometric properties of the EPOAS, its prevalence among other samples, and examine whether these beliefs predict positive psychological outcomes over time.

Sense of Safety and Quality of Life among Hispanic/Latinx Immigrant Communities

Rachel Gómez
Harding University

This study examined whether perceptions of safety are associated with quality of life among Hispanic/Latinx immigrants in the United States. It was hypothesized that individuals reporting lower perceptions of safety would also report lower levels of well-being. A quantitative, non-experimental survey design was used with approximately 31 first- and second-generation Hispanic/Latinx immigrants. Participants completed the Immigrant Perception Scale through a bilingual Google survey. Independent-samples t-tests and one-way ANOVA were conducted to examine differences in well-being across demographic groups and immigration-related characteristics.