Jelena Mitrovic | Faculty of Philosophy Novi Sad (original) (raw)
Conference Presentations by Jelena Mitrovic
European Association of Personality Psychology, 2016
The aim of this study was to examine the latent structure of 44 adjectives from Serbian psycholex... more The aim of this study was to examine the latent structure of 44 adjectives from Serbian psycholexical study which refer to social roles and interpersonal relations, as well as its relations to the Big Five lexical dimensions. The study was conducted on a sample of 1575 participants (58% female, aged 18 - 60, average age 29.28 years). A principal component analysis of adjectives was conducted upon ipsatized data, with Promax rotation. The analysis yielded a 4-factor solution, whereby the factors can be regarded as friendliness, social boldness, callousness, and perfidy. The hierarchical factor analysis yielded 2 broad factors similar to dominance versus submission, and affiliation versus cold-heartedness. Dominance dimension is mostly saturated with trait positive emotionality, while affiliation is mostly saturated with trait agreeableness, which is in accordance with theoretical assumptions of the interpersonal circumplex model.
CURRENT TRENDS IN PSYCHOLOGY, 2017
Close relation between paranoia and depression has been assumed by some theorists and supported ... more Close relation between paranoia and depression has been assumed by some theorists and supported by some research. Also, it has been proposed that self-esteem is important in this relation. The aim of this study was to explore differences in network structures which include both paranoid and dysphoric symptoms in people with low and high self-esteem (LSE and HSE). Network models present an alternative approach to psychological phenomena, within which constructs are observed as dynamical systems of variables rather than latent variables assessed using static observable indicators.
In this study, 164 participants (Mage = 20.93, SD = 1.98) filled the following self-report questionnaires: the Fenigstein Paranoia Scale, the Depression subscale of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). Participants were allocated into two groups. The HSE group represented people who scored above average on the RSES, whereas the LSE group scored below average. Simple and partial correlations between the symptoms of paranoia and depression were calculated, based on which the association and concentration networks were plotted for both groups, respectively.
In the HSE group, the symptoms of paranoia were better clustered, with fewer central symptoms, whilst clusters of the depressive symptoms were weakly connected, and more distant to the paranoia symptoms. In the LSE group, the symptoms of depression seem to be more integrated and clustered than the symptoms of paranoia. Also, the symptoms of paranoia were less clearly clustered, but better connected with the symptoms of depression as indicated by positive low to medium correlations. Moreover, different groups had different symptoms that played a role in transferring activation from one cluster of symptoms to another (bridge symptoms). Different characteristics of two networks suggest that self-esteem can be a moderator of the interplay of paranoid and dysphoric indicators. This finding can have important theoretical implications about the role of self-esteem in the genesis of some mental disturbances.
One of a few interpretations of the greater density of the paranoia symptoms in the HSE group could be that they keep dysphoric symptoms sequestered, acting as a defence mechanism from depression and low self-esteem. In the same vein, in the LSE group, this mechanism does not operate so that in this group the depressive symptoms can be more easily activated by one another and can more easily trigger interpersonally sensitive interpretations. Practical implications can also be foretold regarding different therapeutic approaches with persons with HSE and LSE and mixed dysphoric and paranoid symptoms.
Keywords: paranoia, depression, self-esteem, network approach
CURRENT TRENDS IN PSYCHOLOGY, 2017
Introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has significantly extended life expecta... more Introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has significantly extended life expectancy in people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Nevertheless, although cART has brought a number of positive consequences, different affective, behavioral and neurocognitive disorders persist in chronic HIV infection. Current theories stand for the fact that success of cART in control of viral load in peripheral compartment is not necessarily followed by reduction of immune activation in central nervous system, which leads to higher prevalence of affective, behavioral and neurocognitive disorders. These symptoms negatively influence the overal quality of life, lead to poorer adherence and disease prognosis. The aim of this study was to test correlations between neurobiochemical profile obtained on magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and affective, behavioral and cognitive status of these patients. In this study we recruited 39 HIV+, male subjects, average age 42.18 years (SD = 11.37), on cART. We analyzed the level of N-acetyle aspartate obtained on multivoxel MRS in six different locations of both cerebral hemispheres: frontal subcortical white matter, grey matter of ventral anterior cingulate gyrus, deep frontal white matter, grey matter of dorsal anterior cingulate gyrus, subcortical parietal white matter and grey matter of posterior cingulate gyrus. Affective status, i.e. depressiveness was assessed using Beck's depression inventory scale, and anxiety by Spielberger's state anxiety inventory test. Behavioral and cognitive status was assessed using Behavior rating inventory of executive function (BRIEF-A), comprised of nine subscales: 21
CURRENT TRENDS IN PSYCHOLOGY 2017
Pozvani simpozijumi Invited symposia
selfmonitoring, emotional control, mental shifting, inhibition, initiation, working memory, plan/organization, monitoring and organization of material. We used several regression analyses and confirmed that drop of NAA in grey matter of dorsal anterior cingulate gyrus is a single predictor of depressiveness (β = -.444, p = .006) and anxiety (β = -.351, p = .031). Significant single predictors for subscale selfmonitoring are drop of NAA level in grey matter of dorsal anterior cingulate gyrus (β = - .474, p = .015) and frontal subcortical white matter (β = -.426, p = .041); for mental shifting (β = -.507, p = .017) grey matter of dorsal anterior cingulate gyrus; for subscale inhibition in grey matter of ventral (β = -.362, p = .028) and dorsal anterior cingulate gyrus (β = -.424, p = .037). Results showed that there is a certain correlation between the drop of neuronal marker (NAA) in specific cerebral regions with the presence of depression and anxiety, as well as with disorders in some aspects of executive functions, all of which directly influence behavior in HIV+ subjects.
Keywords: HIV, depression, anxiety, executive functions, MR spectroscopy
Alongside the standard version of the BF+2 questionnaire, designed for personality assessment in ... more Alongside the standard version of the BF+2 questionnaire, designed for personality
assessment in adults, two additional versions were developed for elementary
school (age 11 – 14) and high school (age 15-17) samples. While the high school
version is virtually identical (except for the norms) to the adult version, the
children version contains 70 items with 3-point Likert scales. The goal of this study
was to examine the psychometric properties of the BF+2 questionnaire for children
and high – school students. The goals include the examination of criterion validity
of the two versions of the questionnaire, as well as of the congruence between the
high school and adult versions. The sample comprised 628 elementary school
students (284 female) and 548 high school students (307 female), as well as 821
adult participants (aged 20 – 68 years, M = 35.72; 485 female). Internal
consistencies of the scales were satisfactory for both versions of the
questionnaire. In the children's version, Cronbach alphas span from .63 for
Extraversion to .75 for Neuroticism, whilst in version for high school students they
span from .83 for Openness scale to .91 for Neuroticism. Congruence testing of
higher- order factors from the high school and adult samples was conducted by principal component analysis, whereby the 7 component solution has shown to be
optimal across both samples. The values of Tucker’s coefficients range between
.92 for Openness up to .98 for Extraversion, Conscientiousness and
Aggressiveness. Criterion validity was assessed through the examination of the
relations between the BF+2 scale scores and the phenomena connected to violent
interaction in elementary and high school students. These constructs were
measured by the 20-item PRONA questionnaire, a measure of roles in violent
interaction. Results from elementary school samples show significant correlations
between the tendency towards violent behavior and Aggressiveness (r = .42),
Negative valence (r = .46), Neuroticism (r = .10), Positive valence (r = .24) and
Conscientiousness (r = -.22), whilst results obtained from the high school sample
show significant correlations with dimensions Neuroticism (r = .19), Extraversion (r
= -.20), Conscientiousness (r = -.15), Aggressiveness (r = .40), Openness (r = -.20)
and Negative valence (r = .56). Dimensions of VP+2 are also correlated to Exposure
to bullying. Results from an elementary school sample show significant
correlations with Extraversion (r = -.26), Negative valence ( r = .15), Neuroticism (r =
.40) and Positive valence (r = -.16), whilst the results from high school participants
show significant correlations with dimensions of Neuroticism ( r = .41), Extraversion
(r = -.32), Conscientiousness (r = -.12), Openness (r = -.13), Positive valence (r = -.23)
and Negative Valence (r = .24). The results point to satisfactory psychometric
properties of the BF+2 questionnaire and suggest their applicability in elementary
school and high school populations.
Papers by Jelena Mitrovic
Frontiers in Psychology - Cognition, 2018
The set of complex cognitive processes, that are necessary for the cognitive control of behavior,... more The set of complex cognitive processes, that are necessary for the cognitive control of behavior, known as executive functions (EF), are traditionally associated with the prefrontal cortex and commonly assessed with laboratory based tests and conventional neuroimaging. In an effort to produce a more complete and ecologically valid understanding of executive functioning, the rating scales have been developed in order to assess the behavioral aspects of EF within an everyday real-world context. The main objective of this study was to examine the relationship between behavioral aspects of EF measured by rating scale and neurometabolic profile in neurologically asymptomatic HIV-positive individuals under cART, measured using multi-voxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy (mvMRS). The sample comprised 39 HIV-positive adult male participants, stable on cART and 39 healthy HIV-negative volunteers. Both groups completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version (BRIEF-A). HIV-positive group additionally underwent long-echo three-dimensional mvMRS to determine neurobiochemical profile in the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG) of both hemispheres. Three dominant neurometabolites were detected: N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), the neuronal marker; choline (Cho), the marker of membrane metabolism and gliosis and creatine (Cr), the reference marker. Ratios of NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr were analyzed. The initially detected significant correlations between age, current CD4, BRIEF-A subscales Inhibit, Shift, Emotional Control, Plan/Organize, Self Monitoring and ratios of NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr in the dorsal and ventral part of the ACG, were lost after the introduction of Bonferroni corrections. Also, there were no significant differences between HIV–positive and HIV–negative group on any of BRIEF-A subscales. Such results possibly imply that stable cART regimen contributes to preservation of behavioral aspects of EF in asymptomatic HIV-positive individuals. Even though a subtle deficit in some aspects of EF might exist, it would not be manifest if behavioral aspect was assessed using EF rating scale. Further explanation might be that expected HIV-related changes in neurometabolic profile of the ACG under cART are not reflected in those behavioral aspects that are measurable by EF rating scale.
Keywords: executive functions, anterior cingulate gyrus, behavior rating scale, HIV infection, MR spectroscopy
European Association of Personality Psychology, 2016
The aim of this study was to examine the latent structure of 44 adjectives from Serbian psycholex... more The aim of this study was to examine the latent structure of 44 adjectives from Serbian psycholexical study which refer to social roles and interpersonal relations, as well as its relations to the Big Five lexical dimensions. The study was conducted on a sample of 1575 participants (58% female, aged 18 - 60, average age 29.28 years). A principal component analysis of adjectives was conducted upon ipsatized data, with Promax rotation. The analysis yielded a 4-factor solution, whereby the factors can be regarded as friendliness, social boldness, callousness, and perfidy. The hierarchical factor analysis yielded 2 broad factors similar to dominance versus submission, and affiliation versus cold-heartedness. Dominance dimension is mostly saturated with trait positive emotionality, while affiliation is mostly saturated with trait agreeableness, which is in accordance with theoretical assumptions of the interpersonal circumplex model.
CURRENT TRENDS IN PSYCHOLOGY, 2017
Close relation between paranoia and depression has been assumed by some theorists and supported ... more Close relation between paranoia and depression has been assumed by some theorists and supported by some research. Also, it has been proposed that self-esteem is important in this relation. The aim of this study was to explore differences in network structures which include both paranoid and dysphoric symptoms in people with low and high self-esteem (LSE and HSE). Network models present an alternative approach to psychological phenomena, within which constructs are observed as dynamical systems of variables rather than latent variables assessed using static observable indicators.
In this study, 164 participants (Mage = 20.93, SD = 1.98) filled the following self-report questionnaires: the Fenigstein Paranoia Scale, the Depression subscale of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). Participants were allocated into two groups. The HSE group represented people who scored above average on the RSES, whereas the LSE group scored below average. Simple and partial correlations between the symptoms of paranoia and depression were calculated, based on which the association and concentration networks were plotted for both groups, respectively.
In the HSE group, the symptoms of paranoia were better clustered, with fewer central symptoms, whilst clusters of the depressive symptoms were weakly connected, and more distant to the paranoia symptoms. In the LSE group, the symptoms of depression seem to be more integrated and clustered than the symptoms of paranoia. Also, the symptoms of paranoia were less clearly clustered, but better connected with the symptoms of depression as indicated by positive low to medium correlations. Moreover, different groups had different symptoms that played a role in transferring activation from one cluster of symptoms to another (bridge symptoms). Different characteristics of two networks suggest that self-esteem can be a moderator of the interplay of paranoid and dysphoric indicators. This finding can have important theoretical implications about the role of self-esteem in the genesis of some mental disturbances.
One of a few interpretations of the greater density of the paranoia symptoms in the HSE group could be that they keep dysphoric symptoms sequestered, acting as a defence mechanism from depression and low self-esteem. In the same vein, in the LSE group, this mechanism does not operate so that in this group the depressive symptoms can be more easily activated by one another and can more easily trigger interpersonally sensitive interpretations. Practical implications can also be foretold regarding different therapeutic approaches with persons with HSE and LSE and mixed dysphoric and paranoid symptoms.
Keywords: paranoia, depression, self-esteem, network approach
CURRENT TRENDS IN PSYCHOLOGY, 2017
Introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has significantly extended life expecta... more Introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has significantly extended life expectancy in people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Nevertheless, although cART has brought a number of positive consequences, different affective, behavioral and neurocognitive disorders persist in chronic HIV infection. Current theories stand for the fact that success of cART in control of viral load in peripheral compartment is not necessarily followed by reduction of immune activation in central nervous system, which leads to higher prevalence of affective, behavioral and neurocognitive disorders. These symptoms negatively influence the overal quality of life, lead to poorer adherence and disease prognosis. The aim of this study was to test correlations between neurobiochemical profile obtained on magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and affective, behavioral and cognitive status of these patients. In this study we recruited 39 HIV+, male subjects, average age 42.18 years (SD = 11.37), on cART. We analyzed the level of N-acetyle aspartate obtained on multivoxel MRS in six different locations of both cerebral hemispheres: frontal subcortical white matter, grey matter of ventral anterior cingulate gyrus, deep frontal white matter, grey matter of dorsal anterior cingulate gyrus, subcortical parietal white matter and grey matter of posterior cingulate gyrus. Affective status, i.e. depressiveness was assessed using Beck's depression inventory scale, and anxiety by Spielberger's state anxiety inventory test. Behavioral and cognitive status was assessed using Behavior rating inventory of executive function (BRIEF-A), comprised of nine subscales: 21
CURRENT TRENDS IN PSYCHOLOGY 2017
Pozvani simpozijumi Invited symposia
selfmonitoring, emotional control, mental shifting, inhibition, initiation, working memory, plan/organization, monitoring and organization of material. We used several regression analyses and confirmed that drop of NAA in grey matter of dorsal anterior cingulate gyrus is a single predictor of depressiveness (β = -.444, p = .006) and anxiety (β = -.351, p = .031). Significant single predictors for subscale selfmonitoring are drop of NAA level in grey matter of dorsal anterior cingulate gyrus (β = - .474, p = .015) and frontal subcortical white matter (β = -.426, p = .041); for mental shifting (β = -.507, p = .017) grey matter of dorsal anterior cingulate gyrus; for subscale inhibition in grey matter of ventral (β = -.362, p = .028) and dorsal anterior cingulate gyrus (β = -.424, p = .037). Results showed that there is a certain correlation between the drop of neuronal marker (NAA) in specific cerebral regions with the presence of depression and anxiety, as well as with disorders in some aspects of executive functions, all of which directly influence behavior in HIV+ subjects.
Keywords: HIV, depression, anxiety, executive functions, MR spectroscopy
Alongside the standard version of the BF+2 questionnaire, designed for personality assessment in ... more Alongside the standard version of the BF+2 questionnaire, designed for personality
assessment in adults, two additional versions were developed for elementary
school (age 11 – 14) and high school (age 15-17) samples. While the high school
version is virtually identical (except for the norms) to the adult version, the
children version contains 70 items with 3-point Likert scales. The goal of this study
was to examine the psychometric properties of the BF+2 questionnaire for children
and high – school students. The goals include the examination of criterion validity
of the two versions of the questionnaire, as well as of the congruence between the
high school and adult versions. The sample comprised 628 elementary school
students (284 female) and 548 high school students (307 female), as well as 821
adult participants (aged 20 – 68 years, M = 35.72; 485 female). Internal
consistencies of the scales were satisfactory for both versions of the
questionnaire. In the children's version, Cronbach alphas span from .63 for
Extraversion to .75 for Neuroticism, whilst in version for high school students they
span from .83 for Openness scale to .91 for Neuroticism. Congruence testing of
higher- order factors from the high school and adult samples was conducted by principal component analysis, whereby the 7 component solution has shown to be
optimal across both samples. The values of Tucker’s coefficients range between
.92 for Openness up to .98 for Extraversion, Conscientiousness and
Aggressiveness. Criterion validity was assessed through the examination of the
relations between the BF+2 scale scores and the phenomena connected to violent
interaction in elementary and high school students. These constructs were
measured by the 20-item PRONA questionnaire, a measure of roles in violent
interaction. Results from elementary school samples show significant correlations
between the tendency towards violent behavior and Aggressiveness (r = .42),
Negative valence (r = .46), Neuroticism (r = .10), Positive valence (r = .24) and
Conscientiousness (r = -.22), whilst results obtained from the high school sample
show significant correlations with dimensions Neuroticism (r = .19), Extraversion (r
= -.20), Conscientiousness (r = -.15), Aggressiveness (r = .40), Openness (r = -.20)
and Negative valence (r = .56). Dimensions of VP+2 are also correlated to Exposure
to bullying. Results from an elementary school sample show significant
correlations with Extraversion (r = -.26), Negative valence ( r = .15), Neuroticism (r =
.40) and Positive valence (r = -.16), whilst the results from high school participants
show significant correlations with dimensions of Neuroticism ( r = .41), Extraversion
(r = -.32), Conscientiousness (r = -.12), Openness (r = -.13), Positive valence (r = -.23)
and Negative Valence (r = .24). The results point to satisfactory psychometric
properties of the BF+2 questionnaire and suggest their applicability in elementary
school and high school populations.
Frontiers in Psychology - Cognition, 2018
The set of complex cognitive processes, that are necessary for the cognitive control of behavior,... more The set of complex cognitive processes, that are necessary for the cognitive control of behavior, known as executive functions (EF), are traditionally associated with the prefrontal cortex and commonly assessed with laboratory based tests and conventional neuroimaging. In an effort to produce a more complete and ecologically valid understanding of executive functioning, the rating scales have been developed in order to assess the behavioral aspects of EF within an everyday real-world context. The main objective of this study was to examine the relationship between behavioral aspects of EF measured by rating scale and neurometabolic profile in neurologically asymptomatic HIV-positive individuals under cART, measured using multi-voxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy (mvMRS). The sample comprised 39 HIV-positive adult male participants, stable on cART and 39 healthy HIV-negative volunteers. Both groups completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version (BRIEF-A). HIV-positive group additionally underwent long-echo three-dimensional mvMRS to determine neurobiochemical profile in the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG) of both hemispheres. Three dominant neurometabolites were detected: N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), the neuronal marker; choline (Cho), the marker of membrane metabolism and gliosis and creatine (Cr), the reference marker. Ratios of NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr were analyzed. The initially detected significant correlations between age, current CD4, BRIEF-A subscales Inhibit, Shift, Emotional Control, Plan/Organize, Self Monitoring and ratios of NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr in the dorsal and ventral part of the ACG, were lost after the introduction of Bonferroni corrections. Also, there were no significant differences between HIV–positive and HIV–negative group on any of BRIEF-A subscales. Such results possibly imply that stable cART regimen contributes to preservation of behavioral aspects of EF in asymptomatic HIV-positive individuals. Even though a subtle deficit in some aspects of EF might exist, it would not be manifest if behavioral aspect was assessed using EF rating scale. Further explanation might be that expected HIV-related changes in neurometabolic profile of the ACG under cART are not reflected in those behavioral aspects that are measurable by EF rating scale.
Keywords: executive functions, anterior cingulate gyrus, behavior rating scale, HIV infection, MR spectroscopy