Baldwin Wallace University
Research Publications
Below is the list of recent peer-reviewed scientific publications by Dr. David Disabato, director of the Health and Well-being Lab. (Names with an asterisk are student authors Dr. Disabato has helped mentor throughout his career.) For a full list of his publications, see his google scholar page, showcasing 39 publications cited over 3000 times.
*Nguyen, T. N. M., Disabato, D. J., Gunstad, J., Delahanty, D. L., George, R., Muakkassa, F., Mallat, A. F., & Coifman, K. G. (2023). Can the positive buffer from the negative? Testing the impact of protective childhood experiences on social support and psychological adjustment in adults following trauma exposure. Journal of Traumatic Stress. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2023.2193888
This study followed adults who recently were hospitalized for a traumatic injury (N = 128) for 9 months after their injury. We assessed current reports of past childhood experiences, perceived social support, and internalizing symptoms (e.g., depression, PTSD). We found that protective childhood experiences (e.g., felt loved) were associated with more perceived social support after the traumatic injury, but not less internalizing symptoms. On the contrary, we found that adverse childhood experiences (e.g., abuse) were associated with more internalizing symptoms after the traumatic injury, but not less perceived social support. We failed to find evidence for protective childhood experiences buffering the deleterious effects of adverse childhood experiences. These findings suggest adverse childhood experiences may still contribute to psychopathology despite the presence of other positive experiences.
Hoogeveen, S., Sarafoglou, A., …, Disabato, D. J., …, van Elk, M., & Wagenmakers, E. J. (2023). A many-analysts approach to the relation between religiosity and well-being. Religion, Brain, & Behavior, 13(3), 237-283. https://doi.org/10.1080/2153599X.2022.2070255
This study involved a large, cross-cultural survey of religiosity and well-being (N = 10,535). We tested how robust the link between religiosity and well-being was across a multitude of different data analytic decisions, including survey item selection, number of covariates, and type of statistical model. We found the religiosity and well-being association was very robust and suggests the association is likely not due to subjective and arbitrary data analytic decisions.
Disabato, D. J., Aurora, P., Sidney, P., Taber, J., Thompson, C., & Coifman, K. G. (2022). Self-care behaviors and affect during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Health Psychology, 41(11), 833-842. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0001239
This study involved following American adults (N = 324) for 10 days at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in May, 2020. We assessed self-care behaviors (e.g., healthy eating, exercise, meditation, etc.) each day as well as reports of positive and negative affect. We found that participants reported more intense positive emotions and less intense negative emotions on days they engaged in more self-care behaviors. We did not find that these effects lasted into the next day. Similarly, we did not find that positive emotions the day before lead to a greater number of self-care behaviors. These findings support recommendations for people to use self-care behaviors to regulate their emotions during stressful life events like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aurora, P., Disabato, D. J., & Coifman, K. G. (2022). Positive affect predicts engagement in healthy behaviors within a day, but not across days. Motivation and Emotion, 46, 211-225. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-021-09924-z
This study involved following American college students (N = 197) for 10 days during a semester. We assessed their momentary emotions and healthy behaviors 5 times a day. We found that positive affect in the morning predicted engagement in healthy behaviors in the afternoon and evening (i.e., exercise, spent time with a supportive person, engaged in a hobby, relaxation/meditation activities). However, positive affect in the evening did not predict healthy behaviors the next day. These findings suggest the importance of consistent and sustained sources of positive emotions to facilitate healthy routines.
Giff, S., Disabato, D. J., Renshaw, K. & Campbell, S. (2022). Longitudinal associations of global and daily support with marital status. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 50(3), 280-294. https://doi.org/10.1080/01926187.2021.1913667
This study involved following middle-aged Americans who are married at the start of the study (N = 673). We assessed their daily emotions, social support, and life events once a day for 8 days. We determined which people were still married to the same partner 10 years later. We found that daily levels and variability in spousal support were not predictive of divorce or separation a decade later. Instead, higher education was the only variable that predicted a decreased risk for divorce. These findings suggest that day-to-day spousal support may not be as central to marital stability as previously thought.
*Brown, B., Goodman, F. R., Disabato, D. J., Kashdan, T. B., & Armeli, S., Tennen, H. (2021). Does negative emotion differentiation influence how people choose to regulate their distress after stressful events? A four-year daily diary study. Emotion, 21(5), 1000-1012. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000969
This study involved following American college students (N = 502) from their freshman year to senior year. We had students complete a month-long daily diary during each year of college assessing daily emotions, emotion regulation strategies, and life events. We found that negative emotion differentiation – or the ability to distinguish between negative emotions such as sadness and anger – did not predict which emotion regulation strategies that students selected after stressful daily events. These findings suggest that while negative emotion differentiation is adaptive, it does not appear to drive emotion regulation strategy selection in daily life.
Disabato, D. J., Kashdan, T. B., Doorley, J. D., Kelso, K., Volgenau, K., Devendorf, A. R., & Rottenberg, J. (2021). Optimal well-being in the aftermath of anxiety disorders: A 10-year longitudinal investigation. Journal of Affective Disorders, 291, 110-117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.05.009
This study involved following middle-aged Americans (N = 256) with a diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder, Panic Disorder, or Generalized Anxiety Disorder. We determined which adults experienced optimal well-being 10 years later, indexed by no symptoms of depression or anxiety and elevated psychological well-being. We found that 8% of people (n = 21) experienced optimal well-being with higher rates for Major Depressive Disorder (9%) compared with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (0%). These findings suggest that full recovery is possible from depression and anxiety and that it is more common after clinical episodes that are shorter in duration (e.g., 2 weeks) rather than more chronic in nature (e.g., 12 months).
*Akbari, M., Disabato, D. J., Seydavi, M., & Zamani, E. (2021). The Persian Personalized Psychological Flexibility Index (P-PPFI): Psychometric properties in a general population sample of Iranians. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 22, 32-43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2021.09.004
This study involved translating the Personalized Psychological Flexibility Index (PPFI) into Persian and validating it for use in Iranian populations. We first conducted cognitive interviews with back translation methods to create a Persian version of the PPFI. We then collected PPFI item responses from Iranian adults (N = 614) as well as questionnaires of related constructs. We found that the Persian PPFI generated the same three subscales as the English version with good reliability. We also found the PPFI predicted well-being, goal-directedness, and life orientations stronger than other psychological flexibility questionnaires (e.g., AAQ-II, BEAQ). These findings suggest the Persian PPFI has good psychometric properties and may be used to test hypotheses about psychological flexibility in Iranian populations.
Goodman, F. R., Disabato, D. J., & Kashdan, T. B. (2021). Reflections on unspoken problems and potential solutions for the well-being juggernaut in positive psychology. Journal of Positive Psychology, 16(6), 831-837. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2020.1818815
This theoretical paper is a response to a paper by Seligman (2018) questioning the practical utility of a study by Goodman, Disabato, Kashdan, & Kaufman (2018) finding that Seligman’s PERMA model of well-being appeared to be measuring the same type of well-being as Diener’s subjective well-being. Seligman (2018) had argued for the importance of differing well-being facets (e.g., meaning in life vs. life satisfaction), despite the types of well-being heavily overlapping. In this theoretical paper, we point out agreements and disagreements with Seligman’s (2018) position and present a hierarchical framework of well-being as a synthesis.
Coifman, K. G., Disabato, D. J., Aurora, P., Seah, S., Sidney, P., Taber, J., & Thompson, C. (2021). What drives preventive health behavior during a global pandemic? Emotion and worry. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 55(8), 791-804. https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaab048
This study involved following American adults (N = 324) for 10 days at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in May, 2020. We assessed CDC recommended prevention behaviors (e.g., social distancing, hand washing) each day as well as reports of emotion and thoughts about COVID-19. We found that fear and worry about contracting COVID-19 predicted engagement in the prevention behaviors. In addition, they indirectly influenced one another to maintain behavioral engagement. These findings support the common sense belief that fear and worry about a disease motivate prevention behaviors.
Coifman, K. G., Disabato, D. J., Seah, S., Gunstad, J., Delahanty, D., Palmeri, P., & Delahanty, S. (2021). Boosting positive mood in medical emergency personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic: Preliminary evidence of efficacy, feasibility, and acceptability of a novel online ambulatory intervention. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 78, 555-557. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2021-107427
This study involved medical personnel and emergency responders (N = 28) for 1 week during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in June, 2020. We randomized participants to either a low dose or high dose version of a brief, smartphone intervention for enhancing daily well-being. The intervention contained three components: 1) expressive writing about the day’s distress, 2) guided self-distancing from the distress, and 3) positive emotion generating reflection prompts (e.g., “Think about something that went well today which you are grateful for”). We found that the intervention increased momentary positive emotions by 13% and decreased momentary negative emotions by 44%. In addition, the high dose condition involving two – rather than one – positive prompts led to a greater mood boost. These findings suggest brief, smartphone interventions can temporarily boost mood during stressful events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Doorley, J. D., Goodman, F. R., Disabato, D. J., Kashdan, T. B., Weinstein, J. S., & Shackman, A. J. (2021). The momentary benefits of positive events for individuals with elevated social anxiety. Emotion, 21(3), 595-606. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000725
This study involved following American college students (N = 125) with elevated social anxiety during a week of their daily lives during a semester. We assessed their momentary emotions, social connection, and life events 10 times a day. We found that people with elevated social anxiety experienced greater psychological benefits from hourly positive events than those with little social anxiety. These findings suggest that, although individuals with elevated social anxiety experience fewer positive emotions and less social connection on average, that does not prevent them from experiencing positive emotions and social connection in response to hourly positive events.
Riskind, J. H., Sica, C., Caudek, C., Bottesi, G., Disabato, D. J., Ghisi, M. (2021). Looming cognitive style more consistently predicts anxiety than depressive symptoms: Evidence from a 3-wave yearlong study. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 45, 745-758. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-020-10189-y
This study involved following Italian college students (N = 187) every 6 months for a year. We assessed their depressive and anxiety symptoms as well as looming cognitive style at each of the 3 timepoints. Looming cognitive style is the tendency to not only perceive bad outcomes as likely, but rather perceive their likelihood as increasing over time. We found that looming cognitive style predicted increased anxiety symptoms over 6 months time, but not depressive symptoms. Anxiety symptoms did not predict increased looming cognitive style though. These findings suggest that looming cognitive style poses a vulnerability to developing anxiety symptoms more so than depressive symptoms.
Kashdan, T. B., Disabato, D. J., Goodman, F. R., Doorley, J., & McKnight, P. E. (2020). Understanding psychological flexibility: A multi-method exploration of pursuing valued goals despite the presence of pain. Psychological Assessment, 32(9), 829-850. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000834
This study involved the development of the Personalized Psychological Flexibility Index (PPFI) for measuring the ability to pursue valued life aims despite the presence of distress (i.e., psychological flexibility). We combined an idiographic approach, where participants provide an important goal in their life, with a nomothetic approach, where participants respond to standardized items, to create a new psychological flexibility questionnaire. We found support for three subscales capturing attempts to avoid distress (i.e., avoiding), willingness to accept distress (i.e., accepting), and ability to harness distress (i.e., harnessing). The subscales were not found to overlap with measures of distress itself and were stronger predictors of well-being and personality strengths than other psychological flexibility questionnaires (e.g., AAQ-II, BEAQ). The PPFI offers an alternative way to measure psychological flexibility that appears to have advantages above other questionnaire options.