"So, we started to say hi to each other on campus." a qualitative study about well-being among PhD candidates in Norway

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Loneliness, social isolation, and lack of social belonging are factors that may negatively impact the mental health and well-being of PhD candidates. This study aims to advance understanding of the function of social activities in their role as interventions that foster social belonging and well-being among PhD candidates.

METHODS

After collecting observational data from the well-being interventions, 10 PhD candidates were interviewed to explore how they perceived their participation in social activities on campus and how it affected their sense of social belonging.

RESULTS

Our results show that participating in social activities was beneficial for PhD candidates on both a personal and professional level, potentially leading to an increased sense of community and well-being, along with increased social interaction, networking, and collaboration. PhD candidates' well-being was found to be linked to social capital in the forms of social belonging and social support.

CONCLUSION

Organizing social activities tailored to PhD candidates' needs may help increase their sense of well-being by generating social capital, which could benefit PhD candida nationally and worldwide.

Counterfactual thinking is associated with impoverished attentional control in women prone to self-critical rumination

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Excessive engagement in counterfactual thinking (CFT), where individuals imagine alternative outcomes to past events, is associated with rumination, a process characterized by repetitive negative self-referential thoughts. Attentional control difficulties are closely linked with rumination, and negative thoughts can negatively impact attentional control among rumination-prone individuals. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between CFT and emotional and non-emotional attentional control among individuals with varying levels of self-critical rumination.

METHODS

A sample of 100 female participants, characterized by varying levels of self-critical rumination, completed a choice task resulting in goal failure, during which they reported their levels of CFT. Subsequently, participants performed an attentional control task involving eye-tracking measures to assess emotional attentional engagement, emotional attentional disengagement, and emotional and non-emotional attentional shifting.

RESULTS

Among women with high (but not low) self-critical rumination tendencies, increased levels of CFT were associated with slower attentional shifting from emotional stimuli of opposing valence, as well as between non-emotional stimuli.

LIMITATIONS

The correlational design of the study prevents causal interpretations of the findings. Additionally, the exclusive inclusion of female participants may limit the generalizability of the results.

CONCLUSIONS

This study underscores the association of CFT with subsequent attentional control among women prone to self-critical rumination, aligning with prior research suggesting a link between negative thoughts and attentional processes. Future research should explore these relationships in diverse populations and consider longitudinal designs to elucidate causal pathways.

Verification report: A critical reanalysis of Vahey et al. (2015) "A meta-analysis of criterion effects for the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) in the clinical domain"

The meta-analysis reported in Vahey et al. (2015) concluded that the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) has high clinical criterion validity (meta-analytic r‾ = .45) and therefore "the potential of the IRAP as a tool for clinical assessment" (p. 64). Vahey et al. (2015) also reported power analyses, and the article is frequently cited for sample size determination in IRAP studies, especially their heuristic of N > 37. This article attempts to verify those results. Results were found to have very poor reproducibility at almost every stage of the data extraction and analysis with errors generally biased towards inflating the effect size. The reported meta-analysis results were found to be mathematically implausible and could not be reproduced despite numerous attempts. Multiple internal discrepancies were found in the effect sizes such as between the forest plot and funnel plot, and between the forest plot and the supplementary data. 23 of the 56 (41.1%) individual effect sizes were not actually criterion effects and did not meet the original inclusion criteria. The original results were also undermined by combining effect sizes with different estimands. Reextraction of effect sizes from the original articles revealed 360 additional effect sizes that met inclusion criteria that should have been included in the original analysis. Examples of selection bias in the inclusion of larger effect sizes were observed. A new meta-analysis was calculated to understand the compound impact of these errors (i.e., without endorsing its results as a valid estimate of the IRAP's criterion validity). The effect size was half the size of the original (r‾ = .22), and the power analyses recommended sample sizes nearly 10 times larger than the original (N > 346), which no published original study using the IRAP has met. In aggregate, this seriously undermines the credibility and utility of the original article's conclusions and recommendations. Vahey et al. (2015) appears to need substantial correction at minimum. In particular, researchers should not rely on its results for sample size justification. A list of suggestions for error detection in meta-analyses is provided.

Psychometric properties of mental health screening tools in South African adolescent girls and young women

Adolescence is a critical period for the emergence of mental health disorders, particularly among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in resource-limited settings like sub-Saharan Africa. Despite increasing awareness of mental health challenges in this population, evidence remains limited on the psychometric properties of common tools. This study evaluates the psychometric properties of the PHQ-9, GAD-7, and PC-PTSD-5 scales in South African AGYW to measure depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among 642 South African AGYW (ages 15-19). Results demonstrate that the GAD-7 showed robust psychometric properties, including configural, metric, and scalar invariance across English and IsiXhosa speakers, indicating its reliability across linguistic groups. The PHQ-9 displayed adequate factor structure and construct validity but showed lower item-level scalability for certain items (e.g., "little interest," "poor appetite") in Mokken analysis, suggesting potential cultural or contextual influences on item performance. The PC-PTSD-5 demonstrated challenges with scalar invariance, particularly for the "avoidance" item, indicating potential linguistic or cultural differences in interpretation. Despite this, the scale exhibited acceptable overall scalability. Correlations among scales and with parenting and intimate partner violence provided evidence of construct validity, showing expected associations between mental health symptoms. These findings highlight the GAD-7's utility as a screening tool for anxiety in this population while underscoring the need for further adaptation or testing of the PHQ-9 and PC-PTSD-5. This study emphasizes the importance of culturally sensitive, linguistically appropriate tools for mental health assessment in diverse settings.

Efficacy and neural mechanisms of approach bias modification training in patients with internet gaming disorder: A randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is a prevalent behavioral addiction linked to neural alterations and significant negative outcomes. Approach bias modification (ApBM) training aims to correct imbalances in reflective and impulsive systems, reducing cravings and addictions. This study examined the effectiveness of ApBM training in IGD patients and explored the brain response changes associated with the intervention.

METHODS

Fifty-one patients with IGD were randomly assigned to an ApBM group (n = 26) or a sham-ApBM group (n = 25). Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans and behavioral assessments, including Internet Addiction Test scores, DSM-5 criteria, game craving levels, and automatic approach bias, were conducted before and after a ten-day training with five sessions. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to assess time (pre- and post-test) × group (ApBM group vs. sham-ApBM group) effects on behavioral measures. Functional connectivity (FC) analyses focused on regions of interest identified through regional homogeneity and degree centrality calculations. Additionally, we analyzed the relationship between neuroimaging variables and intervention outcomes.

RESULTS

Significant group × time interactions were found for automatic approach bias, Internet Addiction Test scores, DSM-5 criteria, and game craving levels. Post-training, these measures significantly decreased in the ApBM group but showed no significant changes in the sham-ApBM group. FC analysis revealed increased connectivity within executive control regions, enhanced connectivity between executive control and reward-related regions, and decreased connectivity within reward-related regions, exclusively in the ApBM group.

CONCLUSIONS

ApBM training effectively reduces gaming cravings in patients with IGD, enhancing executive control and mitigating impulsive behaviors.

The relationship between habit and identity in health behaviors: A systematic review and three-level meta-analysis

Habit and identity are two key determinants of health behavior maintenance. However, the relationship between habit and identity remains inconsistently interpreted, with empirical findings showing varying correlations. This meta-analytic review aimed to synthesize the effect sizes of the relationship between habit and identity in health behaviors and to further explore the moderators that influence this relationship. A search of eight databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycArticles, PsycINFO, and SPORTDiscus) was conducted up to October 9, 2024. Nineteen articles related to physical activity, healthy eating, and drinking were identified based on eligibility criteria, including 32 effect sizes and a total of 13,340 participants. The results indicated a significant positive correlation between habit and identity with a large effect size (r = 0.55, 95% CI [0.49, 0.74]). A multiple moderator analysis revealed that effect sizes were larger when identity was measured using explicit tests. The moderating effects of different types of health behaviors and geographic location were not sufficiently supported. Limited predictive studies imply that the relationship between habit and identity might not be unidirectional. Finally, this review calls for the integration of knowledge of habit and identity to facilitate the practice of health behavior change.

Associations between perceived built environment and depressive symptoms in China: The mediating roles of neighborly relationships and community attachment across age-gender groups

BACKGROUND

While prior research has linked the built environment to mental health, little attention has been given to how this relationship and its mechanisms differ at the intersection of gender and age. This study examines the direct and indirect associations between the perceived built environment and depressive symptoms, with neighborly relationships and community attachment as mediators. It also investigates how these associations vary across age-gender groups.

METHODS

Drawing from nationally representative data from two waves of the China Family Panel Studies (n = 14,200), this study applied a moderated mediation model to analyze the mediating role of neighborly relationships and community attachment, as well as the moderating role of age-gender groups.

RESULTS

The perceived built environment was negatively associated with depressive symptoms, and this relationship was mediated by both neighborly relationships and community attachment. Age-gender groups moderated both the direct and indirect associations, with middle-aged males exhibiting the strongest direct association, while middle-aged females demonstrated more pronounced indirect associations through social cohesion.

LIMITATIONS

This study relied on self-reported data to assess the built environment, and both neighborly relationships and community attachment were measured using single-item indicators, which may limit the depth of analysis. Furthermore, the observational design of the study precludes definitive causal inferences from the findings.

CONCLUSIONS

The study reveals varying associations between the perceived built environment and depressive symptoms across age-gender groups, with middle-aged males more affected by environmental stressors and middle-aged females benefiting from social cohesion. These findings provide insights for targeted interventions and policies.

The Relationship Between Dispositional Awe and Reactive Aggression: The Serial Mediation Role of Trait Anger and Self-Control

Previous research has shown that state awe will decrease aggressive behavior in individuals and reduce implicit trait aggression. However, hardly any studies have been conducted to show the relationship between individual dispositional awe and reactive aggression as well as the underlying psychological mechanisms. Based on the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotion and the expanded model of awe, this study explored the effects of trait anger and self-control on the relationship between dispositional awe predicting reactive aggression. The trait anger, self-control, dispositional awe, and reactive aggression scales were completed by a total of 611 college students who were recruited from universities. The findings demonstrated a negative correlation between dispositional awe and reactive aggression (r = -.35, p < .01). The link between dispositional awe and reactive aggression is mediated by trait anger (β = -.201, 95% CI [-.25, -.15]) and self-control (β = -.038, 95% CI [-.07, -.01]). Additionally, a serial mediation effect of trait anger and self-control was observed between dispositional awe and reactive aggression (β = -.022, 95% CI [-.04, -.01]). This study reveals the relationship between dispositional awe and reactive aggression and its mechanism of effect which has some practical implications for the prevention and reduction of reactive aggression among college students.

The Moderating Role of Perceived Partner Responsiveness Between Implicit Theories of Relationships and Romantic Relationship Satisfaction

Whether people believe their romantic relationship quality can be improved or not could largely influence the relationship consequences. However, relatively fewer studies have focused on the potential factors that account for the association between such beliefs and romantic relationship satisfaction (RS). In the current research, we aimed to investigate the relation between implicit theories of relationships (ITRs) and RS and the potential moderating role of perceived partner responsiveness (PPR) in such relation. An online survey was administered to 300 Chinese young adults (aged 18-35) who were currently in romantic relationships, measuring their implicit beliefs about romantic relationships, PPR, and RS. Results indicated that (a) growth beliefs of ITRs and PPR were positively associated with RS, respectively; (b) destiny beliefs of ITRs were not significantly associated with RS; and (c) PPR moderated the relation between growth beliefs of ITRs and RS. Growth beliefs were significantly positively correlated with RS in lower PPR conditions but not in higher PPR conditions. We further discussed the theoretical and practical implications of these results.

Entrusted power enhances psychological other-orientation and altruistic behavioural tendencies

From the playground to the boardroom, social power profoundly shapes the way people think and behave. Social psychological research has offered a nuanced understanding of the diverse psychological and behavioural tendencies of powerholders. We add to this literature by proposing that powerholders also differ in how they construe the origin of their power. Specifically, we differentiate between perceiving one's power as being based on personal merit and achievement (i.e. achieved power construal) and perceiving one's power as being granted by others (i.e. entrusted power construal). We hypothesised that entrusted power construal, more than achieved power construal, would increase powerholders' psychological other-orientation-the tendency to take another's perspective and to feel what they feel-and their altruistic behavioural tendencies. Using a multi-method approach, we tested this prediction across three studies (N = 926). Our findings revealed that powerholders who adopted an entrusted power construal, compared to those who adopted an achieved power construal, exhibited greater psychological other-orientation and more altruistic behavioural tendencies. We discuss the practical implications of these findings, including how they inform the training of future powerholders to educate them about the reciprocal nature of power.

The Role of Gratitude in Appreciative Joy's Contribution to Subjective Well-Being

Appreciative joy is one of four immeasurables emphasised in Buddhism. There are similarities and differences between appreciative joy and gratitude, but their combined roles in improving subjective well-being (SWB) are still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between appreciative joy and gratitude and their contribution to SWB. Study 1 utilised a cross-sectional survey to evaluate the relationships among appreciative joy, gratitude, and SWB. Study 2 used a randomised controlled trial to explore the effects of a four-week appreciative joy meditation (AJM) training and the underlying mechanisms. The results of Study 1 indicated a moderate positive correlation between appreciative joy and gratitude, and gratitude partially mediated the appreciative joy-SWB relationship. Study 2 further supported the idea that AJM training could increase appreciative joy and gratitude at the one-month follow-up. Furthermore, changes in gratitude caused by the intervention were mediated by appreciative joy. However, since SWB significantly improved at post-measures, we cannot conclude that appreciative joy and gratitude mediated the intervention effect on SWB. Our findings expand the underlying mechanisms of appreciative joy beyond interpersonal domains and highlight the importance of gratitude in understanding the effects of the Buddhist four immeasurable meditations.

How can community music shape individual and collective well-being? A case study of a place-based initiative

ISSUE ADDRESSED

There is an urgent need to investigate innovative and creative approaches in health promotion that support work towards health equity. In response, this study explores the potential for arts, and community music specifically, to strengthen individual and collective well-being.

METHODS

This study used a qualitative case study methodology that involved interviews, focus groups and ethnographic observation with participants (N = 13), facilitator (N = 1) and support staff (N = 2) of an established community music initiative conducted in an urban community. Data collection was conducted across 2023 and data analysis drew on a socioecological framework to explore potential individual and collective outcomes from the perspective of those involved in the initiative.

RESULTS

Findings point to outcomes across socioecological levels with researchers identifying positive health and well-being implications for participants including joy, healing and a sense of purpose, creative self-expression, confidence, social connection and contribution. Positive outcomes for the wider community were also identified including developing community ties, promoting safety and shaping and sharing of collective identity. Findings suggest community-led opportunities for engagement can support healing and empowerment for people who are marginalised, and this can enable active community participation related to challenging the status quo and developing a shared set of values. Potential implications of these outcomes in relation to broader societal transformations are discussed.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights how community music, and the arts more broadly are working in communities in ways that support potential personal, community and societal transformations towards health equity. SO WHAT?: By developing coalitions and collaborating with diverse sectors, including the arts and social sectors, health promotion practitioners and researchers can harness the creative strengths and resources that exist within a community to support positive individual and collective well-being.

Social Media as Input for Recruiment: Does Women's Relationship History Affect Candidate Evaluations?

We examine whether information about a female candidate's relationship history, obtained from social media profiles, affects evaluations of her suitability for a student union board position. Moreover, we investigate whether it is possible to mitigate any bias against women with multiple partners by providing information about the origins of prejudice. We utilized a 2 (relationship history: multiple vs. one partner(s)) X 2 (mitigating information: explaining prejudice against promiscuous women vs. explaining prejudice against outgroups) experimental design across two studies. Participants were female students (Study 1: n = 209 American students; Study 2; n = 119 European students), who indicated whether they would hire the applicant for a job, and evaluated this applicant. Results show that generally, participants tended to evaluate the candidate with multiple partners less positively than the candidate with only one partner: They were less likely to hire her (Study 1), evaluated her less positively (Study 1), and considered her less of a fit with the organization (Study 1 and 2). The results regarding providing additional information were not consistent. Our findings suggest that private social media information can influence applicant evaluations and hiring decisions, and therefore organizations should be careful when utilizing social information in recruitment processes.

Does creating the perfect child mean enforcing or dismantling normative gender stereotypes? Evidence from an interactive virtual genetic engineering exhibit

Genetic engineering of humans is a controversial practice with unknown societal effects. Gender constitutes an important evaluative background for human behavior and traits. This manifests within action-guiding normative gender stereotypes. This study investigates to which extent these stereotypes may influence the application of genetic engineering. After highlighting potential motivations to enact stereotypes biotechnologically, we propose two potential strategies. People may design future children in close accordance with contemporary gender stereotypes, e.g., to minimize their risk of being punished for non-confirmation, or may create individuals that counteract these stereotypes, e.g., to create a more gender-egalitarian future. To test these hypotheses, we analyzed a large-scale dataset (13,641 virtual children) from an interactive museum exhibit. Here, visitors could design their "perfect child." Gender-dependent differences in designed Big-5-like personality traits and intelligence, musicality, creativity, and sportiness yielded evidence for behavior predicted by both strategies and were inconclusive regarding the dominance of one strategy. Confirming contemporary stereotypes, children deliberately chosen to be male were designed with lower sensibility but higher sportiness than those deliberately chosen to be female. These effects were accompanied by a relatively higher probability of decreasing sensibility and increasing sportiness of these male children. Non-differences among traits like sociality and conscientiousness disconfirmed normative stereotypes and suggested a more egalitarian design. Effect direction, strength, and certainty depended on whether gender was picked deliberately and other factors. Although the ecological setting and methodological limitations hinder a clear interpretation, we provide initial evidence on how genetically engineered children can "essentially" embody gender normativity.

The association between teachers' positive instructional emotions and job performance: Work engagement as a mediator

This study investigated the mediating role of work engagement in the relationship between teachers' positive instructional emotions and job performance in the Turkish educational system. Using a cross-sectional design, a sample of 413 preschool to high school teachers completed an online survey measuring their instructional emotions, engagement, and job performance. The results suggested that teachers' positive instructional emotions significantly predicted both their job performance (β = 0.29; p˂0.001) and work engagement (β = 0.66; p˂0.001). Work engagement was a significant predictor of job performance (β = 0.46; p˂0.001) and mediated the relationship between positive instructional emotions and job performance (BootLLC = 0.23 and BootULCI = 0.37; BootSE = 0.04; Effect = 0.30). These findings highlight the crucial role of teachers' emotional experiences in shaping their professional effectiveness. The study contributes to the existing literature by demonstrating the psychological mechanisms that enhance teacher performance, particularly in non-Western educational contexts. The results suggest that intervention programs to improve teacher effectiveness should focus on fostering positive instructional emotions and increasing work engagement, which may ultimately benefit student learning outcomes.

Latent Profile Analysis of Moral Foundations: Emotional and Decisional Forgiveness Approaches to Models of Morality

This study delves into the intricate relationship between morality and episodic forgiveness (i.e. emotional and decisional), guided by moral foundations theory. Survey data were collected from 927 English-speaking Canadians, aged 18-57, using the Moral Foundations Questionnaire, Decision to Forgive Scale, and Emotional Forgiveness Scale. Employing latent profile analysis, the research revealed three distinct moral foundation profiles-high moralists, individuators, and neutrals-each linked to different levels of decisional and emotional forgiveness. Further analysis using MANOVA and follow-up ANOVAs indicated that the high moralist group exhibited higher scores in both forgiveness dimensions compared to the individuator and neutral groups, whereas the individuator group reported higher emotional forgiveness than the neutrals. These findings illuminate the significance of moral development in forgiving and underscore the utility of moral profiling based on moral foundations theory in predicting episodic forgiveness.

Validation and adaptation of the Brief Self-Control Scale for internet use among Chinese adolescents: Factor structure, reliability, validity, and measurement invariance across gender and age

Self-control plays a crucial role in mitigating the negative effects of improper internet use, such as internet addiction. While the Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS) has been widely employed to measure self-control, its items fail to adequately account for the specific challenges of internet use, and the dimensional structure of the BSCS remains unclear. Moreover, no psychometric validation of the adapted BSCS for internet use has been conducted. To address these gaps, this study adapted and validated a version of the BSCS specific to internet use. Data were collected from 6858 Chinese adolescents. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed a three-factor structure of self-control in the context of internet use, which demonstrated good reliability, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.818 and a McDonald's omega of 0.875. Measurement invariance was supported across age, but strict measurement invariance was not established across gender. Finally, we found that the second factor of self-control for internet use was significantly negatively correlated with the level of internet addiction. These findings confirm that the adapted BSCS exhibits satisfactory reliability and validity for assessing self-control in the context of internet use among Chinese adolescents.

The more positive intergroup contacts you have, the less LGBTQ+ conspiracies beliefs you will report: The role of knowledge, anxiety, and empathy

Conspiracy theories and beliefs against LGBTQ+ people are a recurrent theme in the political agenda, depicting them as evil actors in a larger plot, seeking to undermine societal norms, institutions, and traditional values. Lessening LGBTQ+ conspiracy beliefs is crucial to reaching more social equality, and intergroup contact might represent a useful strategy. Study 1 (N = 253) investigated the associations of the quantity of direct contact with LGBTQ+ people, the quality of such contacts, and their interactive role with LGBTQ+ conspiracy beliefs. Taking a step forward, Studies 2 (N = 512) and 3 (N = 529) investigated, correlationally and experimentally, respectively, the relationship between the quality of contact with LGBTQ+ individuals and LGBTQ+ conspiracy beliefs, exploring the mediating associations of intergroup knowledge, empathy, and anxiety. Results consistently suggested that a higher quantity of direct contacts with LGBTQ+ people is negatively associated with LGBTQ+ conspiracy beliefs. Furthermore, positive contact was associated with lower conspiracy beliefs against LGBTQ+ people, with these associations being either partially (Study 2) or fully (Study 3) mediated by intergroup empathy. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of fostering positive intergroup interactions and enhancing empathy as strategies to combat harmful conspiracy beliefs about marginalized groups.

Which leadership style do more narcissistic subordinates prefer in supervisors?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Subordinates in Western cultures generally prefer supervisors with a democratic rather than autocratic leadership style. It is unclear, however, whether more narcissistic subordinates share or challenge this prodemocratic default attitude. On the one hand, more narcissistic individuals strive for power and thus may favor a democratic supervisor, who grants them power through participation. On the other hand, similarity attracts and, thus, more narcissistic subordinates may favor an autocratic supervisor, who exhibits the same leadership style that they would adopt in a leadership position.

METHOD

Four studies (Ntotal = 1284) tested these competing hypotheses with two narcissism dimensions: admiration and rivalry. Participants indicated the leadership style they generally prefer in a supervisor (Study 1), rated their own supervisor's leadership style (Study 2a: individual ratings; Study 2b: team ratings), and evaluated profiles of democratic and autocratic supervisors (Study 3).

RESULTS

We found a significantly weaker prodemocratic default attitude among more narcissistic subordinates: Subordinates' narcissism was negatively related to endorsement of democratic supervisors and positively related to endorsement of autocratic supervisors. Those relations were mostly driven by narcissistic rivalry rather than narcissistic admiration.

CONCLUSION

The results help clarify the narcissistic personality and, in particular, how more narcissistic subordinates prefer to be led.

Assessing Maternal Attitudes: Development, Validation, and Psychometric Properties of the Mother-Child Reminiscing Scales

ObjectiveMother-child participation in conversations about past events in early childhood has an invaluable influence on child development. While previous studies have focused on the investigation of maternal styles of talking about the past, the role of maternal attitudes towards reminiscing has been overlooked. This paper presents two studies on the development and validation of two separate scales that assess maternal attitudes in mother-child conversations: the Maternal Attitudes Towards Mother-Child Reminiscing Scale (MCRS) and MCRS-Context.DesignIn Study 1, we have investigated the factor structure of the MCRS (N = 312) and MCRS-Context (N = 278) with a sample of mothers whose children aged between 3 and 7. In Study 2, we aimed to test the factor structure obtained by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) in Study 1 using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and we have investigated the psychometric properties of the scales with a different sample of 223 mothers.ResultsEFA and CFA results have suggested four theoretically consistent factors of the MCRS (interest, competency, satisfaction and difficulty) and a one-factor structure for the MCRS-Context (general positive attitudes in comparison to other mothers). To test construct validity, the relationships with related independent scales were investigated, indicating generally significant and theoretically expected correlations. The test/re-test, Cronbach alpha and composite reliability scores indicated acceptable internal consistency for both scales.ConclusionsThe findings of both studies provided evidence for the validity and reliability of these scales in evaluating maternal attitudes towards mother-child conversations. It is thought that the studies presented here will provide useful insight for future studies for understanding the link between maternal cognitions and reminiscing practices in mother-child conversations and the effect of that link on child development.

Albert Bandura: The Man I Have Known and His Merits

Albert Bandura, one of the most influential psychologists, passed away on 26 July 2021. His scientific merits have been acknowledged across various domains of inquiry, thereby attesting to his relevance for understanding people's agentic role in shaping and improving their life. The purpose of this special issue was to honour Bandura's contribution to psychological science through a collection of articles from several researchers around the globe whose scientific interests are rooted in Bandura's theoretical conceptualisations, ranging from self-efficacy beliefs to moral disengagement.

Where and why do women lead? The importance of leadership for private profit versus purpose beyond profit

To examine how personal preferences and social norms can influence women's occupancy of organizational leadership roles, this research compared leadership roles that differ in their stakeholder focus on private profit (PP), producing gains for shareholders, or on purpose beyond profit (PBP), producing gains for the community and society. Consistent with the greater representation of women leaders in non-profit than for-profit sectors, the research showed that men preferred and were expected to prefer leader roles focussed on PP and women preferred and were expected to prefer leader roles focussed on PBP. These differing preferences and normative expectations reflected divergent life goals, whereby men favoured agentic goals and women favoured communal goals, with social norms reflecting this gender difference. This research thus showed how the communal and agentic life goals of women and men are linked to their personal role preferences and to normative expectations about leader role occupancy, thus fostering gender segregated leader roles.

AI contextual information shapes moral and aesthetic judgments of AI-generated visual art

Throughout history, art creation has been regarded as a uniquely human means to express original ideas, emotions, and experiences. However, as Generative Artificial Intelligence reshapes visual, aesthetic, legal, and economic culture, critical questions arise about the moral and aesthetic implications of AI-generated art. Despite the growing use of AI tools in art, the moral impact of AI involvement in the art creation process remains underexplored. Understanding moral judgments of AI-generated art is essential for assessing AI's impact on art and its alignment with ethical norms. Across three pre-registered experiments combining explicit and implicit paradigms with Bayesian modelling, we examined how information about AI systems influences moral and aesthetic judgments and whether human art is implicitly associated with positive attributes compared to AI-generated art. Experiment 1 revealed that factual information about AI backend processes reduced moral acceptability and aesthetic appeal in certain contexts, such as gaining financial incentives and art status. Experiment 2 showed that additional information about AI art's success had no clear impact on moral judgments. Experiment 3 demonstrated that an implicit association task did not reliably link human art with positive attributes and AI art with negative ones. These findings show that factual information about AI systems shapes judgments, while different information doses about AI art's success have limited moral impact. Additionally, implicit associations between human-made and AI-generated art are similar. This work enhances understanding of moral and aesthetic perceptions of AI-generated art, emphasizing the importance of examining human-AI interactions in an arts context, and their current and evolving societal implications.

Resting-state microstate dynamics abnormalities in children with ADHD and co-occurring sleep problems

OBJECTIVES

Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder often experience sleep problems, exacerbating symptoms, and cognitive deficits. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying such deficits remained unclear. This study aims to use resting-state microstate analysis to investigate the neurophysiological characteristics in children with ADHD and sleep problems and explore whether neurophysiological abnormalities are associated with sleep problems.

METHODS

Five-minute eyes-closed resting-state EEG data were collected in 34 children with both ADHD and sleep problems, 32 children with ADHD without sleep problems, and 22 healthy controls aged 6-12 years. Participants' parents completed the ADHD Rating Scale, Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function, and Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire. Five minutes of eyes-closed resting-state EEG data were collected, and agglomerative hierarchical clustering was used for microstate analysis. ANCOVAs, adjusted for sex and IQ, were used to compare ADHD symptoms, executive function, and microstate parameters across groups. Pearson partial correlations, controlling for sex and IQ, examined the association between microstate parameters and sleep problems.

RESULTS

Children with both ADHD and sleep problems exhibited more severe inattentive (20.4 ± 3.1 vs 18.0 ± 3.4, p < 0.05) and total symptoms (14.3 ± 6.0 vs 13.0 ± 5.3, p < 0.05), along with greater deficits in emotional regulation (1.88 ± 0.58 vs 1.60 ± 0.42, p < 0.05, organizational of materials 2.56 ± 0.41 vs 2.20 ± 0.55, p < 0.05, behavioral regulation (1.88 ± 0.40 vs 1.70 ± 0.36, p < 0.05), and global executive function (2.14 ± 0.30 vs 1.95 ± 0.30, p < 0.05), compared to children with ADHD without sleep problems. Moreover, Both ADHD groups exhibited significantly reduced microstate D occurrence and lower transition probability from microstate C to D compared to healthy controls (all p < 0.05). Additionally, no significant correlation was found between sleep problems and microstate parameters in all three groups after adjustment (all p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Children with both ADHD and sleep problems showed greater symptom severity and more pronounced executive function deficits compared to children with ADHD without sleep problems and healthy controls. Additionally, both ADHD groups showed overlapping atypical microstate parameters, suggesting children with co-occurring ADHD and sleep problems may share similar aberrant neurophysiological characteristics with children with ADHD alone. Resting-state EEG microstate parameters may serve as a sensitive tool for assessing sleep problems in children with ADHD, distinguishing them from typically developing children.

Public Health Communication Approaches for Building Common Ground

Changes in the information landscape and increasing polarization in society over recent decades have made it more difficult to establish common ground, which poses a profound challenge to effective health communication and public health in general. We highlight the importance of assessing health communication approaches for their potential to bring people together and reduce polarization. We outline several communication approaches that use existing common ground (e.g., appeals to shared values, shared identity, common goals, social norms) or cultivate common ground (e.g., dialogue to bridge divides, trust-focused communication, efforts to humanize scientists), positing that by furthering common ground, these approaches can serve to increase a shared understanding of contentious health topics and foster greater trust in science and evidence-based health information. We end by cautioning against the use of approaches that may be shown to be effective on some measures but may also inadvertently create further polarization, such as the use of certain fear appeals, disparaging humor, or stigmatizing language. (Am J Public Health. 2025;115(4):511-518. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.308003).

Reciprocal Associations Between Positivity and Positive Affect During the COVID-19 Pandemic

In this study, the associations between positivity and positive affect were examined at five time points between January 2020 and September 2021, a period of turmoil associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected from 1401 students (73.45% women) attending an online university in Spain, commencing at the outbreak of the pandemic and then at four different time points up to the time it was considered to have been controlled. The results of a cross-lagged panel model revealed that participants who maintained higher general positivity were also those who reported more intense overall positive affect. At the same time, above-average positive affect predicted higher-than-usual levels of positivity. By pointing to the reciprocal relationships between positivity and positive affect, the results corroborate and go beyond previous findings by highlighting a virtuous cycle in which positivity and positive affect reciprocally influence each other over time. These data are in accordance with a dynamic view of how self-focused, positive evaluative dispositions and chronic positive affective states operate in concert to enhance adaptation and well-being. The practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Mentalizing Care: Adult Attachment and Structural Factors as Predictors of Representational Mind-Mindedness in Early Child-Care Professionals

Out-of-home childcare is increasingly essential in many children's lives, significantly impacting their wellbeing and development. Central to high-quality care is the concept of caregiver mind-mindedness (MM), the ability to recognize a child as a unique psychological individual with thoughts, feelings, intentions etc., as this capacity is linked with more optimal responsiveness to children's needs. Despite its importance, the factors influencing MM in professional caregivers remain under-researched. We examined the association between structural factors, self-reported adult attachment, and caregiver representational MM assessed in an interview. The sample consisted of 128 childcare professionals from 30 Danish early childcare centers (children aged 0-2.9 years), participating in a randomized controlled trial. Overall, our results showed that longer employment in the current position was associated with higher levels of representational MM, i.e., increased tendency to describe children in terms of their mental states as opposed to more behavioral or external features. In contrast, more years of experience working in childcare as well as attachment-related avoidance were associated with lower levels of representational MM. These results indicate that personal characteristics, like adult attachment, may be a relevant focus for early education and care research and training.

The Pragmatic American Revisited: A Direct Replication of Pickett and Baker (2014)

In 2014, Pickett and Baker cast doubt on the scholarly consensus that Americans are pragmatic about criminal justice. Previous research suggested this pragmaticism was evidenced by either null or positive relationships between seemingly opposite items (i.e., between dispositional and situational crime attributions and between punitiveness and rehabilitative policy support). Pickett and Baker argued that because these studies worded survey items in the same positive direction, respondents' susceptibility to acquiescence bias led to artificially inflated positive correlations. Using a simple split-ballot experiment, they manipulated the direction of survey items and demonstrated bidirectional survey items resulted in negative relationships between attributions and between support for punitive and rehabilitative policies. We replicated Pickett and Baker's methodology with a nationally representative sample of American respondents supplemented by a diverse student sample. Our results were generally consistent, and, in many cases, effect sizes were stronger than those observed in the original study. Americans appear much less pragmatic when survey items are bidirectional. Yet, we suggest the use of bidirectional over unidirectional survey items trades one set of problems for another. Instead, to reduce acquiescence bias and improve overall data quality, we encourage researchers to adopt item-specific questioning.

Social class group identity, intergroup attitudes, and views on social mobility and inequality in the U.K. and the U.S

Drawing on social identity theory (SIT), this study explored social class group identity, intergroup attitudes, and views about social mobility and inequality among socioeconomically and racially/ethnically diverse adults in the U.K. (n = 457) and the U.S. (n = 595). U.K. participants evidenced greater consensus about the social class groups present in their society than did U.S. participants, but lower, working, middle, and upper class were commonly perceived in both contexts, and many participants self-identified as working class (38% U.K., 17% U.S.) or middle class (45% U.K., 47% U.S.) Consistent with SIT, participants in both contexts identified with their social class ingroup (e.g., felt they belonged) and stereotyped it less harshly on dimensions (warmth or competence) on which it was generally negatively stereotyped. Importantly, middle and upper class participants tended to feel more positively (e.g., proud) about their ingroup, and believed society was more fair and equal, and upward mobility more likely, than did lower and working class participants.

Adoption and social identity loss: Insights from adults adopted through Ireland's mother and baby homes

A central issue in adoption research is understanding why some individuals adapt to their adoption experience while others face considerable difficulties. The social identity approach (SIA) offers a valuable framework for examining this. Recent research has increasingly shown that identifying with social groups can protect and promote well-being. However, in the context of adoption, certain groups may also present challenges or become sources of strain. The present study seeks to understand how social identities shape individuals' adoption experiences. Semi-structured interviews (N = 16) with adults who were adopted through Mother and Baby Homes in Ireland were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The analysis produced two interrelated themes: (1) 'Adopted' as a social identity, which explores how participants' 'adopted' status itself constitutes a significant social identity, leading to experiences of marginalization and exclusion and (2) Adoption as social identity loss, which describes how participants face contested membership and compromised belonging within important social groups. Both themes illustrate how the process of adoption can result in social identity loss. Discussion of this analysis considers the consequences of social identity change for adoption adjustment. These findings expand the theoretical application of the SIA, in the context of adoption.

Notes from the Underground: Seeking the top personality correlates of self-referencing

OBJECTIVE

Self-focused language use has been frequently assumed to reflect narcissism; however, research indicates that the association between first-person singular pronouns (i.e., "I-talk") and grandiose narcissism is negligible.

METHOD

To extend this literature, we progressively identify vulnerable narcissism and rumination as positive correlates of I-talk in five studies (valid Ns = 211, 475, 1253, 289, 1113).

RESULTS

The first study revealed positive correlates of I-talk suggestive of vulnerable narcissism. The second study showed more directly that vulnerable narcissism was a positive correlate but that this association was attributable to shared variance with neuroticism. The third study, a preregistered effort, replicated and extended the results of the second study. The fourth and fifth studies focused on rumination in a preregistered manner.

CONCLUSIONS

All the studies point to a clear distinction: While grandiose narcissism is negligibly related to I-talk, vulnerable narcissism is positively related to I-talk; moreover, rumination is a robust predictor of I-talk. A research synthesis revealed the following constructs significantly capture I-talk: depression (r = 0.10), neuroticism (r = 0.15), rumination (r = 0.14), and vulnerable narcissism (r = 0.12). The association between I-talk and neuroticism was partially mediated by rumination, providing a testable candidate mechanism for neuroticism interventions.

From the BFI-44 to BFI-20: Psychometric Properties of the Short Form of the Big Five Inventory

The Big Five Inventory (BFI-44) has been a useful tool for researchers for over three decades. However, the contemporary way of life has created the need for abbreviated versions of psychological instruments. We derived the number of items from the BFI-44 questionnaire in order to create a short form of the questionnaire (BFI-20). In the first study (N = 1350, 82.4% females, aged 18-60), using a range of criteria, we identified 20 items (four for each of the Big Five traits) that most optimally represent each dimension. The five-factor structure was mostly replicated in the second (N = 215, 65.1% females, aged 18-65) and third study (N = 263, 83.7% females, aged 18-42). The BFI-20 demonstrated satisfactory reliability, representativeness, homogeneity, and part-whole convergence. Despite mild attenuation, most BFI-20 correlations with schizotypy, satisfaction with life, and positive orientation remained in the same range compared to the BFI-44. The Agreeableness domain was shown to be the most challenging for capturing with four items. We discuss the advantages of our BFI-20 compared to the other two 20-item versions. In sum, we can recommend the use of this BFI-20 version as a time-efficient, satisfactory reliable, and representative questionnaire.

Revealing the heterogeneity of meaning in life and its relationship with creativity among university students: A latent profile analysis study

Meaning in life is crucial for university students' exploration and affirmation of their self-identity, while creativity, as a positive trait, may influence individuals' search for and perception of meaning in life. However, previous studies often employed variable-centered approaches, which might obscure the significant individual differences in meaning in life. Therefore, this study used a person-centered latent profile analysis method to explore the potential categories of meaning in life development among Chinese university students and discussed the relationship between creativity and different types of meaning in life. A total of 1023 participants were surveyed in this study. The results indicated that the latent profile analysis identified four distinct types of meaning in life: Average Meaning group, Early Closure of Meaning group, Meaning Searching group, and High Meaning group. The higher the level of creativity, the more likely participants were to be classified into the High Meaning group. The findings reveal significant heterogeneity in meaning in life among university students and provide targeted insights for enhancing university students' meaning in life.

Approach Bias Modification for reducing Co-Occurring Alcohol and cannabis use among treatment-seeking Adolescents: Protocol of a randomized controlled trial

Alcohol and cannabis are the first and second most used substances among adolescents. Adolescence is a period of considerable development, making the adolescent brain particularly vulnerable to negative effects of alcohol and cannabis use. Developing and testing interventions that target both alcohol and cannabis use during adolescence are vital to decreasing costly consequences. Biases in cognitive processing of drug-related stimuli play an important role in the development and maintenance of problematic substance use. The Approach-Avoidance Task (AAT) is a computerized program, effective in assessing implicit approach biases for both alcohol and cannabis, in which participants make approach or avoidance movements in response to an irrelevant feature of an image presented on a screen (e.g., push when in portrait, pull when in landscape). A modified version of the AAT is also used as an approach bias modification (ApBM) intervention, to retrain participants' implicit biases toward or away from stimuli by presenting the target stimuli predominantly in one format (e.g., push or pull). Despite research demonstrating the effectiveness of AAT interventions to reduce problematic alcohol and cannabis use, there is a dearth of research examining this intervention among adolescents. This protocol paper describes a NIDA-funded randomized control trial (RCT) to evaluate an integrated mobile ApBM intervention to target co-occurring alcohol and cannabis use among treatment-seeking adolescents. Outcomes will be measured from pre-treatment through a three-month follow-up. The sampling procedures, assessment protocol, description of the intervention, and planned statistical approaches to evaluating outcomes are detailed. Clinical and research implications of this work are also discussed.

I'm Offering You My Pain: Priming COVID-19 Salience Increases Everyday Sadism

The COVID-19 pandemic and its link to the emergence of everyday sadism is a matter of public concern worldwide. However, previous studies are nearly silent regarding the causal relationship between the two variables. We address this gap by theorizing that exposure to information about coronavirus can increase sadistic behavior by inducing state boredom. We conducted three complementary controlled experiments, which comprised multiple participants populations (N = 784, student and community samples) and measurement techniques of sadism, to test our theoretical perspective. Based on self-report measures, Study 1 found that Chinese university students who were exposed to a reminder of COVID-19 exhibited a higher level of everyday sadism than participants in the control condition. Study 2 replicated this finding in a more generalized population. Additionally, results revealed that state boredom mediated this effect. Moving beyond subjective self-report data in Studies 1 and 2, Study 3 assessed a different behavioral operationalization of sadistic tendencies, namely, shredding worms. As expected, priming COVID-19 salience has an immediate, statistically significant influence on sadistic behavior in impactful real-world contexts. Overall, these findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic not only has grave effects on economy and society, but has implications for the malevolent side of human nature.

Purchasing Under the Influence of Alcohol: The Impact of Hazardous and Harmful Patterns of Alcohol Consumption, Impulsivity, and Compulsive Buying

The current research examined how hazardous and harmful patterns of alcohol consumption, problematic online shopping when drinking alcohol, impulsivity, and compulsive buying were associated with and predicted the frequency of making purchases while under the influence of alcohol. A sample of American adults between the ages of 25 and 64 who reported having at least one drink per week over the past 6 months were surveyed. Regression-based path modeling revealed for those who made online purchases while moderately intoxicated, hazardous and harmful patterns of drinking alcohol and, problematic online shopping when drinking alcohol, predicted the frequency of making purchases while intoxicated. For those who made online purchases while heavily intoxicated, hazardous and harmful patterns of drinking alcohol, impulsivity, problematic online shopping when drinking alcohol, and compulsive buying predicted the frequency of making purchases while intoxicated. We explain our findings by suggesting individuals engage in frequent drunk purchases because they are motivated to alleviate their negative mood states.

Spirituality of Science: Implications for Meaning, Well-Being, and Learning

Scientists often refer to spiritual experiences with science. This research addresses this unique component of science attitudes-spirituality of science: feelings of meaning, awe, and connection derived through scientific ideas. Three studies (N = 1,197) examined individual differences in Spirituality of Science (SoS) and its benefits for well-being, meaning, and learning. Spirituality of Science was related to belief in science, but unlike other science attitudes, spirituality of science was also associated with trait awe and general spirituality (Study 1). spirituality of science also predicted meaning in life and emotional well-being in a group of atheists and agnostics, showing that scientific sources of spirituality can provide similar psychological benefits as religious spirituality (Study 2). Finally, Spirituality of Science predicted stronger engagement and recall of scientific information (Study 3). Results provide support for an experience of spirituality related to science, with benefits for meaning, well-being, and learning.

The road to Aha: A recipe for mental breakthroughs

We present a novel framework for understanding the diverse spectrum of mental breakthrough events, ranging from problem-solving insights to profound personal transformations. We propose that these events, while varied in expression and impact, share common underlying mechanisms of representational change. We also hypothesise that the differences in phenomenological intensity can be conceptualized along a continuum. Central to our model are three core components - tension, altered salience, and enhanced flexibility - which we identify as essential prerequisites for significant cognitive restructuring. These components interact within an iterative cycle, influencing both the emergence and nature of insight experiences. Drawing on examples from different fields, we explore how a conflict between existing models can trigger this cycle, wherein mechanisms of attention allocation and relaxation of constraints work in tandem to facilitate the emergence of insights. Furthermore, we propose that the intensity of the "aha-moment" and the breadth of its impact are contingent on how central the conflict is within one's conceptual landscape and the extent to which existing mental models are challenged. Thus, the model accounts for both the subtle, momentary insights in problem-solving and the transformative realizations that reshape core beliefs and self-perception. By synthesising insights from various domains, including psychotherapy, contemplative science, and psychedelic research, we present a theoretical account with broad scope, aiming to shed light on the complex processes that can lead to a wide array of mental breakthroughs, thereby contributing to the understanding of insight phenomena across disciplines.

"I want to lift my people up": Exploring the psychological correlates of racial themes within the life stories of midlife Black Americans

OBJECTIVE

This study explores how middle-aged Black Americans talk about race, without prompting, while telling their life stories.

METHOD

Drawing upon a dataset of lengthy Life Story Interviews (N = 70), we first employed a keyword search to identify race-relevant interview scenes for each participant. Next, we conducted a thematic analysis of these scenes to identify salient racial narrative themes. Finally, we coded race-relevant scenes to examine the psychological correlates of racial narrative themes.

RESULTS

We identified 460 total racially themed Life Story Interview scenes, with the number of racially themed scenes ranging from 1 to 17 across participants' interviews. Racial narrative themes included Community of Care, Black Cultural Identity, Multiculturalism, Activism, Encounter with Racism, Systemic Racism, and Racial Reckoning. Quantitative analyses highlight a relationship between racial narrative themes and psychological measures of wisdom and generativity.

CONCLUSION

This study offers insight into the ways that race manifests in the life stories of Black Americans and highlights the importance of considering race in the study of narrative identity, and personality, more broadly.

Daily associations between global self-esteem and self-concept clarity and their relationships with subjective well-being in a sample of adult workers

OBJECTIVES

The present pre-registered study examined the reciprocal day-to-day associations between global self-esteem and self-concept clarity and their incremental validity with respect to daily life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect.

METHODS

We used intensive longitudinal data from 153 adult workers (45.1% women), over a period of 31 days. Data were analyzed using dynamic structural equation modeling.

RESULTS

Results attested higher global self-esteem and self-concept clarity mean levels for older vs. younger participants, and lower global self-esteem and self-concept clarity variability for older vs. younger participants. Furthermore, global self-esteem and self-concept clarity were correlated at a cross-sectional daily level, yet only self-concept clarity states positively predicted subsequent global self-esteem states, while global self-esteem states did not predict subsequent self-concept clarity states. Daily global self-esteem and daily self-concept clarity further predicted subsequent daily higher life satisfaction and positive affect, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Overall, our findings shed light on the short-term relationships linking global self-esteem and self-concept clarity, pointing to their discriminant validity in predicting individuals' subjective well-being.

Cultural Differences in Vicarious Optimism

Prosocial behavior is affected by the beliefs people have about others. The maintenance of these beliefs is biased: people are vicariously optimistic when updating beliefs about the future of others they care about. This vicarious optimism influences prosocial behavior and might be shaped by the culture people live in. We investigated this question by measuring learning from good and bad news for oneself, friends, and strangers in a pre-registered study of Chinese and American participants (N = 963). American participants showed a stronger bias for better-than-expected "good news" over worse-than-expected "bad news" when learning about themselves (optimism bias) and others (vicarious optimism) compared to Chinese participants. Chinese participants showed vicarious optimism only when learning about a friend, while American participants showed the most vicarious optimism when learning about an identifiable stranger. Our results provide evidence that culture might shape social behavior by biasing learning about the future of others.

Ready to ROC? A tutorial on simulation-based power analyses for null hypothesis significance, minimum-effect, and equivalence testing for ROC curve analyses

The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and its corresponding (partial) area under the curve (AUC) are frequently used statistical tools in psychological research to assess the discriminability of a test, method, intervention, or procedure. In this paper, we provide a tutorial on conducting simulation-based power analyses for ROC curve and (p)AUC analyses in R. We also created a Shiny app and the R package "ROCpower" to perform such power analyses. In our tutorial, we highlight the importance of setting the smallest effect size of interest (SESOI) for which researchers want to conduct their power analysis. The SESOI is the smallest effect that is practically or theoretically relevant for a specific field of research or study. We provide how such a SESOI can be established and how it changes hypotheses from simply establishing whether there is a statistically significant effect (i.e., null-hypothesis significance testing) to whether the effects are practically or theoretically important (i.e., minimum-effect testing) or whether the effect is too small to care about (i.e., equivalence testing). We show how power analyses for these different hypothesis tests can be conducted via a confidence interval-focused approach. This confidence interval-focused, simulation-based power analysis can be adapted to different research designs and questions and improves the reproducibility of power analyses.

Navigating threat: the effect of social comparison on variety-seeking

Although previous research has explored how social comparison influences types of consumer behaviors, little attention has been paid to the impact on variety-seeking. This study investigates how variety-seeking behavior serves as a compensatory tool for consumers to cope with the threats posed by upward comparison. Through four experimental studies, we find that upward comparison (vs. downward comparison) motivates consumers to restore their sense of control by engaging in more variety-seeking (Studies 1, 2, and 3). However, this effect is contingent on the type of relationship orientation. In competitive relationships, receiving information about someone else's excellence diminishes self-development, reduces the sense of control, and leads to an increase in variety-seeking. Conversely, in cooperative relationships, information about someone else's excellence helps achieve a desired goal, thereby weakening the impact of upward comparison on the sense of control (Study 4). The findings significantly contribute to the understanding of consumer behavior in the context of social comparison and have important implications for marketing strategy.

Patterns of implicit and explicit identity as a vegan or vegetarian in predicting healthy orthorexia and orthorexia nervosa

Orthorexia nervosa (OrNe) is an eating disorder characterised by a pathological interest and preoccupation with healthy foods and a healthy diet. Evidence suggests that tendencies towards OrNe may be prevalent across diet groups, and this is particularly the case in vegans and vegetarians. Our previous work has identified that alongside individual differences in obsessive compulsiveness and perfectionism, cognitive biases (attentional preference for healthy-related cues) are associated with OrNe, whereas explicit identity (as a vegan/vegetarian) is only associated with a healthy orthorexia form. No work has assessed whether one's known identity (explicit identity) or that form of identity which is based on fast acting cognitive associations (implicit identity) further differentiate healthy orthorexia from OrNe tendencies in addition to compulsiveness and perfectionism. One hundred and forty-four self-identified vegans (n = 45), vegetarians (n = 50) and meat-eaters (omnivores) (n = 49) (66 females, 74 males, 4 non-binary; M age = 35.09) completed measures of current hunger status, obsessive compulsivity, perfectionism, the Teruel Orthorexia Scale, perceived identity centrality as a vegan/vegetarian (explicit identity) and a "self as vegan/vegetarian" implicit association test (implicit identity). Results showed increased orthorexia tendencies in both vegans and vegetarians compared to meat eaters (omnivores) but only in terms of healthy orthorexia. In addition, no differences were shown for OrNe suggesting the diet type is not influential in pathological orthorexia. Explicit identity and current hunger status were both shown to be associated with healthy orthorexia and not OrNe. Implicit identity as a vegan/vegetarian was unrelated to both dimensions, while compulsiveness and perfectionism predicted OrNe. Despite individuals implicitly associating the self with being a vegan/vegetarian, this identity does not serve as a maker of orthorexia nervosa.

Do children and adults take leadership hierarchy into account when evaluating and punishing uncooperative individuals?

While research on adults has highlighted the relationship between violators' leadership hierarchies and third-party judgements/punishment behaviours, the developmental origins of these relationships remain unknown. This study addresses this question by examining how children aged 5-10 years (N = 387, 48.87% females) and adults (N = 120, 50.83% females) as third parties, evaluate and impose punishments on uncooperative individuals with different statuses (i.e. leader or non-leader) within a group collaboration context. The results showed that adults evaluated and punished non-contributing leaders more severely than non-contributing non-leaders. Regardless of age, children evaluated non-contributing leaders and non-contributing non-leaders equally negatively. However, as they age, children punish non-contributing leaders more severely. Around the age of 7.95, children's degree of punishment towards non-contributing leaders surpasses that directed at non-leaders. Additionally, compared with younger children, older children and adults mentioned violators' leadership status and the associated leadership responsibilities more frequently in their justifications for punishment behaviour.

Exploring the links between childhood emotional abuse and empathy: The mediating roles of alexithymia and sensory processing sensitivity

BACKGROUND

Exposure to childhood emotional abuse amplifies the personality traits of alexithymia and sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) and impacts empathy.

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated if alexithymia, SPS positive traits, and/or SPS negative traits mediate the relationship between childhood emotional abuse and both emotional contagion measured behaviourally and self-reported empathy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A sample of 190 university students (Mage = 19.92 years) completed self-report measures of empathy and a behavioural task measuring emotional contagion elicited by viewing affective films. Multiple parallel mediation analyses were run to determine if the personality variables mediated the links between abuse and empathy-related outcome measures.

RESULTS

The relationship between childhood emotional abuse and each of the self-report empathy subscales was mediated by personality, although the strength and direction of the effects varied across the three trait clusters. In the behavioural task, aspects of SPS mediated the relationships between emotional abuse and the strength of the primary emotion felt during viewing of positive and negative films; and alexithymia mediated the relationship between emotional abuse and the number of discrete emotions felt during viewing of negative films.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings provide important insights into how childhood exposure to emotional abuse can impact personality development and, indirectly, the development of empathy. They also highlight the importance of considering the relative strength of specific traits associated with both alexithymia and SPS when trying to predict individual differences in empathy. The results may inform the development of individualized intervention programs targeting empathic deficits.

The double-edged sword of corporate social responsibility: How does value orientation affect consumer choice between CSR and corporate ability

This study examines the dual impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate ability belief (CSR-CA) on consumer decision-making, with a special focus on the moderating effect of value orientation on this process. Through a questionnaire survey, the research analyzes consumer purchase intention under different CSR situations and verifies the mediation effect of altruistic attribution and value orientation, as well as the adjustment effect of CSR-CA belief. The results show that high CSR awareness can significantly increase consumers' willingness to buy, and altruistic attribution plays an intermediary role in this process. In addition, value orientation plays a key moderating role, and consumers with a strong collectivism tendency are more inclined to respond positively to CSR behavior. Research shows that companies need to consider the balance between CSR, corporate ability, and customer value orientation in their CSR strategies to better meet market demands and enhance competitiveness.

Associations between social participation and psychological distress among older adults with hypertension in rural China: The mediating role of social capital

Psychological distress in older adults with hypertension in rural China significantly impacts their families and society. This study aims to explore how social participation affects psychological distress among older adults with hypertension in rural China, focusing on the mediating role of social capital. A total of 950 respondents completed surveys measuring social participation based on the frequency of social, recreational, and literary activities, the Resource Generator China scale, and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the relationships between the variables. The results showed that social participation significantly affects psychological distress, with social capital mediating this relationship. The indirect effect of social capital accounted for 61.0% of the total effect. These findings suggest targeted interventions in social participation and social capital to reduce psychological distress among rural elderly individuals with hypertension in China.

Dual temporal pathway model of emotion processing based on dynamic network reconfiguration analysis of EEG signals

Emotion is crucial for the quality of daily life. Recent findings suggest that the cooperation and integration of multiple brain regions are essential for effective emotion processing. Additionally, network reconfiguration has been observed during various cognitive tasks. However, it remains unclear how the brain responds to different emotional categories under natural stimuli from the perspective of network reconfiguration, or whether this reconfiguration can predict subjective rating scores. To address this question, 28 video clips were used to evoke eight distinct emotion categories, and the participants' electroencephalogram (EEG) signals were recorded. Dynamic network reconfiguration analysis was performed on brain networks extracted from band-limited EEG signals using the phase locking value (PLV) across multiple non-overlapping time windows. Robust dynamic community detection was applied to these networks, followed by quantification of integration and segregation at both node- and community-level changes. Multidimensional rating scores were collected for each clip. The analysis revealed that the metrics of dynamic network reconfiguration could predict subjective ratings. Specifically, longer EEG segments improved predictions for positive emotions, whereas shorter segments were more effective for negative emotions. Our study provides empirical evidence integrating the dual-process model and the theory of constructed emotion. Based on observed spatiotemporal patterns of global integration and segregation across the brain, we propose the dual temporal pathway model for emotional processing across various emotion categories, highlighting fast and slow neural processes associated with negative and positive emotions, respectively. These findings offer valuable support for developing temporally targeted diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for emotion-related brain disorders.