This article examines toxic leadership as a social-psychological phenomenon emerging at the intersection of leader personality and organizational context. The analysis is based on data from 48 leaders and 216 subordinate raters across four sectors: business, politics, NGOs, and education. Leaders completed HEXACO and Dark Tetrad measurements, whereas subordinates evaluated leadership through the Toxic Leadership Scale. Exploratory factor analysis confirmed a five-factor structure and excellent adequacy of the data. Descriptive findings indicate relatively high levels of overall toxicity, with the business sector standing out through higher abusive behavior and higher overall toxicity than politics. Leaders displayed comparatively high conscientiousness, openness, and honesty-humility, but also elevated psychopathy relative to normative values. The mixed linear model showed that, after simultaneously controlling for sector and personality variables, no single predictor retained independent significance, whereas between-leader variance remained substantial. The findings suggest that toxic leadership should not be reduced either to sector or to a single personality trait; rather, it should be understood as a configuration of personality, organizational culture, and follower perceptions.
The article examines the specific aspects of school counselling from a psychoanalytic perspective. The focus is on the understanding of the subject, the demand in counselling, the frame, and the position of the school psychologist. Counselling is presented as a specific form of psychological support within an institutional context that requires a distinction between adults’ expectations and the child’s subjective experience. The role of the psychologist’s ethical position in maintaining the conditions necessary for psychological work is emphasized. The effectiveness of counselling is considered in relation to the child’s capacity to make sense of their experiences and to undergo an inner transformation that does not always have visible manifestations.
Alice in Wonderland Syndrome (AIWS) represents a complex multisensory phenomenon, characterized by transient disturbances in the perception of the body and visual experience. Clinical manifestations include micropsia, macropsia, teleopsia, distorted time perception, and derealization. Contemporary neuroimaging and neurophysiological evidence indicate that dysfunctions in cortical networks, as well as in the temporo-parietal-occipital junction, disrupt the coordination between the embodied self and visual perception. Furthermore, neurotransmitter systems including serotonergic, glutamatergic, and GABAergic pathways may modulate cortical excitation and inhibition. These findings underscore the necessity for multidisciplinary research to elucidate the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying AIWS and to guide the development of targeted therapeutic strategies.
This article explores the application of the biopsychosocial (BPS) model as a fundamental epistemological framework in modern clinical and counseling psychology. In contrast to the reductionist approach of the biomedical model, the BPS paradigm offers a multidisciplinary synthesis between biological determinants, psychological dynamics, and sociocultural factors. The benefits of this approach for increasing diagnostic precision and optimizing integrative case formulation are analyzed through the presentation of a detailed practical case study.
This article presents the results of an empirical study of the criminogenic situations in intentional crimes. The criminal’s interaction with the situation is presented from the perspective of the subjective meaning that this situation has for the individual. The personal characteristics of the perpetrators of different types of crimes and their importance for the way the criminal perceives the criminogenic situation are analyzed.
The purpose of this article is to analyze one of the most popular fairy tales — “Cinderella” (alternatively known as “The Little Glass Slipper”) — through some of the specific techniques of fairy tale therapy.
Alice in Wonderland Syndrome (AIWS) represents a complex multisensory phenomenon, characterized by transient disturbances in the perception of the body and visual experience. Clinical manifestations include micropsia, macropsia, teleopsia, distorted time perception, and derealization. Contemporary neuroimaging and neurophysiological evidence indicate that dysfunctions in cortical networks, as well as in the temporo-parietal-occipital junction, disrupt the coordination between the embodied self and visual perception. Furthermore, neurotransmitter systems including serotonergic, glutamatergic, and GABAergic pathways may modulate cortical excitation and inhibition. These findings underscore the necessity for multidisciplinary research to elucidate the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying AIWS and to guide the development of targeted therapeutic strategies.
Assuming the role of a parent is one of the most significant and, at the same time, most stressful events in the life of every parent, involving transformation and adaptation to changed living conditions and requirements. Parental stress is determined by various factors, such as the personality traits of parents and their children, as well as contextual factors related to family functioning. Parental stress and subsequent parental burnout is one of the most common psychological problems in our time.
This report examines the interaction between formal education, professional socialization, and the formation of professional identity among junior executive staff in security and protection structures. The analysis focuses on the empirically established gaps between acquired formal knowledge and practical competencies that affect the effectiveness of the performance of official duties and compliance with institutional standards. Today, there is data that indicates a significant increase in the number of junior executive employees who have a higher education, without it being required as a condition for holding the position. However, there is no indication that having a higher education degree means high professional competence. This leads to doubt that formal education is a predictor of professional effectiveness.
The article examines real and virtual communication and the development of global information technologies. In contemporary digital society, with the advancement of AI, not only values are changing, but also the expression of sexuality and intimacy in communication with ChatGPT. Modern generations increasingly prefer virtual communication to real-life relationships, yet phenomena such as alienation, loneliness, and attachment to AI are also being observed
This article examines how creative processes in Graphic and Interactive Design education can be effectively organized by integrating project-based approaches with one of the established methods for structured creative thinking: Edward de Bono’s “Six Thinking Hats.” The study presents a theoretical overview of the principles of project management in an academic setting and discusses how such a creative technique supports planning, idea generation, and critical evaluation within student teams. Using a case study with students from design-related disciplines, the study analyzes the application of the method in real educational tasks, focusing on its impact on creativity, teamwork, engagement, and the quality of project outcomes. The results show that “Six Thinking Hats” enhances the diversity of ideas, balanced decision-making, and constructive group interaction. The combined use of such methods leads to more structured, innovative, and well-founded student projects. The article concludes with practical recommendations for the wider application of creative methodologies in higher education.
Adaptation to illness is associated with the way health status is experienced in the context of hospitalization and with the availability of psychological resources. The present study examines the relationships between dispositional optimism, general self-efficacy, hope, psychological well-being, and perceived stress among 81 hospitalized patients. The analysis reveals positive associations between psychological resources and well-being, and negative associations with perceived stress. The findings outline their joint role in adaptation to illness.
Traditional AI systems rely on rigid logical structures that struggle with uncertainty, ambiguity, and the fluidity of human thought. African fuzzy logic, which mirrors indigenous African reasoning systems that accommodate degrees of truth rather than strict binary categories, offers a promising solution. This paper explores how African fuzzy logic can contribute to AI reasoning models by allowing machines to process information in a way that better reflects human cognitive flexibility. Drawing from African oral traditions, decision-making patterns, and indigenous dispute resolution mechanisms, the study presents a case for integrating multi-valued logic systems into AI. It demonstrates how African fuzzy logic can enhance AI applications in language processing, real-world problem-solving, and context-sensitive decision-making. Additionally, the paper examines how AI models can learn from the African logic of approximation, enabling them to reason in more nuanced and adaptive ways. The research highlights practical applications, including AI-driven legal reasoning, medical diagnostics in uncertain conditions, and adaptive AI for cross-cultural communication. Ultimately, the study argues that African fuzzy logic can serve as a crucial missing link in the development of AI systems that think more like humans.
Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another (FDIA) is a rare but clinically and socially significant condition in which a caregiver intentionally induces, simulates, or exaggerates symptoms in a dependent individual, most often a child. The concept has evolved from early descriptions of Munchausen syndrome to its current classification in ICD-11, reflecting clearer diagnostic criteria and emphasis on objective indicators, including discrepancies between reported and observed symptoms and their dependence on the caregiver’s presence. Evidence shows that victims are mainly children and adolescents with heterogeneous clinical presentations and associated emotional and behavioral difficulties, while perpetrators are most often women with relatively stable social status and frequent engagement with healthcare services. FDIA is associated with adverse outcomes such as iatrogenic harm, impaired psychosocial development, and institutional involvement. Early identification and coordinated multidisciplinary management, including psychological assessment, are essential to ensure child safety and minimize harm.
When training university students who study classical mural painting at the Faculty of Fine Arts at St. Cyril and St. Methodius University of Veliko Tarnovo, a special assignment in the course on Classical Mural Painting Techniques—Fresco helps highlight an important contrast. On the one hand, there are today’s habits of looking at many fast and short‑lived digital images. On the other, there is the traditional buon fresco technique, which requires steady work, careful preparation, and an understanding that the final painting should last for a very long time. The study looks at how students work while designing a fresco for the project called “Selfie.” This project allows us to see how they move between two very different approaches: the quick, easy digital image and the slow, material process of making a classical mural. The main idea behind the study is that the conflict between the “quick and temporary” and the “slow and lasting” creates new teaching challenges. Because of this, the training in classical mural techniques needs to adjust to the cultural habits and psychological tendencies shaped by digital media today.
Computer science has become a central discipline shaping technological innovation, economic development, and participation in contemporary digital societies. Despite its growing importance, female students remain significantly underrepresented in computer science education, particularly during secondary school, when academic specialization and career trajectories begin to take shape. This article provides a social-psychological analysis of the psychological, cultural, and social factors influencing female students’ participation in computer science. Drawing on research in STEM education and social psychology, the article examines the roles of self-efficacy, gender stereotypes, sense of belonging, parental expectations, and educational climate in shaping girls’ academic aspirations. The analysis suggests that female underrepresentation in computer science cannot be explained solely by differences in ability; rather, it emerges from the interaction of individual beliefs and broader sociocultural structures. Understanding these processes is essential for developing educational strategies that promote gender equality and broaden participation in computer science education.
This article examines emotional interdependence among twins and its relationship to manifestations of separation anxiety in the context of early development. Based on a theoretical analysis, the conditions that foster the formation of a strong emotional bond between twins are examined, including the shared environment, similar experiences, and intense interaction. The role of this interdependence as a factor that simultaneously facilitates adaptation and creates conditions for difficulties in the processes of separation and individuation is discussed. In this context, separation anxiety is viewed as a reflection of the specific structure of the relationship between twins and the balance between closeness and autonomy.
Emotion regulation is a fundamental psychological process that enables individuals to recognize, understand, and manage their emotional experiences in accordance with situational demands. Difficulties in emotion regulation are associated with various forms of psychological maladjustment, which makes their reliable assessment an important objective in contemporary psychological research. The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), developed by Gratz and Roemer (2004), is a widely used instrument that includes several subscales designed to measure different aspects of such regulatory difficulties. The present study aims to conduct a cultural adaptation and psychometric validation of the short version of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-18) among a Bulgarian student population. The study included 93 university students, with analyses conducted on 86 valid cases. Exploratory factor analysis confirmed the six-factor structure of the instrument and demonstrated good suitability of the data for factor analysis (KMO = 0.766; Bartlett’s test p < .001). Reliability analysis indicated high internal consistency of the scale (α = 0.883; ω = 0.874). Convergent validity was examined through correlation analysis with the Perth Emotion Regulation Competency Inventory (PERCI), revealing significant relationships between the indicators of the two instruments. The results suggest that the Bulgarian version of DERS-18 demonstrates good psychometric properties and can be used as a reliable instrument for assessing difficulties in emotion regulation among university students.
Depression is one of the most common mental disorders affecting professional, social, and personal life. The teaching profession is one of the most significant and noble in our society, but at the same time it is exposed to the highest level of stress, anxiety, burnout and depression. This affects the mental health of teachers and the success of students. Numerous studies show the relationship between depression, stress, anxiety, and burnout. One of the significant factors for depression in teachers is the Covid-19 pandemic, which has shown that teachers are most vulnerable to anxiety and depressive disorders.
