Abstract: Introduction: Misinformation has found fertile ground on online and social media. Middle-aged individuals have been overlooked in previous research, regardless of their societal influence. Aim: Understanding the role of human values and how they affect conspiratorial beliefs and misinformation discernment in this demographic group is crucial for designing future prevention efforts. Methods: 624 middle-aged European citizens (aged 45 to 65 years) participated in an online survey in four languages. Misinformation discernment was investigated by evaluating the accuracy of online media posts on three topics: immigration, vaccination safety, and climate change. Participants completed a values scale, a conspiratorial belief scale, and a demographics questionnaire. Results: Regression analyses showed that conservation had a significant positive association with conspiratorial beliefs and a negative association with the ability to discern online content. Self-transcendence showed the opposite effect. Mediation tests indicated a significant partial indirect effect of conspiratorial beliefs on the relationship between conservation values and discernment ability. Education or time spent online did not significantly differentiate the ability to discern the accuracy of online content. Implications: Conservation and self-transcendence values play a key role in discerning online information among middle-aged participants. These results have implications for preventing online misinformation.
Abstract: Introduction: This study aims to clarify both the influence of information-oriented internet use preference on the social trust of young adults and the mechanisms by which social networks mediate this impact. Methods: Leveraging data from the Chinese General Social Survey spanning seven periods from 2010 to 2018, this study employs a fixed effects model and the Karlson–Holm–Breen (KHB) model to calculate the mediating effects of social networks. Results: The results showed that information-oriented internet use preference was significantly negatively associated with social trust among young adults (B = −.105, SE = .031, p < .001), while simultaneously being positively related to individuals’ social interaction (B = .115, SE = .016, p < .001) and resource-based social support (B = .085, SE = .011, p < .001). KHB decomposition revealed a statistically significant indirect effect through social networks, indicating that social networks partially mediated the relationship between information-oriented internet use preference and social trust and attenuate the magnitude of the negative direct effect. Specifically, the negative association between information-oriented internet use preference and social trust became more pronounced (B = −.125, SE = .031, p < .001) after accounting for the mediating role of social networks, suggesting a suppression effect. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that although increased information-oriented internet use preference is associated with lower levels of social trust, its trust-reducing effect is partially offset through expanded social networks. This study contributes to the literature on digital media and social trust by clarifying the mediating mechanisms linking information-oriented internet use preference to trust outcomes, and it provides practical implications for promoting social trust in the digital era.
Abstract: Introduction: There is increasing evidence that young people are particularly predisposed to experiencing loneliness. More qualitative investigations are needed to provide a clearer understanding of what leads adolescents and emerging adults to perceive themselves as involuntarily lonely. Aim: To develop a nuanced understanding of what can cause and what might mitigate experiences of involuntary loneliness among adolescents, emerging adults, and parents using an integrated, multitheoretical framework. Methods: We applied a qualitative approach and reflexive thematic analysis. A total of 11 participants (8 adolescents/emerging adults, 3 parents) participated in individual semistructured interviews. Results: Six main themes and 14 subthemes emerged from iterative coding and data interpretation. The main themes were involuntary loneliness that negatively impacts adolescents’ and emerging adults’ well-being; challenges within contemporary youth culture that cause loneliness; life circumstances that hinder connections and cause involuntary loneliness; intervention systems that counteract involuntary loneliness; supportive systems that counteract involuntary loneliness; and system changes in policy and advocacy to counteract loneliness. Discussion/conclusion: Involuntary loneliness among young people is a complex problem that requires a range of approaches. Young people need support in finding and building deeper friendships that can facilitate profound connection and alleviate loneliness, strengthening well-being.
Abstract: Introduction: Political ideology can shape how individuals evaluate information, including scientific research. Aim: This preregistered study examined whether psychology undergraduates (N = 723) evaluated research credibility based on political alignment and methodological quality. Methods: Using a 2 (Political leaning of findings: left-leaning vs. right-leaning) × 2 (Methodological quality: high vs. low) between-subjects design, participants rated the credibility of fictional study summaries. Results: Results showed that psychology students were significantly more left-leaning than a representative sample of young adults and rated politically congruent research as more credible, indicating confirmation bias. However, methodological rigor remained a strong and consistent predictor of perceived credibility, and no three-way interaction emerged between participant ideology, political alignment, and methodological quality. Conclusion: These findings suggest that, although political biases in scientific evaluation exist, critical engagement with research methods remains a strong predictor of credibility. Future research should examine whether this holds true for other groups.
: Introduction: The growing detrimental effects of environmental stressors on mental well-being emphasize the utmost requirement for measures to assess eco-stress in diverse populations. Existing tools were limited in capturing the multifaceted nature of environmental stress. Aim: To address the necessity for a multidimensionality of environmental stress, specifically in the context of mental health. The assessment tool, in the current study Eco-Stress Scale (ESS) was developed and validated to assess environmental stressors among humans. Method: The current research was conducted in three consecutive studies. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was employed during the first study (n = 462), demonstrating strong factorial validity of the ESS. As a next step (second study), we performed confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on a separate sample (n = 428). The third study was conducted to test convergent validity (n = 2,155). Overall, this research has 3045 participants, including men (n = 1,055) and women (n = 1,990). The development and validation of the ESS included EFA, CFA, and convergent validity. The ESS has 17 items with four factors (built environment stress, climate change stress, natural disasters stress, environmental damage stress). Results: ESS reported excellent reliability in three respective studies, i.e., Cronbach's alpha = 0.883, 0.924, and 0.943; item-total correlations (0.439 to 0.690), and item-scale correlations (0.732 to 0.838). Model goodness-of-fit revealed significant factorial validation, which includes comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.956; Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) = 0.947; root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA)= 0.057; standardized root mean square residual (SRMSR) = 0.044. The results provided strong evidence of convergent validity, indicating significantly direct correlations of the Eco-Stress Scale (ESS) with depression (r = 0.412), anxiety (r = 0.434), stress (r = 0.421), and suicidal ideation (r = 0.369). These outcomes support the ESS as a psychometrically sound instrument for assessing eco-stress in individuals. Conclusion: The ESS is a reliable tool with significant construct and factorial validity to assess eco-stress, offering significant potential for research and interventions targeting environmental stress and its psychological impacts.
Abstract: Background: Reperceptive body psychotherapy (RBP) is a body-oriented cognitive-behavioral modality. Aim: This study explores an integrative approach to psychotherapy by applying multiple code theory (MCT) to RBP. Method: We examined a single clinical case longitudinally from April 2018 to December 2020. We assessed the therapeutic outcomes using psychopathological questionnaires by conducting process evaluation using linguistic measures based on MCT. Results: The results suggest that the treatment, including RBP group-based sessions, may be useful in enhancing psychological functioning. The intervention was associated with activation of the referential process (RP), reflected in changes in emotional processing and symbolization over the course of therapy. Comparisons between in-person and online therapy seem to reveal no significant differences in process indicators. Qualitative analyses seem to support a temporary shift during the initial transition to online sessions: increased emotional and sensory engagement alongside reduced reflectiveness, which normalized after a few sessions. Conclusions: These findings suggest that therapeutic continuity, rather than the treatment setting, is a key factor in supporting therapeutic change. Across modalities, RP seems to remain active with fluctuations consistent with psychotherapeutic engagement. Therefore, linguistic measures may usefully capture aspects of symbolization in body psychotherapy, which are underexplored within the framework of MCT.
Abstract: Introduction: Research on coping with expectation violations shows that individual coping behavior can be split into situational (i.e., variable) and dispositional (i.e., stable) components. Aim: We validated the newly-created CoVEx-Questionnaire, based on the ViolEx Model, to provide an instrument for assessing dispositional tendencies in coping with expectation violations. Methods: We conducted a two-survey validation study to test the psychometric properties of the questionnaire. Results: The final selection of 21 items converges into a prespecified three-factor structure with good to acceptable model fit, scalar invariance, mostly sufficient item and scale coefficients, and sufficient retest-reliability. An additional 12-item short form shows sufficient model fit, measurement equivalence, and retest reliability. Discussion/conclusion: The three factors assess activity to make one’s expectation come true (assimilation), changes of initial expectations (accommodation), and disregard for expectation-violating information (immunization). Relevant correlates and application scenarios for questionnaire use are discussed.
Abstract: Introduction: This research examines the role of past school socialization on the dynamics of social influence at work. Aim: Our goal is to explore whether the employees educated during the Communist era in Albania would consider an authoritarian leadership style at work more legitimate and be more influenced by it, whereas employees educated after the Communist era would consider a democratic leadership style more legitimate and be more influenced by it. Methods and Results: Adapting a procedure originally designed to measure the role of beliefs on the dynamics of influence within an ideal group of friends (Mugny et al., 1997), the results showed that employees’ beliefs about legitimate authoritarian leaders are influenced by past educational context. Furthermore, it demonstrates that a legitimate leadership style yields greater influence than an illegitimate style when the leader’s persuasive message corresponds to employees’ beliefs. Conclusions: This research indicates that examining effective leadership within a society benefits from understanding past socialization, especially regarding leading figures.
Abstract: Introduction: Attitudes toward peace are complex and multifaceted, encompassing both explicit beliefs and implicit cognitive processes. While explicit attitudes have been widely studied, implicit peace-related cognitions remain underexplored. Aim: This study examined implicit and explicit attitudes toward peace using complementary behavioral and self-report measures to assess their convergent validity. Methods: Eighty-six participants (47 females, 36 males, and 3 nonbinary; M = 26.8 years, SD = 5.1; age range = 18–40) were recruited from two regions of Italy (Calabria and Sicily). They completed three tasks: (1) an adapted Implicit Association Test (IAT) assessing automatic associations between peace- and war-related concepts, on the one hand, and positive and negative attributes, on the other; (2) a Lexical Decision Task (LDT) measuring semantic accessibility of peace- and violence-related words; and (3) the Peace Attitude Scale (PAS), a self-report measure of explicit attitudes toward peace. Results: Participants showed significantly faster responses to peace-related words than to violence-related words in the LDT. In the IAT, reaction times were faster in the congruent condition (peace–positive) than in the incongruent condition (peace–negative), with a mean D score indicating strong implicit pro-peace associations. Correlational analyses revealed small-to-moderate positive associations between PAS scores and both the LDT bias score and the IAT D score. Discussion/conclusion: These findings suggest that implicit and explicit measures tap into related but distinct components of peace-related cognition. Implicit tasks such as the IAT and LDT can capture automatic evaluative and semantic associations beyond the reach of self-report, offering a more comprehensive understanding of attitudes toward peace.
Introduction: Bullying and bystander behavior remain persistent challenges in school settings. Aim: This study examines how students' perceptions of school climate and teachers' willingness to intervene are associated with their likelihood to engage in different bystander roles (assistant, passive, defender). We also investigated the potential influence of individual characteristics, including gender, school grade, parents' education, family structure, and students' ethnicity. Method: The sample consisted of 16,639 students (M-age = 12.52 years, SD = 1.38; 53.2% girls) from 1,647 school units across the 13 educational regions of Greece. Results: Greek students were more likely to assume the role of defender in bullying incidents than students with a different ethnicity. A forward-stepwise multinomial logistic regression revealed that students' positive perceptions of school climate were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of adopting the defender role, whereas no other significant predictors emerged. Discussion: These findings point to the role of students' own perceptions of a positive school climate in fostering proactive bystander behavior and highlight the need for further research to identify additional factors influencing students' engagement in bullying situations. We discuss the implications of these findings in the context of prevention strategies to strengthen interventions for bullying incidents.
: Objectives: The earliest age suitable for definitive identification of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through diagnostic assessment is substantially unreliable. The associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and ASD susceptibility offer a chance for early intervention of ASD children in the infant stage. Disco-interacting protein 2 homolog B gene (DIP2B) has recently been reported to be associated with neurological diseases. Method: We conducted a case-control (242 controls and 231 cases) study to investigate the associations of six SNPs (rs79564340, rs11169524, rs3803181, rs2280503, rs1047912, and rs4768915) of DIP2B with ASD risk and ASD phenotypes. The genotyping of SNP was determined by MALDI-TOF-MS. Results: We identified that rs3803181 and rs4768915 are significantly associated with ASD. Of note, ASD risk is associated with the haplotypes (those with rs11169524 [A allele] and rs79564340 [T allele] of DIP2B); Moreover, rs11169524 and rs2280503 of DIP2B are specifically associated with the "Adapt to changes in the environment" phenotype, and rs1047912 is specifically associated with the "Nonverbal communication" and "Sensory ability" phenotypes of ASD (all p < .05). Conclusions: The findings indicate that DIP2B is a susceptibility gene for ASD as well as ASD clinical phenotypes in the Chinese Han population.
: Introduction. Research on mental health stigma in various sociocultural contexts is pivotal in guiding international-related approaches to reduce discrimination. This study investigated the psychometric properties of a newly adapted Greek version of the Perceived Devaluation and Discrimination scale (PDD-Greek version). Method. The study was a psychometric-based design, and the PDD was administered to 415 participants recruited online. To examine the PDD-Greek version's factor structure, data were analyzed using EFA and CFA. Measurement invariance, latent mean differences across genders, and associations with the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale-Short Form (ATSPPH-SF) and the Social Stigma for Receiving Psychological Help (SSRPH) were also examined. Results. Support was found for an essentially unidimensional solution. We found a significant, negative correlation between the PDD and the SSRPH. No correlation was found between the PDD and the ATSPPH-SF. Furthermore, the PDD-Greek version is invariant across genders, and no latent mean differences were observed. Discussion and conclusion. Public stigma is a complex and multi-layered construct that is highly prevalent in societies within a given cultural context. The PDD-Greek version can be meaningfully used in public stigma research in the Greek general population. Limitations of the current study and recommendations for future research are discussed.
Abstract: Objective: The innovative behavior of university teachers is crucial for enhancing the overall education and teaching level of universities. This study aims to explore the influencing factors and potential mechanisms of university teachers’ innovative behavior. Methods: The Psychological Empowerment Scale, Innovative Behavior Scale, Organizational Identity Scale, and Knowledge Sharing Scale were administered to 661 Chinese college teachers. SPSS 25.0 was used for analysis, and the Bootstrap method was used to test the significance level of the mediating effect. Results: It is stated that the relationship between psychological empowerment and innovative behavior is influenced by the mediating effects of organizational identity and knowledge sharing, as well as the bidirectional chain mediation effect between organizational identity and knowledge sharing. Conclusion: This finding provides a reference for policymakers and educators in formulating intervention measures targeting the innovative behavior of university teachers.
Abstract: Introduction: Several studies have proved that fostering resilience in couples when facing adversities plays a key role in intimate relationships. Aim: The aim of this study was to adapt and validate the Portuguese version of the Couple Resilience Inventory (CRI). Method: Data was collected from 336 individuals from the Portuguese general population, from 18 to 80 years (M = 35.38; SD = 15.36). We tested the internal structure of the CRI using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and also examined the reliability and construct validity. Results: The results supported the two-factor correlated structure of the original validation study: Positive Couple Resilience (PCR) and Negative Couple Resilience (NCR). The overall fit of the nested model was satisfactory. The internal consistency was high for both PCR (α = .920; ω = .919) and NCR (α = .860; ω = .862) CRI factors. Thus, both CRI factors showed adequate internal consistency, as indicated by the reliability coefficients and item-factor correlations. Evidence of convergent and divergent validity emerged via a hierarchical regression model that showed significant associations between couple resilience and dyadic coping factors. Conclusion: These findings provide evidence regarding the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Couple Resilience Inventory.
Abstract: Aim: This study investigates the relationship between digital activity, social media addiction, academic motivation, and well-being among middle school students in Serbia and Russia. Methods: One thousand ninety-three adolescents (mean age: 13.32 years (SD=0.47); 42% male, 58% female) participated in an online survey assessing screentime, social media addiction, school motivation, academic performance, and subjective well-being. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used for comparative analysis, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient assessed associations between variables, and regression analysis examined predictors of school well-being. Results: The findings indicate that screentime is positively correlated with social media addiction and negatively associated with school satisfaction. Additionally, social media addiction is a significant negative predictor of academic performance and life satisfaction. However, intrinsic academic motivation moderates these effects, demonstrating a protective role by mitigating the adverse outcomes of excessive digital activity. Serbian students exhibited higher academic achievement and life satisfaction, while Russian students reported higher academic motivation and school satisfaction. Conclusion: Our results suggest that digital activity, particularly excessive screentime and social media use, can negatively impact school engagement and well-being unless moderated by intrinsic academic motivation. These findings highlight the importance of fostering motivation-driven digital engagement to optimize adolescent educational and psychological outcomes.
Abstract: Introduction: The opinion of managers regarding their experience with teleworking is equally important as that of the employees, though most research on this concept has focused more on employees than employers. This study investigates the effects of teleworking on the workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown from the viewpoint of managers and employers. Aim: The study explores how management felt about the benefits, challenges, and preparedness for teleworking during the pandemic. Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews using an interpretative descriptive research approach to gather insights from managers and employers regarding their experiences with teleworking. Results: The primary findings show that, although teleworking positively influenced performance and productivity, there were significant drawbacks, particularly concerning work-life balance and effective supervision. The study also reveals that, despite many businesses being digitally equipped, the abrupt transition to teleworking proved challenging. Over time, most businesses adapted, with some adopting a hybrid work model. Discussion/conclusion: Job performance was seen as a benefit, favoring management, while work-life balance, often viewed as a benefit for employees, emerged as a key drawback, showing management’s concern for well-being. In addition, the study suggested that monitoring and supervision were significant challenges for managers, especially during the early part of the transition period. Our study emphasizes the need for further research, especially longitudinal studies, to better understand the long-term effects of teleworking.
Abstract: Introduction: Interoceptive dysfunction represents a transdiagnostic feature in depression-anxiety comorbidity, yet acute interventions targeting this deficit remain understudied. Aim: This study explored the effects of music on interoceptive accuracy (IAcc) elicited during physical exercise in college students with depression-anxiety comorbidity. Methods: College students with depression and anxiety were recruited using psychological scales. IAcc was assessed via a heartbeat counting task pre- and post-running, while arousal, valence, and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were evaluated every 5 min during running. Results: Significant enhancement of IAcc following acute exercise was found, with no additive benefit from the inclusion of music. Conclusion: Music selectively modulates emotional responses without altering RPE during running. Physical exercise and music may affect distinct pathways in this population, with physical exercise improving interoceptive processing and music optimizing emotional responses.
Abstract: Introduction: Bullying and bystander behavior remain persistent challenges in school settings. Aim: This study examines how students’ perceptions of school climate and teachers’ willingness to intervene are associated with their likelihood to engage in different bystander roles (assistant, passive, defender). We also investigated the potential influence of individual characteristics, including gender, school grade, parents’ education, family structure, and students’ ethnicity. Method: The sample consisted of 16,639 students (Mage = 12.52 years, SD = 1.38; 53.2% girls) from 1,647 school units across the 13 educational regions of Greece. Results: Greek students were more likely to assume the role of defender in bullying incidents than students with a different ethnicity. A forward-stepwise multinomial logistic regression revealed that students’ positive perceptions of school climate were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of adopting the defender role, whereas no other significant predictors emerged. Discussion: These findings point to the role of students’ own perceptions of a positive school climate in fostering proactive bystander behavior and highlight the need for further research to identify additional factors influencing students’ engagement in bullying situations. We discuss the implications of these findings in the context of prevention strategies to strengthen interventions for bullying incidents.
Abstract: Introduction: This article examines the emotional foundations of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s populism through social and political psychology, focusing on ressentiment as a collective emotion that transforms historical humiliation into moralized pride and political mobilization. Method: Using critical discourse analysis of Erdoğan’s speeches between 2012 and 2018, including the National Culture Forum (3 March 2017) and Civilizational Forum (21 October 2017), the study analyzes texts emphasizing civilization, culture, and faith through interpretative-phenomenological coding informed by theories of collective emotions, moral regulation, and identity repair. Results: Findings show that ressentiment functions as both an emotional mechanism and a political resource, converting collective victimhood into moral triumph and legitimizing authoritarian consolidation and a neo-Ottomanist revival, demonstrating how Erdoğan’s populism operates as an affective regime binding followers through shared emotions of loss, pride, and revenge.
Abstract: Introduction: Borsboom et al. (2004) argued that construct validity requires causal evidence, not just correlational patterns within nomological networks. However, causal validation is methodologically challenging. Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) identifies conditions that must be present for an outcome to occur, complementing correlation-based approaches that test whether a condition is sufficient. This study integrates NCA with nomological networks to strengthen construct validity evidence. Aim: We propose and test a novel framework combining NCA and nomological networks to validate a new life satisfaction measurement scale. Methods: Three studies were conducted: Study 1 (N = 482, U.S.) assessed convergent validity and nomological alignment. Studies 2 (N = 372, China) and 3 (N = 300, longitudinal) applied NCA to test if (1) positive affect is necessary for life satisfaction and (2) changes in life satisfaction are necessary for changes in the new measure. Results: NCA confirmed positive affect as a necessary condition for life satisfaction in both measures (negative affect was not). Longitudinal NCA showed that changes in life satisfaction were necessary for changes in the new measure (d ≥ .26). Discussion/Conclusion: Integrating NCA with nomological networks extends construct validity beyond correlations, offering a robust, methodologically accessible approach for causal validation in psychological measurement.
