Background The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between personal characteristics and body mass index (BMI) and the role of problematic Instagram use and body esteem. Participants and procedure The study included 695 adolescents aged 14-18 years (526 females, M = 17.01, SD = 0.88). The following measures were used: the General Self-Esteem Scale (GSES), the Distress Scale, the Problematic Instagram Use Questionnaire, the Health Behavior Inventory, the Body Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults (BESAA), and body mass index (BMI). Results The results showed that problematic Instagram use mediated the relationship between distress and BMI. Additionally, body-esteem appearance and body-esteem weight mediated the relationships between distress, self-efficacy, and health behaviors and BMI. The mediating role of body-esteem attribution and problematic Instagram use was found in the relationships between distress, self-efficacy, and health behaviors and BMI. Conclusions The findings indicate that problematic Instagram use and the dimensions of body esteem play a key mediating role in the associations between distress, self-efficacy, health behaviors, and BMI. These results highlight the importance of addressing body image perceptions and social media use in interventions aimed at promoting healthy weight management and mitigating the negative impact of psychological distress on physical health. These findings can be used to develop workshops and educational programs on social networking sites for adolescents.

Mobile phones have become the most popular form of interpersonal communication. The aim of the study was to explore the mediating role of external boredom and affect balance between loneliness and problematic smartphone use (PSU). The sample consisted of N = 581 participants aged 18-28 years (M = 21.18, SD = 1.85) from Poland. A pen-and-paper procedure was used, with the following measures administered: the Problematic Mobile Phone Use Questionnaire, the Loneliness Scale, the Scale of Positive and Negative Experience, and the External Boredom Scale. In the study, the indirect effect of external boredom and affect balance on the relationship between loneliness dimensions and problematic smartphone use was analysed. The results indicate that boredom was a mediator (a meaningful but not strong) between loneliness dimensions and PSU. However, it was not shown that affect balance mediates the relationship between loneliness dimensions and PSU. The findings highlight the practical importance of addressing boredom-related mechanisms in prevention and intervention programs targeting problematic smartphone use. Supporting young adults in developing healthier strategies for managing boredom and strengthening offline social engagement may help reduce vulnerability to PSU.

BACKGROUND:Central and Eastern European (CEE) populations share historical challenges, including communist-era governance and post-transition changes, yet cross-national comparisons of trauma and stress related symptoms remain limited. This study examined trauma exposure, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and Complex PTSD (CPTSD) prevalence and symptom networks across five CEE countries. METHODS:A cross-sectional study of 5070 adults from five CEE countries assessed trauma exposure using the International Trauma Exposure Measure (ITEM). Of these, 4012 (79.1%) reporting trauma completed the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ). Cross-national comparisons used chi-square and ANOVA. Network analysis identified symptom centrality and structural differences using Gaussian Graphical Models with comparison tests. RESULTS:Trauma exposure patterns were similar across countries (η²=0.003-0.009), but disorder prevalence differed substantially. CPTSD consistently exceeded PTSD, with Poland showing highest rates (CPTSD: 23.6%, PTSD: 14.4%). Network structures were broadly comparable, with Self-Organization symptoms, particularly negative self-concept, most central. Czech Republic and Slovakia uniquely showed additional central PTSD symptoms. Structural differences were most pronounced involving these countries. Bridge symptoms (startle response, affective dysregulation) were consistent cross-nationally. CONCLUSIONS:CEE countries demonstrate distinct profiles with CPTSD predominating. Country-specific symptom networks suggest tailored interventions targeting DSO symptoms in most countries, while also addressing PTSD symptoms in Czech Republic and Slovakia. Findings support the ICD-11 PTSD/CPTSD distinction and highlight the importance of country-specific interventions.

People desire friends who have qualities such as similarity, the ability to provide support, opportunities for socialisation, assistance in achieving self-serving goals and access to potential mates. In the current study, we aimed to examine the degree of overlap between the friends people consider ideal and those they actually have. Using a sample of 6224 participants from 12 countries, we found that, across five dimensions of friendship, ideal and actual friendships considerably overlapped and ideal preferences were significant and strong predictors of actual friendships. Still, the overlap between ideal and actual friendships was not complete; rather, a small deficit emerged, with participants getting less of what they wanted. These results were consistent across the 12 countries in our sample. We also found significant effects of the Dark Triad personality traits on several dimensions of friendship.

Centrality of loss reflects the extent to which the death of a loved one becomes a central reference point, shaping thoughts, emotions, identity, and daily activity. We developed the Centrality of Loss Scale (CLS) and tested its psychometric properties and incremental association with grief severity beyond bereavement context. A national sample of bereaved Polish adults (N = 886; 51.0% female) completed the CLS alongside measures of prolonged grief, general distress, and bereavement context. Analyses supported a refined 7-item unidimensional solution with high internal consistency. CLS scores correlated moderately with prolonged grief (PGD) and modestly with general distress. Factor analyses further supported the distinctiveness of CLS from PGD and depression. The CLS explained substantial incremental variance in grief severity beyond bereavement context variables (ΔR2 = .38; context ΔR2 = .10). The CLS indexes how loss becomes integrated into identity and daily life as a construct related to, but distinct from, PGD.

People differ in their preferences for attitudes toward the past, present, and future, and those attitudes appear to be associated with mood disorders, in particular depression. Whether attitude toward time improves the quality of life and what attitude is associated with negative emotionality depends on genetic and environmental factors. The same can be said of depression. However, no study has analyzed the genetic and environmental architecture of this relationship. Thus, we aimed to examine the genetic and environmental components of the associations of different types of time perspective with depressive symptomatology. A sample of 1269 middle-aged twins completed the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory as well as the Patient Health Questionnaire-8. Models that included additive genetic and non-shared environmental factors showed the best fit to the data. Heritability of time perspective dimensions ranged from 0.18 (future) to 0.32 (past-positive). Depression showed positive genetic correlations with the past-negative perspective and the deviation from a balanced time perspective score. The findings provide evidence for a substantial genetic contribution to the association between time perspective and depression.

Introduction: Social interactions appear to be linked to the way individuals assess their daily well-being. Stressful day-to-day events may substantially impair psychosocial functioning and trigger coping responses. Objective(s): The main aim of the study was to determine the role of the number and quality of online and offline social interactions in the relationship between daily stressful events and daily well-being. Method: The study included N = 372 participants (273 females; M = 22.22 years, SD = 4.06; age range: 15-50). The authors used the Daily Inventory of Stressful Events, the Scale of Online and Offline Interactions, and the Scale of Positive and Negative Experience. A 7-day diary study was conducted. Results: The study revealed that stressful events were negatively related to affective balance. Moreover, there was an indirect effect between daily stressors and affective balance via social interactions. Specifically, the more daily stressors, the more negative emotional experiences both directly and indirectly through lower-quality social interactions. Conclusion: Daily stressors undermine the quality of both online and offline interactions, leading to a poorer emotional balance each day. As everyday stress increases, social relationships tend to deteriorate, resulting in a greater prevalence of negative emotions.

Background: Negative public attitudes promote undesirable stereotypes and stigma in stutterers. Method: To mitigate negative attitudes, 403 respondents combined from 16 international samples filled out the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S) before and after interventions to improve attitudes and were compared to 249 respondents from seven control groups. Investigators aimed (a) to replicate an extreme case of regression to the mean (i.e., "crossover" effect) reported earlier in larger combined samples in which respondents with high pre-scores ended with low post-scores, respondents with low pre-scores finished with high post-scores, and intermediate scorers were unchanged; and (b) to identify individual POSHA-S items related to overall attitude change and among the high and low scorers. Results: As in previous studies, stuttering attitudes improved in the intervention group but not in the control group. Intervention and control respondents demonstrated "crossover" but less than the earlier samples due to lower pre-post correlations. Item contributions to pre-post change and differences among the three change groups were inconsistent; however, high agreement items by respondents were less likely to vary than low agreement items. Conclusion: The "crossover" effect was replicated, and future research should explore its presence in other measures or conditions.

Evolutionary theorizing predicts that parenthood is associated with higher hedonic wellbeing (experiencing more positive and fewer negative emotions), higher eudaimonic wellbeing (experiencing greater meaning in life), and greater life satisfaction. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed a dataset comprising 5,556 participants drawn from 10 different nations. We found a small positive effect of parenthood on eudaimonic wellbeing, which was more pronounced for women. Conversely, we found virtually no differences between parents and nonparents across all measured dimensions of hedonic wellbeing and life satisfaction. Furthermore, for most dimensions, we did not detect significant interactions between parenthood status and sex, age, or relationship status. Additionally, participants with children reported lower relationship satisfaction than those without children; however, the observed difference was small. Our results contrast with evolutionary predictions, as well as empirical findings showing that parents perceive their children as sources of positive emotions and life purpose, creating a paradox for which we offer a possible resolution.

Cyberbystanders play a significant role in stopping cyberbullying. The aim of this review was to identify and quantify the factors contributing to the defending behavior of adolescent cyberbystanders. A systematic search of PsycARTICLES, PubMed, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and Scopus databases, manual searches, and citation tracking were conducted in line with PRISMA guidelines. Meta-analyses were performed for the selected factors. Peer-reviewed journal articles that evaluated adolescent cyberbystanders' defending behavior as an outcome or dependent variable were included. For each study, we estimated the risk of bias, the level of evidence, and the degree of association with defending behavior. Both the systematic review and the meta-analysis indicated positive associations of empathic skills and cyberbullying victimization with the defending behavior of adolescent cyberbystanders. Moreover, the systematic review showed that also self-efficacy and reinforcing the bully were related to defending behavior. The results of our review highlight the importance of being able to empathize with the victim's experiences as a factor contributing to the defending behavior of adolescent cyberbystanders. In subsequent research, it is worth differentiating between constructive and aggressive forms of defending behavior and using reliable research tools. Preventive and psychoeducational programs for adolescents should be focused on teaching specific and clearly described constructive defending behaviors in situations of cyberbullying.

Previous studies show that interventions to improve attitudes toward stuttering yield inconsistent results on the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes–Stuttering (POSHA–S). Comparisons of pre- and post-intervention samples indicate that success depends on the percentage of respondents who improved rather than the magnitude of change. A “crossover” effect emerged: respondents with the most positive pre-test attitudes showed lower post-test ratings, whereas those with the most negative pre-test attitudes showed the greatest improvement; respondents with intermediate attitudes showed little change. Similar patterns appeared in non-intervention samples, where one-third fell into positive, minimal, or negative change groups. The study analyzed 943 respondents from 29 intervention samples classified as unsuccessful (U), marginally successful (MS), successful (S), or very successful (VS), plus 345 respondents from 12 non-intervention samples. Using non-intervention data as a baseline, we calculated percentages shifting among the three change groups. In the VS category, interventions moved people from the negative and minimal change groups into the positive change group. In the S category, gains in the positive change group came from the negative change group. In the MS category, all intervention-related changes began in the negative change group, yielding modest growth in the positive and minimal change group. The U category showed shifts into both the positive and negative change group, mainly reducing the minimal change group. These findings suggest that interventions to improve attitudes toward stuttering should apply strategies tailored to individuals in positive, minimal, and negative change groups.

Severe postpartum stress has a devastating effect on both the woman and newborn. This study evaluated the efficacy of an 8-week intervention (the Time App) aimed to strengthen balanced time perspective (BTP) on stress after a cesarean section. Women (N = 60) were randomly assigned to either a Time App intervention group or a waitlist control group. They completed the Perceived Stress Scale, Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale, Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, and Numerical Rating Scale to assess pain at baseline (on the second day after delivery). Post-treatment (8 weeks after delivery), they completed the Perceived Stress Scale. Results demonstrated that baseline stress moderated the intervention's effect. Relative to the control participants, the Time App group participants entering the study with higher levels of stress showed a significant decrease in stress 8 weeks after delivery. Moreover, women from the intervention group with a very low level of stress on the second day after delivery were characterized by a higher level of stress 8 weeks after delivery, compared to the control group. Our findings suggest that BTP training in the form of the Time App may be an effective way to alleviate severe stress and reach an optimal, moderate level of stress.

Social networking sites have been frequently analysed in psychological studies due to a great number of their users and the influence they have on people’s social life. Instagram is among the most popular image-based networking sites. The main aim of this research is to show problematic Instagram use (PIU) as a mediator in the relationship between self-esteem and life satisfaction. The study was carried out on a group of N = 912 people aged from 19 to 30. The following tools were used: Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, Satisfaction with Family Life Scale, Problematic Instagram Use Questionnaire, and Satisfaction with Life Scale. It was found that there is a negative correlation between self-esteem and problematic Instagram use. The relation between PIU and life satisfaction was shown as well as the mediating impact of PIU on the relationship between self esteem and life satisfaction after an average level of family satisfaction was taken into account.

The cross-sectional study aimed to examine the relationships between motives for smartphone use, family satisfaction, loneliness, grade point average (GPA), and problematic smartphone use (PSU). It included 519 elementary school students aged 12-16 years (M = 13.87, SD = 1.01). The authors used the Smartphone Addiction Scale, the Smartphone Usage Motivation Scale, the Illinois Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Questionnaire, and the Satisfaction With Family Life Scale. For girls, the study revealed a significant indirect relationship between loneliness and GPA via social interactions. There was also a significant indirect relationship between loneliness and PSU via relaxing entertainment. For boys, there were significant indirect relationships between loneliness and PSU via escapism and between age and PSU via loneliness. The results may serve as a basis for therapeutic interventions and prevention programs against PSU.

The desire to stay informed about others’ activities and the aversion to missing information shared on social media have become increasingly prominent in contemporary society. This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of personal characteristics in the relationship between Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), psychological distress, and flourishing. A sample of 6,403 participants (65.6

Background The aim of the study was threefold: first, to test the associations between perfectionism (adaptive and maladaptive), procrastination (general and decisional), and depression; second, to examine the mediating role of self-discipline between perfectionism and procrastination; and third, to examine gender differences. Participants and procedure The participants in the study were 347 individuals aged 16 to 48 (M = 22.77, SD = 6.14). The following measures were used: the General Procrastination Scale, the Decisional Procrastination Scale, the Brief Self-Control Scale, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and the Polish Adaptive and Maladaptive Perfectionism Questionnaire. Results As a result, maladaptive perfectionism positively contributed to depression, whereas adaptive perfectionism contributed to it negatively. In both the female and male groups, self-discipline was a mediator between maladaptive perfectionism and general and decisional procrastination. Only in the female group was self-discipline a mediator between adaptive perfectionism and general and decisional procrastination. Decisional procrastination mediated the link between perfectionism (adaptive and maladaptive) and depression only in the male group. Likewise, the relationship between maladaptive perfectionism and depression was mediated by self-discipline and decisional procrastination in the male group. Conclusions As a result, maladaptive perfectionism positively contributed to depression, whereas adaptive perfectionism contributed to it negatively. In both the female and male groups, self-discipline was a mediator between maladaptive perfectionism and general and decisional procrastination. Only in the female group was self-discipline a mediator between adaptive perfectionism and general and decisional procrastination. Decisional procrastination mediated the link between perfectionism (adaptive and maladaptive) and depression only in the male group. Likewise, the relationship between maladaptive perfectionism and depression was mediated by self-discipline and decisional procrastination in the male group.

Friendships vary in closeness and endurance: Some friendships are closer while others are more casual; some are more enduring while others last only as long as they are convenient. The present study examined friendship preferences in these dimensions. Using data from a cross-cultural sample ( N = 6224) taken from 12 countries, we found that the vast majority of participants preferred a combination of close and casual friendships, with a preference for having more close friendships. Similarly, most participants preferred a combination of enduring and convenience friendships, with a preference for having more enduring friendships. Additionally, participants’ preferences closely matched their actual friendships, with these findings being generally consistent across cultures. We found also that participants who preferred friendships that enabled them to receive support and social input were more likely to prefer close and enduring friendships over casual and convenient ones. The opposite was true for participants who preferred friendships that allowed them to achieve self-serving goals and gain access to mates. Furthermore, we found significant but small direct and indirect effects of the Dark Triad personality traits, especially Machiavellianism, on preferences for closeness and endurance in friendship.

Purpose A growing number of studies have sought to reduce negative public attitudes toward stuttering in pre-test/post-test designs using the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes–Stuttering (POSHA–S). Most investigations have succeeded in improving attitudes, but about one-third of them have not. A previous companion study showed that intervention—but not demographic—characteristics of samples partly predicted success. Method Authors investigated individual profiles and predictors of change in nonstuttering individuals’ attitudes from pre-test to post-test after exposure to interventions or no intervention. Using pre- versus post-POSHA–S mean ratings from different samples (representing 7 countries and 6 languages) 29 samples comprising 934 respondents were categorized into four categories of intervention success from “unsuccessful” to “very successful.” These were compared to 12 pre and post non-intervention samples containing 345 respondents from a second companion study. Within categories, the individual respondents were sorted according to positive, minimal, or negative changes from pre- to post-tests on the POSHA–S Overall Stuttering Score (OSS). The non-intervention category served as a baseline for determining the effects of interventions on respondents who improved, worsened, or remained the same. Results As in the previous non-intervention category, within all intervention categories, an unexpected and heretofore undocumented “crossover” effect emerged. Respondents with the least positive pre attitudes improved greatly, and respondents with the most positive attitudes worsened greatly. Those with intermediate attitudes changed minimally. The percentage of respondents changing positively differentiated levels of success in the intervention categories, while the magnitude of mean change did not. Potential predictors in positive and negative changers were not apparent from POSHA–S demographic and attitude variables. Implications Future interventions to improve stuttering attitudes should address their relatively unstable nature and be targeted differentially to positive, minimal, and negative changers.

This exploratory study aims to analyse whether and how students' motivation affects their satisfaction in online courses during COVID-19 emergency in Italy. Based on the activity theory approach, and on the self-determination theory, the study considers two types of motivation (autonomous vs. controlled) and different aspects of students' satisfaction in online courses related to various types of interaction (learner-content, learner-instructor, learner-learner, learner-technology, and general satisfaction). Results confirm that students with autonomous motivation perceived greater satisfaction in all the considered aspects of online courses, independently using the internet. Implications for designing online courses in university contexts, particularly during emergency period like COVID-19 pandemic, are discussed.

Purpose: Previous studies of the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S), using test and retest designs in modest-sized samples, have reported satisfactory test-retest reliability, i.e., correlations of about 0.80. Simultaneously, lower but moderate correlations between different first and second test respondents were observed and hypothesized to represent unspecified “societal” influences on stuttering attitudes. This study sought to clarify this and other potential relationships between first and second tests with the POSHA-S in a large, geographically and linguistically diverse sample.Methods: POSHA-S Overall Stuttering Scores (OSSs) of 345 respondents from 12 test-retest samples from four countries and languages, with no intervening interventions, were analyzed with correlations and by grouping respondents according to whose stuttering attitudes improved, remained the same, or worsened from test to retest.Results: Test and retest OSSs generally conformed to normal distributions and were not significantly different. Correlations between first versus second tests replicated earlier research. However, when the degree and direction of change from test to retest was considered, both in other correlations and in sorts of respondents, unexpected results emerged. Respondents with intermediate attitudes changed minimally, while those with most and least positive attitudes at the first test changed in opposite directions past the overall mean at second test.Conclusions: While demonstrating adequate test-retest reliability correlations on the POSHA-S, public attitudes were found to be less stable than previously assumed.