Risk perception is one of the major determinants of risk coping and, thus, of risk adaptation to natural hazards, whether resulting from climate change (e.g., sea level rise) or not (e.g., earthquakes). To understand how to increase an individual's risk perception of natural hazards, it is then crucial to identify the antecedents of risk perception. However, a cross-hazard meta-analysis of such a state of the art is still lacking. Thus, considering the determinants of risk perception for natural hazards, the aim was twofold: to identify the effect size of each determinant on risk perception and to find possible moderators of these relationships. Regarding the first aim, several antecedents taken from the literature proved to be significant, and they can be classified into three clusters: 1) factors related to the relationship individual-risk; 2) factors related to the relationship individual-community; and 3) individual factors (i.e., both sociodemographic and dispositional factors). The first cluster (i.e., individual-risk factors) showed the highest number of determinants with significant medium and large effects; then, the second cluster (i.e., individual-community factors) showed some determinants with significant small and medium effects; finally, the third cluster (i.e., individual factors) showed determinants having either only small significant effects (i.e., sociodemographic ones) or a few significant medium and large effects (i.e., dispositional ones). Regarding moderators, both social norms and the level of risk in the sample's area exerted significant effects, in some cases. Theoretical and methodological implications include theoretical advancements for natural hazards risk perception predictors modelling, and future studies' methodological choices.

A growing number of Ukrainian refugees are fleeing their country due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. It seems, then, relevant to deepen which factors can prevent negative attitudes towards Ukrainian refugees in the European and Italian context. This study investigated the role of beliefs in social equality and guilt in shaping such attitudes. Participants (N = 425) completed an anonymous questionnaire. Findings showed a significant negative association between social equality beliefs, guilt by omission, and negative attitudes towards Ukrainian refugees. A significant three-way interaction between beliefs in social equality, guilt by commission, and guilt by omission emerged. Our findings show that guilt by omission moderates the relationship between beliefs in social equality and negative attitudes toward Ukrainian refugees, weakening this link. This effect holds across both low and high guilt by commission, suggesting that high guilt by omission may partially inhibit beliefs in social equality's catalyst effect. Our findings could be useful for policymakers interested in favoring the acceptance of Ukrainian refugees.

Emotion Recognition Accuracy (ERA) is vital for social functioning and social relationships, yet empirical support for a positive link with well-being has been sparse. In three studies, we show that the Assessment of Contextualized Emotions (ACE) which distinguishes between accurately perceiving intended emotions and bias due to perceiving additional, secondary emotions, consistently predicted personal and social well-being. Across thirteen world cultures, accuracy was associated with higher well-being and life satisfaction, and bias linked to loneliness. A social interaction study in Czech Republic found accuracy (bias) was positively (negatively) associated with social well-being. The effects of accuracy and bias on well-being were partially mediated by social interaction quality in a third study. These findings further our understanding of ERA’s social functions.

Previous studies have found a positive relationship between binding moral foundations and negative inter-group attitudes. Nevertheless, some studies have shown that, under specific conditions, binding foundations can also lead to positive outcomes, particularly within the intra-group context. In this research, we hypothesize that when people perceive that some in-group members violate moral norms, individuals with stronger binding moral foundations may exhibit a greater preference for moral choices in hypothetical moral dilemmas. This hypothesis was confirmed in Study 1 (N = 184) and replicated in Study 2 (N = 201), both conducted in Italy. In Study 1, we utilized a questionnaire containing the moral foundation questionnaire, while in Study 2, we employed moral foundation vignettes. In both studies, participants were presented with five scenarios describing hypothetical moral dilemmas that could occur in real-life settings. The findings indicate that binding moral foundations can lead to stronger preferences for moral choices in hypothetical moral dilemmas when the morality of the in-group is perceived to be under threat. These results are discussed in light of their implications for future research on binding foundations.

This contribution aims to investigate how place attachment styles, conceptualised starting from interpersonal attachment styles, contribute to the activation of Positive (i.e., support seeking) or Negative and Avoidant (e.g., behavioural disengagement, substance abuse, making fun of the situation) behavioural coping through cognitive (i.e., Depletion of Self-Control) and emotional (i.e., Distress, Solastalgia) coping variables. For each Place Attachment Style (i.e., Secure, Preoccupied and Fearful-Avoidant) a mediation model was hypothesised. To test the assumptions, a study was conducted in Romanian high-risk areas (N = 237). Results show how both Secure and Preoccupied Place Attachment Styles were associated with higher Positive Coping through Solastalgia, while this mediating role of Solastalgia lowered Negative Coping only for Preoccupied Place Attachment Style. On the contrary, Fearful-Avoidant Place Attachment Style negatively predicted Positive Coping through a higher Depletion of Self-Control. Avoidant Coping was not associated with any of the variables in the study. Findings highlight the importance of designing policies, risk communication strategies and pre- and post-disaster interventions considering individual differences in place attachment styles. People with a Fearful-Avoidant Place Attachment Style are more vulnerable and should be prioritised in the support received before and after a disaster.

We tested links between social status and emotion recognition accuracy (ERA) with participants from a diverse array of cultures and a new model and method of ERA, the Assessment of Contextualized Emotion (ACE), which incorporates social context and is linked to different types of social interaction across cultures. Participants from the Czech Republic (Study 1) and from 12 cultural groups in Europe, North America, and Asia (Study 2) completed a short version of the ACE, a self-construal scale, and the MacArthur Subjective Social Status (SSS) scale. In both studies, higher SSS was associated with more accuracy. In Study 2, this relationship was mediated by higher independent self-construal and moderated by countries' long-term orientation and relational mobility. The findings suggest that the positive association between higher social class and emotion recognition accuracy is due to the use of agentic modes of socio-cognitive reasoning by higher status individuals. This raises new questions regarding the socio-cultural ecologies that afford this relationship.

Virtual reality (VR) finds many fields of application due to its capability to reproduce "in virtuo" real environments. Previous studies highlighted that exposure to virtual environments leads to restorativeness, which in turn is related to several positive psychological outcomes. However, the mechanisms that lead to restorativeness are still unclear. The main aim of this study was to investigate the mediating role of the sense of presence in the relationship between exposure to virtual environments and restorativeness. We conducted a study with a 2 x 2 between-subjects design. Two conditions (archaeological vs. natural sites) were presented on two levels (2D vs. VR), on a sample of 199 participants (Mage = 22.49, SD = 7.22, range = 18-69). Results show a significant indirect effect of the sense of presence generated by VR on restorativeness, regardless of the condition presented. Our findings shed light on the underlying mechanisms of restorativeness enhanced by virtual environments. Limitations of the study, research developments, and practical implications are discussed.

Studies highlighted the effectiveness of exposure to virtual natural environments in enhancing awe. Nevertheless, the mechanisms through which this occurs and the methodologies that can help strengthen this effect are less investigated. We propose that a VR arctic environment with a mindfulness track - compared to a VR arctic environment without a mindfulness track and a VR urban environment with a mindfulness track - should be more effective in enhancing awe through restorativeness. Participants (86 students) were randomly assigned to three conditions in a between-subject design: 1) 3D-built VR arctic environment with mindfulness track, 2) 3Dbuilt VR urban environment with a mindfulness track, and 3) 3D-built VR arctic environment without a mindfulness track. Results of mediation analysis with multicategorical predictors, as expected, show the superior effectiveness of the exposure to a VR arctic environment with mindfulness track (vs. the same environment without mindfulness track and an urban environment with mindfulness track). Practical implications and future research directions are discussed.

Numerous studies investigated the adherence to health behaviors during COVID-19; however, the majority of approaches considered individual factors, while neglecting the importance of people’s relationship with their home. The purpose of this contribution is to integrate this aspect in a behavioral model to understand stay at home behavior during COVID-19 lockdowns. More specifically, this study combines a traditional approach employing variables from the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and risk perception with Home place attachment and Past stay at home experience to explain people's decisions to stay at home during the COVID-19 lockdown. Data collection was conducted online during the first Italian lockdown with 794 valid answers. A structural equation model found that the predicted model has a good fit, and all variables are found to significantly predict stay at home behavior, except for descriptive norms and risk perception. Place attachment and Past stay at home experience are found to positively predict Stay at home intention, through Attitude and Perceived behavioral control, respectively. Contrary to the hypotheses, Risk perception is not found to be significant, Findings point to the importance of considering the person-home relationship in adherence to stay at home behavior. Results are discussed for their implication for behavioral coping during future pandemics as well as for their relevance in daily life after the pandemic.

IntroductionUrbanization processes are constantly increasing, and most of the European population currently live in urban areas. Nevertheless, evidence is consistent in highlighting the positive association between nature exposure and human wellbeing, although individual differences might affect this association.MethodsThe present study aimed to investigate the association among nature connectedness, conceptualized as Love and Care for Nature, place identity, and physical wellbeing, via restorativeness and positive and negative affect. A total of 312 visitors of an urban green area (i.e., Milan’s Parco Nord) participated in the study. They completed an anonymous questionnaire.ResultsFindings showed that nature connectedness and place identity positively affect physical wellbeing, via restorativeness and positive affect, but not through the negative ones.DiscussionResults highlight the importance of the joint role of exposure to nature and individual differences in promoting wellbeing. This study offers implications for interventions aimed at enhancing individuals’ health through exposure to nature. Limitations of the study and future research developments are discussed.

Organizational identification has been linked to both positive behavior and negative behavior at work. Based on theory and research that suggest that for many organizational behaviors, team identification may be a more important influence than organizational identification, we advance a research model proposing that team identification, more than organizational identification, predicts counterproductive work behavior and organizational citizenship behavior and is the more important mediator of the influence of communication climate (CC) and perceived external prestige (PEP) on these outcomes. This research model was tested in a survey of N = 300 employees of four Italian organizations from different sectors. Results show that team identification, but not organizational identification, predicts counterproductive behavior and citizenship behavior and mediates the influence of CC and PEP. To enhance team identification for sustaining positive voluntary behavior at work, two possible strategies could be considered: improving perceived external prestige and promoting a good communication climate.

IntroductionDespite the well-established evidence supporting the restorative potential of nature exposure, the neurophysiological underpinnings of the restorative cognitive/emotional effect of nature are not yet fully understood. The main purpose of the current study was to investigate the association between exposure to nature and electroencephalography (EEG) functional connectivity in the distress network.MethodsFifty-three individuals (11 men and 42 women; mean age 21.38 ± 1.54 years) were randomly assigned to two groups: (i) a green group and (ii) a gray group. A slideshow consisting of images depicting natural and urban scenarios were, respectively, presented to the green and the gray group. Before and after the slideshow, 5 min resting state (RS) EEG recordings were performed. The exact low-resolution electromagnetic tomography (eLORETA) software was used to execute all EEG analyses.ResultsCompared to the gray group, the green group showed a significant increase in positive emotions (F1; 50 = 9.50 p = 0.003) and in the subjective experience of being full of energy and alive (F1; 50 = 4.72 p = 0.035). Furthermore, as compared to urban pictures, the exposure to natural images was associated with a decrease of delta functional connectivity in the distress network, specifically between the left insula and left subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (T = −3.70, p = 0.023).DiscussionOur results would seem to be in accordance with previous neurophysiological studies suggesting that experiencing natural environments is associated with brain functional dynamics linked to emotional restorative processes.

The beneficial effect of exposure to nature and immersion in natural environments on perceived well-being is well established. Nevertheless, we acknowledge an emerging need to disentangle the role of specific environmental features from individual factors that encourage a positive person-environment interaction. This study aimed at evaluating the associations between four buffer distances of greenness and dimensions of perceived restorativeness, with connectedness towards nature (CTN) as a confounder variable, in a sample of 312 visitors to a large urban park. Variables investigating ecosystem services (ES, e.g., thermal comfort) were included as covariates. Results revealed differentiated effects of greenness level, sunlight intensity, and connectedness to nature in the pathways towards dimensions of restorativeness. Greenness level at 300 m was associated with Fascination, Scope, and Being Away, while at 500 m was associated with Coherence, Scope, and Being Away. ES was found to be associated with Coherence, while CTN with the other three dimensions of restorativeness. The moderating effect of sunlight level in the relationship between NDVI buffer distances and the total score of perceived restorativeness was also confirmed. The present work is intended to offer insights on the interplay between environmental features and individual differences for implications in several contexts, including the opportunity to develop tailor-made planning for urban forestry.

Evidence on the benefits of virtual nature is steadily increasing. In the current paper, we present a systematic review summarizing studies that examined the effects of virtual nature on psychological and psychophysiological outcomes up to March 2023. We found 236 records, of which 59 met the eligibility criteria. Results from quality assessment showed that most studies were of high or very high quality. Studies addressed three main outcomes: mood, stress, and restorativeness. Other outcomes such as environmental preference and pleasantness, cognitive performance, and nature connectedness received less attention, while others such as behavior and behavioral intentions, creativity, perceived safety, subjective vitality, and dental experience were hardly investigated at all. Findings generally point to a positive effect of virtual nature on its users, although further evidence is needed. Studies adopted experimental or quasi-experimental designs, used heterogeneous measures, and often sample sizes of unknown power. Future research could consider uninvestigated outcomes using larger studies with adequate power, specific samples, a focus on building new theories and on identifying best practices. Also, disentangling the optimal type and duration of virtual exposure and investigating the role of individual differences in its effectiveness for desirable psychological and psychophysiological changes is warranted.

What impact does a strong desire for cognitive closure have on an individual's social competence? The need for cognitive closure has been examined in conjunction with a broad spectrum of psychological constructs, encompassing empathy as well. However, there have been few studies that have investigated how the need for cognitive closure affects social competence, particularly prosocial behavior. For this reason, the present study examines the impact of individuals' dispositional need for cognitive closure on prosocial behavior. Specifically, it explores the role of empathy, including perspective-taking and empathic concern, in explaining this relationship. The hypothesis proposed that a higher level of need for closure would be negatively related to prosocial behavior due to its negative association with perspective-taking and, consequently, empathic concern. Our findings provided support for the hypothesis in a sample of high school students (N = 332). The current study underscores the importance of epistemic motivation for closure in affecting social competence behaviors, highlighting the significant roles played by cognitive and affective empathy within this framework. These findings are particularly important, especially in educational settings, because these behaviors have the potential to influence students' relationships, school well-being, and other educational outcomes.

New members are important sources of innovative perspectives in groups. However, it can be very difficult for newcomers’ ideas to be heard. It is likely that group members with high (vs. low) levels of need for closure (NFC) are more resistant to newcomers’ innovative ideas. Moreover, when group epistemic authority (EA) is high, members should “freeze” on the group’s ideas, regardless of the newcomer’s EA. In contrast, when group EA is low, members would be expected to “seize” the ideas proposed by newcomers with high EA. Study 1 confirmed that high (vs. low) NFC group members are more resistant to newcomers’ innovative ideas. In Study 2, in high NFC groups, evidence was obtained for seizing but not freezing. In Study 3, for group members with heightened NFC, both freezing and seizing results were obtained. Findings suggest that both NFC and EA play important roles in receptivity to newcomers’ ideas.

Difficulties related to sexual desire discrepancy are among the most common complaints in people seeking help in therapy. The aims of the current study were to test a mediation model using a bootstrapping procedure where the quality of the dyadic sexual communication plays a key role in increasing or diminishing the degree of perceived sexual desire discrepancy through sexual satisfaction. An online survey was administered through social media to N = 369 participants involved in a romantic relationship, measuring the quality of dyadic sexual communication, sexual satisfaction, the degree of the perceived sexual desire discrepancy, and a series of relevant covariates. As expected, the mediation model showed that a better quality of dyadic sexual communication is related to a lower degree of perceived sexual desire discrepancy through increased sexual satisfaction (β = −0.17, SE = 0.05, [95% CI = −0.27, −0.07]). The effect held over and above the effect of the relevant covariates. The theoretical and practical implications of the present study are discussed.