The Dark 5 model of the SD4 amongst other things proposed that the sadism variable was more appropriately represented by two variables separating sadistic actors (referred to as indirect sadism) from observers (referred to as violent voyeurism). The preliminary research into the Dark 5 has focused on structural properties, demonstrating better fit and a higher level of invariance than the dark tetrad. The present research examined whether the SD4 sadism scale captures distinct components with different nomological networks. Across multiple samples. Confirmatory factor analyses supported a two-factor structure distinguishing indirect sadism and violent voyeurism. Although moderately correlated, the two dimensions exhibited systematically different patterns of association with personality traits, affective dispositions, and maladaptive outcomes. Indirect sadism was more strongly related to emotional reactivity, interpersonal antagonism, dominance, and antagonistic facets of psychopathy, whereas violent voyeurism was more closely associated with sensation seeking, disinhibition, and affective psychopathy. Relative weight analyses further demonstrated that several key outcomes were disproportionately driven by one dimension over the other, underlining their distinctiveness. As a result, treating sadism as a unified construct, as opposed to acknowledging the acting vs observing distinction is cautioned against.

The measurement of 'dark' personality traits has been shown to be susceptible to error. In particular, the Dark Tetrad is theorized to fit poorly to the 4-factor structure within the SD4 (Paulhus et al., 2021). The present study examined the structural validity of the SD4 by using a dataset of internet users (n = 604). A robust approach to confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the 4-factor model proposed by Paulhus et al. (2021) did not appropriately reflect the data. Alternatively, an exploratory 5-factor model (The Dark Five; including coalitionbuilding, grandiose exhibitionism, psychopathy, violent voyeurism, and indirect sadism) resulted in better statistical fit than the 4-factor model. Moreover, the Dark Five allowed the successful discrimination of psychopathy and sadism and explained more variance in attachment orientation than had the 4-factor model. Future research using the SD4 to measure 'dark' personalities or to explore differences between psychopathy and sadism may therefore benefit by testing the 5-factor model or opting for a different measure of the Dark Tetrad.

First-year Chinese international students (CIS) face significant mental health challenges due to acculturative stress, language barriers, and academic pressures. Despite rapid growth in the UK, research on parent-child communication and its impact on their mental health is limited and mostly quantitative, thus necessitating qualitative inquiry to capture nuanced experiences and cultural influences during university transition. Using semi-structured interviews with 10 first-year Chinese students at a leading UK university, reflexive thematic analysis identified three themes: Unfavourable Conversations, Supportive Interactions, and Communication Cadence. Findings underscore the benefits of emotional/ practical support and appropriate communication schedules while highlighting the harm of maladaptive parental practices, providing insights for future research and initiatives to enhance student well-being.

Going to university is a time of great change and adjustment for students, particularly for Chinese international students (CIS) who are crossing borders and cultures to pursue their studies. The existing literature has shown that CIS social interaction is associated with their sense of belonging at university which, in turn, is associated with their psychological wellbeing. However, there remains a paucity of work examining these relationships within a single study, especially among CIS in the United Kingdom (UK), where social interaction, sense of belonging, and psychological wellbeing, are reported to be of concern. In the present study, 85 CIS at UK universities, were surveyed for their social interaction (peer and teacher-student relationships) and sense of belonging at university as well as their psychological wellbeing. It was found that students' social interactions and sense of belonging at university were significantly positively related with psychological wellbeing. Moreover, mediation analyses revealed that sense of belonging at university partially mediated the relationship between peer interactions and psychological wellbeing but fully mediated the relationship between teacher-student interactions and psychological wellbeing. Despite some limitations (e.g., sampling and methodological issues), this study makes a valuable contribution to understanding how different forms of social interactions (e.g., peer and teacher-student) affect CIS students' sense of belonging and, in turn, their psychological wellbeing. It also contributes practically, suggesting that initiatives such as expanded extracurricular opportunities and university peer mentoring programs may foster positive social interactions. These, in turn, may enhance students' sense of belonging at university and their psychological wellbeing.

Background A 3:1 male-to-female autism diagnosis ratio may be partly explained by more prevalent camouflaging behaviours among females, which can mask autistic traits. Methods This mixed-methods study examined gender differences in camouflaging among 110 autistic adults (aged 18–64) using the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) and explored lived experiences through interviews with eight participants (aged 18–37). Results Quantitative analyses revealed that females reported significantly higher total camouflaging scores than males, with significant differences observed on the compensation and masking subscales, but not for assimilation. Thematic analysis of interviews identified four key overarching themes: camouflaging motivations and consequences, level of consciousness, affected identity, and experiences of support. Conclusions Findings highlight the complex impact of camouflaging on daily life and its potential role in delayed diagnoses and mental health challenges. Further research should include diverse gender identities and a broader representation of the autism spectrum to inform better support and interventions.

Teachers’ feelings of occupational or professional value (that is, the subjective experience of feeling a sense of competence or enjoyment derived from undertaking occupational activities or tasks) can significantly influence the retention of the workforce. The United Kingdom (UK) is currently undergoing a teacher shortage, which, despite efforts to strengthen recruitment, has failed to reduce attrition rates to an acceptable level. Through the lived experience of UK primary school teachers, this study aims to deepen our understanding of occupational value. It explores the various factors that shape this value while also examining the ways in which accountability measures influence these dynamics. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 UK primary school teachers. A thematic analysis revealed three main influential themes: Holistic Wellbeing; Professional Wellbeing; and Educational Dynamics. These results emphasise the importance of occupational value for the recruitment and retention of high-quality teachers. They also indicate that supportive collaboration and constructive accountability can positively influence perceptions of occupational value as well as personal resilience. Further research is needed in this area to substantiate these preliminary findings.

Ostracism is known to result in a range of negative psychological consequences for those who perceive they have been socially excluded. Given the importance of social inclusion and belonging to academic and psychosocial success and good mental health at university, the present study aimed to examine the strongest predictor of perceived university student ostracism from theoretically relevant variables (rejection sensitivity, attachment orientation, social anxiety, and self-esteem) across the literature on social exclusion. A cross-sectional correlation design was employed with university students (N = 127). Contrary to expectations, in a multiple linear regression it was found that the only significant predictor of perceived student ostracism was attachment avoidance. The findings underscore the importance of further investigating the psychological precursors of perceived ostracism in students, particularly given that seemingly theoretically important individual difference variables such as rejection sensitivity and social anxiety did not predict perceived student ostracism in our sample. We suggest that it is crucial that higher education institutions continue to foster socially inclusive academic environments, particularly for students with avoidant attachment styles.

Limerence is an overwhelming and debilitating experience involving the intense and often obsessive attachment towards a person who becomes the limerent object, which when left unharnessed, typically results in negative outcomes. At present, there are no published measures to assess the construct of limerence. To address this gap, we developed a short self-report measure to measure limerence (The Limerence Questionnaire-11; LQ-11). This paper reports two studies with data from two different samples (Study 1, n = 269; Study 2, n = 401) of participants that had experienced or were currently experiencing limerence. Results from the exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure comprising of 'Intense Need for Attachment' and 'Neglect to Self and Others' (Study 1). Confirmatory Factor Analysis subsequently confirmed a two-factor structure with excellent internal reliability (Study 2). Results demonstrated that the LQ-11 had good concurrent, convergent and discriminant validity. The LQ-11 is an easily administrable questionnaire for potential use in both interpersonal research domains and in clinical and therapeutic settings.

The present study examined the relationship between narcissism and passive aggressive behaviors, which were operationalized as three conceptually distinct sub-components: inducing criticism, ostracizing others, and sabotaging behavior. The study also explored the potential moderating role of perceived ostracism (i.e., feeling ignored or excluded by others). Consistent with our hypothesis, data from an online sample (N = 219) showed that narcissism was positively related to passive aggressive behaviors. However, a significant moderating effect of perceived ostracism was observed in relation to inducing criticism, but not in relation to ostracizing others or engaging in sabotage. Specifically, at high levels of perceived ostracism there was a stronger relationship between narcissism and inducing criticism compared to when perceived ostracism was low. As such, perceived ostracism may act to amplify this passive aggressive behavior in narcissists. Implications of the present study are discussed.

Few would dispute the importance of motivation and engagement as predictors of students’ psychological functioning at university. However, there are at least two key issues in this area: 1) Few studies embrace a validated, ‘multidimensional’ framework, for motivation and engagement; and 2) few studies in this area control for wellbeing outcomes at baseline. In this study, a sample of first-year university students (N = 71) completed measures of motivation and engagement as well as psychological distress in Year 1, and their psychological distress was measured again in Year 2, one year later. It was found that after controlling for age, gender, and psychological distress (Time 1), motivation and engagement was predictive of psychological distress one year later. The findings demonstrate the importance of motivation and engagement in predicting psychological functioning among university students over the course of their studies.

Perceived ostracism (e.g., feeling ignored and excluded) can lead to psychological distress. There has been little empirical research into the types (profiles) of people more likely to perceive ostracism. The present study (N = 604) used latent class analysis (LCA) to (a) explore classes based on antagonistic traits (narcissism, machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism)while controlling for attachment orientation (attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance) and (b) examine whether such classes could reliably differentiate levels of self-reported perceived ostracism. We extracted five classes: (a) Average Low, (b) the Non-Antagonisers, (c) Average High, (d) Spiteful Manipulators, and (e) the High Antagonisers. Those in the High Antagonisers class reported significantly higher levels of perceived ostracism compared to all other classes. No other differences between classes were observed. There were also significant positive relationships for avoidant and anxious attachment on perceived ostracism, respectively. This study provides new insight into the profiles of individuals who may be more likely to perceive ostracism. However, further research is needed to explore the association between personality and perceived ostracism. Researchers may consider measuring the potential outcomes following perceived ostracism for such groups and/or design potential interventions for those at risk of such experiences.

Teacher shortage is a major concern for educational institutions. One key psychological resource for teachers that may reduce teacher shortage (e.g., prevent burnout, improve wellbeing) is teacher adaptability (i.e., the capacity to adjust to situations of novelty and change). Indeed, teacher adaptability is known to be associated with positive functioning and wellbeing. However, little qualitative research has been conducted exploring how adaptability may be experienced by teachers. The present study set out to explore the unique perspective of a sample of teachers on their adaptability and its links with classroom management and wellbeing. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four primary school teachers and thematic analysis was adopted to interpret their experiences in greater depth. Four superordinate themes were identified: Experiences of adaptability: “teaching’s constantly adapting”; Learning to adapt: an active process; adaptability and organisational culture; and adaptability and teacher wellbeing: a cyclical relationship. The findings suggest that teachers may develop and improve their adaptability via engagement with reflective practices.

Being ostracised (i.e. ignored and excluded) by others can be painful and distressing. Certain individual differences (e.g. social anxiety) are known to exacerbate the negative psychological consequences of ostracism. However, little empirical research has investigated who (e.g. those with social anxiety) is most likely to feel ostracised by their peers in higher education. The present study recruited 84 undergraduate students who completed an online survey measuring social anxiety (predictor variable) and perceived student ostracism (outcome variable). The results showed that after controlling for age, there was a significant positive relationship between social anxiety and perceived student ostracism. Implications for the way that educators promote social inclusion, particularly for those with social anxiety, within higher education are discussed.

(1) Background: Expatriate (expat) teachers, i.e., those living and working outside of their own country, face several unique challenges. Without sufficient protective resources, these challenges threaten to negatively impact upon their workplace engagement and psychological wellbeing, and lead to burnout. In the present study, we utilise the ‘conservation of resources’ (COR) theory to examine the influence of expat teachers’ adaptability (a personal resource) and social support (a conditional/situational resource) on their workplace engagement, burnout, and psychological wellbeing. (2) Methods: A sample of expat teachers (N = 88), mostly working and residing in Middle Eastern countries, completed a series of validated self-report scales to measure each substantive construct. (3) Results: Results revealed that adaptability, but not social support, was a significant positive predictor of both work engagement and psychological wellbeing. There were no significant interaction effects observed. Moreover, neither adaptability nor social support were associated with burnout in this study. Personal resources, such as adaptability, may be more significant determinants of workplace engagement and psychological wellbeing among expat teachers relative to conditional/situational resources, such as social support, according to this research. (4) Conclusions: These findings have important implications for researchers, practitioners, and businesses/organisations, underlining the need to concentrate on strengthening personal resources such as adaptability to improve workplace engagement and psychological wellbeing outcomes among expat teachers.

The current study tested a mediational model accounting for the hypothesized sequence of relationships between the perceived peer-created learning climate, academic motivation, and indices of student functioning across two cohorts in a Higher Education setting. Utilizing a total of 373 undergraduate psychology students from two independent samples (cohort 1: n = 172; cohort 2: n = 201), our findings revealed that a perceived peer-autonomy supportive climate significantly and positively related to both types of academic motivation, albeit more strongly for autonomous relative to controlled regulation, and was inversely associated with amotivation. In turn, higher levels of autonomous motivation were strongly related with higher levels of engagement, and lower levels of burnout symptoms among the participants, whereas the inverse was observed for controlled and amotivation. Indirect effects were also found concerning the mediational role of academic motivation, and our findings were replicated across samples ruling out the possibility of a potential cohort effect. Overall, our findings point towards the theoretical and practical significance of peer influence for fostering academic motivation and healthy functioning among students in Higher Education. However, they also highlight the potential of peers to create climates which may, on the face of it, appear autonomy-supportive, but promote more introjected and external reasons for student motivation which, in turn, undermines their psychological functioning. Future research unpacking the complex influence of peer climates on student motivation in Higher Education is needed.

Aim(s): The present study explored perspectives of school staff, who shared their experiences of facilitators and barriers to mainstream school ‘emotional based school avoidance’ (EBSA) initiatives and practices, and school-aged pupils presenting with EBSA, who described what supported or hindered their school experiences. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six mainstream school staff and seven school-aged pupils who have engaged in EBSA. Staff interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis (RTA), and pupil interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Findings: Six main themes emerged across the two samples, two of which are presented in the present study: for school staff, ‘Systemic and Unanticipated Barriers’; and for pupils, ‘Pupil’s Sense of Inclusivity’. Findings from school staff suggest that EBSA initiatives and practices are hindered by financial constraints, less cooperative families, and misalignment with external partners, who may function according to different working models. For pupils, the findings suggest their experience is facilitated when they feel included, accepted, have a sense of school belonging, and where there is attention towards their interests, strengths, and achievements. Limitations: This research did not capture parent voices, even though their involvement is a crucial aspect in supporting their children. Conclusions: This study highlights some of the long-standing (systemic) challenges as well as those associated with multi-agency working and working with families, which threaten to impede effective EBSA initiatives and practices. It also highlights the power of inclusivity and positive relationships for pupils, which may function as a protective factor to their school attendance.

Most psychological research on social exclusion mainly focused on maximizing internal validity (e.g., controlling for confounding variables). However, maximizing external validity to produce generalizable knowledge about real-world experiences becomes increasingly essential. In the present study (N = 89), we adopted an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) design to track exclusionary experiences and their impact on psychological distress over 15 consecutive days. We tested the mediating effects of positive and negative emotions on the link between daily exclusionary experiences and psychological distress, examining the moderating role of experiential avoidance (EA). Results confirmed a large effect of social exclusion on distress mediated by positive and negative emotions. However, EA did not moderate the exclusion-distress link but was, unexpectedly, found to moderate the exclusion-positive emotions relationship. Specifically, this relationship was stronger for low (vs. high) levels of EA, indicating that adopting EA in response to perceived exclusion may provide a protective function from blunted positive emotions. The present study suggests the usefulness of investigating the occurrence and reactions to the daily experiences of social exclusion, going beyond the sole reliance on experimental manipulations, especially to explore the role of individual differences in working towards a more integrated theoretical model of exclusion.

Ostracism is known to lead to negative psychological outcomes; however, little is known as to how ostracism may be a predictor of paranoid thoughts. The present paper examined the relationship between perceived ostracism and paranoid thoughts (social reference, persecution) by focusing on the potential moderating roles of psychological flexibility and inflexibility. As expected, data from a sample of 315 internet users ( M age = 31.5 years) showed that perceived ostracism was positively related to both social reference and persecution. Psychological flexibility did not moderate the ostracism-paranoid thought relationships. However, psychological inflexibility was a moderator of the ostracism-social reference relationship, but not for ostracism-persecution. Specifically, at both high and low levels of psychological inflexibility, there was a significant positive relationship between ostracism and social reference. These unexpected findings suggest that future research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms by which perceived ostracism may lead to paranoia.