Recovery from work is associated with better work performance and employee well-being. Thus, it is important to investigate whether and how recovery training affects the multiple distinct recovery experiences (i.e., psychological detachment, relaxation, control, and mastery). However, typical variable-centered approaches cannot detect training effects on the co-occurrence of multiple recovery experiences. By contrast, person-centered approaches, which focus on how individuals encounter different combinations (i.e., profiles) of recovery experiences, show promise for evaluating recovery training. We used data from a randomized controlled trial (N = 393) to examine the impact of training designed to enhance recovery in everyday life by investigating (a) how the number and shapes of profiles changed, (b) whether individuals transitioned between profiles of recovery experiences, and (c) whether these transitions were associated with changes in well-being-related outcomes (i.e., sleep quality and perceived stress). Recovery profiles changed in structure from pre- to post-training, and most participants, particularly those who received training, transitioned to a profile with improved recovery experiences. These adaptive transition paths were partly associated with enhanced sleep quality and reduced stress. Overall, the person-centered approach revealed nuanced training effects on recovery experiences, underscoring its promising role in comprehensive training evaluation.

This dataset was collected during the UEFA EURO football championship in 2024. It provides match-contingent experience sampling data, including (a) individual-level variables such as life satisfaction, (b) interpersonal variables such as prosocial intent, and (c) broader societal variables such as political trust. The data points are nested in a sample of N = 1,012 individuals from five countries (England, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland). Using an event-sampling method with four to eight measurement waves (depending on how far the national team progressed in the tournament), we captured time-sensitive fluctuations in a total of m = 30 variables in response to the national team’s objective (i.e., win, draw, loss) and perceived success. In addition, the dataset contains moderating variables including Big-5 personality traits, conspiracy and free-will beliefs, or alcohol consumption and betting behaviors, and detailed match-specific data (e.g., shots on target, yellow cards, attendance). Our data descriptor portrays the methodological approach, data collection procedures, and available variables, and outlines how the data may be used for future research.

ABSTRACT On the basis of two social‐affective frameworks, we posited that national football team performance (winning vs. losing) would impact spectators’ identities, affect and sociopolitical attitudes—including their intergroup attitudes (i.e., in‐group favouritism and multiculturalism) and societal perceptions (i.e., national optimism, perceived crisis severity, political trust and perceived racism). During the UEFA EURO 2024 tournament in Germany, we assessed residents ( N = 1012) from five participating countries before the tournament (baseline) and after each game. Confirming our preregistered hypotheses, national team wins led to stronger national identification, which, in turn, predicted more in‐group favouritism and less support for multiculturalism. Wins also predicted more positive affect, which then coincided with stronger national optimism. Contrary to our hypotheses, however, no direct effects emerged for spectators’ political trust, nor their perceptions of crisis severity and racism. These findings highlight ways in which national sports experiences can predict spectators’ collective identities, emotions and selected sociopolitical attitudes.

International sporting events like the UEFA EURO 2024 provide a powerful natural context to study how social identity dynamics and social processes link to well-being and motivation beyond the sporting domain. In this pre-registered longitudinal experience-sampling study (N = 842; k = 2,414 post-game responses) across five European countries, we examined how social context (watching alone vs. with others) and game result (win vs. loss) link to spectators' life satisfaction and work motivation. Drawing on social identity and self-categorisation theory, we explored mediating processes including team, football, and national identity, as well as social processes-social connectedness and game-related socialising. Multilevel analyses revealed that watching games with others was unexpectedly associated with lower work motivation, an effect explained by alcohol consumption. The social context was unrelated to life satisfaction. Game result (i.e., a win) was positively related to life satisfaction and work motivation, mediated by social identities and social processes. These findings demonstrate that collective success-rather than shared spectating-coincides with positive psychological spill-overs from leisure to work. By situating these effects within a social identity framework, the study highlights how collective experiences relate to both evaluative well-being (i.e., life satisfaction) and motivational outcomes (i.e., work motivation) in everyday and organisational life.

Construal-level theory (CLT) proposes that psychological distance influences the level of abstraction at which something is mentally construed: Things perceived as less probable (likelihood) or further away from the here (spatial distance), now (temporal distance), or self (social distance) are thought about more abstractly. In this international multilab study, we tested four basic hypotheses derived from core assumptions of CLT and explore potential moderators and boundary conditions of the effects. Participants ( N = 11,775) from 27 countries and regions were randomly assigned to one of four experimental protocols focused on different types of psychological distance (temporal, spatial, social, or likelihood), and each experiment manipulated psychological distance (close vs. distant). The protocols for temporal distance ( n = 2,941) and spatial distance ( n = 2,973) were direct replications of Liberman and Trope (Study 1) and Fujita et al. (Study 1), respectively. The remaining two protocols were paradigmatic replications, applying to social distance ( n = 2,926) and likelihood ( n = 2,936). The effects of psychological distance on construal level for the four present studies were as follows (positive effects are consistent with hypotheses): temporal, d = 0.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.003, 0.16] (effect in original study: d = 0.92); spatial, d = 0.04, 95% CI = [−0.03, 0.11] (effect in original study: d = 0.55); social, d = −0.27, 95% CI = [−0.34, −0.19]; and likelihood, d = 0.03, 95% CI = [−0.05, 0.11]. Pretests indicated that valence and abstraction were confounded in response options on the outcome measure. Controlling for this confound eliminated the hypothesis-inconsistent effect of social distance, d = 0.006, 95% CI = [−0.05, 0.07]. These findings provide limited evidence for the predictions of the theory and present a critical challenge for CLT.

Trait self-control is often equated with resistance, leaving open whether it also involves domain-general conflict minimization and the strategic indulgence of low-conflict desires. We reanalyzed four ambulatory assessment datasets (N = 559 participants with 32,049 measurement occasions) to test whether these mechanisms explain the well-being benefits of trait self-control. Results showed that individuals high in self-control experienced fewer desire-goal conflicts (conflict minimization) and pursued desires selectively (strategic indulgence), with both conflict minimization and strategic indulgence being associated with significantly better hedonic well-being. These findings challenge the notion of self-control as mere restraint, emphasizing its role in optimizing both goal attainment and well-being by making strategic choices about when it is beneficial to indulge in desires without undermining long-term goals. Future research should examine whether these strategies are intentional or byproducts of effective planning.

Self-regulatory flexibility refers to the context-dependent use of self-regulatory strategies to manage conflicts in self-control. Theoretical models of regulatory flexibility from neighboring fields, such as emotion regulation and coping, have been adapted to the self-control context. In addition, recent self-control models have incorporated notions of flexibility. This chapter reviews these models and the relevant empirical findings on the role of regulatory flexibility in the domain of self-control. In addition, we discuss polyregulation as a potential instance of regulatory flexibility. Empirical research suggests that different aspects of flexibility may contribute to self-control success in daily life. However, many open questions remain concerning the prevalence, adaptiveness, and importance of flexible regulation compared to other predictors of regulatory success. The chapter concludes with recommendations for future research.

Major sporting events exert manifold influences on people’s intra- and interpersonal experiences. Preliminary findings suggest that they affect sexuality, but the evidence has been limited to population-level outcomes such as birth rates. Direct, individual-level evidence and research on underlying processes are missing. In this preregistered study, we investigated the relationship between the success of national men’s soccer teams during the UEFA EURO 2024 tournament and the frequency of sexual events in daily life, with match results serving as natural within-person, quasi-experimental manipulations. Participants from five European countries ( N = 952, k = 3,627 reports) reported more cognitive, affective, and behavioral sexual events following their national teams’ wins (vs. losses). These effects were particularly pronounced among participants who identified more strongly as fans and were partly explained by higher well-being after wins. We discuss the far-reaching impact of sporting events on sexuality in daily life and future research directions.

Objectives Promoting regular physical activity (PA) is essential in cardiac rehabilitation; yet many patients exhibit low levels of PA. In January 2022, the Improving Physical Activity (IMPACT) trial, a randomised controlled trial at the University Hospital of Geneva, was launched to promote PA in cardiac patients by targeting automatic approach tendencies towards exercise-related stimuli through a cognitive bias modification (CBM) intervention. This article examines the limited acceptance of this intervention, identifies potential barriers and proposes strategies to improve future implementations.Design Retrospective evaluation of a preregistered clinical trial.Setting The intervention was conducted in a cardiac rehabilitation centre in Switzerland.Participants 68 cardiac rehabilitation patients (Mage= 57.76, SD = 10.76 years, 87% male).Intervention Patients received 12 CBM sessions over six weeks, designed to target approach-avoidance tendencies to exercise-related stimuli and improve PA levels.Primary and secondary outcome measures Acceptance was assessed using behavioural (e.g., enrolment and engagement rates), cognitive (e.g., perceived effectiveness) and emotional (e.g., affective evaluation) indicators. The cognitive and emotional indicators were derived from verbal feedback documented by the research assistants based on patients’ reactions during the intervention period. These observations do not constitute qualitative research as defined by methodological standards; they were informal notes provided by research assistants during intervention delivery and were not collected or analysed using qualitative research methods.Results Of the 352 patients initially required, only 68 (19%) were enrolled. Among these 68, 63% completed the minimum number of CBM sessions and 25% completed accelerometer-based PA measures during the week following discharge. These behavioural indicators of low acceptance were associated with cognitive (e.g., scepticism about the task relevance and perceived effectiveness of the intervention) and emotional (e.g., feelings of boredom and disinterest) barriers.Conclusions The low engagement and acceptance observed in the IMPACT trial highlight several key barriers, such as perceived task irrelevance, task monotony and task boredom that undermine the acceptance and feasibility of this digital CBM intervention in cardiac rehabilitation. These findings emphasise the importance of designing patient-centred interventions, ensuring their seamless integration into clinical contexts and conducting qualitative research prior to implementation to anticipate potential barriers.Trial registeration number German clinical trials register (reference number: DRKS00023617).

Objectives. Promoting regular physical activity (PA) is essential in cardiac rehabilitation; yet many patients exhibit low levels of PA. In January 2022, the Improving Physical Activity (IMPACT) trial, a randomised controlled trial at the University Hospital of Geneva, was launched to promote PA in cardiac patients by targeting automatic approach tendencies towards exercise-related stimuli through a cognitive bias modification (CBM) intervention. This article examines the limited acceptance of this intervention, identifies potential barriers, and proposes strategies to improve future implementations. Design. Retrospective acceptance evaluation of a pre-registered clinical trial. Setting. The intervention was conducted in a cardiac rehabilitation centre in Switzerland. Participants. Sixty-eight cardiac rehabilitation patients (Mage = 57.76 ±10.76 years, 87% male). Intervention. Patients received 12 CBM sessions over 6 weeks, designed to target approach-avoidance tendencies to exercise-related stimuli and improve PA levels. Primary and secondary outcome measures. Acceptance was assessed using behavioural (e.g., enrolment and engagement rates), cognitive (e.g., perceived effectiveness), and emotional (e.g., affective evaluation) indicators. Results. Of the 352 patients initially required, only 68 (19%) were enrolled. Among these 68, 17% completed the minimum number of CBM sessions, and 7% completed accelerometer-based PA measures during the week following discharge. These behavioural indicators of low acceptance were complemented by patients′ verbal reports, which showed cognitive (e.g., scepticism about the task relevance and perceived effectiveness of the intervention) and emotional (e.g., feelings of boredom and disinterest) barriers. Conclusion. The IMPACT trial′s inability to recruit and retain sufficient participants hindered the evaluation of its effectiveness in promoting PA among cardiac patients. These challenges highlight the importance of addressing patients′ perceptions of the task′s relevance and the satisfaction derived from it in order to improve intervention acceptance. Recommendations for improving behavioural, cognitive, and emotional acceptance are discussed, with the aim of increasing the effectiveness of rehabilitation programmes. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Clinical Protocols ### Funding Statement L.F. is funded by the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. B.C. is supported by an Ambizione grant (PZ00P1_180040) from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: Ethics Committee of Commission cantonale d'éthique de la recherche CCER gave ethical approval for this work (reference number: CCER2019-02257) I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes Deidentified data, data management, analysis codes and research materials have been made publicly available on Zenodo

Honest self-reporting is essential for valid conclusions about motivation, but it cannot be taken for granted. This is especially true for the private and sensitive domain of sexual motivation, where participants may feel pressured to conform their responses to (gendered) social norms. Such tendencies can have far-reaching implications for society and science, including the potential overestimation of gender differences in sexual motivation. In the present research, we investigated whether the hope that online data collection could help mitigate the problem of socially desirable responses to indicators of sexual motivation is justified. We used the item sum technique-an indirect questioning method that maximizes anonymity-to establish a strong standard of comparison for standard online self-reports (N-total = 2,857). For several theory-driven indicators of sexual motivation, frequency estimates and gender differences were unaffected by response method, providing little evidence of social desirability bias in online studies. Additional findings, such as small to no gender differences for sexual bias indicators, near-maximal levels of self-reported honesty, and weak associations between sexual motivation and social desirability scales, further support this conclusion. We discuss these findings in the context of the ongoing debate about the validity of gender differences in sexual motivation.

Science is integral to society because it can inform individual, government, corporate, and civil society decision-making on issues such as public health, new technologies or climate change. Yet, public distrust and populist sentiment challenge the relationship between science and society. To help researchers analyse the science-society nexus across different geographical and cultural contexts, we undertook a cross-sectional population survey resulting in a dataset of 71,922 participants in 68 countries. The data were collected between November 2022 and August 2023 as part of the global Many Labs study “Trust in Science and Science-Related Populism” (TISP). The questionnaire contained comprehensive measures for individuals’ trust in scientists, science-related populist attitudes, perceptions of the role of science in society, science media use and communication behaviour, attitudes to climate change and support for environmental policies, personality traits, political and religious views and demographic characteristics. Here, we describe the dataset, survey materials and psychometric properties of key variables. We encourage researchers to use this unique dataset for global comparative analyses on public perceptions of science and its role in society and policy-making.

The ego depletion effect—a sometimes-observed reduction in self-control performance following repeated self-control exertion—has been a topic of debate for over a decade. While a multitude of models have aimed to explain the effect, two prominent hypotheses are the focus of the current research: 1) the motivation shift hypothesis and 2) the compensatory effort hypothesis. So far, the mechanisms underlying both hypotheses (i.e., differences in exerted mental effort resulting from depletion and motivation) have not been tested and compared empirically. In a pre-registered experiment (N = 172), we manipulated depletion and motivation (presence of incentives) and physiologically assessed participants’ mental effort via systolic blood pressure (SBP) reactivity. Both hypotheses predict an interaction of depletion and motivation for mental effort, albeit with differing patterns. The results indicated that neither mental effort nor performance corresponded to either hypothesis. Instead, performance was consistent across all four conditions, with mental effort being predicted solely by the level of incentive. Both manipulation checks—self-reported depletion after the initial demand block and SBP reactivity during it—provided strong support for a successful depletion manipulation. Consequently, we conclude that these findings add to the growing body of evidence challenging the ego depletion effect empirically as well as its theoretical foundations.

People are highly motivated to change their behavior. Unfortunately, many people have difficulty doing so. Building on recent theorizing, we propose that having access to a wide range of strategies – that is, a larger strategy repertoire – can help people achieve their goals. In eight samples across a variety of domains, participants (Ntotal=2,347) reported their use of seven strategies that determined their strategy repertoire for a particular goal. Findings indicated that having a larger strategy repertoire predicted goal attainment. These findings replicated across domains (healthy eating, academic performance, saving money), among self-set personal goals, at both the between-person and within-person levels, and were robust to different operationalizations of strategy repertoire, but differed by behavior. Specifically, having a larger strategy repertoire consistently predicted subjective goal progress, healthier eating, and more adaptive financial behaviors, but not snack intake or subjective credit score. Among the people who reported on multiple goals, we also found that their strategy repertoire was highly similar across domains. Together, these findings highlight that having a larger strategy “toolbox” has important implications for downstream regulation processes, which sets the stage for lasting behavior change.

This 68-country survey (n = 71,922) examines science information diets and communication behavior, identifies cross-country differences, and tests how such differences are associated with sociopolitical and economic conditions. We find that social media are the most used sources of science information in most countries, except those with democratic-corporatist media systems where news media tend to be used more widely. People in collectivist societies are less outspoken about science in daily life, whereas lower education is associated with higher outspokenness. Limited access to digital media is correlated with participation in public protests on science matters. We discuss implications for future research, policy, and practice.

Science is crucial for evidence-based decision-making. Public trust in scientists can help decision makers act on the basis of the best available evidence, especially during crises. However, in recent years the epistemic authority of science has been challenged, causing concerns about low public trust in scientists. We interrogated these concerns with a preregistered 68-country survey of 71,922 respondents and found that in most countries, most people trust scientists and agree that scientists should engage more in society and policymaking. We found variations between and within countries, which we explain with individual- and country-level variables, including political orientation. While there is no widespread lack of trust in scientists, we cannot discount the concern that lack of trust in scientists by even a small minority may affect considerations of scientific evidence in policymaking. These findings have implications for scientists and policymakers seeking to maintain and increase trust in scientists.

Social comparison is a fundamental aspect of daily life with major implications for motivation and goal pursuit. By observing others, individuals can be inspired to set new goals and observe the steps needed to achieve them. Upward comparisons with more successful people typically drive self-improvement, while downward comparisons with less successful individuals may reduce motivation by providing a sense of reassurance and self-enhancement (i.e., coasting). This chapter delves into the varied motivational effects of social comparisons, examining both upward and downward comparisons, as well as the extremity of these comparisons. It also explores the emotional responses elicited by these comparisons and their subsequent influence on motivation. Further, the chapter examines the opposite direction of how different motivational states influence the selection of comparison targets and discusses how the different motivational impacts of upward and downward comparisons can be strategically applied in intervention studies to enhance motivation and goal attainment.

This chapter does not contain an abstrat. It reviews current research on the role of regulatory flexibility in strategy use for self-control.

Is it advantageous to make the first offer and to do so ambitiously? Although initial studies suggested clear advantages across cultures and contexts, recent findings have challenged the robustness of this first-mover advantage. A preregistered meta-analysis of 374 effects from 90 studies (Study 1; N = 16,334) revealed three beneficial effects of making the first offer: (a) a general first-mover advantage (g = 0.42, m = 80), (b) a positive correlation between first-offer magnitude and agreement value (r = 0.62, g = 1.56, m = 53), and (c) an advantage of ambitious (vs. moderate) first offers on agreement value (g = 1.14, m = 187). The meta-analysis also identified two detrimental outcomes of ambitious first offers: (d) fewer deals (i.e., more impasses; g =-0.42, m = 13) and (e) worse subjective value experienced by recipients (g =-0.40, m = 41). Two preregistered experiments (Study 2a-2b; N = 2,121) replicated both the beneficial and detrimental meta-analytic effects and simultaneously tested multiple psychological mechanisms driving these effects. Across the experiments, selective accessibility drove the effect of first-offer magnitude on counteroffers, while anger drove the effects on impasses and subjective value. Across both the meta-analysis and the experiments, negotiation complexity moderated both the beneficial and detrimental effects of first offers; as the number and type of issues (i.e., complexity) increased, the effects of first offers became smaller, and the mechanisms changed. Overall, the current meta-analysis and experiments collectively illuminate the direction, size, psychological pathways, and boundaries of first-offer effects in negotiations.

Conspiracy beliefs have been linked to perceptions of collective victimhood. We adopt an individual perspective on victimhood by investigating the relationship between conspiracy beliefs and the individual disposition to perceive and react to injustice as a victim, i.e., victim justice sensitivity (VJS). Data from two German samples (Ns = 370, 373) indicated a positive association between VJS and conspiracy mentality beyond conceptually related covariates (e.g., mistrust). In a multinational sample from 15 countries (N = 14,978), VJS was positively associated with both general and specific conspiracy beliefs (about vaccines and climate change) within countries, though these associations varied across countries. However, economic, sociopolitical and cultural country-level factors that might explain the cross-country variability (e.g., GDP, Human Freedom Index, individualism-collectivism), including indices of collective exposure to direct violence, did not moderate the studied associations. Future research should investigate the relationship between victimhood and conspiracy beliefs, considering both intraindividual and intergroup perspectives.