Frontiers in Psychology最新文献

Introduction: Online group compassion-focused therapy (CFT) has not been thoroughly studied in young people, and the participants' perspectives on the treatment are highly relevant.

Methods: A seven-session internet-based group CFT program was evaluated for young people aged 15-20 (n = 42, females = 37). A self-report evaluation questionnaire, specifically designed for this study, was administered post-intervention. The current study investigated: (1) Potential factors influencing the treatment program goals (increase self-compassion, reduce self-criticism and increase affect-regulation abilities) and the participants' overall experience of the treatment; and (2) The effect each intervention exercise had on the program goals according to the participants' ratings.

Results: Participants generally reported high satisfaction and had a high attendance rate. Only 2.4% of the participants completed less than half of the sessions and 71% of the participants attended at least six of the seven sessions. Exercises that integrated traditional cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) principles received high ratings, whereas breathing and mindfulness exercises were rated lower in many cases. Several compassion exercises were also highly rated, such as the Threat-drive and security system, based on CFT affect-regulation theory. The majority did not find home assignments helpful.

Discussion: The findings suggest that internet-based group CFT could be an easily accessible and acceptable intervention for young people in primary care, though further research is warranted.

Introduction: Medical students experience significantly more mental burdens compared to the general public. This circumstance was further exacerbated by the pandemic, particularly with regard to loneliness. While previous studies have identified risk factors for loneliness among students of different subjects, recent data focusing on medical students during the late stages of the pandemic remain insufficient. This study aims to address this gap.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study at a German Medical School, consisting of two online surveys conducted in winter 2021/22 and summer 2022. The study sample, composed of 283 undergraduate students in winter 2021/22 (231 in summer 2022), answered five well-established scales for measuring loneliness (R-UCLA3), distress (DT-NCCN), anxiety (GAD-2), depression (PHQ-2), and perceived stress (PPS-4). Additionally, we evaluated burdensome aspects of students' current situation through qualitative analysis. Longitudinal analyses were conducted for 80 medical students who participated in both surveys.

Results: Around 20% of all students responded to each survey. In winter 2021/22, 55.1% of students reported loneliness above the cut-off (M = 5.77 [2.02]; decreasing to 45.0% by summer 2022 (M = 5.22 [1.90]). Lonely students reported significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety, and self-perceived stress in both survey periods. Overall distress increased substantially throughout our study (Cohen's d = -0.54). Binary regression models indicated a shift in loneliness risk factors: in winter 2021/22, being single, higher self-perceived stress levels, and decreased study motivation were associated with increased loneliness. Lower peer connectedness emerged as the sole significant factor associated with loneliness in summer 2022. While the pandemic-related burden on students' study motivation lessened, issues related to exam preparation and lack of study organization through the faculty increased, varying significantly depending on students' study year.

Conclusion: Our data suggest that loneliness among German medical students decreased in the late stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, other mental burdens persisted at high levels compared to other data in the general public and medical students. Students' responses underscore the need for improved academic support by eased study program structure, improved counseling, and tailored services for students of different study years.

Introduction: Climate change is one of society's most severe crisis, presenting a health threat to humans with serious impacts on mental health. Climate anxiety has been identified as an important mental health consequence of climate change.

Methods: The current study examined the role of social psychological characteristics on climate change anxiety and pro-environmental behavior, using a nationally representative sample of Portuguese parents who completed extensive questionnaires.

Results: More central parental identities negatively correlated with and predicted climate change anxiety, revealing that a central parental identity can be a protective factor against mental health issues. Parental identity centrality also predicted greater engagement in pro-environmental behavior. The findings further showed that environmental identity and climate change perceptions were positively related and predicted higher levels climate change anxiety and pro-environmental behavior. Finally, parental identity centrality was linked to greater pro-environmental behavior through climate change anxiety, bringing important contributions to research on the underlying mechanisms that shape pro-environmental behavior.

Discussion: The findings shed light on the complex mechanisms underlying and influencing climate anxiety and pro-environmental behavior, necessary to mitigate the acute consequences of the climate crisis.

Introduction: Currently, much of the research on learning engagement has more underlined the individual factors associated with levels of learning engagement among college students, but the connections between individual values and learning engagement has not been definitively elucidated. The aim of this research is to reveal the relationships between individual values preferences and degrees of learning engagement, and mainly focuses on the individual values preferences of Chinese college students with upper-level learning engagement.

Methods: Data from 360 first-year Chinese college students majored in foreign languages in Northeast China supported a two-cluster of students based on different learning engagement levels. The assignment of items in the UWES-S scale and the PVQ-21 scale was confirmed through a principal component method to identify the underlying dimensions of Chinese college students' learning engagement and values. A cluster analysis with K-means algorithm to cluster the participants based on their learning engagement levels. And a series of One-Way Analyses of Variance (ANOVAs) were performed to assess the differences between the cluster groups in relation to each of the values and mainly analyzed individual values characteristics of students with upper-level learning engagement.

Results: Comparing values preferences of students with upper-level learning engagement and those with lower-level learning engagement, the results showed that students with upper-level learning engagement assigned more importance to "Social Focus" values, "Openness to Change" values, benevolence, and hedonism. Which presents a promising opportunity for future research to explore the potential impact of values education on students' learning engagement.

Conclusion: This research enhances the comprehension of the intricate relationship between learning engagement and values and offers a potential avenue for further investigation into the potential impact of values education on students' learning engagement.

Although emotional intelligence (EI) has been shown to influence work engagement significantly (WE) in many professions, the relationship between EI and WE among kindergarten teachers in Western China remains underexplored. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating how the EI of kindergarten teachers affects their WE and whether educational background moderates this relationship. A sample of 8,786 kindergarten teachers completed the Emotional Intelligence Scale for Kindergarten Teachers and the Work Engagement Scale. The results indicate that EI is positively correlated with and predictive of WE among kindergarten teachers. However, within the internal structure of EI, emotional perception does not predict WE, while emotional identification negatively predicts it. Furthermore, the educational background of kindergarten teachers was found to moderate the relationship between EI and WE. To enhance WE among kindergarten teachers in the future, it is crucial to view EI as a developable skill. This can be accomplished by providing teachers with diverse social practice opportunities and offering structured EI training programs.

Background: Short video addiction has become increasingly prevalent among college students. It can negatively impact their physical and mental health, yet its influencing factors and underlying mechanisms require further exploration. Time focus and self-control are recognized as critical determinants in shaping addictive behaviors.

Objective: Grounded in the I-PACE theory, this study examines the relationship between emotional and cognitive responses (various temporal focuses and dual systems of self-control) and short video addiction, while also investigating the mediating roles of inhibitory and initiation control.

Methods: Methodologically, it integrates both variable-centered and person-centered approaches, utilizing the Time Focus Scale, Multidimensional Self-Control Scale, and Short Video Addiction Scale. A total of 2,239 university students participated in the survey.

Results: The results revealed the following: (1) Past and present time focus were positively correlated with short video addiction, while future time focus showed a negative correlation. Inhibitory self-control was positively associated with short video addiction, whereas initiatory self-control was negatively correlated. Variable-centered analysis demonstrated that past and present time focus positively predicted short video addiction, with inhibitory self-control mediating the relationship between these time orientations and addiction. Conversely, initiatory self-control played a mediating role between future time focus and addiction risk, with a negative predictive effect on the likelihood of short video addiction. (2) Person-centered analysis identified four categories of short video addiction: non-addicted (12.68%), low-risk addiction (34.21%), moderate-risk addiction (42.20%), and high-risk addiction (10.89%). (3) Logistic regression analysis indicated that students with excessive past and present time focus were more likely to fall into the high-risk addiction category, while those employing inhibitory self-control strategies were more likely to be categorized into low, moderate, or high-risk addiction groups. Students utilizing initiatory self-control were less likely to develop high-risk addiction. Female students were more likely than male students to fall into the low, moderate, or high addiction categories, and only children were more likely to belong to the moderate or high-risk addiction categories than non-only children.

Conclusion: This study emphasizes the pivotal role of time focus and dual-system self-control in the intervention and prevention of short video addiction,further highlighting the role of emotional and cognitive responses in the development of short-video addiction. The implications of the findings, as well as the limitations of the study, are also discussed.

Introduction: There is a developing evidence base for the benefits of natural environments for health and mental wellbeing. However, given the increasing urbanisation of our planet and subsequent disconnection from our natural world, there is a danger that we may ultimately suffer from a nature 'generational amnesia'. The facets and mechanisms underpinning these relationships are poorly understood and theoretical frameworks are needed to aid further research. There is a paucity of research into the lived experiences of people with good wellbeing and their nature experiences, which has the potential to elucidate key elements of the nature-wellbeing relationship.

Methods: The current study used a qualitative design to explore themes concerning the lived experiences with nature, of 12 people with self-reported good wellbeing. Semi-structured interviews were carried out and data were analysed using thematic analysis.

Results: Two overarching themes of human-nature relationship and self-regulation encapsulated the data. Within the first, there were two superordinate themes of developmental and nature interconnectedness. Self-regulation consisted of managing health and flourishing.

Discussion: A theoretical model is proposed to help better understand these relational themes in a generational context. The model is informed by Cognitive Analytic Therapy and attachment theory and generates testable hypotheses for future research.

Introduction: Physical Education plays a crucial role in adolescent health, but motivation remains a challenge as participation declines during this stage. Gamification, which integrates game elements into learning, has gained attention as a methodology to enhance it. However, its effectiveness in Physical Education requires further exploration.

Methods: This systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines. A search was conducted in Dialnet, PubMed, ERIC, Scopus, and Web of Science for studies published between 2015 and January 2025. Research focusing on gamification and motivation in secondary and high school Physical Education was selected based on predefined criteria. The methodological quality was assessed using the PEDro scale.

Results: A total of 19 studies met the inclusion criteria. The findings indicate that gamification enhances motivation in Physical Education, whether applied independently or combined with other methodologies. Additional benefits include improved autonomy, social skills, and classroom atmosphere. However, its impact on academic performance and motor skill development remains inconclusive. One study reported potential drawbacks when gamification neglects affective-motivational skills.

Discussion: Gamification appears to be an effective tool for increasing motivation in Physical Education. However, methodological inconsistencies limit the generalizability of results. Future research should include control groups, clearer methodologies, and long-term evaluations to assess its sustained impact.

The emergence of AI chatbot products has ushered in a new era of human-AI interaction, yet scholars and practitioners have expressed concerns about their use due to potential addictive and adverse effects. Currently, the understanding of problematic AI chatbot use (PACU) remains incomplete and inconclusive. Despite previous findings that indicate negative outcomes associated with the use of AI products, limited studies have explored the underlying factors that drive the complex process leading to the formation of PACU. Furthermore, while existing literature highlights how personal traits influences problematic IT use via evoked psychological states, it largely overlooks that the positive psychological experience may also have a potential influence on problematic outcomes. Incorporating flow experience into the compensatory internet use theory, this study presents a multiple mediation model to investigate how social anxiety, escapism, and AI chatbot flow influence the relationship between self-esteem and PACU. We examine the model using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with cross-sectional data collected from 563 online users who have engaged with AI chatbots. Our findings indicate that users with low self-esteem are more likely to conduct problematic behavior when using AI chatbots. This relationship can be mediated by social anxiety, escapism and AI chatbot flow. This study sheds light on how self-esteem negatively affects PACU, unraveling the underlying psychological processes experienced by users with low self-esteem in their interactions with AI chatbots. Also, we provide practical insights for online users and practitioners to mitigate the potential negative impacts of AI product usage.