Frontiers in Psychology最新文献

Background: Information about the self and others is organized in cognitive-affective structures that influence and guide interpersonal behavior. These structures are referred to as relational schemas and are thought to be influenced by early interpersonal experiences with significant others leading to secure or insecure attachment patterns as adults. When insecure, these patterns appear to contribute to paranoid interpretations about the intentions of others by indirect pathways such as negative self-esteem and a bias toward untrustworthiness. Experimental studies employing classical conditioning (CC) interventions have been successful in manipulating these schemas, finding significant effects on various psychological outcomes such as attachment styles, implicit self-esteem, and paranoid beliefs. However, no study to date has explored these effects on trustworthiness judgments.

Objective: This study aims to replicate the findings from previous experiments and also testing the effect of manipulating relational schemas on trustworthiness evaluations.

Methods: A convenience online sample of 266 participants completed a series of tasks and questionnaires measuring attachment styles, explicit and implicit self-esteem, paranoia, and trustworthiness evaluations before and after a brief CC intervention, which involved being randomly allocated to three conditions. In each of these conditions, information about the self was always paired with either positive face stimuli (proximity-seeking condition), negative face stimuli (self-threat condition), or neutral face stimuli (control condition).

Results: This study failed to replicate findings as previously reported in published experiments (i.e., self-esteem, paranoia), only finding a significant effect on attachment styles on the proximity-seeking CC condition. Moreover, no effect was found regarding trustworthiness judgments.

Discussion: Limitations such as the online nature of the study and methodological aspects are discussed.

Introduction: This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Existential Fulfillment Scale (EFS) in a Chinese university student sample, emphasizing the cultural fit of the scale.

Methods: A cohort of 1,600 undergraduate students from six universities in Fujian Province completed questionnaires including the EFS, Meaning of Life Questionnaire (MLQ), Index of Well-Being (IWB), and Self-Depression Scale (SDS). We conducted item analysis, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and assessments of criterion-related validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability.

Results: The Chinese EFS consists of two dimensions-self-acceptance and self-breakthrough-across 14 items, reflecting cultural distinctions from the original model by combining the dimensions of self-actualization and self-transcendence. This revised structure aligns with Chinese cultural perspectives on individual growth, where self-actualization often integrates aspects of self-transcendence. The scale showed positive associations with the MLQ and IWB and a negative association with the SDS, supporting the scale's criterion-related validity. Internal consistency ranged from 0.87 to 0.97, and test-retest reliability ranged from 0.75 to 0.83.

Discussion: These findings indicate that the Chinese EFS is a reliable tool for assessing existential fulfillment among Chinese university students.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the mechanism and gender effect of socioeconomic status on the relationship between marital quality and depression among the older adults, with the intention of providing a practical foundation for enhancing the quality of life of the older adults.

Methods: The data sourced from the third (conducted in 2015, denoted as the first survey) and fourth (carried out in 2018, regarded as the second survey) installments of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS) were meticulously analyzed through the utilization of cross-lagged analytical techniques and moderating effect examination methodologies.

Results: Among the older adults, there exists a reciprocal causal relationship between marital quality and the level of depression. Specifically, the marital quality as measured in the first survey was found to significantly prognosticate the depression level in the second survey (β = 0.05, p < 0.05). Conversely, the depression level in the first survey was also demonstrated to significantly forecast the marital quality in the second survey (β = 0.15, p < 0.01). Regarding the moderating role of socioeconomic status, it was observed that among the older adult women, socioeconomic status exerted a moderating influence on the impact of depression on marital quality (β = 0.05, p < 0.05), whereas among the older adult men, their socioeconomic status failed to display a significant moderating effect (β = 0.02, p > 0.05). In a contrasting manner, for the older adult men, the socioeconomic status played a moderating role in the effect of marital quality on depression (β = -0.05, p < 0.01), while for the older adult women, it did not exhibit a moderating effect (β = -0.01, p > 0.05).

Conclusion: There exists a reciprocal causal nexus between the marital quality and depression among the older adults. To enhance the life quality of the older adults, it behooves communities and families to proactively focus more on the older adults with subpar marital quality or afflicted by depression, and to disrupt the cyclic interplay between these two variables.

Background: Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) is a new behavioral addiction. A large number of empirical studies have shown that Internet Gaming Disorder has a high level of comorbidity with other diseases, including depression, anxiety, obesity, internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems, however, little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relation. The current study adopted a three-time longitudinal study investing the mediating effect of relative deprivation on the association between peer rejection and IGD, and whether this mediating effect was moderated by the grit.

Methods: A total of 1,065 students in China anonymously completed three-time longitudinal study questionnaires. The average age was 10.19 years (SD = 0.75) and the interval between measurements was 6 months.PROCESS for SPSS proposed by Hayes was used to test a moderated mediation model, with gender, age as covariates.

Results: T1 peer rejection positively predicted T3 Internet Gaming Disorder. Relative deprivation at T2 plays a complete mediating role between peer rejection at T1 and Internet gaming disorder at T3. At the same time, it was found that the personality trait of T3 grit plays a moderating role in the relationship between T2 relative deprivation and T3 Internet gaming disorder. This suggests that peer rejection is an important predictor of Internet Gaming Disorder, and that individuals with high levels of grit are less likely to become addicted to Internet games even if they experience relative deprivation.

Limitations: Measures of study variables were self-reported. Affected by factors such as social desirability, the research results may be biased.

Conclusion: These findings emphasize relative deprivation as a potential mechanism linking peer rejection IGD. Grit was an important protective factor to weaken this indirect effect. Intervention programs aimed at reducing IGD may benefit from the current research.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of combining basketball training with a traditional sensory integration therapy (SIT) vs. a SIT alone in enhancing sensory integration capability among Chinese children diagnosed with mild challenges in sensory integration and sensory processing (CSISP).

Methods: This study comprised a Control group and an Experimental group, both undergoing a 10-week intervention (4 sessions/week, 45 min/session). The Control group exclusively participated in traditional SIT for all sessions. In contrast, the Experimental group engaged in traditional SIT for two sessions per week and Basketball training for the remaining two sessions weekly. Three sensory integration measures (vestibular sensation, tactile perception, proprioception) and five gross motor performance measures (balance beam walking speed, single-leg standing with eyes closed, tennis ball throw, two-legged jump speed, 10-m shuttle run) were assessed before and after the 10-week training period. Separate 2 (Group) × 2 (Test Phases) Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures on the second factor were conducted for each measure. Interaction effects were further explored using Tukey's HSD test to clarify their nature.

Results: Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in all sensory integration and gross motor performance measures following the 10-week training sessions (p < 0.001). Importantly, the group receiving the combination of basketball training and traditional SIT significantly outperformed the group undergoing SIT alone in all assessed areas.

Conclusion: These results indicate that combining basketball training with traditional SIT enhances sensory integration capabilities more effectively among Chinese children aged 4-6 years with moderate CSISP compared to utilizing SIT alone.

Introduction: The full-scale Russian war has caused Ukrainian female refugees to experience many stressful events which may have an adverse impact on their mental health. Understanding the prevalence and determinants associated with anxiety is essential for psychosocial support. The study aimed: to evaluate the psychometric validity of the Ukrainian version of the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) among Ukrainian female refugees in the Czech Republic, to determine the prevalence of anxiety, and to identify key determinants for anxiety in this population.

Methods: Anxiety was measured by BAI, which was validated by applying confirmatory factor analysis. Linear regressions were run to understand associations between social, physical and mental health determinants and anxiety, adjusted by socio-demographics.

Results: The BAI had a high level of internal consistency. External consistency was confirmed through: structural validity via CFA, indicating that a four-factor model, including cognitive, autonomic, neuromotor, and panic factors, were the most appropriate for the Ukrainian version of BAI; and convergent validity, shown by significant correlations between the total scores of the BAI and coping strategies, perceived stress, depression as well as self-reported physical and mental health. The study revealed that more than half of the participants had moderate to concerning symptoms of anxiety. The analysis indicated that poor perceived health, ineffective coping strategies, high perceived stress, and hampered daily activities due to health issues, are significant predictors of increased anxiety. Conversely, positive or stable social relations with relatives, neighbors, and locals, and the absence of discrimination, were shown to be crucial in reducing anxiety levels.

This research examines the factor structure and psychometric properties of two well-known Dark Triad personality trait questionnaires: the Short Dark Triad (SD3) and the Dirty Dozen (DD). By analyzing data from 11 (SD3) and 5 (DD) carefully selected studies in the United States and Canada, this meta-analysis uncovers unexpected correlations among questionnaire items, challenging existing assumptions. The study employs a two-stage structural equation modeling approach to evaluate various measurement models. Conventional models, such as the correlated factor and orthogonal bifactor models, fail to explain the irregular correlations. For Dirty Dozen items, a bifactor-(S·I-1) model is more suitable than the orthogonal bifactor model, significantly affecting interpretation. On the other hand, the complex structure of the SD3 necessitates item revision to enhance reliability, discriminant validity, and predictive validity. These findings emphasize the need for refining and clarifying concepts in item revision. Furthermore, the research highlights the overlap between Machiavellianism and psychopathy, particularly in relation to revenge-related items, suggesting the need for differentiation between these traits or the identification of distinct core characteristics.

In recent, the topic of student engagement has received a great deal of academic attention. However, there are numerous definitions of student engagement. Will this lead to inaccuracies and ambiguities in future definitions of student engagement? Therefore, it is important to have a common understanding of student engagement. In this paper, I present three definitions of student engagement that have the potential to be widely accepted. Additionally, in order to study student engagement in more depth, it is crucial to focus factors that influence student engagement. In this paper, 30 articles from three databases, Google Scholar, Taylor & Francis Online, and SAGE, were screened for data analysis based on the inclusion criteria. Three influences were extracted from the included articles, namely student self-control, teacher empathy, and learning environment, which were analyzed as possible indirect influences. An interesting finding is that the learning environment may act as a direct influence. Meanwhile, in order to improve student engagement, this paper draws on Schneider and Ingram's categorization of policy tools, e.g., authority, incentive, and capacity tools, then formulates a causal model of the influences on student engagement, as well as provides a number of interventions, and finally offers some insights.

Background: Recent research in the field of "Arts and Health" has demonstrated the beneficial impact of arts-based interventions on health and well-being across diverse populations. Recognizing their potential, especially in cases where conventional healthcare cannot address the multifaceted impact of conditions such as in Parkinson's disease (PD), our study advocates for an integrative approach in medical practice and neuroscience. We recommend incorporating learning environments from the design phase through long-term care. The arts offer a unique opportunity to create such environments. In this study, we specifically focus on individuals with PD, co-designing an intervention as a creative engagement learning environment and a PD-specific creative arts therapy. In this study, the narratives of those affected contribute as scientific knowledge, shaping care and increasing the intervention's relevance to participants' lives.

Methods: We used a participatory design-based research approach. Fourteen individuals with PD, along with three creative therapists and three researchers, collaborated through iterative design cycles to co-develop a creative arts therapy intervention. Qualitative data were collected through interviews, group reflections, and ethnographic observations. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Results: The co-creation process resulted in a 10-week creative engagement intervention delivered in a "creative playground" setting. Participants chose from multiple media and autonomously decided their creative activities. Guidance from the creative therapists was provided as needed to support individual engagement and guide reflection and learning processes. Narratives offered insights into the relevance of autonomy in care, the role of the arts, and the individuality of disease experience, resulting in seven key features of our intervention framework, which include (i) intervention structure (e.g., duration of the intervention and sessions), (ii) freedom in selection of creative media, (iii) environment as a creative playground, (iv) skills of creative therapists, (v) PD-specific considerations, (vi) financial considerations and logistics, and we list (vii) responsibilities of the Design Team.

Discussion: This study establishes an initial framework for a PD-specific creative arts therapy intervention designed as a creative engagement learning environment. Future research will focus on rigorously evaluating its effectiveness and exploring its scalability in diverse settings.