BMC Psychology最新文献

Background: There has been considerable research interest in the personality characteristics and mental health of individuals showing excessive levels of celebrity admiration. However, the conceptualization and measurement of potentially problematic levels of engagement with celebrities remain unclear. This study introduces and operationalizes the concept of problematic celebrity fanship within the theoretical framework of behavioral addictions. The main aim is to develop a measurement instrument to assess problematic celebrity fanship.

Methods: Participants were 755 individuals with a favorite celebrity (51.4% men, M_age = 36.4 years, SD = 13.4), derived from a representative sample of Hungarian adults (N = 2,028).

Results: The 8-item unidimensional Problematic Celebrity Fanship Scale (PCFS) demonstrated sound psychometric properties across factor structure, measurement invariance, reliability, and validity. Based on latent profile analysis, a cutoff score of 26 was suggested. Prevalence rate for problematic celebrity fanship was 1.4% (adults aged 18-64 years); however, young adults (aged 18-34 years) showed a higher, 2.3% prevalence. Problematic celebrity fanship severity was moderately associated with psychological distress, lower self-concept clarity, problematic Internet use, and celebrity worship.

Conclusions: The PCFS can assist in the recognition and assessment of problematic celebrity fanship in research and practice by identifying individuals experiencing mental health difficulties in relation to their excessive engagement with a celebrity.

Background: Myths about gifted education persist widely among educators, families, and society, often leading to misconceptions that hinder the accurate identification and appropriate support of gifted individuals. Such myths may negatively affect educational policies and psychological well-being of gifted students. Despite the critical role these beliefs play, there is a scarcity of culturally valid instruments currently exists in Türkiye to systematically assess prevalent myths about giftedness. Addressing this gap, the present study aimed to develop and psychometrically validate a scale for measuring myths related to giftedness within the Turkish cultural context. This contributes not only to educational psychology but also to cross-cultural research on cognitive biases and social perceptions.

Methods: The study was conducted in two phases. In Study 1, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed on data collected from 350 participants to explore the underlying factor structure of the scale. Study 2 involved confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with 249 participants to verify the factor model identified in Study 1. The scale's internal consistency and reliability were examined using Cronbach's α, ordinal α, McDonald's ω coefficients, and corrected item-total correlations. Ethical approval was obtained and informed consent was secured from all participants.

Results: EFA results supported a unidimensional factor structure comprising 25 items, accounting for a significant proportion of variance. CFA confirmed this structure with acceptable model fit indices (χ²/df = 2.622, CFI = 0.946, TLI = 0.941, GFI = 0.982, AGFI = 0.973, RMSEA = 0.081, 95% CI [0.074, 0.088], SRMR = 0.095). The scale demonstrated strong reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.884; ordinal α = 0.920; McDonald's ω coefficients ranging from 0.885 to 0.894). Item-total correlations ranged between 0.31 and 0.64, indicating good item discrimination.

Conclusions: The Myths About Giftedness Scale is a psychometrically promising tool that can effectively identify prevalent misconceptions about giftedness among families, educators, and stakeholders. After examining the psychometric properties of the scale on a more homogeneous and random sample, its application can inform educational practices and policies, promote accurate identification of gifted individuals, and support psychological well-being. Moreover, the scale's cultural adaptation enables meaningful cross-cultural comparisons and advances research on social cognition related to giftedness.

Large-scale traumatic events such as earthquakes have profound and long-lasting impacts on individuals' psychological well-being. However, the protective mechanisms that may foster adjustment and support life satisfaction in the aftermath of such disasters remain insufficiently explored. This longitudinal study examined the mediating role of psychological adjustment in the relationship between mindfulness and life satisfaction among young adult earthquake survivors. Data were collected through two web-based surveys conducted approximately six months apart. The final sample consisted of 277 Turkish young adults (58.5% female; M = 21.52, SD = 2.29). Using a cross-lagged panel model for a half-longitudinal design, the findings revealed that mindfulness at Time 1 significantly predicted higher psychological adjustment at Time 2, which in turn contributed to greater life satisfaction. Moreover, psychological adjustment mediated the longitudinal association between mindfulness and life satisfaction. In this context, the findings suggest that mindfulness-based interventions and structured psychological counseling can effectively support life satisfaction and post-trauma adjustment, offering practical guidance for post-disaster mental health practices.