Psychological Constructs Research Articles

Exploring the Link Between Mothers' Spiritual Well-Being and Positive Parenting in the Turkish Context: The Role of Mindful Parenting.

This cross-sectional study examined the role of mindful parenting in the association between spiritual well-being and positive parenting behaviors among mothers of typically developing children. The sample comprised 381 mothers of children aged 4-17years. We collected the data using the Three-Factor Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS-3), the Mindfulness in Parenting Questionnaire (MIPQ), and the Multidimensional Assessment of Parenting Scale (MAPS). We tailored our analysis through the subscales of the SWBS-3 (transcendence, harmony with nature, and anomie) to control the contamination effects of other psychological constructs (e.g., meaning and connectedness) on the measurement of spiritual well-being. The correlation analysis yielded significant results, indicating a relationship between the SWBS-3 subscales and mothers' mindful parenting skills (i.e., being in the moment with the child and mindful discipline) and positive parenting practices. Moreover, the mediating effect analysis revealed that mindful parenting skills assumed diverse roles in the relationship between transcendence, harmony with nature, and anomie and positive parenting practices. The findings were then addressed in the context of the existing literature.

Intellectual Humility in the Workplace

Intellectual humility (IH), defined as the extent to which one is aware of one’s own intellectual limitations, is an understudied construct in organizational research. As a moral virtue, IH has been studied in philosophy and religion for decades. As a psychological and behavioral tendency construct, IH has gained significant attention among psychology researchers over the past decade due to rising extremism regarding social and political issues in the US and around the world. One reason for the increased research interest in IH includes the potential benefits from IH in terms of reducing social and political polarization and reducing stress and anxiety, which may improve individual overall well-being. This article provides an overview of IH as a multi-dimensional construct, its psychometric properties and nomological network, and its potential benefits in organizations and employee well-being. The article concludes with a call for more interdisciplinary research on improving our knowledge and theories of IH as well as its construct measurement considering the recent coming-of-age adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) models to harness the power of IH in sustaining individual well-being.

Beyond a buzzword: the agile mindset as a new research construct in organizational psychology

PurposePrevious research on agility has focused on investigating agile practices as external structures (e.g. Scrum, Kanban) that make people do agile. A new line of research is increasingly examining internal structures (e.g. mindsets, attitudes) that cause people to be agile. The purpose of this study is to critically evaluate the agile mindset as a new construct in psychological research.Design/methodology/approachThis two-wave study (N = 411) examined the agile mindset’s factorial, discriminant, and incremental validity. The authors tested whether the agile mindset adds predictive value for occupational behavior (performance and innovative work behavior) and well-being at work (vigor and emotional exhaustion), above well-established internal dispositions, namely core self-evaluation, proactive personality, and prevention vs promotion focus.FindingsThe results indicate that the agile mindset positively predicts performance and innovative work behavior beyond core self-evaluation, proactive personality, and prevention vs promotion focus. Concerning well-being, only positive effects for vigor were found in comparison with prevention vs promotion focus.Practical implicationsThe findings are useful for organizations looking to improve their agility to increase competitiveness in complex environments.Originality/valueThis study underscores the importance of further exploration into the agile mindset, emphasizing its significance in organizational psychology.

FOMO driving brand nostalgia and brand personality for building trust in a food enthusiast: a serial multiple mediation model

Purpose During the pandemic, restaurants closed due to restrictions and economic instabilities. This research paper aims to investigate the motivational effect of nostalgia induced by fear of missing out (FOMO) upon the e-WOM about the dining place. Did FOMO evoke nostalgic memories and emotional symptoms with the dining place? It further inspected if the diners trust the restaurant for these nostalgic memories and their emotional connect. Design/methodology/approach A survey-based questionnaire was applied to collect data. A two-step method for analyzing the measurement and structural model was applied by using the principles of SEM to analyze the associations among key constructs in the proposed model. Findings Psychological constructs like nostalgia and personality drove the diners’ behavior of trust and e-WOM. The findings also confirmed the mediation effect of brand nostalgia, brand personality and brand trust between FOMO and e-WOM. Further, the model has elucidated the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) and usage gratification theories. Originality/value This paper has contributed to the branding literature by examining how brand constructs have mediated the path between FOMO and e-WOM. Multiple serial mediation effect among the key variables has been a novel contribution of this study. The ELM and the usage gratification theory have been integrated to extend the theoretical underpinnings in the hospitality sector.

Investigating dynamics in attentive and inattentive responding together with their contextual correlates using a novel mixture IRT model for intensive longitudinal data.

In ecological momentary assessment (EMA), respondents answer brief questionnaires about their current behaviours or experiences several times per day across multiple days. The frequent measurement enables a thorough grasp of the dynamics inherent in psychological constructs, but it also increases respondent burden. To lower this burden, respondents may engage in careless and insufficient effort responding (C/IER), leaving data contaminated with responses that do not reflect what researchers want to measure. We introduce a novel approach to investigating C/IER in EMA data. Our approach combines a confirmatory mixture item response theory model separating C/IER from attentive behaviour with latent Markov factor analysis. This enables gauging the occurrence of C/IER and studying transitions among states of different response behaviours including their contextual correlates. The approach can be implemented using R packages. An empirical application showcases the approach's efficacy in pinpointing C/IER instances and gaining insights into their underlying causes. We showcase that the approach identifies various C/IER response patterns but requires heterogeneous and negatively worded items to detect straightlining. In a simulation investigating robustness against unaccounted for changes in measurement models underlying attentive responses, the approach proved robust against heterogeneity in loading patterns but not against heterogeneity in factor structures. Extensions to accommodate the latter are discussed.

Dry needling in people with fibromyalgia: A randomized controlled trial of its effects on pain sensitivity and pain catastrophizing influence.

Dry needling (DN) has been demonstrated as an effective treatment for patients with fibromyalgia (FM). It is crucial to take into consideration catastrophizing, a psychological construct that could potentially undermine the short-term efficacy of DN. To analyze the effects of DN in the infraspinatus muscle on both local and remote pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) and its relationship with baseline levels of pain catastrophizing in patients with FM. Randomized controlled trial. All participants were randomly assigned to one of three interventions: DN, sham DN, and no intervention. Hong's fast-in and fast-out technique was implemented during the DN intervention. The primary study outcome pain sensitivity (local and remote PPTs) was assessed at baseline, immediately post, and 24 h post intervention to evaluate short-term effect. Pain catastrophizing was measured at baseline in all participants using the Pain Catastrophizing Scale. To analyze the effect of DN on local and remote PPTs, an analysis of covariance was performed using catastrophism as covariate. Additionally, to examine the possible influence of catastrophism on local PPTs ratings in the subsequent assessment we performed a moderation analysis. A total of 120 women diagnosed with FM. However, during the follow-up period, 24 participants discontinued their involvement, leaving a final cohort of 96 patients who successfully concluded the study. DN showed significant differences in both local PPTs immediately post intervention and 24 h post intervention (MD [95% confidence interval] = 3.21 [0.40-6.02] kg/cm2, p = .019; and 2.84 [0.10-5.58] kg/cm2, p = .039, respectively) compared to sham and no-intervention groups. In addition, DN group results suggest that moderate values of catastrophizing (<35) diminish the effect of DN immediately postintervention. The infraspinatus DN led to a notable reduction in local PPTs among individuals with FM. Additionally, the effectiveness of the DN treatment was influenced by pain catastrophizing.

Cross-cultural Validation of Achievement Motivation and General Mattering Measures in Latinx Culture

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric evidence for Achievement Motivation and General Mattering scores among Latinx college students in Mexico and the United States based on degree of measurement invariance. Validating instruments in cross-cultural contexts is essential to ensure that psychological constructs are measured reliably across populations with distinct cultural experiences, such as family dynamics, schooling, mental health, and acculturation. A total of 505 participants, with 263 from Mexico and 242 from the United States, participated in the study (U.S. sample: 71.9% female, ages 18–57, M = 23.65; Mexican sample: 55.9% female, ages 15–56, M = 26.69). The results indicated that the Spanish version of the Achievement Motivation scale had partial strict invariance, and the General Mattering scale had metric invariance when used with these two groups of Spanish-speaking Latinx college students. This study highlighted the need of using accurate, trustworthy, and culturally sensitive measures to comprehend the psychological experiences of Latinx college students.

The Relationship Between Self-Compassion and Resilience in the General Population: Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Resilience can protect individuals from the negative impact of adversity, facilitating a swift recovery. The exploration of protective factors contributing to resilience has been a central focus of research. Self-compassion, a positive psychological construct that involves treating oneself with kindness, holds the potential to bolster resilience. Although several studies have indicated an association between self-compassion and resilience, there is a lack of systematic reviews and meta-analyses examining this relationship and the potential moderators and mechanisms. This study aimed to systematically review the literature on the relationship between self-compassion and resilience in the general population, perform a meta-analysis to quantify the effect size of their association, and explore potential moderators (eg, age, gender, culture, and health status) and mediators. We will search the Web of Science, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Scopus, CINAHL, and CNKI databases for peer-reviewed studies (including observational and experimental studies) that examined the relationship between self-compassion and resilience, with no language restrictions. There are no restrictions regarding participants' age, gender, culture, or health status. Qualitative studies, conference abstracts, review articles, case reports, and editorials will be excluded. Two reviewers (XL and JH) will independently screen the literature, extract data, and assess the quality of the eligible studies. If possible, the pooled effect size between self-compassion and resilience will be meta-analyzed using a random-effect model. Meta-regression and subgroup analysis will be conducted to examine the moderating roles of age, gender, culture, health status, and other potential moderators. The characteristics and main findings of eligible studies will be summarized in tables and narrative descriptions. Results from the meta-analysis, meta-regression, and subgroup analysis will be presented quantitatively. We registered our protocol with PROSPERO, conducted the search, and initiated the screening in April 2024. We expect to start data analysis in October 2024 and finalize the review by March 2025. The systematic review and meta-analysis will provide evidence on the protective role of self-compassion in resilience under adversity. Our investigation into potential moderators will highlight the contexts and groups where the benefits of self-compassion can be maximized. The findings are expected to provide valuable insights for health care professionals and stakeholders, informing the development of interventions aimed at enhancing resilience by fostering self-compassion. PROSPERO CRD42024534390; https://tinyurl.com/3j3rmcja. PRR1-10.2196/60154.

Resilience and Student Integration in Higher Education

Entering the academic environment requires students to adapt to certain changes and accept challenges related to a new learning environment. Young people bring with them significant concerns and expectations regarding the organisational climate, the specific nature of activities, learning strategies, as well as social relationships. Many of these changes encountered by students often become overwhelming, exerting a varied psychological impact. This study is part of a more extensive programme aimed at maximising adaptive strategies and optimally integrating students into higher education, while enhancing resilience across all age groups. This investigative approach provides valuable quantitative data to design and implement support programmes, counselling, mentoring, and coaching. The study aims to highlight that, in the process of integration, each student’s ability to demonstrate resilience is crucial; this resilience implies certain complex adaptive systems that are, at the same time, in constant evolution, underscoring the dynamic process of adaptability. Thus, the university must offer both individual and group counselling packages tailored to the student’s specific needs. Understanding the factors that lead to successful academic adaptation is therefore essential in establishing intervention models and strategies to provide counselling and support to all students, with particular focus on those at educational risk. Accordingly, students' resilience and capacity for integration constitute a multi-faceted process, determined and closely linked to a network of interactions between psychological and interpersonal constructs.

Advertisement avoidance and algorithmic media: The role of social media fatigue, algorithmic literacy and privacy concerns

This paper investigates the intricate dynamics of advertising avoidance within social media platforms, emphasising the roles of social media fatigue, privacy concerns and algorithmic media content awareness. With the pervasive influence of algorithms in curating user experiences, this research explores how these technological underpinnings, alongside users’ privacy apprehensions and the exhaustion from continuous media consumption, contribute to the growing tendency to bypass advertisements. Through a comprehensive review of literature and empirical analysis, the paper delineates the nuanced interplay between personalisation technologies and user engagement, offering insights into the psychological constructs that drive advertising avoidance behaviours. The findings underscore the need for a balanced approach in digital advertising, advocating for strategies that respect user privacy, mitigate social media fatigue and foster transparency in algorithmic content curation. This study not only broadens the academic discourse on digital advertising resistance but also provides practical implications for marketers aiming to navigate the complex landscape of consumer engagement in algorithm-driven media environments. The paper also addresses the challenge of balancing commercial interests with user satisfaction, encouraging innovative solutions for enhancing user engagement without compromising privacy or contributing to media fatigue. Through its comprehensive approach, the research provides valuable insights for academics and practitioners alike, suggesting future directions for developing more sustainable models of digital advertising that align with evolving user expectations and technological advancements.

The lived experience of menopause and journeying to the other side.

This qualitative research was conducted through the lens of a reflective thematic analysis to explore the experiences of women during menopause. Historically menopause has been viewed through a medical lens, and a process women generally pass through with age. The lifespan of women living later in life after menopause is increasing significantly; and women’s healthcare is receiving more attention, globally. The menopause experience in this research draws upon the narratives from interviews with five women. Key findings from the analysis were themes highlighting the profound impact menopause has on biological, psychological, and social well-being. Three themes emerged from a reflective thematic analysis of the collected data: World turning upside down; Passing through menopause; Who am I now? Data resulting found the menopause experience is situated within a complex intersection of biology and psychosocial phenomena. Prolonged ageing has opened a gap in research informing how to improve the quality of women’s healthcare and well-being during this significant time in life. This study highlights that further research is needed to explore menopause as phenomena intersecting the disciplines of biology, psychology, and social constructs.

Automatic Text Classification With Large Language Models: A Review of openai for Zero- and Few-Shot Classification

While natural language documents, such as intervention transcripts and participant writing samples, can provide highly nuanced insights into educational and psychological constructs, researchers often find these materials difficult and expensive to analyze. Recent developments in machine learning, however, have allowed social scientists to harness the power of artificial intelligence for complex data categorization tasks. One approach, supervised learning, supports high-performance categorization yet still requires a large, hand-labeled training corpus, which can be costly. An alternative approach—zero- and few-shot classification with pretrained large language models—offers a cheaper, compelling alternative. This article considers the application of zero-shot and few-shot classification in educational research. We provide an overview of large language models, a step-by-step tutorial on using the Python openai package for zero-shot and few-shot classification, and a discussion of relevant research considerations for social scientists.

From active escapism to virtual withdrawal: Validation of the Compensatory-Dissociative Online Gaming scales (C-DOGs).

In the Compensatory-Dissociative Online Gaming (C-DOG; Giardina etal., 2024) model, we proposed a continuum from compensatory to dissociative gaming involvement. This continuum represents different degrees of integration between physical and virtual environments with three core processes - Active Escapism, Escape, and Dissociation - and two peripheral processes - Gaming-Related Relaxation and Body-Mind Detachment. Here, we developed and tested a multidimensional measure based on this model. We capitalized on existing items for measuring escapism and dissociation and we generated new items consistent with the hypothesized model dimensions. A total of 54 items were administered to 1,176 online gamers playing different game genres, together with measures of problematic gaming, passion for gaming, and other psychological distress indicators. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses yielded a six-factor, 36-item structure, with multiple hierarchical regression analyses highlighting unique associations with other psychological constructs assessed. The following factors were identified: (1) Emotional Displacement - redirection of negative emotion into the game with associated relaxation; (2) Absorption - detachment of the player from time and space while gaming; (3) Active Escapism - simulative use of the game to compensate for lack of self-confidence in reaching physical life objectives; (4) Virtual Withdrawal - maladaptive gaming to balance impaired social functioning, predicted by traumatic experiences and pervasive depression; (5) Dissociative Regulation - dysfunctional level of engagement associated with excessive anxiety; (6) Failure Escape - problematic avoidance via gaming related to fear of future failures. The C-DOG factors identify critical psychological processes associated with problematic gaming, with relevant research and clinical implications.

Relationship Between Hope And Metacognition

This study aims to explore the relationship between hope and metacognition among young adults, contributing to the understanding of how positive psychological constructs influence cognitive processes. Hope, defined as a motivational state involving agency and pathways thinking, has been linked to better cognitive strategies and self-regulation, both of which are central to metacognition.A total of 100 participants (50 males, 50 females) aged 18-25 were selected through convenience sampling. Data was collected using the Metacognition Self-Assessment Scale (MSAS) and the Adult Hope Scale (AHS). The MSAS assessed participants’ metacognitive abilities, including self-awareness, regulation, and control over cognitive processes, while the AHS measured pathways and agency thinking. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between the two constructs.The analysis revealed a positive correlation between hope and metacognition, suggesting that individuals with higher levels of hope tend to exhibit stronger metacognitive abilities. This relationship supports the hypothesis that hope acts as both a motivational driver and cognitive enabler for metacognitive engagement.The findings highlight that hope may enhance metacognitive skills such as reflective thinking, self-monitoring, and goal setting, particularly in educational contexts. The study underscores the potential of fostering hope to improve metacognitive abilities in young adults.

Psychological vs. Physical Vraisemblance in Caravaggios Artwork - An Examination of The Crucifixion of Saint Peter

Abstract: This paper critically analyzes Caravaggio's The Crucifixion of Saint Peter through the lens of Gestalt psychology, highlighting the intricate relationship between perceived and physical realities in Renaissance art. Drawing on historical perspectives of design psychology from Aristotle and Plato to contemporary Gestalt principles, the study investigates how Caravaggio employs techniques such as scale distortion, chiaroscuro, and guiding forms to enhance emotional engagement and aesthetic experience. It reveals that the meaning of the artwork emerges from the dynamic interplay of its elements, shaped by both the artist's intent and the viewer's experiences. While the analysis is limited to a single artwork, it provides insights for future artists, suggesting that psychological constructs can effectively inform artistic problem-solving. The paper advocates for further research to compare Caravaggio's techniques with those of his contemporaries, enriching our understanding of perception manipulation in art.

The Spiritual Psychological Robustness Scale (SPRS): A New Measure for Assessing Spiritual and Psychological Strength in the Context of Turkish Culture.

This study introduces the spiritual psychological resilience scale (SPRS), a newly developed instrument designed to assess the integration of spiritual beliefs with psychological resilience in the Turkish context. The scale assesses the manner in which individuals draw upon spiritual resources to cope with adversity and maintain psychological well-being. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses identified a three-factor structure. Spiritual coping, spiritual beliefs and spiritual commitment collectively account for 55.01% of the variance. The scale exhibited robust internal consistency across all subscales, with Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranging from 0.785 to 0.854, thereby substantiating its reliability. Furthermore, the scale exhibited a notable negative correlation with spiritual contradiction, thereby substantiating its criterion validity. The SPRS provides a comprehensive instrument for evaluating spiritual and psychological resilience and is applicable to diverse populations. Future research should investigate its utility across different demographic and cultural groups, as well as its relevance to other psychological constructs such as depression and anxiety. This scale has the potential for use in counselling, educational and clinical settings, particularly for populations dealing with trauma and adversity.

A Comparative Investigation of Indirect Measures of Sexual Attraction

Indirect measures of sexual attraction may be useful research tools, in addition to direct measures. In a large online sample (N = 50,535), we compared the validity and reliability of several indirect measures, including novel measures that we developed. Our main focus was single-gender indirect measures that assess sexual attraction to men and to women separately, as recommended by contemporary sexuality theories. The gender-comparative Men/Women Implicit Association Test (IAT) had the best psychometric qualities. The best single-gender measure was a novel measure: a sexual attraction Questionnaire-based IAT. For most indirect measures, we found suggestive evidence that they capture unintentional processes that reflect sexual attraction. There was also evidence that factors other than sexual attraction might also influence the indirect measures, potentially harming the validity of the measures. Our research contributes comparative knowledge that could guide further research on sexual attraction and on the use of indirect measures of psychological constructs.

An intervention study on the influence of altruistic teaching on L2 learners’ English research article abstract writing

Abstract A large mass of research has reported the significance and power of positive psychology (PP) constructs in second/foreign language (L2) education. As an offshoot of PP, altruistic teaching, which highlights teaching without self-focus, has recently initiated its way into L2 research territory. However, the way altruistic teaching influences L2 students’ academic literacy skills, such as abstract writing, has been left uncharted to date. To bridge this gap, the present study used an experimental design to investigate the contribution of altruistic teaching to 163 university students’ English abstract writing required in research article (RA)s. The results of t-test and ANOVA indicated a statistically significant difference between the learners’ RA abstract writing in the control and experimental groups in both the short and long run in light of altruistic teaching. The study discusses the results and presents the implications of altruistic teaching for L2 research and practice.

The role of mindfulness in treating gaming addiction in high school students: A case study in Vietnam

The objective of this study is to understand how mindfulness heals gaming addiction among high schoolers in Vietnam by sampling 200 individuals. The analyses thus performed are robust enough to reveal that multiples of psychological constructs related to mindfulness can influence the reduction of self-control, alleviation, related stress, and further emotional control, social and emotional skills, enhancement of focus and attention, motivation for a healthier diet, and reduction of dopamine dependence. The present results also show that this holds the functioning of mindfulness as a significant mediator in healing from gaming addiction, with additional correlations found among constructs. In this study, the increased break was found to contribute more to self-control, emotional regulation, and attention enhancement. This analysis shows that the model is valid and reliable, such that mindfulness interventions tend to mainstreamably nudge adolescents toward engaging in better behaviors. This study points out the necessity of incorporating mindfulness training in the treatment of gaming addiction and promises insights relevant to educators, policymakers, and mental health professionals that will be beneficial in aiding youth in their digital-age challenges with gaming.

Glycosylated Haemoglobin and Quality of Life: A Moderated-Mediation Model for Emotional Intelligence and Affect

Previous research has shown that higher glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels are related to poorer quality of life. The objective was to analyse the moderating role of emotional intelligence (EI) in the relationship between HbA1c levels and quality of life through both positive (PA) and negative affect (NA) in individuals with Type 1 diabetes (T1D). A total of 72 participants with T1D (mean age = 41.10, SD = 10.73) were assessed on HbA1c. Psychological constructs were measured through the following questionnaires: MSCEIT (EI), PANAS (affect), and EsDQOL (quality of life). Higher levels of HbA1c and NA were related to a worse quality of life. In contrast, higher PA was related to a better quality of life. In addition, higher EI was associated with lower NA and worries about diabetes. In individuals with low EI scores, EI had a positive moderating effect on the relationship between HbA1c and NA. The moderated mediation analysis revealed a significant positive indirect effect of HbA1c on quality of life through NA moderated by EI for these individuals with low EI scores. This study shows how higher HbA1c levels have a negative impact on the quality of life of individuals with T1D and low EI levels by increasing their NA.