Sustaining salespersons’ work engagement has become a critical concern amid intensifying professional demands and increasing turnover within the German pharmaceutical B2B sector. Guided by the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this study examines how four distinct abilities of emotional intelligence—self-emotion appraisal, others’ emotion appraisal, emotion utilization, and emotion regulation—affect salespersons’ work engagement. Employing a quantitative design, data were collected from 340 pharmaceutical sales representatives in North Rhine-Westphalia and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results reveal that all four emotional intelligence abilities exert significant positive effects on work engagement, confirming the hypothesized relationships. Among these, the utilization and regulation of emotion emerged as the most influential predictors, underscoring their pivotal role in sustaining engagement within emotionally demanding sales environments. Overall, the four abilities of EI explained 68% of the variance in work engagement, affirming its value as a psychological resource that enhances motivational energy and mitigates emotional strain. This study enriches the sales management literature by demonstrating the strategic importance of developing emotional competencies to foster work engagement of salespersons in competitive B2B markets.

Background: Emotional intelligence (EI) is increasingly recognized as a protective psychological resource that supports resilience, motivation, and well-being in athletes. Learned helplessness (LH), conversely, reflects a maladaptive belief system in which individuals perceive diminished control over outcomes. University athletes participating in team sports often encounter substantial academic and competitive pressures, making the interplay between EI and LH an important area for investigation. Despite growing interest in sports psychology, limited evidence exists regarding gender-specific pathways through which EI influences LH in athletic populations. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the gender-specific impact of emotional intelligence on learned helplessness among university student-athletes competing in team sports. Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was employed using a sample of 400 university team-sport athletes, comprising 200 male athletes (M = 20.59, SD = 1.672) and 200 female athletes (M = 20.29, SD = 1.609), recruited from eight universities. Emotional intelligence was measured using the Brief Emotional Intelligence Scale (BEIS-10), while learned helplessness was assessed through the Learned Helplessness Scale (LHS-20). Multiple linear regression analyses were performed separately for male and female athletes to determine the predictive influence of EI components on LH. Ethical procedures, including informed consent and confidentiality assurances, were fully observed. Results: Among male athletes, the regression model was significant, showing that higher regulation of own emotions (B = –0.68, SE = 0.34, p = .045) was associated with significantly lower LH, explaining 12.3% of the variance (R² = .123). Among female athletes, the model explained 22.0% of the variance (R² = .220), with both appraisal of own emotions (B = –0.57, SE = 0.25, p = .021) and utilization of emotions (B = –0.91, SE = 0.27, p < .001) significantly predicting lower LH. Conclusion: The findings demonstrated distinct gender-specific pathways linking EI to LH in university athletes. Male athletes benefited primarily from emotion regulation skills, whereas female athletes gained advantage from self-appraisal and constructive emotional utilization. These insights highlight the importance of gender-sensitive psychological training programs aimed at enhancing emotional competencies among university team-sport athletes.

Appraisal is a central concept in cognitive approaches in affective science. According to Appraisal Theory, emotions are elicited and differentiated on the basis of the appraisal of the personal significance of a situation, object, or event one is faced with. This paper addresses the question of what exactly are emotional appraisals. I discuss and reject the claim that appraisals are evaluative judgments and the claim that appraisals are embodied appraisals. Both views ascribe representational content to emotions. I argue instead that we should take appraisals to be perceptions of relevant affordances. This view can account for the observations that favor cognitive conceptions of emotions (such as the fact that emotions are intentional, value-laden states that can be rationally assessed) while avoiding the problems faced by views that ascribe representationalcontent to emotions.

ABSTRACT This study combines Scherer's Component Process Model (CPM) with a generative AI tool to analyse emotional appraisals of 80 engineering students in a team-based graduate-level subject focused on innovation, professional skills and professional identity transformation. Despite emotions being central to learning, engineering education research has limited theoretical frameworks for analysing students' emotions reported in reflective tasks. We employed a novel combination of manual and AI-assisted thematic coding to analyse students' reflective writings using CPM. The methodology proved effective for coding emotional components. It successfully produced patterns of appraisals within reflections, and differences of appraisals between international/domestic and male/female reflections, consistent with theoretical expectations. The methodology demonstrated feasibility and utility, whilst revealing important limitations and affordances. This research provides a foundation for combining theoretical frameworks and AI-assisted analytic methods to understand students' emotional reflections. It offers directions for future empirical research based on the observed strengths and limitations of our approach.

This study examines the effects of an intervention program aimed at enhancing personal competencies in secondary education students, focusing on resilience, emotional intelligence, self-esteem and assertiveness. A descriptive, quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-intervention assessments was employed. A total of 36 first-year secondary education students participated and completed the Resilience Scale, Wong-Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Rathus Assertiveness Scale. Positive associations were observed among resilience, emotional intelligence, self-esteem, and assertiveness at both time points, with the exception of a post-intervention negative correlation between self-esteem and the appraisal of others' emotions. While emotion use increased significantly following the intervention, no significant changes were observed in the other variables, indicating a limited impact on these specific aspects of mental and emotional health. These findings highlight the relevance of training and promoting personal competencies in secondary school students, since they serve as protective factors against social exclusion, mood disorders (e.g., anxiety and depression), and behavioral problems. Although the program improved the use of emotions, its lack of significant effects in other domains highlights the need for more programs to support adolescents' holistic development in the academic context.

Emotional intelligence (EI) has received increasing interest in recent years. The field of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) is a promising context for enhancing EI skills. Despite the potential benefits of EI measurement tools, relatively little research is conducted in EFL education. This study thus aims to validate an Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS) specifically for Algerian EFL learners using Schutte et al.'s (1998) theoretical framework. In doing so, a panel of experts have assessed the surface validity of the EIS and provided constructive feedback to refine the content of the scale. A pilot testing was conducted to further validate these improvements. 503 Algerian EFL students aged 18 to 23years participated in this research. Through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), six distinct factors namely: Control of emotions, Appraisal of own emotions, Appraisal of others'emotions, Utilization of emotions, Social skills, and Optimism were identified. These factors were subsequently confirmed through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) using goodness of- fit-indices. The final scale consisted of 27- item indicating a good model fit and confirming its suitability as a research instrument for the target group. The study confirm that the EI construct exhibits strong construct validity, as evidenced by the factor analytic procedures and the convergent and discriminant validity measures. Additionally, the measurement invariance across distinct samples confirms the portability of the EI construct, underscoring its applicability in psychoeducational assessments across different counties. Limitations of the study and future implications were also discussed accordingly.

Purpose Drawing on appraisal theory and symbolic interactionism, this study aims to understand how empathy and affective image influence viewers’ desire to visit destinations featured in television shows and explore how viewers interpret and construct meanings around these locations through emotional engagement with the content. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a mixed-methods approach using The O.C. as a research context. First, a survey was conducted with 220 participants who had watched The O.C. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. Second, a netnography, which involved extracting 2,287 comments from the subreddit r/TheO.C., consolidated the results and provided a comprehensive understanding of how emotional responses drive travel desires. Findings The findings of this study reveal that empathy toward the characters from the TV show amplifies the affective image of the show’s setting, which significantly boosts viewers’ desire to travel to Newport Beach, California. By revealing the underlying emotional responses through appraisal theory and symbolic interactionism, this research highlights the powerful role TV shows play in shaping travel desires. Originality/value This research integrates appraisal theory with symbolic interactionism to provide new theoretical insights into the emotional responses elicited by film tourism. By examining how viewers’ emotional appraisals drive their travel desires and how they interpret filming locations, this study uncovers the nuanced impact of attributing meaning to specific screen elements.

Abstract The Big Five personality model, as a representative example of personality theory, has been extensively employed to anticipate employee behaviour in organisational management contexts. However, the current Big Five personality scales comprise an excessive number of items, which often act as a deterrent for empirical researchers. For this reason, a brief measure of the Big Five personality based on the International Personality Item Pool (IPIP) was developed and validated. Study 1 employed exploratory factor analysis to develop a 15‐item IPIP‐NEO (IPIP‐NEO‐15), which demonstrated robust convergent correlation with the original scale. Confirmatory factor analysis further confirmed that the IPIP‐NEO‐15 had a good five‐factor structure with good internal consistency. Study 2 sought to elucidate the mechanisms through which the Big Five personality traits influence employee guanxi. The results of the predictive validity analysis indicated that conscientiousness, extraversion and openness were significantly and positively correlated with employee guanxi, whereas agreeableness and neuroticism exhibited no significant correlation with this construct. The appraisal of emotion in others mediated the relationships between conscientiousness, extraversion, openness and employee guanxi. This study presents a reliable, valid and concise instrument for personality assessment in organisational settings, offering practical implications for organisational management.

This study aimed to translate the Brief Emotional Intelligence Scale (BEIS-10) into Urdu and test the psychometric properties of this instrument in the Pakistani context. A proper forward-backward translation process was followed by a pilot study among 20 respondents to check for readability and cultural appropriateness. The main study recruited 501 Pakistani adults (251 aged 18-35, 250 aged 36-65) who completed the Urdu version of BEIS-10 online. The sample was selected by using purposive sampling technique. The result of the study indicated that the internal consistency total scale is (α = .72) and each of five subscales named Appraisal of own emotions, Appraisal of others’ emotions, Regulation of own emotions, Regulation of others’ emotions, Utilization of emotions is α=.59, α=.74, α=.23, α =.54, α=.42 respectively. The model fit indices of the study indicated the value of χ 2 (df)= 2.79; NFI=.92; IFI= .94; TLI= .89; CFI= .94; RMSEA=.05. The result of Psychometric properties of the scale indicates that the square root of AVE is greater than the correlations of subscale which indicates that the Urdu Version Brief Emotional Intelligence (BEIS-10) is discriminately valid. The result also showed that the AVE of all subscales is greater than .05 which indicates that the scale is convergently valid. The overall result showed that the Urdu version Brief Emotional Intelligence Scale (BEIS-10) is culturally valid and reliable and can be used for the father studies on this construct.

ABSTRACT How do public employees cope with negative occupational stereotypes? Limited research examines the psychological processes of how these perceptions shape their behaviour. This study examines how public employees cope with occupational stereotyping and discrimination from the perspective of police officers using an emotion framework. Drawing on 98 hours of observations and 14 in-depth interviews with officers in the Netherlands and the U.S. we find that discrimination tied to professional identity influences officers’ emotional responses, ultimately affecting public service delivery. We introduce an integrated model of emotional appraisal to explain public employees’ coping behaviours and discuss its implications for both theory and practice.

Abstract Evidence from the behavioural social sciences suggests that individuals rarely decide according to the dictates of rational choice: their decisions are shaped by experiences, emotions, and cognitive heuristics and biases. But how should international lawyers explore whether and how such influences play a role in compliance decision-making? To respond to this question, this article looks at what happens if we talk to those involved in the compliance decision-making process. It reports the findings from 25 interviews conducted with individuals involved in compliance with awards of investor–state dispute settlement (ISDS) tribunals in three countries. From these data emerge a view of the dispute settlement process that is shaped by feelings of unfairness, perceptions of institutional bias, and enmity towards investors and the law firms that represent them. Compliance theories in the existing literature largely focus on a ‘snapshot’ approach to understanding compliance, where the material and normative influences that directly impact one particular compliance decision are considered. Drawing on the political science concept of affective intelligence, the article argues that we should reconceptualize compliance decision-making as one of ‘emotional appraisal’, leading us to cast the net wider to understand the influences on compliance behaviour.

Moral appraisals of generative AI: How mindset framing shapes moral judgments, emotional appraisals and privacy behavior

ABSTRACT In light of growing interest in employing measures of emotional intelligence in studies of clergy, the present study proposes a Short Index of Emotional Intelligence, drawing four sets of three items from the 33-item Schutte measure to map onto the domains of self-emotion appraisal, others emotion appraisal, use of emotion, and regulation of emotion. These 12 items were tested on data from three studies that employed the Schutte measure among 364 Anglican clergy, 505 Presbyterian ministers, and 431 Salvation Army officers. The data demonstrate good internal consistency reliability, concurrent validity against the parent measure, and construct validity within the context of psychological type theory.

BackgroundDespite the importance of emotional intelligence (EI) for academic performance of university students with disabilities, limited research was undertaken to address this issue.ObjectivesThis research investigates the impact of EI on quality of life (QoL) and academic performance among university students with disabilities. Drawn on Salovey and Mayer’s EI framework, this research examines the impact of four main EI dimensions: self-emotion appraisal, others’ emotion appraisal, use of emotion, and regulation of emotion, on academic success through the lens of QoL.MethodsA quantitative, cross-sectional research design was employed, including a sample of 328 university students with several types of disabilities. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to analyze the obtained data and test the justified hypothesized relationships.ResultsThe results demonstrate that the higher levels of EI are significantly related to improved QoL, which consequently has a positive impact on students’ academic performance. The results confirmed that QoL demonstrated partial mediating effects in the relationship between EI and academic achievements, signaling that EI can contribute to academic success both directly and indirectly by fostering students’ overall QoL.ImplicationsThe study contributed to the current literature by emphasizing the interconnections of emotional competences, quality of life, and academic performance, and provided practical implications for interventions aimed at supporting this vulnerable population.

The integration of Smart Tourism Technologies (STTs) into the tourism sector has significantly transformed how tourists engage with destinations, particularly by enhancing the dimensions of informativeness, accessibility, interactivity, personalization, and security. This study investigates the influence of STTs on the formation of memorable tourist experiences in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, with a specific focus on the moderating role of emotional arousal. Grounded in Emotion Appraisal Theory, the research examines how tourists’ emotional responses to STT features contribute to the perceived quality and memorability of their experiences. Data were collected through a structured survey of 485 visitors at major tourist sites in the city. The empirical findings reveal that all five dimensions of STTs exert a significant positive impact on memorable experiences, and emotional arousal significantly moderates the effects of informativeness, accessibility, interactivity, and personalization. These results advance the theoretical understanding of emotion-technology interplay in tourism and provide actionable guidance for destination managers and technology developers seeking to craft emotionally resonant smart tourism solutions.

Cultural factors influence the expression and appraisal of emotions: Implications for psychotherapy and supervision practice.

ABSTRACTPatients with Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) exhibit deficits in flexible emotion regulation and display abnormal brain activation patterns. Previous research has not examined how the age at which trauma occurs influences associated behavioral and neural abnormalities. In this study, 76 adult participants (60.5% women) diagnosed with PTSD were categorized into three age‐matched groups based on the age at trauma onset: childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Forty‐five healthy adults served as a control group. All participants engaged in the Shifted Attention Emotion Appraisal Task (SEAT) while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Our findings reveal that both the childhood and adulthood trauma groups showed significantly greater activation in the left thalamus, left frontal gyrus, and Brodmann Area 48 compared to the adolescent trauma group. Additionally, the childhood trauma group exhibited higher activation in the left inferior frontal gyrus than the adolescent group and greater activation in the left pregenual anterior cingulate cortex compared to the adulthood trauma group. These results highlight the critical role of trauma timing in understanding the behavioral and neural dimensions of PTSD, offering new insights for clinical intervention and treatment strategies.

Exploring emotion regulation in PTSD with Insomnia: A task-based fMRI study.

BackgroundPosttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) exhibits marked heterogeneity, with relational (R; interpersonal) and nonrelational (NR; environmental) trauma subtypes demonstrating distinct psychopathological trajectories. Despite clinical recognition of these differences, their neurobiological underpinnings of emotion processing remain poorly understood. Guided by the Nested Hierarchical Model of Self (NHMS) – which posits trauma-type-specific disruptions in hierarchical self-processing systems – this study investigated neural mechanisms differentiating among PTSD subtypes during implicit emotion regulation.MethodsA sample of 122 participants, including patients with PTSD (R: n = 51; NR: n = 29) and trauma-exposed controls matched by trauma type (R: n = 22; NR: n = 20), underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing the Shifted Attention Emotion Appraisal Task. Behavioral assessments and trauma typology coding were complemented by regions of interest (ROI)-based and whole-brain analyses.ResultsResults revealed that PTSD-R showed hypoactivation in right superior frontal gyrus (during implicit emotion regulation; BA9; p = 0.049, ηp2 = 0.033), whereas PTSD-NR exhibited hyperactivation in fusiform (during emotion modulation by attention shifting; p = 0.036, ηp2 = 0.037). Symptom severity inversely correlated with social support (r = −0.353 to −0.417, p < 0.01), with relational PTSD reporting the lowest support (p < 0.001). Across conditions, dorsolateral prefrontal clusters (BA8/9) demonstrated anticorrelations with default-mode regions (r = −0.272 to −0.549, p < 0.01) aligning with NHMS’ predictive coding framework.ConclusionsThese findings validate trauma-type-specific neural hierarchies, suggesting relational trauma disrupts top-down self-identity schemas, while NR trauma amplifies bottom-up threat detection. The study advances precision psychiatry by linking implicit regulation biomarkers to targeted interventions – cognitive restructuring for PTSD-R and interoceptive recalibration for PTSD-NR.

Real-time fMRI neurofeedback (NF) has emerged as a promising method for enabling individuals to modulate specific brain regions and, consequently, their behavioural outcomes. This study examined whether the NF targeting the right insula could improve heartbeat perception ability and influence emotional response to negatively valenced stimuli, by training participants to modulate the brain activation associated with interoceptive (heartbeat-focused) and exteroceptive (visual-focused) attention. Fifty-four participants underwent a single ~40-minute NF session with contingent (NF group, n = 28) or non-contingent (Sham group, n = 26) feedback, with heartbeat perception and emotional appraisal assessed pre- and post-training. The NF group demonstrated significant improvements in heartbeat perception, with individual learning effects in neuromodulation predicting the behavioural gains. However, group-level NF scores did not differ significantly, likely reflecting variability in learnability. Despite improvements in heartbeat perception, NF training did not modulate emotional responses at either the behavioural or neural level, suggesting that targeting the insula alone is insufficient to alter affective processing within a single session. These findings provide evidence that NF can enhance heartbeat perception through targeted neuromodulation in the insular cortex.