Introduction. The issue of shaping civic identity is becoming particularly relevant in the conditions of global challenges associated with the digitalisation and the transformation of social institutions, starting from the earliest stages of socialisation. The preschool age, being a sensitive period for the assimilation of value orientations, lays the foundation for the child’s future awareness of their belonging to society and the state. However, in practice, this potential is not fully realised. The relevance of the study is accounted for by the growing contradiction between the declared goals of patriotic and civic education, enshrined in the Federal State Educational Standard for Preschool Education, and the real conditions for their realisation. The aim of this work is to analyse the vectors for overcoming the dissonance between the requirements of the Federal State Educational Standard for Preschool Education and actual practice, including the proto-civic identity concept, adapted digital tools, and networked resource integration models. Materials and methods. The methodological basis is represented by a systemic approach that considers the formation of civic identity as a complex process (cognitive, emotional/value-based, and activity-based) in the context of macrosocial challenges (digitalisation, multiculturalism). Structural/functional and comparative/contrastive methods were used to analyse the components of identity, innovative practices, and differences in Russian (Asmolov, Kolomiichenko) and foreign (Barrett, Banks) concepts, with an emphasis on Russian specifics. Critical analysis was applied to a wide range of sources: theoretical works on psychology of identity, regulatory documents (Federal State Educational Standard for Preschool Education), empirical studies, and descriptions of contemporary pedagogical practices (project-based, digital, museum-based). KEYWORDS Results. A persistent dissonance has been revealed between the preschool age sensitivity to the formation of proto-civic qualities and the systemic barriers to the realisation of the above. Regional cases (VR reconstructions, digital regional studies, gamified platforms) reveal the resources of adapted digitalisation as a system-forming element, provided that it has a triadic impact on the components of identity and maintains a balance with real social experience. The prospects for minimising the gap are related with the development of the proto-civic identity concept, the integration of digital simulators into teacher training, the creation of networked resource centres, and the transformation of family involvement. Conclusion. The realisation of the researched vectors will ensure the continuity of preschool and primary education, transforming declarative attitudes into an effective model that meets the challenges of the digital age while preserving the anthropological integrity of child development

Psychological identity develops through the interaction of internal traits and external sociopolitical conditions. In Iran, repeated exposure to war, sanctions, and uncertainty has shaped identity across generations. This study uses machine learning to identify latent identity patterns and generational differences in a non-clinical Iranian sample (N = 620; ages 18–60).Deep embedded clustering (DEC) was applied to decision-making and self-regulation traits. Four psychological profiles were identified, each defined by different combinations of impulsivity, coping flexibility, emotional regulation, and decisional insecurity. Profile entropy and drift indices were used to describe internal stability and ambiguity. SHAP analysis and counterfactual simulations were used to examine which traits most influenced potential profile change.War-experienced adults were more likely to show stable but emotionally restricted profiles. Post-war adults more often showed profiles with higher entropy and less coherence. A simple transition model based on psychological proximity and entropy was used to explore possible movement between profiles.The findings indicate that unsupervised learning approaches can identify non-clinical psychological risk and resilience patterns in culturally specific contexts. Generational differences suggest that sociopolitical exposure is associated with variation in identity organisation. These results contribute to the understanding of psychological adaptation in populations exposed to chronic structural stress.

Studies on teachers’ emotions and identity have progressed from focusing on one-way relationships to exploring reciprocal process among a variety of constructs. Based on the available research, few studies have considered the dynamic relationship between emotions and identity from an integrative approach, particularly among EFL teachers within the context of teaching young learners. Expanding on these previous studies, the current study adopted a case study approach to explore the dynamic process involving urban primary school EFL teachers in Northern China based on the social psychological identity theory (Burke & Stets, 2009) and control-value theory (Pekrun, 2024; Pekrun et al., 2007). Semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and stimulated recall interviews were conducted. The results highlighted the influence of emotions on identity verification through authority resources and the influence of teachers’ cognitive ability and emotional competence on identity change. Such identity dynamics were found to affect teachers’ emotional experience, emotion regulation, and emotional labor through their appraisal of value and control, as well as their commitment to emotional rules, forming a cyclical process. Practical implications for teachers, administrators, and policymakers were proposed.

This play by John Osborne, Look Back in Anger, was published in 1955. It premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in 1956 and was a landmark in the New Drama movement in British theatre. It focuses on Jimmy Porter, whose burning anger symbolizes the problems confronting the disenchanted lower classes of Britain in the 1950s to 1970s. As a result, Jimmy's anger at social injustices and his use of aggressive language make the play one of the greatest works of mid-20th-century literature. This article argues that feelings of anger are not just an emotional state, but can become a significant part of Jimmy's psychological makeup, stemming from intense frustration with his working-class roots and the conflict between his intellectual ambitions and the upper-class values he encounters. It explores how feeling angry alters Jimmy's self-image, influences his marriage and friendships, and portrays an identity shaped by anger. Research highlights how anger reflects inner conflicts, insecurities, and unmet needs; it also explains how individuals construct meaning in an alienated, hypocritical society, and ultimately how anger can be relevant for asserting existential identities in the modern era.

Rural communities in China are currently confronting persistent socio-economic and demographic pressures, making the pursuit of long-term sustainability increasingly essential. Enhancing community resilience is widely recognized as a core pathway toward sustainable rural development, yet the socio-psychological mechanisms through which rural public spaces contribute to this process remain underexplored. This study proposes an environmental perception → psychological identity → community resilience framework to clarify how public spaces support sustainable community development. Using survey data from 283 residents across five villages in Zhejiang Province and employing PLS-SEM for empirical analysis, we find that positive perceptions of public spaces significantly enhance community resilience both directly and indirectly through cultural identity and place attachment. A sequential mediation effect is also observed: environmental perception strengthens cultural identity, which subsequently deepens place attachment, jointly promoting resilience. These findings reveal that rural public spaces function as socio-cultural infrastructures that cultivate emotional bonds and collective identity, thereby generating key components of social sustainability. The study contributes to sustainable rural planning by demonstrating that improving public space quality and reinforcing place-based identity processes are vital strategies for fostering resilient and sustainable communities.

Elderly figures occupy a significant position in children's literature, mostly presented as "flat characters" that can be roughly categorized into two types: "benevolent" and "ferocious". There are notable differences in the portrayal of elderly figures between Chinese and foreign children's literature, particularly evident in the images of "elderly women" and "elderly men": In Chinese works, elderly women are often depicted as kind and selfless, while those in traditional Western fairy tales are frequently portrayed as evil and threatening; elderly men in Chinese literature emphasize moral perfection and spiritual guidance, whereas their counterparts in Western works (such as Dumbledore) focus more on the complexity and human flaws of their role as "guides". The shaping of different images conveys distinct literary connotations. Elderly figures in children's literature embody multiple meanings, including compensating for the emotional or authoritative absence of parents, serving as inheritors of the group's historical culture, possessing the trait of "rejuvenation", and respecting and aligning with children's cognitive characteristic of "animism". By analyzing the portrayal methods and cultural logic of elderly figures in Chinese and foreign children's literature, this paper reveals their important roles in emotional compensation, cultural inheritance, psychological identification, and cognitive development.

Wood functions simultaneously as a material and as a symbolic, aesthetic, and identity-shaping medium in the context of furniture products. This study investigates how perceptual and emotional factors influence material-related value formation and purchase intention within the wood-based furniture segment. Based on neuroaesthetics and identity psychology, a novel Perceptual Impact Model was developed and tested using nine psychometric indices, including the Emotional Sensory Load Index (ESLI), Perceived Craft Distinctiveness Index (PCDI), Aesthetic Cognitive Activation Index (ACAI), and Identity Resonance Quotient (IRQ). Data were collected from 145 participants selected according to criteria ensuring thematic and psychographic alignment with the aims of the study. Statistical analyses confirmed the significant influence of aesthetic coherence and symbolic identification on consumer engagement (e.g., IRQ ↑41% in the high-sensitivity group, p < 0.01). The findings highlight key drivers such as multisensory engagement, craftsmanship perception, and the alignment between self-image and material aesthetics. By translating subjective experience into quantifiable metrics, the model strengthens strategic design and branding decisions, supporting sustainable innovation across the wood-based value chain.

This article explores the function of characters as emotional conduits in the horror manga of Itô Junji, defining and analyzing his use of what this paper terms the “Blank Slate Character.” Aligned with the realistic gekiga style that emerged as a counterpoint to mainstream manga, Itô’s aesthetic deliberately employs archetypal figures with generic features rather than psychologically complex protagonists. This article argues that these intentionally simple characters, serve as ideal vessels for reader projection, affective mimicry, and somatic empathy, precisely because of their visual and psychological neutrality. Drawing on philosophical frameworks from horror theory and film studies, this article analyzes how dynamics like asymmetrical identification and sympathy are amplified through such characterization. Through extensive close readings of extracts of Itô’s seminal works like Gyo and one of the stories from the series Tomie, this article demonstrates how specific visual strategies, particularly the cinematic use of extreme close-ups, transform these simplistic figures into a focal point of intense emotion, thereby heightening the reader’s immersion. This work further proves that somatic empathy is fundamental to Itô’s brand of horror, contending that the vulnerability of a deliberately underdeveloped protagonist makes the depiction of bodily harm more universally resonant. Ultimately, this character-building philosophy reflects Itô’s acknowledged focus on the central horror phenomenon over his protagonists. Consequently, what might be perceived as a narrative weakness—the lack of deep characterization—is actually strategic, repurposed to bypass complex psychological identification in order to instead forge a direct and powerful somatic engagement with the reader.

This paper addresses the longstanding ambiguity of terms such as self, identity, and subjectivity in psychology and philosophy. Rather than adding yet another definition, it introduces Metaqualia Theory (MTQ) as a structural grammar that generates these notions as derivative effects of the Q-M-T cycle: Qualia (Q) as raw experiential material, Metaqualia (M) as interpretive stances, and Transduction (T) as the stabilization of experience in social and communicative fields. Within this framework, "self" is not an intrinsic entity but the retrospective label applied when an active M is stabilized through T; "identity" denotes the socially recognized continuity of such stabilizations; and "subjectivity" is the conventional name given when Q is framed by M. MTQ thereby systematically distinguishes between self, identity, and subjectivity, while avoiding homuncular explanations. It also differentiates itself from dialogical and constructivist models by specifying structural conditions under which these labels arise, rather than assuming them as givens. The result is a coherent conceptual lexicon that integrates existing insights without collapsing into definitional disputes. MTQ thus offers psychology a grammar of consciousness capable of clarifying key terms and situating them within a unified structural account.

This paper takes Shandong Xinjian Sports Goods Co., Ltd. as the research object, and uses a questionnaire survey method to explore the influencing factors of employee job dedication and psychological identification and the relationship between the two. The study found that employees generally believe that cognitive, emotional and behavioral factors affect their level of job dedication; psychological identification significantly affects employee job dedication, and the higher the employee's identification with compensation management, leadership style and performance appraisal, the higher the job dedication; the difference in job dedication and psychological identification between employees with different characteristics is not significant; there is a significant positive correlation between employee job dedication and psychological identification; compensation identification, decision-making participation identification and performance system identification all significantly affect employee job dedication, with decision-making participation having the greatest impact. Based on the research results, this paper puts forward suggestions for optimizing the compensation and benefits system, improving the performance management mechanism, and strengthening employee participation in decision-making, in order to provide a useful reference for improving employee job dedication and promoting high-performance management in enterprises.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the barriers to and factors influencing the adoption of smart healthcare among Chinese patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and their caregivers with medium or low levels of self-care or caregiving ability. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with fourteen patients with CVD and nine caregivers to determine their needs and suggestions regarding the adoption of smart healthcare in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. Results: The interview data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven steps. Two major themes and eleven subthemes were extracted, including facilitating factors (motivation to use, learning and interactive engagement, knowledge translation, and psychological identity) and obstacles (insufficient ease of operation, risk to personal privacy, ambivalence about paying for knowledge, fear of physical and mental injury, mistrust of implementation personnel, and technical or functional limitations of equipment) to the adoption of smart healthcare. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that before implementing smart healthcare interventions for patients with CVD and their caregivers, it is necessary to fully assess their willingness; push precise content based on their learning, interaction, and psychological needs; and address the technical barriers and privacy protection to enhance their willingness to use the system.

The article traces 6áRZDFNL’s epistolary image and the fictional image of the hero in the poem „Anhelli“ in terms of the psychological identification with Christ. The pilgrimage to Jerusalem is an attempt to get closer to the location of the biblical story, to the sacred image, but it is also an act of empathising with and understanding the Son of God. The pair of Shaman – Anhelli functionalises aspects of the archetypes “wise old man” and “youth”. The innocent and pure chosen one acts as a bearer of the Spirit in the desert of oblivion, spiritlessness and viciousness. The multitude of exiles is present through bodily suffering and moral defects, functioning as an empty form and unrealised expression of a human community. From a place of trial and asceticism (according to Christian symbolism), the desert turns into a garden for the soul that has become aware of God’s dictum, a place where the self-sacrifice of the chosen one redeems the sins and imperfections of the exiled Poles, who have left their homes and their native land behind. In the messianic conceptualisation of Polish Romanticism the Imitacio Christi process stands out, bringing closer together poet and character in search of the ideal. In the context of the biblical story, the epic line of the poem acquires a sacred meaning for the Polish self-awareness. It outlines the concept of the link between the leader and the people, highlighting the mystic transformation of the divided multitude into a new human and communal status – a people.

Nowadays, the mental health problems of adolescents have received widespread attention from society, among which the issue of adolescent identity crisis is particularly important. However, there is still a lack of research on the influencing factors of adolescent identity development. This article reviews existing literature and examines how family, social environment -- including internet influence and hedonistic trends -- and career expectations collectively shape self-identity. This article analyzes that family factors are significantly positively correlated with adolescent identity, and social factors also contribute to the development of psychological identity. The formation of self-identity can lay the foundation for future career identity. To foster healthy identity development, this study proposes the following suggestions: the development of adolescent identity requires families to have a better understanding and tolerance of their children, schools to increase the diversity and fun of the curriculum, media science popularization guidance, community assistance in publicity, and professional assistance and regulation from psychological workers.

This study explores the historical evolution of Foshan martial arts culture and its contemporary multifaceted significance, analyzing its social status and challenges in cultural transmission. By examining the formation of community identity within Foshan martial arts communities, the research reveals the developmental trajectory of their collective consciousness. The study innovatively links Foshan martial arts’ cultural development with psychological identity, providing both theoretical insights and applied strategies for safeguarding and promoting intangible cultural heritage within the changing context of modern cultural adaptation.

The aim of the research is to compare perspectives on human identity within psychology and philosophical anthropology in order to choose the most flexible and heuristically valuable approach for its study. The article reveals the multifaceted nature of views on identity and the ambiguity of this concept from the point of view of psychology and philosophical anthropology – related, but extremely different in their object and method approaches to studying various aspects of human existence. The scientific novelty lies in the conceptualization of differences in the approach to identity in psychology and philosophical anthropology: psychology, in studying identity, relies more on experience alone, bringing its entire theoretical apparatus under it, while philosophical anthropology, emphasizing the incompleteness of our knowledge, goes beyond exclusively empirical knowledge. The results of the study showed the possibilities and limitations of both approaches to identity: psychology gives a more complete, but less defined view of human identity due to the ratio of heterogeneous ideas and concepts, while philosophical anthropology, devoid of such finalism, allows the researcher to choose a limited set of parameters of interest depending on which person or community of people becomes the object of research.

The concept of “home” has constituted a significant element and subject of contemplation in the prose of Malaysian Chinese writer, Kek Lian Wah. The author’s personal experiences, which were characterised by a series of tensions between “home” and “journey”, are reflected in the notable complexity and depth of expression within her prose. The multifaceted concept of home in her prose thus provides an excellent basis for discussion. This article draws on theories of home, place and identity in human geography and environmental psychology to examine the portrayal of “home” in Kek’s prose. It analyses Kek’s prose writings from the past twenty years, investigating her representations of home as both a point of departure and a constructed space. It explores the multi-scalar meanings associated with the concept of home and the significance of her ultimate return to it. It proposes that the evolving meaning of home presented in her essays is particularly pertinent to her relationship with her family, especially her parents, and the flux of her memories. This article concludes that Kek’s identity undergoes a significant transformation as the meaning of home in her essays evolves. Her “home-making” journey starts from the domestic environment of her home but gradually expands into a quest for the homeland that represents both a physical place that she identifies as home and an abstract concept.

This study proposes and validates a sequential Digital-Physical-Psychological (DPP) pathway model to explain how social media use facilitates international students’ cross-cultural adaptation through behavioral and psychological mediation. Building on Media System Dependency Theory and Social Learning Theory, the model posits that digital engagement (e.g., WeChat interactions) initiates a cascading process: it first reduces barriers to extracurricular activity participation, which subsequently enhances multidimensional social integration sense (psychological identification, social interaction, cultural adaptation). Data from 713 international students in Chinese universities, analyzed via structural equation modeling, confirmed significant direct (β = 0.27, p < 0.001) and chain-mediated effects (β = 0.04, p < 0.001), demonstrating that adaptation progresses sequentially from digital to physical to psychological domains. The findings challenge parallel-process frameworks like Ward’s ABC model, emphasizing instead the temporal dynamics of digital-era acculturation. By integrating digital pathways into adaptation theory, this study advances a structured framework for understanding technology-mediated intercultural transitions.

IntroductionBallet is considered both an art-form and a sport, intended to evoke an emotion through movement. Pain and the perception of pain is a part of ballet culture. Many adolescent ballet dancers begin training at a young age where musculoskeletal development is occurring congruently with psychological identity formation. Athletic identity is an identity facet defined as the degree an individual identifies with the athlete role. The relationship between pain and athletic identity during adolescence is currently unexplored.MethodsForty-four American female ballet dancers between 10 and 18 years olds participated in a cross-sectional study in 2022 that involved completing surveys to understand the effect of pain on an athlete's relationship with dance. Dancers experiencing pain and dancers not experiencing pain were matched based on specialization level and age. Mann-Whitney U tests were performed to identify significant pain group differences in AIMS measures and dancer characteristics.ResultsDancers who reported experiencing pain had higher scores of athletic identity on measures of exclusivity and negative affectivity. Though all dancers trained more than 8 months out of the year without taking an offseason, dancers experiencing pain trained significantly more compared to dancers who were not experiencing pain, which may attribute to higher exclusivity identification.DiscussionThese findings highlight the importance for dancers to reserve time in their training for rest and recovery, especially if taking an offseason is not possible. Additionally, dancer-specific education in coping with injury, pain, or poor performance is essential to support the emotional and physical well-being of dancers.

This paper, drawing upon Martin Heidegger’s conceptual framework, re-examines and philosophically analyzes new media technologies and the implications of “technological determinism.” The research employs a qualitative-hermeneutic phenomenological approach, conducting textual analysis of Heidegger’s primary works and relevant secondary literature. The findings indicate that an instrumental and anthropocentric definition of technology is insufficient; Heidegger views technology not merely as a tool but as a “mode of unconcealment,” particularly as Gestell (enframing), which presents the world as a “standing-reserve” ready for exploitation. The application of this insight to new media yields several key consequences: (1) the pictorial reproduction and “pictorialization” of the cognitive world; (2) the formation of “global time” and the speed of message transmission, which transforms the experience of temporality; (3) the emergence of virtual worlds leading to identity crises and the multiplicity of real/virtual identities; and (4) the reinforcement of deterministic aspects of technology, bearing both positive effects (e.g., networked crisis management) and negative ones (e.g., the colonization of time-identity and reduction of human agency). The discussion argues that a critical engagement with technology necessitates moving beyond a purely instrumental understanding and adopting a stance where humanity is the “master” of technology, not its “slave.” The proposed strategy involves a re-evaluation of “dwelling in unconcealment” and fostering a conscious and reflective approach to media. Finally, the study emphasizes the need for further interdisciplinary research (philosophy of technology, media sociology, and identity psychology) to gain a deeper understanding of the effects of new media.

Background and Aim: The World Health Organization indicates that by 2050, China's population aged 60 and above will account for 35% of the total population, making it a country with extremely severe aging. Presently, China is entering a moderately aging society. This research aims to identify what factors would affect the potential success of a points-based management mechanism and to develop practical recommendations on how to construct a sustainable management mechanism for points-based elderly care services. Materials and Methods: This research uses a quantitative analysis method and collected data of 512 responses, and then analyzes the factors affecting low-income people's participation in points-based elderly care service using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) by SPSSAU. Results: The results found that the social exchange of points (SEP) has a significant positive impact on the potential success of the point-based management mechanism (PSPMM). Social exchange of points (SEP) has a significant positive impact on the diffusion of innovations (DOI). Diffusion of innovations (DOI) has a significant positive impact on the potential success of point-based management mechanisms (PSPMM). There is a partial mediation effect in the impact of the social exchange of points (SEP) on the potential success of a point-based management mechanism (PSPMM). The mediating variable plays an important role in the relationship between SEP and PSPMM, with an effect value of 0.769 and a positive direction. The direct effect is 0.119, which is also positive. The mediating effect accounts for 86.574% of the total effect, which shows that most of the impact of SEP on PSPMM is transmitted through the mediating variable, but there is still a part that has a direct effect. Conclusion: The results show that trust and reciprocity in social exchange play a vital role in the potential success of points-based management mechanisms. The perceived benefits of social exchange are also important factors affecting the potential success of the points-based management mechanism, and finally form the psychological identification of low-income people with the points-based management mechanism. Strengthen social exchange factor cultivation, establish trust, and optimize innovation diffusion strategy. Targeted communication. Increase publicity and promotion of the points-based elderly care service model and policy support. Establish a cross-regional coordinated development mechanism.