Importance Of Psychological Factors Research Articles

Neuroticism/negative emotionality is associated with increased reactivity to uncertain threat in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, not the amygdala.

Neuroticism/Negative Emotionality (N/NE)-the tendency to experience anxiety, fear, and other negative emotions-is a fundamental dimension of temperament with profound consequences for health, wealth, and wellbeing. Elevated N/NE is associated with a panoply of adverse outcomes, from reduced socioeconomic attainment to psychiatric illness. Animal research suggests that N/NE reflects heightened reactivity to uncertain threat in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) and central nucleus of the amygdala (Ce), but the relevance of these discoveries to humans has remained unclear. Here we used a novel combination of psychometric, psychophysiological, and neuroimaging approaches to rigorously test this hypothesis in an ethnoracially diverse, sex-balanced sample of 220 emerging adults selectively recruited to encompass a broad spectrum of N/NE. Cross-validated robust-regression analyses demonstrated that N/NE is preferentially associated with heightened BST activation during the uncertain anticipation of a genuinely distressing threat (aversive multimodal stimulation), whereas N/NE was unrelated to BST activation during certain-threat anticipation, Ce activation during either type of threat anticipation, or BST/Ce reactivity to threat-related faces. It is often assumed that different threat paradigms are interchangeable assays of individual differences in brain function, yet this has rarely been tested. Our results revealed negligible associations between BST/Ce reactivity to the anticipation of threat and the presentation of threat-related faces, indicating that the two tasks are non-fungible. These observations provide a framework for conceptualizing emotional traits and disorders; for guiding the design and interpretation of biobank and other neuroimaging studies of psychiatric risk, disease, and treatment; and for informing mechanistic research.Significance statement Neuroticism/Negative Emotionality (N/NE) is a core dimension of mammalian temperament. Elevated levels of N/NE confer risk for a panoply of adversities-from reduced wealth and divorce to depression and death-yet the underlying neurobiology remains unclear. Here we show that N/NE is associated with heightened activation in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) during the uncertain anticipation of a genuinely distressing threat. In contrast, N/NE was unrelated to BST reactivity during the certain anticipation of threat or the acute presentation of 'threat-related' faces, two popular probes of the emotional brain. These findings refine our understanding of what has been termed the single most important psychological risk factor in public health, with implications for on-going biobank and therapeutics research.

The Importance of Psychological Factors, E-Service Quality, and Perceived Value in Maintaining Indonesia Life Insurance Customer Loyalty

Insurance customers in Indonesia are motivated and attach importance to the quality of electronic services and the perceived value exceeds the expected value. Therefore, this paper aims to examine the influence of psychological factors, electronic service quality, and perceived value on customer loyalty of life insurance companies in Indonesia. Through a literature review, a hypothesis was developed by exploring previous research related to the impact of psychological factors, electronic service quality, and perceived value on customer loyalty. The survey was conducted on 165 life insurance customers in Indonesia. The collected data was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The validity and reliability of the measurements were confirmed before testing the research hypotheses. The results of the study reveal that psychological factors, electronic service quality, and perceived value influence customer loyalty of life insurance companies in Indonesia.

The Importance of Psychological Factors, E-Service Quality, and Perceived Value in Maintaining Indonesia Life Insurance Customer Loyalty

Insurance customers in Indonesia are motivated and attach importance to the quality of electronic services and the perceived value exceeds the expected value. Therefore, this paper aims to examine the influence of psychological factors, electronic service quality, and perceived value on customer loyalty of life insurance companies in Indonesia. Through a literature review, a hypothesis was developed by exploring previous research related to the impact of psychological factors, electronic service quality, and perceived value on customer loyalty. The survey was conducted on 165 life insurance customers in Indonesia. The collected data was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The validity and reliability of the measurements were confirmed before testing the research hypotheses. The results of the study reveal that psychological factors, electronic service quality, and perceived value influence customer loyalty of life insurance companies in Indonesia.

Antecedents of Gacha gaming intention: Extending UTAUT2 with structural video game characteristics

Mobile gacha games, featuring chance-based virtual item collections and lottery-like mechanics, have become immensely popular among global youth. Therefore, many game developers are developing new gacha games or implementing gacha mechanics into existing games to capture this trend. To fill the existing research gap, this article proposes an extended model for video game acceptance derived from the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) combined with structural video game characteristics (SVGC) and psychological factors like perceived enjoyment and trust. It addresses the crucial factors driving players' intention to continue playing gacha games and fills the gap in developer-centric research. Leveraging the PLS-SEM algorithm, IPMA analysis, and the data from active Indonesian gamers (N = 300), this study highlights the substantial impact of SVGC features (presentation, reward, control/manipulation) on gacha gamers' perceived enjoyment. Moreover, hedonic motivation, habit, and trust in game developers emerge as key antecedents of continuance gaming intention. These findings refine our understanding of gacha game acceptance and have potential avenues for broader gaming research. It presents valuable insights for scholars and game developers to enhance the gaming experience by incorporating relevant structural characteristics and fostering important psychological factors that drive continuance gaming intention.

Analysis of the Psychological Factors Faced by the Final Year College Students of China During Job Interviews and While Choosing Careers.

Career choice research has attracted the attention of recruiters and young graduates. The study aims to investigate the psychological factors that influence college students' employment choices. As a result, data for the study were gathered from 250 final-year college students in China via an online questionnaire survey. The study identified the psychological barriers faced by college students during job interviews through interviews with 120h recruiters. The SPPS tool is used for data analysis. The study identified personal interest, self-efficacy, and self- esteem; social responsibilities; confidence; professional development opportunities; and future orientation as the important psychological factors that influence the career choice of college students. The study also found that the barriers faced by the college students during the interview were anxiety, inferiority complex, cowardice, and pride. Therefore, the study suggests that the college provides job-oriented training for college students' employment choices. The college should take the initiative to provide students with career opportunities and proper training to avoid psychological barriers during interviews.

Literature Review: The Effects of Attachment Styles and Perfectionism on Life Satisfaction

Attachment and perfectionism are two important psychological factors that can significantly influence individual satisfaction in various aspects of life, including relationships, work, and personal achievement. This essay reviews four studies that explore the connection between perfectionism—whether it's positive or negative—and attachment type and their impact on life satisfaction or marital satisfaction. Results indicate that securely attached individuals tend to exhibit higher positive perfectionism and lower negative perfectionism, leading to greater life satisfaction. In contrast, people with insecure attachment tend to exhibit higher levels of negative perfectionism, thereby reducing their life satisfaction. Maladaptive forms of perfectionism are linked to insecure attachment styles, leading to lower levels of marital satisfaction. These findings have practical implications for counselling and interventions aimed at promoting positive mental health and improving relationship satisfaction. However, these studies have limitations that need to be considered, including the use of self-reports, limited generalizability of results, and lack of evidence of a causal relationship between attachment, perfectionism, and satisfaction. Future research could address these limitations and advance our understanding of the complex interactions between the three concepts.

Optimism as a key factor in coping with the common cold

ObjectiveThe optimism trait is considered one of the most important psychological factors in protecting and promoting health. This study aims to investigate whether trait optimism may help to cope better with the common cold by reducing the subjective perception of cold symptoms and affecting the immune response. MethodsTo do so, 212 volunteers from the Pittsburg Cold Study 3 within the Common Cold Project were exposed to Rhinovirus (RV39). On the 5 days following the inoculation, a daily symptoms scale, nasal wash, and blood samples were collected to assess Jackson Symptoms (nasal congestion, sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, cough, headache, chills, and malaise) and control the Immune System response to infection (concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interferon (IFN)-α). ResultsResults showed that approximately 30% of the inoculated participants were finally diagnosed with a common cold, showing higher Jackson Symptom severity and Immune System Response (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNFα and IFNα). Importantly, moderation regression analyses showed that higher optimism scores were related to lower Jackson Symptom severity and TNFα response to infection in cold-diagnosed participants. ConclusionsOur results provide important evidence for the protective role of optimism, a trait factor that promotes a better perception of wellbeing and less need for immune system resources to successfully cope with the common cold.

Impact of self‐esteem and self‐gifting on masstige purchase intentions

AbstractConsumers prefer brands that provide them with symbolic meaning, and they use them to enhance their self‐esteem and develop their status and personal images. Self‐esteem is an important psychological factor that contributes to an individual's purchase intentions and consumption behavior, but its role in shaping the consumption of masstige brands has not been thoroughly researched. Hence, this research aims: (1) to identify the masstige brands in the smartphone industry of Pakistan using the masstige mean index, and (2) to explore the role of self‐esteem in consumer consumption behavior grounded in terms of masstige, self‐gifting behavior, and brand personality. Moreover, this study uses self‐gifting behavior as the mediator and brand personality as the moderator in the relationship between self‐esteem and masstige purchase intention. The data from study 1 (n = 560) and study 2 (n = 329) were collected using a self‐administered questionnaire and analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results indicate that masstige brand consumption is influenced by self‐esteem; this relationship is mediated by self‐gifting behavior, and brand personality moderates the association. Theoretically, this study contributes to the masstige theory by exploring the role of self‐esteem in masstige consumption in an emerging economy. Practically, this study provides a comprehensive guideline for brand managers to devise effective marketing strategies to build their brands as masstige brands.

Suicide risk, related factors and the impact of COVID-19 amongst suicide prevention helpline callers: A network analysis

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic brought along many known risk factors for suicide. It is important to map out contributing and protective factors for suicide risk and examine possible changes in these associations during pandemics such as COVID-19. The current study aimed to examine how information on risk and protective factors obtained through a suicide prevention helpline is linked to the assessed suicide risk and the possible impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. MethodsData on 9474 calls registered by operators of the suicide prevention helpline of Flanders (i.e., part of Belgium) were analysed using network analysis. Using network analyses allowed for a data-driven examination of direct and indirect pathways through which risk and protective factors are associated to perceived suicide risk. The network before and during COVID-19 were compared to examine the possible impact of the pandemic. ResultsOur findings suggest that different vulnerability and protective factors contribute to perceived suicide risk. Experiencing a break-up, abuse, previous attempt(s), experienced difficulties with the healthcare system and availability of resources were directly and uniquely associated with perceived suicide risk before and during COVID-19. LimitationsMain limitations of this study are the possible bias of operator assessment accuracy, absence of several important psychological risk factors and the use of cross-sectional data. ConclusionsThe current study provides insight in the effect of COVID-19 on suicidality and its risk and protective factors amongst suicide prevention helpline users, a population with high risk of suicide. Implications for suicide prevention helplines are discussed.

Latent profiles of resilience and associations with quality of life in head and neck cancer patients undergoing proton and heavy ion therapy.

Psychological resilience is the most important psychological protection factor for cancer patients in the face of tumors and treatment. However, few studies have performed meaningful latent profile analyses of resilience to identify unobserved subgroups of head and neck cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of resilience in head and neck cancer patients using latent profile analysis (LPA) to determine the sociodemographic and disease characteristics of each profile. In particular, we examined the association of different resilience profiles with the quality of life of head and neck cancer patients. A total of 254 head and neck cancer patients completed a demographic questionnaire, the Resilience Scale Specific to Cancer and the EOTRC QLQ-C3O, used to assess their resilience and quality of life. LPA identified three distinct profiles based on varying levels of resilience: "low resilience" group (n = 45; 17.72%), "moderate resilience" group (n = 113; 44.49%), and "high resilience" group (n = 96; 37.80%). Gender (χ2 = 6.20; p < 0.01), education level (χ2 = 1,812.59; p < 0.01), treatment regimen (χ2 = 6.32; p < 0.01), tumor stage (χ2 = 3.92; p ≤ 0.05), and initial recurrence (χ2 = 5.13; p < 0.05) were important predictors. High resilience was significantly related to higher quality of life (χ2 = 15.694; p < 0.001). Head and neck cancer patients' psychological resilience can be categorized as three resilience profiles; those who are female and have a low education level tend to have lower psychological resilience. Low resilience in patients is linked to poor role function and social function, low quality of life, and more severe pain symptoms, highlighting the need to address resilience in patient care for improved wellbeing.

Perfectionism, test anxiety, and neuroticism determines high academic performance: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundAcademic performance is an important issue for Korean students. Various psychological factors contribute to academic performance. We aimed to evaluate the psychological factors that affect academic performance integratively.MethodsA total of 102 academic high achievers and 120 comparison participants were recruited. We evaluated psychological factors (test anxiety, perfectionism, personality traits, resilience, and self-efficacy) and measured academic performance using the College Scholastic Ability Test and the current college grade. We compared psychological factors and academic performance between the academic high achiever and comparison groups. Multiple linear regression was then conducted to identify the significant psychological factors for high academic performance. Further, we used cluster analysis to classify the comparison group by the significant psychological factors and compared them among clusters and academic high achievers to determine the psychological characteristics of academic high achievers.ResultsThe academic high achiever group showed lower test anxiety (p = .002), less neuroticism (p = .001), higher self-efficacy (p = .028), and less socially prescribed perfectionism (p < .001) than the comparison group. Multiple linear regression results (p = .020) clarified that neuroticism (p = .020), test anxiety level (p = .047), and perfectionism (p = .035) were important factors predicting better academic performance. Academic high achievers had moderate test anxiety and perfectionism levels, with the best performance on the College Scholastic Ability Test.ConclusionsNeuroticism, test anxiety levels, and perfectionism are important psychological factors for high academic performance. Interventions targeting these factors may help to improve academic accomplishments.

Self-Dissociation as a Predictor of Alienation and Sense of Belonging in University Students

Alienation and a sense of belonging are important psychological factors supporting students’ well-being. In the present study, the purpose was to examine the predictive role of Self-Dissociation on alienation and a sense of belonging in university students. A correlational study design was used in the present study. The data on self-dissociation were collected with the Self-Dissociation Inventory-Short Form (SDI-SF), the data on the level of belonging were collected with the General Belonging Scale, and the data on alienation levels were collected with the Student Alienation Scale. A positive relationship was detected in the present study between Self-Dissociation, belonging, and alienation. Also, it was concluded in the study that Self-Dissociation predicted alienation and a sense of belonging. The findings obtained in the study indicate that it is necessary for the experts who will work on alienation and sense of belonging to take into account the self-dissociation concept in their studies.

Predictors of Bullying among Athletes in the Romanian Context.

The purpose of this study was to examine the explanatory power of a predictive model of bully/perpetrator behaviour in Romanian athletes, consisting of negative pre-competitive emotions (anxiety, sadness, and anger), perception of male gender normativity, and relationships with coaches and teammates. Additionally, we aimed to explore the mediation effect of bully-victim behaviour on the relationship between athletes' connections with their coaches and bully/perpetrator behaviour. The current research involved a nonexperimental, cross-sectional design exploring the presence of bully/perpetrator behaviour in Romanian male and female athletes. The quantitative methodology was used to collect and analyse the data obtained. Researchers translated, adapted and pretested the questionnaire set to the Romanian cultural background (SEQ, MAMS, CART-Q, In-group Ties Scale, BSQ) before distributing it to 448 participants. 58.7% were male participants, and 41.3% were female participants. The mean age was 21.15 (SDage = 2.37, range = 18-32). The research was conducted in the first half of 2023. SPSS (V. 20) and Hayes's PROCESS tool were used to investigate the data. The findings demonstrated that in the case of Romanian male athletes, perception of male gender normativity, anger, and weaker connections with coaches are the most important psychological factors in predicting bully/perpetrator behaviour. In contrast, in the case of Romanian female athletes, only weaker connections with coaches and perception of male gender normativity play an essential role in explaining bully/perpetrator behaviour. Additionally, the study demonstrated that bully-victim behaviour mediates the relationship between athletes' weaker connections with their coaches and bully/perpetrator behaviour. Athletes' weaker connections with their coaches lead to experiencing a high level of bully/perpetrator behaviour by stressing bully-victim behaviour, which also contributes to achieving a high level of bully/perpetrator behaviour.

Attitudes towards Digital Educational Technologies Scale for University Students: Development and Validation

Numerous studies of the digitalization of higher education show that university students’ attitudes toward digital educational technologies (DETs) are one of the important psychological factors that can hinder or facilitate the optimal implementation of digital technologies in education. International researchers have developed many tools for diagnosing the attitudes of university students toward various aspects of the digitalization of education; however, until recently, similar scales in Russian have not been developed, which determined the purpose of this present research. The proposed version of the Attitudes towards DETs Scale for University Students (ATDETS-US) includes the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral subscales corresponding components of the attitude according to the ACB Model. The validation sample included 317 (160 females and 157 males) bachelor and master students from different Russian universities. Psychometric testing using Cronbach’s Alpha and McDonald’s Omega coefficients, hierarchical factor analysis, and CFA confirm the high internal consistency, reliability of the ATDETS-US and its subscales, and the good fit of the model. ATDETS-US will be used for obtaining reliable data on the attitudes towards DETs in university students, which should be taken into account when designing programs for their psychological support in the educational process and developing their digital competence.

Providing the basis for a patient-centred and effective screening for cancer-related fatigue (MERLIN study): design of a longitudinal observational study

IntroductionCancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a frequent and burdensome sequela of cancer and cancer therapies. It can persist from months to years and has a substantial impact on patients’ quality of...

Impacts of risk aversion on tourism consumption: A hierarchical age-period-cohort analysis

This study extends tourism demand research by focusing on how an important psychological factor, risk aversion, affects tourism participation and expenditure. Based on five waves of national longitudinal data from the China Household Financial Survey, this study represents an initial attempt in the tourism literature to integrate a Heckman model with a hierarchical age–period–cohort model to decompose the effects of time-related factors (age, period, and birth cohorts) when analyzing the role of risk aversion in tourism decisions. Findings showed that risk aversion significantly influenced tourism participation and expenditure. The propensity to travel and the amount of tourism expenditure each declined over one's lifetime. Period and cohort effects differentially affected tourism participation and expenditure.

Turkish validation of the Psy-Flex Scale and its association with resilience and social support

Psychological flexibility is an important psychological factor influencing various individual and relational outcomes. However, there is a scarcity of evidence about cross-culturally validated measures available. The aim of the present study was to assess the Turkish validation of the Psy-Flex Scale, which is a new and recently developed measure of this construct and test its relationship with resilience and social support. The sample comprised 516 adults (52.3% males) with an age range of 18–60 years (M = 27.08, SD = 8.53). Results showed that the measure had good construct validity with high internal consistency reliability. The findings also demonstrated that psychological flexibility was positively associated with resilience and social support. Additionally, social support partially mediated the relationship between resilience and psychological flexibility. These results suggest that the Psy-Flex Scale is a reliable and valid tool to measure psychological flexibility in the Turkish cultural context. Intervention programs focusing on social support can also be tailored to promote psychological flexibility by cultivating resilience.

Decisional Conflict, Patient Involvement, and the Associated Psychological Factors Relating to Mastectomy Decisions Among Women With Breast Cancer: A Cross-sectional Study.

Most women with breast cancer in China have received a mastectomy despite emerging breast-conserving alternatives. Their decision-making relating to mastectomy is unclear. To investigate decisional conflict, women's involvement, and psychological factors relating to mastectomy decisions. Women with breast cancer 18 years and older who had a mastectomy were recruited from 2 hospitals in China. A conceptual framework adapted from the Ottawa Decisional Support Framework was used to guide this study. Data were collected using the 16-item Decisional Conflict Scale, the 9-item Shared Decision-Making Questionnaire, and a 19-item psychological factor list. A total of 304 women participated. Overall, they reported a low-level conflict and high-level involvement. "Cancer not return" was rated as the most important psychological factor influencing mastectomy decisions. Lower decisional conflict was predicted by higher involvement. Higher involvement was predicted by younger age and increased family income. This study is the first to demonstrate decisional conflict, involvement, and the associated factors specifically in Chinese women undergoing mastectomy. Results determined the importance of several psychological factors influencing mastectomy decisions. Future qualitative studies are required to deepen understanding of women's decision-making experiences regarding this surgery. Nurses need to provide support to Chinese women in making treatment decisions, especially for older women, and those who are economically disadvantaged. Measures are needed to promote their involvement and improve their understanding of breast cancer and its treatments, which may help reduce decisional conflict, and potentially improve their satisfaction with treatment and quality of life.

Risk factors and protective factors of acute postoperative pain: an observational study at a German university hospital with cross-sectional and longitudinal inpatient data

ObjectivesSurgical fear is one of the most important psychological risk factors for postoperative pain, but less is known about the contribution of protective factors. This study investigated somatic and psychological...

Evaluation of burning mouth syndrome and salivary chromogranin A in major depressive disorder patients

Major depressive disorder represents a growing concern as its prevalence keeps rising worldwide; with this rising, there is also an increased demand in the field of oral medicine in developed countries, and since many disorders and orofacial pain have been linked to be associated with psychiatric disorders and conditions, this study was aimed to evaluate burning mouth syndrome and salivary chromogranin A in major depressive disorder patients. The study sample included 49 patients who received a diagnosis of major depressive disorder, being under treatment for at least two weeks. The control group consists of 34 healthy subjects with no signs & symptoms of systemic disease. The study group received the diagnosis according to The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM5), in Najaf city. The results showed that for the study sample, 23 (46.9%) patients had Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS), while 26 (53.1%) patients did not have BMS for the study group. As for the control group, 5 (14.7%) individuals reported having BMS, and 29 (85.3%) didn’t. The findings of the present study revealed a significant difference in salivary chromogranin A levels between the study and control groups (p < 0.05) using a t-test. We found salivary chromogranin A is an excellent salivary biomarker for MDD., and MDD patients have much higher incidents of reporting BMS, indicating the importance of psychological factors in this condition.