Psychological Paradigm Research Articles

Plucking Heartstrings: Guqin, Aesthetic Attunement, and TCM Music Therapy

In the Chinese cultural context, music is deeply intertwined with the human heart and plays a central role in both healing and governance. Guqin, an ancient Chinese zither, exemplifies holistic care throughout history, embodying heart-based empathy and resonance. This study draws on insights from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), classic philosophy, literature, and aesthetics to trace a lineage of thinking that continues to inform contemporary music therapy. We examine the Chinese notion of xin/heart and the interdependent self, and how music facilitates individuals’ aesthetic attunement toward the natural and social orders. Our approach transcends limitations of Euro-American psychological paradigms centered on the psyche, by adopting a holistic perspective that emphasizes the interconnectedness of the heart, the body, and the cosmos. We argue for the necessity of moving beyond reductive biomedical treatment models to explore alternative ways of living and alternative care that highlight relational, moral, and aesthetic approaches to well-being.

Mr. Tumbles’ Maya and the Multiplicity of Personas: Leveraging Illusion and Reality in Educational Game Design for SEN Language Learners

Educational research for Special Educational Needs (SEN) students has increasingly recognised the necessity for tailored approaches that accommodate diverse learning needs. Despite advancements, there remains a significant gap in the development of digital interventions, particularly video games, that cater to the language acquisition and communicative needs of SEN learners. This study explores how psychological paradigms from the popular children's television show ‘Mr. Tumble’ (made specifically for children with special educational needs) can inform the creation of language learning video games. By analysing the use of ‘Makaton’ a multimodal communication tool that combines signs, symbols, and speech the study highlights the potential of integrating similar techniques into game design to enhance accessibility and engagement for SEN learners. The philosophical understanding of Maya, which emphasises the illusory nature of multiplicity, serves as a theoretical framework to understand how a single character can embody multiple roles within a game, providing a consistent yet diverse learning experience. This approach not only aids in language comprehension but also fosters emotional and social development through relatable Non-Player Characters (NPCs) designed to interact meaningfully with learners. The study posits that incorporating these elements can create immersive, emotionally resonant educational experiences and the development of parasocial relationship between the learner and the digital intervention, that better meet the needs of SEN students, ultimately leading to more inclusive and effective language learning environments. Children simultaneously navigate multiple roles and perspectives, each reflecting a different aspect of reality in make-believe play. The critical importance of integrating this cognitive theoretical framework similar to that into the design of NPCs in educational video games is highlighted in this research. The paper argues that the paradigms of ‘multiplicity of mirrors’, when effectively incorporated into NPC design, can reflect different aspects of language, culture, and social interaction, offering learners a more immersive and multifaceted learning experience.

Векторы социальной психологии: опережая время (к 100-летию со дня рождения Галины Михайловны Андреевой)

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Objective.</strong> Analysis of the main methodological and theoretical directions in social psychology developed by Professor Galina Mikhailovna Andreyeva, one of the founders of Russian social psychology; consideration of the key problems of modern social psychology. <br><strong>Background. </strong>The vectors of scientific knowledge identified by G.M. Andreyeva and the problems she developed in the field of social psychology have become general methodological principles in various fields of psychological science. Among them there are the problems of joint activity and communication, which have become the basis for the study of social groups and personality. A fundamental principle of the new paradigm of social psychology offered by G.M. Andreyeva, – the issues of the influence of the social context and the influence of social changes on the formation (construction) of a person's world image and his social behavior. Significant moments in the field of social cognition created by G.M. Andreyeva are highlighted. The potential of her main ideas in modern psychology is shown. The main biographical data of Galina Andreyeva are presented, showing her life path and significant for the creation of the G.M. Andreyeva School of Social Psychology at Moscow University. <br><strong>Methodology.</strong> The article uses methods of deductive analysis; methods of historical and psychological hermeneutics. <br><strong>Conclusions.</strong> The main scientific ideas of G.M. Andreeva not only became the theoretical and methodological basis for understanding and explaining the fundamental problems of socio-psychological knowledge, but also made a huge contribution to understanding the ongoing social changes.</p>

The Integrative Paradigm of Sufi Psychology

The ontology and epistemology of Sufism are key elements in Islamic studies. Sufi psychology, as part of Sufism, essentially falls within the framework of Islamic psychology. This research aims to explore Sufi psychology and explore how these concepts can be integrated into modern psychological approaches. This research uses a qualitative method, with data collection through a literature study. The collected data were then analyzed through three stages: reduction, presentation, and conclusion. The results show that in logic, this relationship is known as the correlation between particularity and universality (al-Umum wa al-Khusus Mutlaqan). However, in its development, Sufi Psychology focuses more on esoteric aspects, perennialism, and inclusivism. Unlike Islamic psychology in general, Sufi Psychology has been developed by scholars outside the Islamic tradition, such as figures in transpersonal psychology, including Robert Frager (Chairman of the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology), Lynn Wilcox, James Fadiman, and Arthur Deikman. They develop the concept of tasawwuf by integrating Sufi knowledge with empirical contributions from modern psychology, resulting in a holistic approach to psychology, both in terms of ontology, axiology, epistemology, and methodology.

Active Inference in Psychology and Psychiatry: Progress to Date?

The free energy principle is a formal theory of adaptive self-organising systems that emerged from statistical thermodynamics, machine learning and theoretical neuroscience and has since been translated into biologically plausible 'process theories' of cognition and behaviour, which fall under the banner of 'active inference'. Despite the promise this theory holds for theorising, research and practical applications in psychology and psychiatry, its impact on these disciplines has only now begun to bear fruit. The aim of this treatment is to consider the extent to which active inference has informed theoretical progress in psychology, before exploring its contributions to our understanding and treatment of psychopathology. Despite facing persistent translational obstacles, progress suggests that active inference has the potential to become a new paradigm that promises to unite psychology's subdisciplines, while readily incorporating the traditionally competing paradigms of evolutionary and developmental psychology. To date, however, progress towards this end has been slow. Meanwhile, the main outstanding question is whether this theory will make a positive difference through applications in clinical psychology, and its sister discipline of psychiatry.

THE POWER OF OPEN COMMUNICATION: EXAMINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARENT-ADOLESCENT COMMUNICATION AND PROBLEM EXTENT AND THE MODERATING ROLE OF SIBLING INFLUENCE

Adolescence is the period of extensive physical, emotional, and social transformation. This article focuses on the primary role of effective communication within the family, especially parents and siblings influence, in shaping adolescence development. It considers how open, supportive, and sincere interactions help in identity formation, peer relationships, cognitive development, and affect regulation during this critical stage. The article draws both on Eastern and Western psychological paradigms, showing how academic psychology has evolved over the years and the main theoretical frameworks which inform our understanding of adolescent development. It is in this regard that the current study will explore the importance of effective family communication in developing a positive identity, building self-esteem, and supplying a sense of belonging. Emphasized herein is the role of parents in guiding adolescents through open discussions that will help them think critically, solve problems, and make independent decisions. Attention falls onto sibling influence in that they are in a special position to offer emotional support, companionship, and modeling behaviors. It draws from quantitative studies how family dynamics impact adolescent results. Construction and standardization processes of psychological measures are described to explain why reliable and valid instruments are needed when studying adolescent behavior and family interaction. This article concludes with the practical recommendations to enhance family communication strategies in supporting adolescent development. This integration of theoretical perspectives and empirical findings thus provides critical insights for educators, practitioners, and families seeking to promote healthy developmental trajectories among adolescents through effective communication and supportive sibling relationships.

Reading a liberation psychology archive in South Africa

Those working from within the liberation psychology paradigm strive to remould psychology so that it might be put to work for the task of liberation – a task with which most psychologists have, historically, been wholly unconcerned. In practice, liberation psychology tends to be porous, multiple, and under-resourced. Indeed, much of what we might think of as liberation psychology is not referred to as such by its practitioners. Surfacing liberation psychology, then, requires reading into its undocumented histories. In this article, we attempt to develop a picture of liberation psychology in South Africa (SA) by reading the archives of Mohamed Seedat, a pioneering practitioner of liberation psychology. Grounded in the working-class south of Johannesburg and underwritten by expansive global commitments to liberation, Seedat’s archive spans almost four decades, passing through many disciplines, communities, political traditions, and affective registers. We suggest that his archive offers us insights into the affective components of history, developing community praxis in apartheid and post-apartheid SA, and humanising knowledge-making. We conclude by reflecting on how liberation psychology archives like Seedat’s serve as under-appreciated resources for grappling with the psycho-political constitution of emancipatory struggle.

СОЦИАЛЬНО-ПСИХОЛОГИЧЕСКИЙ АНАЛИЗ ПОНЯТИЯ «РАЗВИТИЕ»

The article reveals the relevance of the study of development as a paradigm of social psychology, examines the essence of the socio-psychological approach to its understanding. The difficulties that occur in defining the concept, subject, structure and ensuring the formation of modern social psychology are analyzed. The prospects of this industry are connected with their overcoming. The author comes to the conclusion that an important task is to create a general theory of social psychology. The theory of development is an integral part of the named theory, they complement each other. Without this, it is impossible to talk about the effective formation of modern social psychology.

Are Phenomenal Theories of Thought Chauvinistic?

Abstract The phenomenal view of thought holds that thinking is an experience with phenomenal character that determines what the thought is about. This paper develops and responds to the objection that the phenomenal view is chauvinistic: it withholds thoughts from creatures that in fact have them. I develop four chauvinism objections to the phenomenal view—one from introspection, one from interpersonal differences, one from thought experiments, and one from the unconscious thought paradigm in psychology—and show that the phenomenal view can resist all four.

Perceptions of Adulthood and Mental Health.

In contrast to conventional definitions, the contemporary conceptualization of adulthood emphasizes psychological characteristics over sociodemographic milestones. At the same time, an increasing number of theorists propose that the way individuals view adulthood may have a significant impact on the mental health of both adolescents and adults. However, empirical examination of this hypothesis has been notably limited to date. The aim of this study is to explore the association between individuals' perceptions of adulthood and multiple dimensions of mental health. This study applied some adulthood markers and multiple mental health indexes (including well-being, optimism, Alexithymia, satisfaction with life, Goldberg's index of mental health, the dark triad, and dimensional personality disorders) to a community sample comprising 1772 individuals in Spain, spanning ages from 16 to 93 years. The findings support the overarching hypothesis, as perceptions of adulthood display strong correlations with nearly every assessed index of mental health, particularly those that comprise a dimension of negative emotions. These associations persist even after accounting for age and socio-economic status, and in alignment with the psychological paradigm of adulthood, they show a notable consistency across various age groups. This study establishes that such perceptions of adulthood represent a modifiable factor contributing to positive mental health. The implications of these findings for the formulation of public policies aimed at promoting mental health in the context of adulthood, as well as a number of future studies, are deliberated.

Squiggle Game, from a Psychotherapy to an Educational Creativity Method. Drawing and Designing Together

AbstractThe paper presents an experiment with a squiggle game in a design class: a joint drawing activity. The squiggle game, which comes from psychoanalysis, has been adapted to a teaching‐learning situation in order to observe how graphic design practices and skills develop through creativity. The hypothesis is that the game impacts the training of participants, including teachers, by developing their creativity through the co‐construction that occurs between them. A qualitative methodology based on activity theory has been set up, consisting of two phases of experimentation in a vocational training class in France. The results are based on a semiotic and cognitive analysis of the drawing activity through its components and the participants' discourse about their drawings during self‐confrontations. The discussion creates a dialogue between several research paradigms in educational sciences, psychology, and psychoanalysis within artistic disciplines. It leads to the identification of four creativity methods that impact the teaching‐learning processes generated by the squiggle game: the game of abstract random drawing in pairs; the figurative patterns sought through combinations of strokes (complementation); opposition between very strong former and current routines of drawing or behaviours; and rebounding from the other's prompts towards new dynamics.

An Evolutionary Perspective on the DSM-5 Alternative Model for Personality Disorders

Recent work has nested the Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD) within several theoretical paradigms of personality and clinical psychology (e.g., multivariate, psychodynamic). This has both spurred on additional research and aided in practical application. Connecting the model to other theoretical heuristics may lead to further advances. One candidate for such a theory is that of evolutionary psychology, which attempts to provide explanations of human behavior (including personality traits) rooted in adaptation. In this article, we review and integrate the theoretical and empirical literature on the AMPD and evolutionary psychology, providing a synthesis of the two models in the hope of furthering the research and application of both.

Tools and methods to study and replicate experiments addressing human social cognition in interactive scenarios

In the last decade, scientists investigating human social cognition have started bringing traditional laboratory paradigms more “into the wild” to examine how socio-cognitive mechanisms of the human brain work in real-life settings. As this implies transferring 2D observational paradigms to 3D interactive environments, there is a risk of compromising experimental control. In this context, we propose a methodological approach which uses humanoid robots as proxies of social interaction partners and embeds them in experimental protocols that adapt classical paradigms of cognitive psychology to interactive scenarios. This allows for a relatively high degree of “naturalness” of interaction and excellent experimental control at the same time. Here, we present two case studies where our methods and tools were applied and replicated across two different laboratories, namely the Italian Institute of Technology in Genova (Italy) and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research in Singapore. In the first case study, we present a replication of an interactive version of a gaze-cueing paradigm reported in Kompatsiari et al. (J Exp Psychol Gen 151(1):121–136, 2022). The second case study presents a replication of a “shared experience” paradigm reported in Marchesi et al. (Technol Mind Behav 3(3):11, 2022). As both studies replicate results across labs and different cultures, we argue that our methods allow for reliable and replicable setups, even though the protocols are complex and involve social interaction. We conclude that our approach can be of benefit to the research field of social cognition and grant higher replicability, for example, in cross-cultural comparisons of social cognition mechanisms.

Supporting a mentally healthy place of study: Examining the relationship between mental well-being, stress, and protective factors among university students.

Students can expect to experience stressors associated with their studies that can have detrimental effects on their mental well-being if not properly managed. Drawing on a positive psychology paradigm, protective factors can help students to counter study-related stressors and contribute to their mental well-being and academic success. The relationship between protective factors, such as maintaining perspective and building networks, with stress severity and positive mental well-being was examined in a sample of Australian university students undertaking postgraduate coursework. Students completed a survey measuring stress from the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS), positive mental well-being from the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (SWEMWBS), and seven protective factors from the Resilience at University (RAU) scale. Bivariate correlations were calculated for the RAU protective factors with stress and mental well-being. ANOVA examined the RAU protective factors in relation to mental well-being and stress severity groupings. All seven protective factors had a positive and significant relationship with positive mental well-being, and six of the seven protective factors had a negative and significant relationship with stress. A statistically significant difference was found for six of the seven RAU protective factors according to mental well-being group, and three of the seven RAU protective factors group according to stress severity group. A linear effect emerged between level of protective factor and mental well-being group, with participants in the high well-being group having the highest level of protective factors. Universities should focus on the development of protective factors to support students' well-being and help them to flourish in their studies.

A new approach to urinalysis: effectiveness of a contingency management program among adolescent offenders in Spain.

When addressing antisocial behaviour among adolescents, programs based on the paradigm of positive psychology through enhancing self-efficacy have demonstrated their effectiveness in furthering the positive development of young people with a history of antisocial behaviour. Nevertheless, there has been little research into the effectiveness of these type of programs in mitigating substance abuse among juvenile offenders. The aim of this paper is to analyse the effectiveness of a contingency management program in reducing the prevalence of relapses into drug consumption among adolescents who have committed serious crimes. The study consisted of a sample of 91 male adolescents, between 15 and 19 years, in juvenile detention, who were divided into two treatment groups. For both groups, biological testing was used to detect drug consumption upon their re-turn from leave permits from the Centre. The quasi-experimental group had significantly lower rates of relapse than the quasi-control group. Furthermore, being part of the quasi-experimental group was a significant predictor of reduced rates of relapses. The results suggest that the incorporation of treatment strategies which reinforce feelings of self-efficacy and adequate orientation towards the future, as a complement to disciplinary sanctions, are effective in reducing relapses in drug use among adolescent offenders.

The Correlation between Definitions of General and Social Intelligence in the Empirical Study on Teachers of Preschool Educational Institutions

The purpose of our article is to analyze the Phenomenological Scientific Approach to the characteristics of general intelligence of a personality; to consider Intelligence structure as a basic general category, to describe the problem of its origin and essence as one concept of the “eternal”, “planetary” problems; to show Measuring (or Testological) Scientific Approach to characterize the general intelligence of a person; to propose the characteristics of Associated-systems theory; to study the problem of general and social intelligence, to analyze correlation of these definitions according to the thoughts of teachers of preschool educational establishments. Methods of the research. The following theoretical methods of the research were used to solve the tasks formulated in the article: the categorical method, structural and functional methods, methods of the analysis, systematization, modeling, generalization. Also, in our research we used empirical methods, like statement study. The results of the research. We proved that in the paradigm of Cognitive Psychology the study of social cognitions and social intelligence has greatly enriched in the Psychology by the essence and the content of social intelligence, which previously had been developed in the psychometric tradition. Thanks to Cognitive Psychology, the actualization of the concepts of social representation was intensified. However, the analysis of existing models of representations of social knowledge suggests that the greatest attention in the history of Cognitive Psychology was given to abstract representations, and existing mental models (which relate to both verbal and figurative presentation formats of information) were not systematically checked. In addition, the functioning of these models, as a rule, plays a leading role in such a field of social cognition, as actualization of processes of social categorization and stereotyped thinking, in the field of perception of psychological features, the formation of the first impression, understanding of subjects of interpersonal interaction, etc. This situation, we deal with, sets the prospect of further empirical research on the development of social intelligence. Conclusions. So, Intellect (from the Latin Intellectus – feeling, perception, understanding, concept, mind) is a quality of the psyche of a personality, which is based on the ability to adapt to new situations, the ability to learn on the basis of acquired personally significant experience, understanding and application of both specific and abstract concepts to use their knowledge in order to influence and manage the environment. Intelligence is defined as the general ability of an individual to know and solve problems and tasks, which unite all cognitive processes and present human cognition: feelings, perception, memory, representation, imagination and thinking.

Development as a paradigm of social psychology

This article reveals the relevance of the study of development as a paradigm of social psychology and examines the essence of the socio-psychological approach to its understanding. The difficulties that occur in defining the concept, subject, and structure and ensuring the formation of modern social psychology are analyzed. The prospects of this industry are connected with their overcoming. Therefore, it is no coincidence that the crucial task is to create a general theory of social psychology. At the same time, the theory of development is an integral part of the general theory. They complement each other. There is still a lot to be done both theoretically and practically for its full design. Without this, it is impossible to speak about the effective formation of modern social psychology. Currently, there is an urgent need for the development of individuals, groups, families, organizations, and all spheres of society.

A Study on Social Inclusion of Humanoid Robots: A Novel Embodied Adaptation of the Cyberball Paradigm

As social robots are being built with the aim of employing them in our social environments, it is crucial to understand whether we are inclined to include them in our social ingroups. Social inclusion might depend on various factors. To understand if people have the tendency to treat robots as their in-group members, we adapted a classical social psychology paradigm, namely the “Cyberball game”, to a 3-D experimental protocol involving an embodied humanoid robot. In our experiment, participants played the ball-tossing game with the iCub robot and another human confederate. In our version, the human confederate was instructed to exclude the robot from the game. This was done to investigate whether participants would re-include the robot in the game. In addition, we examined if acquired technical knowledge about robots would affect social inclusion. To this aim, participants performed the Cyberball twice, namely before and after a familiarization phase when they were provided with technical knowledge about the mechanics and software related to the functionality of the robot. Results showed that participants socially re-included the robot during the task, equally before and after the familiarization session. The familiarization phase did not affect the frequency of social inclusion, suggesting that humans tend to socially include robots, independent of the knowledge they have about their inner functioning.

Any slice is predictive? On the consistency of impressions from the beginning, middle, and end of assessment center exercises and their relation to performance

AbstractThis study generates new insights on the role of initial impressions in assessment centers. Drawing from the “thin slices” of behavior paradigm in personality and social psychology, we investigate to what extent initial impressions of assessees—based on different slices of assessment center exercises (i.e., two minutes at the beginning, middle, and end of AC exercises)—are consistent across and within AC exercises, and are relevant for predicting assessment center performance and job performance. Employed individuals (N = 223) participated in three interactive assessment center exercises, while being observed and evaluated by trained assessors. Based upon video-recordings of all assessment center exercises, a different, untrained group of raters subsequently provided ratings of their general initial impressions of assessees for the beginning, middle, and end of each exercise. As criterion measure, supervisors rated assessees’ job performance. Results show that initial impressions in assessment centers are (a) relatively stable, (b) consistently predict assessment center performance across different slices of behavior (i.e., across the three time points and exercises), and (c) mostly relate to job performance.

Brain Organoids, the Path Forward?

Brain Organoids, the Path Forward?