Personality Features Research Articles

Construct Validity and Measurement Invariance of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale - Short Form (DERS-SF): Further Evidence From Community and Student Samples

The current study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-Short Form (DERS-SF) in Iran, including testing its measurement invariance across sexes, as well as community and student populations. Two samples were recruited: a community sample of 583 participants (58.7% female; Mage = 33.55) and a university student sample of 409 participants (67.2% female; Mage = 24.48). Besides the DERS-SF, participants completed a battery of instruments online, measuring mentalizing capacity and borderline personality features. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the tenability of the five-factor model, excluding the awareness subscale. Except for the awareness subscale, acceptable to excellent internal consistencies were found for the DERS-SF and its subscales. The awareness-excluded DERS-SF was significantly and strongly associated with relevant constructs (|rs| = .49 to .59). This study also found evidence for configural, metric, and scalar invariance of the DERS-SF across sexes and community and student populations. Our findings extended the evidence for the validity and reliability of the DERS-SF and its awareness-excluded version by administering it in Iranian samples and supporting its cross-cultural applicability.

A novel prediction model for ship fuel consumption considering shipping data privacy: An XGBoost-IGWO-LSTM-based personalized federated learning approach

Due to the protection of shipping data privacy, shipping companies rarely share shipping raw data. Therefore, how to protect shipping data privacy is a crucial issue when predicting ship fuel consumption (SFC). To tackle such issues and guarantee prediction accuracy, a tailored personalized federated learning (PFL) approach is designed and proposed in this study. In the proposed PFL approach, an improved long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network is adopted as the Deep Learning (DL) model for each ship client, in which the improved Grey Wolf Optimization (IGWO) algorithm is juxtaposed to optimize the hyperparameter tuning process in LSTM neural network. In addition, considering that different ships have unique navigation environments and distinct ship characteristics, XGBoost is introduced to make feature selections before LSTM training. Given the personalized features of different ships after XGBoost selection, an FL with personalized layers (Fedper) is employed, where the personalized layers are trained on the client side respectively and the basic layers are uploaded to the central server. To validate the efficiency of the proposed approach, we collect datasets and conduct experiments on 18 bulk carriers. To further prove the superiority of XGBoost-IGWO-LSTM-based PFL, four kinds of comparative experiments are conducted. The results show that our proposed approach can make more accurate SFC prediction results while guaranteeing shipping data privacy. The research could provide meaningful suggestions for shipping companies that prioritize corporate data privacy to reduce SFC.

Towards understanding the direct and indirect effects of borderline personality features on identity disturbance

AbstractResearch on borderline personality disorder (BPD) in clinical populations is extensive, and its impact on nonclinical populations is developing importance. The present study examined whether the presence of borderline personality features in nonclinical young adults is associated with identity disturbance, considering the potential mediating roles of anxiety and deliberate self‐harm (DSH). A total of 162 participants completed an online survey incorporating four measures: the Borderline Symptoms List‐23, Beck Anxiety Inventory, DSH Inventory, and the Self‐Concept and Identity Measure. A parallel indirect effects analysis indicated that the indirect effects of BPD features on identity disturbance via anxiety and DSH were not significant. However, BPD features remained a significant predictor of identity disturbance, even after controlling for the influence of anxiety and DSH factors (direct effect).

What drives consumers to post more photos in online reviews? A trait activation theory perspective

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the influence of the reviewed establishment’s price level and the user’s social network size and reputation status on consumers’ tendency to post more visual imagery content. Furthermore, it explores the moderating effects of user experiences and geographic distance on these dynamics.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a multi-method approach to explore both the determinants behind the sharing of user-generated photos in online reviews and their internal mechanisms. Using a comprehensive secondary data set from Yelp.com, the authors focused on restaurant reviews from a prominent tourist destination to construct econometric models incorporating time-fixed effects. To enhance the robustness of the authors’ findings, the authors complemented the big data analysis with a series of controlled experiments.FindingsThe reviewed establishments price level and the users reputation status and social network size incite corresponding motivations conspicuous display “reputation seeking” and social approval motivating users to incorporate more images in reviews. “User experiences can amplify the influence of these factors on image sharing.” An increase in the users geographical distance lessens the impact of the price level on image sharing, but it heightens the influence of the users reputation and social network size on the number of shared images.Practical implicationsAs a result of this study, high-end establishments can increase their online visibility by leveraging user-generated visual content. A structured rewards program could significantly boost engagement by incentivizing photo sharing, particularly among users with elite status and extensive social networks. Additionally, online review platforms can enhance users’ experiences and foster more dynamic interactions by developing personalized features that encourage visual content production.Originality/valueThis research, anchored in trait activation theory, offers an innovative examination of the determinants of photo-posting behavior in online reviews by enriching the understanding of how the intricate interplay between users’ characteristics and situational cues can shape online review practices.

Construction and Normalization of Competency Evaluative Indicators based on the Screening of Psychological and Personality Fundamental Scales with the Third Edition of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-3)

This research aimed to construct, validate and normalize a measuring scale of competency evaluative indicators based on the screening of psychological and personality fundamental scales with the Third Edition of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-3). Present study aimed that competency indicators can be measured with a validate instrument named MMPI-3. We assessed the validity of this new measure applied to 3000 participating from Iran. We obtained evidence for (a) content validity (through item analysis), (b) internal structure with Mokken Scaling Analysis and structural equation modeling to examine the item–construct relationship, differential item functioning, and reliability, and (c) association with external variables. The items were found to function one-dimensionally, with strong item–construct relationships and no differential functioning. Theoretically consistent associations were found between scales of MMPI-3 and constructed Indicators by researchers. The findings of the present study shown that (a) we can assess competency indicators as second layer of MMPI-3 profile, (b) there’s a strong correlation among competency indicators and MMPI-3 scales as reverse layer and (c) constructed indicators by researchers are validate and reliable to assess competency indicators for evaluating and screening psychological and personality features

Co-design of a personalised digital intervention to improve vegetable intake in adults living in Australian rural communities

Diets low in vegetables are a main contributor to the health burden experienced by Australians living in rural communities. Given the ubiquity of smartphones and access to the Internet, digital interventions may offer an accessible delivery model for a dietary intervention in rural communities. However, no digital interventions to address low vegetable intake have been co-designed with adults living in rural areas(1). This research aims to describe the co-design of a digital intervention to improve vegetable intake with rural community members and research partners. Active participants in the co-design process were adults ≥18 years living in three rural Australian communities (total n = 57) and research partners (n = 4) representing three local rural governments and one peak non-government health organisation. An iterative co-design process(2) was undertaken to understand the needs (pre-design phase) and ideas (generative phase) of the target population through eight online workshops and a 21-item online community survey between July and December 2021. Prioritisation methods were used to help workshop participants identify the ‘Must-have, Should-have, Could-have, and Won’t-have or will not have right now’ (MoSCoW) features and functions of the digital intervention. Workshops were transcribed and inductively analysed using NVivo. Convergent and divergent themes were identified between the workshops and community survey to identify how to implement the digital intervention in the community. Consensus was reached on a concept for a digital intervention that addressed individual and food environment barriers to vegetable intake, specific to rural communities. Implementation recommendations centred on i) food literacy approaches to improve skills via access to vegetable-rich recipes and healthy eating resources, ii) access to personalisation options and behaviour change support, and iii) improving the community food environment by providing information on and access to local food initiatives. Rural-dwelling adults expressed preferences for personalised intervention features that can enhance food literacy and engagement with community food environments. This co-design process will inform the development of a prototype (evaluation phase) and feasibility testing (post-design phase) of this intervention. The resulting intervention is anticipated to reduce barriers and support enablers, across individual and community levels, to facilitate higher consumption of vegetables among rural Australians. These outcomes have the potential to contribute to improved wellbeing in the short term and reduced chronic disease risk in the long term, decreasing public health inequities.

The Impact of Multimorbidity on the Functional Skills in Elderly People

Introduction. Multimorbidity is defined as the occurrence of two or more chronic diseases and is the most noticeable feature of an elderly person. With age, an increase in the incidence of chronic diseases is observed. Somatic diseases frequently co-occur with mental illnesses. In most cases, chronic diseases result in seniors’ disability. The most common ones include cardiovascular system, locomotor system, sight and hearing disorders; neurological and mental diseases; and mental impairments. Aim. The aim of the paper was to assess the prevalence of multimorbidity in elderly people in their home environment and to determine the relationship between multimorbidity and seniors’ functional skills. Material and Methods. The method of a diagnostic survey was applied, with the direct questionnaire technique. A questionnaire of the authors’ own construction was used, as well as standardized tools, i.e. the Barthel and the Lawton scales. The study involved 504 people aged 66–94 years staying in their home environment. Results. Only 0.05% of the subjects did not report any disease. The average number of diseases was 2.98 (3.03 in women, 2.90 in men). A statistically significant correlation was found between the number of the declared diseases and the patients’ age (p<0.001). In addition, together with an increase in the number of diseases, a deterioration was observed in the results on the Barthel and Lawton scales (p<0.001), as well as in cognitive and emotional skills (p<0.001). Conclusions. The vast majority of people aged over 65 years living in rural areas experienced multimorbidity; the following predominated among the diseases: hypertension, osteoarthritis, circulatory insufficiency, atherosclerosis, and diabetes mellitus. Together with an increase in the number of diseases, a deterioration was observed in the patients’ functional, cognitive, and emotional skills. (JNNN 2024;13(1):17–22)

A Linguocognitive approach to the analysis of the interpreter’s language personality in an interpreting situation

The present article is devoted to the problem of applying a linguocognitive approach to the analysis of the linguistic personality of an interpreter/conference interpreter. The use of the linguocognitive approach seems to the author to be the most promising direction in view of the possibility of applying a comprehensive analysis of the interpreter’s verbal and non-verbal behavior. The conducted analysis − the study of the functional side of the linguistic personality at the moment of interpretation − contributes to the progress in the field of the national cognitive translation studies.The research aims to analyze the audiovisual series of simultaneous interpretations, which leads to the use of modern research methods in the analysis of verbal markers and the “unnoticed background”, including, on the one hand, the discursive features of linguistic personality in various sections of the language, and on the other hand, − intertextuality and creation of new meanings. The relevance of the linguocognitive approach in linguopersonology is due to the insufficiently studied mechanisms of comprehensive analysis of linguistic personality in general, as well as a rather limited number of studies of this kind.The author presents her view on the possibilities of applying linguocognitive analysis for a reliable and verifiable results of the interview genre research. The article describes the complexity and multi-dimensionality of the genre under study, reveals the destabilizing factors in the performance of interpretation that affect the manifestation of a linguistic personality, provides criteria for evaluating sounding speech, and the extent of its influence on the representation of linguistic personality, and, consequently, the success of the interpretation.The proposed approach to the study of the representation of the linguistic personality of an interpreter allows for linguistic and extralinguistic analysis, to study the verbal and nonverbal behavior of speakers, to assess the quality of translation, typologize translation errors, identify the features of prosody and non-verbal behaviour. In addition, the author introduces the term “an interpreting situation” in relation to the context of the study, describes the stages and the parameters of the source text analysis (translation degree) and destabilizing factors that affect the results of the study. The experimental study confirmed the prospects for the application of the linguocognitive approach; the representation of the interpreter/conference interpreter in the genre of television interview is marked by a special typical variety of text: a combination of journalistic and colloquial styles, the use of elliptical constructions, modality, syntactic and lexical repetitions.

Transformation of the Legal Personality of Participants in Public Legal Relations (on the Example of Executive Authorities)

Such a category as “publicity” implies, first of all, the openness of a certain space of interaction between certain agents, and in this regard, the content of the concept of public policy is determined through free communication between its agents. In Part 3 of Article 132 of the Basic Law, the category “unified system of public power in the Russian Federation” is legally fixed. Public authorities and local self-government bodies are included in this system. At the same time, it is not always possible to orient oneself correctly in the field of the legal personality of the body. Executive authorities carry out two basic functions: an administrative function, within which the powers to execute laws and administrative and administrative powers (including discretionary) are exercised, and a governmental (political) function. Analysis and synthesis, generalization, analogy and modeling. The methods allowed us to build a system of arguments, on the basis of which we came to scientifically sound conclusions and results. The article reflects the legal personality and characteristic features of executive authorities. On the basis of legal personality, competence is formed, which represents a set of legally established ways of performing public functions and is an artificially constructed concept by scientists to characterize the subject of law, consisting of three structural elements: legal capacity, capability and delictability.

The Reliability of 44-Item Big Five Personality Inventory (Malay Version) to Measure Readiness to Breastfeed

The 44-item Big Five Personality Inventory (BFI-44) helps in simplify a wide range of complex personality features, including how personality affects breastfeeding. The aim of this study was to examine the reliability of the Malay version of the BFI-44. A cross-sectional study was conducted using the convenience sampling of female respondents. A total of 96 female public university students participated in this study. Cronbach’s alpha, intraclass correlation coefficient, limit of agreement, and standard error of measurement (SEM) were used in determining the reliability of the questionnaire. Cronbach’s alpha value for Extraversion subscale obtained the highest internal consistency (0.723) and the lowest internal consistency was obtained in the subscale of Openness to Experience (0.543). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) value for all dimensions exceeded 0.70 (ICC= 0.792-0.883). The Bland-Altman plots showed high reliability in all dimensions except Neuroticism. For SEM, Extraversion scored the lowest (0.773) while Neuroticism scored the highest (1.199). Overall, the BFI-44 in Malay version had moderate to good internal consistency and igh test-retest reliability. These findings may give positive implications for the implementation of the questionnaire in future evaluation of Malaysians’ personality traits

Perspectives of Stakeholders on the inclusion of Personality Assessment in the Admission Policies of Medical Colleges: A Qualitative Study

Background: Joining the health care force as a doctor is a dream that flourishes in the minds of majority of youngsters in Pakistan, making the admission process highly competitive. Currently, our admission criteria only caters the knowledge domain of the applicants while research argues that personality of the candidates should also be considered when selecting the cream of the nation for one of the most critical profession of medicine. Objective: The objective of this research was to investigate stakeholders’ perspectives on the incorporation of personality assessment as a component of the admission requirements for medical colleges in Pakistan. Methods: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted using a multi-center approach, where participants from three different stakeholder groups involved in medical college admissions in Pakistan (Governing body members, experienced academic staff, and medical scholars) were interviewed. The analysis method used was thematic analysis. Results: The stakeholders reached a consensus that the current admission criteria need to be revised, although opinions were varied regarding the inclusion of personality assessment in the admission process. The stakeholders identified conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, extraversion, and openness to experience as the key personality features to be evaluated for medical college admissions, in descending order of importance. Conclusion: This study highlighted the need to revise and expand the existing admission criteria, while also revealing a diversified feedback to the proposal of introducing personality appraisal as part of the medical college admission standards as they may pose significant obstacles.

Temporal Correlation Vision Transformer for Video Person Re-Identification

Video Person Re-Identification (Re-ID) is a task of retrieving persons from multi-camera surveillance systems. Despite the progress made in leveraging spatio-temporal information in videos, occlusion in dense crowds still hinders further progress. To address this issue, we propose a Temporal Correlation Vision Transformer (TCViT) for video person Re-ID. TCViT consists of a Temporal Correlation Attention (TCA) module and a Learnable Temporal Aggregation (LTA) module. The TCA module is designed to reduce the impact of non-target persons by relative state, while the LTA module is used to aggregate frame-level features based on their completeness. Specifically, TCA is a parameter-free module that first aligns frame-level features to restore semantic coherence in videos and then enhances the features of the target person according to temporal correlation. Additionally, unlike previous methods that treat each frame equally with a pooling layer, LTA introduces a lightweight learnable module to weigh and aggregate frame-level features under the guidance of a classification score. Extensive experiments on four prevalent benchmarks demonstrate that our method achieves state-of-the-art performance in video Re-ID.

“We could perform much better if we had specific training for girls” – Impacts of the embodiment of tradition for elite-level karateka women

Despite several struggles to achieve equality in society, a fight embraced first and foremost by feminist movements, women remain being seen, addressed, and treated as other in sport. Women who practice martial arts and combat sports to some extent disrupt the normative social and sportive order. But to be able to remain in environments where their presence is challenging, they are also challenged in their disruptive acting. They end up embodying the internal dynamics of dojos, adapting to and often reproducing the traditional teachings that discipline practitioners. It is not enough to became equal. Some athletes who can be reflexive and critical of their experiences may start a movement of raising their voices to advocate for equity instead of, or in combination with equality. We carried out a study with the Spanish women’s squad in preparation to attend the unique, to date, Olympic Games that karate was included into, Tokyo 2020 (2021), seeking to understand how they were subjectively dealing with overlapping issues that compose karate. In this paper, we focus on the gendered embodiment that women high-level athletes make of the so-called tradition in their practice of karate and how they reproduce or oppose to such tradition. Their possible resistance is configured as a claim for transformation of the environment through equity and respect for their own fighters’ and personal features, however, the process is challenging. They may reproduce and continue the stream of tradition; face personal confusion in trying to understand the contradictions of resisting domination and just remain in the team or as karateka; they still can be challenged by being named traitors and be conflicted with feminist positionalities; and yet some seem to start a movement of new internal disruption, making it loud that women are ignored, and posing a claim for more women in sport, showing that change has not been achieved enough. Key words: gender, equity, challenges, change, social justice.

Low-Fidelity Prototype of a Sensor-Dependent Interaction Platform: Formative Evaluation With Informal Caregivers of Older Adults With Cognitive Impairment.

Unobtrusive sensing technologies developed for monitoring deviant behaviors in older adult care require integration with an interaction platform to facilitate the flow of information between older adults and their caregivers. However, the continuous monitoring capabilities generate a considerable amount of data that must be interpreted, filtered, and personalized before being communicated to the informal caregivers based on their specific care needs and requirements. For the effective implementation of unobtrusive sensing solutions (USSs) in the care of older adults with cognitive impairment, we aimed to explore the expectations and preconditions regarding the implementation of USSs from the perspective of informal caregivers. Subsequently, we designed and evaluated a low-fidelity prototype of an interaction platform for its conceptual workflow and usability, incorporating persuasive system design features based on the needs and requirements of informal caregivers. Overall, 6 informal caregivers of older adults with cognitive impairment living alone participated in this qualitative interview study. We explored the expectation and preconditions regarding implementation through open-ended questions and conducted a formative evaluation (usability study with a think-aloud approach) to evaluate the conceptual workflow and used persuasive system design features in the interaction platform. Overall, a combination of inductive and thematic analyses was used to analyze the interviews. The results of this study present both positive and negative outcome expectations regarding the implementation of USSs, highlighting benefits such as objective decision-making and peace of mind and concerns about information overload and the potential substitution of human contact. Strategic information communication agreements between informal and formal caregivers were deemed crucial for the successful implementation of USSs in care. Overall, informal caregivers had a positive experience with the low-fidelity prototype of the interaction platform, particularly valuing the personalization feature. In conclusion, to achieve successful implementation, a holistic design approach is necessary, and equal consideration should be given to the personalization-privacy paradox to balance users' needs and privacy.

What do adults living with obesity want from a chatbot for physical activity? – a qualitative study

BackgroundRegular physical activity helps to reduce weight and improve the general well-being of individuals living with obesity. Chatbots have shown the potential to increase physical activity among their users. We aimed to explore the preferences of individuals living with obesity for the features and functionalities of a modern chatbot based on social media, Artificial intelligence (AI) and other recent and relevant technologies.MethodsIn this study, we used qualitative methods. Focusing on individuals’ preferences for a chatbot to increase physical activity, we conducted both individual interviews and focus groups with nine adult patients staying at Evjeklinikken, a Norwegian rehabilitation clinic for individuals living with morbid obesity. The interviews were fully transcribed and then analysed inductively using thematic analysis.ResultsParticipants preferred motivational features such as social support, goal setting, physical activity illustrations, monitoring of physical activity behaviour and outcomes, and feedback, prompts and reminders. They also preferred features for connecting and synchronising with smartwatches and training device apps. Participants wanted a chatbot that is easy to use and allows for human assistance when needed. Regarding personalising the chatbot, the participants wanted to choose the language, number of messages, and turn functionalities on and off.ConclusionsCo-designing chatbots with potential users is essential to understand their specific needs and preferences. We gained valuable insight into a diverse set of features and functionalities relevant to designing physical activity chatbots for individuals living with obesity. Behaviour change techniques are equally important as personalisation features and the option for synchronising with third-party devices. In future work, we will consider the collected needs in the development of a physical activity chatbot to ensure acceptance and adherence to the digital health intervention.

Quality of life and work functionality in severe asthma patients: the impact of biological therapies

BackgroundSevere asthma can cause poor health status, poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and an impaired functioning at work. However, to date, limited data are available on the impact of the biological therapies on such outcomes. Therefore, aim of the present study was to prospectively assess the clinical, quality of life and work functionality issues in severe asthma patients both at baseline and after 6 months of biological therapies and determine which individual, pathological and occupational factors can influence such parameters.MethodsFifty-two patients were enrolled between December 2022 and June 2023. Patients’ personal, clinical, functional and occupational features were assessed. The Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) questionnaire and the Work Ability Index (WAI) were employed to assess HRQoL, the employee’s productivity and perception of work ability, respectively.ResultsAmong the enrolled patients, 30 (57.70%) were employed. Biological therapy induced a significant improvement in clinical and functional parameters, e.g., FEV1% (72 ± 12 vs.87 ± 13%; 72 ± 14 vs. 86 ± 14%), FVC% (92 ± 11 vs. 101 ± 11%; 90 ± 13 vs. 98 ± 14%) and FEV1/FVC (62 ± 11 vs. 71 ± 8%; 64 ± 9 vs. 70 ± 8%) in workers and non-workers, respectively (P < 0.001). Comparably, the perception of life quality significantly improved, as physical and mental health scores, in the overall cohort, increased from 40.7 ± 10.3 and 48.5 ± 8.5 to 46.8 ± 8.6 and 51.6 ± 6.4, respectively (P < 0.001). The work ability perception significantly improved from a moderate to a good one (34 ± 6 vs. 40 ± 6, P = 0.001). A significant reduction in the absenteeism (19 ± 15 vs. 3 ± 11%; P < 0.001) and presenteeism rate (53 ± 24 vs. 29 ± 26%; P < 0.001), and an improvement in daily (40 ± 27.5% vs. 28.9 ± 24.7%, P < 0.001, in the overall population) and work activities (57 ± 25 vs. 29 ± 27%, P < 0.001) was determined. Gender, age, symptoms control and pulmonary functionality were correlated with the physical and mental health perception, daily activity impairment and work ability.ConclusionsOur study pointed out that biological therapies improved clinical, general life and occupational outcomes in patients with severe asthma. The correlation between clinical aspects and psychological and occupational issues suggest the relevance for a multidisciplinary management of the disease for an effective participation of patients in the world of work.

Assessing Measurement Consistency: A Study of the BPFSC Invariance Across Age and Sex in Romanian Adolescents.

The Borderline Personality Feature Scale for Children (BPFSC) is a widely used instrument and currently the only dimensional measure to investigate Borderline Personality features in children and adolescents. The present study aimed to investigate the factor structure and measurement invariance across age and sex in a community sample of 634 adolescents (mean age = 16.72, standard deviation = 1.31). To test for measurement invariance, we conducted multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA). Analysis showed residual invariance across age and sex. Based on the results, we conclude that BPFSC is a valid and reliable instrument to assess Borderline Personality features in adolescents. Implications for evidence-based assessment of Borderline Personality features in adolescence are discussed.

Methodological foundations of teaching stress resistance of students in the process of rationally organized motor activity

The article attempts to study and systematize the psychophysical components of stress resistance of students, and identifies the possibilities of pedagogical influence on the level of stress resistance of students by means of physical education. The purpose of the work is to study the main approaches to teaching stress resistance of students in the process of physical education based on the individual characteristics of their development. Methodology: in the process of research, the causes of educational stress were determined, the essence of stress resistance as an individual quality of personality and individual-typological features of the development of the students' body, which affect its level, the possibilities of learning stress resistance by means of physical culture in the process of theoretical analysis of data of modern psychological and pedagogical literature. Scientific novelty: the data on the components of stress resistance are summarized, the methodical foundations of teaching stress resistance of students in the process of rationally organized motor activity are disclosed. Conclusions. It was determined that stress resistance depends on the individual and typological characteristics of the organism's development, in particular, the properties of the nervous system, cognitive abilities, the level of adaptive and functional capabilities, and motor readiness of students. It was found that the means of physical culture provide a health-improving, developmental and recreational effect, influence the stress level and stress resistance of those who practice. The importance of rational planning of physical activity, taking into account the individual characteristics of the body's development, in order to provide each student with an optimal movement regime is substantiated.

The effect of yin yoga intervention on state and trait anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although some findings indicate that yoga can reduce stress and anxiety, many studies present mixed results. The potential of yoga interventions to alleviate anxiety, including the mechanisms and boundary conditions by which it does so, is an under-researched topic. Anxiety is often divided into "state anxiety" and "trait anxiety," the former being a temporary reaction to stressful events, while the latter is a more stable personality feature that responds to adverse situations or perceived threats. This study investigates whether a yin yoga intervention delivered online reduces state anxiety immediately after each yoga session and whether the anxiety levels are significantly lower at the end of the 10-week yoga intervention than at the beginning of the study. We also predicted no effect of yin yoga intervention on trait anxiety. The study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic when participants (N = 48 Latvian women) experienced heightened anxiety levels. This study shows that a ten-week online yin yoga intervention significantly reduced state anxiety in the intervention group compared with the control group. State anxiety levels also significantly decreased after each yin yoga session, providing more support for the anxiety-reducing effect of yin yoga. In contrast, yoga participation did not cause differences in trait anxiety between the control and intervention groups, even though trait anxiety decreased in the intervention group and increased in the control group over the study period. The positive effects of yin yoga on state anxiety indicate the potential of yin yoga intervention as a first-line treatment to control and reduce state anxiety, with possible additional effects on trait anxiety.

Antagonistic personality and symptoms of psychological distress: Feeling less bad about being impaired

People will inevitably encounter life problems, and symptoms of mental distress that arise from these problems, such as low self-esteem, unhappiness, or anxiety, may motivate people to change or seek professional help. While antagonistic personality features are often associated with increased impairment, positive mental distress relations are weak or inconsistent. It is possible that people with antagonistic personality features may be aware of their impairments yet suffer less mental distress from them. Here, we tested this “antagonistic-buffering hypothesis.” Participants (N = 446) completed measures assessing sadism, psychopathy, impairments in various life domains, and signifiers of mental distress. Results supported the antagonistic-buffering hypothesis: Sadism and psychopathy were associated with greater self-reported impairments, and the positive association between impairments and mental distress was smaller as a function of sadism and psychopathy. These effects could not be attributed to sex and held across tested domains of life impairment.