Psychological Processes Research Articles

A Preliminary Study of the Relevance of Zhu You Shu and Narrative Medicine

Abstract Zhu You Shu (祝由术 a form of traditional Chinese spiritual healing) originated in ancient times and was extensively utilized in China. This paper illustrates the origin, concept and techniques of Zhu You Shu in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and explores the correlation between Zhu You Shu and the three focuses and three elements of narrative medicine. The elements of Zhu You Shu, such as Zhu Shuo Bing You (祝说病由 explanation the original cause of the disease) and Qing Zhi Xiang Sheng (情志相胜 generation and restraint of emotions) share fundamental similarities with narrative medicine. Based on the principles of Zhu You Shu and narrative medicine, the doctor engages in active listening and communication with the patient to establish a trusting relationship. Utilizing the Qing Zhi Xiang Sheng technique, the doctor seeks to understand and regulate the patient's psychological processes. By integrating psychological cues, the aim is to restore emotional balance and enhance the patient's emotional and mental well-being while fostering a lasting emotional bond and providing spiritual support. Zhu You Shu has the potential to enhance the clinical pathway of narrative medicine in TCM. Simultaneously, the progress of narrative medicine will offer more sophisticated contemporary medical theories to assist the advancement of Zhu You Shu.

Longitudinal association of stress with mental health in the context of COVID-19: The mediating role of psychological flexibility and emotional schemas.

Stress is a known contributor to psychosocial pathological conditions and reduction of well-being. The literature has highlighted the role of emotional schemas and psychological flexibility as psychological processes underlying this relationship in the short term. This two-wave longitudinal study analyses the mediating role of psychological flexibility and emotional schemas in the relationship between stress responses to COVID-19-related events and mental health 6 months later. Two hundred and seventy-six individuals were included in this study, completing measures of stress responses, emotional schemas, psychological flexibility and positive and negative mental health. Negative evaluation of emotions was a significant mediator in the longitudinal relationship between stress responses and negative mental health. Valued action and openness to experience mediate the longitudinal relationship between stress responses and positive mental health. This study underscores the importance of the different dimensions of psychological processes, suggesting that over time, more maladaptive psychological processes play a significant role in elucidating the relationship between stress responses and negative mental health. Similarly, it suggests that more adaptive processes may help explain the relationship between stress responses and positive mental health. This contributes to a better understanding of the stability of these processes, which is important for determining which intervention targets should be prioritised.

The diminishing halo effect: Celebrities and negative events in marketing

Celebrities have long been utilized by brands to enhance their products and services, with the underlying assumption that the celebrity’s positive attributes and public image would transfer a halo effect to the endorsed products. However, recent years have witnessed a paradigm shift in this phenomenon, marked by a growing number of negative marketing events involving celebrities. We identify several key themes, including consumer attributions, psychological processes, social media amplification, consumer empowerment, and cultural shifts. Each contributes to a holistic understanding of why and how negative events involving celebrities can lead to a diminishing halo effect. Depending on whether consumers attribute the event internally or externally, their response can vary and, subsequently, affect the celebrity’s halo effect. Overlaying attribution theory provides deeper insights into the dynamics of consumer perception and response in the context of negative events in marketing. Understanding how consumers attribute causality to negative events and the psychological mechanisms that underpin their responses provides valuable insights for celebrities, brands, and marketers navigating the challenges of the digital age.

The influences of virtual-reality- and animation-supported gamified learning processes on students’ learning achievement and behavioral intention in retailing management courses

The application of virtual reality (VR)/animation-enhanced technologies to various educational settings has received increasing attention from academics and educators. However, empirical investigation of this issue using an integrated theoretical perspective is scarce in management education. Additionally, prior studies that specifically investigate the influences of the technological attributes of VR/animation-enhanced technologies and learners’ perceptions and experiences in management education contexts are scarce. This study thus investigates this issue by adopting the viewpoints of technological attributes and individual perceptions and experiences to comprehend students’ situated experiential learning. Therefore, to examine whether such a learning method improves learning achievement by enhancing long-term memory, this study conducted a quasi-experiment to understand how technological attributes influence students' cognitive and affective responses, confidence, and satisfaction, thus affecting behavioral intention and learning achievement. A total of 230 students participated in this study. The stimulus-organism-response model, situated learning theory, and flow theory were integrated in this study to explore the relationships between the factors of psychological state and students' experiential learning processes. All hypotheses were supported, except confidence did not significantly influence students' behavioral intention and learning achievement after four weeks. The implications for theory and practice of this study are subsequently discussed.

Belief Formation: A Cultural Evolutionary Lens

This paper investigates changes in belief and their evolution in relation to the paradigm of cultural evolution. It underlines the interaction of the environmental factor with the social dynamic. The model proposed herein is extremely widespread and involves the creation, maintenance, and diffusion of beliefs that afford a perspective on how such processes influence individual and collective psychological constructs. By synthesizing theories in the fields of biology, anthropology, and psychology, this research will argue that cultural evolution is one key mechanism able to explain both diversity and variability in human belief. The examination suggests that beliefs cannot be cast solely as some sort of passive variant of personal cognition; instead, they are actively generated by cultural dynamics and social learning techniques such as imitation and instruction. It is a book that places more emphasis on the role of political ideology in accepting scientific evidence and shows how directed reasoning leads to the perpetuation of noxious beliefs. It then investigates transfer biases supporting the reproduction of cultural traits across successive generations, hence affecting social structure and any effort of cooperation. This may lead to a nuanced grasp of how beliefs can be advantageous or disastrous, considering the prevailing social structures and ecology within which they live. Based on the wealth of research regarding under what circumstances beliefs arise and spread, this paper examines from a critical perspective psychological processes of belief systems and what they might portend for human behavior and social organization.

The Application of Self-Determination Theory in Psychological Counseling Process

Self Determination Theory (SDT) is an important theoretical framework used in psychological counseling to increase intrinsic motivation, strengthen psychological well-being and support behavioural changes. This study examines the applications and effects of SDT in psychological counseling in detail. Deci and Ryan SDT focuses on the needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness to increase the intrinsic motivation of individuals. Meeting these basic needs has positive effects on the psychological well-being of clients. SDT applications in psychological counseling stand out with their effectiveness in increasing client engagement and commitment to therapy. The autonomy-supportive approaches of SDT encourage clients to participate more actively in the therapy processes, which positively affects therapeutic outcomes. Research shows that SDT increases clients' intrinsic motivation and this motivation leads to high success rates in therapeutic processes. In the study, the application examples and case studies section shows how SDT is applied in various therapeutic contexts and what results it yields. The case studies illustrate how SDT supports clients' psychological well-being and is effective in behavioural change processes. Clinical research and meta-analyses provide important findings supporting the general validity and effectiveness of SDT. In conclusion, SDT is an effective approach in psychological counseling to increase clients' intrinsic motivation, strengthen their psychological well-being and support long-term changes.

Young adult Latino testicular cancer survivors: a pilot study of Goal-focused Emotion regulation Therapy (GET)

PurposeYoung adult Latino testicular cancer survivors experience adverse impacts after treatment. We developed Goal-focused Emotion regulation Therapy (GET) to improve distress symptoms, goal navigation skills, and emotion regulation. This open pilot trial extended GET to Latino young adult survivors of testicular cancer and assessed feasibility and tolerability as well as changes in anxiety and depressive symptoms. Secondary outcomes included goal navigation, emotion regulation, and components of hope-related goal processes (i.e., agency and pathway mapping). To assess the extent to which GET is culturally congruent or in need of adaptation, the influence of simpatía and acculturative stress were also examined.MethodsThirty-five eligible young adult (age 18–39) survivors treated with chemotherapy were enrolled and assessed at baseline. Study acceptability, tolerability, and therapeutic alliance were examined. Preliminary efficacy was evaluated for changes in anxiety and depressive symptoms as well as psychological processes (goal navigation, agency, goal pathway skill, and emotion regulation) from baseline to immediate post- and 3-month post-intervention.ResultsAmong the 35 men assessed at baseline, 54% initiated intervention sessions. Among these, 94.7% completed all study procedures. Helpfulness ratings of intervention components and therapeutic alliance scores were strong. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant reductions in anxiety and depressive symptoms from pre- to post-intervention with sustained change at the 3-month follow-up. Favorable patterns of change were also observed in GET-related psychological processes. Simpatía was associated with less depressive symptoms at post-intervention, but not change in anxiety. Acculturative stress was associated with increased anxiety and depressive symptoms over time.ConclusionGET is a feasible and acceptable intervention for reducing adverse outcomes after testicular cancer for young adult Latino men. Results should be considered preliminary but suggest meaningful changes in emotional and psychological outcomes.

Testing the capacity of Bard and ChatGPT for writing essays on ethical dilemmas: A cross-sectional study

Recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have led to concerns about its potential misuse in education. As large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT and Bard can generate human-like text, researchers and educators noted the potential redundancy of tasking students with writing academic essays. We aimed to explore if the two LLMs could generate unstructured essays on medical students’ personal experiences of challenges and ethical dilemmas that are indistinguishable from human-written texts. We collected 47 original student-written essays from which we extracted keywords to develop prompts for the LLMs. We then used these prompts to generate an equivalent number of essays using ChatGPT and Bard. We analysed the essays using the Language Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) 22 software, extracting the main LIWC summary measures and variables related to social and psychological processes. We also conducted sub-analyses for sixteen student essays that were presumably written entirely or in part by AI, according to two AI detectors. We found that AI-written essays used more language related to affect, authenticity, and analytical thinking compared to student-written essays after we removed AI-co-written student essays from the analysis. We observed that, despite the differences in language characteristics compared to student-written essays, both LLMs are highly effective in generating essays on students’ personal experiences and opinions regarding real-life ethical dilemmas.

Exploring the Power of Images and Videos in Visual Storytelling and Content Marketing: Airtel Ovajara as a Paradigm

This study examined the significant power of images and videos in visual storytelling and content marketing using Airtel Ovajara as a paradigm. In today’s digitally saturated landscape, the inability of content marketers to capture attention, convey complex ideas, and build brand authenticity using good images and videos has left some businesses in constant battle for audience/customer acceptability. Employing the Consumer behaviour theory which provided insights into the psychological processes that influence consumer responses to images and videos in visual storytelling, the paper explored the strategic ways in which Airtel Ovajara used images and videos to craft compelling narratives that not only showcased the brand but also fostered genuine connections with customers. The study adopted the mixed research methodology of content analysis and Key Persons Interviews (KPI) to understand the common themes, strategies and elements that position Airtel Ovajara’s visual storytelling as a successful marketing strategy. The use of images and videos as part of this strategy has revolutionized how brands engage with consumers, offering a dynamic way to communicate messages and evoke emotions. The study recommended a valuable insight into the strategic use of visual content to build stronger connections with audiences, demonstrating that effective visual communication was key to contemporary marketing.

A Multidisciplinary One Health Approach to Addressing Unsanitary Conditions: The Case of Cascais

Abstract Unsanitary conditions in domiciles often stem from complex social and health-related issues, involving the elderly and/or individuals with mental health problems. These situations typically lead to a decreased quality of life for those involved, directly and indirectly, and may pose a risk to public health depending on their magnitude. In Cascais municipality, identified cases of unsanitary conditions undergo a multidisciplinary analysis. It has been established a Local Technical Group for Domiciliary Unsanitary Situations, comprising various institutions such as local authorities, law enforcement agencies, civil protection, health and social security ministries, and the animal rescue center. This group operates under a One Health approach, encompassing human health, environmental health, and animal health. Interventions are determined by the working group, with the aim of promoting health and enhancing citizens’ quality of life. Cases of unsanitary conditions reported are subsequently discussed within the technical group, which has regular meetings, and may organize joint assessment visits and appropriate actions. This social and environmental initiative responds to the growing need to address unsanitary and cluttered living conditions, which significantly impact individuals’ physical, emotional, and social well-being. The objective is to restore housing conditions in homes by removing waste and unnecessary items, contributing to general individual well-being. While international studies suggest a correlation between unsanitary conditions and hoarding disorder, it’s crucial to differentiate between distinct and independent situations caused by various physical, psychological, and cognitive processes. The establishment of a Local Technical Group for Domiciliary Unsanitary Situations exemplifies a proactive approach to addressing complex health and social challenges, emphasizing collaboration, and holistic intervention strategies, always with a One Health approach. Key messages • Addressing unsanitary conditions is crucial for safeguarding public health, impacting physical, emotional, and social well-being. • The establishment of a Local Technical Group for Domiciliary Unsanitary Situations, under a One Health framework, reflects a collaborative approach to addressing complex health and social challenges.

Reward system activation improves recovery from acute myocardial infarction

Abstract Introduction Psychological processes play a crucial role in the recovery from acute myocardial infarction (AMI), yet the underlying mechanisms of these effects remain elusive. Here, we focused on the reward system, which mediates positively valenced emotions, motivation, and expectation and is based mainly on dopaminergic neurotransmission from the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Purpose The study examines the impact of activating dopaminergic neurons in the VTA following AMI in mice, aiming to understand the extent and mechanisms through which motivational brain network contribute to cardiac recovery process. Methods We used Designer Receptor Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs) to target neuronal activity. We performed an AMI model and assessed cardiac function using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). We used histology, immunohistochemistry, proteomic analysis, ELISA, reverse transcription-PCR, endothelial tube formation assay, and pseudorabies-virus neuronal tracing to investigate the mechanism. Results Chemogenetic activation of dopaminergic neurons in the VTA significantly modified the remodeling processes by reducing scar tissue (Fig. 1a) and increased vascularization (Fig. 1b) 15 days following AMI, leading to improved left-ventricular performance compared to control (Fig. 1c). These effects were mediated through several physiological mechanisms, including alterations in immune activity, and reduced adrenergic inputs to the liver. We further demonstrate an anatomical connection between the VTA and the liver that follows AMI manifested by altered transcription of complement component 3 (C3). We established the essential role of C3 in endothelial tube formation in vitro and its necessity in the beneficial effects of VTA activation on the recovery from AMI in vivo (Fig.2). Conclusion These findings establish a causal connection between a motivational brain network and recovery from AMI, introducing potential new therapeutic avenues for intervention.Effects of VTA activation on cardiac recMechanism of VTA effects

Psychological Determinants of Investment Decisions: Analyzing Financial Behavior in Personal Investments

Understanding the psychological factors that influence investor behavior is critical in the dynamic world of financial markets. Financial conduct encompasses the decisions and behaviors individuals exhibit in managing their finances, including investments in various asset classes. Factors such as risk tolerance, cognitive biases, emotional influences, and financial knowledge significantly shape investment outcomes. Gaining long-term financial success requires mastery over these behavioral aspects. This study investigates the influence of three psychological factors—information asymmetry, problem framing, and risk propensity—on the investment decisions of 220 active investors trading on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). A quantitative research approach was employed, utilizing a structured questionnaire to collect data. Statistical analyses, including regression and correlation analysis, were used to assess the relationships between these psychological variables and investment behaviors. The results reveal significant correlations between psychological factors and investment decisions. Information asymmetry, problem framing, and risk propensity were found to strongly influence individual investor choices. These findings shed light on the intricate role that cognitive biases and psychological processes play in shaping financial decision-making. The study's findings offer valuable insights into the psychological drivers behind investment behavior. By highlighting the impact of these factors, the research contributes to both academic understanding and practical applications for financial professionals. The results underscore the importance of enhancing financial literacy and investor education, enabling more informed decision-making and promoting improved financial outcomes.

The Impact of Growth Mindset on K-12 Students' Academic Performance in Australia

Students' performance in academic courses highlights the curriculum's development of knowledge and abilities, which is a crucial sign of academic success. The goal of the study is to determine how growth mindset affects students' academic performance in terms of engagement, skill development, information acquisition, and resilience. The purpose of this study is to emphasize the influence on Australian primary and secondary school students (K-12) aged 5-18 years, given the significance of this growth mindset on academic performance. In this study, the content analysis technique is used from 10 different studies and it is identified that there was no discernible growth mindset mediating effect in the relationship between reading achievement and formative assessment approaches. This study makes two different literary contributions. First of all, it links two related study streams: attitude and formative evaluation. This study has demonstrated that the connection between these two strands might lead to enhanced synergy between exterior educational approaches and internal psychological processes.

Could an evaluative conditioning intervention ameliorate paranoid beliefs? Self-reported and neurophysiological evidence from a brief intervention focused on improving self-esteem.

Much research on the treatment of paranoia has involved cognitive-behavioural interventions that address explicit social cognition processes. However, much of human cognition is preverbal or implicit, raising the possibility that such social judgements are implicated in paranoia. One type of implicit social cognition that has been investigated concerning paranoia is implicit self-esteem with some evidence that it may be possible to change implicit self-esteem using techniques based on conditioning theory. Therefore, the primary purpose of this research is to further evaluate the potential of this approach. At the same time, as a secondary purpose, we introduce a novel way of measuring social cognition that, we argue, has utility for investigating the psychological processes involved in paranoia. We conducted two proof-of-concept studies of a novel brief intervention based on evaluative conditioning, targeting implicit cognition. The first study was conducted with a large non-clinical sample, while the second study included a small series of psychotic patients. As part of our proof-of-concept evaluation of the potential of evaluative conditioning, we attempted to probe for neurophysiological changes following the intervention using magnetoencephalography in an exploratory way in the clinical sample. Our results revealed that both non-clinical and clinical participants in the experimental group showed a significant change in how they evaluated themselves in the social cognition task, which could be related to the perception of social information in a less threatening way. In addition, clinical participants in the experimental group showed changes in brain activity during the social cognition task, particularly in regions involved in emotional reactivity and mentalization processes. Our results are encouraging, suggesting that implicit cognition is manipulable, that such manipulation affects underlying neurophysiological mechanisms, and that there may be an impact on paranoid symptoms. However, much more work is required to determine whether this approach can produce meaningful clinical change and be delivered in routine clinical settings. Finally, it is important to note that we are not claiming the clinical effectiveness of our intervention, which is in a very early stage of development. Our goal here is to demonstrate clinical possibilities that warrant further investigation.

Social mobility as a driver of employee silence in India: toward a contextualized understanding of silence in emerging markets

PurposeThis paper aims to explore how the context in a dynamically developing country affects employee silence in India.Design/methodology/approachQualitative design involving semi-structured interviews with employees and managers from different sectors in the Mumbai and Delhi areas. An abductive approach was used to analyze the data.FindingsTwo types of social mobility concerns – advancement aspiration and fear of social decline – emerged as salient drivers of silence and can be attributed to a volatile job market, social status markers, transferability of qualification, someone’s socio-economic situation and the overall economic situation. Pathways were specified from social mobility concerns to silence tendencies that are motivated by both low approach and high avoidance.Research limitations/implicationsSocial mobility as a specific factor in the Indian distal context and as a characteristic of emerging markets can motivate silence while organization-related concepts like job satisfaction or commitment may have less predictive value. Propositions that were derived from the interview study need to be validated by deductive research. Generalizability of Indian findings across other emergent markets needs to be shown.Originality/valueTo the organizational behavior (OB) scholarship on silence, this research contributes by identifying antecedents of silence that are situated beyond the organizational boundaries challenging the dominant role of established factors at the team- and organizational level. To the human resource management/employment relations (HRM/ER) scholarship, this research contributes by theorizing psychological processes that link environmental factors to silence behaviors.

Prospective Adoptive Parent Psychological Evaluations: A Proposal for Required Content Areas

Current psychological evaluation processes for prospective adoptive parents lack standardization, leading to inconsistent assessments, potential placement issues, and adverse effects on adopted children well into adulthood. This brief proposes a structured framework for evaluations that includes 10 essential content areas and highlights the risks of inconsistent criteria. By standardizing the content areas of such evaluations, a pathway to more effective and consistent adoption practices can be implemented to improve parent readiness and enhance the well-being of adopted individuals throughout their lifespan.

How to Bridge Cognitive and Cultural Models of Religious Evolution

The scientific study of religion has roots in at least two traditions: a cognitive tradition which typically uses experimental studies to examine the proximal psychological processes underlying religious belief and ritual, and an anthropological tradition which uses historical and ethnographic data to examine how religious systems culturally evolve in social groups. In Religion Evolving, Purzycki and Sosis bridge both traditions and encourage a more integrated evolutionary science of religion. In this essay, I present three suggestions for how to make this science as ambitious and collaborative as possible. These suggestions are: (1) to move beyond straw man debates that pit byproduct models against functional models of religious evolution and acknowledge that these models are compatible from a dual inheritance perspective, (2) to evaluate functionalist claims with caution, recognizing how and when religion is adaptive vs. maladaptive for secular society, and (3) to avoid reductive definitions of religion and embrace religious pluralism. With these lessons in mind, we can usher in a bolder evolutionary science of religion that draws from both cognitive and cultural traditions.

Cultural Barriers to Women's Progression in Academic Careers: A France-Brazil Comparison Through the Lens of the Queen Bee Phenomena.

Despite significant improvements, women are still underrepresented at high levels in academia. Most research on these inequalities is conducted within a specific national academic system, without taking into account its cultural roots. The aim of the present study was to analyze the extent to which the cultural context acts as a barrier on women's career progression. Specifically, we focused on psychological processes described under the metaphor of Queen Bee Phenomenon that may reflect the ways in which female academics conform to male-gender roles encoded in androcentric social and academic culture. Two samples of women academic, one French (N = 73), the other Brazilian (N = 88), were compared through the lens of two dimension of the Queen Bee Phenomena: self-group distancing and gender hierarchy legitimation. Brazilian women identify more with their female peer group than their French counterparts. French women are more hostile to quotas and more inclined to adhere to meritocratic discourses than their Brazilian counterparts. Both academic contexts tend to perpetuate gender inequalities, but in different ways: by maintaining gender-stereotypical expectations in Brazil and meritocratic ideology in France. The implications for policies to promote a more egalitarian university context are discussed herein.

Integrating Social Development and Clinical Psychology: Implications for Enhancing Mental Health Interventions

This study investigates integrating social development theories and clinical psychology practices to enhance mental health interventions. The research underscores the importance of considering socio-cultural contexts in clinical settings by critically examining the interplay between social determinants and psychological processes. This interdisciplinary approach provides a nuanced understanding of how community dynamics, socio-economic conditions, and cultural norms impact mental health outcomes. The findings advocate for a comprehensive framework incorporating social development insights into clinical psychology to create more effective, culturally sensitive, and sustainable mental health interventions. This integration is posited to improve therapeutic efficacy and contribute to the broader goal of mental health equity across diverse populations.

Psychometric characteristics of the decision‐making ability scale among high school students

AbstractThe process of decision‐making is a multifaceted cognitive endeavor encompassing various cognitive, emotional, psychological, and social processes. It empowers individuals to select from a range of alternatives. Its significance spans across age groups, impacting both adults and children, and the relevance of which goes beyond aiding learners in choosing their educational or professional paths; it also pertains to preparing them to navigate the diverse situations they will encounter throughout their lives. To approach this ability, we developed a scale comprising 20 items, assessing five distinct decision‐making factors. This scale was administered to a sample of 303 learners in the first and second years of the baccalaureate course (pre‐final and final years of secondary education), representing both genders, and studying in four high schools. The participants’ ages ranged between 16 and 20 years. The results of this study revealed positive psychometric properties of the scale after its apparent validity was verified. Additionally, principal component analysis, using a latent root criterion greater than one (Eigenvalue > 1), and performing Varimax rotation, resulted in five factors that represent decision‐making styles (dependent, avoidant, confident, rational, intuitive) that explain 53.67% of the total variance. Through the application of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), the outcomes showcased favorable conformity indicators. The ratio of chi‐square value to degrees of freedom was recorded at less than 5 (x²/df = 1.531). The RMSEA index, at 0.041, remained below the accepted threshold of 0.08. The metrics (CFI, TLI, GFI, IFI) all surpassed 0.90, falling within acceptable ranges. Strong internal consistency between item scores and their respective factors was established by Pearson coefficients. The correlation coefficients between each factor's score and the total scale score were robust, ranging from 0.483 to 0.727. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the scale's factors ranged from 0.788 (highest) to 0.723 (lowest), with an overall scale stability coefficient of 0.748. These high coefficients collectively confirm the scale's validity, reliability, and appropriateness for implementation within the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.