Psychological Processes Research Articles

Depression: implications for learning and education

ABSTRACT Depression is a prevalent mental disorder that involves low mood, lack of pleasure and reduced energy. Previous research on depression, learning, and education has focused on developing and testing preventive interventions. However, as these interventions are not entirely effective, there is a need to understand how to best manage depression in the educational system so that affected individuals may progress and grow. Supporting students with depression requires knowing how the disorder may affect psychological processes that are vital for learning and knowledge acquisition, and I propose that depression may compromise cognitive focus, hinder intrinsic motivation, and lower self-confidence. Additionally, supporting affected students requires knowing how to best interact with them, and I suggest five strategies that may be beneficial to adopt, namely limiting destructivity, instilling hope, promoting control, embracing failure, and fostering understanding. Finally, I discuss the opportunities for and the obstacles to intervention.

Integrative Therapy for Youth with Cannabis Use Disorder Targeting Attachment Insecurity and Emotion Dysregulation: A Process-Based Case Study

Regular cannabis use during adolescence can have cognitive, psychological, and social consequences, leading to significant distress. Although psychological interventions are the primary treatment for cannabis use disorder, their efficacy in adolescents remains limited. This case study presents a comprehensive overview of a process-based conceptualization and treatment approach, Integrated Therapy for Adolescent Cannabis Misuse (ITACM), tailored for a young female patient with concurrent severe cannabis use and emotional symptoms. ITACM is an individual, brief intervention that includes family sessions, targeting emotion dysregulation and interpersonal difficulties, both of which have been empirically linked to cannabis use disorder in young people. The treatment integrates motivational interviewing, cognitive and behavioral therapy (including psychoeducation, promoting alternative behaviors, and relapse prevention) and an attachment-based therapy (addressing emotion regulation, relational processes, and promoting corrective attachment experiences). A thorough assessment of psychiatric symptoms and psychological processes was conducted at baseline, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and at a 2-month follow-up. At the end of the treatment, the patient reported a significant decrease in her cannabis use, anxiety, and depression, as well as improvements in emotion regulation strategies. The case study underscores significant outcomes following a 10-week course of psychotherapy addressing cannabis use, emotional dysregulation, and interpersonal difficulties in a young patient. The treatment protocol appears promising and warrants further investigation through a randomized controlled trial.

Maximize the Impacts of Forgiveness Education with Moral Agency Development

Forgiveness education is more than the teaching of forgiveness. Since forgiveness education cultivates virtuous characters and the best self as the moral self, it sets the foundation for moral agency development. Based on a review of research and the literature about the psychological processes of forgiveness and moral agency, this article illustrates how the forgiveness virtue and moral agency operate and enhance each other for their common roots in the moral self. Due to their symbiotic relationship, promoting moral agency development in forgiveness education is beneficial for the cultivation of mature forgivers, mature moral agents, and good citizens with virtuous characters. To maximize the effectiveness and the impacts of forgiveness education, the GMIRA method is proposed. That is, setting the learning goal of living and being the best self; social modeling towards the goal, and blending the holistic moral agency concept into the existing forgiveness curriculum using the IRA (invitation, reflection, and assessment) strategies. Since moral agency is adaptive, the IRA methods can be flexibly applied to fit individual developmental needs across time and social-cultural contexts in all types of education. This novel idea is open for future research.

Teacher-student relationships: the roles of teachers’ emotional competence, social emotional learning beliefs, and burnout

ABSTRACT Using a questionnaire survey methodology, this study examined associations among elementary school teachers’ perceptions of their emotional competence, positive social emotional learning beliefs, burnout perceptions, and the quality of their relationships with students. Participants were 120 teachers (88 females and 32 males) recruited from 15 Greek schools. Results demonstrated that teachers’ perceptions of their emotional competence and personal achievement were both positively associated with their perceptions of their relationships with their students as close. When teachers reported high levels of emotional exhaustion, commitment to social emotional learning was positively related positively to perceptions of teacher-student closeness. In contrast, when teachers reported high levels of teacher depersonalisation and personal achievement, commitment to social emotional learning was negatively associated with their perceptions of teacher-student closeness. Teachers reported less conflict with students when they reported experiencing high levels of personal achievement. Findings indicate that psychological processes linking various dimensions of teachers’ social-emotional competence to relationship-building between teachers and students in Greek classrooms are similar to those that operate in the U.S. Strategies to support the development of effective training in social emotional competence for teachers and school leaders are discussed.

The Role of Oxytocin in Maintaining Sleep Quality of Leprosy Patient: A Literature Review

Around 80% of leprosy sufferers complain of pain that affects sleep quality and mental health, which has an impact on insomnia. Several factors impair the quality of life in leprosy, including skin lesions and social stigma, long treatment duration, leprosy reactions, disability, mental disorders, and chronic neuropathic pain complications The broad impact of leprosy on aspects of patients' lives has increased attention to the role of oxytocin which has an influence on many target organs. Oxytocin is a hormone that plays a vital role in various physiological and psychological processes in the body. Recent studies have shown a potential relationship between blood oxytocin levels and sleep quality. Improvement of sleep quality by oxytocin is related to inhibition of the HPA axis, melatonin, and orexin secretion. Besides that, social relation and emotional improvement also attributed to oxytocin's anxiolytic, anti-depressant, and tranquilizing effects as well as improved emotional stability. Oxytocin also affect smooth and skeletal muscle activity, as well as muscle condition in preparation for sleep. Keywords: plasma oxytocin levels, multibacillary leprosy, sleep quality

Establishing construct validity for dynamic measures of behavior using naturalistic study designs.

There has been a recent surge of naturalistic methodology to assess complex topics in psychology and neuroscience. Such methods are lauded for their increased ecological validity, aiming to bridge a gap between highly controlled experimental design and purely observational studies. However, these measures present challenges in establishing construct validity. One domain in which this has emerged is research on theory of mind: the ability to infer others' thoughts and emotions. Traditional measures utilize rigid methodology which suffer from ceiling effects and may fail to fully capture how individuals engage theory of mind in everyday interactions. In the present study, we validate and test a novel approach utilizing a naturalistic task to assess theory of mind. Participants watched a mockumentary-style show while using a joystick to provide continuous, real-time theory of mind judgments. A baseline sample's ratings were used to establish a "ground truth" for the judgments. Ratings from separate young and older adult samples were compared against the ground truth to create similarity scores. This similarity score was compared against two independent tasks to assess construct validity: an explicit judgment performance-based paradigm, and a neuroimaging paradigm assessing response to a static measure of theory of mind. The similarity metric did not have ceiling effects and was significantly positively related to both the performance-based and neural measures. It also replicated age effects that other theory of mind measures demonstrate. Together, our multimodal approach provided convergent evidence that dynamic measures of behavior can yield robust and rigorous assessments of complex psychological processes.

Flourishing, Cinematic Self, and Sense of Self as Predictors of Death Anxiety: A Gender-Invariant Model.

This research delved into the intricate landscape of death anxiety, a profound psychological phenomenon that deeply influences individuals' perceptions and responses to mortality. Through a meticulous examination of key psychological factors - flourishing, cinematic self, and sense of self - we aimed to unravel the complexities surrounding this existential concern. With a diverse sample of 327 Portuguese participants, our study sheds light on the significant role these constructs play in shaping individuals' experiences of death anxiety. Notably, we highlight the profound impact of a robust sense of self in mitigating anxiety levels. Additionally, our exploration of gender dynamics revealed consistent patterns across diverse groups, underscoring the universal nature of these psychological processes. By providing a nuanced understanding of death anxiety and its determinants, our study offers valuable insights for the development of tailored interventions aimed at alleviating psychological distress and promoting well-being in individuals facing existential concerns.

How individuals with psychosis develop and maintain resilience to suicidal experiences through psychological therapy: a qualitative study

BackgroundAlmost half of people with psychosis have suicidal experiences. There is limited understanding of the processes underpinning psychological resilience to psychotic and suicidal experiences especially in people who have engaged with psychological talking therapies. Hence, the current study aimed to redress this gap by examining the perspectives of clients who had recent lived-experiences of psychosis, suicidality, and psychological therapy.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 35 participants who had psychosis and suicidal experiences in the three months prior to recruitment. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.ResultsThere were four key psychological processes that contributed to resilience: (1) gaining a sense of control by nullifying perceptions of being controlled by overwhelming emotional and psychotic experiences, and instead, acquiring confident autonomy; (2) gaining a sense of hope facilitated by experiencing mental health problems on a fluctuating continuum, translating immersive positive memories into future possibilities, and embracing meaningful personal values; (3) developing genuine self-worth based on compassionate self-understanding, and affirmation of personal qualities; and (4) finding acceptance by being able to live alongside psychotic and suicidal experiences. Specific resilience components that participants developed through psychological therapy, together with their own knowledge and observations, were identified.ConclusionsPeople who live with psychotic and suicidal experiences can, and do, experience psychological change and psychological resilience in response to psychological therapy. To promote resilience, practitioners should pursue a person-based, client-directed approach; embrace acceptance; and be open to exploring different ways of working with clients’ experiences of overwhelming thoughts and emotions.

Trait-level somatic anxiety modulates functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) neural synchrony to naturalistic stimuli.

Somatic anxiety refers to the tendency to appraise situations as threatening, leading to heightened physiological arousal. Symptoms associated with higher levels of somatic anxiety that reflect autonomic arousal and perceptions of threat include elevated heartbeat perception, difficulty breathing, and palpitation. Somatic anxiety is generally associated with increased stimulus-driven attention; however, it is currently unknown how somatic anxiety modulates neural synchrony, measured by intersubject correlations (ISC), in response to complex audiovisual stimuli. The present study seeks to identify how differing levels of somatic anxiety are associated with neural synchrony during psychological processing of audiovisual stimuli, as measured by ISC and intersubject representational similarity analyses. We hypothesize that individuals with higher levels of somatic anxiety will show heightened ISC in response to an audiovisual stimulus in regions associated with stimulus-driven attention, including the superior parietal lobule, supplementary motor area, and precentral gyrus. Results from this study identified that higher levels of somatic anxiety are associated with widespread heightened ISC across the brain, including in regions associated with perceptual processing and stimulus-driven attention. Taken together, this research suggests that higher levels of somatic anxiety are associated with similar processing in brain regions involved in stimulus-driven attention and top-down processing, whereas lower levels of somatic anxiety are associated with similar processing in brain regions associated with higher level visual processing. These results collectively emphasize that somatic anxiety levels should be measured and controlled for during naturalistic functional magnetic resonance imaging paradigms, as this trait may have an influence on synchronous neurological activity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

How Do Religious Women Cope with Marital Conflict and Hardship?

Frequent conflict is a significant relationship risk factor for divorce, but it has also been shown that religion strengthens marriages, specifically in ways that give direction and motivation for couples in resolving marital conflict or other marital hardships. Thus, a study of how successful religious couples resolve conflict is pertinent in helping us better understand how to strengthen marriages and families. Our qualitative study of 113 highly religious women of diverse faiths and races found that women’s perceived relationship or connection with God reportedly impacted conflict resolution and coping with marital hardship. Results suggest greater reconciliation and unity with the women’s husbands through couple and relational processes, but more often through personal and psychological processes. The main themes that emerged are: (a) God is at the center of the marriage, and (b) God changed our character (internal manifestations) enabling us to be better prepared to navigate conflict and endure hardships in marriage. Part two of this paper will examine how external manifestations of a relationship with God (i.e., prayer, scripture study, and involvement in a faith community) further help women of faith cope with marital conflict and hardship.

Input device matters for measures of behaviour in online experiments

Studies of perception, cognition, and action increasingly rely on measures derived from the movements of a cursor to investigate how psychological processes unfold over time. This method is one of the most sensitive measures available for remote experiments conducted online, but experimenters have little control over the input device used by participants, typically a mouse or trackpad. These two devices require biomechanically distinct movements to operate, so measures extracted from cursor tracking data may differ between input devices. We investigated this in two online experiments requiring participants to execute goal-directed movements. We identify several measures that are critically influenced by the choice of input device using a kinematic decomposition of the recorded cursor trajectories. Those using a trackpad were slower to acquire targets, mainly attributable to greater times required to initiate movements and click on targets, despite showing greater peak speeds and lower variability in their movements. We believe there is a substantial risk that behavioural disparities caused by the input device used could be misidentified as differences in psychological processes. We urge researchers to collect data on input devices in online experiments and carefully consider and account for the effect they may have on their experimental data.

Deepfakes as narratives: Psychological processes explaining their reception

Hyper-realistic AI-generated synthetic media, known as deepfakes, manipulate appearances and actions, often to depict fabricated events. As technological advancements make them more and more realistic, their potential for both harmful deception and creative innovation becomes stronger than ever. This study explores how individuals interact with deepfakes of different genres when they are aware of their artificial nature. It proposes a model that connects these reactions to the psychological processes that are typically involved in responses to fictional narratives. A total of 1,031 US participants (MAge = 43.0, SD = 14.0, RangeAge = 18-93) watched one of ten randomly assigned deepfakes (5 genres x 2 different videos) and then completed a series of questionnaires assessing familiarity with the protagonist, narrative transportation, perceived realism, message evaluation, enjoyment, and sharing intentions. The results confirm that, regardless of genre, narrative transportation prompts positive evaluations of perceptual quality and narrative consistency, which in turn influences enjoyment. Greater enjoyment, transportation and familiarity with the protagonist are predictors of heightened sharing intentions. These findings address gaps in our understanding of how people respond to deepfakes, with implications for entertainment and narrative theory.

The Psychological and Social Landscape of Orphans: Journey Navigation

Orphanhood constitutes a profound journey marked by unique psychological landscapes. This article delves into the intricate dynamics of orphanhood, exploring the multifaceted dimensions of psychological experiences that shape the lives of individuals bereaved of parental care. Through integrative theoretical research, this paper illuminates the challenges, resilience, and psychological processes inherent in navigating the journey of orphanhood. From the complexities of attachment disruptions to identity formation amidst loss, the psychological terrain of orphanhood offers valuable insights for understanding human adaptation and growth in the face of adversity. By shedding light on these psychological landscapes, this article aims to foster greater awareness, empathy, and support for individuals traversing the path of orphanhood.

Application of Machine Learning Models in Social Sciences: Managing Nonlinear Relationships

The increasing complexity of social science data and phenomena necessitates using advanced analytical techniques to capture nonlinear relationships that traditional linear models often overlook. This chapter explores the application of machine learning (ML) models in social science research, focusing on their ability to manage nonlinear interactions in multidimensional datasets. Nonlinear relationships are central to understanding social behaviors, socioeconomic factors, and psychological processes. Machine learning models, including decision trees, neural networks, random forests, and support vector machines, provide a flexible framework for capturing these intricate patterns. The chapter begins by examining the limitations of linear models and introduces essential machine learning techniques suited for nonlinear modeling. A discussion follows on how these models automatically detect interactions and threshold effects, offering superior predictive power and robustness against noise compared to traditional methods. The chapter also covers the practical challenges of model evaluation, validation, and handling imbalanced data, emphasizing cross-validation and performance metrics tailored to the nuances of social science datasets. Practical recommendations are offered to researchers, highlighting the balance between predictive accuracy and model interpretability, ethical considerations, and best practices for communicating results to diverse stakeholders. This chapter demonstrates that while machine learning models provide robust solutions for modeling nonlinear relationships, their successful application in social sciences requires careful attention to data quality, model selection, validation, and ethical considerations. Machine learning holds transformative potential for understanding complex social phenomena and informing data-driven psychology, sociology, and political science policy-making.

Scaffolded Rumination: The Case of Problematic Smartphone Use

AbstractDebates in 4E and scaffolded cognition have been centered on cases in which human cognitive or affective capacities are enhanced through technology. Recently some authors have noted that this may not always be the case: the technologies and environment around us can negatively impact cognitive and affective abilities. In the first part, I elaborate on this change of perspective in the debate. In the second part, I discuss a case of technology scaffolding maladaptive psychological processes. More in detail, I will focus on the role of smartphones in scaffolding ruminative processes. To illustrate this claim, I introduce four core features of rumination and discuss how they may be supported by problematic smartphone use in light of existing evidence.

“Vous parlez anglais?” “Pas du tout”: cross-cultural challenges faced by Chinese inpatriates in France

PurposeChina is playing an increasingly prominent role in global business. However, there has been relatively little research on Chinese inpatriates working in Western countries, particularly in non-Anglo cultural contexts. This study attempts to explore the process of cross-cultural adjustment (CCA) and integration into corporate headquarters of Chinese inpatriates working in France, including the favorable factors that accelerate this process.Design/methodology/approachBased on a qualitative, single-case study of Group X, a pseudonym for a French multinational enterprise, the authors drew on semi-structured interviews with 18 Chinese inpatriates and investigated their CCA and integration process at the French headquarters of their employer.FindingsThe CCA and integration process of Chinese inpatriates at the French headquarters includes three stages: honeymoon and/or crisis period, adjustment and/or integration period and mutual growth period. Chinese inpatriates mainly face language barriers and Sino-French cross-cultural challenges. They overcome these challenges by learning the language and culture of the host country and using co-cultural and cross-cultural Guanxi. Experiences vary, with some Chinese inpatriates bypassing the honeymoon and/or crisis stage and entering directly into the adjustment and/or integration stage and some even leapfrogging both initial phases to attain a stage of mutual growth. Favorable factors for this CCA and integration acceleration include experience of living abroad, the host country language proficiency, organizational service support and the English working environment.Originality/valueThe study enhances the theoretical framework of Chinese expatriates’ psychological adjustment process through two key contributions. First, it enriches the three stages by incorporating new aspects, namely the honeymoon facet at the crisis stage, the integration into the headquarters facet at the self-adjust stage and the promoting organizational growth facet at self-growth stage. Second, it adds precision to the horizontal timeline by incorporating two additional initial points for the adjustment and integration process. Until now, Chinese inpatriates and the French context have received little attention, and this research takes a step forward by illuminating the CCA and integration process of Chinese inpatriates in this non-Anglophone country.

From active escapism to virtual withdrawal: Validation of the Compensatory-Dissociative Online Gaming scales (C-DOGs).

In the Compensatory-Dissociative Online Gaming (C-DOG; Giardina etal., 2024) model, we proposed a continuum from compensatory to dissociative gaming involvement. This continuum represents different degrees of integration between physical and virtual environments with three core processes - Active Escapism, Escape, and Dissociation - and two peripheral processes - Gaming-Related Relaxation and Body-Mind Detachment. Here, we developed and tested a multidimensional measure based on this model. We capitalized on existing items for measuring escapism and dissociation and we generated new items consistent with the hypothesized model dimensions. A total of 54 items were administered to 1,176 online gamers playing different game genres, together with measures of problematic gaming, passion for gaming, and other psychological distress indicators. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses yielded a six-factor, 36-item structure, with multiple hierarchical regression analyses highlighting unique associations with other psychological constructs assessed. The following factors were identified: (1) Emotional Displacement - redirection of negative emotion into the game with associated relaxation; (2) Absorption - detachment of the player from time and space while gaming; (3) Active Escapism - simulative use of the game to compensate for lack of self-confidence in reaching physical life objectives; (4) Virtual Withdrawal - maladaptive gaming to balance impaired social functioning, predicted by traumatic experiences and pervasive depression; (5) Dissociative Regulation - dysfunctional level of engagement associated with excessive anxiety; (6) Failure Escape - problematic avoidance via gaming related to fear of future failures. The C-DOG factors identify critical psychological processes associated with problematic gaming, with relevant research and clinical implications.

Experiences of parents of children with mental illnesses: A systematic review and meta-ethnographic synthesis.

In this paper, we present a qualitative meta-ethnographic synthesis of 26 articles reporting experiences of subjective burden in 389 parents of children with mental illnesses. The studies were identified through a systematic literature search of PubMed, CINAHL Ultimate, APA PsycInfo, and MedLine Ultimate. We conducted a quality appraisal and followed the seven stages of meta-ethnographic synthesis. We developed a line of argument synthesis in the form of a model that depicts the subjective, temporal, and psychological experiences of parents. The model proposes a cyclical process characterized by five stages, each depicting a transitional point in which parents re-evaluate their experiences: caring for an intimate stranger; turning point; unavoidable role; uncertain future; transcendence. This model highlights the complex psychological processes that parents endure when caring for a child with a mental illness. The review highlights several methodological issues in this field of research, including issues related to sampling, poor reporting of data analysis, limited critical appraisal, and a lack of reflexivity. Future research should address the gaps in the literature while also attending to the issues that have been highlighted by this review.

“It’s All in a Good Night’s Sleep”: Examining the Meta-Analytic Relationship Between Sleep and Cyberbullying Perpetration

ABSTRACT A burgeoning amount of empirical research has focused on the variables and psychological processes that predict cyberbullying perpetration. One variable that has received recent attention is sleep (quality and duration), and the findings are mixed. Therefore, the purpose of the current meta-analysis is to understand the moderating variables and mediating processes that relate sleep with cyberbullying perpetration. After identifying relevant research that met our inclusionary criteria, we used a random effects meta-analysis in R to synthesize effect sizes regarding the relationship between sleep and cyberbullying perpetration. First, our results showed that sleep was negatively related to cyberbullying perpetration. Second, using MASEM techniques, results showed that aggression, self-control, and negative emotionality significantly mediated the meta-analytic relationship between sleep and cyberbullying. Finally, moderation tests showed that neither study design (correlational vs. longitudinal), participant age, nor sleep construct (quality vs. quantity) moderated the overall relationship between sleep and cyberbullying. These results support past research and provide practical guidance regarding the relationship between sleep and cyberbullying.

Environmental Psychology Open: Opening new doors for environmental psychology

Environmental psychologists study how natural and built environments affect human behavior and psychological processes as well as what people think, feel, and do about those environments (Gifford, 2014). In view of the ongoing rapid and detrimental anthropogenic changes to the natural environment, such as climate change and biodiversity loss, robust, visible, and applicable psychological knowledge is needed to inform societal transformations of human-environment transactions. With Environmental Psychology Open (EPO), we present a new and freely accessible platform for the communication and discussion of such knowledge.