Psychological Profile Research Articles

From healthy play to gaming disorder: Psychological profiles from emotional regulation and motivational factors.

The widespread popularity of video games reflects their appeal to meet fundamental needs. This study aims to investigate the psychological factors of gaming use, identifying profiles ranging from healthy to gaming disorder. In this cross-sectional study, 5,222 participants were surveyed. This international sample included adolescents and adults (16-69 years, M=25.6 years, SD = 6.44), 48.66% men (n = 2,541; M = 26.4, SD = 7.03), 42.32% women (n = 2,210; M = 25.1, SD = 5.78), and 9.02% non-binary individuals (n = 471; M = 23.3, SD = 5.23), spanning from casual gamers to esports professional players. Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was employed toidentify distinct psychological profiles. The profile indicators included emotional regulation and motivations for playing video games. The profile correlates analysed included gaming disorder symptoms, time spent gaming and sociodemographics. The LPA revealed four profiles labelled as avoidant (20.16%), engaged (38.95%), relational (26.01%), and dysregulated (15.78%). Results suggested that the dysregulated profile had the most emotional regulation difficulties, a low level of general motivation, and less interest in recreational gaming, presenting the highest risk for gaming disorder. This study's findings present the first profiles encompassing key detailed psychological factors affecting gamers' behaviour across all game genres, considering three genders. These profiles can aid researchers and clinicians in developing further research on targeted prevention and intervention programs tailored to each profile's characteristics to promote healthy gaming habits and mitigate the risks and harm associated with gaming disorder.

Decoding the elite soccer player’s psychological profile

Soccer is arguably the most widely followed sport worldwide, and many dream of becoming soccer players. However, only a few manage to achieve this dream, which has cast a significant spotlight on elite soccer players who possess exceptional skills to rise above the rest. Originally, such attention was focused on their great physical abilities. However, recently, a new perspective has emerged, suggesting that being an elite soccer player requires a deep understanding of the game, rapid information processing, and decision-making. This growing attention has led to several studies suggesting higher executive functions in soccer players compared to the general population. Unfortunately, these studies often had small and nonelite samples, focusing mainly on executive functions alone without employing advanced machine learning techniques. In this study, we used artificial neural networks to comprehensively investigate the personality traits and cognitive abilities of a sample of 328 participants, including 204 elite soccer players from the top teams in Brazil and Sweden. Our findings indicate that elite soccer players demonstrate heightened planning and memory capacities, enhanced executive functions, especially cognitive flexibility, elevated levels of conscientiousness, extraversion, and openness to experience, coupled with reduced neuroticism and agreeableness. This research provides insights into the psychology of elite soccer players, holding significance for talent identification, development strategies in soccer, and understanding the psychological traits and cognitive abilities linked to success.

Lost Highways: An Examination of the Question of Risk Involved in Sexual Homicides of Hitchhiking Victims.

Despite cultural references to the dangers of hitchhiking, particularly for sexual homicide, no published research investigates these incidents from both an offender and crime scene perspective. Using the Sexual Homicide International Database (SHIelD), we explore lifestyle risk by comparing sexual homicide cases involving hitchhiking victims to those involving victims engaged in sex trade work. The results, based on the use of bivariate and multivariate statistics, indicate that offenders view hitchhiking victims as opportunities for confinement without physical restraint, often engaging in sexual acts and theft. While not primarily sadistic or sexually deviant, many offenders partake in criminal activities, exhibit psychological disorders, and possess weapons. Hitchhiking facilitates perpetrator-victim encounters due to its environmental characteristics. Victims in the sex trade, typically found in isolated locations, are at the mercy of offenders who drive them to unknown destinations. In contrast, murderers targeting low-risk victims display more sexual preoccupations, inserting foreign objects and engaging in postmortem activities. These distinctions suggest distinct offender profiles for each lifestyle.

Human–Robot Interactions: A Pilot Study of Psychoaffective and Cognitive Factors to Boost the Acceptance and Usability of Assistive Wearable Devices

Robotic technology to assist rehabilitation provides practical advantages compared with traditional rehabilitation treatments, but its efficacy is still disputed. This controversial effectiveness is due to different factors, including a lack of guidelines to adapt devices to users’ individual needs. These needs include the specific clinical conditions of people with disabilities, as well as their psychological and cognitive profiles. This pilot study aims to investigate the relationships between psychological, cognitive, and robot-related factors playing a role in human–robot interaction to promote a human-centric approach in robotic rehabilitation. Ten able-bodied volunteers were assessed for their anxiety, experienced workload, cognitive reserve, and perceived exoskeleton usability before and after a task with a lower-limb exoskeleton (i.e., 10 m path walking for 10 trials). Pre-trial anxiety levels were higher than post-trial ones (p < 0.01). While trait anxiety levels were predictive of the experienced effort (Adjusted-r2 = 0.43, p = 0.02), the state anxiety score was predictive of the perceived overall workload (Adjusted-r2 = 0.45, p = 0.02). High–average cognitive reserve scores were predictive of the perception of exoskeleton usability (Adjusted-r2 = 0.45, p = 0.02). A negative correlation emerged between the workload and the perception of personal identification with the exoskeleton (r = −0.67, p-value = 0.03). This study provides preliminary evidence of the impact of cognitive and psychoaffective factors on the perception of workload and overall device appreciation in exoskeleton training. It also suggests pragmatic measures such as familiarization time to reduce anxiety and end-user selection based on cognitive profiles. These assessments may provide guidance on the personalization of training.

Psychological profiles associated with mental, cognitive and brain health in middle-aged and older adults

Psychological characteristics are associated with varying dementia risk and protective factors. To determine whether these characteristics aggregate into psychological profiles and whether these profiles differentially relate to aging health, we conducted a cross-sectional investigation in two independent middle-aged (51.4 ± 7.0 years (mean ± s.d.); N = 750) and older adult (71.1 ± 5.9 years; N = 282) cohorts, supplemented by longitudinal analyses in the former. Using a person-centered approach, three profiles emerged in both cohorts: those with low protective characteristics (profile 1), high risk characteristics (profile 2) and well-balanced characteristics (profile 3). Profile 1 showed the worst objective cognition in older age and middle age (at follow-up), and most rapid cortical thinning. Profile 2 exhibited the worst mental health symptomology and lowest sleep quality in both older age and middle age. We identified profile-dependent divergent patterns of associations that may suggest two distinct paths for mental, cognitive and brain health, emphasizing the need for comprehensive psychological assessments in dementia prevention research to identify groups for more personalized behavior-change strategies.

Comparative Analysis of SVM Classifiers in Criminal Profiling Using a Hybridized Algorithm

Comparative Analysis of SVM Classifiers in Criminal Profiling Using a Hybridized Algorithm

Analogy of Profiling Male and Female Serial Killers

This paper explores the similarities and differences in the psychological profiles of male and female serial killers through gender aspects, analyzing causes, motives, and methods of crime. The introduction provides an overview of basic concepts, while the sections on definitions and causes of serial murder discuss incoherent aspects due to the flexibility of conceptual determination which affects the empirical understanding of serial murder, including key risk factors contributing to the development of serial killing behavior. The identification of psychological profiles by analogy separates the characteristics of male and female serial killers, focusing on their motivations, methods, and relationships with victims. The discussion includes a comparative analysis and results of individual studies, highlighting differences in profiling strategies between genders and summarizing findings related to serial murders. The conclusion synthesizes the main findings, emphasizing the importance of a gender-specific approach in profiling serial killers for more effective investigation and prevention of these severe crimes.

Unveiling the Shadows: Interconnection of client violence and turnover intention in Chinese social work chain-mediated effects of fear and affective commitment

Abstract The client violence faced by social workers has been widely acknowledged, but research on the impact of client violence on turnover intention is scarce. Therefore, this study constructed a chain mediation model by incorporating two variables, fear and emotional commitment, from social workers’ psychological profiles. A questionnaire survey involving 602 social workers in central China yielded the following findings: (1) Client violence significantly and positively predicted turnover intention. (2) Fear and affective commitment serve as mediators between client violence and turnover intention. (3) Fear and affective commitment operated as chain mediators in the association between client violence and turnover intention. Specifically, client violence increases turnover intention by elevating the level of fear and decreasing affective commitment. The findings highlight the mechanism of the negative impact of client violence on turnover intention. Future practice should focus more on the psychological well-being of social workers and develop appropriate support to address the impact of client violence more effectively.

Unreliable Narrator and Its Pragmatic Effects in V. V. Nabokov’s “Pale Fire”

This article examines the narrative technique employed by V. V. Nabokov in his novel “Pale Fire,” reflecting postmodern skepticism towards metanarratives by subverting the formal elements of literary texts. The narrative is presented through the lens of an unreliable first-person narrator, Charles Kinbote, who, in his self-appointed role as commentator on John Shade’s poetic text, challenges established narrative norms, thereby destabilizing the structure of the novel. The aim of this study is to trace how Kinbote’s irrationalist approach to linguistic nominations complicates the reader’s access to the deeper meanings embedded within the text. It is established that the theme of Shade’s poem, which serves as the subject of Kinbote’s academic commentary, possesses an unstable form, leaving the reader unable to definitively identify character representations or ascertain whether the presented version of the poem is final. The unreliable narrator oscillates between two distinct narrative threads — one pertaining to the universe of New Wye and the other to the imagined world of Zembla — while simultaneously adopting various identities. The conclusion drawn is that the psychological profile of the commentator calls into question the veracity of his character, as he struggles to assess the relevance of disparate fragments of information.

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence, Ethical Implications and Technologies on the Electoral Process

The benefits in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the electoral process are enormous only when AI is used ethically and all stakeholders particularly those vested with the responsibility to conduct elections are ethically upright in their use of AI. The problem this paper seeks to address is how AI can be ethically used to aid the smooth conduct of elections and how can the benefits of AI be harnessed in the electioneering process. The methodology used in both data collection and analysis was expert judgement and systematic review. This paper analysed the various AI tools and techniques that are used to assist in the conduct of credible elections. Also discussed are the various ways that AI can be used negatively to influence voters namely deepfakes, automated bots, data privacy breaches, microtargeting, psychological profiles of voters, voting pattern prediction, and cyberattacks of electronic devices with the intention to rig elections. It is recommended that the ethical use of AI in elections should be advocated, and training of the citizens on the role of AI before, during and after elections and how to handle AI-related threats should be conducted well ahead of elections. Keywords: AI in Elections, Voting and AI, Ethical AI in elections, the impact of AI in electoral process, deepfakes and elections.

Donald Trump's Political Psychological Profile in the 2024 Election Campaign: Digital Media Bias and Social Polarization

Donald Trump's Political Psychological Profile in the 2024 Election Campaign: Digital Media Bias and Social Polarization

Who hates your brand? An analysis of consumer brand hater typology

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to develop a typology of brand haters, depending on their coping processes to the different stressful consumption situations, and associate these hate profiles with their corresponding psychological traits.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses a mixed methodology composed of two phases, a qualitative and a quantitative one, conducted simultaneously. The aim of the qualitative study is to define clusters of the antecedents and consequences of brand hate and better understand the coping responses of brand haters. This phase uses the OMIE (Multi-Image Elicitation) tool. During the quantitative phase, a series of multiple correspondence analyses (MCAs) allows characterizing and mapping each segment of brand haters according to their personality traits and the coping processes identified during the qualitative phase.FindingsDepending on their motives and the consequences of their brand hate, we identified three distinct types of brand haters. First, rational haters are particularly sensitive to the brand’s deceptive nature, leading to deep feelings of disappointment and efforts to avoid the brand. Next, hostile haters express an active form of hate driven by unauthentic brand practices or ideological reasons (e.g. exploitation of children), often with a focus on revenge. Lastly, threatened haters experience both passive and active forms of brand hate, stemming from perceived physical and mental threats that extend beyond individual complaints to broader societal issues. In terms of psychological profiles, our findings suggest that rational haters may exhibit extraverted and sophisticated personalities. Hostile haters, on the other hand, are associated with conscientious personality traits. Finally, threatened haters are characterized as agreeable and creative.Originality/valueThe paper uses a unique approach to map hater profiles with their coping responses and psychological traits. Additionally, the mixed methodology employed in this research contributes to its originality.

Gender-Specific Insights into Depression in Patients with Ischemic Heart Disease: Findings from a Pilot Study Using a Self-Developed Questionnaire.

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) significantly affects mental health, with gender-specific differences being observed in psychological responses. This pilot study aimed to explore these differences in the demographic, clinical, psychological, psychiatric, and social profile of patients diagnosed with IHD. A descriptive, cross-sectional design was used, recruiting 183 adult patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease and depression at the Psychiatry Department of Arad County Emergency Hospital, Romania, between May 2021 and May 2024. Data were collected using a self-developed tool, named the Depression Assessment in Ischemic Heart Disease Questionnaire (DA-IHDQ), alongside standardized assessments. Statistical analysis was performed using JASP statistical software (Version 0.19.1, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands), employing binomial and multinomial tests for categorical data, and Cronbach's alpha was used to assess internal consistency. This study found significant demographic differences, with female patients exhibiting higher levels of emotional distress and severe depression compared with the male subjects. Women reported greater social isolation and a stronger desire to seek for psychological or psychiatric support. Furthermore, a positive correlation between depression severity and physical symptoms was observed in both genders. These findings highlight the importance of recognizing gender-specific responses to IHD, emphasizing the need for tailored interventions in mental healthcare and cardiac rehabilitation. Future research should further explore these differences to enhance the understanding of the psychosocial/psychiatric aspects of IHD and improve patient outcomes.

Exploring physical, subjective and psychological wellbeing profile membership in adolescents: a latent profile analysis

BackgroundUnderstanding wellbeing in adolescents and within education settings is crucial to supporting young people. However, research defining and exploring wellbeing has typically taken a focus on subjective, psychological, social and emotional domains and has failed to incorporate aspects of physical health and wellbeing. This study aimed to explore how both physical and subjective and psychological wellbeing can be combined to generate different profiles of wellbeing in adolescents, and to understand the characteristics associated with this profile membership.Methods366 adolescents aged 11-16yrs (mean age 12.75) from three mainstream secondary schools across England completed an online survey capturing demographic characteristics, physical, subjective and psychological wellbeing, physical activity, emotional literacy, school belonging, and perceptions of learning ability. Latent profile analysis used a data driven approach to explore profiles of wellbeing using physical wellbeing and positive emotional state and positive outlook as predictors of profile membership. To understand profile characteristics demographics, physical activity and educational variables were added as co-variates.ResultsThree profiles were identified, (1) low wellbeing (n = 68, 19%) displaying low scores across physical wellbeing, positive emotional state and positive outlook, (2) moderate wellbeing (n = 168, 46%) characterised by average levels across physical wellbeing, positive emotional state and positive outlook, and (3) high wellbeing (n = 128, 35%) showing high score across physical wellbeing, positive emotional state and positive outlook. Compared to the high wellbeing profile, the moderate and low profiles membership was characterised by being older, being a girl, lower perceived socio-economic status, fewer hours of physical activity a week, and lower emotional literacy, school belonging and perceptions of learning.ConclusionsThe results evidence that physical, subjective and psychological wellbeing are closely inter-related, this finding coupled with increased physical activity in the higher wellbeing group signify physical health and activity are important components of overall wellbeing and should form part of a holistic approach to school wellbeing curriculums.

Juvenile Delinquent Behavior

Juvenile deviant behavior is the set of material or symbolic actions committed persistently, repeatedly, or continuously by the minor often considered a response to the frustration they experience while interacting with the environment and affecting negatively social values. The types of problematic behavior can be classified into the following categories: offenses against property, offenses against individuals, offenses against morality, juvenile delinquent conduct, juvenile crime. Considering the influence of individual variables on criminal behavior, criminology introduces the notion of offender personality as a component of the human personality within a bio-psycho-social framework. The individual’s psychological profile cannot be fully understood without the biological infrastructure on which he develops and outside the social superstructure in which it is embedded.

Psychological Symptom Cluster Severity Profiles Are Associated With Higher Levels of Stress and Worse Quality of Life in Postmenopausal Women With Breast Cancer.

Although common, the severity of the psychological symptom cluster (PSC) (ie, co-occurrence of anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep disturbance) varies among women with breast cancer. In addition, the impact of various types of stress and other risk factors on its severity are understudied, and the influence of the PSC on quality of life (QOL) outcomes remains poorly characterized. To identify subgroups of postmenopausal women with breast cancer with distinct PSC severity profiles following surgery and evaluate whether these subgroups differed in terms of demographic and clinical characteristics, symptoms, social and posttraumatic stress, and QOL. Following surgery, 159 postmenopausal women with early-stage, hormone receptor-positive breast cancer completed assessments of anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep disturbance, cognitive function, physical symptoms, stress, and QOL. Latent profile analysis was used to identify subgroups of women based on the severity of the prespecified PSC. Parametric and nonparametric tests were used to evaluate for subgroup differences. Three distinct PSC severity subgroups were identified (ie, Lower [71.7%], Moderate [23.9%], Higher [4.4%]). Compared with the Lower subgroup, the Moderate subgroup was less likely to have received prior radiation, and the Moderate and Higher subgroups had worse perceived cognitive function, higher symptom burden, higher posttraumatic stress, and lower QOL. Clinically relevant sleep disturbance was common across PSC subgroups. PSC severity is associated with higher posttraumatic stress and poorer QOL following breast surgery. Sleep disturbance is a common problem and may be undertreated. Assessments of posttraumatic stress and sleep disturbance are needed for timely intervention.

Mental Health Implications of Acne Vulgaris

Acne vulgaris, a prevalent chronic inflammatory skin condition, affects approximately 9.4% of the global population, with implications that extend beyond physical appearance to significantly impact mental health. While acne primarily manifests through visible skin lesions, such as comedones, papules, and pustules, the condition’s psychological toll can be profound. Many individuals with acne experience elevated levels of anxiety, depression, and reduced self-esteem, especially adolescents, for whom acne can disrupt self-identity formation. These mental health challenges are often exacerbated by the social stigma associated with visible skin conditions, leading to issues like social withdrawal, body image concerns, and, in severe cases, even suicidal thoughts. Effectively managing acne requires a holistic approach that addresses both physical symptoms and psychological well-being. Dermatological treatments, including topical retinoids, benzoyl peroxide, and oral isotretinoin, are commonly used to control acne symptoms. Dietary modifications, such as reducing high-glycemic foods and dairy, and the use of probiotics, have shown promise as supportive measures. However, addressing the psychological component is equally critical; integrating psychological interventions, such as counseling, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and patient education, can help alleviate the mental strain associated with acne, improve adherence to treatment, and enhance quality of life. Further research is essential to explore the long-term benefits of combined dermatological and psychological treatments and to develop personalized approaches that consider individual psychological profiles. A comprehensive treatment model that incorporates both physical and mental health support offers the potential for improved outcomes, fostering both dermatological recovery and mental resilience in individuals affected by acne vulgaris.

An overview of offender profiling

Generally speaking, criminals are caught by police for one or more of the following reasons: they confess to the crime; another criminal gives the police useful information about a crime; they are arrested red-handed or chased and caught by police; an eyewitness describes them; forensic evidence (fingerprints, footprints, DNA, etc.) at the crime scene or their handwriting or video footage is linked to them; or finally, because the police link a number of crimes committed by the same offender. Further, in today's large urban centres all over the world, the work of police detectives is becoming increasingly difficult, calling for more sophisticated techniques as criminals become even more adept. Films such as Silence of the Lambs, television series like Cracker in the UK, Mindhunter, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami or Profiler, and popular books like The Real Cracker by Stephen Cook (2001) , The Jigsaw Man and Picking Up the Pieces by Paul Britton (1998 , 2001 ) have popularised criminal profiling. In addition, well-known retired Federal Bureau of Investigation profilers (e.g. John Douglas, Roy Hazelwood, Robert Ressler) have published some of their experiences in helping law enforcement agencies catch serial killers. Likewise, in the UK, two very experienced offender profilers have published works; namely, academic psychologist Julian Boon and psychiatrist Richard Baddock. Offender profiling refers to the use of behavioural data evident in a crime to assist a police investigation by seeking to infer attributes of probable offenders, thus narrowing the police search for suspects.

Cosmetic Stature Lengthening: An Investigation Into Sociodemographic Determinants and Public Perceptions.

Height is an important psychosocial indicator, with short stature linked to a poorer quality of life. This study investigates public perceptions and attitudes toward cosmetic stature lengthening, a surgical procedure designed to increase individuals' height without a standard necessity. Using a mixed-methods approach, an online general population sample was surveyed using a crowdsourcing platform (Prolific Academic), which facilitates demographically representative samples. Societal influences, personal attitudes, and awareness of the procedure were explored. Our quantitative analysis revealed a distinct demographic and psychological profile for individuals more inclined toward the procedure, with self-perception of being short, believing height threatens career progression, and being male as notable factors. The primary motivating factor in these individuals was the range of potential height increase, whereas the most common deterrents were potential complications and weight-bearing status. Qualitative findings highlighted themes of negativity toward the procedure, concerns about pain and recovery time, acceptance of personal physical appearance, and empathy toward height-related distress. These findings underscore the need for public education, policy considerations, and multidisciplinary patient evaluation processes for cosmetic stature lengthening. Future research should focus on the short- and long-term physical and psychosocial effects to contribute to evidence-based patient education and informed consent.

78 Exploring the psychological profile of polytrauma patients: Insights from a major trauma center

78 Exploring the psychological profile of polytrauma patients: Insights from a major trauma center