With the growing integration of AR/VR/Metaverse technologies across luxury brands, advertising has shifted to providing consumers with a personalised experience in which they can engage with brands via digital avatars. Given the considerable success of Metaverse advertising, it is apparent that organisations need to reinvent their advertising strategies to enhance consumer experience and brand engagement over digital platforms. However, this reinvention would require organisations to develop an advertising strategy that creates a coherent brand experience for consumers and provides them with an immersive brand experience on Metaverse platforms. As a result, this study undertakes a bibliometric approach to provide a comprehensive understanding of how integrating Metaverse platforms with advertising strategies can enhance brand engagement among consumers. More precisely, a keyword search strategy is formulated, and a multi-database search is performed across key databases, including Scopus, EBSCOhost, and ProQuest. In doing so, results from Scopus databases are visualised through network and overlay visualisation maps to understand how key themes/knowledge structures are associated with Metaverse advertising and brand engagement. Besides this, the study also showcases the key theoretical perspectives (i.e., psychological perspectives, value-based perspectives, technology/innovation perspectives, and social interaction perspectives) across these studies to understand how brands have well-infused Metaverse advertising to enhance brand engagement among consumers. Lastly, the study also provides a deeper understanding of the key challenges that are associated with the widespread implementation of Metaverse advertising.

Neurobiological and psychosocial mechanisms linking early life stress to the pathogenesis of eating disorders.

Preparing Chinese higher vocational students to succeed in a globalized and multicultural world: Enhancing their oral English competence and intercultural competence.

Foreign language academic buoyancy, enjoyment and academic achievement among Chinese senior high school students.

The relationship between psychological resilience and learning engagement of college students: A moderated mediation model.

Mnemonics, optimization, and leveraging what we already have: Comment on "To enhance or not to enhance: A debate about cognitive enhancement from a psychological and neuroscientific perspective" by Grinschgl, S., Ninaus, M., Wood, G., & Neubauer, A. C.

Quantum-enhanced throughput pathways: Integrating Rodgers' TPM with quantum ethical frameworks for AI-driven cybersecurity.

Psychological factors in consumer intentions toward smartwatches: A study on technology adoption and behavior.

Psychological dimension of resource use in smallholder farming: Insights from credit access, landholding, and technology adoption in India.

Crowdfunding has emerged as an alternative way of financing for both commercial and non-commercial purposes. While fundraisers enjoy enhanced financing accessibility, agility, and real time feedback from the market, financing health is challenged by fundraisers' misconduct such as fraudulent claim, wealth flaunting, and fund abuse. The voluntary nature of crowdfunding amplifies individual reactions to misconduct, offering a critical lens for examining how aggregated psychological reactance shapes collective decisions. This study attempts to explain potential backers' reactions to fundraiser misconduct in a crowdfunding project through the theoretical lens of psychological reactance. Building upon psychological reactance theory, the intertwined process cognitive-affective model, and relevant findings in the crowdfunding literature, a disjoint two-stage partial least squares structural equation modeling research model was applied to analyze the data collected from an online survey of 339 valid responses. The results indicated that potential backers regarded misconduct by a fundraiser as a significant threat to their freedom of donation in public crowdfunding. Antecedents, constituted by misconduct and trait proneness to reactance, were able to trigger a high level of psychological reactance. The state reactance, manifested in high levels of intertwined emotional and cognitive responses, induced particular attitudes towards the fundraiser, crowdfunding project, alternative crowdfunding projects, and expectations of other backers. Then, the aroused attitudes led to a series of behaviors aim at restoring the threatened freedom of donation. The mediating effect of psychological reactance on the positive relationship between antecedents and attitudes was empirically proved significant. The findings of this study offer valuable insights for both scholarly discourse on crowdfunding and practitioners engaged in crowdfunding endeavors.

This paper focuses on exploring the impact of educational interventions integrating music therapy on enhancing family support for cancer patients and their subsequent effects on patient rehabilitation, with a core aim to address two key research questions: 1) Can a comprehensive educational intervention program—integrating online courses, offline workshops, one-on-one consultations, and music therapy modules (music meditation, music-assisted communication)—designed from a psychological perspective to target family members’ cognition, care skills, coping abilities, and family communication, significantly improve the multi-dimensional level of family support (including cognitive, emotional, and practical support) for cancer patients? 2) Through which psychological pathways do the traditional educational modules and music therapy modules respectively exert effects, and how do they synergistically influence the rehabilitation outcomes of cancer patients? The study adopted a randomized controlled trial design, recruiting 120 pairs of cancer patients and their family members, who were randomly divided into an intervention group (IG) and a control group (CG). The IG received an 8-week comprehensive intervention integrating educational content and music therapy, while the CG received routine care. Results showed that the family support level of the IG continued to improve significantly during the intervention period—with the high music participation subgroup showing a more pronounced enhancement—and the patients’ rehabilitation status (including rehabilitation progress, treatment adherence, and complication incidence) was notably superior to that of the CG. Questionnaire surveys, in-depth interviews, medical record reviews, and physiological indicator tests (salivary cortisol) collectively confirmed the positive effects of the intervention, particularly the independent value of music therapy in relieving emotional stress and strengthening emotional bonds. The research concludes that educational interventions integrating music therapy can effectively enhance the multi-dimensional family support for cancer patients through the synergistic effect of “ability building (educational modules) + emotional motivation (music modules)” and promote their rehabilitation, providing strong evidence and practical support for the clinical application of such integrated intervention programs.

Deepfakes are AI-generated images, videos, and texts that convincingly mimic real individuals. In recent years, such forgeries have proliferated across social media, and their role in fraud cases has increased markedly. However, detection tools often fail in real-world conditions; open-source detectors typically perform only half as well on "in-the-wild" content compared to curated test sets. This performance gap heightens the risk that fabricated content will undermine public trust and foster a climate of suspicion in which even authentic recordings are questioned—a phenomenon known as the "liar's dividend." In this case study, we examine how the July 2025 death of rock icon Ozzy Osbourne became a focal point for deepfake-driven misinformation and public speculation. Following a seated farewell concert in Birmingham, multiple synthetic videos surfaced, including one in which a digitally recreated Osbourne claimed he knew he was about to die. The clips sparked speculation about assisted suicide, prompting his daughter Kelly to publicly denounce the videos as fake and criticise those who shared them. When Osbourne died two weeks later, some commentators treated the deepfake as prophetic, fuelling conspiracy theories and amplifying public grief. This case illustrates broader ethical and governance challenges related to generative AI. Voice cloning and face-swapping services can create convincing media from minimal training data, yet developers rarely address issues of consent or privacy when sourcing material. Psychological factors such as fear of missing out (FOMO) encourage the viral spread of sensational content without verification. This paper’s primary contribution is a theoretical synthesis, which integrates existing technical, psychological, and governance perspectives on deepfake-driven misinformation through a single illustrative case study. Effective countermeasures must combine technical innovations—such as blockchain-based provenance tracking and robust detection—with clear policy frameworks that regulate data use and require transparent labelling of synthetic media. Public education remains essential to help individuals recognise deepfakes and preserve trust in authentic digital communication.

The implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is an intervention for patients with cardiac abnormalities, serving as both a primary and secondary prevention of sudden cardiac death. However, reduced quality of life and adverse psychological effects have been reported. This qualitative study aims to gain further insights into the perspectives and psychological impacts of living with an ICD. A comprehensive interview was conducted with 15 participants who were selected from a follow-up clinic. The interviews were subjected to qualitative descriptive analysis, and verbatim transcripts were coded and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Through this process, five main themes emerged from the data: (i) Shock experiences and concerns regarding receiving shock, (ii) lack of concern about receiving shock, (iii) changes in health and quality of life after implantation, (iv) expectations from implantation, and (v) follow-up program as a concern reliever. Overall, this qualitative study provided valuable insights into the experiences, perspectives, and psychological effects of living with an ICD. Remarkably, the majority of participants demonstrate a lack of concern about getting shocked from an ICD. The investigation revealed additional concerns associated with the device, highlighting that these concerns can vary among individuals. Additionally, the follow-up program for individuals with ICDs should prioritize enhancing quality of life and supporting mental well-being, rather than focusing solely on the function of the device. General questions to screen for anxiety and depression triggered by device implantation should be conducted in every setting.

Background: This integrative review investigates how behavioural and psychological factors shape non-market environmental valuation within the scope of sustainable development. Unlike traditional technical-economic approaches, the novelty of this work lies in reframing socio-cultural drivers of pro-environmental behaviours (PEBs) within macro sustainability paradigms and proposing a socially and ethically grounded framework. The review has three objectives: (i) to incorporate psychological and socio-cultural dimensions into the sustainable development agenda; (ii) to demonstrate how values, norms, and perceptions drive PEBs; and (iii) to call for an ethical consensus across socio-economic and environmental sustainability. Methods: The review follows PRISMA 2020 guidelines and synthesises English-language empirical and conceptual studies (2010–2025) from Scopus and Web of Science, supplemented by Google Scholar. The literature search was conducted in December 2025, and rigorous screening and exclusion criteria were applied to ensure methodological reliability. Results: The review includes 69 interdisciplinary studies and 2 reports. The synthesis yields a framework on ethics that integrates psychological, behavioural, and economic perspectives in non-market environmental valuation and informs the weak vs. strong sustainability debate. Discussion: The findings connect sustainability debates to socio-cultural theories to explain how values, norms, and perceptions shape PEBs and valuation-relevant preferences. The review is limited by its integrative (non-meta-analytic) design, which relies on qualitative synthesis and expert judgement across heterogeneous theoretical and empirical traditions; therefore, a formal risk-of-bias assessment was not conducted. The review protocol was registered on OSF (registration ID W9Y8T).

This study examines the importance of integrating social behavioral psychology and humanistic perspectives in the formulation of public policies that are responsive to societal needs. Many public policies today fail to reflect the real needs of society because they prioritize technocratic approaches without considering social and psychological factors. The objective of this research is to explore how these two perspectives can enhance the relevance and effectiveness of public policies. The methodology employed is library research, gathering primary data from literature on public policy theory, social behavioral psychology, and humanistic perspectives. Secondary data includes previous research findings on the topic. The results of the study indicate that policies integrating social behavioral and humanistic theories are more likely to be accepted by the public, increase public participation, and promote sustainable social change. However, the main challenges in implementation lie in the dominance of technocratic approaches and resistance to integrating psychological perspectives. The study concludes that responsive public policies require a deep understanding of social psychology and humanistic principles, which can strengthen the effectiveness and fairness of such policies.

This study examines the decision-making process of the Greater Middle East Project (GMEP) from the perspective of cognitive biases and behavioral decision-making psychology within a normative-analytical comparative framework. The primary objective is to explain which cognitive mechanisms shaped the decision logic of GMEP and why it systematically deviated from normative rationality assumptions. The study adopts a qualitative research approach and single-case analysis method, employing conceptual analysis, comparative theoretical evaluation, and document review based on secondary sources. Research findings reveal that confirmation bias, overconfidence bias, framing effect, and planning fallacy exhibited realization levels ranging from approximately seventy to eighty percent in the decision-making process. These biases were found to operate not independently but within a cyclical interaction network that mutually reinforces one another. The study demonstrates that cognitive biases are reinforced not only at the individual level but also within institutional decisionmaking structures, with groupthink dynamics and epistemic communities playing mediating roles in this reinforcement process. The profound gap between normative discourse and analytical outcomes is conceptualized as the product of cognitive distortions. The research makes an original contribution to the behavioral international relations literature by demonstrating that foreign policy failures can be explained through structural cognitive dynamics rather than individual shortcomings. The theoretical contribution lies in integrating normative and behavioral approaches within a comparative framework, while the practical contribution consists of developing concrete recommendations for integrating cognitive correction mechanisms into policy design.

ABSTRACT There is interest in broadening sexuality education to include a more explicit focus on relationships. For example, in Sweden, the subject area has recently been renamed ‘sexuality, consent and relationships’. However, while relationships are often mentioned in this context, there is a need for more explicit discussion about what relationships education may actually entail. In parallel to this development in education, there has been a growth of research into young people’s romantic and intimate relationships from both psychological and sociological perspectives. This article offers a meta-narrative review of the competing perspectives and approaches found in different strands of research. We identified three central themes in psychological discussions: the neuropsychology of love; health and healthy relationships; and social influence. In more sociological work, there is a focus on individualisation and new technologies; intimate inequalities; as well as intimate partner violence. Based on the findings of this review, we suggest that successful relationships education needs to show an awareness of the implications of different perspectives on youth romantic and intimate relationships. Such rival perspectives may lead to a range of different educational interventions, and may also contribute to the multiple and sometimes conflicting messages concerning relationships prevalent in young people’s lives today.

Abstract Background As mental health issues among college students become increasingly prominent, traditional ideological and political education (Ideo-Political Education) models are facing challenges. While such education inherently holds potential for emotional support and psychological counseling, empirical evidence for systematically integrating psychological techniques to enhance its counseling efficacy remains scarce. Accordingly, based on the theories of empathy, cognitive restructuring and emotional regulation, this study developed and tested an Ideo-Political intervention program integrated with emotional counseling techniques. It aimed to assess the program’s effects on alleviating students’ emotional distress, enhancing their psychological resilience and improving life satisfaction, as well as explore a practical path for the collaborative education of Ideo-Political Education and mental health education. Methods A quasi-experimental design was adopted. A total of 200 freshmen and sophomores from four randomly selected ideological and political courses at a university were divided into an experimental group (n = 100) and a control group (n = 100). The experimental group received a structured emotional counseling module embedded in the 16-week Ideological and Moral Cultivation and Legal Basis course, covering empathy discussion, emotional expression training, cognitive restructuring exercises, group situational simulation, reflective writing and teacher feedback, while the control group received regular instruction. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item scale (PHQ-9), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) were used for assessments at pre-test (T0), mid-test (8th week, T1) and post-test (16th week, T2). Repeated measures analysis of variance (p<.5) was applied for data analysis. Results Core results are presented in Table 1. As shown in Table 1, the GAD-7 score of the experimental group was 5.2 ± 3.0, significantly lower than that of the control group (8.1 ± 3.5, p<.001), indicating effective alleviation of generalized anxiety symptoms. Meanwhile, the experimental group’s PHQ-9 score was 4.8 ± 2.8, versus 7.5 ± 3.2 in the control group, with a statistically significant difference (p<.001). For positive indicators, the experimental group achieved significantly higher CD-RISC (72.4 ± 8.1) and SWLS (25.1 ± 4.3) scores than the control group (p<.001), reflecting enhanced psychological resilience and improved life satisfaction. Discussion After a 16-week ideological and political education intervention integrated with psychological techniques, college students showed significant improvements in emotional state, psychological resilience and life satisfaction. The experimental group exhibited marked reductions in anxiety and depression, with greater improvements than the control group. Results indicate that systematically incorporating structured psychological techniques into ideological and political education effectively enhances its functions of emotional counseling and psychological support. Future research should verify the model’s applicability across different courses and groups, optimize the intervention program, and evaluate its long-term effects via follow-ups to improve the ideological and political education system.

Abstract Background Against the backdrop of macroeconomic fluctuations and increasing uncertainty in financial markets, frequent financial crisis events have caused anxiety, panic, and shaken trust among bank customers. Existing research has mostly focused on macro financial stability or bank risk management, with insufficient attention paid to individual customer psychological reactions and their coping mechanisms. This article takes bank customers as the research object, systematically analyzes the formation mechanism and evolution characteristics of anxiety psychology in financial crisis situations, and explores the intervention effects of different coping strategies, in order to provide operational reference and theoretical support for bank crisis communication and customer psychological intervention. Methods The research adopts a combination of questionnaire survey and experimental scenario simulation. Firstly, a typical financial crisis scenario is constructed to simulate bank liquidity tightness or market volatility through text and data description, in order to induce participants' risk perception. Secondly, standardized anxiety scales and customer trust perception scales were used to measure the psychological states of participants before and after the crisis. Subsequently, different intervention strategies were introduced, divided into an information transparency group, an emotional comfort group, and a rational decision guidance group, with each group receiving corresponding interventions at the same time. Finally, statistical analysis was conducted on the data before and after intervention to compare the characteristics of changes in customer anxiety levels under different strategies. Descriptive statistics, paired sample t-test, and analysis of variance were used for data analysis, with a significance level set at p<.05. Results The results showed that financial crisis situations significantly increased customer anxiety levels, with an average anxiety score rising from 32.48 ± 4.21 to 41.76 ± 4.03. Different coping strategies can alleviate anxiety to a certain extent, with the information transparency group experiencing a decrease in anxiety to 34.12 ± 3.86, the emotional comfort group at 36.27 ± 3.94, and the rational decision guidance group at 33.85 ± 3.72. The results of the analysis of variance showed significant differences in the intervention effects among the groups (p<.05), indicating that the type of coping strategy has an important impact on anxiety relief. Discussion This study systematically investigated the anxiety psychology and coping strategies of bank customers in financial crisis situations from a micro psychological perspective. The research results show that financial crises significantly exacerbate the anxiety of bank customers, and systematic coping strategies can effectively alleviate negative emotions. Among them, information transparency and rational decision-making guidance have the most significant effect in reducing anxiety and stabilizing trust. The study supplements micro evidence of financial crisis management from the perspective of customer psychology, which has practical significance for banks to improve crisis communication mechanisms and enhance customer relationship management. Future research can combine longitudinal tracking design to further investigate the moderating effect of different customer characteristics on the effectiveness of psychological intervention, and introduce physiological or behavioral indicators to enhance the explanatory power and application value of research conclusions.

Abstract Background Housing property is a major part of family assets, and its value changes affect financial conditions and mental health. In recent years, falling urban housing prices have become common, leaving many families facing asset shrinkage and financial pressure. Studies show that major property loss greatly increases depression risk, yet most research focuses on acute crises like unemployment or bankruptcy. Little work examines depressive emotions triggered by falling housing prices as a chronic stressor. From a psychological perspective, property loss influences self-worth, security, and expectations. Cognitive appraisal theory holds that subjective evaluation of stressors shapes emotional reactions. This study examines how falling housing prices affect depressive emotions among family financial managers and explores the roles of cognitive appraisal, coping styles, and social support. Methods The study uses a cross-sectional and longitudinal design. Participants are primary financial decision-makers from 800 families who purchased homes in a first-tier city from 2021 to 2023 and experienced at least a 15% price drop. Participants are 25–55 years old and are recruited through the housing transaction center and community committees. Baseline assessment uses a self-developed questionnaire that collects purchase time, price drop level, and loan pressure. The Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) assesses depressive symptoms. A cognitive appraisal scale measures threat appraisal and controllability appraisal. A brief coping questionnaire measures positive and negative coping. A social support scale assesses objective support, subjective support, and support utilization. Confounders include income, marital status, and psychiatric history. Follow-up assessments occur at 6 and 12 months to track depressive symptom trajectories. Data analysis uses multiple regression, structural equation modeling, and mediation tests. Results Baseline results showed that 28.7% of financial managers experiencing falling housing prices had mild to moderate depressive symptoms (BDI-II ≥ 14), higher than the 12.3% in the general population (p<.001). Housing price decline correlated with depression scores (r = 0.42, p<.001). After controlling for age, gender, and income, housing price decline, mortgage-to-income ratio, and purchase time remained significant predictors (β = 0.35, 0.28, 0.19, p<.01). Mediation analysis showed that falling prices increased perceived financial threat (β = 0.51, p<.001), which raised depressive emotions. Positive coping reduced the impact (β = −0.23, p=.006), whereas negative coping intensified it (β = 0.31, p=.002). Longitudinal follow-up found that 56.3% of high-risk individuals developed clinically significant depression (BDI-II ≥ 20) at 12 months without intervention. Discussion The study confirmed that falling housing prices were a major risk factor for depressive emotions among family financial managers. Cognitive appraisal linked financial loss with emotional reactions. When individuals saw falling prices as an uncontrollable threat, they were more likely to feel helpless and depressed. These findings supported cognitive behavioral theory and pointed toward cognitive restructuring as a key intervention. Coping styles and social support moderated this process, with stronger psychological resources helping maintain better mental health under stress. The study offered a framework for identifying high-risk groups during housing price fluctuations and highlighted targets such as cognitive reframing, coping training, and social support enhancement. Future research should track long-term effects of housing price changes, design targeted interventions, examine demographic differences, and explore asymmetry between the impacts of rising versus falling prices.