Psychosocial Theory Research Articles

A Critique of The Tyranny of Merit from a Psychological Perspective: Would Randomness to Success Reduce Distributive Injustice or Induce Psychological Existential Crisis for Adolescents?

This manuscript provides a critical analysis of Michael Sandel’s proposal to introduce a “lottery of the qualified” system as a solution to the perceived distributive injustice within the current meritocratic education system. While cknowledging Sandel’s perspective on the distributive deficiencies in the college admission process within contemporary meritocratic education, the author presents a counterargument to Sandel’s proposal of implementing a lottery system, with a particular emphasis on its psychological implications. Drawing on Erik Erikson’s psychosocial development theory, the critique argues that the proposed lottery system may hinder the crucial identity formation process during adolescence, leading to psychological existential crises. This assertion is supported by real-world examples from the Chinese education system, which already operates with a similar mechanism and has witnessed a rise in psychological issues among students. In conclusion, this manuscript advocates for alternative solutions to address distributive injustice within contemporary meritocratic education system, such as redefining the concept of merit and shifting the focus of rewards towards contributions to the broader community. The author underscores the significance of considering both social and psychological implications when formulating educational policies to foster a more equitable and just society.

Translation and Validation of the Spanish Version of the MAPS20 and ISRI Scales

Abstract: Emerging adulthood has been defined as a critical life stage. According to Erikson’s psychosocial theory, developing a sense of self and a personal identity is a critical task of adolescence and emerging adulthood. A well-integrated identity is critical for emerging adults because such identity provides a meaningful and consistent self-structure despite the inevitable events encountered in life. The aim of the present study was to translate and validate the Multi-Measure Agentic Personality Scale (MAPS20) and Identity Stage Resolution Index (ISRI) scales into Spanish. Both scales are key measures to assess identity capital, which refers to the assumption of identity commitments and adult roles during emerging adulthood. Back-translation procedures were performed to create Spanish versions of both scales. The scales were administered to a nationally representative sample of 1,200 Spanish emerging adults aged 18–32 years ( M = 25.3, SD = 4.13). Confirmatory factor analyses (CFI) were conducted to assess the factor structure, validity, and reliability of scores generated by these measures. The results suggested adequate model fit [MAPS20 (RMSEA = .066, CFI = .953, and TLI = .945); ISRI (RMSEA = .052, CFI = .999 and TLI = .997)] and evidence for convergent and discriminant validity. We therefore concluded that the Spanish versions of the MAPS20 and ISRI scales are valid and reliable for evaluating intangible agentic resources and identity resolution in emerging adults. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

Rodzina jako przestrzeń kształtowania się tożsamości w opinii studentów pedagogiki

The research results presented in this article are a fragment of a broader empirical material collected in order to find out the opinions of pedagogy students on the family as a space for identity formation. The theoretical considerations refer to Jerzy Nikitorowicz’s concept of a multifaceted and continuously forming identity, and to Erik H. Erikson’s psychosocial theory of development. In addition, an attempt was made to establish the answer to the question: What are the students’ opinions on the family as a space for the formation of their identity? In order to obtain an answer, the method of diagnostic survey was used in the research, and a questionnaire was used as a technique. The survey of 64 students of pedagogy shows that for most of them, the family is of great importance in the formation of their identity. Relationships with parents, siblings, grandmothers, grandfathers, and other relatives are factors that, according to the respondents, have a significant impact on the process of building their identity.

The Role of Personality in the Adoption of Pro-Environmental Behaviors through the Lens of the Value-Belief-Norm Theory

The present study investigated citizens’ self-reported pro-environmental behaviors by adopting a survey and bootstrapping via structural equation modeling for five different personality traits. Adopting one traditional psycho-social theory, this study investigates how motivations, values, intentions, norms, and behaviors are connected by using different constructs from the value-belief-norm theory extended with external influences and three different pro-environmental behaviors, namely, waste preventer, green consumer, and avoider, and how the connections change between different personality traits from the Big Five personality test, namely, openness, extroversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, and consciousness. According to this study, personal conscience may inspire environmentally beneficial behaviors like green purchasing and waste reduction when appealing to the emotions of the general public. As a result, strengthening the population’s subjective norms requires interventions that concentrate on communication tactics to raise knowledge of penalties and obligations for communal advantages.

The Role of Crises in Human Development

Crises are often viewed negatively as disruptions that hinder individuals and social groups. However, crises can also present opportunities for growth and development. This article explores psychological concepts that perceive crises as catalysts for change, motivating individuals to seek help and find constructive solutions in difficult situations. The article examines various psychological theories on crises. It discusses the different ways individuals respond to crises, ranging from effectively managing them to experiencing mental breakdowns. Crises have complex symptoms and causes, influenced by personal and environmental factors such as family, workplace, material status, and social groups. Anxiety is a common characteristic of crises, often reaching a high level before individuals acknowledge the need for concrete actions. Quick fixes like medication provide temporary relief but do not resolve the underlying crisis. Crises often involve conflicts and decision-making, where passivity becomes a negative and destructive choice. The article also explores crises in developmental terms, drawing upon Erik Erikson’s psychosocial development theory and Kazimierz Dąbrowski’s theory of positive disintegration. Erikson identifies specific crises in each stage of development, while Dąbrowski emphasizes the role of tension and disruption in achieving higher levels of personal growth. Not all crises lead to development, and not all changes constitute developmental changes. Developmental changes are irreversible, sequential, autonomous, unidirectional, and goal-oriented. The article categorizes development into continuous, leap, and crisis development, highlighting the transformative nature of crisis-induced changes. The article argues that crises, despite their hardships, should be viewed as opportunities for personal and collective development. By confronting crises and actively seeking constructive solutions, individuals and communities can achieve higher levels of growth and improve their quality of life.

The Objectification of the Covered: Understanding Muslim Female Students’ Passivity in Physical Activities

Patriarchal culture in Indonesia affects vast aspects of social life, including in schools where students acquire an understanding of gender. One of the prominent gender issues in social encounters within a patriarchal culture is the uniquely female experiences of objectification at school. This article draws on data from a qualitative study on Muslim female students in an Indonesian Islamic Middle School to understand female students’ experience of objectification by applying a psychosocial feminist objectification theory (Fredrickson and Robert, 1997). The study finds that non-sexual objectifying treatment from male peers is manifested in male gazes and comments on women’s general physical appearance, and specifically on Islamic apparel—the veil and modest Muslim style clothing. More direct sexual objectification occurs in the form of male gazes and sexual comments on certain body parts, such as the chest and hips. These experiences are understood by female students’ male-centered understanding of the Islamic feminine ideal which contributes to their withdrawal from physical activities at school as in Physical Education and art performance courses. This research argues for separate PE classes as a temporary alternative for the sake of female students’ participation.

Early Adult Psychosocial: Synthesizing Erick Erikson's Theory in Islamic Concepts

Human life is likened to a plant that will have developed in the phases of its life, one of which is early adulthood which will experience psychosocial development. This study aims to examine the psychosocial theory of early adulthood synthesizing Erik Erikson’s theory in Islamic concepts. The research method is library research using content analysis. The results showed that in the Islamic concept at this time humans enter the taklifi phase a have sexual maturity, obligations as 'Abdullah, and as caliphs on earth. Psychosocial in early adulthood experienced by humans in Erik Erikson's theory is intimacy versus isolation. Intimacy is a sexual development that leads to sexual relations with the opposite sex. When intimacy is not achieved, he will experience isolation, which is the tendency to avoid social interaction with others. In the Islamic concept, it is explained that in carrying out a relationship to achieve intimacy, humans must build communication with Allah SWT and their partners, understand the family background, habits, and psychology, and increase knowledge about the differences and needs between men and women so that isolation does not occur. Isolation is a disease in a person that can be overcome by increasing dhikr to Allah SWT.

Analisis Fenomenologi dan Psikososial Tokoh Utama dalam L’Enfance d’un Chef Karya Sartre

This research aims to apply the phenomenological and psychosocial approaches in analyzing the main character in "L’Enfance d’un Chef" by Jean-Paul Sartre. In this study, the author uses a qualitative descriptive method to explore the subjective experience of the character and the concept of freedom in the literary work. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of human experience in their social environment through a phenomenological approach in literature. The study starts with identifying the background and context of the literary work and exploring the theories related to this research, including phenomenology and psychosocial theory. The author applies phenomenological and psychosocial approaches to analyze the main character and understand his subjective experience. The results show that the main character, Lucien, has a complex and interrelated subjective experience with his social environment. Phenomenological analysis helps the author understand how Lucien perceives and gives meaning to his life experience, while psychosocial analysis helps the author understand the social and psychological factors that influence Lucien's life experience. The conclusion of this study is that the phenomenological and psychosocial approaches can be used to analyze characters in literature and can provide a deeper understanding of the subjective experience of humans in their social environment

Depression and Anxiety among Low and Middle-Income Turkish Women: The Roles of Coping, and Personal and Environmental Resources/Düşük ve Orta Gelirli Türk Kadınlarında Depresyon ve Anksiyete: Baş Etme ve Kişisel ve Çevresel Kaynakların Rolü

Introduction: Psychosocial theory of mental well-being suggests that coping, socioeconomic status, environmental resources such as perceived and received social support, and personal resources such as self-efficacy can be related to psychological well-being. The current study aims to discuss differences in well-being and psychological resources of Turkish women with low and middle-income. It also aims to examine the differences among lower income women’s well-being according to receiving non-governmental organization (NGO) support. Finally, it studies the link between income level, self-efficacy, perceived social support, ways of coping with stress, depression, and anxiety among Turkish women with different income levels. Method: Out of 129 women participated in the study (Mage = 39.12), 60 are with middle-in- come, and 69 are with low-income. Twenty-eight of those with low income receive NGO support. Results: Findings indicates that middle-income women are coping more effectively and have high- er perceived social support, while low-income women significantly report more depressive symptoms. Low-income women with NGO support report more symptoms, perceive less social support, and are coping less effectively than women without NGO support. Hierarchical regression analysis reveals that coping styles, self-efficacy, income level, and perceived social support are associated with depression. Moreover, coping styles and perceived social support are related to anxiety. Conclusion: Personal resources like coping and self-efficacy seem to be the most significant predictors of depression and anxiety. However, poverty is still a serious environmental risk to well-being.

Probable Causes And Strategies to Address The Issue of High Rate of Debauchery Among The Youth: With Reference to Erik Erikson’s Fifth Stage of Psychosocial Theory of Personality Development

Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development posits that individuals advance through eight different stages of life, each marked by a crisis that must be resolved in order to successfully move on to the next stage. According to Erikson's theory, successfully resolving these crises leads to the development of a healthy psychosocial identity, while a failure to resolve these crises can result in a less healthy identity or even identity confusion. The youth of today shows a lot of misconduct in the society and this is attributed to the fact that they fail to resolve the conflict at the fifth stage (identity vs role confusion) of psychosocial theory of personality development. The study reveals some of the probable causes of debauchery among others as mass media, bad peer influence, dysfunctional homes, poor parenting styles and lack of education. The study however suggested some strategies to address the issue of high rate of debauchery; education, building strong relationship with the youth, building confidence and self-compassion and good peer influence. It was therefore concluded that teenagers at this time investigate numerous facets of identity and either acquire a coherent sense of who they are or stay confused about who they are and what they want out of life. Parents, on the other hand, are supposed to provide a good parenting style that will not damage the child in terms of identifying himself or herself. It was recommended among others that school authorities and lecturers in higher institutions should intensify efforts in educating the youth on moral values that will enable them acquire a set of beliefs and values on what is right and wrong which will make them excel. Again, institutions can establish policies and procedures for addressing misconduct, including reporting and investigation protocols, as well as consequences for violating standards of behavior.

An Eriksonian Reading of The Body by Hanif Kureishi: Integrity Versus Despair

The ageing body and old age issues are among the prominent concerns of Western civilization throughout 21st century. The body, as the new raw material of consumer society, is perceived as something that can be changed as a result of medical developments and even bought and sold like other commodities. Furthering the cause of this transformations Erik Erikson’s psychosocial theory which evokes the quintessence of social pressure on elder people may help to receive the complexity of the issue. In his theory, Erikson posits eight stages of development with specific tasks and crisis peculiar to each stage throughout the life span. This paper represents an attempt to examine Hanif Kureishi’s The Body novella within the framework of Eriksonian psychosocial theory of human development. Admittedly, Kureishi’s short fiction appears to be in the main dealt with ethnicity and identity matters that render the postcolonial approach. Yet, this study is significant in that it deals with the pressures of society, becoming increasingly severe against old people, on ageing, which points out the last stage of Erikson, integrity vs. despair. It also reveals that past experiences and personal desires affect someone’s psyche. Through The Body, the tie between society and individual, desires and realities, appearance and internal existence have been affirmed. It may be concluded when Hanif Kureishi’s The Body is evaluated within the framework of Erikson’s psychosocial development theory, the accuracy of the effects of socio-cultural factors on personality development has been determined.

Quantum Physics Teaching and the Theory of Social Representations: investigating the presence of Quantum Mysticism concepts among high school students in the south of Brazil

The present work deals with possibilities for contribution of the Theory of Social Representations (TSR) as a reference for group learning, with techniques and methodologies that are specific to it, to facilitate the teaching of Quantum Physics in High School, allowing to investigate, for example, if students have conceptions linked to Quantum Mysticism. The main objective is to evaluate how this psychosocial theory can be used for the research community in Science Teaching. We present theoretical results, based on an analysis of the TSR and a brief literature review, as well as empirical results from the application of questionnaires in high school (Study 1, N = 291), as well as during the application of a Didactic Module in a classroom with 34 students (Study 2, N = 34). We proceeded with the construction of similarity networks via a software used in Social Psychology (IRAMuTeQ), networks that are graphic representations of a verbal association test, which can give indications of what the Social Representation of students looks like. We conclude that the TSR is relevant for the introduction of Quantum Physics in High School, allowing the formation of an adequate scientific literacy, with emphasis on conceptual learning, in which the TSR is taken as a reference for group learning.

How to Promote Gerotranscendence in Older Adults? A Scoping Review of Interventions.

Gerotranscendence is a psychosocial theory that proposes older adults experience a mindset shift in multiple dimensions (cosmic, coherence, solitude), associated with different constructs, such as life satisfaction and well-being. Increasing studies are employing gerotranscendence, but the practical aspects of how gerotranscendence can be developed are still underexplored. This review involved an assessment of the size and scope of the existing literature on interventions related to gerotranscendence and their effect on participants' well-being. Six databases were searched, and eight studies were selected: five were observational, while three were randomized control trials. Findings showed that gerotranscendence can be developed through weekly thematic encounters. Moreover, the interventions examined in the selected studies were described as having positively impacted participants' mental health and life satisfaction. Future studies should explore gerotranscendence interventions using a rigorous methodology and long-term follow-up data to add consistency to these findings.

Disadvantage, educational social mobility and barriers to student engagement: An exploration of the Psychosocial and Academic Trust Alienation theory across educational practice

This article explores the original concept of the Psychosocial and Academic Trust Alienation theory across the education sector, specifically focusing on barriers to student engagement for disadvantaged students and educational social mobility. It begins with an examination of the terms `disadvantage and educational social mobility' followed by a discussion of the context of the educational experiences of disadvantaged students aged 0-19 years old in the UK. An exploration and definition of the PATA theory and the subsequent links to barriers to student engagement in educational practice is then presented. Subsequently, age-appropriate case vignettes demonstrating how the PATA theory can be identified or experienced in practice are presented. Thereafter, practical teaching and learning strategies based on the concepts of the PATA theory for educators, leadership teams and Governments can be found. These strategies aim to stimulate educational pedagogy when supporting the most disadvantaged students in education. Therefore, the contribution of this article to the field of educational psychology is firstly, the acknowledgement of the presence of the PATA theory across educational age ranges, secondly it provides insights into the educational psychological barriers to engagement for the disadvantaged student demographic, and thirdly it proposes practical strategies for supporting disadvantaged student progression thus contributing to educational social mobility.

Music for Mental Health: An Autoethnography of the Rory Gallagher Instagram Fan Community

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, there has been a major increase in anxiety and depression. For many, online music fandoms have offered an important platform to combat loneliness and aid well-being. In this study, I use autoethnography, supported by psychosocial theory on recovery and sociological theory on music fandoms, to track my personal journey of recovery (2020–2022) from a mental health crisis through the support of the Rory Gallagher Instagram fan community. Specifically, I investigate how the community acts as a positive support mechanism for well-being, how my relationship with Rory and his music has changed since joining the community, and how knowledge of Rory’s own personal struggles, coupled with my own experiences, have empowered me to become a mental health advocate. Overall, the study brings attention to the importance of online music communities as informal, holistic regulating agents for mental health conditions and offers alternative ways for health services to approach mental health care.

Constructing a Model for Assessment of Factors Affecting the Efficiency of Internal Control System in Businesses in Vietnam

The article has provided a theoretical basis for internal control, internal control system in general and internal control system in enterprises in Vietnam. This study also presents the background theories as a basis to explain the impact of factors on the effectiveness of the internal control system, which are: Theory of regulation; delegation theory; institutional theory, uncertainty theory of organizations, and psychosocial theory of organizations. Based on the theoretical basis system that has been built and the underlying theories, the research team has built a proposed research model on the factors affecting the effectiveness of the internal control system in the company. Vietnamese life insurers, including: control environment, risk assessment, control activities, information and communication, and supervision.

Everybody Wants to be a Fascist Online: Psychoanalysis and the Digital Architecture of Fascism

Félix Guattari and Franco Berardi have both argued that media ecologies and psychic ecologies are intimately intertwined and as such, any exploration of the collective unconscious must engage with how the mind is formed with and through media. This understanding of networks of interdependence necessitates an exploration of how platformization has impacted users” collective psyche. Drawing from psychosocial theory, psychoanalysis and the work of Félix Guattari, this article analizes the micropolitics of desire of digital platforms, with an explicit focus on how algorithmic structures amplify extreme Right content, allowing fascisms to metastasis throughout digital spaces. It will first examine the algorithmic architecture of social media platforms, demonstrating how these digital spaces lock in and over-code desire through recursive feedback loops that amplify extremism. Following this will be an exploration of the excess of desire that is cut off and left as a remainder partial object, termed the “fascist abject,” and what role this process plays in the production of subjectivity.

Adolescence and sex education: Socio-cultural and psycho-theoretical perspectives

Sex education has become an important issue in human development and attracts a lot of debates day in and day out. This article situated itself on the socio-cultural perspective of adolescent sex education espousing permissive and restrictive social-cultural dimensions. The article again confined itself to psycho-theoretical perspectives by dwelling on Freud’s psychosexual theory, Eriksson’s psychosocial theory, Skinner’s operant conditioning, as well as Bandura’s social learning theory. All theories are comprehensively reviewed based on their views on adolescence and sex education. Psychosexual theory views sex education as a construct that can be nurtured in the early years of life, psychosocial theory views sex education as a construct that can occur through societal interactions, operant conditioning considers sex education as capable based on behavioral consequences, and social learning views sex education as something that can be modeled.

Socio-demographic Determinants of Women’s Adjustment to Midlife Crisis in Selected Local Government Areas in Oyo State, Nigeria

The incidence of midlife crises and the negative consequences on the well-being of middle-aged women is on the increase while their ability to cope differs. This study examines the socio-demographic factors that influence women’s adjustment to the midlife crisis in selected local government areas of Oyo state, Nigeria. Also, it elucidates the support systems in dealing with psychosocial issues associated with a midlife crisis. The study was anchored on Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory and Levinson’s Stage-crisis view. The descriptive research design was adopted, and multistage and purposive sampling techniques were used to select the local governments and the participants for the study. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire administered to 165 women. Hypotheses were tested using descriptive statistics and One-way ANOVA. The findings reveal that the onset of midlife crisis among women was significant among women aged 45 to 54 at 55.76%. Income status has a significant impact on women during the midlife crisis as participants with higher income (above #200,000) adjusted better. Participants who received support from the immediate family significantly adjusted better than those who received support from other support systems F (3,161) = 12.417, p < .01]. This study established that the age of onset of a midlife crisis, higher regular income, and adequate system of support from the immediate family were significant factors for women’s adjustment during a midlife crisis. This study recommends the creation of awareness of the reality of the midlife crisis and the implementation of policies and programs as well as the provision of adequate support systems for women.

Education and the social mobility conundrum: An examination of the ‘psychosocial and academic trust alienation theory’ in the context of disadvantaged students in the UK secondary education sector

AbstractThe purpose of this investigation was to identify original insights into the educational social mobility conundrum in the UK via examination of the current body of empirical and existing literature associated with disadvantaged secondary school students. The lens of the ‘psychosocial and academic trust alienation theory’ (PATA) has been applied to explore themes of educational social mobility disadvantage, disengagement and alienation and trauma and trust. This systematic literature review followed PRISMA guidelines, with the SPIDER model adopted to demonstrate the search strategy employed which identified N = 58 publications for inclusion. The contribution of this research to the field of children, young people and society is three‐fold: Firstly, findings provide evidence of the additional educational psychological theory. Secondly, secondary education is identified as a pivotal milestone, where efforts to drive change for educational progress contributing to social mobility progress for disadvantaged students could be focused. Thirdly, the synthesis of current research and literature, identified that there is currently no existing literature related to the PATA theory positioned within the disadvantaged secondary school student context aligned to educational social mobility. This analysis shows that the issues experienced in the education system by disadvantaged students in secondary education correlate with the layered elements of the PATA theory, providing justification for further empirical research. Additionally, the insights reported here could be of interest to the children and young people sector, educational psychology community, educational policy‐makers and international groups who share similar social policy, social mobility demographics and educational systems.