Fear of disease progression (FOP) has emerged as one of the most prevalent and distressing unmet needs among lung cancer patients in recent years. This study aimed to explore the associations between health literacy (HL), social support (SS), self-efficacy (SE) and FOP, and to examine the mediating roles of SS and SE in the relationship between HL and FOP in lung cancer patient population. A cross-sectional design with convenience sampling was employed to survey cancer inpatients in two general hospitals in Chongqing and Chengdu, two major cities in southwestern China. Data were collected via validated scales for HL, SE, SS and FOP. A structural equation model (SEM) was then constructed, P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The mean FOP score FOP was 31.20 ± 9.28; 162 patients (43.09%) exceeded cutoff for psychological dysfunction (≥ 34). Correlation analysis revealed that FOP was significantly negative correlated with all variables except for objective support (OS) and subjective support (Subs) (p < 0.01). The SEM of the FOP exhibited good fit (GFI = 0.949, NFI = 0.964, CFI = 0.978, IFI = 0.978, AGFI = 0.918, RMSEA = 0.064). The model indicated that HL had the strongest correlation with FOP (β = -0.300, p < 0.05), followed by SE (β =-0.281, p < 0.05). Notably, SE mediated the association between HL and FOP (contribution effect: 40.67%). SS positively influence SE (β = 0.131, p < 0.05) but had no statistically significant effect on FOP (p > 0.05). HL exerted the strongest protective effect on FOP, both directly and indirectly via enhanced SE. Utilization of support Subs (US) was clinically more significant than OS and Subs. Clinical interventions should prioritize improving health literacy through targeted education, psychological support, and coping skills training to strengthen patients' use of available support and foster psychological adaptation.

The Information Technology (IT) field is growing in the direction of the need to not only possess good technical skills but also good interpersonal skills to be able to cooperate and achieve success in a project. Emotional intelligence (EI) is a concept that has been identified as significant to the effectiveness of communications among IT professionals. This is a quantitative research on how EI and communication skills (CS), and other related psychological variables, including self-efficacy (SE), communication apprehension (CA), empathy, and social influence (SI), relate to each other. The participants were 535 IT professionals, comprising software developers, system analysts, project managers, and IT consultants. The study employed a purposive sampling method to administer the structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for preliminary analyses and SmartPLS 4 for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM). The results indicate that EI, SE, and empathy are positively associated with CS, CA shows a negative association, whereas SI is a significant predictor of CS in a group setting (all paths p < 0.05). The novelty of this study is its combined analysis of the EI and various communication and related psychological constructs in the specific context of IT professionals, which has not been studied extensively in the literature. The results also present practical recommendations for the IT organizations since they highlight the necessity of developing emotional competencies that can improve communication and teamwork, and consequently, improve individual and organizational performance.

ABSTRACT Transitioning from school to university brings a plethora of psychological challenges. A review of literature indicates that factors such as self-efficacy (SE), trait emotional intelligence (TEI), cross-cultural adaptability (CCA), and a sense of belonging (SOB) play pivotal roles in students’ well-being. Ongoing reductions in postsecondary funding and cancellation of campus recreation programmes have raised questions. Consequently, this study examined whether participation in outdoor leisure activities was associated with differences in these four constructs among university students as it relates to their holistic development. We administered a survey to 305 students at a Canadian public university using validated measures of SE, TEI, CCA, and SOB. Independent samples t-tests revealed statistically significant differences between students who participated in outdoor leisure activities and those who did not, with higher mean scores for participants. We concluded outdoor leisure participation may be associated with psychological factors and may be prioritized in university programmes and policies.

Large language models (LLMs) can generate structured educational content at scale, yet their role in postgraduate radiology training remains untested. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility of deploying LLM-generated radiology board preparation materials, the psychometric properties of adapted survey instruments, and exploratory effect-size estimates for sample-size planning of a future multicentre trial. We conducted a prospective observational pilot among 41 radiology residents preparing for the 2026 Korean Radiology Board Examination. A governed seven-stage LLM pipeline generated 6,000 Anki flashcards, 833 infographic summaries, and presentation slides. Materials were distributed freely, and 24 completers self-selected into users (n = 15) and non-users (n = 9). Outcomes included enrollment yield, retention rate, voluntary adoption rate, internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) of adapted cognitive load and satisfaction scales, and change scores in extraneous cognitive load (ECL) and self-efficacy (SE), compared using Mann-Whitney U tests with Cohen's d and 95% confidence intervals. Of 114 registered candidates, 44 were recruited (38.6%); 41 were enrolled (yield 93.2%); retention was 58.5% (24 of 41), below the prespecified 80% threshold; and voluntary adoption was 62.5%. The ECL scale showed acceptable reliability (alpha = 0.87 baseline, 0.80 post-examination). After reverse-coding one reverse-worded item (E3), the corrected three-item trust-in-AI alpha was 0.583 (bootstrap 95% CI 0.151 to 0.746), below the conventional 0.70 threshold. Between-group differences were non-significant for ECL (d = - 0.28; 95% CI - 1.50 to 0.59) and SE (d = 0.26; - 0.62 to 1.24). Among users, educational quality was rated 3.33 of 5.00, and 86.7% reported encountering no factual inaccuracies. A medium-effect scenario (d = 0.50) would require 160 participants. Retention (58.5%), the trust-scale alpha of 0.583, and the - 40 Net Promoter Score together indicate that the data-collection protocol, the AI-trust instrumentation, and the user-experience design all require modification before an efficacy trial is justified. Operational deployment was feasible at the levels of enrollment yield and voluntary adoption, but not retention. Adapted cognitive load and satisfaction scales reached acceptable reliability; the trust-in-AI and single-item self-efficacy outcomes did not meet conventional thresholds. Exploratory between-group point estimates were small and unstable across sensitivity strata; they are reported as inputs for sample-size planning and should not be interpreted as evidence for or against educational benefit.

Participation quality and intrinsic learning motivation in research-based learning: Self-efficacy as a mediator of college students' innovative capability.

In recent years, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) technologies have developed rapidly and have been increasingly integrated into educational settings. While students benefit from the convenience and efficiency provided by these tools, a growing tendency toward the thoughtless use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (TUGA) has emerged. However, the specific pathways and underlying mechanisms through which such thoughtless use influences undergraduates' self-directed learning (SDL) remain insufficiently examined. Grounded in Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), this study surveyed 487 undergraduate students from Henan Province, China, using a snowball sampling approach to collect self-reported data. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to investigate the relationships among the TUGA, self-efficacy (SE), motivation (MOV), and SDL. The results demonstrate that the TUGA exerts a significant negative effect on undergraduates' SDL. Furthermore, SE and MOV partially mediate this relationship. Multi-group analysis further reveals substantial gender differences in the impact of the TUGA on SDL, MOV, and SE. By elucidating the internal mechanisms through which the TUGA undermines undergraduates' SDL, this study provides both theoretical and empirical contributions, offering practical implications for higher education institutions seeking to promote responsible AI use and strengthen students' SDL.

Prospective teachers should participate in pedagogical competency programs and engage in teaching practice to become professional teachers. The urgency of this study lies in examining the factors that influence career choices and assessing the quality of future professional teachers. This study investigates the effects of career self-efficacy (SE) and career interest (CI) on career choice (CC), with career exploration (CE) as a mediator, during the teaching internship. The population was 675 accounting education students who participated in the teaching internship program. The study used a simple random sampling method, yielding 251 respondents. The questionnaire included the career decision-making career self-efficacy scale-short form (CDMSE-SF), career exploration survey (CES), and career choice. A quantitative approach using structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed in WarpPLS 5.0. The study results show a direct relationship between career self-efficacy, career interest, and career exploration on career choice. Career exploration at the teaching internship also mediates the relationship between career self-efficacy and career interest in teaching career choice. It indicates that teaching internship programs increase students' confidence, thereby strengthening their resolve to pursue a career as an accounting teacher. Future studies may also explore other variables such as outcome expectations and personal background factors.

In the context of pursuing quality education empirical evidence for Outcome-Based Education (OBE) in foundational mathematics is limited, particularly regarding the psychological mechanisms through which it affects learning. This gap is acute within China's New Liberal Arts initiative, a national higher-education reform integrating quantitative reasoning with humanistic and interdisciplinary competencies. This study investigated the association between OBE and three learning outcomes, namely knowledge mastery (KM), statistical application ability (SAA), and cross-disciplinary thinking (CDT), with student engagement (ENG) and self-efficacy (SE) as mediators. A quasi-experimental design was conducted with 321 undergraduates (OBE: n = 148; traditional: n = 173) at a private university in Eastern China. Analyses included ANCOVA and hierarchical linear modeling for objective examination scores, and partial least-squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM, 5,000 bootstraps) for psychological mechanisms. After adjusting for prior mathematics achievement, the OBE group scored significantly higher than the traditional group on the final examination (adjusted mean difference = 6.89, p < 0.001), with the advantage confirmed by propensity-score matching (d = 0.36, p = 0.005). OBE was positively associated with ENG (β = 0.265, p < 0.001) and SE (β = 0.276, p < 0.001). ENG was identified as a significant statistical mediator in the OBE–KM and OBE–SAA pathways (VAF = 45.7% and 49.5%, respectively), while SE served as a statistical mediator in the OBE–CDT pathway (VAF = 74.0%). Sensitivity analysis supported result robustness (E-value = 3.27). The findings are consistent with a dual-pathway model in which OBE is associated with student learning through a behavioral pathway via ENG to KM and SAA, and a motivational pathway via SE to CDT. A behavioral pathway via ENG to KM and SAA, and a motivational pathway via SE to CDT. Given the quasi-experimental, cross-sectional design, findings should be interpreted as conditional associations pending longitudinal replication.

Students from the strawberry generation frequently face significant academic pressure, necessitating an examination of the impact of self-efficacy and peer academic support on stress management. This study investigated the relationship between self-efficacy and academic stress among Indonesian undergraduate students, commonly referred to as the strawberry generation. Through a quantitative approach, this study is a correlational design with no experimental application to test whether the self-efficacy of strawberry generation students influences their academic stress and how academic support from peers increases or decreases the influence of the variables. Data were collected from 1,251 undergraduate students aged 18–23 years via an online questionnaire assessing self-efficacy (SE), academic stress (AS), and peer academic support (PAS). Data analysis utilized simple regression and ANOVA-based moderation regression within JASP software version 19.3.0. The results revealed a significantly, albeit weakly, negative association between self-efficacy and academic stress, suggesting that students with higher self-efficacy tend to report lower levels of academic stress. Despite a small explained variance (R² = 0.007), this finding underscores self-efficacy as a relevant psychological resource rather than a primary determinant of academic stress. Moderation regression analysis indicated that the interaction between self-efficacy and peer academic support was not significant (p = 0.105). This study contributes to a clearer understanding of the limited yet meaningful role of self-efficacy and questions the stress-buffering function of peer academic support.

Despite increased participation in the workforce, women continue to report constrained access to career advancement opportunities. This study examines how self-efficacy (SE) beliefs in women influence their perceived career advancement opportunity (PCAO) and the underlying role of career aspiration (CAS), as well as the boundary condition of Work Volition (WV) on the SE-PCAO relationship. The study gathered responses from 392 women employees in the Information Technology Enabled Services (ITeS) sector in the country’s northern region (Delhi and NCR + Chandigarh). The study tested the measurement model (validity and reliability) and the structural model (path coefficients) using Smart-PLS Version 3.0. Results showed that women with higher scores on SE reported stronger perceptions of career advancement opportunity and that CAS partially mediates this relationship. Furthermore, WV emerged as a significant boundary condition. The paper examined socio-psychological variables relevant for understanding women’s perceptions of career advancement opportunity in the ITeS sector, adding to the limited literature on socio-psychological antecedents of women’s perceived career advancement opportunity in emerging economy contexts. The findings of the current research bear strong theoretical and practical implications for behavioural studies and for career management practices addressing gender inequality, respectively. As the study centres on perceptual appraisals, further studies could explore how these perceptions eventually translate into actual outcomes.

Purpose Learning organization culture (LOC), along with transfer interest (TI) and self-efficacy (SE), are important for training transfer (TT). Despite the significance of these constructs, limited empirical evidence exists portraying their significance in academic setups in relation to TT. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the influence of LOC on TT through the mediating role of TI and SE in an Indian higher educational institution (HEI). Design/methodology/approach Primary data was collected from 268 academicians who were the recipients of a faculty development program (FDP), in a leading Indian HEI. Data was analyzed with the help of structural equation modelling. Findings The results of this study indicate that LOC influences TT through the mediational effect of TI and SE in the HEI context. Empirical findings provide evidence of a full mediation of TI and SE in explaining the LOC–TT relationship. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is unique and the first of its kind to examine constructs such as LOC and TI in connection with TT in an academic context. This study meaningfully extends the TT literature through an empirical investigation of the direct and indirect impact of TI on TT.

Purpose This study aims to examine the impact of midlife crises on work engagement (WE) among resort dealers, focusing on the roles of self-efficacy (SE), job burnout (JB) and job rotation (JR) as mediating and moderating factors. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative research design was employed, utilizing a convenience sampling method to collect data from 319 resort dealers through self-administered questionnaires. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the relationships among perceived midlife crisis (PMC), SE, JB and WE, controlling for demographic variables. Findings The results indicate that: PMC negatively affects SE and positively influences JB. Higher SE is associated with increased WE and decreased JB. SE and JB sequentially mediate the relationship between PMC and WE. JR negatively moderates the positive effects of SE on WE but does not alleviate the negative impact of JB on WE. Research limitations/implications The study's cross-sectional design limits causal interpretations. Future research should adopt longitudinal approaches and diversify samples across various industries to enhance generalizability. Practical implications Organizations should implement targeted interventions, such as training programs to improve SE, and to boost employee's well-being to reduce mental exhaustion. JR may not be an effective method for increasing WE among employees experiencing a midlife crisis, rather, it could even have the opposite effect. Therefore, it should be adopted only after careful and rigorous consideration. Originality/value This research contributes to the understanding of how midlife crises influence workplace behavior, integrating the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) within a sequential mediation framework.

From a persuasion approach, the present research examined whether self-efficacy (SE) beliefs changed via a high-elaboration process were durable in an academic setting (Study 1) and influential on behaviour (i.e., physical performance) in a sport setting (Study 2). Specifically, these effects on the strength of SE beliefs were examined through the most recently proposed high-elaboration process (i.e., self-validation). In both studies, the SE thought was manipulated (i.e., high vs. low) and the perceived validity of thought was measured (as a continuous predictor). Next, participants completed a measure of SE beliefs. Moreover, in Study 1, participants were asked to come to a second session (exactly seven days later), and SE beliefs were again measured. In Study 2, physical performance was assessed in a pull-up test. We hypothesized and found that the effects of the SE thought (i.e., high vs. low) on SE beliefs were larger the greater the perceived validity of thought. Most importantly, these effects were durable, and predictive of physical performance, with SE beliefs serving as the mediator of the effects of the SE thought on physical performance (Study 2).

This study aimed to explore the profiles of Self-Efficacy (SE) and Self-Directed Learning (SDL) among students at Universitas Riau, providing insights into their potential for academic and non-academic achievement. The findings indicate that 31% of the outstanding students were male, while 69% were female. The average SE scores were 4.36 for male students and 4.31 for female students, while the SDL scores were 4.20 for males and 4.18 for females. The results show no statistically significant differences between male and female students in terms of SE and SDL, suggesting that both genders have equal opportunities for success in academic and non-academic pursuits.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly embedded in language education, and learners' acceptance of AI, together with their multilingual learning enjoyment (MLE) and self-efficacy (SE), is considered pivotal to meaningful learning gains. This study developed an AI Acceptance (AIAC) framework tailored to multilingual language learning and examined whether MLE mediates the association between AIAC and SE. A total of 524 multilingual undergraduates from 11 Chinese universities participated. The scale was constructed and validated through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) with 235 participants and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) with 289 participants to evaluate model fit and refine items. The finalized framework comprises 14 items across four dimensions - Perceived Usefulness (PU), Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU), Behavioral Intention to Use (BI), and Actual Usage (AU) - capturing learners' AIAC in multilingual tasks. Furthermore, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to examine how AIAC is associated with learners' SE, focusing on the mediating role of MLE. Results showed both direct and indirect associations between AIAC and SE, with MLE statistically operating as a partial mediator. Based on these findings, the study recommends integrating AI into supportive multilingual tasks and immersive intercultural activities, together with AI value-informed guidance and practical learning support, to help foster acceptance, promote enjoyment, and support learners' SE in multilingual contexts. The validated AIAC framework offers a concise, context-sensitive instrument for research and program evaluation in multilingual settings and provides actionable guidance for curriculum design and teacher development aimed at sustainable AI integration.

The effect of collaborative learning (CL) on critical thinking among students within a higher education institute in Karachi and Pakistan with mediating variables of peer interaction (PI) and self-efficacy (SE) is studied in this study. Critical thinking (CT) is the key to academic success yet its development usually requires interaction and the confidence in their skills of students. The causal quantitative research design was adopted and 222 surveys were given to the undergraduate and post graduate students of various universities in Karachi. The survey instruments were modified based on prior researches that are valid in order to be reliable and consistent. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with Partial Least Squares (PLS) was used to analyse the data. Findings demonstrate that CL positively impacts massively on the CT of students. Furthermore, PI and SE were identified to have significant mediation effect of this correlation which emphasised the need to establish supportive peer networks and instil confidence in students regarding their academic abilities. These results imply that institutions of higher learning in Karachi have the potential to improve CT through either a structured CL activity or by facilitating the creation of a culture where students actively engage. The present research is relevant to the body of research on educational psychology and pedagogical practises, as it offers practical implications to teachers who would like to foster students in developing higher-order thinking skills and self-directed learning capabilities.

This study examines the evaluation and acceptance mechanisms of job seekers regarding AI competency assessments in the South Korean recruitment market. A research model was developed with positive factors (PF), negative factors (NF), and hedonic motivation (HM) as antecedents, task-technology fit (TTF) as a mediator, and intention to apply (ITA) as the outcome variable, while incorporating self-efficacy (SEF) as a moderating variable. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed on 211 valid responses from an online survey of job seekers with prior experience in AI competency assessments. The results indicated that PF, NF, and HM significantly influenced TTF, which in turn served as a strong predictor of ITA. Notably, HM emerged as the most influential factor, suggesting that interest and engagement during the AI-driven evaluation process are critical to perceived fit. However, the moderating effect of SEF was not statistically significant in the interaction term analysis. Despite this, the findings suggest that SEF may function as a context-specific boundary condition, considering the unique characteristics of high-stakes evaluation environments. By reconceptualizing job seekers as “evaluation subjects” rather than mere technology users, this study empirically validates TTF as a core pathway for evaluation acceptance.

This article presents a comprehensive theoretical analys is of procrastination as a multidimensional psychological phenomenon grounded in contemporary international research. Procrastination is conceptualized as a voluntary and irrational delay of intended actions despite the awareness of potential negative consequences and is interpreted primarily as a failure of self-regulation rather than merely insuffi cient time-management skills. The paper synthesizes empirical fi ndings on the motivational, emotional, cognitive, and contextual mechanisms underlying procrastination, with particular attention to short term mood repair, task aversiveness, temporal discounting, reward delay, and fl uctuations in perceived self-effi cacy. Dispositional predictors, including neuroticism, conscientiousness, maladaptive perfectionism, and self-handicapping tendencies, are systematically reviewed, and their complex and sometimes inconsistent associations with procrastinatory behavior are discussed. The distinction between maladaptive procrastination and strategic delay is clarifi ed through the criterion of irrationality and the presence of adverse outcomes, while debates concerning the construct of active procrastination are critically addressed. Special emphasis is placed on procrastination among gifted students. Despite their high intellectual abilities and learning potential, gifted learners may exhibit specifi c forms of delay associated with elevated standards, fear of not meeting expectations, anxiety, and the illusion of eff ortless performance. In such cases, procrastination may manifest as excessive preparation, overanalysis, or postponement driven by the pursuit of ideal outcomes. However, empirical evidence indicates that procrastination explains only a limited proportion of variance in academic achievement among gifted students, underscoring the need for a diff erentiated interpretation of this phenomenon. The article highlights the importance of integrating international empirical fi ndings to refi ne theoretical frameworks and inform psychological and pedagogical prevention strategies aimed at strengthening realistic self-effi cacy, reducing task aversiveness, structuring complex assignments, fostering adaptive perfectionism, and supporting emotional self-regulation in educational contexts.

Online learning has expanded substantially in recent years, yet comparatively little is known about how different online modalities influence learners’ perceptions and their intention to continue learning. This study compared three predominant online learning modalities—synchronous (Syn), asynchronous (Asyn), and conventional online courses (COC)—using an extended Information Systems Success Model (ISSM) integrating system quality (SQ), information quality (IQ), teaching presence (TP), self-efficacy (SE), perceived usefulness (PU), learning satisfaction (LS), and continuance intention (CI). The study addressed two questions: (1) how the latent means of ISSM constructs differ across Syn, Asyn, and COC, and (2) whether the structural paths among these variables differ across modalities. Survey data from 795 undergraduate students in South Korea were analyzed using latent mean analysis and multi-group structural equation modelling. Results showed that COC consistently demonstrated higher latent mean values than Syn and Asyn, underscoring the benefit of systematically designed courses. Multi-group analysis further revealed significant modality-specific variations, with relationships such as IQ → LS and PU → CI being strongest in the COC model. Overall, the findings indicate that Syn, Asyn, and COC engage ISSM mechanisms in distinct ways, highlighting the importance of modality-sensitive instructional and system design. These insights provide evidence-based guidance for enhancing the quality, satisfaction, and sustainability of online learning environments.

The study explores the factors influencing academic staff readiness for e-learning in higher education institutions (HEIs) in Jammu and Kashmir of India. By synthesizing elements from existing e-learning readiness (ELR) models, the researchers identified the most relevant factors and proposed an indigenous reflective measurement model for assessing ELR of academic staff. The model was empirically tested using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM). A sample of 281 academic staff members from HEIs in Jammu and Kashmir of India was used for analysis. The CFA results revealed that the model accounted for 52% of the variance in the key factors affecting ELR. Additionally, SEM demonstrated that approximately 39.3% of the variance in ELR could be explained by the factors integrated into the model. The findings indicate that Facilitating Conditions (FC), Self-Efficacy (SE), and Pedagogical Attitude (PA) significantly influence ELR, although their impacts vary in magnitude. These results offer practical insights that are transferable to other regions grappling with similar constraints for raising awareness among academic staff regarding the critical factors that contribute to enhancing their readiness for e-learning. By improving their pedagogical attitude and self-efficacy, they can better harness the potential of e-learning technologies for effective teaching and learning.