Psychological Theory Research Articles

The relationship between the behavioral integrity and organizational commitment the mediating effects of the job satisfaction and psychological safety

Purpose This study aims to apply the affective events theory and psychological contract theory to investigate how job satisfaction and psychological safety mediate the effect of the behavioral integrity of supervisors on the organizational commitment of employees. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey was conducted using purposive sampling. In total, 500 questionnaire copies were distributed, and 453 responses were collected, of which 441 were valid (valid response rate = 88.2%). Findings The behavioral integrity of supervisors has a direct negative effect on organizational commitment but significant positive effects on job satisfaction and psychological safety, and job satisfaction and psychological safety have significant positive effects on organizational commitment. Job satisfaction and psychological safety have significant mediating effects on the association between the behavioral integrity of supervisors and the organizational commitment of employees. Practical implications Leaders and top management should “practice what they preach,” integrate honesty into organizational culture through training and establish a code of conduct to ensure that employees uphold their commitments. Companies should establish appropriate disciplinary systems and norms related to work and other aspects of organizational culture; they should also establish fair, just and open assessment systems to minimize the gap between their employees’ actual and expected earnings. Originality/value This study is the first to simultaneously consider the mediating effects of job satisfaction and psychological safety on the association between behavioral integrity and organizational commitment.

Gratitude as an antidote to materialism in young consumers

IntroductionMaterialism has consistently been associated with mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, and with a decline in overall wellbeing. This article seeks to deepen the understanding of whether or not the level of materialism is reduced when a sense of gratitude is instilled and, if so, how.MethodsAfter a thorough literature review, two empirical studies are presented. Study 1 has a quasi-experimental design and a sample of adolescent individuals in a major city in Brazil. Study 2 takes the form of a survey, completed by parents, in the same city.ResultsStudy 1 demonstrates that a gratitude-based intervention can reduce the subjects’ belief that material wealth brings happiness and signifies success. Study 2 suggests that parents who express gratitude have a perception of raising less materialistic children.DiscussionThese conclusions add to the theory and practice of consumer psychology and responsible consumption, particularly in relation to the behavior of young people, pointing toward ways to reduce excessive consumption through a simple and easily applied intervention: the stimulus of gratitude.

Positive Psychology Interventions for Hospitality Management: A Future Research Agenda

ABSTRACT This paper proposes a research agenda in hospitality management, utilizing positive psychology interventions to improve the wellbeing of customers and employees. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify, evaluate, and synthesize existing research. A conceptual model is proposed for integrating these interventions into hospitality management, aiming to foster both hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing. The model informs future research and practical application, extending beyond traditional social psychology theories. Industry recommendations include the application of generosity strategies, the incorporation of wellbeing models in marketing, and a collective wellbeing management philosophy.

Weaving Wayapa and cognitive behaviour therapy: applying research topic yarning to explore a cultural interface between Western and Indigenous psychology practice in Australia

ABSTRACT Background Indigenous Psychology within Australia reflects the traditional knowledges of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and their understanding of the cultivation of relational social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB). However, these perspectives are poorly incorporated into dominant “Western” psychological theories and practice, such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). This represents a barrier to the cultural safety of current mental health practice and its decolonisation within Australia. Objectives This study brought together CBT Practitioners and Practitioners of an Aboriginal Wellbeing practice (“Wayapa”) to engage in a series of yarns (guided focus groups) to share perspectives, insights, and stories on their own and each other’s practices. Method Indigenous qualitative research approaches including Research Topic Yarning were engaged to decolonise the research environment and support dialogue at the cultural interface of the two practices. Results Through experiencing Wayapa, CBT practitioners reflected on gaps in their own practice, with an enthusiasm for the opportunities that Wayapa provided to decolonise their practice. Wayapa practitioners were able to celebrate the holistic nature of their practice and the possibility for it to inform dominant “Western” psychological theories and practice, such as CBT, and encourage a more connected and culturally safe way of working with First Nations peoples. Conclusions Creating safe cultural interfaces between “Western” and Indigenous Psychologies, and building awareness of the value of Aboriginal grounded wellbeing models, can help to promote and expand culturally safe practices within Australian psychological practice.

Rethink data-driven human behavior prediction: A Psychology-powered Explainable Neural Network

Human behavior prediction is a rapidly evolving field with numerous applications in various domains. The rapid development of machine learning facilitates research on data-driven behavior prediction. At the same time, in human factors domains, researchers still focus on modeling psychological decision-making processes from the psychological perspectives of view based on subjective data. However, it is difficult to obtain one’s psychological states in real-world scenarios, given that the collection of subjective data in real-world settings is difficult and intrusive. Thus, psychology theories can hardly be applied to behavior prediction directly. To bridge the gap between data-driven behavior prediction and psychological decision-making models, we proposed a novel Psychology-powered Explainable Neural network (PEN). In PEN, for the first time, the psychological factors of individuals (i.e., human-side features such as attitudes to technologies) are modeled and recovered explicitly based on one’s historical behaviors in certain scenarios. The multi-task optimization ensures each component in PEN to be optimized with proper gradient. Assessment results over three evaluation protocols demonstrate that, based on the historical behaviors of an individual only, the PEN can outperform the best existing behavior prediction models by 1.87% and 4.68% on two datasets when a 1:9 training–testing data partition was adopted. The framework in PEN has provided a new solution for explainable human behavior prediction when psychological information is not directly available.

New measures of Islamic social finance receptiveness index

PurposeThis study investigated the receptivity of the zakat wakalah system in social finance in Malaysia under the lens of innovation diffusion theory (IDT).Design/methodology/approachThis study conducted quantitative research using Google Forms. The sample size was 261 respondents who participated and were useable in this study. The Statistical Package of Social Science (SPSS) 27 was employed to analyse the data. The data were collected online from August 1 till August 31, 2022.FindingsThe results reported significant effects of relative advantage, simplicity, compatibility and perceived benevolence on the zakat wakalah receptiveness index (ZAWi) for Medium Group Acceptance (MEGA) and High Group Acceptance (HIGA). As for Low Group Acceptance (LOGA), insignificant results were reported in relative advantage, compatibility and perceived benevolence but not simplicity.Research limitations/implicationsThis study was limited to Labuan geographically, Malaysia and the variables employed. Yet, the results highlight the factors that influenced ZAWi and the two groups namely HIGA and MEGA found them all significant.Practical implicationsThis study enhanced the theoretical and practical effects of ZAWi. The results rendered a competitive benchmark for zakat institutions and zakat payers for improved zakat distribution policy.Social implicationsThis study advanced psychology and management theory by improving knowledge of zakat wakalah for effective zakat distribution. In turn, it can be employed as the baseline theory for future studies to enhance existing hypotheses.Originality/valueThis study introduced a new ZAWi formulated from IDT in the context of zakat distribution in Malaysia.

Accessing the influence of perceived brand authenticity and value co-creation on brand loyalty of China’s insurgent brands: The mediating role of psychological ownership

This study is motivated by the need to thoroughly investigate the impact of perceived brand authenticity and value co-creation on brand loyalty within the context of China's insurgent brands. In particular, the study uses the psychological ownership theory to examine the mediating role of psychological ownership. The dynamic nature of the Chinese market underscores the significance of understanding how these factors influence consumer behavior and brand loyalty in this specific context. SmartPLS 3.0 software was used to conduct a thorough analysis of a substantial dataset consisting of 368 completed survey responses which were collected through a robust technique that included online survey questionnaires and purposive sampling. The findings demonstrate positive associations between perceived brand authenticity, value co-creation, psychological ownership and brand loyalty with psychological ownership serving as a mediating mechanism. This study underscores their role in propelling brand loyalty, thereby contributing to the growth and success of China’s insurgent brands emphasizing the importance of marketing strategies that prioritize authenticity, value co-creation and psychological ownership. Additionally, this research extends the application of psychological ownership theory to the distinctive landscape of China’s insurgent brands addressing a void in empirical research. The insights derived from this study provide valuable guidance for insurgent brands looking to foster brand loyalty in this specific context laying the groundwork for strategic marketing approaches in the dynamic Chinese market.

Psychological Insights into the Behavior of Cybercriminals: A Theoretical Perspective

This study explores comprehensively the complex psychosocial factors driving individuals toward illicit activities in the digital realm. The study encompasses the concept of cybercrime and psychological theories such as social learning, psychoanalytic, and cognitive behavioral theories. The application of space transition theory to cybercriminal behavior, determinants influencing cybercrime perpetration, and mechanisms for addressing cybercrimes. Employing a descriptive and legal analytical methodological approach, it combines didactic exposition and meticulous analysis to deeply explore the psychological motivations behind cybercriminal actions, including experiential trajectories, volitional tendencies, and cognitive processes. The findings reveal a nuanced array of motives underlying cybercriminal behavior, including the absence of a robust cyber-vigilance culture, financial incentives, and the attraction of unauthorized knowledge acquisition. Socio-economic elements like unemployment and intricate family dynamics exacerbate the propensity for cyber-delinquency.

Sibling bullying and mental health in British and Turkish autistic children and adolescents: The role of social and emotional functioning

Nearly one in two autistic individuals is involved in sibling bullying, which is linked to increased mental health difficulties. Despite its high prevalence, only a handful of studies have focused on the relationship between sibling bullying and mental health in the autistic population. Of these, a vast majority of evidence comes from Western cultures while little is known about non-western cultures. For the first time, the current study investigated the cross-cultural variability in the prevalence and demographic and mental health correlates of sibling bullying between a Western (the United Kingdom) and non-western (Turkey) country. Parents of British (N = 289) and Turkish (N = 171) autistic individuals, aged 9–20 years, completed online questionnaires. Structural equation models were fitted to test the risk factors for behavioural and mental health correlates of sibling bullying. Overall, sibling bullying was highly prevalent in the lives of both British and Turkish autistic adolescents as more than two-thirds either bullied a sibling or were bullied by a sibling every week. While some potential risk factors for sibling bullying were present in both cultures (e.g., past sibling bullying experiences), some were culture-specific (e.g., having a male sibling (British), higher parental education (Turkish)). Consistent with previous reports, higher rates of sibling bullying were significantly correlated with poorer mental health in both British and Turkish samples. Additionally, sibling bullying was indirectly linked to mental health difficulties through detrimental social behaviours (British and Turkish) and emotion regulation (British-only) in autistic children and adolescents. There were no indirect correlations between sibling bullying and mental health through social skills in either sample. Implications of these findings as well as cross-cultural similarities and differences are discussed in more detail in light of the relevant cross-cultural psychological theory.

Intrinsic Mechanisms of Facial Expression Recognition Defects in Children with Autism

The difficulty of facial expression recognition in autistic children mainly includes the inability to accurately understand the emotions and intentions of others, and shows the lack of facial expression response in social interaction. This defect has caused problems with their adaptation and understanding of others in social communication. Multiple hypotheses have been proposed about the intrinsic mechanism of facial expression recognition defects in children with autism. Children with autism may lack the development of psychological theory, causing them to correctly interpret and understand facial expressions with emotional[1]. Neurobiological factors may influence the areas of facial expression processing in the brain of autistic children, leading to their abnormalities in the transmission of neural circuits. In addition, children with autism may have abnormalities in brain function, making it difficult for them to effectively process and interpret information about facial expressions. Therefore, it is very important to further investigate the intrinsic mechanism of facial expression recognition defects in autistic children and the development of related treatments, which can help to improve the social communication ability and improve their quality of life of autistic children.

Psychological inflation: Definition and measurement

Conventional monetary policy tools became less effective, with nominal short-term interest rates approaching the zero-lower bound during COVID-19. Instead, central banks adopted a range of unconventional monetary policies. Thus, perceived inflation has become a key channel for monetary policy transmission. Despite how vital perceived inflation is, quantifying perceived inflation with accuracy remains questionable and challenging. As a result, we focus on developing a novel measurement of perceived inflation - the psychological inflation index. Our approach is based on psychological theories and considers loss aversion, which creates advancements to previous versions. The new index satisfies many expected criteria: (i) it broadly co-moves with the headline inflation index during everyday contexts; (ii) it captures abnormal price evolution better than headline inflation during crisis periods; (iii) it links tightly with monetary policy and economic dynamics. Psychological inflation, therefore, might be helpful in forecasting headline inflation, estimating real interest rates, predicting economic players' behavior, and setting salaries and prices. Psychological inflation, combined with headline inflation, provides a clearer picture of the credibility of monetary policy.

Psychological approaches to sustainability: Implementing intervention model for sustainable development in physical education

AbstractOne of the pending challenges facing Education for Sustainable Development is to change students' behavior in favor of sustainability so that these are lasting and even transferable to other people. This study analyzes how various psychological factors, including motivation, attitudes, beliefs and emotions, can be channeled to enhance social and ecological awareness through education. This paper presents an innovative approach to Sustainable Development (SD) in education, focusing on Physical Education. It highlights the intersection of Psychology, education and sustainability, showing how the first two can contribute significantly to lasting changes in students' behavior. Based on this, the Intervention Model for Sustainable Development in Physical Education (PESDIM), which combines psychological theories with specific educational strategies, is presented. In this model, which can be replicated in other educational disciplines, psychological theories are based on social interaction and norms, identity construction, motivation, beliefs and individual efficacy to improve awareness of sustainable development. The paper highlights the need for a holistic and practical approach to sustainability education in general and Physical Education in particular, stresses the importance of psychology and advocates for an educational transformation that holistically integrates sustainability into teaching methods and objectives.

Perspectives on International Conflict: Analyzing the Causes and Containment of Wars

This paper provides a comprehensive survey and analysis of perspectives on international conflict, focusing on the causes and containment of wars. The study delves into the concept of the "security dilemma" and the paradoxical nature of the contemporary international system, as identified by Herbert Butterfield. It explores various theoretical responses to the question of war causation, categorizing them into psychological, sociological, and political theories. Each perspective attributes the causes of war to different factors, such as human nature, the internal organization of states, and the anarchical nature of the international system. The paper critically evaluates the relevance and limitations of each perspective, highlighting the interconnectedness of these causal factors in understanding the complexities of international conflicts. Moreover, it emphasizes the evolving role of military power and diplomacy in conflict management, considering the impact of modern military technology and the growing emphasis on conflict avoidance and prevention strategies. The study concludes by emphasizing the need for a multifaceted approach to conflict management, integrating diplomatic, economic, and psychological instruments of power, to effectively contain and resolve international conflicts in the global society.

Organizational psychological ownership and innovative work behavior: the roles of coexisting knowledge sharing and hiding across organizational contexts

Purpose Drawing upon psychological ownership theory, the aim of this study was to uncover the coexisting mediating effects of knowledge sharing and hiding on the relationship between employees’ organizational psychological ownership (OPO) and their innovative work behavior (IWB). The moderating role of organizational context in these mediating relationships was further examined to determine the moderated mediation paths. Design/methodology/approach This study mainly used a survey-based research method and collected data from 512 professionals from both public and private organizations in Pakistan to test our proposed hypotheses. Findings The results showed that coexisting knowledge sharing and hiding mediated the relationship between employees’ OPO and IWB. Furthermore, organizational context moderated the mediated relationships, providing support for the moderated mediation framework. Practical implications The results highlight the significance of fostering employees’ OPO to enhance their IWB by promoting knowledge sharing and preventing knowledge hiding. This study also urges managers to consider the contingency effect of organizational contexts when promoting employees’ IWB in emerging economies. Originality/value The results obtained in this study suggest that the knowledge behavior paradox occurs in organizations, and distinct organizational contexts play crucial but differential roles in intervening in the effect of employees’ OPO on their IWB. This study empirically validated this complex mechanism in an important emerging economy in Asia.

Mexican-origin adolescents' cumulative strengths predict baseline and longitudinal changes in self-growth outcomes.

This study adopts a cultural ecological perspective to examine how cumulative effects of external transcultural and cultural strengths are related to baseline and changes in three markers of Mexican-origin adolescents' self-growth (i.e., resilience, life meaning, and discipline). Using a three-wave longitudinal data set (5 years) of 604 adolescents, cumulative strengths (CS) was calculated, and growth curve analyses showed a similar pattern of findings for both transcultural and cultural cumulative strengths models: Adolescents with higher CS showed higher baseline resilience, life meaning, and discipline. While there were no significant associations between adolescents' CS scores and the increase in resilience, adolescents with higher CS scores showed steeper declines in life meaning and discipline (although these declines were no longer significant for cultural CS when transcultural and cultural CS were simultaneously tested in the same model). The findings emphasize a cultural ecological understanding of Mexican-origin youths' positive development from early to later adolescence. They also provide support for a CS model and have implications for positive psychology theories. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Aiming high: Learning investments in German upper secondary education. Differences between immigrant and non-immigrant youth

This article addresses important aspects of the largely unexplored interplay between high educational aspirations and low academic achievement in migratory contexts. Using data from the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), I examine the determinants of learning investments of students who changed from vocational to academic tracking at the transition to upper secondary education. I also explore additional social challenges to upward track mobility that might affect immigrant students in a particular way. As educational disparities are often interpreted as a cumulative consequence of class- and migration-specific educational choices, I develop a learning investment model that explains differences in learning investments between immigrant and non-immigrant youth. I introduce the essential mechanisms of psychological motivation theory into a subjective expected utility (SEU) model, which allows for a specific examination of the relationship between educational aspirations, motivation, and learning investments. Results show that newcomers to academic tracking are more likely to invest in learning. Yet, learning investments in upward mobility processes may be influenced by the different learning environments of stratified education and by family dynamics. Here, I find differences between immigrant and non-immigrant youth. Thus, introducing motivational factors into an SEU model helps to understand when youth invest in learning.

Event-related Factors, Altruism, and Substance Use in Traumatization of Hurricane Student Volunteers: A Bayesian Model for the Follow-up Running Head: Bayesian Analysis of Disaster Traumatization

In surging disaster research, trauma psychologists called for more longitudinal investigation on factors related to resilience/lower traumatization for populations exposed to collective trauma. Little research has employed a Bayesian approach, a means with advantages in small samples and dichotomized endpoints. The present study addressed these needs with a two-wave survey on hurricane volunteers to demonstrate pathways to traumatization after deadly disasters. A survey was conducted at three months (Wave-1) and six months (Wave-2) after hurricane Katrina and Rita (H-KR) (N=201). Standardized instruments were used to assess posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) altruism, substance use for coping, and event-related factors in Wave-1 and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Wave-2. Bayesian structural equation modeling (Bayesian-SEM) was performed to evaluate the role of altruism and using substances to cope with Wave-2 PTSD. Traumatization was identified in 18% of participants, showing a significant increase in Wave-1 and a 12% decrease, albeit non-significant, in Wave-2. Supported by all Model fit indices, the final solution of Bayesian-SEM showed no direct overtime effect of altruism and substance use, but the indirect effects through the enhancing role of Waves-1 PTSS, on Wave-2 PTSD. Contrary to cross-sectional studies, no protection from peritraumatic positive emotions was observed. These findings emphasize the importance of longitudinal post-disaster research. Given the new evidence on volunteers' traumatization, altruism, and substance use during times of crisis with limited resources, further investigation among volunteers is crucial. The absence of identified protective factors in volunteers raises concerns for future implications in trauma psychology theory, research, and practice.

Female Malady: A Psychoanalytic Exploration of Woman’s Madness in Shirley Jackson’s “The Daemon Lover” and “The Tooth

     This paper presents a psychoanalytic exploration of woman's madness in selected short stories of Shirley Jackson. Through the analytical lens of Elaine Showalter's concept of the "female malady," this study delves into the intricate layers of psychological complexity experienced by the female protagonists in two selected short stories "The Daemon Lover," which reveals the protagonist’s obsession with her lover, and "The Tooth," which explores the interplay of anxiety, feminine identity, and societal pressure. The study is qualitative one, it is going to answer whether female’s madness is an inherited treat in women’s mentality or it is acquired due to the social pressures imposed upon women. A psychological theory is applied to demonstrate how seemingly mundane events can evoke profound psychological turmoil. This analysis uncovers the ways in which patriarchal system, individual psychology, and societal norms. The characters' experiences are dissected through the lens of suppressed desires, societal expectations, and the negotiation of identity within restrictive contexts. 

Unveiling the drivers of modal switch from motorcycles to public transport in Southeast Asia

Most studies on commuter and public transport mode choice rely on theoretical frameworks that draw boundaries between the utility function, social-ecological system, demographic and socio-economic attributes, and psychological theory. While models predicting the shift towards public transport are commonly applied in developed countries, there is a lack of similar studies that construct these models in developing countries. In addition, in some developing countries, the motorcycle is one of the main private motorised travel modes. Therefore, the modal shift from motorcycles to public transport in Southeast Asia to reduce private mobility is one of the important topics to examine. This paper presents a systematic literature review, utilising a comprehensive search strategy across electronic databases and reputable sources to identify directed acyclic graphs (DAGs), revealing factors influencing the choice and intention to shift to public transport. Data synthesis from selected studies highlights the intrinsic and extrinsic variables influencing public transport use, motorcycle use, and the modal shift to public transport. The study also proposes a theoretical framework for the modal shift in usage from motorcycles to public transport.

Research on Spatial Design and Reconstruction Strategy of Aging Based on Visual Features

At present, our country is in the rapid development stage of aging, the pension problem has always been a problem that the whole society pays high attention to, how to create a high quality living environment for the old people becomes a new research topic. From the perspective of vision, combined with architectural design theory, geriatric psychology, color psychology and other theories, this paper explores the interior public space environment design of elderly buildings from the aspects of light, color, quality, humanity and other influencing factors. At the same time, it analyzes the living situation of the old apartment and the characteristics of the old people in our country. From the aspects of space environment, function layout and so on, this paper summarizes the renovation strategy of interior space of elderly apartment. It provides a new reference for the design of elderly apartments in China in the future, and combines the design of elderly service centers to enrich the design methods of indoor public space environment of elderly care buildings in China in the future, so as to improve the quality of life of the elderly.