Psychol. Int., Volume 7, Issue 1 (March 2025) – 27 articles

Emojis are widely used to measure users’ emotional states; however, their interpretations can vary over time. While some emojis exhibit consistent meanings, others may be perceived differently at other times. To utilize emojis as indicators in consumer studies, it is essential to ensure that their interpretations remain stable over time. However, the long-term stability of emoji interpretations remains uncertain. Therefore, this study aims to identify emojis with stable and unstable interpretations. We collected 256 responses in an online survey twice, one week apart, in which participants rated the valence and arousal levels of 74 facial emojis on a nine-point scale. Wilcoxon rank-sum tests showed unstable interpretations for seven of the seventy-four emojis. Further, a hierarchical cluster analysis categorized 67 stable emojis into the following four clusters based on valence and arousal dimensions: strong positive sentiment, moderately positive sentiment, neutral sentiment, and negative sentiment. Consequently, we recommend the use of the 67 emojis with stable interpretations as reliable measures of emotional states in consumer studies. Full article

Background. This study examines the behavioral responses of adolescents to online sexual harassment based on their roles as victims, perpetrators, both, or neutral participants. Methods. Data from a national sample of Croatian high school students (N = 2016) were used to investigate the influence of these roles on reaction patterns. This study explores coping strategies among students involved in online sexual harassment as victims, perpetrators, or both. Results. Students with dual roles rarely sought help from parents, teachers, or helplines, while perpetrators avoided confiding in friends or siblings. Conversely, uninvolved students were most likely to seek support from these sources. Victims often confided in friends and responded by blocking, confronting, deleting content, or avoiding the harasser. Dual-role students commonly mirrored the harassment they experienced, suggesting a cycle of retaliation and blurred victim–perpetrator boundaries. Interestingly, no significant role-based differences were found for passive responses like ignoring harassment or reporting on social media platforms. Conclusion. These results underline the critical need for targeted interventions to foster digital resilience and tailor support mechanisms based on adolescents’ experiences and roles in online interactions. This research contributes to the understanding of role-specific behavioral dynamics in the digital sphere, offering actionable insights for educators, policymakers, and mental health professionals to enhance online safety and support systems for youth. Full article

Background: Induced after-death communication (IADC) therapy is an emerging approach for addressing grief-related distress, particularly in individuals experiencing complicated grief (CG). Developed from eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), IADC therapy aims to change the meanings with which loss is read and to transform acute grief into integrated grief. While spontaneous after-death communications (ADCs) have been widely reported across different cultures, IADC therapy provides a structured procedure for inducing a state of mind in which such experiences can spontaneously arise and develop. Methods: This study employed a prospective observational cohort design with a retrospective analysis, comparing the effectiveness of IADC therapy (experimental group, n = 42) to standard grief interventions combining talk therapy and EMDR (control group, n = 43). Participants completed standardized measures, including the Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG) and the IADC Grief Questionnaire (IADC-GQ), at pre-treatment (T1), post-treatment (T2), and six-month follow-up (T3). Additional analyses explored the role of spirituality, religious affiliation, and therapist characteristics in grief processing. Results: IADC therapy led to a significantly greater reduction in grief intensity (ICG scores) immediately after the intervention and at the six-month follow-up compared to the control group. The experimental group also showed a more pronounced decrease in distress symptoms (CS scores) and higher ratings of therapeutic satisfaction. Furthermore, participants in the experimental group exhibited a significantly greater increase in their continuing bond (CB) scores, suggesting a more adaptive connection with the deceased. Additional analyses examined therapist characteristics, treatment-related factors, and the nature of ADC experiences, which are further explored in the discussion. Conclusions: These findings highlight the clinical utility of IADC therapy as a brief and cost-effective grief intervention, offering comparable or superior outcomes to traditional grief therapies. The results suggest that recognizing and integrating spontaneous ADC experiences into grief therapy may provide a valuable therapeutic pathway. Future research should further explore the long-term effects, cultural variations, and therapist characteristics to optimize the integration of IADC therapy into mainstream clinical practice. Full article

Persistent physical symptoms (PPS) are frequently seen in most medical specialties. Healthcare provision for PPS patients has been largely ineffective due to an outdated biomedical approach and failure to encompass the multifaceted nature of PPS, despite the guidelines recommending multidisciplinary care involving medical, social and psychological provision for the management of PPS. There are unresolved challenges and associated costs with PPS, suggesting needs are not being met. The aim of this research was to explore the current management of PPS patients, to provide insights into the opportunities for interventions to better manage PPS. A qualitative study was used, applying semi-structured interviews with sixteen healthcare practitioners including ten General Practitioners in the primary care network (PCN) and six secondary care practitioners in the National Health Service. The findings generated from the thematic analysis included three themes: (1) challenges of the early identification and management of PPS, (2) moving away from search and fix to support and manage and (3) moving care from hospitals to the community. Healthcare practitioners working with patients with PPS continue to experience a range of challenges. Addressing these challenges through better training, improved communication and systemic changes can enhance care for both patients and practitioners. There is a role for community-based initiatives, social prescribers and specialist PPS clinicians, and PPS should be taught in the medical curriculum. Full article

Cancer literacy is essential for promoting preventive behaviors and making informed decisions for a healthier lifestyle. There are significant gaps in the knowledge of modifiable and non-modifiable cancer risk factors among university students. The objective of this study is to evaluate the level of cancer literacy, characterize motivations for volunteering, and explore possible associations between the variables, relating them to sociodemographic data. The sample comprised 308 higher education students aged 18 or above. A sociodemographic questionnaire, the Students Knowledge and Perceptions about Cancer test, and the Volunteer Functions Inventory were administered. The findings indicated higher levels of cancer literacy among females, students involved in volunteering, and those in the Medical and Health Sciences. Women placed more importance on experience, values, and growth functions in volunteering. The correlation between cancer literacy and motivations for volunteering proved to be significant for the experience and values functions. The findings of this study are particularly pertinent to the field of education, highlighting the need for strategies aimed at the prevention of the disease and the training of young adults in cancer literacy. Full article

The present study examined the contribution of mother–child and father–child synchrony to early adolescents’ prosocial and aggressive behavior with peers and friendship quality. Data were collected as part of a cross-sectional study from 185 early adolescents (M age = 12.48, SD = 1.03) and their parents. Separate father–adolescent and mother–adolescent interaction sessions were used to assess three dimensions of synchrony: (a) dyadic synchrony, (b) shared positive affect, and (c) conversational equality. Parents rated adolescents’ prosocial and aggressive behavior toward peers. Adolescents reported the quality of their relationships with their best friends. Regression analyses revealed that both mother–adolescent and father–adolescent shared positive affect were associated with higher parent-rated prosocial behavior, lower parent-rated peer aggression, and higher adolescent self-reported friendship intimacy. Likewise, mother–adolescent and father–adolescent conversational equality were each associated with higher parent-rated prosocial behavior. Only father–adolescent conversational equality was associated with adolescent-reported friendship intimacy. No measure of parent–adolescent dyadic synchrony was associated with adolescent-reported friendship conflict. Full article

(1) Background: Workplace procrastination leads to missed deadlines and financial losses, necessitating a deeper understanding of its risk factors and inhibitors for effective interventions. This study aims to bridge the significant gap in the literature regarding the effects of Authentic Leadership (AL) on workplace procrastination behaviors, including soldiering and cyberslacking. AL, as a positive leadership style, is proposed as a key factor in mitigating procrastination by fostering a supportive work environment. Specifically, this research examines how AL impacts procrastination through two psychosocial risk factors—lack of supervisor support and lack of workgroup support—which are hypothesized to mediate this relationship. (2) Methods: Data were collected from 738 employees (62.9% women) who completed a survey. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was conducted to explore the direct relationship between AL and procrastination, and indirect relationships through support. (3) Results: The findings indicate that AL negatively impacts procrastination behaviors, with stronger effects on soldiering compared to cyberslacking. AL is also negatively associated with perceptions of a lack of support from both leaders and workgroups, with a stronger influence on leader support. Both lack of leader and workgroup support significantly predict soldiering but not cyberslacking. (4) Conclusions: This study highlights AL’s potential to mitigate workplace procrastination by reducing perceptions of insufficient support. Organizations should focus on AL training to promote leader authenticity and supportiveness while fostering strong support networks within workgroups to enhance productivity and reduce procrastination behaviors. These findings also contribute to understanding AL’s role in addressing workplace counterproductive behaviors. Full article

Background: Self-directed learning (SDL) most appropriately is learning that is personally selected based on individual values. SDL potentially achieves psychological flow. Flow is an outcome identified and investigated by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Among those whose flow he studied were individuals who engaged in self-directed careers—athletes, musicians, and researchers. Method: Based on their career self-direction, this investigation compares the reports of athletes, musicians, and researchers of Csikszentmihalyi through a qualitative narrative analysis of his relevant forty-seven-year publication record. The included reports have Csikszentmihalyi as an author, are an analysis of athletes, musicians, or researchers, and mention flow. The lack of an empirical study is the reason for exclusion. Results: The results reveal a significant difference between those who experience flow from a performance of their achieved skills and those who experience flow while learning. This examination of Csikszentmihalyi’s studies regarding athletes and musicians identifies that they are most likely to experience flow during performances of their mastered skills, unlike researchers, whose flow occurs during SDL—a distinction unmentioned by Csikszentmihalyi. Conclusions: Although athletes and musicians may self-direct their careers, only the flow of researchers corresponds with SDL. This result meaningfully extends the literature on SDL and flow, offering direction for future empirical studies and educational opportunities. Full article

Background. Attachment between romantic partners has been investigated primarily through self-reports assessing the two dimensions of avoidance and ambivalence/anxiety, typically formulating items according to observable psychological properties. However, this approach produces correlated dimensions, with a limited distinction between their features. In this work, we hypothesize that a definition of avoidance and ambivalence driven by their theorized cognitive–evolutionary functions can lead to a clearer-cut distinction between the two (i.e., lower correlation), still maintaining or even further highlighting the expected avoidant and ambivalent characteristics. Methods. To test our hypothesis, we administered to an adult population a battery of self-reports measuring attachment and related properties—i.e., psychological well-being, couple satisfaction, and emotion regulation. We assessed attachment through two classical attachment self-reports—the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) and Revised Adult Attachment Scale (RAAS)—and the novel, theory-informed Attachment–Caregiving Questionnaire (ACQ), building a Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) connecting attachment with the other constructs. Results. Our results demonstrate that measuring attachment through the ECR-R/RAAS and the ACQ leads to similar properties but a more evident characterization of avoidance and ambivalence supported by the ACQ. Conclusions. These first findings suggest that the cognitive–evolutionary definition of these two dimensions may be advantageous and should be further investigated. Full article

Test anxiety has been the focus of research interest in the domains of education and psychology for over 70 years, as it affects not only students’ academic achievement and overall well-being, but students’ families and school staff as well. Given the implications of high-stakes school exams for students’ future educational opportunities and self-esteem, it is unsurprising that students experience test anxiety under the pressure of achieving high scores. In this context, it is imperative to comprehend the predictors and consequences of test anxiety to develop efficacious prevention and intervention programs. Therefore, the present review, aiming to extend the current understanding, provides insight and impacts of test anxiety, and highlights corresponding future implications. The implications that emerge could be considered by teachers, school and developmental psychologists, and educational professionals who aim to support students in reducing test anxiety and performing to their full potential in assessment situations. Full article

During their career, most professional players in team sports encounter club-to-club transfers (CCTs). Indeed, it is unusual for a player to remain with a single club throughout their professional career, making these transitions pivotal moments in elite sports environments. However, there is lack of knowledge as concerns the psychosocial skills involved when players encounter CCT challenges. The current study was concerned with integrating Social Adaptability Skills (SAS) simultaneously with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to assist athletes with overcoming CCT challenges. A linear mixed model analysis using the likelihood ratio test revealed significant improvements in SAS, p < 0.05. Furthermore, the main effect of period was significant F(2, 203.17) = 286.07, p < 0.001, indicating that the propensity to enact and deploy SAS varied across the measurement periods (pre-, post-, and retention-test). These findings suggest that ACT-based mindfulness interventions may play a crucial role in reinforcing athletes’ enactment of SAS in overcoming CCT challenges. Overall, the results confirm that the SAS educational intervention effectively equipped athletes with the necessary psychosocial attributes to navigate CCT challenges. This study provides a foundation for future research and practical applications, emphasizing the need for structured psychological support within talent development programs. Full article

Background: The role of social support in fostering academic engagement (AE) and life satisfaction (LS) is well established, as both are essential for student well-being and success. Theoretical frameworks suggest that distinct sources of social support contribute uniquely to these outcomes. However, limited research has explored these relationships in specific populations, such as nursing and physiotherapy students. Methods: This study aimed to examine the differential relationships between three sources of social support (family, significant other, and friends), AE and LS in a sample of 363 university students (84% female, M_age = 26.52, SD = 8.13) in Croatia (nursing and physiotherapy program). A cross-sectional design was employed using self-reported data. Results: The results of a hierarchical regression analysis revealed that family support was the only significant positive predictor of both AE and LS. Among the demographic variables, an older age was associated with higher AE and LS, while employed students reported lower LS. The findings were consistent across younger (18–24 years) and older (25–48 years) subgroups, with the exception of older students’ AE, where none of the social support sources emerged as significant predictors. Regarding bivariate correlations, all three social support subscales correlated positively with AE and LS, but the correlations were higher for LS. Conclusions: These results highlight the central role of family support in academic and life outcomes for nursing and physiotherapy students, offering insights for targeted interventions to enhance student well-being. Full article

Background: Student-athletes and competitive dancers experience significant physical, psychological, and emotional stress, often coupled with academic and social pressures. These stressors may lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms, negatively impacting mental health, quality of life, and athletic performance. While assessing mental illness is important, measuring positive mental health (PMH) can offer valuable insights into overall well-being and resilience. The positive mental health Instrument (PMHI) was developed to assess PMH, but its psychometric properties in student-athletes and competitive athletes have not been explored. Methods: Collegiate student-athletes and competitive dancers completed a survey, including the PMHI-19 and a demographic questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to assess the factor structure of the PMHI-19. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was then conducted to identify a more parsimonious structure. Results: The CFA of the PMHI-19 did not meet recommended model fit indices. EFA resulted in two different parsimonious models: a 4-factor, 11-item model (PMHI-11) and a 3-factor, 9-item model (PMHI-9), both meeting recommended fit indices. Conclusions: The condensed PMHI-11 and PMHI-9 models may be more suitable for use in collegiate athletic populations. Further research is needed to refine these instruments and explore their applicability across diverse athletic groups. Full article

Teacher identity is a multidimensional construct that includes elements such as teachers’ perceptions of their responsibilities and the boundaries they place on those responsibilities. The purpose of this study was to examine how elements of teacher identity, specifically their perceived responsibilities and the boundaries they place on their responsibilities, are related to teacher well-being. Individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 teachers in the Philippines. Teachers were asked about their perceptions of their responsibilities, where they draw the boundaries on what they are responsible for, and their feelings of stress and burnout. A grounded theory approach was used to develop a coding scheme and code the interview transcripts. The results revealed that most of the teachers in the sample felt responsible for promoting both academic and social–moral development in their students but created boundaries that prevented them from prying into students’ personal lives and helped them maintain professional boundaries. Unlike many teachers in the U.S., few of the teachers in the Filipino sample expressed high levels of burnout or a desire to leave the profession. We argue that cultural differences in the way teachers define their roles and responsibilities may explain the differences in the burnout levels of teachers in the U.S. compared to those of teachers in the Philippines. Lessons learned from how teachers with low levels of burnout define their roles and responsibilities can be used to help teachers at risk of burning out reframe their role identities. Full article

Background: This study evaluated the validity and reliability of the Health Action Process Approach model to predict physical activity behaviours in women experiencing urinary incontinence. Methods: Participants (n = 389) completed a series of measures evaluating motivational and volitional factors related to health behaviour change, with data analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling. Results: The results demonstrated the model’s reliability, with the constructs of self-efficacy and outcome expectancies being strongly associated with behavioural intentions. Maintenance self-efficacy was identified as a key predictor of planning constructs, but intention and planning were less predictive of physical activity behaviour than anticipated. The inclusion of specific constructs to measure urinary incontinence outcome expectancies also highlighted the complex nature of the way urinary incontinence is experienced by women inside and outside of the physical environment. Conclusions: These findings emphasise the need for tailored interventions addressing both motivational and planning processes to bridge the intention–behaviour gap in this population. Further research is recommended to refine models for specific subgroups, incorporating age and health condition variables, to enhance intervention efficacy and promote lifelong physical activity engagement for women experiencing urinary incontinence. Full article

Background: Exposure to violent content through video games can shape perceptions of aggression as normative or acceptable, potentially desensitizing adolescents to violence and increasing the likelihood that they will engage in aggressive behavior in their real-world interactions. This narrative review examines the relationship between violent video games (VVGs) and youth aggression, addressing (i) VVG exposure through the lens of Social Learning Theory and the General Aggression Model; (ii) the biological determinants of aggressive behavior, including neurophysiological correlates and the potential modulatory role of the gut microbiome; (iii) and current evidence on the influence of VVG exposure on adolescent aggression. Results: VVG exposure may promote moral disengagement and reinforce aggressive behavior through rewarding violent actions, potentially leading to real-life aggression. Exposure to VVGs increases aggression by elevating cortisol levels, activating the sympathetic nervous system, stimulating the brain’s reward system, and disrupting neurotransmitter balance. Alterations in gut microbiome composition could occur as a result of engaging in VVGs, potentially mirroring the physiological responses observed in violent real-world activities. The relationship between VVGs and aggression among adolescents has been widely explored, with studies generally indicating that VVG exposure can lead to desensitization to violence, reduced empathy, and diminished prosocial behavior. VVGs have also been linked to both bullying perpetration and victimization dynamics among adolescents, contributing to mental health issues, which in turn exacerbate problematic gaming behaviors. Conclusions: While there is evidence suggesting that exposure to VVGs is associated with increased adolescent aggression, discrepancies in the literature highlight the need for further research aimed at improving our understanding of this phenomenon. The studies on this topic reveal significant limitations, including a predominance of cross-sectional designs, methodological shortcomings, small sample sizes, and challenges in generalizing results. Factors such as the developmental stages of the participants, the exclusion of females, and unmeasured variables during long follow-up periods further complicate interpretations. Moreover, parental responsibility and the effectiveness of age ratings require closer examination. Full article

Multiple researchers have called for greater investigation into the Florida HB 1557 bill and its corresponding legislation, as well as its impact, particularly in Florida Recent limitations in research on this topic include not having a developed, validated measure that captures the perception of targeted legislation toward sexual gender minority (SGM) groups and the perceived impacts of the legislation. The present study evaluates a measure of SGM legislation perception, Perception of Regulations, and Impacts on Diversity and Equality—Legislation (PRIDE-L) scale. Two cross-sectional designs were used to develop and assess the psychometric properties of the PRIDE-L. The three factors defined are the general perception of legislation, the perceived direct impact of legislation, and the perceived indirect impact of legislation, or the impact on other people that the participant knows and cares about. The PRIDE-L may offer a tool to aid in quantifying the underlying construct of negative cognitions about social stressors, which may aid in social advocacy. Full article

The outbreak of COVID-19 signaled an unprecedented era of unforeseen events which, among others, affected in-person psychological therapy (IPT). On the one hand, it could be argued that psychological therapy had the foundations to make the transition to remote delivery, but on the other, it was unclear what consequences the pandemic held for therapists and clients. This paper reviews the existing literature and explores the impact of the pandemic’s outbreak on IPT. Several studies suggest that IPT was abruptly interrupted, with a number of challenges observed in clients’ attendance, the transition to remote delivery and in the therapeutic process and relationship. Conversely, positive experiences and opportunities in the provision of therapy were reported too, such as convenience and flexibility in the process, improved accessibility and the continuation of therapy during the crisis. Finally, a number of studies report positive shifts in therapists’ attitudes towards remote delivery, while others highlight the importance of preparedness and previous experience. Following a review of the available studies and according to the pandemic’s trajectory, the current paper attempted to conceptualize findings in the revolving phases of regression, transition and adaptation, ultimately providing a starting point for further discussions and research in exploring the provision of psychological therapies in the future. Full article

Background: Stigma can have a significant impact on the lives of those inflicted, and stigmatisation can occur at any time when individuals commonly label behaviours and characteristics of others as offensive. Many attributes, such as homosexuality, ethnicity, race, and mental illness, have been explored using existing instruments. However, there are currently no standardised measures of stigma towards specific behaviours such as naturism. Naturism is the practice of public nudity without any intention of sexual stimulation. Though a global phenomenon, data suggest that almost seven million individuals in the UK alone identify as naturists. The rising figures of those engaging in stigmatised behaviour and the negative representations of this in the media contribute to the necessity for standardised instruments to measure stigma towards naturism. Method: The Naturism Stigma Scale (NSS) was adapted from the Depression Stigma Scale. This 18-item scale has two subscales which measure personal and perceived stigma. The sample consisted of 449 participants recruited by convenience sampling. Results: The analysis indicated that the scale had high reliability for both subscales (Personal Cronbach’s α = 0.91, Perceived Cronbach’s α = 0.93). It can be concluded that the NSS is a reliable psychometric instrument. Conclusions: Overall, this research assists in further understanding the stigma towards this minority group. Further research is necessary to explore the psychometric properties of NSS among different community samples. Full article

We adapted the SCoTS from the Collegiate Psychological Sense of Community Scale to measure religious/spiritual (R/S) community and belonging among college students. Emerging research indicates that participation and involvement in R/S groups among college students has been associated with their success, quality of life, and well-being. Development of the SCoTS included item reformatting, scale restructuring, exploratory factor analyses, confirmatory factor analysis, and convergent/discriminant analyses. Results in Study 1 show support for both one- and two-factor solutions in a sample of 357 university students. We named our loaded factors Belonging and Member Involvement. In Study 2, our confirmatory factor analyses with a sample of 399 university students affirmed a two-factor solution. Analyses showed unique aspects of the SCoTS when compared to similar measures. We end with a discussion of the implications and utility of the SCoTS for clinicians, healthcare providers, and educators. Full article

Background: The relationship between resilience and emotional intelligence and its influence on military personnel has become the object of research in recent years, since today’s combatant faces significant physical and psychological challenges. Therefore, the general objective of this study was to analyze the psychological variables of resilience and emotional intelligence in military personnel in the Spanish Army and their relationship as a function of civilian status. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out. The sample consisted of 739 military personnel (officers, non-commissioned officers, and troops), with a mean age of 33.29 years (SD = 7.48) (87.7% were men and 12.3% were women) who filled in the ad hoc questionnaire on sociodemographic variables, the Resilience Scale (RS), and the Emotional Intelligence Inventory (EQ-i-M20). Results: The results showed a positive relationship between resilience and emotional intelligence, although no association was found with age. No significant differences were observed in the levels of resilience and emotional intelligence based on gender. However, differences were found according to marital status, with military personnel in the Spanish Army who were widowed showing lower levels of resilience and emotional intelligence compared to those who were single, married, or divorced. The regression model indicated a direct effect of resilience on emotional intelligence. Conclusions: The most relevant contributions of this work are related to the role of resilience and EI in military personnel in promoting health and well-being, in line with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda Goals. In conclusion, it is considered necessary to design intervention programs aimed at strengthening resilience in widowed military personnel in order to improve their well-being and their ability to identify, understand, and manage both their own emotions and those of others. This could facilitate the achievement of institutional objectives and promote quality of life of personnel in the Spanish Army. Full article

Climate denialism represents a significant challenge to public awareness and the implementation of effective environmental policies. In Portugal, as in other countries, social networks have been the place where denialist ideas are disseminated, influencing the public perception of the climate crisis. This research aims to understand how denialist discourse manifests and spreads on digital platforms. The research question of this work is: how does climate denialist discourse manifest itself on social media in Portugal? This work has two objectives: (1) to analyze the arguments and discursive strategies used by climate deniers in comments on Facebook, specifically on the pages of the three largest Portuguese newspapers, and (2) to understand the social and discursive dynamics that underpin their beliefs. This work adopted a qualitative methodology that involved manual data collection during the month of September 2024. Posts about climate that were informative were selected. The comments were examined manually and categorized by type of discourse. This approach enabled capturing specific nuances and contexts of denial discourses, providing a deeper understanding of the phenomenon. The study concluded that (I) comments that use fallacies or rhetoric that deny the climate crisis tended to receive more “likes” and approval from users; (II) fallacies that do not offer scientific evidence to refute the existence of climate change were identified in all these comments. Full article

As modern technology enables instant access to virtually limitless information, students may perceive memorization of information as lacking in practical importance. The current study investigated the relationship between attitudes toward remembering and metamemory as well as objective memory performance. University students (N = 108, M_Age = 19.39, 77% women) completed the Importance of Remembering questionnaire (IORQ) as a measure of attitudes toward remembering. Subjective components of memory were measured by immediate and delayed judgments of learning (JOLs), global judgments of learning (global JOLs), retroactive confidence judgments (RCJs), and subjective mental workload. Objective memory performance was measured using a cued recall test using word pairs and picture pairs. The IORQ was only significantly correlated with absolute accuracy of delayed judgments of learning for words and pictures such that higher IORQ ratings were associated with less accurate judgments about how well they learned the items. No other correlations were significant. This suggests that a student’s lack of belief in the importance of remembering, at least as conceptualized on the IORQ, may not affect most aspects of memory performance, including those related to academic outcomes. Full article

Background: Emotional valence can be used to describe the pleasant or unpleasant nature of information such as images, words, sentences, or texts. The possible existence of a bias favoring the comprehension of positive versus negative information remains a controversial subject. The aim of the present study was to explore whether the emotional valence of a text influences its comprehension by students in the fourth or fifth grade. Methods: To this end, 55 French students with a mean age of 10.11 years answered surface, semantic, and inferential questions after reading texts with a positive, negative, or neutral valence. Results: The results showed that surface comprehension scores were higher for texts with a positive or negative valence, rather than a neutral one. They also showed that semantic comprehension scores were lower for negatively valenced texts. Conclusion: These observations suggest that emotional valence influences text comprehension in young readers. The existence of a positivity bias in children’s reading comprehension and the educational implications in the classroom are discussed. Full article

Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) is a widely used tool in the social sciences. Researchers employ it to identify the latent structure underlying observed indicator variables during the process of scale development, theory construction, and comparison of various constructs. One of the most important aspects of conducting EFA is determining the number of factors to retain. There exist a number of techniques for this purpose, but none have been identified as uniformly optimal in all situations. The purpose of this simulation study is to compare several such techniques in the context of dichotomous and ordinal indicator variables (corresponding to items on an instrument). Some of the methods investigated in this study include well-established techniques, such as parallel analysis and the minimum average partial correlation, as well as newly developed ones, such as out-of-sample prediction error and the next eigenvalue sufficiency test. The results of the study demonstrate that a Bayesian estimation approach and the out-of-sample prediction error method are particularly effective for identifying the number of factors to retain. The implications for practice are discussed. Full article

Background: Interactive learning environments have emerged as transformative tools in education, enhancing engagement, academic performance, and addressing challenges like learning anxiety. This study examines the influence of multiple variables, including anxiety, internet usage for problem-solving, attitude towards a history course, metacognitive awareness, and interactive learning environments, on seventh-grade students’ academic performance. Methods: Using the Exploration of Attitudes Towards History Scale (EDIS) scale to measure attitudes and the Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory-Revised Two-Factor Version (MARSI-2fR) to assess metacognitive awareness, the study evaluated historical knowledge across three stages, namely pre-intervention, post-intervention, and a one-month-later retest. A comparative analysis was conducted between the control group and the intervention group. The statistical analyses involved the calculation of correlation coefficients, the implementation of general linear models, and the performance of Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Results: The findings indicated that prior to the intervention, factors such as learning anxiety and the extratextual component of metacognition were statistically significant predictors of achievement. However, the aforementioned factors ceased to be statistically significant when the parameter of study strategies was incorporated into the statistical model. The impact of the interactive learning environment on students’ achievement is highly statistically significant in terms of post-test scores, while the influence of all other predictors becomes insignificant. The retest confirmed the continued maintenance of the achieved results as evaluated following the intervention. Conclusions: The study confirms previous research demonstrating that interactive learning environments are an effective method of enhancing students’ academic performance and reducing the negative impact of learning anxiety. Full article

Sports and quality of life have a well-established connection. Karate-Dō is now a global scale sport, although it preserves traditional values and behaviors. The main aim of this study is to compare the difference in subjective quality of life levels between people engaged in Karate-Dō and people who are not. This is an exploratory study where a quantitative methodology was used. A globally accepted instrument was used to measure the subjective quality of life: Personal Wellbeing Index©. A total of 186 questionnaires were administered at a national level (online). Of these, 108 were administered to a sample of the general population (not engaged in martial arts) and 78 were administered to a sample of Karate-Dō athletes or karateka. Although the dimension and distribution of the samples does not allow data generalization, these data clearly show a higher quality of life perception, in all domains, in Karate-Dō athletes. Nonetheless, globally and in all the different domains, the level of perceived quality of life can be considered quite positive in Karate-Dō athletes. This finding suggests that the practice of Karate-Dō may have a strong relationship with a high level of subjective quality of life. Full article