Search Results (159)

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into workplace ecosystems is intensifying adaptation pressure for new employees. This study examines how Workplace Fear of Missing Out (WFMO) influences adaptive performance in this context. Methods: Drawing on Conservation of Resources Theory and the Emotion Regulation Process Model, a dual-path mediating model was tested using survey data from 442 new employees. Hierarchical regression, the Bootstrap method, and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) were employed. Results: WFMO is positively associated with adaptive performance. Role stress and cognitive reappraisal function as independent mediators in this relationship. Leader empathy positively moderates both direct relationships and indirect mediating pathways. Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis reveals two distinct configurational paths to high adaptive performance. Conclusion: Workplace Fear of Missing Out can be transformed into adaptive behavior through resource mobilization and cognitive reappraisal mechanisms, with leader empathy serving as a critical contextual amplifier. These findings challenge the traditional view of workplace anxiety as uniformly detrimental and provide actionable insights for organizational management in technology-driven environments. Full article

Surf tourism, a form of sustainable experiential tourism, directly shapes the socio-economic sustainability of coastal destinations. However, existing research has not uncovered how cognitive appraisal processes and status-seeking motives interact to shape tourists’ behavioral intentions and resilience amid experiential setbacks. Based on a cross-sectional survey design, and grounded in Cognitive Appraisal Theory (CAT) and the Theory of the Leisure Class (TLC), this study empirically tests an integrated socio-cognitive framework using data from 395 surf tourists in Hainan, China. Data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results demonstrate that cognitive appraisals (outcome desirability, agency, certainty) and status-driven imperatives are powerful predictors of behavioral intentions. Conspicuous Consumption Motivation (CCM) acts as a critical boundary condition, amplifying the positive effect of affective states on intentions, and serving as a psychological buffer that facilitates consumer resilience against tourism setbacks. We further extend a “social-symbolic reappraisal” mechanism—rather than a directly measured variable—through which tourists reframe negative experiences as a “badge of honor” to signal leisure-class status via the moderation effect of CCM. This fills an important gap in existing research on emotion regulation and tourist behavior. This study clarifies the psychological pathway of behavioral sustainability in symbolic experiential tourism and delivers high-impact actionable insights for coastal destinations: operators can leverage the social-symbolic reappraisal mechanism to design identity-focused experience narratives, stabilize tourist flow and revenue streams, increase investments in sustainable infrastructure and marine conservation, and benefit from sustainable management of coastal surf tourism destinations. Full article

Exercise-induced pain is a common and aversive experience that can influence how individuals engage with and persist in physical activity. Pain is not solely determined by sensory input but is shaped by attentional and cognitive processes that influence how bodily sensations are interpreted during exercise. The present study examined how different modes of attentional engagement shape the cognitive appraisal of exercise-induced pain. Recreationally active adults (N = 55) were randomly assigned to use either a mindful associative attentional strategy or a cognitively engaging dissociative strategy (backward counting) during two isometric endurance tasks (forearm plank and wall-sit). Core affect, pain severity, pain tolerance, and mindful reappraisal of pain were assessed during and after exercise. Manipulation checks confirmed robust differentiation of attentional focus and state mindfulness between conditions (p < 0.05). Participants using mindful attention reported significantly higher mindful reappraisal of pain during both exercises (p < 0.05, η² = 0.11 (plank) and 0.11 (wall sit)) and lower pain severity during the plank only (p < 0.05, η² = 0.08 (plank)) compared to those using dissociative attention. No between-condition differences were observed for pain tolerance, perceived exertion, or core affect. These findings suggest that mindful attention may influence exercise-induced pain in part through differences in cognitive appraisal rather than disengagement from bodily sensations. By highlighting pain appraisal as a key attentional mechanism, this study contributes to a more precise understanding of how mindfulness shapes pain experiences during acute exercise. Full article

To examine the complex relationships among physical activity, emotion regulation, psychological stress, and mood states in college students, this study analyzed questionnaire data collected from 494 participants. Network analysis was employed to construct a global association network, compare gender differences, and characterize patterns of directed statistical dependencies via directed acyclic graph (DAG) analysis. The results showed that: (1) the network comprised 25 nodes and 94 non-zero edges, reflecting extensive conditional associations across the four domains; (2) bridge centrality analysis identified cognitive reappraisal, self-related emotions, and anger as key bridge nodes, with cognitive reappraisal exhibiting the highest bridge strength; (3) accuracy and stability analyses yielded a centrality stability coefficient (CS) of 0.749 for strength, indicating adequate network stability; (4) network comparison tests revealed no significant gender differences in overall network structure or global strength, although certain local edge weights differed; (5) DAG analysis suggested that stable directional dependencies were primarily concentrated within individual subsystems, with no marked structural differences observed between male and female groups. In conclusion, physical activity, emotion regulation, psychological stress, and mood states appear to constitute an interconnected psychological adaptation system. Cognitive reappraisal, self-related emotions, and anger likely serve as pivotal bridge nodes warranting priority in future longitudinal research and targeted interventions. Full article

Existential, spiritual, and religious themes often evoke strong emotions in therapy, yet little is known about how clients’ emotion regulation relates to these aspects. Spiritual psychotherapy for inpatient residential and intensive treatment (SPIRIT) integrates meaning in life within a cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) framework in acute and intensive mental health care and provides an appropriate context for examining this. This qualitative study explores: (1) clients’ beliefs about expressing, managing, or suppressing emotions related to meaning in life, spirituality, or religion (MSR); (2) how emotion regulation strategies (e.g., reappraisal, acceptance, and distress tolerance) are influenced by addressing MSR in therapy; and (3) whether engaging with MSR activates emotion regulation mechanisms for clients’ experienced distress. We analyzed 118 client evaluation forms and 19 semi-structured client interviews using a thematic approach informed by emotion regulation theory. SPIRIT-CBT made implicit beliefs about (MSR-related) emotion regulation explicit, and group interactions sometimes led to changes. Clients showed various regulation strategies, for example: MSR-based reappraisal, connectedness, reflection, and positive refocusing. However, emotional tension and suppression were also reported. Particularly from the interviews, it emerged that the therapy facilitated regulation mechanisms, including narrative processing, perspective shifting, sense-making, and social belonging. Focusing on MSR and existential themes addresses an important gap in mental health care and may contribute to supporting clients’ emotional recovery and overall well-being. Full article

Objectives: Habitual exercise has been associated with a lower risk of emotional disorders and greater emotional stability. However, it remains unclear whether the beneficial effects of habitual aerobic exercise primarily emerge during the stage of emotion elicitation or during the subsequent regulation of negative emotions. The present study examined the association of habitual aerobic exercise with the intensity of negative emotion elicitation, the effectiveness of emotion regulation strategies, and patterns of prefrontal activation measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Methods: Sixty-four participants were recruited, including individuals with habitual aerobic exercise (trained group, n = 32) and those without regular exercise habits (untrained group, n = 32). Participants completed an emotion regulation task consisting of four conditions: viewing neutral images, viewing negative images, cognitive reappraisal, and expressive suppression. The comparison between neutral and negative viewing conditions was used to assess emotional elicitation, whereas comparisons between the regulation conditions and passive viewing of negative images were used to assess emotion regulation effects. Results: Compared with the untrained group, the trained group showed a lower emotional elicitation effect, accompanied by lower right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (rVLPFC) activation during picture viewing at a more liberal threshold. The two groups showed similar reductions in negative emotional experience during emotion regulation, whereas individuals with habitual exercise showed a trend toward lower right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (rDLPFC) activation during expressive suppression. Conclusions: Habitual aerobic exercise is associated with greater emotional stability, characterized by reduced initial emotional reactivity during emotion elicitation. Habitual exercisers may also show more efficient neural processing, reflected in distinct prefrontal activation patterns during emotional processing and regulation, although these exploratory findings require confirmation in future research. Full article

We aimed to investigate factors associated with post-earthquake coping strategies and to examine the relationship between coping styles and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom levels. This multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted among individuals presenting to 22 primary health centers in the Adana and Osmaniye provinces of Türkiye between 13 and 17 March 2023. Data were collected using a structured sociodemographic form, the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), and the Coping with Earthquake Stress Scale. The mean age of the participants (n = 434) was 38.27 ± 13.84 years, and 63.4% were female. The prevalence of probable PTSD was 32.95%. A weak negative correlation was found between PCL-5 scores and positive reappraisal scores (r = −0.192, p < 0.01), whereas no significant associations were observed between PTSD symptom scores and other coping strategies. Positive reappraisal scores were positively correlated with both religious coping (r = 0.248) and seeking social support (r = 0.316) (p < 0.01). Individuals who experienced family-related losses reported higher religious coping scores. These findings suggest that positive reappraisal may be associated with lower PTSD symptom levels in the early post-disaster period, highlighting the potential importance of adaptive cognitive coping strategies in primary care settings. Full article

Background: The global burden of mental disorders continues to escalate, necessitating scalable, evidence-based interventions. Artificial intelligence (AI)-delivered health promotion programs represent a promising approach to addressing treatment gaps by targeting the neuropsychological mechanisms that underlie mental health outcomes. This meta-analysis synthesizes evidence on the effectiveness of AI-delivered interventions in improving executive function, emotion regulation, and clinical outcomes across diverse populations. Methods: A systematic search identified 186 studies (n = 22,755 participants) published between 2020 and 2025. Random-effects meta-analyses estimated pooled effect sizes (Hedges’ g, calculated as between-group standardized mean differences with small-sample correction [J = 1 − 3/(4df − 1)]) for primary outcomes. Between-study heterogeneity was quantified using I² and τ² statistics. To address dependency among effect sizes from studies reporting multiple outcomes, robust variance estimation (RVE) was employed. Subgroup analyses examined intervention modalities, delivery formats, and clinical populations. Moderator analyses explored sources of heterogeneity, including publication year, sample size, intervention duration, control condition type, risk-of-bias rating, geographic region, and AI sophistication tier, and mediational models tested putative therapeutic mechanisms. Results: AI-delivered interventions demonstrated a significant overall effect on health outcomes (g = 0.68, 95% CI [0.58, 0.78]; τ² = 0.12; I² = 73.4%). Executive function outcomes showed moderate effects (g = 0.61, τ² = 0.08), with working memory improvements being strongest (g = 0.72). Emotion regulation outcomes demonstrated moderate-to-large effects (g = 0.61, 95% CI [0.51, 0.70], τ² = 0.006); formal subgroup pooled estimates by emotion regulation strategy were not calculated due to insufficient studies per strategy (k < 3 per category); individual study effect sizes ranged from g = 0.27 to g = 1.11. Among 41 studies examining neuropsychological mechanisms, convergent patterns suggested involvement of prefrontal neural circuits (DLPFC), enhanced alpha-band activity, and improved heart rate variability; however, formal mediation was tested in only 18 studies (9.7%). Among clinical populations, interventions for cognitive impairment yielded the largest effects (g = 1.02; this finding should be interpreted cautiously given modest cumulative sample size [n = 482], potential small-study effects [Egger’s p = 0.08], and trim-and-fill adjusted estimate of g = 0.85), followed by mental health conditions (g = 0.72), while other clinical populations showed smaller but significant improvements (g = 0.19). Mobile applications (g = 0.78) and chatbot-based interventions (g = 0.74) demonstrated the strongest effects among delivery formats. Among studies testing formal mediation, analyses suggested mindfulness (β = 0.42), decentering (β = 0.38), and cognitive reappraisal (β = 0.45) as processes associated with therapeutic outcomes. Conclusions: AI-delivered health promotion programs demonstrate significant effectiveness across executive function, emotion regulation, and clinical outcomes, though substantial heterogeneity (I² = 45–82%) indicates meaningful variability warranting attention to subgroup-specific effects. Given the diversity of intervention types included (chatbots, mobile apps, VR systems, neuromodulation), pooled estimates should be interpreted as characterizing the average effect across this heterogeneous landscape; subgroup-specific estimates provide more precise guidance for clinical decision-making regarding specific modalities. Effects are associated with convergent patterns of neuropsychological mechanisms, though mechanistic conclusions remain preliminary given that only 22% of studies (41/186) examined neuropsychological mechanisms, and formal mediation analyses were conducted in only 18 studies (9.7%); most of the mechanistic evidence is correlational rather than causal. Future research should establish standardized AI taxonomies, optimize adaptive algorithms, conduct adequately powered replication studies in populations with cognitive impairment, prioritize experimental mediation designs to establish causal pathways, and evaluate long-term maintenance effects with a minimum of 6–12-month follow-up periods. Full article

The transition to college can be psychologically demanding. This study examines how a more mature and consolidated academic identity (AI) is related to three types of self-regulation strategies in college students during their first semester: cognitive reappraisal (CR), self-handicapping (SH), and self-affirmation (SA). Two self-related resources, quiet ego (QE)—a compassionate, growth-oriented self-identity—and self-esteem (SE)—an individual’s global self-assessment of self-worth—were theorized as complementary, but also unique, predictors of the relationship between AI and self-regulation strategies. QE reflects a less defensive, growth/balance-oriented self-structure with implications for self-regulation and adaptive development above and beyond SE. A multiple regression model testing only indirect effects was tested using R (lavaan) in a sample of first-semester college students (N = 352). The hypothesized model fit was acceptable (with five of six indirect hypotheses supported), but a model that added a direct path from AI to SH significantly improved fit without altering the indirect effect results. AI was positively related to CR and SA via both QE and SE, with the path via SE being the strongest. AI was related to lower SH both directly and indirectly only via QE. These results support and add to the literature on the benefits of QE and SE as important yet distinct psychosocial resources for college students. Implications for strengthening QE resources in first-year students are discussed. Full article

Background: Positive and existential psychiatry are approaches to mental health that emphasize the promotion of well-being, resilience, and optimal functioning alongside the conventional management of mental illness. Research suggests that the development of self-regulatory metacompetencies is associated with positive mental health and well-being outcomes. Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are increasingly being used as assistive tools in psychiatry. However, the integration of AI in therapeutic interventions remains underexplored. Objectives: Thus, this systematic review aimed to synthesize evidence from randomized controlled trials evaluating whether AI-based positive and existential psychiatry interventions contribute to improvements in mental and emotional health. A second objective was to examine whether the therapeutic components and psychological processes implemented in these interventions conceptually relate to self-regulatory metacompetencies that underpin sustainable mental health and human flourishing. Methods: The review was conducted according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Only experimental studies including randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from 2015 to 2025 were included. Twenty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. Results: Across interventions using conversational AI chatbots, generative AI and AI-augmented reflective systems, embodied conversational agents, social and humanoid AI robots, consistent improvements were observed in depression, anxiety, negative affect, and loneliness. The interventions enhanced various metacompetencies such as emotional regulation, emotional awareness, self-reflection, and cognitive reappraisal. Conclusions: The findings suggest that AI-based positive and existential psychiatry interventions can support mental and emotional health, especially when fostering key metacompetencies. Although promising, further high-quality trials are needed to clarify long-term effects. The findings of this study can contribute to the discussion about the ways AI-supported interventions may promote sustainable mental health. Full article

Background: Emotion regulation refers to the processes through which individuals influence their emotional experiences, including how emotions are generated, experienced, and expressed. Difficulties in emotion regulation have been identified as a relevant factor in the development and maintenance of Eating Disorders (EDs). In the sports context, high physical and performance demands may intensify emotional challenges, potentially increasing vulnerability to eating disorder symptomatology among athletes. Objectives: This systematic review aimed to examine the relationship between emotion regulation and EDs in athletic populations, with a particular focus on emotion regulation strategies and related emotional processes. Methods: The PICO model was used, and PRISMA guidelines were followed. The Redalyc, Dialnet, SpringerLink, and PubMed databases were searched from inception to April 2025, with an update in November 2025. After the selection process, nine studies involving athletes from different disciplines and competitive levels were included. Methodological quality and risk of bias were assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklists. Results: The findings indicate that adaptive emotion regulation strategies, such as Cognitive Reappraisal and emotional identification, are associated with lower levels of eating disorder symptomatology, body dissatisfaction, and greater resilience to sport-related pressures. In contrast, dysfunctional strategies, including expressive suppression, emotional unawareness, and difficulties in emotion management, were consistently associated with restrictive eating behaviors, bulimic symptomatology, excessive weight control, and increased ED risk. Additional emotional factors, including anxiety, perfectionism, low self-esteem, and body image dissatisfaction, were also related to higher vulnerability to EDs, particularly in sports with high aesthetic or weight-related demands. Conclusions: Emotional regulation is closely associated with ED risk in athletes. Adaptive emotion regulation strategies may serve as protective factors, whereas dysfunctional strategies are associated with increased risk. Full article

Background/Objectives: Gambling disorder (GD) is a behavioral addiction characterized by persistent and repetitive gambling behaviors that cause significant psychological distress and functional impairment. Increasing evidence indicates that difficulties in emotion regulation are a key factor in the development and persistence of GD. This systematic review aimed to summarize and critically evaluate the existing literature on the relationship between emotion regulation strategies and gambling disorder, with a specific focus on studies using the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ). Methods: The review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020) guidelines. Systematic searches were performed in PubMed and Scopus databases for studies published between 25 October 2015 and 25 October 2025. The methodological quality and risk of bias of the included studies were evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist and JBI Checklist for Randomized Controlled Trials. Data extraction and synthesis were performed manually by two independent reviewers. Eligible studies included adult participants (≥18 years) diagnosed with gambling disorder or pathological gambling and using the ERQ or CERQ to assess emotion regulation. Results: Nine studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising a total of 607 patients with GD. Across studies, individuals with GD consistently showed reduced cognitive reappraisal, greater expressive suppression, and higher use of maladaptive cognitive strategies such as rumination, catastrophizing, and self-blame. All studies identified impulsivity, emotion dysregulation, alexithymia, or gambling-related cognitive distortions as significant predictors of gambling severity. Neuroimaging evidence from one study further revealed altered activation of frontal regions during negative emotion regulation. Conclusions: This review highlights the central role of emotion regulation in GD. However, the limited available ERQ/CERQ studies in GD were mostly cross-sectional, limiting causal inferences. Second, samples were predominantly male, reducing generalizability to women. Finally, only one study used neurobiological measures, hindering integration of self-report and neural data. These findings emphasize the importance of integrating emotion regulation-based interventions within therapeutic programs for gambling disorder, with ERQ and CERQ being useful tools to assess the pathology. Full article

Teacher preparation is an emotional as well as a cognitive process in which pre-service teachers must develop both reflective judgment and the emotional resilience needed for demanding instructional contexts. This study examined how university-based supervisors enacted the relational spaces of the University-Based Coaching Framework (UBCF) and how these enactments shaped pre-service teachers’ emotional and reflective development. Drawing on qualitative analysis of coaching discourse among three supervisor-pre-service teacher pairs, the comparative case study identifies distinct coaching identities that emerged from supervisors’ patterned relational moves. These identities corresponded to varying intensities of UBCF space enactment and produced differential pathways through a reflective-motional cycle connecting appraisal, coping, and reappraisal. Findings demonstrate that supervisors’ relational stance functions as both cognitive scaffolding and as an emotional regulator. By conceptualizing UBCF-based coaching as an interactional process that integrates relational attunement with reflective challenge, this study contributes new insight into how emotional and cognitive dimensions of supervision jointly support teacher knowledge development and early professional resilience. Full article

It has been hypothesized that happiness motives (including hedonic and eudaimonic motives) are associated with emotion regulation, which could further influence individuals’ well-being. However, less is known about the longitudinal effects of these motives on emotion regulation in emerging adults. To address this gap, the present study employed a two-wave longitudinal design with a six-month interval among a sample of 287 emerging adults (18–26 years; M = 20.23 and SD = 1.60). The findings showed that hedonic and eudaimonic motives were significantly associated with cognitive reappraisal, whereas no significant associations were observed with expressive suppression. Importantly, eudaimonic motives positively predicted cognitive reappraisal six months later, but hedonic motives did not, whereas neither motive significantly predicted expressive suppression. This association remained significant when age and gender were included as covariates. These findings extend the research on happiness motives and emotion regulation by providing longitudinal insights and have important practical implications for practitioners in terms of reinforcing eudaimonic motives to better utilize cognitive reappraisal strategies. Full article

The rapid development and easy accessibility of artificial intelligence (AI) technology have led to a significant rise in informal digital learning of English (IDLE). However, the emotional experiences across different cohorts of learners remain underexplored. Contextualized in AI-mediated IDLE, the present study integrated the control-value theory of achievement emotions and the process model of emotion regulation to investigate the latent profiles of emotions and further examine their relations to emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression) and perceived AI affordances. Questionnaires were administered to 613 English as a foreign language undergraduates in China. Latent profile analysis revealed three emotion profiles, including moderate positive and moderate negative emotions group (Profile 1, 43%); high positive and low negative emotions group (Profile 2, 21%); and high positive and high negative emotions group (Profile 3, 36%). The Bolck–Croon–Hagenaars (BCH) analysis indicated that students in Profile 2 scored the highest on perceived AI affordances, followed by those in Profile 3 and Profile 1. Additionally, multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that cognitive reappraisal was a stronger predictor of membership in Profiles 2 and 3 compared with Profile 1, while expressive suppression predicted membership in Profile 3 to the greatest extent, followed by Profiles 1 and 2. Pedagogical implications were provided to cultivate learners’ optimal emotional state. Full article