Cognition, Brain, Behavior. An Interdisciplinary Journal
Cognition, Brain, Behavior. An Interdisciplinary Journal publishes contributions from all areas of cognitive science, focusing on disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to information processing and behavior analysis. We encourage contributions from the following domains: Psychology, Neuroscience, Artificial Intelligence, Linguistics, Ethology, Anthropology and Philosophy of Mind. The journal covers empirical studies and theoretical reviews that expand our understanding of cognitive, neural, and behavioral mechanisms. Both fundamental and applied studies are welcomed. On occasions, special issues will be covering particular themes, under the editorship of invited experts. Cognition, Brain, Behavior. An Interdisciplinary Journal is an international journal, and the Editors welcome submissions from scholars around the world. The target audience is mainly academic scholars (researchers, professors, students), but can be also relevant to practitioners. Submissions are subjected to initial evaluation by the Chief Editor, and are consequently sent to independent, anonymous peer review provided by expert referees. All peer review is double blind. Published: two issues a year (March and September). Indexed in: EBSCO, PsycINFO, ProQuest, Scopus, CEEOL. Publisher: Editura ASCR / ASCR Publishing House, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Chasing Connection in a Digital World: Navigating Fear of Missing Out, Social Media Usage, the Need for Belongingness, and Cognitive Functioning Among Young Adults
Grounded in self-determination theory and uses and gratifications theory, this study aims to explore the relationship between social media–related experiences and psychosocial and cognitive outcomes. The present study explored the association between Social Media usage (SMU), Need to Belong (NTB), Fear of Missing out (FoMO), and Cognitive functioning (CF) among young adults. SMU was assessed using the Social Media Addiction Scale (SMAS), which was employed to capture the intensity and patterns of social media engagement rather than to indicate clinical addiction. The research employed a cross-sectional design and a correlational approach to explore relationships among the variables. The sample consisted of 115 undergraduate and postgraduate students aged 18–24 years. Standardized self-report measures were used in the study, including the FoMO Scale, SMAS, Need to Belong Scale (NTBS), and the Cognitive Functioning Self-Assessment Scale (CFSAS). Furthermore, Pearson’s correlation coefficient and linear regression analysis were calculated to analyze the data. Findings suggested a significant relationship between FoMO, SMU, NTB, and CF. Higher levels of FoMO and greater social media engagement were associated with increased need to belong and greater self-reported cognitive difficulties, validating the initial hypothesis. However, regression analysis showed that variables such as User Thought, Physical Activity, SMU, Mood, and FoMO were only weak predictors of cognitive difficulties. Thereby, FoMO, SMU, NTB, and CF were significantly associated. While FoMO and SMA show notable associations with need for belongingness and cognitive functioning, their association with cognitive functioning appears relatively modest, indicating the need for further research to identify additional contributing factors. The findings contribute to emerging literature by highlighting these associations within an Indian young adult sample while underscoring the need for longitudinal and experimental research.
The Relationship Between Twitch.tv Use, Personality Organization, and Socio-Demographic Factors in French-Speaking Emerging Adults
This exploratory study examined the relationship between Twitch.tv usage and personality organization among 1,079 French-speaking emerging adults (ages 18–29). Using Kernberg’s model, the participants were categorized into four clusters based on their Inventory of Personality Organization (IPO) scores: normal, neurotic, borderline, and psychotic. Twitch usage was analyzed across multiple dimensions, including time spent on the platform, financial investment, interaction patterns, preferences for channel size and streamer gender, and motivations for usage. The findings suggest that individuals with lower levels of identity integration exhibit more frequent, immersive, and emotionally driven engagement with the platform. Furthermore, socio-demographic factors, particularly employment and educational status, significantly moderated these patterns. Economically inactive and unemployed participants were overrepresented in the most impaired personality clusters and exhibited higher levels of platform involvement. These results suggest that Twitch.tv may function as a psychologically meaningful environment that offers opportunities for social connection and identity-related processes among vulnerable youth who are navigating the transition to adulthood.
The Role of Personality and Social Support in Death Anxiety
Building upon the Terror Management Theory (Solomon et al., 1991), the present study focuses on the influence of neuroticism, extraversion, social support, and their interaction on death anxiety. An online survey of 112 Romanian-speaking participants aged 18-49 (73.2% female) was conducted using validated self-report measures. Results showed that neuroticism was positively associated with all dimensions of death anxiety. However, extraversion and social support were not significant predictors of any death anxiety dimension. The interaction between neuroticism and extraversion was significantly related to death acceptance and death finality. In contrast, the interaction between neuroticism and social support was significantly associated with the level of thoughts about death. These findings highlight the interplay of personality traits and social support in the context of death anxiety. From a practical standpoint, the insights derived from this research allow for better identification of at-risk individuals and inform the development of tailored interventions targeting personality-driven vulnerabilities to experiencing death anxiety.
Effect of Traditional Meditation (Spiritual Techniques) on Metacognitive Abilities and Mindfulness in University Students: A Three-armed Controlled Trial
Disturbance in mindfulness state and disability related to self-regulated cognitive abilities (metacognition) generally occur among higher education students. Many types of yoga and meditation techniques have been developed which show improvement in one’s mindfulness, cognition, as well as metacognition. We carried out a three-armed empirical study to capture the effect of two spiritual techniques-vipassana meditation (VM) and pranav meditation (PM) on metacognitive abilities and mindfulness in university youths. A total of 140 students (aged 19-26 years) were screened, out of which 102 students met predetermined eligibility criteria and were randomly assigned into three groups: VM, PM, and control (CT). Metacognition and mindfulness state were assessed at baseline and after five months using Gurukula Kangri Metacognition Awareness Scale (Narottam Kumar and Udham Singh) and Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (Kirk Warren Brown and Richad Ryan) respectively. The findings of within-subject effects showed significant improvements in metacognitive abilities and mindfulness from pretest to posttest in both VM and PM group compared to CT group. Between-subject effects showed there were significant differences for post-test score of metacognition and mindfulness across three groups. Post-hoc Bonferroni-corrected test showed significant differences in the post mean score of dependent variables were found to be statistically significant between VM & PM, between VM & CT, and PM & CT. These findings suggest that VM and PM techniques can be beneficial for improving metacognitive abilities and mindfulness in students of higher education institutions.
A Scoping Review of the Literature on Embedded Truths and Lies in Investigative Research
In investigative interviewing, instances in which a statement is completely deceitful are extremely rare. Rather, most of the time, lies coexist with truthful information, making their detection more difficult. However, the degree of truthfulness is mostly assessed and reported subjectively, and deception research rarely explicitly accounts for it. The current scoping review provides an overview of the emerging state of the literature addressing truths, lies, and their embeddings in investigative contexts. The literature search was conducted on research published up until December 2025 and available in four electronic databases (Web of Science, PsychInfo, Science Direct, and Google Scholar). Among the selected studies (N = 43), a first category explicitly prompted participants to use embedded statements (n = 11). A subset (n = 2) also provided preliminary data on individual differences (e.g., aversive traits) that predispose individuals to mix truthful and deceptive information, as well as the characteristics of their statements (e.g., linguistic properties). In a second category of studies (n = 32), participants spontaneously reported alternating between truthful and deceptive information as a strategy for deception, without being instructed to do so. We outline the importance of moving beyond these indirect assessments and include more nuanced measures of embeddedness, such as asking participants about the source of the truthful or deceptive information they provided. We also highlight the need to investigate potential individual and contextual factors that enable (or hinder) embedded deception, as well as the existing strategies for accurately detecting it. Finally, we discuss the implications of embedded deception for both research and practice.
A short prospective study on multidimensional perfectionism and coping in adolescents
Despite the growing literature addressing multidimensional perfectionism and coping, longitudinal studies on adolescents are scarce and have focused primarily on self-oriented perfectionism and socially prescribed perfectionism, leaving other-oriented perfectionism underexamined. Thus, investigating the longitudinal relation between multidimensional perfectionism and coping strategies was the primary aim of this study. Two-wave self-report data were collected from 227 adolescents (15-18 years old) over a one-month period. Cross-sectional analyses indicated that all three of perfectionism’s dimensions were linked to distinct coping profiles, with self-oriented perfectionism linked to engagement-oriented strategies, and the remaining two dimensions linked to emotion-focused and disengagement-oriented strategies. Regression analyses further demonstrated that other-oriented perfectionism uniquely predicted increases in behavioral disengagement over time, whereas no short-term changes in coping strategies were observed for the other two dimensions. The present findings underline the importance of examining all three dimensions of perfectionism and adopting a developmental perspective to better understand how personality characteristics shape stress regulation during adolescence.
The Serial Mediating Effect of Family Cohesion and Self-esteem on the Relationship between Academic Resilience and Academic Performance
Academic resilience plays a crucial role in helping students overcome challenges and achieve academic success, yet the mechanisms through which it influences performance remain less explored. This study examined the mediating effects of family cohesion and self-esteem on the relationship between academic resilience and academic performance among students aged 13 to 21 years. A total of 238 students from schools and colleges in Odisha, Eastern India, participated in the study, of which 220 valid responses were analyzed. Standardized scales assessed academic resilience, family cohesion, self-esteem, and academic performance, and the hypothesized serial mediation model was tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The model demonstrated acceptable fit (SRMR = 0.061, NFI = 0.91) and explained substantial variance in self-esteem (R² = 0.29) and academic performance (R² = 0.34). Results indicated that academic resilience was positively associated with both family cohesion and self-esteem. Furthermore, family cohesion enhanced self-esteem, which in turn predicted higher academic performance. The relationship between academic resilience and academic performance was partially mediated through the sequential pathway of family cohesion and self-esteem. These findings provide empirical support for resilience theory, social support theory, and self-determination theory by highlighting how personal and environmental factors operate together in a serial process to influence academic outcomes. The study emphasizes the importance of strengthening family bonds and fostering self-esteem as key strategies for enhancing the academic performance of adolescents and young adults. Implications for educators, counselors, and policymakers are discussed, along with directions for future research.
Impact of Music on Memory Performance: Exploring Hemispheric Interference During Encoding and Retrieval
The Hemispheric Encoding/Retrieval Asymmetry (HERA) model posits that the left hemisphere is more active during memory encoding, whereas the right hemisphere is more engaged during memory retrieval. Interestingly, previous studies have also demonstrated a brain asymmetry in music processing, with greater involvement of the right hemisphere when listening to music. Therefore, if the HERA model holds true, listening to music during retrieval would be more detrimental to memory performance than listening to music during encoding. Building on these findings, we designed an experiment in which instrumental music was introduced either during memory encoding or retrieval to assess its impact on performance. We hypothesized that listening to music would impact memory retrieval more than memory encoding, due to overlapping demands on right-hemisphere resources. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: an encoding-with-music group (EG), a retrieval-with-music group (RG), or a silent control group (CG). Memory performance was quantified using a forgetting index (FI), calculated as the difference between immediate and delayed recall for each condition. Results showed that the RG group performed significantly worse than the EG group, consistent with the predictions of the HERA model. This difference was supported by a large effect size (Cohen’s d = 0.90), highlighting the functional relevance of hemispheric interference. However, neither music condition differed significantly from the control group, suggesting a relative rather than absolute interference effect. These findings indicate that the introduction of music during memory tasks may serve as a novel methodology for preferentially isolating the activity of one hemisphere over the other.
The Effect of Dual N-Back Training on Cognitive Flexibility and Inhibitory Control among University Students: Examining Learning Disabilities
This study investigated the effects of dual n-back training on cognitive flexibility (CF) and inhibitory control in university students with and without learning disabilities (LD). Using a quantitative experimental approach, the findings revealed that students with LD showed improvements in inhibitory control, as indicated by increased go-accuracy and no-go accuracy in post-test assessments. While Go reaction time (Go/RT) did not significantly change between pre- and post-tests, No-Go reaction time (No-Go/RT) improved for students with LD. Additionally, the experimental group with LD demonstrated enhanced CF, marked by a higher number of corrected sorts and reduced total and perseverative errors in post-test comparisons. The results suggest that dual n-back training can improve CF and inhibitory control in students with and without LD. Future research should explore the effects of dual n-back training across diverse populations, varying training durations and intensities, and additional cognitive outcomes. Methodological improvements and alternative experimental designs are also recommended to strengthen both internal and external validity of the results.
Demystifying the Irrational: A Neural Network Approach to Understanding Superstition Through Subjective Norms and Anxiety
This study aims to address the gap in the literature on superstition by testing the interplay between subjective norms and anxiety as predictors of superstitious beliefs and behaviors. We tested the interaction effect between anxiety and subjective norms in a sample of 110 participants. The data indicates that trait anxiety accentuates the positive association between subjective norms and superstition. Moreover, in order to broaden the understanding of this interaction, a neural network was developed and trained using the real survey data. After training the neural network with the real data, we simulated extreme levels of anxiety in order to predict superstition. Results reveal that subjective norms significantly predict superstitious beliefs, while anxiety has a lesser main effect. Additionally, subjective norms have a stronger association with superstition when anxiety levels are high rather than low. These simulation results allow us to make causal claims about the effect of subjective norms and anxiety on emergent superstitious beliefs. They also contribute to the understanding of the cognitive mechanisms that explain the emergence of superstitious behaviors and beliefs.
Differences in Prefrontal Cortex Activity and Behavioral Response Over Time During Visual and Auditory Working Memory Tasks: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Pilot Study
This study aims to investigate the effects of different stimulus modalities on brain activity, behavioral responses, and fatigue perception over time, explicitly comparing visual n-back and auditory n-back tasks in healthy adults using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Nineteen healthy adults participated in the study, and all participants performed 20 blocks each of a visual n-back task and an auditory nback task with a load condition (3-back) while being recorded with fNIRS. The z-score of oxyhemoglobin (oxy-Hb) at channel 16 was initially higher during the auditory n-back task compared to the visual n-back task; however, this difference did not remain significant after false discovery rate (FDR) correction. Additionally, oxy-Hb levels exhibited a general decline over time across multiple channels. In terms of behavioral performance, participants demonstrated lower accuracy and longer reaction times in the auditory n-back task compared to the visual n-back task. However, subjective fatigue scores did not differ significantly between the two modalities. The findings of this study elucidate the effects of working memory load, across different modalities and over time, on local brain dynamics and behavioral responses. This insight contributes to the understanding of modality-dependent mechanisms of cognitive load in the prefrontal cortex.
From Anecdotes to Real-Life Examples: A Mixed-Methods Survey on Self-Deception
Self-deception, a motivated process of maintaining false beliefs despite contrary evidence, is often depicted using anecdotes and philosophical hypotheses, with emerging yet scarce empirical data. This study aimed to examine the prevalence and frequency of self-deception in the general population, gather real-life examples, and explore essential elements and characteristics of self-deception (e.g., intentionality, awareness, motivations, contradictory evidence, strategies used to maintain self-deception). Participants (N= 228 university students, Mage = 21.7, SDage = 2.46, 71.9% women; the total number of respondents varied per question) received a mixed-methods survey with open-ended and multiple-choice questions on experiences of self-deception. Dispositional self-deception was also measured using the Self-Deceptive Enhancement Scale of the Paulhus Deception Scales (PDS; Paulhus, 1998). Findings revealed a high prevalence of self-deception (91.3%, n = 200) with high reported frequency (50.5%, n = 122). Participants reported denying and exaggerating information, due primarily to intrapersonal motivations (e.g., increased well-being and self-confidence). Self-deception was maintained by largely ignoring or avoiding contradictory evidence, and new evidence and social feedback led to its retraction. Notably, while dispositional self-deception was lower in our sample than in normative populations, it was negatively associated with the reported frequency of (situational) self-deception. The study discusses the importance of understanding essential elements and characteristics of self-deception in everyday situations and its relevance for legal settings.
Sex Differences in the Allocation of Positive and Negative Resources
In this study we examined the sex differences in gain and loss allocation decisions in a sample of psychology students. Using a third-party allocation paradigm, we designed decision making vignettes in which we described a team project that resulted in either a reward or a penalty. Participants had to decide how to divide these rewards or penalties among four team members. Beside the valence of resources (rewards vs. penalties) we manipulated the sex of the person (male vs. female) who had the greatest contribution to the respective reward or penalty in each respective team. Contrary to our expectations, the sex of the person who had the largest contribution to the gain or the loss had no effect on allocation decisions of third parties. However, the sex of the participant (third-party allocator) interacted with the valence of resources, with women preferring an equal allocation to a greater extent when it comes to allocating gains, and a more equitable one, in case of losses in teams. As for men, their allocation preferences are not influenced by the valence of the resources. These results support the idea that in order to better understand allocation decisions in team settings, it is important to study the interaction between individual differences and contextual/task related variables. Other theoretical and practical implications of these finding for team research were discussed.
Exploring the Role of Cognitive Absorption and Coping Mechanisms in Adolescents’ Digital Resilience
As digital technologies become increasingly integral to daily life, understanding how adolescents engage with and cope in digital environments is crucial for promoting resilience in the face of digital stressors. This study examines the relationship between cognitive absorption, coping mechanisms, and digital resilience among adolescents in Kerala, India. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 400 adolescents aged 15–18 years, selected using a combination of random and stratified sampling methods to ensure representation from urban, semi-urban, and rural areas. Participants completed paperbased questionnaires assessing cognitive absorption, coping strategies, and digital resilience. Descriptive analysis showed that females scored higher than males across all measured constructs. Significant positive correlations were found between cognitive absorption and digital resilience, as well as with coping. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that problem-focused and emotion-focused coping mechanisms significantly predicted digital resilience, with cognitive absorption emerging as the strongest predictor, even after accounting for coping strategies. These findings highlight the central role of cognitive absorption in predicting digital resilience, independent of coping mechanisms, and suggest that fostering active digital engagement along with adaptive coping strategies can enhance resilience among adolescents.
The Relationship Between Students’ Perception of Teacher Enthusiasm and Learning Motivation: The Mediating Role of Basic Psychological Needs
The learning environment in a school greatly influences students’ learning motivation. The enthusiasm with which the teacher delivers their lessons has a positive impact on students’ basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. According to Ryan and Deci’s Self-Determination Theory (2000), the fulfillment of basic psychological needs positively predicts the emergence of intrinsic learning motivation among students. This study investigates the impact of teacher enthusiasm on students’ learning motivation and the role that autonomy, competence, and relatedness may play in this relationship. The research involved students from grades V-XII in two public high schools from North-West part of Romania (N=193). All students completed anonymous online questionnaires regarding their perception of the enthusiasm with which their Romanian language and literature teacher conducts their lessons, and the level at which they perceive their basic psychological needs to be met. Students’ learning motivation typology (i.e., intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, introjection, and extrinsic regulation) was also assessed. Data were collected in February 2021, one year after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results show that there is no direct relationship between teacher enthusiasm and student motivation. Autonomy, competence, and relatedness explain the effect of teacher enthusiasm on intrinsic learning motivation, but only autonomy and relatedness explain the effect of enthusiasm on identified regulation. There is no mediating effect of basic psychological needs, nor any direct effect of teacher enthusiasm on extrinsic motivation or introjected regulation.
Socializing Prosociality: The Relationship Between Parental Practices, Cultural Model and Child Temperament
Parents play an important role in fostering children’s prosocial behavior development, but predictors of specific parental practices that promote prosociality have rarely been investigated in the literature. Based on the framework of the lifeworld approach (Kärtner & Köster, 2024), the present study aims to examine parents’ cultural model, reflected by their self-construal and values as a potential predictor of specific parental prosocial socialization practices, namely awareness of internal mental states, contingency and scaffolding, while controlling for child temperament. Participants were 100 parents of preschool children who self-reported on each of the variables examined. Results showed different predictors for each type of prosociality-enhancing parenting practice. Parental awareness of internal mental states was significantly predicted by universalism-tolerance value and marginally by child temperamental inhibitory control. For parental contingency and parental global prosocial socialization practices, respectively, child temperament predicted parental practices over and above parental cultural model. More specifically, the child temperament traits of fearfulness, sadness, and potentially inhibitory control positively predicted parental contingency, whereas the traits of fearfulness and inhibitory control positively predicted parental global prosocial socialization. The results emphasize dynamic interactions between the child and caregiver subsystems in the context of prosocial development.
The relationship between medical error and Second Victimization symptomatology: A Meta-Analysis
Physicians are expected to perform at unrealistic standards of perfection in a complex environment, where the human aspect of their fallibility is often overlooked. We conducted a systematic literature review in four major databases to explore the relationship between medical errors and second victimization symptoms among healthcare providers. The search was completed in June 2023, and inclusion criteria were healthcare providers involved in medical errors, studies assessing medical errors and second victimization symptoms, providing statistical data for the relationship, and published in peer-reviewed journals. Statistical analyses were employed using a 95% Confidence Interval (CI), with significant heterogeneity Q(12) = 271.13, p < .001, I²= 95.57%. The overall rate of second victimization was statistically significant, ER= 0.402, 95% CI [0.308, 0.503]. Results from 10480 healthcare providers from thirteen individual studies were included in the statistical analysis. There is a statistically significant event rate of 0.402 to become victimized following a medical error, with a greater probability of affective symptoms such as guilt, anger, shame, sadness, and anxiety, compared to cognitive, behavioral, and physiological symptoms. Medium age and experience were positive significant predictors of second victimization, while being a woman was a negative predictor. The severity of the consequences for the patient was a positive predictor of second victimization. Error is human, adverse events are inevitable, and so is the trauma that follows. Healthcare providers across different specializations and levels of experience worldwide experience a range of symptoms following involvement in a medical error, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions and support systems.
Longitudinal Measurement Invariance of Four Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scales in Romanian Adolescents
This study explored the longitudinal measurement invariance of four scales from the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scales (PALS). Conducted across four waves, the research involved a sample of 1285 adolescents of Romanian ethnicity (with a mean age of 15.25 years, SDage = 2.03, and 57.2% female) spanning from 5th through 12th grade. Participants were in middle school (44.9%) and high school (55.1%). To understand how motivation and goal orientations change over time, the scales need to measure equivalent constructs. We used confirmatory factor analyses and established longitudinal measurement invariance for the four PALS subscales: mastery goal orientation, classroom mastery goal structure, academic efficacy, and skepticism about the relevance of school for future success. These results suggest that the PALS scales are appropriate tools for examining Romanian adolescents’ goal orientations and motivation in both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies.
The Relationships Between Yoga Practice and Cognitive Reserve: A Study on an Italian Sample
Cognitive reserve (CR), the ability of the brain to respond to age-related damage, has been reported to be associated with healthy cognitive, physical, and emotional aging. Being physically active is one of the factors that can increase CR. Yoga is a form of physical exercise that also involves the mind, so, even if not widely explored yet, its relationship with the CR is worth investigating. This study aimed to explore the contribution of constant yoga practice (>5 years) on CR – measured with a standardized self-report questionnaire about education, occupation, and leisure activities – as well as cognitive performance and psychophysiological activation recorded during the administration of three WAIS subtests using biofeedback technology. Twenty-five yoga practitioners were compared with 25 controls. Yoga practitioners showed higher overall CR scores than controls, with scores regarding job history and leisure activities being the most significant. Moreover, higher CR levels, observed in both groups, were associated with physiological activation patterns during cognitive tasks, suggesting a potential link between increased CR, potentially influenced by yoga practice, and stress regulation. Results support the notion that yoga has the potential to promote CR and resilience to stress.
Influence of Personality Traits and Expectancies on Alcohol Consumption Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
It is known that alcohol is widely consumed by college students around the world and can induce health alterations. Therefore, it is important to identify risk factors for alcohol use. Additionally, the recently experienced global pandemic promoted great changes in people’s lifestyle and behavior. Thus, this work aimed to study alcohol consumption in Argentinean college students and possible relationships between personality and alcohol expectancies with alcohol use, before and during the lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic. Argentinean college students (N = 1696; 75.3% women; Meanage = 23.25 ± 2.64) completed an online survey. Results showed that college students consumed a large amount of alcohol per occasion and per month, especially men. However, a greater percentage of women reported heavy episodic drinking. In addition, it seems that certain traits and expectations promoted alcohol use (e.g., extraversion, neuroticism, sociability, relaxation, sexuality, risk and aggression and negative mood), while others decreased it (e.g., openness, agreeableness, responsibility and cognitive and behavioral impairment). Finally, alcohol use and some expectancies (e.g. relaxation, negative mood and risk and aggression) significantly changed during the lockdown. Therefore, present results evidenced that alcohol is widely consumed by Argentinean college students, suggesting that health systems should be aware about its possible negative consequences. Furthermore, it should be considered both the influence of personal factors such as personality and expectancies and the general social aspects such as the lockdown - that could modify alcohol use and the influence of expectancies on consumption - to devise prevention and intervention strategies aimed to reduce alcohol use.
Maternal Behavioral Qualities in Mother-infant Interaction in the Context of Postnatal Depression: A Scoping Review
Maternal behaviors displayed in mother-infant interaction set the grounds for relationship formation in early childhood. Meanwhile, maternal postnatal depression represents an atypical context for infant development. The present review aims to systematically analyze previous research on specific maternal behaviors reflecting maternal depression in the first postnatal year, focusing on the definitions and findings regarding these behaviors. The review includes observational studies with mothers of infants up to 12 months. Results show variability in definitions, particularly for sensitivity and responsiveness, and mixed findings on the relationship between depression and maternal behaviors. Positive behaviors and negative behaviors were inconsistently associated with depression across studies, suggesting moderating factors such as maternal age, personality, socioeconomic status, and cultural context. We emphasize the need for standardized definitions and measures of maternal behaviors and call for further research into moderating variables. This review underscores the complexity of the relationship between maternal depression and maternal behaviors, advocating for more comprehensive and consistent future research.
The Mediating Role of Self-Regulation and Cognitive Styles in the Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Job Placement
The present study explores the mediating role of self-regulation and cognitive styles (i.e., rational and intuitive style) on the relationship between emotional intelligence and job placement. A descriptive survey was conducted among 267 final year undergraduate engineering students of which 124 were males (46.5%) and 143 were females (53.5%) aged between 20 to 23 years with a M age of 21.32 and SD of 0.96 selected from the Salem district of Tamil Nadu state in India. The data was collected using the Brief Emotional Intelligence Scale (BEIS 10), Short Self-Regulation Scale (SSRQ-22), and Personal Style Inventory (PSI). The findings indicated that emotional intelligence has a significant positive correlation with self-regulation and rational style. Similarly, self-regulation positively correlated with both rational and intuitive styles. In addition, job-placed students have higher levels of emotional intelligence, self-regulation, and rational style than job-unplaced students. The mediation analysis showed significant direct and indirect effects of emotional intelligence on job placement through self-regulation and rational style. Findings suggest that emotional intelligence, self-regulation, and rational style can foster employability skills that may help job placement. The study has practical implications for educational institutions, academic faculties and placement trainers who are seeking to maximise their student’s job placement and increase the credibility of their institution. Further, the proposed model examines the variables affecting job placement and whereas the relationship with emotional intelligence has theoretical implications that are discussed.
Impact of Audio and Video Narratives Describing Financial Successes and Failures on Risk-Taking in the Balloon Analogue Risk Task
Narratives can influence risk-taking by shaping perceptions and emotions. In the present study we used first-person audio and video narratives describing either financial successes, failures, or neutral events devoid of any risk references in order to investigate how these types of stimuli affect risk-taking performance in the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). Audio narratives of different types did not significantly alter risk-taking in the BART. However, videos depicting neutral narratives and narratives about financial successes surprisingly had risk-demoting influence compared to videos about financial failures, indexed by the percentage of popped balloons. The underlying reason for this finding remains to be understood. Additionally, gender differences emerged by the adjusted pumps measure in interaction with stimuli condition. Specifically, female participants displayed riskier tendencies after audio narratives, and conversely, video narratives led to a slight increase in risk-taking among male participants. These results emphasize the significant role of stimuli modality and indexing measures in risk-related studies.
Theories of consciousness: A concise overview
Consciousness or conscious experience is a mental phenomenon that is familiar to all of us, but the way in which it is produced escapes us to a large extent. Each person has a vague idea of what it means to be conscious, but consciousness is rather hard to define, albeit easy to identify. It is that function of the brain that makes us conscious of external or internal stimuli and of our thoughts regarding these subjective experiences. Conscious experience is a first-person perspective of mental states and events tracking as they unfold. It includes mental phenomena such as a perception, emotion, memory, idea, continuous temporal sequence of events. A mental process and its adjoining neurophysiological phenomena represent two aspects of the same event. We have direct access to the mental aspect, while we can observe the neurophysiological aspect only when we study the event as a biological process. The psychological study of consciousness describes the special properties of this brain function, its origin and utility in the global economy of an animal organism. The neurobiological study aims to find the neural correlates of consciousness, aims to establish causal relations between the neural phenomena and the different conscious states. Lastly, the formulation of an explanatory theory can provide a satisfactory understanding of the phenomenon. This review aims to bring some clarification in the field of consciousness, selecting the hypotheses which mostly fulfill the requirements, in order to be confirmed as explanatory theories. A valuable test for confirming an explanatory hypothesis is its predictive power. Using this criterion we have evaluated comparatively, some of the proposed explaining hypotheses.
The Role of Gender in Cognitive Processing of Affective Linguistic Stimuli in Bilinguals
This study aims to compare the emotional reactions of bilingual men and women to affective valence by manipulating positive and negative linguistic stimuli. To achieve this aim, the semantic decision task was used. 56 Persian-English bilinguals, who were divided into two equal groups considering their gender (28 female and 28 male), were asked to decide whether the adjectives loaded with positive or negative valence (i.e., target words) were related in meaning to the preceding nouns (i.e., prime words). In order to find out whether there is any potential interaction between the valence of primes and targets, mixed factorial repeated measure ANOVA was run on reaction time and error rate data. The results of the present study on cognitive gender differences show that males and females, despite some few differences, generally follow a similar pattern in processing affective meaning of words in their second language.
Cognitive dissonance and its relationship to academic engagement
The current study aimed to identify the level of cognitive dissonance among Al al-Bayt students in Jordan in terms of gender, academic major, and academic level. It also aimed to reveal the predictive ability of cognitive dissonance for academic engagement. The study sample consisted of 265 male and female students from Jordan. The study used the cognitive dissonance scale developed by Al-Adamat and Atoum (2023), and the academic engagement scale developed by Diab (2014) to collect the data. The results of the study indicated that the level of cognitive dissonance was moderate. They also showed that there are no statistically significant differences in the level of cognitive dissonance in terms of gender and academic major, while there are statistically significant differences in the level of cognitive dissonance in terms of academic level and in favor of the third- and fourth-year students. Additionally, the results indicated that cognitive dissonance contributed to predicting a percentage of 10.2% of the variance in academic engagement.
Adolescent Agency in Collectivist Cultures: Development and Validation of Personal Agency in Adolescence Scale (PAAS) among Indian School Students
Adolescents exercise personal agency as they plan their life, set goals, make decisions, and perform various actions that define their life course. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a scale measuring the personal agency of adolescents in a collectivist culture, namely, India. Moreover, we integrated key concepts from the existing literature and considered the sociocultural experiences. The newly constructed scale’s psychometric properties were tested on two samples of adolescents aged between 14 and 17 from rural and urban areas. The Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) conducted on sample 1 (N = 571) demonstrated that the proposed six-factor model of the Personal Agency in Adolescence Scale (PAAS) was relevant to measure adolescent personal agency. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) performed on sample 2 (N = 499) showed that the six-factor model had good construct validity and that the 23-item scale could adequately measure the construct. The results also supported the internal consistency and reliability of the scale. Further, the scale’s concurrent validity with other agency scales was established. Bivariate analysis showed moderate and positive correlations with other related scales. PAAS was also moderately correlated with adolescents’ self-esteem and psychological well-being. The findings show that PAAS is a valid and reliable scale that can be employed to assess adolescents’ agency. This tool can be used by those in education, counselling, and research to measure the adolescents’ exercise of personal agency and its relations to other psychological constructs.
Reasons For Exercise and Training-Induced Affective Changes in Co-active and Interactive Sports
Generally, in interactive sports, one focuses on performance-related field events, cooperation, and coordination rather than subjective feelings. Therefore, we hypothesized that subjectively perceived positive affect would rise immediately after co-active but not interactive exercise training. We used the Exercise-Induced Feeling Inventory (EFI) to test positive engagement, revitalization, tranquility, and physical exhaustion pre- and post-training in 107, primarily male, university students practicing either co-active (aerobic exercise, martial arts, swimming; N =54) or interactive (basketball, soccer, football; N=53) sports. We also assessed their enthusiasm before training and perceived exertion after training. Training-induced affective changes in the dependent measures were expressed as percentage change scores and subjected to multivariate covariance analyses. The results did not support our hypothesis that co-active exercisers experience more positive affective states due to training than interactive exercisers. However, co-active exercisers reported more enthusiasm before training and greater physical exhaustion after the training than interactive exercisers. There was also a statistically non-significant trend in the ratios of the reasons for exercise participation, with more than two-thirds of co-active exercisers training for health reasons compared to less than half of interactive exercisers who participated more for mastery and enjoyment reasons. These results suggest that affective states following a single exercise bout do not differ between co-active and interactive exercisers. However, enthusiasm differences between these forms of sports could be related to self-centered, attentional-focused training, health-related motivation, and more exhaustive training.
The Link Between Executive Functions and Spelling (French vs. Arabic) in Bilingual Children from Grade 2 to Grade 4, for a Better Rehabilitation of Specific Learning Disorders
Challenged with the peculiarities of school learning in Lebanon and the orthographic complexities specific to French and Arabic, children face conditions requiring additional cognitive effort. Our objective is to study the link between executive functions (EF) (inhibition, working memory (WM), flexibility and planning) and spelling, in 180 bilingual children with typical development (TD) and with specific learning disorders (SLD), in Grades 2, 3, and 4. EF were assessed through the following tests: Image matching, Corsi, Numbers Backward, Opposite worlds, Categorization (Animal sorting), and LABY 5-12 tests. Spelling was assessed in both languages through sentence dictation. Our results show that all EF are more involved in Arabic than in French, being correlated with accuracy and speed of spelling in the entire population. This study clarifies the cognitive components underlying French and Arabic spelling, which are languages with many unique features, for better management of written language disorders.
Can Popular Word Search Puzzles Affect Walking Speed in Older Adults?
We examined whether supraliminal word stimuli can affect walking speed of older adults in laboratory settings. The 78 physically active subjects (age >65 years) were randomly assigned to prime and control conditions. All subjects walked 19 m measured distance pre- and post-completing a word search puzzle containing either words associated with early adulthood or neutral ones. Although participants in the prime group went faster in the posttest, the ANOVA did not reveal significant interaction between the subjects’ conditions and walking speed. No significant priming effect of exposure to words on walking speed in older adults was detected in the current study. There is a need for further research, as there is a lack of data in this age cohort. The priming effect could possibly be used to increase the physical activity of seniors and may bias the clinical outputs in gait tests.