Abstract: The positive impact of strategic self-talk on performance in various sports tasks has been well-documented. Contemporary research has therefore started to explore the potential mechanisms through which self-talk affects performance. The purpose of the present study was to examine aspects of the attentional mechanisms underlying performance on a golf putting task, endorsing a psychophysiological perspective through the assessment of Heart-Rate Variability. Participants were 40 male sport science students, with no prior experience in golf putting, who were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. The experiment was completed over four sessions, including baseline assessment, two training sessions, and final assessment. Participants of both groups followed the same training protocol, with the experimental group practicing strategic self-talk training and developing personal self-talk plans for the final assessment. Performance and HRV were recorded during the baseline and final assessments. Repeated measures analysis of variance showed that the experimental group showed greater performance improvement from baseline to final assessment and superior performance compared to the control group at the final assessment. Analysis of the HRV data provided indications that the experimental group showed different patterns of RMSSD activation at the final assessment, showing a greater activation of the para-sympathetic nervous system, in particular so, towards the latest stages of the golf-putting task. The findings are in line with an attentional interpretation of self-talk effectiveness through a more relaxed / less effortful processing, showing that when ego depletion was likely induced, the use of strategic self-talk mitigated any adverse effects.

Abstract: Background/Objectives: Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) represents a significant global public health challenge, associated with cognitive deficits, immune dysfunction, and increased susceptibility to different comorbidities. Recent evidence suggests that neuroimmune signalling, particularly microglial activation and cytokine-mediated pathways, plays a critical role in the development, persistence, and relapse vulnerability of AUD. This narrative review aims to synthesize current evidence on the role of cytokines and interleukins in AUD, emphasizing their modulation during alcohol exposure, withdrawal, and abstinence. Methods: A comprehensive narrative review methodology was employed, including a search in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science using relevant keywords. Peer-reviewed studies published in English that examined cytokine and interleukin profiles in adults with AUD were included. The main findings were synthesized into thematic domains to identify recurring patterns, inconsistencies, and research gaps. Results: AUD is associated with significant alterations in cytokine pro-files. Pro-inflammatory markers such as IL-1β, IL-6, tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), IL-8, and IL-18 are elevated during active alcohol use and early abstinence, while anti-inflammatory markers like IL-10 show fluctuations. These immune changes are linked to systemic inflammation, neurotoxicity, and AUD severity. Cytokine levels tend to normalize with sustained abstinence, although severe AUD may lead to prolonged immune dysregulation. Associations between inflammatory markers and psychiatric symptoms, including anxiety and depression, were also observed. Conclusions: Immune dysregulation plays a central role in AUD pathophysiology, with cytokines serving as potential biomarkers for disease progression and treatment response. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies, diverse patient populations, and mechanistic investigations to refine biomarker utility and develop targeted immunomodulatory therapies. Addressing inflammation and neuroplasticity may enhance clinical outcomes in AUD management.

Abstract: The contemporary crisis of purpose and meaning has intensified amid rapid societal changes, revealing limitations in cognitive-only therapeutic approaches. This state-of-the-art review introduces the Shadow→Gift→Essence (SGE) model, a depth-oriented framework that addresses purpose and meaning at the subconscious level through structured shadow integration. The SGE model proposes that authentic purpose is not discovered through conscious effort alone but remembered through transforming disowned aspects (Shadow) into positive intentions (Gift) and embodied qualities (Essence). We systematically compare the SGE model with five contemporary frameworks: Frankl’s logotherapy, Self-Determination Theory, Jungian shadow work, transpersonal psychology, and positive psychology. Unlike cognitive approaches that bypass unconscious material, the SGE model operationalizes depth psychology principles through a five-stage therapeutic process and six wound-virtue pairs (Repression→Honesty, Denial→Ease, Shame→Humour, Rejection→Gentleness, Guilt→Forgiveness, Separation→Love). This review demonstrates how the SGE model integrates with the Inner Transformation Model (ITM) to facilitate subconscious-level change and cultivate Fundamental Peace—a sustainable state of inner coherence beyond symptom relief. Implications for humanistic psychology practice, research directions, and the paradigm shift toward subconscious-level interventions are discussed. The SGE model offers a unique contribution by bridging existential, depth, and transpersonal traditions while providing clinicians with a structured methodology for accessing and transforming the subconscious roots of meaning-making.

Abstract: Background: The impact of autistic traits on well-being is often misunderstood, particularly the effect that sleep quality has on this relationship. Hence, this review aimed to consolidate findings from past research, exploring the relationship among autistic traits, sleep quality, and well-being to identify areas requiring further research. Methods: The findings of prior research were presented in a narrative review with systematic elements, closely following PRISMA guidelines. Results: Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria. Overall, little research was found on the topic; however, the findings from the studies included in the review highlighted the need for better, more refined scales to deepen understanding of the relationship among autistic traits, sleep quality, and well-being. Findings from these studies were relatively consistent, suggesting that autistic characteristics and sleep quality have a significant impact on well-being and mental health. Some studies provided a potential mechanism to explain this relationship. Most studies investigated ASD rather than exploring the impact of autistic traits. Conclusion: While the narrative review of research found no age-related differences in autistic characteristics, it also highlighted the importance of studying these variables among university students, considering factors that affect student well-being, such as academic stress and workload. Finally, using scores of individual items rather than an overall scale score may aid a more refined understanding of the relationship among autistic traits, sleep quality, and well-being.

Abstract: Emotion regulation and academic emotions play a key role in academic settings and should be explored in tandem. This study extends this context in two directions. Firstly, in terms of emotion regulation, by linking it to attachment and secondly, with academic emotions by associating them with approaches to learning. The purpose is to explore as-sociations among attachment, explicit emotion regulation, defense mechanisms, academ-ic emotions, and approaches to learning, to identify university students’ profiles. Moreo-ver, the impact of students' profiles on academic progress and mental health is investi-gated. Cluster analysis reveals four profiles that differ in terms of academic progress and mental health. It identifies “relaxed students with no interest in learning”, “secure stu-dents focused on learning”, “avoidants with expressive suppression” and “anxious with difficulties in learning and mental health”. Attachment seems to involve in areas beyond those being traditionally studied. Secure attachment style may prove to be both adaptive and maladaptive in relation to student's learning. Insecure attachment styles appear to maintain the same “environment” in learning as in their interpersonal relationships. By employing the profiles derived from this study, academic advisors can identify students facing challenges in areas such as learning, emotion regulation, and mental health.

Abstract: Previous studies suggest that elevated competitive anxiety may increase the likeli-hood of injury. The present research aims to examine the role of competitive anxiety as a predictor of injury occurrence, frequency, and severity. A cross-sectional, correlational de-sign was conducted with 131 athletes, (mean age = 16.49 years), predominantly male. In-juries data were obtained through medical record review, and competitive anxiety was assessed using the Competitive Anxiety Inventory-2. Empirical frequency distributions, descriptive statistics, non-parametric tests, and logistic and ordinal regression models were employed. A high incidence of injuries was observed, although most were minor. Competitive anxiety was characterized by elevated levels of cognitive anxiety and self-confidence. Injured athletes exhibited greater overall competitive anxiety (r = .31, p < .001), with higher levels observed among those who sustained more injuries (ε² = .12, p = .001), and a very large effect was found in relation to injury severity (ε² = .17, p < .001). The occurrence of injury can only be predicted in 10.9–14.7% of cases through increased cogni-tive and somatic anxiety, whereas an increase across all dimensions of competitive anxi-ety predicts a greater number (13–14%) and severity (20.3–21.8%) of injuries. These find-ings underscore the importance of developing skills to manage competitive anxiety, par-ticularly its cognitive dimension and maintaining optimal levels of self-confidence in young athletes.

Abstract: Background/Objectives: Cognitive dysfunction, or “brain fog”, following Covid-19 viral infection is strongly associated with diminished work capacity which disproportionality affects working-age adults. This study examined an existing method of cognitive reha-bilitation training applied to adults struggling with workplace functioning and self-efficacy due to post-Covid brain fog. Methods: Nine adults with post-Covid cognitive dysfunction participated in this single arm pilot trial of a severity-adaptive cognitive training program. Participants completed 45-90 hours of clinician-delivered cognitive training exercises delivered remotely in 60 to 90-minute sessions, 2 or 3 times per week. The primary outcome measure was overall workplace self-efficacy with subskills of perceived workplace functioning, perception of cognitive functioning, and perception of [1–3]home functioning assessed through a pre and post quantitative survey and quali-tative interviews. The secondary outcome was cognitive function operationalized by IQ score administered before and after the intervention. Results: Participants achieved significant improvements in workplace self-efficacy and cognition following cognitive training. The main qualitative themes of self-reported improvements were in executive function, health and energy, daily living activities, productivity, and socioemotional functioning. A cross-case synthesis of pre-intervention struggles and post-intervention improvements revealed subthemes at work or school in cognitive processing and com-prehension, memory, executive function, fatigue, emotional distress, confidence in work or academics, and work/academic performance impairment. As a group, the mean gain in IQ score was 10.5 points. Conclusions: This study adds to the growing body of literature examining how cognitive rehabilitation for post-Covid cognitive sequalae may be im-portant for restoring not only cognitive functioning but also workplace self-efficacy and performance.

Abstract: The slow life history (LH) strategy is considered an adaptive approach. Within the current era of high uncertainty, what outcomes might this strategy yield? Accord- ingly, a cross-sectional study of 1,729 college students investigated associations between the slow LH strategy and trait aggression (T-Agg)—including its dimensions—physical aggression (PhyAgg), verbal aggression (VerAgg), Anger, and Hostility—through the serial mediating roles of social alienation (SA) and intolerance of uncertainty (IU). Findings revealed a competitive dual-path model in which the slow LH strategy directly increases IU yet indirectly decreases it through reduced SA. Consequently, two distinct pathways link this strategy to T-Agg: a cognitive vulnerability pathway that promotes T-Agg through heightened IU and a social buffering pathway that inhibits T-Agg through diminished SA. Furthermore, SA and IU exerted the strongest positive effect on Hostility, while the slow LH strategy demonstrated the strongest inhibitory effect on Anger. Regarding PhyAgg, slow LH strategists typically suppress it to avoid adverse consequences. In contrast, they utilize VerAgg as a low-cost, high-control tool. These findings suggest that slow LH strategists may be dual-tactic users, exhibiting both prosocial and coercive tendencies. The results provide empirical evidence for under- standing the behavioral plasticity and inherent contradictions individuals exhibit within high-uncertainty environments and enrich the theoretical framework of LH theory. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.

Abstract: This research examines the psychometric properties of the Italian Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory short form (MPFI-24), a measure of psychological flexibility/inflexibility. Study 1 investigated its factor structure, reliability and invariance (across gender, age, and mental health status) based on a dataset comprising 1,542 participants (71% female, mean_age=38.6 years, SD=15.0). Study 2 reexamined the factorial structure in an independent sample (N=728, 64.88% females, mean_age=30.94 years, SD=14.07), and assessed both convergent validity (with psychological flexibility/inflexibility measures) and concurrent validity (with measures distress and well-being measures). Confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated very good fit indices for a first-order model comprised of the twelve psychological flexibility and inflexibility sub-processes. In addition, the model structured with two second-order factors—psychological flexibility and inflexibility—each defined by six core sub-processes, showed a good model fit. The Italian MPFI-24 also exhibited strong internal consistency and good convergent and concurrent validity. Measurement invariance was established for gender, age, and mental health status. The Italian MPFI-24 is a psychometrically sound instrument for evaluating psychological flexibility and inflexibility, along with their underlying sub-processes, in an Italian context.

Abstract: Background/Objectives: This article is a narrative review that examines the development of attachment from intrauterine life to the first thousand days of a child's life, integrating psychoanalytic, neuroscientific, genetic, and cross-cultural perspectives. Biological, relational, neurological, and cultural factors interact and determine individual differences in socio-emotional functioning. This paper aims to propose a reinterpretation of early attachment, describing it as both a clinical and relational phenomenon and an adaptive process inscribed in human evolutionary history, according to the described Four-Domain Integrative Framework.. Methods: The review examined three main areas of evidence: early attachment characteristics, cross-cultural caregiving variations, and genetic and epigenetic mechanisms underlying environmental sensitivity. Results: The first identified seven characteristics of early attachment (proximity seeking, emotional attunement, intrauterine experiences, maternal holding, security patterns, brain plasticity, and maternal stress) which represent developmental mechanisms that generate individual differences in trust, self-regulation, resilience, and psychopathological vulnerability. Second, cross-cultural variations in six distinct caregiving contexts were examined, demonstrating that secure attachment emerges through culturally specific pathways, differentially influencing motor development, sleep patterns, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis maturation axis maturation, and social skills. Finally, the differential susceptibility model was provided through the analysis of five genetic and epigenetic systems (oxytocin receptor gene, serotonin transporter gene, dopamine receptor gene, glucocorticoid receptor methylation, and fetal programming) that modulate environmental sensitivity. Conclusions: Biological, relational, neurological, and cultural factors interact and determine individual differences in socio-emotional functioning.

Abstract:

Human psychology has been playing major contributory factors in the calibration of human medicine, as it is cognitive perception that has ultimately shaped the trajectory of medical progress. Such perceptive patterns are dependent upon the integrity of emotional and intellectual levels of intelligence, meaning that good emotional states can significantly contribute to shaping medical and scientific progress. Throughout the paper, the topic of the progressive loss of balance in societal perspectives, attitudes and behaviours will be thoroughly assessed, given that such loss of balance often results in a phenomenon known as “throwing the baby out with the bathwater”, in which good values are rooted out with the bad habits infiltrated into emerged branches. For example, the increasing epidemic of loneliness, isolation and deprivation of affection has resulted in the creation of an inaccurate perception upon the importance of solitude and self-reflection due to a generated excessive emotion of craving for human affection, which has often translated into practices of dependency upon social contexts, attachment to mismatching relationships, promiscuity and unhealthy, unexplained abandonment. Such increasing events have created unprecedented frictions within societies, which resulted in the skyrocketed extent of trust issues and isolation among people and consequently, to a steep decline in the average extent of human mental health and emotional wellbeing. Within this context, the manuscript adopts an interdisciplinary research perspective that integrates psychological theory, philosophical reflection, and exploratory social design. The aim is not to prescribe universal solutions but to investigate how symbolic and conceptual models of boundary-based platonic intimacy might contribute to ongoing academic conversations surrounding loneliness, co-regulation, and relational education. Throughout the study, visionary language and urban metaphors are employed as analytical tools through which emerging questions about ethical closeness, social trust, and collective wellbeing may be critically examined rather than asserted as definitive policy frameworks. Moreover, the paper emphasises the foundational role of early upbringing and education in shaping lifelong relational capacity, highlighting the relevance of the “First Seven Years at Home” concept and proposing the gradual inclusion of emotional literacy and platonic relational education within mainstream curricula. Such educational reforms, implemented alongside existing safeguarding policies and respect-based learning frameworks, may help younger generations develop healthy boundaries, empathy and non-romantic forms of connection from early stages of development. Within a rapidly evolving technological landscape increasingly influenced by Artificial Intelligence, strengthening human relational competence may represent a stabilising factor capable of supporting scientific progress while maintaining social cohesion and ethical awareness. Societal frictions have significantly manifested even within biological families, which itself represents a direct factor for the recent increase in the number of people registered as “homeless”. It is therefore evident that loneliness and homelessness represent two opposite ends of the same sequence of events, as homelessness is ultimately dependent upon loneliness and isolation. The initiatives described below are introduced as speculative prototypes intended to stimulate interdisciplinary dialogue rather than immediate societal implementation. By framing workshops, relational housing concepts, and communal environments as research constructs, the manuscript explores how structured platonic interaction might be studied within ethically governed settings. These examples function as imaginative extensions of existing relational theories, allowing the reader to consider how emotional literacy, consent education, and shared environments may intersect with contemporary debates surrounding urban wellbeing and social cohesion. The author will be presenting an extensive set of theoretical and practical solutions against the ongoing and growing problem of the existing frictions within human relationships by encouraging proportional workshops and novel lifestyles aimed at gradually repairing the created damages of human trust, with an emphasis upon distributing existing projects of “mental health first aid”, “cuddle therapy”, “cuddled bed & breakfast”, “artistic expressions aimed at deepening healthy human connection”, consensually “singing lullabies to each other and therapeutically swinging one another to sleep”, as well as other similar practices, even incorporating them into regular housing, which may be regarded as “cuddled renting” or “housing”; as well as workshops in retreat and camping settings, alongside the creation of theoretical and practical courses to help each participating member apprehend the depth of the details covering consent, boundaries, as well as health and safety - offering either low-cost or free courses to members of the general public on creating safe spaces and meaningful, profound and long-lasting connections by widening the availability of such resources in an exponential manner, subsequently reducing the need for significant, localised financial expenditure per initiative and perhaps obtaining funding from specific non-governmental organisations (NGOs), with the overall purpose of ensuring that the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals are met by 2030. Moreover, efforts could also be made to rebuild natural environments in areas where harm has been caused by pollution - given the existence of an interdependent relationship between the integrities of the environment and of life. There could be a gradual evolution from “local cuddled communities” into broad rural and urban areas dedicated to intentional, regular and conscious human connection, potentially perfecting the concept of “Smart Cities” whilst implementing it under real-world conditions. In addition, the manuscript introduces a series of conceptual urban initiatives – including “Urban Wombs”, “Embraced Housing”, “Touch Plazas” and “The Lullaby Revolution” – envisioned as phased, consent-based approaches to addressing loneliness, social fragmentation and housing instability within contemporary megalopolises. These proposals aim to create structured environments where individuals may safely experience platonic greeting, emotional grounding and community belonging without pressure to perform socially. By integrating nature-centred design, volunteer facilitation and gradual implementation strategies, such initiatives are discussed as potential catalysts for rebuilding trust, reinforcing collective resilience and transforming urban environments into spaces of harmony aligned with both psychological wellbeing and environmental sustainability. The symbolic reflections that follow are presented as philosophical and cultural interpretations intended to deepen the discussion of human relationality rather than to serve as empirical claims. References to nature, cosmology, or spiritual imagery are therefore employed as narrative lenses through which the emotional and existential dimensions of connection may be explored. By integrating metaphorical language alongside psychological discourse, the manuscript seeks to acknowledge the historical role of myth, art, and spirituality in shaping collective understandings of intimacy while maintaining a distinction between symbolic insight and scientific validation. It is known that life emerges from the water and that, immediately after the new-born human is separated from the amniotic water after nine months of pregnancy, is united with the mother in a long and profound hug; hence, affection is as important for human survival as water. Normative levels of human affection should be proportional to the levels observed in animals, as all life forms physically emerge from water, bacteria and soil. Ecological restoration is introduced as an important and interconnected part of this study, exploring how re-naturalised urban environments may support both psychological wellbeing and healthier forms of shared life. Green spaces, water features, community gardens, and quieter nature-centred areas are considered not only as environmental improvements but also as places that may help people slow down, feel safer, and reconnect with one another in more respectful and mindful ways. Rather than viewing nature as decoration within cities, the manuscript approaches ecological renewal as a relational setting that can influence emotional atmosphere, social rhythms, and consent-based interaction. By linking environmental regeneration with relational education and boundary-based platonic intimacy, the study invites interdisciplinary reflection on how ecological design and human connection may evolve together within contemporary urban landscapes. Given that Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity may apply to human and animal psychology - at the levels of perception and intelligence - it may be important to make differentiations between the speed of animal bonding and the speed of human bonding proportionally with the displayed levels of intelligence and wisdom, given that intelligence may generally be proportional with a perceived speed of time, meaning overall that caution and social selection ultimately occur as significantly in animals as they do in humans, and that boundaries are as essential in animal bonding as they are in human bonding. Scientific evidence indicates that regular practices of “hugging” and “cuddling” are associated with optimised immune systems, lower probabilities to develop various types of illnesses, increased quality and extent of physical, emotional, neuronal and intellectual development during childhood and teenage years, as well as increased duration of life. Overall, platonic intimacy represents the most important, profound and sophisticated form of art that brings all forms of sensorial art into a complete state of “oneness”, reflecting the objective of human existence herself. The objective of extending platonic intimacy to regular life would also implicate the introduction of cuddle-optional safe spaces into settings that include foster care homes, elderly care homes, kindergartens, schools, youth centres, homeless shelters, emergency housing centres and accommodation support networks, centres for suicide prevention, points of mental health crisis alleviation, disability service centres, palliative care centres, hospitals and other medical centres, as well as addiction recovery centres and prisons, with all laws and guidelines on safeguarding children and vulnerable people, respecting personal boundary, informed consent, as well as Health and Safety respected to the letter. It is only when such an importance is theoretically and practically understood, and when numerous people gently and patiently climb through the existing many hierarchies of intimacy that people will successfully find compatibility and thorough fulfilment in their romantic life as well. Taken together, the ideas presented throughout this manuscript are intended to function as an interdisciplinary research framework inviting further scholarly dialogue, pilot studies, and ethically grounded empirical investigation. Rather than asserting definitive social prescriptions, the study seeks to open a conceptual space in which boundary-based platonic intimacy may be explored alongside existing psychological and cultural models of human connection. Future research may therefore examine how these symbolic and theoretical constructs could be translated into carefully governed experimental contexts that prioritise consent, safeguarding, inclusivity, and measurable wellbeing outcomes.

Abstract: Violence against children constitutes a global public health emergency, necessitating innovative prevention strategies within the school environment. While the benefits of visual arts on socio-emotional development are well-documented, their specific impact on preventing interpersonal violence remains under-synthesized. This critical narrative review analyzes existing literature (2000–2025) through a corpus of 14 empirical studies (exclusive visual arts interventions and multimodal programs) conducted with children aged 5 to 12. The results reveal a dichotomy: while art-centered interventions demonstrate robust effects on emotional regulation and anger reduction (protective factors), evidence for a direct reduction in violent behaviors primarily stems from large-scale multimodal programs. Although promising as a lever for universal prevention and the facilitation of disclosure, visual arts require further randomized controlled trials to validate their direct behavioral efficacy. This review proposes a conceptual framework for integrating these practices into child protection policies.

Abstract: Digital messaging applications structure everyday work in China, with WeChat often used via employees’ personal accounts, organisational communication becomes merged with private life. This study uses interpretative phenomenological analysis to examine how workplace cyberbullying (WCB) is experienced and understood in routine WeChat-mediated work. Nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with early-career, non-managerial Chinese women (aged 26–32) who had experienced WCB. The analysis identified five themes showing that WCB was typically embedded in daily digital work practices rather than confined to isolated hostile incidents. Participants reported reputational attacks, public undermining, and exclusion in group chats alongside gendered degradation, such as sexualised rumours about promotion, as well as client‑initiated online sexual harassment. They also recounted culturally normalised hierarchical cyber-control through monitoring of responsiveness, demands for deference in group spaces, and expectations of late-night and weekend compliance. Some accounts described paternalistic “dad-flavour” messaging that framed obedience as care or guidance. Work demands routinely crossed into participants’ personal spheres through after-hours contact and corporate visibility requirements via personal accounts. Many participants avoided formal reporting, citing uncertainty about what counts as WCB, low confidence in organisational action, and the risks of challenging authority. Coping relied on venting, emotional detachment, avoidance, and technical workarounds, alongside a clear desire for organisational protection. These findings highlight the need for stronger digital communication governance, including clear policies on personal-account use for work, after-hours contact, mandatory corporate visibility practices, and escalation routes for client-initiated sexual harassment.

Abstract: The fading affect bias (FAB) is the faster fading of unpleasant than pleasant affect, and this effect is positively and negatively related to healthy/adaptive and unhealthy/non-adaptive outcomes, respectively. These findings suggest that the FAB is a form of emotion regulation and general healthy coping. Although Pillersdorf and Scorboria (2019) found a negative relation between the FAB and marijuana consumption, they only examined non-marijuana events, which limited the investigation. The current study examined the relation of the FAB to marijuana consumption measures as well as additional healthy and unhealthy outcome measures across marijuana and non-marijuana events in person (Experiment 1) and online (Experiment 2). Both experiments showed a robust FAB that was positively predicted by healthy variables and negatively predicted by unhealthy variables, and marijuana consumption/effects positively predicted the FAB for marijuana events. In Experiment 2, several healthy and unhealthy variables predicted the FAB more strongly for marijuana events than non-marijuana events, which demonstrated specific healthy coping, and rehearsals partially mediated these complex effects. Implications are discussed.

Abstract: Background/Objectives: Healthcare professionals operate in complex and demanding environments characterized by high workloads, emotional strain, and organizational pressures that can undermine well-being. According to Self-Determination Theory, the fulfillment of core psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) leads to increased job satisfaction, a key indicator of occupational well-being. Additionally, leadership plays a central role in shaping needs-fulfilling environments. Drawing on Leader–Member Exchange Theory (LMX), which emphasizes that high-quality leader-follower relationships foster greater discretion, provide learning opportunities, and build constructive team interactions, this study aimed to examine whether supportive leadership is associated with job satisfaction through the mediation of autonomy, team task cohesion, and perceived training opportunities. Methods: Data were collected from a local health authority in Northern Italy through an anonymous online survey, completed by 697 healthcare professionals, including 546 non-medical healthcare staff (primarily nurses) and 151 physicians. Structural equation modeling with a robust maximum likelihood estimator was employed to test the mediation model, including professional role as a covariate. Results: Higher LMX was positively and directly associated with job satisfaction, through the partial mediation of autonomy, team cohesion, and training opportunities, all positively associated with satisfaction. Team task cohesion showed the strongest associations with both LMX and satisfaction. Physicians reported slightly higher levels of autonomy, training opportunities, and job satisfaction than non-medical professionals. Conclusions: The findings suggest that supportive leadership contributes to healthcare professionals’ job satisfaction both directly and indirectly by contributing to core needs fulfillment. Interventions that strengthen relational quality, promote team cohesion, and enhance professional development may help sustain well-being and adaptive functioning in high-demand healthcare environments.

Abstract: Background/Objectives: Developmental prosopagnosia (DP) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by lifelong difficulties in face recognition. Although substantial work has examined identity processing impairments in DP, less is known about whether these difficulties extend to other aspects of social cognition, including implicit trait judgements from faces. Prior research using Implicit Association Task (IAT) paradigms shows that neurotypical observers can automatically associate facial composites with personality traits such as extraversion. Although some studies report preserved explicit social evaluations in DP, no work has assessed whether individuals with DP can form implicit personality-trait impressions from faces. Methods: The present study examined whether adults with DP (N = 36) exhibit implicit extraversion trait associations using a validated extraversion IAT. Results: Group-level analyses showed a significant IAT effect, indicating sensitivity to congruent face–trait pairings. Single-case analyses using Crawford and Garthwaite’s modified t-test showed that no participant scored significantly below the neurotypical range. Conclusions: These findings suggest that implicit trait-inference processes may remain accessible in DP despite severe identity-recognition impairments, highlighting the potential functional independence of certain social-evaluative mechanisms from those supporting facial identity.

Abstract: Ease-of-retrieval theories predict that information seems more credible when supporting reasons come to mind easily, however it is unclear whether this holds for realistically ambiguous news headlines. We conducted two preregistered experiments (N = 128; N = 135) in which participants evaluated six pilot-tested real and fake headlines selected to minimize baseline credibility differences between veracity categories. In Experiment 1, participants generated either two or six reasons supporting or opposing each headline’s truth; in Experiment 2, the two-versus-six manipulation was crossed with a 20 s time limit. Headline veracity (real vs. fake) varied within participants, who then rated perceived task difficulty, credibility, and familiarity. Across experiments, generating six (vs. two) reasons increased perceived difficulty and reduced perceived deliberation time, indicating that the manipulation affected subjective fluency. However, linear mixed-effects analyses showed no reliable effect of the number of reasons on credibility. Credibility instead shifted with the direction of reasons required (supporting vs. opposing; ΔM ≈ 1.3) and increased with headline familiarity (r ≈ .40). These findings suggest that for ambiguous real-world headlines, classic ease-of-retrieval manipulations may alter perceived effort without translating into credibility judgments; future work should test stronger fluency interventions and account for familiarity and motivational factors.

Abstract: Anxiety is prevalent among college students and can be detrimental to well-being, academic success, and mental health. Alternative treatments have been suggested, among which biofeedback stands out as a non-pharmacological and individualized intervention. This article aims to examine the role of biofeedback in reducing anxiety among college students. For that, we carried out an initial literature review, mainly based on a recent systematic review, to conduct a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis. Evidence indicates that biofeedback lowers anxiety and is well accepted by students. Limitations concern methodological issues of the studies on this intervention (e.g., small sample sizes, no active control groups, and limited long-term follow-up). The rise of mobile and biometric technologies provides opportunities for interventions to become more accessible. However, obstacles such as the stigmatization of seeking psychosocial care, low adherence to preventive measures, and logistical barriers persist. Biofeedback has proven to be a safe and effective treatment modality, nevertheless, further efforts are needed to support its integration and applicability within academic environments.

Abstract: Background/Objectives: Illness perception plays a central role in psychological adjustment in cancer patients. However, its effects on post-treatment thoracic cancer pa-tients, particularly regarding fear of recurrence and generalized anxiety, remain under-studied; further research is especially needed to examine their mediational paths. This study aimed to examine the mediating roles of meaning-making and changes in beliefs and goals within a serial multiple mediation model between illness perception, fear of recurrence and generalized anxiety. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 284 thoracic cancer patients (149 men and 135 women) who had completed treatment. Participants completed validated self-report measures assessing illness perception, meaning-making, changes in beliefs and goals, fear of cancer recurrence, and generalized anxiety. Hierarchical regression analyses and serial multiple-mediation models based on path analysis were employed to examine direct and indirect associations among varia-bles. Results: Negative illness perception was positively associated with fear of recurrence and generalized anxiety, while positive illness perception predicted lower levels of both outcomes. Path analyses revealed that meaning-making and changes in beliefs and goals jointly mediated the relationships between illness perceptions and psychological distress. Specifically, adaptive meaning-making and belief-goal restructuring buffered the effects of negative perceptions, whereas maladaptive processes amplified distress. Conclusions: Findings indicate that both negative and positive illness perceptions influence post-treatment emotional adjustment in thoracic cancer patients through mediation effects. Based on the meaning-making model, interventions targeting maladaptive illness perceptions, promoting meaning-making, and supporting adaptive changes in personal beliefs and goals may reduce fear of recurrence and anxiety. These results support the incorporation of meaning-centered strategies into psychosocial oncology care, emphasizing cognitive-motivational processes as critical targets for improving emotional well-being in cancer survivorship.

Abstract: This study examines how social participation develops and becomes sustained through practice, focusing on a qualitative case study of a community initiative centered on a local camellia (tsubaki) project in post-disaster Japan. Drawing on the experience of an individual whose engagement began with disaster-related volunteering following the Great East Japan Earthquake, the study explores how participation evolved into long-term community-based practice.Previous research has largely conceptualized volunteering as an activity driven by individual motivation or values. However, less attention has been paid to how participation is formed, transformed, and sustained through ongoing relational processes. To address this gap, this study employs a qualitative case study approach, analyzing interviews, field observations, and activity records related to the development of a community-based camellia project.The findings reveal three key insights. First, participation did not originate from a clear or stable motivation but gradually emerged through situational involvement and interpersonal relationships. Second, the continuity of engagement was shaped not by individual intention alone but by the accumulation of relationships and the emergence of role recognition within the community. Third, the camellia project functioned as a mediating resource that materialized social participation, enabling diverse actors to engage through shared practice.These findings suggest that volunteering should be understood as a dynamic and relational process rather than a fixed expression of altruistic intent. By illustrating how disaster-related engagement evolved into a sustainable form of community practice through a local resource, this study contributes to the literature on community welfare, civic participation, and practice-based social engagement.