Psychology International

Employees do not always respond to dysfunctional workplaces by leaving; increasingly, they remain in their jobs while quietly withdrawing the discretionary effort that organizations depend on. Little is known about why some employees respond to political work environments in this way. Drawing on Psychological Contract Theory and Conservation of Resources Theory, this study examined whether psychological contract breach (PCB) and perceived job security (PJS) explain how perceived organizational politics (POPS) translates into quiet quitting (QQ). A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 147 employees drawn from a convenience sample at a selected federal university in Nigeria. Data were analyzed using Hayes’ PROCESS macro (Model 4). The findings revealed that POPS significantly predicted QQ (β = 0.51, p < 0.001). When both mediators were entered simultaneously, the direct effect remained significant (β = 0.43, p < 0.001), indicating partial mediation. PCB significantly mediated the relationship between POPS and QQ (β = 0.079, 95% CI [0.0151, 0.1401]), whereas PJS did not. Although POPS was positively associated with PJS (β = 0.09, p < 0.001), PJS did not significantly predict QQ. These findings indicate that employees withdraw discretionary effort primarily because organizational politics signals a failure to fulfil implicit employment obligations, rather than because of concerns about job security. To reduce QQ, organizations need to move beyond preserving employment security and strengthen fulfilment of psychological contract obligations. Full article

Adapting psychological interventions from High-Income Countries (HICs) to Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) is often needed because developing new treatments requires significant resources. Contextual adaptation improves acceptability, practicality, and effectiveness in diverse settings. However, few studies clearly describe the frameworks guiding these adaptations. Our review examined the literature on conceptual and procedural frameworks for culturally adapting psychological interventions aimed at youth depression and anxiety and identified common challenges. We searched several databases for studies that had culturally adapted psychological treatments in LMICs. We used the Reporting Cultural Adaptation in Psychological Trials (RECAPT) framework to gather data and guide the thematic analysis. We reviewed 25 studies; most (n = 23) reported formative work but lacked detailed, step-by-step descriptions of the adaptation processes. When frameworks were described, processes were often unclear, making it difficult to determine what constitutes adaptation and how to implement it. The review underscores the need for more structured, detailed reporting of adaptation frameworks. Clearer documentation is vital for better understanding and successful implementation. Based on these findings, we suggest ways to improve reporting practices for the cultural adaptation of psychological interventions. We recommend (1) explicit reporting of step-by-step adaptation processes using established frameworks and (2) systematic documentation of cultural and contextual modifications based on identified conceptual and process frameworks using reporting guidelines such as RECAPT. Full article

Rationale/Aim: We aimed to identify potential latent profiles and factor structures that may reflect characterological differences in how transcendence is experienced and expressed in individuals and investigate the nature and structure of transcendence as a character virtue rooted in Awakened Awareness (as a tendency towards spiritual perception). Methods: Two studies were conducted on a multinational sample of 11,595 participants. Study 1 applied latent profile analysis (LPA) to the indicator variables Awakened Awareness, Achieving Awareness, Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence, Hope, Gratitude, Humor, Spirituality, Interbeing, and Absorption; ANOVA was then used to compare profile means for authentic living, self-alienation, spiritual quest, and speciesism. Study 2 used exploratory factor analysis (principal component analysis, principal axis factoring, and maximum likelihood) to investigate Awakened Awareness, Achieving Awareness, Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence, Hope, Gratitude, Humor, Spirituality, Interbeing, and Absorption. Results: Study 1 generated a best-fitting solution with four significant and distinct profiles, which we labeled Integrated, Embodied, Disembodied, and Low Transcendence (BLRT-p < 0.01). The Integrated Transcendence profile scored the highest on positive authenticity (M = 25.07; SD = 0.292) and spiritual quest (M = 57.46; SD = 6.51) and lowest on self-alienation (M = 9.93; SD = 6.44) and speciesism (M = 2.25; SD = 1.10). Study 2 generated a two-factor solution of Embodied Transcendence and Disembodied Transcendence factors in each exploratory factor analytic technique we utilized. Implication: These results suggest that transcendence is experienced and expressed in varied ways. It appears that individuals may either score highly in all transcendence-related strengths or low in all transcendence-related strengths, or exhibit a proclivity toward Disembodied Transcendence (i.e., relatively high Interbeing, Absorption, and Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence) or Embodied Transcendence (i.e., relatively high Gratitude, Hope, and relational Spirituality). These findings may encourage people to respect those who experience and express spiritual transcendence in different ways and cultures. Full article

Zero-sum beliefs about nature–human relations (ZSB-NH) reflect viewing the relationship between nature and humans as competitive and antagonistic and constitute a significant barrier to pro-environmental behaviour. Conversely, environmental guilt, arising from recognising one’s or one’s ingroup’s contribution to environmental harm, is an important motivator of pro-environmental behaviour. However, ZSB-NH may attenuate feelings of environmental guilt as it legitimises environmental harm, suggesting a potential mechanism through which these beliefs reduce pro-environmental behaviour. Australian residents (N = 878, M_Age = 54.17) completed a cross-sectional survey containing validated measures of these constructs. As expected, the findings showed that stronger zero-sum beliefs predicted lower environmental guilt and reduced engagement in pro-environmental behaviour. Environmental guilt, in turn, positively predicted pro-environmental behaviour and partially explained the relationship between zero-sum beliefs and environmental action. These findings suggest that zero-sum perceptions of the nature–human relationship can legitimise environmental harm and diminish the moral emotions that encourage environmentally responsible behaviour. Thus, environmental guilt and zero-sum beliefs are potential targets of intervention to promote greater engagement in pro-environmental behaviour. Full article

Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly used in psychiatry to treat mental disorders. Virtual reality-based therapy (VRT) has been investigated across diverse clinical populations and therapeutic approaches. Because VRT replicates real-world environments, the sense of presence and appreciation of the immersive experience have emerged as key components that may influence treatment outcomes. Individual characteristics may contribute to these experiences. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine sociodemographic and clinical predictors of the sense of presence and appreciation of the immersive experience among users of two VR platforms, separately in 23 individuals with severe mental disorders (SMDs) and 20 individuals without a diagnosed mental disorder diagnosis. In this exploratory, crossover, double-blind study, 43 participants completed assessments of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, the sense of presence, and appreciation of the immersive experience. Multivariate linear mixed-effects models showed that among individuals with SMDs, employment status was significantly associated with appreciation of the immersive experience (B = −15.235; p = 0.026). No other sociodemographic or clinical characteristics were significantly associated with the sense of presence or appreciation of the immersive experience. Among individuals without a mental disorder diagnosis, no predictors were significantly associated with a sense of presence or appreciation of the immersive experience. Although most examined associations were not statistically significant, these findings may suggest that VR experiences are perceived relatively consistently across participants. However, this hypothesis should be interpreted with caution because of the limited sample size. Future studies with larger samples encompassing a broader range of clinical characteristics are needed, and these findings should be replicated in future studies of VRT. Full article

Adolescence is a critical developmental period marked by the interaction of health behaviors, psychosocial functioning, and peer relationships. This scoping review mapped quantitative evidence on the associations between health behaviors, emotional and behavioral problems, and peer-related factors among adolescents, accounting for sociodemographic characteristics. An electronic literature search was conducted in November 2025 using the ProQuest Summon Discovery Service, in line with PRISMA-ScR reporting guidance. Studies published between 2015 and 2025 that focused on adolescent populations and examined at least two key variables were considered; the included samples collectively spanned ages 10–18 years. Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Across the included studies, health behaviors, particularly physical activity, diet, sleep, and screen use, were examined both individually and as co-occurring lifestyle patterns. Less favorable behavioral patterns were generally associated with poorer mental health and psychosocial indicators, whereas healthier patterns were associated with better well-being and quality of life. Associations with screen and internet use varied according to the type and intensity of digital engagement, with evidence of dose–response patterns for internet use and divergent associations across different screen activities. Peer relationships and related social factors were most often operationalized through social support, friendship quality, bullying, or victimization rather than through direct measures of peer attachment security. Within this limited and heterogeneous evidence base, supportive peer contexts were generally associated with more favorable behavioral and emotional outcomes, whereas bullying and victimization were associated with poorer outcomes. The mapped evidence is consistent with a biopsychosocial perspective but remains predominantly cross-sectional, underscoring the need for longitudinal research and more precise measurement of peer attachment processes. Full article

This study aimed to investigate left temporal lobe activity during Japanese reading by examining both task-dependent activity and activity associated with individual differences in reading-related cognitive abilities. Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), we measured hemodynamic responses around the left temporal lobe during oral reading of words and nonwords in 27 adult female Japanese university students. Furthermore, the relationships of these responses with word rapid reading, Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN), and digit span tasks were analyzed. Uncorrected analysis revealed significant differences between the nonword and word conditions in oxygenated hemoglobin at Channel 12 and deoxygenated hemoglobin at Channel 9; however, these differences did not maintain statistical significance after False Discovery Rate (FDR) correction across the 17 channels. In contrast, activity at Channel 9 was correlated with the time required for word rapid reading and RAN, as well as performance on forward and backward digit span tasks, and these correlations remained significant even after FDR correction. In conclusion, while the extent to which task-dependent phonological decoding load is reflected in left temporal lobe activity warrants further verification, our findings suggest that hemodynamic responses around the left temporal lobe are associated with individual differences in reading speed, naming speed, and phonological short-term/working memory. These findings provide insights by comprehensively capturing neural activity during Japanese reading from the dual perspectives of task-dependent and individual difference-related activities. Full article

Caregivers’ knowledge of language milestones and active engagement in responsive interactions are critical predictors of children’s long-term literacy and communication outcomes. Qualitative inquiry that captures caregivers’ personal perspectives and systemic barriers is essential in order to fully understand how these language-rich environments are created. This study examines caregivers’ perceptions of their natural everyday interactions with children under five, exploring their knowledge of resources and barriers to accessing speech–language support services. Eight primary caregivers of at least one child aged under five participated. After completing a brief demographic questionnaire each participant engaged in a semi-structured interview focused on their perceptions and knowledge of supporting children’s language development through everyday verbal interactions and navigating barriers to services. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings highlight the new insights that emerge when caregivers are asked to reflect on how they create language-rich environments. Participants valued Early Childhood Education (ECE) networks as a key source of information but reported a lack of reliable, accessible guidelines on language developmental milestones. Caregivers also expressed a need for practical strategies to enhance everyday interactions. Despite sample size limitations, these findings highlight challenges faced by caregivers and the critical need for further qualitative inquiry into how caregivers’ perceptions shape communication-supportive practices. Full article

Academic stress has been associated with psychological distress, unhealthy behaviors, and poorer academic functioning among university students, particularly in health sciences programs. This study examined the association between academic stress and perceived academic impairment, considering five eating behavior phenotypes as parallel indirect pathways. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted with 225 undergraduate health sciences students from a public university in southeastern Mexico. Academic stress was assessed using the SISCO Academic Stress Inventory, eating behavior phenotypes using the Eating Behavior Phenotypes Scale, and perceived academic impairment using the recoded University Academic Performance Scale. Parallel multiple-mediator path analysis with bootstrap confidence intervals was performed, adjusting for relevant sociodemographic and academic covariates. Academic stress was positively associated with all five eating behavior phenotypes, which were, in turn, positively associated with perceived academic impairment. The total indirect effect was significant, and all specific indirect pathways were supported by bootstrap confidence intervals excluding zero. The direct association between academic stress and perceived academic impairment also remained significant. These findings suggest that multidimensional eating behavior may represent an important mechanism linking academic stress with perceived academic impairment. Given the cross-sectional design, the findings should be interpreted as indirect associations rather than evidence of causal or temporal mediation. Full article

Why do humans produce dysphoric dreams and nightmares at all? This paper develops a cautious evolutionary theory of unpleasant dreaming by extending the logic of evolutionary psychiatry to dream life. Research on dream continuity suggests that dreams are not detached from waking mental life, but instead reflect current concerns, emotional preoccupations, memory fragments, and bodily states. Work on threat simulation, emotional processing during sleep, and the neurocognitive structure of nightmares further suggests that some disturbing dreams may not be mere malfunctions. Rather, they may be costly outputs of systems involved in salience tracking, threat rehearsal, emotional adaptation, or flexible model updating. At the same time, nightmare research shows that recurrent and trauma-linked nightmares can become clinically serious, producing sleep disruption, daytime distress, and functional impairment. This paper argues that the proper distinction is not between “useful dreams” and “pathological nightmares” in any simple sense, but between unpleasant dream processes that remain self-limiting and those that cross a threshold into maladaptive feedback loops. On that basis, dream engineering is defended not as routine suppression of unpleasant dreaming, but as a selective and limited intervention appropriate when recurrence, rigidity, carryover, and impairment indicate dysfunction. A structured research agenda is proposed to test this threshold model and to distinguish adaptive bad dreams from pathological nightmares. Full article

Cluster A personality disorders, including schizotypal, schizoid, and paranoid personality disorders, remain among the least studied forms of personality pathology. Partly due to this lack of research, empirically supported interventions remain limited. Recently, the Alternative Model of Personality Disorders (AMPD) has emerged as a dimensional approach to understanding personality disorders; however, treatment implications remain underdeveloped. We propose that the integrated model of metacognition may offer a clinically actionable framework for conceptualizing and measuring core self- and interpersonal disturbances that are central to the AMPD. In this conceptual review, we consider the following: (1) how the integrated model of metacognition aligns with dimensional models of personality pathology, (2) metacognitive functioning in Cluster A personality disorders with emphasis on schizotypal personality disorder, and (3) metacognitive treatments that could potentially have relevance for these presentations. Full article

Every day, people are exposed to social stressors and environmental stimuli, both online and offline, that may contribute to psychological distress (PD), a phenomenon that may be further affected by the pervasive diffusion of the Internet and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). In keeping with this, the aim of the present study was to investigate the role of mattering and anti-mattering in both offline and online environments, as well as Social Media Capital on Distress Tolerance (DT). Data were collected through the administration of an online and anonymous survey among 252 participants (32.1% cisgender males; 63.1% cisgender females; 4.8% people belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community) aged 18 to 85 years (mean age: 40.5, SD = 17.0253). In line with the objective of the present study, correlation, multiple linear regression, and network analyses (NA) were performed. Overall, the results pointed out that offline mattering and anti-mattering and social media capital were associated with DT. Moreover, the NA suggested that offline relational experiences, particularly offline mattering and anti-mattering, were more consistently connected with DT within the overall network structure than online relational indicators. In conclusion, the study deepened the investigation of DT in relation to potential social antecedents (both offline and online), laying the groundwork for the development of further studies in this area. Full article

This paper examines intensive parenting as a dominant cultural model within contemporary Anglo-American and Western European parenting cultures, situating it within late-capitalist demands for individual responsibility, optimisation, and future-oriented risk management. This theoretical and discourse-analytic paper advances a Lacanian account of intensive parenting as a libidinal formation structured through fantasy, desire, and jouissance. Drawing on Lacanian psychoanalysis, the analysis explores how parental investment in intensive parenting is sustained not only through social norms and institutional pressures but through affective and unconscious attachments that render these demands compelling even when they are experienced as exhausting and exclusionary. While existing feminist and sociological scholarship has documented the classed, gendered, and racialized dimensions of intensive parenting, less attention has been paid to the psychic mechanisms through which parents become attached to these norms. This paper addresses this gap by examining how fantasies surrounding the child’s future organise parental desire and enjoyment. Focusing on fantasy, the object-cause of desire, and jouissance, the paper shows how intensive parenting offers moral coherence and reassurance under conditions of uncertainty while remaining structurally impossible to fulfill. These libidinal investments translate market rationalities into intimate life, shaping parental subjectivity and sustaining intensive parenting as a dominant norm. The analysis suggests that this persistence is tied not only to social regulation but to the way desire is organised around an unattainable future object. The paper concludes by reflecting on how this analysis reframes relational modes of being in parenting, suggesting that attending to lack, contingency, and relational openness may support forms of care that move beyond imperatives of control, productivity, and future optimisation. Full article

Narrative psychotherapy focuses on jointly discussing life stories with patients to promote shifts in sense of self and narrative identity. Narrative approaches have roots in constructivism which requires various elements or cognitive processes necessary for meaning making, such as the discussion of thoughts and feelings, how thoughts and feeling change over time, and how the patient’s construction of meaning contributes to their sense of self and place in the world. Narrative psychotherapy may have unique elements that promote recovery for people with psychosis. For instance, narrative approaches may help to integrate narratives that are fragmented or focused on illness identity, though the research is limited. The current study is a narrative review that aims to (1) discuss current theoretical and research findings related to narratives and narrative identity in people with psychosis; (2) identify and describe psychotherapy approaches that focus on narratives. We summarize recent findings that highlight positive outcomes for people experiencing psychosis, and how people move towards more integrated and complex narratives. We found a range of therapeutic approaches that focus on narratives including metacognitive therapy (i.e., metacognitive reflection and insight therapy), trauma-based psychotherapy (i.e., trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy for psychosis and narrative enhancement therapy), treatment focused on self-stigma or illness identity (i.e., narrative enhancement and cognitive therapy and self-concept and engagement and life), and art and creative therapies. We discuss interpretation of findings and their implication for mechanisms of change. Full article

Student mental health, stress, and success are interconnected, yet the mechanisms linking them remain insufficiently understood. Drawing on Stress Optimization and Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) theories, this study examined how stress appraisals and learning practices jointly contribute to student mental health and academic functioning in post-secondary students, supporting a view of student success that comprises both feeling well psychosocially and functioning well academically. Using a sample of 226 university students, the study replicated prior work on the predictive roles of coping self-efficacy (CSE) and stress mindset (SM) across indicators of student success, including flourishing mental health, motivation-related challenges, social-emotional challenges, and GPA. It extended this work by testing whether metacognitive monitoring and adaptation, and academic social engagement, mediated these relationships. Results showed that neither CSE nor SM significantly predicted GPA, suggesting that stress appraisals alone may be insufficient to explain academic achievement. However, both CSE and SM significantly predicted flourishing mental health, and CSE was additionally associated with fewer motivation-related and social-emotional challenges. Mediation analyses indicated that metacognitive monitoring partially explained the relationship between CSE and reduced motivation challenges, while academic social engagement mediated relationships between stress appraisals and social-emotional challenges and mental health. Findings underscore the value of integrating psychosocial and educational perspectives in promoting student success. Full article

This study explored parental concerns regarding their sons’ experiences in a professional football academy, using a case study methodology over a twelve-year period. Drawing on over 60 interviews with parenting pairs, the research identified that concerns were shaped by internal (e.g., personal beliefs), semi-internal (e.g., peer influence, agent input), and external (e.g., social media, educational trends) information sources. These sources often led to misaligned expectations between parents and the academy. The findings highlighted the prevalence of misinformation. In response, a series of targeted interventions were implemented, including structured communication strategies, shared mental models (SMMs), and a refined parent–academy code of conduct. These changes facilitated more integrated parent–athlete–coach relationships and improved clarity around developmental processes. Although causality cannot be established, the frequency of parental complaints decreased over time. This study emphasizes the need for academies to proactively engage parents as key stakeholders through clear, consistent, and evidence-informed communication, ultimately supporting a more coherent developmental experience for athletes. These findings have broad implications for talent development environments aiming to balance athlete and parent welfare with high-performance goals. Full article

Population aging has increased the importance of identifying modifiable lifestyle factors that promote psychological well-being and support brain health in later life. Aerobic exercise has consistently been associated with positive mental health outcomes; however, further evidence is needed regarding its relationship with depressive symptoms, purpose in life, and quality of life among community-dwelling older adults. The present study aimed to investigate the associations between aerobic exercise, depression, purpose in life, and quality of life in older adulthood, as well as their implications for healthy aging and brain health. A cross-sectional quantitative design was employed involving 151 older adults aged 65 years and older. Participants were recruited from Open Care Centers for the Elderly (KAPI) in the Municipality of Corinth, Greece, and through home visits in nearby communities. Data collection was conducted using the Purpose in Life Questionnaire–Short Form (PIL-SF), the Geriatric Depression Scale–Short Form (GDS-SF), and the WHOQOL-OLD Brief Form. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics, while non-parametric analyses were applied due to deviations from normality. The findings demonstrated that a higher frequency of aerobic exercise was significantly associated with lower depressive symptomatology, higher levels of purpose in life, and better quality of life. Participants who exercised almost daily reported significantly fewer depressive symptoms compared with those who exercised rarely or not at all. Furthermore, depressive symptoms were negatively correlated with both purpose in life and quality of life, whereas purpose in life was positively associated with quality of life. Gender differences were also observed, suggesting that the relationship between exercise and depressive symptoms may vary between men and women. Overall, the findings suggest that regular aerobic exercise may represent an important protective lifestyle factor associated with emotional well-being, psychological resilience, quality of life, and healthy aging among older adults. The study further supports the role of physical activity as a potentially beneficial non-pharmacological strategy for promoting mental health and supporting brain health in later life. Full article

The dimensionality of the Ego-Resilience Scale (ER89) remains contested, and little is known about the performance of the original and revised versions of the scale in South Africa. This study examined the psychometric properties of the 14-item ER89 and the 10-item ER89-R in 337 undergraduate students from a university in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Participants completed the ER89, the Sense of Coherence Scale, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and the trait scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. The scales were evaluated using classical test theory, confirmatory factor analysis, bifactor modeling, parallel analysis, Mokken scale analysis, and Rasch analysis. For both versions, bifactor models fit better than one-factor models, but the specific factors showed anomalous loadings and accounted for little reliable variance. Parallel analysis and Rasch analysis supported an essentially unidimensional interpretation of both instruments. Although both versions showed acceptable internal consistency and expected associations with sense of coherence, depression, and anxiety, several findings raised concerns about their broader psychometric adequacy. Overall, both scales appeared to reflect a broad general factor of ego-resilience, but their performance in this context was mixed and, in important respects, problematic. Further refinement and validation are needed before either instrument can be recommended for confident use in South African research and practice. Full article

The present study investigated the stress-reducing effect of emotional management (EM) for teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Adopting the conservation of resources (COR) theory perspective, we employed a stratified random sampling design to conduct a survey of elementary school teachers in Taiwan with 211 valid responses. Questionnaires were used to assess EM, psychological capital (PsyCap), and perceived work stress. The moderated regression analysis indicated that EM was negatively related to perceived work stress, suggesting that teachers with better emotional management competencies experienced lower levels of work stress during COVID-19. Furthermore, we found a significant interaction between EM and PsyCap on perceived work stress. The interaction was significant for the overall PsyCap and all four components, namely, self-efficacy, hope, optimism, and resilience. Although the simple slope test was not significant for hope, the pattern of interaction was consistent. Specifically, teachers with higher EM perceived lower work stress when they had higher overall PsyCap, self-efficacy, optimism, and resilience. These findings offer evidence to support the COR proposition, showing that PsyCap amplifies the benefit of EM and works together in alleviating teaching stress during the height of the pandemic. The present study contributes to theoretical development by integrating the EM and PsyCap research under a unified theoretical framework of COR. Our finding that teachers with an abundance of resources fared the best under stress also informs the practical training programs to foster teachers’ EM and PsyCap as personal resources for adaptive coping and thriving. Full article