Search Results (42)

This study investigates online community marketing as a strategy to cultivate brand–consumer-relationship sustainability. Blind boxes have recently gained worldwide popularity but are increasingly criticized for sustainability concerns. While previous research mainly assumes cooperation among members, we highlight cooperative and competitive emotional interactions in building a sustainable online community. Integrating the conditioned-expectancy theory of vicarious emotion with social comparison theory, we propose a dual emotional mechanism consisting of brand love and brand jealousy to reflect cooperative and competitive emotions. This study obtained 601 valid responses from online communities of blind boxes. The results show that online community marketing is positively related to purchase intention. Although they are paradoxical, brand love and brand jealousy coexist, and both mediate the abovementioned relationship. We also find a serial mediation through brand love and jealousy and then engagement. In post hoc analysis, we further find a curvilinear mediation via brand love, which accelerates the emotional engagement in community marketing, while brand jealousy maintains a linear position. This study provides new insights on sustainable community marketing and suggests practical implications for innovative marketing approaches. Full article

Teen dating violence is a serious issue that affects the physical, psychological, and emotional well-being of adolescents. The purpose of this study was to examine the predominant perceived motives adolescents attribute to dating violence through the integration of quantitative and qualitative data. Methods: A concurrent mixed-methods design with equal weighting was applied to a sample of 703 participants in the quantitative phase, who completed the Dating Violence Motives Scale, and 103 participants in the qualitative phase. The mixed-phase analysis included data triangulation, creation of new analytical categories, and interpretation to generate meta-inferences. Results: Jealousy emerged as the most frequently perceived motive, particularly among males, followed by motives related to anger expression and lack of communication skills. Qualitative findings additionally revealed contextual elements not captured by the scale, such as family interference, relational control, and circumstantial stressors (academic, work, financial) as perceived triggers of violent behavior. Conclusions: Sociocultural constructions of gender were reflected in different motivational patterns: males more frequently justified violence as reactive or control-based, whereas females framed it as emotionally expressive. Full article

Existing jealousy scales often conceptualize jealousy as an undesirable or maladaptive emotion. However, jealousy is a biologically rooted emotion inherent in humans and observable in certain animal species as well. The key lies not in the elimination of this emotion, but in its appropriate regulation. In contemporary society, where exposure to social media is pervasive, the experience and expression of jealousy can become more destructive. This study was designed in response to the growing need to understand and assess jealousy. The aim of the present research was to develop a multidimensional current jealousy scale and to present preliminary findings regarding the influence of social media. Employing a quantitative research design, data were collected online from a sample of 1053 adult volunteers (aged 18 and above) in Türkiye. The resulting instrument, named the Üsküdar Jealousy Scale, comprises 25 items and 4 dimensions: Relationship-Damaging Jealousy, Destructive Jealousy, Hostile Jealousy, and Controlled Jealousy. The total scale demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach’s Alpha = 0.93), with subscale reliabilities ranging from 0.75 to 0.89. The scale accounted for 57.20% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the model fit indices fell within acceptable limits, supporting the structural validity of the scale. Additionally, criterion validity was supported by moderate correlations (r > 0.30 and <0.70) with the Scale of Social Media Jealousy in Romantic Relationships (SSMJRR). Initial findings revealed generally low levels of jealousy among participants. The dimension concerning relationship-damaging jealousy showed moderate levels, while destructive and controlled jealousy dimensions indicated lower levels. Notably, patterns of social media usage significantly influenced jealousy scores. Individuals exhibiting continuous engagement in social media platforms reported higher levels of jealousy. In conclusion, the Üsküdar Jealousy Scale was found to be a psychometrically sound instrument, suitable for both research and self-assessment purposes in the multidimensional evaluation of jealousy. This validated and reliable tool has the potential to distinguish between adaptive and maladaptive expressions of jealousy, offering practical utility for clinicians and individuals seeking deeper self-understanding. Full article

Several people in contemporary postindustrial societies experience difficulties retaining intimate partners. This paper investigates the proximate reasons (the immediate causes of reduced capacity) and the ultimate reasons (the evolutionary causes behind those proximate mechanisms) that lead to such difficulties. I argue that the mechanisms or adaptations involved in partner retention evolved in ancestral preindustrial contexts and may not be effective in contemporary postindustrial settings. Relevant mismatches include the protection of human rights, dependence on intimate partners, freedom in mate choice, and access to parenting resources. I further argue that these mismatches have affected adaptations involved in partner retention, including the expression of undesirable traits, such as aggression and jealousy, insufficient mating effort, poor initial mate choice, and an impaired ability to meet the demands of parenting. As a consequence, many individuals today experience reduced mate-retention capacity, with implications that I explore. Full article

Introduction: Charred bodies represents a significant challenge for forensic pathologists due to the destructive effects of fire on human remains. Although most fire-related deaths are accidental, cases of suicide and homicide are not uncommon. Case Report: We report a peculiar case of a severely burned body discovered inside a torched vehicle. Under judicial investigation, a full autopsy was performed, including macroscopic and microscopic examination of key anatomical structures: the inspection of oral cavity revealed no soot deposits; a foreign object (a chestnut) was found anterior to the epiglottis, though not lodged within the glottis; no thermal injuries or soot were observed in the upper or lower airways. Histological analysis excluded thermal damage at the alveolar–capillary interface. Alveolar spaces appeared both hyperinflated and ectatic, likely due to septal rupture, suggestive of acute pulmonary emphysema and multiorgan congestion. Carboxyhemoglobin levels were below 5%, indicating a low level which did not support intravital inhalation of combustion gases. Based on the comprehensive medico-legal findings, the cause of death was attributed to an asphyxial mechanism. It was further demonstrated that the burning of the body occurred post-mortem. DNA extraction from two dental specimens enabled positive identification of the victim. Subsequent investigations confirmed the case to be a femicide. The perpetrator, following a domestic altercation over jealousy, suffocated his young wife and attempted to simulate accidental choking by placing a chestnut in her mouth. He then staged a vehicular fire to mimic a fatal accident. Conclusions: The case underlines that a multidisciplinary forensic approach is essential, and must integrate different methodologies and the analysis of both circumstantial evidence and scene investigation. Full article

Refugees are forced to flee their countries of origin due to factors beyond their control, and expect to find safety, peace, freedom, and have their basic needs met. Most engage in entrepreneurial activities to make a living. However, some refugees experience xenophobic attacks in host nations. Guided by the Social Identity Theory (SIT) to explore the phenomenon of xenophobic attacks against refugees in Atteridgeville, South Africa, this paper describes the factors contributing to xenophobic attacks against them. Participants were selected using the snowball sampling technique. Data were collected from 10 refugee entrepreneurs using one-on-one interviews guided by a semi-structured interview schedule. Data were analysed using thematic data analysis. The findings revealed the political and socio-economic factors behind the refugees’ exodus from their country of origin. In trying to better their lives, refugees encounter several bureaucratic challenges when formalising their asylum and refugee status in South Africa. The study established that xenophobic attacks on refugee entrepreneurs were influenced by numerous factors, including jealousy, hatred of foreigners, unemployment, and lack of job opportunities for young black South Africans. In addition, poverty and crime were identified as factors responsible for exacerbating xenophobic attacks. Based on the findings of this study, the social work profession has a pellucid and pivotal role to play in addressing the individual, group, community, systemic, institutional, and structural level factors responsible for xenophobic attacks on refugee entrepreneurs in Atteridgeville. The study recommends that further studies focus on designing multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral measures for addressing xenophobic attacks against refugee entrepreneurs. Full article

Despite extensive prevention strategies in Spain since the 1980s, gender-based violence, including among adolescents, remains prevalent, as observed in the Romance SUCC-ED Project (R&D&I Operating Programme ERDF Andalusia 2014–2020). This research study investigates the dimensions, meanings, relationships, and practices shaping the culture of romance in digital Andalusian adolescence (12–16 years) and its potential impact on school trajectories in Compulsory Secondary Education. Based on the premise that equality-focused relationship education is key to preventing gender violence, the study employs an ethnographic methodology with 12 Andalusian school case studies (4 out of them are located in rural areas) and 220 in-depth interviews (126 girls, 57.3%; 94 boys, 42.7%). This article aims to empirically explain gender violence in early adolescence by analysing the culture of romance as an explanatory factor. Findings reveal an interconnected model where dimensions (love, couple, sexuality, pornography, social networks, and cultural references), meanings (constructed by adolescents within each of them), relationships (partner), and practices (control and jealousy) reinforce romanticised femininity and dominant masculinity, thus explaining the high incidence of gender-based violence among students in the study. Full article

In today’s rapidly evolving organizations, talent management plays a critical role in driving sustainable growth. Talents, particularly those exhibiting leadership potential, are often seen as essential assets for organizational development. However, the presence of high employee’s leadership potential can also generate adverse emotional reactions from leaders, potentially leading to behaviors such as leader jealousy and leader ostracism. This study investigates the dark side of employee’s leadership potential by examining the mechanisms through which employee’s leadership potential influences leader ostracism, with leader jealousy acting as a mediator. Drawing on social comparison theory, we propose a theoretical model that includes organizational competitive climate and leader’s core self-evaluation as moderating factors. Using a three-wave survey of 672 leaders in the Chinese construction industry, hierarchical regression analysis was employed to test the hypotheses. The results show that employee’s leadership potential significantly increases both leader jealousy and leader ostracism, with leader jealousy serving as a mediator. Moreover, a high organizational competitive climate strengthens the relationship between employee’s leadership potential and leader jealousy, thereby enhancing the entire mediated effect. In contrast, high leader core self-evaluation weakens the relationship between employee’s leadership potential and leader jealousy, reducing the likelihood of leader ostracism and attenuating the mediated effect. This study provides both theoretical contributions and practical insights for organizations seeking to manage high-leadership potential employees while minimizing the risk of negative leadership behaviors. Full article

Focusing on the legend of Phaedra and Hippolytus as developed in Euripides and Seneca and especially in Racine’s Phèdre and taking into account as well its further development in works by Camillo Boito, Luchino Visconti, and Yukio Mishima, I make the following arguments: (1) Contrary to many theologians and philosophers of love, a pathological form of love that issues in murder and suicide should not be regarded as unworthy of serious attention. Racine’s tragedy provides a catharsis for universal experiences of unrequited love and jealousy, a major human phenomenon. (2) Contrary to Paul Valéry, Phèdre’s love cannot be called merely animal, since the analytical insight she develops into her morbid passion carries tremendous moral force and lies at the origin of the European psychological novel, as launched by Madame de La Fayette a year later. (3) Contrary to François Mauriac, even if she is a heroine of desire or concupiscence rather than of “true love” (in contrast to the relatively innocent affections of Hippolyte and Aricie), the incredible beauty of her language resists such an easy categorization. (4) Study of concrete presentations of “love” in literature confirms that the meaning and use of this word is marked by an irreducible pluralism. Philosophical and theological analysis of love has to come to terms with this. (5) The role of a work of art, in crystallizing archetypical emotions and situations in a way that carries authority, is to provide the middle ground between the abstractions of philosophy on the one hand and the uncontrollable diversity of the empirical on the other. Even psychologies or sociologies of love, which claim to be close to the concrete data, need to be anchored in and corrected by the special concrete vision that only great literature can bring. Full article

This paper advances two interrelated theses. As for the first thesis, it distinguishes well-being, on the one hand, from happiness, on the other hand. As for the second thesis, it differentiates between two important facets of happiness: what this paper calls “happiness-as-tranquility” and “happiness-as-aspiration”. Actually, in order to differentiate the two facets of happiness, we first need to distinguish happiness from well-being. This is the case because happiness, after all, is a by-product of reflecting upon and ruminating over well-being. Given it is the same well-being, how could it give rise to different facets of happiness? It can only do so if we stop conflating happiness with well-being. This entails taking to task the widely accepted concept of “subjective wellbeing”. Such concept is expressly designed to obfuscate the difference between well-being and happiness. As for the two facets of happiness (the second thesis), this paper relies upon the contrast of two famous works of literature: the story of Job and the story of Faust. The contrast uncovers the criticality of the temporal dimension in the acts of reflection upon and rumination over well-being. If people reflect on past accomplishments, they experience backward-looking happiness along the Job story—i.e., happiness-as-tranquility. If people reflect on desire, they experience forward-looking happiness along the Faust story—i.e., happiness-as-aspiration. While the two facets of happiness seem contradictory, they are indeed complementary if we recognize the temporal element when one reflects upon and ruminates over well-being. Full article

Background: Intimate partner femicide (IPF) is the most common form of femicide and a severe expression of gender-based violence, highlighting persistent gender inequality worldwide. Addressing this major public health concern requires a comprehensive synthesis of existing evidence to inform prevention strategies. This review aims to identify risk factors for IPF and explore the demographic, behavioral, and psychosocial characteristics of victims and perpetrators. Methods: A narrative review was conducted using a systematic literature search in Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed, following PRISMA guidelines. Studies were selected based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Out of 1200 identified records, 51 met the criteria and were included. Data extraction and analysis were conducted independently by two reviewers. Findings are presented narratively. Results: The review identified multiple risk factors for IPF. Victims were more likely to be married, with a history of psychological and physical abuse as well as substance use. Perpetrators were typically older, with higher rates of unemployment, psychiatric disorders, and substance use. Common precipitating factors included jealousy, separation, and recurrent conflicts. Weapon use—particularly knives and firearms—and “overkill” were frequent. Perpetrators often exhibited stalking behaviors and a history of intimate partner violence. Compared to other homicide offenders, IPF perpetrators were generally older, more often employed, and less likely to have a criminal background, but more likely to engage in intimate partner violence and hold patriarchal beliefs. Conclusions: IPF is not an unpredictable act. Despite the heterogeneity among perpetrators, identifiable risk indicators can inform effective prevention and intervention efforts. Full article

Among the models of romantic relationships, consensual non-monogamy (CNM) is one in which several affective and/or sexual relationships are allowed simultaneously. This type of relationship, still considered non-normative, has experienced a considerable increase in recent years. However, research is still limited, and studies on the subject in Spain are scarce. To better understand the differences and similarities between monogamous and CNM relationships, this study investigated both relational models, divided by sex, for four factors concerning romantic relationships: relationship satisfaction, sexual desire, jealousy, and conflict resolution styles. In a sample of 210 persons, the results showed that CNM females reported significantly higher levels of consensus and dyadic sexual desire than monogamous females. Jealousy levels were similar in both types of relationships. People in CNM relationships displayed greater conflict resolution skills through negotiation and compromise, whereas monogamous females reported using the non-constructive style of conflict engagement more than CNM females and monogamous males. CNM males indicated a greater use of withdrawal compared to CNM females. Overall, females showed more passionate jealousy than males. This investigation highlights the importance of studying romantic relationships and their different models. Full article

(1) Background: Gamification has emerged as an innovative strategy in education and involves integrating game elements into pedagogical activities to enhance motivation and the development of cognitive and social skills. The aim was to analyze the effects of active gamification on the emotional well-being and social skills of primary school students. (2) Methods: A total of 120 children with a mean age of 9.40 ± 0.98 years were divided into an experimental group (EG) that carried out a program based on gamification in physical exercise and a control group (CG). (3) Results: The EG improved significantly in self-concept compared to the CG, as did the levels of personal self-esteem, which increased significantly. Likewise, improvements were found in all the subdomains of social skills, except in the subdomain of jealousy/loneliness. (4) Conclusions: The introduction of gamification into Physical Education classes is recommended as an effective tool to improve self-esteem, self-concept, and social skills in primary education. Full article

From an evolutionary perspective, love and attachment foster closeness, while jealousy ensures exclusivity in romantic relationships. This study examined the links between jealousy and affective aspects of love, hypothesizing positive associations despite their apparent opposition. An online sample of 265 individuals in Chile and Spain completed measures of digital jealousy, closeness, love, felt loved, and attachment. Results revealed higher jealousy in Chile than in Spain. Across both countries, anxious attachment and closeness were significant predictors of jealousy, explaining nearly 30% of its variance. In Chile, feeling loved negatively predicted jealousy, suggesting that reassurance of the romantic bond may reduce jealousy in this cultural context. Notably, affective closeness—conceptualized as the inclusion of the self in the other—emerged as a novel predictor of jealousy, extending beyond the established role of anxious attachment. These findings underscore the nuanced interplay between cultural context, affective closeness, and attachment in shaping jealousy. Full article

Social network sites (SNSs) have brought about profound changes in the way people relate to others, including their romantic partners. Despite the advantages SNSs may have for building and managing romantic relationships, their use can be linked to risky behaviors within romantic relationships, such as the emergence of jealousy, control, and intrusiveness, i.e., cyber dating abuse (CDA) behaviors. The present study, in a sample of 315 Italian young adults involved in a romantic relationship (74.6 percent women and 25.4 percent men) aged 20 to 33 years (M = 24.17; SD = 2.60), explored CDA behaviors and their association with self-other overlap. Findings showed a positive association between self-other overlap and the frequency of CDA behaviors. That is, those who struggled to recognize their partners as different from themselves tended to control and enact intrusive behaviors toward them. This association, however, was moderated by the partners’ relationship duration, so that it was only significant for partners in a long-term relationship. The study expands our understanding of CDA behaviors in romantic relationships, contributing to identifying the conditions under which they are more likely to be perpetrated. In addition, it helps inform interventions for preventing risky behaviors within young adults’ romantic relationships. Full article