Search Results (133)

This study investigates how cultural context shapes memorable tourism experiences at dark-tourism sites by comparing young visitors (aged between 18 to 34) from the Czech Republic and India. The Czech Republic and India were selected for this study because they offer two culturally and historically distinct contexts that allow for meaningful examination of cross-cultural variation in dark tourism experiences. It specifically aims to examine whether and how the seven dimensions of the Memorable Tourism Experience Scale (MTES), hedonism, refreshment, local culture, involvement, knowledge, meaningfulness, and novelty vary across these two cultural settings. A cross-sectional, comparative survey design was employed using a convenience sample of 100 Czech and 108 Indian university students who had previously visited dark-tourism attractions. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire based on the MTES, and analyzed using factor analysis and independent-sample t-tests to validate the scale and test for cross-cultural differences. Significant differences emerged for hedonic value and meaningfulness, with Indian participants reporting higher scores on both dimensions, while local culture, involvement, knowledge, novelty, and refreshment did not differ significantly between the two samples. The study contributes to the memorable tourism experience literature by demonstrating that dark tourism represents a hybrid eudaimonic–hedonic experience in which cognitive learning and reflective appraisal coexist with pleasure and arousal, and by showing that cultural context modulates affective and meaning-related dimensions more than cognitive ones. Practically, the findings suggest that dark-tourism managers should priorities interpretive designs that integrate knowledge acquisition with emotionally and morally resonant narratives, while tailoring hedonic and meaning framings to the cultural profiles of target markets. Full article

To facilitate emotionally adaptive built environments, this study investigates how spatial color design interacts with individual personality traits to shape emotional reactions in virtual reality (VR). Based on the stimulus–organism–response (S-O-R) framework, the research explores these dynamics through a rigorous experimental design. Sixty-three participants were exposed to 24 indoor scenes systematically manipulated in three dimensions: color combination, color shape, and area proportion. Multidimensional responses were recorded using self-reported SAM scales (pleasure, arousal, dominance), liking, and the objective physiological indicator skin conductance level (Z-SCL). The data were analyzed using linear mixed models (LMM) to account for repeated measures. The results reveal a functional hierarchy of design elements: area proportion emerged as the dominant structural variable, significantly driving the sense of control (dominance) and physiological arousal, whereas color and shape primarily influenced esthetic hedonic valence. Crucially, the study provides empirical evidence that personality traits act as cognitive filters. For instance, conscientiousness significantly moderated the effect of area proportion on dominance, reflecting a trait-specific need for spatial order. Exploratory analysis further identified that neuroticism acts as a “physiological sentinel” (heightened Z-SCL sensitivity to large-scale stimuli), while extraversion manifests as a “sensation seeker.” These findings suggest that color space cognition is not universal, advocating for more refined, personality-aware design strategies to enhance user comfort and psychological well-being. Full article

Pneumatic actuators are promising for wearable tactile interfaces, yet human perception of pneumatic stimulation is not well understood. This study examined how pressure and frequency affect tactile perception and emotional responses through three experiments. Experiment 1 measured the minimum perceivable pressure and just noticeable difference (JND). The perceptual threshold remained stable across low-frequency stimuli, while both upward and downward JNDs increased with pressure and frequency, indicating reduced sensitivity under stronger or faster stimulation. Experiment 2 evaluated perceived tactile intensity and found pressure to be the dominant factor, with frequency also contributing significantly. Experiment 3 examined emotional responses using the PAD model. Pressure and frequency jointly affected Pleasure and Arousal but minimally influenced Dominance. Moderate pressure and mid-range frequency (50 kPa, 5 Hz) produced the most positive, alert states; high-pressure, high-frequency stimulation (≥75 kPa, 10 Hz) generated unpleasant high-arousal responses; and low-pressure, low-frequency input (25 kPa, 1 Hz) led to low-arousal, negative affective states. These results offer quantitative and emotional insights that can inform the design of more realistic and expressive pneumatic haptic interfaces. Full article

Food color is a powerful determinant of consumer perception, influencing emotions, taste expectations, and hedonic responses. This study investigated how red, yellow, and blue plating colors affect emotional responses, acceptance, and taste associations. Emotional descriptors were defined through two focus groups (n = 17) and validated in a consumer study with 295 participants (63.4% female, 35.3% male). Three color-dominant samples were evaluated online using the Check-All-That-Apply (CATA), Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA), and a nine-point hedonic scale. The red sample achieved the highest acceptance (7.27), followed by blue (7.03) and yellow (6.82) (p < 0.05). Red was strongly associated with positive RATA terms such as pleasant (3.90), with pleasure (2.95), and satisfied, while blue elicited negative responses, including disgusted (72%) and no appetite (74%). Pearson correlations confirmed pleasant (r = 0.70, p < 0.001) and with pleasure (r = 0.58, p < 0.001) as key acceptance drivers, whereas disgusted (r = −0.29, p < 0.001) acted as a rejection cue. Correspondence analysis explained 68% of the variance, and Partial Least Squares Regression highlighted pleasant (VIP = 1.86) as the strongest predictor of liking. Tableware (≥4.25) and plating arrangement (≥4.31) also significantly shaped emotional perception. These results demonstrate that plating colors critically influence consumer emotions and acceptance, offering practical insights for multisensory gastronomy and food design. Overall, the study shows that plating color can be strategically leveraged in gastronomy and product development to enhance consumer emotions and acceptance, providing valuable guidance for multisensory food design. Although conducted using photographic stimuli and limited to Brazilian consumers, the study provides valuable insights into how plating color influences emotional and hedonic responses. These findings can support both academic research and professional practice, guiding chefs and food designers in developing multisensory gastronomic experiences. Full article

Industry 4.0 is steadily advancing a reality of deepening integration between humans and technology, a phenomenon aptly described by the metaphor of the “technologically augmented human”. This study identifies the digital and personal factors that predict a preference for the “digital centaur” strategy among adolescents and young adults. This strategy is defined as a model of human–AI collaboration designed to enhance personal capabilities. A sample of 1841 participants aged 14–39 completed measures assessing digital centaur preference and identification, emotional intelligence (EI), mindfulness, digital competence, technology attitudes, and AI usage, as well as AI-induced emotions and fears. The results indicate that 27.3% of respondents currently identify as digital centaurs, with an additional 41.3% aspiring to adopt this identity within the next decade. This aspiration was most prevalent among 18- to 23-year-olds. Hierarchical regression showed that interpersonal and intrapersonal EI and mindfulness are personal predictors of the digital centaur preference, while digital competence, technophilia, technopessimism (inversely), and daily internet use emerged as significant digital predictors. Notably, intrapersonal EI and mindfulness became non-significant when technology attitudes were included. Digital centaurs predominantly used AI functionally and reported positive emotions (curiosity, pleasure, trust, gratitude) but expressed concerns about human misuse of AI. These findings position the digital centaur as an adaptive and preadaptive strategy for the technologically augmented human. This has direct implications for education, highlighting the need to foster balanced human–AI collaboration. Full article

Introduction: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a mental disorder with a high prevalence rate and a high recurrence rate. Therefore, identifying and intervening in the core symptoms of MDD patients is of great significance. Anhedonia is manifested as an individual losing interest in activities or experiencing a significant decrease in the sense of pleasure, which is one of the two core symptoms of MDD. Episodic Future Thinking (EFT) training refers to the process of stimulating individuals’ hope for positive future scenarios and encouraging them to take purposeful actions, which may have an effect in alleviating anhedonia. However, the perception of anhedonia of MDD patients among Chinese healthcare professionals is still unclear, and there has been no exploration of the views of healthcare professionals regarding the implementation of EFT training for MDD patients led by psychiatric nurses in a clinical setting. Aim: This study aimed to understand the attention paid by Chinese healthcare professionals to the symptom of anhedonia in patients with MDD, as well as their previous coping strategies. This study further explored the views of healthcare professionals regarding the implementation of EFT training for MDD patients led by psychiatric nurses with a psychological therapist certificate in China, as well as suggestions for future implementation. Methods: This qualitative descriptive study adopted a phenomenological approach. Using purposive sampling, 15 healthcare professionals (psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses and psychological counselors) were recruited from the psychiatry department of a public tertiary hospital in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Using the NVivo 12 Plus software, the semi-structured interviews and analyses were conducted by applying Colaizzi’s seven-step phenomenological method. Rigor was ensured through checks of credibility, dependability, and confirmability during data collection and analysis. Results: A thematic analysis revealed that, while psychia-trists and psychological counselors viewed anhedonia as a significant treatment target, nurses were more focused on immediate patient safety concerns. Participants recognized the potential of EFT training to alleviate anhedonia but identified several implementation challenges, including patient resistance, cognitive limitations, and the need for tailored interventions. Conclusions: The research results indicated that psychiatric nurses had relatively poor ability to identify anhedonia. Therefore, it is necessary to enhance the awareness of psychiatric nurses regarding the clinical significance of anhedonia, and incorporate knowledge related to anhedonia into routine nursing training. It is suggested that communication and collaboration among psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses and psychological counselors should be strengthened, and an assessment and feedback process for the lack of anhedonia in patients with MDD should be established, so as to assist these patients in achieving faster psychological recovery. Given the sufficient staffing conditions in the field of psychiatry nursing in China, the design concept and curriculum of EFT training for psychiatry nurses with a psychological therapist certificate should be promoted. Encourage psychiatry nurses with a psychological therapist certificate to conduct offline and online group EFT training intervention forms for MDD patients in the hospital wards during their hospitalization periods, as well as after discharge at home. Full article

Understanding how individuals balance health and pleasure in food choices is important for promoting healthier diets. This study examined 6300 adults across ten countries (630 per country) using the General Health Interest and Pleasure subscales of the Health and Taste Attitude Scales. Participants were grouped into four categories—HH-HP (High Health, High Pleasure), HH-LP (High Health, Low Pleasure), LH-HP (Low Health, High Pleasure), and LH-LP (Low Health, Low Pleasure)—based on their scores. Clear cross-national differences were observed. Respondents in Peru and China prioritized both health and pleasure, while those in Mexico and Russia scored higher on pleasure but lower on health. A polarized pattern was found in Japan, and a more balanced distribution appeared in Thailand and Spain. Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States showed generally lower scores for both dimensions. Females tended to report higher health interest and greater pleasure in eating than males. Older age and higher education were also associated with stronger interest in health and food enjoyment. These results emphasize the importance of considering cultural and demographic variations when designing strategies to encourage healthy eating, and they support the cross-cultural validity of the Health and Taste Attitude Scales. Full article

Colour is a fundamental determinant of affective experience in immersive virtual reality (VR), yet the emotional and physiological impact of individual hues remains poorly characterised. This study investigated how fifteen calibrated Munsell hues influence subjective and autonomic responses when presented in immersive VR. Thirty-six adults (18–45 years) viewed each hue in a within-subject design while pupil diameter and skin conductance were recorded continuously, and self-reported emotions were assessed using the Self-Assessment Manikin across pleasure, arousal, and dominance. Repeated-measures ANOVAs revealed robust hue effects on all three self-report dimensions and on pupil dilation, with medium-to-large effect sizes. Reds and red–purple hues elicited the highest arousal and dominance, whereas blue–green hues were rated most pleasurable. Pupil dilation closely tracked arousal ratings, while skin conductance showed no reliable hue differentiation, likely due to the brief exposure times (30 s). Individual differences in cognitive style and personality modulated overall reactivity but did not alter the relative ranking of hues. Taken together, these findings provide the first systematic hue-by-hue mapping of affective and physiological responses in immersive VR. They demonstrate that calibrated colour shapes both experience and ocular physiology, while also offering practical guidance for educational, clinical, and interface design in virtual environments. Full article

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic brought significant changes to dining practices. Using meal kits, restaurant meal replacements (RMRs), and contactless dining became common, accelerating the trend toward personalized and convenient meals. Nevertheless, many people continue to prefer visiting crowded restaurants, willingly accepting the inconvenience associated with crowdedness. This paradoxical phenomenon suggests deeper social and cultural motivations beyond the basic function of eating. This study explores the social and psychological attributes of perceived crowdedness in restaurants—affiliation motivation, social proof, and human ambience—and examines their effects on customers’ emotions and behavioral intentions. A quantitative survey was conducted to assess customers’ emotional and behavioral responses to crowded dining environments, and the proposed relationships were tested using structural equation modeling. The results showed that all three attributes had a positive effect on emotional responses such as pleasure and arousal. However, only pleasure significantly influenced behavioral intentions, including revisit and word-of-mouth intentions, while arousal did not. These findings suggest that emotional pleasure derived from crowded dining environments is a key factor in encouraging continued customer engagement. The study offers theoretical and practical implications for designing emotionally and socially sustainable restaurant environments in the post-pandemic era. Full article

Background: Pickleball has gained global popularity as a socially engaging and accessible sport, but little is known about its short-term psychological effects on younger populations, particularly university students. This pilot study examines whether participation in a pickleball class during a university course produces immediate mood improvements among Japanese first-year students. Methods: A total of 106 sports science students (75 men and 31 women; M = 18.44, SD = 0.55) participated in a 100 min pickleball tournament. Mood states were measured pre- and post-activity using a Two-Dimensional Mood Scale (TDMS) to assess vitality, stability, pleasure, and arousal. A mixed-design ANOVA (time × gender) was used for analysis. Results: A significant main effect of time was found for vitality (F(1,103) = 4.97, p = 0.028, η² = 0.046), indicating improved vitality after participation. Other mood indices showed positive but non-significant trends (pleasure: p = 0.127; arousal: p = 0.067; stability: p = 0.812). No significant main effects of gender or time × gender interactions were observed. Qualitative responses supported these findings, with 64% of participants describing the activity as “fun” or “good” and 24% referencing social themes such as “cooperation” and “exchange”. Conclusions: Short-term participation in pickleball during a university class improved vitality and fostered social enjoyment among first-year students, with broadly similar benefits for men and women. As a pilot study, the findings highlight pickleball’s potential as a low-barrier, socially interactive activity to support students’ mental health in educational settings, although future studies with diverse samples and controlled designs are needed. Full article

Natural playgrounds have garnered growing attention as supportive environments for children’s mental health. This study develops an analytical framework grounded in affordance theory and incorporates the Pleasure–Arousal–Dominance (PAD) model to examine the relationships between physical environmental features—and their combinations—in natural playgrounds and children’s emotional perceptions. Using the Yunhu Natural Playground in Fuzhou, China, as a case study, we selected seven typical behavior setting units. Environmental features were assessed through UAV imagery and on-site observations, while PAD-based visual questionnaires were employed to collect emotional responses from 159 children. By applying correlation analysis, random forest, and regression tree models, this study identified key environmental predictors of children’s emotional responses and revealed heterogeneous mechanisms across the three emotional dimensions. The results indicated that seasonal flowering/fruiting plants, accessible lawns, and structured play facilities were critical in supporting children’s pleasure, arousal, and dominance. Specifically, pleasure was primarily associated with sensory enjoyment and contextual aesthetics, arousal favored open grassy areas, and dominance was linked to environments with clear structure and manipulability. Based on these findings, this study proposes a spatial configuration strategy characterized by “nature as foundation, play encouraged, and structure clarified” to promote the positive development of children’s multidimensional emotional experiences. This research contributes empirical evidence on the role of physical environmental features in supporting children’s play behaviors and expands the theoretical understanding of the “emotional effects” of green spaces. While the findings are exploratory and context-specific, they emphasize the critical role of the sensory–behavioral–emotional chain in shaping children’s well-being and provide theoretical and practical guidance for the design of emotionally supportive, child-friendly, natural play environments in schools, parks, and residential areas. Full article

Against the backdrop of rapid digitization of cultural heritage, assessing the public’s genuine perception of digital heritage has become a critical issue in the study of cultural sustainability and communication. This study takes the “Digital Dunhuang Museum” exhibition in Guangzhou as a case, focusing on the differences and underlying mechanisms in public aesthetic perception of digital Dunhuang murals. Integrating eye-tracking experiments, subjective image evaluations, and semi-structured interviews, the research innovatively introduces multimodal visual behaviour and physiological data as core indicators in the field of digital cultural heritage. It systematically compares the explicit attitudes and implicit responses of audiences with different artistic backgrounds during the aesthetic perception process. The results reveal that participants with an art-related background show significantly higher scores in subjective dimensions such as pleasure, attraction, and visiting intention. They also demonstrate stronger visual engagement and emotional arousal in physiological dimensions, including the number of fixations, total fixation duration, and pupil diameter changes. This study constructs a mechanism of aesthetic perception for digital cultural heritage based on “visual attention–cognitive processing–emotional arousal”, enriching the public’s understanding of digital cultural heritage conservation and communication from both cognitive and emotional perspectives. The findings provide empirical support for the design of digital exhibitions of cultural heritage and expand the methodological and cognitive approaches in cultural sustainability research, offering important theoretical and practical implications. Full article

Serious games (SGs) have been widely employed in the digital preservation and transmission of architectural heritage. However, the key determinants and underlying mechanisms driving users’ continuance intentions toward ancient-architecture cultural heritage serious games (CH-SGs) have not been thoroughly investigated. Accordingly, a conceptual model grounded in the stimulus–organism–response (S–O–R) framework was developed to elucidate the affective and behavioral effects experienced by CH-SG users. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and artificial neural networks (ANNs) were employed to capture both the linear and nonlinear relationships among model constructs. By integrating sufficiency logic (PLS-SEM) and necessity logic (necessary condition analysis, NCA), “must-have” and “should-have” factors were identified. Empirical results indicate that cultural authenticity, knowledge acquisition, perceived enjoyment, and design aesthetics each exert a positive influence—of varying magnitude—on perceived value, cultural identification, and perceived pleasure, thereby shaping users’ continuance intentions. Moreover, cultural authenticity and perceived enjoyment were found to be necessary and sufficient conditions, respectively, for enhancing perceived pleasure and perceived value, which in turn indirectly bolster CH-SG users’ sustained use intentions. By creating an immersive, narratively rich, and engaging cognitive experience, CH-SGs set against ancient architectural backdrops not only stimulate users’ willingness to visit and protect heritage sites but also provide designers and developers with critical insights for optimizing future CH-SG design, development, and dissemination. Full article

Background: Anhedonia, defined as the diminished capacity to experience pleasure, represents a core negative symptom in first-episode psychosis (FEP) with profound implications for functional outcomes and long-term prognosis. Despite its clinical significance, comprehensive understanding of anhedonia prevalence, underlying mechanisms, and optimal intervention strategies in early psychosis remains limited. Objectives: To systematically examine the prevalence and characteristics of anhedonia in FEP patients, explore neurobiological mechanisms, identify clinical correlates and predictive factors, and evaluate intervention efficacy. Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we conducted comprehensive searches across PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, and Web of Science databases from January 1990 to June 2025. Studies examining anhedonia and negative symptoms in FEP patients (≤24 months from onset) using validated assessment instruments were included. Quality assessment was performed using appropriate tools for study design. Results: Twenty-one studies comprising 3847 FEP patients met inclusion criteria. Anhedonia prevalence ranged from 30% at 10-year follow-up to 53% during acute phases, demonstrating persistent motivational deficits across illness trajectory. Factor analytic studies consistently supported five-factor negative symptom models with anhedonia as a discrete dimension. Neuroimaging investigations revealed consistent alterations in reward processing circuits, including ventral striatum hypofunction and altered network connectivity patterns. Social anhedonia demonstrated stronger associations with functional outcomes compared to other domains. Epigenetic mechanisms involving oxytocin receptor methylation showed gender-specific associations with anhedonia severity. Conventional antipsychotic treatments showed limited efficacy for anhedonia improvement, while targeted psychosocial interventions demonstrated preliminary promise. Conclusions: Anhedonia showed high prevalence (30–53%) across FEP populations with substantial clinical burden (13-fold increased odds vs. general population). Meta-analysis revealed large effect sizes for anhedonia severity in FEP vs. controls (d = 0.83) and strong negative correlations with functional outcomes (r =·−0.82). Neuroimaging demonstrated consistent ventral striatum dysfunction and altered network connectivity. Social anhedonia emerged as the strongest predictor of functional outcomes, with independent suicide risk associations. Conventional antipsychotics showed limited efficacy, while behavioral activation approaches demonstrated preliminary promise. These findings support anhedonia as a distinct treatment target requiring specialized assessment and intervention protocols in early psychosis care. Full article

Background: This longitudinal study aims to explore the stability and changes in child temperament dimensions between the ages of three and six, analyzing their relationship with emotional and behavioral problems, differentiated by gender. Method: This study involved 24 boys and 25 girls from various early childhood education centers in Málaga, Spain. To assess temperament, the Spanish adaptation of the Children’s Behavior Questionnaire was used, while emotional and behavioral problems were evaluated using the SPECI Screening for Emotional and Behavioral Problems in Children. Results: Findings indicate that 9 out of the 15 temperament dimensions remained stable, while 4—anger/frustration, attentional focusing, perceptual sensitivity, and sadness—showed significant changes in the total sample. The gender-specific analysis revealed different developmental patterns for boys and girls. Girls exhibited changes in attentional focusing, fear, and perceptual sensitivity, while boys showed changes in anger/frustration and attentional focusing. In addition, girls scored higher in discomfort and fear, whereas boys stood out in activity levels. Regarding behavioral problems, girls’ externalizing symptoms were significantly associated with attentional focusing and smiling/laughter, while internalizing symptoms were linked to low-intensity pleasure and perceptual sensitivity. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of addressing temperament from a gender-differentiated perspective when designing educational and family interventions aimed at promoting socioemotional development. Full article