Search Results (3,359)

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence in higher education positively affects student satisfaction, engagement, and learning outcomes. However, students frequently report ethical unease, guilt, and concerns about dependency. The current literature offers a limited explanation for their coexistence, as both have been treated as parallel or independent outcomes. Hence, this review extends and integrates existing theories by reconceptualising cognitive and moral dissonance as a central psychological process that explains how student satisfaction with AI-mediated learning is produced, negotiated, and sustained. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we adopted a two-layer explanatory review design, synthesising 40 Scopus-indexed studies (Layer 1 = 15 studies; Layer 2 = 25 studies) from 2016 to 2025. Layer 1 studies explicitly define dissonance-related explanatory mechanisms that influence satisfaction and continued AI use across contexts such as dissertation writing, programming education, and problem-based learning. Layer 2 encompasses satisfaction-based studies that report ethical or affective concerns in parallel without theorising their interaction. The findings suggest a recurring satisfaction–dissonance paradox, in which students often experience genuine or conditional satisfaction from performance gains while simultaneously managing their psychological discomfort through one or more regulation mechanisms. Further, persistent and escalated dissonance leads to withdrawal or full or partial adaptive behaviour. We propose these dynamics as a testable Dual-Process Satisfaction–Dissonance Framework (DPSDF), which includes five dissonance triggers, five regulation strategies, three feedback loops, and four behavioural outcomes. Further, five domain experts’ suggestions have been taken to provide specific practical implications. This framework extends understanding of AI-mediated learning and provides foundations for future theory and policy development in higher education. Full article

Negative life events (NLEs) are robust environmental correlates of adolescent internalizing problems (IPs), yet the psychological mechanism and boundary conditions remain unclear. To examine whether self-esteem accounts for the association between NLEs and adolescent IPs, and whether resilience conditions these links, 400 adolescents completed anonymous measures assessing NLEs, IPs, self-esteem, and resilience. The results show that (1) NLEs were positively associated with IPs, (2) self-esteem mediated the association between NLEs and IPs, (3) resilience moderated the relationship between NLEs and IPs, and (4) resilience also moderated the link between NLEs and self-esteem, such that associations were weaker at higher resilience. The index of moderated mediation was significant, indicating that the indirect effect via self-esteem decreased as resilience increased. These findings suggest that reduced self-esteem is an important link between exposure to negative life events and internalizing symptoms. Moreover, the findings indicate that resilience functions as a protective factor that attenuates both direct and indirect associations, suggesting potential targets for school-based prevention aimed at strengthening self-worth and resilience. Full article

In recent years, there has been an unprecedented upsurge in opioid prescriptions for pain management. Consequently, the widespread availability of these medicines has led to an increase in misuse and abuse. This has led to a greater number of overdose-related deaths. The high prevalence of drug misuse was born of multiple and complex societal factors. However, from a medical perspective, critical contributors to the dire consequences of the crisis have been the need for chronic pain relief, as well as mental health issues within communities. Chronic pain coupled with psychological distress exacerbates patients’ predicaments and thus further fuels the crisis. Anxiety and depression have bidirectional and complex relationships with pain. The somatic symptoms associated with anxiety potentially worsen pain, whilst pain emanating from a chronic condition worsens anxiety. The same relational dynamic applies to depression and pain. Thus, these psychopathological states may be major contributors to the opioid abuse epidemic. Thus, psychosocial management as a first-line treatment instead of starting with drug treatments seems an enlightened approach to this problem. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been proven to be effective in managing specific symptoms associated with chronic pain. Similarly, patient education has been shown to be a viable alternative to drugs for certain aspects of chronic pain treatment. We consider that the opioid crisis could be addressed with a greater reliance and emphasis on non-pharmacological approaches to managing chronic pain patients. This mini-review examines non-pharmaceutical and monitoring-based interventions to reduce opioid misuse risk among adults prescribed opioids for chronic non-cancer pain. Studies were identified through PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Google Scholar using terms related to chronic pain, prescription opioid misuse, opioid use disorder, cognitive behavioral therapy, patient education, prescription drug monitoring programs, digital health, telehealth, and non-pharmacological interventions. Studies were included if they focused on adults with chronic pain who were prescribed opioids or at risk of misuse, and evaluated interventions aimed at reducing unsafe opioid use, misuse risk, or opioid-related harm. Evidence was synthesized narratively to identify key intervention approaches, limitations, and clinical implications. Full article

Background/Objectives: The dental setting has been suggested as a location for opportunistic diabetes screenings. Diabetes screening is a pathway consisting of several steps that must be completed to reach a diagnosis. Previous research has found that most patients in the dental setting, when offered the opportunity to screen for diabetes, are willing to do so; however, amongst those who are referred for medical follow-up, there is low compliance. If diabetes screening in the dental setting is to be effective, strategies are required to maximise uptake and ensure completion of the screening pathway. Methods: This qualitative study examined participants in a diabetes screening trial held at dental clinics in Victoria, Australia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted by telephone, transcribed and analysed thematically. The themes identified were then deductively mapped onto the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behaviour (COM-B) model and Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). Results: Ten individuals who were screened for diabetes and referred to their general medical practitioner (GP) for a diabetes diagnosis were interviewed. The themes identified from the interviews were mapped to five COM-B domains: reflective motivation and automatic motivation, social and physical opportunity and psychological capability. These were linked to eight TDF domains associated with issues related to knowledge, environmental context and resources, memory, attention and decision processes, social influences, beliefs about consequences, emotions, and beliefs about capability. Conclusions: This study investigated the determinants influencing individuals’ decision to participate in diabetes screening and comply with referral advice. The results demonstrate the need to increase community knowledge around diabetes and screening for the condition, facilitate risk interpretation, and streamline the referral pathway between oral health professionals (OHP) and GPs. The study provides evidence that can be utilised for the development of future interventions that promote diabetes screening participation and maximise medical follow-up of referred individuals. Full article

This study offers a critical re-examination of contemporary euthanasia debates through an Islamic legal lens, with particular focus on requests for euthanasia arising from psychological suffering within the context of mental disorders. Within bioethical discourse, advocates of euthanasia predominantly justify their position on the grounds of individual autonomy and the alleviation of unbearable suffering, framing it as consistent with modern medicine’s aspiration to optimize quality of life. Yet, by elevating autonomy and self-determination as supreme moral values, it risks reducing the human condition to its cognitive and volitional dimensions, thereby overlooking the existential, spiritual, and affective aspects of suffering. In contrast, Islamic law regards life as a divine trust bestowed by God. Human beings are understood as stewards—rather than absolute proprietors—of their lives and are thus accountable before God for their preservation. From this perspective, psychological pain—akin to physical pain—may serve as a means of moral refinement, spiritual purification, and divine testing. Methodologically, the study conducts a textual and analytical examination of Islamic legal sources, complemented by practical examples that illustrate how psychological suffering transforms into requests for euthanasia, thereby examining how these sources ought to be understood through concrete cases. Furthermore, the study aims to examine whether appeals to a “right to die,” grounded in experiences of psychological suffering, can find any juridical legitimacy within the framework of Islamic law. Full article

Employee well-being in hospitality settings depends on how individuals shape their daily work experience under continuous service demands. This study examines whether job crafting is associated with workplace mindfulness, whether this association is statistically linked with meaningful work, and whether the strength of these relationships varies across levels of growth mindset. Data were collected from 553 frontline employees in five-star hotels in Antalya, Turkey, and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling with bootstrapped conditional effects. The results indicate that job crafting was positively associated with workplace mindfulness, and that meaningful work accounted for part of this association. The findings also indicate that growth mindset strengthened the association between job crafting and workplace mindfulness and the indirect association through meaningful work. Rather than positioning the model as a radical theoretical departure, this study offers a contextual and mechanism-based refinement by showing how meaningful work and growth mindset jointly qualify the association between job crafting and workplace mindfulness in a highly standardized service setting. In this study, workplace mindfulness is treated as a distinct work state reflecting present-moment attentional focus, awareness, and emotional regulation during service delivery, which makes it especially relevant in frontline hospitality roles where service consistency depends on employees’ psychological presence during each guest encounter. The findings provide practical insight into how bounded work adjustments and development-oriented support may be linked with employee psychological functioning in luxury hospitality contexts. Full article

Medical workers are frequently exposed to high-stress environments, highlighting the need for non-invasive stress monitoring strategies based on autonomic nervous system activity. Ammonia emitted from the human skin surface has been reported to increase under physical and psychological stress; however, its relationship with autonomic nervous system (ANS) dynamics remains unclear. In this study, we performed simultaneous, time-resolved measurements of dermal ammonia emission and heart rate variability (HRV) in 11 medical workers during 3 h of routine work. Dermal ammonia emission flux was continuously monitored using a passive flux sampler (PFS) coupled with ion chromatography, while autonomic nervous system activity was assessed by Holter electrocardiography. The temporal profiles of ammonia emission were analyzed in relation to HRV indices, including high frequency (HF) and the low-frequency-to-high-frequency ratio (LF/HF). Dermal ammonia emission increased under conditions characterized by lower HF and/or higher LF/HF, whereas elevated HF was associated with reduced ammonia emission (r = −0.47, p < 0.001). Furthermore, temporal fluctuations in ammonia emission were associated with sympathetic–parasympathetic switching. These findings suggest that dermal ammonia emission may be associated with HRV-related physiological responses under real-world working conditions and may have potential as a non-invasive indicator for stress-related physiological monitoring. Full article

How older adults psychologically appraise their health while managing multiple chronic conditions is a behavioral-science question as much as a clinical one. This study estimated the weighted prevalence of favorable mental-health self-appraisal, identified its behavioral, social, and functional correlates, and compared the relative salience of diagnosed-condition burden and functional limitation among U.S. adults aged ≥ 50 years with multimorbidity. This retrospective cross-sectional secondary analysis used the 2023 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) Full Year Consolidated Data File (HC-251). Multimorbidity was defined as at least two diagnosed chronic priority conditions. The primary outcome represents favorable mental-health self-appraisal, derived from MNHLTH53 (excellent/very good/good vs. fair/poor). Covariates were organized using Andersen’s Behavioral Model and health-psychology concepts of adaptation, resources, and lived functional burden. Weighted prevalence estimates and survey-weighted logistic regression models were fitted using PERWT23F, VARSTR, and VARPSU. Robustness checks examined a stricter outcome threshold, proxy adjustment/non-proxy restriction, and a physical-health extension model. The analytic sample included 5523 respondents, representing approximately 77.9 million U.S. adults aged ≥ 50 years with multimorbidity. The weighted prevalence of favorable perceived mental-health self-appraisal was 86.6% (95% CI 85.4–87.7). In the fully adjusted core model (complete-case n = 5330), age 65–74 years (aOR 1.52, 95% CI 1.17–1.98) and age ≥ 75 years (aOR 1.79, 95% CI 1.36–2.36) were associated with higher odds of favorable appraisal. Lower odds were observed for Hispanic respondents, non-Hispanic Asian respondents, lower educational attainment, lower income, non-employment, ≥4 diagnosed conditions, and any functional limitation. The strongest inverse association was limitation status (aOR 0.32, 95% CI 0.27–0.39). Sensitivity analyses were directionally consistent. Favorable mental-health self-appraisal remained common in this medically complex older population, but it was socially and functionally patterned. Functional limitation appeared more behaviorally salient than diagnosis count alone. Because the analysis was cross-sectional and based on household-interview reported measures, these results should be interpreted as associations rather than causal effects. Full article

Rural land art festivals serve as an important practical vehicle for integrating urban and rural culture and tourism. They constitute a crucial component of rural tourism in China and play a key role in the sustainable development of rural areas. However, in practice, these festivals are generally confronted with the dilemma of superficial tourist participation and insufficient sustainability. This study aims to uncover the intrinsic psychological evolution mechanism underlying tourists’ responses to external stimuli and their value co-creation. The S-O-R model and the two-factor theory are integrated to construct an analytical framework: “external stimulus–psychological sequence–behavioral response.” Using “Modern Fields” as the case study and 437 valid data points, an empirical analysis is conducted with PLS-SEM and artificial neural networks (ANNs). The results indicate that tourist participation is directly driven by destination quality. Content stickiness exerts an indirect influence through perceived value. Perceived value facilitates value co-creation only when it is fully mediated by tourist participation. The path from participation to co-creation is significantly strengthened by restorative environmental perception. A multi-group analysis further reveals that inexperienced tourists exhibit a “stimulus-driven” characteristic, whereas experienced tourists follow a “value internalization” path. The ANN analysis further shows that the strongest nonlinear predictive power for co-creation behavior is held by restorative environmental perception. A significant direct nonlinear effect is also exerted by destination quality. The evolutionary nodes and boundary conditions of tourists’ psychological sequence during this process are revealed. The boundary effect of restorative environmental perception as a catalyst for rural art tourism is demonstrated. A theoretical basis and practical insights are thereby provided for the segmented operation and sustainable development of these activities. Full article

Purpose: Drawing on the Psychology of Working Theory and the organizational voice literature, this study examines how platform worker voice relates to key work outcomes through perceptions of decent work and whether these relationships vary across types of digital labor platforms. Specifically, the study tests a mediation model in which decent work perceptions link voice to worker outcomes and a moderated mediation model in which platform type conditions these processes. Design/methodology/approach: Survey data were collected from 856 platform workers in Hungary engaged in delivery, transport, and professional service platforms. Platform worker voice was specified as the independent variable, perceptions of decent work as the mediator, and job satisfaction, psychological well-being, turnover intention, and perceived job precarity as outcomes. Conditional process analyses were conducted to test mediation and moderated mediation effects across platform types. Findings: Platform worker voice was positively associated with perceptions of decent work, which in turn were positively related to job satisfaction and psychological well-being and negatively related to turnover intention and perceived job precarity. Perceptions of decent work mediated the relationships between voice and all outcomes. Platform type did not moderate the association between voice and decent work, but it did moderate several associations between decent work and worker outcomes, with generally stronger effects observed among delivery workers compared to transport and professional service workers. Conditional indirect effects varied across platform types, indicating partial support for moderated mediation. Originality/value: This study advances research on decent work in the gig economy by identifying platform worker voice as a key antecedent of decent work perceptions and by showing that the consequences of decent work vary across platform contexts. By integrating mediation and moderation within a single analytical framework, the findings highlight the importance of considering structural heterogeneity when examining psychological processes linking voice to worker outcomes in platform-based employment. Full article

The digital transformation of agriculture is a critical pathway for promoting sustainable rural livelihoods in transition economies. This study examines the determinants of mobile agricultural application adoption among 327 smallholder farmers in Tajikistan, integrating the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with New Institutional Economics (NIE). We develop a formative Institutional Support Index (ISI) comprising cooperative membership, extension access, and regulatory familiarity. Using binary logistic regression and multi-model robustness checks (probit, LPM, IV-probit), we identify three core findings. First, perceived usefulness (PU) is the dominant positive driver (AME = +12.2 pp; p < 0.001). Second, perceived risk (PR) constitutes a significant psychological barrier (AME = −7.6 pp; p < 0.01), while perceived trust (PT) partially offsets this deterrent effect (AME = +6.4 pp; p < 0.01). Third, we document a “land ownership puzzle,” where land ownership exerts a robust negative conditional effect on adoption (AME = −14.2 pp; p < 0.01). This finding suggests a property-rights-based “conservatism bias” unique to transition contexts, where asset-protection motives increase the adoption threshold for landowners compared to tenants. Exploratory analysis indicates a tentative “Sensitization Effect,” in which institutional support may increase risk awareness in the absence of financial risk-sharing mechanisms. These results broaden the applicability of the TAM to post-Soviet transition environments and suggest that digital extension initiatives must incorporate risk-management tools to effectively assist smallholder farmers. Full article

Background: Non-invasive respiratory supports (High-Flow Nasal Oxygen, HFNO; Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, CPAP; Non-Invasive Ventilation, NIV) are frequently used in Acute Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure (AHRF). However, the experience of assisted breathing may profoundly affect patients’ psychological balance, particularly during acute critical illness and subsequent rehabilitation. Aims and objectives: This longitudinal study investigated the psychological burden associated with non-invasive respiratory support use in patients with COVID-19-related AHRF, exploring changes in psychological functioning from acute hospitalization (RICU/ICU) (T0) to follow-up, conducted at a mean of 6.0 ± 3.1 months after respiratory rehabilitation (T1). Methods: Fifty-two patients (mean age = 66.9 ± 9.17 years) were assessed at T0 and T1. Standardized measures evaluated anxiety, psychological distress, post-traumatic stress symptoms, depression, and resilience, in relation to perceived illness severity and subjective experience of non-invasive respiratory support. Results: During acute care, patients reported high levels of fear and anxiety related to illness severity and uncertainty. The experience of non-invasive respiratory support, often perceived as a marker of critical condition, was associated with increased fear and anxiety (t(14) = 2.79, p = 0.014) compared to the recovery phase, leading to feelings of loss of control and diminished psychological well-being (t(17) = 2.35, p = 0.031). However, resilience significantly improved over time (t(16) = −4.78, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Non-invasive respiratory support may represent a psychologically demanding experience, often perceived as challenging to patients’ sense of safety and control. Encouragingly, psychological adaptation and resilience can improve during rehabilitation. Integrating structured psychological support within respiratory rehabilitation pathways may promote recovery and restore psychological balance in patients requiring assisted ventilation. Full article

Large-scale cultural complexes serve significant numbers of child users, yet existing spatial assessment approaches are predominantly developed from adult perspectives and rarely consider child-height environmental exposure conditions at children’s own eye level. To address this gap, this study introdus a novel dual-height proxy assessment framework that integrates semantic segmentation with explainable machine learning, enabling scalable proxy-based spatial diagnosis without requiring direct child participation. This study proposes a proxy-based assessment framework combining dual-height street-view imagery (adult: 1.6 m; child: 1.2 m), semantic segmentation (DeepLabV3+ and PSPNet), GIS analysis, literature-informed proxy perceptual indices, and explainable machine learning (XGBoost with SHAP) applied across 480 sampling locations at the Longgang Cultural Centre, Shenzhen. The results reveal substantial differences in environmental exposure characteristics between adult-height and child-height viewpoints, with child-height imagery exhibiting 34% lower signage visibility and 30% higher spatial enclosure. Exploratory associations between environmental features and proxy perceptual indices yielded R²values ranging from 0.14 to 0.39, with walking distance, openness, and visual complexity emerging as the most influential variables within the proxy models. SHAP analysis identified non-linear relationships between environmental characteristics and proxy perception-related outcomes, and spatial mismatch mapping identified 120 locations warranting design attention. The study proposes a scalable and data-driven spatial proxy assessment framework to support child-friendly environmental screening and spatial diagnosis. The proposed proxy indices are grounded in developmental psychology literature and are not intended to substitute for children’s direct perceptual responses; rather, they are intended to characterise comparative child-height environmental exposure patterns within large-scale cultural environments. Validation using child-reported perception data, behavioural observation, participatory methods, and experimental wayfinding studies remains an important direction for future research. Full article

Given the increasing relevance of sustainability certification in food supply chains and, at the same time, rising confusion among consumers about the multitude of labels on food products, concerns about the value of sustainability certification occur frequently. This paper aims to investigate consumers’ evaluation and purchase intentions, and willingness-to-pay (WtP) for blockchain-enabled sustainability certification in coffee. Utilizing a questionnaire guided by an extended model of Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior (TPB), an online survey was conducted with n = 400 German consumers. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and cluster analysis. The results revealed perceived behavioral control (PBC) and subjective norms (SN) as the most influential factors on WtP, whereas intention to buy is shaped by PBC and environmental concerns. Notably, trust in blockchain technology did not emerge as a significant direct predictor, suggesting it operates as a background condition rather than a behavioral driver. Three distinct clusters were identified with concise preference, intention, and WtP profiles, highlighting heterogeneous consumer motivations. The study contributes to the literature in three ways: it provides the first consumer-behavioral evidence from the German market; it demonstrates that blockchain-specific trust constructs do not constitute independent behavioral drivers, suggesting that adoption follows generic TPB mechanisms; and it empirically differentiates intention and WtP as distinct psychological outcomes driven by different construct sets. Full article

Introduction: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is frequently associated with a range of neurological, cognitive and psychological issues, presenting significant challenges to patients’ Quality of Life (QoL). Among non-invasive neuromodulation techniques, transcutaneous spinal Direct Current Stimulation (tsDCS) is emerging as a potential approach for symptom management in neurological conditions. However, the effects of tsDCS on MS remain poorly explored. Thus, this preliminary study aimed to evaluate the effects of tsDCS on MS symptomatology, focusing on cognitive and psychological variables. Methods: Six patients with MS were recruited for a randomized, sham-controlled, double-blind crossover study, and received anodal tsDCS or sham stimulation in two separate sessions at least one month apart. Assessment outcomes included cognitive and attentional-executive functions, depressive symptoms, and several QoL components. The tests were administered at baseline (T0), immediately after treatment (T1), one week (T2) and one month (T3) post-treatment. Results: Although protocol-by-time interactions did not reach statistical significance across all measures, protocol-independent improvements over time were observed in various QoL subscales, including Physical Functioning, Role Limitations due to Physical Health, Vitality, Health Distress, and Overall QoL. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that tsDCS is a feasible and well-tolerated intervention in patients with MS, with possible implications for QoL. Given the small sample size and the exploratory nature of this study, further research is needed to clarify whether tsDCS may represent a potentially beneficial non-invasive neuromodulation approach for improving well-being in patients with MS across both physical and mental dimensions. Full article