Studia Psychologica

The Effect of Future Time Perspective on Emotions and Personal Goals

Gabriela-Maria Man — 2024-03-20

Drawing on socioemotional selectivity theory, which explains how the future time perspective changes throughout one's lifetime, we investigated the effect of manipulating time perspective on positive and negative affect and personal goal selection. An experiment was conducted using an imaginary task that hypothetically and explicitly altered participants' time perspective. 60 younger adults and 60 older adults (N = 120) were assigned to one of the following experimental conditions: open future time (30 younger adults and 30 older adults) and limited future time (30 younger adults and 30 older adults). Results revealed that positive affect is not modified by alterations in the future time perspective, whereas negative affect changes. Goal patterns also change, in line with socioemotional selectivity theory. Although younger and older adults in ordinary life circumstances perceive time left to live differently, some emotion and goal patterns emerge when they face explicit hypothetical alterations of time.

Unlocking the Power of Parenting: Unraveling How Family Atmosphere and Parenting Styles Impact the Pivotal Role in Bullying Behavior

Mária Dědová — 2024-03-20

Bullying at school negatively affects the class environment as well as all young people who participate in the bullying. One of the most important factors related to bullying is family. In the current study, the effect of family atmosphere and parenting style on different roles in bullying (bullies, victims, defenders) was examined in 155 adolescents (aged 13-15). The participants completed three self-reported scales measuring bullying, parenting style, and family atmosphere. For data analysis, Bayesian logistic regression was used. It was found that the family of bullies had less cohesion and control, more conflicts and fathers who demonstrated desultory parenting. Victims had higher family control, less family cohesion, fewer fathers with positive parenting and slightly higher positive parenting of mothers. Defenders had families with higher expressivity and organization, fewer conflicts, more fathers with positive parenting, fewer fathers with directive parenting and fewer mothers with autonomous parenting. Defenders were also predicted by the hostile parenting of fathers. Knowledge about the factors related to family atmosphere and parenting styles can be very useful in preparing bullying prevention and intervention programs.

Correlation of Cognitive and Linguistic Factors with Spoken Language Comprehension in Early Elementary Students

Haris Memisevic — 2024-03-20

Spoken language comprehension is essential for effective communication, as it allows individuals to participate in conversations, follow instructions, and engage in various social interactions. Children begin school with varying degrees of proficiency in spoken language comprehension. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between language comprehension and rapid automatized naming, phonological awareness, Raven’s Colored Progressive Matrices Test, vocabulary, and working memory. In addition, we examined what are the best predictors of spoken language comprehension. To achieve these aims we employed a cross-sectional correlational research design. The participants in the present study consisted of 77 first and second-grade students (40 boys and 37 girls) who were assessed on several linguistic and cognitive variables. The results of this study revealed that the best predictors of spoken language comprehension were non-verbal intellectual functioning and vocabulary. Interestingly, phonological processing
skills, rapid automatized naming, and working memory were not statistically significant predictors of language comprehension. However, working memory had an indirect effect on language comprehension mediated by non-verbal intellectual functioning. This research suggests that the most effective strategy to improve language comprehension skills should focus on vocabulary enhancement.

Unlocking the Power of Self-Compassion and Psychological Flexibility: Enhancing Emotional Health, Subjective Wellbeing, and Quality of Life in College Students

Gökmen Arslan — 2024-03-20

This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the predictive effects of psychological flexibility and self-compassion on the quality of life, emotional distress, and subjective well-being of college students, while controlling for demographic and other relevant psychological variables. The study sample comprised 502 young adults, 69% of whom were female and 31% male, aged between 19 and 37 years (M = 21.24, SD = 2.40). Regression analyses showed that self-compassion and psychological flexibility accounted for a significant amount of unique variance in each of the outcomes, even when controlling for all other variables in the model. Additionally, when psychological flexibility and other independent variables were included in the final stage of the regression model, self-compassion remained a significant predictor of quality of life, emotional distress, and subjective well-being. These findings highlight the importance of cultivating self-compassion as a unique and independent factor contributing to these outcomes, even after accounting for psychological flexibility and other relevant factors. Overall, the results underscore the potential benefits of promoting psychological flexibility and self-compassion to enhance the quality of life, emotional health, and well-being of college students.

Perceived Stress, COVID-19 Stressors, Loneliness, and Resilience of University Students after the Strictest Lockdown

Bibiana Jozefiakova — 2024-03-20

The study explored the impact of perceived stress, stressors related to COVID-19, loneliness, and resilience on the mental health of university students after the strictest lockdown. A total sample of 2107 university students (age 18-62 years, mean age = 22.73, SD = 3.77; 63.2% of women) was recruited. Brief Resilience Scale, Brief Symptom Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale, and adapted version of the COVIDiStress survey were used. The data were analyzed using hierarchical OLS regression models. The most significant predictors
of mental health indicators were perceived stress, loneliness, and resilience. However, the sum score of COVID-related stressors did not significantly increase explained variance. Specific COVID-related stressors, such as pandemic-induced loneliness, worsened relationships, and worries about infection, had notable effects on depression, anxiety, and Global Severity Index of psychopathology. The study contributes to a better understanding of the actual topic related to the COVID-19 pandemic on university students and outlines practical implications for policy making.

Body Appreciation, Self-Compassion, and Sexual Self-Consciousness in Women: The Example of Turkey and Azerbaijan

M. Engin Deniz — 2024-03-20

Especially women, due to cultural and societal expectations, are less responsive toward erotic stimuli when they are engaged with neutral and distractive thoughts and emotions. Focusing on a task-irrelevant context during sex adversely affects functioning. Therefore, this study aims to explore the pathway from body appreciation to sexual self-consciousness in women in Turkey and Azerbaijan. In addition, the mediating role of self-compassion on this path was also explored in the study. A total of 643 women agreed to participate in the study, which included 343 women from Turkey (Age M = 32.30, SD = 8.67, range 18-58) and 300 women from Azerbaijan (Age M = 30.96, SD = .93, range 18-58). Structural equation modeling was used to test the mediating relationship between the variables. The results demonstrated that body appreciation predicts self-compassion and sexual self-consciousness in both samples and self-compassion predicts sexual self-consciousness. Furthermore, self-compassion has a mediating role in the relationship between body appreciation and sexual self-consciousness. Body satisfaction can increase women’s self-acceptance and self-compassion despite their shortcomings. The higher the self-compassion, the more women can focus on sex without being distracted.