Browse Our Latest Psychology and Behavioral Science Journals
Psychological journals are peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journals that publish original work in some areas of psychology. The most common publications include cognitive, health and clinical psychology, applied, developmental, biological, social, experimental, and educational psychology, and psychoanalysis.
Behavioral Sciences
Abstract
Background and aims
Psychedelic and MDMA-assisted psychotherapy are at the forefront of new treatment models for mental illnesses such as PTSD and depression, as well as improving well-being. Mindfulness meditation and loving-kindness meditation have also gained research traction, showing promise for enhancing emotional regulation and psychological well-being. This paper explores the therapeutic convergence of these modalities, highlighting their neurobiological, psychological, and phenomenological overlap, and suggesting potential bidirectional synergy as a foundation for psychedelic or MDMA-assisted therapy.
Methods
A narrative and theoretical review of the current literature was conducted, examining the neurobiological, psychological, and phenomenological effects of MDMA, psychedelics, and meditation. Studies focusing on their potential synergy and mechanisms of action were prioritized and used as a backing for a theoretical framework.
Results
Psychedelics may improve psychological flexibility, prosocial behaviors, empathy, and neuroplasticity. Meditation research suggests similar benefits, including enhanced decentering capacity, emotional regulation, and well-being. Both modalities influence overlapping neural circuitry, particularly the amygdala, hippocampus, and default mode network. Integrating meditation with MDMA or psychedelic-assisted therapy may stabilize insights gained during altered states of consciousness, promote sustained therapeutic benefits, and minimize distress during therapy.
Conclusions
The convergence of meditation and psychedelics or MDMA-assisted therapy is a novel and promising approach for enhancing mental health treatments. Future research should investigate structured protocols combining these modalities, focusing on optimizing “set and setting” and long-term integration practices.
Abstract
Background and aims
Sexual craving and the alleviation of negative emotions are fundamental driving forces underlying problematic pornography use (PPU). In healthy individuals, these processes can be effectively attenuated through cognitive strategies mediated by the prefrontal cortex. However, PPU is associated with impaired cognitive control functions. This study aimed to investigate whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) targeting the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) could enhance the regulation of craving and negative emotions in individuals at risk for PPU.
Methods
A randomized, within-subject, placebo-controlled design was used, in which 45 male individuals at risk for PPU (mean age = 20.18 years, SD = 1.03) received both active (2.5 mA for 20 min) and sham tDCS to the right DLPFC, with sessions separated by one week. During tDCS, participants at risk for PPU performed the regulation of craving (ROC) task, comparing cue-induced craving with instructed regulation, and the emotion regulation (ER) task, contrasting negative affect with instructed regulation. Subjective ratings of craving and negative emotions were collected for each trial.
Results
Our results demonstrated that individuals at risk for PPU effectively regulated their craving and negative affect when guided to use cognitive strategies. Furthermore, anodal tDCS of the right dlPFC during the craving regulation condition significantly reduced craving ratings compared to sham stimulation. However, no facilitative effect of right dlPFC anodal tDCS on ER was observed.
Discussion and conclusions
These findings highlight the potential of tDCS as a novel therapeutic intervention for individuals with PPU, offering the first experimental evidence to support its effectiveness in reducing craving.
Abstract
Background and aims
Scientific evidence for underpinning mechanisms of Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder (CSBD) is still scarce. This study explores impaired sexual delay discounting in compulsive sexual behavior (CSB) and its relationship with sexual sensation seeking (SSS) and borderline personality disorder (BPD) features in a general population sample.
Methods
Data were collected via an online survey in a German convenience sample. Participants (n = 311; 71.3% women, 27.3% men, 1.6% gender-diverse individuals) completed the Sexual Delay Discounting Task (SDT), Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder Scale-19 (CSBD-19), Sexual Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS scale), and Borderline Symptom List-23 (BSL-23).
Results
Higher CSB and SSS were linked to greater sexual delay discounting and a lower preference for condom or dental dam use, particularly in women. BPD features were associated with higher levels of CSB and SSS but did not moderate the relationship between these behaviors and sexual delay discounting. Men exhibited significantly more symptoms of CSB and SSS than women.
Discussion and Conclusions
The findings contribute to our understanding of CSB, especially in women, and suggest a relationship between sexual delay discounting, SSS and CSB. This finding suggests a need for gender-sensitive approaches and awareness of excitement seeking behavior in research and clinical interventions for CSB.
Abstract
Background and aims
Problematic social media use (PSMU), a potential behavioral addiction, has become a worldwide mental health concern. An imbalanced interaction between Pavlovian and instrumental learning systems has been proposed to be central to addiction. However, it remains unclear whether individuals with PSMU also over-rely on the Pavlovian system when flexible instrumental learning is required.
Methods
To address this question, we used an orthogonalized go/no-go task that distinguished two axes of behavioral control during associative learning: valence (reward or punishment) and action (approach or avoidance). We compared the learning performance of 33 individuals with PSMU and 32 regular social media users in this task. Moreover, latent cognitive factors involved in this task, such as learning rate and reward sensitivity, were estimated using a computational modeling approach.
Results
The PSMU group showed worse learning performance when Pavlovian and instrumental systems were incongruent in the reward, but not the punishment, domain. Computational modeling results showed a higher learning rate and lower reward sensitivity in the PSMU group than in the control group.
Conclusions
This study elucidated the computational mechanisms underlying suboptimal instrumental learning in individuals with PSMU. These findings not only highlight the potential of computational modeling to advance our understanding of PSMU, but also shed new light on the development of effective interventions for this disorder.
Abstract
Background and Aims
The evidence concerning the relationships between loneliness, gambling to escape, and problem gambling is mixed. This study aimed to investigate how loneliness relates to gambling to escape and gambling problems using a longitudinal approach.
Method
This population-based, longitudinal study included five time points, with data having been collected between April 2021 (T1) and April-May 2023 (T5). Participants were 18–75-year-old Finnish residents. Only those who had taken part in the study at each time point (T1–T5) and had gambled at least once a month at some point in the follow-up period were included in the study (n = 612; 54.58% male; Mage = 51.85 years). Loneliness was measured with the UCLA 3-Item Loneliness Scale, and gambling to escape was measured with three questions concerning negative escapism taken from the Motivations to Play Inventory. Problem gambling was measured using the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). Random intercept cross-lagged panel modeling was used to analyze the relationships.
Results
Gambling problems predicted future loneliness on a within-person level, but loneliness did not predict future gambling problems. Also, gambling to escape predicted future gambling problems on a within-person level. On a between-person level, loneliness, gambling to escape and gambling problems were positively correlated.
Discussion and Conclusion
Gambling problems may predispose individuals to future loneliness. However, the relatively small effects observed indicate that individual differences play a significant role in this regard.
Abstract
Background
Existing research on facial emotion processing in Internet gaming disorder (IGD) has focused on single facial expression but little is known about crowd facial emotion (present multiple facial expressions simultaneously) ensemble coding. Thus, this event-related potential (ERP) study aimed to investigate temporal dynamics of crowd facial emotion ensemble coding under interference in IGD.
Methods
17 IGD and 17 control group (CG) participants completed a task of extracting mean emotion from crowd facial expressions under emotional interference while electroencephalographic activity was recorded.
Results
The N170 amplitudes elicited by crowd facial expressions in IGD were significantly smaller than in CG. Angry crowd faces evoked larger N170 amplitudes than happy crowd faces in IGD. Happy crowd faces elicited more negative early posterior negativity (EPN) amplitudes than angry crowd faces in CG, while no difference was found in IGD. In the later ensemble coding stage, we found a significant three-way interaction between the group, emotional valence and interference in the frontal negative slow wave component.
Conclusions
IGD participants exhibited weaker ensemble coding ability of crowd facial expressions. They showed an automatic processing bias towards angry crowd faces in the early stage, as well as insensitivity to happy crowd faces in the subsequent selective processing stage during mean emotion extraction. In the later stage, IGD participants failed to actively adopt appropriate cognitive strategies to inhibit interference. This study first provided electrophysiological evidence for the characteristics of crowd facial emotion ensemble coding in IGD and contributed to clarifying how IGD affects social cognition.
Az Episztemikus Bizalom, Bizalmatlanság és Hiszékenység Kérdőív (ETMCQ) magyar változata serdülő mintán
Hungarian validation of the Epistemic Trust, Mistrust and Credulity Questionnaire (ETMCQ) among adolescents
Háttér: A világban és a társadalomban való eligazodáshoz szükséges tudás megszerzésében alapvető szerepet játszik a gondviselő felé irányuló episztemikus bizalom kialakulása. A serdülőkor kiemelten fontos időszak ebből a szempontból. Célunk az episztemikus bizalom mérésére szolgáló kérdőív magyar nyelvű adaptációja volt. Módszer: A vizsgálatban kényelmi mintavétellel összesen 831 fő vett részt, kis serdülők (N = 342, Méletkor = 12,5, SD = 1,24) és serdülők (N = 489, Méletkor = 16,7, SD = 1,21), ebből 41% fiú és 59% lány. A résztvevők kitöltötték az Episztemikus Bizalom, Bizalmatlanság és Hiszékenység Kérdőív magyar változatát, a Mentalizáció Multidimenzionális Kérdőívét, a Torontói Alexitímia Skálát, a Rosenberg Önértékelés Skálát és az Általános Énhatékonyság Skálát. Ellenőriztük a kérdőív szerkezetét és megbízhatóságát, a nemi különbségeket és a pszichológiai változóval való kapcsolatát. Eredmények: Vizsgálatunk csak a 15–18 éves serdülők korosztályában erősítette meg az eredeti háromfaktoros szerkezetet, amelyet a bizalom, a bizalmatlanság és a hiszékenység skálák alkotnak, a teljes kérdőív 15 tételt tartalmaz. Az episztemikus bizalom pozitív összefüggést jelez a reflektivitással és a kapcsolati összehangoltsággal. A bizalmatlanság pozitív kapcsolata igazolódott a reflektivitással, a szegényes mentalizációval, az érzelmek azonosításának és kifejezésének nehézségével, negatív kapcsolata pedig az önértékeléssel. Az episztemikus hiszékenység az érzelmi diszkontrollal és az érzelmek azonosításának nehézségével mutat pozitív együttjárást. Az énhatékonyság elhanyagolható mértékű összefüggést mutatott a vizsgált változókkal. Következtetések: Az eredmények alapján a kérdőív alkalmas az episztemikus bizalom vizsgálatára serdülők körében.
Abstract
Psychedelic treatments like MDMA can sometimes have side effects which persist despite management with Western medical approaches. In what follows, we present a case study of an individual who suffered from insomnia, anxiety, tinnitus, and more for months following MDMA therapy. Ultimately, her symptoms responded to management within the Traditional Chinese Medicine framework. We present this case in detail, and argue that psychedelic management, especially in the integration phase, can benefit from the incorporation of techniques which engage with energies that Western medicine do not address.
Abstract
Aim
Exercise addiction is a compulsive need to engage in physical activity despite potential negative consequences. This study aims to analyze adolescents' psychosocial health in relation to the risk of exercise addiction, focusing on competition levels, sport types, gender, and age.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted with 7,596 participants (44.2% girls) aged 11–19. Data on physical activity (PAQ-C and PAQ-A), sleep quality (PSQI), anxiety (SAS), depression symptoms (BDI-II), eating disorders (EDI-3), and health-related quality of life (KIDSCREEN-52) were collected via validated questionnaires. The prevalence of exercise addiction risk (EAI) was assessed, and differences based on competition level, sport type, gender, and age were analyzed. Gamma GLMs factors-adjusted were used for statistical comparisons.
Results
6.4% of adolescents in non-competitive sports and 15.6% in competitive sports showed a risk of exercise addiction. The risk was higher in boys, but the difference diminished at higher competition levels. The risk of addiction increased notably in late adolescence. Competitive athletes, especially at high levels, were at greater risk compared to noncompetitive athletes. Those in individual sports were at higher risk than those in team sports. Adolescents at risk of exercise addiction reported poorer mental health, including sleep quality (β = 1.62, p < 0.001), anxiety (β = 3.58, p < 0.001), depression (β = 2.283, p < 0.001), and eating disorders (β = 3.101, p < 0.001).
Conclusions
Exercise addiction is a significant concern among adolescents, especially in competitive and individual sports. It is associated with poorer mental health outcomes, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to reduce the risk of addiction and promote holistic health in adolescent athletes.
A Sternberg-féle Szerelem Kérdőív rövid változata (STLS-15)
Hungarian version of Short Triangular Love Scale (TLS-15)
Elméleti háttér: A szerelem világszerte ismert jelenség, amely hatással van az emberi élet számos aspektusára, különösen a romantikus partner kiválasztására, a vele való kapcsolat kialakítására és fenntartására. A szerelmi élmény tesztelésére szolgáló egyik legnépszerűbb eszköz Sternberg 45 tételes kérdőíve (STLS-45), amely három szerelmi komponenst mér: intimitást, szenvedélyt és elköteleződést. A tudományos konszenzus elérése, az eredmények megbízhatóságának, összehasonlíthatóságának és általánosíthatóságának javítása érdekében Kowal és munkatársai (2022) létrehozták a kérdőív rövid változatát (STLS-15). A kutatás célja: A kutatás célja az STLS-15 magyar változatának elkészítése, pszichometriai ellenőrzése és validálása volt. Módszer: Három online mintát használtunk. Az elsőn (1305 fő, 739 nő, 566 férfi) ellenőriztük a hármas faktorszerkezetet. A másodikon (465 fő, 319 nő, 146 férfi), amely az előző minta egy része volt, a Kapcsolati Elégedettség Kérdőív (RAS-H), a Páros Megküzdés Kérdőív (DCI-H) és a Szexuális Motiváció Kérdőív (YSEX?-HSF) alkalmazásával validáltuk az STLS-15-öt. E két minta az STLS-45 korábbi elemzéséből származik. Az ezekben szereplő 9 pontos válaszskálákat 5 pontossá transzformáltunk. A harmadik mintán (532 fő, 442 nő, 90 férfi) 5 pontos STLS-15-öt használtunk, újra ellenőriztük a faktorszerkezetet. Eredmények: A faktorelemzés megmutatta, hogy az STLS-15 magyar tételei ugyanolyan hármas szerkezetbe illeszkednek, mint a nemzetközi változatban. Az STLS-15 mindhárom skálája pozitív irányú, közepes erősségű korrelációt mutat a DCI-H összesített skáláival, valamint a RAS-H-val, és alacsony vagy értelmezhetetlenül alacsony korrelációt mutat a YSEX?-HSF-val. Következtetések: A Sternberg-féle Szerelem Kérdőív rövid magyar változata (STLS-15) az eredetivel megegyező faktorszerkezetű, magas belső megbízhatósági mutatókkal rendelkező valid eszköz, amely kiválóan alkalmas a magyar nyelvű kutatásokban a szerelem mérésére.
