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
Short versions of problematic internet use (PIU) questionnaires may provide a convenient and effective way of assessing internet-related problems in various contexts, ranging from research to clinical practice. The aim of this study was to investigate whether single yes/no question (Q-single) regarding “functional impairment due to PIU” could serve as a screening tool to indicate the potential absence of PIU, given the lack of functional impairment.
Methods
Data from two online studies (N = 524 and N = 272) assessing internet-related behaviors among students were used for the analyses. Participants completed questionnaires (the nine-item Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire [PIUQ-9], the Compulsive Internet Use Scale [CIUS], the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire, depression module [PHQ-9], the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale [GAD-7]), questions about their internet use time, besides answering the Q-Single question. Block-wise multiple linear regression analyses were used to determine the predictive effect of the Q-Single on PIU (as measured with the PIUQ-9 and the CIUS) and its association with depression and anxiety symptom scores (as measured with the PHQ-9 and the GAD-7).
Results
The Q-Single demonstrated a high negative predictive value in screening the absence of PIU, however positive predictive value was low to moderate. Q-Single proved to be a good predictor of PIU (β = 0.484, p < 0.001 [PIUQ-9] and β = 0.481, p < 0.001 [CIUS]) when controlling for age, gender, and internet use time. Adjusting for the same controlling variables, the Q-Single had a moderate association with depression symptoms (β = 0.385, p < 0.001 [PHQ-9]) and anxiety symptoms (β = 0.252, p < 0.001) [GAD-7]) supporting the validity of the single-question instrument.
Conclusions
The finding that a single question could predict absence of PIU in students, implies that functional impairment is an important indicator of PIU.
Abstract
Background and Objectives
As problematic internet use (PIU) becomes increasingly prevalent among university students, effective preventive measures remain scarce. This study aimed to investigate how the allocation of daily activity time influences PIU and PIU risk (PIU/PIUR) and to identify specific activities that serve as risk and protective factors along with their effect strength.
Methods
Data from 2,433 university students in 33 Chinese provinces were analyzed using compositional analysis, isotemporal substitution, and instrumental variable methods to determine causal relationships between activity allocation and PIU/PIUR and to calculate the specific effects of substituting one activity for another.
Results
After compositional adjustment, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and classroom learning statistically significantly reduced PIU/PIUR (ps < 0.001, except PIUR for classroom learning: p = 0.002), whereas short videos and gaming increased PIU/PIUR (ps < 0.001). Sleep (PIU: p = 0.023, PIUR: p = 0.009) and autonomous learning (PIU: p = 0.013, PIUR: p = 0.003) were negatively correlated with PIU/PIUR but had no significant causal effect. Light physical activity was not statistically significantly correlated with PIU/PIUR (PIU: p = 0.141, PIUR: p = 0.585). Substituting 30 min of short video time with MVPA reduced PIUR by 22.9%. Conversely, replacing MVPA with short video watching increased PIUR by 68.3%.
Discussion and Conclusions
Findings demonstrate the significant impact of 24-hour activity allocation on PIU/PIUR and suggest that time allocation strategies, particularly increasing MVPA while reducing short videos time, effectively reduce PIUR. These insights identify potential prevention for managing PIU via reallocation of daily activities.
Az algoritmikus gondolkodás teszt és az algoritmikus gondolkodás skálák magyar nyelvű adaptációja
Hungarian adaptation of the Computational Thinking Test and Computational Thinking Scales
Háttér és célkitűzések: Az algoritmikus gondolkodás (Computational Thinking; CT) a hatékony ember-számítógép interakciók alapját képező problémamegoldó készségek csoportját jelenti, amely egyre növekvő jelentőséggel bír az oktatásban és a mindennapi életben. A CT megbízható mérése különösen fontos az oktatásfejlesztés szempontjából. Tanulmányunk a CT fogalmának rövid áttekintését követően bemutatja a CT két standardizált mérőeszközének magyar nyelvű adaptációját. Módszer: A CT teljesítmény mérésére magyar nyelvre fordítottuk a 28 tételes algoritmikus gondolkodás tesztet (Computational Thinking test; CTt), valamint annak 5, felnőttek számára nehezített tételét. A CT önbevallásos mérésére elkészítettük az algoritmikus gondolkodás skálák (Computational Thinking Scales; CTS) magyar fordítását. A fordítási folyamatot követően az eszközöket 203 magyar egyetemi hallgató adatán, klasszikus tesztelméleti alapon, megerősítő faktorelemzéssel teszteltük. Eredmények: A magyar CTt egydimenziós, megfelelő diszkriminációs erővel bíró, megbízható mérési eszköznek bizonyult. Az ötdimenziós, 29 tételt tartalmazó CTS-t a szakirodalom és a faktorelemzés alapján 15 tételesre redukáltuk. A magyar CTS faktorstruktúrája megerősítést nyert, a teljes skála megbízhatónak bizonyult, ugyanakkor az alskálák külön használata megbízhatósági és diszkriminációs érvényességi elemzések alapján csak korlátozott mértékben javasolt. Következtetések: A standardizált CT-mérés kulcsfontosságú mind az oktatás, mind a CT és annak pszichológiai korrelátumai közötti összetett összefüggések feltérképezése szempontjából. A CTt és CTS magyar változatai alkalmazhatók felnőttek vizsgálatára a felnőttoktatásban, továbbképzésben és munkahelyi kiválasztásban. A CT vizsgálatát célzó kutatási programunk következő lépése a CT mérőeszközök alkalmazása és értékelése magyar középiskolás diákok körében.
Abstract
Background and aims
A mental health professional's background regarding psychedelics, including their attitudes, is important to the therapeutic effects of these drugs; however, no study has examined this in Asian populations. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of psychiatric professionals in Korea regarding the use of psychedelics in clinical practice.
Methods
An anonymous survey consisting of 15 questions was distributed to 200 participants at three academic psychiatric conferences in Korea. The survey assessed participants' knowledge of the history, mechanisms, and therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs, as well as their attitudes towards their legalization and usage for psychiatric treatment.
Results
The survey had a 96.5% response rate (193/200), with 44% (85/193) of respondents being psychiatry residents. Disparities in prior knowledge of psychedelics, especially in their mechanisms of action, were found between residents and psychiatrists. Despite this, for all participants, there was a notable interest in the potential therapeutic applications of psychedelics, particularly for conditions that are difficult to treat, such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Additionally, positive attitudes toward psychedelics were lower among women, with most respondents expressing a cautious optimism about the future integration of psychedelics into psychiatric practice, contingent upon further research and regulatory approval.
Conclusions
The study underscores the need for enhanced education and training on psychedelic drugs within the Korean psychiatric community. Increasing awareness and understanding of these substances could help align Korean psychiatric practices with global trends in fields of psychedelics and potentially improve treatment outcomes for patients with severe and refractory psychiatric conditions.
A Megküzdési Rugalmasság Skála magyar nyelvű adaptációja
The Hungarian adaptation of the Coping Flexibility Scale
Háttér és célkitűzések: A megküzdés konstruktumát a klasszikus kutatások során két fő csoportra, a maladaptív érzelem- és az adaptív problémaközpontú megküzdési módokra osztották fel. Egyre elterjedtebb azonban az az elképzelés, hogy ez a szigorú kategorizálás kevésbé célravezető, hiszen egy személy repertoárjában jelen lehetnek mindkét csoportba tartozó megküzdési módok. A megküzdés sikeressége nem a probléma- vagy érzelemközpontú megküzdési módok használatától függ, hanem attól, hogy a választott megküzdési mód az adott szituációnak mennyire felel meg. A megküzdési módok közötti adaptív váltás képességét nevezzük megküzdési rugalmasságnak, mely bejósolhatja a megküzdés sikerességét. A konstruktum operacionalizálására hozta létre Kato 2012-ben a Megküzdési Rugalmasság Skálát (Coping Flexibility Scale, CFS), melynek magyar mintára történő adaptálása és pszichometriai mutatóinak tesztelése teszi ki jelen kutatás célját. Módszer: A kutatás mintáját 606 fő 18–83 év közötti személy képezte (68,9% nő), akiket zömmel a közösségi médián keresztül online, nem valószínűségi mintavétellel értünk el. A Megküzdési Rugalmasság Skála érvényességének vizsgálatához felvételre került az Élettel Való Elégedettség Skála, a Connor–Davidson Reziliencia Kérdőív és az Énreflexió és Belátás Kérdőív. Eredmények: A Megküzdési Rugalmasság Skála eredeti faktorstruktúrája az elvégzett megerősítő faktorelemzés során jelen mintán jól illeszkedőnek bizonyult, valamint a megküzdési rugalmasság pozitív, szignifikáns összefüggést mutatott a rezilienciával és az élettel való elégedettséggel, míg a meta-megküzdés a belátással. Következtetések: A Megküzdési Rugalmasság Skála magyarra adaptált verziója érvényesnek és megbízhatónak mutatkozott. A kutatás a mintavétel sajátosságaiból adódóan bár próbatesztnek minősül, eredményei iránymutatásul szolgálhatnak a megküzdés árnyaltabb értelmezéséhez hazai mintán.
Abstract
Background and aims
Altered states of consciousness (ASC) represent acute and marked deviations from normal waking consciousness. Investigations into ASC are significant to problems in medicine, science, and philosophy, including the structure of conscious experience. Here, we conducted a preliminary investigation into the structure of ASC while addressing the role of psychedelics, which purportedly manifest features of mind.
Methods
We performed quantitative and qualitative analyses of 300 narrative reports across 12 ASC induction methods: meditation, float tank, psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), 5-methoxy-N,N-DMT (5-MeO-DMT), ketamine, salvia, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), cannabis, datura, and diphenhydramine (DPH). We hypothesized that reports from the psychedelics (serotonin 5-HT2A receptor agonists) would contain similar content with non-pharmacological induction methods, alongside greater positive sentiment and reported authenticity relative to reports from other substances.
Results
In quantitative analysis, most psychedelics, except LSD, as well as salvia and ketamine, shared similar content with non-pharmacological methods. In qualitative analysis, most psychedelics, except LSD, were deemed both positive and authentic, with authenticity predicting positive sentiment across the 12 ASC induction methods (R = 0.68; p = 0.015). We uncovered latent themes charting a trajectory of ASC from baseline to metaphysical experience, incorporating text-to-image generative artificial intelligence to illustrate underlying phenomenological structure.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that reproducible structural observations may be externally validated across methods to support a “mind-manifesting” characterization for some ASC induction methods, such as salvia, ketamine, or 5-MeO-DMT, but not for others, such as LSD, datura, or DPH, together informing future studies of psychedelics, ASC, and structuralism.
Abstract
Psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in certain fungi has long been used by Indigenous cultures within ritual and ceremony for healing and spiritual purposes (Spiers et al., 2024). While emerging evidence points to psychedelic agents being novel avenues for the treatment of substance use disorders, the predominantly Western medical models of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) being developed lack Indigenous wisdom and input, raising concerns about cultural safety, efficacy, ownership, and continuing colonial dynamics. In Aotearoa (New Zealand), the enduring impacts of colonisation on Māori include the suppression of Indigenous wisdom, even as research affirming the knowledge and practice of traditional Māori healing is on the rise.
The Tū Wairua project will explore the integration of rongoā Māori (traditional Māori healing practices) with PAT for addressing problematic methamphetamine use (PMU) in Māori communities. This Māori-led project is driven by Kaupapa Māori methodology, rongoā Māori conceptualisations of health and informed by biomedical psychedelic science. Based at Rangiwaho Marae in Te Tairāwhiti (Gisborne), a community with a high Māori population and a significant burden of PMU, the project aims to develop a decolonised culturally-appropriate approach to PAT to explore the efficacy of psilocybin in treating PMU.
This research represents a shift toward health interventions that respect and extend Indigenous wisdom, addressing the unique needs of Māori communities. It also seeks to develop a skilled Māori workforce to continue these healing practices, and challenge current legislation that restricts the use of Indigenous psychedelic medicines. In creating sustainable pathways for collective healing through a community-driven, culturally-resonant PAT, Tū Wairua charts new directions in Indigenous-led psychedelic science.
Abstract
Background and aims
Online platforms are popular for exchanging information about psychedelics, including consumption advice. The recent resurgence of public interest in psychedelics will likely intensify this. We aim to further the understanding among researchers, policy makers, medical practitioners, harm reduction practitioners, and social workers, of contemporary psychedelic information exchange and its impact on consumption. With a social learning perspective and a focus on online content, we investigate the use of various sources and types of information by people who have used psychedelics therapeutically, non-therapeutically, or not at all.
Methods
We deployed an online survey, obtaining a purposive sample of over 1,200 respondents. Approx. 55% had used psychedelics. We included items on seeking, obtaining, and using information about psychedelics. Data was analyzed using comparative frequency tables, comparing respondents across lifetime use of psychedelics (yes/no) and reason for using (therapeutical/non-therapeutical).
Results
Data showed strong preference for, and use of, online psychedelic information in all groups of respondents. Across groups, considerable differences were observed in patterns of information exchange, including source preferences, sources where information had been obtained, and types of content accessed.
Conclusions
We found evidence of differing online social learning environments where consumption practices are exchanged. Despite an increasing public focus on psychedelic therapy, online content thus also affects other uses of psychedelics. This content is accessed by people who have or have not used psychedelics, and thus affects both present and potential future use. This can be leveraged by public health institutions wishing to gain a voice in the psychedelic resurgence.