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
Non-face-to-face interventions offer promise, with cognitive training showing potential but inconsistent efficacy in problem gambling.
Methods
We conducted a non-face-to-face, parallel, randomized, controlled, single-blinded trial to evaluate training programs in adults with problem gambling (CPGI ≥5). Participants were randomized 1:1 to a web-based cognitive training program targeting inhibition unrelated to addiction cues or a control program on visuo-spatial functioning. Both programs benefited from weekly phone calls to support engagement and transferability to daily life. A mixed community and out-patient sample was recruited at the national-level. The primary outcome was change in CPGI at week 6. Secondary outcomes were change in impulsivity, gambling behavior and quality of life at 6 and 14 weeks.
Results
187 participants were screened, with 185 randomized: 93 to intervention and 92 to control. No significant differences were found between groups for any outcome. Mean PGSI change at 6 weeks was −2.75, 95% CI [−12.95; 7.44] in the experimental arm versus −2.44, 95% CI [−13.52; 8.64] in controls, p = 0.76. 34% of participants were classed as no longer problem gamblers at week 14. Intervention acceptability was moderate, with 21 participants (22.58%) in the experimental group, and 32 (34.78%) controls never accessing the platform (p = 0.07).
Conclusions
Further research is needed to optimize cognitive interventions in problem gambling, to improve engagement and to demonstrate their added value beyond minimal intervention. For a number of problem gamblers, minimal telephone interventions appeared to be sufficient to reduce gambling. Objective account-based gambling data will provide valuable insights into long-term and objective effects.
Abstract
Background and Aims
The widespread popularity of video games reflects their appeal to meet fundamental needs. This study aims to investigate the psychological factors of gaming use, identifying profiles ranging from healthy to gaming disorder.
Methods
In this cross-sectional study, 5,222 participants were surveyed. This international sample included adolescents and adults (16–69 years, M = 25.6 years, SD = 6.44), 48.66% men (n = 2,541; M = 26.4, SD = 7.03), 42.32% women (n = 2,210; M = 25.1, SD = 5.78), and 9.02% non-binary individuals (n = 471; M = 23.3, SD = 5.23), spanning from casual gamers to esports professional players. Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was employed to identify distinct psychological profiles. The profile indicators included emotional regulation and motivations for playing video games. The profile correlates analysed included gaming disorder symptoms, time spent gaming and sociodemographics.
Results
The LPA revealed four profiles labelled as avoidant (20.16%), engaged (38.95%), relational (26.01%), and dysregulated (15.78%). Results suggested that the dysregulated profile had the most emotional regulation difficulties, a low level of general motivation, and less interest in recreational gaming, presenting the highest risk for gaming disorder.
Discussion and Conclusions
This study's findings present the first profiles encompassing key detailed psychological factors affecting gamers' behaviour across all game genres, considering three genders. These profiles can aid researchers and clinicians in developing further research on targeted prevention and intervention programs tailored to each profile's characteristics to promote healthy gaming habits and mitigate the risks and harm associated with gaming disorder.
Abstract
Background and Aims
The study of stigma contributes greatly to our understanding of individuals' experiences of mental disorders. Addictive disorders are often associated with public misconceptions of the disorder, which can contribute to shame, discrimination, and reticence to seek help. This review aimed to: (1) evaluate the nature, frequency, and prevalence of addiction stigma; (2) identify the correlates of addiction stigma; and (3) examine the psychometric qualities of addiction stigma measures.
Methods
A search of Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, and PsycNet, had 5,515 results which were screened for eligibility using Covidence. Eligible papers were quantitative, peer-reviewed studies, which reported an outcome variable of stigma related to an addiction.
Results
A total of 99 studies were included in the review, including 70 studies of substance-based addictions, 19 studies of behavioral addictions, and 10 studies which examined both. Thirteen of the 20 studies examining the impact of familiarity with addiction reported that greater familiarity was associated with lower public stigma. Studies comparing substance and behavioral addictions (n = 5) typically reported greater public stigma towards vignettes depicting substance-based addictions than for behavioral addictions. Between 22% and 40% of individuals with an addictive disorder identified stigma as a significant barrier to seeking help; however, the relative importance of stigma among other barriers was unclear.
Discussion and Conclusions
Evidence for countermeasures to prevent and/or reduce stigma is currently limited. Further research on the nature and prevalence of addiction stigma is needed to inform the development of effective clinical and public health countermeasures.
A digitális jóllét pozitív pszichológiai megközelítésben
Digital well-being in a positive psychological approach
A digitalizálódó világban a jóllét témakörében is új távlatok jelentek meg. A technológiai eszközök mentális egészségre gyakorolt negatív hatásainak vizsgálatán túl egyre gazdagabb irodalom áll rendelkezésre a jóllétet fokozó digitális megoldásokkal kapcsolatban. Tanulmányunkban bemutatjuk az elmúlt években született, a digitális jóllét, és különösen a pozitív pszichológia tudományterületén belül megjelenő, a pozitív technológia területén elérhető eredményeket. A témakörhöz kapcsolódó fontos, új fogalmak meghatározása mellett ismertetünk konkrét, tudományosan vizsgált, technológiai jóllétfejlesztő alkalmazásokat is, a mobilapplikációktól kezdve a mesterséges intelligenciára épülő eszközökig. Áttekintésünk alapján arra következtettünk, hogy a digitális jóllét célzott vizsgálata ma már megkerülhetetlen a jóllétkutatásokban, hiszen az ehhez kapcsolódó eszközök észrevétlenül is egyre inkább az életünk részévé válnak. Ezzel párhuzamosan arra is rámutatunk, hogy a ma elérhető eszközök kis százalékán végeztek tudományos hatásvizsgálatokat, így az ebben való felzárkózás, valamint a szabályozások kidolgozása várhatóan a következő évek fontos feladata lesz.
Abstract
Background
While psychedelic substances are extensively studied through the lens of various academic disciplines, their impact on the therapeutic practice of mental health professionals is yet to be explored. This firsthand experience is deemed crucial for effectively assisting patients in the process of integrating a psychedelic experience.
Aims
The aim of this study was to explore the psychological and spiritual dimensions of psychedelic integration among mental health professionals, focusing on understanding how transformation and insights influence their clinical work.
Methods
Utilizing a phenomenological methodology, interviews with eight mental health professionals with substantial first-person experience with psychedelics were conducted.
Results
Our findings indicate a potential, enduring, positive impact of psychedelic meta-integration on the practice of mental health clinicians. The data analysis yielded a multi-faceted model encompassing key aspects of human life including interpersonal and emotional development, relationship with death and nature, concepts of love, meaning, and spirituality, along with elements pertinent to therapeutic work. This comprehensive model integrates these diverse dimensions, offering a holistic understanding of the impact of psychedelics on both personal and professional realms.
Conclusions
The findings of this study lend support to the notion that health professionals involved in clinical work encompassing psychedelic integration should themselves have undergone induced altered states of consciousness, not only for a better empathetic understanding. This might be also predicated on the intrinsic positive transformative effects on their human capacities and as therapists. This dual benefit underscores the importance of personal experience in the effective facilitation of psychedelic integration in clinical settings.
Abstract
Background and aims
The recent resurgence of psychedelic research has led to increased interest in extra-pharmacological factors shaping drug effects (set and setting). Habitually discussed in the context of psychedelic therapy, the relevance of set and setting to determining the outcome of non-psychedelic psychiatric interventions receives strong theoretical and empirical support in the literature. Unfortunately, there has been little research on the subject. The current study addresses this lacuna and investigates the potential of using non-pharmacological interventions to improve the outcomes of psychiatric care including safety, satisfaction, efficacy, and non-habituation.
Methods
110 participants (patients prescribed with psychiatric medication) took part in workshops focused on 1) Relaxation (Anxiolytics) 2) [n = 70] Focus (Stimulant ADHD Medication) [n = 40]. Workshops included a) an educational section designed to increase participants' understanding of their medical conditions and prescribed medications b) an experiential section that included the guided, mindful ingestion of the prescribed drug in a supportive setting including reinforcing cues and the practice of non-pharmacological techniques for coping with underlying medical conditions.
Results
Survey questionnaires (n = 33) indicated a significant improvement in participants' understanding of their medical conditions and the properties of their prescribed medication. Semi-structured interviews demonstrated a strong interest in the idea of mindful use of medication, benefit from the communal setting of ingestion, as well as recurring themes of greater satisfaction with- and improved ability to derive benefit from the use of prescribed drug.
Conclusions
The results of this pilot study demonstrate the impressive potential of providing patients with extra-pharmacological tools to improve the outcomes of prescription drug use and supports the need for further study.
Körkép és kórkép a hazai vezetők kompetenciáiról
Competences of domestic managers - A panorama and a pathology
Háttér és célkitűzések: A vezetői kompetenciák vizsgálata alulkutatott terület, a rendelkezésre álló szakirodalom sokkal inkább a vezetői személyiségdimenziókra fókuszál, kevéssé a vezetői kompetenciákra. Hasonlóképpen kevés forrás áll rendelkezésünkre a köz- és versenyszféra vezetőivel kapcsolatosan. Jelen vizsgálatban arra vállalkoztunk, hogy összehasonlítsuk a közép- és felső vezetők, valamint a köz- és versenyszféra vezetőinek kompetenciáit. Feltételeztük, hogy a versenyszféra vezetői nagyobb önállósággal jellemezhetőbbek, míg a közszféra vezetőire inkább végrehajtó kompetenciák jellemzőek. Módszer: Vizsgálatunkban 303 felső és középvezető adatait elemeztük 19 szervezetnél (11 a versenyszférában, 8 a közszférában működik). A vezetői kompetenciák mérésére a CAPTain Analízis & Szubjektív Kompetenciatesztet használtuk, amelynek 11 kompetenciadimenziója mentén hasonlítottuk össze a vezetői szint és a szféra közötti különbségeket. Eredmények: Szignifikáns különbséget találtunk a felső és középvezetők között Önállóság, Vezetői stílus, Delegálás, Befolyásolás, Aktuális vezetői képesség, valamint az Önbizalom kompetenciadimenzióiban. A felsorolt dimenziókban a felső vezetők magasabb pontszámot értek el. Szignifikáns különbségeket találtunk a köz- és versenyszféra vezetői közötti is: a versenyszféra vezetői magasabb Önállóság, Delegálás, Befolyásolás, Aktuális vezetői képesség és Önbizalom kompetencia-pontszámokat értek el, mint a közszféra vezetői. Következtetések: Eredményeink alapján elmondható, hogy a felső vezetőkre jellemzőbb, hogy munkájukat általánosabb irányelvek mentén, magabiztosabban végzik, míg a középvezetők nagyobb igényt mutatnak a konkrét instrukciókra. A versenyszféra vezetőire hasonló profil jellemző, ráadásul párhuzam vonható a versenyszféra közép- és a közszféra felső vezetői között.
Abstract
Background and aims
Uncontrollable gaming behavior is a core symptom of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). Attentional bias towards game-related cues may contribute to the difficulty in regulating online gaming behavior. However, the context-specific attentional bias and its cognitive mechanisms in individuals with IGD have not been systematically investigated.
Methods
We compared individuals with IGD to healthy controls (HC) using a rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) task to measure temporal attentional bias. By applying game-related and neutral stimuli as targets, we specifically assessed how attentional resources were allocated to game-related stimuli compared to neutral stimuli.
Results
The IGD group showed enhanced attentional blink effect when a game-related stimulus was the first target and a neutral target was the next, reflecting IGD's difficulty in disengaging from game-related stimuli. Both IGD and HC individuals exhibited decreased accuracy in identifying a neutral first target followed by a game-related second target at shorter lags, indicating increased attentional engagement with game-related stimuli in general.
Discussion
The results provide a cognitive basis for recurrent and uncontrollable gaming behaviors in individuals with IGD. Game cues have priority in the allocation of attentional resources in individuals with IGD. The results shed new light on the development of specific treatments for IGD.
Abstract
Background and aims
Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is a highly engrossing activity with the individual spending up to 10 h per day gaming, this causes issues in accomplishing their tasks and personal goals. Also, to generate in them increased anxiety, impulsivity and lack of social skills, this impacts the good personal development and individual's quality of life. Therefore, it is vital to better understand, in terms of treatment, which factors are associated with therapeutic outcomes (largely to achieve control over the use of video games and the lack of relapses) following a standardized Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) protocol. This study aimed to explore sociodemographic and personality variables and their relation to treatment outcome in patients with IGD.
Method
The sample included n = 105 patients with IGD, considered between January 2005 and December 2022 and recruited from the Behavioral Addictions Unit at the University Hospital of Bellvitge. Data at baseline was registered (sociodemographic and clinical measures), as well as the therapy outcomes (compliance with the guidelines, presence of relapses and dropouts).
Results
Patients were mainly males (n = 95) with a mean age of 24.97 (SD = 12.03). All patients included in this sample had individual CBT treatment in relation to their problematic gaming behavior. In terms of patients who relapsed, they had higher interpersonal sensitivity, hostility and persistence with lower self-directedness. Patients who dropped out were males with an older age of IGD onset. When looking at treatment noncompliance, it was related to higher psychoticism and reward dependence, and lower cooperation. Patients with IGD show higher levels of treatment noncompliance.
Conclusion
These findings evidence a positive and promising effect of CBT on IGT. The factors identified as predictors of good and poor treatment outcomes should be considered for developing new evidence-based interventions focused on learning healthier key coping strategies to manage both cravings and triggers.
Abstract
Background
During the development of addictive behaviors, theoretical models assume a shift from experience of gratification being a driver in early stages to experience of compensation which dominates at later stages of addiction development. Initial studies show a trend in this direction; however, this shift has not yet been investigated in clinical samples. We assume experienced gratification to be highest in individuals with risky use (indicating the beginning of the addiction process), and compensation to be highest in individuals with pathological use.
Methods
Data from 834 participants from a multi-center study (FOR2974) investigating specific Internet-use disorders (IUDs) including gaming, buying-shopping, pornography use, and social-network use disorders were analyzed about Experience of Gratification (EGS) and Experience of Compensation (ECS), symptom severity, use expectancies, and usage motives. A diagnostic interview based on DSM-5 criteria for gaming disorder was used to classify individuals into either non-problematic, risky, or pathological use group.
Results
The groups (non-problematic, risky, pathological) differed significantly regarding EGS and ECS. Individuals with pathological use reported highest experiences of compensation but equally high experienced gratification as individuals with risky use. Effects vary with respect to the specific behavior. All measures correlated significantly. Symptom severity was most strongly associated with facets of compensation.
Conclusion
The experience of gratification and compensation appear to be crucial for addiction-like Internet use. Experienced gratification is already high in individuals experiencing first negative consequences and appear to be stable in individuals with pathological use indicating the relevance of both positive and negative reinforcement during the addiction processes.
