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Los estudios de Relaciones Internacionales han sido un campo disciplinar predominantemente anglosajón. Sin embargo, Raymond Aron supo hacerse un lugar en él. Para develar esa situación, nos fijamos como objetivo de este trabajo determinar cuáles han sido sus aportes, a partir de la lectura y análisis de su libro Paz y guerra entre las naciones (1962). El primer punto que desarrollaremos es cómo se inserta la obra del autor francés en ese particular momento paradigmático en el que se encontraba la disciplina, el realismo de base morgenthauniana. En segundo lugar, apuntaremos mostrar tanto los aspectos epistemológicos de este trabajo, por la conjunción de la teorí­a, la sociologí­a, la historia y la praxeologí­a, como los conceptuales utilizados para develar las formas en las que las unidades polí­ticas operan sobre el sistema internacional. El hecho de que nuestro autor sea una rara avis en un campo que habla y piensa mayoritariamente en inglés es una de las cuestiones que pretendemos rastrear a partir de saber cómo han sido recibidas y criticadas por los académicos del mainstream. Pero no queremos detenernos allí­, también nos preguntamos sobre cuál ha sido su incidencia en los estudios de relaciones internacionales en Argentina, especialmente en la obra de Juan Carlos Puig. Finalmente esbozaremos, sobre la base de los elementos aportados por su teorí­a y metodologí­a de análisis, cómo podrí­a leerse en el mundo actual y establecer si sus instrumentos teóricos y conceptuales siguen aportado explicaciones al funcionamiento del sistema internacional.

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Several theories suggest that people differ significantly in their environmental sensitivity, defined as the capacity to perceive and process information about the environment. More sensitive people, who make up between 25% and 30% of the population, are not only more negatively affected by adverse experiences but also benefit disproportionately from positive ones, in line with differential susceptibility theory. Heightened emotional reactivity has been identified as one of the key markers of sensitivity. However, the current understanding of the relationship between sensitivity and the experience and processing of emotions remains limited. In the current paper we propose a new conceptual framework for the multiple ways in which environmental sensitivity may impact on different aspects of the experience and processing of emotions. This includes heightened perception of emotions, increased emotional reactivity, as well as the important role of emotion regulation for the well-being of highly sensitive people. In addition, we also consider rearing experiences in shaping sensitivity and emotion regulation. The reviewed empirical studies largely support the conceptual model but more research is needed to explore the dynamics between sensitivity and emotions further. Finally, we discuss several implications for well-being before making a case for the inclusion of individual differences in environmental sensitivity in affective science. This article is part of the theme issue 'Sensing and feeling: an integrative approach to sensory processing and emotional experience'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revue Education et Socialisation is the property of Presses Universitaires de la Mediterranee and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Universum is the property of Instituto de Estudios Humanisticos Juan Ignacio Molina, Universidad de Talca and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

With universities increasingly offering mindfulness-based interventions to enhance students' mental health conditions and alleviate the strain on overwhelmed psychological services, this study aimed to investigate the potential effectiveness of a brief VR-based mindfulness intervention for university students with depression and anxiety symptoms. Employing a quasi-experimental design, the present study assessed whether the intervention could enhance students' mindfulness, olfactory perception, and chemosensory while reducing anxiety and depression symptoms. Forty-nine university students (M = 22.06, 10 males) participated in this quasi-experimental study and were tested at three time points: T1 (pre-intervention), T2 (post-intervention), and T3 (follow-up). The intervention immersed participants in virtual environments featuring natural elements and integrated mindfulness practices. The Eligible participants displayed anxiety symptoms while engaged in the study. We also conducted person-to-person interviews and performed a thematic analysis to understand the participants' insights and feedback regarding the intervention, aiming to inform and improve the design of subsequent interventions. The findings indicated that the intervention showed an immediate and significant impact on reducing anxiety and depression symptoms while improving mindfulness, olfactory perception, chemosensory, and sensory image. Notably, this reduction in depression and anxiety symptoms persisted for one week. Furthermore, the intervention showed the potential to enhance mindfulness and sensory imagery, with these substantial effects also enduring for one week. Qualitative results further supported the findings from the interviews. This study provides preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of brief VR-based mindfulness interventions in alleviating depression and anxiety symptoms among university students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In this double-blind placebo-controlled randomised intervention we investigated the potential benefits of a prebiotic supplement on children's well-being in a home setting. The primary aim was to determine if this supplement could effectively reduce anxiety, improve mood, and enhance cognitive function, similar to findings in young adults. Methods: Fifty-three healthy children, aged 6 to 14, participated in an 8-week trial. The trial consisted of three testing time points; day zero marked the baseline measurement (T1) followed by a 28-day supplement intervention period during which they consumed 5.5 g of the prebiotic galactooligosaccharides (GOS) daily under parental guidance. Endline measures (T2) were conducted on the last day of supplement consumption, with a final follow-up testing session (T3) on day 56. Primary outcomes were trait anxiety using a questionnaire and emotional behavior in a dot-probe task on responses to positive and negative images. Secondary outcomes encompassed depression levels, cognitive function tests, and dietary intake recorded in a 4-day food diary. Additionally, we explored whether parents' emotional behavior had an impact on children's responses. Results: While our statistical analysis did not reveal significant effects of GOS, there were noteworthy trends. Trait anxiety levels decreased over time in both groups, with a more pronounced decrease in the GOS group (after intervention, p =.090; after follow-up, p =.031). The GOS group exhibited reduced negative emotional responses compared to the placebo group (p =.105), and post-trial depression levels decreased in the GOS group over time (p =.015). Although parental emotional responses correlated with various emotional outcomes in children, they did not influence the intervention effects. Conclusions: These findings suggest positive trends in line with our hypotheses, however further investigation with greater statistical power would be beneficial. Trial registration: Retrospectively registered on https://clinicaltrials.gov/ [NCT06258135] on February 6, 2024. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is a biologically determined trait that influences how individuals respond to external and internal stimuli. A high level of SPS is characterized by three factors: increased emotional reactivity, heightened sensitivity to subtle stimuli, and greater susceptibility to overstimulation, all of which may impact well-being and health. This study examined the relationships between SPS, perceived stress, affect, and biochemical responses in adult dental patients (N = 157) on the day of a routine dental visit. Biochemical measures included morning cortisol and serotonin secretion (saliva samples), and cortisol concentration accumulated in recent months (hair sample). Perceived stress and negative and positive affect were assessed while patients waited for a dental procedure. The correlation analysis revealed that higher SPS level was associated with elevated hair cortisol and more negative affect. Cluster analyses tested SPS and its factors independently, revealing that individuals with higher SPS had higher cortisol levels in saliva and hair samples, as well as greater perceived stress and negative affect. Salivary serotonin levels showed varied relationships with different SPS factors, indicating the need to analyze SPS as a multidimensional construct. The results indicate that increased hair and salivary cortisol may be considered as biomarkers of SPS. In the context of patient-centered care, considering SPS levels may contribute to enhanced motivation for regular dental visits and improved treatment adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous eye-tracking research on autistic individuals has mostly examined the gaze behavior of one individual in response to social stimuli presented on a computer screen, suggesting that there is atypical gaze behavior. However, it is unknown how these findings translate to the interactive dynamics of gaze behavior during "face-to-face" encounters between two individuals. Only by analyzing the gaze behaviour of both interaction partners is it possible to determine the frequency of actual eye-contact and who initiates or breaks such periods of mutual eye gaze. The knowledge gained from this analysis could contribute to theorizing about the psychological mechanisms (e.g., gaze avoidance vs. gaze indifference) underlying autism. Methods: The present study applied a novel dual eye-tracking setup that allows the assessment and analysis of the interactive dynamics of gaze behavior regarding (i) mutual eye gaze (i.e., eye contact), (ii) initiations, and (iii) break-ups of eye contact. Participants (37 autistic individuals, 37 age- and IQ-matched neurotypical individuals) performed a semi-standardized social interaction (i.e., Fast Friends Procedure) with a confederate (trained to interact in a standardized manner). Results: Eye contact was reduced in interactions involving autistic individuals. Additional analyses revealed that this reduction was primarily due to the more frequent breaking of eye contact by these individuals. We also found considerable heterogeneity among autistic individuals, with atypical gaze behavior present in only about half of the sample. Limitations: Further research is required to determine whether the interactive dynamics of gaze behavior observed in this dual eye-tracking setup can be generalized to real-world situations. Future studies could also include arousal-related physiological measures. Conclusions: By tracking the gaze behavior of two interacting individuals, this study reveals specific atypicalities in the interactive dynamics of gaze behavior in a subset of autistic individuals, potentially informing diagnostic and therapeutic decisions. More broadly, our study highlights the added value of dual eye-tracking in elucidating the interactive nature of social encounters in both neurodiverse and neurotypical individuals. Trial registration: The study was registered as a clinical trial before starting data collection (https://drks.de/search/en/trial/DRKS00018957; Registration Date: 12/17/2019). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have insufficiently explored the influence of task and interpersonal interdependence on synchronous cooperation behavior. To address this gap, this study utilized fNIRS hyperscanning technique to investigate the behavioral and neural mechanisms within both friend and stranger dyads engaging in various levels of interdependent cooperation tasks. Our findings revealed that high interdependent cooperation task can improve the behavioral performance of both friend and stranger dyads, enhancing the intra-brain functional connectivity (FC) of right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC.R) and right supramarginal gyrus (SMG.R) in stranger dyads, as well as the inter-brain synchrony (IBS) of SMG.R. Additionally, high interdependent interpersonal relationship can strengthen the intra-brain FC of DLPFC.R and SMG.R, as well as the IBS of SMG.R, during low interdependent cooperation task. These insights underscore the critical importance of both task and interpersonal interdependences in shaping cooperative behavior and neural synchrony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A short period of post-encoding waking rest has been shown to benefit subsequent memory performance. For example, past research suggests that waking rest after learning Icelandic-German word pairs boosts subsequent recall relative to an equally long period of social media use. Such findings are typically interpreted as evidence in favor of diversion retroactive interference. According to this account, non-specific cognitive processing inhibits consolidation and thus impairs storage of information encoded previously. However, the effect might alternatively be explained by similarity retroactive interference according to which retrieval is hampered by information processed during retention. Here, we report two experiments that shed light on the mechanisms underlying the waking rest effect. In both experiments, participants either wakefully rested, used social media, or engaged in additional Norwegian-German vocabulary learning after the original learning phase. We performed multinomial processing tree (MPT) analyses to disentangle latent storage and retrieval contributions to cued recall and recognition performance. We did not find any memory differences between the waking rest and social media conditions in either experiment. Moreover, storage, but not retrieval, was reliably impaired in the vocabulary condition. Thereby, the present research provides direct behavioral evidence for a dominant role of consolidation in the waking rest effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ideas of temporal distortion prevail in the discourse of flow research, where references are often made to "time flying". Nonetheless, little research has investigated how flow affects time perception in terms of both directionality and surrounding context, particularly within shared flow. Simultaneously, temporal distortion during music listening has been explored, but little is known about how time is experienced by performers. With this in mind, we aimed to investigate whether time distortion is associated with the experience of shared flow state, and the awareness participants have towards influencing factors on such experiences, in the context of music performance. Four groups of Javanese gamelan ensembles (total N = 36, age in years M = 44.83, SD = 14.993, 47.2% female), played in three conditions. We collected qualitative and quantitative data; focus groups and follow-up surveys explored understandings of shared flow and time, while questionnaires included pre-validated scales and an item requiring participants to estimate how much time they thought had passed. Qualitative and mixed methods findings suggest an optimal middle ground of conditions for "time flying" to occur, akin to flow state. Meanwhile, quantitative results indicate a complex relationship between temporal distortion and shared flow, whereby the relationships are opposed under two shared flow factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Although adolescent online behavior has become a research hotspot in recent years, most studies focus on the risks in online life, lacking research on positive phenomena online and even more so on the exploration of their internal mechanisms. This study explores the relationship between self-other overlap, empathy, moral identity, and adolescent online altruistic behavior, and discusses whether empathy and moral identity play a serial mediating role between self-other overlap and adolescent online altruistic behavior. Patients and Methods: This study conducted a questionnaire survey on 392 adolescents. Descriptive analysis and correlation analysis were performed using SPSS 23.0, and model construction and bias-adjusted bootstrap mediation effect testing were conducted using Mplus 8.3. Results: There were significant positive correlations between self-other overlap, empathy, moral identity and internet altruistic behavior (r=0.168~0.412, all p< 0.01). Self-other overlap can directly predict internet altruistic behavior, and can also indirectly predict internet altruistic behavior through chain mediating effects of empathy and moral identity. Conclusion: This study has discovered the internal mechanism by which self-other overlap affects online altruistic behavior, demonstrating that empathy and moral identity play a chain mediating role in this process. This finding can guide people to view the impact of network development more dialectically, calling for a focus on how to leverage the positive effects of the internet rather than simply blaming its negative impacts. It also provides new theoretical basis for guiding adolescents on how to use the internet healthily, contributing to the construction of a more harmonious online environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) describes a common trait characterized by lower sensory threshold, depth of processing, and ease of overstimulation. Low sensory threshold is also potentially important in the context of pain. To date, the relationship between SPS and pain perception has not been investigated, particularly in adolescents. This randomized experimental study aimed to explore whether SPS was associated with pain threshold and tolerance in healthy adolescents. Further, we examined differences in pain perception following positive, negative, or neutral mood induction. Methods: A total of 100 healthy adolescents aged 16 to 19 years were recruited through schools and online advertisement. Participants completed psychosocial questionnaires and underwent a randomized mood induction (positive, negative, or neutral). Pain levels (in °C) and self-reported pain tolerance and threshold were assessed by an experimental heat pain paradigm. Regression models were applied to determine effects of mood induction on pain perception, while multiple analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were computed to compare sensitivity across groups. Results: The mood induction significantly influenced self-reported pain ratings, demonstrating a positive interaction coefficient for the positive mood condition (b = 1.140, p < 0.01). ANOVAs revealed significant differences between sensitivity groups for baseline scores of pain threshold (F(2,97) = 5.009, p < 0.01) and tolerance (F(2,97) = 7.431, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Our findings reveal that highly sensitive adolescents had the lowest ratings of measured pain tolerance and threshold measures at baseline, suggesting heightened sensitivity to pain. This highlights the importance of considering sensory processing sensitivity in pain research, particularly in adolescent populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A growing body of research suggests that the provision of social support can have benefits not only for the recipients but also for the provider. Although initial evidence for affective, self-evaluative and physiological outcomes has been established, the beneficial effects of support provision do not occur consistently across all support interactions, and some interactions may even have detrimental effects on providers. The aim of our experimental paradigm is to enable researchers to test the conditions under which the provision of social support to dyadic partners affects affective, self-evaluative, physiological, and relationship outcomes for the provider. In line with self-determination theory, it is proposed that the provision of support is only beneficial to the provider if it satisfies the three basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness. The paradigm allows for the manipulation of the provider's levels of competence (feedback on the effectiveness of their support to the other person) and relatedness (feedback on the alleged level of relatedness perceived by the partner person following the provision of support). Methods: A priori power analyses resulted in a planned sample size of 250 participants randomized to four conditions: 1) no support provision, 2) support provision without feedback, 3) support provision with feedback on competence, 4) support provision with feedback on relatedness. Primary outcomes are immediate physiological (saliva cortisol, heart rate, heart rate variability, blood pressure), affective (positive and negative affect, anxiety), self-evaluative (e.g., self-esteem) and relationship outcomes. Generalized linear models will be used to compare the four conditions. Discussion: In a controlled laboratory experiment, this new experimental paradigm manipulates the conditions under which social support is provided. Insights into the conditions under which the provision of social support is detrimental or beneficial to the provider can inform the development of preventive and interventional approaches across a range of life domains, motivational and developmental research across the lifespan (e.g. prevention of care-giver burnout), and applied clinical contexts (e.g. therapeutic interventions). Trial registration: Pre-registration (2023-11-10): https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/8SPZW, retrospective registration with more details (2024-10-23): https://www.drks.de/DRKS00034287 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many instances, emotions do not simply happen to people by chance. Often, people actively seek out an emotion by engaging in practices that have culturally evolved to evoke that emotion. Such practices tend to be perpetuated and spread if people want to experience the emotion, like to recall it and tell others about it, want to give the emotion to others and experience it together, and/or regard the emotion as a sign of something wonderful. We illustrate this with a newly delineated emotion, kama muta. Many social practices around the world are structured to evoke kama muta. In those culturally evolved practices, and outside them, what typically evokes kama muta is a sudden intensification of communal sharing, or a sudden shift of attention to a communal sharing relationship. It seems probable that other social-relational emotions are also evoked by sudden changes in relationships or the sudden salience of a relationship. This change or saliencing may be incorporated in social practices that are perpetuated because they evoke the sought-after emotion. We suggest that such practices, as well as sudden changes in relationships that occur elsewhere, are especially promising places to discover social-relational emotions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Where do positive feelings about a romantic or sexual partner come from? This article offers an overview of—and imposes some structure on—the enormous literature on mate evaluation, from initial attraction to long-term relationship settings. First, we differentiate between research that identifies the factors that predict positive evaluation on average (i.e., normative desirability) and research that attempts to document for whom certain factors are more versus less positive (i.e., heterogeneity in desirability). Second, we review the positive biases that tend to dominate the evaluative process, as well as the promising (and sorely needed) new methods in this research space. Third, we cover contemporary perspectives on the mechanisms that explain how evaluations shift and change over the entire relationship arc. Fourth and finally, we discuss how diversifying the samples and perspectives in mate evaluation research will address novel and generative questions about culture, stigma, and socioeconomic status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People often want to know what their interaction partners are thinking. How accurate are they, what information do they use, what predicts how accurate they will be, and does accuracy matter? We organize our review of thought-feeling accuracy, defined as the accuracy of individuals' judgments about the content of another person's thoughts and feelings in live interaction, around these questions. At the same time, we argue that often people are especially interested in what others are thinking about them, such that research on the accuracy of individuals' metaperceptions regarding others' views of them is highly relevant to understanding thought-feeling accuracy more broadly construed. In particular, we maintain that systematic biases characterizing individuals' spontaneous metaperceptions are an important source of preventable and harmful forms of thought-feeling inaccuracy. We advocate for integration across the thought-feeling accuracy and meta-accuracy literatures so as to generate new insights that can move them both forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hostile, discriminatory, and violent behavior within the creative industries has attracted considerable public interest and existing inequalities have been discussed broadly. However, few empirical studies have examined experiences of hostile behavior in creative higher education and associated mental health outcomes of early career artists. To address this gap, we conducted a survey among individuals studying at higher education institutions for art and music (N = 611). In our analyses of different types of hostile behaviors and their associations with mental health and professional thriving, we focused on differences and similarities between marginalized and more privileged groups across multiple diversity domains. A substantial percentage of participants reported hostile behaviors in their creative academic environments. Individuals from marginalized groups reported more hostile behaviors, which partially explained their worse mental health and lower professional thriving. These findings indicate a clear need for the creative sector to implement strategies to create safer environments, particularly for early career artists from specific socio-demographic backgrounds. We conclude by suggesting strategies for prevention in this highly competitive industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employees from marginalized groups frequently face low performance expectations based on group membership. Although past research shows several different reactions to these types of expectations, such as stereotype threat and stereotype reactance, scholars still know little about when and why low expectations spur individuals to not only try to prove themselves, but to seek to change expectations and opportunities for others like them. Addressing this discrepancy, I introduce trailblazing motivation, which captures the desire to set new precedents that open doors for others. I integrate self-determination theory and regulatory focus theory to identify group-based low expectations, moderated by a sense of belonging with one's broad marginalized group, and core self-evaluations as key antecedents of trailblazing motivation. I hypothesize that trailblazing motivation will lead to not only greater persistence in one's work—as with stereotype reactance—but also potentially riskier behaviors aimed at changing expectations for one's broad group on a larger scale, including advocacy for other marginalized group members and diversity, equity, and inclusion–related issue selling. I test and find support for these hypotheses across a time-lagged survey study and a preregistered experiment. I also establish discriminant validity for trailblazing motivation from other responses to group-based low performance expectations. This research advances our understanding of the behavior of marginalized individuals at work by helping to explain (1) when and why people facing group-based low expectations go beyond seeking to prove their own abilities and also strive to effect change for their marginalized group as a whole and (2) how a closer connection to one's marginalized group can drive people to increase opportunities for that broad group. Funding: This research was funded by a grant from The Leadership Center at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania [Grant 2000-0267] as well as through Post-doctoral Fellowship research funds allocated by The Tuck School, Dartmouth College. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensory habituation allows us to decrease responsiveness to repetitive or prolonged stimuli over time, making them easy to filter out and not interfere with ongoing activities. As such, habituation could be an important aspect to be evaluated within a sensory and cognitive assessment. The main aim of the present study was to validate an Italian version of the Sensory Habituation Questionnaire (S-Hab-Q), a self-report tool assessing how long an adult individual takes to adapt to daily sensory stimuli. We examined the relationship between sensory habituation and sensory sensitivity by administering the Sensory Perception Quotient questionnaire (SPQ) and tested a factor model based on a sensory modality categorization of items. In addition, given the high probability of altered sensory processing in autism, we explored the relationship between sensory habituation and autistic traits by administering the Autism Quotient questionnaire (AQ). A total of 262 participants, aged 18 to 67 years, completed the S-Hab-Q, the SPQ, and the AQ questionnaires. The results showed that, as the original version of the S-Hab-Q, the Italian version had a high internal consistency and a significant correlation with the SPQ score. A confirmatory factor analysis, based on a two-factor model (i.e., vision and hearing vs. touch, smell, and taste), showed a good fit of the S-Hab-Q data. As expected, a significant correlation between the S-Hab-Q and the AQ score was found. Interestingly, mediation analysis revealed that the S-Hab-Q score mediated the relationship between SPQ and AQ scores. Overall, the results confirm that a questionnaire assessing habituation can be a feasible tool to profile individual habituation in daily life. Moreover, they suggest that sensory habituation contributes to explaining the link between sensory sensitivity and autistic traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychoactive drugs such as alcohol and stimulants are typically used in social settings such as bars, parties or small groups. Yet, relatively little is known about how social contexts affect responses to drugs, or how the drugs alter social interactions. It is possible that positive social contexts enhance the rewarding properties of drugs, perhaps increasing their potential for repeated use and abuse. In addition, drugs may enhance the rewarding effects of social interactions by increasing feelings of social closeness and connectedness. To examine these relations, we investigated the effects of several drugs (MDMA, methamphetamine, alcohol) on feelings of connection between two strangers engaged in a conversation. We also investigated feelings of connection between two participants who discussed either 'shallow' or deeper topics in two conversations, without any drugs. All four conditions: deeper conversations, MDMA, methamphetamine and alcohol significantly increased feelings of connection and closeness compared with control conditions (small talk or placebo). We postulate that these feelings of connection could contribute to the drugs' rewarding effects when the drugs are used in social contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Adolescence is a critical developmental phase characterized by increased risk-taking behaviors, which are not inherently maladaptive. According to life history theory, individuals raised in harsh and unpredictable environments are more likely to adopt faster life history strategies, favoring immediate rewards over long-term benefits. Yet, limited empirical research explore the psychological mechanism about how early-life environmental stresses influence adolescents' risk-taking. In rural China, left-behind children face economic and social vulnerabilities due to parental migration to urban areas for employment. This study's first goal was to identify the specific elements of early-life environmental stresses that impact adolescents' risk-taking tendencies from a developmental evolutionary perspective. The second goal was to construct and test a synthesized model of how objective and subjective environmental stresses influence adolescents' risk-taking. Methods: A total of 610 middle school students in rural China completed questionnaires assessing early-life environmental stresses and risk-taking tendencies. The sample included 318 left-behind adolescents, 120 single-left-behind adolescents with one parent, and 138 non-left-behind adolescents. Structural equation modeling tested the hypothesized model, examining direct and indirect effects of environmental stresses on risk-taking. Results: Objective early-life environmental stresses, such as low socioeconomic status (SES), high mortality cues, and high mobility cues, predicted faster life history strategies, marked by shorter future orientation and increased risk-taking tendencies. Subjective perceptions of environmental unpredictability and parental warmth mediated the influence of SES on risk-taking. Biological sensitivity moderated mortality cues' influence on perceived parental warmth. Sense of control failed to mediate the relationship between early-life stresses and risk-taking. Left-behind adolescents experienced more mobility and mortality cues, perceived greater unpredictability, and reported less parental warmth than their peers. Despite no significant difference in overall risk-taking, left-behind adolescents exhibited higher health/safety risk-taking tendencies. Discussion: This study provides a comprehensive model linking early-life environmental stresses to adolescents' risk-taking, integrating objective and subjective measures of stress. The findings offer insights into mechanisms driving risk-taking tendencies. Also, it have significant implications for developing interventions aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of early-life stress on adolescent development, particularly for left-behind children in rural China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Religiosity/spirituality (R/S) is often associated with better mental health (MH); however, a small portion of reports come to different conclusions. Several aspects are known to contribute to this heterogeneity of findings, but some have still not been explored. Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is a neurophysiological trait that has already been associated with both R/S and MH. Thus, the aim of this study is to explore the associations between selected aspects of MH, R/S and SPS. The research sample (n = 2406; 48.7 ± 16.6 years; 50.2% males) was obtained using an online survey. We assessed the association of spirituality, religious attendance (which regards mainly a Roman Catholic Church) and SPS, including it sensory aspect only (SPS-S), with anxiety, depression, neuroticism and 5 symptoms of MH problems. Binary logistic regression models revealed no significant associations for religious attendance. Associations with all 5 observed symptoms of MH problems were observed for spirituality (Z-scores; odds ratios, ORs, ranging from 1.13 to 1.38, p < 0.01–0.001), SPS (Z-scores; ORs 1.57–2.33; p < 0.001) and SPS-S (Z-scores; ORs 1.38–1.73 p < 0.001). However, the negative association of spirituality with MH could be at least partly explained by the moderating effect of SPS, as shown in other models and as confirmed by a decrease of β coefficients in multivariate linear regression models. We conclude that SPS is associated with worse MH. Its partial overlap with R/S may in some cases lead to an association of R/S with MH problems. In research, R/S should be adjusted to SPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As women advance into leadership roles, the gender discrimination they face is a pressing issue that demands attention from a business ethics perspective. This paper considers the downstream consequences of such gender discrimination on their subordinates. Previous research indicates that women leaders in male-dominated organizations often face gender bias, which may prompt them to distance themselves from their gender identity as a coping mechanism (self-group distancing behavior). By integrating concepts from management, psychology, and business ethics, we investigate the following research question: What are the downstream consequences of gender discrimination experienced by women leaders on their subordinates? We hypothesize that women leaders' self-group distancing responses create uncertainty belonging among women subordinates, which leads to adverse outcomes such as decreased leadership aspirations and increased turnover intentions. Our results suggest that when a woman leader engages in self-group distancing because of gender discrimination, women subordinates experience reduced feelings of belonging, increased differentiation, diminished leadership aspirations, and heightened turnover intentions. In contrast, male subordinates' sense of belonging, differentiation, leadership aspirations, and turnover intentions do not significantly differ when a woman leader engages in self-group distancing behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Unaddressed age-related hearing loss is highly prevalent among older adults, typified by negative consequences for speech-in-noise perception and psychosocial wellbeing. There is promising evidence that group singing may enhance speech-in-noise perception and psychosocial wellbeing. However, there is a lack of robust evidence, primarily due to the literature being based on small sample sizes, single site studies, and a lack of randomized controlled trials. Hence, to address these concerns, this SingWell Project study utilizes an appropriately powered sample size, multisite, randomized controlled trial approach, with a robust preplanned statistical analysis. Objective: To explore if group singing may improve speech-in-noise perception and psychosocial wellbeing for older adults with unaddressed hearing loss. Methods: We designed an international, multisite, randomized controlled trial to explore the benefits of group singing for adults aged 60 years and older with unaddressed hearing loss (registered at clinicaltrials.gov, ID: NCT06580847). After undergoing an eligibility screening process and completing an information and consent form, we intend to recruit 210 participants that will be randomly assigned to either group singing or an audiobook club (control group) intervention for a training period of 12-weeks. The study has multiple timepoints for testing, that are broadly categorized as macro (i.e., pre- and post-measures across the 12-weeks), or micro timepoints (i.e., pre- and post-measures across a weekly training session). Macro measures include behavioural measures of speech and music perception, and psychosocial questionnaires. Micro measures include psychosocial questionnaires and heart-rate variability. Hypotheses: We hypothesize that group singing may be effective at improving speech perception and psychosocial outcomes for adults aged 60 years and older with unaddressed hearing loss—more so than participants in the control group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Syntax Literate is the property of Ridwan Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Content creators increasingly use self-disclosure to shape their personas and build strong connections with their audiences. This trend calls for focused scholarly attention on the outcome and underlying mechanism of content creators' self-disclosure. However, there is a lack of systematic research on how audiences react to these disclosures, and insights from psychology, sociology, communication, and organizational science are often studied separately. This research, which is inherently interdisciplinary, systematically reviewed literature on audience appraisals and responses to self-disclosures. By analyzing 166 influential articles published between 1973 and 2023 using the Web of Science database, we identify key dimensions, impacts, mechanisms, and contextual factors of self-disclosure. Drawing on appraisal theory, our review synthesizes insights from across disciplines and develops an integrative framework. We categorize the findings into seven thematic areas, highlighting the processes involved in audiences' primary and secondary appraisals of content creators' self-disclosure and their responses to related efforts. By organizing these themes within a holistic framework, we reconcile inconsistencies in previous research and provide strong foundations for future research. Additionally, we identify gaps and under-researched areas, offering a clear roadmap for future investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Biological Psychiatry & Psychopharmacology / Biologinė Psichiatrija ir Psichofarmakologija is the property of Lithuanian Society of Biological Psychiatry and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Investigating the role of individual differences in Environmental Sensitivity for well-being and stress at work is an emerging area of research with significant potential for practical implications in organizational management and human resources. Recent studies have begun to explore how individuals with high sensory-processing sensitivity (SPS) may be more vulnerable to work-related stress than their less sensitive peers, but may also derive greater benefits from positive job resources when available. The present study aims to investigate the role of leadership style in the complex interplay between individual differences in sensitivity, stress at work, and general well-being. A questionnaire was administered through Qualtrics to a total of 317 workers from two medium–large–sized Italian companies, across two waves between May and July 2022. Findings provided support for a three-way interaction effect, with job stressors exerting an adverse effect on participants' well-being, mitigated by democratic and let-it-be leadership styles at the team level, particularly among highly sensitive individuals. Thus, our findings suggest a vantage sensitivity effect and underscore the importance of cultivating positive work climates to enhance workers' ability to cope with stressors and improve their global well-being, with particular relevance for highly sensitive individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across three online studies, we examined the relationship between the Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) and moral cognition and behavior. Study 1 (N = 283) examined whether FoMO influenced moral awareness, judgments, and recalled and predicted behavior of first-person moral violations in either higher or lower social settings. Study 2 (N = 821) examined these relationships in third-person judgments with varying agent identities in relation to the participant (agent = stranger, friend, or someone disliked). Study 3 (N = 604) examined the influence of recalling activities either engaged in or missed out on these relationships. Using the Rubin Causal Model, we created hypothetical randomized experiments from our real-world randomized experimental data with treatment conditions for lower or higher FoMO (median split), matched for relevant covariates, and compared differences in FoMO groups on moral awareness, judgments, and several other behavioral outcomes. Using a randomization-based approach, we examined these relationships with Fisher Tests and computed 95% Fisherian intervals for constant treatment effects consistent with the matched data and the hypothetical FoMO intervention. All three studies provide evidence that FoMO is robustly related to giving less severe judgments of moral violations. Moreover, those with higher FoMO were found to report a greater likelihood of committing moral violations in the past, knowing people who have committed moral violations in the past, being more likely to commit them in the future, and knowing people who are likely to commit moral violations in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Empathy is an important factor in the doctor-patient relationship, but mental illness is more difficult to understand than other diseases. Besides traditional skills, virtual reality (VR) has been identified as a promising tool in empathy education. This study aimed to investigate the ability of empathy enhancement, the feasibility of depression education, and the changes in thoughts and attitudes in medical students through a single VR experience. Methods: We recruited medical students and randomly assigned them to two groups based on their completed Interpersonal Response Index scores. Two sets of VR systems were provided; the intervention group experienced the daily life of the depressed medical student, while the control group experienced the general medical student scenario. The improvement of empathy was assessed using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professional Students (JSE-HPS), and the change of attitude was assessed through the Implicit Association Test. In addition, other questionnaires were used to evaluate the user experience of this VR system, and correlation analysis was conducted to examine the association between the use of VR and changes in the JSE and IAT scores. Results: A total of 59 medical students were enrolled in this study. The intervention group showed a significant increase in the perspective-taking (pre: mean 5.817, SD 0.536; post: mean 5.947, SD 0.620; P =.03) and compassionate care (pre: mean 5.546, SD 0.581; post: mean 5.721, SD 0.629; P =.01) domains of the JSE score and a significant decrease in the standing in the patient's shoes (SP) domain (pre: mean 3.583, SD 1.253; post: mean 2.967, SD 1.252; P =.002). The Pearson correlation analysis found a significant positive correlation between the JSE score with immersion aspect (r =.308, P =.049) and presence aspect (r =.415, P =.01), and we also found a significant negative correlation between the IAT score and presence aspect (r=-.333, P =.04). Conclusions: This study is the first randomized case-control study to investigate the effect of two different versions of VR on empathy development toward depression for medical students. Although the single VR experience was unable to induce a great improvement in empathy or attitude, the VR system could help medical students enhance their understanding of depressive disorders. Trial registration: This trial was retrospectively registered in the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) (21/03/2024, ACTRN12624000297527). https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=386683&isReview=true. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Child & Adolescent Mental Health / Çocuk ve Gençlik Ruh Sagligi Dergisi is the property of Galenos Yayinevi Tic. LTD. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Recent research has consistently highlighted the benefits of leader humility within organizations. However, much less is known about how leader humility can be contextually promoted beyond individual predispositions. This paper draws from the social-cognitive model of transference to illuminate how the contextual activation of significant-other schemas can enhance a leader's expressed humility in the workplace. Specifically, we propose that the activation of significant-other schemas can lead to increased interpersonal warmth and psychological safety among leaders, which in turn, promote humility in their interactions with followers. Furthermore, we posit that these effects are amplified in leaders who possess a strong relational identity. To test our hypotheses, we conducted a field experiment with 97 leaders and their 194 followers, where we randomly applied daily significant-other activation interventions to the leaders and surveyed the leaders and their corresponding followers across 10 consecutive workdays. Our findings provide support for the positive impact of significant-other schema activation on leader humility and confirm the moderating role of a leader's relational identity. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings. Funding: This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grants 72022022 and 72332009] and the John Templeton Foundation [Grant 62265] entitled "Applied Research on Intellectual Humility." Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2023.17377. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dog. Specifically created to save its master's life. - (The dog is the ideal) Friend of man, (because it is his devoted slave) (source: Gustave Flaubert, Dictionnaire des Idées Reçues). But is man the best friend of the dog? This question is legitimate when we consider living situations to which modern domestic dogs are exposed. They often do not satisfy basic animal needs. In this narrative review, the author revisits the history of the dog's presence alongside humans, in the light of current knowledge. The modern dog (breed standards and their interests in canine research) and its breeding strategy, including extreme breeding, will then be given particular attention. Dysfunctional human psychological processes will be explored to make it possible to grasp why the breeding of the modern dog is undergoing such a transformation. Finally, based on these factual and conceptual insights, suggestions to improve canine welfare will be proposed. To be effective, all these must be assessed against realworld conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rumination is an emotional regulation mechanism strongly associated with the development and maintenance of internalising psychopathology in adolescence and adulthood. Parenting behaviours (PBs) play a pivotal role in the development of rumination in children and adolescents. Nonetheless, the specific PBs that can either protect against or increase the risk of rumination development remain poorly understood. This systematic review aimed to explore the (1) temporal associations between PBs and adolescents' rumination and (2) potential moderators influencing these associations. We conducted a comprehensive search across Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Academic Search Complete and Eric databases, adhering to PRISMA reporting guidelines. Out of 1,868 abstracts screened, 182 articles underwent full-text examination, with nine meeting the inclusion criteria for the systematic review. Overall, the studies indicated that PBs characterised by criticism, rejection and control were positively associated with the development of rumination in adolescents, whilst PBs marked by authoritative practises exhibited a negative association with rumination. Gender, temperament, environmental sensitivity and pubertal timing emerged as significant moderators in the effects of PBs on rumination. However, conclusions were limited due to the studies' methodological heterogeneity. Future studies on PBs and rumination should address various dimensions of PBs and different moderators to identify factors that can modify the development of rumination across adolescence. Findings may inform family-based prevention programmes to promote emotion regulation in adolescents as a protective factor against internalising psychopathology across adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While great methodological strides have been made in the area of decision making research, decisions that rely on subjective stimuli, such as personality traits, still pose a challenge for researchers, partly because it is difficult to define a standard of accuracy for such choices–they lack a "ground truth". In studies on value-based decisions, this same problem has been circumvented by comparing uncertain subjective decisions against a separately assessed judgment of value–a "standard". Here we apply this method in a task of verbal personality trait judgment, and show how a separately assessed standard judgment can be used to precisely control stimulus presentation and analyze subjective personality choices via the method of reverse correlation. Per trial, a series of quasi-randomly sampled adjectives was shown, which participants categorized as more descriptive of either themselves of another person well known to them. Participants also indicated their confidence in the response. Each trial's difficulty was controlled based on the previously assessed standard judgment. Analysis of the behavioral data shows several decision-general properties during these personality judgments, such as symmetrical choices, steeper choice functions for confident trials, and a positive evidence bias during confidence judgment. We discuss how these findings can shed light on the cognitive processes involved in personality perception. The task and results together may help bridge the gap between research on complex, social forms of judgment and findings on more basic decision processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing body of literature has found that synchronising movements with a group subsequently increases self-other blurring and social closeness with synchronised partners. However, movement synchrony has not been studied in online settings. Our study has a primarily methodological focus to investigate whether synchronous movement leads to changes in self-other blurring and proxemics in an online, desktop-mediated environment. We conducted two experiments to manipulate synchrony with a group of virtual agents and investigate its impact on self-other blurring and comfort distance judgments. In Experiment 1, we compared synchronous movement to a no-movement condition; in Experiment 2, we introduced an unpredictable movement condition. In both experiments, we found that our manipulation of synchronous movement between participants and a virtual group of agents led to an increase in explicit self-other blurring compared to the no and unpredictable movement conditions; however, we did not find reliable effects on comfort distance judgments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many everyday empathetic experiences arise within our social interactions and depend significantly on interpersonal closeness. However, the interbrain processes underlying social-oriented empathy by interpersonal closeness remain unclear. To address this gap, we conducted a dyadic social judgement task with dyads of friends and strangers, where targets received social evaluative feedback and empathizers observed the scenario in different experimental trials. Results showed that dyads of friends exhibited greater affect sharing than strangers when witnessing their partners being accepted or rejected. This was supported by the more pronounced event-related potential similarity in friends during the 340−840 ms post-feedback window, mediating the link between interpersonal closeness and affect sharing. Furthermore, witnessing emotional feedback elicited greater interbrain neural synchronization of brain α-oscillation between the empathizer's left prefrontal cortex and the target's left temporoparietal junction in dyads of friends compared with those of strangers. This empathy-related synchronization was associated with mutual affect sharing within dyads of friends but not within dyads of strangers. Our findings highlight the sensitivity of empathy to interpersonal closeness, which links to sustained attention and detailed evaluation in social scenarios, along with functional communication between brain regions for mentalizing and emotional regulation. These insights have therapeutic potential for improving social functioning and relationship satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enfacement illusion is a facial version of the rubber hand illusion, in which participants experience tactile stimulation of their own faces synchronously with the observation of the same stimulation applied to another's face. In previous studies, participants have reported experiencing an illusory embodiment of the other's face following synchronous compared to asynchronous stimulation. In a series of three experiments, we addressed the following three questions: (i) how does similarity between the self and the other, operationalized here as being of the same or different gender to the other, impact the experience of embodiment in the enfacement illusion; (ii) does the experience of embodiment result from alterations to the self-concept; and (iii) is susceptibility to the experience of embodiment associated with interoceptive processing, i.e. perception of the internal state of the body? Results indicate that embodiment is facilitated by the similarity between the self and the other and is mediated by the incorporation of the other into the self-concept, but sensitivity to one's own internal states does not impact upon embodiment within the enfacement illusion. This article is part of the theme issue 'Minds in movement: embodied cognition in the age of artificial intelligence'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research applied the perspectives of volition theory and goal setting theory to analyze the effects of teachers' volitional strategies and task value on goal commitment in remedial teaching. The samples were collected from 92 elementary schools and 460 teachers with remedial teaching experiences were invited to participate in this study. There were 296 responses, recovery rated of 64.3%. Multivariate analysis of variance and structural equation modeling were employed to analyze the data. The results revealed, first, significant differences in volitional strategies and goal commitment were observed among teachers with different degrees of teaching experiences. Those who possessed more remedial teaching experiences had better volitional strategies and goal commitment; Second, significant differences were displayed in volitional strategies between remedial teaching teachers from different professional backgrounds. Teachers with a good professional background had shown higher volitional strategies in self-efficacy enhancement dimension. Finally, teachers' volitional strategies and task value were found with strong and moderate effects, respectively, on the goal commitment of remedial teaching. The findings provided useful information for teacher preparation programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has demonstrated that some risk and protective factors of gaming disorder (GD) have been identified. However, the interaction of GD with risk and protective factors has rarely been examined from a network analysis perspective. Therefore, the present study examined the relationships between GD, risk factors (i.e., social anxiety and fear of missing out), and protective factors (i.e., resilience, authenticity, and family closeness) utilizing a network analysis approach among a sample of Chinese university students. A cross-sectional study with 1364 participants was performed using the Gaming Disorder Test, the short version of Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS), the Chinese Trait-State Fear of Missing Out Scale (T-SFoMOSC), the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), the Authenticity Scale, and a single item assessing family closeness. Social anxiety, FoMO, and two factors of authenticity (i.e., self-alienation and accepting external influence) had positive relationship with GD, while resilience, authentic living, and family closeness had negative relationship with GD. Social anxiety was identified as the core node in the domain-level network. The item "continuation or escalation of gaming" (gd3) and the item "gaming problems" (gd4) constituted the highest edge weight in the facet-level network. The network comparison demonstrated there were no significant differences in relation to network structures and global strengths between gender. The findings suggest bivariate relationships among GD, risk factors (i.e., social anxiety and fear of missing out), and protective factors (i.e., resilience, authenticity, and family closeness). Interventions for GD must be considered through preventing risk factors and increasing protective factors including improving the gaming motivation and maladaptive cognition to decrease negative emotion (e.g., social anxiety and FoMO), enhancing resilience, authentic living and parent–child relationship, as well as decreasing self-alienation and accepting external influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), linked to processing external and internal stimuli, has drawn attention to its associations with clinical factors, particularly with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) variables. This study examined the relationships among SPS, stress, sleep quality, and HRQOL, establishing an explanation model. Eight hundred adults (M = 26.66 years, SD = 12.24; range age: 18–85 years) completed self-administered questionnaires on SPS, stress, sleep quality, and HRQOL. Correlation analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to analyze HRQOL pathways. Stress positively correlated with sleep quality disturbances (r = 0.442, p < 0.001), and SPS (r = 0.344, p < 0.001). Sleep quality disturbances were weakly positively associated with SPS (r = 0.242, p < 0.001). Weak negative correlations emerged between stress and physical (r = -0.283, p < 0.001) and mental (r = − 0.271, p < 0.001) health, HRQOL main dimensions. SEM results showed SPS positively influenced sleep quality disturbances (β = 0.242, p < 0.05) stress (β = 0.413, p < 0.001) while negatively affecting physical health (β = − 0.126, p < 0.001). Sleep quality disturbances negatively affected physical (β = − 0.168, p < 0.001), and mental (β = − 0.189 , p < 0.001) health, and stress on mental health (β = − 0.492, p < 0.01). Indirect effects between SPS and physical (β = -0.036, p < 0.001) and mental (β = − 0.091, p < 0.001) health through sleep were observed, as well as a mediation of stress between SPS and mental health (β = − 0.196, p < 0.001). SPS, sleep quality disturbances, and stress emerged as significant predictors of self-rated physical and mental health in adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The academic development and widespread adoption of meditation practices for well-being and therapy have predominantly focused on secularised adaptations of Buddhist and Hindu techniques. This study aims to expand the field by investigating Christian and Islamic meditation that emphasize the spiritual significance of the heart through elements of visualisation and recitation. It compares the effects of spiritual heart-centred meditation with mindfulness meditation and a waitlist control, focusing on dimensions of social functioning, psychophysiology, cognition, and mental health. Method: This study employs a stratified 3-arm randomised controlled method with mixed-method repeated measures across three assessment time points: before intervention (T1), after an 8-week intervention (T2), and at a 3-month follow up (T3). The three conditions include spiritual meditation (either Christian or Islamic), mindfulness meditation (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction – MBSR), and a waitlist. Participants will be stratified into Christian and Muslim samples and randomly allocated to the spiritual meditation, MBSR, or waitlist control conditions. Importantly, participants assigned to the spiritual meditation condition will be matched to the spiritual meditation program corresponding to their religion. The intervention will be administered through a mobile phone app with daily 20-minute guided meditation sessions for eight weeks. Primary outcomes pertain to the domain of interpersonal functioning, focusing on prosociality, forgiveness, empathy, and perspective taking. Secondary outcomes include physiology: pain tolerance, pain intensity, stress reactivity assessed via heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV), psychophysiological reactivity associated with a forgiveness task as measured through HR and HRV, attention (alerting, orienting, and executive attention networks), and mental health (stress, depression, anxiety, subjective well-being, positive and negative affect). Discussion: This trial aims to test the effects of an app-based Christian and Islamic meditation, compared to secular mindfulness and a waitlist, using a randomised controlled trial. If the results yield positive outcomes, this study will support the efficacy of these contemplations, offering practitioners a way to enhance their well-being within their religious framework. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT06136676. Registered on 18 November 2023. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06136676. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]