Search

Organizations are increasingly augmenting employee jobs with intelligent machines. Although this augmentation has a bright side, in terms of its ability to enhance employee performance, we think there is likely a dark side as well. Draw from self‐regulation theory, we theorize that dependence on intelligent machines is discrepancy‐reducing—enhancing work goal progress, which in turn boosts employees' task performance. On the other hand, such dependence may be discrepancy‐enlarging—threatening employee self‐esteem, which in turn detracts from employees' task performance. Drawing further from self‐regulation theory, we submit that employees' core self‐evaluation (CSE) may influence these effects of dependence on intelligent machines. Across an experience‐sampling field study conducted in India (Study 1) and a simulation‐based experiment conducted in the United States (Study 2), our results generally support a "mixed blessing" perspective of intelligent machines at work. We conclude by discussing the theoretical and practical implications of our work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With notable and growing exceptions, there is a dearth of research on mechanisms by which youth in foster care build resilience and achieve positive outcomes. We report on data from an interview study with young adults exiting or recently exited foster care in Maryland (N=15) designed to understand what facilitates their engagement with courts. Our findings indicate that despite challenges of ?being in foster care?, youth found ways to pursue their goals and make their voices heard through developing stable relationships with supportive adults (including judges, caseworkers, or lawyers) and demanding that child welfare professionals ?speak to me not at me.? Youth indicated that their needs, capabilities, and goals changed as they matured and as their circumstances changed. Such changes helped them find their voices but also created tensions within their child welfare system interactions. This led us to develop the theory of adaptive responsivity, according to which child welfare stakeholders should respond appropriately to developmental and circumstantial changes to help child-welfare involved youth face difficult circumstances and thrive. Such responses include providing developmentally and situationally appropriate information and decision-making power to youth in their own cases as well as opportunities to weigh in on systems change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a "positive–negative" debate on the development of the bottom‐line mentality (BLM) concept. Previous research showed a relationship between BLM and unethical pro‐organizational behaviour (UPB) and revealed that BLM positively affected UPB. This research aims to challenge this partial view and calls for a more balanced and comprehensive view of the BLM concept by revealing the potential negative influencing mechanism between BLM and UPB. Drawing from social information processing theory, we construct a moderated‐mediation model to test the mediating mechanism through different individual‐level processes in the Chinese context. Findings indicate that team BLM positively affects member UPB via state performance‐prove goal orientation and perceived insider status and negatively affects member UPB via state performance‐avoid goal orientation. These results confirm the overall positive relationship between team BLM and member UPB but also document the possible inhibitory mechanism of BLM on UPB. This study is the first to acknowledge the potential negative relationship between BLM and UPB, which deserves attention. This research also presents a complete picture of the BLM literature. The findings of this work have significant implications in enabling organizations to appropriately handle BLM and its relationship with UPB dynamically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic disease (CD) accounts for more than half of the overall global disease burden and physical activity (PA) is an established evidence-based strategy for the prevention and management of CD. Global policy emphasises the value of embedding PA into primary healthcare, highlighting the positive effects on PA behaviour. However, there is limited implementation of PA protocols in primary care, and research is needed to guide its integration into routine practice. The voice of the patient is underrepresented in the literature, resulting in the absence of critical insights into determinants of PA promotion in primary care. The purpose of the research was to identify the perspectives of people at risk of or living with CD on the determinants of PA promotion in primary care and to map these determinants across the six COM-B constructs. Methods: Semi-structured interviews (n = 22), guided by the COM-B model were conducted with people aged 35–60 years, at risk of or living with CD and not meeting the PA guidelines. A hybrid analytic approach of thematic inductive and deductive analysis was applied to the participant transcripts guided by a COM-B informed coding framework. Results: In total, 37 determinants across constructs related to capability, opportunity and motivation were prominent, examples include; physical capability constraints, the conflation of exercise with weight management, credibility of the health services in PA advice, communication styles in PA promotion, expectations of tailored support for PA, social support, accessibility, and integration of PA into routine habits. Conclusion: Exploring the determinants of PA promotion through the lens of the COM-B model facilitated a systematic approach to understanding the primary care user perspective of the healthcare professional (HCP) broaching the topic of PA. Findings emphasise the value of HCPs being supported to broach the issue of PA in a therapeutic and patient-centred manner using diverse and flexible approaches, while highlighting the importance of tailored, accessible PA opportunities that build self-efficacy and foster social support. The research provides valuable learnings to support PA promotion and the development of strategies in primary care through encompassing the perspective of those living with or at risk of CD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the endeavor to advance our understanding of interindividual differences in dealing with chronic pain, numerous motivational theories have been invoked in the past decade. As they focus on relevant, yet different aspects of the dynamic, multilevel processes involved in human voluntary action control, research findings seem fragmented and inconsistent. Here we present Personality Systems Interactions theory as an integrative meta-framework elucidating how different motivational and volitional processes work in concert under varying contextual conditions. PSI theory explains experience and behavior by the relative activation of four cognitive systems that take over different psychological functions during goal pursuit. In this way, it may complement existing content-related explanations of clinical phenomena by introducing a functional, third-person perspective on flexible goal management, pain acceptance and goal maintenance despite pain. In line with emerging evidence on the central role of emotion regulation in chronic pain, PSI theory delineates how the self-regulation of positive and negative affect impacts whether behavior is determined by rigid stimulus-response associations (i.e., habits) or by more abstract motives and values which afford more behavioral flexibility. Along with testable hypotheses, multimodal interventions expected to address intuitive emotion regulation as a central process mediating successful adaptation to chronic pain are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on self‐determination theory, this study examines how using personal strengths at work in the morning is associated with different types of performance throughout the workday. Momentary satisfaction of the needs for autonomy, relatedness and competence are proposed as mechanisms that differentially link strengths use to four different performance outcomes: task accomplishment, goal attainment, organizational citizenship behaviour and counterproductive work behaviour. We collected data from 216 Dutch employees in a large variety of sectors twice a day for one workweek (N = 1470 observations) using a smartphone application. Results of multilevel structural equation modelling showed that momentary satisfaction of the needs for autonomy and competence at noon mediated the positive relationship between morning strengths use and afternoon task accomplishment and goal attainment. Furthermore, satisfaction of the need for relatedness mediated the positive relationship between morning strengths use and afternoon organizational citizenship behaviour, but not the negative relationship between morning strengths use and counterproductive work behaviour. These findings deepen our understanding of strengths use theory and uncover novel insight on the temporal aspects of strengths use within a working day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore healthcare professionals' experiences of the development and delivery of Early Supported Discharge for people after stroke, including experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: Qualitative descriptive study using one-to-one semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Setting: Nine Early Supported Discharge service sites in Ireland. Participants: Purposive sampling identified 16 healthcare professionals. Results: Five key themes were identified (1) Un-coordinated development of services, (2) Staff shortages limit the potential of Early Supported Discharge, (3) Limited utilisation of telerehabilitation post COVID-19 pandemic, (4) Families need information and support, and (5) Early Supported Discharge involves collaboration with people after stroke and their families. Conclusions: Findings highlight how Early Supported Discharge services adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic and how gaps in the service impacts on service delivery. Practice implications include the need to address staff recruitment and retention issues to prevent service shortages and ensure consistent access to psychology services. Early Supported Discharge services should continue to work closely with families and address their information and support needs. Future research on how telerehabilitation can optimally be deployed and the impact of therapy assistants in Early Supported Discharge is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mortality salience refers to a state of conscious awareness of death and the inevitable conclusion of life, associated with psychological terror. The COVID-19 pandemic generated increased awareness of illness and death, and effectuated changes in death cognitions and people's experiences around psychological or sociocognitive domains of media and life goals. To understand these changes, this study administered the Multidimensional Mortality Awareness Measure (Levasseur et al., 2015) to 103 emerging adults in India, post which 6 participants proceeded for a semi-structured interview exploring pandemic experiences, news consumption and goal prioritization, to examine specific areas in relation to death cognition. The thematic analysis demonstrates psychological effects, and discusses developments in health and death-related psychological processes. Focus on career goals and health maintenance, cautious news consumption and disadvantageous impacts on mental health are seen, significant in navigating healthcare measures for emerging adults, as we move forward into this 'new normal'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multiple object tracking (MOT) is often used as a lab‐based paradigm for investigating goal‐driven attention as an indicator for "real‐world" attention in tasks such as sport. When exploring MOT performance in the context of sporting expertise, we typically observe that individuals with sporting expertise outperform non‐sporting individuals. There are a number of general explanations for performance differences such as cognitive transfer effects; however, the potential neurophysiological mechanisms explaining the relationship between sporting expertise and performance differences in MOT are not clear. Based on the role occipital alpha (posterior oscillations usually around 8–12 Hz) has been shown to have in visuospatial attention, the aim of this study was to examine whether individual differences in occipital peak alpha frequency (PAF) mediate the relationship between sporting expertise and performance in two object tracking tasks: a standard MOT task and a visuomotor‐controlled object tracking task (multiple object avoidance [MOA]). Method: Using electroencephalography (EEG), participants, who either played sport competitively or did not, had their posterior PAF measured at rest (eyes closed) across a 2‐min window. They completed the two tasks separately from the resting EEG measures. Results: Those who engaged in sport performed better in the MOT and MOA tasks and had higher PAF. Higher PAF predicted superior MOT performance. The mediation analysis revealed that sporting individuals had significantly higher PAF, and this was in turn related to superior MOT performance. Conclusions: It is suggested that PAF is a possible neurophysiological mediating mechanism as to why sporting individuals have superior MOT performance. There was no evidence that PAF mediated the relationship between sporting expertise and visuomotor MOA performance. Explanations and implications are discussed, and unanswered questions are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Norms are the rules about what is allowed or forbidden by social groups. A key debate for norm psychology is whether these rules arise from mechanisms that are domain-specific and genetically inherited or domain-general and deployed for many other nonnorm processes. Here we argue for the importance of assessing and testing domain-specific and domain-general processes at multiple levels of explanation, from algorithmic (psychological) to implementational (neural). We also critically discuss findings from cognitive neuroscience supporting that social and nonsocial learning processes, essential for accounts of cultural evolution, can be dissociated at these two levels. This multilevel framework can generate new hypotheses and empirical tests of cultural evolution accounts of norm processing against purely domain-specific nativist alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study applied the theory of reasoned goal pursuit (TRGP) in predicting physical activity among Australian undergraduate students, providing the first empirical test of the model.Methods: The research comprised an elicitation study (N = 25; MAge= 25.76, SDAge= 11.33, 20 female, 5 male) to identify readily accessible procurement and approval goal beliefs and behavioural, normative, and control beliefs; and, a two-wave prospective online survey study (N = 109; MAge = 21.88, SDAge = 7.04, 63 female, 46 male) to test the tenets of the TRGP in relation to meeting World Health Organization physical activity guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic among first year university students.Results: A linear PLS-SEM model displayed good fit-to-data, predicting 38%, 74%, and 48% of the variance in motivation, intention, and physical activity, respectively. The model supported the majority of hypothesised pattern of effects among theory constructs; in particular, the proposition that beliefs corresponding to procurement and approval goals would be more consequential to people's motivation and, thus, their intentions and behaviour, than other behavioural and normative beliefs, respectively.Conclusions: Results lend support for the TRGP and sets the agenda for future research to systematically test the proposed direct, indirect, and moderation effects for different health behaviours, populations, and contexts. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2022.2026946. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work–life conflict literature describes how employees manage conflict experiences, but little work has focused on experiences beyond work and family (or work and school) conflict to examine more broadly work, family, and professional development (e.g., when employees enter a graduate degree program). This study uses qualitative data to explore the work–life conflict experiences of employees undergoing professional career development in the form of gaining a graduate degree. We contribute to the literature on employees' work–life conflicts. To explore work–life conflicts, 41 semi‐structured interviews were conducted, and revealed that employees report three types of work–life conflict experiences—energizing, depleting and maintaining. Utilizing the conservation of resources theory, we link work–life conflict experiences with resource management and self‐leadership strategies enacted. We demonstrate that when employees report energizing experiences, they utilize behavioural strategies of self‐goal setting and self‐observation to acquire more resources. When employees report depleting experiences, they utilize constructive thought strategies for the evaluation of dysfunctional beliefs and self‐talk to recover from resource loss. Finally, when employees report maintaining experiences, they utilize natural rewards strategies to protect their stock of resources. The link between self‐leadership strategies and work–life conflicts plays a crucial role in understanding how conflict can be resolved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve health and wellbeing, it is crucial that people regularly interrupt their sitting. In this paper, we propose a framework for examining and changing sitting behavior that addresses two key steps in the process towards developing effective interventions. First, we suggest that research should move away from its current focus on sitting time, which is an outcome of behavior. Rather, researchers should focus on stand-to-sit and sit-to-stand transitions, which are discrete units of behavior. Second, drawing on goal hierarchy models, we suggest that people rarely engage in stand-to-sit and sit-to-stand transitions for the purpose of being in a sitting or standing position; rather, we suggest that these transitions are means to higher-order goals (e.g., to complete work tasks, to watch television, to eat dinner). To improve adherence to and effectiveness of sitting behavior interventions, intervention designers should aim to increase the frequency of sit-to-stand (and stand-to-sit) transitions. To achieve this aim, intervention designers should capitalize on the higher-order goals that are typically served by these transitions. We suggest four concrete intervention strategies to increase sit-to-stand transitions in congruence with people’s everyday goals. We also describe the implications of our framework for theory and methods in sitting behavior research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The acquisition of virtue can be conceptualized as a self-regulatory process in which deliberate practice results in increasingly higher levels of skillfulness in leading a virtuous life. This conceptualization resonates with philosophical virtue theories as much as it converges with psychological models about skill development, expertise, goal motivation, and self-regulation. Yet, the conceptualization of virtue as skill acquisition poses the crucial question of motivation: What motivates individuals to self-improve over time so that they can learn from past experience, correct mistakes, and expand their ethical knowledge to new and unfamiliar circumstances? In this paper, it is argued that the motivation to increase one's level of skillfulness in leading a virtuous life is supported by a specific identity goal, namely the goal to be a moral person. However, this moral identity goal needs to carry specific goal characteristics in order to effectively provide this motivation. It needs to be sufficiently abstract, internally motivated and promotion- rather than prevention-oriented. Research in developmental psychology suggests that the moral identity of children is rather concrete, externally motivated, and prevention-oriented. With development, higher levels of abstraction, internal motivation, and promotion-orientation gain importance providing an important motivational basis for a self-regulated process of virtue acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite research indicating that responding with self-compassion to lapses in goal pursuit can help people to achieve their goals, there is evidence that people often struggle to respond with self-compassion when it would benefit them. One reason is that people may not be familiar with the concept of self-compassion or may think negatively of self-compassion. We propose that providing information about self-compassion and its benefits can help people to respond with self-compassion to lapses in goal pursuit. To test this, we randomly assigned participants to a self-compassion psychoeducation condition or control condition and then tested whether they responded with self-compassion to a recalled lapse. The results suggested that, although psychoeducation seemed to influence participants' beliefs about self-compassion, there was no evidence that psychoeducation increased self-compassionate responding. This finding highlights the need to develop additional strategies to help people to translate knowledge about self-compassion into self-compassionate responses to lapses and difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intergenerational programs engage youth (ages 24 and younger) and adults (ages 50 and older) in intentional, shared programming. Research consistently reveals positive outcomes reflecting varied program goals and participants. Not everyone has equal access to intergenerational programs. Also, participants may not experience comparable outcomes. This article presents two theories; one depicts factors influencing access to intergenerational program participation. The second describes conditions of intergenerational contact that promote positive outcomes for all. Intergenerational examples illustrate positive results from the ways community stakeholders apply these theories to open opportunities for productivity via participating in intergenerational programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-control denotes the ability to override current desires to render behavior consistent with long-term goals. A key assumption is that self-control is required when short-term desires are transiently stronger (more preferred) than long-term goals and people would yield to temptation without exerting self-control. We argue that this widely shared conception of self-control raises a fundamental yet rarely discussed conceptual paradox: How is it possible that a person most strongly desires to perform a behavior (e.g., eat chocolate) and at the same time desires to recruit self-control to prevent themselves from doing it? A detailed analysis reveals that three common assumptions about self-control cannot be true simultaneously. To avoid the paradox, any coherent theory of self-control must abandon either the assumption (a) that recruitment of self-control is an intentional process, or (b) that humans are unitary agents, or (c) that self-control consists in overriding the currently strongest desire. We propose a taxonomy of different kinds of self-control processes that helps organize current theories according to which of these assumptions they abandon. We conclude by outlining unresolved questions and future research perspectives raised by different conceptions of self-control and discuss implications for the question of whether self-control can be considered rational. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite their best intentions, most people fail to save enough for the future. In this research, we demonstrate that people are more successful at saving when their savings goals are aligned with their Big Five personality traits. Study 1 uses a nationally representative sample of 2,447 U.K. citizens to test whether people whose self-declared savings goals more closely match their Big Five personality also report higher levels of savings. We apply specification curve analyses to minimize the risk of having arbitrary analytical decisions produce false-positive results. As our findings show, person-goal fit significantly predicted savings across all 48 specifications. Study 2 expands these findings by testing whether psychological fit can influence savings even if the saving goals are not formulated by the individuals themselves but instead suggested by a technology service designed to help them save. In a field experiment with 6,056 U.S.-based low-income users of a nonprofit Fintech app (with <$100 in current savings), we show that people who were encouraged to save $100 over the course of a month were more likely to achieve this target if they were encouraged to save toward personality-matched goals. Our research provides support for the theory of psychological fit, showing that an alignment between an individual's Big Five personality traits and the personality appeal of a saving goal can help increase savings, even among those who struggle the most. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goal setting is one of the most frequently used mental skills in sports, and Goal Setting Theory has been the most prominent theoretical framework upon which goal setting interventions are based. The present study provides a systematic review examining how the tenets of GST have been applied to goal setting interventions in sport. A total of 27 peer-reviewed studies written in English, which implemented goal setting interventions with athletes in a sport-specific, applied (i.e. non-laboratory) context, were examined. The studies included athletes from a range of individual and team sports. The majority of these studies were characterized by their small sample size and strong focus on performance as an outcome measure. Overall, there was inconsistent application of, and mixed evidence supporting theorizing around, the goal characteristics (goal difficulty, specificity, proximity, source, and type) and moderators (ability, commitment, feedback, complexity, and resources) suggested in GST. As the first systematic review of goal setting interventions focused exclusively on athletes in applied sport contexts, the present review provides insight for athletes, coaches, sport psychology practitioners, and researchers. Applied implications and future research directions (e.g. testing individualized goal setting interventions) are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In social Q&A, user‐generated questions can be viewed as goal expressions shaping the responses. Several studies have identified askers' goals from questions. However, it remains unclear how questions set goals for responders. To fill this gap, this research applies goal‐framing theory. Goal‐frames influence responses by attracting responders' attention to different goals. Eight question cues are used to identify gain, hedonic and normative goal‐frames. A total of 14,599 posts are collected. To investigate the influence of goal‐frames, response networks are constructed. Results reveal that gain goal‐frames attract interactions with questions, while hedonic, and normative goal‐frames promote interactions among responses. Further, topic types influence the effects of goal‐frames. Gain goal‐frames increase interactions with questions in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) topics while hedonic and normative goal‐frames attract interactions in non‐STEM topics. This research leverages responders' perspectives to explain responses to questions, which are influenced by the goals set up by question cues. Beyond that, our findings enrich the empirical knowledge of social Q&A topics, revealing that the influence of questions varies across STEM and non‐STEM topics because the question cues for specifying goals are different in the two topics. Our research opens new directions to investigate questions from responders' perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individual performance criterion measurement is central to effective personnel management in the military services, and to all other organizations as well. The articles in this special issue summarize the state of the art in all major phases of performance criterion development and assessment. The overall record, while it varies in terms of current progress across the major parts, is admirable. What's next is an equally thorough examination of the utility of validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical activity interventions among older adults vary widely in the techniques used to elicit behavior change. The purpose of this systematic review was to determine what behavior change techniques (BCTs) are used in interventions to increase physical activity among older adults using the theory of planned behavior and to make suggestions for BCTs that appear to be more effective. A database search identified peer-reviewed articles documenting interventions based on the theory of planned behavior. Seven articles (three randomized controlled trial, three quasi-experimental, and one n-of-1) from four countries (the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Netherlands) were included for review. Researchers independently coded BCTs using a hierarchical taxonomy of 93 BCTs. The most frequently coded BCTs included Goal Setting (n = 5 studies), Action Planning (n = 5 studies), and Credible Source (n = 5 studies). Of the 93 BCTs in the taxonomy, only 26 were used, indicating potential opportunities to implement and evaluate less commonly used techniques in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A biography of Sergio Domínguez Jr., a multiracial Tlaxcaltecadescended trans/nonbinary human and recipient of an award for distinguished graduate student in professional psychology, is presented. Domínguez is a doctor of philosophy (PhD) candidate in counseling psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a pre-doctoral intern in health service psychology at the University of Illinois Chicago Counseling Center. His support network is also mentioned.

This study investigated university students' online self-regulated English learning (OSEL) and related it to their motivational beliefs in order to probe important psychological factors that may predict how students use self-regulated strategies to facilitate their online English learning. The data was gathered from 337 Thai university nursing students. The instruments used in this study were validated to measure motivational beliefs and OSEL in the context of Thai university students. All motivational belief factors were significantly associated with OSEL. The results of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) indicated that the construct validity of the questionnaire items was acceptable. Furthermore, the structural modelling analysis (SEM) showed that intrinsic value and cost were significant predictors of all OSEL strategies, namely, behavioural strategies, goal setting, and environment structuring. Meanwhile, academic self-efficacy and attainment value were positively related to certain OSEL factors. Implications for enhancing students' motivation and self-regulation in online language learning as well as directions for further investigations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The SMART acronym (e.g., Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timebound) is a highly prominent strategy for setting physical activity goals. While it is intuitive, and its practical value has been recognised, the scientific underpinnings of the SMART acronym are less clear. Therefore, we aimed to narratively review and critically examine the scientific underpinnings of the SMART acronym and its application in physical activity promotion. Specifically, our review suggests that the SMART acronym: is not based on scientific theory; is not consistent with empirical evidence; does not consider what type of goal is set; is not applied consistently; is lacking detailed guidance; has redundancy in its criteria; is not being used as originally intended; and has a risk of potentially harmful effects. These issues are likely leading to sub-optimal outcomes, confusion, and inconsistency. Recommendations are provided to guide the field towards better practice and, ultimately, more effective goal setting interventions to help individuals become physically active. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The level of physical activity of people undergoing haemodialyses is low, so understanding what factors underlie the motivation to be physically active in people undergoing haemodialyses is important. Therefore, this qualitative study aims to explore the different motivation types and corresponding basic psychological needs (BPNs) of people undergoing haemodialyses based on self‐determination theory. Methods: We adopted the objective sampling method to select 19 patients with the end‐stage renal disease aged from 28 to 66 years old from a tertiary hospital in Xi'an. They underwent haemodialyses five to six times every 2 weeks for more than 3 months. Then, we conducted semistructured one‐on‐one interviews with 19 people undergoing haemodialyses using qualitative content analysis. All interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed on a thematic analysis. Results: We analyzed four motivation types of patients, namely four themes, including entrenching in physical inactivity (Amotivation), breaking physical inactivity (Controlled motivation), finding one's way (Autonomous regulation) and enjoying the positive effects of physical activity (Intrinsic motivation). Each motivation is dominated by one or more BPNs. For example, inadequate Competence such as decreased physical function is the reason why the patient does not perform physical activities. Due to the lack of health education on physical activity, people undergoing haemodialyses often lack the motivation for controlled regulation. The motivation for self‐regulation is generated by the patients' promotion of meeting BPNs, such as normal social interactions. The formation of patients' autonomous motivation can't be separated from the effective understanding felt by other patients, because their situations are similar. Enjoying physical activity promotes the formation of patients' intrinsic motivation and the maintenance of this behaviour. Conclusion: Perceived Competence, Relatedness and Autonomous Motivation are important determinants for physical activity in people undergoing haemodialyses. Patients need to internalize the changed values and skills, so as to generate the motivation of self‐regulation, rather than external or controlled forms of motivation regulation, to better maintain behaviour change. Patient or Public Contribution: People undergoing haemodialyses were involved in the development of the interview topic guide to ensure all relevant topics were explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) has emerged as a promising solution for addressing the implementation challenges of AI/ML in healthcare. However, little is known about how developers and clinicians interpret XAI and what conflicting goals and requirements they may have. This paper presents the findings of a longitudinal multi-method study involving 112 developers and clinicians co-designing an XAI solution for a clinical decision support system. Our study identifies three key differences between developer and clinician mental models of XAI, including opposing goals (model interpretability vs. clinical plausibility), different sources of truth (data vs. patient), and the role of exploring new vs. exploiting old knowledge. Based on our findings, we propose design solutions that can help address the XAI conundrum in healthcare, including the use of causal inference models, personalized explanations, and ambidexterity between exploration and exploitation mindsets. Our study highlights the importance of considering the perspectives of both developers and clinicians in the design of XAI systems and provides practical recommendations for improving the effectiveness and usability of XAI in healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Although the importance of motivation to successful rehabilitation is frequently acknowledged in the aphasia literature, little evidence-based guidance has been provided on how to support it. The purpose of this tutorial is to introduce a well-validated theory of motivation, self-determination theory (SDT); explain its role as the foundation for the FOURC model of collaborative goal setting and treatment planning; and explain how it may be applied during rehabilitation to support the motivation of people with aphasia. Method: We provide an overview of SDT, explore the link between motivation and psychological wellness, and discuss how psychological needs are addressed in SDT and the FOURC model. Concrete examples from aphasia therapy are used to illustrate main concepts. Conclusions: SDT offers tangible guidance for supporting motivation and wellness. SDT-based practices support positive forms of motivation, which is one of the targets of FOURC. An understanding of SDT’s theoretical foundation will help clinicians maximize the impact of collaborative goal setting and aphasia therapy more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although disabling tinnitus is a chronic auditory phantom sensation, current knowledge on time perception (i.e., subjective time) in sufferers is limited and unsystematic. This theoretical analysis provides a first approach to this topic, highlighting the heterogeneity of time perception in humans as shown in various research areas. This heterogeneity is inherently related to goal attainment. Our immediate perception of time is restricted to present moment and recent past, whereas our sense of time is mostly future-oriented and represented as our past in a mental time line. The heterogeneity of time translates into a tension between anticipated changes one wants to see happen and full commitment that is required to goal attainment. Tinnitus sufferers are intensely aware of this tension in their selfperception. Their most compelling desire is that they no longer perceive tinnitus, but they get closer to this goal only by avoiding to put all their thoughts into it. Our analysis provides new perspectives on acceptance of tinnitus in relation to this time paradox. Building on the Tolerance model and the role of self-awareness in time perception, we contend that the main way for patients to gain long-term self-confidence is to engage in the present moment. Attention to this attitude is obscured in chronic sufferers by worries and ruminations associated with the ongoing presence of tinnitus. We provide arguments that time perception is a social perception, emphasizing the role of rewarding interactions in helping sufferers to overcome the feeling of being prevented from living in the moment. In the course of improvement towards acceptance, different changes in time perception are hypothesized that promote individuals’ disengagement from unattainable goal (i.e., tinnitus suppression). A framework for future research is proposed, which distinguishes individuals’ behaviors and associated emotions in relation to the time paradox. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why you should read this article: • To enhance your knowledge of how to teach self-care to patients with long-term conditions • To understand how patients learn and how to determine what their learning priorities are • To contribute towards revalidation as part of your 35 hours of CPD (UK readers) • To contribute towards your professional development and local registration renewal requirements (non-UK readers) Community and primary care nursing offer scope for teaching self-care to patients. Patients with long-term conditions can find it helpful to receive carefully targeted teaching designed to support them to manage and live with their condition as well as possible. Providing person-centred care involves equipping patients with the knowledge, skills, confidence and motivation to become partners in their own care. This article explores how community-based nurses can enhance their teaching of self-care to patients, including by understanding how patients learn and determining patients' learning priorities. The article describes three teaching techniques and suggests a framework for evaluating patients' progress towards their learning goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite their negative connotation, and the pervasiveness of blue-sky, outside-the-box thinking metaphors, constraints are at the heart of creativity. Using a multidisciplinary approach, as part of the Integrated Constraints in Creativity (IConIC) model, I propose that creative outcomes emerge from the successful leveraging of different types of constraints. I introduce a new, constraint-based definition of creativity, grounded in categorization theory, and parsimonious taxonomies of constraints based on which I outline testable predictions and corroborating evidence. I argue that constraints differ in terms of their flexibility (fixed, faux-fixed, or flexible) and functions (exclusionary or focusing), and in terms of whether they apply to the problem search time or the problem search space. Within the search space, constraints can refer to specific concepts or categories. I also advance a distinction between creativity maximizers and satisficers as a function of creativity goals, semantic networks, expertise, and the new constructs of constraint leveraging power and constraint leveraging mindset, that help to explain differences in successful integration of constraints for creativity and creative achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For decades, results of international academic assessments have shown that students in the Confucian cultural circle performed outstandingly well. However, many studies also showed that East Asian students often experienced high pressure and had low interest in academic learning. The "high achievement but low interest" phenomenon has aroused great interest in psychologists and educators. From the emic perspective of cultural psychology, this theoretical article aims to propose (1) a dual-mode framework of achievement goals to conceptualize the motivation for academic learning and (2) two kinds of effort beliefs (obligation-oriented and improvement-oriented belief about effort) students may develop when pursuing academic achievement in societies influenced by Confucian heritage culture. Moreover, a series of empirical studies based on the framework are presented in this article to show that (1) Chinese students' academic striving is motivated not only by their interest but also by role obligation or virtue of effort, (2) students' effort beliefs could predict their learning emotion and behavioral tendency, and (3) students' effort beliefs could be influenced by their parents' and teachers' effort beliefs. The theoretical and practical implications of the framework are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is possible to accomplish multiple goals when available resources are abundant, but when the tasks are difficult and resources are limited, it is better to focus on one task and complete it successfully than to divide your efforts and fail on both. Previous research has shown that people rarely apply this logic when faced with prioritizing dilemmas. The pairs of tasks in previous research had equal utility, which according to some models, can disrupt decision-making. We investigated whether the equivalence of two tasks contributes to suboptimal decisions about how to prioritize them. If so, removing or manipulating the arbitrary nature of the decision between options should facilitate optimal decisions about whether to focus effort on one goal or divide effort over two. Across all three experiments, however, participants did not appropriately adjust their decisions with task difficulty. The only condition in which participants adopted a strategy that approached optimal was when they had voluntarily placed more reward on one task over the other. For the task that was more rewarded, choices were modified more effectively with task difficulty. However, participants were more likely to choose to distribute rewards equally than unequally. The results demonstrate that situations involving choices between options with equal utility are not avoided and are even slightly preferred over unequal options, despite unequal options having larger potential gains and leading to more effective prioritizing strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic cheating, a common and consequential form of dishonesty, has puzzled moral psychologists and educators for decades. The present research examined a new theoretical approach to the perceptions, evaluations, and motivations that shape students' decisions to cheat. We tested key predictions of this approach by systematically examining students' accounts of their own cheating. In two studies, we interviewed undergraduates in psychology (n = 68) and engineering (n = 123) classes about their past experiences with plagiarism or other cheating. Interviews assessed students' perceptions of whether they were cheating, their evaluations of whether their actions were okay, and their motivations for doing what they did. Most students did not initially recognize their acts as cheating. While students generally thought cheating was wrong, they often judged the exceptional cases in which they cheated to be acceptable, citing concerns such as assignment goals and task feasibility. The findings suggest that perceptions, evaluations, and competing motivations play a key role in students' decisions to cheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autonomy support is a concept that is derived from self-determination theory. Autonomy refers to the freedom to act as one chooses. The current study aimed to examine if autonomy support was associated with dried blood spot validated pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) adherence, and whether the association was mediated by PrEP adherence goal setting and progress toward PrEP adherence goals. Our sample was drawn from Black men who have sex with men (MSM) from across three cities (Chapel Hill, NC; Los Angeles, CA; and Washington, DC) in the United States between February 2013 and September 2014. We used logistic regression to evaluate associations between study variables and path analysis to test mediation effects. Participants were, on average, 28 [standard deviation (SD) = 1.12] years old and 25% were unemployed. We found that MSM who experienced high autonomy support were more likely to adhere to PrEP [odds ratio (OR) = 1.17; 95% confidence interval: 1.00–1.38]. MSM who set PrEP adherence goals were more likely to adhere to PrEP. Moreover, MSM who reported making progress toward their goals were also more likely to adhere to PrEP. Finally, client perception of coordination quality enhanced the magnitude of the association between goal setting and goal progress and the effect size of goal progress on PrEP adherence. Autonomy support, goal setting, goal monitoring/evaluation, and care coordination quality influenced PrEP adherence among Black MSM. Our findings indicate that while it is important to set goals for PrEP adherence, goal setting may need to be accompanied by progress monitoring to achieve the maximal effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research was to develop and test the Regulatory Goals and Strategies Questionnaire (RGSQ) to promote conceptual and empirical clarity in the literature on regulatory focus theory (RFT). According to RFT, construing an end‐state as a maximal goal (ideal, gain, and advancement) elicits the adoption of an eager promotion‐focused strategy, whereas construing an end‐state as a minimal goal (ought, non‐loss, and security) elicits the adoption of a vigilant prevention‐focused strategy. This means that promotion‐focused eagerness and prevention‐focused vigilance can be elicited by various goals and that eager and vigilant strategies are in fact separate from goals. However, extant measurement instruments have not treated them as such. The RGSQ was developed to distinguish various maximal and minimal goals and to separate these goals from promotion‐ and prevention‐focused strategies of eagerness and vigilance. Across three studies that combine six samples (total N = 1848), we examined the factor structure and nomological network of the RGSQ (Study 1: four samples of students and adults) and its predictive validity in a task context (Study 2) and working sample (Study 3). Overall, we found support for the RGSQ's validity and demonstrated that the RGSQ operationalizes regulatory focus in accordance with the theory's core assumptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anterior Cruciate Ligament rehabilitation is a lengthy process and requires appropriate goal setting strategies to help optimize patient and athlete outcomes. From a global perspective, ACL injury incidences are continuing to rise, with Australia and the USA having one of the highest incidences of ACL injury rates in the athletic population. In addition, physiotherapists are expected by their professional regulatory body to effectively use goal setting practices. Theoretical Goal Setting Model consisting of three phases: 1) Pre goal setting phase (empower); 2) goal implementation phase (strive); and 3) goal evaluation phase (attain). This model provides physiotherapists with a useful process so that key aspects of setting goals are considered and incoporporated. This model showcases a necessary path a physiotherapist and patient must journey together in order to enhance rehabilitation outcomes. This model will also advance the physiotherapists' awareness of the multi-stages of the patients goal desires, intentions and commitment to their rehabilitation. This model is a preliminary attempt to guide both practice, teaching, and research to ensure that goal setting practices in ACL rehabilitation are given an appropriate rehabilitative platform. The next stage is to empirically validate the practical application of the model and how each phase manifests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One factor that may help avoid treatment failure by premature termination is the therapist's responsiveness to the patient's coaching. Coaching refers to the patient's efforts to inform and guide the therapist about the kinds of therapist behaviors, attitudes, and interventions that would advance the therapy. The case of Barb, from a naturalistic study of time-limited psychotherapy, was examined as a failed treatment due to premature termination. Using a case study approach, descriptive analysis of the therapy process, along with quantitative ratings of coaching and responsiveness, was employed to examine instances of patient coaching with corresponding therapist responsiveness. Analysis indicated that the patient attempted to coach the therapist throughout each session about her plan for treatment and the responses she sought from the therapist. The therapist's responses were only partially aligned––and in some instances not at all aligned––with the patient's coaching. The disparity between the patient's coaching and the therapist's responsiveness was widest in the two sessions immediately prior to termination. This case study indicates that patients may coach therapists in order to avoid treatment failure. Therapists who attend to patient coaching and modify their responsiveness may be better able to sustain treatment and help patients achieve therapeutic goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Less than half of stroke survivors will be able to use their arm at 6 months post-stroke. Guidelines recommend the use of intensive upper limb exercise programs to optimize recovery; however, there has been limited research exploring experiences of participation in intensive programs. To identify factors influencing adherence to an intensive upper limb exercise program in people with stroke. Qualitative design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 stroke survivors who had participated in an intensive upper limb program. Perspectives of participation, including perceived barriers and enablers to program adherence were explored. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and imported into NVivo for analysis. Two authors mapped themes to the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behavior (COM-B) behavior change model to identify barriers and enablers to adherence. Enablers influencing adherence included: 1) routine practice times (Motivation – automatic); 2) accountability to staff (Motivation – reflective); and 3) social support (Opportunity – social). Barriers to adherence included: 1) exercises being too difficult (Capability - physical); 2) reliance on others to help (Capability - physical); and 3) difficulty 'fitting it in' (Motivation – reflective). Findings will inform recommendations for the delivery of intensive upper limb exercise programs to improve adherence and assist services to provide rehabilitation in a manner that enables self-directed practice by stroke survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing body of evidence suggests sport supplement use is positively related to doping likelihood, both directly and indirectly via beliefs that sport supplements are effective for improving performance. However, it is unclear what leads an athlete to use sport supplements and whether such factors play a role in the supplement-beliefs-doping relationship. To address this issue, we examined whether motivational goal orientations were related to doping likelihood directly and indirectly via sport supplement use and sport supplement beliefs. Competitive athletes (N = 362, 39% female, mean ± SD; age = 23.6 ± 10.3 years, hours per week training = 5.8 ± 2.1, years competing = 5.8 ± 5.4) from a range of sports (e.g. athletics, soccer, weightlifting) completed an online survey measuring task and ego goal orientation, sport supplement use, sport supplement beliefs, and doping likelihood. Results indicated that ego orientation, but not task orientation, was indirectly related to doping likelihood via sport supplement use and sport supplement beliefs. This suggests that athletes who are ego oriented are more likely to use supplements, believe supplements are effective, and dope. These data suggest that researchers should consider ego goal orientations when interpreting relationships between sport supplement use and doping likelihood. Highlights Ego orientation is related to doping likelihood via sport supplement use and beliefs. Task orientation is not related to doping likelihood via sport supplement use and beliefs. Ego-orientated athletes using sport supplements may be more likely to dope. Researchers should consider ego goal orientation when interpreting relationships between sport supplement use and doping likelihood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines how the relationship between passion for an ideology and violent activism is magnified by the personal (vs. collective) loss of significance. In Study 1 (N = 238), the relationship between obsessive (but not harmonious) passion for the Republican Party and violent activism was moderated by personal (but not collective) loss of significance. Study 2 (N = 612) replicated these findings with an experimental manipulation of personal and collective loss of significance in a sample of Black Lives Matter supporters. In Study 3 (N = 416), we set out to attenuate the obsessive passion–violent activism relationship by experimentally manipulating personal and collective significance gain. Echoing the results of Studies 1 and 2, the manipulation of personal (but not collective) significance gain reduced the relationship between obsessive passion for the environmental cause and violent activism. Furthermore, Study 3 examined the psychological mechanism at play by incorporating a measure of goal‐shielding – a factor of theoretical relevance to explain extreme behaviour. Personal significance gain reduced individuals' proclivity to inhibit goals unrelated to their ideological pursuit, which in turn reduced their support for violent activism. These findings reveal psychological factors relevant to detecting at‐risk individuals and implementing cost‐effective prevention programmes against ideological violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Missed appointments pose significant challenges to the health care system as they contribute to the inefficient use of resources, increase costs, and result in poor outcomes. The aim of this project was to reduce the rate of missed adult psychotherapy appointments by implementing a Psychiatric‐Mental Health Nurse Practitioner‐initiated telephone orientation protocol (TOP). Design: Quasi‐experimental. Methods: The TOP intervention combined an attendance policy review, psychoeducation, and motivational interviewing techniques. Missed appointment rates were compared before and after initiation of the TOP. Findings: The TOP significantly reduced the rates of missed appointments by 55% over 12 weeks. Practice implications: The TOP can be implemented as standard care to increase client engagement, improve appointment attendance, and boost clinician productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To successfully navigate their social world, humans need to understand and map enduring relationships between people: Humans need a concept of social affiliation. Here I propose that the initial concept of social affiliation, available in infancy, is based on the extent to which one individual consistently takes on the goals and needs of another. This proposal grounds affiliation in intuitive psychology, as formalized in the naive-utility-calculus model. A concept of affiliation based on interpersonal utility adoption can account for findings from studies of infants' reasoning about imitation, similarity, helpful and fair individuals, "ritual" behaviors, and social groups without the need for additional innate mechanisms such as a coalitional psychology, moral sense, or general preference for similar others. I identify further tests of this proposal and also discuss how it is likely to be relevant to social reasoning and learning across the life span. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grit, a personality trait characterized by having passion and perseverance for long‐term goals, has been linked to increased performance, retention, and well‐being in various fields. In the 15 years since the original grit scale was published, many studies have investigated factors that promote grit. However, a scale has not yet been developed measuring characteristics that can contribute to higher levels of grit. This study aimed to develop a novel scale to measure the psychological resources of grit. The Delphi technique was used to obtain consensus from a national and international panel of academics and practitioners who are experts in grit and related constructs. A total of 30 participants rated 100 scale items over three rounds of online surveys. Experts agreed that items selected for the final scale (n = 20) were essential, with 85% rating them as important or very important. The scale, called the Grit Psychological Resources Scale, has promise as a helpful tool for practitioners involved in staff development and building capabilities that contribute to goal achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Despite declines in physical and cognitive functioning, older adults report higher levels of emotional well-being (Charles, S. T. & Carstensen, L. L. (2010). Social and emotional aging. Annual Review of Psychology, 61, 383–409. doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.093008.100448). Motivational accounts suggest that differences in goals lead to age-related differences in affect through differences in emotion regulation behaviors, but evidence for age differences in emotion regulation strategy use is inconsistent. Emotion regulation tactics (i.e. how a strategy is implemented) may reveal greater age differences. Specifically, this study tested whether older adults rely more on positivity-seeking or negativity-avoidance tactics and whether goals alter tactic use. Methods An adult lifespan sample (ages 18–90, N = 211) completed 3 different emotion regulation tasks while being assigned to 1 of 4 goal conditions: just view, information-seeking, increase-positive, or decrease-negative. Three tactics were measured—positivity-seeking, negativity-avoidance, and negativity-seeking—by comparing time spent engaging with positive, negative, and neutral stimuli. Results Goal instructions only influenced tactic use and affective outcomes in some instances. Instead, younger adults tended to consistently prefer positivity-seeking tactics and older adults preferred negativity-avoidance tactics. Discussion Older age may be characterized more by an avoidance of negativity than engagement with positivity; manipulation of goals may not modify these age-related tendencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to employ the theoretical domains framework (TDF) to identify behaviour change factors related to leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) in spinal cord injury (SCI) ambulators. A cross-sectional design was employed. Among 43 SCI ambulators, the TDF behaviour change factors were assessed, along with the duration, types, and intensities of LTPA performed over the previous week. The TDF behaviour change factors identified as barriers to LTPA included: knowledge, beliefs about capabilities, coping planning, and goal conflict. Approximately 71.81 mins/day (SD = 75.41) was spent doing LTPA. Participants reported aerobic and resistance training activities, along with several other types of LTPA (e.g., rock climbing). Coping planning, action planning, goal conflict, and skills explained significant variance in time spent on LTPA (R2adjusted = 0.259, p < 0.01), but only action planning uniquely predicted LTPA. Greater use of coping and action planning, lower levels of goal conflict and stronger skills were associated with greater participation in LTPA. These factors will be targeted for a future LTPA-enhancing intervention for SCI ambulators, informed by behaviour change theory. SCI ambulators participate in a surprisingly wide range of LTPA. Rehabilitation specialists can use this list to suggest activities for patients with SCI who ambulate. Barriers to leisure-time physical activity for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) who ambulate include lack of knowledge, weak beliefs about capabilities, lack of coping planning, and high goal conflict. Physical activity interventions for individuals with SCI who ambulate should include action and coping planning, goal conflict, and skills. Physical activity interventions should be created systematically using behaviour change theory and involvement of stakeholders throughout the development process. Practitioners can promote skills training in adapted activities like gardening, cycling, and rock-climbing for ambulators with SCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Signs of Safety (SofS) is a popular framework for child protection social work practice, used in more than 200 jurisdictions worldwide. Although workers tend to find SofS tools easy to use, skilled application of the approach is challenging, and research has found that SofS is often not implemented as intended. This study aimed to deepen and inform the explanation (initial theory) of what key SofS tools and processes are expected to achieve in the family–worker interaction and why. A realist synthesis was used, involving a realist review of literature and focus groups with 22 international SofS experts. Using self‐determination theory, we detail how SofS can be conceptualized as aiming to support families to experience 'autonomous' rather than 'controlled' motivation by supporting basic human needs for 'autonomy' (feeling a sense of volition), 'competence' (feeling effective) and 'relatedness' (feeling cared for). This explanation can be used for training and evaluation purposes to better explain and test how SofS expects to engage families in the child protection process. More broadly, we suggest that self‐determination theory may contribute a mechanistic explanation of effective social work practice more generally and that this hypothesis should be empirically investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mass media portrayal of a muscular body type ideal has been increasingly tied to men's body image dissatisfaction. We examined the role of self‐determination theory's intrinsic life goals within this body image ideal and its potential as a moderator of this dissatisfaction. We first tested the moderating effect of intrinsic life goals on the link between magazine consumption and body image dissatisfaction via an online questionnaire (Study 1; N = 826), then experimentally manipulated these goals and exposure to images of muscular male models (Study 2; N = 150). A robust protective effect of intrinsic goals on body image satisfaction was observed – the relationship between magazine consumption and body image dissatisfaction was only significant among individuals with a lower level of intrinsic life goal orientation. When participants' intrinsic goals were momentarily heightened, they reported significantly less body image dissatisfaction, compared to those not receiving a strengthening of these goals. The results are the first to find a protective effect of intrinsic life goals on men's body image, and have important implications for intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research demonstrates that the self-expressive customization of a product can improve performance on tasks performed using the customized product. Five studies show that the effect is robust across different types of tasks (e.g., persistence tasks, concentration tasks, agility tasks). The evidence further shows that the effect is not due to changes in product efficacy beliefs, feelings of competence, feelings of accomplishment, mood, task desirability, goal activation, or goal attainability. Instead, the self-expressive customization of a product extends an identity (e.g., personal identity, group identity) into the product. When the product is subsequently used to pursue a goal whose desired outcome can affirm the extended identity, performance improves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imagining future events is a crucial cognitive process in adaptation, but impairments have been identified in a range of mental disorders. Taking a functional approach to future thinking, this paper reports on the development and deployment of a scale to assess the frequency of self-reported functions of future thinking: The Functions of Future Thinking Scale (FoFTS). In Study 1 (N = 565) items were developed and subjected to exploratory factor analysis. Ten factors were extracted representing distinct purposes of future thinking: Boredom Reduction, Death Preparation, Identity Contrasting, Negative Emotion Regulation, Social Bonding, Goal Setting, Planning, Problem-Solving, Decision-Making, and Positive Emotion Regulation. Construct, convergent and divergent validity were established. The FoFTS predicted unique variance in transdiagnostic variables even after accounting for frequency, attitudes, and clarity of future thought. In Study 2 (N = 467), confirmatory factor analysis showed the 10-factor FoFTS model was an excellent fit to the data. In Study 3 (N = 106) it was shown that participants with probable major depression, relative to non-depressed participants, reported a significantly different profile of future thinking for different purposes. In conclusion, the FoFTS can be used to examine future thinking from a functional perspective and may help enrich models of psychopathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]