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The role of the therapist has received growing attention in psychotherapy research, suggesting that training effectiveness may also depend on the person of the trainees, with relevant implications in terms of candidate selection or tailoring training to the person. In the present study, we focused on how and how much psychotherapy training can be effective in fostering trainees’ characteristics associated with successful therapists and contrast trainees’ characteristics that could represent limitations as therapists. The aim was to explore training program directors’ perspectives on individual trainees’ limitations and strengths, and on the effectiveness of training in shaping successful therapists. To this aim, we interviewed 14 training program directors with different psychotherapy approaches. Audio recordings of these semi-structured interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using NVivo software. According to our findings, transversally to different psychotherapy approaches, trainees’ self-awareness and the ability to embrace uncertainty were recognized as the main characteristics of good trainees. Four training elements were fre- quently mentioned by directors as effective in shaping trainees’ development: experiential learning, the use of paradigm that pri- oritizes self-awareness (instead of technique-focused approaches), the centrality of supervision and inter-vision, the trainer-trainee relationship. These insights highlight the importance of trainees’ self-awareness and the ability to embrace uncertainty as potential personal variables that may influence the effectiveness of future psychotherapists and suggest giving attention to experiential learning and training relationships as crucial elements of psychotherapists’ development during the training.

In Morocco, as almost everywhere in the world, the preventive measures induced by the health crisis have forced not only urgent and massive but also radical and permanent changes in school practices. Therefore, digital technology has been introduced as the most appropriate outcome to ensure pedagogical continuity. Apprenticeships and classes, which until then were entirely provided in person, were suddenly turned into an educational model that alternates face-to-face and virtual self-learning courses, at a distance, hence the concept of “hybrid” teaching. Given its abrupt and hasty nature, much has been said about this “hybrid approach”. Some may see it as a fantastic opportunity to promote ICTs, but most consider it very random and even chaotic. With that being said, the following contribution aims to study the hybridization of FLE teaching/learning as it has been implemented by some high schools in Kenitra during the pandemic (school year 2020/2021) to analyze its effects and main factors, before giving suggestions to improve and take full advantage of this learning system.

The start of higher vocational education and training is a new stage for students with a challenge between theoretical classes and the new expectations and demands of companies during the internship period. To understand some of the implications of stress on cyberloafing, we can distinguish between stress perceived as an obstacle that can be overcome – challenge stress – or as a threat that can block work performance – obstacle stress – and stress perceived as an obstacle that can be overcome – challenge stress – or as a threat that can block work performance – obstacle stress-. The aim of this research is to find out the relationships between challenge-obstacle stress in Cyberloafing, as well as the moderating effect of Smartphone Addiction and Maladaptive. In this study, the Challenge-Hindrance Stressors, Smartphone addiction scale-short version (SAS-SV) instrument, the Maladaptive subscale of the Cognitive Emotional Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) and Cyberloafing were applied to 403 upper-level vocational training students from different secondary schools in all provinces of the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain, distributed throughout the provinces that make up this autonomous community. The findings show that students’ challenge stressors do not increase Cyberloafing, enabling them to cope with the academic demands and work challenges during the theory and internship period. On the contrary, obstacle stressors generate stressful situations that undermine the acquisition of objectives and development of academic competences. In our research we observe that challenge-obstacle stressors have a disparate influence on cyberloafing. Challenge stressors are negatively related to Maladaptive. The same is not true for obstacle stressors.

Challenge based learning is not generally considered part of positive education. This study argues that challenge based learning should be considered and integrated with positive education to advance it from three perspectives. First, the aims of both educational approaches emphasize the promotion of engagement, meaning, achievement, and learning. Second, empirical studies suggest that challenge based learning is likely to enhance well-being and learning outcomes, aligning with positive education’s impact. Third, incorporating challenge based learning in positive education will likely address multiple criticisms of positive education and help advance it by incorporating real-life challenges, meaningful contexts, experiential learning, collective perspectives, and educational studies. To advance positive education, more empirical studies should be conducted on the impact of challenge based learning on well-being to fill the research gap in quantity, scope of variables, and longitudinal studies, with due consideration of its variety in implementation. Furthermore, innovative integration of challenge based learning and existing positive education interventions should be explored based on comparative analyses of both approaches to develop positive education that enables learners to flourish with challenges at the individual and collective levels. Positive education that explicitly incorporates challenges is called the positive education of challenge. To advance the positive education of challenge, more educational approaches (other than challenge based learning) that focus on challenges (e.g., challenge courses and pedagogy of challenge) should also be explored for integration with positive education.

A large body of evidence highlights the importance of psycho-behavioural skills as a key feature of talent development in sport. The purpose of this study was to explore pedagogic intentions of coaches in the psychological development of athletes. Eleven coaches were purposefully sampled for interview based on a track record of expert practice. Using reflexive thematic analysis, three overarching themes were generated as representing the coaches’ work: knowing and shaping the athlete’s needs, purposeful breadth and flexibility of teaching approaches, using challenge to test skill development, and the necessity of review and refinement. Reflecting these data, we suggest the need for an increased appreciation of the role of the sports coach beyond the technical and tactical, with the recommendation that coaches build their knowledge and skillset across a breadth of domains to support the psychological development of athletes more effectively.

Electronic sport has seen substantial growth in market value and popularity in the last 10 years. With this growth has come the pursuit of elite esports performance, especially from a psychological perspective. This study aimed to investigate potential variations in self-regulation levels among athletes of different levels (national vs. student), compare the self-regulation profiles of CS:GO players in the current study to an international sample of e’athletes and to assess the predictive capacity of self-regulation on performance outcomes. A total of 53 esports athletes (student competitors, n = 27 and national-level CS:GO competitors, n = 26), participated in an experiment exploring self-regulation, DRES, and action performance. Furthermore, analysis comparing our collective findings against a larger global sample of e’athletes (n = 993) was conducted. Results demonstrated that CS:GO players who displayed higher levels of self-regulation tended to perceive stressful situations as challenges, consequently showcasing superior accuracy and time trial performance. In contrast, individuals with lower self-regulation tended to perceive such situations as threats, which correlated with less favorable performance outcomes. On a broader scale, the study observed that CS:GO competitors generally exhibited lower levels of self-regulation when compared to the larger global sample. Furthermore, self-regulation was identified as a mediating variable in the relationship between stress appraisal and performance, suggesting that improved self-regulation skills can lead to enhanced accuracy and quicker time trial performance. This may imply that competitors with greater self-regulatory abilities perceive themselves as having more personal resources, enabling them to effectively assess challenging situations and employ problem-focused coping strategies. Overall, this research underscores the significance of self-regulation in optimizing esports performance, while providing valuable insights for player development, action performance, and overall outcomes in the field.

The article talks about the need to develop critical thinking among students in general, and, in particular, considers the issue of developing critical thinking of students in foreign language classes, using the example of German language classes. It is emphasized that since the beginning of a full-scale war, this issue has gained considerable importance, because a critical way of thinking makes it possible to analyse the information received, make the right decisions, resist information pressure, and be tolerant of the opinions of opponents. The purpose of the article is to reveal the need for the development of critical thinking in students during foreign language classes in institutions of higher education, as well as to analyse the peculiarities of the implementation of some methods and forms of education that ensure the development of critical thinking in students during foreign language classes using the example of German language classes. The work uses both general scientific and linguistic research methods, namely: theoretical (analysis, synthesis and generalization of the latest research and publications); empirical (observation of the educational process); experimental (studying the results of students’ activities). The article defines the concept of “critical thinking” and analyses the latest research and publications on this issue. Three stages of development of critical thinking are characterized: challenge, implementation, and reflection. The methods and forms of development of critical thinking are considered, namely: discussions, disputes, and debates, role-playing games, press conferences, talk shows, etc. Some of them are analysed. The role of the teacher in this process is emphasized. There are five rules of a creative teacher. An authentic textbook on the German language is offered, which, according to the authors, contributes to the development of critical thinking in students. Word games in German are offered, which also contribute to the development of critical thinking. It is noted that mastering the habit of critical thinking has many advantages, including a deep understanding of one’s own values and needs, the ability to make quick decisions, the ability to resist information pressure (which is very powerful nowadays), as well as a tolerant attitude to the opinions of others. The successful implementation of critical thinking development technology during foreign language classes in institutions of higher education contributes to students’ acquisition of skills and knowledge that go beyond the subject of a foreign language. Critical thinking gives not only comprehensive knowledge of a set of topics, but also forms a special worldview, helps to find out the causes of the origin of such knowledge, and forms the ability to predict consequences. During the practical use of this technology in German classes, we managed to activate the educational process, arouse students’ interest in studying certain topics, and increase motivation. Students learned large volumes of information without boredom and fatigue due to the variety of tasks. In the conditions of joint creative work, partnership relations were formed between the students and the teacher. It is emphasized that the introduction of technology for the development of critical thinking will help students determine themselves in their personal, professional, and social life, and will increase their competitiveness in the global labour market.

This study investigates the challenges ahead of education during the corona pandemic by pursuing an analytical and inferential research methodology. Education has been sometimes controlled by governments, churches, modernity, and, in recent ages, ideologies, while it is apparently constrained by the coronavirus at present. According to the analysis of this research, education has not only been influenced by the lack of facilities at Corona days but also controlled by the reflections inherited from the pre-corona period. That is, education faces challenges when an educational system and its activists enter this interim with their pre-corona mentalities pertaining to education. In fact, whenever self-control is not already taught and thus not practiced, individuals’ agencies are neglected, and hence controlling perspectives govern the normal conditions of education, this system can experience intricacies. Therefore, explaining and perceiving educational goals, rethinking and developing new narratives of education, and reviewing the meanings and concepts of the class, teacher/learner rights and responsibilities, attendance, parents’ challenges as nonprofessional assistants of education, and, ultimately, agency-based evaluation are the factors whose accentuation pave the way for leaving behind these challenges.

Background: Challenges in the field of education show their deconstructive presence and have a dramatic and sometimes negative impact on students' psyche, ethics and behavior. The impact of methods, practices and changes, the education system faces many challenges in various fields such as educational-ethical challenges.Objectives: The present study examines students' experiences of facing the educational-ethical challenges of depression and suicide.Methods: The research method is qualitative and has been done using phenomenological method. The statistical population of this study includes all female high school students in Ahvaz. After identifying the educational-ethical challenges, 20 students were purposefully selected for the interview according to the available samples in the field of depression challenges and suicide (suicide attempt). In the field of saturation depression challenge after 12 people and in the suicide challenge (suicide attempt) after 13 people saturation. Identification of educational-ethical challenges is in accordance with the reports sent by Ahvaz District 2 school counselors to the counseling core of that district. The three-step recour method was used to analyze the interview data. The steps include raw reading or simple comprehension, structural analysis, and total interpretation.Results: Includes 5 main themes of causes of depression, methods of coping with depression, main causes of suicide, pretending to attempt suicide, students' feelings about suicide and 14 sub-themes.Conclusion: Students face many educational-ethical challenges. Challenges that are not rooted in their subconscious thoughts, but are rooted in untested assumptions and misconceptions.

Psikoterapi Islam merupakan salah teknik psikoterapi yang berkembang pesat saat ini, baik di Indonesia maupun di beberapa negara lainnya. Hal ini disebabkan tingginya antusiasme para ilmuwan untuk mengembangkan psikoterapi Islam serta tingginya antusiasme masyarakat untuk menggunakannya. Studi ini bertujuan untuk merumuskan peluang dan tantangan psikoterapi Islam. Hal ini penting untuk membantu perkembangan psikoterapi Islam agar menjadi teknik psikoterapi yang lebih mapan. Dengan menggunakan metode kajian literatur dan berpikir reflektif, studi ini menemukan sejumlah peluang dan tantangan psikoterapi Islam. Peluang psikoterapi Islam adalah psikoterapi Islam menyasar pada berbagai aspek yang lebih komprehensif, berdasarkan teks keagamaan yang dianggap sempurna, serta tingginya animo masyarakat. Adapun tantangan psikoterapi Islam yaitu kualifikasi psikoterapis Islam dan etika psikoterapi Islam belum dirumuskan dengan jelas dan baku; rentan bersifat normatif dan cenderung penghakiman; berpotensi menyentuh ranah perbedaan pendapat (khilafiyah); menuntut individu menguasai ilmu ijtihad dalam memformulasikan psikoterapi Islam; terdapat sebagian hal yang kurang dapat diempiriskan dalam psikoterapi Islam; tantangan objektifikasi dan demistifikasi; ancaman objektivitas penelitian; serta kerentanan untuk terseret pada kepentingan tertentu. Sejumlah pihak terkait perlu menindaklanjuti peluang dan tantangan tersebut secara baik.

Activities and processes involving challenges are a natural part of life for most people and are highlighted in times of rapid change and global issues. This article argues that more studies around activities and processes involving challenges should be conducted with a focus on the concept of challenge in the context of well-being and optimal functioning. The concept of challenge is important because it is explicitly embedded in many major themes of positive psychology and can be a key concept in creating perspectives and frameworks to connect and integrate multiple elements in positive psychology to promote advancements in the field. Studying activities and processes involving challenges is also important from the perspective of dialectically integrating the positive and negative elements encompassed in the concept of challenge. The article also proposes to label activities and processes involving challenges as "challengership" and that an interdisciplinary area to study "challengership" (named "challengership studies") should be created, which can collaborate with positive psychology for mutual development. The positive psychology of challenge/challengership is likely to provide opportunities for further advancement of positive psychology by creating more integrated knowledge of how to flourish when faced with challenges individually and collectively. The knowledge created in these areas can also be applied to education, coaching, and training at schools and organizations to meet the needs of the times, where skills of challengership should be considered trainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The “Aghd” period is one of the first stages of the life cycle of Iranian families. Since the “Aghd” period is a period when people are married but have not yet started living together under one roof, it seems necessary to pay attention to this period as the first stage of marriage. The purpose of this study was to investigate the lived experiences of Iranian married people during the “Aghd” period. The present study, which was conducted in 1399, was a qualitative study in which 13 participants (based on the principle of data saturation) were selected by purposive sampling method from the study population, which included people who were in the “Aghd” stage living in Tehran, and with the In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted to identify their lived experiences. Finally, the interviews were analyzed by thematic analysis method and topics such as challenges and developmental tasks were extracted. Challenges included challenges related to the family of origin and the spouse's family, as well as challenges between spouses. According to the participants, the developmental tasks were divided into three categories: developmental tasks related to the couple, developmental tasks related to the families towards the couple, and individual developmental tasks. Finally, it can be concluded that the results of this study and similar studies can be used in designing premarital education packages based on the challenges and developmental tasks of the “Aghd” period.

ObjectiveTo develop a more reliable and comprehensive version of the Parental Facilitation of Mastery Scale (PFMS) METHOD: In Study 1, 387 undergraduates completed an expanded PFMS (PFMS-II) and measures of parenting, perceived control, responses to early life challenges, and psychopathology. In Study 2, 182 trauma-exposed community participants completed the PFMS-II and measures of perceived control, psychopathology, and well-being RESULTS: In Study 1, exploratory factor analysis of the PFMS-II revealed two factors. These factors replicated in Study 2; one item was removed to achieve measurement invariance across race. The final PFMS-II comprised a 10-item overprotection scale and a 7-item challenge scale. In both samples, this measure demonstrated good convergent and discriminant validity and was more reliable than the original PFMS. Parental challenge was a unique predictor of perceived control in both samples CONCLUSION: The PFMS-II is a valid measure of important parenting behaviors not fully captured in other measures.

Mental toughness (MT) is a key psychological variable related to achievement in performance domains and perseverance in challenging circumstances. We sought to understand the lived experiences of mentally tough high-altitude mountaineers, focusing primarily upon decisions to persevere or abort summit attempts. Phenomenological interviews were conducted with 14 mountaineers including guides, expedition leaders, and doctors (Mage = 44 years). A content analysis was employed to identify key themes in the data. Participants emphasized the importance of MT in extreme environments and described rational, flexible, and vigilant decision-making. Turning around without summiting was the toughest decision reported, with recognition of the thin line between persevering and overstretching. In contrast to much MT literature, mountaineers accepted limits, demonstrated restraint, and sacrificed personal goals to aid others. Costly perseverance was also reported with some mountaineers described as "too tough": overcompetitive, goal-obsessed, and biased decision-makers. These findings revealed both benefits and dangers of MT in mountaineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundWe draw on the work of established scholars in the field of reflective practice who highlight its importance as a key cognitive skill for professionals to hold. While the substantive effect of engaging in reflective practice is emphasised in the literature, apparently coaches only spend a limited time learning about and engaging with it.ObjectivesThis study was conducted in two parts: Part 1 examined coaches’ knowledge of reflective practice and ascertained their perceived lack of value and use of reflective practice within their coaching. In response to the unexpected findings in Part 1, in Part 2, we instituted an educational intervention to further these participant coaches’ knowledge of Reflective Practice (RP) and facilitate its integration into their coaching practice.DesignThe present study utilised a mixed method design with semi-structured interviews being conducted in Part 1. A coach development reflective programme inspired by Stimulated Recall approach was implemented in Part 2.ParticipantsTwelve high level coaches were interviewed about their reflective practices in Part 1. In Part 2, the same coaches agreed to participate in the educational intervention for the duration of the project.ResultsFindings from Part 1 revealed an interesting paradox: coaches demonstrated a lack of appreciation for reflective practice yet recounted the positive influence that specific events and individuals had on their practice. In Part 2, to fully develop RP with the present cohort, an educational intervention was conducted. While watching videos of their own practice, coaches initially required lots of prompts from the lead interviewer to facilitate a deep and meaningful discussion of their practice. During the latter stages of the intervention, however, participants were less dependent on questions and prompts.ConclusionIn part 1, the coaches in this study did employ reflection, although they did not label it as such. The qualitative evidence we have gathered enables us to suggest that it is the combination of how to reflect, and against what criteria that makes RP a powerful tool to develop expertise which it has the potential to be. Importantly, however, additional coach education input is necessary for these benefits to be fully realised.

Abstract Background Although many musicians perceive music performance anxiety (MPA) as a significant problem, studies about the psychobiological and performance-related concomitants of MPA are limited. Using the biopsychosocial model of challenge and threat as theoretical framework, we aim to investigate whether musicians’ changes in their psychobiological responses and performance quality from a private to a public performance are moderated by their general MPA level. According to the challenge and threat framework, individuals are in a threat state when the perceived demands of a performance situation outweigh the perceived resources, whereas they are in a challenge state when the perceived resources outweigh the perceived demands. The resources-demands differential (resources minus demands) and the cardiovascular challenge-threat index (sum of cardiac output and reverse scored total peripheral resistance) are the main indices of these states. We postulate that the relationship between general MPA level and performance quality is mediated by these challenge and threat measures. Methods We will test 100 university music students reporting general MPA levels ranging from low to high. They will perform privately (i.e., without audience) and publicly (i.e., with an audience) on two separate days in counterbalanced order. During each performance session, we will record their cardiovascular and respiratory activity and collect saliva samples and self-reported measures. Measures of primary interest are self-reported anxiety, the resources-demands differential, the cardiovascular challenge-threat index, sigh rate, total respiratory variability, partial pressure of end-tidal carbon dioxide and the salivary biomarkers cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone, and alpha-amylase. Both, the participants and anonymous experts will evaluate the performance quality from audio recordings. Discussion The results of the planned project are expected to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the psychobiology of MPA and of the processes that influence musicians’ individual reactions to performance situations. We also anticipate the findings of this project to have important implications for the development and implementation of theory-based interventions aimed at managing musicians’ anxiety and improving performance quality. Thanks to the use of multimethod approaches incorporating psychobiology, it might be possible to better assess the progress and success of interventions and ultimately improve musicians’ chance to have a successful professional career. Trial registration Not applicable.

Life stress is a major predictor of the course of bipolar disorder. Few studies have used laboratory paradigms to examine stress reactivity in bipolar disorder, and none have assessed autonomic reactivity to laboratory stressors. In the present investigation we sought to address this gap in the literature. Participants, 27 diagnosed with bipolar I disorder and 24 controls with no history of mood disorder, were asked to complete a complex working memory task presented as "a test of general intelligence." Self-reported emotions were assessed at baseline and after participants were given task instructions; autonomic physiology was assessed at baseline and continuously during the stressor task. Compared to controls, individuals with bipolar disorder reported greater increases in pretask anxiety from baseline and showed greater cardiovascular threat reactivity during the task. Group differences in cardiovascular threat reactivity were significantly correlated with comorbid anxiety in the bipolar group. Our results suggest that a multimethod approach to assessing stress reactivity-including the use of physiological parameters that differentiate between maladaptive and adaptive profiles of stress responding-can yield valuable information regarding stress sensitivity and its associations with negative affectivity in bipolar disorder. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

This study aimed to investigate the reflections of Iranian students on Ph.D. entrance exam interviews held virtually nationwide during the Pandemic. Two hundred thirty-one Ph.D. applicants were invited to fill out an anonymous online survey designed in Google Forms, 36 out of whom volunteered to participate in follow-up semi-structured interviews. Two ANOVA measures were used to investigate the possible influences of gender and prior virtual interview experience on the applicants’ perceptions. Thematic analysis was also adopted to explore the participants’ attitudes and perceptions toward virtual interviews (VI). Quantitative findings showed that Iranian Ph.D. applicants perceived VI as a flexible and helpful procedure that provided them with satisfactory interpersonal treatment. Still, they did not favor the procedure’s perceived behavioral control and ability to communicate information to perform procedural justice. Moreover, neither their gender nor their prior experience of the virtual interview was a predictor of their perspectives’ discrepancies. The thematic analysis of the qualitative data revealed that despite having some cognitive, personal, and financial benefits, VI posed some technical, communicative, and personal challenges. This study provides implications for universities and applicants who will use VI for different purposes in higher education.

Working memory (WM) is crucial for reasoning, learning, decision-making and academic achievement. In diverse contexts, how a task is framed pertaining to its demands and consequences can influence participants' task performance by modifying their cognitive appraisals. However, less is known about the effect of task framing on WM performance and the mechanisms. This study examined whether opportunity- and risk-focused task framing would influence university students' WM performance by altering their cognitive appraisals and affective experiences. Ninety-seven university students were randomly assigned to one of the three framing conditions (Opportunity, Risk, vs. Null), and received instructions that differed in consequences (gain for top performers, loss for poor performers, vs. null), goals (approach, avoidance, vs. neutral), and feedback on personal competence (adequate, inadequate, vs. null). Challenge and threat appraisals, affect, and WM performance were measured before and after task framing. Results showed that opportunity-focused task framing improved students' WM performance, whilst risk-focused task framing increased threat appraisal and decreased positive affect, and that challenge appraisal was not altered in any condition. Female students were influenced by task framing to a greater extent than were male students. Mediation analysis revealed that the alteration of threat appraisal and the change in positive affect mediated the effect of task framing on WM performance. Findings highlight the important role of modifying cognitive appraisals and affective responses in optimizing cognitive performance.

The purpose of the study is to analyze the current situation of ideological and political education and psychological education of college students, and explore the challenges faced by these two kinds of education in the information age. First, different research methods, such as literature research, questionnaire survey, and interdisciplinary research, are used to investigate and study the current situation of ideological and political education and psychological education of college students. Second, the survey data are analyzed to reveal the challenges they have encountered. The results show that there are many problems in ideological and political education, which need to be improved and strengthened. The Internet has a strong attraction for college students, but the purpose of getting online of many college students is not clear. Although it plays an important role in improving teaching quality by helping college students establish correct attitudes toward their study, values, life, and society, ideological and political education lack strong pertinence and effectiveness due to the professionalism of the teachers. And the negative impact of network information on ideological and political education of college students is also obvious. About 11.4% of the respondents believe that network information affects their physical and mental health. About 8.4% of the respondents believe that harmful information on the network is easy to induce students to behave wrongly. About 41% believe that computer games distract them from learning, which indicates that the negative impact of network information on college students cannot be underestimated, and it is imperative to strengthen the ideological and political education of college students. The research provides a useful reference for the ideological and political and psychological education in the information environment and helps to solve the problem in the ideological and political education and psychological education of college students.

Conditions of low and high perceived control often lead to boredom, albeit for different reasons. Whereas, high perceived control may be experienced as boring because the situation lacks challenge, low perceived control may be experienced as boring because the situation precludes effective engagement. In two experiments we test this proposed quadratic relationship. In the first experiment we had participants play different versions of the children's game “rock-paper-scissors” in which they arbitrarily won (intended to maximize feelings of control) or lost (to induce feelings of low control). Despite having only dichotomous conditions, participants reported experiencing a broad range of levels of perceived control. Consistent with our predictions, boredom was highest at low and high levels of perceived control (i.e., a quadratic relation between perceived control and felt boredom). Experiment 2 tested the notion that the mere prospect of gaining control may mitigate boredom. Participants given to believe (erroneously) that they could gain control over the game of rock, paper, scissors were less bored than those who believed there was no possibility of winning at greater than chance levels. This suggests that beliefs concerning prospective control, rather than a given level of perceived control per se, may predict engagement and boredom.

Migrant children are at high risk for depression, though the exact mechanism is still unclear. This study investigated whether and how different stress mindsets (threat vs. challenge) and coping strategies (avoidant vs. approach) mediated the association between stressful experiences and depression in migrant children, and whether these relationships would be moderated by gender. One hundred and ninety-eight rural-to-urban migrant children (56.0% girls; Mage = 11.8 years) in Beijing, China, completed self-administered measures of stressful experiences, threat and challenge mindsets, coping strategies, and depression. Path analysis was conducted to examine the proposed mediation model. A dual-pathway model of stress coping was discovered: (1) a stress-threat-avoidance-depression pathway, in which threat mindset and avoidant coping mediated the association between stressful experiences and depression, and (2) a challenge-approach-enhancement pathway, in which approach coping mediated the association between challenge mindset and fewer depressive symptoms, without being influenced by stressful experiences. The dual-pathway mechanism did not vary by gender, and it can explain the greater vulnerability of girls to depression. Together, findings suggest that stressful events, threat mindset, and avoidant coping act as risk factors for depression, whereas challenge mindset and approach coping can function as protective factors to counteract the impacts of stressful experiences and promote psychological well-being among migrant children.

The current COVID-19 crisis may have an impact on the mental health of professionals working on the frontline, especially healthcare workers due to the increase of occupational psychosocial risks, such as emotional exhaustion and secondary traumatic stress (STS). This study explored job demands and resources during the COVID-19 crisis in predicting emotional exhaustion and STS among health professionals. The present study is a descriptive and correlational cross-sectional design, conducted in different hospitals and health centers in Spain. The sample consisted of 221 health professionals with direct involvement in treating COVID-19. An online survey was created and distributed nationwide from March 20 to April 15 which assessed: sociodemographic and occupational data, fear of contagion, contact with death/suffering, lack of material and human protection resources (MHRP), challenge, emotional exhaustion, and STS. Descriptive findings show high levels of workload, contact with death/suffering, lack of MHPR and challenge, and are moderately high for fear of contagion, emotional exhaustion, and STS. We found an indirect significant effect of lack of MHPR on predicting (1) emotional exhaustion through the workload and (2) on STS through fear of contagion, contact with death/suffering, and workload. To conclude, this study examines the immediate consequences of the crisis on health professionals' well-being in Spain, emphasizing the job demands related to COVID-19 that health professionals are facing, and the resources available in these health contexts. These findings may boost follow-up of this crisis among health professionals to prevent them from long-term consequences.

Players report losing some games can be as much fun, or more than winning. It is imperative to identify what motivates a player to pursue failure in games due to the importance of many games now used for educational and health purposes. The game's intended outcomes can be entirely undermined if players would rather lose than win the game. To achieve reliable predictions on the win/lose dilemma, we propose a new model of challenge, Dynamic Probability Response, which quantifies the degree and type of challenge. Many previous studies focus on individual differences in play. This study focuses on how different play motivations interact. Three conceptualisations of winning were tested against each other by giving players a mutually exclusive choice between challenge, gratuitous feedback from interaction (juice hypothesis), and compliance with visual cues denoting victory (game value adoption hypothesis). Each potential motivation for play was derived from psychological theory that is prevalent in the game design literature. Using a within-subject ANOVA, the three hypothesised motivations investigated were each individually supported. Some hypotheses about which motivations can disrupt the game's goal were supported. Others were not. The applications of these results to game and simulation design are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic psychological stress is a risk factor for multiple diseases of aging. Accelerated cellular aging as indexed by short telomere length has emerged as a potential common biological mechanism linking various forms of psychological stress and diseases of aging. Stress appraisals determine the degree and type of biological stress responses and altered stress appraisals may be a common psychological mechanism linking psychological stress and diseases of aging. However, no previous studies have examined the relationship between stress appraisals and telomere length. We exposed chronically stressed female caregivers and non-caregiving controls (N=50; M age=62.14±6.10) to a standardized acute laboratory stressor and measured their anticipatory and retrospective threat and challenge appraisals of the stressor. We hypothesized that threat and challenge appraisals would be associated with shorter and longer telomere length respectively, and that chronic caregiving stress would influence telomere length through altered stress appraisals. Higher anticipatory threat appraisals were associated with shorter age-adjusted telomere length (β=-.32, p=.03), but challenge appraisals and retrospective threat appraisals showed no independent association with telomere length. Caregivers reported significantly higher anticipatory (β=-.36, p=.006) and retrospective (β=-.29, p=.03) threat appraisals than controls, but similar challenge appraisals. Although there was no significant main effect of caregiver status on telomere length, caregiving had a significant indirect effect on telomere length through anticipatory threat appraisals. Exaggerated anticipatory threat appraisals may be a common and modifiable psychological mechanism of psychological stress effects on cellular aging.

Chronic psychological stress is a risk factor for multiple diseases of aging. Accelerated cellular aging as indexed by short telomere length has emerged as a potential common biological mechanism linking various forms of psychological stress and diseases of aging. Stress appraisals determine the degree and type of biological stress responses and altered stress appraisals may be a common psychological mechanism linking psychological stress and diseases of aging. However, no previous studies have examined the relationship between stress appraisals and telomere length. We exposed chronically stressed female caregivers and non-caregiving controls (N=50; M age=62.14±6.10) to a standardized acute laboratory stressor and measured their anticipatory and retrospective threat and challenge appraisals of the stressor. We hypothesized that threat and challenge appraisals would be associated with shorter and longer telomere length respectively, and that chronic caregiving stress would influence telomere length through altered stress appraisals. Higher anticipatory threat appraisals were associated with shorter age-adjusted telomere length (β=-.32, p=.03), but challenge appraisals and retrospective threat appraisals showed no independent association with telomere length. Caregivers reported significantly higher anticipatory (β=-.36, p=.006) and retrospective (β=-.29, p=.03) threat appraisals than controls, but similar challenge appraisals. Although there was no significant main effect of caregiver status on telomere length, caregiving had a significant indirect effect on telomere length through anticipatory threat appraisals. Exaggerated anticipatory threat appraisals may be a common and modifiable psychological mechanism of psychological stress effects on cellular aging.

Since its introduction approximately 20 years ago, the Challenge-Hindrance Stress Model (CHM) has been widely accepted both among academic and practitioner audiences. The model posits that workplace stressors can be grouped into two categories. Hindrance stressors will interfere with performance or goals, while challenge stressors contribute to performance opportunities. These two categories of stressors are theorized to exhibit differential relationships with strain, with hindrance stressors being more consistently linked to psychological, physical, or behavioral strain compared to challenge stressors. Despite the popularity of this model, recent evidence suggests that the proposed differential relationship hypothesis has not consistently held true for all types of strain. Thus, a reexamination or modification of this paradigm is clearly warranted. In the present review, we describe existing evidence surrounding the CHM and describe the rationale for a shifting paradigm. We outline recent advances in research using the CHM, such as novel moderators and mediators, the need to explicitly measure challenge and hindrance appraisal and differentiate between hindrance and threat appraisal, the dynamic nature of these appraisals over time, and the recognition that a single stressor could be appraised simultaneously as both a challenge and a hindrance. Finally, we provide recommendations and future research directions for scholars examining stress and stress management through a CHM lens, including recommendations related to study design, the measurement of stressors, the integration of CHM with other models of stress, and interventions for stress management.

This study explored stress and coping in electronic sports (esports) athletes and the influence of mental toughness (MT), as defined by two prominent conceptualizations: the 4/6Cs and Mental Toughness Index (MTI) frameworks. Participants were 316 esports athletes, ranked in the top 40% of one of five major esports: Defense of the Ancients 2, League of Legends (LoL), Counter Strike: Global Offensive, Overwatch and Rainbow Six: Siege. Participants completed the MTI, Mental Toughness Questionnaire 6 (MTQ6), Stress Appraisal Measure, and Brief COPE inventory. Results showed that MT (via both MT frameworks) was associated with perceived control, and MTQ6 subscales were associated with stress intensity. Mental toughness (both frameworks) was associated with the selection of more problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies and less avoidance coping strategies. The results indicate there is some overlap between the MT and stress-coping process in high-performing traditional sports and competitive esports athletes. These results suggest that esports athletes could benefit from sports psychology interventions designed for traditional sports athletes. Finally, the MTQ6 and MTI had low shared variance (20%), suggesting that the two questionnaires appear to measure different aspects of MT.

Changing from elementary to secondary school is a life event that every child has to pass. Previous research has shown that some children feel more threatened by the transition than others. In the present study children’s expectations concerning the impending transition to secondary school were analyzed and it was investigated how individual levels of social competencies, aggressive behavior, peer-acceptance and victimization experiences are related to the expectations regarding the transition to secondary school. The results demonstrated that empathy and aggression are strongly related to the perception of the impending transition as challenge whereas victimization and peer-acceptance were related to the perception of the transition as threat. Furthermore, with the help of a cluster analysis, four groups of children showing different patterns of expectations were identified. The findings give valuable information about children’s perceptions of the impending school transition. It is discussed how teachers could support children to cope better with transition processes.

Middle and old age are two of the most important periods in human life, and people in this period face some physical, sexual and mental disabilities. Due to the increasing population of the middle and old age people in Iran, paying attention to this important period seems necessary. Therefore, the present study was to identify the lived experiences of middle and old age married people. To this end, 16 participants (based on the principle of data saturation) were selected by purposive sampling method among the middle and old age people living in Tehran. Participants were interviewed using semi-structured in-depth interviews to identify their lived experiences. Finally, the interviews were analyzed using the Van Mannen method (interpretive phenomenological approach). Findings were divided into two categories: “challenges” and “developmental tasks”. The main themes in the challenges section were “concerns about family’s future”, “spouse relationship”, “individual challenges”, and “taking new roles by spouses”. The main themes obtained in developmental tasks included “developmental tasks focused on children”, and “developmental tasks focused on couples”. As a result, it can be concluded that the challenges and developmental tasks middle and old age people facing appear to be more focused on family and relationship. Applying the results of the present study, experts can design educational packages based on the challenges and developmental tasks these people facing in their lives, in order to increase the quality of life in middle and old age people. Besides, therapists working in the field of the elderly can take advantages of the findings of the present study to lead the process of therapeutic sessions. References Afshari, A., & Hashemi, Z. (2019). 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We examine when and how police officers may avoid costly errors under stress by leveraging theoretical and empirical work on the biopsychosocial (BPS) model of challenge and threat. According to the BPS model, in motivated performance contexts (e.g., test taking, athletics), the evaluation of situational and task demands in relation to one’s perceived resources available to cope with those demands engenders distinct patterns of peripheral physiological responding. Individuals experience more challenge-like states in which blood circulates more efficiently in the periphery when they evaluate their coping resources as meeting or exceeding the task demands. Conversely, individuals experience more threat-like states in which blood circulates less efficiently in the periphery when they view the situation or task demands as exceeding their coping resources. Patterns of response consistent with challenge and threat states have been shown to predict important performance and decision-making outcomes in stressful contexts, and repeated experiences of threat-like patterns of physiological activity are thought to have detrimental effects on long-term cardiovascular health. To date, however, research has not used the biopsychosocial model to understand police decision-making under stress. Here, we review relevant empirical work from the perspective of the BPS model concerning how minority status and power can shape challenge and threat responding and contribute to decision-making under stress. We then detail a research agenda aimed at improving the translational value of research being conducted within the BPS model for understanding complex performance and decision-making in the real world, including among law enforcement personnel.

The field of environmental enrichment for zoo animals, particularly great apes, has been revived by technological advancements such as touchscreen interfaces and motion sensors. However, direct animal-computer interaction (ACI) is impractical or undesirable for many zoos. We developed a modular cuboid puzzle maze for the troop of six Western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) at Bristol Zoo Gardens, United Kingdom. The gorillas could use their fingers or tools to interact with interconnected modules and remove food rewards. Twelve modules could be interchanged within the frame to create novel iterations with every trial. We took a screen-free approach to enrichment: substituting ACI for tactile, physically complex device components, in addition to hidden automatic sensors, and cameras to log device use. The current study evaluated the gorillas’ behavioral responses to the device, and evaluated it as a form of “cognitive enrichment.” Five out of six gorillas used the device, during monthly trials of 1 h duration, over a 6 month period. All users were female including two infants, and there were significant individual differences in duration of device use. The successful extraction of food rewards was only performed by the three tool-using gorillas. Device use did not diminish over time, and gorillas took turns to use the device alone or as one mother-infant dyad. Our results suggest that the device was a form of cognitive enrichment for the study troop because it allowed gorillas to solve novel challenges, and device use was not associated with behavioral indicators of stress or frustration. However, device exposure had no significant effects on gorilla activity budgets. The device has the potential to be a sustainable enrichment method in the long-term, tailored to individual gorilla skill levels and motivations. Our study represents a technological advancement for gorilla enrichment, an area which had been particularly overlooked until now. We wholly encourage the continued development of this physical maze system for other great apes under human care, with or without computer logging technology.

Cancer is a growing problem in the world, meanwhile, the issue of providing care for cancer patients has been associated with multiple ethical challenges (ECs). This study aimed to investigate and explain the nurses' perceptions of ECs in caring for cancer patients in Iran. In this qualitative study, the participants consisted of 25 nurses working in cancer wards. The typical EC that the nurses are faced with while caring for cancer patients included categories such as "creating moral distresses" and "threat to patient's autonomy." The category of creating moral distress consisted of two subcategories, including "faulty communication process" and "provision of futile care." Also, the category of "threat to patient's autonomy" included subcategories of "individual factors" and "organizational factors." Since disregarding ethical principles in caring for patients with cancer will result in greater ECs in this respect, the healthcare administrators should make more effort to help establish transparent rules, and develop protocols needed to identify and eliminate these ECs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the influence of family structure on the hardiness of adolescents aged 16-18 (average age 17.2). The aim was to investigate hardiness of subjects from full, single-parent, and large families. We used the Test of Hardiness Survey and the Noetic Orientations Test (SZhO). The sample comprised 200 subjects, first year university students from families with different compositions: 75 were brought up in a full family, 75 in a one-parent family, and 50 in a large family. A one-way analysis of variance and repeated measures MANCOVA showed that the subjects differ both in their hardiness and the distinctive features of its development. The authors conclude that subjects from full families are less hardy than those from single-parent families, but more hardy than those from large families. Also the hardiness dynamics of children from full, single-parent, and large families differ. Adolescents from single-parent families increase their hardiness further, whereas in students from full families it decreases. This can be explained by specific ways that the students survive the crisis of adolescence. And finally, students from large families demonstrate a similar level of hardiness in comparison with students from full families. This can also be explained by specific ways that they survive the crisis of adolescence. Later, when this crisis is almost over, their hardiness becomes similar to that of students from full families, which has decreased by that time.

Two central dimensions in psychotherapeutic work are a therapist’s empathy with clients and challenging their judgments. We investigated how they influence psychophysiological responses in the participants. Data were from psychodynamic therapy sessions, 24 sessions from 5 dyads, from which 694 therapist’s interventions were coded. Heart rate and electrodermal activity (EDA) of the participants were used to index emotional arousal. Facial muscle activity (electromyography) was used to index positive and negative emotional facial expressions. Electrophysiological data were analyzed in two time frames: (a) during the therapists’ interventions and (b) across the whole psychotherapy session. Both empathy and challenge had an effect on psychophysiological responses in the participants. Therapists’ empathy decreased clients’ and increased their own EDA across the session. Therapists’ challenge increased their own EDA in response to the interventions, but not across the sessions. Clients, on the other hand, did not respond to challenges during interventions, but challenges tended to increase EDA across a session. Furthermore, there was an interaction effect between empathy and challenge. Heart rate decreased and positive facial expressions increased in sessions where empathy and challenge were coupled, i.e., the amount of both empathy and challenge was either high or low. This suggests that these two variables work together. The results highlight the therapeutic functions and interrelation of empathy and challenge, and in line with the dyadic system theory by Beebe and Lachmann (2002), the systemic linkage between interactional expression and individual regulation of emotion.

Cilj je ovog rada istražiti neke situacijske i osobinske odrednice doživljavanja zanesenosti (engl. flow) u svakodnevnom životu. Pri tome je provjeravano u kojoj mjeri percipirani izazov, percipirane vještine te njihov odnos predviđaju doživljaj zanesenosti kroz različite svakodnevne situacije. Nadalje, provjeravano je u kojoj mjeri bihevioralne inhibicijske i aktivacijske dimenzije temperamenta mogu objasniti interindividualne razlike u doživljavanju zanesenosti te usmjeravaju li odnos između preduvjeta za zanesenost i doživljaja zanesenosti. U istraživanju su sudjelovale 102 studentice sedam različitih studijskih grupa u dobi 18-27 godina. Podatci su prikupljeni metodom uzorkovanja doživljaja. Sudionice su, nakon dobivenog signala ručnog programiranog sata, deset puta dnevno tijekom tjedan dana u dnevnik bilježile svoja trenutna afektivna stanja i procjene situacije u kojima se trenutno nalaze. Nakon preliminarnih analiza u svrhu detekcije dnevničkih podataka moguće smanjene pouzdanosti i valjanosti, glavne su analize provedene na uzorku doživljaja iz ukupno 2880 točaka mjerenja, prikupljenih od 70 sudionica. Dimenzije temperamenta mjerene su pomoću BIS/BAS skala (Carver i White, 1994). Rezultati su pokazali kako se s povećanjem percepcije izazova i percepcije vještina u prosjeku povećava i doživljaj zanesenosti, no kako ovi preduvjeti nemaju iste učinke na doživljaj zanesenosti u svim situacijama, kao ni među različitim osobama. Izraženost dimenzije BAS – Nagon pozitivno je povezana s prosječnom razinom zanesenosti. Nadalje, što je kod osobe izraženija BIS dimenzija temperamenta, percepcija izazova manje pridonosi doživljaju zanesenosti. Dobiveni nalazi upućuju na to da dimenzije temperamenta mogu objasniti neke interindividualne razlike u sklonosti doživljavanju zanesenosti, ali i relativnu važnost pojedinih preduvjeta u predikciji ovog doživljaja.

Abstract: The challenge–hindrance stress framework argues that certain job stressors have entirely detrimental effects (hindrance stress), but some may also have beneficial effects (challenge stress). Though the challenge–hindrance framework has largely been neglected in teacher stress research, we adopted it to provide a more differentiated view of the most prominent stressors in the teaching profession. We asked a sample of 528 secondary schoolteachers to report the extent to which they perceived occupation‐specific stressors as motivating (challenge stress) and burdening (hindrance stress). Most stressors (those associated with sociopolitical pressure, students’ misbehavior, and lack of resources) were seen as a hindrance rather than a challenge. Only stressors associated with expanded job scope seem to have had more challenge than hindrance potential. Teachers’ hindrance (but not challenge) stress in turn was a strong predictor of psychophysiological symptoms. Importantly, hindrance stress was highest and also the most significant predictor of psychophysiological symptoms if it arose from sociopolitical pressure. In sum, the results indicate that the challenge–hindrance framework might serve as a useful theoretical background in the field of teacher stress research and could offer another explanation for the poor health reported by this occupational group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flow theory postulates that flow experience is the most intense under high-challenge/high-skill conditions, whereas an excess of challenge is aversive. This study explores potential moderators that may offset the negative impact of overly high challenge on flow state. The literature suggests that a situational factor, teamwork, and a dispositional factor, flow proneness, may moderate the relationship between challenge and flow state. We tested these moderators with Hong Kong Chinese students whose optimal condition for experiencing flow was biased toward low-challenge/high-skill. A total of 128 participants played puzzles in three challenge levels both alone and in pairs. Although challenge level was negatively associated with flow state, dyadic (team) game (compared with solitary game) and flow proneness mitigated the negative relationship between challenge and flow state. These findings shed light on factors that promote enjoyment in challenging activities even among people in cultures that are prudent about challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 'Blue Whale Challenge' which entered the digital world, through networks from secretive groups has resulted in the death of over a 100 lonely, vulnerable and equally adventurous children. This phenomenon of a game that manipulates children with a set of challenges to be accomplished, has been a matter for coffee-table conversations. The researcher is confronted with two questions: (1) Is there a lesson to be learnt from the psychological dimension of this entire phenomenon if critically analyzed? Could this aid pedagogy especially in the contemporary teaching-learning context, if reviewed and reconstructed?. This paper deliberates to represent the psychological need for young minds to be understood, challenged and recognized - using mentoring as a means to the end in teaching endeavours. An attempt to provide a positive, alternative platform through the academia for learners to be engaged by ethical right-based principles has been undertaken and presented here, through a simple experiment using mentoring as an intervention. This experiment provides an opportunity for 'learning to challenge the ones who find it challenging to learn' within the limited provisions of pedagogy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a comparison between hardiness (the psychological construct by S. Maddi and D.A. Leontiev), the term "courage to be" and the defined conception of faith (by P. Tillich). It is shown, that Hardiness (by S. Maddi), despite author's opinion, appears to be not an operationalization of Tillich's "courage to be", but is a development of one of its aspects. Differences between the interpretation of the term in English and Russian variants of its operationalization are also discussed.