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Purpose This paper aims to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a training course »Living e-Motions« for people living with mental health challenges in the context of their recovery. The course was developed in the joint project of partners from Spain, Estonia, Slovenia and the UK. The curriculum of the course is focused on emotional education. It uses a narrative approach as a practical way for participants to explore and regulate their emotions and consequently take charge of their recovery. Design/methodology/approach Seventeen participants were included in the pilot training in Spain and Estonia. Impact of the training was assessed on measures of life satisfaction, emotion regulation, positive and negative affect and recovery at baseline and directly after training. Findings The analysis revealed that participants reported higher life satisfaction, emotion regulation skills, positive affect and recovery after the training. However, because of the small sample size, the mean differences did not reach statistical significance. Further studies on larger samples are needed to test the effectiveness of the training course. Practical implications Pilot study findings are encouraging and show that the developed training course has a potential for improving key competencies and abilities needed in daily life, concretely in emotion regulation, positive and negative affect, life satisfaction and recovery. Originality/value This paper presents a novel training course that uses a narrative approach and focuses on recovery and improvement of key competencies and abilities of individuals with mental health issues.

Podatki kažejo, da ima dostop do svetovnega spleta okoli 90 % evropskih gospodinjstev in da povprečen evropski uporabnik uporabi le-tega nameni slabih šest ur dnevno. Zaradi možnosti, ki jih splet ponuja, so specifike zelo različne, vendar pa uporabo spleta spremlja pomembna stalnica; ljudje ob sprehajanju po virtualni sferi tam, namerno ali ne, puščajo raznolike digitalne odtise. V preteklosti so bili ti podatki bolj kot ne spregledani, razvoj novih tehnologij pa je omogočil podrobnejši vpogled vanje in vodil do spoznanja, da lahko na videz nepomembni digitalni odtisi v resnici nudijo dragocene informacije o posameznikih. Danes tovrstni podatki omogočajo nove načine vplivanja na njihovo vedenje, s čimer jasno posegajo v aplikativno sfero. Ker so lahko naši osebni podatki uporabljeni (in zlorabljeni), je vse več pozornosti znanstvenikov in splošne javnosti usmerjene tudi k pravnim in etičnim vidikom uporabe digitalnih odtisov. V pričujočem prispevku bomo najprej ponudili naš razmislek o umetni inteligenci kot mehanizmu za napredek, v nadaljevanju pa sledi bolj specifična obravnava digitalnih odtisov, ki jih puščamo na spletu. Poglobili se bomo v to, kaj digitalni odtisi lahko povedo o psiholoških lastnostih uporabnikov, poseben poudarek pa bomo namenili tudi njihovi praktični uporabi (npr. prilagajanje oglasov z namenom prepričevanja) in nekaterim etičnim vidikom uporabe.

Various leading causes of death can be prevented or delayed through informed decision-making and lifestyle changes. Previous work has, to some extent, linked such health-promoting behavior (HPB) with variables capturing individuals’ understanding of science, trust in science, and capacity to apply evidence-based information in the health context. However, empirical research on the relationship between scientific knowledge, trust in science, health literacy, and HPB is scarce. Additionally, no study has investigated whether these characteristics interact to form homogeneous, high-risk subgroups of the population. The present online study (N = 705) revealed that trust in science and health literacy were positively related to a wide array of HPBs (e.g., healthy nutrition, physical activity, stress management), while scientific knowledge was only positively associated with COVID-19 vaccination intention. Furthermore, the results of latent profile analyses yielded four subgroups (i.e., low, moderate, and high levels of all three variables and a varied profile exhibiting very low trust in science, low health literacy, and moderate scientific knowledge). The identified subgroups differ significantly in HPB and variables determining profile membership (e.g., political conservatism). Hence, the present study offers some guidance on which groups may be targeted with public health campaigns and how they may be designed.

The Triangular Theory of Love (measured with Sternberg’s Triangular Love Scale – STLS) is a prominent theoretical concept in empirical research on love. To expand the culturally homogeneous body of previous psychometric research regarding the STLS, we conducted a large-scale cross-cultural study with the use of this scale. In total, we examined more than 11,000 respondents, but as a result of applied exclusion criteria, the final analyses were based on a sample of 7332 participants from 25 countries (from all inhabited continents). We tested configural invariance, metric invariance, and scalar invariance, all of which confirmed the cultural universality of the theoretical construct of love analyzed in our study. We also observed that levels of love components differ depending on relationship duration, following the dynamics suggested in the Triangular Theory of Love. Supplementary files with all our data, including results on love intensity across different countries along with STLS versions adapted in a few dozen languages, will further enable more extensive research on the Triangular Theory of Love. This article will not be available due to copyright restrictions © 2020 by The Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality

Until recently, escapism was generally seen as a negative phenomenon, due to its common conceptualization as an escape from reality; however, with the new model a more positive approach, distinguishing between self-suppression and self-expansion, began. In our study, we looked into the mechanisms underlying both components of escapism, where a sample of 147 students individually chose their escapist activity. Building on the two-dimensional conceptualization of escapism, we assumed that self-suppression would be associated with higher levels of self-alienation, while escapism as self-expansion would be related to higher levels of dispositional mindfulness and indirectly to a tendency to achieve flow. Results confirmed that self-suppression escapism and self-alienation share a positive correlation, with later also being a significant predictor of self-suppression escapism. However, contrary to our prediction, self-expansion escapism is not associated with dispositional mindfulness, nor does it represent a significant moderator in the relationship between self-expansion and flow. This study has extended the current understanding of escapist activities' complex nature in relation to psychological factors. Moreover, we contributed to the currently still sparse knowledge of escapism, and shed light on its positive side, which certainly exists, since escapism can lead not only to suppression of self but also to its enrichment and expansion.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of driving demands, neuroticism, and their interaction when predicting driving behavior. More precisely, we strived to examine how driving behaviors (i.e., speeding, winding, tailgating and jerky driving) unfold across low and high driving demands and whether they are contingent on a personality factor that has previously been linked to stress reactivity. In a driving simulator, 50 participants with a valid driver’s license (56.6% female, age: M = 30.13, SD = 10.16) were exposed to driving scenarios of different levels of information processing and vehicle handling demands. Additionally, they filled-out a self-report questionnaire that measured their neuroticism. We found that driving behavior became safer in scenarios that were highly demanding in terms of information processing, while this pattern did not emerge with vehicle handling demands. Moreover, tentative support was found for the notion that individuals high in neuroticism are less able to adapt their behavior to higher information processing demands. The present study offers new insights on driving demands in a simulated driving context and points to the potential importance of exploring interactions between personality and situational factors when understanding driving behavior. Additionally, the results of the present study may be used to adapt driver’s education programs.

People across the world and throughout history have gone to great lengths to enhance their physical appearance. Evolutionary psychologists and ethologists have largely attempted to explain this phenomenon via mating preferences and strategies. Here, we test one of the most popular evolutionary hypotheses for beauty-enhancing behaviors, drawn from mating market and parasite stress perspectives, in a large cross-cultural sample. We also test hypotheses drawn from other influential and non-mutually exclusive theoretical frameworks, from biosocial role theory to a cultural media perspective. Survey data from 93,158 human participants across 93 countries provide evidence that behaviors such as applying makeup or using other cosmetics, hair grooming, clothing style, caring for body hygiene, and exercising or following a specific diet for the specific purpose of improving ones physical attractiveness, are universal. Indeed, 99% of participants reported spending >10 min a day performing beauty-enhancing behaviors. The results largely support evolutionary hypotheses: more time was spent enhancing beauty by women (almost 4 h a day, on average) than by men (3.6 h a day), by the youngest participants (and contrary to predictions, also the oldest), by those with a relatively more severe history of infectious diseases, and by participants currently dating compared to those in established relationships. The strongest predictor of attractiveness-enhancing behaviors was social media usage. Other predictors, in order of effect size, included adhering to traditional gender roles, residing in countries with less gender equality, considering oneself as highly attractive or, conversely, highly unattractive, TV watching time, higher socioeconomic status, right-wing political beliefs, a lower level of education, and personal individualistic attitudes. This study provides novel insight into universal beauty-enhancing behaviors by unifying evolutionary theory with several other complementary perspectives., National Science Center, Poland [2019/33/N/HS6/00054]; Basic Research Program at the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE University); Basic Research Program at HSE University, RF; FCT [UID/PSI/03125/2021, SFRH/BD/126304/2016]; UTAR Research Centre Excellence Award; Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman [2019 -CAP (6401/0019)], This work is the result of the research project funded by the National Science Center, Poland (2019/33/N/HS6/00054). Dmitry Grigoryev was supported by the Basic Research Program at the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE University).; Dmitrii Dubrov was supported by the Basic Research Program at HSE University, RF.; Patricia Arriaga was supported by the FCT through funds from the research center UID/PSI/03125/2021. Anabela C. Santos was supported by the FCT through funds from a PhD grant SFRH/BD/126304/2016. Kavitha Nalla Muthu and Chee-Seng Tan were supported by the UTAR Research Centre Excellence Award 2019 -CAP (6401/0019) from the Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman.

Mobile phone addiction is a robust phenomenon observed throughout the world. The social aspect of mobile phone use is crucial ; therefore, phubbing is a part of the mobile phone addiction phenomenon. Phubbing is defined as ignoring an interlocutor by glancing at one's mobile phone during a face-to-face conversation. The main aim of this study was to investigate how the Phubbing Scale (containing 10 items) might vary across countries, and between genders. Data were collected in 20 countries: Belarus, Brazil, China, Croatia, Ecuador, India, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, UK, Ukraine and USA. The mean age across the sample (N = 7696, 65.8% women, 34.2% men) was 25.32 years (SD = 9.50). The cross-cultural invariance of the scale was investigated using multigroup confirmatory factor analyses (MGCFA) as well as the invariance analyses. Additionally, data from each country were assessed individually via confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs). We obtained two factors, based on only eight of the items: (a) communication disturbances and (b) phone obsession. The 8 items Phubbing Scale.

This material is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under grant no. 1845586. The work of T.T.K.H. was supported by grant no. 501.01-2016.02 from the Vietnam National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED). A.O. was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (grant no. 626/STYP/12/2017). A.S. and P.S. were supported by National Science Center-Poland (grant no. 2014/13/B/HS6/02644). Marina Butovskaya and D.D. were supported by State assignment project No. 01201370995 of the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Moscow, Russia. P.G., A.L. and N.M. were supported by the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund-(OTKA; grant no. K125437). F.J. was supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (grant no. 71971225). G.A. was supported by UKRI/GCRF Gender, Justice, Security Grant (grant no. AH/S004025/1)., A wide range of literature connects sex ratio and mating behaviours in non-human animals. However, research examining sex ratio and human mating is limited in scope. Prior work has examined the relationship between sex ratio and desire for short-term, uncommitted mating as well as outcomes such as marriage and divorce rates. Less empirical attention has been directed towards the relationship between sex ratio and mate preferences, despite the importance of mate preferences in the human mating literature. To address this gap, we examined sex ratio’s relationship to the variation in preferences for attractiveness, resources, kindness, intelligence and health in a long-term mate across 45 countries (n = 14 487). We predicted that mate preferences would vary according to relative power of choice on the mating market, with increased power derived from having relatively few competitors and numerous potential mates. We found that each sex tended to report more demanding preferences for attractiveness and resources where the opposite sex was abundant, compared to where the opposite sex was scarce. This pattern dovetails with those found for mating strategies in humans and mate preferences across species, highlighting the importance of sex ratio for understanding variation in human mate preferences., National Science Foundation (NSF) 1845586, National Foundation for Science & Technology Development (NAFOSTED) 501.01-2016.02, Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Poland, European Commission 626/STYP/12/2017, National Science Centre, Poland 2014/13/B/HS6/02644, Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Moscow, Russia 01201370995, Orszagos Tudomanyos Kutatasi Alapprogramok (OTKA) K125437, National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) 71971225, UKRI/GCRF Gender, Justice, Security Grant AH/S004025/1

The recent emphasis on personalized and value-based health care along with technological advances has presented a unique opportunity to change and align care and intervention of cancer survivors to their individual requirements. Patient Reported Outcomes and Experience Measures (PROMs and PREMs) have become an important tool in research for many health conditions. They may assist in evaluation of health-related quality of life as well as in efficacy of care and in routine medical encounters. For truly personalized healthcare it is not only survival, but the full range of issues relevant to disease-free cancer survivors that should be captured. In this paper we give an overview of digital health concepts and both benefits and pitfalls of digital distribution of traditional care pathways.

BACKGROUND Cancer survivors often experience disorders from the depressive spectrum that remain largely unrecognized and overlooked. Even though screening for depression is recognized as essential, several barriers prevent its successful implementation. It is possible that better screening options can be developed. New possibilities have been opening up with advances in artificial intelligence and increasing knowledge on the connection of observable cues and psychological states. OBJECTIVE The aim of this scoping meta-review was to identify observable features of depression that can be intercepted using artificial intelligence in order to provide a stepping stone toward better recognition of depression among cancer survivors. METHODS We followed a methodological framework for scoping reviews. We searched SCOPUS and Web of Science for relevant papers on the topic, and data were extracted from the papers that met inclusion criteria. We used thematic analysis within 3 predefined categories of depression cues (ie, language, speech, and facial expression cues) to analyze the papers. RESULTS The search yielded 1023 papers, of which 9 met the inclusion criteria. Analysis of their findings resulted in several well-supported cues of depression in language, speech, and facial expression domains, which provides a comprehensive list of observable features that are potentially suited to be intercepted by artificial intelligence for early detection of depression. CONCLUSIONS This review provides a synthesis of behavioral features of depression while translating this knowledge into the context of artificial intelligence–supported screening for depression in cancer survivors.

Seventy-nine percent of internet users use Facebook, and on average they access Facebook eight times a day (Greenwood et al., 2016). To put these numbers into perspective, according to Clement (2019), around 30% of the world’s population uses this Online Social Network (OSN) site. Despite the constantly growing body of academic research on Facebook (Chou et al., 2009 ; Back et al., 2010 ; Kaplan and Haenlein, 2010 ; McAndrew and Jeong, 2012 ; Wilson et al., 2012 ; Krasnova et al., 2017), there remains limited research regarding the motivation behind Facebook use across different cultures. Our main goal was to collect data from a large cross-cultural sample of Facebook users to examine the roles of sex, age, and, most importantly, cultural differences underlying Facebook use.

Considerable research has examined human mate preferences across cultures, finding universal sex differences in preferences for attractiveness and resources as well as sources of systematic cultural variation. Two competing perspectives-an evolutionary psychological perspective and a biosocial role perspective-offer alternative explanations for these findings. However, the original data on which each perspective relies are decades old, and the literature is fraught with conflicting methods, analyses, results, and conclusions. Using a new 45-country sample (N = 14,399), we attempted to replicate classic studies and test both the evolutionary and biosocial role perspectives. Support for universal sex differences in preferences remains robust: Men, more than women, prefer attractive, young mates, and women, more than men, prefer older mates with financial prospects. Cross-culturally, both sexes have mates closer to their own ages as gender equality increases. Beyond age of partner, neither pathogen prevalence nor gender equality robustly predicted sex differences or preferences across countries. info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion

Abstract. The Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI; Zimbardo & Boyd, 1999 ) assesses five time-related constructs – Past Negative (PN), Past Positive (PP), Present Fatalistic (PF), Present Hedonistic (PF), and Future (F) – and is one of the most frequently used time measures in the extant literature. Versions of the ZTPI have been translated into a variety of languages, but the psychometric support for ZTPI scores remains contested. We examined the internal consistency, structural validity, and convergent validity of scores on a version of the ZTPI that consisted only of items that specifically referenced time constructs, the ZTPI-TP. Participants consisted of five samples of adolescents and adults from four countries: Australia (653 adults), Slovenia (425 adolescents and adults), the United Kingdom (913 adolescents; 455 adults), and the United States (815 adolescents). Structural validity analyses provided stronger support for ZTPI-TP scores than for ZTPI scores, and convergent validity evidence also provided support for ZTPI-TP scores. However, analyses revealed that the PF and PH factors were still problematic, especially with regard to factor coefficients and internal consistency estimates. We concluded that the ZTPI-TP can form the basis for a more robust version of the ZTPI.

Researchers continue to attempt to resolve the psychometric problems associated with the five-factor Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory through the development of shortened forms of the scale. These atheoretical efforts have been data driven and have resulted in scales whose reliability and validity have not been subsequently supported. The purpose of this paper was to explore the factorial validity and reliability of new short scales on samples independent from which they were developed. We used data from five different samples in four different countries (Australia, Britain, Slovenia, and the United States) to examine the psychometric validity and reliability of three recently developed scales, the ZTPI-20, ZTPI-17, and ZTPI-15. Results regarding validity were equivocal for all scales and reliability coefficients were suboptimal in all samples. We conclude by stressing the necessity for a theoretically driven approach to enhancing the psychometric assessment of time perspective rather than simply sacrificing reliability or discriminant validity for improved model fit in a shorter scale.

To assess the ICT competences most frequently tests or work assignments are used. Tests are more reliable because they are conducted in the controlled environment, but they are also time limited and stressful and consequently not entirely encouraging surrounding for competences' assessment. Work assignments are usually more time consuming, done outside the controlled environment, hence less reliable. Initial intention of our team was to prepare alternative type of tests of the IT competences using the concept of escape rooms. In our experiment, person or two cooperate solving IT problems to gain “freedom” at the end, i.e. to unlock the escape room. In this environment, the stress is inherent but with fun components. Participants do not feel the context as a test environment and the stress of failure is less evident. Each participant in the experiment can learn his or her IT weak points. It takes around one hour to find the way out of the room and another half for discussion. Participants are asked to complete the survey before the entrance into the IT escape room and this survey is later used in the discussion, which is the base for the qualitative analysis. One of the conclusions from our analysis is that it is not easy to prepare the suitable assignments and clues to solve them. Additionally, we discovered that there are problems of understanding of the IT terminology hence the help clues, which are perfectly understandable to the ICT specialist, are generally not suitable for experiment's participants.

Mate choice lies close to differential reproduction, the engine of evolution. Patterns of mate choice consequently have power to direct the course of evolution. Here we provide evidence suggesting one pattern of human mate choice—the tendency for mates to be similar in overall desirability—caused the evolution of a structure of correlations that we call the d factor. We use agent-based models to demonstrate that assortative mating causes the evolution of a positive manifold of desirability, d, such that an individual who is desirable as a mate along any one dimension tends to be desirable across all other dimensions. Further, we use a large cross-cultural sample with n = 14,478 from 45 countries around the world to show that this d-factor emerges in human samples, is a cross-cultural universal, and is patterned in a way consistent with an evolutionary history of assortative mating. Our results suggest that assortative mating can explain the evolution of a broad structure of human trait covariation. © 2019, National Foundation for Science and Technology Development START, Global Change System for Analysis, Research, and Training Fundacja na rzecz Nauki Polskiej National Foundation for Science and Technology Development, We thank everyone who participated in this study as well as the research assistants who assisted in translating forms, recruiting participants, and inputting data. The work of Truong Thi Khanh Ha was supported by grants 501.01-2016.02 from the Vietnam National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED). Anna Oleszkiewicz was supported by the Foundation for Polish Science (START scholarship). This study was conducted in line with project NIR ? 01201370995 “Cross-cultural and interdisciplinary researches. Biosocial and cross-cultural analysis of models of tolerance and basic values of culture in modern society” (Marina Butovskaya and Daria Dronova). Appendix A

Time perspective continues to evolve as a psychological construct. The extant literature suggests that higher future orientation and lower present orientation are associated with better developmental outcomes. However, the extant literature also suggests that issues remain with the measurement of the construct. Recently, a 25-item version of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI-25) was suggested for use based on high internal consistency estimates and good discriminant validity of scores in a sample of Italian adolescents. However, the genesis of this scale is uncertain. The present study examined the factorial validity, reliability, and concurrent validity of ZTPI-25 scores in Slovenian, American, and British adolescents. Results revealed satisfactory concurrent validity based on correlations with measures used in the development of the full ZTPI. However, internal consistency and factorial validity of scores were unsatisfactory. The present study questions the use of the ZTPI-25 with adolescents in the context of conceptual and measurement issues more broadly.

Time perspective research assesses the degree to which thoughts and feelings about the past, present and future influence behaviour, and a balanced time perspective profile has been posited as being ideal. Although this area of research has seen a move towards person-centred analyses, using either cluster analyses or a deviation from balanced time perspective (DBTP) approach, there are a number of theoretical and methodological issues that must be addressed. Using data from diverse samples in four countries, the present study used both cluster analyses and the DBTP approach to assess how cluster membership and DBTP scores related to a range of health and well-being outcomes. As in previous studies, a balanced profile only emerged once in cluster analyses, and positive-oriented profiles were associated with optimal outcomes. The study also found evidence of a relationship between DBTP scores and scores on well-being indicators. However, results gained after manipulating the DBTP equation in two different ways again indicated that higher than expected positive past and present or past and future scores were responsible for the positive outcomes. As such, these findings raise concerns regarding the use of the DBTP construct within clinical settings.

An international sample of 2754 selfies uploaded to Instagram that form part of the Selfiecity (www.selfiecity.net) research project (selfies originating from Bangkok, Berlin, London, Moscow, New York, and Sao Paolo) were examined to assess the existence of facial prominence differences in depictions of males and females and the variability of facial prominence among cultures. Results show that gender stereotypical bias resulting in greater facial prominence in depictions of men is present in selfies. The control of image creation and selection for publication by the persons presented in the images do not diminish this gender based bias. Also, when gender is controlled, significant differences exist in facial prominence among different cultures. Comparisons with various socio-cultural indicators indicate possible correlations of gender stereotypical bias to self-expression values, freedom of choice, people's influence on government's decisions, protection of freedom of speech and people's influence on issues in the professional and communal environment. This research does not find a correlation of gender based bias in selfies with gender equality or inequality measures among cultures.

Developments and innovation in the areas of mobile information technology, digital media and social networks foster new reflections on computer-mediated communication research, especially in the field of self-presentation. In this context, the selfie as a self-portrait photo is interesting, because as a meaningful gesture, it actively and directly relates the content of the photo to the author of the picture. From the perspective of the selfie as an image and the impression it forms, in the first part of the research we explored the distinctive characteristics of selfie pictures; moreover, from the perspective of the potential reflection of a selfie image on the personality of its author, in the second part we related the characteristics of selfie pictures to various personality constructs (e.g., Big Five personality traits narcissism and femininity-masculinity). Important aspects of selfies especially in relation to gender include the tilt of the head, the side of the face exhibited, mood and head position, later related also to the context of the selfie picture. We found no significant relations between selfie cues and personality constructs. The face-ism index was related to entitlement, and selfie availability to neuroticism.

Developments and innovation in the areas of mobile information technology, digital media and social networks foster new reflections on computer-mediated communication research, especially in the field of self-presentation. In this context, the selfie as a self-portrait photo is interesting, because as a meaningful gesture, it actively and directly relates the content of the photo to the author of the picture. From the perspective of the selfie as an image and the impression it forms, in the first part of the research we explored the distinctive characteristics of selfie pictures; moreover, from the perspective of the potential reflection of a selfie image on the personality of its author, in the second part we related the characteristics of selfie pictures to various personality constructs (e.g., Big Five personality traits narcissism and femininity-masculinity). Important aspects of selfies especially in relation to gender include the tilt of the head, the side of the face exhibited, mood and head position, later related also to the context of the selfie picture. We found no significant relations between selfie cues and personality constructs. The face-ism index was related to entitlement, and selfie availability to neuroticism.

TranSpace is an international project for empowering youngsters with disabilities to protect themselves from community-based violence. In the context of the project, an initial empirical study was carried out to assess the prevalence of aggression and victimization among these youngsters and to gain deeper insight into these phenomena. Participants in the project, aged from 11 to 21 years, came from six European countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Spain). In a mixed-methods study, initial data were gathered using the Aggression Victimization Instrument, which is a composite of well-established and new measures and is used to assess aggressive acts in school and family contexts; further insights into emergent themes were obtained by conducting qualitative analyses using open-ended questions. Overall, youngsters reported a low incidence of aggressive acts; the prevalence is higher in the school context from the perspective of the victim. Females seem to be victims of relational aggression slightly more often than males; males are more frequently bullies than females. For early adolescents, the prevalence of aggressive acts is higher in the category of physical and verbal aggression in the school context. From the qualitative part (interviews), nine thematic frameworks appeared, with low self-esteem emerging as the most important issue, and one related to social context and coping strategies. From the research findings, we can highlight that self-esteem is a central theme of any intervention concerning children and adolescents with disabilities who have been experiencing violence. In the process of empowerment, it is essential to develop an individual's social relations and appropriate coping strategies.

Cultural capital, originally a general sociological concept, has been transformed into a construct that is often applied in predicting scholastic attainment. Intellectual ability (IQ) has also been proven to be a strong, although basically psychological, predictor of educational attainment. However, these strands of research have hardly been contrasted in terms of their predictive power and in terms of their potential interaction. In the current study of Slovenian secondary school students, the results indicated that both constructs had statistically significant predictive power, both as to attainment and as to transition into type of secondary education. Results also indicated that: both constructs were fairly robust, as their predictive power remained statistically significant even after control variables were entered into the model; and they operated independently as results indicated no interaction between these constructs. The ‘return’ on cultural capital was greater for students whose parents had lo...

The dimensionality of religious orientation (RO), according to the Gorsuch and McPherson instrument (1989) was tested on a sample of Slovenian Catholic religious subjects ( n = 297). RO – the “dominant paradigm” in the study of religious sentiment ( Hill & Hood, 1999, p. 119 ) – was chosen since it has not been previously tested in this environment. Findings from reliability analysis, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses suggested that extrinsic other (EO) items should be observed as a separate scale. Results also indicated an overlap between the extrinsic personal (EP) and intrinsic (I) dimensions, and that E bifurcated further. More specifically, MDS analyses indicated a clear pattern of grouping of the I, EP, extrinsic social (ES) and EO items clusters, where each one populated one of the quadrants in two-dimensional space, suggesting that the axes could be meaningfully labeled as “personal-social” orientation and “central-peripheral” status of religious sentiment, respectively. Thus, the instrumental dimension of religious motivation in this specific religious environment seemed to be linked to a peripheral nature of one’s religious sentiment. Consequently, the peripheral space could be seen as a religious sentiment, but one that is limited, not interfering into other areas of life, but remaining compartmentalized.

Introduction: Frequent physical activity has previously been found associated with numerous health benefits, yet it is unequally distributed across social strata, including in Slovenia. The aim of the present study was to examine the frequency of and inequalities in physical activity among Slovenian youth. Methods: A representative cross-sectional study of 907 men and women aged 16–27 years (x̄age = 21.90, s = 3.25, 48.3 % women) living in Slovenia was carried out examining the determinants of physical activity (measured with a single item on the frequency of physical activity in previous 7 days). Results: More than four out of ten young people (41.3 %) reported being vigorously physically active for at least 20 minutes daily only on only two days or less in the previous week. Regression analysis indicated that eight predictor variables explained 4.2 % of the variance (Adjusted R2 = 3.4 %) in physical activity. Male gender was the only significant predictor of more frequent physical activity (β = 0.20, p < 0.001). In addition, interaction effect was detected with gender moderating the association between age and physical activity (β = -0.10, p < 0.05). Discussion and conclusion: Socioeconomic gradient in physical activity was not detected. Future studies should examine additional indicators of socioeconomic status and deprivation. The study results could provide a basis for programmes and interventions on physical activity that should target especially young women.

The leg-to-body ratio (LBR) is a morphological index that has been shown to influence a person’s attractiveness. In our research, 3,103 participants from 27 nations rated the physical attractiveness of seven male and seven female silhouettes varying in LBR. We found that male and female silhouettes with short and excessively long legs were perceived as less attractive across all nations. Hence, the LBR may significantly influence perceptions of physical attractiveness across nations.

The relation between intrinsic and extrinsic orientations was studied in four samples of believing affiliates (Bosnian Muslims, Serbian Orthodox, Slovenian Catholics and US Protestants). By exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and by multidimensional scaling (MDS), differences in patterns of religious orientations were discerned in the various cultures. By EFA, in the two European settings a closeness between intrinsic (I) and extrinsic personal (EP) orientation was noted. Beside that extrinsic other (EO) items, indicating peripheral nature of the religious sentiment, appeared as a separate dimension. The CFA produced slight differences in this direction, still allowing for a four component finding. The two dimensional presentation in MDS also indicated a similarity in pattern of the dimensions of religious orientation. In all four cases a pattern in the distribution of items appears allowing for naming the vertical axis as indicating the variation between centrality and periphery, and the horizontal one as indicating the variation between social and personal dimensions in religious sentiment.

IntroductionThe workforce shortage in the healthcare context is a growing issue that exerts detrimental effects on employees (e.g., higher workload) and patients (e.g., suboptimal patient care). Since traditional approaches alone may not be enough to solve this problem, there is a need for complementary innovative digital health solutions, such as socially assistive robots. Hence, the proposed study aims to investigate the effects of gamified nursing education and physiotherapy delivered by a socially assistive robot on patient- (engagement, perceived quality of care) and employee-related outcomes (perceived self-efficacy, workload).Methods and analysisApproximately 90 vascular and thoracic surgery patients will receive either standard care or standard care with additional robot interactions over the course of 3–5 days. Additionally, approximately 34 nursing and physiotherapeutic employees will fill out self-report questionnaires after weeks of not using a social robot and weeks of using a social robot. The main hypotheses will be tested with mixed-design analyses of variance and paired-samples t-tests.DiscussionWhile the proposed study has some limitations, the results will provide high-quality and comprehensive evidence on the effectiveness of socially assistive robots in healthcare.Ethics and disseminationThe study was approved by the Medical Ethics Commission of the University Medical Center and registered in the ISRCTN registry (ISRCTN96689284). The study findings will be summarized in international peer-reviewed scientific journals and meetings and communicated to relevant stakeholders.