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Curiosity is associated with a number of beneficial outcomes, such as greater life satisfaction, more work engagement and better academic performance. The connection between curiosity and beneficial outcomes supports the importance of examining whether it is possible to increase curiosity and to investigate what approaches may be effective in facilitating curiosity. This meta-analysis consolidated the effects of curiosity-enhancing interventions. Across 41 randomized controlled trials, with a total of 4,496 participants, interventions significantly increased curiosity. The weighted effect size was Hedges' g = 0.57 [0.44, 0.70]. These results indicated that interventions were effective across a variety of intervention principles used, with participants in various age groups, across various measures, and over different time periods. Interventions aiming to increase general curiosity showed larger effect sizes than interventions aiming to increase realm-specific curiosity. Interventions incorporating mystery or game playing had especially high effect sizes. Because higher levels of curiosity tend to be associated with various beneficial outcomes, the finding that across studies interventions are effective in increasing curiosity holds promise for future efforts to increase curiosity to bring about additional benefits., Author(s): Nicola S. Schutte [sup.1] , John M. Malouff [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.1020.3, 0000 0004 1936 7371, Psychology, University of New England, , 2351, Armidale, NSW, Australia The objective [...]

Student engagement research in university students has been scarce, despite its major positive role on performance, degree completion and mental health. Social and emotional competencies, which are currently called twenty-first-century skills, exert some impact on student engagement in youth. Since engagement is cultural-sensitive, individual (social and emotional competencies) and cross-cultural (human developmental index and unemployment rate) characteristics were examined in association with student engagement in youth. This study included 2,092 participants from nine countries/regions, aged between 17 and 27 years (M = 21.52, SD = 2.27), mostly cisgender woman (n = 1,035, 68.7%) and undergraduate (n = 1,401, 96.2%). Data were collected using a cross-sectional online survey that included the Student Engagement Scale, the Emotional Skills and Competence Questionnaire, and the prosocial behaviour/resources subscale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Multilevel-models showed that social and emotional competencies were relevant predictors of student engagement independently of the country-level variables. Moreover, student engagement varied with country/region human development and unemployment rate, with students from higher developed countries/regions and lowered unemployment reporting lower engagement. This study reinforces the need to implement evidence-based social and emotional learning programmes in universities worldwide, as well as public policies that can influence engagement and protect youth.

Two studies investigated whether thinking about the best possible future self might be an individual-difference characteristic. In Study 1325 adults rated themselves on items derived from the Best Possible Self activity and completed measures related to the validity of the proposed characteristic. Exploratory factor analyses suggested a one-factor structure for the proposed characteristic. A measure of the proposed trait of thinking about the future self (TOPS) was created. In Study 1, the scale had an internal consistency of .95. Associations between thinking about the best possible future self with positive affect, optimism and life satisfaction contributed information regarding construct validity. Associations with the Big Five personality dimensions contributed information regarding discriminant validity. In Study 2, 224 adults completed the TOPS scale and a measure of state positive affect. After completing the pre-test measures, participants were randomly assigned to a Best Possible Self activity or a control condition, after which they completed a state-level TOPS measure and again completed the state measure of positive affect. A confirmatory factor analysis showed a marginally acceptable fit to the results of the exploratory factor analysis of Study 1, and in Study 2 both the trait and state TOPS measures showed good internal consistency at .95 and .98 respectively. Compared to participants in the control condition, those in the Best Possible Self exercise condition scored higher on state-level thinking about the possible self and state positive affect. State-level thinking about the possible self mediated the effect of condition on positive affect. The results suggest that the proposed new characteristic of thinking about the best possible future self may be a psychological strength., Author(s): Nicola S. Schutte [sup.1] , John M. Malouff [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.1020.3, 0000 0004 1936 7371, Psychology, University of New England, , 2351, Armidale, NSW, Australia The Best [...]

This study assessed the effectiveness of training leaders in behaviors that satisfy meeting attendees' psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Three managers who regularly lead meetings with their workgroups participated in the study. The study used a research design of multiple baselines across groups and began with baselines ranging over three to five meetings. Group leaders then received a session of behavioral skills training with a role-play component, followed by post-training assessment over three to five meetings. The final assessment occurred one month later. Leaders reported the number of recommended leader behaviors they used prior to training and at subsequent meetings. Group members anonymously completed ratings of: (1) the extent of their psychological need satisfaction; (2) their satisfaction with each meeting; and (3) how productive each meeting was. Meeting leaders showed significantly more use of the recommended behaviors after training than before training. Member ratings indicated a significant increase in need satisfaction, satisfaction with meetings, and meeting productivity after the training of their leader. Significant positive effects remained at a one-month follow-up. The findings show that training leaders in needs-focused behaviors to use in running meetings can be used to satisfy attendee-needs and to improve meeting satisfaction and productivity.

Curiosity, the desire to know, may be associated with creativity, which involves generating ideas that are novel and valuable. This meta-analytic investigation consolidated the results of studies of the association between curiosity and creativity. Across 10 studies, which included 2,692 individuals, there was a significant association between more curiosity and greater creativity (weighted effect size r = 0.41, 95% CI [0.27, 0.54], p = 0.0001). For studies examining the association of the exploration dimension of curiosity with creativity, the weighted effect size was r = 0.48, 95% CI [0.09, 0.74], while for studies examining the deprivation sensitivity dimension of curiosity with creativity the weighted effect size was r = 0.20, 95% CI [0.10, 0.29]. The association of self-report measures of curiosity with self-reports of creativity was r = 0.52, 95% CI [0.40, 0.62], while the association of self-report measures of curiosity with rated creativity was r = 0.16, 95% CI [0.10, 0.22]. These meta-analytic results are congruent with some theoretical assumptions regarding curiosity and creativity and can be a foundation for efforts to facilitate creativity.

In 2020, COVID-19 caused a drastic interruption to face-to-face postgraduate psychology placements in Australia, prompting the development of a simulated placement. This pilot project represents a preliminary evaluation of the program by exploring the feasibility of a simulated placement as a novel training modality for competence development in postgraduate psychology training. Students enrolled in a simulated postgraduate psychology placement in 2021 completed an online survey at the end of the placement. Acceptability, perceived competency and experience of the placement were assessed. Chi-square goodness of fit tests were used to evaluate the difference between rates of completion and the length of time it took to complete placement requirements between students enrolled in face-to-face placements in 2019 and 2020, and the simulated placement in 2021. The results showed an increase in proportion of students who completed the simulated placement than previous face-to-face placements and that students were able to complete training and meet competence in shorter time frames. Students reported increased psychological competency and confidence to practice at the completion of the simulated placement. A simulated psychology placement is a novel teaching modality that may be feasible in the development of perceived psychological competence and confidence in postgraduate psychology students. What is already known about this topic: Simulation-based learning has been increasingly utilised in health disciplines to support student development of clinical competencies. Simulation-based learning appears to offer a number of advantages to both students and training institutions, including exposure to low prevalence, high-risk presentations, increased training fidelity, and the ability to monitor and assess student progress. There is limited evidence for the use of simulated placements for competency development in postgraduate psychology students. What this study adds: A sample of postgraduate psychology students enrolled in a fully simulated placement reported increased psychological competency and confidence to practice, and experienced both benefits and challenges associated with the placement, including increased flexibility, opportunity for "safe" skill development, and workload fatigue. The simulated placement was associated with higher rates of placement completion and significantly lower rates of extensions of time required to complete the placement compared to face-to-face placements. A simulated placement was found to be a feasible training modality in professional psychology through the demonstration of practicality, acceptability of the placement, and perceived confidence and competency development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This meta-analysis examined the association between the level of childhood psychosocial stressors and telomere length, an important health biomarker. The meta-analysis, including 27 samples and 16,238 participants, found a significant association of -0.08 between a higher level of childhood stressors and shorter telomere length at a mean age of 42 across studies. Moderator analyses showed a trend in the direction of effect sizes being significantly larger with shorter times between the stressors and telomere measurement. Moderator analyses showed significantly higher effect sizes for studies that used a categorical method for assessing child stressor level and for assays completed with qPCR rather than with the Southern blot method. There was no significant moderation of effect size by whether study assayed leukocytes or buccal cells, whether the study assessed child stressor level by memory-based recall versus archival records, and whether the study controlled for age, sex, or additional variables. The results, focused on childhood events, add to prior findings that perceived stress and negative emotions are associated with telomere length.

This research examined the effects of meeting leader behavior on organizational meetings. Two studies investigated whether leader behavior that satisfies the psychological needs of meeting attendees, leads to higher levels of meeting productivity and satisfaction. Study 1 used correlational methods, with regression-based mediation analysis, to assess whether satisfaction of attendee needs mediated the association between leader behavior and attendee ratings of actual meetings in a sample of 110 employees. Study 2 involved an analogue experiment with 158 employees to test the effects of leader behavior on ratings of hypothetical meeting scenarios. The studies provide correlational and experimental evidence for the positive impact of needs-focused behaviors, offering organizational leaders practical solutions for improving meetings.

According to Self-Determination Theory, individuals differ in their satisfaction of the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Three hundred and forty participants provided information regarding their need satisfaction, affect, and mental health. Satisfaction of basic psychological needs was associated with more positive affect, less negative affect, and fewer symptoms of poor mental health. Negative affect mediated the relationship between less total satisfaction of basic needs and poor mental health. The results confirm the importance of satisfaction of psychological needs as proposed by Self-Determination Theory., Author(s): Nicola S. Schutte [sup.1] , John M. Malouff [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.1020.3, 0000 0004 1936 7371, Psychology, University of New England, , 2351, Armidale, NSW, Australia According to [...]

Optimism involves the general expectation good things will occur and greater optimism is associated with a number of positive life outcomes related to better mental and physical health. These outcomes include reduced likelihood of depression, more effective immune functioning and lower mortality. Emotional intelligence, which consists of adaptive emotional functioning, may be a foundation for optimism. This meta‐analysis examined the relationship between emotional intelligence and optimism across 6889 participants from 25 independent samples. Across studies, a higher level of emotional intelligence was associated with greater optimism with a weighted effect size of, r =.35, p <.001. Measurement approach and country of participants moderated the effect size. These results have relevance for the design of positive psychology interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to develop and to validate a measure of cultural responsiveness that would assist mental health practitioners across a range of disciplines, in Australia, to work with Indigenous clients. Aim: The Cultural Responsiveness Assessment Measure (CRAM) was developed to provide a tool for practitioners and students to evaluate their own culturally responsive practice and professional development. Method: Following expert review for face validity the psychometric properties of the measure were assessed quantitatively, from the responses of 400 mental health practitioners. Results: Confirmatory Factor Analysis yielded a nine factor, 36 item instrument that demonstrated strong convergent and discriminant validity as well as test-retest reliability. Conclusions: It is anticipated that the CRAM will have utility as both a learning tool and an assessment measure, for mental health practitioners to ensure that services are culturally responsive for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research was to examine how affective associations with smoking and outcome expectancies regarding smoking are related to smoking status and intention to quit among smokers. Researchers and practitioners can draw on findings regarding affective associations and outcome expectancies to provide a further basis for smoking prevention and intervention efforts. Four-hundred and one participants, half of whom were current smokers, from the United States and Australia completed measures of affective associations with smoking and outcome expectancies relating to smoking. Current smokers also indicated their readiness to quit. Participants with more positive affective associations were more likely to be smokers. Current smokers with more positive affective associations expressed less readiness to quit smoking. Outcome expectancies regarding reinforcement stemming from smoking and consequences stemming from smoking were related to smoking status and intention to quit. Outcome expectancies related to smoking significantly mediated the relationship between affective associations and smoking status. Among smokers, outcome expectancies related to smoking significantly mediated the relationship between affective associations and readiness to quit. Implications for prevention and intervention programs are discussed.