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Since the COVID-19 outbreak, addictive social media use and psychological burden increased in many countries. Few studies have delved into the mechanisms underlying the occurrence of psychological burden and addictive social media use. This study explored the influence of sense of control and positive mental health before COVID-19 on addictive social media use and psychological burden after COVID-19. Data of 1745 participants from China were assessed in 2014 (T1), 1042 participants in 2016 (T2), 407 participants in 2020 (T3), 324 participants in 2021 (T4). Finally, a sample of 248 participants (195 females, Mage = 26.83, SD = 0.62 years at T4) completed the longitudinal study for eight years (2014–2021). The results showed that there was a significant relationship between sense of control and positive mental health negatively correlated with addictive social media use and psychological burden. The sense of control at T1 significantly predicted the positive mental health of T2. Then positive mental health of T2 predicted the addictive social media use of T3. Finally, the addictive social media use of T3 predict psychological burden at T4. This finding clarifies the relationship between sense of control, positive mental health, addictive social media use and psychological burden under COVID-19. It also proves that sense of control and positive mental health are protective factors to alleviate addictive social media use and psychological burden. Therefore, we should pay attention to the sense of control and addictive social media use among young people under COVID-19, which reduce the burden of COVID-19 on young people and contribute to their good mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Individuals affected by cancer have an elevated risk of experiencing suicidal crises. Aligning established suicide theories with social‐cognitive theories, perceived control and related constructs emerge as potential protective factors for suicidal thoughts and behaviors in cancer patients. As perceived control is potentially modifiable, it holds great potential for prevention and intervention efforts. We aimed to comprehensively synthesize the evidence on perceived control and its link with suicidal thoughts and behaviors in cancer patients. Methods: The search term and procedures were registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023391048). We systematically searched the databases PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycInfo, Web‐of‐Science Core Collection, Cochrane Library, adding a grey literature search. In addition to the narrative review, pooled effect sizes, moderation and subgroup analysis were calculated. Results: The systematic search yielded 1986 original reports of which 36 were included in the systematic review and 25 in the meta‐analysis. Demoralization, help‐/hopelessness, and self‐efficacy were the most commonly studied facets of control, showing a relatively large, pooled correlation with suicidal ideation overall (r = 0.45, [95% CI = 0.38–0.52], Q = 346.15, p < 0.01, I2 = 91.2%) and across operationalisations (demoralisation: r = 52; hopelessness: r = 45; self‐efficacy: r = 0.40). Moderation analyses revealed no effect of cancer stages; but more directly cancer‐associated variables (demoralisation, hopelessness) were more closely related to suicidal ideation (QM = 5.40, p = 0.02) than general self‐efficacy. Conclusion: The findings underscore the pivotal role of perceived control in shaping severe distress in cancer patients. More studies are needed examining perceived control in a narrower sense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The present study used a cross-lagged panel design with longitudinal data to test if there is a reciprocal relationship between cognitive control beliefs and cognition (e.g. executive functioning and episodic memory) over 10 years, whether frequency of engaging in stimulating cognitive activities mediated this relationship, and if these relationships varied by age. Methods Data were collected as part of the second (M2, 2004–2005) and third (M3, 2013–2014) waves of the Midlife in the United States Study. The analysis sample included 2,532 participants with all variables at M2 and M3. Participants' ages ranged from 33 to 83 (M  = 54.92, standard deviation = 11.13) at M2. Results There was a reciprocal relationship between cognitive control beliefs and executive functioning. Higher executive functioning was related to greater maintenance of cognitive control beliefs for older, not younger, adults. Higher cognitive control beliefs were related to less decline in executive functioning. Though cognitive control beliefs predicted 10-year changes in episodic memory, the inverse relationship was not supported. Frequency of engaging in stimulating cognitive activities mediated the relationship between executive functioning and 10-year changes in cognitive control beliefs, but not cognitive control beliefs and 10-year changes in cognition. Conclusions Cognitive control beliefs are a promising mechanism to help protect against age-related declines in both executive functioning and episodic memory. Moreover, executive functioning also affects cognitive control beliefs. Specifically, those with higher executive functioning engage more frequently in stimulating cognitive activities, which helps maintain higher cognitive control beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescents are at a high risk of depressive symptom. A substantial body of literature indicates that early environmental unpredictability (EU) significantly affects the likelihood of developing depressive symptom. However, only a few studies have focused on the mediating mechanisms underlying this relationship. Based on life history (LH) theory and the adaptive calibration model, this study constructed a chain-mediating model to examine whether the association between EU and depressive symptom among Chinese adolescents is mediated by sense of control and fast life history strategies. In total, 1838 Chinese adolescents (47.8 % women, mean age = 13.17 ± 0.99 years) participated in this study and responded to self-report measures of EU, fast LH strategies, sense of control, and depressive symptom. (1) There were significant correlations between EU, sense of control, fast LH strategies, and depressive symptom. (2) After controlling for the effects of sex, age and socioeconomic status, EU still had a significant positive effect on depressive symptom. (3) Adolescent depressive symptom was partly influenced by EU through three different pathways: the mediating role of sense of control, the mediating role of fast LH strategies, and the chain-mediating role of both sense of control and fast LH strategies. (4) There are significant gender differences in the above chain mediation models. The analysis is cross-sectional, which limits causal inference. These findings contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of risk factors for adolescent depressive symptom. The chain-mediating effect of a sense of control and fast LH strategies plays an important role in the occurrence of depressive symptom. • Association between EU and depressive symptom was examined among Chinese adolescents. • Chain-mediating model was employed based on life history theory and the adaptive calibration model. • Depressive symptom was influenced by environmental unpredictability through three pathways. • Sense of control and fast LH strategies had a chain mediating effect on environmental unpredictability and depressive symptom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

From a long-term perspective, restrictive eating cannot achieve the purpose of maintaining and reducing weight, and may even lead to further weight gain, affecting personal physical and mental health, so it is essential to find out the mechanisms that cause restrictive eating. This study aims to explore the relationship between self-objectification, appearance anxiety, and restrictive eating, as well as the role of a sense of control, through a longitudinal study. Two measurements were taken on the same group of subjects at a university in Shandong province. 533 valid participants were retained (Mage = 19.13, SD = 1.07, 88.4% female). The results showed that self-objectification could increase the risk of restrictive eating among college students by affecting their appearance anxiety and that a reasonable reduction in a sense of control could weaken the impact of appearance anxiety on restrictive eating among college students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objective Background Method Results Conclusions We investigated the relationship between personal relative deprivation (PRD)—resentment from the belief that one is worse off than people who are similar to oneself—and locus of control.Research has yet to comprehensively investigate whether PRD is associated with a tendency to favor external (vs. internal) explanations for self‐ and other‐relevant outcomes.Eight studies (Ntotal = 6729) employed cross‐sectional, experimental, and (micro)longitudinal designs and used established trait and state measures of PRD and loci of control.Participants higher in PRD adopted more external (vs. internal) explanations for others' outcomes while controlling for socio‐demographics (e.g., socioeconomic status; Studies 1–4). This relationship was mediated by a lowered sense of personal control (Study 1) and evident in a cross‐national sample of participants in Asia (Study 2). PRD is more robustly associated with external than internal explanations for self and other‐relevant outcomes (Studies 5–8), and within‐person changes in PRD are positively associated with within‐person changes in external explanations (month‐to‐month and day‐to‐day; Studies 7–8).PRD is positively associated with external locus of control independent of socioeconomic status, within and between people, and across cultures. This research highlights the implications of PRD for people's construal of the causal forces that govern their lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retailers in certain regions, such as China, have recently implemented auditory feedback in cash registers to promptly announce consumer mobile payment status, but it presents a dual effect on consumers' transaction experiences. On one hand, auditory feedback enhances consumers' sense of control over the payment, leading to increased transaction satisfaction. On the other hand, it also intensifies consumers' pain of payment, resulting in decreased transaction satisfaction. Nevertheless, our study reveals an overall positive effect of auditory feedback on transaction satisfaction. We examined the moderating role of shopping motivation (functional vs. hedonic) and found that auditory feedback can enhance transaction satisfaction for consumers with functional shopping motivation and decrease it for consumers with hedonic shopping motivation. We also explored the moderating role of quick response (QR) code payments (dependent payment vs. autonomous payment) and observed a positive effect of auditory feedback on transaction satisfaction for dependent payment but not for autonomous payment. These findings contribute to the broader research on mobile payments and retailers aiming to enhance consumers' transaction experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research has primarily focused on elucidating the role of specific cognitive vulnerability factors in the intricate relationship between childhood trauma and depression. To advance existing research by integrating two prominent cognitive theories of depression (the Beck's cognitive theory and hopelessness theory), this study proposed a moderated mediation model aimed at investigating the mediating role of the sense of control and the moderating effect of rumination in this complex association. A sample of 1,091 college students (comprising 436 males; age range 17–25) was recruited through poster advertisements and a snowball sampling approach. Participants voluntarily engaged in the study and completed a battery of assessments, including measures of depression, childhood trauma, sense of control, and rumination. Our findings suggest that childhood trauma affects depression not only directly but also indirectly through the mediating influence of the sense of control. Furthermore, the result reveals that the mediating role of the sense of control is moderated by the intensity of rumination. Specifically, this mediating effect is more pronounced among college students with higher levels of rumination. The outcomes of this investigation provide prospective empirical support, suggesting that the loss of control and rumination may serve as viable targets for preventative and interventional measures in addressing depression among individuals who have experienced childhood trauma. This research enhances our understanding of the intricate interplay between cognitive determinants and depression, informing future research in this critical domain of mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The social implications of powerful Artificially Intelligent (AI) robots, specifically regarding the potential loss of sense of control they bring about, remain incompletely understood. This study investigated the relationship between people's perceptions of AI robots and their right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) through two studies (N = 2056, Mage=35.37, SDage=10.85). Study 1 revealed that when participants were exposed to advanced (mindful) AI robots they reported heightened levels of threat perception. This perceived threat engendered a sentiment of control erosion. Consequently, individuals exhibited heightened support for RWA as a means to regain the sense of control. Although RWA is considered to have adaptive significance, it may also bring many negative social impacts. Study 2 found that accentuating human uniqueness can mitigate perceptions of threat and reinstate a sense of control. This strategy appeared efficacious in curbing RWA inclinations. The inexorable integration of AI robots into society underscores the urgency of comprehending their potential societal implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though previous studies have showed that social class is positively associated with subjective well-being (SWB), in fact, subjective social class has a stronger impact on SWB compare to objective social class. Thus, it is more important to explore the relationship between subjective social class and SWB. In the current study, we suggested that perceived scarcity and sense of control would play the mediating role between subjective social class and SWB. Study 1 used two big samples from China (CGSS2017) and over the world (WVS7) to test the hypothesis, the results confirmed that the effect of individual subjective social class on SWB was mediated by perceived scarcity and sense of control. More importance, we also find a sequential mediation effect of perceived scarcity and sense of control between individual subjective social class and SWB. Similar results were also both found in Study 2 using an empirical approach and Study 3 using a measure approach in China. These findings extend previous work by examining the psychological mechanisms between subjective social class and SWB from the resource scarcity theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID‐19 pandemic has caused governments and individuals to face important but difficult trade‐offs between health and the economy. How do individuals choose between health and economic outcomes during the pandemic? Based on the behavioural immune system (BIS) theory and the life history (LH) theory, the present study examined the effects of individual differences in pathogen disgust sensitivity and life history strategy on people's health‐economic trade‐offs during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Results of an online study (N = 300) showed that people with higher pathogen disgust sensitivity felt less sense of control during the pandemic, and therefore chose health‐related options over economic‐related options. In addition, the association between pathogen disgust sensitivity and health outcome preference only existed in people with relatively faster life history strategies. Further, people's health‐economic trade‐offs were not influenced by their current economic status. Findings have important implications for policymakers and the public to understand people's health‐economic choices during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile robots have many applications in the modern world. The autonomy of robots is increasing, but critical cases like search and rescue missions must involve the possibility of human intervention for ethical reasons and safety. To achieve effective human–robot interaction, the operator needs to have a sense of agency (SoA) over the activities of the robot. One possible way to increase one's SoA in remote control could be the use of VR technology. The remote control situation has some important features, so indicators of SoA need to be reproduced there independently. In our study, participants controlled a mobile robot using either a monitor or a VR-headset as an output device. In both cases, active control was contrasted with passive observation of the robot's movement. In each trial, participants estimated the distance traveled by the robot—a putative implicit indicator of SoA. A significant difference between subjective distance estimates was found in the active and passive conditions with the monitor, but not in the active and passive conditions with VR. The effect obtained in the monitor conditions suggests that distance estimates can be used as an implicit indicator of SoA in robot remote control. We believe that the lack of difference between the active and passive conditions in VR was caused by motion sickness due to a mismatch of visual and vestibular sensory cues, leading to a weakened SoA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation utilized the Midlife in the United States Survey (N = 3,258) to assess the relationships between sexual assault, sense of control, and financial stability. Age of first sexual assault and sexual assault revictimization were also considered in analyses of sexual assault survivors' data. Results revealed consistent associations between experiences of sexual assault and revictimization with lower financial stability and suggest that sense of control may be an indirect mechanism linking these variables. Findings have policy relevance and practical implications for practitioners. Restoring sexual assault victims' internal loci of control may promote more positive financial outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the chain-mediating role of mindfulness and sense of control, this study examines the mediating role of mindfulness and sense of control on employees' mental health. A total of 720 questionnaires were collected from employees of select enterprises and institutions in China; 53 invalid questionnaires were excluded, with a response rate of 93%, leaving 667 employees as the study sample (average age = 38 years, 71.8% female). The study findings show that: (1) Work–family conflict had a significant positive correlation with mental health problems and a significant negative correlation with mindfulness and sense of control. (2) The influence on the mental health state was due to the mediating effect of mindfulness, sense of control, and the chain-mediating effect of mindfulness and sense of control. The study adopted self-report scales for measuring mindfulness and a sense of control; therefore, further experimental methods must be included in the future to explore these results. This study shows that mindfulness and sense of control can reduce the impact of work–family conflict on mental health problems. Additionally, the chain-mediating effect of mindfulness and sense of control plays an important role in mental health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This longitudinal study used regression path models to predict the influence on students' reading comprehension ability of three self-perception variables (reading self-concept; reading/English effort; academic self-handicapping); three teacher rating behaviour variables (attentive behaviour; sociable behaviour; and settled behaviour) and past reading comprehension. As part of the study, a 12-item reading/English effort scale was developed, and its psychometrics characteristics reported (N = 254) The participants were Australian primary school students, followed from Years 3 and 4 to Years 5 and 6 (n = 127). The first path model identified that attending behaviours, low levels of self-handicapping, and reading self-concept were the main predictors of reading achievement. Reading achievement was reassessed two years on, with this path model including past reading attainment. In this model past reading achievement and self-handicapping predicted reading achievement. This research reiterates: the relevance of social-emotional and cognitive variables in education; the need to teach reading across the school years; and the need to enhance students' sense of control and certainty over their learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construct of sense of agency (SoA) has proven useful for understanding mechanisms underlying obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) phenomenology, especially in explaining the apparent dissociation in OCD between actual and perceived control over one's actions. Paradoxically, people with OCD appear to experience both diminished SoA (feeling unable to control their actions) and inflated SoA (having "magical" control over events). The present review investigated the extent to which the SoA is distorted in OCD, in terms of both implicit (ie, inferred from correlates and outcomes of voluntary actions) and explicit (ie, subjective judgment of one's control over an outcome) measures of SoA. Our search resulted in 15 studies that met the criteria for inclusion in a meta-analysis, where we also examined the potential moderating effects of the type of measure (explicit versus implicit) and of the actual control participants had over the outcome. We found that participants with OCD or with high levels of OCD symptoms show lower implicit measures of SoA and at the same time tend to overestimate their control in situations where they do not actually have it. Together, these findings support the hypothesized dissociation in OCD between actual and perceived control over one's actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the psychological drivers of pro-environmental behavior across different socioeconomic statuses (SESs) is crucial for effectively addressing environmental challenges. To assist businesses and management departments in adequately identifying the psychological characteristics of target consumer groups from different SES backgrounds, our research manipulated subjective SES through three experimental studies to investigate the influence of subjective SES on pro-environmental behavior. Studies 1 and 2 adopted online experiments to examine the influence of subjective SES on pro-environmental behavior within the private sphere and the public sphere. Subsequently, Study 3 further investigated the psychological mechanisms through which subjective SES influences pro-environmental behavior. These results indicated that individuals from high SES backgrounds exhibit a greater propensity for green consumption behavior and contribute more financially to environmental organizations than those from low SES backgrounds. In addition, these studies further elucidated that the sense of control and life history strategy sequentially mediate the relationship. These findings provide empirical evidence for understanding whether and how subjective SES influences pro-environmental behavior, and enriching the theoretical framework of the relationship between subjective SES on pro-environmental behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the tools used to mediate intersubjectivity as a central element in Jean-Paul Sartre's phenomenological theory of ensembles. It first presents a brief account of ordinary individuals acting in and through violent groups from the viewpoints of psychology and phenomenology. Next, using Sartre's ontology of consciousness, the paper establishes the phenomenological structure of consciousness and intersubjectivity to explain, with recent psychological findings, how individual agents in violent groups come to deny their moral responsibility for the group's ideology and action. Finally, through Sartre's theory of ensembles, the paper shows how collectives of individuals evolve into groups. In violent groups, instruments of terror are used to mediate intersubjective relationships, and this explains how individual perpetrators and those complicit may sense a lack of control and perceive that they have diminished moral responsibility even though they are responsible for collective violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The centralization of Finnish maternity services can mean longer journeys when women are in labor. The aim of this study was to describe women's experiences of having an unplanned out-of-hospital delivery (OHD) and to produce a deeper understanding of how to support them when this happens. Design: Qualitative descriptive study design with narrative inquiry method. Methods: Individual interviews were carried out with 15 women who had an unplanned OHD and the data were analyzed using a narrative method. Results: Three narratives described the women's experiences of an unplanned OHD with a common plot being their sense of control. In the first narrative, a sense of control was maintained; in the second, the sense of control fluctuated; and the third narrative centered on a loss of control. All the narratives were related to the women's experiences of what was happening to their body, the people around them during delivery, and the situation after the childbirth. Conclusion: Having an unplanned OHD forced women to reconsider their preconceptions and expectations of childbirth and focus on how to handle the situation at hand. A key factor was the sense of control they felt while giving birth, which should be considered a core principle in maternity care practices, from antenatal care to delivery.

Technology and innovation are important in mitigating the risks imposed by climate change in many areas, including agriculture and food production. Many novel and emerging agri-food technologies are marching their way to market; however, consumer perceptions are crucial to the adoption of new agri-food technologies which claim to be more sustainable than conventional growing systems. This study investigates how the sense of control, an important psychological factor for human behaviours, may interact with consumers' perceptions of new agri-food technologies, and consequently affect their attitudes towards new technologies for future food production and consumption in the age of climate change. In total, 23 focus groups (n = 117) were conducted across New Zealand using Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA, a technology-based approach to food production that optimises growing conditions for plants through the regulation of environmental factors) as the exemplar technology for discussion. Findings reveal that, when climate change and the challenge of feeding the world sustainably were presented, CEA was accepted as a means to retain control over climate and environmental crises. Meanwhile, CEA was also speculated as a threat to consumers' sense of control concerning individual body and health, social order, and ecosystem order. To manage the disruptions that CEA may impose on perceived control, consumers may adopt different strategies to compensate for the perceived loss in their sense of control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two pre‐registered studies examined people's psychological collectivism, personal control, and attitudes toward disease‐control measures in the context of the COVID‐19 crisis and more generalized contexts. Study 1 surveyed 819 residents in Shanghai in late May 2022 when they were undergoing a stringent city‐wide lockdown caused by an outbreak of the Omicron variant. We found that participants' psychological collectivism attenuated the negative association between experiences of COVID‐19 restrictions and personal control and enhanced the positive association between personal control and support for COVID‐19 restrictions. Study 2 (N = 403) recruited an online sample with diverse backgrounds and demographic characteristics and sought to extend the findings of Study 1 beyond the context of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Participants were exposed to a series of hypothetical scenarios depicting a fictitious virus with varying fatality and transmissibility. As in Study 1, participants higher in psychological collectivism exhibited a stronger positive association between personal control and endorsement of stricter societal disease‐control measures, but only in low‐fatality, high‐transmissibility situations. The implications of these findings for facilitating public support for disease‐control efforts are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the acceleration of the pace of society, the problem of scarcity of time resources is becoming more prominent, which may lead to short‐sighted behavior. This study aimed to examine the impact of time scarcity on intertemporal choice and its underlying mechanisms through three experiments. Study 1 aimed to investigate the causal relationship between time scarcity and intertemporal choice and the mediating role of anxiety between time scarcity and intertemporal choice. The results showed that participants with a stronger perception of time scarcity were more likely to choose smaller and sooner gains, and that the mediating role of anxiety was significant. In Study 2, the control of time was introduced to explore whether the sense of control could alleviate the negative emotion caused by time scarcity. The results showed that individuals with high levels of control had significantly less anxiety under higher time‐scarcity conditions than those with low levels of control. In Study 3, we manipulated time scarcity and found that the sense of control moderated the mediating effect of anxiety in time scarcity and intertemporal choice. Overall, these findings suggest that the sense of control over time is associated with less anxiety from time scarcity, which in turn fosters preferences for delayed gains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The centralization of Finnish maternity services can mean longer journeys when women are in labor. The aim of this study was to describe women's experiences of having an unplanned out-of-hospital delivery (OHD) and to produce a deeper understanding of how to support them when this happens. Design: Qualitative descriptive study design with narrative inquiry method. Methods: Individual interviews were carried out with 15 women who had an unplanned OHD and the data were analyzed using a narrative method. Results: Three narratives described the women's experiences of an unplanned OHD with a common plot being their sense of control. In the first narrative, a sense of control was maintained; in the second, the sense of control fluctuated; and the third narrative centered on a loss of control. All the narratives were related to the women's experiences of what was happening to their body, the people around them during delivery, and the situation after the childbirth. Conclusion: Having an unplanned OHD forced women to reconsider their preconceptions and expectations of childbirth and focus on how to handle the situation at hand. A key factor was the sense of control they felt while giving birth, which should be considered a core principle in maternity care practices, from antenatal care to delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the Consumer Compensatory Behaviour Model (CCBM), this study aimed to apply a moderated mediation model to investigate the relationship between social appearance anxiety (SAA) and the online impulse buying behaviour of beauty products as well as the mediating role of sense of control (SOC) and moderating role of perceived coronavirus stress (PCS) among young females. A total of 953 Chinese female college students (Mage = 19.18, SD = 1.11) completed self-report questionnaires regarding SAA, SOC, online impulse buying of beauty products, and PCS. The results suggested that SOC partially mediated the link between SAA and the online impulse buying behaviour related to beauty products. Young females' perceived level of coronavirus stress moderated the first half of the mediating path and the direct association between SAA and the online impulse buying behaviour of beauty products. Although several theories have been proposed to explain online impulse buying behaviour, this study was the first to explain online impulse buying behaviour from the perspective of self-discrepancy. Given the COVID-19 environment, a novel mechanism was established between SAA and the online impulse buying behaviour related to beauty products. Additionally, this study provided empirical support for marketers and retailers to predict consumers' behaviour in the online beauty products marketplace during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research reports the findings of three studies, with objectives to demonstrate the impacts of health-promoting behaviors on psychological well-being as well as the mediating roles of sense of control (SOC) and perceived severity of COVID-19 in these relationships. Study 1 was a cross-sectional survey conducted in 473 middle-aged and older Chinese adults before the COVID-19 pandemic to assess their health-promoting behaviors, personal mastery and perceived constraints, life satisfaction, and depressive symptoms. Study 2 was conducted during the second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in Hong Kong (between March to April 2020), in which 292 participants from Study 1 were successfully contacted to report their emotional responses to the pandemic. Using a different sample, Study 3 was a longitudinal study that measured 495 participants' health-promoting behaviors, personal mastery and perceived constraints at baseline, and their perceived severity and mental health outcomes during the outbreak of omicron cases in Hong Kong (i.e., the fifth wave of the COVID-19 outbreak) in March 2022. All three studies demonstrate that the beneficial effects of health behaviors can be extended to psychological well-being and reveal possible underlying mechanisms through enhancing one's SOC and lowering perceived severity of the COVID-19 outbreak. These results provide important insights to future health promotion programs for improving psychological resources and psychological well-being of middle-aged and older adults in face of disease-related threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mysterious consumption, characterized by product purchases without knowledge of their exact nature, is gaining popularity in the modern marketplace. In two online experiments, we examined how consumers' psychological states, particularly their sense of personal control, influence their perception and intent to purchase mysterious products in the context of purchasing a random flight ticket. Study 1 demonstrated that when consumers experience low personal control, as opposed to high personal control, they are less likely to value the uncertainty inherent in random flight tickets, resulting in decreased purchase intentions. Study 2 revealed that introducing even limited choice options to random flight tickets can enhance consumers' appreciation of uncertainty, thereby increasing their purchase intention. This effect was especially notable among those initially hesitant to embrace uncertainty, ultimately boosting their intent to purchase. These findings deepen our understanding of consumer psychology surrounding mystery consumption and provide practical insights for marketers seeking to tailor their products and marketing appeals to consumers' psychological states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green spaces, integral to natural environments, have been extensively studied for their positive impact on mental health, yet their influence on social behavior, particularly aggression, is less explored. While prior research has predominantly emphasized the effects of actively engaging with nature, the significant role of passive nature exposure—a more common daily occurrence—has often been overlooked. We conducted two studies to explore the influence of passive green space exposure on aggression and the mediating effect of the sense of control. Study 1 (N = 240) utilized a cross‐sectional survey to assess the relationship between passive green space exposure, sense of control, and aggression. Study 2 (N = 260) employed a single‐factor between‐subjects experimental design to further explore these relationships in a controlled environment. The results from both studies indicated that passive green space exposure is negatively related to aggression, and that this relationship is partially mediated by an increased sense of control. Specifically, passive green space exposure was found to negatively predict aggression by bolstering individuals' sense of control. These findings underscore the potential of enhancing the sense of control through environmental factors like green spaces as an effective strategy to reduce aggression. This study enriches our understanding of the broader impacts of green spaces, extending beyond mental health to include social behaviors. We discussed both the theoretical and practical implications of our findings, highlighting how urban planning and environmental design can incorporate green spaces to foster community well‐being and mitigate aggressive behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The social gradient in adolescent mental health is well established: adolescents' socioeconomic status is negatively associated with their mental health. However, despite changes in social cognition during adolescence, little is known about whether social cognitions mediate this gradient. Therefore, this study tested this proposed mediational path using three data waves, each 6 months apart, from a socioeconomically diverse sample of 1,429 adolescents (M age = 17.9) in the Netherlands. Longitudinal modeling examined whether three social cognitions (self-esteem, sense of control, and optimism) mediated associations between perceived family wealth and four indicators of adolescent mental health problems (emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, and peer problems). There was evidence of a social gradient: adolescents with lower perceived family wealth reported more concurrent emotional symptoms and peer problems and an increase in peer problems 6 months later. Results also showed evidence of mediation through social cognitions, specifically sense of control: adolescents with lower perceived family wealth reported a decrease in sense of control (though not self-esteem nor optimism) 6 months later, and lower sense of control predicted increases in emotional symptoms and hyperactivity 6 months later. We found concurrent positive associations between perceived family wealth and all three social cognitions, and concurrent negative associations between social cognitions and mental health problems. The findings indicate that social cognitions, especially sense of control, may be an overlooked mediator of the social gradient in adolescent mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critically examines the philosophical underpinnings of current experimental investigation into animal affect-related decision-making. Animals’ affective states are standardly operationalised by linking positively valenced states with “approach” behaviours and negatively valenced states with “avoidance” behaviours. While this operationalisation has provided a helpful starting point to investigate the ecological role of animals’ internal states, there is extensive evidence that valenced and motivational states do not always neatly align, namely, instances where “liking” does not entail “wanting” (and vice versa). To address this limitation, this paper proposes the (re-)integration of dominance as a dimension of affect. In particular, I argue that dominance, construed as a measure of organisms’ self-assessed behavioural control, can provide the necessary nuance to understand animal affect-related decision-making. Thus, after addressing the theoretical and methodological challenges related to incorporating dominance into a definition of “core affect”, this paper introduces the “Valence-Arousal-Dominance” model of animal affect. This model is explored for its potential applications in two domains. Firstly, in the study of animal affect-related decision-making under predation risk, and secondly, in the study of animal wellbeing. Through these applications, this model aims to bring experimental paradigms of animal affect-related behaviour closer to ecologically relevant scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) has been revealed to be shaped by multiple factors. Nevertheless, limited studies have focused on sense of control, an intrinsic human motive, and investigated its impact on PMPU and the mechanisms of this influence. On the grounds of the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution model, the present study tested experiential avoidance as a possible mediator and self-concept clarity as a possible moderator in the connection linking sense of control and PMPU. Undergraduate students (N = 1,093; Mage = 18.95, SD = 1.10; 53.2% women) recruited through convenience sampling completed questionnaires in their classrooms. The mediation analysis revealed a significant mediating effect of experiential avoidance on the negative link between sense of control and PMPU. The moderated mediation analysis demonstrated a significant moderating effect of self-concept clarity, which attenuated both the direct path linking sense of control and PMPU and the mediating path through experiential avoidance. The findings contribute to elucidating whether, how, and under what conditions sense of control is connected with PMPU, and offer insights for developing practical intervention strategies to address PMPU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peri- and post-trauma emotional and cognitive reactions play a pivotal role in PTSD. Illuminating the complex relationship among them necessitates a sound theoretical and statistical approach that ensures valid measurement and theory testing. Taking such an approach this study examined the relationships among peri-trauma sense of control and emotional reactions, post-trauma fear, helplessness, shame and guilt responses, and PTSD in 601 women with a history of perceived sexual trauma exposure. Participants completed an online survey involving reliable and valid measures of perceived severity of sexual trauma, post-trauma fear due to a sense of ongoing threat to safety, and sense of helplessness in life, trauma-related shame, and guilt cognitions. A theoretical model was tested using Structural Equation Modeling. The measurement and structural models provided a good fit to the data. Levels of sense of control during trauma predicted peri-trauma distress levels. Peri-trauma emotions had direct effects on post-trauma fear, helplessness, and shame, but not on guilt cognitions. Fear, sense of helplessness, and shame had direct effects on PTSD and mediated the association between peri-trauma emotions and PTSD. Although guilt cognitions had direct effects on PTSD, they were not mediators. These findings suggested that peri-trauma emotions play a role in PTSD as long as they induce chronic fear for safety, a sense of helplessness in life, and shame. Trauma-focused psychological interventions designed to overcome fear and shame, reduce helplessness, and restore a sense of control over one's life would be effective in improving PTSD in survivors of sexual violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Pandemic fatigue, the state of weariness, exhaustion, and demotivation to engage in protective behaviors during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, have been linked with depressive symptoms. However, the mechanism underlying this association remains unclear. Based on the stress process model, the present study examined the indirect effects of pandemic fatigue on depressive symptoms through the indirect roles of sense of control and intolerance of uncertainty. Data were collected from 1,162 Chinese undergraduate and postgraduate students (M age = 21.61 years old, SD = 2.81, 64.29% women) through electronic questionnaires. The pandemic fatigue scale, the personal mastery scale, the short version of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, and the Depression subscale of the Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scales were employed. Indirect effects were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results revealed that pandemic fatigue related to COVID-19 was positively associated with depressive symptoms through (a) sense of control; (b) intolerance of uncertainty; and (c) a sequential pathway from sense of control to intolerance of uncertainty. The findings expand the application of the stress process model to the context of COVID-19 and deepen the understanding of pandemic fatigue—depressive symptoms link with considering the indirect roles of sense of control and intolerance of uncertainty. Psychological distress in the context of COVID-19 could be alleviated by the interventions on strengthening sense of control and tolerance of uncertainty and lessening the adverse effects of pandemic fatigue.

Eight studies show that resource scarcity can influence consumers' preference for counterhedonic consumption and that the sense of control is an underlying driver of this effect. Using a large-scale field dataset covering 82 countries over a 10-year period, study 1 showed that individuals from countries with greater resources consumed horror movies to a greater extent, but this pattern was not found for other movie genres such as romance or documentary. The remaining studies used diverse experimental approaches and counterhedonic consumption contexts (e.g. movie, novel, haunted house attraction, game) to provide causal and process evidence. Specifically, inducing perceived resource scarcity lowered participants' preference for counterhedonic consumption (studies 2A–2C). Consistent with the sense-of-control-based mechanism, experimentally lowering participants' sense of control or boosting it moderated the effect of perceived resource scarcity on their preference for counterhedonic consumption (studies 3A and 3B). The degradation of the sense of control due to perceived resource scarcity mediated the effect (studies 4 and 5). These results add to the literature on conterhedonic consumption as well as resource scarcity and have important managerial implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on remote work remains without consensus as to its benefits, with continued questions about which factors may enable it to be more beneficial to employees working remotely. Applying Conservation of Resources theory, we explore the impact of 'resource caravans' on 'work–family balance' and subsequent 'well‐being' in a sample of 446 remote workers. Our findings contribute to ongoing sociological debates by showing exactly how flexibility and control play a role in the remote workplace. Specifically, our model revealed that 'sense of control' over home was most beneficial for 'work–family balance' among experienced remote workers who had high levels of 'schedule flexibility', whereas 'work–family balance' benefited from lower levels of 'schedule flexibility' among new remote workers. Resources from the home domain were most critical for 'work–family balance', which mediated the effects of the 'resource caravan' from the home domain on overall employee 'well‐being'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: High levels of depression and low sense of control have been reported during the COVID-19 pandemic. The removal of typical freedoms through public health restrictions may have played an important role. The aim of this review was to examine data collected during the pandemic and (1) estimate the strength of the association between sense of control and depression, (2) examine whether the different types of control measures affected the strength of the association, and (3) whether this changed as a function of pandemic indicators. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies published in English between December 2019 and November 2022. A total of 993 articles were identified, of which 20 were included in the review and 16 in the meta-analysis after conducting a quality assessment using the standard NIH tool. Results: The control--depression association gave a bias-independent pooled effect size of r = .41, and grew stronger over the 130 weeks covered by this review but did not change as a function of local COVID incidence rates. Subgroup analyses showed that external and overall control were more strongly related to depression than internal control. Discussion: These findings emphasize that external factors are important to the sense of control and the importance of preserving the sense of control in situations where the removal of personal freedoms is necessary, such as public health emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the relationship between scarcity mindset and envy and the possible mediating mechanisms. We induced participants' scarcity mindset. Individuals with a scarcity mindset experienced more envy and generated more malicious motivation and less benign motivation to improve themselves after upward social comparison as compared to their counterparts. The relationship between scarcity mindset and envy was mediated by sense of control. Improving the sense of control of individuals with a scarcity mindset significantly reduced their envy and malicious motivation and significantly enhanced their benign motivation. Overall, this study found that individuals with a scarcity mindset were more envious of others after upward social comparison, and this phenomenon was significantly improved by manipulating their sense of control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored whether a sense of control over social life mediated the associations between using remote contact (phone calls, letters/emails, social media) and loneliness for socially isolated older adults. We used path analysis with the 2014 and 2016 Health and Retirement Study datasets (N = 3767). Results showed that more frequent phone calls and letters/emails were associated with lower levels of loneliness through sense of control. However, sense of control did not mediate the association between social media and loneliness. Findings suggest that promoting sense of control over social life by remote contact, particularly phone calls and letters/emails, may be effective in alleviating loneliness for isolated older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined associations between change in social contact communication modalities and change in perceived control over social life (PCOSL) following onset of the COVID-19 pandemic among older Americans and evaluated the extent to which associations were moderated by personality. Data were from the 2016 and 2020 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. Multivariate ordinary least squares regression analyses were computed adjusting for baseline PCOSL, sociodemographic, health, and psychosocial factors. Multiple moderation analyses revealed that extraversion moderated the association between change in social media communication and change in PCOSL before to during COVID-19. As levels of engagement in social media communication increased, those with high extraversion experienced increases in PCOSL, whereas those with low extraversion experienced decreases in PCOSL. Findings suggest that social interventions targeting perceived control and communication modality may be useful for older adults during global health events and that personality characteristics can help to inform intervention choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Intrusive thoughts are characterized by a sense of intrusiveness of foreign entry into cognition. While not always consisting of negative content, intrusive thoughts are almost solely investigated in that context. Involuntary Musical Imagery (INMI) offers a promising alternative, as it is a type of involuntary cognition that can be used to evaluate intrusiveness without negative content. Methods: In Study 1, 200 participants completed self‐report questionnaires to assess several aspects of intrusiveness: meta‐awareness, control, repetitiveness, frequency, and subjective experience of INMI. In Study 2, 203 participants completed self‐report questionnaires to explore the clinical characteristics (depression, stress, anxiety, and rumination) which might mediate the connection between INMI frequency and INMI negative experience. Results: Study 1 revealed, through exploratory factor analysis, that intrusiveness shares variance with the negative experience of INMI but not with INMI frequency. In Study 2, ruminative thinking was found to mediate the relationship between frequent INMI and the negative experience of INMI. Conclusion: These results suggest that INMI might be used to investigate intrusiveness in the lab without the potential confound of negative emotions. In addition, the results suggest that neither the content nor the frequency of intrusive thoughts can solely explain why these thoughts are aversive to some but not others. Ruminative style might be the missing link to explain how and why these intrusive thoughts become aversive and obsessive. In other words, we suggest that the cause for intrusiveness lies not in the thought or repetitiveness, but in the thinker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employee turnover and turnover intention have become critical issues for organizations as they create direct and indirect costs for them. Employees with turnover intentions in the organizations also tend to be less productive, since they are not really interested in their jobs and are merely there to wait for the right moment to move on to other organizations. The main objective of this study was to study the impact of workplace ostracism on turnover intention. This study was carried out as a cross-sectional field study, predominantly applying the hypothetic deductive approach. The population of the study comprises the machine operators working in the apparel sector in the Rathnapura district. Simple random sampling method was used as the sampling technique and the sample size of this study was 322 respondents according to the Morgan table. Personally administrated questionnaires were used for collecting the data under the quantitative data collection methods. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Through the analysis of the study, the researchers tried to assess the impact and identify the association between workplace ostracism and the turnover intention of machine operators in the apparel sector. According to the data analysis there is an impact of workplace ostracism on the turnover intention of the machine operators in the apparel sector in Sri Lanka and workplace ostracism impacts 68.4% of the turnover intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundBoth overindebtedness and unemployment are critical life events that can result in or lead to poor mental health. What is less known is that the two partly interrelated events frequently go along with a feeling of loss or lack of control in life, which could be the main reason why they are associated with poor mental health. This has not been examined in previous research, particularly not in this combination.MethodsThis study used and merged two cross-sectional data sets. Data collected in 2019 on 219 overindebted clients of the four official debt advisory centers in the Canton of Zurich were linked with a comparable subsample of 1,997 respondents from the Swiss Health Survey of 2017. The entire study population covered 2,216 adult individuals living in the Canton of Zurich.ResultsThe prevalence of no or low sense of control, medium to high psychological distress, and moderate to major depression was much higher among the 44 solely unemployed (36/30/12%), the 189 solely overindebted (73/83/53%), and particularly among the 30 unemployed and overindebted (93/97/60%) than among all 1,953 other survey participants (21/13/7%). Unemployment, overindebtedness, and a (resulting) lack or loss of control were all found to be strong risk factors for the two mental health outcomes under study. Associations, or rather negative health effects, were partly but not fully mediated by the sense of control. Overindebtedness much more strongly predicted psychological distress (ß = −0.37) and depression (ß = 0.17) than unemployment (ß = −0.05/0.01). The sense of control turned out to be an independent explanatory factor for poor mental health and even the strongest of all (ß = 0.49/−0.59).ConclusionImproving a person’s control beliefs could be a promising measure for preventing mental health disorders in general and in people who are unemployed and/or overindebted in particular.

Based on the chain-mediating role of mindfulness and sense of control, this study examines the mediating role of mindfulness and sense of control on employees’ mental health. A total of 720 questionnaires were collected from employees of select enterprises and institutions in China; 53 invalid questionnaires were excluded, with a response rate of 93%, leaving 667 employees as the study sample (average age = 38 years, 71.8% female). The study findings show that: (1) Work–family conflict had a significant positive correlation with mental health problems and a significant negative correlation with mindfulness and sense of control. (2) The influence on the mental health state was due to the mediating effect of mindfulness, sense of control, and the chain-mediating effect of mindfulness and sense of control. The study adopted self-report scales for measuring mindfulness and a sense of control; therefore, further experimental methods must be included in the future to explore these results. This study shows that mindfulness and sense of control can reduce the impact of work–family conflict on mental health problems. Additionally, the chain-mediating effect of mindfulness and sense of control plays an important role in mental health problems.