Primenjena psihologija

Internet Addiction on Psycho-Social Symptoms of Happiness and Aggression through Difficulties in Emotion Regulation: Evidence Following COVID-19 Pandemic

Mehmet Kavaklı — 2024-05-23

Background: Internet usage has increased during the pandemic. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between internet addiction (IA), happiness, and aggression in the context of difficulties in emotion regulation (DER). The psycho-social symptoms of the COVID-19 pandemic appear to be more persistent over time compared to its physical symptoms, especially regarding Internet addiction in the young population. This study seeks to understand these effects on happiness and aggression through difficulties in emotion regulation. Participants and Procedure: The sample of this study consisted of 325 university students. Data were gathered using the Young Internet Addiction Scale Short Form, Oxford Happiness Scale Short-Form, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale Brief-Form, and Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire. Results: The results showed that internet addiction was negatively related to happiness, and this relationship was mediated by difficulties in emotion regulation. Similarly, internet addiction was positively related to aggression, and this relationship was fully mediated by difficulties in emotion regulation as well. Conclusion: These research findings emphasize the need for creating effective interventions to enhance emotion regulation skills in internet-addicted adults. The results are discussed in light of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Effect of the Gender Inequality Sensitivity Training Program Based on Active Learning

Dürdane Lafcı Tor — 2024-05-23

In the study, it was aimed to test the effectiveness of the Gender Inequality Sensitivity Training Program Based on Active Learning, which was prepared to develop sensitivity to gender inequality. The research was conducted with 26 participants studying in the Guidance and Psychological Counselling department of a university in the Central Anatolia Region in the 2019-2020 academic year. This study is a mixed-method research. In the quantitative part of the research, a quasi-experimental application was conducted with a 2x2 pre-test-post-test control group. In the qualitative part, the activity products and assignments obtained during the training were evaluated. The quantitative data of the research were collected through the Attitudes towards Gender Roles Scale and Personal Information Form, and the qualitative data were collected through the activity products and assignments obtained during the training. A 12-week-long Gender Inequality Sensitivity Training Program Based on Active Learning was applied to the experimental group. The findings showed that the training program increased the gender roles total attitude scores and traditional gender role scores of the experimental group participants significantly. In addition, after the experimental procedure, it was determined that there was a significant difference in favour of the experimental group regarding the total score, female, traditional, and male gender role sub-dimensions between the experimental and control groups. Qualitative findings showed that the program increased participants’ awareness of gender issues.

The healthy, yet unhealthy choice: stereotypes about vegetarians and vegans in a meat-eating culture

Marija Branković — 2024-05-23

Stereotypes about vegetarians and vegans influence behaviour toward these groups and the consumption of animal products. This affects the health and well-being of humans, other animals, and the environment. We studied these stereotypes in a meat-eating culture based on content analysis of open-ended responses in contrast to the more frequently used ad-hoc scales. We also compared the positivity and contents of stereotypes between men and women and between vegetarians/vegans and meat-eaters. We found that stereotypes about vegetarians are ambivalent, while stereotypes about vegans are more clearly negative, both to a greater extent among meat-eaters and among men. The open-ended responses were most frequently related to health, then to moral values, empathy, commitment, and unfavourable social traits. References to masculinity/femininity were not prominent in the spontaneous responses, and neither was the domain of competence. While meat-eaters mainly relate vegetarianism and veganism to health, vegetarians/vegans relate these choices to empathy and moral values. We discuss the implications of the findings for cross-cultural research and shaping public communications.

Latent structure and measurement invariance by gender of the Embodied Image Scale

Marija Volarov — 2024-05-23

Body image is a multidimensional construct that includes both aesthetic (how our body looks) and functional components (what our body can do physically). Our study aimed to investigate latent structure and measurement invariance (MI) by gender of the Serbian translation of Embodied Image Scale using a large sample of adults from the general population (N = 1035; M = 26.33, SD = 9.94; 66.7% females). The Embodied Image Scale (EIS) incorporates aesthetic and functional body image. According to the results of the confirmatory factor analysis, the following five factors described the latent structure of the EIS the best: functional investment (FI), functional values (FV), functional satisfaction (FS), aesthetic satisfaction (AS), and aesthetic values and investment (AVI). The results of the MI suggested that the EIS achieved the strict (residual) level of invariance. In addition, the convergent validity of the EIS was tested by correlating the EIS scores with positive and negative mental health indicators. The results suggested that FV, FI, FS, and AS had a positive correlation with positive affect and unconditional self-acceptance (USA), FS and AS correlated negatively with negative affect (NA), symptoms of depression (D), and conditional self-acceptance (CSA), while the AVI had a positive correlation with NA, CSA, D, and negative correlation with USA. Finally, we compared physically inactive participants, recreationists, and active athletes on the EIS scores. The results revealed that all groups differed in FV, FS, and AS in a way that scores on these subscales increased with increased physical activity.

The effects of resilience and basic personality traits on subjective well-being in elderly

Jelica Petrović — 2024-05-23

The aim of this research was to examine the prediction of aspects of subjective well-being based on resilience and seven basic personality traits in users of gerontological centers, and the incremental contribution of basic personality traits in explaining adaptation to old age, beyond the variance explained by resilience. The sample consisted of 151 participants (54.3% female) with an average age of 80 years. Satisfaction with life, as cognitive indicator, and emotional distress (anxiety, depression, and stress) were used as indicators of subjective well-being. The results showed that resilience, neuroticism (in the negative direction) and positive valence predicted life satisfaction in the elderly. In predicting emotional distress, neuroticism stood out as a key predictor, while the significant contribution of resilience is dimnished by introducing personality traits into the model. The results provide a more complete picture of the relationships between resilience, personality traiits, and subjective well-being in a sample of the elderly in Serbia, and confirm the importance of studying these relationships from a developmental perspective.