The models of personality descriptors selection in psycholexical studies − a classic and nonrestrictive approach

Głównym celem niniejszego artykułu jest próba przedstawienia dwóch podejść do problemu selekcji deskryptorów osobowych w badaniach psycholeksykalnych: podejścia klasycznego, restrykcyjnego oraz powstałego na bazie jego krytyki podejścia nierestrykcyjnego. Podstawową cechą różnicującą oba modele jest zakres materiału słownego uwzględnianego w trakcie analiz leksykalnych. W klasycznym modelu analiz liczba deskryptorów osobowych jest zawężana do słów opisujących wyłącznie stałe dyspozycje. Zwolennicy podejścia nierestrykcyjnego, odwołując się do podstawowych założeń badań leksykalnych, postulują prowadzenie analiz z zastosowaniem pełnego spectrum deskryptorów osobowych, bez pomijania żadnej kategorii leksykalnej. Niniejszy artykuł przedstawia wady i zalety obu podejść oraz ogólne omówienie wyników badań uzyskanych w każdym z nich.The main purpose of this article is to outline two models of selection of personal descriptors in psycholexical studies: the classic (restrictive) and the nonrestrictive approach. The basic distinguishing feature of both models is the range of word material taken into account during lexical analyzes. In the classic model of analysis, the number of personal descriptors is narrowed down to words that describe only stable dispositions. The unrestricted approach, referring to the basic assumptions of lexical research, postulate the using of a full spectrum of personality descriptors without omitting any lexical category. This article presents the advantages and disadvantages of both approaches and a general discussion of the results of the research in each of them

Cognitive functioning and social networking sites addiction - a review.

Nowadays social networking sites are commonly available and used by people in different age groups. These are used especially to communicate with other users but sometimes it turns into addiction, when people overuse it. This phenomenon belongs to so-called behavioural addiction which, only recently, has been described in scientific literature. It is crucial to differentiate when using social networking sites is normal and when it goes beyond the social norms. The article depicts the data concerning the spread of the social networking sites addiction phenomenon, its theoretical models and the possibility to identify it on the basis of diagnostic criteria offered by scientists. The main topic of this article is to discuss cognitive function in this specific kind of addiction. Researchers related this to personal, social and emotional spheres until now. However, it seems that cognitive processing, especially cognitive control and executive functions have a crucial role in explaining social media addiction mechanisms. Additionally, an understanding of these mechanisms can contribute to developing more appropriate forms both in terms of prevention and therapy

The Relationship between the Need for Closure and Coronavirus Fear: The Mediating Effect of Beliefs in Conspiracy Theories about COVID-19

This study investigated the relationship between fear of the coronavirus, belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories, and dimensions of the need for cognitive closure. As there is evidence of associations between these variables, we hypothesized that the relationship between the need for closure dimensions and coronavirus fear may be mediated by conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19. We analyzed the results from 380 individuals who completed online versions of three scales: the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, a short version of the Need for Closure Scale, and—designed for this study—the Conspiracy Theories about the Coronavirus Scale. The results showed that belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories fully mediated the relationship between the fear of the coronavirus and avoidance of ambiguity, as well as closed-mindedness. The findings provided evidence that beliefs in conspiracy theories may play a significant role in reducing the level of coronavirus fear in people with high levels of these traits. In addition, a partial mediation between the fear of the coronavirus and the need for predictability was found. The limitations and implications of the research are discussed