English translation and validation of the Ikigai-9 in a UK Sample [Protocol]

The psychological construct of ‘ikigai’ reflects the sense of having a ‘reason for living’ and has been associated with various positive health-related outcomes. This proposal presents an English translation of the Ikigai-9, empirically explores the manifestation of ikigai in the United Kingdom, and outlines its associations with facets of well-being.N/

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury: A community-based study

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine condition that has been associated with atypical emotional regulation strategy use as well as elevated levels of depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicidal ideation. Despite the existence of clinical screening guidance for this population, there is still little to no understanding of how non-suicidal self-injury and suicidal ideation and intention manifest in women with PCOS and how this might differ from women without PCOS. Within this cross-sectional investigation, women with and without a diagnosis of PCOS (n = 418) completed validated metrics of emotion dysregulation, rumination and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), as well as self-reported indices of previous suicidal ideation and future suicidal intention. Group comparisons indicated that women with, relative to those without, PCOS reported significantly greater metrics across all variables. Moreover, serial mediation analyses were conducted to test the ideation-to-action framework of suicide in women with PCOS, with the positive relationship between a PCOS diagnosis and future suicidal intention being explained through the indirect pathway of increased emotion dysregulation, recent suicidal ideation and NSSI. Our findings call to action the need for international screening for suicide intention and self-harm in women with PCOS

Bad Parents? Evaluating Judgments of Infant Homicides

While the killing of one’s own infant is an undoubtedly harrowing crime, there exists little research exploring attitudes toward these individuals. Such work has focused primarily on depictions of mothers, yet UK government data indicates that the majority of infant homicide cases involve paternal suspects. A sample of UK residents (n = 245) participated in a mixed-methods design to explore attitudes toward mothers and fathers who have been accused of murdering their infant child and whether parental mental health issues impacted these judgments. Results aligned with the chivalry hypothesis wherein maternal suspects were evaluated more leniently. Qualitative analyses uncovered hidden gender expectations: mothers were ascribed blame when the father was accused of infant homicide, a finding that was not present in the reverse scenario. This suggests that traditional views of motherhood conflict with a shifting social landscape that is seeing an increase in stay-at-home fathers and working mothers

Perceptions around adult and child sex offenders and their rehabilitation as a function of education in forensic psychology independent of traditionalism and perpetrator sex

Literature pertaining to individuals with sexual convictions typically reports punitive views about their crimes, sentences, and effectiveness of rehabilitation. However, such perceptions may be a function of offense demographics, such as victim age and perpetrator sex, and perceiver characteristics, such as their traditionalism or forensic awareness/education. Participants (N=101; 60% forensic psychology student; 40% general public) read online vignettes related to sexual offences (manipulating perpetrator sex and victim age), and completed measures of perceptions of sex offenders, perceived rehabilitation efficacy and traditionalism. Members of the general population (without forensic education background) reported harsher views towards individuals with sexual convictions and their rehabilitation, relative to students of forensic psychology, independent of their greater traditionalism. There was no main effect of or interaction with perpetrator sex. Whilst participants endorsed more negative perceptions towards sex offenders of child than adult victims, this did not extent to differences in perceptions regarding their rehabilitation. Findings reported here indicate a need for greater understanding as to the factors that might moderate perceptions towards individuals with sexual convictions, and have implications for the promotion of sex offender rehabilitation programmes. Understanding the root of such public attitudes is a key step for creating and improving associated policies

A measure of nature connectedness for children and adults: Validation, performance, and insights

With benefits to both human well-being and pro-nature conservation behaviors, nature connectedness is emerging as an important psychological construct for a sustainable future. The growing research and applied and policy-related interests require a straightforward measure of nature connectedness that is suitable for both children and adult populations. To establish the reliability of the new Nature Connection Index (NCI) three factor analyses were conducted. One was based on a large Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment (MENE) dataset for adults (n = 3568) with a replication from data sets collected online (n = 553), and a third used MENE data from children (n = 351). To validate the NCI as a measure for nature connectedness an online comparison study (n = 153) included the NCI alongside other established measures. The results showed that the NCI was a reliable and valid scale that offers a short, simple alternative to other measures of nature connectedness, particularly for populations including both children and adults, measured face to face or online. The utility of the NCI is also supported, with variations associated with various pro-environmental and pro-conservation behaviors observed, and importantly the NCI also revealed changes in nature connectedness across the lifespan.N/

Loss and assimilation: Lived experiences of Brexit for British citizens living in Luxembourg

Inconsistent political realities are associated with mental health issues such as hopelessness, anxiety, and depression. The psychological impact of Brexit is clearly an important and timely issue, but hitherto has been understudied. This study uses a critical realist approach to qualitatively explore the lived experiences of British citizens living in Luxembourg during the Brexit era. The study reports on semi-structured interviews conducted with 6 British citizens aged 18–65. An experientially focused thematic analysis was conducted, exploring two main themes: Loss (with psychological and broader social implications) and Integration (contrasting the mover’s community with the receiving community). This study demonstrates the psychological impact of Brexit and highlights the urgency for future researchers and mental health practitioners alike — both in the UK and overseas — to consider the human consequences associated with political upheaval. Open access materials for this project can be viewed here: https://osf.io/38rg7/?view_only=b8c04dfc3fe5474f9aff4897e370b3e6

The impact of attitudes beliefs and cognitive reflection on the development of critical thinking skills in online students

Learning and development of critical thinking (CT) skills in higher education is essential for academic achievement. The following experiment is the first to examine the effect of online student’s perceptions and attitudes towards CT across dimensions of confidence, valuing, misconceptions, cognitive reflection, and authors writing. Furthermore, a CT intervention was developed, and the effects of the intervention examined with an aim to help students improve their grade point average. The analyses demonstrated that student’s confidence and cognitive reflection predict academic achievement. Moreover, the online CT intervention was associated with improved students’ CT attitudes, skills, and academic performance. Significant interactions were observed between time (pre- and post-intervention) and intervention in cognitive reflection, confidence, beliefs, and attitudes related to CT, and student grade point average (GPA, as a measure of student’s performance on online modules). It was concluded that the CT can be taught and that an intervention based on “how to think” rather than a “what to think” mixed approach can help online students develop CT, strengthen their confidence in CT and help students improve their academic performance in an online setting

An Investigation of the Learning Motivation of Student Studying Accounting Courses in China

Since the 1980s, concerns within the accounting profession have asked whether the accounting curriculum aligns with evolving accounting practice and the preparation of students for working in accounting field. In recent years, the accountancy profession has played a vital role in the growth of China’s economy, and so identifying the motivation of college students to study accounting in China and their inclination to enter the accounting profession is paramount. This paper investigates the learning motivation of students studying accounting in China through the use of self-administered questionnaires. Non-probability sampling technique was used in this study. A total of 103 questionnaire responses were collected and underwent descriptive and correlation analysis. Findings indicated that undergraduate accounting students were mainly motivated by their concerns about their future career and qualification, altruism, enjoy social life, and self-exploration. These findings are consistent with the self-determined theory about self-identity as an accounting professional, and support the expectancy-value theory in the value of studying accounting to the career aspiration, and concurs with the achievement goal theory in achieving the professional qualifications and personal growth. Findings from this study have implications for helping students to understand their motivations to study accounting and their suitability of entering the accounting profession. Accounting professional bodies may also use the findings reported here to inform on member recruitment strategies, whilst facilitating education providers’ assessment of suitability for candidates to studying accounting and the design of curriculum and teaching strategies.N/

The Development and Validation of the Successful Psychopathy Scale

The personality construct known as ‘Successful Psychopathy’ has attracted the interests of researchers and clinicians alike. The concept suggests an individual who demonstrates the core traits associated with psychopathy but is able to adapt and function within society to prototypical or superior standards. There has yet to be a sound theoretical model of this construct by which to base a psychometric measure. This protocol presents the ethical procedure that will endeavour to create such a measure and validate it within general population samples