Acta Psychologica最新文献

{"title":"Increased performance in tutoring systems during COVID-19 in Uruguay and Germany.","authors":"Markus Wolfgang Hermann Spitzer, Lisa Bardach, Myriel Kopatz, Korbinian Moeller","doi":"10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.107955","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.107955","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>COVID-19-related school closures globally disrupted students' education and were followed by declines in academic performance in many contexts. At the same time, some studies reported performance increases within adaptive learning software during school closures. Yet, this evidence stems from a limited range of countries (e.g., Germany), leaving unclear whether these findings extend to other parts of the world.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>We sought to evaluate whether performance trajectories within intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs) for learning mathematics during COVID-19-related school closures were similar for students from Germany and from Uruguay-a country and cultural context that has not yet received systematic attention in this line of research.</p><p><strong>Samples: </strong>We conducted within-student analyses of two longitudinal ITS datasets from Uruguay (1357 students; 42,404 problem sets) and Germany (8751 students; 298,300 problem sets) and complemented these with two between-student cohort analyses (Uruguay: 9618 students; 287,573 problem sets; Germany: 48,923 students; 1,435,234 problem sets).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We applied hierarchical linear regression models to compare students' performance within the ITS before and during COVID-19-related school closures in mathematics in both countries.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We observed significantly better performance within the ITS during periods of COVID-19-related school closures than during the same period in previous years in both countries and in both the within-student and the between-student cohort analyses. Greater system use was associated with better performance within the ITS, and students who increased their system use during COVID-19-related school closures relative to before also showed larger performance improvements within the ITS.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our results indicate that previously reported performance increases within ITSs for learning mathematics during periods of COVID-19-related school closures also pertain to students from Uruguay and highlight the need to diversify research samples. Our findings further indicate that associations between system use and performance within the ITS during school closures are not restricted to Germany.</p>","PeriodicalId":7141,"journal":{"name":"Acta Psychologica","volume":"270 ","pages":"107955"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149126323","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Perceived micro-learning based consumer education and sustainable purchase behavior: The mediating role of perceived consumer effectiveness and the moderating role of environmental concern.","authors":"Khaled Alshaketheep, Hind Al-Ahmed, Ahmad Shajrawi, Omar Zraqat","doi":"10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.107943","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.107943","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study examines how perceived exposure to micro learning based consumer education relates to sustainable purchase behavior, drawing on the Stimulus Organism Response model, Social Cognitive Theory, and the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning. Using a cross sectional survey design, data were collected from 1120 consumers across Jordan, Palestine, and Saudi Arabia and analyzed through PLS SEM. Perceived micro-learning and perceived usefulness were both positively associated with perceived consumer effectiveness, which in turn was positively related to sustainable purchase behavior and partially and statistically mediated both relationships. Environmental concern moderated the link between perceived consumer effectiveness and behavior, strengthening it among consumers with higher environmental concern. The model demonstrated strong explanatory and predictive relevance, and this pattern was consistent across the three countries. The main psychological contribution of the study lies in reframing perceived consumer effectiveness not as a peripheral attitude but as the belief centered mechanism through which format sensitive digital education becomes sustainable behavior, with the strength of this pathway conditioned by consumers' underlying environmental concern.</p>","PeriodicalId":7141,"journal":{"name":"Acta Psychologica","volume":"270 ","pages":"107943"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149126332","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Going green through screens: Parasocial relationships, self-expansion, and online sustainable consumption.","authors":"Yuhuan Xu, Jianguo Du, Muhammad Umair Wattoo","doi":"10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.107923","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.107923","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study investigates the relationship between parasocial relationships developed in a digital environment and their relationship with green purchase intention and green purchase behavior. The study draws on Parasocial Relationship Theory and Self-Expansion Theory to explain how online relational influence may shape sustainable consumption through identity-related processes and relevant boundary conditions. The survey data were gathered from Chinese online consumers who had bought green products and were analyzed by partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings show that parasocial relationship (PSR) positively influences self-expansion (SE), which positively influences green purchase intention (GPI) and green purchase behavior (GPB). The results indicate the importance of identity-based processes in sustainable consumption. In addition, green purchase intention is also correlated positively with green purchase behavior, suggesting its role in linking the positive evaluation of sustainable consumption to reported purchase behavior. Further, environmental concern also serves to moderate the direct linkages between PSR and GPI and GPB; thus, the relationships appear to be stronger for consumers high on environmental concern.</p>","PeriodicalId":7141,"journal":{"name":"Acta Psychologica","volume":"270 ","pages":"107923"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149126268","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of emotional intelligence intervention on mental health: A systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Pratiksha Sharma, Sandeep Saroj, Narendra Nath Samantaray, Paulomi Sudhir","doi":"10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.107932","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.107932","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Mental health interventions have increasingly shifted beyond symptom reduction toward strengthening psychological resources that support adaptive functioning and well-being. Emotional intelligence (EI), encompassing competencies related to emotional awareness, understanding, regulation, and interpersonal functioning, represents a potentially modifiable target for promoting mental health. However, existing evidence remains fragmented regarding the EI domains targeted, intervention characteristics, and effectiveness across symptom-based and positive psychological outcomes.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized evidence on EI-based interventions by (a) mapping targeted EI competencies and intervention characteristics, (b) examining their effects on symptom-based and positive psychological indicators of mental health, and (c) exploring participant, intervention, and methodological factors associated with variability in outcomes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Thirty-two studies evaluating EI-based interventions among adults were included. Narrative synthesis examined study characteristics, EI domains, theoretical frameworks, and intervention techniques. Random-effects meta-analyses were conducted using study-level composite effect sizes to account for within-study dependence. Risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane RoB 2 and ROBINS-I tools, with sensitivity and moderator analyses performed to examine robustness and sources of heterogeneity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>EI-based interventions most frequently targeted stress management, emotion regulation, and emotional awareness, predominantly through experiential and skills-based approaches. Meta-analysis of controlled studies demonstrated significant improvements in overall mental health outcomes (g = 0.65), including symptom-based indicators (g = 0.55) and positive psychological indicators (g = 0.90). Considerable heterogeneity was observed, however, the explored moderators remained insignificant. In a sensitivity analysis excluding studies at high risk of bias, the pooled effect remained statistically significant, although substantial heterogeneity persisted.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>EI-based interventions show promise as preventive and promotive approaches for mental health by strengthening emotional competencies relevant to both distress reduction and positive functioning. Future research requires theoretically explicit, mechanism-focused, and methodologically rigorous trials to establish active components and long-term effectiveness.</p>","PeriodicalId":7141,"journal":{"name":"Acta Psychologica","volume":"270 ","pages":"107932"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149126311","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Deaf signers exhibit expert-like gaze patterns when viewing Old Master paintings.","authors":"Temenuzhka Dimova, Nicolas Lapique, Raphael Rosenberg","doi":"10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.107953","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.107953","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Visual expertise arises when habitual exposure to specific stimuli shapes attentional allocation and eye-movement patterns. Such adaptations can sometimes extend beyond their domain of acquisition, as shown in studies of trained populations. However, less is known about perceptual skill transfer that could emerge from lived experience rather than deliberate practice, as in the case of early deafness combined with sign language mastery. We addressed this question by recording the eye movements of 30 Deaf fluent users of Austrian Sign Language viewing Old Master narrative paintings. We then compared them with 28 hearing art history experts and 30 hearing non-experts. Despite lacking formal art-historical training, Deaf participants exhibited ocular patterns closely resembling those of experts: shorter fixations, broader exploration of pictorial surfaces, heightened attention to symbolic objects and codified hand gestures, and reduced reliance on face-focused viewing. Furthermore, verbal artwork descriptions by Deaf signers and art experts included a richer set of visually grounded elements than lay viewers. These findings reveal a transfer of perceptual skills, suggesting that cognitive adaptations associated with sign language and early deafness extend to complex cultural artefacts.</p>","PeriodicalId":7141,"journal":{"name":"Acta Psychologica","volume":"270 ","pages":"107953"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149126278","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prospective association between cumulative ecological risk and adolescent problematic short video use: Concurrent associations with cognitive fusion and reflective smartphone disengagement.","authors":"Ting Zhou, Tiantian Liu, Zhenliang Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.107962","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.107962","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cumulative ecological risk (CER) is a robust predictor of problematic online behavior. However, empirical evidence remains sparse regarding the prospective association between cumulative ecological risk and problematic short video use (PSVU), and the indirect and conditional association between these variables have yet to be sufficiently elucidated. To address this issue, this study-grounded in the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model-examines the prospective association between CER and PSVU. Specifically, we examine the indirect association via cognitive fusion (i.e., the tendency to over-identify with subjective thoughts) and the role of reflective smartphone disengagement (RSD, i.e., the conscious regulation of device usage) in this indirect association. Utilizing a two-wave longitudinal design, we recruited 2477 junior high school students from three secondary schools in Jiangsu Province, China, with two assessments conducted six months apart. Results indicated that CER (T1) was positively and prospectively associated with PSVU (T2). Furthermore, CER showed an indirect association with PSVU via cognitive fusion. Notably, the association between CER and PSVU through cognitive fusion varied as a function of RSD (T2); specifically, this indirect association was modestly weaker among adolescents with higher RSD levels than those with lower levels. These findings contribute to understanding the indirect association with PSVU and informing practical implications for prevention and intervention strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":7141,"journal":{"name":"Acta Psychologica","volume":"270 ","pages":"107962"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149126357","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Self-compassion training for transgender and gender-diverse individuals experiencing psychological distress. A non-concurrent multiple-baseline single-case study.","authors":"Lisa Nordlund, Tove Lundberg, Anna Malmquist, Matilda Wurm","doi":"10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.107942","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.107942","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In recent years, we have witnessed a backlash concerning societal attitudes towards transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) individuals in liberal democracies. In accordance with the gender minority stress model, these stressors have detrimental effects on TGD individuals' well-being, leading to higher rates of depression and anxiety. This multiple-baseline single-case study aimed to develop and test the efficacy of a brief, internet-delivered, self-compassion training module for TGD individuals suffering from psychological distress. A non-concurrent multiple baseline design was applied, where six TGD individuals living in Sweden were randomly assigned to different baseline lengths. Participants completed weekly self-ratings about their self-compassion and psychological distress (i.e., depressive feelings and anxiety). Visual inspection and statistical nonoverlap (NAP) analysis showed that four out of six participants improved on at least two of the three measures (self-compassion, depressive feelings, anxiety). Due to a short follow-up, it is unclear to what extent the participants were able to retain the improvements unassisted. Nevertheless, results suggest that a self-compassion module may be a useful addition to TGD-affirmative interventions. Potential benefits of prolonging the program and extending follow-up are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":7141,"journal":{"name":"Acta Psychologica","volume":"270 ","pages":"107942"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149102681","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Examination of the relationship between care burden and loneliness levels of parents caring for individuals with intellectual disabilities.","authors":"Hamza Kurtkapan, Çağdaş Ümit Yazgan","doi":"10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.107941","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.107941","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Considering the gap in the literature, this study aimed to examine the association between care burden and loneliness among parents caring for individuals with intellectual disabilities.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A quantitative cross-sectional correlational design was used. The study sample consisted of 147 parents who provided non-professional care to their children with intellectual disabilities. A hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis was performed to examine the association between care burden and caregivers' loneliness after controlling for gender, employment status, and the number of individuals living in the household.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Care burden differed significantly according to gender and employment status and was significantly associated with caregiving duration and the number of individuals living in the household. After controlling for gender, employment status, and the number of individuals living in the household, care burden remained significantly associated with caregivers' loneliness, accounting for an additional 15.9% of the variance in loneliness (ΔR² = 0.159, p < .001).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The findings highlight the association between care burden and loneliness among parents caring for individuals with intellectual disabilities.</p>","PeriodicalId":7141,"journal":{"name":"Acta Psychologica","volume":"270 ","pages":"107941"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149102407","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the structural component of construct validity of integrated speaking tasks: The case of a large-scale high-stakes computer-based listening-speaking task.","authors":"Yan Zhou, Ke Bin, Lawrence Jun Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.107834","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.107834","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Integrated speaking tasks have been widely used in many large-scale high-stakes tests. However, little is known about their application among second language learners of English in K-12 learning contexts, such as in the Guangdong Version of the Computer-based English Listening and Speaking Test (hereafter, CELST) of the National Matriculation English Test. This misalignment is particularly problematic given the substantial impact of integrated speaking tasks on English language teaching, learning, and assessing in China and internationally. Employing a bi-factor Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) and hierarchical multiple regression analyses, the present study examined the structural component of CELST's construct validity by investigating whether the observed internal structure of test performance data provides empirical evidence for the hypothesized construct underlying the test, as manifested in its official test specifications issued by the Education Examinations Authority of Guangdong Province. Findings provided partial evidence that the internal structure of CELST performance data is consistent with the hypothesized construct, which involves students' ability to accomplish specific tasks in particular contexts by drawing on and applying multiple knowledge resources, including task prompts, knowledge of English and the world, source materials, and communicative strategies. Specifically, parameters representing the five hypothesized domain-specific language competence factors (with coherence represented just by one single indicator) and two hypothesized communicative strategies, extracted from the participants' oral output, jointly contributed to the participants' test performance, with weights differed across factors. This variability highlights the comprehensiveness and contextual specificity of the test. These findings could provide empirical evidence supporting the validity of score interpretations and offer important implications for the teaching, learning, and assessment of integrated speaking tasks in senior high schools in China.</p>","PeriodicalId":7141,"journal":{"name":"Acta Psychologica","volume":"270 ","pages":"107834"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149102431","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exponential-growth underestimation: Semantic framing and information availability.","authors":"Ami Feder, Maayan Katzir, Eliran Halali, Michal Pinhas","doi":"10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.107957","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.107957","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Exponential growth is consistently underestimated. Although this tendency reflects difficulty in processing nonlinear growth, its magnitude may also be sensitive to semantic context and heuristic influences. Across three preregistered experiments (total N = 2836), participants estimated mathematically equivalent exponential-growth problems framed as representing coronavirus infections or recoveries. Across experiments, participants' estimates were closer to the correct answers when the numerical progressions represented coronavirus infections rather than recoveries (i.e., they showed less underestimation). Coronavirus-related emotions, attitudes, and behaviors measured in the present research did not provide a consistent account of this difference. In Experiment 2, the interaction between context and framing was not significant. Nevertheless, planned follow-up analyses showed significantly less underestimation for infections than recoveries, whereas estimates did not significantly differ when mathematically equivalent numerical progressions represented personal financial losses rather than gains, a pattern consistent with a possible additional contribution of the coronavirus context. In Experiment 3, follow-up analyses showed a significant infection-recovery difference among participants with high exposure to liberal media and low exposure to conservative media, but not under the other combinations of media exposure. This conditional pattern was consistent with differential availability of infection-related information as a possible cognitive mechanism. These findings indicate that exponential-growth underestimation is sensitive to the semantic framing of mathematically equivalent problems and to context-relevant information, supporting its characterization as the outcome of a judgment process susceptible to contextual influences, heuristics, and biases. The limitations of the present evidence and implications for communicating exponential-growth information are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":7141,"journal":{"name":"Acta Psychologica","volume":"270 ","pages":"107957"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149102598","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}