Europe’s Journal of Psychology

Correction of Calero et al. (2018). Emotional Intelligence and Self-Perception in Adolescents

The Journal Editor — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Correction to: Calero, A. D., Barreyro, J. P., & Injoque-Ricle, I. (2018). Emotional intelligence and self-perception in adolescents. Europe’s Journal of Psychology, 14(3), Article e1506. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v14i3.1506

The High Five Model as a Predictor of Optimal Functioning in University Students: A Longitudinal Study

Diana García Dilba, Alejandro Castro Solano — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Objectives: The high-five model (HFM) categorizes five positive human characteristics — erudition, peace, joviality, honesty, and tenacity — on the basis of an inductive psycholexical approach. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive power of the HFM in a sample of university students to assess whether these traits could predict optimal functioning after 20 months. Optimal functioning was defined as high academic performance; emotional, personal, and social well-being; and low levels of psychopathology. Methods: The study included 136 university students with a mean age of 30.8 years (SD = 1.86; 83% female; 17% male). The predictor variables were high factors (HFI – High Five Inventory –), and the criterion variables were emotional, personal, and social well-being (Mental Health Continuum-Short Form – MHC-SF –), psychopathological symptoms (Symptom Checklist-27, SCL-27), and academic achievement (self-reported academic grades). The data were analyzed both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Results: The findings indicated that the HFI, particularly the factors of Honesty (β = .64, p = .05) and Tenacity (β = .49, p = .01), demonstrated high predictive power in identifying profiles of optimal functioning (high complete mental well-being) in university students after 20 months. The predictive power of the model was greater when predictors and criteria were analyzed cross-sectionally rather than longitudinally (explaining 35% vs. 17% of the variance). Conclusions: HFM effectively distinguished between high- and low-complete mental well-being groups both cross-sectionally and longitudinally, demonstrating its robustness in predicting optimal functioning at various time points.

The Effect of Unethical Leadership on Employees’ Unethical Pro-Organizational Behaviour: A Meta-Analysis

Mohd Ferdaus Harun, Maisarah Mohd Taib — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Background: This meta-analysis examines the relationship between unethical leadership and employees’ engagement in unethical pro-organizational behaviours. When leaders lack moral integrity, it can undermine employees’ ethical decision-making. By synthesizing evidence across studies, this research aims to clarify the scale and impact of this link, informing interventions to mitigate the harmful effects of unethical leadership on employee behaviour. Method: A systematic literature search across five online databases identified 129 empirical studies published between 2014 and 2024. These studies investigated the relationship between unethical leadership and unethical pro-organizational behaviours, examining constructs such as exploitative leadership, authoritarian leadership, and abusive supervision. Only studies that were rated as having moderate or strong overall quality based on the QATQS risk of bias assessment were included. The meta-analysis employed a univariate random-effects model, with effect sizes calculated using Fisher’s Z coefficient. Results: A total of 20 effect sizes from 12 studies were included, involving 6,892 participants across five countries, four from Asia (i.e., China, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, and Iran) and the United States. The overall effect size was positively significant, indicating that unethical leadership moderately increases employees’ unethical pro-organizational behaviours. The substantial heterogeneity suggests variability beyond chance. While the funnel plot and Egger’s regression test indicate potential publication bias in the included studies, Duval and Tweedie’s trim-and-fill method did not identify sufficient evidence of missing studies to warrant adjusting the effect size. Conclusion: Unethical leadership demonstrates a moderate positive effect on employees’ engagement in unethical pro-organizational behaviours. Leaders’ unethical conduct directly shapes this trend. However, potential mediating factors, such as a moral engagement, value-congruence, and moderating factors, such as organizational culture and ethical climate, may also influence these associations.

Predictors of Fear of Childbirth in Nulliparous Women: Childhood Traumas and Attachment Patterns

Gökçe Kavak Sinanoğlu, Sezin Ateş — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study aimed to investigate the predictors of fear of childbirth (FoC) in nulliparous women by focusing on the effects of childhood trauma and attachment styles. Identifying psychological factors contributing to FoC is important for improving early intervention strategies and maternal well-being. The study included 496 nulliparous women who had never experienced pregnancy or childbirth. Participants completed the Women’s Childbirth Fear–Prior to Pregnancy Scale (WCF-PPS), the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire–Short Form (CTQ-SF), and the Experiences in Close Relationships–Relationship Structures Questionnaire (ECR-RS). Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between FoC, childhood trauma, and attachment styles. Fear of childbirth showed a significant positive correlation with anxious attachment (r = .257, p < .001). Weak but statistically significant associations were also found with emotional abuse (r = .094, p = .039) and total childhood trauma (r = .090, p = .049). However, in the regression analysis, only anxious attachment significantly predicted FoC (β = .172, p < .001), while childhood trauma and avoidant attachment did not emerge as significant predictors. Anxious attachment was identified as the most prominent psychological predictor of FoC in nulliparous women. These results suggest that addressing attachment-related anxiety and early traumatic experiences in pre-pregnancy or prenatal psychological evaluations may reduce fear of childbirth and support maternal mental health.

A Test Battery for Measuring Individual Cognitive Ability: A Brief Practical Tutorial

Maria Lialiou, Martine Grice, Petra B. Schumacher — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This tutorial provides a comprehensive, open-source collection of tasks, adapted and designed to measure key cognitive functions including inhibition, working memory, and processing speed. While a substantial body of research in experimental psychology focuses on these cognitive functions, many of the corresponding tasks are not readily accessible in one place — at least to the best of our knowledge. This lack of availability can create barriers for researchers seeking to investigate cognitive variability, necessitating additional time and effort to collate, design or code tasks that may already exist in some form. To address this issue, the present tutorial aims to make a battery of cognitive tasks freely available to the research community. By sharing these tools, we hope to enhance reproducibility in studies of cognitive variability and reduce the redundancy of repeatedly creating similar tasks from scratch. This resource is intended for researchers with an interest in exploring individual differences in cognitive and linguistic performance, offering a practical and efficient solution for accessing standardized tasks. Overall, this tutorial serves as a valuable contribution to the field, providing accessible tools to facilitate research, promote consistency across studies, and save researchers significant time and resources.

Big Five Traits and Tolerance for Uncertainty as Protective Factors of Subjective Well-Being of Students in Martial Law Conditions

Olena V. Zavhorodnia, Mariia V. Shepelova — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In the context of prolonged martial law and pervasive uncertainty, the psychological well-being of student populations becomes especially vulnerable. This study examines how personality dispositions — namely, the Big Five traits and tolerance for uncertainty — relate to subjective well-being among Ukrainian university students navigating wartime conditions. Using data from 147 participants (M_age = 24), predominantly women (78%), studying across various programs in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Zhytomyr, the research explored direct, mediating, and moderating pathways of influence. The analysis revealed a complex web of interrelations: openness partially mediated the effects of extraversion (p = .031), novelty tolerance (p = .012), and general uncertainty tolerance (p = .008) on subjective well-being. Novelty tolerance also mediated the link between agreeableness and well-being (p = .004). Emotional stability emerged as a significant moderator, enabling the protective effects of openness on well-being (p = .010), while the protective role of extraversion declined with age (p = .018). One particularly noteworthy finding was the unexpected negative association between agreeableness and well-being. In the wartime context, this may reflect a psychological overload among highly agreeable individuals — especially women — facing intense social expectations and emotional caregiving demands, often at the expense of their resources. Future research may benefit from exploring additional mediating variables such as optimism, perceived social support, coping strategies, and cognitive flexibility to better understand adaptive mechanisms under sustained stress.

Family Factors Associated With Excessive Online Activity Among Adolescents: A Latent Class Analysis of Cross-Sectional Data

Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Adolescents’ online engagement offers both opportunities and risks: whereas moderate use can foster learning, social connection, and entertainment, excessive use has been associated with sleep problems, lower academic performance, and psychosocial difficulties. The family context plays a central role in shaping adolescents’ daily routines, including online behaviours, through support, monitoring, and the quality of parent–child relationships. Despite growing concern about compulsive Internet use, evidence linking family factors to distinct patterns of online activity remains limited. This study examined the association between family characteristics and typologies of adolescent Internet use. Latent class analysis was conducted on data from a nationally representative sample of 3,202 16-year-old students in Greece to determine distinct classes of adolescents based on the frequencies of six online activities. Four classes of Internet users were identified: “heavy-with-gaming/gambling”, with high probability of very frequent involvement in all Internet-related activities (14.3%, mostly boys); “heavy-without-gaming/gambling” (44.1%, mostly girls); “moderate” (21.4%, mostly boys); and “light” users (20.3%, mostly girls). Compared with the group of “light” Internet users, the “heavy-with” and “heavy-without-gaming/gambling” groups had seven times and twice the odds, respectively, of reporting compulsive Internet use according to the Compulsive Internet Use Scale score. Multinomial multivariable logistic regression testing for associations with family variables showed that low satisfaction with the relationship with the father was associated with membership of the class of “heavy-with-gaming/gambling” users. Interventions tailored to the specific needs of adolescents engaging in heavy online activity, particularly when including gaming and gambling, should take into account the adolescent–father relationship.

“Old Wine in a New Bottle”: Are Different Terminologies on Dual Processing Conceptually the Same?

C. Dominik Güss, Jaden Powell — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Objectives: Dual processing theory is among the most influential theories in cognitive psychology. It distinguishes two kinds of human thinking: one that is fast, intuitive, and effortless; and the other that is slow, deliberate, and effortful. Interestingly, these two types of human thinking have been described using many different terms by various researchers. How similar or different are these terms and related constructs? Methods: We analyzed the dual-processing literature, conducted a thought experiment, and analyses using the machine learning model BERT (SCEPTER) to compare the similarity and difference between the terms and constructs. Results: Findings show that, though these terms are lexically different, what researchers describe is, at the core, very similar. The various terms are ‘old wine in a new bottle.’ Conclusions: We provide possible reasons for this coinage of terminology and present a rationale for careful deliberation before introducing new terms.

Sleep Deprivation Can Lead to Increased Physiologically Based Irritability in College Students

Jaka Prevodnik, S. Elizabeth Rácz-Brunner — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Objectives: While sleep deprivation has been thoroughly researched in association to cognitive and physiological effects, very few have evaluated its association with irritability. This study addresses the relationship between sleep and irritability using physiological data and includes a research model to aid future experiments on irritability and neighboring mood concepts. Methods: Thirty-four US undergraduate students participated in a physiologically based study on irritability. Participants were separated into two groups based on sleep recommendations adapted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for college students. The experiment consisted of three cognitive tasks paired with irritable stimuli, all done while undergoing heart rate (HR) measurements. Results: The mean length of time participants slept throughout the study was 7.70 hours, which was higher than initially expected. Significant increases seen in HR during periods of the Insoluble Puzzle task possibly indicate that task duration, perceived reward blocking, and participant expectation can play a significant role in inducing irritability when sleep deprived (p = .014, p = .045). Conclusions: These findings indicate that exposure to an irritating stimulus can have a physiological impact on a sleep-deprived individual. Importantly, this study is also practically applicable to other researchers as it presents a research model that serves as a guideline for future research on irritability and its neighboring concepts.

Assessing Critical Thinking in Young Children: Development and Validation of the Critical Thinking Assessment for Children

Rosa Angela Fabio, Martina Patafi — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In today’s media-saturated environment, young children are increasingly exposed to diverse and sometimes conflicting information. Developing critical thinking skills early is essential for evaluating, interpreting, and making informed judgments. To address this need, we developed and validated the Critical Thinking Assessment for Children (CTAC), an instrument designed to systematically measure critical thinking abilities in primary school learners.Given the multidimensional nature of critical thinking, item generation followed a rigorous process involving expert evaluation and pilot testing. An initial pilot study with 72 Italian children aged 6 to 8 years led to a refined 22-item version, selected based on item discrimination indices. Study 1 examined the psychometric properties of the CTAC in a sample of 112 children (M = 7.43, SD = 1.12) across different grades. Results from an exploratory factor analysis identified a three-factor structure: Open-Minded Inquiry, Media Literacy and Critical Analysis, and Contradiction Recognition and Critical Awareness. Study 2 validated this structure in a larger sample of 356 children (M = 8.45, SD = 1.20), incorporating concurrent validity measures, including Raven’s Coloured Progressive Matrices and teacher-reported academic performance.Results from a confirmatory factor analysis supported the robustness of a second-order three-factor model. The findings indicate that the CTAC is a reliable and valid tool for assessing critical thinking within the Italian primary school context. Its application can provide educators and researchers with insights into early cognitive development and serve as a foundation for designing targeted educational interventions. Future studies should examine its longitudinal sensitivity and evaluate its adaptability across different cultural and linguistic contexts.