Influence of humanistic care on negative emotions, nursing quality, and patient satisfaction in outpatient gynecological surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the impact of humanistic care on negative emotions, nursing quality and patient satisfaction among women undergoing outpatient gynecological surgery. METHODS: This retrospective study involved 108 patients who underwent outpatient gynecological surgery at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine between August 2022 and August 2023. The patients were divided into two groups: 51 patients received routine care (control group) and 57 received humanistic care (experimental group). Data collected included vital signs (heart rate [HR] and systolic/diastolic blood pressure [SBP/DBP]), pain levels (Visual Analogue Scale [VAS] scores at 12 and 24 hours postoperative), negative emotions (Self-rating Anxiety/Depression Scale [SAS/SDS]), comfort (Kolcaba's General Comfort Questionnaire [GCQ]), sexual functioning (Brief Index of Sexual Functioning for Women), nursing quality (errors, defects, and complaints) and patient satisfaction. RESULTS: Intraoperative SBP, DBP, along with HR, were significantly lower in the experimental group compared to the control group (all P<0.05). Postoperative pain levels at both 12 and 24 hours were also significantly reduced in the experimental group (both P<0.01). Furthermore, the experimental group demonstrated significant reductions in SAS and SDS scores and higher GCQ scores across physical, psychospiritual, environmental, and sociocultural dimensions (all P<0.05). There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of sexual desire, activity, and satisfaction (all P>0.05). Nursing quality was significantly better (P=0.029) and patient satisfaction with nursing care was higher (P=0.015) in the experimental group. CONCLUSIONS: Humanistic care significantly reduces negative emotions and enhances comfort, nursing quality, and patient satisfaction in women undergoing outpatient gynecological surgery. This approach does not affect sexual functioning indicators but offers substantial improvements in overall patient care and outcomes. Its high value for clinical promotion underscores its potential as a transformative approach in outpatient gynecological settings.

Discrete and dimensional approaches to affective forecasting errors.

Evidence for affective forecasting errors is mixed. We review recent studies to determine whether taking a discrete versus dimensional approach to measuring affective forecasting could partly explain this inconsistency. We observed variation in measurement approaches to measuring and analyzing affective forecasting; those that adopted a discrete approach often examined high arousal positive (e.g., excitement) and negative (e.g., anger) emotions. We recommend conducting empirical studies and meta-analyses to examine whether affective forecasting errors differ systematically depending on measurement approach. Furthermore, we recommend expanding the scope of affective forecasting investigations to examine more granular dimensional affective states and low-arousal discrete emotions. The ideas and future directions presented enhance our understanding of affective forecasting errors and how we study them.

Emotional activation in a cognitive behavioral setting: extending the tradition with embodiment.

The neuroscience-based concept of "embodied cognition" or "embodiment" highlights that body and psyche are closely intertwined, i.e., effects of body and psyche are bidirectional and reciprocal. This represents the view that cognitive processes are not possible without the direct participation of the body. Traditional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) addresses emotional processes on a conceptual level (dysfunctional thoughts, beliefs, attributions, etc.). However recent findings suggest that these processes already start at the level of bodily sensations. This opens up a way of working in therapy that includes the level of bodily sensations, where the development of emotional meaning is supported by bottom-up processes. Bidirectionality of embodiment can be effectively exploited by using body postures and movements associated with certain emotions, which we refer to as embodiment techniques, to deepen the physical experience of poorly felt emotions and support the valid construction of emotional meaning. This embodied approach offers several advantages: Prelinguistic or hard-to-grasp aspects can be identified more easily before being processed verbally. It is also easier to work with clients who have limited access to their emotions. Thus, in this paper we describe a new embodied CBT approach to working on the dysfunctional schema, which is based on three modules: body focus, emotional field, and interaction focus. In addition, using specific zones in the space of the therapy-room allows the embodiment of problematic interactions, as well as of power and powerlessness, closeness and distance, etc. Directly experiencing these processes on one's own body in the protected space of therapy allows faster and deeper insights than would be possible with conversations alone. Finally, the vitalizing power of emotions is used to create coherent action plans and successful interactions. This working method is illustrated by means of a case from practice.

Differences in Fear and Negativity Levels Between Formal and Informal Health-Related Websites: Analysis of Sentiments and Emotions.

BACKGROUND: Searching for web-based health-related information is frequently performed by the public and may affect public behavior regarding health decision-making. Particularly, it may result in anxiety, erroneous, and harmful self-diagnosis. Most searched health-related topics are cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and infectious diseases. A health-related web-based search may result in either formal or informal medical website, both of which may evoke feelings of fear and negativity. OBJECTIVE: Our study aimed to assess whether there is a difference in fear and negativity levels between information appearing on formal and informal health-related websites. METHODS: A web search was performed to retrieve the contents of websites containing symptoms of selected diseases, using selected common symptoms. Retrieved websites were classified into formal and informal websites. Fear and negativity of each content were evaluated using 3 transformer models. A fourth transformer model was fine-tuned using an existing emotion data set obtained from a web-based health community. For formal and informal websites, fear and negativity levels were aggregated. t tests were conducted to evaluate the differences in fear and negativity levels between formal and informal websites. RESULTS: In this study, unique websites (N=1448) were collected, of which 534 were considered formal and 914 were considered informal. There were 1820 result pages from formal websites and 1494 result pages from informal websites. According to our findings, fear levels were statistically higher (t2753=3.331; P<.001) on formal websites (mean 0.388, SD 0.177) than on informal websites (mean 0.366, SD 0.168). The results also show that the level of negativity was statistically higher (t2753=2.726; P=.006) on formal websites (mean 0.657, SD 0.211) than on informal websites (mean 0.636, SD 0.201). CONCLUSIONS: Positive texts may increase the credibility of formal health websites and increase their usage by the general public and the public's compliance to the recommendations. Increasing the usage of natural language processing tools before publishing health-related information to achieve a more positive and less stressful text to be disseminated to the public is recommended.

"Cultural and conceptual knowledge": Reformulation and conceptual analysis of a key component of the health literacy model.

Extensive evidence of health disparities and systemic racism has prompted scholars to examine constructs that may account for differences in the burden of disease. One such construct is health literacy, which has been posited to have four components: print literacy, oral literacy, numeracy, and cultural and conceptual knowledge. Consistent with historical trends related to culturally based constructs, the latter component has garnered the least attention in the published literature, despite its pervasive influence on health care outcomes. We engage in a reformulation and conceptual analysis of cultural and conceptual knowledge, defined as the filter through which individuals obtain, process, and understand health information and options for diagnosis and treatment. We propose the construct of cultural schema, and operationalize the construct as having cognitive (knowledge, beliefs) and affective (attitudes, emotions) components. As we strive to achieve a more complex understanding of influences on behavioral outcomes, a greater focus on these culturally based factors is essential. In this article, we present a conceptual analysis that seeks to advance the field by: (a) providing distinct definitions for each component that can be applied across fields of study and theoretical frameworks, (b) offering measurement considerations consistent with their conceptualizations, and (c) making recommendations for future theory, research, and practice. We hope that with greater conceptual and measurement clarity of cultural schema, more consistent results will be obtained, constructs and processes that affect health outcomes will be identified, and more personalized intervention will be possible, optimizing the limited resources available for health promotion efforts.

Negative Emotions Are Associated With Older Self-perceived Age: A Cross-section Study From the UK Biobank.

BACKGROUND: Prior research has indicated a potential connection between psychological stress and how individuals perceive their own age. Building on this foundation, the current study explores the relationship between negative emotions and self-perceived age. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data from the UK Biobank, a comprehensive cohort study representing the UK population. The analysis included 347 892 participants, aged between 39 and 73 years, of which 184 765 were women, accounting for 53.1% of the sample. Participants were categorized into three groups based on their self-perceived age: feeling younger than their chronological age (group Younger), feeling older than their chronological age (group Older), and feeling as old as their actual age (group Same). To investigate the relationship between negative emotions and self-perceived age, we utilized a multinomial logistic regression model with the Younger group serving as the reference category. RESULTS: Of 347 892 participants, after adjusted for covariates, the results showed that participants with irritability, nervous feelings, worrier/anxious feelings or fed-up feelings, worry too long and loneliness/isolation are more likely to be rated as "about your age" or "older than you are," with "younger than you are" as the reference group, indicating that negative emotions may influence one's self-perceived age. Among those negative emotions, irritability has the most significant impact self-perceived age, with the odds ratios (ORs) being 1.44 (95% CI: 1.35-1.54) and 1.11 (95% CI: 1.09-1.14). CONCLUSION: Negative emotions are associated with older self-perceived age, and irritability has the greatest impact. Further studies analyzing self-perceived age are needed to take psychological factors into consideration.

Change in Endogenous Pain Modulation Depending on Emotional States in Healthy Subjects: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic pain is a public health issue, leading to substantial healthcare costs and diminished quality of life for sufferers. While the role of anxiety in pain modulation has been extensively studied, the effects of other emotional states on the body's pain control mechanisms remain less understood. This study sought to explore how different emotions (happiness, anger, sadness, and interest) affect conditioned pain modulation (CPM) and the wind-up phenomenon in healthy adults. METHODS: This randomized controlled, cross-over trial involved 28 healthy participants aged 18-60. Participants watched video clips designed to induce specific emotions: happiness, anger, sadness, and interest. Emotional states were assessed using a 7-point Likert scale. Pain modulation was measured using CPM and the wind-up phenomenon. CPM was assessed with a hot water bath as the conditioning stimulus and pressure pain tolerance as the test stimulus. Wind-up was measured using pinprick needle stimulators and a visual analog scale. Data were analyzed using paired t tests to compare pre- and post-emotion induction values. RESULTS: Significant changes in emotional self-assessment values were observed for all emotions. Happiness increased CPM (4.6 ± 11.4, p = 0.04277), while sadness - 9.9 ± 23.1, p = 0.03211) and anger - 9.1 ± 23.3, p = 0.04804) decreased it. Interest did not significantly alter CPM (- 5.1 ± 25.8, p = 0.31042). No significant effects were found for the wind-up phenomenon across any emotional states. CONCLUSION: This study shows that emotional states significantly affect the body's ability to modulate pain. Positive emotions like happiness enhance pain inhibition, while negative emotions such as sadness and anger impair it. These findings suggest that emotional modulation techniques could be integrated into pain management strategies to improve patient outcomes. Further research should explore a broader range of emotions and include objective measures to validate these results.

Chronic pain is a widespread problem that affects millions of people and leads to high healthcare costs and decreased quality of life. Understanding how emotions impact pain can help us find better ways to manage it. This study looked at how different emotions (happiness, anger, sadness, and interest) affect the ability of the body to naturally control pain in healthy adults. Participants experienced different tests in a random order, like flipping a coin to decide the order. Each participant took part in all the tests to compare how different conditions affected them. We measured changes in their pain perception using two methods: conditioned pain modulation, which reflects how well the body can suppress pain after experiencing another painful stimulus, and the wind-up phenomenon, which measures how pain intensity increases with repeated stimulation. We found that emotions affected the body's ability to control pain. Sadness and anger reduced the efficacy of conditioned pain modulation, making it harder for the body to reduce pain. Happiness improved CPM, enhancing the body's natural ability to stop pain. Interest did not significantly change how pain was felt. We also did not find any significant changes in the wind-up phenomenon for any of the emotions tested. The results suggest that positive emotions like happiness can help reduce pain, while negative emotions like sadness and anger can make pain worse. This could lead to new pain management approaches that include methods to boost positive emotions and reduce negative ones.

The Central Sensitization Inventory Measures Thoughts and Emotions.

To determine if the Central Sensitization Inventory questionnaire (CSI) functions as a mental health measure among a cross-section of people seeking musculoskeletal specialty care, we asked: (1) What is the association of CSI total score and item groupings identified in factor analysis with mental health measures? and (2) What is the association between specific CSI items that represent each factor well and specific mental health measures? One hundred and fifty-seven adults seeking specialty care for musculoskeletal symptoms completed the CSI, a measure of catastrophic thinking, and 3 measures of distress (symptoms of health anxiety, general anxiety, and depression). Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify item groupings. Exploratory factor analysis identified 4 item groupings (factors): (1) thoughts and feelings (mental health), accounting for 52% of the variation in the CSI, (2) urinary and visual symptoms (15%) (3) body aches (10%), and (4) jaw pain (8.1%). More than half the variation in both the CSI total score (51%) and the thoughts and feelings factor (57%) were accounted for by variation in measures of catastrophic thinking and distress. Specific items that account for large amounts of the variation in the CSI also had notable correlations with mental health measures. The strong relationship between the CSI and thoughts and emotions suggests that the CSI functions largely as a mental health measure. If the concept of central sensitization is to help people get and stay healthy, it will depend on evidence that central sensitization can be measured and quantified distinct from mental health.

Leader's ethical behavior: A precursor to employees' well-being through emotions management.

Contemporary research in leadership demonstrates that the ethical behaviors of leaders are vital to enhancing employee well-being. Despite this, research is scant on the connection between leaders' ethical practices and the well-being of their employees via employee emotions. Relying on affective events theory, this study, directly and indirectly, examined the relationships between leaders' ethical behaviors and employees' well-being (via employee emotions). Furthermore, it investigated employee core self-evaluations as a substitute for the ethical behaviors of leaders that mitigate the influence of leaders' ethical behaviors. A sample of 398 faculties from 20 public universities in Pakistan was chosen using the simple random sampling approach, and then SPSS Process Macro was applied to the sample. Study results indicate that leaders' ethical behaviors facilitate employees to manage their emotions, and effective management of emotions improves their well-being. The research also revealed that employees' core self-evaluation swapped with the ethical behaviors of leaders. The theoretical model, therefore, confirms the significance of EBOL as a strategic resource and employees' CSE as an interpersonal resource, which accentuates one another to manage employees' emotions and promote their well-being. The study offers practical management ramifications and adds to our understanding of EBOL, employee emotions, and well-being.

Does Bullying Victimization Accelerate Adolescents' Non-suicidal Self-injury? The Mediating Role of Negation Emotions and The Moderating Role of Submissive Behavior.

Based on general strain theory, the current study examined whether bullying victimization was significantly related to adolescents' non-suicidal self-injury and whether negation emotions mediated this association and submissive behavior moderated this mediation process. A total of 1,984 adolescents completed a series of anonymous questionnaires regarding bullying victimization, negative emotions, non-suicidal self-injury, and submissive behavior. Results showed that bullying victimization was significantly and positively associated with non-suicidal self-injury and this relation was partially mediated by negative emotions. Submissive behavior moderated the relation between bullying victimization and non-suicidal self-injury as well as negation emotions and non-suicidal self-injury. Specifically, the victims of bullying with high submissive behavior were more likely to develop non-suicidal self-injury. Adolescents who had higher negative emotions were at greater risk of engaging in non-suicidal self-injury when they also had high submissive behavior. The positive association between negative emotions and non-suicidal self-injury was stronger in females than males.

A Mixed-Methods Investigation into the Interplay Between Supportive Work Environment, Achievement Emotions, and Teaching for Creativity as Perceived by Chinese EFL Teachers.

Teaching for creativity (TfC) has recently received increased attention in English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) contexts. Previous studies confirmed that TfC links with achievement emotions (AEs) in this context. Additionally, a supportive work environment (SWE) has been shown to be associated with AEs. However, relationships among all three variables - SWE, AEs, and TfC - have not been adequately explored in EFL contexts, nor have the underlying bases for these links been elucidated. In this study, we adopted a mixed-methods approach to investigate the complex associations between SWE, AEs (anxiety, pride, enjoyment, and anger), and TfC as perceived by 441 Chinese EFL teachers. Quantitative results revealed that SWE, four AEs, and TfC were significantly correlated, with small to large effect sizes. Furthermore, the four AEs collectively mediated the relationship between SWE and TfC in our structural equation model. Qualitative interviews with 15 EFL teachers provided nuanced insights into possible reasons for these statistical patterns. We discuss the theoretical and pedagogical implications of these findings and suggest directions for future research.

Undergraduates' workplace learning in health sciences education: psychometric properties of single-item measures.

BACKGROUND: Undergraduates' workplace learning is an important part of health sciences education. Educational psychology research considers many different aspects of self-regulated learning at the workplace, including cognition, motivation, emotions, and context. Multivariate longitudinal and diary studies in this field require fewer items than alternatives or even a single item per construct and can reveal the sub-processes of workplace learning and contribute to a better understanding of students' learning. Short instruments are necessary for application in workplace settings, especially stressful ones, to mitigate survey fatigue. The present study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of single items measuring various aspects of workplace learning. METHODS: Twenty-nine single items selected from the Workplace Learning Inventory in Health Sciences Education were analyzed for reliability, information reproduction, and relationships within the nomological network. The authors additionally analyzed four generally formulated single items' relationships with the full Workplace Learning Inventory scales and external criteria within the nomological network. Participants were 214 ninth- or tenth-semester veterinary medicine students in Austria and Germany who were learning at varied workplaces during the winter semester of 2021/2022. RESULTS: Of the 29 single items selected from existing scales, 27 showed sufficient reliability, but mixed results were obtained regarding validity. Although the items' relationships within the nomological network were similar to those of the full scales, information reproduction was insufficient for most items. The four general single items showed acceptable validity, but the reliability of these measures of states could not be assessed. CONCLUSIONS: This paper reported findings on the psychometric properties of single items for undergraduates' workplace learning in health science education. The findings are crucial for deciding whether to use scales versus single-item measures in future studies. By applying the findings, researchers can be more economical in their workplace learning data collection and can include more constructs.

Parent- and Adolescent-Driven Effects in Emotion-Related Communication and Longitudinal Relationships with Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents.

Communication on emotions is an important aspect of parent-adolescent communication, yet its process and effects remain less examined in families of adolescents. This study examined the bidirectional association between parental responses to adolescents' emotions and adolescents' emotional communication behaviors, and further examined their longitudinal predictive effects on adolescent depressive symptoms. The potential moderating role of adolescent gender was also examined. A total of 503 adolescents (Mage = 13.45, SD = 0.50; 44.73% females) participated in this study, with 438 adolescents completing the three-wave longitudinal survey. Adolescents' emotional communication behaviors, parental responses to emotions, and depressive symptoms were reported. The bidirectional relationship was examined using cross-lagged panel models, while the parent- and adolescent-driven effects of emotional communication on adolescent depressive symptoms and the moderation effect of adolescent gender were examined using multi-group structural equation modeling. The findings revealed gender-specific patterns in parent-adolescent communication on emotions. Significant parent- and adolescent-driven effects of positive communication behaviors on adolescent depressive symptoms were found. However, only negative communication behaviors initiated by parents predicted adolescent depressive symptoms, with this effect mediated by adolescents' negative communication behaviors. This study deepened the understanding of characteristics and effects of parent-child emotional communication during adolescence, which has implications for interventions aiming at improving parent-adolescent relationship and adolescents' mental health.

Depression, higher level of tension induction, and impaired coping strategies in response to stress in women with PCOS correlate with clinical and laboratory indices of hyperandrogenism and not with central obesity and insulin resistance.

PCOS is characterized by ovarian hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance (IR), which give rise to symptoms of hyperandrogenism and central obesity, which in turn may cause depression, lower self-esteem, and deteriorate coping strategies in stressful situations. THE PURPOSE: to examine the mental condition, self-esteem, and ways of coping with stress in women with PCOS compared to age and BMI-matched healthy controls and to correlate them with clinical and laboratory hyperandrogenism, central obesity, and IR. METHODS: 42 women with PCOS and 39 controls were assessed for the above-mentioned psychological measures and correlated with serum hormonal and metabolic parameters. RESULTS: Compared to controls, women with PCOS had more symptoms of depression (p = 0.026), a higher level of tension induction (p = 0.032), were more prone to alcohol consumption (p = 0.015), and were less likely to use the strategy of active coping in stressful situations (p = 0.014) and to seek instrumental (p = 0.048) and emotional support (p = 0.043). The presence of hirsutism correlated negatively with the level of emotional induction (R = -0.32, p < 0.05), and androgenic alopecia positively with the hedonistic tone (R = 0.36, p < 0.05). Serum testosterone (TST) correlated positively with the likelihood of seeking instrumental support in stressful situations (R = 0.31, p < 0.05) and with emotional focus (R = 0.34, p < 0.05). Serum androstenedione (A4-dione) correlated negatively with the escape behavior (R = -0.32, p < 0.05). No correlations were found between waist circumference and IR with the studied psychological measures. CONCLUSIONS: Women with PCOS are characterized by depression, higher levels of tension induction, and impaired coping strategies in stressful situations, which correlate with clinical and laboratory indices of hyperandrogenism and not with central obesity and IR.

Network analyses of ecological momentary emotion and avoidance assessments before and after cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders.

Negative emotions and associated avoidance behaviors are core symptoms of anxiety. Current treatments aim to resolve dysfunctional coupling between them. However, precise interactions between emotions and avoidance in patients' everyday lives and changes from pre- to post-treatment remain unclear. We analyzed data from a randomized controlled trial where patients with anxiety disorders underwent 16 sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Fifty-six patients (68 % female, age: M = 33.31, SD = 12.45) completed ecological momentary assessments five times a day on 14 consecutive days before and after treatment, rating negative emotions and avoidance behaviors experienced within the past 30 min. We computed multilevel vector autoregressive models to investigate contemporaneous and time-lagged associations between anxiety, depression, anger, and avoidance behaviors within patients, separately at pre- and post-treatment. We examined pre-post changes in network density and avoidance centrality, and related these metrics to changes in symptom severity. Network density significantly decreased from pre- to post-treatment, indicating that after therapy, mutual interactions between negative emotions and avoidance were attenuated. Specifically, contemporaneous associations between anxiety and avoidance observed before CBT were no longer significant at post-treatment. Effects of negative emotions on avoidance assessed at a later time point (avoidance instrength) decreased, but not significantly. Reduction in avoidance instrength positively correlated with reduction in depressive symptom severity, meaning that as patients improved, they were less likely to avoid situations after experiencing negative emotions. Our results elucidate mechanisms of successful CBT observed in patients' daily lives and may help improve and personalize CBT to increase its effectiveness.

The missing piece. Physiological data as a factor for identifying emotions of people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities.

Introduction: The preferences of people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) often remain unfulfilled since it stays challenging to decode their idiosyncratic behavior resulting in a negative impact on their quality of life (QoL). Physiological data (i.e. heart rate (variability) and motion data) might be the missing piece for identifying emotions of people with PIMD, which positively affects their QoL. Method: Machine learning (ML) processes and statistical analyses are integrated to discern and predict the potential relationship between physiological data and emotional states (i.e. numerical emotional states, descriptive emotional states and emotional arousal) in everyday interactions and activities of two participants with PIMD. Results: Emotional profiles were created enabling a differentiation of the individual emotional behavior. Using ML classifiers and statistical analyses, the results regarding the phases partially confirm previous research, and the findings for the descriptive emotional states were good and even better for the emotional arousal. Conclusion: The results show the potential of the emotional profiles especially for practitioners and the possibility to get a better insight into the emotional experience of people with PIMD including physiological data. This seems to be the missing piece to better recognize emotions of people with PIMD with a positive impact on their QoL.

Factors influencing the generation of teachers' emotions.

Background and aim: The teaching profession plays an important role in shaping individuals' lives, with teachers performing complex emotional labour. The management of emotions is an integral part of teachers' professional work, and it is essential to clarify their emotional experiences and the generating of their emotions within a specific cultural context. Methods: Based on a phenomenological approach and the use of anecdotal texts, this study examined six common emotional states among teachers, including happiness, guilt, worry, fear, annoyance, and anger, along with the emotional experiences of two specialised categories of teachers, class supervisors, and pre-service teachers. The factors influencing teachers' emotions and their generative mechanisms were analysed. Results and discussion: This investigation found that key influences on teachers' emotions stem from factors within the teachers' themselves, the contextual nature of their work, and sociocultural dynamics. Drawing on the analytical frameworks of emotional geography theory, ecological theory of human development, and the ecosystem model of teachers' emotional interactions, the study constructs a model highlighting the generative mechanisms of teachers' emotions, and in which three systems are reflected. Conclusion: Teachers' personal attributes are in the direct area of the model and directly govern the formation of their emotions, while their work context consists of a transitional area in emotion formation and the sociocultural system acts as the latent band influencing emotion development. The mechanism model helps us to understand and recognise teachers' emotions and to explore their pedagogical implications.

Mind-brain identity theory confirmed?

Presented here is a novel graphical, structural, and functional model of the embodied mind. Despite strictly adhering to a physicalistic and reductionist approach, this model successfully resolves the apparent contradiction between the thesis regarding the causal closure of the physical realm and the widely held common-sense belief that the mental realm can influence physical behavior. Furthermore, it substantiates the theory of mind-brain identity while shedding light on its neural foundation. Consciousness, viewed as an epiphenomenon in certain respects, simultaneously possesses causal potency. These two aspects operate concurrently through distinct brain processes. Within the paper, particular emphasis is placed on the significance of qualia and emotions, accompanied by an explanation of their phenomenal nature grounded in the perceptual theory of emotions. The proposed model elucidates how autonomous agents can deliberate on various action scenarios and consciously select the most optimal ones for themselves, considering their knowledge of the world, motivations, preferences, and emotions.

Exploring the effect of environmental sensitivity on emotional fluctuations among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: a three-wave longitudinal study.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the emotional well-being of adolescents worldwide. Some studies suggested that individuals with high Environmental Sensitivity may have been more likely to experience poor psychological adjustment during the pandemic than those with lower sensitivity. However, there is still limited research on how emotional responses varied across different stages of the pandemic and whether Environmental Sensitivity increased adolescents' vulnerability to the psychological impact of prolonged pandemic restrictions. Methods: To address this gap, this study used a three-year longitudinal design (2020-2022) with a sample of 453 adolescents. They completed an online survey measuring their positive and negative emotions throughout the pandemic period, with Environmental Sensitivity considered a time-invariant covariate. Results: The results revealed that all participants, regardless of their level of Environmental Sensitivity, experienced a decrease in positive emotionality between the first and second years. However, this trend reversed, showing an increase between the second and third years. Regarding negative emotions, highly sensitive adolescents experienced a significant linear increase over time. In contrast, low-and medium-sensitive adolescents exhibited a quadratic trend, with a notable increase in negative emotions between the first and second years, followed by a slight decrease between the second and third years. Discussion: These findings provide further evidence of the negative impact of the pandemic on adolescents' emotional well-being. They also support the notion that Environmental Sensitivity is associated with individuals' ability to respond and adjust to adverse life events, with significant implications for future research and practice.