Frontiers in Psychology

In this study, we analyzed data from a large sample (n = 778) of individuals who identified as flexitarians, using Brazil as a case study. We applied Natural Language Processing (NLP) to characterize the reasons why individuals self-identify as flexitarians. We explored how these self-perceptions contribute to the construction of a flexitarian identity and identified the challenges this group faces in adopting a flexitarian diet. Our results indicate that there is no homogeneous flexitarian identity, but rather a diversity of categories, organized into five distinct clusters: ethical flexitarians (those who express greater concern for the environment and animals), flexible vegetarians (those who often express the desire to become vegetarian but still consume meat), meat lovers (those who enjoy meat but do not feel compelled to consume it), moderate consumers (those who refrain from meat on certain days of the week), and meat reducers (those who actively reduce their meat consumption). The latter three groups are more similar, as they tend to reduce their meat intake due to the belief that meat is not essential in their diet, although they still enjoy its taste. Additionally, we found that the main challenge faced by our participants is directly related to the social environment, specifically the difficulty in finding alternatives to meat, which makes the love for meats taste and meat-centric eating habits secondary challenges.

Withdrawal StatementThe authors have withdrawn their manuscript owing to reviewer feedback. A revised version of this work will be uploaded with significant changes. Therefore, the authors do not wish this work to be cited as a reference for the project. If you have any questions, please contact the corresponding author.

Very preterm (VPT) adolescents are at high risk of impaired sustained attention processes, as well as behavioral and socio-emotional problems. Previous studies have highlighted altered attentional patterns of brain activation in this population, but results are inconsistent. The current study aims to explore brain activity related to sustained attention in VPT and full-term adolescents aged 11-18, as well as its associations with attentional capacities and socio-emotional competences. Event-related functional MRI (fMRI) was used to assess sustained attention performance and associated brain activations by comparing VPT (n = 34) and their age-matched full-term (FT, n = 28) peers from a previously validated continuous performance task with gradual onset (gradCPT) paradigm, using two different modality versions (i.e., face and scene). In both groups, linear regression analyses were performed to examine associations between attentional and socio-emotional difficulties and brain activations related to sustained attention. Results show preserved sustained attention processes in VPT adolescents, indicated by comparable behavioral attentional performance and cerebral patterns of activations in both groups across the two modalities of the gradCPT. In addition, VPT adolescents showed over-recruitments in posterior occipital areas compared to FT adolescents. Moreover, higher socio-emotional difficulties (i.e., higher anxiety and social difficulties) in VPT were linked to altered activations specifically in the right middle frontal gyrus, occipito-temporal gyri and bilateral cerebellum, but exclusively observed during the face modality of the gradCPT. Overall, these results suggest that despite preserved sustained attention competences, VPT adolescents present a less mature sustained attention cerebral network, particularly during a task with a social context.

Leyi mental training comprises physical and mental cultivation methods, such as relaxation, breathing, meditation, koan, and cognitive regulation, with the ultimate goal of achieving enlightenment. Over a decade of practical experience has demonstrated its potential to enhance individuals mental well-being. In our study, we employed EEG and psychological scales to investigate the efficacy of Leyi training in emotional and cognitive intervention, as well as its underlying neural mechanisms. The results revealed significant improvements in both emotion and cognition following the intervention. We propose that the effectiveness of Leyi training in emotional regulation may stem from the heightened sensitivity to present experiences and the robust cognitive control ability cultivated through the practice, which enables practitioners to allocate equal, non-reactive attention to all stimuli, regardless of their emotional valence. Moreover, this training facilitates more effective allocation of cognitive resources to deal with current tasks, thus improving cognitive abilities.

Visual stimuli have been repeatedly shown to elicit significant non-visual responses. In a continuing effort to explore the unique effects of viewing a Japanese garden on the physiological and psychological metrics of stress, we gained access to the world famous Murin-an garden in Kyoto, Japan. This well-maintained observation garden was designed to be viewed while seated at a single vantage point to maximize the impact of the visual scene. As a control, we used a public garden on the campus of Kyoto University that was designed in a similar style. Sixteen college age students were asked to view both gardens while we monitored their pulse rates and tracked their eye movements. We used the POMS questionnaire to determine the effect of the garden viewing on the mood of the participants. We found that the Murin-an garden was more effective in decreasing pulse rate and improving mood than the University garden. The eye tracking data showed that during their Murin-an viewing the participants gaze ranged far more broadly across the visual field both the X-Y plane and in depth, and the speed with which the eyes moved from point-to-point was greater. Taken together, our data suggest that no one element in the garden was dominant in eliciting the changes in heart rate and mood. Rather, it was the breadth and rapidity of the shifts in gaze that drove the effects, a conclusion with implications for other interventions aimed stress reduction. SignificanceViews of nature and natural phenomena have a well-recognized calming effect on humans that has recognized therapeutic value in both medical and psychological settings. Our work explores the source of this effect by having participants view Murin-an, a world-famous Japanese style garden. Using both psychological and physiological measures, we confirm and extend earlier findings showing that a well constructed garden can effectively lower heart rate and improve mood within minutes. We also find, by analogy with eye movement desensitization and reprograming (EMDR), that it is participants rapidly shifting gaze rather than a single specific visual object is the most likely source of the calming effect.

With the advancements of computer technology and accessible internet, playing video games has become immensely popular across all age groups. Increasing research talks about the cognitive benefits of Video Games. At the same time, video games are stereotyped as an activity for the lazy and unproductive. Within this backdrop, our study aims to understand the effect of video games on Executive control (Visual Scanning and Visual Perception), Aggression, and Gaming Motivation. Twenty non-gamers were selected and divided into two groups: Action Video Game Players (AVGP) and Non-Action Video Game Players NAVGP). We used two computerized tests: Gabor Orientation Identification Test and Visual Scanning Test (to assess visual perception and visual scanning, respectively) and two questionnaires (to assess aggression and gaming motivation). We found an improvement in visual perception as well as visual scanning following video game training in AVGPs. Interestingly, aggression did not increase with an increase in video game exposure. We also found insignificant changes in gaming motivation after the training, except for self-gratification motives. Cognitive improvements do not relate to action video games alone, but non-action video games also show promising results to enhance cognition. With better timed and controlled training with video games, aggression as a prospective consequence of video game exposure can also be controlled. We propose targeted video game training as an approach to enhance cognition in non-gamers.

The study of mindfulness proceeds from a number of perspectives. Two of the best-known academic conceptualizations of mindfulness are those identified with Kabat-Zinn and Langer. These conceptions, meditative and socio-cognitive, have been built from different foundations and have been argued to be quite distinct. However, Hart, Ivtzan and Hart 1 suggested that self-regulation of attention is a mediator between the two. To put this hypothesis to a test, a convenience sample of participants (n = 208) were asked to complete the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), Langer Mindfulness Scale (LMS), and the Self-Regulation Scale (SRS), a measure of the self-regulation of attention. These three dispositional measures were shown to be correlated. Self-regulation passes a statistical test for partial mediation of the relationship between the two measures of mindfulness. This suggests that reliance on the capacity to regulate attention in pursuit of a goal is shared by these two approaches to mindfulness. However, there is no clear conceptual basis for mediation in either particular direction. Further, the correlation between the LMS and FFMQ is highest for those with the highest SRS scores; we discuss the implications for conceptual distinctions within mindfulness.

It has been proposed that dualistic conceptions on the mind and the body can affect the practice of health professionals. Religious beliefs have already been described as affecting mind-body dualistic thinking. Another factor that may play a role is knowledge of evolutionary theory, but this relationship has not been explored. In this work, data on knowledge of evolutionary theory and supernatural and dualistic beliefs of 287 Argentinian students of psychology and medicine majors. were collected through a cross-sectional online survey. Information was analyzed to determine whether an association exists between knowledge of evolutionary theory, supernatural beliefs and dualism. We found significant statistical associations between supernatural beliefs and dualism (positive) and between both and knowledge of evolutionary theory (negative). Also, some heterogeneity was found within dualistic questions between theoretical ones and a hypothetical case. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that knowledge of evolutionary theory could challenge mind-body dualistic conceptions.

COVID-19 pandemic has posed an unprecedented challenge in front of the world contributed mostly by social distancing and lockdown. Among several other effects this pandemic has wreaked havoc on the psychology and cognition of people across the globe. In this paper we attempted to find out the impact of lockdown and social isolation on the cognition and emotion of young healthy adults with high education (n=43) by means of a questionnaire sent through email. We found that more than 50% of the participants had some kind of emotional or cognitive (dysexecutive) symptoms, as calculated through emotional symptom index (ESI) and cognitive symptom index (CSI). The correlation between cognitive and emotional symptoms was also found to be moderately strong (0.59). Although it is a pilot study and larger samples are required to draw firm conclusion, the results argue in favor of a negative impact on the cognition and emotion of healthy educated young people caused by the COVID-19 related lockdown. It can be conjectured that, if taking an older sample with a lower education, emotional and cognitive changes would be more evident.

The present study aimed to characterize microstate dynamics induced by non-reactive attention underlying mindfulness. Electroencephalogram signals from eighteen trained meditators and a matched non-meditators group were recorded before, during, and after a non-reactive attention meditation or during three resting periods respectively, while they were passively exposed to auditory stimulation. In a multimodal approach, microstate cluster decompositions, personality trait questionnaires, phenomenological ratings, and microstates sources localization were analyzed. Our results revealed that temporal parameters of microstates A and C at rest were negatively correlated to mindfulness traits across all participants. After meditation, the frequency of microstate A and C was decreased while microstate B was of longer duration, in meditators. Source localization analysis revealed that the non-reactive trait effect on microstate C at rest was explained by a modified activity of the salience network (identified by the anterior cingulate cortex, thalamus, and insula), while the non-reactive attentional state effect relied on a contribution of (anterior and posterior) cerebellum during meditation. Our results suggest that decreased microstates A and C reflect decreased mental state reactivity, while the increased microstate B relies on attention stability. These findings strongly encourage more research to assess the use of the microstate temporal parameters as a biomarker of the salience network activity, as well as objectify the brain changes induced by non-reactive attention training. HIGHLIGHTO_LIThe present study aimed to characterize microstate dynamics induced by non-reactive attention meditation, by the use of multimodal analysis including EEG microstate clusters decompositions, personality trait questionnaires, phenomenological reports, and source localization analysis. C_LIO_LIThe occurrence of microstate A, recognized to be related to phonological processing and depressive disorders, was negatively correlated to mindfulness trait and was decreased after non-reactive attention meditation. C_LIO_LIThe duration of microstate B, generally associated with the visual system, increases after meditation, in particular in meditators with a high non-reactivity trait. C_LIO_LITemporal parameters of microstate C, recognized to be related to default mode, were negatively correlated to the non-reactivity trait of meditators and were decreased after non-reactive attention meditation. Source analysis revealed that these trait and state effects reflect modified activities of the salient network. C_LI

Background and purposeEvaluating footedness is of great importance to clinical and behavioural research. The purpose of the current study is to translate the Waterloo Footedness Questionnaire-Revised (WFQ-R) to the Arabic language and investigate its psychometric properties. MethodsTwo independent forward translations were performed by two native Arabic speakers; and then synthesized into one version. The synthesized version was back translated into English by two independent bilingual translators. An expert committee was formed to review the translation and adaptation process. A final Arabic version of the WFQ-R was obtained. In order to test the internal consistency, reliability, and validity of the Arabic WFQ-R, adult Arabic speakers were recruited to participate in this study. ResultsFor the cross-cultural adaptation, only one item was changed in order to express its conceptual meaning. Analysis showed an absence of floor and ceiling effect for the Arabic WFQ-R. Results of construct validity showed that all items of the translated WFQ-R have one dimension. For internal consistency of the Arabic WFQ-R, Cronbachs alpha was excellent (0.93). ICC values showed excellent test-retest reliability (0.94). The Bland-Altman plot showed acceptable agreement between test and retest scores. ConclusionThe Arabic WFQ-R is valid, reliable and ready for use among the Arabic speaking population for determining footedness.

Inferences are an indicator of a greater reading comprehension, as they imply a combination of implicit and explicit information that usually combines a textual representation with background knowledge of the reader. The aim of this study is to explore the costs and benefits of the time course of inferences in university students with reading comprehension difficulties at 3 stages during a narration. The method used was the event-related potential (ERP) technique in order to register the brain activity of 63 teaching program students while they read familiar, less-familiar and neutral stories. Results show a slow negativity potential component with greater negativity in words coming from familiar contexts when compared to less familiar and neutral ones in the first locus; an N400 component and a Post-N400 component in the second locus, reflecting greater negativity in familiar contexts when compared to less-familiar ones; and, lastly, through the use of a lexical decision task, FN400 and N400 components were found in the third locus, especially for pseudowords. These results are interpreted as a preferably bottom-up processing, which is characterized by lexical access difficulties in less-skilled readers.

BackgroundPhysical activity has been associated with better reading comprehension and reduces cognitive load (CL), but the role of brain volume in modulating this relationship remains unclear. Therefore, this study aims to determine whether the gray matter volume in key regions modulates the effects of different physical activity modalities on reading comprehension and associated CL. MethodsThirteen male adolescents (12-13 years). Adolescents with MRI data participated in a randomized cross-over trial comparing three conditions: 1) sedentary behavior (SC, emulating a school class), 2) moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT), and 3) cooperative high-intensity interval training (C-HIIT), with physical activity conditions duration adjusted to match SC energy expenditure. Gray matter volumes were measured in the bilateral hippocampus, left pars opercularis, and the brainstem. CL was assessed via pupil dilation during reading using eye-tracking. Reading comprehension was measured through seven-question multiple-choice tests with expert-validated items. ResultsC-HIIT demonstrated superior effects on both CL and reading comprehension compared to MICT and SC, with significant brain volume modulation effects across all examined regions. Brain volume interactions with physical activity modalities systematically modified the pattern of cognitive responses, with C-HIIT consistently benefiting from these modulations, whereas the effects of MICT were generally attenuated. ConclusionThis study suggests that selecting the appropriate physical activity modality may be relevant for cognitive outcomes during reading in adolescents. C-HIIT yielded lower CL and better reading comprehension, and these effects were not explained by brain volume alone but by its interaction with exercise modality.

Video gaming often sparks controversy, though negative effects are mainly linked to gaming disorder, not gaming itself. Research shows that gaming disorder is associated with reduced executive functioning and greater reliance on habitual processes, while recreational gaming may relate to enhanced cognitive functions. However, comprehensive comparisons of cognitive profiles across gaming behaviors remain scarce. Therefore, we aimed to compare the cognitive functioning of non-gamers (NG), recreational gamers (RG), and gaming disorder risk individuals (GDR). Based on the Internet Gaming Disorder Test scores, 114 participants were classified into NG, RG, or GDR groups. Executive functions were assessed using the Go/No-Go, Counting Span, Digit Span, Card Sorting, 1-back and 2-back tasks. Habit learning was measured with the Alternating Serial Reaction Time task. The GDR group showed reduced working memory, performing worse on the Digit Span task than the NG group, and worse on the Counting Span task than both NG and RG groups. Conversely, the RG group displayed enhanced attention-related performance. No group differences emerged in other executive functions or overall habit learning. Interaction analyses revealed a negative relationship between habit learning and inhibitory control/updating across groups, supporting competition theory, while a positive link between working memory and habit learning in NG and GDR groups suggests possible compensatory mechanisms. Overall, this study underscores that cognitive impairments are linked to gaming disorder rather than gaming itself, while recreational gaming may offer cognitive benefits. These findings provide insights into the distinct cognitive profiles of recreational gamers and those at risk of gaming disorder. HighlightsO_LICognitive profiles differ for gaming disorder vs. recreational gaming. C_LIO_LIWorking memory is impaired in individuals at risk of gaming disorder. C_LIO_LIRecreational gaming is linked to enhanced attention-related performance. C_LIO_LIExecutive functions and habits compete with each other, regardless of gaming. C_LIO_LICognitive systems show both competitive and compensatory links. C_LI

BackgroundDigital interventions integrating gamification features hold promise to promote daily steps. However, results regarding the effectiveness of this type of intervention are heterogeneous and not yet confirmed in real-life contexts. ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a gamified intervention and its potential moderators in a large sample using real-world data. Specifically, we tested (1) whether a gamified intervention enhanced daily steps during the intervention and follow-up periods compared to baseline, (2) whether this enhancement was higher in participants to the intervention than in nonparticipants, and (3) what participants characteristics or intervention parameters moderated the effect of the program. MethodsData from 4819 individuals who registered for a mHealth Kiplin program between 2019 and 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. In this intervention, participants could take part in one or several games where their daily step count was tracked, allowing individuals to play with their overall activity. Nonparticipants are people who registered to the program but did not take part in the intervention and were considered as a control group. Daily step counts were measured via accelerometers embedded in either commercial wearables or smartphones of the participants. Exposure to the intervention, the intervention content, and participants characteristics were included in multilevel models to test the study objectives. ResultsParticipants in the intervention group demonstrated a significantly greater increase in mean daily steps from baseline compared to nonparticipants (p<.0001). However, intervention effectiveness depended on participants initial physical activity. Whereas the daily steps of participants with <7500 baseline daily steps significantly improved from baseline both during the Kiplin intervention (+3291 daily steps) and during follow-up periods (+945 daily steps), participants with a higher baseline had no improvement or significant decreases in daily steps after the intervention. Age (p<.0001) and exposure (p<.0001) positively moderated the intervention effect. ConclusionsIn real-world settings and among a large sample, the Kiplin intervention was significantly effective to increase the daily steps of participants from baseline, during intervention and follow-up periods, compared to nonparticipants. Interestingly, responses to the intervention differed based on participant initial steps with the existence of a plateau effect. Drawing on the insights of the self-determination theory, we can assume that the effect of gamification could depend of the initial motivation and activity of participants.

This study uses international respondents to a COVID-lockdown related questionnaire (n = 1,688) to assess the determinants of adherence and poor coping in response to lockdown measures. A regression analysis was used to compare the relative importance of clusters derived from a K-means cluster analysis as well as various demographics (age, gender, level of education, political affiliation, a factor reflecting social security and a factor reflecting the lockdown harshness). Three distinct clusters ("General Population", "Extreme Responders" and "Sufferers) were identified, corresponding well to a previous study. Clusters appeared to be the best overall predictors of coping and adherence although gender, political affiliation and lockdown harshness were also important predictors. The large proportion of variance that remains unexplained, combined with the relatively weak effects of traditional demographics, suggest that less concrete variables such as personality traits, health and environmental factors may be better predictors of adherence and coping during a pandemic.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effects of formative and summative assessments on college students tennis performance and basic psychological needs. Methods: A total of 128 undergraduate students (64 males, 64 females; Mage = 19.22, SD = 0.91) participated in this study. Participants were cluster-randomized to either a formative assessment group (n = 64) or a summative assessment group (n = 64). The formative assessment intervention involved setting personalized learning goals and success criteria, administering periodic tests, and providing process-oriented and individualized feedback. The summative assessment intervention involved setting uniform goals for all students, offering instructor feedback only on common problems, and requiring students to practice independently after class without personalized guidance. Both interventions were implemented over 10 weeks, with one 90-minute session each week. Tennis skills and basic psychological needs (i.e., autonomy, competence, and relatedness) were assessed before and after the intervention. Tennis skills were reassessed 1 week after the intervention. Two-way mixed-effects analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to examine the impact of group, time, and their interaction on tennis skills and basic psychological needs. Results: The results showed that the interaction between group and time was significant for all of the outcome variables. Simple effects analyses indicated that, at pre-test, the two groups did not differ significantly in tennis performance or in satisfaction of autonomy, competence, and relatedness (p > 0.05). At post-intervention, the formative assessment group demonstrated significantly better performance than the summative assessment group in tennis skills (MD = 3.50, 95% CI = [1.303, 5.697], p = 0.002), autonomy (MD = 2.44, 95% CI = [1.816, 3.059], p < 0.001), relatedness (MD = 1.33, 95% CI = [0.679, 1.977], p < 0.001), and competence (MD = 1.75, 95% CI = [1.046, 2.454], p < 0.001). At the 1-week follow-up session, the formative assessment group also showed significantly better tennis performance than the summative assessment group (MD = 6.81, 95% CI = [4.667, 8.958], p < 0.001). Conclusion: Formative assessment was more effective than summative assessment in improving college students tennis performance and satisfying their basic psychological needs. These findings suggest that incorporating personalized goals, process-oriented evaluation, and individualized feedback into tennis instruction could promote both skill development and psychological outcomes in college physical education.

Psychotherapists constantly regulate their own perspective and emotions to better understand the "others" state. We compared 52 psychotherapists with 92 non-psychotherapists to characterized psychometric constructs like, Fantasy (FS) and Perspective Taking (PT), and the emotion regulation strategy of Expressive Suppression (ES), which hampers the empathic response. Psychotherapists showed greater FS, PT and lower ES scores. In a subsample (36, 18 ea.), we did a functional connectivity (FC) study. Psychotherapists showed greater FC between the left anterior insula and the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex; and less connectivity between rostral anterior cingulate cortex and the orbito prefrontal cortex. Both associations correlated with the PT scores and suggest a cognitive regulatory effect related to the empathic response. Considering, that the psychometric differences between groups were in the cognitive domain and that the FC associations are related to cognitive processes, these results suggest that psychotherapists have a greater cognitive regulation over their empathic response.

Previous studies show that there are differences in native and foreign speech processing (Lev-Ari, 2018) while mixed evidence has been found regarding differences between dialectal and foreign accent processing (see: Adank et al., 2009; Floccia et al. 2006 but see also: Floccia et al., 2009; Girard et al., 2008). Within this field, two theories have been proposed. The Perceptual Distance Hypothesis states that the mechanisms underlying dialectal accent processing are attenuated versions of those of foreign (Clarke & Garrett, 2004). While, the Different Processes Hypothesis argues that the mechanisms of foreign and dialectal accent processing are qualitatively different (Floccia et al, 2009). A recent study looking at single-word EEG data, suggested that there may be flexibility in processing mechanisms (Thomas et al., 2022). The present study deepens this investigation by addressing in which frequency bands native, dialectal and foreign accent processing differ when listening to extended speech. Electroencephalographic data was recorded from 30 participants who listened to dialogues of approximately six minutes spoken in native, dialectal and foreign accents. Power spectral density estimation (1-35 hz) was performed. Linear mixed models were done in frequency windows of particular relevance to discourse processing. Frequency bands associated with phoneme [gamma], syllable [theta], and prosody [delta] were considered along with those of general cognitive mechanisms [alpha and beta]. Results show power differences in the Gamma frequency range. While in higher frequency ranges foreign accent processing is differentiated from power amplitudes of native and dialectal accent processing, in low frequencies we do not see any accent-related power amplitude modulations. This suggests that there may be a difference in phoneme processing for native accent types and foreign accent, while we speculate that top-down mechanisms during discourse processing may mitigate the effects observed with short units of speech.

IntroductionThe Military Physical and Sports Training program was developed by the French Army in order to train, optimize, and maintain individual readiness. Although the health benefits of sport practice do not need to be demonstrated, such activities can cause acute musculoskeletal injuries that need to be addressed. The prevalence of lower limb injury is rather high in the French military population and, in particular, ranges from 15 to 45% during Special Forces selection courses. Thus, this project aims to investigate the efficiency of a body-centered program designed to enhance body awareness. The program seeks to train the mind to actively pay attention to body information, while the latter is viewed as a protective factor against fall injuries. We assume: (i) that postural control can be improved by enhancing the level of body awareness; and (ii) that greater postural awareness could be beneficial in reducing the risk of fall injuries. The body-centered prevention program is based on the Optimization of the Resources of the Armed Forces (ORAF) intervention, which focuses on mental preparation and recovery, and has been deployed in the French Army for many years Method and analysesThe study focuses on five French Special Forces selection courses (400 soldiers/ participants). It is divided into two stages (year 1, year 2). The first year is dedicated to data collection from the control group (200 participants), while in the second year the ORAF intervention will be deployed. The main objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of the ORAF intervention in reducing the rate of fall injuries during military selection, based on a multidisciplinary method that captures demographic, biological, biometric, clinical, and para clinical measures. Registration numberIDRCB number 2021-A02108-33, Clinical Trial: NCT 05451394