Psychology Hub

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Demographics in Iran: Sequential Mediation Model Through Mistrust in Science and Belief in COVID-19 Vaccine Conspiracy Theories

Shabnam Javanmard — 2025-12-12

Understanding COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy could help future public health messaging. In this study we planned to study the sociodemographic determinants of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, as well as the sequential mediation relationship between sociodemographic variables and vaccine hesitancy, through mistrust in science and belief in COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy theories. This is a cross-sectional study conducted during the COVID-19 outbreak, between 23rd September and 29th December 2021 on 701 Iranian people. Participants were reached via various social media platforms and data were collected with an online survey using Google forms. Completed questionnaires were obtained and analyzed using logistic regression analysis and PROCESS Macro at significance level of 0.05 using SPSS. Current study demonstrates that 92.45% of participants were eager to be vaccinated or have already been vaccinated at the time of data collection. Low education, having background medical condition and belief in traditional complementary and alternative medicine are significantly correlated with vaccine hesitancy. Moreover, Logistic regression results showed that having background medical condition and belief in traditional complementary and alternative medicine significantly predict the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. In addition, education and belief in traditional complementary and alternative medicine indirectly affect COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy as they influence mistrust in science and belief in COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy theories. This research indicates the critical role that trust in science plays as the mediator between vaccine hesitancy and its predictors. In addition, low-educated people and traditional complementary and alternative medicine believers should be given special importance when developing interventions for tackling the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy problem.

The role of coping strategies and social networking sites addiction: The mediating role of perceived social support among a sample of Yazidis

Hozan Salih Hussein — 2025-12-12

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) attacked the Yazidis who are a minority in Iraq. This act resulted in the crime of genocide in August 2014. The purpose of this study was to assess the role of coping strategies on social networking site (SNS) addiction with perceived social support (PSS) as a potential mediator. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 611 Yazidi internally displaced persons (IDP) adults (males = 304, females = 307). The participants' age ranged from 18-60 years old with a mean age of 27.07 and SD = 9.13. A convenient sampling technique for gathering the desired data, and descriptive and inferential statistical analyses for analyzing the variables, were conducted. The results indicated that most Yazidis use emotion-focused coping to deal with their stressors, and emotion-focused coping predicted SNS addiction with avoidance coping strategies. The support received from family and friends mediates the role of coping strategies for SNS addiction. The major findings of this inquiry suggest that Yazidi IDP adults’ coping strategies are important in predicting SNS addiction. Therefore, necessary actions to raise awareness and interventions need to be taken. This investigation shares new insights into the Yazidi IDP adults’ coping strategies and addiction to SNSs in the camps in the Kurdistan Region - Iraq (KRI) for both policymakers and stakeholders. Limitations and future research directions are discussed in the article

A moderated mediation model: the role of Need for Cognitive Closure in the relation between System Justification and Conspiracy Beliefs

Mariateresa Loverre — 2025-12-12

Need for Cognitive Closure can be defined as a personal preference for predictability and intolerance towards uncertainty. The connection between Need for Cognitive Closure and conspiracy beliefs is evident: conspiracy theories offer simple and conclusive solutions to complex issues, providing explanations for events that do not have clear dynamics. Features of conspiracy theories make them attractive to people high in Need for Cognitive Closure. There are personal characteristics that increase the likelihood of conspiracy theories’ endorsement. The present study (N = 138) tested a moderated mediation model, using variance-based structural equation modeling, highlighting the role of Need for Cognitive Closure as a moderator in the relationship between System Justification and General Conspiracy Beliefs, which resulted as a mediator in the relationship between System Justification and Specific Conspiracy Beliefs/Intention. We observed the moderation effect of Need for Cognitive Closure in the relationship between General Conspiracy Beliefs and Specific Conspiracy Beliefs/Intention. Finally, conspiracy priming showed a strong effect on Specific Conspiracy Beliefs/Intention compared to anti-conspiracy priming and the combination of the two kinds of priming. Results clarify complex dynamics that directly or indirectly foster the endorsement of conspiracy theories. Practical implications regard preventing conspiracy theories' deleterious effects. Interventions focused on educating people before their exposure to conspiracy theories could provide an attempt to protect people against these theories by warning them about manipulative dynamics to which they will be subjected

Sensory Processing Sensitivity in childhood: Investigation of the construct validity of the Highly Sensitive Child Scale-Parent Report with behavioral traits

Antonios I. Christou — 2025-12-12

The aim of the present study was to validate the factor structure of the Greek version of the Highly Sensitive Child Scale – Parent Report (HSCS) and to delineate the ways in which SPS early in life may be associated with constructs of interest, especially in relation to affective traits and empathy. The study consisted of a sample of 153 children (M = 9.97; SD: 1.28, min: 7.5; max: 49.0% girls). The results showed that SPS in children was strongly positively correlated with cognitive and affective empathy, depression and anxiety, ADHD traits, sensitivity to reward and punishment, fear/shyness, and responsiveness to social approval. Follow-up investigation underlined that SPS was better predicted positively by both elevated cognitive empathy and sensitivity to punishment traits. The findings provide new insights into the empirical correlates of SPS early in life that may be particularly useful in designing early interventions to mitigate potential mental health risks.

Exploring the Link Between Insomnia and Personality Disorders: A Comprehensive Systematic Review

Martina De Angelis — 2025-12-12

Insomnia is one of the most diagnosed sleep disorders, affecting approximately 30% of the world's population. Insomnia significantly impairs psychological well-being and increases vulnerability to psychiatric disorders, particularly anxiety and depression. While numerous studies have highlighted the role of specific personality traits in insomniacs, research has not yet elucidated which features of each personality disorder (PD) are most closely associated with insomnia. This systematic review aimed to fill this gap by summarizing the results of studies that examined the co-occurrence of insomnia and PDs. None of the included studies specifically focused on Cluster A PDs, only one study specifically looked at Cluster C PDs, and 3 studies investigated all PD Clusters. Most studies focused on Cluster B PDs, revealing a specific link between insomnia and the distinctive features of borderline PD, in particular: marked emotion dysregulation and impulsivity, a tendency to exaggerate symptoms, and discouragement about treatment outcomes. These findings may contribute to the development of more personalized assessment and intervention protocols for insomniacs with borderline PD.

A temporal perspective for incident analysis: Extending Reason's Swiss Cheese Model to the post-incident analysis of the Costa Concordia disaster

Eleonora Cova — 2025-12-12

According to error prevention literature, Reason's Swiss Cheese Model marked a paradigm shift by providing a psychosocial and systemic perspective on understanding workplace errors. Previous research has primarily adopted this model as a tool for analyzing errors and preventing incidents. The present paper aims to extend the application of the Swiss Cheese Model beyond the prevention phase to also include post-incident analysis by adopting a dual perspective that considers prevention and management as interconnected phases of a unitary flow. To illustrate this approach, the Costa Concordia incident is examined as an example case to apply the Swiss Cheese Model, examining psychosocial and technical factors across two temporal phases: before and after the incident. The analysis highlights the temporal interplay among factors and the significance of the intermediate phase –the period between the occurrence of the incident and its management– in determining the severity of the consequences of errors and the effectiveness of mitigation strategies. Overall, this research offers a more nuanced understanding of errors and incidents, advocating for a broader adoption of the Swiss Cheese Model, not only as a model for error prevention but also for incident management. The findings offer insights for both theory and practice.

Bio-psycho-social Effects of Street Harassment: A Systematic Literature Review

Namita Narula — 2025-12-12

Researchers and policymakers have underestimated the impact of street harassment on the victims. This systematic review examines the psychological, sociobehavioral and physiological effect of street harassment on the victims. This literature review examined all the peer-reviewed articles in Google Scholar, PubMed, and Web of Science with the following search terms – street harassment, eve-teasing, stranger harassment, harassment in public places, psychological effects, sociological effects, and physiological effects. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were defined. A total of 1668 studies were found in our search results and from that 29 studies were identified based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist. The findings indicate that street harassment significantly impacts victims' psychological well-being, leading to increased levels of fear, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Victims often experience decreased self-esteem, heightened stress, and emotional distress, with long-term effects including persistent anxiety and changes in social behaviors to avoid further victimization. Physiological impacts include sleep disturbances, headaches, and digestive issues, potentially leading to chronic health problems. The socio-psychological impacts include significant alterations in social dynamics and behaviors, with victims often modifying their routines, attire, and social interactions to avoid harassment. Addressing street harassment effectively requires a multifaceted approach, including public awareness, supportive legal frameworks, and proactive social support systems.