Musical melodies and rhythms are typically perceived in a relative manner: two melodies are considered "the same" even if one is shifted up or down in frequency, as long as the relationships among the notes are preserved. Similar principles apply to rhythms, which can be slowed down or sped up proportionally in time and still be considered the same pattern. We investigated whether humans perceiving rhythms and melodies may rely upon the same or similar mechanisms to achieve this relative perception. We looked at the effects of changing relative information on both rhythm and melody perception using a same-different paradigm. Our manipulations changed stimulus contour and/or added a referent in the form of either a metrical pulse (bass-drum beat) for rhythm stimuli, or a melodic drone for melody stimuli. We found that these manipulations had similar effects on performance across rhythmic and melodic stimuli. To our knowledge, this is the first study showing that the addition of a drone note has significant effects on melody perception, warranting further investigation. Overall, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that relative perception of rhythm and melody rely upon shared relative perception mechanisms, alongside domain specific mechanisms. Further work is needed to explore the specific nature of this relationship and to pinpoint the cognitive and neural mechanisms involved.

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of combining basketball training with a traditional sensory integration therapy (SIT) vs. a SIT alone in enhancing sensory integration capability among Chinese children diagnosed with mild challenges in sensory integration and sensory processing (CSISP).

Several studies showed that task interruptions at high mental workload moments are more harmful than task interruptions at low mental workload moments. In the present study, we used a theory-driven approach to define the mental workload during primary-task execution and to examine the effects of the interruption timing on primary-task performance.

Environmental education is crucial for achieving ecological sustainability goals and transforming human behavior to promote responsible consumption. Higher education institutions play a fundamental role in transforming societies aimed at a more sustainable future through the dissemination of environmental education to millions of young people worldwide. Therefore, this study aimed to measure the role of environmental education in transforming students' green behavior (SGB), along with other higher education institutional factors such as green campus initiatives (GCI), institutional ecosystem (IEC), institutional sustainability system (ISS), and institutional support system (ISP) through students' green intentions (SGI). The study data were collected from 480 Chinese students enrolled in the four cities with highest number of higher education institutions through face-to-face cross-sectional survey. The collected data were analyzed through partial least squares structural equation modeling. The findings indicate a significant and positive impact of GCI, IEC, ISS, and ISP on SGI, which further positively affects the SGB. This implies that green initiatives at campus, green ecosystems, sustainable and environmentally oriented policies, and support systems of educational institutions greatly contribute to the development of students' green intentions (SGI), which further turn into green habits fostering their green behavior. Moreover, environmental education also played a significant moderating role between SGI and SGB. The provision of support systems, organizing hands-on workshops and seminars, providing sustainable food items at cafeterias, and short campus visits focusing on campus green practices may inspire students to adopt green practices in their daily routines.

Executive functions is a crucial ability in the early development of preschool children. While numerous studies have found that music training has a favorable effect on children's executive functions, there is a lack of a consistent perspective on this topic, particularly with regard to the dose-response relationship.

In the pursuit of a brighter future for their children, many female migrant workers leave their home countries to seek employment abroad, often as caregivers for families in wealthier nations. This decision necessitates prolonged separation from their own children, depriving them of the opportunity to witness and participate in crucial stages of their children's development. The absence of these mothers, combined with inconsistent caregiving in their stead, significantly increases the vulnerability of left-behind children to mental health challenges, such as depression, anxiety, and difficulties in forming emotional bonds with others. Moreover, even after the migrant mother's eventual return, the disruptions in attachment often result in long-term consequences, including strained and distant relationships with their children. This article explores the complex impact of maternal migration on the mental well-being of left-behind children across various cultural contexts. It highlights key findings, such as the role of communal caregiving practices in mitigating adverse effects in some societies, while noting that these practices are not a complete solution. The study underscores the need for culturally sensitive mental health interventions and policy measures to support the well-being of children affected by maternal migration globally.

Physical exercise has been shown to positively impact psychological and behavioral outcomes, yet its influence on professional ethics in educators remains underexplored. Understanding the mechanisms underlying this relationship is essential for developing interventions to promote ethical behavior in educational contexts.

This research examines the factor structure and psychometric properties of two well-known Dark Triad personality trait questionnaires: the Short Dark Triad (SD3) and the Dirty Dozen (DD). By analyzing data from 11 (SD3) and 5 (DD) carefully selected studies in the United States and Canada, this meta-analysis uncovers unexpected correlations among questionnaire items, challenging existing assumptions. The study employs a two-stage structural equation modeling approach to evaluate various measurement models. Conventional models, such as the correlated factor and orthogonal bifactor models, fail to explain the irregular correlations. For Dirty Dozen items, a bifactor-(S·I-1) model is more suitable than the orthogonal bifactor model, significantly affecting interpretation. On the other hand, the complex structure of the SD3 necessitates item revision to enhance reliability, discriminant validity, and predictive validity. These findings emphasize the need for refining and clarifying concepts in item revision. Furthermore, the research highlights the overlap between Machiavellianism and psychopathy, particularly in relation to revenge-related items, suggesting the need for differentiation between these traits or the identification of distinct core characteristics.

Diagnostic classification models (DCMs) have received increasing attention in cross-sectional studies. However, L2 learning studies, tracking skill development over time, require models suited for longitudinal analyses. Growth DCMs offer a promising framework for such analyses.

Self-protection, also called protective anger or assertive anger, is a key factor in mental health. Thus, far, researchers have focused mainly on the qualitative analysis of self-protection.

Both multilingualism and developmental language disorder (DLD) may be associated with inferior performance in the majority language, albeit for different reasons. At the same time, there is a growing body of evidence that multilingualism may have a positive effect on foreign language performance. This study tests the hypothesis that the positive effects of multilingualism on foreign language learning may be smaller in children with DLD compared to their multilingual peers with typical language development.

Recent research in the field of "Arts and Health" has demonstrated the beneficial impact of arts-based interventions on health and well-being across diverse populations. Recognizing their potential, especially in cases where conventional healthcare cannot address the multifaceted impact of conditions such as in Parkinson's disease (PD), our study advocates for an integrative approach in medical practice and neuroscience. We recommend incorporating learning environments from the design phase through long-term care. The arts offer a unique opportunity to create such environments. In this study, we specifically focus on individuals with PD, co-designing an intervention as a creative engagement learning environment and a PD-specific creative arts therapy. In this study, the narratives of those affected contribute as scientific knowledge, shaping care and increasing the intervention's relevance to participants' lives.

During adolescence, personal competencies serve as protective factors against social exclusion and are crucial for promoting psychological well-being and creating opportunities for growth. Family and educational systems play a pivotal role in supporting these competencies. This study aims to analyze the relationships between humanization competencies, academic burnout, and family functionality, to examine sex differences in these variables, and to explore the mediating effect of family functionality.

The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale for Youth (DASS-Y) is a self-report instrument recently developed to evaluate negative emotional states in children and adolescents. However, the Persian version's factor structure and psychometric properties have yet to be investigated in Iranian youth. The study aimed to assess the factor structure and reliability of the Persian DASS-Y in a sample of Iranian children and adolescents.

Previous research has suggested that individual characteristics, such as personality traits, are crucial for pro-environmental behaviors. However, the joint role of more specific environment-related individual dispositions on various pro-environmental behaviors has not yet been investigated and is the aim of this study. A total of 649 adults (18-59 years old) assessed their pro-environmental behaviors, personality traits, the connectedness to nature, attitudes toward exploration, and spatial anxiety. Personality traits (openness and conscientiousness) were related to some of the pro-environment behaviors (transportations and purchasing). Connectedness to nature was the factor most associated with the pro-environment behaviors (conservation, citizenship, purchasing). Moreover, newly we showed that attitudes toward exploration were associated with citizenship and purchasing behaviors. Overall, the results newly highlighted the importance of environment-related characteristics alongside general personality traits. Fostering environmental-related personality factors, such as connection to nature and attitudes towards exploration, may drive positive environmental action, suggesting novel approaches to build a more sustainable society.

The full-scale Russian war has caused Ukrainian female refugees to experience many stressful events which may have an adverse impact on their mental health. Understanding the prevalence and determinants associated with anxiety is essential for psychosocial support. The study aimed: to evaluate the psychometric validity of the Ukrainian version of the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) among Ukrainian female refugees in the Czech Republic, to determine the prevalence of anxiety, and to identify key determinants for anxiety in this population.

Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) describes individual differences in sensitivity to environments, but there is little research on potential positive correlates of SPS. Hereby we investigate whether SPS and its Aesthetic Sensitivity (AES) component are associated with different facets of creativity and empathy.

Malaysia as an ethnically diverse country has a history of interethnic inequality and poverty which led to the development of different views about the existence of poverty. Among these ethnic groups, some sympathize with the poor and help them through different charity organizations. However, these charity organizations are mostly unaware of the target donors that can aid their charity funds. Therefore, this study explores the attitudinal differences regarding poverty among Malays, Chinese, and Indians and the demographic groups that can be targeted for donation and social policy development purposes.

Threats to our survival are often posed by the environment in which humans have evolved or live today. Animal and human ancestors developed complex physiological and behavioral response systems to cope with two types of threats: immediate physical harm from predators or conspecifics, triggering fear, and the risk of infections from parasites and pathogens leading to the evolution of the behavioral immune system (BIS) with disgust as the key emotion. Here we ask whether the BIS has adapted to protect us from pandemic risks or poisoning by modern toxic substances.

This study uses Hebrew data to examine the practices accomplished by index-finger pointing toward the addressee, with a focus on interactional purposes beyond merely indexing the reference. The data were taken from the , which consists of video recordings of naturally occurring casual conversations collected between 2016 and 2023. By employing the methodologies of interactional linguistics and multimodal conversation analysis, the study elaborates on the social actions that are accomplished via this gesture, showing that pointing at the addressee in Hebrew talk-in-interaction can be explained from different perspectives. The study suggests that non-referential pointing primarily serves as an attention-drawing device. However, similar to other gestural or verbal attention-drawing devices, in some contexts, the gesture can also be considered to be a cue whereby conveying a negative stance or displaying epistemic authority is recognized. Additionally, it can be employed as an abrupt way of interrupting or as an attempt to elicit a response from the addressee.