Journal of Professional & Applied Psychology

Caring for Carers: Association between Care-giving and Quality of Life of Family Carers of Spinal Cord Injury Survivors in Pakistan

Neelam Bibi, Naeem Aslam — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Caring for someone with a spinal cord injury (SCI) has always been a family endeavor in developed as well as developing countries like Pakistan. Majority of people with SCI need assistance of others to carry out daily life activities i.e., eating, self-care, transportation and this functional dependence of patients on their attendant affect Quality of Life (QOL) of caregivers. Present study was designed to find the relationship between caregiver burden, psychosocial factors and QOL among caregivers. Caregiver Burden Inventory-SCI and WHOQOL was used to measure study variables. Cross-sectional research design having purposive sampling technique was used to gather data from spinal units of various hospitals of Pakistan. Sample size includes N= 255 family caregivers of SCI patients. Correlation analyses were applied to find the relationship between psychosocial factors, caregiver burden and QOL. Results showed that caregiver burden was significantly negatively correlated with quality of life and positively correlated with care-giving hours, duration of injury, and number of helpers involved in care-giving process. Furthermore, female caregivers showed high level caregiver burden and low levels of quality of life as compared to male counterparts. Similarly, married persons scored higher on caregiver burden and whose patients had paraplegic nature of injury. In Pakistan, there are no respite care programs for carers, The abovementioned findings are helpful in planning psychotherapeutic interventions and tailored caregiver training programs to lessen the impact of caregiver burden on caregivers and to boost their quality of life.

Impact of Motivational Speech on Psychological Need Satisfaction and Intrinsic Motivation of Young Adults

Aqsa Nasarullah, Afifa Anjum — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This study aimed to investigate the impact of motivational speeches on psychological need satisfaction and intrinsic motivation of young adults utilizing a pretest-posttest quasi experiment method. A total of 25 students was selected via non-probability purposive sampling. The study utilized the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (BPNSFS; Chen et al., 2015) and the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI; Ryan & Deci, 2000). Pretest measurements were taken from participants three weeks before and after viewing the motivational video “Formula for Success”. Post-test data was collected to evaluate the impact of the video. The results indicated a significant increase in psychological need satisfaction after the speech and a positive correlation between psychological need satisfaction and intrinsic motivation. No significant differences were found across gender, educational institutions and area of living. This study highlights the importance of motivational speech in increasing intrinsic motivation and psychological wellbeing offering a basis for future educational and motivational research. This study is likely to provide ground work for future studies.

Social Media Addiction and Aggression in Pakistani Young Adults: Social Connectedness as a Moderator

Muhammad Sajjad Shahid, Sobia Bashir, Sukaina Fatima — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Social media serves as a platform for communication and connection in the digital realm, but its problematic use can negatively affect health. Research indicates a link between problematic social media use and increased aggression. This study explores the moderating role of social connectedness in the relationship between social media addiction and aggression among young adults in Pakistan, involving 162 participants (82 men, 77 women) aged 18 to 25 years (M=22.09, SD=2.06). Using instruments like the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (Andreassen et al., 2017), the Revised Social Connectedness Scale (Lee et al., 2001), and the Buss and Perry Aggression Questionnaire (Buss & Perry, 1992), the analysis revealed a positive but nonsignificant relationship between social media addiction, social connectedness, and aggression. However, using Hayes' 4.1 Model 1, findings showed a significant negative effect of social media addiction on aggression (?=-5.65*, SE=2.75, p<.05) and a significant negative impact of social connectedness on aggression (?=-2.16*, SE=1.08, p<.05). The interaction between social media addiction and social connectedness also had a positive and significant effect on aggression (?=.09*, SE=.04, p<.05), suggesting that social connectedness moderates the impact of social media addiction on aggression in young Pakistani adults. Additionally, independent sample t-tests indicated that social media addiction (M=25.95, SD=3.35, **p<.01) and aggression (M=84.32, SD=19.49, ***p<.001) were significantly higher in men than in women, with no significant differences in social connectedness. The study concludes with a discussion of its limitations, recommendations, and implications for societal welfare.

Age Well, Work Well: Relationship of Healthy Aging with Career Commitment and Bridge Employment Intentions among Pre-Retirees

Samia Khalid, Arooj Arshad — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Old age is considered an achievement to complete the milestones of one's life. However, the aging population presents significant economic, social, and health challenges. There is a need to address these challenges by focusing on bridge employment after retirement and considering healthy aging an essential part of later life. This correlational research aims to study the relationship between healthy ageing, career commitment and bridge employment intention among pre-retirees. Sample of 308 older employees (M= 57.79, SD= 1.88) was selected from government educational sector of Lahore, Pakistan by using non probability purposive sampling technique. The measure included Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire, The Occupational Commitment Scale, and Bridge Employment Intention Scale. Results indicate a significant positive relation of healthy aging with career commitment (r = .27, p< .05) and bridge employment intention (r = .17, p< .05) of pre-retirees. Inversely, employee’s education has significant negative relationship with healthy ageing (r = -.12, p< .05), career commitment (r = -.19, p< .01) and bridge employment intention (r = -.29, p< .01). Further, the mediation analysis through Hayes process macro model 4 revealed that career commitment mediates the relationship between healthy aging and bridge employment intention. The study provides a valuable insight and suggested that the organizations should value experienced employees for institutional growth and implement flexible work arrangements, continuous learning opportunities and health and wellness programs to promote work after retirement.

Exploring the Association between Sexual Orientation Beliefs and Ambivalent Sexism in Young Adults

Faiz Younas, Shazia Qayyum, Fatima Younas — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This paper investigated the association between sexual orientation beliefs and ambivalent sexism in young adults. It was hypothesized that sexual orientation beliefs would correlate with and predicate ambivalent sexism, while there would be significant sociodemographic differences across the study variables. Selecting a cross-sectional (correlation) approach, a non-probability convenient sample of 221 young adults (M_age = 24.84, SD_age = 5.82) was recruited. After filling out a detailed sociodemographic information sheet, the participants responded to original (English) versions of the Sexual Orientation Beliefs Scale (Arseneau et al., 2013) and the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (Glick & Fiske, 1996). The analysis revealed that all sub-scales of the Sexual Orientation Beliefs Scale (discreetness, naturalness, informativeness and homogeneity) had positive correlations with hostile sexism and benevolent sexism. Moreover, discreetness, informativeness, and homogeneity beliefs predicted hostile sexism, while only the homogeneity belief predicted benevolent sexism. The socio-demographic variables of age and education emerged as significant correlates. Muslims held stronger ambivalent sexism than non-Muslims but no difference was found in sexual orientation beliefs. Hostile sexism was higher in men and those from a nuclear family system. Benevolent sexism was higher in unemployed and non-heterosexual individuals. Lastly, the discreetness belief was stronger in men and heterosexuals. This study would be a valuable addition to the academic scholarship as it provided insights into the indigenous patterns of sexual orientation beliefs and their relationship with specific forms of sexism.

Impact of Effort Reward Imbalance and Fatigue on General Self Efficacy of Nurses Working in Tertiary Care Hospitals

Saliha Afzal, Khola Tahir — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The study aims to investigate the impact of effort-reward imbalance and fatigue on the self-efficacy of nurses working in tertiary care hospitals. A purposive sampling strategy was used to recruit participants from both the public and private sector hospitals. The sample consisted of (N=91) participants with a mean age of 27 years. Effort Reward Imbalance (ERI-16 item condensed version) scale, along with the Visual Analog Fatigue Scale and General Self-Efficacy tool was used to measure the relationship among these variables. Results showed that there was a significant relationship between fatigue and self-efficacy of nurses. However, age, effort-reward imbalance, and fatigue were the significant predictors of self-efficacy. Married nurses reflected satisfactory levels of self-efficacy as compared to unmarried nurses. Considering the limited resources for data collection, it is advised to consider a collaboration between hospitals and the research committee. Further, there is a need to conduct a longitudinal study followed by interviews to explore personnel reflection among participants.

Examining the Association between Sedentary Lifestyle, Social Cohesion, and Loneliness among Obese Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

Lyba Iqbal, Sitara Kanwal — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The current study aimed to assess the relationship between the sedentary lifestyle, social cohesion, and loneliness among obese adults. The sample size was N=150 and the sample was recruited through purposive sampling from several fitness centers, hospitals, and the general population. Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire (Rosenberg et al., 2010), Social Cohesion Scale (Williams et al., 2020), and Loneliness Scale (Russell et al., 1978) were used to measure the sedentary lifestyle, social cohesion, and loneliness. The results showed that there was a positive correlation between sedentary behavior and loneliness, whereas, there was a significant negative correlation between social cohesion and loneliness. The finding also showed that a sedentary lifestyle and social cohesion significantly negatively predicted loneliness among obese adults. The study concluded that a sedentary lifestyle and poor social cohesion play a significant role in predicting loneliness in obese adults. The study implied that it could help obese people improve their lifestyle and biopsychosocial functioning by understanding the importance of an active lifestyle and social cohesion, and it may also help researchers and practitioners carry out interventions for loneliness by considering the predictors.

Relationship between Social Media Addiction and Urgency in Young Adults

Zahra Amir, Afshi Yahya Khan — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This study intended to inspect the relationship of urgency (positive and negative) and social media addiction (SMA) in young adults. The study also explored the gender differences on SMA and urgency. Two of the proposed hypotheses were put into testing, i.e., i) There is a relationship between SMA and urgency among young adults, and ii) There are gender differences in SMA and urgency. This research used a correlational research design and convenience sampling strategy. A sample of 300 university students was collected that included 150 males and 150 females age ranging between 18-25 years (M= 19.03, SD= 3.29). The data was collected in person through a self-constructed demographic questionnaire, Social Networking Addiction Scale (SNAS), and Urgency, Premeditation, Perseverance, Sensation Seeking, and Positive Urgency (UPPS-P) Impulsive Behavior Scale. The data was analyzed through SPSS software and Pearson correlation along with independent sample t-test were employed to test the hypotheses. The findings revealed that there is a positive relationship between urgency and SMA among young adults, however, no significant gender differences were found in urgency, social media addiction, and their subscales. This study urges young adults to limit social media use to prevent psychological dependence that can harm both productivity and mental well-being. It highlights the tendency of individuals to turn to social media as an escape when overwhelmed by emotional states, often sharing more than they would in a more balanced state of mind. This emotional oversharing can lead to unintended consequences, impacting personal and professional lives.

Impact of Cognitive Distortions on Online Game Addiction: Moderating Role of Narcissistic Personality Trait

Nosheen Saba, Iram Batool, Huma Batool — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Game addiction is recognized as a significant behavioral issue, which is closely linked to cognitive distortions. The interplay between game addiction, cognitive distortions, and narcissism presents a complex scenery of behavioral and psychological factors. This study used cross sectional design. The sample was 220 university students (male=140, female=80) with age (M= 22.60, SD=1.17) studying at Bahauddin zakariya university Multan. The participants were selected through convenient sampling technique and three questionnaire (cognitive distortion scale, game addiction scale, and narcissist personality inventory) were used to collect data from participants. The results explored a significant positive relationship between cognitive distortions, narcissism and game addiction (p<.01), the cognitive distortions were found to predict game addiction significantly (p<.001). The results also revealed that the narcissistic personality traits moderated and weakened the association between cognitive distortions and game addiction (p<.01). In conclusion, despite their cognitive distortions, people with higher levels of narcissism are less likely to become addicted to games, probably because they have more self-esteem and access to other forms of validation. This study highlight the need for tailored treatment programs that address both cognitive distortions and personality traits, as well as preventive measures aimed at fostering healthier cognitive and emotional development in young adults.

Relationship between Employees Social Media Addiction and Workplace Procrastination: Preferance for Organization as a Moderator

Muhammad Usman Ahmad, Zafar Ahmad, Faiza Khalid — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Workplace procrastination is a major area of concern in the modern workplace especially since there has been an uptrend in the use of social media worldwide. Worsening workplace procrastination is often attributed to increased social media use. However, some studies show positive effects of time management skills on procrastination. As such, this study explores the moderating effect of Preference for Organization (PFO) (a facet of time management behavior) on the relationship between employees' social media addiction (SMA) and workplace procrastination (WP). Employees from both private and public sector organizations residing in Rawalpindi and Islamabad were included in the sample. Convenience sampling was used to ensure a large pool of participants to improve statistical power of findings. Employed (329) men and (171) women between the ages of 22 and 50 (M=39.60, SD=.47) were included in the study. The questionnaire for the study included the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), the Workplace Procrastination Scale (WPS), and the Preference for Organization (PFO) subscale of the Time Management Behavior Scale (TMBS). Results for the moderation analysis, Model 1 of Process macro, show that there was a significant effect of SMA and PFO on procrastination and a significant interaction effect of SMA and PFO on WP, such that an increase in PFO can reduce the effects of SMA on workplace procrastination. The study highlights the importance of improving employee training and introducing programs in organizations that help increase an organized way of working to improve productivity and reduce procrastination.

Investigating the Relationship between Non-verbal Intelligence and Adaptive Behavior in Hearing Impaired Children

Darain Sikandar, Momina Abid, Iqra Khalid — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The present study intended to find out the relationship between nonverbal intelligence and adaptive behaviors in children with pre-lingual and post-lingual hearing loss. A total of 200 hearing impaired children were purposively selected from Government Special Education institute in district Khanewal who aged between 6 to 11 years. The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale, and Raven’s Colored Progressive Matrices were used to collect the data from participating hearing impaired children. Results showed that intelligence has significant positive relationship with daily living and motor skills, and significant negative relationship with communication and socialization skills. The independent samples t test revealed a significant difference in prelingual and post lingual children in intelligence levels with little effect size. Further, the prelingual children showed more motor behavior as compared to children in post lingual group. It is important to gather a wide range of data on adaptive behavior and intelligence, including information on performance in various contexts, from various sources, and using varied techniques.

Unraveling Demographic Profile and Individual Dynamics of Juvenile Delinquents - A Mixed Method Approach

Farrukh Iqbal, Naumana Amjad — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The previous studies have implied that socio-economic, personality and societal factors play a key role in the development as well as deterrence from delinquency. The present article is based on two studies from a bigger research project that investigated psychological, social and demographic characteristics associated with juvenile delinquency in Pakistan. The first study analyzed the archival data with the purpose of obtaining some basic demographics of reported delinquent cases in Punjab and compare first time offenders with repeat offenders. Archival data indicated that low income, single parenthood, crime accomplices, crime history and lack of formal schooling were common features of majority of reported cases. The t-test analyses showed significant difference in education and age and no difference in income between repeat offenders and first time offenders. The second study was based on in-depth interviews with 6 individuals, revealed an outplay of similar demographics. Content analysis showed that the juvenile delinquents lived in single parent families, with inadequate supervision, demonstrated defiant behavior, desire for lavish life style, association with deviant peers, poverty, and school dropout. Absence of ethical friends and poor religious education also featured as one of the sub-themes from interviews. Based on these two studies, a model is suggested for further investigation. The findings are discussed in light of previous research as well as theoretical perspectives. Implications of these findings are outlined for policy makers, social agencies, educators and parents.

Strategies for Reducing Students’ Suicidality: A Call to Action

Saba Riaz — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Psychoanalytic Interpretation of the Killings by Javed Iqbal Mughal aka Kukri

Farhan Kamrani — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The current case study article is an attempt to interpret the killings by notorious serial killer of Pakistan, Javed Iqbal Mughal aka “Kukri” via a psychoanalytic prism. For this purpose, facts about the case were collected from authentic secondary sources (like international news reports, books and encyclopaedic works) and analyzed. It utilized case study method. The analysis reveals that he was a homosexual paedophile sex offender who was a psychopath and megalomaniac. He had a high need for dominance and control. Before the precipitating event, he was dominated by his sexual drive and was using his ability to fulfil it by creating opportunities of encounter with his preferred sex objects. But in response to the attack, he developed a very strong vengeance fantasy and due to a lack of superego, he was dominated by death instinct and executed his vengeance fantasy. It appears that what forced him to complete this process was his desire of fame that was present even before he was attacked by a masseur but was intensified as it glorified his revenge. This article revels the psychological process that manifested in the killings by Javed Iqbal and explains the phenomenon in context of the thinking and behaviors of a psychopath.