This study examined a multilevel model of leadership climate, professional self-efficacy, and technostrain in a sample of 877 individuals across 76 teams in Spain and Uruguay. We hypothesized that high levels of professional self-efficacy would mediate the relationship between leadership climate and technostrain (i.e., exhaustion, skepticism, anxiety, and inefficacy related to technology use). Our findings reveal that a positive leadership climate significantly boosts professional self-efficacy, which in turn decreases the experience of technostrain. Moreover, perceptions of shared leadership are positively associated with reduced technostrain. In terms of practical implications, the results suggest that leaders can mitigate the technostrain experienced by workers by providing socio-emotional support, facilitating positive experiences with information and communication technology (ICT), and exemplifying ethical conduct in ICT use. Additionally, efficacy beliefs can be optimized through prior training and the perception of technological and social facilitators in the workplace, which will contribute to the development of positive technology experiences at work. Further implications and limitations of the study will be discussed.

This research builds on previous work showing that interpersonal synchrony in dyads is a social cue that informs bystanders about the dyads’ psychological attributes and influences their intentions to affiliate with members of dyads. Across two studies, participants were asked to observe dyads walking down a corridor during the TV show Shark Tank, rate the dyads’ collective efficacy, and express their own intentions to affiliate with them. The results replicate and extend previous work, suggesting that perceived synchrony, collective efficacy, and affiliation intentions are positively correlated, and that perceived synchrony can have positive spill-over effects on outcomes such as attracting business proposals and being liked by others.

Social decision-making is a multifaceted process where decisions impact not only the individual but also the larger group. Acute stress may influence individual decision-making, potentially increasing reward-driven choices and affecting learning and adaptive adjustment. However, studies examining stress’s impact on social decision-making have presented inconsistencies, potentially arising from assessing decision-making as a singular dimension. This article aims to test, using computational modeling, the stress effect on social decision making and cognitive subprocesses involved during the Ultimatum Game (UG). Seventy-three healthy participants underwent the UG, with only half exposed before to the virtual Trier Social Stress Test (TSST-VR). In our data, prosocial behavior—as indexed by the number of accepted offers and sensitivity to unfair distributions—did not show immediate alterations 15 min following stressor onset. However, stressed participants exhibited a diminished capacity to learn and adapt during the task, alongside a more perseverative decision-making pattern. These results support the negative impact of stress on social decisions and underscore the importance of considering its effects in mitigating challenges related to social integration and cohesion.

Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is a trait characterized by heightened responsiveness to external and internal stimuli. Past research suggests individuals high in SPS may exhibit depressive symptoms, possibly due to their highly sensitive nervous system. While the link between SPS and sleep quality remains unexplored, studies have established a strong association between depression and sleep. This study aimed to compare sensitivity groups concerning sleep quality and depression and to evaluate depression’s moderating effects on the SPS–sleep quality relationship. An online survey was administered to 1,122 Spanish participants (female 75.8%, n = 850), with a mean age of 24.5 (standard deviation [SD] = 11.2). Analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) indicated that the high-sensitivity group experienced more sleep disturbances and severe symptoms of depression, considering gender, age, and monthly incomes as sociodemographic variables. Depression was found to significantly moderate the SPS–sleep quality relationship (F(2, 1116) = 5.717, p = .003), exacerbating the impact of SPS on sleep disturbances. The study findings suggest that highly sensitive people appear to indicate more severe depressive symptoms, as well as sleep quality disturbances, with the influence of gender, age, and monthly income. Also, depression seems to moderate the relationship between SPS and sleep quality, leading to greater sleep disturbances among highly sensitive individuals with severe depressive symptoms.

The use of observational methodology has become increasingly more common in psychological research, highlighting the need for tools that ensure methodological rigor. This study presents evidence of convergent/discriminant validity for the Methodological Quality Scale for Studies Based on Observational Methodology (MQSOM). A multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) analysis with Spearman’s correlations was used to examine the relationship between MQSOM dimensions and those of three instruments: the Methodological Rigor in Mixed Methods (MRMM), the Guidelines for Reporting Evaluations Based on Observational Methodology (GREOM), and the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Ninety-six articles were coded using MQSOM and the instruments for comparison. The MQSOM’s design converged with the MRMM’s mixed-methods design (ρ = .217, p = .034), GREOM’s design (ρ = .217, p = .034), and MMAT’s qualitative (QUAL) component (ρ = .212, p = .038). The MQSOM’s measurement and analysis aligned with MRMM’s data analysis (ρ = .611, p < .001), GREOM’s data quality control (ρ = .423, p < .001) and results (ρ = .328, p = .001), and MMAT’s quantitative (QUANT) (ρ = .214, p = .037) and mixed-methods (ρ = .643, p < .001) components. MQSOM’s design exhibited discriminant validity from MRMM’s data collection (ρ = .025, p = .807) and data analysis (ρ = −.051, p = .620), GREOM’s data quality control (ρ = .025, p = .812) and results (ρ = −.032, p = .759), and MMAT’s QUANT component (ρ = −.035, p = .733). This study reinforces the validity of MQSOM as a useful methodological quality scale.

Problematic Internet use, defined as excessive, disproportionate, or inappropriate use of the Internet leading to distress, significant time consumption, and impaired normal functioning in various crucial life domains, is emerging as a major issue in many developed countries. The growing interest in exploring this phenomenon has led to the proliferation of assessment tools designed to evaluate it. The present study aims to adapt Basque the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale-2 (GPIUS-2), a questionnaire specifically designed to assess the cognitive and behavioral aspects of problematic Internet use and its associated consequences, and to evaluate the psychometric properties of the new instrument. The study was carried out with two independent samples, one composed of adults (n = 283, 18–62 years of age, 56.5% female) and the other of adolescents (n = 943, 11–16 years of age, 52.0% female). Three models were tested by confirmatory factor analysis: a one-dimensional model, the original five-factor model, and a four-factor model. The results indicated that both the 4-factor and 5-factor models obtained adequate fit indices, and consequently, the most parsimonious model was chosen. Invariance testing revealed comparable measurement properties of the GPIUS-2 in both men and women, and adults and adolescents. Furthermore, the scores of the GPIUS-2 subscales revealed strong positive correlations with Internet addiction and moderate positive correlations with depression, anxiety, and stress. The results therefore indicate that the Basque version of GPIUS-2 is a reliable instrument with adequate evidence of validity that will enable professionals to assess problematic Internet use in this population.