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Ghosting and orbiting occur when a relationship is ended unilaterally by suddenly withdrawing from all communication and without explanation. However, in orbiting, the disengager still follows the victims on social networking sites after the breakup. With the advent of the digital era, these practices have become increasingly common, gaining attention from psychology research. Within the theoretical framework of social exclusion, the present study (N = 176) investigated victims’ consequences of ghosting and orbiting, considering the two breakup strategies as instances of ostracism. Participants were invited to fill an online survey and randomly assigned to recall an episode of ghosting, orbiting, or rejection. Following the recall task, participants completed a series of questionnaires to measure the typical outcomes threatened by ostracism (i.e., emotions, basic psychological needs, breakup’s cognitive evaluation, and aggressive inclinations). The results showed a consistent pattern across most of the constructs measured. Specifically, ghosting led to worse outcomes than rejection, whereas the disengagers’ ambiguous signals characterizing orbiting seemed to buffer the victims partially from the consequences of relationship dissolution. Results are discussed in the light of social exclusion literature, adding to the growing research on ghosting.

The relationships between problematic smartphone use and psychological factors have been extensively investigated. However, previous studies generally used variable-centered approaches, which hinder an examination of the heterogeneity of smartphone impact on everyday life. In the present study, we capitalized on latent profile analysis to identify various classes of smartphone owners based on the impact associated with smartphone use (e.g., unregulated usage, preference for smartphone-mediated social relationships) and to compare these classes in terms of established psychological risk factors for problematic smartphone use. We surveyed 934 young adults with validated psychometric questionnaires to assess the impact of smartphones, psychopathological symptoms, self-esteem and impulsivity traits. Smartphone users fall into four latent profiles: users with low smartphone impact, users with average smartphone impact, problematic smartphone users, and users favoring online interactions. Individuals distributed in the problematic smartphone user profile were characterized by heightened psychopathological symptoms (stress, anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive tendencies) and impulsivity traits. Moreover, users who preferred online interactions exhibited the highest symptoms of social anxiety and the lowest levels of self-esteem. These findings further demonstrate the multidimensionality and heterogeneity of the impact of smartphone use, calling for tailored prevention and intervention strategies. •Latent profile analysis was used to identify four profiles of smartphone users.•Problematic users are characterized by psychopathological symptoms and impulsivity.•Users favoring online interactions present social anxiety and low self-esteem.

This study is aimed at investigating the dimensionality of the situational version of the Brief COPE, a questionnaire that is frequently used to assess a broad range of coping responses to specific difficulties, by comparing five different factor models highlighted in previous studies. It also aimed at exploring the relationships among coping responses, personal goal commitment and progress. The study involved 606 adults (male = 289) ranging in age from 19 to 71. Using confirmatory factor analysis, we compared five models and assessed relationships of coping responses with goal commitment and progress. The results confirmed the theoretical factor structure of the situational Brief COPE. All the 14 dimensions showed acceptable reliability and relationships with goal commitment and progress, attesting the reliability and usefulness of this measure to evaluate coping responses to specific events.

Many studies have focused on Type A and Type D personality types in the context of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), but nothing is known about how these personality types combine to create new profiles. The present study aimed to develop a typology of Type A and Type D personality in two groups of patients affected by and at risk for coronary disease. The study involved 711 patients: 51.6% with acute coronary syndrome, 48.4% with essential hypertension (mean age = 56.4 years; SD = 9.7 years; 70.7% men). Cluster analysis was applied. External variables, such as socio-demographic, psychological, lifestyle, and clinical parameters, were assessed. Six groups, each with its own unique combined personality profile scores, were identified: Type D, Type A-Negatively Affected, Not Type A-Negatively Affected, Socially Inhibited-Positively Affected, Not Socially Inhibited, and Not Type A-Not Type D. The Type A-Negatively Affected cluster and, to a lesser extent, the Type D cluster, displayed the worst profile: namely higher total cardiovascular risk index, physical inactivity, higher anxiety and depression, and lower self-esteem, optimism, and health status. Identifying combined personality profiles is important in clinical research and practice in cardiovascular diseases. Practical implications are discussed.

Background Self-efficacy beliefs have been shown to affect various effective health-promoting behaviors in patients. Unfortunately, availability of reliable and valid measures of self-efficacy in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is still very limited. Purpose The aims of this study were to present a new scale measuring self-efficacy beliefs in managing CVD and to examine its psychometric properties. Methods The study involved 172 patients (mean age = 66.4 years; SD = 9.99 years; 76.2 % men) undergoing cardiovascular rehabilitation. Various psychological factors and CVD severity indicators were collected. Results An Exploratory Structural Equation Model showed that the Cardiovascular Management Self-efficacy Scale has three factors: Cardiac Risk Factors, Adherence to Therapy, and Recognition of Symptoms. They all showed high internal consistency, and good convergent, discriminant, and predictive validity. Furthermore, these factors showed significant relations with CVD severity indicators. Conclusions The Cardiovascular Management Self-efficacy Scale could be a helpful instrument to monitor differences during interventions to improve good disease management.

Two studies tested whether social exclusion can increase gambling behavior. In Study 1, participants were asked to relive a socially painful instance, a physically painful instance or a control condition and were then presented with a real online gambling device (i.e., a slot machine). The results revealed that participants who relived a socially painful instance played longer on the gambling device. In Study 2, we induced actual feelings of social disconnection and manipulated slot machine anthropomorphization. The results revealed a significant interaction between inclusionary status and anthropomorphism in predicting gambling. More specifically, excluded participants gambled longer when presented with an anthropomorphized slot machine. However, the gambling behavior of excluded and included participants was no different when participants were reminded that slot machines are inanimate objects. Finally, positive and negative game experience mediated the influence of both inclusionary status and anthropomorphism on gambling. Overall, this research identifies another potential vulnerability produced by experiences of social exclusion, namely, gambling behavior. Implications for pathological gambling and future research directions are outlined.

PurposeHeart failure (HF) affects up to 14% of the elderly population and its prevalence is increasing. Self-care is fundamental to living successfully with this syndrome, but little is known about how self-care evolves over time. The present study aimed to (a) identify longitudinal trajectories of self-care confidence and maintenance among HF patients, (b) investigate whether each trajectory is characterized by specific sociodemographic and clinical patients’ characteristics, and (c) assess the association between the self-care confidence and maintenance trajectories.MethodWe conducted a prospective descriptive study of 225 HF patients followed for 6 months with data collected at baseline and 3 and 6 months. Latent class growth analysis (LCGA) was used to identify longitudinal trajectories. ANOVA and contingency tables were used to characterize trajectories and investigate their association.ResultsThree self-care confidence (persistently poor, increasingly adequate, and increasingly optimal) and three self-care maintenance (persistently poor, borderline but improving, and increasingly good) trajectories were identified. Married individuals were less likely to be in the persistently poor trajectory of self-care confidence. Patients with persistently poor self-care maintenance took fewer medications than patients with one of the better self-care maintenance trajectories. The two sets of trajectories were significantly and meaningfully associated.ConclusionPatients in a poor self-care trajectory (confidence or maintenance) are at high risk to stay there without improving over time. These results can be used to develop tailored and potentially more effective health care interventions.

Research literature about the environmental spillover effect produced mixed results, revealing that an initial pro-environmental behavior (PEB) is likely to promote either other PEBs (i.e., positive spillover) or pro-environmental inactions and harming behaviors (i.e., negative spillover). Such inconsistency suggests a possible crucial role of moderating variables. In two experimental studies (N Study 1 = 141, N Study 2 = 124), we investigated whether the recall of past environmental behavior (water-saving vs. water-wasting) affects future intention to perform PEBs (Study 1) and actual PEBs (Study 2), depending on participants’ cognitive mindset (manipulated in Study 1 and measured in Study 2). Results showed that the cognitive mindset is a significant moderator of spillover effects. Compared to a holistic one, an analytical mindset is more likely to result in a greater willingness to engage in future PEBs (Study 1) and actual PEB (Study 2) when past PEB is salient. The main contributions of the studies, limitations and possible future research directions are discussed.

Purpose Prison officers face severe work-related stressors stemming from their interactions with detained people and the professional attitudes they enact, both of which are shaped by the prison culture’s social norms. However, research neglected to investigate the role of prison social norms on officers’ behaviors and well-being. This study aims to test whether promoting prisoner-supportive norms can improve officers’ relationships with and attitudes toward detained people, in turn promoting their professional and psychological well-being. Design/methodology/approach The study was conducted on 1,080 Italian prison officers and adopted a mixed correlational-experimental approach. The first correlational part of the study tested the hypothesized processes linking social norms to officers’ well-being. The second part of the study adopted a two-level between-subject experimental design to manipulate supportive vs. punitive norms toward detained people using a priming procedure. Findings The correlational results indicated that supportive norms were associated with higher supportive attitudes and emotional closeness with detained people, in turn sustaining officers’ well-being. However, emotional closeness with incarcerated people also contributed to higher burnout. The experimental results confirmed that priming prisoner-supportive norms increased officers’ supportive behavioral intentions toward detained people, in turn predicting greater anticipated psychological and professional well-being. Originality/value The research provides correlation and experimental evidence of how prosocial norms can influence officers’ well-being by shaping their attitudes and relationships with prisoners, offering practical implications for interventions in prisons and contributing to improving correctional environments and officers’ mental health.

Research literature about the environmental spillover effect produced mixed results, revealing that an initial pro-environmental behavior (PEB) is likely to promote either other PEBs (i.e., positive spillover) or pro-environmental inactions and harming behaviors (i.e., negative spillover). Such inconsistency suggests a possible crucial role of moderating variables. In two experimental studies (N Study 1 = 141, N Study 2 = 124), we investigated whether the recall of past environmental behavior (water-saving vs. water-wasting) affects future intention to perform PEBs (Study 1) and actual PEBs (Study 2), depending on participants' cognitive mindset (manipulated in Study 1 and measured in Study 2). Results showed that the cognitive mindset is a significant moderator of spillover effects. Compared to a holistic one, an analytical mindset is more likely to result in a greater willingness to engage in future PEBs (Study 1) and actual PEB (Study 2) when past PEB is salient. The main contributions of the studies, limitations and possible future research directions are discussed.