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Artificial intelligence readiness and innovative work behavior among university engineering teachers: parallel indirect effects of creative self-efficacy and technology integration self-efficacy

IntroductionArtificial intelligence (AI) is becoming part of university teachers’ teaching and research, yet its relationship with innovative work behavior in engineering education remains unclear.MethodsDrawing on Social Cognitive Theory and Conservation of Resources Theory, this cross-sectional study surveyed 786 university engineering teachers in Chongqing, China. We examined the association between AI readiness and innovative work behavior and tested parallel indirect effects through creative self-efficacy and technology integration self-efficacy. Gender and educational attainment were included as covariates.ResultsAI readiness was positively associated with innovative work behavior. The indirect paths through creative self-efficacy and technology integration self-efficacy were both significant. AI readiness remained significantly associated with innovative work behavior after both mediators were included, indicating partial mediation.DiscussionThese findings suggest that AI readiness and efficacy beliefs may support innovative work among engineering teachers. Universities can support quality education by linking AI training to course design, laboratory teaching, project development, and research tasks, while using guided practice and feedback to build teachers’ confidence.

Climate distress at a moral crossroads: how solastalgia conditions divergent consumer responses

IntroductionClimate-related distress can support responsible consumption or coincide with affect-driven escape, yet the moral processes underlying these divergent responses remain unclear. This study develops and tests a dual-route framework in which moral disengagement (MD) and moral obligation (MO) link climate-change anxiety (CCA) and eco-grief (EG) with affective impulsive buying (AIB) and eco-conscious behavior (ECB), while solastalgia (BS) conditions key emotion-to-moral-processing associations.MethodsAn explanatory sequential mixed-methods design combined a cross-sectional survey of 582 adult consumers in Türkiye with semi-structured interviews conducted approximately 1 month later with 26 participants. Survey data were analyzed using PLS-SEM, and interview data were examined through codebook thematic analysis.ResultsCCA was positively associated with MD and MO, whereas EG was positively associated with MO and negatively associated with MD. MD was positively associated with AIB, while MO was positively associated with ECB. The corresponding indirect associations were significant. BS strengthened the CCA–MD association and weakened the EG–MO association, with significant moderated indirect associations in the expected directions. The qualitative findings clarified these relationships through patterns of rationalization, perceived agency, reparative action, affective consumption, and place-based stewardship.DiscussionThe findings challenge accounts that assign fixed behavioral consequences to climate emotions. Their behavioral relevance appears to depend on the moral process associated with them, while place-based distress alters the strength of these routes. The study identifies moral self-regulation and perceived agency as promising targets for future experimental research.

From cognitive relief to motivational enhancement: associations between perceived Agentic AI Capability and student engagement in systems development courses

Generative AI agents are increasingly emerging as important learning partners for supporting complex problem-solving in higher education; however, the psychological processes associated with student engagement remain insufficiently understood. Grounded in Cognitive Load Theory and Social Cognitive Theory, this study examines how perceived Agentic AI Capability is associated with students' extraneous cognitive load, academic self-efficacy, and overall student engagement in systems development courses. An empirical study was conducted among undergraduate students majoring in e-commerce who participated in systems development-related courses. The results indicate that perceived Agentic AI Capability is negatively associated with extraneous cognitive load and positively associated with academic self-efficacy. Extraneous cognitive load is negatively associated with academic self-efficacy and student engagement, whereas academic self-efficacy is positively associated with student engagement. The indirect associations through academic self-efficacy and the sequential pathway are statistically significant. The findings provide evidence on cognitive and motivational correlates of AI-supported learning while, given the cross-sectional design, not establishing causal or temporal relationships. This study extends the application of Cognitive Load Theory and Social Cognitive Theory to human–AI collaborative learning environments and provides theoretical insights and practical implications for integrating generative AI into systems development education.

Work–family conflict and motivation: the mediating role of perceived visionary leadership and insights from explainable machine learning

IntroductionDrawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) and Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study examines the relationships among work–family conflict (WFC), perceived visionary leadership (VL), employee age, and motivation, focusing on the mediating role of perceived VL and the direct and moderating role of employee age.MethodsUsing survey data from 232 employees across various sectors, we employed a hybrid explanatory–predictive quantitative framework combining Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with six supervised machine learning (ML) algorithms (Ridge, Lasso, Random Forest, XGBoost, LightGBM, and CatBoost) and explainable ML techniques. Model generalizability was further assessed using repeated and nested cross-validation.ResultsPLS-SEM indicated that WFC was not directly associated with employee motivation, whereas a statistically significant indirect association emerged through perceived VL. Age was associated with motivation and moderated the relationship between WFC and motivation. The predictive analyses provided complementary rather than confirmatory evidence. Within the LightGBM explainability analyses, perceived VL emerged as the most influential predictor, while WFC and age also contributed to prediction. The explanatory and predictive analyses showed partial convergence, particularly regarding the prominence of perceived VL, while also revealing a nonlinear predictive pattern for WFC.DiscussionThe findings highlight the relevance of leadership and age to the WFC –motivation relationship and demonstrate how explanatory and predictive approaches can provide complementary insights into organizational behavior without being treated as mutually validating analytical frameworks.

Sedentary behavior, frailty, and exercise psychology constructs in older adults: a systematic review

BackgroundOlder adults accumulate roughly 9 to 11 h of sedentary time per waking day, and prolonged sedentary behavior has been associated with frailty, sarcopenia, and functional decline. No systematic review has yet examined how far this evidence measures or tests constructs from exercise psychology.ObjectiveTo examine the association between sedentary behavior and frailty among adults aged 60 and above, and to map exercise psychology constructs, including self-efficacy, motivation, behavioral regulation, and psychological resilience, within that evidence.MethodsSix bibliographic databases and two supplementary sources were searched for studies published between January 2021 and December 2025. Eligible studies reported a measure of sedentary behavior and a validated frailty or sarcopenia outcome in adults aged 60 or older. Risk of bias was appraised with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, RoB 2, and the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool, and certainty of evidence with GRADE. Device-measured sedentary time in randomized trials was pooled by random-effects meta-analysis; other evidence was synthesized narratively.ResultsOf 789 screened records, 22 reports from 19 studies in 10 countries were included. More sedentary behavior accompanied greater frailty in eight of nine studies, with the clearest categorical associations observed at eight or more hours of daily sitting (low certainty), and one cohort study found a reciprocal association between breaks in sedentary time and frailty among physically inactive adults. Findings for sarcopenia and muscle mass were mixed (very low certainty). Across four trials, interventions reduced sedentary time by 35.6 min per day (95% CI 9.3 to 61.8; I2 = 21%), an imprecise estimate driven largely by one trial (low certainty). No included study measured an exercise psychology construct with a validated instrument or tested one as a mediator.ConclusionEvidence links sedentary behavior with frailty in older adults. Exercise psychology constructs are plausible targets for intervention but have not been measured in this literature. Trials that measure them, and that compare psychologically informed programs with exercise alone, are needed before firm clinical recommendations can be made.

Psychometric evaluation and cross-cultural adaptation of the capacity for compassion scale for European Portuguese healthcare professionals (CCS-vPT)

IntroductionHealthcare delivery settings subject healthcare professionals to high physical and emotional demands, requiring a robust capacity for compassion. This study aimed to cross-culturally adapt the Capacity for Compassion Scale into European Portuguese (CCS-vPT) and evaluate its psychometric properties among healthcare professionals.MethodsIn Phase I, translation, back-translation, expert panel review (S-CVI = 0.86), and pilot testing were conducted. In Phase II, a sample of 269 healthcare professionals (n = 252 complete cases) completed the CCS-vPT along with the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) and the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL). Psychometric evaluation included Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA, principal axis factoring with oblimin rotation), internal consistency, and criterion validity analyses.ResultsEFA yielded a three-factor structure-compassion toward others, self-compassion, and presence/self-regulation in the face of suffering-explaining 47.8% of the total variance. This structure differs from the four-factor structure described for the original scale. Internal consistency was high (α = 0.88 overall; subscales 0.78–0.87). Test-retest reliability demonstrated good temporal stability (p = 0.70). Criterion validity was supported by significant positive correlations with the SCS, whereas weak or non-significant associations were observed with the ProQOL.DiscussionThe CCS-vPT is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring compassionate capacity in European Portuguese healthcare professionals. Its three-factor structure, which differs from the four-factor structure of the original scale, highlights a relevant finding of the cross-cultural adaptation. It offers a valuable metric for research and for guiding institutional interventions aimed at strengthening compassion and care humanization.

Configurational pathways associated with flourishing among Russian university students: an exploratory fsQCA study of transilience in a permacrisis context

IntroductionProlonged adversity (permacrisis) presents novel demands for young adults, shifting focus from deficit-oriented mental health models to understanding how positive transformation occurs. Transilience, distinguished from resilience by its focus on systemic reorganization rather than homeostatic return to baseline, defines the perceived capacity to persist, adapt flexibly, and transform positively amid sustained threats. However, little is known about how specific combinations of these components relate to mental health outcomes.MethodsA preliminary qualitative conceptualization (grounded theory) with 27 students purposively selected for narratives of positive transformation in response to crisis first informed the transilience model and its survey operationalization; fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis was then applied to a separate sample of Russian university students (N = 146) to test two hypotheses: (H1) transformability is consistently present across multiple equifinal configurations associated with flourishing; (H2) configurational structures differ depending on whether students appraise permacrisis aspects as major threats or manageable challenges.ResultsFive equifinal configurations were consistently associated with flourishing (solution coverage = 0.804, consistency = 0.849). No single condition was necessary and multiple pathways were identified. The H1 prediction regarding the universal presence of transformability was not supported across the full set of solutions. Transformability did not enter the socially-mediated pathways but was consistently present in autonomous configurations. Cross-group analyses further supported H2; students’ stressor appraisal was associated with qualitatively different configurational solutions to well-being, even within the same macro-context.ConclusionThis configurational analysis examined transilience as a complex, multi-component construct by identifying several distinct configurations associated with flourishing rather than a single universal pattern, informing program design and theoretical advancement. The consistent co-occurrence of transformability within autonomous configurations is compatible with a compensatory account, which we advance as a hypothesis for future longitudinal research.

Occupational burnout and professional efficacy in physical education: a multilevel meta-analysis of the job demands-resources model

IntroductionThis study aims to update, synthesize, and provide meta-analytical evidence of the associations between specific Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) dimensions and psychological outcomes (burnout and professional efficacy) among physical education (PE) teachers.MethodsFollowing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, the authors conducted a systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis. In May 2026, five major electronic databases, such as Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, PubMed, and EBSCOhost, were searched for peer-reviewed cross-sectional studies examining JD-R antecedent variables and specified psychological outcomes in PE teachers. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria, with a combined sample of 4,341 participants and 77 effect sizes included in the four target pathways.ResultsMultilevel meta-analyses indicated a positive association between job demands and burnout (k = 17, r = 0.477, 95% CI [0.376, 0.568], p < 0.001) and a negative association between resources and burnout (k = 53, r = -0.342, 95% CI [−0.435, −0.241], p < 0.001). Exploratory resource-subgroup estimates were r = −0.350 for personal resources (k = 30, 95% CI [−0.523, −0.148], p = 0.002), r = −0.291 for organizational and social resources (k = 7, 95% CI [−0.541, 0.006], p = 0.053), and r = −0.343 for other work-related correlates (k = 16, 95% CI [−0.401, −0.282], p < 0.001). Exploratory country analyses indicated between-country differences, F(6, 46) = 4.476, p=0.0012. Neither resources nor demands were significantly associated with professional efficacy (k = 4, r = 0.246, p = 0.517; k = 3, r = −0.432, p = 0.111, respectively). Sensitivity checks confirm the results held.DiscussionThe magnitude and direction of the link between teaching environments and psychological outcomes depend on specific JD-R dimensions and local cultural contexts. These findings support associations of greater resources with lower burnout and greater demands with higher burnout. Resource-subgroup and country-level findings require cautious interpretation because of the limited number of independent studies.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD420261385085, CRD420261385085.

Development of the digital amnesia scale adult form-DAAF and examination of psychometric characteristics

BackgroundDigital amnesia is examined here as self-reported reliance on digital resources for accessing, storing and recalling information, including perceived difficulty remembering without digital support. This operational definition does not imply a clinical diagnosis or technology-induced memory loss.ObjectiveThis study aimed to develop the Digital Amnesia Scale Adult Form (DAAF) and evaluate its initial psychometric properties in adult smartphone users.MethodsThis methodological study used online convenience recruitment and three independent samples (total n = 776). Content validity was assessed by nine experts. Sample A (n = 330) supported exploratory factor and item analyses, Sample B (n = 320) supported confirmatory factor and related validity analyses, and Sample C (n = 126) supported three-week test–retest and external-validity analyses.ResultsThe final scale contained 12 items in two factors, explaining 68.7% of the variance. CFA fit was acceptable (CFI = 0.973, TLI = 0.966, RMSEA = 0.063, SRMR = 0.038). Total-score alpha was 0.93, omega was 0.94 and test–retest ICC was 0.80. Positive associations with nomophobia and netlessphobia supported further construct investigation, although further evidence of distinctiveness from related constructs is needed. The DAAF offers an initial research measure of reported digital-memory reliance; convenience sampling and self-report limit broader interpretation.

Music performance anxiety in higher music education: the influence of environment, appraisal, and self-regulation

Recovering after a memory lapse presents a different problem from feeling less anxious before a recital. In this narrative mini review, we examine both problems in higher music education, concentrating on intended musical action during evaluation. Studies of pre-performance emotions and slow breathing distinguish performers’ subjective experiences from expert ratings and physiological responses. Research on choking identifies several reported forms of disruption, while student interviews locate difficulties in preparation, assessment relationships and the physical setting. These findings inform the Transactional-Ecological Model of Performance Agency (TEMPA), which relates personal resources and educational conditions to appraisal, regulation and the performance itself. Outcomes and their subsequent interpretation enter a learning loop across events. We use performance agency to mean the enactment or recovery of intended musical goals during an evaluated performance. Six propositions specify relationships to investigate, including whether observed recovery contributes information beyond prior skill, ordinary performance quality and established psychological measures. Coding would require agreed intentions and musically appropriate opportunities for re-entry; continuity, expressive recovery and perceived control cannot simply be treated as one outcome. The model suggests studies of recovery rehearsal and feedback, but its measurement and explanatory value remain to be established. Clinical distress and a student’s wider goals remain relevant even when musical execution is maintained.

Perceived error climate and learning engagement in university physical education: the indirect role of adaptive reactions to errors

ObjectiveErrors in physical education (PE) are often publicly observable and involve repeated performance attempts. This study examined the associations among perceived error climate, adaptive reactions to errors, and learning engagement in university PE, including the indirect association through adaptive reactions.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted among 682 undergraduate students from three universities in Guangxi, China. Participants completed adapted measures of perceived error climate, adaptive reactions to errors, and PE learning engagement. Confirmatory factor analysis and covariance-based structural equation modeling were used to examine the measurement structures and hypothesized associations. Indirect associations were evaluated using 5,000 bootstrap resamples.ResultsPerceived error climate was positively associated with adaptive reactions to errors and PE learning engagement, while adaptive reactions were also positively associated with engagement. A significant positive indirect association was observed through adaptive reactions (β = 0.220, 95% BC CI [0.160, 0.290]).ConclusionThe findings extend learning-from-errors research by examining behavioral and emotional engagement as learning-related outcomes associated with perceived error climate and adaptive reactions to errors in university PE. They highlight the relevance of error-related learning experiences to ongoing engagement in an embodied learning context, without establishing causal relationships.

Smart psychological service platform usage frequency and depressive symptoms among university students: a chain mediation model involving psychological capital and self-compassion

IntroductionDrawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this study examined the associations between the usage frequency of Smart Psychological Service Platforms (SPSPs) and depressive symptoms among university students, as well as the chain mediation of psychological capital and self-compassion in this association.MethodsA cross-sectional survey design was employed, with data collected from 1,082 university students. The mediating roles of psychological capital and self-compassion, including their sequential indirect association, were examined.ResultsSPSP usage frequency was significantly and negatively associated with depressive symptoms among university students. Both psychological capital and self-compassion served as independent mediators in this association. A significant sequential indirect effect was also observed, linking SPSP usage frequency to depressive symptoms through psychological capital and subsequently self-compassion. The pathway “usage frequency → psychological capital → depressive symptoms” showed the largest indirect effect, followed by the chain pathway “usage frequency → psychological capital → self-compassion → depressive symptoms,” whereas the pathway “usage frequency → self-compassion → depressive symptoms” was comparatively weaker.DiscussionThe findings suggest that external digital mental health resources may be associated with internal positive psychological strengths, extending COR theory into the field of digital health. Given the cross-sectional design, the observed indirect associations should not be interpreted as evidence of causal mechanisms. These findings provide provisional, hypothesis-generating evidence that may inform universities’ efforts to optimise smart mental health service platforms, refine promotion strategies, and develop targeted digital interventions. Further longitudinal and experimental research is needed to establish causal relationships and evaluate these implications.

Gender-differentiated effects of motion-enhanced AI-generated images in instructional videos: a mixed-process study using TAM-related perceptions and cognitive load theory

With the widespread adoption of online educational technologies, instructional videos have become a pivotal tool for flexible and efficient learning. The integration of visual aids, such as animations and dynamic elements, aims to enhance the learning experience; however, their effectiveness remains debated. This study examined learning performance and subjective experience when instructional videos presented static AI-generated images or manually animated versions of those images. A 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment was conducted with 40 undergraduate participants (n = 10 per cell), comparing static versus motion-enhanced presentation conditions across male and female participant groups. Stable Diffusion XL generated the base images, and CapCut was used to add motion; the motion itself was not AI-generated. Participants viewed a 140-s mobile video on mortise-and-tenon structures, completed a 10-item accuracy test, and rated willingness to continue learning, preference, acceptability, ease of understanding, and mental effort. The ANOVA results provided no statistically significant evidence of a main effect of motion on learning accuracy. Differences across gender groups were observed for several subjective outcomes. For acceptability, the gender × motion interaction was statistically significant, but Bonferroni-adjusted simple-effect tests supported a gender-group difference only in the static condition. For mental effort, the interaction was also statistically significant; adjusted simple-effect tests indicated higher mental effort among female than male participants in the dynamic condition and higher mental effort in the static than dynamic condition among male participants. Given the small sample and multiple outcomes, these findings should be interpreted as exploratory.

Children’s environmental self-reports: dimensionality, response-style sensitivity, and cross-national comparability in TIMSS 2023

IntroductionThe 2023 cycle of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is the first international assessment to ask Grade-4 children (around age 10) directly about their environmental values and self-reported pro-environmental action. We examined the association between values and reported action, and how far that association and cross-national comparisons of means were sensitive to measured proxies for response style.MethodsWe analyzed data from 58 education systems and 359,098 students, after excluding benchmarking files that duplicate national samples. Measurement models assessed dimensionality and comparability. Within-system associations were pooled across systems, and sensitivity analyses adjusted for acquiescence and extreme responding indexed by unrelated mathematics and science items.ResultsStronger environmental values were associated with more self-reported action across all systems (β = 0.45). Adjustment for response style attenuated the value–action and knowledge–action associations by 9% and 17%, respectively, but left both intact. At the system level, the two proxies accounted for 25% of the between-system variance in mean values (95% bootstrap CI [0.09, 0.47]; leave-one-system-out range 0.22–0.30). Girls reported stronger environmental values than boys (d = 0.20; d = 0.18 in systems with scalar gender invariance). Cross-system metric and scalar invariance were not supported.DiscussionThe findings support within-system analyses and gender comparisons where the required invariance holds, but do not support ranking education systems by mean environmental values. The association between system means and response style indicates potential confounding with scale use; it does not estimate the proportion of observed differences that is artefactual.

Social bond formation in ballroom culture: the constitutive dimension of playfulness in human development

IntroductionThis study investigates ballroom culture as a context for social bond formation in adulthood. Drawing on a socio-interactionist perspective of human development, we focus on the ballroom scene in Pernambuco, Brazil, a playful environment that facilitates expression and bonding among socially marginalized communities, including queer, mostly trans*, Latino, Black, and low-income people.MethodsWe analyzed three videos of interactive episodes from balls organized by the Pernambuco ballroom scene. Participants included community members, both performers and audience. A microgenetic analysis was conducted, grounded in historical-cultural and semiotic interpretation.ResultsFindings reveal different dimensions of bond formation: vertical support within Houses, horizontal dynamics among House siblings involving cooperation and rivalry, and broader community bonds across Houses, combining competition with mutual recognition and belonging. Playfulness and shared, often non-verbal codes facilitate these relational processes.DiscussionThe ballroom scene provides a context for social and affective development in adulthood. Houses foster alternative kinship structures, while inter-House relationships strengthen collective belonging. As a space centered on dissident bodies, ballroom also holds political significance by fostering the celebration and unity of marginalized identities.

Generative operationalism: when LLM-based item generation displaces construct theory in educational and psychological measurement

Large language models (LLMs) are rapidly changing automated item generation (AIG) by enabling researchers to produce extensive pools of educational and psychological items with little time and human labor. Although this development is usually discussed as a technical improvement in test construction, it raises a more fundamental philosophical question: What warrants the claim that a machine-generated item measures the attribute assigned to it? This paper introduces the concept of generative operationalism to describe a mode of test development in which an ordinary-language construct label is supplied to a generative model, its outputs are treated as operationalizations of that construct, and post-hoc psychometric regularities are subsequently interpreted as evidence that the construct has been successfully measured. Drawing primarily on causal realism, we argue that LLM-generated items are not necessarily invalid for measuring their target attributes, but rather, theory-displacing uses of AIG weaken the epistemic warrant for the proposed causal pathway from the target attribute to the observed response. They may also produce semantic redundancy, construct underrepresentation, method variance, and residual dependence that generate apparently desirable psychometric properties without establishing that the intended attribute causally influences responses. The central problem is therefore not machine authorship itself, but the substitution of linguistic plausibility and statistical regularity for an independently articulated theory of the construct and its response processes. We conclude by specifying conditions under which LLMs can function as theory-implementing instruments rather than engines of generative operationalism.

Correction: Unyielding hearts: parental adaptation and resilience among families of children with autism in China

Relationship between work-family facilitation and work engagement among physical education teachers: the mediating roles of job satisfaction and subjective well-being

ObjectiveTo examine the mechanism of the relationship between work-family facilitation and work engagement among Chinese physical education (PE) teachers across primary, junior high, senior high, and university settings.MethodsA total of 624 teachers were surveyed using four validated measurement scales: the Work-Family Facilitation Scale, Job Satisfaction Scale, Subjective Well-being Scale, and Work Engagement Scale.ResultsWork-family facilitation, job satisfaction, subjective well-being, and work engagement were positively correlated. Job satisfaction and subjective well-being mediated the relationship between work-family facilitation and work engagement. Mediation analysis revealed three distinct pathways: the independent mediating effect of job satisfaction, the independent mediating effect of subjective well-being, and the serial mediating effect from job satisfaction to subjective well-being. Comparative analysis revealed that job satisfaction played a more substantial role than subjective well-being in the relationship between work-family facilitation and teachers’ work engagement.ConclusionThe findings elucidate the internal mechanisms of work-family facilitation and provide empirical support for strategies to enhance work engagement among physical education teachers. Work-family facilitation may enhance PE teachers’ subjective well-being by improving job satisfaction, thereby increasing their level of work engagement.

Physical education motivational climate and body self-concept among Chinese primary and secondary students: the serial mediating effects of basic psychological needs satisfaction and exercise motivation

IntroductionPhysical education (PE) is the one setting in which nearly every school-age child meets structured physical activity, yet little is known about how the motivational atmosphere of PE classes relates to how students see their own bodies. This study examined whether the perceived mastery motivational climate in PE is associated with body self-concept among Chinese primary and secondary students, and whether basic psychological needs satisfaction and autonomous exercise motivation account for this association in sequence.MethodsA total of 712 students (48.9% girls, mean age 12.0 years, SD = 1.8; 366 primary and 346 secondary) from eight schools in Wuhan completed measures of perceived mastery climate, need satisfaction in PE, autonomous exercise motivation, and body self-concept.ResultsA structural equation model with 5,000 bootstrap resamples showed that a stronger mastery climate was associated with higher need satisfaction (β = 0.42, p 

Family atmosphere is associated with symptom levels and change but not with symptom network structure in a cohort of Chinese medical students: a 3.5-year longitudinal study

BackgroundPopulation-level studies suggest that the network organization of psychological symptoms among university students is stable over time, but repeated cross-sectional designs cannot show whether the network of a cohort followed through training stays the same, or whether environmental factors relate to network structure or only to overall symptom level.MethodsWe followed 635 undergraduates at one traditional Chinese medicine university from enrolment (September 2022) to the eve of clinical internship (April–May 2026; mean interval 3.5 years), administering the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) at both waves. Cohort-level regularized partial correlation networks of the nine SCL-90 dimensions (one per wave, between-person data) were compared with the Network Comparison Test; accuracy and stability were assessed by bootstraps. Family atmosphere, a single non-validated follow-up item, was examined in relation to symptom levels, change and network structure (harmonious, n = 343, vs. average, disharmonious or poor, n = 292).ResultsNo difference in network structure was detected between waves under the primary response-time criterion (global strength p = 0.337; structure p = 0.121; no edge or centrality difference after false discovery rate correction), but the structure test was significant under three of four alternative thresholds, so invariance is not established. Depression, anxiety and interpersonal sensitivity were most central at both waves (CS-coefficient = 0.89). Eight of nine dimension scores declined, whereas depression increased. A less harmonious family atmosphere was associated with higher scores on all nine dimensions at follow-up (all q ≤ 0.003; d = 0.24–0.44) and with less improvement: the harmonious group improved (Δ GSI = −0.10), the others did not (+0.01; time × family atmosphere F(1, 633) = 8.67, p = 0.003), and persisted after adjustment for baseline symptoms, sex, left-behind experience, economic status, family structure and place of origin (beta = 0.35, p