Journal of Adolescent and Youth Psychological Studies (JAYPS)

Objective: This study aimed to predict risky behaviors in adolescents based on emotional schemas and rumination.

Methods and Materials: This applied, descriptive–correlational study was conducted among 150 male high school students in District 1 of Baharestan during the 2024–2025 academic year. Participants were selected through purposive sampling based on the population structure of the region. Data were collected using three validated instruments: the Risky Behaviors Questionnaire (Zadehmohammadi & Ahmadabadi, 2008), the Emotional Schema Scale—Second Version (Leahy, 2012), and the Rumination Response Scale (Nolen-Hoeksema & Morrow, 1991). After verifying statistical assumptions, inferential analyses were performed using Pearson correlation and simultaneous multiple regression in SPSS-27 to examine the predictive power of emotional schemas and rumination for risky behaviors.

Findings: Pearson correlation results indicated significant positive relationships between risky behaviors and rumination, emotional rumination, guilt and shame, and blame, while comprehensibility showed a weak negative correlation. The simultaneous regression model was significant, F(6,143) = 27.99, p = 0.004, demonstrating that emotional schemas and rumination collectively explained 38.8% of the variance in risky behaviors (R = 0.623, R² = 0.388). Among predictors, rumination (β = 0.14, p = 0.01), guilt and shame (β = 0.08, p = 0.04), emotional rumination (β = 0.09, p = 0.05), and blame (β = 0.12, p = 0.01) had significant positive effects, while comprehensibility did not significantly predict risky behaviors (p = 0.11).

Conclusion: The findings highlight the substantial role of emotional schemas and rumination in shaping adolescents’ risky behavioral tendencies, demonstrating that maladaptive emotional beliefs and repetitive negative thinking significantly contribute to engagement in harmful behaviors. Interventions targeting emotional schemas and rumination may effectively reduce risk-taking among adolescents.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the paradigmatic models of girls and boys in the formation process of marriage trauma using a grounded theory framework.

Methods and Materials: This qualitative study employed the systematic grounded theory approach of Strauss and Corbin. Semi-structured, in-depth, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 21 unmarried girls and 17 unmarried boys residing in Shahreza who did not have psychological disorders. Participants were recruited through an Instagram call posted by a psychological clinic and selected via snowball sampling. Interviews lasted 60–80 minutes and explored causal conditions, contextual conditions, intervening conditions, strategies, and consequences related to fear of marriage. Data were analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding to identify core categories and reconstruct gender-specific paradigmatic models explaining marriage trauma.

Findings: The analysis revealed distinct gendered pathways in the formation of marriage trauma. For girls, the core category was “the ambiguity of the value of marriage and perfectionism of self and parents,” arising from emotional failures of others, familial expectations, religious–moral incongruence, and economic insecurity. For boys, the core category was “the meaninglessness of marital authenticity,” driven by fear of unsuccessful marriage, economic instability, perceived legal vulnerability, past relational hurt, and sociocultural constraints. Across both groups, intervening conditions such as parental conflict, emotional dependency, and intergenerational narratives intensified trauma trajectories. Strategies included seeking emotional reassurance, emphasizing compatibility, and attempting to learn communication skills; however, consequences such as increased dependency, avoidance, and loss of perceived marriage opportunities were evident.

Conclusion: Marriage trauma among youth arises from intertwined emotional, familial, sociocultural, and structural factors, with clear gender-specific mechanisms shaping fear and avoidance of marriage; understanding these paradigmatic models can inform culturally responsive interventions and support systems.

Objective: The present study was conducted with the aim of developing a cognitive–physical dual-task intervention package and examining its effectiveness on the evidence rate (evidence accumulation speed) in adolescent girls.

Methods and Materials: This research employed a quasi-experimental design with pretest–posttest–follow-up and a control group. The statistical population consisted of low-active adolescent girls in Tehran in the 2024–25 academic year. Using convenience sampling, 50 participants were selected and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (25 in each group). The experimental group received training based on the designed cognitive–physical dual-task package over eight weeks in twenty-four 20-minute sessions. The control group performed moderate-intensity aerobic exercises, starting from below-threshold intensity and progressing to moderately high intensity. To assess cognitive changes, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) was used, with “perseverative errors” and “total errors” serving as indices of cognitive flexibility and evidence accumulation speed. The process of developing the intervention package included designing training lesson plans, a teenager’s workbook, and evaluating content validity using CVR and CVI indices, which ranged from 0.8 to 1 and 0.9 to 1, respectively, confirming the satisfactory validity of the package. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA.

Findings: The results showed that the mean perseverative errors and total errors in the experimental group decreased significantly compared to the control group at posttest and follow-up (p < 0.01). Effect size and eta squared also indicated a considerable impact of the cognitive–physical exercises on increasing the evidence accumulation rate.

Conclusion: The designed package significantly improved cognitive flexibility and decision-making processing speed in adolescent girls. These findings support the effectiveness of integrative mind–body approaches in enhancing fine-grained cognitive indices during adolescence.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of life skills training in reducing self-handicapping behaviors and their components among master’s students.

Methods and Materials: This applied, quantitative study used a semi-experimental pretest–posttest design with a control group and a two-month follow-up. The statistical population comprised all master’s students in Economic Management at the Islamic Azad University, Shiraz Branch, during the 2024–2025 academic year. Using convenience sampling, 78 students were selected and randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 39) and a control group (n = 39). The experimental group participated in ten 45-minute sessions of life skills training based on Klinke’s (1994) protocol, covering self-awareness, empathy, communication, anger management, problem-solving, stress management, decision-making, creative and critical thinking, and emotional regulation. Data were collected using the Self-Handicapping Questionnaire developed by Jones and Rhodewalt (1978) and analyzed through analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) using SPSS 26.

Findings: The results revealed significant reductions in total self-handicapping and its components among the experimental group compared to the control group at the posttest stage (p < .001). ANCOVA results indicated strong intervention effects on total self-handicapping (F = 92.34, η² = .591), effort (F = 32.25, η² = .342), and negative mood (F = 21.65, η² = .259), with a moderate effect on excuse-making (F = 8.90, p = .004, η² = .126). The follow-up analysis confirmed the persistence of effects after two months, except for the excuse-making component (p > .05).

Conclusion: Life skills training effectively reduces self-handicapping and its cognitive-emotional components among university students and maintains its impact over time, highlighting its importance as a preventive and developmental intervention in higher education.

Objective: This study aimed to identify and explore the subjective emotional, cognitive, and social experiences of learners operating under high performance pressure within South African educational contexts.

Methods and Materials: Using a qualitative design, this study adopted an interpretivist approach to understand the lived experiences of individuals facing intense performance expectations. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 24 participants drawn from universities and professional training programs across South Africa. Participants were selected purposively to ensure diversity in academic and occupational backgrounds, and interviews continued until theoretical saturation was reached. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically using NVivo 14 software. Thematic analysis followed Braun and Clarke’s six-step method, and credibility was enhanced through member checking, peer debriefing, and reflexive documentation.

Findings: Three overarching themes emerged from the data. First, emotional and cognitive responses to pressure revealed that anxiety, cognitive overload, and fluctuating motivation coexisted with resilience and growth mindset. Second, social and environmental influences demonstrated that institutional grading systems, peer comparison, family expectations, and digital monitoring amplified stress, while supportive instructor feedback and empathetic climates enhanced engagement. Third, coping, adaptation, and meaning-making highlighted that learners adopted both adaptive (mindfulness, reframing, time management) and maladaptive (avoidance, overstudying) strategies, with resilience and self-reflection transforming pressure into an opportunity for personal and academic development.

Conclusion: Learning under high performance pressure simultaneously challenges and strengthens learners, shaping emotional resilience, motivation, and self-concept. The findings underscore the need for educational systems to balance high expectations with psychological safety, supportive pedagogy, and reflective learning practices to transform pressure into growth.

Objective: This study aimed to identify and interpret the role of digital self-presentation in shaping adolescent identity formation among Chilean youth within the broader context of social media engagement and self-concept development.

Methods and Materials: A qualitative research design was employed using semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 33 adolescents aged 14–19 years from Santiago, Valparaíso, and Concepción, Chile. Participants were selected through purposive sampling to ensure diversity in gender, socioeconomic background, and social media usage. Data collection continued until theoretical saturation was reached. All interviews were conducted in Spanish, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis with NVivo 14 software. The analysis involved open, axial, and selective coding to generate core themes reflecting participants’ lived experiences and meaning-making processes in digital environments. To enhance the study’s credibility, member checking and peer debriefing were performed.

Findings: Three overarching themes emerged: (1) Digital Platforms as Identity Arenas, illustrating how adolescents strategically curate and manage their online personas; (2) Negotiating Authenticity and Social Expectation, revealing tensions between genuine self-expression and conformity to peer norms; and (3) Identity Development through Digital Interaction, emphasizing how feedback, role experimentation, and online reflection foster evolving self-awareness. The findings demonstrated that adolescents actively use social media to construct, test, and regulate their sense of self, while feedback mechanisms and social comparison dynamics significantly influence emotional well-being and self-esteem. Participants with stronger self-regulation and supportive family relationships displayed greater digital resilience and identity coherence.

Conclusion: Digital self-presentation functions as both a developmental opportunity and a psychosocial challenge. It enables adolescents to explore diverse self-aspects and foster identity growth while simultaneously exposing them to social pressures and validation dependence. Conscious and reflective engagement in digital spaces can enhance identity integration and emotional balance in adolescence.

Objective: This study aimed to identify and explore the perceived sociocultural, structural, and psychological barriers that prevent rural youth in Greece from seeking professional psychological help.

Methods and Materials: This qualitative study employed a phenomenological design to capture the lived experiences of rural youth regarding help-seeking for mental health concerns. A purposive sample of 22 participants aged 18–25 from rural areas across Greece was selected. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted face-to-face and via online platforms until theoretical saturation was reached. Each interview lasted between 45 and 70 minutes and was audio-recorded with participants’ consent. Transcripts were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis approach, supported by NVivo 14 software to code, categorize, and identify recurring patterns. Ethical standards, including confidentiality, informed consent, and participant anonymity, were strictly maintained throughout the research process.

Findings: Analysis revealed four major themes explaining barriers to professional help-seeking: (1) cultural and social stigma, including fear of labeling, gender norms, and family expectations; (2) structural and logistical barriers such as distance, financial hardship, and lack of local services; (3) psychological and personal factors, including low mental health literacy, self-stigma, and fear of self-disclosure; and (4) interpersonal and environmental influences involving peers, family, schools, and community norms. These themes reflect the intertwined effects of cultural identity, limited infrastructure, and individual beliefs on help-seeking behaviors. The results indicate that stigma, limited perceived behavioral control, and restrictive social norms jointly contribute to the low utilization of psychological services among rural youth.

Conclusion: The study underscores that addressing help-seeking barriers requires multifaceted interventions integrating cultural sensitivity, mental health literacy, and accessible rural services. Promoting community-based psychoeducation and destigmatization campaigns may enhance openness toward professional psychological support among rural Greek youth.