Taikomosios psichologijos tyrimų laboratorija / Applied Psychology Research Laboratory

Growing research highlights significant yet complex links between eco-anxiety and pro-environmental behaviour (PEB). It remains unclear to what extent this relationship is shaped by additional factors, and longitudinal investigations are particularly needed to capture the dynamic interplay between the constructs. This study examines how eco-anxiety relates to PEB in young adults over time, focusing on the roles of hope and coping. The study employs a longitudinal two-wave design. A convenience sample of 560 participants was collected for the first wave of the study. After excluding data due to several reasons, the final sample comprised 455 adults aged 18 to 35 years (M = 22.47; SD = 4.40), with 71.5% female. The participants who agreed to be further contacted will be invited to participate in the second wave of the study at the beginning of 2026. Items from the Climate Change Anxiety Scale (Clayton & Karazsia, 2020), the Coping Strategies instrument (Ojala, 2012; Ojala & Bengtsson, 2019), and the Hope Index (Sangervo et al., 2022) are used, together with questions about environmentally friendly consumption. The structural equation modelling framework will be applied to data analysis. Drawing on prior findings and theories such as the transactional model of stress and coping, we expect robust longitudinal links between eco-anxiety and PEB, with hope and coping playing significant explanatory roles. Anxiety is anticipated to predict the behaviour over time, while coping strategies and hope may uniquely mediate/moderate this relationship. Clarifying these mechanisms is crucial for designing interventions that foster adaptive responses to environmental crises.

Friends and popular peers are important sources of influence across the transition into adolescence. The present study examines the assertion that the magnitude of influence from friends and popularity-based norms varies across behavioral domains. Participants were 543 (268 girls, 275 boys) students from 29 5th–8th grade (ages 10 to 14) classrooms in three Lithuanian public middle schools. Most were ethnic Lithuanians. Self-reports of socioemotional adjustment, including emotional problems, lack of emotional clarity, problem behaviors, social media use, and weight concerns, were collected in the fall and winter of a single academic year, approximately three months apart. Popularity and academic achievement were assessed through peer nominations. Top-ranked best friends were identified from outgoing nominations. Status-based norms, calculated separately for each socioemotional adjustment variable in the fall (Time 1), represented popularity-weighted classroom averages. Results from longitudinal Group Actor-Partner Interdependence Model analyses indicated that best friends and status-based norms exerted differing amounts of influence over different behaviors. When both were included in the same model (with shared effects removed), best friends influenced emotional problems, lack of emotional clarity, and problem behaviors. Among older adolescents, best friends also influenced academic achievement. Status-based norms influenced social media use and, among older adolescents, weight concerns.

Major life transitions of today’s emerging adults unfold alongside unprecedented global events, such as environmental crises. Eco-anxiety is reported to compromise mental health of youth and may be linked to a range of behavioral responses to environmental problems. Resilience and perceived dynamic social norms may serve as protective factors. Therefore, in Study 1, cluster analysis was conducted in an emerging adult subsample ( N = 373; M age = 22.40, SD = 3.79) drawn from a representative survey of Lithuanian adults, identifying four profiles characterized by configurations of eco-anxiety, resilience, dynamic social norms, and environmentally-responsible consumption (everyday- and activism-oriented). These profiles were replicated in Lithuania in Study 2 using an independent convenience sample of emerging adults ( N = 423; M age = 21.16, SD = 2.50). Across both studies, profiles included Mobilized Distressed , Adaptive Engaged , Resilient Reserved , and Disengaged . Findings highlight the need for tailored support approaches for emerging adults navigating environmental distress.

Šiame tyrime nagrinėjamas ekologinis nerimas kaip psichologinė reakcija į pasaulinę ekologinę krizę, ypatingą dėmesį skiriant jo paplitimui ir susijusiems veiksniams Lietuvoje. Nors tarptautiniai tyrimai rodo, kad ekologinis nerimas gali turėti įtakos psichinei sveikatai ir kasdieniam gyvenimui, tai yra pirmasis sistemingas tyrimas, atliktas remiantis reprezentaty-via 18–90 metų amžiaus 2136 Lietuvos gyventojų apklausa. Jame analizuojamas ekologinio nerimo ryšys su asmeniniais (pvz., emocijomis, atsparumu, suvokiama rizika), tarpasmeni-niais (pvz., socialine parama, komunikacija) ir sociodemografiniais (pvz., amžiumi, lytimi, išsilavinimu, finansine padėtimi) veiksniais, taip pat su aplinkai palankiu elgesiu. Rezultatai rodo, kad tarpasmeniniai veiksniai stipriausiai susiję su baime, po jos eina kitos neigiamos emocijos, pavyzdžiui, liūdesys ir pyktis. Asmenys, patiriantys didesnį ekologinį nerimą, taip pat nurodo daugiau depresijos simptomų ir aplinkos riziką vertina kaip didesnę. Asmenys, pasižymintys didesniu atsparumu, patiria mažiau ekologinio nerimo. Dažni pokalbiai apie ekologinę krizę yra stipriai susiję su didesniu ekologiniu nerimu. Socialinės normos – tikė-jimas, kad kiti vis dažniau elgiasi aplinkai draugiškai – labiau paplitusios didesnio nerimo grupėje, nors ryšys tarp šių veiksnių nėra reikšmingas. Didelį ekologinį nerimą patiriantys asmenys taip pat paprastai jaučia mažesnį socialinį palaikymą, palyginti su žemesnio ne-rimo lygio grupėmis. Socialiniai ir demografiniai veiksniai, tokie kaip lytis, amžius ir vaikų turėjimas, tarp skirtingų ekologinio nerimo lygių skiriasi mažai. Tačiau išsiskiria subjektyvi finansinė padėtis: asmenys, kurie jaučiasi finansiškai nesaugūs, yra labiau linkę į didelį eko-loginį nerimą, nors objektyvūs pajamų lygiai labai nesiskiria. Išsilavinimas rodo netikėtą ten-denciją: žemesnis išsilavinimo lygis yra dažnesnis didelio nerimo grupėje, nors šis ryšys nėra statistiškai reikšmingas. Kasdienis aplinkai draugiškas elgesys (pvz., vandens ar energijos tau-pymas) visose grupėse yra gan panašus, tačiau aktyvesnės įsitraukimo formos (pvz., kitų ska-tinimas imtis veiksmų) didėjant ekologiniam nerimui stiprėja. Tai rodo, kad didesnis nerimas gali motyvuoti imtis aktyvesnių aplinkosaugos veiksmų. Be to, asmenys, patiriantys didesnį nerimą, dažniau nurodo sumažėjusį norą turėti vaikų dėl susirūpinimo dėl ateities. Jie taip pat dažniau mano, kad pasaulinės krizės, pvz., karai, didina jų motyvaciją saugoti aplinką.

Child welfare specialists work in high-stress environments and psychologically demanding roles, which can lead to high attrition rates, burnout, decreased mental health, secondary trauma, or compassion fatigue. Some studies suggest that self-care may help mitigate these negative effects. However, research specifically focused on child welfare specialists is scarce, and findings regarding the role of self-care remain inconclusive. Additionally, scientific literature suggests that other cognitive and emotional factors may also be important when addressing compassion fatigue in this population. The aim of this study was to identify predictors of compassion fatigue among child welfare specialists in Lithuania. It was hypothesized that higher cognitive rigidity, lack of emotional clarity, and lower levels of personal and professional self-care would predict higher levels of compassion fatigue. Child welfare specialists completed this self-reported survey after participating in a brief competency training based on simulated questioning of child avatars. Compassion fatigue was measured using the Compassion Fatigue Inventory. Self-care was assessed using the Self-Care Practices Scale, which distinguishes between professional and personal self-care. Cognitive rigidity was measured using the Cognitive Rigidity subscale from the Detail and Flexibility Questionnaire, and emotional clarity was assessed using the Lack of Emotional Clarity subscale from the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to examine these relationships. Preliminary results from the first two waves (n = 107) of this ongoing study indicate that all three variables significantly predicted compassion fatigue. Higher cognitive rigidity and lack of emotional clarity were associated with increased compassion fatigue. Lower levels of professional self-care also predicted reduced compassion; however, personal self-care did not have any significant effect. These findings highlight the importance of cognitive and emotional factors in high-stress work environments that may be related to compassion fatigue. Furthermore, they underscore the complex role of self-care as a potential protective factor in maintaining healthier boundaries at work. The practical implications of these findings will be discussed in detail.

Parents who express disapproval of their children's friends presumably do so to disrupt the affiliation. This study examines the efficacy of this practice. Participants included 394 students (200 boys, 194 girls) attending public schools in Lithuania (ages 9–14). Nearly all were ethnic Lithuanian. Three times, across 2 school years, participants completed surveys describing perceptions of friendship social support and maternal disapproval of peer affiliates. Stable reciprocated best friends (N = 197) were identified from friend nominations during the Fall and Winter of the initial school year (2021). Approximately one-third of reciprocated friendships later dissolved. Longitudinal dyadic mediation analyses indicated that perceived maternal disapproval of friends predicted subsequent friendship dissolution, directly and indirectly through friend perceptions of declining social support.

MRU Aplinkos psichologijos tyrimų centro vadovė dr. Audra Balundė ir MRU Edukologijos ir socialinio darbo instituto profesorė dr. Brigita Kairienė laidoje „Paaugliai ateina rasti gyvenimą" diskutuoja apie paauglių moralinius ir tapatumo veiksnius. Kaip paauglių asmeninės normos, vertybės ir panašūs veiksniai šiame raidos tarpsnyje veikia jų elgesį? Kokį vaidmenį atlieka jų draugai ir (ne)dalyvaujantys paauglių gyvenime suaugusieji? Kur šiems jaunuoliams, patiriantiems vidines ir išorines krizes, rasti užuovėją? Kokia neformalaus švietimo reikšmė šiame kontekste?