Bullying is a serious problem in schools all around the globe, and implementing intervention strategies effective over time is still difficult, despite the consistent literature on the subject. In this study, we tested the efficiency of a 5-day intensive empathy training program in reducing bullying among third graders. The sample included three classes of third graders (N = 64, M_age = 9.45; SD_age = 0.50) from a Romanian school. A 3 × 3 mixed experimental design was used where we manipulated the type of intervention (control group—no empathy training, experimental group 1—empathy training with the teacher present, and experimental group 2—empathy training without teacher present) and the time of measurement (pre-test, post-test, and 3 weeks’ follow-up). The results showed that the intervention determined a significant increase in empathy and a significant decrease in verbal bullying but only for the experimental group where the teacher was physically present in the classroom during the intervention. Moreover, the pattern of results showed that the effects of the intervention increased 21 days after it was completed, meaning that the program could have long-term effects. No significant change in physical bullying behaviors was observed.

Negative emotions such as disgust or anger influence the evaluation of minorities and amplify prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination behaviors towards them. However, new discoveries suggest that these spillover effects might be more specific in the sense that the bias might occur only if the emotions are specific to the affect that is generally evoked by that particular minority, i.e. anger increases prejudice towards anger-relevant groups, and disgust towards disgust-relevant groups. Our study aimed to examine, the specificity of the spillover effects, namely the importance of emotion’s relevance to the prejudice towards out-groups. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the influence of incidental disgust on the evaluation of two minorities, one that is usually associated with disgust (the Roma minority) and one usually associated with anger (the Hungarian minority). We used a 2 × 2 between-subjects experimental design where we manipulated the emotion experienced by the participants (disgust versus neutral) and the target they evaluated (Romani or Hungarian minority). We tested the effects of these manipulations on three aspects of prejudice toward the target group: cognitive, affective, and behavioral. The results support the specificity of the spillover effect, by showing that incidental disgust increased prejudice only towards the disgust-relevant target, namely the Roma minority, and that the intensity of this emotion experienced by the participants mediates this effect. Moreover, incidental disgust increased not only the negative emotions associated with the Romani (i.e., the affective component) but also the negative cognitions associated with them and the desire to maintain an increased social distance (i.e., behavioral prejudice). These findings highlight the importance of emotions’ relevance in bias toward minorities and provide a starting point for future anti-discrimination interventions.

Since the introduction of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 regarding responsible production and consumption, numerous researchers have tried to uncover the psychological mechanisms that stimulate sustainable and eco-friendly living. One particular area of interest is related to increasing environmentally responsible food choices. In recent years, multiple psychological theories have been used to explain and support sustainable food consumption, with the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) being one of them. The theory states that each sustainable behavior is preceded by intention, which, itself, is preceded by attitudes, social norms and perceived behavioral control. With this study framed by TPB, we proposed a systematic review of the literature presenting the psychological factors related to and/or influencing sustainable food consumption. We were interested in both associative studies and experimental interventions that target food choices and habits. Systematic searches were made on Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed. The results were reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). In total, 98 studies covering a variety of sustainable food practices were included in the review. From the components of TPB, attitudes and intentions were almost universally associated with sustainable behaviors. Optimism, autonomy and openness were positively related to intentions and behaviors towards sustainable food, while skepticism or prudence were negatively related to them. Cognitive, moral, normative, emotional, sensory, social and contextual factors were also related to the components of TPB, with more studies taking into account the first two sets of factors. Moreover, some extensions of the theory were also discussed, especially those using the Value–Belief–Norm Theory and the Norm Activation Model. Finally, from a practical standpoint, the review showed that clearer and more consistent labeling standards, support for affordable and accessible sustainable options, and strategies that reduce uncertainty regarding novel food products and their adaptation to the specific food practices of the target population would be useful.

Feeding problems such as food avoidance and food neophobia are relatively common, affecting up to half of typically developing children. These behaviors have complex determinants, but parental psychological factors are particularly influential. This study examined the role of maternal perfectionism and maternal feeding anxiety in relation with feeding difficulties (i.e., food neophobia, children's eating behaviors, and restricted food acceptance) using both subjective reports and an objective checklist of accepted foods. The sample included 147 Romanian mothers of preschool children, aged 3 to 6 years (M = 3.89, SD = 1.03), who completed surveys about themselves and their children (N_boys = 80; N_girls = 67). The survey questions examined maternal levels of perfectionism, mothers' emotions, and expectations during feeding time. Mothers also evaluated their children's eating habits including their reaction to new foods, their general appetite and eating behaviors, as well as any food preferences (vegetables, fruits, cereal, dairy, and meats). Analyses revealed two distinct patterns of association: perfectionism was indirectly linked to greater food avoidance, neophobia, and restricted preferences via higher maternal feeding anxiety, but directly associated with broader food acceptance across several categories (vegetables, fruits, cereals, dairy). In line with the adaptive vs. maladaptive perfectionism framework, these findings suggest that perfectionism may be associated with feeding difficulties in different ways, underscoring the need to address parental emotional factors in interventions aiming to promote healthier, more positive eating habits in children.

Background: Bullying represents a complex problem affecting students of all ages. Among the factors that influence it, appraisals of the transgressions and bystanders’ responses play a very important role. The present study examined adults’ emotional, evaluative, and behavioral responses to hypothetical bullying scenarios varying by bullying type and victim ethnicity. It also explored whether psychological distress was associated with bystanding behaviors as well as previous bullying experiences. Methods: The study used a mixed 3 × 4 vignette-based design. Victim ethnicity (i.e., Romanian, Roma, or Hungarian) was manipulated between participants, while bullying type was manipulated within participants through four scenarios describing physical, verbal, indirect, and cyberbullying. The final sample included 477 adults aged between 18 and 52 years. Participants appraised each transgression (i.e., empathic reactions, unacceptability), reported their likely bystander behavioral intentions (i.e., defend, ignore, report or join the aggression), completed the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and reported previous bullying experiences as victim, witness, and aggressor. Results: Bullying type was the most consistent factor shaping participants’ appraisals as well as bystander reactions. The most tolerated forms were indirect bullying (e.g., highest probability to join the aggression) and verbal bullying (e.g., lowest unacceptability) the least accepted was physical bullying (e.g., lowest probability to join the aggression) while cyberbullying elicited specific patterns (i.e., lower empathy but higher willingness to report the incident). Victim ethnicity had a very limited effect, only concerning reporting intentions: lower for Hungarian targets compared to Romanian. Psychological distress was mainly associated with previous victimization and witnessing, while associations with scenario-based responses were smaller and more specific. Conclusions: The findings suggest that bystander responses are differentiated across bullying forms and prevention efforts should address subtle, indirect, verbal, and online forms of bullying, as these may be more easily normalized or less directly confronted.