Information-processing biases such as attentional, interpretation, and memory biases are believed to play a role in exacerbating and maintaining chronic pain (CP). Evidence suggests that individuals with CP show attentional bias toward pain-related information. However, the selective attentional processes that underpin this bias are not always well outlined in the literature. To improve current understanding, a systematic review was performed using a descriptive synthesis of reaction time-based studies. A random-effects meta-analysis was added to explore whether the results of previous meta-analyses would be confirmed using studies with a larger sample size. For this review, 2008 studies were screened from 4 databases, of which 34 (participant n = 3154) were included in the review and a subset of 15 (participant n = 1339) were included in the meta-analysis. Review results were summarised by producing a descriptive synthesis for all studies. Meta-analysis results indicated a mild significant attentional bias toward sensory pain-related information (k = 15, g = 0.28, 95% CI [0.16, 0.39], I² = 43.2%, P = 0.038), and preliminary evidence of significant moderate bias towards affective pain-related information (k = 3, g = 0.48, 95% CI [0.23, 0.72], I² = 7.1%, P = 0.341) for CP groups compared with control groups. We explored the main tasks, stimuli, and CP subtypes used to address attentional biases and related processes. However, variation across studies did not allow for a decisive conclusion about the role of stimulus, task type, or related attentional processes. In addition, a table of CP attention-related models was produced and tested for reliability. Finally, other results and recommendations are discussed.

Behavioral science confronts the issue of how people’s behaviors differ from what they intend to do. However, current models, such as the theory of planned behavior, are insufficient to account for contextual influences and interdisciplinary effects, especially in the case of modern social phenomena. The majority of studies concentrate on single domains (e.g., health and consumer behavior) and employ manual coding schemes, overlooking essential thematic relationships. This research highlights the necessity for integrative frameworks that attempt to analyze why intentions fail to be realized in complex settings such as climate change and digitalization. The primary objectives of this research are to identify and operate dominant and emerging thematic trends in intention–behavior literature in a time series from 1979 to 2025 and to analyze and investigate the effects of publication index status and citation patterns on scholarly impact. This study uses structural topic modeling (STM) alongside bibliometric analyses to identify themes and correlations in intention–behavior research. STM employs generalized linear models to include document‐level metadata, allowing for the discovery of related topics and the key factors influencing the development of the literature. Data collection was initially performed on February 20, 2025, through the Web of Science database, using studies that were identified following PRISMA guidelines, reviewed, and considered relevant. The initial records numbered 5350. Significant thematic trends were found to define, and key psychological mechanisms to explain the intention–behavior gap were identified. The study also found that the determinants of publication index status and citation trends play important roles in establishing the discipline’s fate and the impact of intention–behavior literature. Based on these findings, the study highlights how strong thematic links in intention–behavior research can inform cross‐domain interventions—such as integrating physical activity and organic food campaigns or leveraging sustainable tourism to promote ethical consumption—by targeting shared psychological drivers like health identity and self‐image. In future research, the intention–behavior gap should be investigated across different disciplines and contexts and with longitudinal and experimental designs to take advantage of the psychological and contextual factors that affect behavior.

This study investigated the predictive relationships between cultural intelligence (CQ), personal orientation, and psychological adaptation among 193 expatriate students at the University of Jordan. The results revealed a significant positive correlation between CQ, personal orientation, and psychological adaptation. Regression analysis indicated that motivational CQ was the strongest predictor of psychological adaptation (62.5%), with a 73.2% prediction combined with metacognitive CQ. Productive personal orientation also demonstrated a significant predictive relationship with adaptation (52.1%). Interestingly, the cognitive dimension of CQ exhibited lower predictive power than the motivational and metacognitive dimensions, suggesting the importance of action-oriented and reflective capacities over purely knowledge-based components. Additionally, gender differences emerged, with females showing higher levels of CQ and psychological adaptation. While CQ and personal orientation both influence adaptation, their independence from one another suggests distinct pathways.

This study explores the impact of a psychological and social support program on social support and psychological security among expatriate students. Using a quasi-experimental design, 48 Arab expatriate students at Al-Isra Private University (16 males, 32 females) were assigned to experimental and control groups (24 each). Standardized scales measured social support and psychological security before and after the intervention. Results showed moderate social support and low psychological security among students prior to the program. Post-intervention, the experimental group demonstrated statistically significant improvements (p < 0.05) in both areas, highlighting the program’s effectiveness. The study emphasizes the importance of ongoing psychological security assessments to enhance expatriates' mental well-being.

There is some evidence for attentional biases in individuals with chronic pain (CP). Cultural and linguistic differences might affect the manifestation of these processes across populations. However, such attentional biases have not been explored in the Arabic-speaking population. The current study investigated these attentional biases and possible associations with resilience. Two matched groups of Arabic-speaking participants with (58) and without (58) CP were recruited from Jordan and the United Kingdom. They completed emotionally modified versions of the Posner cueing and Stroop tasks, alongside questionnaires. Significant group differences were found for the Posner task, with the CP group exhibiting disengagement revealed by the inhibition of return (IOR) effect for sensory pain-related cues compared to delayed disengagement for the other cue types. The control group showed IOR across cue types. No group differences were found on the Stroop task. The CP group had lower resilience scores than healthy controls, and resilience moderated performance on the Posner task. The study provides preliminary evidence about the attentional processes in the Arabic population; the speed of disengagement is affected in the CP group with early disengagement for sensory pain-related information compared to affect pain and neutral stimuli. Furthermore, resilience levels in the CP and control group moderated the performance on the Posner task, suggesting that it influences attentional allocation. This study can help in understanding how the phenomenon of attention bias intertwines with the cultural and linguistic factors. Future research should further explore attentional dynamics across different time points in this population and the modulatory effect of resilience.

Background/Objectives: Emerging evidence suggests that abstaining from tobacco smoking can influence emotional control and psychological well-being. This study examines the impact of short-term tobacco abstinence on emotional balance and psychological alienation through an experimental design. Methods: A total of 197 participants from a university in Jordan (academic year 2023/2024) were divided into three groups: one group abstained from smoking for 24 h (n = 65) and another for 48 h (n = 61), while the control group (n = 71) continued smoking as usual. Emotional balance and psychological alienation were assessed across all groups. Results: Participants who abstained from smoking (both 24 h and 48 h groups) reported lower scores on emotional balance and higher psychological alienation compared to the control group. Moreover, those in the 48 h abstinence group experienced significantly greater emotional imbalance and psychological alienation than those in the 24 h group. A significant negative correlation was found between emotional balance and psychological alienation in the 24 h abstinence and control groups, but not in the 48 h group. Conclusions: The findings indicate that short-term tobacco abstinence negatively affects emotional stability and increases feelings of psychological alienation. These effects are more pronounced after 48 h of abstinence compared to 24 h.