Introduction: The conceptualisation and development of a measure of generational egoism are described. Generational egoism is defined as actions aimed at maximising benefits for one’s own generation without giving due attention or concern to the negative consequences of those actions for future generations. This form of selfishness is characterised by a short-term (here and now) focus and a lack of concern for the long-term consequences of one’s actions. Methods: A study of the psychometric properties of the Generational Egoism Questionnaire was conducted, with an exploratory and a confirmatory factor analysis being carried out. The first set of data (N = 269; Mage = 24.90; SD = 6.70) was analysed by exploratory factor analysis, and the second set of data (N = 213; M = 24.70; SD = 6.15) was analysed by confirmatory factor analysis. In addition, an investigation was conducted into the potential correlations within the group of participants (N = 161; M = 23.91, SD = 8.36) between the General Egoism Questionnaire, which has been introduced in this paper, and other personality and well-being diagnostic tools: The Dark Triad Dirty Dozen, The TIPI Test, The Satisfaction with Life Scale, The Positivity Scale, Brief Resilience Coping Scale and The Meaning of Life Questionnaire. Results: The results of the factor analyses verified the one-factor structure of the Generational Egoism Questionnaire. The Generational Egoism Questionnaire reveals satisfactory internal consistency, with r = 0.88. The divergent and convergent validity of the Generational Egoism Questionnaire was indicated by correlations with other scales. The Generational Egoism Questionnaire correlates with personality subscales: narcissism, psychopathy, machiavelism, neurtocism and open to experience. The General Egoism does not correlate well-being. Conclusion: The results indicate that the Generational Egoism Questionnaire is a valid and reliable instrument. The Genrational Egoism Questionnaire can be used in future research but also has its practical use – for teachers and environmental educators.

Background/Objectives: Social media use is central to adolescent functioning, yet problematic engagement is linked to adverse psychosocial outcomes. This study examined the relationship between loneliness and problematic social media use (PSMU), investigating the role of fear of missing out (FoMO) as an underlying mechanism. Methods: The study included 206 Polish adolescents (M = 17.21, SD = 1.16). Participants completed the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, the Fear of Missing Out Scale, and the de Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale. Correlation, multiple regression, and bootstrapping analyses were performed to test these associations. Results: Loneliness was positively associated with PSMU and specific FoMO dimensions. PSMU correlated with all FoMO dimensions, although the association with fear of social exclusion was weaker. Social comparison anxiety and online monitoring were identified as key factors associated with the indirect path from loneliness to PSMU (β = 0.09, 95% CI [0.03, 0.23] and β = 0.05, 95% CI [0.01, 0.15], respectively). Fear of social exclusion did not show a significant association with loneliness. Conclusions: These findings align with a compensatory framework, suggesting that loneliness is related to PSMU through specific cognitive and behavioral processes related to FoMO. Given the cross-sectional design, these results are exploratory; future longitudinal research is required to establish the directionality and temporal stability of these associations.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyse cognitive functioning and temperamental traits among young adults differing in their level of engagement in video gaming. Methods: The analysis included 67 male students from the Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, Branch Campus in Biała Podlaska. Based on average daily gaming time, participants were classified as frequent players (n = 22; mean age 22.45 ± 2.40 years; 6.29 ± 6.07 h/day) or casual players (n = 45; mean age 21.60 ± 1.96 years; 0.94 ± 0.95 h/day). Cognitive functioning was assessed using the Reaction Test (RT), Signal Test (ST), and Determination Test (DT) from the Vienna Test System. Temperament was measured with the Formal Characteristics of Behaviour–Temperament Inventory. Results: Frequent players showed a trend toward shorter reaction time in RT/S3 (U = 356; p = 0.064). In the Signal Test, they demonstrated significantly fewer omitted reactions, more correct responses, higher focused attention, and better total results (all p < 0.01). Regarding temperament, frequent players scored significantly lower on briskness (p = 0.034) and rhythmicity (p = 0.021) than casual players. Conclusions: The present exploratory study suggests a nuanced relationship between media engagement, specific cognitive performance, and temperamental traits. Frequent players demonstrated a robust advantage in parameters of sustained attention, alongside a marginal descriptive trend toward faster psychomotor responses compared to casual players. Regarding temperament, frequent players were characterised by significantly lower self-reported briskness and rhythmicity, while no statistically significant between-group differences were detected for endurance, activity, or emotional reactivity. Crucially, because our data are cross-sectional and the frequent players group comprised exclusively esports students, these differences cannot be interpreted as definitive causal effects or direct consequences of gaming intensity alone.