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The COVID-19 pandemic has caused great turbulence in global financial markets. The first goal of this conceptual paper is to explore whether managers of companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange are susceptible to selected behavioral biases related to irrational risk preferences. We also seek to investigate whether susceptibility to these errors may affect selected management practices in the areas of corporate risk management and investment policy. The second major goal of our project is to identify whether there is a link at the micro level, that is, between the aforementioned irrational management practices resulting from susceptibility to behavioral biases and the macro level (i.e., certain macroeconomic indicators, such as aggregate investment, employment, and growth). We hope that our research project will contribute to shifting the paradigm of economics in such a way that the behavioral approach will be increasingly used and acknowledged by researchers.

This study aimed to examine profiles of subjective well‐being (SWB) and their stability during the economic hardships associated with the long‐term impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Selected sociodemographic, personality, and context‐related variables were tested as covariates. Data were collected from 1755 participants (mean age 45.75 ± 15.99 years) in a nationwide panel over four waves (from November 2022 to June 2023; 34.3% dropout rate). SWB was measured using the Satisfaction with Life Scale and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, while personality traits were assessed with the Ten‐Item Personality Inventory. Latent profile and transition analyses identified four SWB profiles (ambivalent, average, low, high) that remained stable over 8 months despite a significant drop in the inflation rate. Subjectively evaluated financial situation and the perceived impact of inflation on the household were significant covariates of profile membership, even after controlling for personality traits. The results of this study support the set‐point theory of SWB and suggest that SWB is stable under socially shared circumstances of economic hardships, which may be attributed to both individual‐level and country‐level processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examined the association between social support dimensions and post-traumatic growth (PTG) among a sample of arthritis patients. In particular, we wanted to verify the mediating role of resources, as described by the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, on the aforementioned relationship. A total of 207 patients with a clinical diagnosis of arthritis were recruited to participate in the study, including 149 females and 58 males. This was a cross-sectional study, with PTG evaluated by the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) and social support assessed via the Berlin Social Support Scales (BSSS). To assess the level of subjectively possessed resources among participants, we used the COR evaluation questionnaire (COR-E). Provided support, but not received support, was positively related to the level of PTG among participants. In addition, the level of spiritual resources mediated the aforementioned relationship. The results of this contribute to the literature on the psychological aspects of arthritis. It seems that providing support may be related to positive consequences among arthritis patients, in the form of PTG, with spiritual resources being of significant value in this process., Author(s): Jessica Sörensen [sup.1] , Marcin Rzeszutek [sup.1] , Robert Gasik [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.12847.38, 0000 0004 1937 1290, Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, , Stawki 5/7, 00-183, [...]

This study examined the relationship between daily perceived stigma and daily emotional well‐being among people living with HIV/AIDS during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Additionally, a buffering effect of perceived emotional support on this relationship was verified. The participants were 133 patients with a medically confirmed diagnosis of HIV infection. Data were collected using online diaries completed every evening for five consecutive weekdays in three bursts separated by 6 months. Dynamic multilevel analyses showed a significant positive autoregressive effect for daily stigma in each burst. Additionally, increased stigma predicts increased negative affect and decreased positive affect the next day. However, these effects differed across bursts. Thus, to some extent, daily HIV/AIDS stigma was found to predict a decrease in affective well‐being the next day. The buffering effect of perceived emotional support reduced this decline but was also time‐limited, probably because of the later established direction in these relationships at the individual level and/or because of changes in the course of the pandemic. The results provide insights on the role of daily stigma in shaping affective well‐being, suggesting that it may be a significant source of short‐term negative emotional consequences for PWLH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the level of posttraumatic growth (PTG) and its association with the level of social support, stress coping strategies and resilience among a people living with HIV (PLWH) in a 1 year longitudinal study. We also controlled for age, HIV infection duration and the presence of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). From the 290 participants, initially eligible for the study, 110 patients were recruited for the first assessment and 73 patients participated in a follow-up assessment. Participants filled out following psychometric tools: the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), the Berlin Social Support Scales (BSSS), the Mini-COPE Inventory, the Resiliency Assessment Scale (SPP-25) and the PTSD-F questionnaire. Received support and resilience were positively, whereas return to religion as coping strategy was negatively related to the PTG. Clinicians and researchers need to focus on potentially positive consequences of HIV infection, i.e. PTG, and factors that might promote it among PLWH., Author(s): Marcin Rzeszutek [sup.1] , Wlodzimierz Oniszczenko [sup.1] , Ewa Firlag-Burkacka [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, 0000 0004 1937 1290, grid.12847.38, , Stawki 5/7, 00-183, [...]

The main goal of this study was to investigate the trajectories of the changes in burnout and subjective well‐being (SWB) among psychotherapists in relation to social support, self‐efficacy, sociodemographic, and work‐related factors, with additional control for the subjectively experienced Covid‐19 related distress. This study was carried out over a 1‐year period during the critical time of the Covid‐19 pandemic. We reached 226 Polish psychotherapists, of which 207 psychotherapists (91.6%) participated in all three measurements. The participants completed the following measurements: the Maslach Burnout Inventory‐Human Service Survey, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the General Self‐Efficacy Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and a questionnaire regarding sociodemographic, work‐related factors and Covid‐19 related distress. Several trajectories were observed for both burnout and SWB, which were differently associated with the level of social support, self‐efficacy, and sociodemographic and work‐related factors. We did not find a significant relationship between Covid‐19 related distress and the inclusion of either burnout or SWB trajectories. This study calls for greater interest in the psychological health of psychotherapists. More specifically, our findings may entail some implications for the practice of psychotherapy by creating customized intervention programs to reduce burnout and enhance well‐being in this specific occupation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study has two objectives: first, to examine changes in depressive symptoms among people living with HIV (PLWH) during the COVID‐19 pandemic and, second, to verify the role of HIV/AIDS stigma and perceived emotional support (PES) in the heterogeneity of these changes. The participants were 392 people with a medical diagnosis of HIV who have undergone antiretroviral therapy. Depression was measured at three time points with 6‐month intervals using the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES‐D). PES was evaluated with the Berlin Social Support Scales, and HIV/AIDS‐related stigma was assessed with the Berger HIV Stigma Scale. Latent growth class modelling identified four trajectories of depression over the study period: three stable (very high, high, and very low) and one increasing. Both the very high and high stable trajectories had baseline values above the CES‐D cut‐off point for depression, suggesting that 57.6% of the sample was likely to be diagnosed with depression. After controlling for sociodemographic and clinical variables, stigma and PES were found to be significant covariates of the obtained trajectories; however, they did not protect against an increase in depression symptoms. There was no overall increase in depression symptoms among the PLWH participants during the pandemic, but this change in depression symptoms was heterogeneous. We observed the potential development of depression in initially well‐functioning individuals despite their personal resources differing only slightly from those who remained resilient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to investigate whether susceptibility to selected behavioral biases (overconfidence, mental accounting and sunk-cost fallacy) is correlated with the Eysenck’s [1978] personality traits (impulsivity, venturesomeness, and empathy). This study was conducted on a sample of 90 retail investors frequently investing on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Participants filled out a survey made up of two parts: 1) three situational exercises, which assessed susceptibility to behavioral biases and 2) an Impulsiveness Questionnaire, which measures impulsivity, venturesomeness, and empathy. The results demonstrated the relationship between venturesomeness and susceptibility to all behavioral biases explored in this study. We find that higher level of venturesomeness was linked with a lower probability of all behavioral biases included in this study.

Background: There is a lack of studies on trauma exposure and PTSD prevalence in Poland on representative samples. Available data from studies on convenient samples show very high rates of probable PTSD compared with relevant estimates in other countries. Objective: This study aimed to measure the exposure to self-report traumatic events (PTEs) and to estimate the current rate of prevalence of probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in accordance with DSM–5 criteria in a population-based sample of Poles. Additionally, the link between PTSD intensity and level of life satisfaction was investigated. Method: A representative sample of 1,598 adult Poles was recruited. Probable PTSD was assessed with the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale for DSM–5 (PDS–5) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) was also used. Results: The findings showed that 60.3% of Poles had experienced at least one PTE and 31.1% of those who had been exposed to trauma reported symptoms of PTSD. At the level of the entire sample, the obtained rate for probable PTSD was 18.8%. The traumatic events with the highest probabilities of PTSD symptoms were child abuse and sexual assault. Levels of life satisfaction were significantly lower in the group of participants with probable PTSD. Conclusions: We found that the current prevalence of probable PTSD in Poland is intriguingly high relative to rates reported in comparable representative samples from other countries across the world. Possible mechanisms are discussed, including a lack of social acknowledgement of WWII and other traumas as well as poor access to trauma-focused care. We hope that this research may inspire more studies investigating cross-national differences in PTSD and trauma exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]