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Background Climate Change is a global issue which touches the lives of all human beings, each with different outlooks and motivations. The high degree of complexity which emerges from the involvement of such a large number of people might be better understood through the lenses of their individual differences. Methods We performed a pre-registered systematic review and meta-analysis (PROSPERO ID: CRD42022364726) following PRISMA guidelines. We searched keywords on Web of Science™ and Scopus®, including peer-reviewed articles which quantitatively examined correlations between personality and climate attitudes, published from inception to October 26, 2022. Findings 109 articles were assessed. 54 were included in our review. Meta-analyses show that Climate Change Denial is positively correlated with Social Dominance Orientation (n = 31505; r = 0.40; p < 0.001) and Right-Wing Authoritarianism (n = 22037; r = 0.45; p < 0.001), and negatively with Openness (n = 10326; r = -0.15; p < 0.001), Neuroticism (n = 7030; r = -0.06; p <0.001), Consideration of Future Consequences (n = 1662; r = -0.32; p < 0.001) and Actively Open-Minded Thinking (n = 2116; r = -0.40; p < 0.05). Concern for Climate Change correlates with Openness (n = 19951; r = 0.15; p < 0.001), Consideration of Future Consequences (n = 1573; r = 0.29; p < 0.001), and negatively with Social Dominance Orientation (n = 4027; r = 0.36; p < 0.001). Finally, Proactivity towards Climate Change correlates positively with Consideration of Future Consequences (n = 1573; r = 0.29; p < 0.01), and negatively with Social Dominance Orientation (n = 2615; r = -0.25; p < 0.001) and Right-Wing Authoritarianism (n = 1345; r = -0.30; p < 0.001). Moderation analysis shows geographical variations in the Social Dominance Orientation and Climate Denial relationship. Interpretation Personality’s involvement in Climate Change is significantly different from other environmental issues. Future targeted research, policies, and communication campaigns should take these peculiarities into account. Fundings Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) as part of the PON 2014-2020 (DM MUR 1061/2022).

Modern society is reviving the practice of aromatherapy, and lavender is reported being the most worldwide purchased plant for essential oil (EO) extraction. Since recent studies reported cognitive enhancing effects of lavender besides the hypno-inducing effects, a literature review is needed. Considering EO quality and diffusion devices, we conducted a systematic review on the effects of lavender EO inhalation on arousal, attention and memory in healthy subjects. Starting from this new multidisciplinary perspective, cognitive effects were reviewed to link outcomes to effective and reproducible protocols. A systematic search on MEDLINE, ERIC, PsycInfo, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases using Cognitive Atlas and plant-related keywords was conducted. Among the 1,203 articles yielded, 11 met eligibility criteria. Subjects administered with lavender EO displayed arousal decrease and sustained attention increase. Controversial results emerged regarding memory. Lack of EO quality assessment and protocols heterogeneity did not allow assessing whether different EO composition differentially modulates cognition and whether placebo effect can be discerned from EO effect itself. However, GABAergic pathway modulation exerted by linalool, a major lavender EO constituent, might explain cognitive functions empowerment. We speculate aromatherapy could be a burgeoning cognition enhancing tool, although further investigation is required to reach robust conclusions.

Patients with Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) exposed to traumatic reminders show hyperreactivity in brain areas (e.g., amygdala) belonging or related to the Innate Alarm System (IAS), allowing the rapid processing of salient stimuli. Evidence that IAS is activated by subliminal trauma-reminders could shed a new light on the factors precipitating and perpetuating PTSD symptomatology. Thus, we systematically reviewed studies investigating neuroimaging correlates of subliminal stimulation in PTSD. Twenty-three studies were selected from the MEDLINE and Scopus® databases for a qualitative synthesis, 5 of which allowed a further meta-analysis of fMRI data. The intensity of IAS responses to subliminal trauma-related reminders ranged from a minimum in healthy controls to a maximum in the PTSD patients with the most severe (e.g., dissociative) symptoms or the least responsiveness to treatment. Comparisons with other disorders (e.g., phobias) revealed contrasting results.Our findings demonstrate the hyperactivation of areas belonging or related to IAS in response to unconscious threats that should be integrated in diagnostic as well as in therapeutic protocols.

Objective: Since many jobs imply driving, a relevant part of all road traffic crashes (RTC) is related to work. Statistics considering all crashes suggest that they are significantly associated with consumption of substances, but the root causes are not yet clear. The objective of the present paper was to systematically review the scientific literature concerning substances consumption and work-related RTC. We queried the PubMed and Scopus electronic databases according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Articles were included if they reported all necessary data and survived a quality assessment. We selected a final sample of 30 articles from an initial pool of 7113. As hypothesized, taking any of the considered substances was found to increase the risk of work-related RTC. Descriptive statistics on work-related RTC showed a higher average positivity rate for medicines (14.8%) than for alcohol (3.02%) and drugs (0.84%). Interestingly, the impact of some medications found an unconvincing explanation in the mere occurrence of side effects, and it suggests that psychosocial and/or medical conditions could be better predictors of RTC. We therefore propose an intervention and prevention model that also considers biopsychosocial factors, for which further studies are needed in future research.

Accidents at work are a major concern because of their social and economic impact. The causes are highly variable and often linked to risk behaviors that could be avoided, of which substance use is a prime example. The aim of this paper was to meta-analytically review the scientific literature on substance intake and its link to work-related accidents. From an initial pool of 19954 papers, we considered a final sample of 27 clustered in three groups according to substances class (alcohol, recreational drugs, medicines). Despite different pharmacological effects, substances consumed for recreational purposes significantly increased the risk of work-related accidents (odds ratio: alcohol 1.78, recreational drugs 1.47), whereas medicines did not: however, these results require caution due to the heterogeneity of the included studies and suspected publication bias. While bio-psycho-social factors could have helped to understand this association, selected studies neglected both the variegated effects and the root causes of recreational substance consumption. Future studies and interventions should consider these complexity factors to transcend the mere description of the phenomenon.

Modern society is reviving the practice of aromatherapy, and lavender is reported to be the most worldwide purchased plant for essential oils (EO) extraction. Since odors can modulate cognitive functions acting through specific neuroanatomical pathways, lavender EO inhalation can enhance cognition. Taking into account EO quality and diffusion devices, we conducted a systematic review on the effects of lavender EO inhalation on arousal, attention and memory in healthy subjects. Starting from this new multidisciplinary perspective, cognitive effects were revised to link outcomes to effective and reproducible aromatherapy protocols. A systematic search on MEDLINE database using Cognitive Atlas and plant authenticity-related keywords was performed. Among the 806 articles yielded, 11 articles met eligibility criteria. Subjects administered with lavender EO displayed arousal decrease and sustained attention increase. Puzzling results were obtained regarding memory. Lack of EO quality assessment and high heterogeneity in inhalation protocols did not allow assessing whether different EO composition differently modulates cognition and whether placebo or expectancy effect can be discerned from EO effect itself. However, GABAergic pathway modulation exerted by linalool, a major lavender EO constituent, explains arousal reduction and sustained attention enhancement. In conclusion, aromatherapy can be an innovative, practical and non-invasive tool to prevent cognitive lapses.

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is characterized by difficulty staying awake during daytime, though additional features may be present. EDS is a significant problem for clinical and non-clinical populations, being associated with a range of negative outcomes that also represent a burden for society. Extreme EDS is associated with sleep disorders, most notably the central hypersomnias such as narcolepsy, Kleine-Levin syndrome, and idiopathic hypersomnia (IH). Although investigation of these conditions indicates that EDS results from diminished sleep quality, the underlying cause for this impairment remains uncertain. One possibility could be that previous research has been too narrow in scope with insufficient attention paid to non-sleep-related aspects. Here, we offer a broader perspective in which findings concerning the impact of EDS on cortical functioning are interpreted in relation to current understanding about the neural basis of consciousness. Alterations in the spatial distribution of cortical activity, in particular reduced connectivity of frontal cortex, suggest that EDS is associated with an altered state of consciousness.

The research exploited a unique architectural setting of a university residence hall composed by six separate buildings that matched for every architectural detail and differed only for the interior color (violet, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red). Four hundred and forty-three students living in the six buildings for an average of 13.33 months participated in a study that assessed color preference (hue and lightness), lightness preference, and the effects of color on studying and mood. The results showed a preference for blue interiors, followed by green, violet, orange, yellow, and red. A preference bias was found for the specific color in which the student lived. Gender differences emerged for the preference of blue and violet. Room-lightness was significantly affected by the interior color. Room ceiling was preferred white. Blue as interior color was considered to facilitate studying activity. The use of differentiated colors in the six buildings was evaluated to significantly facilitate orienting and wayfinding. A significant relation was found between a calm mood and preference for blue.

The investigation of the physiological and pathological processes involved in fear perception is complicated due to the difficulties in reliably eliciting and measuring the complex construct of fear. This study proposes a novel approach to induce and measure subjective fear and its physiological correlates combining virtual reality (VR) with a mixed-effects model based on skin conductance (SC). Specifically, we developed a new VR scenario applying specific guidelines derived from horror movies and video games. Such a VR environment was used to induce fear in eighteen volunteers in an experimental protocol, including two relaxation scenarios and a neutral virtual environment. The SC signal was acquired throughout the experiment, and after each virtual scenario, the emotional state and fear perception level were assessed using psychometric scales. We statistically evaluated the greatest sympathetic activation induced by the fearful scenario compared to the others, showing significant results for most SC-derived features. Finally, we developed a rigorous mixed-effects model to explain the perceived fear as a function of the SC features. Model-fitting results showed a significant relationship between the fear perception scores and a combination of features extracted from both fast- and slow-varying SC components, proposing a novel solution for a more objective fear assessment.