Childhood is an important time for cognitive development, during which time many factors can influence the development of complex functions like decision-making. The relationship between the HPA axis and stress reactions is of particular relevance in the development of decision-making. Fear signals activate the HPA axis, which results in cortisol production. Cortisol acts with adrenaline to form memories associated with emotional responses. This system develops early on and is dependent on exposure to stressful situations. Over activation during development, such as in cases of overexposure to stress, can result in elevated cortisol. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are understood to impact a range of cognitive function; however, the relationship between negative childhood experiences and decision-making is not a linear one; research is ongoing to unravel the complexities of this relationship.

Artists might start out in one area or job and end up finding their best home in a slightly adjacent area. It might take moments or decades to land in the right spot, but the skills and lessons initially learned can still pay off in a related area. Even circuitous or winding pathways can take an artist where they need to go.

The 9-item Breast Appreciation Scale (Swami et al., 2022) is a measure of is a measure of the degree to which cisgender women accept, hold favourable opinions toward, and respect their breasts and their functions, while also rejecting media-promoted breast ideals as the only form of beauty. The BrAS can be administered online or in-person to cisgender women and is free to use for non-commercial purposes. This chapter discusses the development of the BrAS before providing evidence of its psychometric properties. Specifically, scores on the BrAS have been found to have a unidimensional factor structure through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Scores on the BrAS have adequate composite reliability and test-retest reliability, and good patterns of convergent, concurrent, discriminant, incremental, and known-groups validity. Next, this chapter provides the BrAS items in full instructions for administering the BrAS to participants, the item response scale, and the scoring procedure. Logistics of use are also provided for readers

Once a creator has decided on a particular type of art to pursue, it typically takes about ten years of practice (or ten thousand hours) to become a true expert. But this isn’t necessarily a straight path. In this chapter, artists share their often circuitous paths to their creative lives.

The Children’s Body Image Scale (Truby & Paxton, 2002) is a simple pictorial representation of body size perception. Each body figure represents a body shape based on measured body mass index (BMI) across standard BMI percentiles for pre-pubertal boys and girls. The Children’s Body Image Scale is designed to be administered in-person to children aged 7-12 years. It is free to use in any setting. This chapter first discusses the development of the Children’s Body Image Scale, provides details of its psychometric qualities and how to use it in a practice or research setting. Internal consistency reliability and test-retest reliability are described including updated versions that align with changes to international percentile for body mass index. This chapter provides the Children’s Body Image in its entirety, instructions for administration, the item response scale, and the scoring procedure. Measures of cognitive and behavioral body image validated for use in this age group should be utilized in conjunction with the CBIS to obtain a comprehensive assessment of body image. There are various formats available, including images with a face that has Caucasian or Asian features and one with blurry features. Logistics of use, such as permissions, copyright, and contact information, are provided for readers.

The 34-item Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) was first published in Cooper, Taylor, Cooper, and Fairburn (1987) with the items in an appendix of the paper. It assesses concerns with body shape that are typically found in women and which in extreme form have been linked to eating disorders. The BSQ is a self-report measure that can be administered online or in person. It is free to use unless used for commercial purposes. This chapter discusses the development of the BSQ, administration and timing. It then provides evidence of its psychometric explorations including strong reliability and discriminant validity. The BSQ has been found to have one main factor. The chapter then describes the two 16-item and four 8-item abbreviated forms and the translations available. Detail on the development of the measure are available included in Taylor’s doctoral thesis available on the BSQ website (https://https://www.psyctc.org/psyctc/root/tools/bsq/ & https://www.psyctc.org/psyctc/root/tools/bsq/bsq-thesis/).

The 18-item Body, Eating, and Exercise Comparison Orientation Measure (BEECOM; Fitzsimmons-Craft, Bardone-Cone, & Harney, 2012 assesses body-, eating-, and exercise-related social comparison tendencies. The BEECOM [scale abbreviation] can be administered online and in person to adults and is free to use in any setting. This chapter first discusses the development of the BEECOM and then provides evidence of its psychometrics. More specifically, the BEECOM has been found to have three-factor structure within exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and demonstrates invariance across age, gender, and eating disorder history status. Internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and incremental validity support the use of the BEECOM. Next, this chapter provides the BEECOM items in their entirety, instructions for administering the BEECOM to participants, the item response scale, and the scoring procedure. A nine-item abbreviated form is offered, and translations are provided. Logistics of use, such as permissions, copyright, and contact information, are provided for readers.

This chapter examines employment testing bias and unfairness in Romania, the legal framework, discrimination types, and the role of regulatory bodies. Multiple organizational stakeholders are involved in employment testing, yet the Romanian legal system lacks explicit regulations on test bias and fairness. Although EU directives mandate equal treatment, they do not require validation of employment tests. The National Council for Combating Discrimination oversees enforcement but lacks authority over compensation or reinstatement. Employers, particularly in the private sector, often outsource recruitment and selection. Psychological testing is primarily governed by the Romanian College of Psychologists. Bias detection and disparate impact assessment remain underdeveloped, with limited legal requirements for test validity evidence. Romania’s approach to balancing validity and diversity remains informal, and artificial intelligence-based hiring tools are scarcely used. Legal consequences for discrimination range from fines to criminal penalties, yet selection methods remain largely unregulated. The chapter highlights gaps between advances in psychometrics and their application in employment selection.

The Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery Scale (ACSS; Henderson-King & Henderson-King, 2005) was developed to measure individuals’ attitudes about cosmetic surgery as a way of enhancing physical appearance. The 16-item ACSS is comprised of three subscales that assess 1) acceptance of cosmetic surgery for intrapersonal reasons (Intrapersonal), 2) acceptance of cosmetic surgery for social or career reasons (Social), and 3) the degree to which respondents would consider having cosmetic surgery to enhance their own attractiveness (Consider). This chapter briefly describes scale development and summarizes information about psychometric properties. Evidence is provided regarding its factor structure, reliability for the overall scale and each subscale, test-retest reliability, construct validity, and discriminant validity. While the ACSS was initially developed to be administered in its entirety, research focusing only on respondents’ interest in having cosmetic surgery, has relied solely on the items that comprise the Consider subscale. The scale can be administered online or in paper-and-pencil format. All items are presented in this chapter, as are the response scale and scoring instructions. Scholars wishing to use an unmodified version of the scale may do so without seeking further permission and at no cost. Additional information about permissions, copyright, translations, and contact information are also provided.

The 15-item Exposure to Body Positive Media Scale (Bissonette Mink & Szymanski, 2022) assesses exposure to body-positive media across two dimensions: (1) exposure to body acceptance and critiquing of appearance expectations and (2) non-exposure to the thin-ideal and societal expectation of bodies. The Exposure to Body Positive Media Scale can be administered online and/or in-person to adolescents and adults and is free to use in any setting for non-commercial purposes. This chapter first discusses the development of the Exposure to Body Positive Media Scale and then provides evidence of its psychometrics. More specifically, the Exposure to Body Positive Media Scale has been found to have a two-factor structure within exploratory factor analyses. Internal consistency reliability, content validity, and construct validity support the use of the Exposure to Body Positive Media Scale. Next, this chapter provides the Exposure to Body Positive Media Scale items in their entirety, instructions for administering the Exposure to Body Positive Media Scale to participants, the item response scale, and the scoring procedure. Logistics of use, such as permissions, copyright, and contact information, are provided for readers.

In this chapter, artists look back on their careers and consider what they will leave behind. Responses vary from pride to regrets. Some rethink career decisions, such as whether they should have—or should not have—gotten advanced education and how their careers might have progressed had accidents not occurred or had they chosen to pursue a different avenue of work. Artists also discuss why they create in the first place, addressing the responses of audiences locally and internationally, how it has made a difference in their own lives and the lives of others, and the notion of creativity as a necessary part of everyday life.

Sense of purpose is associated with numerous positive life outcomes. This chapter therefore addresses intervention efforts to cultivate and promote sense of purpose and life engagement. We first introduce a recent conceptual model that claims that purpose can manifest in different ways: as a relatively enduring trait, as a habit, or as a momentary state. We explain how these three levels are linked and what implications they may have for intervention efforts. Next, we discuss three pathways through which people can find purpose, and the implications of these pathways for intervention efforts. This chapter then proposes an integrative intervention framework that combines the three levels with the three pathways to provide unique intervention routes for cultivating a sense of purpose and engagement in life. To highlight the potential of the framework, we illustrate different intervention routes with examples of intervention techniques and activities. This chapter concludes with several directions for future research that will contribute to a science of purpose interventions.

Long assumed to have no real function, we now understand the importance of the prefrontal cortex for a wide range of cognitive functions, including decision-making. Some of the earliest understanding of the role of the prefrontal cortex came from the famous case study of Phineas Gage. Through a mining accident, Gage’s prefrontal cortex was extensively damaged. He showed no observable impairments in motor, sensory or memory skills. He however did show marked differences in personality and planning. Over the following decades, research built upon understanding of the role of the prefrontal cortex. Today, the prefrontal cortex as a region is recognised across many species and is considered the most evolutionarily advanced in humans. The current consensus is that prefrontal cortex is an integration area, integrating information from all over the brain.

This chapter presents the answers to the twenty questions on employment bias and fairness in Spain. It describes the national demographic and administrative-political characteristics. In Spain, bias is associated with the notions of equality and non-discrimination, and it is regulated by both Spanish laws and EU regulations. The chapter describes (a) which groups are protected by the law, (b) which are the main regulatory authorities (general and sectorial laws, and EU regulations), (c) which employers are covered, (d) the guidelines used in Spain to guide professional activity, (e) the nine categories of discriminatory actions and situations distinguished in Spain, (f) the 60 percent or three-fifths rule of disparate impact, (g) the burden of proof in the Spanish law, (h) the use of quotas and score adjustment for the categories of age, sex, and disabilities, and (i) issues about the legal consequences of violating the laws, the type of questions that must be excluded from selection procedures, and the statistical tools used to examine bias. It closes with an overview of recent laws affecting the use of artificial intelligence technologies and how the legal environment impacts the practice of industrial, work, and organizational psychology.

Many young artists saw school as something akin to a speedbump – a moderate annoyance, but one to simply be navigated. Sometimes, school might offer them a chance to develop or practice their art. Some young artists were treated differently when teachers and administrators realized they had a gift; they might be excused from traditional work or offered alternative ways to complete assignments. Other young artists relied on their art and their creativity to pass the time and overcome obstacles.