Petru Lucian Curşeu

Gamification’s educational effectiveness depends on learner attitudes, yet no existing instrument captures attitudes toward gamified learning as a unified construct. This paper reports the development and validation of the Attitudes Towards Gamification Scale (GAMA) scale, a 9-item measure grounded in nine core gamification functions across two independent studies. Study 1 (N = 1,835) identified a single-factor structure explaining 69.91% of variance (α = .95). Positive attitudes correlated with self-regulated learning (r = .35, p .001), perceived ease of use (r = .79, p .001), and subjective norms (r = .72, p .001), but not with recreational gaming hours (r = .02, p=.22), establishing attitudes towards gamification as distinct from general gaming engagement. Study 2 (N = 158) used a pre-post design to test a serial mediation model: gamified exposure increased perceived utility, which drove positive attitude change, in turn predicting greater intention to use gamification and perceived learning benefits. All indirect effects were significant, and the scale demonstrated both sensitivity to change and temporal stability. The GAMA scale offers a psychometrically sound tool for diagnosing learner receptiveness and evaluating the impact of gamified instruction.

Multiparty systems address wicked problems by bringing together stakeholders with diverse and sometimes competing interests. Although previous research has emphasized the role of expected positive interdependence in driving system‐level dynamics and reaching integrative negotiations, the impact of the communication environment (online versus face‐to‐face) on the effect of expectations has not been sufficiently investigated. We used a behavioural multiparty simulation task (26 simulations, 130 groups, 441 participants) in which five stakeholder groups were invited to address a complex regional development problem. We find support for the role of expectations in driving the experience of positive interdependence, but not overall system dynamics (identification and co‐presence). System dynamics drive integrative system outcomes (integrative problem solving and goal achievement), and the indirect effect of identification is significant only in face‐to‐face simulations. This study offer insights into the impact of technology‐mediated communication, as well as practical recommendations for facilitators of multiparty negotiations.

The effectiveness of serious games as learning environments has been consistently documented but remains variable across individuals and contexts. The present study investigated the effect of serious games on learning outcomes and examined the role of goal orientation as an individual-difference variable within this relationship. A systematic review following PRISMA guidelines was conducted, combining a meta-analysis of pre–post learning outcome data with a structured narrative synthesis of goal orientation findings in accordance with Synthesis Without Meta-Analysis (SWiM) guidance. The meta-analysis included nine studies and revealed a statistically significant, moderate-to-large overall effect size (d = 0.637, 95% CI [0.483, 0.791], p .001), indicating that participation in serious game environments is associated with meaningful improvements in knowledge acquisition. High heterogeneity was (I² = 82.13%), and no significant moderating effects were found for task type, sampling method, participant status, age, or gender. The narrative synthesis identified a consistently positive directional relationship between goal orientation and learning outcomes. Findings are discussed in terms of the motivational mechanisms underlying serious game effectiveness. Keywords: serious games, goal orientation, learning outcomes, meta-analysis, narrative synthesis, systematic review

This systematic literature review synthesizes and integrates research on dysfunctional cognition (DC) in organizational settings, addressing the lack of a coherent model explaining how cognitive vulnerabilities shape work-related outcomes. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we analyzed 41 manuscripts (selected from more than 4523 initial and secondary search hits), leading to an integrative model of DC at work. Results show that DC is activated by job demands, alongside other demanding situational and contextual features. The model specifies maladaptive appraisal processes as the cognitive–affective mechanism through which DC shapes (dis)engagement in the task and relational domains at work and ultimately impacts outcomes such as well-being, stress, burnout, performance, and decision quality. It further incorporates job, personal, and social resources as buffering contingencies that promote adaptive appraisal and attenuate the detrimental role of DC. By integrating insights from clinical, cognitive–behavioral and organizational research, this review advances theory in three ways: (1) by emphasizing the role of appraisal as the cognitive–affective mechanism linking DC to work (dis)engagement, (2) by embedding DC in the job demands–resources model and identifying job demands as activating conditions and resources as regulatory factors for dysfunctional cognitive dynamics at work and (3) by differentiating between task and interpersonal (dis)engagement as domain-specific paths through which self-focused and relational schema impact work-related outcomes. The integrative DC model provides a foundation for future research using longitudinal and mixed-method designs, and for more fine-grained examinations of how specific forms of DC relate to distinct cognitive–affective pathways and work-related outcomes, while offering practical implications for developing schema-informed and resource-based interventions in organizations.

This study presents a multilevel investigation of neurodivergence in relation to psychological safety, relationship quality, and team identification. Moreover, it examines the influence of awareness and social acceptance of neurodiversity on these relations. Utilizing a sample of 70 teams, we disentangle within-group and between-group effects and discuss the differences. Our findings indicate that neurodivergent individuals report lower perceived psychological safety, leading to diminished team identification and relationship quality. However, teams with a high proportion of neurodivergent members report higher psychological safety at the group level, suggesting that neurodiverse teams, on average, experience higher psychological safety, relationship quality, and team identification.

Aviation safety depends critically on pilots’ mental and cognitive states, particularly in high-stakes and complex operational environments where human errors cause most safety events today. This paper reviews current advances in real-time monitoring of commercial pilots’ cognitive states through physiological and neurophysiological signals and identifies methods applicable to enhance aviation safety and efficiency. In an increasingly complex and congested system, it is essential to investigate the relationships between pilots’ mental workload, stress, startle effect, and physiological parameters to highlight cognitive overload or deficiencies in real time. This systematic literature review was conducted according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines, using Google Scholar, Scopus, and PubMed, and identified 26 eligible studies. A targeted backward citation search screened 17 additional records, and two studies were added to the initial set. Twenty-eight records were therefore included and the review highlights a range of biometric indicators of pilots’ mental states with varying degrees of validity and operational applicability. Collectively, these studies offer a clear overview of state-of-the-art approaches, while also evidencing constraints related to intrusiveness and real-world feasibility. Physiological monitoring holds strong promise for enhancing pilot performance and safety by detecting early signs of overload and stress. However, its integration into operational aviation remains limited. Future research should prioritise longitudinal, in situ evaluations, multimodal data fusion, and pilot-centred design to ensure practical applicability, non-intrusiveness, and regulatory compliance, ultimately bridging the gap between academic research and cockpit reality.

Building upon the Terror Management Theory (Solomon et al., 1991), the present study focuses on the influence of neuroticism, extraversion, social support, and their interaction on death anxiety. An online survey of 112 Romanian-speaking participants aged 18-49 (73.2% female) was conducted using validated self-report measures. Results showed that neuroticism was positively associated with all dimensions of death anxiety. However, extraversion and social support were not significant predictors of any death anxiety dimension. The interaction between neuroticism and extraversion was significantly related to death acceptance and death finality. In contrast, the interaction between neuroticism and social support was significantly associated with the level of thoughts about death. These findings highlight the interplay of personality traits and social support in the context of death anxiety. From a practical standpoint, the insights derived from this research allow for better identification of at-risk individuals and inform the development of tailored interventions targeting personality-driven vulnerabilities to experiencing death anxiety.