The aim of this study was to find out the association between basic psychological needs, fear of missing out (FOMO) and phubbing in university students with problematic smartphone use. Through the purposive sampling technique, a sample of 240 participants (men, M age = 20.93 years, SD = 1.07 years; women, M age = 20.76 years, SD = 0.89 years) was recruited from two private and two government university sectors of Lahore, Pakistan. Results were generated by using Multiple Hierarchical Regression, and Amos Path Analysis. The study depicted that psychological needs and FOMO emerged as predictors of phubbing. Furthermore, it was supported that fear of missing out acted as a mediator between psychological needs and phubbing. The findings of the study have yielded vital implications as a thorough understanding of problematic smartphone use will help raise awareness and educate the youth about its detrimental effects.

The present study aimed to explore the personal narrative skills of Urdu speaking preschoolers, aged between 4 and 5 years. The study also aimed to investigate the gender differences in narrative skills, and relationship and the predictive association between macro- and microstructure skills. A total of 80 preschoolers were recruited using two-stage sampling (convenience and purposive). After screening the participants for intellectual functioning, three personal narratives were collected from each participant. The results revealed non-significant differences on the basis of age and gender. A significant correlation was found between the macro- and microstructure skills in children. NDW (number of different words), TNW (total number of words), and MLU (mean length of utterance) were revealed as significant predictors of macrostructural competencies in children. This was the first research that highlighted the narrative skills of Urdu speaking preschoolers. Hence, the patterns identified might help in extending the theory and research in this field.

Biased evaluation fears and paranoid thoughts lead to various safety behaviors that are the cardinal features and perpetuating factors of social anxiety. The present study aimed to emphasize evaluative and paranoid thoughts that predispose and maintain this growing psychological condition. A cross-sectional research design was employed to explore the relationship between social comparison, paranoid social cognitions, and submissive behaviors in patients with social anxiety. Furthermore, predictive effects of social comparison and paranoid ideation on submissiveness, along with mediating factors, were assessed in a clinical sample. The study sample consisted of 100 treatment-seeking female patients of social anxiety (M = 25.21 years), recruited through purposive sampling. The findings revealed significant correlations between social comparison, paranoid social cognitions, and submissive behaviors. Rank, a subscale of social comparison, and paranoid social cognitions turned out as predictive factors of submissive behaviors. A novel finding is that paranoid social cognitions mediate the relationship between social comparison and submissive behaviors in socially anxious individuals. Study results will assist clinicians to devise effective management plans for patients by comprehending possible causes of submissiveness and considering paranoid ideation as a manifestation of social anxiety.

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Objectives Alexithymia is the inability of an individual to adequately recognise and describe their emotions, which directly affects mental health by precipitating psychological disorders or by causing a disturbance to interpersonal functioning, coping responses, and quality of life. The purpose of this research was to test the efficacy of alexithymia reduction treatment (ART), a pilot online group intervention specifically designed to ameliorate alexithymia in men. Methods As this was a pilot study, a small sample consisting entirely of male university students (n = 20) was selected. The participants were screened on the standardised measures at pre‐treatment and post‐treatment and were assigned to a treatment group (n = 10) or wait‐list control group (n = 10). The study utilised a quasi‐experimental design as the participants were assigned to the treatment and wait‐list control group based on their availability to attend the therapeutic sessions. The treatment group then received ART while the wait‐list control received no treatment at that time. Results The statistical analysis showed a significant reduction in the participants' alexithymia, as well as depression and anxiety, in the treatment group but not in the wait‐list control group. Conclusion ART proves to be efficacious in reducing alexithymia. In addition, the treatment modality proved to be useful in improving the participants' general psychological distress (anxiety, depressive symptoms).