Gaming Motivation and Negative Psychosocial Outcomes in Male Adolescents: An Individual-Centered 1-Year Longitudinal Study

“Gaming motivation” is a useful concept to draw upon when considering inconsistencies in the effects of online gaming on psychosocial wellbeing. However, most prior studies that utilize it are cross-sectional and do not allow that individuals can be driven by multiple motives. The present study uses an individual-centered method to classify gaming motivation styles of male adolescents and longitudinally observes the relationship between gaming motivations and psychosocial outcomes. A total of 929 healthy, male, adolescent gamers were recruited in October 2019 and classified into “recreational” “achiever,” and “escaper” categories according to their baseline gaming motivations and self-esteem levels. Then, 1-year incidence rates of players and relative risks (RRs) of social withdrawal problems, anxiety/depression syndrome, and self-destructive/identity problems were assessed. Recreational players were found to have the lowest incidence of all the three psychosocial problems among the three categories, achievers only had a moderate risk of social withdrawal, compared to recreational players, while escapers showed a strong risk for social withdrawal, anxiety/depression, and self-destructive/identity problems, relative to recreational gamers. Overall, the different motivation subgroups were associated with different psychosocial problems. Both achievers and escapers were found to be maladaptive, but their psychosocial outcomes were different, a finding that provides further insight into the psychological mechanisms underlying these subgroups.

The Thorny Destiny of the Bessarabian Migrant in Current Prose

In this study the author refers not only to the topic of illegal emigration, particularly to the issue of human trafficking, reflected in the novels written by Liliana Corobca and Stela Branzeanu – two writers from the Republic of Moldova, but also to the way this phenomenon is reflected in the novels of other writers whose protagonists represent the current situation in Bessarabia. The novels do simply offer solutions to the situation in which the characters are, but they tend to make the reading public aware of illegal migration and human trafficking as well as to draw attention to the identity problems in the Republic of Moldova. The authors focus more on the subject and less on the aesthetic finality or on the architecture of the writings, their focus is basically the dialogues, the direct discourse, which is rather journalistic, as well as the simplification of the lexical props, following the desideratum of accessibility and sensitization of the reader.

On the edge of diversity: Anti-Muslim racism and discrimination in white diversity spaces

This article traces the development over the last decades in France of anti-Muslim racism and discrimination within professional and organisational fields. It shows how, in the wake of 2004 law banning religious symbols in schools, new demands for religious neutrality have spread far beyond educational grounds, to permeate a variety of institutions, including those purportedly designed to fight against discrimination and achieve equality. Drawing on a longitudinal, qualitative analysis of workplace diversity policies, I show the eviction of faith diversity from corporate diversity procedures through the implementation of ‘white diversity’ concepts, based on two tenets: first, patterns of Muslim racialisation, as faith options are turned into ‘personality styles’ and ‘identity problems’; second, the perceived legitimacy and widespread social acceptance of this ‘respectable racism’, woven into claims upon meritocracy, and disguised as ‘corporate culture’.

Indonesia Kris Representation on Virtual YouTuber “Anya Melfissa” Visual Identity

The rapidly evolving motion capture technology has made it possible to solve online identity problems with the medium of moving character design known as Virtual YouTuber. Spontaneous reaction in Livestream media can make fictional character feels real through a virtual avatar. As such, anthropomorphism representation can be used and Anya Melfissa is a Virtual Youtuber whose moe anthropomorphism of Indonesia Keris. However, the visual identity of Indonesia Kris is hard to find by most people and the problem is interesting to study using the theory of semiotics, anthropomorphism, and kris visual identity. The method used to analyze Anya Melfissa’s character design will use visual text analysis to identify its visual elements such as icon, index, and symbol. The results of the analysis show that Anya Melfissa’s character design has a kris visual identity which is at the level of thirdness in Peirce’s semiotics theory. The conclusion obtained from the kris representation in Anya Melfissa’s character design is proven to exist and requires a deeper level of understanding of Indonesian kris itself.

Concept of and approaches toward a developmental prevention of radicalization: Promising strategies to keep young people away from political, religious, and other forms of extremism

Radicalization and violent extremism in young people are growing problems in almost every society around the globe. This article starts by briefly summarizing the result of several comprehensive reviews on the prevention of radicalization and violent extremism. Based on a new social-developmental model of radicalization, it then introduces the concept of developmental prevention and presents a review of prevention principles, approaches, and programs derived from a developmental perspective within four different fields of proximal radicalization processes. These include (1) identity problems; (2) prejudice and negative intergroup attitudes; (3) extremist narratives, beliefs, and ideologies; and (4) antisocial development. Overall, several approaches and programs reveal promising effect sizes for a developmentally founded prevention of radicalization. However, more sound evaluations are needed to further promote this field.

Aggressive Behavior and Problems of Self-Identity of Adolescents at 14–17 Years Old

The problem of aggressive behavior of adolescents remains unresolved, and arouses great interest among psychologists, sociologists, criminologists. This is confirmed by a large number of articles and reports devoted to this problem, which appear annually in collections of scientific conferences. However, despite excessive quantity of theoretical literature devoted to adolescent psychology, there is a significant gap between theory and practice. The article attempts to move the problem of aggressive behavior of adolescents beyond individual external (social) and internal (characterological) factors to the global personological level and to consider it in the aspect of self-identity problems.

Correlation of “virtual identity” problems and issues of preserving traditional values in modern society

The emergence of social networks has joined people from different parts of the world which has brought unconditional benefit to humanity. At the same time, the possibility of communication between citizens of different countries using the same platforms, foreign hosting companies and providers has created a new form of human identity – virtual identity. In turn, this has contributed to a new phenomenon, such as digital socialization of the individual. This has created comfort and additional opportunities for integration into society, but at the same time, this form has led to the blurring of traditional values, national cultures and the fragmentation of political consciousness.

Podmioty moralności. Studium porównawcze opowieści o mordercach („African Psycho’ Alaina Mabanckou i „American Psycho” Breta Eastona Ellisa)

The article is a comparative study of two stories about murderers, characters of the novels “African Psycho” (2003) by Alain Mabanckou and “American Psycho” (1991) by Bret Easton Ellis. The similarities in the construction of the main characters – fascination with popular culture, brutality and vulgarity, identity problems and interest in famous serial killers – are evidence of Mabanckou’s intertextual play with a popular American novel. The essence of this play, however, is rather the moments of distinguishing and negotiating with the original text, among them: cultural, social, economic and political differences in the construction of the world presented, different class positions and motivations for the actions of the murderers. The article investigates also the main characters’ capability to be subjects of moral judgements. Their specific mental state (biographical discontinuity, isolation, desire for evil) is evidence of „depowerment”. Therefore, their capacity for self-understanding and ethical responsibility is questioned.

The Revival of the Past: Privatizing Cultural Practices in the Festival Era

The issue of indigenous community revivalism is crucial related to identity problems and cultural practices in sustainable development. Capital accumulation through cultural commercialization becomes a means to create a cultural creative sector based on tourism. The case of Osing communities in Banyuwangi, East Java, explained and highlighted the cultural practices of indigenous identity to a political-economic agenda. The research used a discursive analysis method with the findings of several issues. First, there were discrepancies between the indigenous and village institutions over the vision of village development. Second, the emergent forms of elite domination in an indigenous village. Third, the economic profit which is introduced by the market system did not align with the constructed narratives of indigenous people as generous and selfless. Fourth, the revival of cultural tourism is followed by an improvement in the infrastructure as a development indicator. And fifth, the government did not effectively represent the will of the indigenous community. Those emerged the contradiction between maintaining and innovating the tradition as a challenge in cultural tourism projects. The conditions were examined as a politics of culture which is formulated by the state. Hence, cultural practices of indigenous community turned into festivals; notwithstanding, indigenous sustainability is still uncertain.