Vol 4 No 2 (2025)

• Temperament and Change: A Pilot Investigation of Rope Therapy (RT/BMAT) and Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis (T-JTA®) in Neurodiverse Youth

  Benny W. L. Lam, Adrian E. K. Low, Marco C. C. Wong, Tony Chau

  Background: Neurodiverse youth with special educational needs (SEN), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often exhibit temperament patterns characterized by heightened emotional reactivity and reduced self-regulation. Embodied interventions targeting vestibular-proprioceptive systems may offer novel pathways for temperament modulation, yet quantitative assessment tools remain underutilized in this context.

  Objective: This pilot study explored the feasibility of using the Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis (T-JTA®) to track temperament changes following an eight-week Rope Therapy/Body-Mind Activation Therapy (RT/BMAT) program in Hong Kong adolescents with neurodevelopmental conditions.

  Methods: Thirty-five students (ages 11-13; 26 males, 9 females) with documented SEN, ADHD, or ASD completed pre- and post-intervention T-JTA® Self-Report Forms (Chinese version). The RT/BMAT protocol consisted of 16 sessions (2×/week, 60 minutes each) incorporating vestibular stimulation, proprioceptive training, and social-expressive activities. Paired t-tests examined within-group changes; effect sizes (Cohen's d) quantified magnitude of change.

  Results: Significant pre-post improvements were observed in Nervous-Composed (t = 4.21, p < .001, d = 0.89), Depressive-Light-hearted (t = 3.87, p < .001, d = 0.82), Active-Social (t = -3.45, p = .001, d = 0.73), and Self-Disciplined (t = -4.02, p < .001, d = 0.85) scales. Validity concerns included high "Mid" response rates (M = 87.3, SD = 34.2) and limited age-appropriateness of the instrument.

  Conclusions: Preliminary findings suggest RT/BMAT may facilitate measurable temperament shifts in neurodiverse youth, though methodological limitations preclude causal inference. Results support the feasibility of larger-scale controlled trials integrating embodied therapies with standardized temperament assessment. Future research should employ age-appropriate instruments, control groups, and physiological markers to elucidate mechanisms of change.

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• Integrating Neuroscience into Sensory Analysis of Cosmetics

  Airton Rodrigues

  The study of olfactory perception and its neurophysiological implications has gained increasing significance, particularly in understanding how fragrances influence brain activity and human behavior. Volatile compounds, commonly found in perfumery and cosmetics, interact with the nervous system, modulating brain function through the electrical activity of the olfactory system. Electroencephalography (EEG), a well-established non-invasive technique, serves as a powerful tool for investigating subconscious processes that affect purchasing decisions and social behavior. This article explores the advanced application of EEG in olfactory studies, focusing on how different olfactory stimuli can modulate brain wave frequencies. Research indicates that EEG not only captures wave patterns associated with specific brain functions but also provides insights into the influence of fragrances on emotional and cognitive states. By surpassing traditional preference evaluations, EEG analysis explores dimensions of valence and arousal reflecting the intensity and pleasantness of odors, which have significant implications for the cosmetics industry. This article presents a novel approach to the importance of EEG in sensory studies of cosmetics proposing parameters to guide regulatory frameworks for cosmetic companies. It emphasizes how neurophysiological data can serve as objective measures to assess the impacts of olfactory stimuli on cognitive function. By integrating EEG methodologies into sensory studies, the article provides a robust foundation that facilitates a deeper understanding of the interactions between fragrances and the brain, ensuring both efficacy and safety for consumers. This integrated approach enhances not only product development but also ensures that new products meet consumer expectations for both functionality and emotional experience.

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• Development of a Brief State Self-Transcendent Emotion Scale

  Samantha R. Mattheiss, Sahar Zabihian, Rhett Diessner

  Self-transcendent emotions (STEs) are often caused by experiences of moral beauty, natural beauty, or artistic beauty. STEs directly predict both individual and collective flourishing and are linked to spirituality. As such, interventions aiming to increase STEs are expected to promote positive outcomes, yet no state measure of self-transcendent emotions exists that could evaluate such interventions. In Study 1, a broad spectrum measure of state STEs–-the State Self-Transcendent Emotion Scale (SSTES; https://osf.io/y3c62/)—was constructed, with three viable subscales: a) a nine-item Social STE subscale consisting of gratitude, love, elevation, and compassion items; a five-item Epistemic STE subscale consisting of awe, wonder, and curiosity items; and a three-item Forgiveness of Others subscale. Study 2 confirmed the goodness-of-fit and established convergent and discriminant concurrent validity, revealing positive correlations with established measures of awe, curiosity, gratitude, elevation and forgiveness; and negative, and no, correlation with measures of anger and narcissism respectively.

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• Successful Educational Practices for Teaching Refugee Children with Mental Health Challenges: A Scoping Review

  Gelan Hesham Abdo Ahmed

  Refugee children experience a wide range of life-threatening events during three life stages: pre-migration, in-transit, and post-migration. Generally, life-threatening events can trigger an array of mental health disorders, including conduct disorder, emotional distress, depression, emotional and behavioral disorder, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Consequently, these mental health disorders can bring about adverse academic outcomes for refugee children in host country schools, such as truancy, low school grades and grade point averages (GPAs), and school dropouts. To better improve the academic outcomes of refugee children with mental health disorders, teachers in host country schools need to implement successful educational practices. Thus, the aim of this scoping review paper was to identify and map successful educational practices that improved the academic outcomes of refugee children experiencing mental health disorders as a result of forced migration. An electronic literature search was conducted using nine databases: PubMed, Scopus, ERIC, Web of Science, EBSCO, Medline, Google Scholar, APA PsycArticles, and APA PsycINFO. A total of 14 articles met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. In fact, these articles implemented a wide range of successful educational practices, including interventions, curricula, workshops, programs, and teaching strategies, designed to ameliorate the academic outcomes of refugee children in host country schools.

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• Prison Ecology and Environmental Justice: Connections, Aberrations and Psychological Impacts

  Giuseppe Manuel Festa, Iginio Sisto Lancia

  This paper explores the intersection between prison ecology and environmental justice, highlighting how the prison system is an integral part of broader dynamics of environmental exploitation and social inequality. Prisons are often located in remote areas, on contaminated sites, or near polluting industries, and they themselves contribute to local environmental degradation, pollution processes, and territorial marginalization.

  The article introduces the concept of prison ecology, which examines the relationship between prisons and nature, revealing the environmental issues that occur within and around correctional facilities, and their impact on both inmates and the surrounding physical environment. The prison environment significantly affects the health, well-being, and risk of recidivism among incarcerated individuals.

  The quality of environmental conditions in penal institutions can be framed within the discourse of environmental justice, broadening the understanding of ecological injustices as forms of systemic violence. From this perspective, environmental factors such as overcrowding, poor sanitation, inadequate lighting, lack of access to green spaces, noise, unclean water, unhealthy air, and insufficient climate protection directly influence the safety and stability of prison institutions, as well as negatively impact inmates' mental and physical health.

  This paper offers an overview of recent studies on this topic, identified through literature searches using Google Scholar and PubMed. The analysis of these studies suggests that an ecocritical perspective on prisons is valuable for designing truly effective practices of repair, care, and social transformation. It is crucial that prison environments be designed and managed not only to ensure security but also to promote both internal and external environmental sustainability.

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