Psychological research and practice in former Yugoslavia and its successors

This paper presents a brief history of Yugoslav psychology and a review of the current state of psychological research and practice in the former Yugoslav countries. Bibliometric mapping was used to explore the knowledge domain and international visibility of psychological research in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia. Judging by the number of papers visible in Scopus, psychological research activity in these countries is similar to the other former communist countries. In a relative sense, it is even higher in Slovenia and Croatia. However, psychologists still rely heavily on national journals indexed in Scopus when publishing their papers. Regarding psychological practice, former Yugoslav countries are facing challenges that are more or less typical for all small countries in the global scientific and economic market. Keeping in mind all the obstacles and traumas in the past decades, it should be considered a success that psychology in the former Yugoslav countries is now a fully established profession and a recognized scientific discipline.

COVID-19 citation pandemic within the psychological knowledge domain

Presented study explores the knowledge domain of psychological research published in 2020 and 2021. Metadata from 156,942 psychology papers available in Scopus were analyzed using citation analysis and bibliographic mapping techniques. Having in mind the ubiquity of the COVID-19 pandemic and the numerous ways it has affected people's lives, the fact that COVID-19-related papers represent only 2% to 7% of the total academic production in psychology may seem rather low. However, these papers have attracted much more attention from the public than non-COVID papers. They were also cited two to eight times more frequently, depending on the measure used, and account for 16% to 19% of total citations to psychology papers. Results show that early-stage researchers and those who had fewer articles in Scopus have benefited more from publishing COVID papers. They have managed to boost their average citation rates to the level of their colleagues who were much longer active and previously had higher citedness. Results indicate that the authors citing behavior largely follows the cumulative advantage pattern. Psychological research in general is mainly focused on mental health, anxiety, depression, and stress. This trend is even more fostered due to the pandemic since some of these topics are often analyzed as typical emotional reactions to COVID-19. Other relevant issues are also very well covered, except for the question how scientific results are communicated to the public. The role of "hot" papers was elaborated from the perspective of research evaluation practice.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-022-03146-3.

A person-centered approach in studying coronavirus pandemic response: The role of HEXACO-PI-R and PANAS dimensions

The main aim of this study was to explore reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic and their relationship with personality traits using a person-centered approach. Sample of 471 Serbian citizens was collected during the first 7 weeks of the pandemic. Cluster analysis revealed three clusters based on reactions to the pandemic: Adapted, Antagonized, and Passive. Adaptive type is characterized by stable emotional reactions and adherence to behavioral guidelines. Antagonized cluster is characterized by lowered adherence to behavioral guidelines, while Passive cluster is characterized by increased fear and boredom. Clusters differed significantly on HEXACO and PANAS traits. Similarity of obtained clusters with prototypes that commonly emerge using personality traits for classification, stresses the importance of basic individual differences in pandemic-induced behavior.

Daily Monitoring of Emotional Responses to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Serbia: A Citizen Science Approach

The COVID-19 pandemic, a health emergency with international consequences, has brought serious impact on all aspects of society and affects not only health and economy, but psychological functioning and mental health as well. This research was conducted in order to examine and further our understanding of emotional reactions to the ongoing pandemic. Change in emotional reactions during the pandemic and relations with specific pandemic related behaviors and personality traits from the revised Reinforcement sensitivity theory were explored. The research was conducted in Serbia for 35 days while the country was in a state of emergency, as a citizen science project. Out of the 1526 participants that joined the study, 444 (67% female) had measures for all five weeks. Longitudinal changes in four emotional states during the pandemic were examined: worry, fear, boredom, and anger/annoyance. Results indicate a decrease in all four emotional states over time. The biggest decrease was present in case of worry, followed by fear and boredom. Regression analysis showed that personality dimensions, as well as behavioral responses in this situation significantly predicted emotional reactions. Findings revealed the Behavioral activation system was significantly related to worry, fear and boredom, Fight with boredom and anger, and the Behavioral inhibition system with anger. Adherence to protection measures, as well as increased exposure to the media, had significant positive relations with worry and fear. These results indicate that both stable characteristics and specific pandemic-related behaviors are significantly related to emotional response during the pandemic.

Magneto-structural correlations in oxalate-bridged Sr(ii)Cr(iii) coordination polymers: structure, magnetization, X-band, and high-field ESR studies

Magneto-structural correlations in 1D oxalate-bridged Sr(ii)Cr(iii) coordination polymers with two crystallographically and magnetically non-equivalent Cr(iii) ions are studied by HF-ESR spectroscopy.

Magnetic Excitations and Electronic Interactions in Sr_{2}CuTeO_{6}: A Spin-1/2 Square Lattice Heisenberg Antiferromagnet

Sr_{2}CuTeO_{6} presents an opportunity for exploring low-dimensional magnetism on a square lattice of S=1/2  Cu^{2+} ions. We employ ab initio multireference configuration interaction calculations to unravel the Cu^{2+} electronic structure and to evaluate exchange interactions in Sr_{2}CuTeO_{6}. The latter results are validated by inelastic neutron scattering using linear spin-wave theory and series-expansion corrections for quantum effects to extract true coupling parameters. Using this methodology, which is quite general, we demonstrate that Sr_{2}CuTeO_{6} is an almost ideal realization of a nearest-neighbor Heisenberg antiferromagnet but with relatively weak coupling of 7.18(5) meV.

[Dynamic thermoplastic cervico-thoracic orthoses in conservative and postoperative treatment of congenital torticollis]

Contention of the corrected position of the rotation and anteflexion of the head and neck is very important for the congenital torticollis. Frequent reversion of the deformity was the consequence of the unproper passive and static cast bandages or rigid plastic and more functional leather-metal orthosis. Original dynamic cervico-thoracic orthosis, made of thermoplastic material, provides progressive, individual and stable correction and contetion of the best possible head and neck position. The value of the applied orthosis is proved by the excellent results in treatment of 12 non-operated children and 16 postoperative treated children that suffered of primary myogenic torticollis.

[Ultrasonic diagnosis of transitory synovitis of the hip joint in children]

The most common cause of a limp in childhood is transitory synovitis of the hip. At the Paediatric Surgery Clinic in Novi Sad, in the period from 1989 to 1991, 58 children were treated for hip transitory synovitis and the diagnosis was confirmed by ultrasonic finding of the exudate in the joint. The ultrasonic investigation of the hips was performed by using Siemens and Kretz scanners equipped with 5 MHz linear or sector transducers. The approach to the hip was frontal and the lower extremity has been in the neutral position. The distance between the femoral neck and the joint capsule was verified according to the Adam's morphometric procedure. The measured pathological values were from 7 mm to 14 mm (normal values are from 2 mm to 4 mm). In the routine transitory synovitis diagnosis, real-time arthrosonography of the hip shows high sensitivity, accuracy and selective values compared to other diagnostic procedures.

Triple prevention of congenital dislocation of the hip

Triple prevention of congenital dislocation of the hip consists of (a) examining newborns so as to apply treatment as early as possible in symptomatic and suspected cases, (b) regular diapering in abduction of all presumably healthy hips by means of soft abduction pants so as to direct possible cases of dysplasia toward normal development, and (c) reexamination of these hips until the child can walk so as to discover missed cases. Primary treatment of diagnosed and suspected hip dislocations consists of immediate application of a Frejka splint and abduction exercises, followed by a radiograph at the age of 4 months. Persistence of any clinical symptom for 3 weeks requires intensification of treatment by use of the Pavlik harness.

UNREALISTIC OPTIMISM AND HEXACO TRAITS AS PREDICTORS OF RISK PERCEPTION AND COMPLIANCE WITH COVID-19 PREVENTIVE MEASURES DURING THE FIRST WAVE OF PANDEMIC

The aims of this study were to examine possible differences and factors that contribute to risk perception and compliance with preventive measures at the beginning (T1) and the end (T2) of the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic. The sample consisted of 423 participants (M = 30.29, SD = 14.45; 69% female). Compliance, risk perception and trust in information were significantly higher in T1 than T2. For risk perception, significant predictors in both T1 and T2 were age, Emotionality (HEXACO-PI-R) and Unrealistic Optimism (NLE, Negative Life Events). Trust in information was a significant predictor in T1, while Unrealistic Optimism (Positive Life Events) was a significant predictor in T2. For compliance, significant predictors in T1 were gender and trust in information while in T2 were Emotionality, Extraversion, Conscientiousness (HEXACO-PI-R), NLE and trust in information, for both T1 and T2. In general, findings suggest a much more pronounced role of personality traits in adherence to protective measures at the end than at the beginning of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia. Also, the results indicate the role of unrealistic optimism regarding negative life events in lower compliance with protective measures.