European Journal of Behavioral Sciences

A Conjunction of Disciplines: Neuroarchitecture's Role in Advancing Social Science Research on Built Environments

Rengin Aslanoglu — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Neuroarchitecture is the interdisciplinary field standing at the crossroads of neuroscience and architecture that investigates how the built environment interfaces with human neural mechanisms to shape behavior, emotion, and cognition. While highly researched in application to healthcare and educational settings, how neuroarchitecture might conceptually shape and reframe the social sciences remains under consideration. The theoretical and empirical points of intersection, for instance, between neuroarchitecture and social sciences, have been made relevant within the framework of understanding human behavior, social interaction, and well-being in the built environment. Using a multidisciplinary perspective, this study outlines a conceptual framework for how neuroarchitectural insights can be integrated into the methodologies of social sciences. The approach integrates neuroscience, architecture, and environmental psychology through a comprehensive review of empirical and theoretical research on the topic. Major themes have been identified through bibliometric analysis and co-occurrence mapping to trace the evolution of neuroarchitecture and its relevance to social science contexts. Further, case studies in urban design and policy-making were investigated to point out practical applications, giving a base for actionable strategies that address social challenges through human-centered environmental design. The present study opens new perspectives for research into the way the built environment influences individual and collective experience and, on its part, allows novel insights into urgent problems in social sciences. Furthermore, it brings together different viewpoints regarding practical applications of neuroarchitecture to urban planning, policy decisions, and community development as a means of creating supportive environments that respond to diverse human needs. The study underlines the fact that the solution to some key challenges requires the collaboration of neuroscientists, architects, and social scientists. Hence, the study attempts to further both disciplines by offering bridges between the fields of neuroscience and social science.

Correlational Study of Perceived Stress, Sleep Quality, and Ergonomic Factors among Office Workers

Agastya Rishi Bhardwaj — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Office workers today are increasingly struggling with stress and poor sleep; poor ergonomic conditions are a big reason for this. Workspaces that aren’t designed well can interrupt a person’s circadian rhythm, increasing stress levels and worsening sleep quality. This study collected data from 73 office workers in India through the Perceived Stress Scale, BOSSA Time-Lapse survey, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The results showed that younger workers and those with less experience struggled more with stress and sleep, probably because they’re not yet great at handling work pressures. People in consultancy jobs seemed to have it worse than those in IT, reporting higher stress levels and worse ergonomic conditions. A strong link was found between stress and bad sleep; poor ergonomics also seemed to worsen sleep quality. These findings point to the need for offices to be more ergonomic to keep employees healthy and productive.

Interventions for Medical Students’ Psychological Wellbeing: A Scoping Review

Aisha Ali Hawsawi, Neil Nixon, Ananya Bhardwaj, Elena Nixon — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Amidst the acknowledged challenges to students' psychological wellbeing in medical education, this review aims to map and assess the wellbeing interventions employed in studies aimed to enhance medical students' quality of life and overall mental health and wellbeing. Despite the recognised need to address psychological wellbeing in medical education, ambiguity remains regarding the nature, range and effectiveness of the wellbeing interventions that have been made available to medical students for this purpose. Methods: Using the Arksey–O'Malley scoping review method, authors systematically searched Medline, PsycINFO, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases for publications from inception to December 2024. Two reviewers assessed study eligibility and extracted data on wellbeing interventions aimed at improving the psychological wellbeing of medical students. Results: Sixty papers met the criteria for inclusion as studies focusing on interventions targeting the psychological wellbeing of medical students. Our findings identified a diverse range of interventions, including mindfulness-based interventions, cognitive-behavioural therapy, mind-body medicine, pass/fail grading, curriculum changes, and wellness programs. These interventions demonstrated varying degrees of effectiveness in reducing poor psychological wellbeing and promoting positive outcomes. Specifically, mindfulness-based interventions showed positive impacts on anxiety reduction while cognitive-behavioural therapy interventions exhibited favourable effects on stress alleviation and psychological morbidity. Furthermore, students enrolled in pass/fail evaluation systems demonstrated substantial initial wellbeing improvement compared to other academic interventions. However, the effectiveness of mind-body medicine interventions, diverse curriculum changes, and wellness programs presented mixed results, stressing the need for tailored interventions. Despite the implementation of various interventions, uncertainty persists regarding their alignment with students' preferences, influenced by factors such as intervention format, time constraints, and academic pressures. Conclusions: The findings of this review offer insights into the nature, effectiveness and acceptability of psychological wellbeing interventions for medical students, underlining the need for interventions that align with students' preferences and choices. Continuous evaluations and adaptations of interventions are essential to meet evolving needs and to foster resilience among medical students.