Alexandra Maftei
Dados Biográficos
| ID | 4198331 |
|---|---|
| NOME | Alexandra Maftei |
| PRENOMES | Alexandra |
| SOBRENOME | Maftei |
| ASSINATURA | MAFTEI A |
| AFILIAÇÕES | Alexandru Ioan Cuza University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-9700-8794 |
| VERIFICADO | Sim |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 43 |
| TOTAL DE CITAÇÕES | 6 |
| TOTAL COMO AUTOR | 43 |
| TOTAL COMO EDITOR | 0 |
| PRIMEIRO ANO DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 2020 |
| ANO MAIS RECENTE DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 2026 |
| ÍNDICE H | 1 |
The Intersection of Faith and Disability
This study explored how representatives from three major Christian traditions (Orthodox, Catholic, and Reformed) perceive and interpret disability, focusing on the intersection of faith and disability through theological perspectives. Using a qualitative approach, the research involved six in-depth interviews with Romanian representatives from these Christian denominations. We examined how disability is understood in each tradition, highlighting …
Blurred Identity, Rising Distress
This study examines a serial mediation framework to gain a deeper understanding of how social media use affects mental health. Many young people experience a sense of emotional overload from constant connectivity (i.e., digital stress), which may be one of the earliest signs of psychological strain, and the impact on self-concept clarity may further compound these effects. Thus, we examined how digital stress and self-concept clarity may serially…
This is Too Much! Social media integration and adults’ psychological distress
The present study examined the predictive role of social media use on adults’ psychological distress through the mediating role of one of the digital stress factors, i.e. information overload. A sample of 295 participants aged 18–41 (M age = 21.15, SD = 3.67, 82% females) filled out self-reported questionnaires measuring social media integration, anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms, as well as cyber-based and place-based information overload…
A closer look into maternal psychological distress and the associated factors
The findings underscore the psychological burden experienced by mothers of children with autism and highlight the importance of targeted support interventions. Addressing psychological distress and its contributing factors may improve the well-being of these caregivers. The results carry important implications for mental health practitioners, researchers, and policymakers aiming to support families managing childhood disability or chronic illness
Just Ask Me About It! Antecedents of Vague Booking and Cyber-Gossip, and the Link With Psychological Distress
The present study examined the link between anti-mattering, loneliness, and psychological distress (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress). Additionally, we also examined the roles of vague booking and cyber-gossip within these relationships. Our convenience sample comprised 537 adults aged 18 to 66 ( M = 24.27, SD = 8.66, 78.77% females) who completed an online survey. The results suggested that higher anti-mattering, loneliness, and cyber-gossi…
Factors Associated with Students’ Psychological Distress
The present cross-sectional study examined some of the factors associated with psychological distress among students enrolled in Bachelor’s and Master’s programs. We investigated the roles of age, academic performance, creativity, cognitive flexibility, educational mattering, and anti-mattering and their roles when discussing participants’ psychological distress. Our sample comprised 337 students aged 19 to 29 from a Romanian public university, a…
The Moral Maze of Cyberbullying
The available literature suggests that cyberbullying victims might be prone to become cyber-perpetrators themselves and that cyber-passive bystanders might be influenced by their cyberbullying experience and moral disengagement. The current study aimed to investigate the role of cyberbullying victimization and passive bystander behavior as predictors of cyberbullying aggression, while accounting for the mediating role of moral disengagement (spec…
Children’s perceived parental control and academic achievement during the Covid-19 pandemic
Why Are We so Easily Ashamed? Examining the Hidden Scars of Early Exposure to Domestic Violence
Online Fairytales
Toxic sensation seeking? Psychological distress, cyberbullying, and the moderating effect of online disinhibition among adults
Cyberbullying among adults is barely studied, though its consequences may be as severe as in children and adolescents. The present study investigated the links between psychological distress, cyber‐perpetration, and passive cyber‐bystander behavior. We also explored the moderating role of toxic disinhibition in this regard. Our sample comprised 385 adults aged 19–66 ( M = 28.35, SD = 11.22, 76.62% females). The results suggested that psychologica…
Digital Reflections
The present study aimed to examine the link between narcissism, stress, and problematic digital behaviors. We used a cross-sectional approach that explored the indirect effects of nomophobia and social media addiction on the link between narcissism and chronic nonspecific arousal (i.e., stress symptoms). Our sample included 559 adults aged 18 to 45 (M = 27.14, SD = 8.43). Results suggested that narcissism was positively related to nomophobia and …
Mirror, mirror, on my (social media) wall, who’s the prettiest of them all? A serial mediation approach of the factors underlying adolescents’ acceptance of cosmetic surgery
The present study examined the potential factors underlying adolescents’ acceptance of cosmetic surgery. The sample was formed by 335 adolescents aged 12 to 18 (163 females and 172 males). Using an SEM serial mediation model with two mediators, we investigated whether social media use integration would predict the acceptance of cosmetic surgery through ideal body stereotypes – which would further lead to internalized body shaming. Results suggest…
Fun in a Box? Loneliness and Adolescents’ Problematic Smartphone Use
Addictive smartphone use is one of the most concerning behaviors among adolescents. The present study investigated the indirect effects of self-esteem and boredom proneness and the moderating role of the need to belong on the link between loneliness and addictive smartphone use (ASU). Our sample included 357 adolescents aged 12 to 19 ( M age = 15.56, SD = 1.01, 57.42% males) from ten public schools in Romania. We used a moderated mediation approa…
Stronger after the war? Resilience and posttraumatic growth among Ukrainian young refugees
The present study aimed to examine the relation between resilience and posttraumatic growth among young Ukrainian refugees. The sample comprised 102 Ukrainian students who fled the war in their country and found shelter in Romania. They were enrolled in Romanian universities. They filled out self-reported scales measuring resilience, posttraumatic growth, and hope two years after the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine started. Results i…
Abortion Attitudes and the Underlying Mechanisms
Not a Fairy Tale at All! Examining the Factors Underlying the Myths About Domestic Violence Among Romanian, Highly Educated Adults
The myths about domestic violence refer to the false, stereotypical beliefs aimed to minimize, deny, or justify the aggression. The present research explored the factors underlying the myths about domestic violence using a socio-cognitive perspective. In a sample of 364 Romanian adults with a university degree, aged 19 to 75 (M = 36.46, SD = 10.97, 79.9% females), we explored how sexism, patriarchal beliefs, moral disengagement, and the Dark Tria…
The value of motherhood and psychological distress among infertile women
Introduction: The present study investigated psychological distress and coping strategies among infertile women during the COVID-19 pandemic using a multi-dimensional model of infertility-related stress. We explored the associations between individual (i.e., age) and situational characteristics related to infertility (i.e., duration of infertility, cause of infertility, number of lost pregnancies, and assisted reproductive techniques [ART] status…
Perfect people, happier lives? When the quest for perfection compromises happiness
Building on the Conservation of Resources Theory and the Stress-Coping Model, the present study explored the relationship between perfectionism (rigid, self-critical, narcissistic) and subjective happiness among youth. In this relationship, we also examined the mediating roles of substance use (i.e., drinking and smoking) and Internet addiction symptoms. Our sample comprised 431 Romanian university students aged 18–25 ( M = 20.50, SD = 1.58), and…
Social media use as a coping mechanism during the Covid-19 pandemic
Introduction: Social media use was previously characterized as both a maladaptive coping mechanism, and a source of engagement with peers, suggesting an ambivalent effect. The present study explored how adolescents might use social media as a coping mechanism during the COVID-19 pandemic, using a multidimensional perspective on well-being. Methods: = 0.93, 57% males). We investigated the potential indirect effect of social media use, i.e., its co…
How do social networks, controlling parenting, and interpersonal sensitivity contribute to adolescents' appearance anxiety
Children’s altruism after recalling recent and distant morally-valenced behavior and the mediating role of guilt
Choosing a life with no children. The role of sexism on the relationship between religiosity and the attitudes toward voluntary childlessness
Am I thin enough? Social media use and the ideal body stereotype
Moral in the future, better now
The Moral Maze of Cyberbullying
The available literature suggests that cyberbullying victims might be prone to become cyber-perpetrators themselves and that cyber-passive bystanders might be influenced by their cyberbullying experience and moral disengagement. The current study aimed to investigate the role of cyberbullying victimization and passive bystander behavior as predictors of cyberbullying aggression, while accounting for the mediating role of moral disengagement (spec…
Online Fairytales
Abortion Attitudes and the Underlying Mechanisms
Not a Fairy Tale at All! Examining the Factors Underlying the Myths About Domestic Violence Among Romanian, Highly Educated Adults
The myths about domestic violence refer to the false, stereotypical beliefs aimed to minimize, deny, or justify the aggression. The present research explored the factors underlying the myths about domestic violence using a socio-cognitive perspective. In a sample of 364 Romanian adults with a university degree, aged 19 to 75 (M = 36.46, SD = 10.97, 79.9% females), we explored how sexism, patriarchal beliefs, moral disengagement, and the Dark Tria…
How good do you think you are with computers? The link between teachers’ perceived digital literacy, occupational efficacy, and psychological distress
Predictors of homophobia in a sample of Romanian young adults
Romania has surprised the European Union when, in 2018, the Coalition for Family, along with the ruling Social Democrats party, organised a controversial referendum against the LGBT community, asking to redefine marriage as only being between a man and a woman rather than ‘two spouses’. The present research contributes to a better understanding of the relationship between a series of demographic variables (gender and age), spirituality (spiritual…
Exploring the Mediating Roles of State and Trait Anxiety on the Relationship between Middle Adolescents’ Cyberbullying and Depression
Cyberbullying is a global problem with significant negative implications, especially among more vulnerable populations, such as adolescents. Previous research suggested that cyberbullying is significantly associated with depression, and anxiety seems to partially or fully mediate this relationship. We aimed to investigate the prevalence and the relationships between cyberbullying status (i.e., cyberbully, cyber victim, double role, or non-cyber),…
Predictors of homophobia in a sample of Romanian young adults
Romania has surprised the European Union when, in 2018, the Coalition for Family, along with the ruling Social Democrats party, organised a controversial referendum against the LGBT community, asking to redefine marriage as only being between a man and a woman rather than ‘two spouses’. The present research contributes to a better understanding of the relationship between a series of demographic variables (gender and age), spirituality (spiritual…
Does your child think you’re happy? Exploring the associations between children’s happiness and parenting styles
“I'm luckier than everybody else!”
The catastrophic wave in the fall of 2021 drove Romania to the top of the list of dangerous COVID-19 infections, with the highest mortality rate in Europe. At the same time, Romania had one of the lowest vaccination rates. In this context, the present research aimed to explore the link between vaccination intention/status, optimistic bias, COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs, the time spent online, and vaccination (anticipated) regret. Our convenience sa…
Using fake news as means of cyber-bullying
Implications of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Children and Adolescents
The present research investigated children and adolescents' explicit and spontaneous representation of the COVID-19 pandemic and their related emotions, cognitions, and coping strategies. We explored the self-reported protective factors and coping mechanisms, in addition to similar attributional emotional experiences, i.e., the ways participants evaluated others' pandemic experiences. Our sample consisted of 155 children and adolescents aged 10 t…
Children’s Self-Esteem and Attitudes toward Disability, Perceived Competence and Morality
The present study explored children's attitudes toward disability and the links with demographic factors (i.e., gender) and personal factors (i.e., empathy, sympathy, self-esteem). Our sample comprised 405 children aged 9 to 11 (M = 9.88, SD = 0.65, 47.4% males). First, we explored the links between self-esteem, empathy (cognitive and affective), and attitudes toward disability. Then, by using three scenarios involving a child in a wheelchair (Gr…
Death Obsession, Covid-19–Related Fear and Religiosity in People Living with Type 2 Diabetes
Patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes were included among high-risk groups for more severe manifestations in case of COVID-19 infection and higher risk of mortality. The current study aims to (1) examine the relationship between death obsession, religiosity, and fear of COVID-19 among type 2 diabetes patients, and (2) assess if religiosity moderates the relationship between death obsession and fear of COVID-19. This cross-sectional online surve…
The value of motherhood and psychological distress among infertile women
Introduction: The present study investigated psychological distress and coping strategies among infertile women during the COVID-19 pandemic using a multi-dimensional model of infertility-related stress. We explored the associations between individual (i.e., age) and situational characteristics related to infertility (i.e., duration of infertility, cause of infertility, number of lost pregnancies, and assisted reproductive techniques [ART] status…
Perfect people, happier lives? When the quest for perfection compromises happiness
Building on the Conservation of Resources Theory and the Stress-Coping Model, the present study explored the relationship between perfectionism (rigid, self-critical, narcissistic) and subjective happiness among youth. In this relationship, we also examined the mediating roles of substance use (i.e., drinking and smoking) and Internet addiction symptoms. Our sample comprised 431 Romanian university students aged 18–25 ( M = 20.50, SD = 1.58), and…
Social media use as a coping mechanism during the Covid-19 pandemic
Introduction: Social media use was previously characterized as both a maladaptive coping mechanism, and a source of engagement with peers, suggesting an ambivalent effect. The present study explored how adolescents might use social media as a coping mechanism during the COVID-19 pandemic, using a multidimensional perspective on well-being. Methods: = 0.93, 57% males). We investigated the potential indirect effect of social media use, i.e., its co…
How do social networks, controlling parenting, and interpersonal sensitivity contribute to adolescents' appearance anxiety
Children’s altruism after recalling recent and distant morally-valenced behavior and the mediating role of guilt
Choosing a life with no children. The role of sexism on the relationship between religiosity and the attitudes toward voluntary childlessness
Am I thin enough? Social media use and the ideal body stereotype
Moral in the future, better now
Where does disability come from? Causal beliefs and representations about disability among romanian children and preadolescents
Give me your password! What are you hiding? Associated factors of intimate partner violence through technological abuse
The good, the bad, and the utilitarian
Not so funny after all! Humor, parents, peers, and their link with cyberbullying experiences
The road to addiction (might be) paved with good intentions
Relying on an extended functionalist perspective, in the present study we investigated how motives underlying social media use (i.e., conformity, social/the need for social relationships), coping (the need for mood regulation), and defensive motives (anti-mattering, i.e., the feeling of not mattering to others) are linked to early adolescents’ psychological distress. We also evaluated the potential mediating role of social media addiction in the …
Transitioning from decades of segregation
As a post-communist country still transitioning from a culture of segregation of people with disability, Romania marks a distinct cultural space for studying the attitudes towards intellectual disability. In the current study, we investigated a prediction model which included age, gender, and religiosity as variables accounting for the variations in Romanian’s attitudes towards intellectual disability. Additionally, we measured the associations b…
More intercultural sensitivity, less cyberbullying
The present study aimed to explore the link between intercultural sensitivity, the four dimensions of cyberbullying, i.e. aggression, victimisation, cyber-defending, and passive bystander behaviour), and religious education as a formal study discipline in schools. Our sample consisted of 241 high school students (M = 18.54, SD = .49, 61% males). Our results suggested significant negative associations between intercultural sensitivity and cyber-pe…
Put your phone down! Perceived phubbing, life satisfaction, and psychological distress
The recent literature highlights the need to explore phubbing, a worrying growing phenomenon, and the potential associated factors and outcomes. Thus, the present study focused on perceived phubbing and the potential associations with life satisfaction and psychological distress. Additionally, this study examined the mediating role of loneliness. The cross-sectional, web-based study involved 720 Romanian adults aged 18 to 77 (M = 24.12, SD = 8.80…
The indirect effect of compassion on katagelasticism
The junction between moral psychology, humor, and some specific personality variables (i.e., uncertainty intolerance and compassion toward others) has been a neglected field of study. The present research explored the role of moral disengagement and intolerance of uncertainty in the relationship between compassion and katagelasticism. The sample was formed by 763 adults aged 18 to 70 (M = 24.62, SD = 8.29, 73.9% women). The findings suggested sig…
Psychology (42 obras) · Social Psychology (37 obras) · Developmental psychology (25 obras) · Clinical Psychology (21 obras) · Psychiatry (19 obras) · Social Psychology (16 obras) · Impact of Technology on Adolescents (15 obras) · Medicine (14 obras) · Distress (10 obras) · Clinical Psychology (9 obras)