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High-pressure environments place heavy demands on working memory and executive control. This paper presents a theoretical integration of flow theory and Outcome Freedom (psychological detachment from results) to explain sustainable mastery under pressure. Drawing on evidence from attentional control theory, reinvestment research, working-memory studies, flow psychology, and the nonattachment literature, we develop the Unshackled Mastery model. The model proposes that optimal performance requires two interdependent elements: deep task absorption (flow) and psychological detachment from outcome-expectations (Outcome Freedom). Together, these processes preserve cognitive resources, maintain attentional flexibility, and protect skill automaticity even in high-stakes situations. Research in attentional control theory and reinvestment theory consistently shows that outcome-pressure disrupts cognitive control: anxiety consumes working-memory resources and reduces processing efficiency ((Eysenck & Calvo, 1992; Eysenck et al., 2007), while pressure triggers conscious monitoring of automated skills, undermining fluent execution (Masters & Maxwell, 2008). Evidence from nonattachment research further demonstrates that psychological detachment supports emotional stability, cognitive flexibility, and adaptive performance (Ho et al., 2022; Sahdra et al., 2010). These findings collectively underpin the Unshackled Mastery model. The framework predicts measurable differences in working-memory capacity, attentional flexibility, and neural activation patterns between outcome-attached and outcome-free performance states. We also outline how this model can be tested through psychometric development, neuroimaging studies, and randomised controlled trials across clinical, occupational, and athletic settings. This theoretical integration addresses a key gap: current models of burnout and performance optimisation treat flow, stress reactivity, and outcome-attachment as separate issues, lacking a unified framework that explains how they interact.

The present study aimed to develop a model of social anxiety in students based on maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies, examining the mediating role of negative self-talk. This descriptive-correlational study (using structural equation modeling) employed an applied research approach. The statistical population consisted of high school students (second period) in Ardabil during the 2023–2024 academic year. Using a cluster random sampling method, 251 students (119 boys and 132 girls) were selected. The data were collected through the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN), the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ), and the Calvete Self-Talk Inventory (STI). Data analysis was conducted using SPSS-27 and AMOS-24 software. Maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies were found to be positively and significantly related to social anxiety, both directly and indirectly through negative self-talk. Negative self-talk played a significant mediating role in this relationship. The findings highlight the importance of psychological interventions aimed at reducing maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and negative self-talk. Educational programs based on emotion regulation and cognitive restructuring may effectively reduce students’ social anxiety.

Objective: Marital conflicts negatively affect couples’ emotional, communicative, and social functioning, ultimately leading to the deterioration of their relationships. The present study aimed to predict the occurrence of marital conflicts based on forgiveness, humor, and intimacy. Methods: This research employed a descriptive-correlational design. The statistical population consisted of all women with marital conflicts in the city of Rasht, among whom 150 individuals were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Marital Conflict Questionnaire (MCQ), the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI), the Humor Styles Questionnaire (HSQ), and the Marital Forgiveness Scale (MFS). Data analyses were conducted using Pearson correlation coefficients and stepwise regression analysis in SPSS-22. Results: The findings indicated that marital conflicts had a significant negative relationship with forgiveness, humor, and emotional intimacy. Additionally, the stepwise regression analysis showed that the predictor variables explained 22.6% of marital conflicts in the first step, 30.4% in the second step, and 35.5% in the third step (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Based on the results, it can be concluded that increasing forgiveness, humor, and emotional intimacy between couples can reduce the level of marital conflicts.