We gratefully acknowledge all the participants that took part in these three studies. We are particularly grateful to a number of undergraduate and MSc students that acted as research assistants and contributed to data collection at London Metropolitan University and Queen's University Belfast. The studies were not preregistered. Author Contributions K.A.P. has written the manuscript and he was responsible for data collection and data preparation; F.M.G., D.B., P.W. and G.B.M. were responsible for data collection and data preparation for study 3; K.A.P., F.M.G. and G.B.M. have performed the statistical analyses; P.J.C. and G.B.M. provided critical reviews and comments during the write-up of this manuscript. P.J.C. is responsible for the conceptualisation of MT (as described in this manuscript) and the creation of the MTQ48 to assess MT; K.A.P. was responsible for the overall conceptualisation of the studies that are presented in this manuscript. All authors contributed to the revisions of this manuscript.

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Word count: 5,758 (including references and tables) KeywordsObsessive-compulsive disorder, OCD, attentional bias, eye-tracking, anxiety.OCD symptoms and attentional bias using eye-tracking 2 AbstractBackground and Objectives: Cognitive models suggest that attentional biases are integral in the maintenance of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS). Such biases have been established experimentally in anxiety disorders; however, the evidence is unclear in Obsessive Compulsive disorder (OCD). In the present study, an eye-tracking methodology was employed to explore attentional biases in relation to OCS.Methods: An opportunity sample of 85 community volunteers was assessed on OCS using the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale-self report. Participants completed an eyetracking paradigm where they were exposed to OCD, Aversive and Neutral visual stimuli.Indices of attentional bias were derived from the eye-tracking data. OCD symptoms and attentional bias using eye-tracking 3 Conclusions: Results provide some support for the theory of maintained attention in OCD attentional biases, as opposed to vigilance theory. Individuals with greater OCS do not orient to OCD stimuli any faster than individuals with lower OCS, but once a threat is identified, these individuals are unable to redirect attention.OCD symptoms and attentional bias using eye-tracking 4

Higher education institutions have a strong interest in attracting international students, however, there is little research on international students' experience while studying in the UK and how this relates to their adjustment and belonging. This research was conducted with 16 international students at a HE institution in Northern Ireland, using qualitative interviews to examine academic and socio-cultural challenges they experience while studying and living in a country different from their own. Findings suggest that the academic challenges posed by a different educational system, issues affecting social relations within the campus, and living in a homogenous society can have an impact on the international student experience. Adjustment challenges were primarily attributable to language and cultural barriers. These findings highlight that it is vital for institutions to better understand students’ needs and tailor their services to enhance international students’ learning experience.

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