La toma de decisión emocional afecta negativamente la eficacia de la primera ayuda psicológica, más allá del perfil psicológico del rescatista / Emotional Decision Making Negatively Affects the Effectiveness of Psychological First Aid, Irrespective the Rescuer's Psychological Profile / A tomada de decisão emocional afeta negativamente a eficácia dos primeiros auxílios psicológicos, além do perfil psicológico do socorrista

El protocolo de primera ayuda psicológica basado en el modelo de las 4 C (PAP-4C) establece pautas para brindar apoyo y rescatar a individuos afectados en el lugar y momentos inmediatos posteriores a un desastre. Los objetivos de esta investigación fueron estudiar los efectos de la toma de decisión y el entrenamiento presencial breve en la PAP-4C sobre la propensión al comportamiento eficaz de rescate según ese modelo, evaluada una semana después de la capacitación recibida; e identificar otras variables psicológicas que se vinculan con dicha propensión. Para este estudio, se adoptó un enfoque explicativo, que involucró la implementación de un diseño experimental factorial 2x2, con los factores toma de decisión y entrenamiento presencial breve en la PAP-4C, en una muestra de 175 estudiantes universitarios de una academia militar sin entrenamiento previo en rescate en situaciones de desastre. Los resultados de un ancova mostraron que la toma de decisión basada en la emoción perjudica la propensión al comportamiento eficaz en la PAP-4C en comparación con una toma de decisiones basada en la racionalidad, luego de controlar estadísticamente a las covariables. Con relación a la identificación de estas, una serie de características psicológicas se habían mostrado asociadas con la propensión al comportamiento eficaz de rescate. En este sentido, se habían hallado correlaciones positivas con tenacidad, honestidad, apertura, jovialidad, agradabilidad, la atracción afectiva hacia los demás y la toma de la perspectiva del otro. Además, se habían hallado asociaciones positivas con las estrategias de afrontamiento cognitivo dirigido a cambiar la situación, y cognitivo y conductual motor para reducir la emoción. Finalmente, se habían encontrado también asociaciones negativas con la aversión afectiva hacia los demás y el afrontamiento evitativo. En conclusión, por una parte, los resultados de este estudio apuntan a mostrar la importancia de que los líderes de grupos de rescate indiquen a los rescatistas que, cuando realizan la tarea del rescate de personas afectadas por desastres, eviten tomar decisiones emocionales. Por otra parte, los resultados también ofrecen orientación para la selección de personal sin experiencia previa en la asistencia en situaciones de desastre, ya que se identificó una amplia serie de variables psicológicas asociadas a la propensión al comportamiento eficaz en la PAP-4C. En suma, esta investigación proporciona un valioso aporte al campo de la asistencia psicológica en situaciones de crisis, al identificar factores y variables psicológicas que podrían influir en los comportamientos de los rescatistas no profesionales y sin experiencia previa cuando se debe rescatar y brindar apoyo psicológico a personas afectadas por un desastre.

The psychological first aid protocol based on the 4 Cs model (PAP-4C) establishes guidelines for providing support and rescue to affected individuals at the scene and in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. The ob-jectives of this research were to study the effects of decision making and brief training in the PAP-4C on the propensity for effective rescue behaviour according to that model, assessed one week after the training received; and to identify other psychological variables that are linked to that propensity. For this study, an explanatory approach was adopted, involving the implementation of a 2x2 factorial experimental design, with the factors decision making and brief face-to-face training in the PAP-4C, in a sample of 175 university students from a military academy with no previous training in disaster rescue. The results of an ancova showed that emotionbased decision making impaired the propensity for effective behaviour in PAP-4C compared to rationality-based decision making, after statistically controlling for covariates. In relation to the identification of covariates, a number of psychological characteristics had been shown to be associated with the propensity for efficient rescue behaviour. In this regard, positive correlations were found with tenacity, honesty, openness to experience, cheerfulness, agreeableness, affective attraction to the other and taking the other's perspective. In addition, positive associations were found with cognitive coping strategies aimed at changing the situation, and cognitive and behavioural motor coping strategies aimed at reducing the emotion. Finally, negative associations were also found with an affective aversion towards the other and avoidant coping. In conclusion, on the one hand, the results of this study aim to show the importance of rescue team leaders instructing rescuers to avoid making emotional decisions when carrying out rescuing disaster affected people. On the other hand, the results provide guidance for the selection of personnel with no previous expe-rience in disaster relief, as a wide range of psycho-logical variables associated with the propensity for effective behaviour in PAP-4C were identified. In sum, this research provides a valuable contribution to the field of psychological assistance in crisis situations by identifying psychological factors and variables that may influence the behaviours of non-professional and inexperienced rescuers when rescuing and providing psychological support to disaster-affected people.

O protocolo de primeiros auxílios psicológicos baseado no modelo 4 C (PAP-4C) estabelece diretrizes para fornecer apoio e resgatar indivíduos afetados no local e imediatamente após um desastre. Os objetivos desta pesquisa foram estudar os efeitos da tomada de decisão e do breve treinamento presencial no PAP-4C sobre a propensão para um comportamento de resgate eficaz de acordo com esse modelo, avaliado uma semana após o treinamento recebido; e identificar outras variáveis psicológicas que estão ligadas a essa propensão. Para este estudo foi adotada uma abordagem explicativa, que envolveu a implementação de um desenho experi-mental fatorial 2x2, com os fatores tomada de decisão e breve treinamento presencial sobre o PAP-4C, em uma amostra de 175 estudantes universitários de uma academia militar sem treinamento prévio em resgate em situações de desastre. Os resultados de uma ancova mostraram que a tomada de decisão baseada na emoção, prejudica a propensão para um comportamento eficaz no PAP-4C em comparação com a tomada de decisão baseada na racionalidade, após controlar estatisticamente as covariáveis. Em relação à identificação destas, uma série de características psicológicas mostraramse associadas à propensão para comportamentos de resgate eficazes. Nesse sentido, foram encontradas correlações positivas com tenacidade, honestidade, abertura, jo-vialidade, simpatia, atração emocional pelos outros e tomada de perspectiva do outro. Além disso, foram en-contradas associações positivas com estratégias de enfrentamento cognitivas destinadas a mudar a situação e estratégias de enfrentamento comportamentais cog-nitivas e motoras para reduzir a emoção. Finalmente, também foram encontradas associações negativas com aversão afetiva em relação aos outros e enfrentamento evitativo. Concluindo, por um lado, os resultados deste estudo pretendem mostrar a importância de os líderes dos grupos de resgate dizerem aos socorristas que, ao realizarem a tarefa de resgatar pessoas afetadas por de-sastres, devem evitar tomar decisões emocionais. Por outro lado, os resultados também oferecem orientação para a seleção de pessoal sem experiência anterior em assistência em situações de desastre, uma vez que foi identificada uma ampla série de variáveis psicológicas associadas à propensão para comportamentos eficazes no PAP-4C. Em resumo, esta investigação proporciona uma valiosa contribuição para o campo da assistência psicológica em situações de crise, ao identificar fato-res e variáveis psicológicas que podem influenciar os comportamentos de socorristas não profissionais e sem experiência prévia, ao resgatar e prestar apoio psicoló-gico a pessoas afetadas por um desastre

Virtudes y fortalezas del carácter en población adulta de Buenos Aires. Un estudio con un enfoque mixto émico/ético / Virtues and character strengths in Buenos Aires adult population. A study with a mixed emic/etic approach

El presente estudio tiene como objetivo establecer la validez cultural de la clasificación VIA (24 fortalezas en 6 virtudes) mediante la utilización de un enfoque mixto (ético/émico). Se intentó determinar si la clasificación VIA resultaba relevante culturalmente para poder capturar las respuestas de personas legas en ocasión de describir las características positivas de personajes protípicos admirados en un formato de respuesta libre (free listing). Participaron del estudio una muestra de 378 personas adultas de población general no consultante argentina, varones y mujeres. Los resultados señalan que las fortalezas más frecuentes fueron la integridad, la persistencia, la bondad y el amor, lo que da lugar a dos perfiles diferenciados de personajes prototípicos de características positivas. No se encontraron diferencias según sexo y edad. Los resultados sugieren que la clasificación VIA debe ser ajustada en función de las variables culturales.

The purpose of the present study is to establish the cultural validity of the Values in Action (VIA) classification through the use of 24 character strengths contained in 6 virtues, by implementing a combined emic-etic approach. A group of 378 male and female Argentinian adults participated from this research. The aim was to determine if the VIA classification was culturally relevant to portray the answers of the participants involved. Results indicate that the most frequent strengths listed by the participants were integrity, persistency, kindness and love. No differences regarding age and gender were found. The results also suggest that the VIA classification needs to be adjusted according to cultural variables.

Toma de decisión según racionalidad / afectividad, entrenamiento y saturación cultural en situaciones multiculturales: Un estudio experimental con soldados para la paz / Decision making under rationality / affectivity, training, and cultural saturation in multicultural situations: An experimental study with peacekeepers

Los llamados modelos duales proponen dos tipos de procesamiento de la información, relacionados con los modos de tomar decisiones emocionales y racionales. La investigación realizada se focalizó en el estudio de la toma de decisión en soldados para el mantenimiento de la paz (i.e., Cascos Azules). Ellos integran el personal militar que envía la Organización Naciones Unidas (ONU) para mantener la paz y brindar ayuda humanitaria en zonas de conflicto. Se empleó un diseño factorial 2x2x2, con las variables independientes: modalidad decisoria, entrenamiento como soldado para la paz y saturación cultural de la situación observada, y con la variable dependiente respuesta de intervención en la situación observada. Según las reglas de la ONU, no se debería intervenir en las situaciones multiculturales presentadas en este estudio. Se corroboraron tres hipótesis: (a) la toma de decisión basada en el procesamiento racional de la información en comparación con la toma de decisión basada en el procesamiento afectivo / emocional, lleva a no intervenir, (b) los expertos en misiones militares de paz internacionales (i.e., militares con entrenamiento de casco azul) en comparación con los inexpertos (i.e., militares sin dicho entrenamiento) realizan menos intervenciones y (c) la alta saturación de elementos culturales de las escenas en comparación a las escenas de baja saturación de elementos culturales lleva a realizar menor cantidad de intervenciones. Adicionalmente, se halló que la tendencia individual a tomar decisiones racionales urgentes está asociada negativamente con el tiempo de reacción. Se discuten los resultados en relación al marco de las teorías duales.

The so called dual models that emerged in the70s suggest that there are two types of information processing with opposite characteristics to one another and are related to ways of making emotional and rational decisions. This research focused on the study of emotional and rational peace keepers' decision making. Peace keepers are military personnel that participate in United Nations Organization (UN) international forces in order to be deployed in conflict zones around the world to maintain peace and to provide humanitarian aid. In these missions, peacekeepers' behavior is ruled by codes which are committed to ensuring the highest standards of conduct in UN military operations. According to these UN rules, servicemen should not intervene in situations of not obvious risk or no imminent physical harm to civilians of the local population. It is worth noting that inappropriate peacekeepers ´interventions can have serious negative consequences in the mission. Consequently, in the predeployment stage peacekeepers are trained by qualified military personnel with core operational and cultural information related the country where they are going to be deployed to have an effective performance during their duty. At the moment of our research, Argentinian peacekeepers were deployed in Haiti. The objective of this study was to study the effects of the emotional / rational decision-making mode, the Argentine's soldiers training as peacekeeper, and the level of cultural saturation in the observed situations; over the decision to intervene in multicultural situations. For this study, a piece of software called SITDE with a series of audible videos that reflect different situations related to the UN peacekeeper mission was used. There were two SITDE versions that differed from each other due to the level of cultural representation. One version contains a set of videos with high typical Haitian´s cultural saturation. The other version, a set of homologous videos related to the other series, includes scenes with fewer aspects of Haitian´s elements. After watching each video participants had to decide whether to intervene or not to intervene in the observed scenes. They should report its decision by clicking on a screen displaying two buttons with the corresponding decision. The software recorded the participant's response and the response time of each scene. This study sought to corroborate three hypotheses about peacekeepers' decision making on culturally diverse scenes in which they had no danger of imminent attack: (a) decision making based on rational information processing compared to decision making based on affective / emotional processing leads to not intervene; (b) military experts in international peace missions (i.e., military with UN training) compared to the inexperienced (military with no UN training) make fewer interventions and (c) the high saturation of cultural elements of the scenes compared to scenes of low saturation of cultural elements leads to make fewer interventions. The hypotheses were verified through a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design. The 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design included the independent variables decision making modality, training as peace -keepers, and cultural saturation of the observed situation; and the dependent variable intervention in the observed situation. The military personnel´s decision-making was manipulated by differentiated instruction, and the cultural saturation of scenes was manipulated by the use of the two SITDE versions. Additionally, it has been analyzed the relationship between the individual trend to the emotional / rational decision-making and relevant variables. It was found that the individual trend to the rational decision making in urgent situations is negatively associated to the reaction time. The results are discussed related to the frame of the dual theories.

The relationships between character strengths and life fulfillment in the view of lay-people in Argentina

Se examinó la importancia de las fortalezas del carácter para el desarrollo positivo desde el punto de vista de las personas legas. Una muestra de 687 adultos evaluó la importancia de las 24 fortalezas del carácter de la clasificación Values in Action para cinco áreas: bienestar personal, metas personales, relaciones personales y laborales y contribuir a un país mejor. Se diseñó un instrumento basado en la metodología de la encuesta que estaba compuesto por 24 ítems. Cada uno evaluaba una fortaleza en cada una de las cinco áreas comentadas. La confiabilidad global del mismo fue igual a .98. Los datos se analizaron mediante la inspección de las frecuencias (por ej.: grado de respaldo a cada una de las fortalezas en relación con el desarrollo positivo), considerando aquellas fortalezas que se encontraban por encima del percentil 90. En general, los resultados han mostrado que la fortaleza del carácter honestidad es un importante recurso personal para las cinco áreas consideradas en este estudio. Específicamente, amor, honestidad y vitalidad son las fortalezas del carácter más importantes para el bienestar personal; perseverancia y autorregulación, para lograr metas vitales, honestidad y gratitud para el desarrollo de relaciones positivas; compañerismo e imparcialidad para las relaciones laborales positivas, e imparcialidad y honestidad para contribuir a un país mejor. Se analizaron las diferencias por género y edad y se encontró que las mujeres consideraban a las fortalezas mucho más importantes que los varones para la mayoría de las áreas vitales consideradas. Este estudio señala que las concepciones implícitas de las personas legas deberían ser tomadas en cuenta a la hora de diseñar estrategias de intervención positivas basadas en las fortalezas del carácter.

The idea underlying this work is that character strengths are an essential component for achieving life fulfillment. In order to determine the extent to which strengths of character are essential to living a good life, this study was conducted from lay-people’s point of view. This work took as theoretical framework Seligman’s recent theory, known under the acronym of PERMA, which proposes that human strengths are vehicles for achieving positive emotions, engagement (flow), enriching relationships, meaning in life, and accomplishment of personal goals. This study considered life fulfillment beyond the hedonic conception of subjective well-being emphasizing the importance of both individual and social meaning; the relationship with others; and the achievement of personal goals, among others. A sample of 687 adults evaluated the importance of 24 character strengths from the Values in Action classification for the five areas that contribute to a fulfilling life: personal well-being, personal goals, personal relationships, work relationships, and contributing to a better country. This study used a similar methodology to Biswas-Diener (2006), who studied the attitudes towards the 24 VIA character strengths with members of dissimilar cultural groups. An instrument was designed comprising 24 items in a survey-format. Each item assessed one character strength for each of the five areas under study. Cronbach’s alpha reliability test for the overall scale was .98. Data was analyzed by calculating frequencies (e.g., the degree of endorsement to the character strengths in relation to life fulfillment) and conducting chi-square tests (e.g., gender and age differences). The character strengths over the 90th percentile were considered. The results showed that the character strength honesty is an important personal resource for the five areas studied. Specifically, love, honesty and zest were the major character strengths for personal well-being; persistence and self-regulation for achieving life goals; honesty and gratitude for developing positive personal relationships; citizenship and fairness for positive work relationships; and, fairness and honesty for contributing to a better country. Differences by gender were found. For the majority of the areas of life explored, women placed more importance on character strengths than men. The main finding of this study is that people consider the strengths of character from the VIA classification as important elements for life fulfillment. Most participants in this study showed a high degree of endorsement (60 to 70%) to each of the character strengths of the VIA classification for all the areas, i.e., achieving personal well-being, accomplishing life goals, enriching personal relationships, working well with others, and contributing to a better country. Based on these results, it can be concluded that from the point of view of lay-people, character strengths are not only fundamental to feel good but also to function well both in relation to themselves and to the world. Overall, intervention strategies, from the Positive Psychology perspective, tend to be generic and unspecific, without considering individuals’ particular points of view. Knowing people’s implicit ideas in relation to the strengths that contribute most to life fulfillment would allow generating more accurate and culturally adjusted interventions to the particular group in question. This adjustment not only operates as a key motivational aspect but also a reinforcement of the effect of the intervention. Future studies should experimentally compare the effectiveness of generic interventions on character strengths versus interventions focused on those strengths that the group under study deems important, especially in Latino populations in which the efficacy of these interventions has not been tested yet, and little has been studied in relation to this topic.

El estrés deteriora la memoria de trabajo espacial en ratas hembra / Stress impairs spatial working memory in female rats

Se exploró la modulación del deterioro de la memoria de trabajo espacial producida por estrés psicológico en ratas hembra Sprague-Dawley, de acuerdo a la hipótesis de Diamond et al. (1996). Los sujetos fueron entrenados en tareas de memoria de trabajo y de referencia en laberinto radial de ocho brazos. Alcanzado el criterio en memoria de trabajo, la demora entre el recorrido informativo y el de prueba -15´´- se incrementó sucesivamente a 5´ y 4 horas, manteniéndose los sujetos en un ambiente familiar. Se los expuso luego a un estresor psicológico -cambio a ambiente no familiar con olor de predador- durante la demora de 4 horas. Los resultados mostraron un deterioro inicial en el rendimiento en memoria de trabajo -pero no en memoria referencial- con la introducción del estresor, efecto que se ve atenuado a través de sucesivas exposiciones, como producto de la habituación al ambiente no familiar...

El estrés deteriora la memoria de trabajo espacial en ratas hembra / Stress impairs spatial working memory in female rats

Se exploró la modulación del deterioro de la memoria de trabajo espacial producida por estrés psicológico en ratas hembra Sprague-Dawley, de acuerdo a la hipótesis de Diamond et al. (1996). Los sujetos fueron entrenados en tareas de memoria de trabajo y de referencia en laberinto radial de ocho brazos. Alcanzado el criterio en memoria de trabajo, la demora entre el recorrido informativo y el de prueba -15´´- se incrementó sucesivamente a 5´ y 4 horas, manteniéndose los sujetos en un ambiente familiar. Se los expuso luego a un estresor psicológico -cambio a ambiente no familiar con olor de predador- durante la demora de 4 horas. Los resultados mostraron un deterioro inicial en el rendimiento en memoria de trabajo -pero no en memoria referencial- con la introducción del estresor, efecto que se ve atenuado a través de sucesivas exposiciones, como producto de la habituación al ambiente no familiar.

Spatial working memory impairment by psychological stress in Sprague-Dawley female rats was studied, according to Diamond et al hypothesis (1996). Subjects were trained on reference and working memory tasks in an 8-arm radial maze. Once criterion was reached, delay phase was increased first day, from 15 sec to 5 min, and the second day, from 5 min to 4 hr, with subjects remaining in their familiar environment. Subjects were exposured to a psychological stressor -change to a novel environment, with animals placed in restraint, predator scented cages- during the 4 hr delay period. Working memory errors -but not reference memory errors- significantly increased at first days, under stress condition. Working memory impairment was attenuated as a result of habituation to unfamiliar environment in subsequent four days,