Intellectual Virtues for Interdisciplinary Research: A Consensual Qualitative Analysis.

Through a qualitative approach, this study identified a specific subgroup of intellectual virtues necessary for developing interdisciplinary research. Cognitive science was initially conceived as a new discipline emerging from various fields, including philosophy, psychology, artificial intelligence, linguistics, and anthropology. Thus, a frequent debate among cognitive scientists is whether the initial multidisciplinary program successfully developed into a mature interdisciplinary field or evolved into a set of independent sciences of cognition. For several years, interdisciplinarity has been an aspiration for the academy, although the difficulties limiting the success of interdisciplinary collaborations have begun to erode that initial optimism. Our analysis suggests that the problems hindering the success of interdisciplinarity can be overcome by fostering certain intellectual character strengths in scholars. The Consensual Qualitative Research method was used to analyze nine semi-structured interviews involving researchers with a long personal trajectory of interdisciplinary research between the sciences and the humanities. Three virtue domains emerged from the interviews' analysis: (i) intellectual virtues, (ii) social virtues, and (iii) interpersonal intellectual virtues. The virtues of the third domain intersect with intellectual and social ones. They are intellectual because they pursue epistemic goods. But, unlike other intellectual virtues, they only develop in interpersonal settings, so they can also be considered to have a social component. Interpersonal intellectual virtues can be thus defined as intellectual character traits that facilitate the acquisition of knowledge (intellectual motivation) with and through other people in a reciprocal way (social environment). These virtues are essential for developing any successful collective epistemic enterprise, interdisciplinary research being a privileged context where these qualities manifest themselves in a relevant way.

Parenting, Gender, and Perception of Changes in Children's Behavior during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In a previous Argentine study, we found that, in the critical context of social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, there were changes in maternal practices that influenced the relationship with their children. We also found that the impact of mandatory isolation was moderated positively by protective factors such as positive parenting and maternal school support or negatively by risk factors such as maternal stress. Although this study only analyzed maternal behavior, we were interested in studying the behavior of both parents, comparing the parenting (positive parenting, parental stress, and school support) of the father and mother and the perceived behavioral changes in their children. A quantitative ex post facto study was carried out. The sample consisted of 120 Argentinean parents (70 mothers and 50 fathers) aged between 27 and 56 (M = 38.84; SD = 5.03). Questionnaires were administered on sociodemographic and behavioral data of the children, as well as a brief scale to assess parenting. Mann-Whitney U and MANOVA were used to analyze the influence of gender on perceived changes in children's behavior and perceived parenting, respectively. Mothers perceived more significant changes than fathers in their children's behavior. In addition, women reported more parental stress, greater child school support, and greater perceived positive parenting compared to men. These findings support the hypothesis that parenting developed differently in fathers and mothers. These results imply the need for psycho-educational intervention programs aimed at promoting greater involvement of fathers in parenting and better management of parental stress in mothers' and family psychological well-being.

Promoting positive emotions and instilling concern for the needs of others during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The purpose of this research is to study the efficacy of the home-based Hero program in promoting positive emotions and prosocial behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample included 237 12- to 15-year-old adolescents from Argentina. The level of positive emotions and prosocial behavior toward strangers, friends and family in the adolescent intervention group increased through the three evaluation periods. The Hero program was focused on recognizing one's own emotions and provided an opportunity to reflect on different positive aspects of life, thus allowing a change in perspective related to immediate negative events. Moreover, the program provided an opportunity to change adolescents' perspective from personal worries to concerns about others, including friends, family members, and even strangers in need.

Parenting and Children's Behavior During the COVID 19 Pandemic: Mother's Perspective.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many parents have felt anxious, overwhelmed, and stressed out due to the changes in education and family and working routines. This work aimed to (a) describe three dimensions of perceived parenting (positive parenting, parenting stress, and parental school support) in the COVID-19 pandemic context, (b) describe possible changes perceived by mothers in their children's behavior during the social isolation phase, (c) analyze if behavioral changes vary according to the dimension of perceived parenting, and (d) analyze whether the characteristics of perceived parenting dimensions vary with mother's age, number of children and number of work hours. The purposive sample consisted of 646 mothers of school-aged children in Argentina. Questionnaires on sociodemographic and work-related data, and on children's behavior were administered, as well as an instrument (Vargas Rubilar et al., 2021) that assessed the three parenting dimensions (positive parenting, parenting stress, and parent-school support). The sociodemographic and work-related variables of the study were described using descriptive statistics: measures of central tendency, frequencies, and percentages. The changes perceived in children's behavior according to the reports given by the mothers regarding positive parenting, parenting stress, and school support were compared using the Mann Whitney's U test, respecting the qualitative nature of the evaluated indicators. A factorial MANOVA was conducted to analyze the effect of mother's age, ä number of children, and the number of work hours on parenting perceived by mothers. Parenting dimensions influenced the perceived children's behavior. Mothers with higher positive parenting perceived more changes in their children's behavior. In addition, those mothers who were more stressed out perceived more problems in almost all the measured behaviors than less stressed mothers. The mothers who reported to have provided more school support to their children perceived that they adapted better to online classes. Finally, mothers' age and the number of children I parenting, particularly on parenting stress and school support, whereas work hours did not. A number of children affected stress and school support, and age only affected parenting stress. The only significant interaction regarding parenting was observed between the number of children and the number of work hours, which specifically affected parenting stress. Although social isolation due to COVID-19 affected children's behavior, according to mothers, this might be partially linked to the number of children, mothers' age, and the mothers' parenting style. These initial findings may allow the identification of some protective factors and some risk factors of parenting in the Argentine context of a pandemic, and the design of preventive psychoeducational interventions to optimize the psychological wellbeing of families.

Perceived Concerns and Psychological Distress of Healthcare Workers Facing Three Early Stages of COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: This study analyzed the difference in psychological distress of the healthcare workers in three different periods of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Argentina. Specifically, from the third week of the mandatory quarantine through the two following weeks. Methods: Analysis of the responses of 1,458 members of the health personnel was done on a questionnaire on healthcare workers concerns regarding the care of patients with coronavirus, indicators of depression, anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty, and coping. Results: The psychological indicators that were considered presented differences between the evaluated periods. Perceived concerns about the possibility of infecting loved ones and infecting themselves were greatest in the periods after the onset of the pandemic. In addition, the perception of how the work environment worsened and how lack of sleep interfered with their work was also higher in periods 2 and 3. The same results were found in the indicators of depression, anxiety, and intolerance of uncertainty. Finally, the indicators of high tension and concurrent lack of emotional control, which was greater in the last periods evaluated, were also expressed in the coping strategies (showing emotional lability, only contained by hypercontrol). Conclusion: The differences found in the psychological indicators between the evaluated periods support the need for early psychological care of health personnel which should be a priority of public health and a fundamental fact to increase its immediate effectiveness in the care of infected patients.

Adult Executive Functioning Inventory (ADEXI): Factor structure, convergent validity, and reliability of a Spanish adaptation.

Although there are several ratings to assess Executive Functions (EF) in adults, most of these are lengthy and comprise items which describe extreme or pathologic behaviors (e.g., ADHD symptoms), proving inadequate for the assessment of EF in general population. The Adult Executive Functioning Inventory (ADEXI) seeks to assess EF taking these limitations into account. The aims of the present study were to analyze the factor structure, the convergent and divergent validity, and the reliability of a Spanish adaptation of the ADEXI in a non-clinical population. The Spanish adaptation of the ADEXI, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), the Cognitive Flexibility Scale (CFS), and an adaptation of the Aggression Scale (AS) were administered to 369 healthy adults between 18 and 60-years-old. To analyze the factor structure of the ADEXI, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used. In addition, the relationship between the inventory and the IRI, the CFS and the AS was analyzed. Finally, Cronbach's α index was calculated. CFA showed that the two-factor model including (1) Working memory and (2) Inhibition best fit the data. Significant correlations were found between the ADEXI scores and the CFS, the IRI and the AS, providing additional evidence of construct validity. The internal consistency of the ADEXI was high (α = 0.87). Taken together, our results indicate that the Spanish adaptation of the ADEXI shows satisfactory psychometric properties and would be a valid and reliable measure to assess EF in non-clinical populations both for clinical and research purposes.

The long-term course of cognition in bipolar disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of patient-control differences in test-score changes.

Neuropsychological impairment represents a key aspect of bipolar disorder (BD) that is evident even in early-course patients and is a strong predictor of functional outcomes among those affected. Previous meta-analyses of longitudinal studies suggest that BD-related cognitive deficits may not progress along the course of the disorder. However, short test-retest periods were used in most primary studies and comparisons with healthy controls were limited. The aim of this review was to synthesize the findings of research reports comparing long-term neurocognitive trajectories between BD patients and healthy individuals. PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases were searched from inception through July 2021. Publications were considered for inclusion if they reported cognitive test scores of BD patients and healthy controls at two different time points, with a minimum test-retest interval of 5 years. Fifteen studies compared the long-term course of cognition in BD patients with that of healthy controls. Ten of these were included in the quantitative analysis and involved 540 BD patients and 644 healthy individuals (mean follow-up period: 8.9 years). Patient-control effect sizes (standardized mean differences) were calculated for test-score changes in 24 neuropsychological variables and combined by means of meta-analytic procedures. No significant differences were found between patients and controls regarding long-term cognitive outcomes. These findings are consistent with previous shorter-term longitudinal meta-analyses and do not provide evidence for progressive cognitive deterioration in most bipolar individuals. Future studies should address the longitudinal course of cognition in different subgroups of BD patients and its prognostic and therapeutic value.

A New Multidimensional Questionnaire of Empathy for Early and Middle Adolescents in Spanish.

The aim of this study was to develop a Multidimensional Questionnaire of Empathy for Adolescents, since a model of cognitive social neuroscience, operationalizing the dimensions of emotional contagion, self-awareness, perspective-taking, emotional regulation, and empathic attitude. For the psychometric study of the instrument, 320 young adolescents in school participated, from both genders (125 male, 195 female), aged 13 to 16 (M = 14.23; SD = .95). The discriminant power of the items was evaluated, as well as the underlying structure of the instrument, its internal consistency, and different evidences of external, convergent, discriminant, and group-comparison validity. The results indicated that all the items were discriminative. The adjustment indexes of confirmatory factorial analysis allowed confirming the pentafactorial structure of the scale, consisting of 15 items. The internal consistency indexes of the different dimensions were between moderate and adequate. Likewise, differences in empathy between men and women were analyzed, the results of which indicated differences in favor of women. The different collected evidences of validity were consistent with what was expected theoretically. In this way it is possible to conclude that this Multidimensional Empathy Questionnaire for Adolescents (CMEA) is a valid and reliable measure for the evaluation of empathy in adolescents.

El objetivo de este estudio fue desarrollar un Cuestionario Multidimensional de Empatía para Adolescentes, desde un modelo de neurociencia social cognitiva, operacionalizando las dimensiones de contagio emocional, autoconciencia, toma de perspectiva, regulación emocional y actitud empática. Para el estudio psicométrico del instrumento participaron 320 jóvenes adolescentes escolarizados, de ambos sexos (125 varones, 195 mujeres), de 13 a 16 años (M = 14.23; DT = .95). Se evaluó el poder discriminativo de los ítems, así como la estructura subyacente del instrumento, su consistencia interna y diferentes evidencias de validez externa, convergente, discriminante y de comparación de grupos. Los resultados indicaron que todos los ítems eran discriminativos. Los índices de ajuste del análisis factorial confirmatorio permitieron confirmar la estructura pentafactorial de la escala, compuesta por 15 ítems. Los índices de consistencia interna de las diferentes dimensiones estuvieron entre moderados y adecuados. Asimismo, se analizaron diferencias en la empatía entre hombres y mujeres, cuyos resultados indicaron diferencias a favor de las mujeres. Las diferentes evidencias de validez recopiladas fueron consistentes con lo esperado teóricamente. De esta forma se puede concluir que este Cuestionario Multidimensional de Empatía para Adolescentes (CMEA) es una medida válida y confiable para la evaluación de la empatía en adolescentes.

Evaluación de la serenidad infantil: Alternativas de autoinforme y reporte de observador / Assessment of child serenity: Self-report and observer report alternatives

Resumen Las emociones positivas constituyen una de las principales vías de acceso al bienestar psicológico, ya que favorecen el desarrollo de recursos que robustecen la capacidad de sobreponerse a la adversidad y de manejar con éxito diferentes situaciones de la vida. El presente trabajo aborda la medición de una emoción positiva de gran relevancia para el campo de la salud mental y la educación. El propósito principal fue construir y analizar el funcionamiento psicométrico de dos escalas independientes para evaluar la serenidad en niños argentinos: una técnica de autoinforme y un reporte de observador externo. Se llevó a cabo un estudio de tipo instrumental, con diferentes muestras de niños, seleccionadas para la autoevaluación y la heteroevaluación, a fin de analizar el poder discriminativo de los ítems, la consistencia interna, la validez de constructo y la validez nomológica de las escalas. En ambos casos, los resultados indicaron que los ítems tienen una adecuada capacidad discriminante, una consistencia interna alta, y se agrupan de manera clara en un único factor general. Asimismo, muestran evidencias de validez nomológica, ya que los niños con altas puntuaciones de serenidad tendrían menor probabilidad de mostrar comportamientos agresivos cuando se relacionan con sus compañeros, mostrarían menos hiperactividad y un menor número de reacciones impulsivas. A partir de los resultados, se concluye que las nuevas escalas de serenidad infantil constituyen un aporte interesante para el campo de la evaluación psicológica, ya que proveen datos confiables y válidos sobre una emoción positiva que ha sido escasamente estudiada en el período de la niñez.

Resumen Las emociones positivas constituyen una de las principales vías de acceso al bienestar psicológico, ya que favorecen el desarrollo de recursos que robustecen la capacidad de sobreponerse a la adversidad y de manejar con éxito diferentes situaciones de la vida. El presente trabajo aborda la medición de una emoción positiva de gran relevancia para el campo de la salud mental y la educación. El propósito principal fue construir y analizar el funcionamiento psicométrico de dos escalas independientes para evaluar la serenidad en niños argentinos: una técnica de autoinforme y un reporte de observador externo. Se llevó a cabo un estudio de tipo instrumental, con diferentes muestras de niños, seleccionadas para la autoevaluación y la heteroevaluación, a fin de analizar el poder discriminativo de los ítems, la consistencia interna, la validez de constructo y la validez nomológica de las escalas. En ambos casos, los resultados indicaron que los ítems tienen una adecuada capacidad discriminante, una consistencia interna alta, y se agrupan de manera clara en un único factor general. Asimismo, muestran evidencias de validez nomológica, ya que los niños con altas puntuaciones de serenidad tendrían menor probabilidad de mostrar comportamientos agresivos cuando se relacionan con sus compañeros, mostrarían menos hiperactividad y un menor número de reacciones impulsivas. A partir de los resultados, se concluye que las nuevas escalas de serenidad infantil constituyen un aporte interesante para el campo de la evaluación psicológica, ya que proveen datos confiables y válidos sobre una emoción positiva que ha sido escasamente estudiada en el período de la niñez.

Abstract The present research focuses on the measurement of a positive emotion of great relevance for the field of mental health and education. The main purpose was to develop and validate two independent scales to assess serenity in children: a self-report instrument and an external observer report. In Study 1, we evaluated the psychometric properties of a self-report instrument. The participants of this study were 613 children aged between 9 and 12 years old (44.70 % boys and 55.30 % girls), that attended public schools in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The scale consists of 11 items with three response options on a Likert scale (Yes, Sometimes, and No), and presents a comprehensible language for school-age children. It includes both general statements (e. g., "I am relaxed most of the time", "Most days I feel at peace"), as well as statements that refer to the search for serenity in threatening or stressful situations (e. g., "When someone bothers me I try to stay calm", "When things go wrong I try to calm down"). Study 2 was carried out to assess the psychometric properties of a serenity scale that takes into account the perspective of an external observer close to the child, such as parents or educators. This scale is appropriate for obtaining information from young children without the ability to read and write, from four years old and up. In addition, due to its short extension, it is ideal to work in the school context, when the teacher is required to complete the information for large groups of students. The non-randomized sample was composed of 365 children (51.4 % boys and 48.6 % girls), between 4 and 12 years of age, that attended the initial levels (.age = 4.60; SD = .50) and primary schools (.age = 8.13; SD = 1.68), from the province of Entre Ríos, Argentina. Teachers were responsible of answering the scale, in reference to each of their students. The report contains six items, with three response options on a Likert scale (Yes, More or less, and No). The items were formulated as questions that made reference to a threatening situation in which the child could exhibit or not the ability to calm down (e. g., "When the child encounters a problem, does he/she make an effort to stay calm?", "Can the child stay calm even if he/she is in a noisy or exciting environment?"). In both cases, an instrumental study was carried out to analyze the items' discriminative power, the internal consistency, the construct validity and the nomological validity of the scales. In both studies, the results indicated that the items have an adequate discriminant capacity, a high internal consistency, and are clearly grouped in a single general factor. They also provide evidence for nomological validity, since they correlate negatively and significantly with measures of aggression, hyperactivity and impulsivity. It is concluded that these new measures of serenity constitute an interesting contribution for the field of psychological evaluation, providing reliable and valid data on a positive emotion that has been scarcely studied in childhood. This study also revealed that serene children are less likely to show aggressive behaviors, such as hitting, kicking or insulting, when they relate to their peers; and that, in addition, they would show less hyperactivity and a smaller number of impulsive reactions. It would be advisable then that schools and parents could have a more active role in the teaching of exercises to encourage inner calm, in order to help their children to respond more responsively to the stressful situations in their environment.

Attachment Style Classification Questionnaire for latency age: Psychometrics properties of Argentine Sample.

The purpose of this article was to perform a psychometric study of the Attachment Style Classification Questionnaire (ASCQ) in Spanish language. This paper included three studies. The objectives of study 1 were to analyze the discriminative power of items, to carry out an EFA to determine the structure of the questionnaire, and to calculate the internal consistency of factors. The objectives of study 2 were to test the questionnaire structure through a CFA, and to determine if the model obtained was invariant between sex and age. The objective of Study 3 was to study the convergent validity. The three studies were carried out with three different samples of 180, 200, and 425 Argentinian children, aged 9 to 12 years, respectively. The results confirm the three factor structure of the adapted questionnaire, showing good psychometric properties (satisfactory internal consistency and adequate validity).

El propósito de este artículo fue realizar un estudio psicométrico del Cuestionario de Clasificación de Estilo de Apego en idioma español. Este trabajo incluyó tres estudios. Los objetivos del estudio 1 fueron analizar el poder discriminativo de los ítems, realizar un AFE para determinar la estructura del cuestionario y calcular la consistencia interna de los factores. Los objetivos del estudio 2 fueron probar la estructura del cuestionario a través de un AFC y determinar si el modelo obtenido era invariante a través del sexo y la edad. El objetivo del estudio 3 fue estudiar la validez convergente. Los tres estudios se llevaron a cabo con tres muestras diferentes de 180, 200 y 425 niños argentinos de 9 a 12 años, respectivamente. Los resultados confirman la estructura de tres factores del cuestionario adaptado, mostrando buenas propiedades psicométricas (consistencia interna satisfactoria y validez adecuada).

Personality and Creativity: A Study in Spanish-Speaking Children.

This work aimed at studying the relationship between personality from the Big Five Personality model and creativity through different techniques (i.e., a paper and pencil task, and scales) and informants (i.e., the child and parents). We evaluated a sample of 359 Spanish-speaking school children of both genders, aged 9 to 13 years. Personality was assessed with the Argentine Questionnaire of children's Personality (CAPI). Creativity was evaluated using the following instruments: The Torrance Test of Creative Thinking-Figural Form B; and the Creative Personality Scale (EPC). Pearson correlations and multiple linear regressions consistently showed that Neuroticism related negatively to creativity while competence has a positive relation. The results suggested that more creative children presented less vulnerability, irritability and psychological distress, eventually becoming more independent, competent and emotionally self-regulated in coping with environmental demands.

Este trabajo tuvo como objetivo estudiar la relación entre la personalidad desde el modelo de los Big Five y la creatividad a través de diferentes técnica (i.e., tareas de papel y lápiz, y escalas) e informantes (i.e., niños y padres). Se evaluó una muestra de 359 escolares hispano hablantes de ambos sexos, de 9 a 13 años de edad. La personalidad fue evaluada con el Cuestionario Argentino de Personalidad Infantil (CAPI). La creatividad fue evaluada usando los siguientes instrumentos: la prueba de figuras del Test de Pensamiento Creativo de Torrance, Forma B (TTCT), y la Escala de Personalidad Creadora (EPC).Las correlaciones de Pearson y las regresiones lineales múltiples demostraron consistentemente que el Neuroticismo se relaciona negativamente con la creatividad, mientras que la faceta de la competencia lo hace positivamente. Los resultados sugieren que los niños más creativos presentarían menos vulnerabilidad, irritabilidad y angustia psicológica siendo más independientes, competentes y emocionalmente autorregulados para hacer frente a las demandas ambientales.

Parenting Styles, Prosocial, and Aggressive Behavior: The Role of Emotions in Offender and Non-offender Adolescents.

The aim is to analyse the parenting styles effects (acceptance, negative control and negligence) on prosociality and aggressive behavior in adolescents through the mediator variables empathy and emotional instability, and also, if this model fits to the same extent when we study adolescents institutionalized due to problems with the law and adolescents from the general population, and at the same time, if the values of the different analyzed variables are similar in both groups of adolescents. We carried out a cross-sectional study. 220 participants from schools in the metropolitan area of Valencia took part in the study. Also, 220 young offenders took part recruited from four Youth Detention Centres of Valencia, in which they were carrying out court sentences. The age of the subjects range from 15-18 years. The results indicate that the emotional variables act as mediators in general, in the non-offender adolescents, but it has been observed, in the offender adolescents, a direct effect of support on aggressive behavior in a negative way and on prosociality in a positive way; and of negligence on aggressive behavior and of permissiveness on prosociality in a negative way.

Programa de fortalecimiento parental en contextos de vulnerabilidad social: Una propuesta desde el ámbito escolar / Program of parental strengthening in contexts of social vulnerability: A proposal from the school environment

El trabajo que se informa destaca el rol relevante de la familia y del ejercicio adecuado de la parentalidad para el desarrollo humano. Dado que las competencias parentales estarían relacionadas con el contexto social, se describen las características de las familias en vulnerabilidad social, teniendo en cuenta los riesgos psicosociales a los que muchas veces están expuestas, las consideraciones culturales de lo que significa ser buenos padres y las propias experiencias de los progenitores o cuidadores en sus familias de origen. Se revisan diversas modalidades de programas de intervención familiar y parental, destacando la importancia del diseño, implementación y evaluación de estos programas en contextos de vulnerabilidad social. En este marco, y considerando que en Argentina existe un escaso desarrollo de programas de apoyo a las familias socialmente vulnerables, se presenta una propuesta de intervención aplicable en el ámbito escolar y dirigida a fortalecer las competencias parentales. El programa propuesto, basado en el enfoque de la parentalidad positiva, integra elementos de los modelos de intervención educativo y comunitario, ya que se implementa en forma grupal, mediante encuentros expositivo-participativos y en coordinación con la escuela a la que asisten los hijos de los beneficiarios. Como conclusión y en función de la experiencia obtenida por las interventoras y la observada en las madres participantes, se presenta una reflexión sobre las contribuciones de la intervención propuesta y los desafíos pendientes para futuras aplicaciones del programa.

This study stresses the significant role of the family and a proper parenting performance for human development. Parenting in itself is very complex, since it demands a balanced combination of several essential factors such as affection, communication, discipline, and the autonomy granted to children. Given the fact that parental skills would be related to a specific social context, a description of the characteristics of families in situations of social vulnerability is provided. Likewise, it is noteworthy that parenting development would depend on those cultural considerations implicated in the concept of being good parents, and the parents or caregivers’ own experiences of upbringing, temperament and resilience. Subsequently, the main modalities of family intervention programs are reviewed, highlighting the importance of design, implementation and evaluation of the former in contexts of social vulnerability. Within this frame work, and considering that in Argentine there are very few programs supporting families in social vulnerability, the main aim of this research is to present an intervention proposal to strengthen parenting skills applicable in the school setting. The proposed program, which is based in the approach of positive parenting, integrates elements from educational and community intervention models, since it is performed in groups, by means of participative and expositive meetings and in coordination with the school attended by the children of the project participants. The proposed intervention was based on two basic areas: (a) direct intervention for parents: the promotion of parenting skills (i.e., attachment, parental empathy, parenting style, positive communication and support networks) and (b) indirect intervention for children: training parents in strategies to promote children’s development of socio-emotional resources (e.g., positive emotions, prosocial behavior, etc.). The intervention was carried out in a school within a context of social vulnerability in the province of Entre Ríos (Argentina). The organization of the meetings was conducted by an interdisciplinary team (i.e., psychologists and educational psychologists). The topics addressed were agreed with the participants based on their interests and needs; a total amount of 30 meetings of 60 to 90 minutes each were carried out. The themes were as follows: parental and child self-esteem, appropriate expression of affection, positive communication and conflict resolution, positive emotions, the strengthening of cognitive resources, prosocial behavior, social skills, family, parental and child resilience, social support networks to families and family-school relationships. The main approach techniques used were: (a) information exposure, (b) peers' feedback and co-reflection, (c) modeling of attitudes and alternative behaviors, (d) task assignments and proposals for action, and (e) interviews after workshops. The research findings are related to those found by other intervention programs made with parents and caregivers in other countries. These preliminary results show that parenting skills, the type of relationship and even the attachment with the children could be modified through the implementation of programs of parental strengthening. Furthermore, the results showed that the program could also help to improve family-school relationships. In some cases, the intervention implemented aroused the interest of the participants in the schooling situation of their children, and at the same time it improved the communication among parents, teachers, and the people in charge of the school. The exploratory results of this proposal of intervention clearly show the need to support and implement these specific kinds of programs, which aim to strengthen the resources of parenting skills and encourage a healthy development of children. Based on the experience got from interventionists and participating mothers, a final consideration about the contributions of the proposed intervention and the possible future challenges observed after the implementation of the program is presented.

A structural equation modeling of executive functions, IQ and mathematical skills in primary students: Differential effects on number production, mental calculus and arithmetical problems.

Though the relationship between executive functions (EFs) and mathematical skills has been well documented, little is known about how both EFs and IQ differentially support diverse math domains in primary students. Inconsistency of results may be due to the statistical techniques employed, specifically, if the analysis is conducted with observed variables, i.e., regression analysis, or at the latent level, i.e., structural equation modeling (SEM). The current study explores the contribution of both EFs and IQ in mathematics through an SEM approach. A total of 118 8- to 12-year-olds were administered measures of EFs, crystallized (Gc) and fluid (Gf) intelligence, and math abilities (i.e., number production, mental calculus and arithmetical problem-solving). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) offered support for the three-factor solution of EFs: (1) working memory (WM), (2) shifting, and (3) inhibition. Regarding the relationship among EFs, IQ and math abilities, the results of the SEM analysis showed that (i) WM and age predict number production and mental calculus, and (ii) shifting and sex predict arithmetical problem-solving. In all of the SEM models, EFs partially or totally mediated the relationship between IQ, age and math achievement. These results suggest that EFs differentially supports math abilities in primary-school children and is a more significant predictor of math achievement than IQ level.

Validación del Cuestionario de Conciencia Emocional en Adolescentes Españoles / Validation of Emotional Awareness Questionnaire in Spanish Adolescent

La regulación de la emoción es un proceso complejo que implica la iniciación, inhibición o modulación del propio estado o comportamiento en una situación dada (Cole, Michel & Teti, 1994). La regulación emocional tiene una función altamente significativa en la vida humana ya que reacciones emocionales inapropiadas, extremas o incontroladas pueden impedir un ajuste funcional a la sociedad (Koole, 2009). Sin embargo para una adecuada regulación emocional es necesaria una buena comprensión emocional y, a su vez, para una comprensión eficaz se requiere una apropiada percepción emocional. En este estudio se analizan las propiedades psicométricas de la versión española del Cuestionario de Conciencia Emocional revisado (Emotional Awareness Questionnaire, EAQ30) desarrollado por Rieffe, Oosterveld, Miers, Terwogt y Ly (2008). La versión española del EAQ30 fue administrada a 1.316 adolescentes españoles de 14 a 16 años. Los datos confirman la estructura original de la escala de seis factores: Distinción de las emociones, Intercambio verbal de las emociones, No ocultamiento de las emociones, Conciencia corporal, Análisis de las emociones y Atención a las emociones de los otros. Los coeficientes de consistencia interna de las subescalas del EAQ30 fueron satisfactorios y equivalentes a los obtenidos en la escala original. Por otra parte, el estudio también confirmó la invariancia de la estructura factorial del instrumento cuando se considera el sexo, en la adolescencia media. Estos resultados permitirían sostener que la adaptación al español aquí presentada puede ser utilizada para evaluar el constructo conciencia emocional en adolescentes de lengua española de un modo válido y confiable en ambos sexos.

Emotional awareness is an attentional process that enables us to monitor our emotions and to differentiate between various emotions in a qualitative sense, to locate their antecedents, and to acknowledge the physiological correlates of the emotion experience (Rieffe, Oosterveld, Miers, Terwogt, & Ly, 2008). Rieffe and colaborators (2008) consider that emotional awareness also includes attitudinal aspects such as positive or negative appreciation of the own emotions, consideration of them as aspects of oneself, or on the contrary, that they must be communicated to the others. Emotional awareness would be a cognitive skill that would enable the opportunity to regulate the most primitive emotional reactions and find patterns that are more appropriate reaction to a particular context (Rieffe, Terwogt, Petrides, Cowan, Miers, & Tolland, 2007). It is necessary to have a good emotional awareness to adequately cope a particular situation. Since there were no scales to measure emotional awareness but often alexithymia scales were used to evaluate it as its opposed emotional state, Rieffe and colleagues (2007) developed the Emotional Awareness Questionnaire (EAQ). Different analyses carried out by Rieffe and collaborators led to the Revised Emotional Awareness Questionnaire (EAQ Revised - Rieffe et al., 2008). Subsequent studies developed by Lahaye, Luminet, Broeck, Bodart, and Mikolajczak (2010) using the revised Emotional Awareness Questionnaire, found a positive correlation of the questionnaire’s six dimensions with emotional intelligence. The same study showed a negative correlation between emotional awareness and the three dimensions - difficulty in identifying feelings, difficulty in describing feelings, and oriented to an external thinking - that make up Alexithymia Questionnaire for Children developed by Rieffe, Oosterveld, and Meerum Terwogt (2006). Given the importance of emotional awareness to the emotional development of children and adolescents and that there are no instruments published in Spanish that validly measure this construct, in this study, we investigated the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Emotional Awareness Questionnaire (EAQ 30; Rieffe et al., 2008). The EAQ30 is a self-report questionnaire comprising 30 items rated on a 3-point scale (1 = Not true, 2 = Sometimes true, 3 = True). It includes six subscales or dimensions: (1) Differentiating emotions or ability to differentiate and understand the causes of emotions; (2) Bodily awareness or identification of the physical aspects of emotional experience; (3) Verbal sharing or verbal communication’s own emotional state; (4) Acting out emotions or impulsive tendency to show emotions of oneself in a way non- functional; (5) Analyses of emotionsor ability to deal voluntarily to one’s emotions; and finally, and (6) Attending to others’ emotions or the voluntary decision to deal with the emotions of others. The EAQ30 was administered to 1316 children aged 14 to 16 years old (age: M = 14.95; SD = .72), from Valencia (Spain), of middle socioeconomic level. The translation of this questionnaire was performed according to the International Test Commission guidelines for test adaptation (Hambleton, 2001). Asix-factor model was tested using AMOS Program; the results have shown that the original 6-factor structure was replicated in our data. The internal consistency coefficients of the EAQ30 subscales were satisfactory -Cronbach’s estimates between .68 and .70- and equivalent to those obtained in the original scale. A multiple group analysis was used to test whether the six-factor model was invariant across the gender by examining the change in model ji square and comparative fit index (CFI) values. We found the model of 6-factor has metric invariant through gender. These results allow us to claim that the Spanish version presented here can be used to evaluate the construct emotional awareness in Spanish adolescents of a valid and reliable way. It would be interesting to do further studies with different Spanish-speaking populations to see if the stability of the structure is preserved after making appropriate adjustments to the specific language in the use of Spanish for each of the populations involved.

Engagement, Flow, Self-Efficacy, and Eustress of University Students: A Cross-National Comparison Between the Philippines and Argentina.

This study examined how self-efficacy, eustress, and flow interact with academic engagement. First, it aimed to test a theoretical model that proposes that self-efficacy and eustress promote both flow and engagement and that, in turn, the state of flow promotes academic engagement in undergraduate student. We hypothesized that the theoretical model would be invariant for two countries: the Philippines and Argentina. Secondly, this research aimed to compare the levels of self-efficacy, eustress, study-flow and academic engagement experiences in students from both countries. One hundred seventy-six Filipinos and 171 Argentinean students participated in the study by completing inventories using the Utrecht Student Engagement Scale (Schaufeli, Martínez, et al., 2002), Optimal Experience Survey (Mesurado, 2008), Self-efficacy Scale (O'Sullivan, 2011), and Eustress Scale (O'Sullivan, 2011). Results show that the theoretical model fits the data well in both countries and is invariant across the Philippines and Argentina. Self-efficacy has a positive effect on flow and engagement, whereas eustress has a significant positive relationship with flow but is not directly associated with engagement. However, eustress has an indirect effect, through flow, on student engagement. On the other hand, there are different levels of engagement, flow, self-efficacy, and eustress. Argentinean students scored higher on absorption, dedication, self-efficacy, and flow. Filipino students, meanwhile, scored higher on eustress.

Adaptación y validación en población española de la Escala de Expectativa de los hijos adolescentes sobre la reacción de sus padres frente al comportamiento prosocial y antisocial / Adaptation and Validation in Spanish Sample of Adolescents' Expected Parental Reactions to Prosocial and Antisocial Behaviors

El objetivo de esta investigación es presentar una adaptación y validación en población española de la Escala de Expectativa de los hijos adolescentes sobre la reacción de sus padres frente al comportamiento prosocial y antisocial, desarrollada por Wyatt y Carlo (2002). La muestra estuvo compuesta por 631 adolescentes españoles de entre 15 a 18 años de edad, de clase media, de ambos sexos. Se realizó un análisis factorial confirmatorio para estudiar la validez de constructo de la escala y se analizó la consistencia interna a través del cálculo del alpha de Cronbach. Los resultados indican que la escala posee buenos índices de ajuste al modelo teórico propuesto por los autores en su versión original. Asimismo, se realizó un análisis multigrupo con la intención de mostrar la invarianza del modelo en función del sexo. El modelo se mantuvo invariante, lo que confirma la estructura bifactorial de la escala que mide la expectativa de los adolescentes de la reacción de sus padres frente a las conductas adaptativas y desadaptativas.

The aim of this study is to carry out an adaptation and validation of Adolescents' Expected Parental Reactions Scale in Spanish sample. This original scale was developed by Wyatt and Carlo (2002). The sample was composed by 631 adolescents, between 15 and 18 years, middle-class and both sexes. A confirmatory factor analysis was carried out to study construct validity and with Cronbach's alpha was studied internal consistence. The results showed that scale has good fit indexes to theoretical model proposed by original authors. On the other hand, a multigroup analysis was carried out to study the invariance of model through both sexes. The model was invariant, this supports the bifactiral structure of the scale that assessments adolescents' expected parental reactions on prosocial and antisocial behaviors.