Efficacy of Artistic Actions in Raising Awareness of Gender Equality and Sexual Diversity in University Contexts.

The university community faces problems of gender inequality and intolerance toward sexual diversity that are based on heteronormativity and machismo and particularly affect women and LGTBI individuals. This study proposes that, through arts-based public pedagogy, it is possible to increase the sensitivity of the university community (PDI, PAS, and students) to gender equality and sexual diversity. This research evaluates the efficacy of a series of artistic actions carried out in the public space of three Spanish universities (UV, UPV, and UMH), based on the participants' self-assessments of their attitudes before and after witnessing these actions. Differences are analyzed by gender, university collective, and age. The results show that artistic actions have significant positive effects on the awareness of the members of the university community at cognitive, affective, and moral levels. This influence varies somewhat depending on the gender, age, and university collective. Implications of these differences are discussed, as well as the relevance of opportunities to gain knowledge in explaining them. Finally, keys to future awareness campaigns are presented.

Creativity as a "vaccine" for depressed mood: coping and divergent thinking in young adults

El estado de ánimo deprimido es cada vez más frecuente en nuestra sociedad. Es urgente no solo explorar cómo tratar este problema sino, sobre todo, cómo prevenirlo. El pensamiento divergente puede ser útil para esa prevención. La relación entre el pensamiento divergente y el estado de ánimo depresivo en adultos jóvenes podría estar mediada por las estrategias de afrontamiento. Dos podrían ser las formas más factibles de conexión: un afrontamiento activo centrado en el problema (como la resolución de problemas o estrategias de reevaluación positivas) y la erradicación de un afrontamiento centrado en las emociones (como las estrategias de afrontamiento negativas centradas en uno mismo). El objetivo de este estudio es probar un modelo teórico que establece una relación indirecta del pensamiento divergente sobre el estado de ánimo depresivo. Los participantes fueron 135 sujetos con edades comprendidas entre los 18 y los 25 años. El análisis estadístico incluyó un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales. Los índices de ajuste para este modelo fueron: CFI = .951, GFI = .960, RMSEA = .067. El modelo inicial condujo a uno final avalado por su bondad del ajuste. Este modelo confirma una relación positiva entre pensamiento divergente y reevaluación positiva y un vínculo negativo entre este tipo de pensamiento y la autofocalización negativa. Ambas estrategias de afrontamiento están relacionadas con el estado de ánimo deprimido. El pensamiento divergente puede facilitar una reevaluación positiva que ayude a ampliar el repertorio de opciones en los jóvenes. También puede reducir la probabilidad de centrarse en la expresión emocional inmediata y descontrolada, los sentimientos de impotencia y resignación. De una forma u otra, el pensamiento divergente puede promover estrategias de afrontamiento que pueden servir como profilaxis para la desesperanza en adultos jóvenes que generalmente está relacionada con el estado de ánimo depresivo.(AU)

The depressed mood has more and more presence in our cur-rent society. It is urgent to explore ways not only to deal with depressed mood but also to prevent it. Divergent thinking could be useful in such prevention. Certain coping strategies could mediate the relationship be-tween divergent thinking and depressed mood. Two are the most feasible ways of connection: active problem-focused coping (like problem-solving or positive reappraisal strategies) and decreasing the odds of emotion-focused coping (like negative self-focused coping strategies). The objective of this study is to test a theoretical model that establishes the indirect rela-tionship of divergent thinking on depressed mood. Participants were 135 subjects with ages ranging between 18 and 25 years old. The statistical analysis includedstructural equations modeling. The initial model led to a final model endorsed by the goodness of fit. Comparative Fit Indices for this model were: CFI = .951, GFI = .960, RMSEA = .067. This model supports a positive relationship between divergent thinking and positive reappraisal and a negative link between this kind of thinking and negative self-focused coping. Both coping strategies are connected to depressed mood. Divergent thinking can facilitate a positive reappraisal that helps to widen youngers’ repertoire of options. It can also reduce the probability of focusing on immediate and uncontrolled emotional expression, feelings of helplessness, and resignation. In one form or another, divergent thinking can promote coping strategies that can serve as a prophylaxis for hopeless-ness in young adults that is generally related to depressed mood.(AU)

Idle minds are the devil's tools? Coping, depressed mood and divergent thinking in older adults.

OBJECTIVES: The main aim was to test a causal relations model of the problem-focused and emotion-focused coping styles, depressed mood, and divergent thinking (DT) in older adults. It was hypothesized that both forms of coping would have a significant effect on predicting depressed mood, and that problem-focused coping and depressed mood would have a significant effect on DT. METHOD: Participants were 135 subjects with ages ranging between 55 and 84 years old, who took part in a personal interview and filled out several questionnaires. The statistical analysis included structural equations models (SEM). RESULTS: The initial model led to a final model endorsed by the goodness of fit, composite reliability, and discriminant validity indexes. This model confirms a direct relationship between the two types of coping strategies and depressed mood (with the opposite sign), but not between rational coping and DT. Finally, depressed mood was also confirmed as a mediator variable between coping and DT. CONCLUSION: The type of coping is a clear predictor of mood in older adults. Advanced age decline is not necessarily translated into inefficacy in everyday problem solving especially in those who, through proble-focused coping, avoid depressed moods and maintain good levels of DT.

El test de creatividad infantil (TCI): evaluando la creatividad mediante una tarea de encontrar problemas / The child creativity test (TCI): Assessing creativity through a problem finding task

Los tests de pensamiento divergente no atienden generalmente a la naturaleza compleja de la creatividad y se centran en el producto final o solución del problema, obviando fases previas del proceso creativo como la búsqueda y formulación del problema. El presente estudio adopta el modelo de problem-finding y plantea una nueva medida de la creatividad para niños de educación primaria (6-12 años). Se expone la fundamentación teórica así como el proceso de diseño, construcción y validación de la prueba a través de diferentes estudios. El Test de Creatividad Infantil (TCI) evalúa el proceso creativo a partir de una tarea estructurada en dos fases: formulación y solución del problema. El test considera no sólo el resultado final (un dibujo) sino las fases previas que llevan a alcanzarlo. Los resultados muestran una fiabilidad y validez satisfactorias de las puntuaciones de la prueba. Se concluye que el TCI tiene unas propiedades psicométricas robustas y puede ser una herramienta útil para predecir el comportamiento creativo de los niños en educación primaria

Divergent thinking tests do not generally address the complex nature of creativity but rather focus on the final product or solution of a problem, overlooking the previous stages of the creative process such as the discovery and formulation of a problem. The present study adopts the lrsquo;problem finding’ model and presents a new measure of creativity in children in primary education (6-12 years old). This paper presents the theoretical foundations as well as the process of designing, developing, and validating the test through different studies. The Child Creativity Test (TCI in Spanish) evaluates the creative process through a task structured in two stages: formulation and solution of a problem. The test considers not only the final output (a drawing), but also the previous phases that lead to it. Results show satisfactory validity and reliability of the test scores. It is concluded that the TCI has robust psychometric properties and can be a useful tool to predict creative behavior in primary school children