Emotion Regulation and Self-Efficacy: The Mediating Role of Emotional Stability and Extraversion in Adolescence.

The feeling of emotional self-efficacy helps people understand how to handle positive and negative emotions. Emotion regulation is the process that helps people control their emotions so that they can adapt to the demands of the environment. This study has a twofold aim. First, it examines the relationships among emotion regulation, the personality traits of extraversion and emotional stability, and the feeling of emotional self-efficacy for positive and negative emotions in an adolescent population. Second, it examines the mediating role of personality traits (extraversion and emotional stability) in the relationship between emotion regulation and emotional self-efficacy for positive and negative emotions. The participants were 703 adolescents (49.9% male and 50.1% female) aged between 15 and 18 years (M = 15.86, SD = 0.30). Significant relationships were observed among emotion regulation, the personality traits of extraversion and emotional stability, and emotional self-efficacy for positive and negative emotions. The structural equation model confirmed the direct link between emotion regulation and emotional self-efficacy and mediation by the personality traits of extraversion and emotional stability. This study confirms that emotional self-efficacy is connected to the emotion regulation strategies that adolescents use. Effective emotion regulation encourages self-perception and emotional coping. The results are discussed in connection to previous research.

Longitudinal paths between parents' use of rewards and young adolescents' moral traits and prosocial behaviors.

BACKGROUND: Although prior research shows supportive evidence that parental practices are associated with adolescents' prosocial behaviors, limited evidence exists on the effects of parents' use of social and material rewards on distinct forms of prosocial behaviors, and the mediating effects of sociocognitive and socioemotive traits in these relations. AIMS: The present study was designed to examine the longitudinal relations among parents' use of social and material rewards, youth prosocial traits, and prosocial behaviors. MATERIALS & METHODS: Participants were 417 adolescents (M age = 14.70 years; 225 girls) from Valencia, Spain who completed surveys on parents' use of social and material reward practices, prosocial moral reasoning, empathic concern, and six types of prosocial behaviors. RESULTS: Path analyses showed that parents' use of social rewards was indirectly, positively related to emotional, dire, altruistic, public (negatively), and compliant prosocial behaviors via empathic concern. The use of social rewards was also indirectly positively linked to altruistic prosocial behaviors via both empathic concern and prosocial moral reasoning. In contrast, parents' use of material rewards predicted less prosocial moral reasoning, which in turn, was linked to more altruistic, prosocial behaviors. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The implications for parental socialization and self-determination theories of prosocial and moral development are discussed.

Resilience Scale Psychometric Study. Adaptation to the Spanish Population in Nursing Students.

Nursing students and professionals are exposed to highly stressful clinical situations. However, when confronted with stress, which is exacerbated by academic and professional situations, there is a great disparity between those who do not know how to respond suitably to the demands from patients or teachers due to a lack of competence and personal resistance, and those who are more resilient and develop a greater range of strengths. This research aims to analyse the validity and psychometric characteristics of a questionnaire on resilience adapted to Spanish nursing bachelor's degree students. The participants were 434 undergraduate nursing students from the province of Valencia (Spain) between 17 and 54 years of age (Mean, M = 21; Standard Deviation, SD = 0.320), 104 of whom were men (24%) and 330 women (76%). A cross-sectional group evaluation was carried out in the university itself, adhering to the ethical standards of the Declaration of Helsinki. Based on the descriptive, factorial, exploratory and confirmatory analyses, it was possible to confirm the suitability of the questionnaire and its adaptation to nursing students. The model is thus suitable for evaluating the population under study. Furthermore, there are statistically significant differences depending on age and gender. The results show that the questionnaire analysed is suited to evaluating resilience among Spanish nursing students, thereby justifying the adaptation of a scale of this nature to foster resilience among nursing students and nurses in professional life, who are exposed to critical situations with patients' suffering, deterioration or death. Our study highlights important practical implications: Spanish nursing studies involve theory and practice, but students and nurses in professional life have to confront critical situations of patients' suffering, deterioration, or death. These situations cause stress and feelings of impotence that may lead to chronic stress and even suicidal thoughts.

Substance use in early and middle adolescence. The role of academic efficacy and parenting / El consumo de sustancias psicoactivas en la adolescencia temprana y media. El papel de la eficacia académica y de la crianza

This study examines (i) the relationships between substance use and parenting style and between substance use and perceived academic self-efficacy in early and middle adolescence, (ii) the importance of these factors in predicting adolescent substance use, and (iii) the role of academic self-efficacy in the relationship between parenting styles and adolescent substance use. The sample comprised 762 adolescents (53% boys) aged 12 to 16 years (M = 13.66, SD = 1.34). The sample was selected using probabilistic cluster sampling according to type of school (secondary, public vs. semi-private) and school location in different areas of the city of Valencia (Spain). This approach accounted for different social strata of families. The results show that substance use and parents' neglect are greater in middle adolescence than in early adolescence. Support and family communication and perceived academic self-efficacy are lower. Substance use is positively related to parents' neglect, psychological control, and rejection. The relationships between neglect and psychological control and substance use are moderated by academic self-efficacy, and the relationship between psychological control and substance use is mediated by academic self-efficacy

Los objetivos de esta investigación son analizar la relación del consumo de sustancias con el estilo de crianza de los padres y la percepción de eficacia académica por parte de los adolescentes, estudiar la diferente contribución de estos factores a la predicción del consumo de sustancias en la adolescencia y observar la función de la autoeficacia académica en la relación entre el estilo de crianza y el consumo de sustancias en la adolescencia. Participaron 762 adolescentes (53% hombres), de edades comprendidas entre los 12 y los 16 años (M = 13.66, DT = 1.34). La muestra se seleccionó con criterios probabilísticos por conglomerados, atendiendo al tipo de centro (educación secundaria, público frente a privado/concertado) y ubicación en diferentes zonas de la ciudad de Valencia, para atender distintos estratos sociales familiares. Los resultados indican que en comparación con la adolescencia temprana, en la adolescencia media aumenta el consumo de sustancias y la negligencia de los padres, además de disminuir el apoyo y la comunicación familiar junto con la eficacia académica percibida. El consumo de sustancias está relacionado positivamente con la negligencia, el control psicológico y el rechazo por parte de los padres. La negligencia y el control psicológico actúan como variables moderadoras, pero solo el control psicológico actúa como variable mediadora entre la eficacia académica y el consumo de sustancias

Eficacia académica percibida, crianza, uso de internet y comportamiento en la adolescencia / Achievement perceived, parenting, internet use and adolescent behavior

Resumen El uso intensivo de internet puede contribuir a desarrollar disfunciones psicosociales graves en la adolescencia. El objetivo de esta investigación es analizar las relaciones de la percepción de eficacia académica con el uso de internet para ocio, los estilos de crianza y los problemas exteriorizados e interiorizados en la adolescencia (agresividad proactiva, reactiva, física y verbal, afiliación a pares rebeldes e inestabilidad emocional). Han participado 762 adolescentes de 12 a 17 años (M = 13.69; DT = 1.40; varones 52.8%). Utilizan internet en tiempo de ocio entre cero y 98 horas semanales, de ahí que la población se haya distribuido en cuartiles. Las variables se han obtenido a través de pruebas estandarizadas. Los análisis estadísticos se basan en metodología descriptiva y predictiva. Los resultados han permitido obtener tres conclusiones. Primera, el número de horas de internet para fines recreativos se relaciona con una peor eficacia académica percibida. Segunda, los adolescentes que usan Internet intensamente perciben más permisividad de los padres y menos apoyo y comunicación por parte de los padres. Estos adolescentes presentan más riesgo de conectarse con pares rebeldes y tienen índices más altos de inestabilidad emocional y agresividad (reactiva, proactiva, física y verbal). Tercera, la paternidad más punitiva, la agresividad y la afiliación a pares rebeldes aumentan el uso intensivo de Internet. Esta investigación corrobora la necesidad de una formación adecuada, dirigida a fomentar el apoyo y la comunicación paterno-filial para educar el uso racional y responsable de internet de ambos, padres y adolescentes.

Abstract The intensive use of the Internet can contribute to the development of serious psychosocial dysfunctions in adolescents. The purpose of this research is to analyze the relationships between achievement perceived with the leisure use of the internet, parenting, and externalized and internalized problems during adolescence (aggressiveness reactive, proactive, physical and verbal, affiliation with deviant peers and emotional instability). The sample is made of 762 adolescents from 12 to 17 years old (M = 13.69, SD = 1.40), with 52.8% of males and 47.2% of females. The use of internet in leisure time is between 0-98 hours per week. Hence the population has been distributed in quartiles. The variables have been obtained through standardized tests. Statistical analyzes are descriptive and predictive methodology. The analyses carried out have allowed us to obtain three conclusions. First, the number of hours of internet for recreational purposes is related to worse achievement perceived of the adolescent. Second, it has been found that adolescents who use Internet intensively greater perceived permissiveness of the parents and a lower support and communication with them. These adolescents present an increased risk of joining deviant peers and have higher rates of emotional instability and aggressiveness (reactive, proactive, and physical and verbal). Third, more punitive parenting, aggressiveness and affiliation with deviant peers boost the intensive use of the internet. This empirical research corroborates the need for adequate training aimed at fostering parental-child support and communication to educate the rational and responsible use of the Internet by both parents and adolescents.

Vínculos familiares e inclusión social. Variables predictoras de la conducta prosocial en la infancia / Family linkages and social inclusion. Predictors of prosocial behavior in childhood

Los objetivos de esta investigación son analizar las relaciones de la conducta prosocial con variables del entorno familiar (apego y abandono del padre y de la madre), variables personales (inestabilidad emocional, agresividad y afrontamiento ante situaciones estresantes) y variables del entorno social próximo (aceptación y rechazo por los pares); además, estudiar las variables predictoras de la conducta prosocial. La conducta prosocial constituye un factor de protección personal que fomenta relaciones positivas entre los pares y promueve comportamientos de adaptación personal y social (Mikolajewski, Chavarria, Moltisanti, Hart & Taylor, 2014). Han participado 1447 niños/as (50.4% varones y 49.6% mujeres). Tienen entre 7 y 12 años (M = 9.27; DT = 1.36). Los resultados comprueban las relaciones positivas de la conducta prosocial con apego (padre y madre), afrontamiento funcional y aceptación por los pares. Asimismo, muestran las relaciones negativas de la conducta prosocial con abandono (padre y madre), inestabilidad emocional, agresividad, afrontamiento disfuncional y rechazo por los pares. Las variables predictoras de la conducta prosocial son, en positivo, apego de la madre, afrontamiento funcional y expectativas de aceptación por los pares; y, en negativo, son inestabilidad emocional, agresividad física y verbal, y expectativas de rechazo por los pares. Se discuten las implicaciones educativas

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between prosocial behavior and family environment variables (attachment to the mother and father and abandonment by the mother and father), personal variables (emotional instability, aggression, and coping strategies), and variables that relate to the immediate social environment (peer acceptance and rejection). This study also examined the predictors of prosocial behavior. Prosocial behavior is a personal protective factor that encourages positive relationships between peers and promotes personal and social adjustment behaviors (Mikolajewski, Chavarria, Moltisanti, Hart & Taylor, 2014). A study with a sample of 1,447 children (50.4% male and 49.6% female) aged between 7 and 12 years (M = 9.27; SD = 1.36) was conducted. The results confirmed the positive relationships between prosocial behavior and parental attachment, functional coping, and peer acceptance. The results also confirmed the negative relationships between prosocial behavior and abandonment by the parents, emotional instability, aggression, dysfunctional coping, and peer rejection. The positive predictor variables for prosocial behavior were attachment to the mother, functional coping, and expectations of peer acceptance. The negative predictor variables for prosocial behavior were emotional instability, physical and verbal aggression, and expectations of peer rejection. The findings have educational implications, which are discussed herein

Psychometric Evidence of a Multidimensional Measure of Prosocial Behaviors for Spanish Adolescents.

Prior theories and scholars rarely distinguished between distinct forms of prosocial behaviors (i.e., actions intended to benefit others) and most scholars operationalize prosocial behaviors as a global construct. Furthermore, stringent tests of psychometric properties of prosocial behavior measures are rare, especially in countries other than the United States. The present study was designed to examine the structure and functions of a multidimensional measure of prosocial behaviors in youth from Spain. Six hundred and 66 adolescents (46% girls; M age = 15.33 years, SD = 0.47 years) from Valencia, Spain, completed the Prosocial Tendencies Measure-Revised (PTM-R), measures of sympathy, perspective taking, and a global measure of prosocial behavior. Results showed that the hypothesized 6-factor structure of the PTM-R had good fit, the best fit model as compared to alternative models, and that there were several unique patterns of relations between specific forms of prosocial behaviors and sympathy, perspective taking, and the global measure of prosocial behavior. Furthermore, although there were significant gender differences in some forms of prosocial behaviors, the structure of the PTM-R was equivalent across gender. Discussion focuses on the implications for theories and measurement of prosocial behaviors.