Body image has become a central component of personal identity, especially in contexts where the value of appearance as an indicator of success predominates. Excessive preoccupation with the body is reminiscent of the dynamics of obsessive-compulsive disorder as the behaviour becomes ritualised. Rumination is repetitive thinking, focusing on the causes, consequences and symptoms of a negative feeling. The aim of this paper is to analyse how obsessive-compulsive symptoms and rumination contribute to body image concern in the general population taking into account gender. Methods. The sample consisted of 250 subjects (40.4% male), aged between 18 and 68 years with a mean age of 34.84 (SD = 13.33). A cross-sectional correlational design was used to study the associations between the different variables. Results. There is a positive relationship between obsessive-compulsive symptoms, rumination and the occurrence of body concerns. A stepwise regression analysis found that gender (β = .120, p = .021) together with obsessivity (β = .273, p = .001) and rumination (β = .355, p = .001) are the variables that best predict dysmorphic preoccupation and explained 29% of the variance. Conclusions. Rumination and trait obsessivity appear to be associated with dysmorphic symptoms in the general population and may be relevant factors to consider in future research on prevention and intervention.
El objetivo de este trabajo es validar la escala de soledad de Jong Gierveld en una muestra de 261 personas mayores de República Dominicana estudiando su estructura factorial y su red nomológica. Se probaron cinco modelos para determinar la estructura factorial, uno unidimensional, un modelo de dos factores, un modelo unidimensional con efectos de método asociados a los ítems directos, un modelo unidimensional con efectos de método asociados a los ítems inversos y un modelo unidimensional con dos efectos de método asociados a los ítems inversos y directos. Los resultados mostraron que la estructura con mejor ajuste era para el modelo de un factor de soledad con efectos de método asociados a la redacción directa e inversa de los ítems c² (33) = 67.442, p<.001, RMSEA=.063 [.041, .085], CFI=.984, SRMR=.029. En cuanto a la red nomológica, se llevaron a cabo correlaciones de Pearson entre la soledad y satisfacción con la vida, salud, depresión, resiliencia, espiritualidad y autoeficacia. Todas las variables tuvieron una relación estadísticamente significativa con la soledad en la dirección esperada. La escala presenta buenas propiedades psicométricas para su uso en población mayor de habla hispana, teniendo en cuenta los efectos de método en su estructura.
Testing the homogeneity hypothesis (i.e., that data from a set of related studies share a common parametric effect size) is a traditional part of most meta-analyses. One of the most widely used tools to test for homogeneity is the Q statistic, despite evidence of its relatively poor performance. The three main arguments against relying on Q as a homogeneity test are relevant when applied to the standardized mean difference, g, as an index of effect size. These three weaknesses can be overcome by using different weighting schemes and transforming the values to arrive at a closer approximation to the true distribution. We propose an alternative homogeneity test, to be used in meta-analyses with g values. It is based on a formulation of the random effects model as a mixture model and involves two normalizing transformations based on the true shape of the marginal distribution. A simulation study showed that our tests based on the transformations outperform Q, both in the probability of making a Type I error and in the resulting estimated power. Our method is also shown to be superior to Qñ, a variant of the classical Q with weights based on sample sizes, independent of the g values. The implications of the results are discussed, as well as how the logic of the proposed test can be extended to other effect size indices.
Personality implication in problem behaviour during adolescence was investigated in this study. The sample was made up of 264 adolescents, 145 males and 119 females, between, the ages 16 and18. The person-centred approach allowed us to ascertain four types of adolescents using a cluster analysis based on six
Resumen La atención selectiva permite procesar información relevante mientras suprime la irrelevante que puede aparecer simultáneamente en el campo visual aunque con frecuencia el observador no puede ignorar la información irrelevante. En esta revisión discutimos resultados obtenidos a partir de la tarea Stroop con palabras de color fragmentadas como estímulos y otros resultados que muestran que la variación de una dimensión irrelevante en una tarea visual igual-diferente como dos ejemplos de que dimensiones estimulares irrelevantes para la tarea, producen interferencia. Finalmente, describimos los resultados de varios estudios diseñados para investigar el efecto de la atención durante la codificación del estímulo en la memoria implícita evaluada por la existencia de priming de repetición a lo largo del ciclo vital. Encontramos priming para los estímulos atendidos en los niños, adultos jóvenes y mayores sanos pero no para los estímulos presentados durante la codificación pero no atendidos. Sin embargo, no encontramos priming para los objetos atendidos ni para los no atendidos en mayores con déficit cognitivo leve y en enfermos de Alzheimer. Los resultados sugieren: (1) que la memoria implícita no es automática y requiere atención; y (2) la existencia de un déficit temprano de la atención selectiva como posible marcador del envejecimiento patológico.AbstractSelective attention allows to process relevant stimuli while suppressing irrelevant ones that appear simultaneously in the visual field. However, many times the perceiver cannot ignore irrelevant information. In this review, I discussed results from the Stroop task with fragmented colour word stimuli as well as other findings showing that the variation of an irrelevant dimension on same-different visual judgments as two examples that irrelevant stimulus dimensions produced interference. Finally, I describe the results of several studies designed to investigate the effect of selective attention at encoding on implicit memory across lifespan. Priming for attended stimuli at encoding was found for children, young adults and healthy older adults. Priming was not found for unattended stimuli suggesting that implicit memory requires attention at encoding. Alzheimer´s patients and cognitively impaired older adults did not show priming for attended or for unattended stimuli. The findings suggest that: (1) implicit memory is not automatic and requires attention at encoding; and (2) an early deficit of selective attention might be a marker of pathological aging.
ResumenIntroducción: Las personas que han sufrido una lesión cerebral suelen experimentar un amplio conjunto de alteraciones cognitivas, emocionales y conductuales. La rehabilitación neuropsicológica acostumbra a centrarse en los aspectos cognitivos, dando escasa o nula atención al resto de cambios. En este contexto los cambios conductuales son un gran hándicap para la rehabilitación y la adaptación a la sociedad. Objetivo: Revisar los hallazgos obtenidos en estudios sobre escalas que evalúan los cambios de conducta en lesión cerebral y apliquen tratamientos específicos. Método: La revisión incluyó artículos originales que utilizaban algún cuestionario y tratamiento para valorar y mejorar los cambios conductuales en adultos que habían sufrido una lesión cerebral. Se consultaron las bases de datos CINAHL y MEDLINE entre los años 1990 a 2014. Se seleccionaron instrumentos utilizados en población adulta con lesión cerebral. Se excluyeron escalas psiquiátricas o aplicadas a población sin daño cerebral. Resultados: La búsqueda produjo un gran número de referencias y se identificaron varios instrumentos. La mayoría cuantificaban los cambios conductuales, pero además en muchos de ellos se abordan aspectos emocionales, psiquiátricos o de calidad de vida. La mayoría de las escalas se auto-administraban tanto al paciente como al familiar o cuidador. Conclusiones: A pesar de la poca variedad de escalas dedicadas a la evaluación de la conducta, se encontraron instrumentos idóneos en la práctica clínica para el diagnóstico de cambios conductuales. Respecto al tratamiento, la literatura describe estudios de caso único y grupal; sin embargo, no se considera que exista un tratamiento único para los pacientes con lesión cerebral. AbstractIntroduction: People who have suffered a brain injury often experience a wide range of cognitive, emotional and behavioural disorders. Neuropsychological rehabilitation used to focus on the cognitive aspects, giving little or no attention to the other changes. In this context the behavioural changes are a big handicap for their rehabilitation and adaptation to society. Aim: To review the findings obtained in studies on scales assessing behavioural changes in acquired brain injury (ABI) and to apply specific treatments. Method: The review included original articles and treatments, which used questionnaires to assess and improve the behavioural changes in adults who had suffered an ABI. CINAHL and MEDLINE databases between the years 1990-2014 were consulted. Instruments used in adults with DCA were selected. Psychiatric scales applied to people without brain damage were excluded. Results: The search yielded a large number of references and several instruments were identified. Most quantified behavioural changes, but also many emotional, psychiatric or quality of life issues are addressed. Most self-administered scales assess both the patient and the family or caregiver. Conclusions: Despite the limited range of scales involved in the assessment of behaviour, suitable tools were found in clinical practice for the diagnosis of behavioral changes. Regarding treatment, the literature describes studies of single and group cases, however, no single treatment for patients with DCA is identified.
Deadbots-chatbots powered by artificial intelligence that simulate the speech of deceased individuals based on their digital footprint-constitute an emerging thanatechnology that raises significant ethical, clinical, and social implications in the field of bereavement. This study aims to provide a transdisciplinary approach to the phenomenon through a qualitative analysis of interviews with twelve experts from the fields of health, bioethics, and technological design. Using an inductive approach based on Reflexive Thematic Analysis, a set of themes and controversies surrounding the use of deadbots was identified. The results reveal a cautiously open attitude toward this technology, provided it is used for therapeutic purposes, under professional supervision, and with respect for both the mourner's autonomy and the memory of the deceased. Among the risks highlighted are the potential disruption of the grieving process, illusions of reality, emotional dependency, and the commodification of the deceased's memory. Moreover, deadbots may contribute to the individualization of grief. The analysis is complemented by previous findings from interviews with bereaved individuals, who expressed similar concerns, particularly regarding the authenticity of the bond established with the bot. The study concludes by emphasizing the need for a non-essentialist perspective that considers not only the technical functionalities of deadbots, but also the social imaginaries and cultural frameworks that shape their development and use.
Democratic system justification beliefs may be defined as the tendency that individuals have to legitimize the democratic political system in which they live. The aim of this study was to adapt the Democratic System Justification Scale to Spanish population (S-DSJS). Participants were 565 individuals from Spain. Questionnaires to measure Social Dominance Orientation (SDO), Right Wing Authoritarianism (RWA), Benevolent Sexism (BS), and Political Orientation (PO) were used to analyze the criterion validity of the S-DSJS. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the items of the questionnaire fit a model with one factor, corresponding to the structure proposed by the original authors. Moreover, the factor structure was invariant by gender. In addition, the overall reliability of the scale was .78. Furthermore, it was found that the S-DSJS was positively related to SDO (r = .26, p < .01), RWA (r = .26, p < .01), BS (r = .17, p <.01), and PO (r = .35, p < .01). No sex differences were found (t =-1.752, p = .08). Finally, results showed differences in working status (t =-2.04, p < .05) and age (F = 4.98, p < .01). In light of these results, it is concluded that the S-DSJS is methodologically valid and can be used by the Spanish scientific community to measure justification beliefs about the democratic system.
This study aimed to determine the extent to which emotional intelligence predicts jealousy and emotional dependence in couples from the Local Educational Management Unit (UGEL) Tahuamanu, located in the Peruvian Amazon. A quantitative, correlational, and cross-sectional design was employed. A total of 374 participants completed the Wong-Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS), the Brief Jealousy Scale, and the Emotional Dependence Questionnaire. The findings indicate that emotional intelligence is not a significant predictor of either jealousy or emotional dependence in this population. However, negative and statistically significant correlations were found between the self-emotion appraisal dimension and two specific aspects of emotional dependence: separation anxiety and partner-related changes in plans. Additionally, significant differences in jealousy and emotional dependence were observed according to educational level. These findings contribute to understanding relational dynamics in high-risk contexts and underscore the importance of psychoeducational interventions aimed at fostering emotional regulation and healthy attachment, particularly in rural areas with high social vulnerability.
Studies exploring the impact of psychological variables on corruption and its psychopathological effects remain limited. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the effects of psychopathy, self-esteem, and optimism on the propensity for corruption, as well as the influence of this propensity on depression. A total of 502 Mexican adults were conveniently selected from the general population and completed questionnaires related to the target variables. Structural equation modeling was employed. A positive relationship was found between psychopathy and the propensity for corruption, while self-esteem and optimism were negatively associated with this propensity. Additionally, the propensity for corruption positively affected depression. In conclusion, within clinical and research contexts, it is crucial to deepen the exploration of the propensity for corruption, due to its impact on certain psychological variables involved in people's mental health.
This article reflects on the limits of scientific education and argues for the recovery of imagination as a driving force of psychological and cognitive inquiry. Starting from a critique of rote learning and the disciplinary rigidity that often characterizes training in Psychology and Cognitive Science, it calls for a genuine form of transdisciplinarity. The case of Plant Cognitive Science serves as a guiding thread, illustrating how collaboration between physiology, psychology, and philosophy can generate radically new questions about cognition and mind beyond the animal domain. Rather than opposing speculation and rigor, the article defends responsible speculation as a legitimate mode of scientific exploration. It concludes with three key lessons: the need to acknowledge the field's biases and limitations, to integrate philosophy as a catalyst for interdisciplinary dialogue, and to advocate for slow science-a reflective practice that restores the time needed for replication, doubt, and imagination. Education, in the end, should not produce repeaters of dogma but explorers of questions.
The new challenges faced by Private Institutions of Social Solidarity (PISS) focus on the need for specialized professional training, while weaknesses related to motivation, job satisfaction, and the potential for burnout emerge. In this context, the main purpose of this research is to analyze the effects of burnout dimensions and work motivation on affective job satisfaction. The sample of this study consisted of 234 Portuguese participants who, through Google Forms, completed a questionnaire with several psychological scales. Of the participants, 92.3% were female. The average age was 39.15 years (SD = 8.22, ranging from 22 to 66 years). Significant relationships were found between work motivation dimensions and burnout in relation to affective job satisfaction. The main predictors of emotional job satisfaction were demotivation, emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization. The main conclusions and practical are discussed.
The aim of this research is to assess the reliability and validity of the Spanish version of the Modern Homonegativity Scale (MHS) by Morrison and Morrison (2003) in a sample of Colombian adults. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted with a sample of 1943 participants (536 women, 1407 men), and the attitudes towards lesbian women and gay men were analysed separately. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the unidimensional structure of the MHS in its two parallel forms: the version targeting lesbian women (S-B chi 2 (gl=35) = 383.804; p =.001; chi 2 /gl= 10.97; CFI =.936; RM-SEA =.072 con 90% CI =.067-.077; SRMR=0.041) and the version targeting gay men (S-B chi 2 (gl=35) = 393.601; p =.001; chi 2 /gl = 11.25; CFI =.930; RMSEA =.073 con 90% CI =.067-.078; SRMR=0.044). The MHS scale is considered a useful and accurate tool for detecting attitudes towards homosexual individuals.
The behavior of organisms is organized into hierarchical sequences oriented toward essential biological goals such as feeding, reproduction, and defense. Ethological examples, such as bird courtship rituals or hunting strategies of large felines, illustrate how these sequences are characterized by strong interdependence among their components, obstructing progression to higher levels of the sequence without the execution of preceding elements. In the laboratory, sequential patterns with an analogous structure emerge under experimental conditions, even in the absence of interdependencies where no explicit response requirements are stipulated to obtain the final reinforcer or to transition within the sequence. This behavioral parallelism, despite the notable differences between both contexts, can be explained in terms of five principles: (1) Reinforcers induce behavior, (2) the effects of reinforcement are determined by a gradient of proximity, (3) adjunctive behaviors are sensitive to reinforcement, (4) behaviors compete for expression; and (5) transitions between classes of behavior that displace the organism toward higher levels of a sequence have reinforcing functions over prior classes. Recent experimental evidence suggests that these dynamics may give rise to chaining processes in the absence of explicit chaining procedures. It is proposed that the sequential dynamics of behavior, both in natural environments and in laboratory contexts, are governed by common mechanisms of functional organization, providing an integrative framework.
The loss of a family member represents one of the most traumatic events. During periods of war, the absence of funerary rituals and the dehumanization of victims hinder the grieving process. The aim of this study is to identify and examine the relevance of various psychological and contextual variables in the grieving process of family members of Civil War victims. A quantitative design was employed, using questionnaires that included sociodemographic data, information about the traumatic event, perceptions of institutional support, the availability of mortal remains, and participation in commemorative rituals. Additionally, psychological variables such as grief symptoms, post-traumatic stress, and perceived stress were assessed. The results showed that institutional support for the recovery of remains was related to the performance of rituals, and the availability of remains influenced the decision to carry out commemorative rituals. Participation in rituals was associated with less intense grief, while post-traumatic stress symptoms and perceived stress were linked to more intense grief. The significance of these findings lies in identifying key variables for addressing grief in traumatic contexts, which may have important implications for public health.
Employee well-being has become a growing concern in organizational research, particularly in the context of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). This study aims to model the impact of psychosocial variables on well-being within the CSR framework, integrating both risk factors and protective organizational resources. The analysis is based on data from the European Working Conditions Telephone Survey (EWCTS) 2021, using a sample of 71,758 employees across 37 European countries. The empirical approach uses Tobit regression models to examine how job demands, work-related stress, and telework negatively affect well-being, while organizational commitment, participation in decision-making, and workplace trust contribute positively. Results confirm that workload is the strongest negative predictor, whereas engagement and organizational trust play a crucial role in mitigating its effects. Findings highlight the need for CSR strategies that balance job demands with organizational resources to foster healthier work environments. Future research should explore longitudinal data and incorporate objective well-being indicators, such as economic and physical well-being, for a more comprehensive assessment.
Single-case experimental designs entail the intensive study of one or few entities (e.g., individuals) in different conditions, which are manipulated by the researchers. Some designs include intra-subject replication (ABAB design, changing criterion design, and alternating treatments design), whereas the multiple-baseline design usually includes between-subjects replication. For both scenarios, there are several attempts to demonstrate the intervention effect (introducing or withdrawing the intervention) in different moments in time. Moreover, the replication of the results in different studies is necessary for establishing the generality of the conclusions. Regarding data analysis, there are currently multiple proposals, without a consensus regarding which the optimal analytical techniques are. In order to make easier the necessary justification of any data analytical technique chosen, the current text offers a series of organizing principles, which indicate in which situation each of the options is most useful. Furthermore, in order to bring applied researchers closer to the analytical options, the text refers to freely accessible websites implementing them. Finally, given that it is not possible to discuss in detail all methodological aspects, or to review all available data analytical techniques, the interested reader is directed via multiple references to the primary sources.
In order to study the psychological processes involved in language, Cognitive Science investigates the internal representations involved in understanding or producing language. It also postulates the operations that modify those representations given contextual constraints. Thus, context and representation interact to create meanings. Accordingly, there are different hypotheses about how the cognitive system produces language. Just as there are experimental methodologies for their study, different architectures of artificial neural networks make it possible to provide these hypotheses with a formal apparatus. In these models, the representations and operations involved are exhaustively characterized. Recurrent neural networks (RNNs) with LSTM mechanisms and Transformers stand out as particularly useful architectures for modeling the contextual sequentiality of language. This special issue gives us the opportunity to explain how to use their external expressions (outputs) as well as their internal representations (hidden states) to understand, in cognitive terms, the effect that changes of expectations have on different temporal markings of sentences. To do so, we illustrate such formalization using a Sequence-Sequence RNN with encoder and decoder and relate its measures with event-related potentials (ERPs) experiments on a nuclear issue in language: systematic compositionality.
The use of network analysis to analyze multivariate psychological data has become popular in recent years. The purpose of this work is to introduce network analysis for the measurement of psychological variables. First, the net- work approaches are contextualised. Second, the core of the psychometric network analysis methodology is addressed: network structure estimation, network description and network stability analysis. Thirdly, some applications to the field of psychology and psychometrics are discussed. Fourthly, possible criticisms of network analysis are mentioned, to indicate some of the challenges faced by this psychometric approach. We finish with a brief recapitulation and possible lines of future research.
This article aims to provide a current overview of forced choice tests and offer recommendations for their design and construction. Although these tests help overcome limitations such as social desirability and extreme response bias, common in graded response formats, they present technical challenges related to the ipsativity of the scores. This paper discusses psychometric models based on Item Response Theory (IRT), such as the Thurstonian IRT (TIRT) and the multi-unidimensional pairwise preference (MUPP) models, which improve trait estimation and enable optimal item assembly into blocks. It identifies questionnaire design factors, such as the polarity of assembled items, that can affect the quality of the obtained scores. Additionally, the benefits of IRT in developing computerized adaptive tests on-the-fly are explored, where items are paired during the test based on the examinee's previous responses, optimizing score precision. Finally, a step-bystep guide for constructing forced-choice tests is provided, illustrated with an empirical example and open-access R code.
