A structural model of cognitive-motivational variables as explanatory factors of academic achievement in Spanish Language and Mathematics

In recent years, several explanatory models have been developed which attempt to analyse the predictive worth of various factors in relation to academic achievement, as well as the direct and indirect effects that they produce. The aim of this study was to examine a structural model incorporating various cognitive and motivational variables which influence student achievement in the two basic core skills in the Spanish curriculum: Spanish Language and Mathematics. These variables included differential aptitudes, specific self-concept, goal orientations, effort and learning strategies. The sample comprised 341 Spanish students in their first year of Compulsory Secondary Education. Various tests and questionnaires were used to assess each student, and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was employed to study the relationships in the initial model. The proposed model obtained a satisfactory fit for the two subjects studied, and all the relationships hypothesised were significant. The variable with the most explanatory power regarding academic achievement was mathematical and verbal aptitude. Also notable was the direct influence of specific self-concept on achievement, goal-orientation and effort, as was the mediatory effect that effort and learning strategies had between academic goals and final achievement.

An explanatory model of academic achievement based on aptitudes, goal orientations, self-concept and learning strategies

As a result of studies examining factors involved in the learning process, various structural models have been developed to explain the direct and indirect effects that occur between the variables in these models. The objective was to evaluate a structural model of cognitive and motivational variables predicting academic achievement, including general intelligence, academic self-concept, goal orientations, effort and learning strategies. The sample comprised of 341 Spanish students in the first year of compulsory secondary education. Different tests and questionnaires were used to evaluate each variable, and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was applied to contrast the relationships of the initial model. The model proposed had a satisfactory fit, and all the hypothesised relationships were significant. General intelligence was the variable most able to explain academic achievement. Also important was the direct influence of academic self-concept on achievement, goal orientations and effort, as well as the mediating ability of effort and learning strategies between academic goals and final achievement.

Ética civil y ética religiosa en España

Se muestra la existencia en España de una ética civil, coherente con el proceso de secularización y modernización experimentado por las sociedades europeas. Tras una exposición de las bases conceptuales de lo que se considera “ética civil”, y empleando los datos de la encuesta internacional Pew Global Attitudes Project, se contrastan un conjunto de hipótesis para España relativas al peso de factores estructurales (sexo, edad, educación e ideología) en la aceptación de una ética cívica o religiosa, y la influencia de esta en opiniones, actitudes y comportamientos relacionados con la religión en la vida pública. El contraste empírico de las hipótesis especificadas revela la influencia que tiene la opción ética en la opinión pública referida al Estado, la sociedad y la religión. Los resultados son acordes con los expuestos por investigaciones anteriores, validándolos, al emplear expresiones alternativas y permitiendo un análisis novedoso de la ética civil y religiosa en la sociedad española.

Las clases medias en Europa: status y poder en el siglo XXI

European societies are undergoing deep changes as a result of globalization and the international financial crisis that began in 2007. These changes affect the class structure to the extent that these societies suffer an impact on the occupational structure and consume pattern. From the data of Eurobarometer we studied the state of social mobility in the European Union. Comparing the subjective status between 2009 and 2012, we observed divergent movements in European societies. Some societies experimented upward mobility while others just the opposite. We conclude that exists an increasing gap between European societies. To consider the effects of these changes on the status structures a structural model has been tested, exploring the relationship between social class, status and power in European societies. We conclude a statistically significant effect of social class and status on the consciousness perceived to possess more or less power. Two dimensions measure power: “political alienation” and “economic alienation”.

La música como lenguaje de las emociones. Un análisis empírico de su capacidad performativa

Esta investigación estudia la relación entre las emociones y la música. Se efectúa un diseño de test-retest donde los individuos expresan qué música escucharían según estados de ánimo, para posteriormente pedir a una segunda muestra, distinta a la anterior, que valore en qué grado considera que dichas canciones expresan esos mismos estados de ánimo. Se ha efectuado un análisis de los rasgos musicales de dichas canciones. Se concluye que tanto en las emociones como en los rasgos musicales existe una dimensionalidad subyacente. En el caso de las emociones corresponde con las propuestas del diferencial semántico. En los rasgos musicales, se determinan dos dimensiones aún sin etiquetar teóricamente. Finalmente, se muestra la relación empírica entre rasgos musicales y emociones mediante un modelo estructural de medición.

Crisis política y juventud en España: el declive del bipartidismo electoral

This paper shows the increasing trend of Spanish young people towards non-conventional mechanisms of political expression, in a crisis context which has reduced its reliance on traditional political actors. As an alternative to bipartisanship, political participation moves towards increased interest and attention to new players, such as emergent political parties. Using a covariance structural model, factors such as political activism, awareness and understanding of country problems, and trust in the political system, are explored in order to explain an electoral behavior that is undergoing deep changes.

Resilience by solidary ties

This article considers an empirical approach to the relationships among three well known concepts: “Benevolence” (Schwartz), Solidarity and Resilience ("Subjective wellbeing scale" - SWB). The first concept refers to cultural values, the second one to social networks and the third to the ability to recover from crisis. The measurement of solidarity has been done from the point of view of supportive ties. The baseline hypothesis considers that the presence of a high value in Benevolence contributes to the involvements in solidarity networks. Participation in supportive relationships facilitates recovery from personal crisis. Using data from the European Social Survey (ESS6), we conclude from this structural analysis that the resilience reflected in a society is partly a consequence of the supportive networks shaped by the presence of benevolence values.

Age-related functional and structural retinal modifications in the Igf1−/− null mouse

Background. Mutations in the gene encoding human insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) cause syndromic neurosensorial deafness. To understand the precise role of IGF-I in retinal physiology, we have studied the morphology and electrophysiology of the retina of the Igf1−/− mice in comparison with that of the Igf1+/− and Igf1+/+ animals during aging. Methods. Serological concentrations of IGF-I, glycemia and body weight were determined in Igf1+/+, Igf1+/− and Igf1−/− mice at different times up to 360 days of age. We have analyzed hearing by recording the auditory brainstem responses (ABR), the retinal function by electroretinographic (ERG) responses and the retinal morphology by immunohistochemical labeling on retinal preparations at different ages. Results. IGF-I levels are gradually reduced with aging in the mouse. Deaf Igf1−/− mice had an almost flat scotopic ERG response and a photopic ERG response of very small amplitude at postnatal age 360 days (P360). At the same age, Igf1+/− mice still showed both scotopic and photopic ERG responses, but a significant decrease in the ERG wave amplitudes was observed when compared with those of Igf1+/+ mice. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that P360 Igf1−/− mice suffered important structural modifications in the first synapse of the retinal pathway, that affected mainly the postsynaptic processes from horizontal and bipolar cells. A decrease in bassoon and synaptophysin staining in both rod and cone synaptic terminals suggested a reduced photoreceptor output to the inner retina. Retinal morphology of the P360 Igf1+/− mice showed only small alterations in the horizontal and bipolar cell processes, when compared with Igf1+/+ mice of matched age. Conclusions. In the mouse, IGF-I deficit causes an age-related visual loss, besides a congenital deafness. The present results support the use of the Igf1−/− mouse as a new model for the study of human syndromic deaf-blindness.

Numerical evaluation of the vibration reduction index for structural joints

The present paper addresses the analysis of structural vibration transmission in the presence of structural joints. The problem is tackled from a numerical point of view, analyzing some scenarios by using finite element models. The numerical results obtained making use of this process are then compared with those evaluated using the EN 12354 standard vibration reduction index concept. It is shown that, even for the simplest cases, the behavior of a structural joint is complex and evidences the frequency dependence. Comparison with results obtained by empirical formulas reveals that those of the standards cannot accurately reproduce the expected behavior, and thus indicate that alternative complementary calculation procedures are required. A simple methodology to estimate the difference between numerical and standard predictions is here proposed allowing the calculation of an adaptation term that makes both approaches converge. This term was found to be solution-dependent, and thus should be evaluated for each structure.

Optimal model through identified frequencies of a masonry building structure with wooden floors

The paper presents the analysis of an important historical building: the Saint James Theater in the city of Corfù (Greece) actually used as the Municipality House. The building, located in the center of the city, is made of carves stones and is characterized by a stocky shape and by the presence of wooden floors. The study deals with the structural identification of such structure through the analysis of its ambient vibrations recorded by means of accelerometers with high accuracy. A full dynamic testing was developed using ambient vibrations to identify the main modal parameters and to make a non-destructive characterization of this building. The results of these dynamic tests are compared with the modal analysis of a complex finite element (FE) simulation of the structure. This analysis may present several problems and uncertainties for this stocky building. Due to the presence of wooden floors, the local modes can be highly excited and, as a consequence, the evaluation of the structural modal parameters presents some difficulties.

Thermodynamic, surface and structural properties of liquid Co-Si alloys

The knowledge of thermophysical properties of liquid Co-Si alloys is a key requirement for manufacturing of composite materials by infiltration method. Despite this need, the experimental and predicted property data of the Co-Si system are scarce and often inconsistent between the various sources. In the present work the mixing behaviour of Co-Si melts has been analysed through the study of the concentration dependence of various thermodynamic, surface (surface tension and surface composition) and structural properties (concentration fluctuations in the long-wavelength limit and chemical short-range order parameter) in the framework of the Compound Formation Model (CFM) and Quasi Chemical Approximation for regular solutions (QCA). In addition, the surface tension of the Co22·5Si77.5 (in at%) eutectic alloy, that is proposed to be used as the infiltrant, has been measured by the pendant drop method at temperatures ranging from 1593 to 1773 K. The results obtained were discussed with respect to both, temperature and concentration, and subsequently compared with the model predictions and literature data.