Depression and physical disability in chronic pain: The mediation role of emotional intelligence and acceptance

Emotional intelligence (EI) and acceptance have previously been identified as potential factors in the adjustment to chronic pain (CP). This study examined the associations between CP experiences, depression, and physical disability. It further investigated the mediating effect of EI and acceptance in the relationship between CP experiences, depression, and physical disability and how this changes with the duration of the CP. Method: A cross-sectional design, employing validated questionnaires, was used to measure pain experience, physical disability, depression, EI, and acceptance in 133 CP patients. Results: All variables were found to be significantly associated in theoretically predicted ways. The relationship between CP experiences and depression was mediated by both factors, as high EI and acceptance promoted a decreased influence of pain on depression. By contrast, the relationship between CP experiences and physical disability was mediated by acceptance, but not by EI. Further, the temporal stability analysis of this mediation model showed that long-term CP patients are better able to make use of these factors. Conclusions: The relationship between the experience of pain and depression or physical disability seems to be significantly mediated by factors such as EI and acceptance. This study lends further support to the development of more encompassing models that take both control and non-control variables into account when conceptualising the adjustment to CP. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.

Maternal history of early adversity and child emotional development : investigating intervening factors

L’objectif de cette thèse était de contribuer à l’avancement des connaissances quant aux circonstances permettant une transmission intergénérationnelle du risque émanant de l’adversité maternelle et aux mécanismes sous-tendant cette transmission, dans quatre articles empiriques. Le premier visait à explorer la relation entre un historique d’adversité maternelle, la sécurité d’attachement mère-enfant et le tempérament de l’enfant. Les mères ont complété une entrevue semi-structurée portant sur leurs représentations d’attachement avec leurs parents, à 6 mois, et ont évalué le tempérament de leur enfant à 2 ans. La sécurité d’attachement fut également évaluée à 2 ans. Les résultats ont démontré que les enfants dont les mères rapportaient des niveaux supérieurs d’adversité présentaient de moins bons niveaux d’activité comportementale, uniquement lorsqu’ils avaient un attachement sécurisant avec leur mère. Ces résultats suggèrent une transmission intergénérationnelle des effets d’un historique d’adversité maternelle sur le tempérament des enfants. Le deuxième article visait à investiguer si le transporteur de sérotonine (5-HTTLPR) module la transmission de risque intergénérationnelle de l’adversité maternelle sur le tempérament des enfants. L’historique d’adversité maternelle fut évalué en combinant deux mesures auto-rapportées. Les mères ont également évalué le tempérament de leur enfant à 18 et à 36 mois. Le génotype des enfants fut extrait à 36 mois. Les résultats ont révélé un effet d’interaction entre l’adversité maternelle et le génotype de l’enfant sur le tempérament, suggérant une transmission intergénérationnelle des effets de l’adversité maternelle sur le fonctionnement émotionnel des enfants. Le troisième article visait à explorer la relation entre les difficultés d’adaptation psychosociale des mères, la sensibilité maternelle et les symptômes intériorisés de leurs enfants. Les mères ont complété plusieurs questionnaires desquels un score composite de difficultés d’adaptation psychosociale fut extrait. La sensibilité maternelle fut observée à 12 mois. Les symptômes intériorisés des enfants furent évalués par les deux parents à 2 et à 3 ans. Les résultats ont démontré qu’une augmentation des difficultés maternelles d’adaptation psychosociale étaient associée à davantage de symptômes intériorisés chez les enfants, mais seulement chez ceux dont les mères étaient moins sensibles. Ces résultats ont été observés par les mères à 2 ans et par les deux parents à 3 ans. Ces résultats suggèrent que les enfants peuvent être différemment affectés par l’adaptation émotionnelle de leur mère tout en mettant l’emphase sur le rôle protecteur de la sensibilité maternelle. Le quatrième article visait à investiguer les rôles médiateurs de la dépression et de la sensibilité maternelle dans la relation entre un historique d’adversité maternelle et le tempérament de l’enfant. L’historique d’adversité maternelle fut évalué en combinant deux mesures auto-rapportées. Les mères ont également rapporté leurs symptômes dépressifs à 6 mois. La sensibilité maternelle fut évaluée de façon concomitante. Les mères ont évalué le tempérament de leur enfant à 36 mois. Les résultats ont révélé une transmission intergénérationnelle des effets d’un historique d’adversité maternelle à la génération suivante suivant une médiation séquentielle passant d’abord par la dépression maternelle et ensuite par la sensibilité maternelle. Finalement, les résultats des quatre articles ont été intégrés dans la conclusion générale.

Quality of implementation in evidence-based positive parenting programs in Spain: Introduction to the special issue

The main contribution of this special issue is to present evaluation studies involving large-scale experiences of implementation of positive parenting programs delivered through home, group-based, and on-line formats in Spain. Two research questions were addressed: (1) what factors affect implementation; and (2) for whom and under which implementation conditions the programs lead to positive outcomes. Target populations were mainly families from low and middle socioeconomic backgrounds, and parents at psychosocial risk attending family support services in need of improving their parenting skills. All the programs fall under the umbrella of the positive parenting initiative launched by the Council of Europe, are evidence-based, follow a collaborative schema with national, regional, or local authorities, have multi-site implementation, and are supported by highly experienced researchers from Spanish universities. Special attention is given to the program adaptations to different contexts, the profile of parents who benefited most from the programs, analyses of the implementation process, and the assessment of parenting programs in the community. The information provided will help to increase our knowledge of evidence-based parenting programs in Spain, their implementation processes and results, and the future challenges that need to be addressed to continue the current expansion of evidence-based parenting programs.

The Spanish online program "Educar en Positivo" ("The Positive Parent"): whom does it benefit the most?

This study evaluated the Spanish online program 'Educar en Positivo' ("The Positive Parent") (http://educarenpositivo.es). Eighty-five users were surveyed to examine changes in views of online parenting support and satisfaction with the module completed, as a function of their sociodemographic profile, their level of experience with the Internet, and their general and educational use of Internet resources. Results showed that parents changed their views of online support, the benefits thereof, and their parenting skills. Participants reported high satisfaction with the program's usability, the module content, and their perception of parental self-efficacy. These findings are moderated by level of Internet experience and educational use of web-based resources, suggesting that improving parents' digital literacy and promoting Internet use may be an effective avenue for improving access to prevention resources. In sum, this program offers a space for Spanish-speaking parents to learn and exchange experiences, thereby filling a gap in ensuring the promotion of positive parenting in this large community of potential users.

Results of a mindfulness-based social-emotional learning program on portuguese elementary students and teachers: a quasi-experimental study

Recently, mindfulness-based social-emotional learning (SEL) approaches have been taught to children in some schools. Due to deficient methodological consistency observed in most studies, their results should be interpreted with caution. Moreover, research on how mindfulness-based SEL approaches benefit teachers is scarce, and the majority of these studies have been conducted in English-speaking countries; therefore, it is uncertain whether these approaches are suited to other cultural backgrounds. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of the MindUp curriculum, an SEL program through mindfulness practice for Portuguese students and teachers. Participants included 454 3rd and 4th grade students and 20 teachers from state schools. A quasiexperimental (pre- and post-test) study compared outcomes for an experimental group with a waitlist control group. Data were collected from teachers and children through self-report measures. Results showed that over 50 % of the children who participated in the MindUp program scored above the control group mean in their ability to regulate emotions, to experience more positive affect, and to be more self-compassionate, and over 50 % scored lower in negative affect. In the group of teachers, over 80 % scored above the control group mean in observing, in personal accomplishment, and in self-kindness. Our results contribute to the recent research on the potential added value of mindfulness practices to a SEL program and strengthen the importance for teachers and students of adding to the academic curriculum a SEL program through mindfulness practices.

Experiências de (in)justiça com os professores e comportamentos de desvio na adolescência

Tese de Doutoramento em Psicologia na área de especialidade Psicologia Social

Influence of frequent nightmares on REM sleep-dependent emotional memory processing

La littérature suggère que le sommeil paradoxal joue un rôle dans l'intégration associative de la mémoire émotionnelle. De plus, les rêves en sommeil paradoxal, en particulier leur nature bizarre et émotionnelle, semblent refléter cette fonction associative et émotionnelle du sommeil paradoxal. La conséquence des cauchemars fréquents sur ce processus est inconnue, bien que le réveil provoqué par un cauchemar semble interférer avec les fonctions du sommeil paradoxal. Le premier objectif de cette thèse était de reproduire conceptuellement des recherches antérieures démontrant que le sommeil paradoxal permet un accès hyper-associatif à la mémoire. L'utilisation d'une sieste diurne nous a permis d'évaluer les effets du sommeil paradoxal, comparativement au sommeil lent et à l’éveil, sur la performance des participants à une tâche sémantique mesurant « associational breadth » (AB). Les résultats ont montré que seuls les sujets réveillés en sommeil paradoxal ont répondu avec des associations atypiques, ce qui suggère que le sommeil paradoxal est spécifique dans sa capacité à intégrer les traces de la mémoire émotionnelle (article 1). En outre, les rapports de rêve en sommeil paradoxal étaient plus bizarres que ceux en sommeil lent, et plus intenses émotionnellement ; ces attributs semblent refléter la nature associative et émotionnelle du sommeil paradoxal (article 2). Le deuxième objectif de la thèse était de préciser si et comment le traitement de la mémoire émotionnelle en sommeil paradoxal est altéré dans le Trouble de cauchemars fréquents (NM). En utilisant le même protocole, nos résultats ont montré que les participants NM avaient des résultats plus élevés avant une sieste, ce qui correspond aux observations antérieures voulant que les personnes souffrant de cauchemars soient plus créatives. Après le sommeil paradoxal, les deux groupes, NM et CTL, ont montré des changements similaires dans leur accès associatif, avec des résultats AB-négatif plus bas et AB-positif plus grands. Une semaine plus tard, seul les participants NM a maintenu ce changement dans leur réseau sémantique (article 3). Ces résultats suggèrent qu’au fil du temps, les cauchemars peuvent interférer avec l'intégration de la mémoire émotionnelle pendant le sommeil paradoxal. En ce qui concerne l'imagerie, les participants NM avaient plus de bizarrerie et plus d’émotion positive, mais pas négative, dans leurs rêveries (article 4). Ces attributs intensifiés suggèrent à nouveau que les participants NM sont plus imaginatifs et créatifs à l’éveil. Dans l'ensemble, les résultats confirment le rôle du sommeil paradoxal dans l'intégration associative de la mémoire émotionnelle. Cependant, nos résultats concernant le Trouble de cauchemars ne sont pas entièrement en accord avec les théories suggérant que les cauchemars sont dysfonctionnels. Le groupe NM a montré plus d’associativité émotionnelle, de même que plus d'imagerie positive et bizarre à l’éveil. Nous proposons donc une nouvelle théorie de sensibilité environnementale associée au Trouble de cauchemar, suggérant qu'une sensibilité accrue à une gamme de contextes environnementaux sous-tendrait les symptômes uniques et la richesse imaginative observés chez les personnes souffrant de cauchemars fréquents. Bien que davantage de recherches doivent être faites, il est possible que ces personnes puissent bénéficier e milieux favorables, et qu’elles puissent avoir un avantage adaptatif à l'égard de l'expression créative, ce qui est particulièrement pertinent lorsque l'on considère leur pronostic et les différents types de traitements.

Jiao Tong: A Grounded Theory of Chinese International Students' Transition to American Tertiary Education

University students are more globally mobile than ever before, increasingly receiving education outside of their home countries. One significant student exchange pattern is between China and the United States; Chinese students are the largest population of international students in the U.S. (Institute of International Education, 2014). Differences between Chinese and American culture in turn influence higher education praxis in both countries, and students are enculturated into the expectations and practices of their home countries. This implies significant changes for students who must navigate cultural differences, academic expectations, and social norms during the process of transition to a system of higher education outside their home country. Despite the trends in students’ global mobility and implications for international students’ transitions, scholarship about international students does not examine students’ experiences with the transition process to a new country and system of higher education. Related models were developed with American organizations and individuals, making it unlikely that they would be culturally transferable to Chinese international students’ transitions. This study used qualitative methods to deepen the understanding of Chinese international students’ transition processes. Grounded theory methods were used to invite the narratives of 18 Chinese international students at a large public American university, analyze the data, and build a theory that reflects Chinese international students’ experiences transitioning to American university life. Findings of the study show that Chinese international students experience a complex process of transition to study in the United States. Students’ pre-departure experiences, including previous exposure to American culture, family expectations, and language preparation, informed their transition. Upon arrival, students navigate resource seeking to fulfill their practical, emotional, social, intellectual, and ideological needs. As students experienced various positive and discouraging events, they developed responses to the pivotal moments. These behaviors formed patterns in which students sought familiarity or challenge subsequent to certain events. The findings and resulting theory provide a framework through which to better understand the experiences of Chinese international students in the context of American higher education.

The effect of ambient scent on moviegoers’ behavior

Atmospheres influence behavior, create a positive image, and influence consumer purchasing patterns and retail perceptions. Nonetheless, the physical environment is a potential source of competitive advantage, though neglected more often than not. In particular, research on the effects of aroma as an independent variable in natural settings is very limited and requires further research. A sample of 407 moviegoers participated in a “natural experiment” in a cinema complex, using scented and unscented conditions. Findings show that scent produces significant positive differences in the evaluation of the theater, its environment, and on intention to return. No significant differences are found in the evaluations of concession products sold, despite the fact that spectators in scented rooms considered product prices to be significantly cheaper than did spectators in unscented rooms. A major implication of this study is that scent significantly affects emotional reactions to atmospheres. Retailers can thus improve environments to create enjoyable experiences and positively influence consumer responses.

A phenomenological study of Irish and Portuguese women’s experiences of receiving family support when studying STEM subjects at technical institutes

Comunicação apresentada na 44th SEFI Conference, 12-­15 September 2016, Tampere, Finland

Succession in the Family Business: Need to Transfer the ‘Socio-Emotional Wealth’ (SEW)

Rather often we have to confront with the pessimistic views on the future of the family business. Contrary to these prognosis, the FB is not only present but also improving its position in the global economy and playing a key role in the European economy too. They represent 60 % of employment and more than 60 million jobs in the private sector. Among many internal challenges of FB in the five years’ time, the importance of the ‘company succession’ is increasing together with the renewing technology and ‘attracting the right sills/ talents’ (Global Family Survey, 2015). This article is focusing on the transfer of socio-economic wealth (SEW) as a key intangible asset within the intergenerational changes in the FB. The paper outlines the various concepts (narrow vs. broad) of the SEW and special attention is paid to the risk prone [taken] and risk adverse entrepreneurial attitudes. In this relation, the authors made distinction between the ‘opportunity’ and ‘necessity entrepreneurs’. Using empirical experiences based on multi-site company case studies in the three INSIST project countries, the various sub-sections are focusing on the transfer of the following key components of the SEW to the next generation: trust-based social-system, generic human values (i.e. openness, mutual respect, correctness, reliability, responsibility etc.) and ‘practice based – embedded collective knowledge’. Key lesson of this analysis is the following: transferring physical assets in the succession process seems to us less important than the transfer of the intangible one embedded in the company’s culture community. Further systematic national and international investigations – combining quantitative and qualitative research tools – are necessary to acquire more accurate picture on the impacts of transferring both intangible and tangible assets in the succession process in the FB.

Goma Curriculum, A Character Education Paradigm: Composing a Text for Shaping Classroom Character Culture

The written text, and approaches to reading it, serves well as an analogy for the classroom space as a “text” that teachers are able to compose; and students are able to read, interpret meaning(s) of, and make responses to and about (Rosenblatt, 1988). Researchers point to ways in which the classroom can be conceptualized as a text to be evoked, experienced, and read (Freire & Macedo, 1987; Powell, 2009; Rosenblatt, 1988; Spears-Bunton & Powell, 2009). The present study analyzed secondary data including: 10 transcripts of teacher talks and six self-reports retrieved from the program evaluation archives of DOR Foundation. The data described six teachers’ classroom experiences subsequent to professional development centered on Goma character education curriculum that was used during a summer youth program located in South Georgia. Goma, an acronym that stands for Goal, Objective, Method, and Attitude, is a character education paradigm derived from The Inclusive Community Building Ellison Model, the theoretical framework used for this study. The Model identifies conflict resolution as one of its five foci (Hunt, Howard, & Rice, 1998). Hunt (2006) conceived Goma as part of a 7-Step unitary process, also named the 7-Step pathway, to demonstrate how conflict resolution is accomplished within a variety of contexts. Analysis of the data involved: (a) a priori coding of teacher talks transcripts using the components of the Goma 7-Step pathway as coding categories, (b) emergent coding of teacher talks transcripts for the types of experiences teachers evidenced, and (c) emergent coding of teachers’ self-reports for categories of teachers’ instructional activities. Results of the study showed positive influence of Goma curriculum on participating teachers and their instructional practices. Teachers were shown to have had cognitive, instructional, emotional, and social experiences that were most evident when they reported changes in their attitudes toward their students, themselves, and their instructional practices. The present study provided implications for classroom teachers wherein all aspects of teachers’ instructional practices can be guided by principles of positive character; and can be used to help compose the kinds of “texts” that may likely contribute to a classroom character culture.

Geographical literacy, attitudes, and experiences of freshman students: A qualitative study at Florida International University

The purpose of the study was to explore the geography literacy, attitudes and experiences of Florida International University (FIU) freshman students scoring at the low and high ends of a geography literacy survey. The Geography Literacy and ABC Models formed the conceptual framework. Participants were freshman students enrolled in the Finite Math course at FIU. Since it is assumed that students who perform poorly on geography assessments do not have an interest in the subject, testing and interviewing students allowed the researcher to explore the assumption. ^ In Phase I, participants completed the Geography Literacy Survey (GLS) with items taken from the 2010 NAEP Geography Subject Area Assessment. The low 35% and high 20% performers were invited for Phase II, which consisted of semi-structured interviews. A total of 187 students participated in Phase I and 12 in Phase II. ^ The primary research question asked was what are the geography attitudes and experiences of freshman students scoring at the low and high ends of a geographical literacy survey? The students had positive attitudes regardless of how they performed on the GLS. ^ The study included a quantitative sub-question regarding the performance of the students on the GLS. The students’ performance on the GLS was equivalent to the performance of 12th grade students from the NAEP Assessment. There were three qualitative sub-questions from which the following themes were identified: the students’ definition of geography is limited, students recall more out of school experiences with geography, and students find geography valuable. In addition, there were five emergent themes: there is a concern regarding a lack of geographical knowledge, rote memorization of geographical content is overemphasized, geographical concepts are related to other subjects, taking the high school level AP Human Geography course is powerful, and there is a need for real-world applications of geographical knowledge. ^ The researcher offered as suggestions for practice to reposition geography in our schools to avoid misunderstandings, highlight its interconnectedness to other fields, connect the material to real world events/daily decision-making, make research projects meaningful, partner with local geographers, and offer a mandatory geography courses at all educational levels.^

The Relationships between Elementary School Principals' Emotional Intelligence, Leadership Style and School Culture

The role of the principal in school settings and the principal’s perceived effect on student achievement have frequently been considered vital factors in school reform. The relationships between emotional intelligence, leadership style and school culture have been widely studied. The literature reveals agreement among scholars regarding the principal’s vital role in developing and fostering a positive school culture. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between elementary school principals’ emotional intelligence, leadership style and school culture. The researcher implemented a non-experimental ex post facto research design to investigate four specific research hypotheses. Utilizing the Qualtrics Survey Software, 57 elementary school principals within a large urban school district in southeast Florida completed the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i), and 850 of their faculty members completed the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ Form 5X). Faculty responses to the school district’s School Climate Survey retrieved from the district’s web site were used as the measure of school culture. Linear regression analyses revealed significant positive associations between emotional intelligence and the following leadership measures: Idealized Influence-Attributes (β = .23, p = < .05), Idealized Influence-Behaviors (β = .34, p = < .01), Inspirational Motivation (β = .39, p = < .01) and Contingent Reward (β = .33, p = < .01). Hierarchical regression analyses revealed positive associations between school culture and both transformational and transactional leadership measures, and negative associations between school culture and passive-avoidant leadership measures. Significant positive associations were found between school culture and the principals’ emotional intelligence over and above leadership style. Hierarchical linear regressions to test the statistical hypothesis developed to account for alternative explanations revealed significant associations between leadership style and school culture over and above school grade. These results suggest that emotional intelligence merits consideration in the development of leadership theory. Practical implications include suggestions that principals employ both transformational and transactional leadership strategies, and focus on developing their level of emotional intelligence. The associations between emotional intelligence, transformational leadership, Contingent Reward and school culture found in this study validate the role of the principal as the leader of school reform.

Valoración del éxito de la educación afectivo-sexual en adolescentes

According to the 'World Health Organisation' (WHO) "Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not only the absence of conditions or diseases." Other experts prefer a broad reference context when talking about health, expressing it in three areas: physical, mental and social. Within this context, in 2002 the WHO defined sexual health as a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being related to sexuality; it is not merely the absence of disease, dysfunction or weakness. Sexual health requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relations, as well as the possibility of obtaining pleasure and safe sexual experiences, free from coercion, discrimination and violence. To achieve good sexual health and guarantee the sexual rights for all people, these rights should be respected, protected and complied with. These sexual rights have been acknowledged by the international community as human rights in declarations, agreements and treaties by different international organisations such as the United Nations (UN), the World Health Organisation (WHO) or the European Union (EU). One of these rights is precisely the right to sex education, which is recognized in Spain in the Ley de Ordenación General del Sistema Educativo (Law of General Regulation for the Educational System), LOGSE that, for the first time, includes sex education in the different education stages and in different areas...