La teoría del apoyo social y sus implicaciones para el ajuste psicosocial de los enfermos oncológicos

Resumen

La investigación en torno a los factores determinantes de la elección de un medio de transporte u otro ha puesto de relieve la importancia de la función instrumental de los mismos. El análisis cualitativo proveniente de 6 grupos de discusión (78 personas) llevados a cabo en Madrid, Bilbao y San Sebastián pone de manifiesto que tanto la función simbólica que cumplen los medios de transporte como el afecto asociado a su uso resultan relevantes, junto con la función instrumental, a la hora de elegir un medio de transporte concreto. De hecho, las referencias emocionales presentan una alta frecuencia de mención en relación con el transporte público. La evaluación de las diferencias entre el transporte público y privado, en relación con las funciones instrumental y simbólica, y el afecto asociado, sugiere que el transporte público es considerado pobre en cuanto a su función instrumental y de forma negativa en cuanto a su función simbólica, mientras que el transporte privado es valorado muy positivamente en cuanto a su función instrumental y simbólica. Finalmente, el aspecto afectivo es evaluado de forma más ambivalente en relación al transporte privado mientras que para el transporte público es fundamentalmente negativo.     

Actitudes de la policía ante la intervención en casos de violencia contra la mujer en las relaciones de pareja: influencia del sexismo y la empatia

Resumen

El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar la influencia del sexismo (benevolente y hostil) y la empatía en las actitudes de la policía hacia la intervención en casos de violencia contra la mujer en las relaciones de pareja (preferencia por la intervención en función de que la víctima esté dispuesta o no a denunciar). La muestra está compuesta por 409 Policías Locales. Los resultados obtenidos a partir de un diseño factorial 2×2×2 revelaron diferencias significativas en el efecto principal del factor sexismo benevolente y en la interacción de la empatia por el sexismo hostil. Se analizan las implicaciones de estos resultados para la formación y selección de agentes de policía en el ámbito específico de la intervención en casos de violencia contra la mujer en las relaciones de pareja.     

Explorando el concepto de exclusión social: diferencias entre la psicología social euronorteamericana y la latinoamericana

Resumen

Se defiende que el concepto de “exclusión social” tiene un tratamiento diferencial por parte de los psicólogos sociales que se mueven en la órbita euronorteamericana, respecto a los que lo hacen en la latinoamericana. Mientras que los primeros lo consideran como sinónimo de prejuicio, diferenciación social o estereotipia, los segundos lo hacen a partir de consideraciones económicas, políticas y sociales, refiriéndolo básicamente a la pobreza estructural que se vive en estas comarcas.     

From interpersonal to extended fusion: relationships between fusion with siblings and fusion with the country / Desde la fusión interpersonal a la fusión extendida: Relaciones entre la fusión con los hermanos y la fusión con el país

Abstract

Identity fusion is a visceral feeling of oneness with a group. Although research on identity fusion focuses on the alignment of individuals with groups, we propose that fusion can develop between two individuals. In particular, we explore for the first time identity fusion between siblings and its relation with endorsement of extreme behaviour to protect the sibling. In a study conducted with 761 couples of siblings we found that fusion with the sibling is positively associated with willingness to fight and die for the sibling. Additionally, we address the relation between interpersonal and extended fusion. Specifically, a positive association between fusion with the sibling and fusion with the country emerged. The hypothesis that extended fusion might require the projection of interpersonal ties to a large category is discussed.     

Actitudes sociales y adaptación social en adolescentes españoles: el papel de la inteligencia emocional percibida

Resumen

El objetivo de este trabajo ha sido analizar la relación existente entre las actitudes sociales y la inteligencia emocional percibida (IEP) en una muestra de adolescentes Españoles, así como comprobar la influencia de ambas variables sobre el nivel de adaptación social que presentan los alumnos informado por sus profesores. En este estudio han participado 153 estudiantes de primer y segundo ciclo de Enseñanza Secundaria Obligatoria (E. S. O.) con edades comprendidas entre 11 y 17 años (M = 13,6; Sd = 1,59). Para evaluar el nivel de IEP se ha empleado la escala Trait Meta Mood Scale (TMMS-24), que valora diferentes dimensiones de tipo intrapersonal (atención, claridad y reparación emocional) y para evaluar el tipo de actitudes sociales de los estudiantes (pro-sociales, asociales y antisociales) se ha empleado el Cuestionario de Actitudes y Estrategias Cognitivas Sociales (AECS). Los resultados obtenidos han aportado evidencias de que la IEP autoinformada se relaciona significativamente con actitudes pro-sociales concretas. Además, la actitud prosocial Ayuda y Colaboración y la dimensión intrapersonal Atención Emocional, predicen el nivel de adaptación social de los estudiantes informado por su profesor. Este trabajo presenta importantes implicaciones educativas, ya que el conocimiento de los procesos por los que la inteligencia emocional se relaciona con la adaptación social nos permitirá emplear con más eficacia la educación emocional como estrategia de intervención en el ámbito educativo.     

Predicting attitudes and behavioural intentions towards social entrepreneurship: the role of servant leadership in young people / Predicción de las actitudes y las intenciones conductuales hacia el emprendimiento social: el papel del liderazgo de servicio en los jóvenes

: Social entrepreneurship (SE) refers to the development of innovative projects whose main aim is not individual profit but the transformation of society. The issue is particularly important for promoting youth development and participation. This research offers insights from two studies designed from a multi-dimensional perspective analysing attitudes and behavioural intentions towards social ventures built upon the constructs of servant leadership and lifestyles. Results of Study 1 indicated that servant leadership is a key predictor of attitudes and behavioural intentions towards social entrepreneurship, while having a violent lifestyle is negatively associated with these attitudes and intentions. Study 2 showed that servant leadership style predicted attitudes towards social entrepreneurship over and above other types of leadership (i.e., transformational, transactional and laissez-faire). These studies demonstrate the importance of considering servant leadership and relational styles as key factors in predicting attitudes and behavioural intentions regarding social and active participation of young people. Limitations of the study and applications to designing interventions aimed at improving attitudes and behavioural intentions towards social entrepreneurship are discussed.     

Un modelo socio-cultural de los rituales: efectos y procesos psico-sociales de la participación en manifestaciones después del atentado del 11 de Marzo

Resumen

Desarrollamos un marco de análisis funcionalista de las actividades colectivas de recuerdo, incluyendo el compartir social de las emociones y la participación en ceremonias y rituales, basado en el texto clásico de Durk-heim “Las formas elementales de la vida religiosa”. Las formas colectivas de afrontamiento de las emociones son funcionales porque refuerzan la auto-estima y la afectividad positiva, ayudan a la integración social interpersonal, sirven de soporte a la cohesión social y fortalecen las creencias sociales, mediante el aumento de las emociones compartidas y la percepción de similaridad con otros. Este texto sintetiza una serie de estudios que confirman el modelo neo-durkheimiano: las personas que participaron más en manifestaciones una semana después del 11-M, informaban a las tres semanas de mayor apoyo social subjetivo, menor soledad, más afectividad positiva y mejor auto-concepto, confirmando que los rituales refuerzan la integración social interpersonal. También se confirmó que los rituales fortalecen las creencias sociales positivas: la participación en rituales reforzaba el acuerdo con los beneficios personales, interpersonales y sociales de la reacción al trauma. Altos niveles de participación en manifestaciones predijeron a los dos meses un clima social positivo, confirmando que los rituales refuerzan la cohesión social.     

The role of psychological detachment and empathy in the relationship between target and perpetrator in workplace bullying situations / El papel del distanciamiento psicológico y la empatía en la relación entre víctima y agresor en situaciones de acoso en el trabajo

Although previous research has shown a clear association between being a target and a perpetrator of bullying, there are no available studies exploring possible moderators of this relationship. The aim of this study is to examine the moderating role of psychological detachment and empathy on the relationship between target and perpetrator in workplace bullying situations. The sample was made up of 392 employees from a variety of organizations in the private security sector located in Madrid. Results revealed that psychological detachment and empathic concern moderated the relationship between the target and perpetrator of bullying, such that subjects with high levels of detachment and empathic concern reported lower rates of bullying as a perpetrator. These results are in line with the affect-regulation strategies model.     

Identity and the developmental origins of fusion: an exploratory approach / La identidad y los orígenes de la fusión en el desarrollo: un enfoque exploratorio

Abstract

Identity fusion involves a visceral feeling of oneness with a group, despite personal and social selves remaining differentiated. Previous research on identity fusion has focused on samples of adults and adolescents. The present studies aim at exploring how and when identity fusion develops in childhood. Our first goal was to find out to what extent personal and social identities must be developed for fusion to become possible. We conducted two exploratory studies where school-age children (six to 12 years old) participated in either focus group sessions or individual interviews. Our results show that although children are able to feel strongly connected with a group and express willingness to make significant personal sacrifices for the group, they fail to show fusion as it is found in adults, since their personal identity is not fully developed yet. Instead, these findings suggest the existence of a prior feeling that we called ‘protofusion’, the core of which is the strength of the relational ties with the members of the group.     

Relationship between organizational socialization and attitudes and behaviours in volunteers: the importance of organizational justice / Relación entre la socialización organizacional y las actitudes y conductas en el voluntariado: la importancia de la justicia organizacional

This study explores the influences of organizational socialization on the intention to stay and innovative behaviours using a two-time design with a sample (N = 308) of volunteers who provide advice and guidance. Furthermore, it analyses the mediating role of perceptions of organizational justice on the relationships between socialization and results. Our findings support the proposed hypotheses; that is, they showed that the higher the organizational socialization, the higher the intention to stay and the more innovative behaviour shown by the volunteers, and that both effects are mediated by the perceived organizational justice. The practical implications are discussed.     

University environment and entrepreneurial intention: the mediating role of the components of the theory of planned behaviour / El entorno universitario y la intención emprendedora: el papel mediador de los componentes de la teoría de la acción planificada

Entrepreneurship contributes to job creation and economic development. Thus, it is important to promote entrepreneurial initiatives; universities play a key role in this regard. The psychosocial perspective can contribute a great deal to studying the antecedents that lead a person to become an entrepreneur, with the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) being the theoretical framework used the most to predict entrepreneurial intention. Based on the data collected in Spain as part of the international GUESSS project (Global University Entrepreneurial Spirit Students’ Survey) with a sample of 9,753 students, the influence of the university environment, the entrepreneurial environment and the perceived risk of entrepreneurship on entrepreneurial intention are analysed, both directly and as mediated by the three components of the TPB (attitudes towards entrepreneurship, subjective norms and entrepreneurial self-efficacy). The results show that the university environment is the antecedent with the greatest effect on entrepreneurial intention; therefore, it is recommended that entrepreneurship be promoted through initiatives and educational programmes in the university environment.     

Determinants of approval of the work of truth commissions in the southern cone: a comparative study / Determinantes de la aprobación del trabajo realizado por las Comisiones de Verdad y Reconciliación en el cono sur: un estudio comparativo

The socio-demographic and psychosocial approval determinants of the work conducted by the truth and reconciliation commissions (TRC) are analysed based on original survey data from Chilean, Argentinian and Peruvian samples (N = 2,947). A linear multiple regression analysis was carried out (R² between .28 and .44; f² between .45 and .78) which reveals the positive effect of commission functions perceived achievement, mainly the knowledge of truth (β = .28), justice (β = .15) and the contribution in creating a common history (β = .15). An analysis by country reveals in Chile salient variables such as institutional trust, political ideas, institutional apologies and hope and sadness emotions. In Argentina, together with TRC functions, the degree of information about the work of the commission and the perception of a negative social climate appear as relevant predictors. As regards Peru, the degree of exposure to violence appears as a good predictor of TRC’s work support. The results show the relevance of TRC functions’ fulfillment, as well as the role of institutional variables in the approval of the work they have done.     

Communication and representation of risk in health crises: the influence of framing and group identity / Comunicación en crisis sanitarias y representación del riesgo. La influencia del framing y la identidad grupal

Based on the Social Representations Theory (SRT) applied to the social construction of risk and the role played by group identities, this study examines the construction of risk created by the mass media in health epidemics. An experimental design with split-ballot questionnaire and 319 participants was used in which message framing (human interest vs. attribution of responsibility) and proximity (high vs. low) were manipulated for a high invulnerability identity (youth) vs. a low invulnerability identity (elderly) population. Results showed that the human interest framing increased the perception of risk, especially when the proximity of the epidemic was high; this effect was explained by people’s emotional response. Furthermore, youth projected the risk towards ‘the other’ in order to protect their invulnerability identity. Finally, we stress the importance of the SRT on a theoretical and applied level for risk communication in health crises.     

Complementary gender stereotypes and system justification: the moderating role of essentialist lay theories for group differences / Estereotipos de género complementarios y justificación del sistema: el papel moderador de las teorías populares esencialistas sobre las diferencias grupales

Past research has established that complementary stereotypes of men and women serve to justify the gendered division of labour as well as the division of labour in society at large. This paper is concerned with the essentialist lay theories for the origin of group differences (i.e. belief in genetic determinism vs. belief in social determinism) which may moderate the justificatory effect of complementary gender stereotypes. We present data from an experimental study conducted in Greece, in which genetic vs. social deterministic lay theories for group differences and complementary vs. non-complementary accounts of gender differences were crossed. In these data, complementary accounts of gender increased participants’ justificatory responses only when a genetic deterministic context was made salient; on the contrary, the social deterministic context appeared to buffer the justificatory function of complementary accounts of gender. The results extend the literatures on the justificatory effects of complementary stereotypes as well as on essentialism, and point to the importance of the historical context in which particular ideas and lay theories for intergroup differences are embedded.     

The role of mothers in economic socialization of saving behaviour in Polish adolescents / El rol de las madres en la socialización ecónomica del comportamiento de ahorro de los adolescentes polacos

Abstract

The present study investigated the role of mothers in the economic socialization of saving-related attitudes, motives and behaviours in Polish adolescents. Research to date has shown that economic education in the family and parental models (especially the mother) are particularly important for the development of adolescent saving behaviour. Youth saving was hypothesized to be enhanced by active economic education (direct teaching) in the family and certain attitudes of mothers towards money (attitude modelling). A questionnaire-based approach was used and responses from 154 mother-adolescent (aged 13–19 years) dyads were analysed. Correlation and regression analyses showed that modelling of attitudes is more important for the formation of pro-saving attitudes and behaviour than direct teaching of children to engage in economic activities.     

Workgroup interdependence and satisfaction from a developmental perspective: the moderating role of the group’s life cycle stage / Interdependencia y satisfacción en el grupo de trabajo desde la perspectiva del desarrollo: el rol moderador de la fase del ciclo de vida grupal

From a developmental perspective, workgroups adjust and modify the way they function over time. The present study aims to test, at the group level, the moderating role of the group’s life phase in the relationship between workgroup interdependence ties in terms of task, outcome and functions, assessed by social network density and group satisfaction. A sample of 84 teams from various companies participated in this research. The results showed that the group’s development phase determines the way that outcome interdependence density in teams is associated with satisfaction and reveal the existence of differences between the second and fourth development stages. Therefore, the group’s life cycle stage should be considered as a relevant variable in research and intervention with groups in the workplace.     

Effect of regulatory modes on work performance: the moderating role of job familiarity and job complexity / El efecto del modo de regulación en el rendimiento laboral: el rol moderador de la familiaridad con el trabajo y la complejidad de la tarea

Prior research has shown that the combination of assessment and locomotion regulatory modes leads to the best performance-related outcomes. The aim of the current study was to analyse how familiarity and complexity moderate this relationship between the two regulatory modes and job performance. Participants’ locomotion and assessment tendencies were measured, and they were asked to rate the familiarity and complexity of their daily work tasks, as well as their job performance over the last year. Results showed that when job tasks were unfamiliar and more complex, high locomotion and high assessment were both needed for optimal performance. However, when both familiarity and job complexity were low, high locomotion alone led to the best performance. A similar result was obtained when task familiarity was high: regardless of task complexity, the best performance was shown by employees high in locomotion, no matter the assessment. In conclusion, the present study furnishes useful suggestions for employers who wish to maximize employees’ performance.     

Counterfactual reasoning,responsibility and blame for serial murders: the perception and prevention of violent crimes / Razonamiento contrafáctico,responsabilidad y culpa de los asesinatos en serie: la percepción y prevención de los crímenes violentos

The present research evaluates people’s perception of serial murders, analysing the effects of controllability in counterfactual reasoning about the past and the future, as well as attributions of responsibility and blame. Besides, the research analyses the effects of perspective (one’s own versus other people’s) in these attributions. Participants were 442 students who answered open-ended questions designed for this study. The first experiment shows that people focus on controllable factors previous to these events. When considering the avoidance and prevention of general serial murders, they focus on representatives of formal authority. Moreover, when judging from their own perspective, blame is attributed to the perpetrator and responsibility to both parties; while from another person´s perspective, they attribute feelings of either responsibility or guilt to the representatives of formal authority and a lack of these feelings to the perpetrator. The second experiment shows identical results regarding the specific case of a well-known serial killer in England and Spain. These findings demonstrate that this perception has implications for the legal framework and the prevention of violent crimes.     

Social perception of intimate partner violence according to the motivations and sex of the aggressor and the ideology and sex of the observers / Percepción social de la violencia de pareja en función de las motivaciones y sexo del/a agresor/a y de la ideología y sexo de los/as observadores/as

We studied how the sex of the aggressor and their motivations for attacking influence the social perception of intimate partner violence, as well as the sex of the observer and their sexist ideology. University students read a scenario in which both members of a heterosexual couple harmed each other owing to controlling or reactive motivations. After that, they were asked to identify the motivations of each partner and estimate the seriousness of what occurred, the number of aggressions described and the frequency of this kind of episode in real life. The results showed that the men and women properly identified the motivations underlying the aggressive behaviours, considered control violence more serious than reactive violence, and perceived more of the first kind of aggression. However, the men estimated a lower frequency of these episodes in real life, especially episodes of control violence. The ambivalent sexism of the men is related to these assessments. These results are particularly important with regard to the debate on gender symmetry/asymmetry in intimate partner violence.     

Initiative in work teams: adaptation and validation of the Personal Initiative at Group Level Scale / Iniciativa en los equipos de trabajo: adaptación y validación de la Escala de Iniciativa Personal a nivel Grupal

In this study, we conceptualize personal initiative as a collective construct and adapt and validate a scale to evaluate it with a sample of 308 Spanish participants belonging to 91 work teams. Personal initiative at group level is a behavioural syndrome in which the team shows an approach to work that is self-initiated, proactive, persistent, capable of modifying the atmosphere and pro organization. As a predictive variable, we analysed the climate for initiative as well as personal initiative at group level. The resulting variables that were analysed referred to organization and team performance, with the team productivity and innovation as the criteria, analysing radical innovation. The scale has suitable psychometric properties. The results show that there is a relationship between the two predictive variables. Furthermore, personal initiative at group level is related to team productivity, while the climate for initiative is related to innovation.