Amanda Clinton

Community participation in the cultural adaptation of a prevention curriculum

The present project analysed the use of participatory models during the process of application of a prevention program with preschool-aged children in Maracaibo, Venezuela. Relevant phases in achieving community collaboration are delineated and challenges are discussed. Results indicate that participatory models provided an effective means of introducing and carrying out a prevention program in local schools although a significant level of commitment was required from all groups involved.

Measurement of Psychological Entitlement in 28 Countries

This article presents the cross-cultural validation of the Entitlement Attitudes Questionnaire, a tool designed to measure three facets of psychological entitlement: active, passive, and revenge entitlement. Active entitlement was defined as the tendency to protect individual rights based on self-worthiness. Passive entitlement was defined as the belief in obligations to and expectations toward other people and institutions for the fulfillment of the individual’s needs. Revenge entitlement was defined as the tendency to protect one’s individual rights when violated by others and the tendency to reciprocate insults. The 15-item EAQ was validated in a series of three studies: the first one on a general Polish sample (N = 1,900), the second one on a sample of Polish students (N = 199), and the third one on student samples from 28 countries (N = 5,979). A three-factor solution was confirmed across all samples. Examination of measurement equivalence indicated partial metric invariance of EAQ for all national samples. Discriminant and convergent validity of the EAQ was also confirmed.

The application of social justice principles to global school psychology practice

In as much as school psychology practice is based on the goals of supporting the rights, access, and treatment of children as related to their education, social justice has the potential to be a moral framework for training, research, and practice in school psychology. Accordingly, this article seeks to achieve many objectives. First, a definition of social justice is provided. Second, a brief overview of school psychology research that overtly references social justice is offered. Third, essential precursors to action for individuals who seek to reflect social justice principles are highlighted. Fourth, key strategies for bringing social justice principles to practice are provided. Finally, this article closes with suggested next steps for further developing this framework globally.

Social emotional learning in a Guatemalan preschool sample: Does socioeconomic status moderate the effects of a school-based prevention program?

Researchers evaluated the effectiveness of a universal social skills program and compared social emotional knowledge on individual skills interviews with 100 Guatemalan preschool children from resource rich (N = 47) and resource poor (N = 53) backgrounds. Participant ages ranged from 3- to 6-years-old. SEL was evaluated prior and subsequent to receiving a school-based social emotional educational program. Results were analysed in terms of effectiveness of SEL by error type. Data show that preschool children from both poor and wealthy families made significant gains in social-emotional knowledge as a result of SEL instruction. In order to better understand where SEL might be improved, analyses of incorrect responses provided by children from each SES group were analysed. Findings demonstrated no significant differences between the two groups in terms of incorrect or socially unacceptable responses although, overall, the groups differed in depth of social emotional knowledge. Implications for ‘closing the gap’ between children’s social emotional development in high and low SES groups are discussed.

A Cross-Cultural Investigation of Relational and Social Aggression in Female College Students from Puerto Rico and the United States

Researchers compared scores on a self-report measure of relational and social aggression using 2 groups, European American female university students (M = 20.23 years, SD = 3.88) from the mid-Atlantic region of the United States and Hispanic females from Puerto Rico (M = 19.34 years, SD = 1.26). Results indicate that cultural differences were evident in the use of relational and social aggression. The exclusively Hispanic Puerto Rican sample reported being more socially aggressive than the European American, mid-Atlantic sample. In contrast, the European American sample identified as being more relationally aggressive in their relationships than the Hispanic Puerto Rican sample. This distinction allows us to consider potential cultural differences in interpersonal relations in college-age females.

Assessment and Collaboration in Family, Home, and Cultural Contexts

This chapter covers family, home, and cultural factors that influence trajectories of development. Both risk and resilience factors related to child developmental outcomes are described. The chapter also covers family/home assessment, including use of specific tools. The last sections of this chapter cover links of family/home assessment to interventions. These sections incorporate learning/academic interventions as well as interventions that target development of social-emotional skills in young children.

Agency, communion and entitlement

In this study, the relationship between agency, communion, and the active, passive, and revenge forms of entitlement is examined. Results indicate that active entitlement was positively related to agency, negatively to communion (Study 1), and unrelated to unmitigated agency and communion (Study 2). Passive entitlement was positively related to communion (in regular and unmitigated forms) and negatively related to agency (in both forms). Revenge entitlement was positively related to agency (unmitigated and regular), and negatively related to both regular and unmitigated communal orientations. Detected relationships were independent from self-esteem (Study 1). The findings are discussed in relation to distinctions between narcissistic and healthy entitlement, and within the context of the three-dimensional model of entitlement.

Perspectives on Protest in Latin America

This chapter focuses on the perspectives on protest in a sample of Latin Americans from seven countries. We first define the context in which protest occurs in Latin America, directed principally to economic needs and inequalities. We next describe the dynamic relationship between protestors and the state, wherein the government tries to maintain power and control and the protestors try to change the government, a policy, or the extent of its power. We also review perceptions of political institutions that are widely viewed as weak, the institutionalization of the party system is low, and there are high levels of legislative fragmentation. Furthermore, we address the importance of the blogosphere and Internet and the extent to which they serve as ways to communicate and organize social movements. Finally, we report on the responses of the sample to two items concerning protest on the Personal and Institutional Rights to Aggression and Peace Survey. The results indicate that Latin Americans are supportive of the right to protest and demonstrate pro-social agency in regard to a scenario that describes police beating peaceful protesters; however, there are some responses that showed lack of agency, and women are more likely than men to provide pro-social responses to the prompt, whereas men were more likely than women to provide antisocial responses.

Perspectives on Apology in Latin America

An apology, which is defined as a formal admission of error accompanied by regret (www.merriam-webster.com), has become a commonly utilized political strategy for addressing issues from blatant errors to social injustice perpetrated by leaders. This chapter reviews the use of apology in the Latin American political context. First, historical examples from throughout the region are explained and analyzed. Next, data obtained from the Personal and Institutional Rights to Aggression and Peace Survey (PAIRTAPS; Malley-Morrison et al., 2003) are reported. Results indicated that, in general, Latin Americans agree that apology is an important tool for reconciliation subsequent to conflict or injustice, although they vary regarding the context and degree to which it should be applied.

Definitions of War, Torture, and Terrorism in Latin America

The following are current definitions from the US government regarding war, torture, and terrorism. War is defined as: