Elena Bernaras

Self-concept, Self-esteem, Personality Traits and Psychopathological Symptoms in Adolescents with and without Visual Impairment

The purpose of this study was to analyze self-concept, self-esteem, and other personality traits and psychopathological symptoms in subjects with and without visual impairment. The sample was made up of 90 participants aged 12 to 17: 61 with no impairment and 29 with visual impairment. The ANOVA showed that there were no significant differences in self-concept and self-esteem in the samples, but the visually impaired adolescents scored significantly higher in various psychopathological symptoms as well as in their capacity for kind behavior. The ANOVA revealed no gender differences in any variables in adolescents without visual impairment. However, women with visual impairment scored lower in self-esteem and higher in various psychopathological symptoms. Pearson coefficients revealed negative relations between self-concept/self-esteem and all the psychopathological symptoms, and neuroticism, as well as a positive relation with extraversion. Low psychoticism, high extraversion, and low hostility were identified as predictors of high self-concept.

Estrategias de aprendizaje y patrones de motivación del alumnado de cuatro titulaciones del Campus de Gipuzkoa

Resumen En este estudio exploratorio y descriptivo realizado con alumnado universitario de cuatro titulaciones del Campus de Gipuzkoa de la Universidad del País Vasco se ha pretendido: 1) describir las estrategias de aprendizaje y los patrones de motivación de una muestra de alumnado universitario del Campus de Gipuzkoa; 2) analizar si existen relaciones entre las estrategias de aprendizaje y los patrones de motivación de dicho alumnado; 3) explorar posibles diferencias en las estrategias de aprendizaje y los patrones de motivación empleados por el alumnado de las titulaciones. Para la obtención de datos se utilizó el “Cuestionario de Estrategias de Aprendizaje y Motivación, CEAM” (Ayala, Martínez y Yuste, 2004) con una muestra de 144 alumnos. Los resultados muestran que: 1) el alumnado del campus de Gipuzkoa dispone de un repertorio variado de estrategias de aprendizaje y un patrón motivational apropiado; 2) se han observado correlaciones significativamente moderadas entre algunas estrategias de aprendizaje utilizadas por el alumnado y los patrones de motivación, en el conjunto del alumnado del Campus; 3) existen diferencias significativas en las estrategias de aprendizaje y tipos de motivación entre las distintas titulaciones. Estos resultados podrían ser de utilidad en el proceso de adecuación de las titulaciones al Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior.

Child Depression: Prevalence and Comparison between Self-Reports and Teacher Reports

Depression is one of the most worrying diseases nowadays. The study had three main purposes: 1) to identify the prevalence of depressive symptomatology in 7-10 year olds, exploring differences according to gender and age; 2) to analyze the consistency between self-reports and teacher reports; and 3) to explore the relationship between depression and academic performance. Regarding the methodology, the sample comprised 420 students aged between 7 and 10 years from the Basque Country (53.3% boys, 46.7% girls). With a descriptive, comparative and correlational design, 4 assessment instruments were used. Results from the self-reports showed a depression rate fluctuating between 4.6% and 4.8% (clinically significant), and between 4.3% and 5% (moderate depression). However, prevalence rates from teacher reports varied between 0.2% and 3.6% (clinically significant) and between 4.6% and 7.7% (moderate depression). The consistency rate between self-reports and teacher reports was small. Differences according to gender varied depending on the instruments used and depression was higher in boys (BASC, d = .23; SPECI d = .36). Symptomatology did not increase with age. Depression correlated negatively with academic performance (self-reported depression: CDS-T r = -.12, SPECI r = -.17; depression reported by teachers: CDS-T r = -.24, SPECI r = -.50). The importance of training teachers to better identify child depression is discussed, as well as the relevance of developing prevention programs.

Childhood Depression: Relation to Adaptive, Clinical and Predictor Variables.

The study had two goals: (1) to explore the relations between self-assessed childhood depression and other adaptive and clinical variables (2) to identify predictor variables of childhood depression. Participants were 420 students aged 7–10 years old (53.3% boys, 46.7% girls). Results revealed: (1) positive correlations between depression and clinical maladjustment, school maladjustment, emotional symptoms, internalizing and externalizing problems, problem behaviors, emotional reactivity, and childhood stress; and (2) negative correlations between depression and personal adaptation, global self-concept, social skills, and resilience (sense of competence and affiliation). Linear regression analysis including the global dimensions revealed 4 predictors of childhood depression that explained 50.6% of the variance: high clinical maladjustment, low global self-concept, high level of stress, and poor social skills. However, upon introducing the sub-dimensions, 9 predictor variables emerged that explained 56.4% of the variance: many internalizing problems, low family self-concept, high anxiety, low responsibility, low personal self-assessment, high social stress, few aggressive behaviors toward peers, many health/psychosomatic problems, and external locus of control. The discussion addresses the importance of implementing prevention programs for childhood depression at early ages.

Perceived parenting and adolescents’ adjustment

Adolescence is an important developmental period that is characterised by heightened problems of adjustment. The aim of this study is to analyse adolescents’ adjustment, and to explore the typologies and dimensions of parenting, and thus to determine the relationships between these factors. The sample comprised 1285 adolescent students aged 12 to 16 from the Basque Country (Spain). The students filled out the self-report of the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) and the Parental Acceptance-Rejection/Control Questionnaire, (PARQ/Control). Differences by age were found in the adolescents’ school maladjustment and parenting style perception. Moreover, perceptions of little parental warmth were related to higher levels of clinical and school maladjustment, and the lower the parental control, the greater the clinical maladjustment. Finally, the results obtained revealed that the interaction between the mothers’ and fathers’ parenting styles was significant only for clinical maladjustment; those students with neglectful mothers and authoritative fathers presented the highest level of clinical maladjustment, followed by other combinations of neglectful mothers. Furthermore, the students from neglectful and authoritarian families presented the highest levels of school maladjustment, without differences between neglectful and authoritarian or between indulgent and authoritative families.

Efectos de Cyberprogram 2.0 en factores del desarrollo socioemocional

Objetivo. Desde los anos ochenta, la violencia entre iguales ha suscitado una gran preocupacion dentrode la comunidad cientifica y ha generado un intenso debate social. El principal objetivo de este estudio fueevaluar los efectos de un programa antibullying (Cyberprogram2.0) en factores del desarrollo socioemocionaly en la violencia. Metodo. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 176 adolescentes espanoles, de 13 a 15 anos(77 hombres, 99 mujeres), de los cuales 93 fueron asignados aleatoriamente a la condicion experimentaly 83 a la de control. Se empleo un diseno cuasi-experimental postest con grupo de control equivalente.El programa contiene actividades para prevenir/reducir el bullying/cyberbullying. La intervencion consistioen realizar 19 sesiones de una hora de duracion durante un curso escolar. Al finalizar la intervencion, seadministro el Cuestionario de Evaluacion del Programa CEP-Cyberprogram-2.0. Resultados. Los ANOVApostest confirmaron que el programa estimulo una mejora significativa de los experimentales en diversascogniciones, emociones y conductas asociadas al desarrollo socioemocional y a la disminucion de la violencia(F[41,134]=58.82, p<.001; η²=.95; r=.97). La intervencion afecto similarmente en ambos sexos. Conclusion.La discusion se centra en la importancia de implementar programas para prevenir la violencia y fomentar eldesarrollo socioemocional.Palabras clave. Violencia, cond