Igor Esnaola

Contextual and Psychological Variables in a Descriptive Model of Subjective Well-Being and School Engagement

Background/Objective: The objective of this ex post facto study is to analyze both the direct relationships between perceived social support, self-concept, resilience, subjective well-being and school engagement. Method: To achieve this, a battery of instruments was applied to 1,250 Compulsory Secondary Education students from the Basque Country (49% boys and 51% girls), aged between 12 and 15 years (M = 13.72, SD =1.09), randomly selected. We used a structural equation model to analyze the effects of perceived social support, self-concept and resilience on subjective well-being and school engagement. Results: The results provide evidence for the influence of the support of family, peer support and teacher support on self-concept. In addition, self-concept is shown as a mediating variable associated with resilience, subjective well-being and school engagement. Conclusions: We discuss the results in the context of positive psychology and their practical implications in the school context.

Validity Evidence based on Internal Structure of Scores of the Emotional Quotient-Inventory: Youth Version Short (EQ-i: YV-S) in a Spanish Sample

The purpose of this study was to analyze the reliability and validity evidence of scores on the Spanish version of EQ-i: YV-S in Spanish adolescents. The total sample was comprised of 508 participants from Grades 7 to 12, 241 males (47.4%) and 267 females (52.6%), each of whom completed the questionnaires on two separate occasions. Three [intrapersonal (α = .83, CR = .86, and McDonald Omega = .86), stress management (α = .83, CR = .86, and McDonald Omega = .85) and adaptability (α = .82, CR = .85, and McDonald Omega = .85)] of the four scales had acceptable internal consistency. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were used with FACTOR and EQS version 6.1 software to examine validity evidence based on internal structure drawn from the scores on the EQ-i: YV-S, supporting the multidimensionality of the questionnaire. Three models were tested; the best fit to the data was the hierarchical model (S-Bχ2 / df = 2.11, CFI = .93 and RMSEA = .047), which hypothesized that the four specific factors (interpersonal, intrapersonal, stress management, and adaptability) were explained with a second-order factor, Emotional-Social-Intelligence (ESI). Finally, significant positive correlations were found between general self-concept and EQ-i: YV-S [interpersonal (r = .153, p < .001), intrapersonal (r = .235, p < .001), stress management (r = .145, p < .001), adaptability (r = .311, p < .001) and ESI (r = .360, p < .001)]; ESI showed significant direct power prediction of the general self-concept (.52) as demonstrated through structural equation modeling.

Physical Activity and Physical Self-Concept in a Sample of Middle-Age Basque Adults

This study examined the relation of physical activity and physical self-concept in a sample of midlife adults from the Basque Country, 248 participants (152 women and 96 men) whose ages ranged from 31 to 49 years. Measurements were made on the Autokontzeptu Fisikoaren Itaunketa, a measure of physical self-concept in Basque language, and questions about physical activity. The Student t test was used to examine differences between Active and Non-active people; and to analyse differences by frequency of activity, analysis of variance was used. Analysis indicated those women who identified themselves as more active had more positive self-perceptions with regard to physical ability, physical condition, strength, and physical self-concept than inactive people while mens scores were more positive for physical ability, physical condition, and physical self-concept. Likewise, both men and women who reported engaging in physical activity more than three times a week also had significantly more positive self-perceptions with regard to physical ability, physical condition, and physical self-concept than those who exercised less frequently.

Validity Evidence Based on Internal Structure of Scores of the Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version Short (EQ-i: YV-S) in a Chinese Sample:

Given the lack of any Chinese instrument validated for emotional intelligence (EI) among adolescents, the purpose of this study was to explore new sources of validity evidence drawn from scores on the Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version Short (EQ-i: YV-S) in a sample of Chinese adolescents. The sample was composed of 406 adolescents (236 girls). Results support the multidimensionality of the EQ-i: YV-S, but its hierarchical structure did not receive empirical support. Three of the four main subscales (all but interpersonal) had acceptable reliability indices. In addition, although the impact of the Positive Impression subscale on responses to the main scales was generally low, the effect is not ignorable, and its impact should be modeled in further investigations of the EQ-i: YV-S. Finally, four main subscales of EQ-i: YV-S showed significant power in the prediction of general self-concept and moderate temporal stability. The findings provide overall support for the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of EQ-i: YV-S.

Identifying potentially marker symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Background For the diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) proposes that adherence to six symptoms in either group (inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity) will lead to the diagnosis of one of three presentations of the disorder. Underlying this diagnostic algorithm is the assumption that the 18 symptoms have equal relevance for the diagnosis of ADHD, all are equally severe, and all have the same power to detect the presence of the disorder in all its degrees of severity, without considering the possibility of using marker symptoms. However, several studies have suggested that ADHD symptoms differ in both their power to discriminate the presence of the disorder and the degree of severity they represent. The aim of the present study was to replicate the results of previous research by evaluating the discriminative capacity and relative severity of ADHD symptoms, as well as to extend the investigation of this topic to Spanish-speaking Latin American samples. Methods The properties of ADHD symptoms rated by the parents of 474 Chilean children were analyzed. Symptom parameters were estimated using the graded response model. Results The results suggest that symptoms of ADHD differ substantially in both the accuracy with which they reflect the presence of the disorder, and their relative severity. Symptoms “easily distracted by extraneous stimuli” and “have difficulty sustaining attention in tasks” (inattention) and “is on the go, acting as if driven by motor” (hyperactivity/impulsivity) were the most informative, and those with relatively lower severity thresholds. Discussion The fact that symptoms differ substantially in the probability of being observed conditionally to the trait level suggests the need to refine the diagnostic process by weighting the severity of the symptom, and even to assess the possibility of defining ADHD marker symptoms, as has been done in other disorders.

Validity evidence of Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version (Short) in a sample of Mexican adolescents / Evidencias de validez del Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version (Short) en una muestra de adolescentes mexicanos

Abstract The aim of this study was to obtain evidence on the validity of the Emotional Quotient Inventory Youth Version-Short Form (EQ-i:YV-S) with a sample of Mexican adolescent participants. The sample comprised 375 adolescents, 183 males (48.8%), from years seven to 12 (Mage = 14.80, SD = 1.72). Different tests were carried out to provide evidence of the questionnaire’s validity: (1) reliability and internal consistency analyses; (2) exploratory and confirmatory analyses; and (3) correlational and predictive validity analyses through structural equation modelling. The four EQ-i:YV-S subscales (interpersonal, intrapersonal, stress management and adaptability) provided acceptable indexes of reliability. Exploratory factor analysis supported the multidimensionality of the questionnaire. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis showed that the hierarchical model that hypothesized four first-order factors and one second-order factor (social-emotional intelligence) had the best fit for the data. Finally, the positive correlations found between the four specific EQ-i:YV-S subscales, general self-concept and satisfaction with life, supported the convergent validity of the questionnaire; in addition, the questionnaire’s capacity to predict satisfaction with life corroborated its predictive validity. It can therefore be affirmed that the EQ-i:YV-S is a brief questionnaire that is suitable for measuring the emotional intelligence of Mexican adolescents.

Alimentación, autoconcepto e imagen corporal

Resumen El objetivo de esta investigación ha sido analizar la relación entre la alimentación, el autoconcepto y la imagen corporal. La muestra esta compuesta por 1.147 personas divididas en tres grupos: adolescentes (N = 627), jóvenes (N = 272) y adultos (N = 248). Los resultados indican una clara relación entre la buena percepción de la alimentación, el autoconcepto y la imagen corporal en los tres grupos analizados. Los sujetos que piensan que su alimentación es más sana que la de los demás tienen un mejor autoconcepto e imagen corporal que los sujetos que creen que su alimentación es menos sana que la de los demás. Estos resultados demuestran la gran importancia de la alimentación en la percepción corporal en todas las edades.