Jesús-Nicasio García-Sánchez

Use of Facebook, Tuenti, Twitter and Myspace among young Spanish people

This research describes and analyses the use made by young Spanish people of Tuenti, Facebook, Twitter and Myspace, exploring several variables: level of functional knowledge; frequency of use; place of use; reason for use; purpose and main activity; recipients of communication; degree of difficulty, satisfaction and preference; and intentions regarding future use. We designed and administered an online questionnaire to 757 students enrolled in secondary education (7th–11th levels and Vocational Education and Training) at seven educational centres. The results show that young Spanish people know about and use social networks on a daily basis. Tuenti was the one used with most frequency, followed by Facebook and Twitter. Myspace was the least known and used. Female subjects had a greater functional knowledge of these networks and reported a higher regular use of them. Participants used the social networks in their homes and preferred Tuenti because it is easy to use, allows them to communicate with friends and classmates and provides them with acceptable satisfaction as regards their need for prestige, acceptance and approval through the creation and maintenance of groups of friends and the publication of their achievements and self-realisations. The implications of the results obtained for psychological and social development are discussed.

Preparing to Teach 21st Century Literacies

Ever since the widespread availability of affordable desktop computers for domestic use, digital technologies have been referred to in terms of their transformative potential. Adoption of these new technologies has been rapid, as survey data show (CRTC, 2013; IAB, 2015; OfCom, 2014; Pew Research Centre, 2014), and in some sectors of the population they have quickly been absorbed into everyday life.

Psychological profiles of older adult Web 2.0 tool users

Abstract A study was conducted to explore the relationships between the Web 2.0 tool use and various psychosocial, emotional and active ageing factors. To this end, we designed and administered an online questionnaire to 454 Spanish people aged 55 or older. We performed descriptive and multivariate analyses using the general linear model. We obtained three types of evidence. The results show differential patterns of Web 2.0 tool use in relation to age, sex and educational level. Users reported benefits in relation to autonomy, motivation, social dimension, social participation, mood, self-esteem, and physical and mental health generally, and differences were observed according to age, educational level and type of tool. We also obtained differential psychological profiles for users of different tools that could determine usage patterns and derived benefits. This study has important implications as regards promoting the full integration of older adults in the knowledge society.

¿Son específicos los trastornos cognitivos—sensoriomotores—observados en los autistas?

ResumenEn este articulo se presenta un estudio comparativo del desarrollo cognitivo-sensoriomotor en tres muestras de ninos autistas (A), de ninos con retraso mental (D) y de ninos de desarrollo normal (N). Utilizando las Escalas Ordinales de Uzgiris y Hunt, inspiradas en los modelos de evaluacion neopiagetianos. El estudio intenta profundizar en lo que se considera el nucleo del trastorno autista, un deficit en el desarrollo de la teoria de la mente (TM) y no de la teoria instrumental (TI). Esta hipotesis del doble desarrollo (TM y TI) puede dar cuenta de los resultados contradictorios descritos en la literatura acerca de si los deficits sensoriomotores son o no especificos de los autistas. Los autistas son comparables a los ninos con retraso mental y a los de desarrollo normal si se trata de habilidades que implican a la TI, no asi si implican a la TM. Se discuten los resultados y se sugieren futuras vias de investigacion.