José Luis Graña

The five-factor model—II. Relations of the NEO-PI with other personality variables☆

Abstract Trait psychology is entering into a newly flourishing time. The five-factor model has become a robust alternative in the search for the ‘basic’ personality structure. The present paper is intended to explore the nomological network of the dimensions contained in Costa and McCraes NEO-PI, which has become the most widely used operationalization of the five-factor model in the questionnaire domain. The Spanish version of the NEO-PI was related, in three different broad samples, to socially desirable responding measures, to the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), to several commonly-used clinical scales, and to indexes of risk-related behaviors and unhealthy attitudes. Results support the convergent and discriminant validity of the NEO-PI traits and of most of its facets, and offer implications for defenders of three-factor vs five-factor models of personality. The role of ‘response sets’ in the NEO-PI is also discussed.

Multivariate Model of Antisocial Behavior and Substance Use in Spanish Adolescents

This study was designed to examine the causal paths that predict antisocial behavior and the consumption of legal and illegal substances (drugs) in adolescents. The sample comprised 1,629 adolescents, 786 males and 843 females, between 14 and 18 years old. All participants provided reports of family, school, personality, and peer-group factors related to substance consumption and antisocial behavior in adolescence. A biopsychosocial multivariate model was used to predict both legal and illegal substance use, and an adequate match was obtained for both. However, much more variance was accounted for in legal compared to illegal substance use. The major predictors of alcohol and marijuana use were personality factors (aggression and impulsivity) and scholarly factors (adaptation to school and good grades) whereas the major predictor of illegal drug use was negative peer relations (violence and non-conformity). Identification of associated risk factors serves as a basis for appropriate prevention programs to reduce antisocial behaviors and substance use in adolescents.

Modelos teóricos de conceptualización del craving

Objetivo El concepto de craving puedeser valorado en diferentes aspectos. Puede definirseen terminos generales como el deseo de losefectos del alcohol previamente experimentados, yes considerado por muchos adictos y clinicos comouna parte importante del proceso adictivo que puedeconducir a una recaida. Material y metodos Para el desarrollo de unadefinicion de craving es necesario revisar los modelosteoricos relevantes desarrollados durante lasultimas dos decadas. Estos incluyen los modelosde condicionamiento clasico y operante, modeloscognitivos del craving, modelos fenomenologicos,la teoria de la sensibilizacion del incentivo, el modelode desregulacion homeostatica, y un modelode regulacion tonico/fasico del sistema dopaminergico. Resultados Esta variedad de modelos pone demanifiesto la potencial importancia de investigaciontransdisciplinaria para delimitar el papel delcraving por drogas en las adicciones. Conclusiones Una sintesis transdisciplinaria podriaguiar el desarrollo de los metodos e instrumentosdiagnosticos y contribuiria a la mejora detratamientos y estrategias de prevencion.

Alcohol Craving Scale Based on Three Factors

Background: Alcohol craving is a central aspect of alcoholism about which various explanatory theories and assessment questionnaires, based on such craving, have been developed. However, there are no instruments for the assessment of craving in line with the integrative hypotheses recently formulated that propose three types of craving: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, and loss of control. Objectives: The construction and validation of a craving scale based on three factors. We expect to obtain a correlation between each factor and associated variables from prior studies. We also expect significant differences in craving between alcoholic individuals and controls. Sample: The scale was administered to 209 alcohol-dependent subjects and 137 controls. Instruments: Alcohol Craving Scale Based on Three Factors (ACS-3F); Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, Severity of Alcohol Dependence Scale. Results: We confirmed the existence of the three factors initially proposed in the structure of the instrument, with high reliability. The relationship between the scale and the measures employed for its validation was confirmed. Adequate capacity of the scale to discriminate between the sample of alcoholics and the controls was observed. Conclusions: The ACS-3F has adequate psychometric properties and may be useful in future research and in clinical practice.

Subtypes of batterers in treatment: empirical support for a distinction between type I, type II and type III.

This study explores the existence of different types of batterers in a sample of 266 men who had been court referred for intimate partner violence. The data collected in the assessment that have been used to perform a hierarchical and a two-step cluster analysis fall into three areas: aggression towards the partner, general aggression and presence of psychopathology and personality traits, more specifically, alcohol use, borderline and antisocial personality traits, psychopathy traits, state anger and trait anger, anger expression and control, anger, hostility, and, finally, impulsivity. The results show a typology consisting of 3 types of batterers on the basis of violence level and psychopathology: low (65%), moderate (27.8%) and high (7.1%). This study provides empirical support for the development of batterer typologies. These typologies will help achieve early detection of different types of batterers, allowing us to tailor interventions on the basis of the needs of each of the types.

Self-Reported Physical and Emotional Abuse Among Youth Offenders and Their Association With Internalizing and Externalizing Psychopathology A Preliminary Study

The aim of this exploratory study was twofold. First, the severity of physical and emotional abuse perpetrated by parents and its association with internalizing and externalizing problems were explored in a sample of 104 male and female youth offenders. Second, we tested the moderate effect of callous-unemotional traits on the relation between physical and emotional victimization and internalizing and externalizing problems in boys. The analyses revealed that a high percentage of youth offenders reported having been physically abused. More severe physical abuse was not related to higher levels of internalizing or externalizing problems. Young offenders’ emotional abuse levels were low; however, this type of abuse was positively associated with externalizing problems among boys, regardless of the level of callous-unemotional traits. Thus, we suggest that youth offenders must be assessed using measures of physical and emotional abuse, and their case management should integrate specific programs to focus on the family environment to which the adolescents will most likely return after their sentence.

Can You Be Hit by Your Partner and Be Intensely in Love

This study examines, in a multilevel context, the influence of intensity of love at an individual level on couples’ mean reports of psychological and physical aggression in a sample of 2,988 adult couples of both sexes from the Region of Madrid. The percentages of intimate partner aggression considering the highest report of aggression in the couple were around 60% of psychological aggression and 15% of physical aggression. Multilevel models confirm that individuals who were less intensely in love reported a higher level of psychological aggression. Concerning physical aggression, men who declared they were less intensely in love reported a higher level of physical aggression by their partners, but this pattern was not found in the women. Therefore, psychological aggression plays a more relevant role in the intensity of love than physical aggression.

Psychopathological Factors and Perpetration of Intimate Partner Aggression: A Multivariate Model

Using a sample of 1,190 married Spanish community couples in opposite-sex relationships, this study evaluated a path analytic model exploring the associations between individual and dyadic factors and partner aggression for both males and females. Specifically, the perpetrators report of their individual mental health symptomatology (borderline and antisocial traits, alcohol use), their report of relationship quality, and their report of perpetration were modeled to predict their partners victimization. The resultant model exhibited good fit as measured by multiple indices for both male-to-female and female-to-male perpetration. Furthermore, results demonstrated that antisocial and borderline traits were associated with each other, that alcohol use was associated with perpetration, and that one partners perpetration was associated with his or her partners victimization for both males and females. However, the pattern of significant pathways between individual pathology and relationship violence differed somewhat for male-to-female and female-to-male aggression. Given the results, policy makers concerned about prevention of partner aggression may consider interventions aimed at symptoms associated with antisocial and borderline traits and substance use, and may identify differential targets for intervention based on the perpetrators gender.

Relationship satisfaction and interpartner agreement about acts of physical and psychological aggression: a multilevel analysis

BackgroundTo analyze, in a multilevel context, the impact of individual-level relationship satisfaction on couples’ mean reports of aggression and agreement about acts of physical and psychological aggression.MethodsWe conducted a quota sampling method to recruit a community sample of 2.988 heterosexual adult couples from the Region of Madrid (Spain).ResultsThe percentages of intimate partner aggression considering the highest report of aggression in the couple were around 60% of psychological aggression and 15% of physical aggression. Couples that used aggressive tactics showed low to moderate levels of agreement about physical and psychological aggression. Multilevel models confirm that women’s relationship satisfaction had a significant influence on the level of agreement about acts of psychological aggression, but the same pattern of results was not observed for men. On the other hand, men and women’s relationship satisfaction had no significant influence on the level of agreement about physical aggression.ConclusionsPsychological aggression plays a more relevant role in women’s relationship satisfaction than physical aggression.