José María Salinas

Exploration of the psychometric characteristics of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale in a Spanish adolescent sample.

Social phobia is an excessive concern about scrutiny by other people in situations the person considers embarrassing or humiliating. The purpose of this study is to explore the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the social fear and social avoidance subscales of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) and to analyze the score distribution of both subscales. To this end, we assessed a sample of 1,012 Spanish adolescents attending school. The results of a first‐order factor analysis indicate the existence of a dominant factor in both subscales of the LSAS—as well as three other less relevant factors—and explain most of the variance of the subscales. The internal consistency of the first factor was quite high in both subscales. The LSAS and its two subscales showed adequate theoretical validity with different variables related to social interaction. Finally, the different scores obtained in both subscales make it possible to group adolescents into three clusters with different characteristics. A study of the sociodemographic variables of the components of the clusters showed a significant relation only with sex. Depression and Anxiety, 2008.

Spanish version of the Sexual Excitation/Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women: factorial structure, reliability and validity evidences

Background/Objective: The Dual Control Model suggests that sexual excitation and associated behaviors are the result of the balance between relatively independent excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms. Based on this theoretical model, the Sexual Excitation/Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women (SESII-W) was developed to evaluate excitation and inhibition dimensions in women. The aim was to adapt and validate the SESII-W in the Spanish population. Method: A sample of 1,380 heterosexual women (aged 18 to 52) completed the Spanish SESII-W, together with other related instruments. After the translation and adaptation of the SESII-W, a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was performed. Results: CFA resulted in a version consisting of 33 items divided into eight sub-factors, which were grouped into two higher-order factors (Sexual Excitation and Sexual Inhibition). The sub-factors demonstrated adequate internal consistency values except for Sexual Power Dynamics and Concerns about Sexual Function. Test-retest reliabilities were good. Their scores correlated with erotophilia, sexual sensation seeking, age at first intercourse, and number of sexual partners in the expected direction. Conclusions: The Spanish version of SESII-W has adequate psychometric guarantees for use in clinical practice and research, although it would be necessary to further revise factors that showed a lower level of reliability.

Beliefs and environmental behavior: The moderating effect of emotional intelligence

Recent decades have seen a proliferation of studies aiming to explain how pro-environmental behavior is shaped by attitudes, values and beliefs. In this study, we have included an aspect in our analysis that has been rarely touched upon until now, that is, the intelligent use of emotions as a possible component of pro-environmental behavior. We applied the Trait Meta Mood Scale-24 (TMMS-24) and the New Environmental Paradigm scale to a sample of 184 male and female undergraduate students. We also carried out correlation and hierarchical regression analyses of blocks. The results show the interaction effects of the system of environmental beliefs and the dimensions of emotional intelligence on glass recycling attitudes, intentions and behavior. The results are discussed from the perspective of research on how the management of emotions guides thought and behavior.

Reliability and Validity of the Spanish Version of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–Adolescent (MMPI–A)

The aim of this study was to determine the test–retest reliability and internal consistency of the scales of the Spanish version of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–Adolescent (MMPI–A; Butcher et al., 1992). Two samples of 939 and 109 Spanish adolescents ages 14 to 18 years were assessed with the MMPI–A in their school environment. The first sample responded to the inventory once, whereas the second sample responded to it on 2 occasions with a 2-week interval between sessions. Results showed no significant differences in means or variances between the first and the second test administration for most MMPI–A scales. Test–retest reliability ranged between .62 (Amorality, Ma1) and .92 (Immaturity, IMM); most correlations exceeded .70. Internal consistency values for the MMPI–A scales in the pretest and posttest were very similar overall. External validity of the MMPI–A was demonstrated through several significant correlations between its scales and YSR/11–18 syndromes and social interaction measures. The highest correlations were established between the Anxious/Depressed YSR/11–18 scale and other MMPI–A scales such as Schizophrenia (Sc), Welshs Anxiety (A), Adolescent-Anxiety (A-anx) and Adolescent-Alienation (A-aln), and between the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale and the MMPI–A Adolescent-Social Discomfort (A-sod) scale.

Differences in the prevalence of depression in older Spanish Romany and non-Romany people and associated factors: Depression: Romany and non-Romany people

Depression among older adults has serious implications, especially because suicide rates are higher in this group than in younger adults. Research has identified biological and social risk factors. However, studies addressing cultural and psychosocial factors associated with specific ethnic groups, such as Spanish Romani, are lacking. The objective of the present study was to establish the differential prevalence of depression among Romany and non‐Romany people older than 55 years of age. It also aimed to explore how cultural, sociodemographic, and psychosocial factors predispose individuals to depression.