Juan García

Cognitive Reserve, Age, and Their Relation to Attentional and Executive Functions

The main objective of this research was to establish the relation between age, cognitive reserve (CR), and attentional and executive functions. One hundred and sixty healthy participants aged 20 to 65 years old completed a wide battery of frontal-lobe tasks using classical tests that assess planning and control of movement, problem solving, and inhibition of automatic response, visuomotor tracking, focused and sustained attention, shifting, spontaneity and reasoning. The total sum of the score in premorbid IQ (by means of the Weschsler Adult Intelligence Scale Vocabulary subtest), educational level, and type of profession was used as a proxy of CR. Subjects were divided into groups of low or high CR. Multiple linear and logistic analyses revealed that age is a predictor of the 20Q Test, Terman Merrils Picture task, Similarities, Digit Span (backward), Trail-Making Tests, Porteus Maze Trace, the “A” Letter Cancellation Test, and reciprocal inhibition. CR is a predictor of the Controlled Oral Word Association Test, Trail-Making Tests A and B, Digit Span (forward), and Similarities. In conclusion, a higher CR score is associated with better performance in almost all tests employed. But it has a significant contribution to performance on verbal fluency, behavioral spontaneity, reasoning, divided and complex attention, and working memory functions, which are mainly related to the dorsolateral prefrontal area.

Effects of pretrial juror bias, strength of evidence and deliberation process on juror decisions: new validity evidence of the Juror Bias Scale scores

This study examines the validity of the Juror Bias Scale scores in relation to the mock juror decisions reached in two real life homicide cases before and after the deliberation process. The judicial cases used varied in terms of the ambiguity of the evidence presented at both trials. The WLS methodology for statistical modelling of categorical data was used to analyse data. The findings indicated that the Juror Bias Scale scores successfully predict the verdicts and other related questions before and after deliberations in the case with ambiguous evidence. Furthermore, deliberations caused a generalisation effect on the pretrial juror bias in such a case, and enhanced the differences between defense-biased and prosecution-biased jurors in the verdicts delivered after deliberations. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the use of pretrial juror bias questionnaires in jury selection.

Psychometric properties and scales of the Granada Burnout Questionnaire applied to nurses

Nurses are an occupational group with extremely high levels of burnout. The most accepted definition of the burnout syndrome was proposed by Maslach and Jackson, who characterized it in terms of three dimensions: (i) Emotional Exhaustion; (ii) Depersonalization; (iii) Personal Accomplishment. This definition was the basis for the Granada Burnout Questionnaire (GBQ). The objective of this research was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the GBQ and to elaborate an evaluation scale to measure burnout in nursing professionals in Spain. A total of 1,177 nurses participated in this study and successfully completed the GBQ. Evidence of construct validity was verified by cross-validation and convergent validity, and evidence of criteria validity was checked by concurrent validity. Cronbachs alpha was used to measure internal consistency. The results obtained in our study show satisfactory fit values in the confirmatory factor analysis and in the evidence of convergent and concurrent validity. All of the Cronbach alpha values were greater than .83. This signifies that the GBQ has good psychometric properties that are applicable to nurses. For this purpose a scale of T-scores and centiles was created that permitted the evaluation of burnout in Spanish nursing professionals.

The influence of sample type, presentation format and strength of evidence on juror simulation research

Abstract This paper is an analysis both of the presentation formats and sample types most frequently used in court case simulations, and of the strength of the evidence given in a trial, which are relevant factors for the verdicts returned by jurors. The samples selected have been taken from citizens eligible as jurors according to Spanish law. Real cases of manslaughter have been used. The results obtained show that the type of sample, the presentation format and the strength of evidence have an independent effect on the jurors’ decisions. The strongest influence on verdict is attributable, first, to the evidence; secondly, to the type of sample; and, finally, to the presentation format. The effects caused by the studied variables on the jurors’ verdict tendency also seem to recur in some of the relevant questions which make them explain and justify their verdicts, the effect being more noticeable with ambiguous evidence.

Antropocentrismo y ecocentrismo en emprendedores potenciales de base tecnológica

Resumen En este estudio trataremos de caracterizar el perfil del emprendedor potencial de base tecnológica (EPBT) en términos de sus valores medioambientales dado que cabría esperar que se mostrasen diferencias en su patrón de valores ecológicos en comparación con las personas que no aspiran a crear una empresa de base tecnológica. A una muestra de 191 estudiantes de la Universidad de Almería (34,5% hombres, 65,5% mujeres, rango de edad: 18–50, M = 23, DT = 6) se les envió una encuesta electrónica que contenía una escala de valores ambientales econcéntricos, antropocéntricos, ítems sociodemográficos e ítems destinados a la clasificación de los participantes como EPBT. Los resultados muestran que no existen diferencias estadísticamente significativas en ecocentrismo, pero sí en antropocentrismo en función del perfil emprendedor. Estos resultados apuntan a que los EPBT tienden a ser personas más antropocéntricas que la población no emprendedora y que los emprendedores de propósito general.

Psychosocial Variables in the Determination of the Verdict Object in Trials for Environmental Crimes in Spain

Every year, 45,000 forest fires occur in Europe, destroying a forested surface area equivalent to the size of Belgium. Nearly 60% of the forest fires have been ascribed to arson, and for this reason the so-called environmental crime has been included in the legal codes of the members of the European Union. For instance, in Spain forest fires are objects of prosecution in a court of law. This study analyzes the following variables: conservatism, dogmatism, locus of control, attitude toward the legal system, factors from the short Neuroticism Extraversion Openness Inventory (responsibility, openness, extraversion, and kindness), specific variables in the particular cases proposed (forest fires), and attitude toward the protection and improvement of the environment. The specific variables used in each case may help in better delineating verdict trends.

Anthropocentrism and ecocentrism in potential technology-based entrepreneurs

Abstract This study aims to characterize the profile of potential technology-based entrepreneurs (PTBE) in terms of their environmental values, given that one would expect to observe differences in their pattern of ecological values in comparison with people who do not aspire to set up a technology-based enterprise. On a sample of 191 students from the University of Almería (34.5%o men, 65.5%o women, age range: 18–50, M = 23, SD = 6) an electronic questionnaire was carried out, containing a scale of ecocentric environmental values, anthropocentric environmental values, sociodemographic items and items aimed at classifying the participants as PTBE. The results show that there are no statistically significant differences with regard to ecocentrism, but that there are in relation to anthropocentrism in accordance with the entrepreneurial profile. These results indicate that PTBE tend to be more anthropocentric individuals than the non-entrepreneurial population and general purpose entrepreneurs.