Maribel Peró

Place attachment, place identity and residential mobility in undergraduate students

Abstract This study examines how patterns of residential mobility affect place attachment and identity. In accordance with Hernández, Hidalgo, Salazar-Laplace and Hess (2007), among other contributions which have approached the relationship between these concepts (Knez, 2005; Kyle, Graefe and Manning, 2005; Jorgensen and Stedman, 2001; Lalli, 1992), place attachment is considered an affective bond to a space, and place identity a subcomponent of identity. People frequently live in different cities throughout their lives, even different cities at the same time, dwelling in one city and working in another, or studying in a different city from their weekend or holiday residence in the case of undergraduate students. The main goal of this study is to find out how these patterns of residential mobility affect place identity and attachment, and to contrast the relationship between these two concepts. In order to explore this area, a questionnaire was applied to a sample of 666 undergraduate students in Barcelona (Spain) with different residential mobility patterns to confirm the two-factor structure of the proposed instrument and answer other questions regarding the neighbourhood, city and region of residence during term time. Our results support the hypothesis that residential mobility, in terms of higher or lower mobility regarding the place of residence during term time, affects place attachment and identity differently in the three levels of environment analyzed

Apego al lugar, identidad de lugar y movilidad residencial en estudiantes de grado

Resumen En este estudio se examina cómo inciden los patrones de movilidad residencial en el apego al lugar y la identidad de lugar. De acuerdo con Hernández, Hidalgo, Salazar-Laplace y Hess (2007), entre otras aportaciones que han abordado la relación entre estos conceptos (Knez, 2005; Kyle, Graefe y Manning, 2005; Jorgensen y Stedman, 2001; Lalli, 1992), consideramos el apego al lugar como un vínculo afectivo con el espacio y la identidad de lugar como un componente de la identidad. Con frecuencia las personas viven en diferentes ciudades a lo largo de su vida, incluso en diferentes ciudades al mismo tiempo, viviendo en una ciudad y trabajando en otra, o estudiando en una ciudad diferente de su lugar de residencia los fines de semana o periodos vacacionales en el caso de estudiantes universitarios. El objetivo principal de este estudio es el de conocer los efectos de estos patrones de movilidad residencial en la identidad y el apego a los lugares, además de contrastar la relación de estos dos conceptos. Para ello se aplicó un cuestionario a una muestra de 666 estudiantes universitarios, con diferentes patrones de movilidad residencial, con el fin de confirmar la estructura con dos factores del instrumento propuesto y responder al resto de interrogantes en relación al barrio, la ciudad y la región de residencia durante el curso. Los resultados permiten mantener la hipótesis de que la movilidad residencial, en términos de mayor o menor movilidad en torno al lugar de residencia durante el curso, incide de manera diferente en el apego y la identidad de lugar en los tres niveles de entornos analizados

Factorial structure and validity of the Multicultural Quality of Life Index

PurposeTo study the internal structure and the convergent and divergent validity of the Multicultural Quality of Life Index (MQLI) in a Spanish sample.MethodsThe MQLI, along with another quality of life instrument—the World Health Organization Quality of Life, brief version (WHOQOL-BREF)—and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21), was administered to 356 students, 159 people from the general population and 65 psychiatric patients.ResultsThe value of Cronbach’s α was .90. The confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit for both the one- and two-factor structures. The overall mean score of the MQLI correlated between .61 and .78 with the domains of the WHOQOL-BREF and between -.55 and -.70 with the DASS-21 scales.ConclusionsThe MQLI has high internal consistency, can be interpreted in terms of a single factor, and has an adequate convergent validity, although its absolute correlations with depression and with the WHOQOL-BREF were equally high.

Apego al lugar, identidad de lugar, sentido de comunidad y participación en un contexto de renovación urbana

Resumen Este artículo se centra en la participación de vecinos en los asuntos locales (actividades en el barrio, implicación en entidades locales, pertenencia a grupos vecinales) para explicar los vínculos socioespaciales (apego al lugar, identidad de lugar y sentido de comunidad) que ocurren a nivel de barrio. La relación de la participación con el apego al lugar y el sentido de comunidad es explorada en barrios en los que se está llevando a cabo un proceso participativo de regeneración urbana inserto en el programa “Quiero mi barrio” promovido por el Ministerio de Vivienda y Urbanismo chileno. Se seleccionaron cinco barrios (Valparaíso e Illapel, Chile), en los que se aplicaron escalas de apego al lugar, identidad de lugar, sentido de comunidad y participación a una muestra de 995 personas. Los resultados muestran que la participación local está relacionada con el apego al lugar a través del sentido de comunidad.

Factor Structure of the Adolescent Coping Orientation for Problem Experiences in Spanish Adolescents

The present study aimed to identify the best structure of the Adolescent Coping Orientation for Problem Experiences when applied to Spanish adolescents. A confirmatory factor analysis of five previous factor structures was conducted. As the data did not fit previous factor models, two exploratory factor analyses (first- and second-order) were carried out to identify the structure for Spanish adolescents and to analyse its criterion validity in relation to mental health, which was assessed by means of the Youth Self-Report. A first-wave sample of 1,152 secondary education pupils (645 boys, 56%; 507 girls, 44%; M age = 14.4 yr., SD = 1.4) was involved in the confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses. A second-wave sample of = 374 secondary education pupils (188 boys, 50.5%; 186 girls, 49.5%; M age = 15.4 yr., SD = 1.1) was used to assess criterion validity. The results yielded eight first-order factors with Cronbachs α ranging from .63 to .79, and two second-order factors that replicated the Approach and Avoidance focus of coping. The paper discusses both the content of the extracted factors and mental health issues.

Psychometric study of a questionnaire for the assessment of factors associated with the choice of degrees and universities in the Spanish public system

Many different factors are taken into account by students when choosing a degree and University. Some of these are general considerations, such as the quality of the degree course, ratio of available places and places in the degree course chosen as first choice, cut-off mark, etc. Others are subjective factors, such as friends studying the same degree or studying in the same university, etc. Knowledge of these factors and the importance given to them by students can provide a competitive advantage when carrying out activities aimed at advertising and attracting students. This paper presents a psychometric study of a questionnaire that has been developed to assess variables relating to social and personal aspects involved in the selection process and accessing the Spanish public university system. The questionnaire was evaluated by means of a pilot test, the results of which were used to generate a final scale, which was administered to a total of 1532 students from eight Spanish universities. These students can be divided into six major areas of training and courses from 2009--10 up to 2012--2013. All the students had recently graduated from high school and were in their first year at the university. The results showed that the reliability of the both the six factors taken into consideration (Consideration of the University; Perceived Utility; Social Impact; Vocational Aspects; Influence of Surroundings and Geographic Location) and an adjustment of the Confirmatory Factor Analysis used to estimate construct validity was high. Likewise, the results show high discrimination validity between groups defined by relevant variables such as gender or academic area of the university studies.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Birth Season and Epidemiology

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is most frequently diagnosed in the pediatric population. This disorder consists of short-, medium-, and long-term interruptions in development that affect performance and daily activities (Amador et al., 2002). Weiss and Trokenberg (1993) argue that adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder show poor scholastic performance, low levels of self-esteem, higher levels of alcohol and drug use, and more difficulties with social functioning when compared to children not diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

La doble denominación de la sinonimia en el contexto de lo escrito

Resumen Este artículo estudia la sinonimia como una situación de doble denominación en niños pre-escolares en edades entre 4 y 7 años de origen latinoamericano y escolarizados en un contexto bilingüe (de exposición a dos lenguas: catalán y castellano) y bidialectal (de exposición a dos versiones del castellano: latinoamericano y peninsular). A través de una entrevista se analiza la comprensión de la sinonimia en dos condiciones (oral y escrita) por medio de tres preguntas: la primera pregunta oral indaga sobre la equivalencia de los nombres, la segunda y la tercera incorporan la modalidad escrita e indagan si se pueden leer los nombres sinónimos en una misma etiqueta y si se aceptan dos etiquetas para un mismo referente. Esta tarea suponía una reflexión metalingüística a través de la consideración autonímica de los nombres. Los resultados mostraron diferenciación entre la modalidad oral y escrita y una relación entre escritura y autonimia.

Emotional Eating and Cognitive Conflicts as Predictors of Binge Eating Disorder in Patients with Obesity

Background/Objectives: Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is often associated with obesity. In order to identify the variables that allow to better detect the presence of BED, people with overnutrition were compared with and without BED in the presence of cognitive conflicts, eating symptoms and anxious-depressive symptoms. The inclusion of cognitive conflicts had been relevant in bulimia studies but had not been investigated with respect to BED. Method: Two groups with obesity were evaluated, one without BED (OB, n = 54) and the other with BED (OB-BED, n = 48), using a social-demographic questionnaire as well as a semi-structured interview to assess BED, questionnaires (DASS-21, EDE-Q, EEQ) and the Repertory Grid Technique. Results: Overall, the OB-BED group presented more conflicts and more symptoms. The model that best differentiated between the groups included emotional eating and level of cognitive conflicts, correctly classifying 91.4% of the sample. Conclusion: These results highlight the role played by cognitive conflicts and emotional eating as differentiating elements between OB and OB-BED, with a high level of predictive accuracy.