Martha Frías-Armenta

Personal normative beliefs, antisocial behavior, and residential water conservation

A total of 177 residents in two Mexican cities responded to an instrument assessing (a) personal normative beliefs about water conservation, (b) beliefs about the efficacy of water conservation laws, (c) the tendency to break social norms (antisocial behavior), and (d) privatewater conservation behavior (self-reported). The data were processed within a structural equation model that specified the above effects. Results showed that personal normative beliefs had a positive effect on water conservation, whereas antisocial behavior inhibited that conservation, and beliefs in the inefficacy of water conservation laws produced no effect on water conservation practices. Significant and negative covariances between antisocial behavior and normative beliefs and between antisocial behavior and beliefs in the inefficacy of water consumption laws resulted. Conversely, normative beliefs and beliefs in the inefficacy of water laws covaried positively.

Predictores de la conducta antisocial juvenil: un modelo ecológico

The aim of this research was to test an ecological model as explanation of juvenile delinquency. 204 Mexican students of junior and high school answered a questionnaire containing questions about family violence, antisocial behavior, child abuse, mother and father alcohol consumption, as well as some family, school, and neighborhood environmental characteristics. Observed variables constituted factors and indexes that represented the ecological theory. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze data. Results showed that the microsystem had a direct effect on antisocial behavior of youths, the exosystem had also a direct effect on the microsystem and an indirect effect on antisocial behavior, while the macrosystem had a direct effect on the exosystem and an indirect effect on antisocial behavior. These results seem to support the ecological model as an appropriate explanation of juvenile antisocial behavior.

The sustainability of positive environments

Inspired by the emergence of the positive psychology (PP) movement, recent environmental psychology studies have identified a need for further inquiry into “positive environments” (PEs). Recognizing that PP has largely neglected the role of environmental factors in the appearance of positivity, this paper proposes the study of person–environment relations in order to explain human well-being, psychological growth, sustainable behaviors, and other psychological positive factors, in addition to studying the material and social well-being that a positive environment provides. The traditional view of environmental positivity (i.e., the environment as an inexhaustible and infinite source of resources that satisfy human needs) is contrasted against an ecological vision of PE in which the conservation of the quality of the environment is as important as the satisfaction of human needs. A definition of positive environment is presented and discussed, which conceives PE as a context that promotes individual and collective benefits and that also influences human predispositions to conserve—in the long run—the sociophysical structures on which life depends.

Factores protectores, estilos de crianza y maltrato infantil: un modelo ecológico

Resumen El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar empleando la teoría ecológica de Bronfenbrenner, los efectos de factores protectores en la crianza y en el maltrato infantil. 183 madres con historia de abuso que viven en la ciudad de Hermosillo, Sonora, México aceptaron participar en el estudio. Los resultados fueron analizados empleando ecuaciones estructurales y muestran que el factor k modula los factores protectores. El abuso infantil con los hijos fue predicho por la historia de abuso de las madres y elfactor protector predijo los estilos de crianza amortiguando los efectos de la historia de abuso de las madres. Los resultados indican que la protección de la historia de abuso está relacionada con variables encontradas en el exosistema, microsistema y ontosistema.

Utilizan las personas legas las mismas categorías de transgresiones medioambientales que las administraciones públicas

Resumen Las transgresiones medioambientales son quebrantamientos de las leyes de protección medioambiental (LPMA) que constituyen una forma peculiar de comportamiento ilegal desde un punto de vista jurídico y psicosocial. Las LPMA incluyen comportamientos muy variados, tan distintos entre sí como para requerir criterios de valoración diferentes. En este estudio se analizaron las respuestas de 196 estudiantes universitarios, residentes en un territorio de alta protección medioambiental, a un cuestionario compuesto por 20 transgresiones medioambientales habituales en su contexto inmediato, que debían valorar en 14 escalas. Los resultados mostraron que las dimensiones del espacio perceptivo de los participantes son consistentes con las obtenidas con otras muestras, episodios, escalas y procedimientos estadísticos. Estas dimensiones permitieron clasificar correctamente un 85% de las transgresiones en relación a tres categorías utilizadas habitualmente por la Administración pública, siendo la predicción más acertada para las transgresiones contra el medio natural que para la contaminación y las actividades constructivas.