Nekane Basabe

Psychosocial effects of perceived emotional synchrony in collective gatherings.

In a classic theory, Durkheim (1912) predicted that because of the social sharing of emotion they generate, collective gatherings bring participants to a stage of collective effervescence in which they experience a sense of union with others and a feeling of empowerment accompanied by positive affect. This would lead them to leave the collective situation with a renewed sense of confidence in life and in social institutions. A century after Durkheims predictions of these effects, though, they remained untested as a whole. This article reports 4 studies, 2 correlational, 1 semilongitudinal, and 1 experimental, assessing the positive effects of participation in either positively valenced (folkloric marches) or negatively valenced (protest demonstrations) collective gatherings. Results confirmed that collective gatherings consistently strengthened collective identity, identity fusion, and social integration, as well as enhancing personal and collective self-esteem and efficacy, positive affect, and positive social beliefs among participants. In line with a central tenet of the theory, emotional communion, or perceived emotional synchrony with others mediated these effects. Higher perceived emotional synchrony was associated with stronger emotional reactions, stronger social support, and higher endorsement of social beliefs and values. Participation in symbolic collective gatherings also particularly reinforced identity fusion when perceived emotional synchrony was high. The respective contributions of perceived emotional synchrony and flow, or optimal experience, were also assessed. Whereas perceived emotional synchrony emerged as strongly related to the various social outcomes, flow was observed to be related first to collective efficacy and self-esteem, and thus, to encompass mainly empowerment effects.

Health-related quality of life, ethnicity and perceived discrimination among immigrants and natives in Spain

Objectives The current study compares subjective mental and physical health among native Spaniards and immigrant groups, and examines the effects of ethnicity and perceived discrimination (PD) on subjective health in immigrants. Design Two random samples of 1250 immigrants to Spain from Colombia, Bolivia, Romania, Morocco, and Sub-Saharan Africa and 500 native Spaniards, aged between 18 and 65, were recruited for this cross-sectional study. Several hierarchical regression analyses of ethnicity and PD on subjective mental and physical health (assessed using the health-related quality of life items, HRQLSF-12) were carried out separately for men and women. Results Male immigrants from Colombia and Sub-Saharan Africa showed better physical health than natives, controlling for age and socioeconomic and marital status. The immigrants – except for the Colombians – had poorer mental health than natives, especially African men and Bolivian women. Socioeconomic status had no impact on these differences. Among immigrants, PD was the best predictor of physical and mental health (controlling for socio-demographic variables). African men, Bolivian women and women without legal status exhibited the poorest self-rated mental health. Conclusion Clear differences in health status among natives and immigrants were recorded. The self-selection hypothesis was plausible for physical health of Colombians and Sub-Saharan African men. Acculturation stress could explain poorer mental health in immigrants compared with natives. The association between ethnicity and poor self-reported mental health appears to be partially mediated by discrimination.

The bright side of migration: Hedonic, psychological, and social well-being in immigrants in Spain

The aim of this study was to examine the multi-dimensional structure of well-being in immigrant population, as well as to explore the complexity of well-being disparities between immigrants and host nationals. We analyzed hedonic, psychological, and social well-being in a sample of 1250 immigrants from Bolivia, Colombia, Morocco, Romania and Sub-Saharan Africa, together with that of 500 matched host nationals from Spain. Participants were selected by means of probability sampling with stratification by age and sex. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the re-specified tripartite model of well-being, including hedonic, psychological, and social components of the individuals functioning, was the best fitting model, as compared to alternative models. Importantly, after adjustment for perceived friendship and support, marital status, income, sex and age, immigrants presented higher levels of well-being than host nationals. Compared to host nationals, immigrants reported especially higher eudaimonic well-being: social contribution and actualization, personal growth, self-acceptance, and purpose in life, and lower levels of well-being only in terms of positive relations with others and negative affect. These results are discussed in the context of positive psychology.

Un modelo socio-cultural de los rituales: efectos y procesos psico-sociales de la participación en manifestaciones después del atentado del 11 de Marzo

Resumen Desarrollamos un marco de análisis funcionalista de las actividades colectivas de recuerdo, incluyendo el compartir social de las emociones y la participación en ceremonias y rituales, basado en el texto clásico de Durk-heim “Las formas elementales de la vida religiosa”. Las formas colectivas de afrontamiento de las emociones son funcionales porque refuerzan la auto-estima y la afectividad positiva, ayudan a la integración social interpersonal, sirven de soporte a la cohesión social y fortalecen las creencias sociales, mediante el aumento de las emociones compartidas y la percepción de similaridad con otros. Este texto sintetiza una serie de estudios que confirman el modelo neo-durkheimiano: las personas que participaron más en manifestaciones una semana después del 11-M, informaban a las tres semanas de mayor apoyo social subjetivo, menor soledad, más afectividad positiva y mejor auto-concepto, confirmando que los rituales refuerzan la integración social interpersonal. También se confirmó que los rituales fortalecen las creencias sociales positivas: la participación en rituales reforzaba el acuerdo con los beneficios personales, interpersonales y sociales de la reacción al trauma. Altos niveles de participación en manifestaciones predijeron a los dos meses un clima social positivo, confirmando que los rituales refuerzan la cohesión social.

Adaptación sociocultural de inmigrantes brasileños en el País Vasco: bienestar y aculturación

Resumen Esta investigación ha examinado el proceso de adaptación sociocultural de los inmigrantes y su relación con la adaptación psicológica y las estrategias de aculturación. Se entrevistó a 91 inmigrantes brasileños en el País Vasco. Se midieron las dificultades de adaptación sociocultural a través de la escala SCAS, las dificultades socio-económicas, la afectividad (PNA), la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud (CVRS-SF-12), la satisfacción con la vida, el control percibido, la confianza interpersonal, así como el apoyo social percibido respecto a las personas del país de origen y de acogida, y las estrategias de aculturación (conductas y actitudes). Se hallaron dos dimensiones de la adaptación sociocultural: el “aprendizaje cultural y comunicación”, y el “manejo de la distancia social”. Las dificultades socioculturales son mayores al inicio del proceso de adaptación, disminuyendo con el tiempo de estancia, y se asocian a las dificultades socio-económicas, al apoyo social, al bienestar hedónico y al control percibido. La separación conductual se relaciona con más problemas de adaptación sociocultural, mientras que a nivel actitudinal la marginación dificultaría el aprendizaje cultural y la comunicación. Se confirma la existencia de dos tipos básicos de dificultades de adaptación sociocultural, el rápido aprendizaje sociocultural, así como los factores protectores.

Las estrategias de aculturación de los inmigrantes: su significado psicológico

Resumen Este trabajo estudia la asociación entre las estrategias de aculturación de los inmigrantes extranjeros en España y sus valores personales, intentando comprender el significado psicológico de dichas estrategias. Se utilizan los datos de una muestra de 1252 inmigrantes provenientes de distintas regiones del mundo (Brasil = 98, Colombia = 296, Ecuador = 325, Europa del Este = 76, Países Árabes = 365, África Subsahariana = 92) con un tiempo de residencia medio de 4,3 años y una edad media de 32,6 años. Se compara la predominancia de distintos tipos de valores en las cuatro estrategias de aculturación—integración, separación, asimilación y marginalización—en los planos actitudinal y conductual. Los análisis revelan que la estrategia de separación se describiría mejor como una postura de conservación grupal sin promocionar el grupo etnocultural propio en la sociedad de acogida; la integración podría describirse como una estrategia de promoción, y la asimilación aparece claramente como una estrategia de movilidad individual y apertura a la nueva cultura. No se ha podido establecer un perfil motivational o de valores de marginalización, probablemente debido a que el instrumento utilizado no diferencia entre el subtipo “cosmopolita” de esta estrategia y el subtipo que describe el estado de anomia y de exclusión social.

Percepción de riesgo, reacciones emocionales y el impacto del 11-M

Resumen Este estudio explora el impacto del 11-M en las reacciones emocionales, las formas de afrontamiento y el riesgo percibido en la población española. Han participado 869 personas (el 42,7% cumplimentó el cuestionario antes de los atentados y el 57,3% después). Tras el 11-M aumenta la percepción de riesgo, la intensidad emocional negativa y las conductas de afrontamiento defensivo. Existe una sobreestimación del riesgo personal respecto a la probabilidad real. Los participantes más expuestos a situaciones de riesgo (País Vasco) son los que presentan menor probabilidad de ser víctimas del evento. El miedo induce a adoptar estrategias de tipo defensivo y refuerza la percepción de riesgo mientras que la cólera se asocia a reacciones agresivas. Los resultados confirman que las personas atribuyen respuestas afectivas y formas de afrontamiento más disfuncionales a los otros que a uno mismo. Existe una relativa independencia entre la experiencia directa y la percepción de riesgo. El 11-M no ha repercutido ni en la benevolencia ni en la confianza que se tiene en los otros ni en las creencias de tipo socio-cultural.

Collective Efficacy in Sports and Physical Activities: Perceived Emotional Synchrony and Shared Flow.

This cross-sectional study analyzes the relationship between collective efficacy and two psychosocial processes involved in collective sport-physical activities. It argues that in-group identification and fusion with the group will affect collective efficacy (CE). A sample of 276 university students answered different scales regarding their participation in collective physical and sport activities. Multiple-mediation analyses showed that shared flow and perceived emotional synchrony mediate the relationship between in-group identification and CE, whereas the relationship between identity fusion and CE was only mediated by perceived emotional synchrony. Results suggest that both psychosocial processes explain the positive effects of in-group identification and identity fusion with the group in collective efficacy. Specifically, the role of perceived emotional synchrony in explaining the positive effects of participation in collective sport-physical activities is underlined. In sum, this study highlights the utility of collective actions and social identities to explain the psychosocial processes related to collective efficacy in physical and sports activities. Finally, practical implications are discussed.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! The impact of Christmas rituals on subjective well-being and family's emotional climate

Abstract This study assessed subjective well-being before and after Christmas and New Year holidays. In contradiction to lay beliefs about these holidays, stress and conflict caused by its experience was weak, while participation in rituals was high and satisfactory, and positive emotions were dominant. High frequency of participation in ritualised family celebrations increased positive well-being: satisfaction with life, perceived social well-being, and the balance of affective well-being. Satisfaction with rituals had an impact on positive affect, satisfaction with life and positive family climate, while participation frequency was more relevant for social support and lower loneliness level. Conflict experienced during Christmas increased negative affect and negative emotional family climate, while it undermined positive affect, satisfaction with life and social well-being.

Communal Coping and Posttraumatic Growth in a Context of Natural Disasters in Spain, Chile, and Colombia

The aim of this study was to identify communal coping strategies that enhance posttraumatic growth of individuals, communities, and societies in the context of natural disasters. Participants were 540 people affected by floods in Colombia and by earthquakes in Spain and Chile. Posttraumatic growth was assessed at individual, community, and society levels. Direct and indirect relationships between trauma intensity and posttraumatic growth were analyzed to identify and evaluate the mediating role played by communal coping strategies. Growth and communal coping were reported in all nations, but means for posttraumatic growth at all three levels and communal coping were higher in the relatively more collectivistic countries, Colombia and Chile, than in the relatively more individualistic Spain. Spiritual coping was more frequent in the two Latin American nations, but it also predicted growth even in more secularized Spain. Social support was similar in Spain and Chile, and higher in Colombia, and played a more important mediating role in Spain. Globally, our results confirmed that communal coping strategies and participation in collective gatherings are antecedent of posttraumatic growth not only at individual but also at communal level and in different cultural contexts.