Pablo Espinosa

The horizontal and vertical attributes of individualism and collectivism in a Spanish population.

Abstract The authors examined the dimensionality and factorial structure of individualism and collectivism in Spanish participants (N = 526). A series of confirmatory factor analyses were performed on responses to the 32-item individualism-collectivism measure reported by T. M. Singelis, H. C. Triandis, D. S. Bhawuk, and M. Gelfand (1995). Consistent with earlier data, the best fitting model was multidimensional: a vertical versus a horizontal attribute crossed with individualism and collectivism dimensions. Whereas the overall fit of the data to a LISREL model was moderate, additional self-report data on respondents interpersonal experiences supported the construct validity of the 4 factors. The authors suggest that the additional complexity is useful in explaining Spanish social behavior.

Human values and social identities: A study in two collectivist cultures

The current study examines the value correlates of social identities (identification with in-groups and geospatial units) in two collectivist cultures (Brazil, n = 471; Spain, n = 476). According to previous research, it was expected that subjects who score higher on social values would be more identified with the various traditional in-groups and with the local geospatial units and that social identities would be predicted by different values among Brazilians and Spaniards. Subjects were undergraduate students (228 males; 719 females), with age ranging from 16 to 55 years (M = 21.9; SD = 4.57), from three states in Brazil (Paraiba, Distrito Federal, and Sao Paulo) and Spain (Pontevedra, Madrid, and Barcelona). They were administered the Individualism-Collectivism Questionnaire, the Basic Value Survey,the In-group Identification Scale, the Geospatial Identification Scale, and a questionnaire with demographic questions (e.g., gender, age, religious affiliation). Results confirm that importance attributed t...

Social Cuing of Guilt by Anger and of Shame by Disgust

Scholars have proposed a conceptual structure for the self-critical moral emotions of guilt and shame and the other-critical emotions of anger and disgust. In this model, guilt is linked with anger and shame with disgust. This relationship may express itself in asymmetrical social cuing between emotions: In a social context, other people’s angry facial expressions may communicate that the target should feel guilty, and other people’s disgusted facial expressions may communicate that the target should feel ashamed. We conducted two experiments, one in the United Kingdom and the other in Spain, in which participants were shown pictures of faces expressing either anger or disgust. Participants rated the degree to which the faces would make them feel guilt or shame in a casual social encounter, and they answered questions about inferences concerning the emotional expressions. In both studies, angry expressions led to greater guilt and less shame than did disgusted expressions. This relationship was explained better by the type of norm violation inferred than by whether the violation was thought to involve the target’s action or personality versus the target’s character.

Personal determinants of burnout in nursing staff at geriatric centers

There is a high prevalence of stress in the workplace among nursing personnel at elderly care-centers. The general impression is that these high stress levels are related to conflict within the workplace. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether personal factors (in particular personality and values), are related to burnout. For this reason we asked a sample of 42 nursing personnel from care-centers for the elderly to complete a self-administered questionnaire on conflict at work, stress at work, personality and motivational values for nursing professionals in elderly residences. Personality variables and motivational values were found to be significantly related to the appearance of stress in the workplace.

Ethical Issues in Psychologists' Professional Practice: Agreement Over Problematic Professional Behaviors Among Spanish Psychologists

A sample of 703 Spanish psychologists completed an online survey containing 114 behaviors related to professional practice in different areas. The aim of the study was to learn which professional behaviors create ethical dilemmas most often for psychologists and how they respond to these issues. Findings suggest that psychologists who have actually faced a particular dilemma are less strict on judging the inappropriateness of a possible ethical transgression than those psychologists who have not experienced it. Also, four clusters can be identified according to the attitude of respondents toward the dilemmas, namely “rejection,” “aprioristic,” “utilitarian,” and “no conflict.”