Pilar Carmona González

The roles of group potency and information and communication technologies in the relationship between task conflict and team effectiveness: A longitudinal study

The effects of task conflict on group effectiveness are far from conclusive. In order to further clarify this relationship, a contingency approach has been suggested. In this context, the present study examines the roles of group potency and information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the relationship between task conflict and team effectiveness. The study involved 44 groups of 4 members each, working in two communication media. Twenty-two groups worked in a face-to-face condition, and the other 22 groups worked in a computer-mediated communication condition. The groups developed a project during four weekly sessions over a one-month period. The results showed that group potency moderated the relationship between task conflict and group effectiveness. However, the communication medium did not play a moderator role in these relationships.

Social comparison, coping and depression in people with spinal cord injury

The present study among 70 people with spinal cord injury examined the prevalence and correlates of identification (seeing others as a potential future) and contrast (seeing others in competitive terms) in social comparison as related to coping and depression. The most prevalent social comparison strategy was downward contrast (a positive response to seeing others who were worse-off), followed by upward identification (a positive response to perceiving better-off others as a potential future), downward identification (a negative response to perceiving worse-off others as a potential future), and upward contrast (a negative response to seeing others who were better-off). Those with less severe lesions reported the highest levels of upward contrast, coping through blaming others, and depression. Downward contrast was particularly related to constructive coping, and upward identification to wishful thinking. The less adaptive social comparison strategies, i.e., upward contrast and downward identification, were quite strongly related to wishful thinking and blaming others. Particularly upward contrast, i.e., feeling bad as response to seeing that others are better-off, was related to depression.

Targets and dimensions of social comparison among people with spinal cord injury and other health problems

The present research examined comparison targets and comparison dimensions among two Spanish samples of individuals facing serious illnesses and diseases. In Study 1, 90 older patients (mean age 66.36) with various age-related diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, indicated that they compared themselves most often with others with the same disease, next with others with another disease and least with people without health problems. They compared themselves more often on their mental state, symptoms and physical activities than on their social activities. Social comparison orientation (SCO) as an individual difference characteristic was associated with more frequent comparisons with particularly similar targets, and with more frequent comparisons of ones symptoms and physical activities. Neuroticism was correlated only with more comparisons of ones symptoms. Study 2 was conducted in a sample of 70 relatively young patients (mean age 43.97) with spinal cord injury (SCI). Overall, they compared themselves more often with others than the participants in Study 1, and they compared themselves to a similar extent with people with SCI as with people with another disease and with people without health problems. While they felt on average better off than people with other diseases and other people with SCI, people with SCI felt on average worse off than people without health problems. They compared themselves more often on physical activities than on any other dimension. Higher levels of stress and uncertainty were associated with more frequent comparisons with people without SCI, and with more frequent comparisons of ones mental state, ones symptoms and ones future perspectives. The discussion focuses on the theoretical relevance of the results for social comparison theory, and on the practical relevance of the findings for interventions.

Gender Differences in the Jealousy-Evoking Effect of Rival Characteristics: A Study in Spain and Argentina

This study examines gender differences in the jealousy-evoking nature of rival characteristics in two Spanish-speaking countries (Argentina and Spain). A total of 388 Spanish students and 444 Argentinean students participated in the study. First, the cross-cultural validity of a Dutch scale containing 56 rival characteristics was examined. A factor analysis distinguished four dimensions (i.e., social power and dominance, physical attractiveness, physical dominance, and social-communal attributes). After the analysis, the final scale contained in total 24 items. Results showed that in Argentina and Spain combined, men experienced more jealousy than women when their rival was more physically dominant. In contrast, women experienced more jealousy than men when their rival was more physically attractive, had more social-communal attributes, and had more social power and dominance. In both genders, social-communal attributes was the most jealousy-evoking characteristic, followed by physical attractiveness in women and by social power and dominance in men. In addition, in Argentinean participants but not in Spanish participants, those high in social comparison orientation found the rival characteristics more jealousy evoking.These results provide strong support for the evolutionary hypothesis of gender differences in the rival characteristics that may evoke jealousy. Small size effect differences were found between the two countries and only regarding social-communal attributes.

Competición intrasexual en el trabajo : diferencias sexuales en celos y envidia en el trabajo

Resumen Desde una perspectiva evolucionista, este artículo aborda las diferencias sexuales en las características del rival que provocan celos y envidia en el trabajo, y cómo se relacionan con la competición intrasexual. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 114 trabajadores de diferentes sectores profesionales. Los rivales provocaron más celos y envidia en las mujeres que en los hombres cuando eran físicamente atractivos. En ambos sexos, las habilidades sociales y el poder social y dominancia fueron las características del rival que provocaron más celos y envidia. En las mujeres, los celos provocados por el atractivo físico del rival se relacionaron con la competición intrasexual, mientras que en la envidia fue el poder social y dominancia del rival la característica que se relacionó con la competición intrasexual. En los hombres las características del rival no se relacionaron con las diferencias individuales en competición intrasexual. Este estudio es de los primeros en proveer evidencia sobre las diferencias sexuales en celos y envidia en el trabajo

Does Theorizing on Reciprocal Altruism Apply to the Relationships of Individuals with a Spinal Cord Injury

From the perspective of reciprocal altruism, we examined the role of reciprocity in the close relationships of people inflicted with a spinal cord injury (SCI) (n = 70). We focused on the help receiver rather than on the help giver. Participants perceived more reciprocity in relationships with friends than in relationships with the partner and with family members. In these last relationships, perceptions of indebtedness were more prevalent than perceptions of deprivation. However, most negative feelings were evoked by a lack of reciprocity in partner relationships, followed by family relationships, and next by friendships. Moreover, depression was especially associated with a lack of perceived reciprocity in the relationships with family, and somewhat less with a lack of perceived reciprocity in the relationship with the partner. These results underline the importance of reciprocity in relationships, but suggest that reciprocity may be more, rather than less important in partner and family relationships.

El humedal del puerto de Arse-Saguntum. Estudio geomorfológico y sedimentológico

Teniendo en cuenta los resultados de excavaciones terrestres y subacuaticas, el presente articulo aporta documentacion sobre los humedales proximos al puerto ibero-romano de Sagunt (Valencia). Analisis geomorfologicos y sedimentologicos, un levantamiento fotogrametrico y el estudio de la dinamica hidrologica del lugar, contribuyen a restituir el paleopaisaje del puerto historico situado sobre una restinga bien articulada con el oppidum, cerca de un manantial de agua dulce y en un sector protegido de los temporales mas frecuentes en la zona.