Rosario Martínez Arias

Peer bullying and disruption-coercion escalations in student-teacher relationship

BACKGROUND Although there have been many studies of bullying, few have linked it with the escalation of disruption-coercion that sometimes occur in the classroom. Understanding this relationship is the aim of this research. METHOD The study included 22114 Spanish adolescents, aged 12 to 18 years (mean age = 14.22, SD = 1.41). 49.6% were boys (mean age = 14.26, SD = 1.41) and 50.4% were girls (mean age = 14.20, SD = 1.40). The design was a sample survey with stratified cluster sampling. Data were analyzed by latent class analysis. RESULTS Based on direct involvement in bullying, five groups were detected: non-participants, bullies, followers, victim-bullies and victims. Involvement in bullying is associated with lower appraisal of school norms and a more negative perception of interaction with teachers, which seems to cause disruption and coercion escalations. We found differences in this respect among groups involved in bullying and non-participants. CONCLUSIONS The results reflect the need to try to prevent these two problems conjointly, teaching students to reject all forms of violence and, through more effective treatment of disruption, to prevent or stop escalation at early stages.

Application of hierarchical linear modelling to the study of trajectories of behavioural development

Students of behavioural development often collect andanalyse longitudinal data on a sample of individuals(Bateson 1981; Sackett et al. 1981; Chalmers 1987). Forexample, primate studies of behavioural and relationshipdevelopment have typically provided data on rates of,or percentages of time engaged in, the performance ofvarious behaviours across the individuals’ early ontogeny(e.g. Fairbanks 1996; Deputte 2000). The longitudinalrecords for each individual, collected on multiple occa-sions, are then pooled per age intervals of varying length.Commonly, such longitudinal data are analysed usingeither a mixed design analysis of variance (ANOVA) or aconventional (simple or multiple) regression analysis (Zar1999; David 2002). In this commentary, we demonstratea number of serious problems in using these methods,and describe an alternative that avoids them.Researchers applying mixed design ANOVA to thestudy of behavioural development typically use age of theindividual (i.e. time blocks) as the within-subject factor,and variables such as sex or species as the between-subjects factors (e.g. Maestripieri 1994; Suomi et al. 1996).Although ANOVA models can be used to analyse longitu-dinal data they have two major limitations. First, theyrequire a balanced data collection design, with the samenumber of individuals per measurement occasion and thesame interval between consecutive measurements. Whenthese requirements are not fulfilled, which is often thecase in observational studies of spontaneously occurringsocial interactions, a number of complications arise(e.g. Hox & Kreft 1994). Second, ANOVA models assumehomogeneous (co)variances at level 1, that is, a constantwithin-subject covariance structure (Zar 1999; David2002). This assumption is often not met by developmen-tal data, resulting in a Type I error greater than thespecified .Animal behaviour researchers using traditional regres-sion analysis have used two major approaches. The firsttreats all predictor or independent variables, such as ageof infant, sex, cohort, maternal experience or dominancerank, as if they pertained to a single level (e.g. Bramblett& Coelho 1985; Altmann & Samuels 1992) and theircontributions to the observed variance in the rate ofbehaviour during the whole study period are thenassessed. The second regression modelling approachis known as the intercepts-and-slopes-as-outcomesapproach (e.g. Bryk & Raudenbush 1992; Hox & Kreft1994). In this case, two separate steps are taken. First,linear (or curvilinear) regressions are fitted to thedevelopmental functions for each subject. Next, theparameters from these regression equations are usedas dependent variables in subsequent analyses to bepredicted by one or a set of independent variables(e.g. Wasser & Wasser 1995).The application of simple or multiple, single-levellinear regression to the analysis of longitudinal data isinadequate for several reasons (Bryk & Raudenbush 1992;Hox & Kreft 1994; Goldstein et al. 1998; van der Leeden1998; Snijders & Bosker 1999). First, this approach isconceptually unsound because it ignores the hierarchicalnature of longitudinal data in which observations withinindividuals are dependent. Second, conventional single-level methods disaggregate all higher level explanatoryvariables to the lowest level, followed by an ordinary leastsquares (OLS) regression analysis. Therefore, they do notprovide methods to test for the effect of independentvariables on the variation observed in the parameters ofchange (initial status, rate of development, and soon), which is one of the major theoretical concerns ofthose interested in the study of behavioural develop-ment. When OLS is applied to longitudinal data, theassumption of independence of residual error terms isviolated and this leads to inefficient estimates and a TypeI error rate that is much higher than the nominal level(Hox & Kreft 1994; van der Leeden 1998).In the intercepts-and-slopes-as-outcomes approach,separate fixed-effects regression models are first fittedwithin each individual, using level 1 explanatory vari-ables as predictors. Next, the within-individual growthcoefficients are, in turn, used as dependent variables to bepredicted by level 2 explanatory variables (Wasser &

Reciprocal Psychological Aggression in Couples A Multi-Level Analysis in a Community Sample

The present study analyzes reciprocal psychological aggression assessed by the Conflict Tactics Scale–Revised (CTS-2) in a sample of 590 adult couples from the Region of Madrid. Psychological aggression is the most frequent form of partner aggression. Results showed high percentages of psychological aggression perpetrated and suffered in men and women and showed significant statistical differences in severe psychological aggression in the case of women. Partner agreement about acts of psychological aggression was significant, albeit at moderate levels. Generalized Hierarchical Linear Models with the HLM-6.0 program were proposed to examine reciprocal psychological aggression. The models confirmed the pattern of reciprocal psychological aggression and also that couples are more aggressive when they are younger. Duration of cohabitation was not a predictor of reciprocal psychological partner aggression.The present study analyzes reciprocal psychological aggression assessed by the Conflict Tactics Scale–Revised (CTS-2) in a sample of 590 adult couples from the Region of Madrid. Psychological aggression is the most frequent form of partner aggression. Results showed high percentages of psychological aggression perpetrated and suffered in men and women and showed significant statistical differences in severe psychological aggression in the case of women. Partner agreement about acts of psychological aggression was significant, albeit at moderate levels. Generalized Hierarchical Linear Models with the HLM-6.0 program were proposed to examine reciprocal psychological aggression. The models confirmed the pattern of reciprocal psychological aggression and also that couples are more aggressive when they are younger. Duration of cohabitation was not a predictor of reciprocal psychological partner aggression.

Power Structure in the Peer Group The Role of Classroom Cohesion and Hierarchy in Peer Acceptance and Rejection of Victimized and Aggressive Students

This study addresses the interacting effects of classroom cohesion and hierarchy on the relationships between victimization and aggression with peer acceptance and rejection. Classroom cohesion and hierarchy were constructed from friendship nominations. Multilevel analysis conducted in a sample of seventh- and eighth-grade students from the Sociescuela program in Spain (N = 6,600) showed that in cohesive and hierarchical classrooms, a higher level of victimization was found; peer rejection was more strongly associated with victimization. In contrast to previous research, for males, aggression was more strongly associated with peer acceptance in less hierarchized classrooms.

Development and psychometric properties of the Resistance to Trauma Test (TRauma)

BACKGROUND The Resistance to trauma Test: TRauma is an instrument designed to assess six dimensions involving personal strengths or resources that promote coping with difficult life situations. In addition, an overall score is obtained that is conceptually equivalent to the concept of resilience. The aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties and factorial structure of the TRauma in a sample of subjects affected by a traumatic event. METHOD Participants were 222 people affected by a traumatic life event (36.5% males), with ages ranging between 18 and 71 years. RESULTS Confirmatory factor analysis supports the theoretical internal structure proposed for the instrument. Moreover, the reliability coefficients of the six scales and the total score are both acceptable. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the findings of this study support the use of the TRauma to measure factors of personal strengths and resilience. However, these results do not exhaust the validation process of the TRauma, and it is necessary to continue to seek empirical evidence.

Reciprocal Psychological Aggression in Couples

The present study analyzes reciprocal psychological aggression assessed by the Conflict Tactics Scale–Revised (CTS-2) in a sample of 590 adult couples from the Region of Madrid. Psychological aggression is the most frequent form of partner aggression. Results showed high percentages of psychological aggression perpetrated and suffered in men and women and showed significant statistical differences in severe psychological aggression in the case of women. Partner agreement about acts of psychological aggression was significant, albeit at moderate levels. Generalized Hierarchical Linear Models with the HLM-6.0 program were proposed to examine reciprocal psychological aggression. The models confirmed the pattern of reciprocal psychological aggression and also that couples are more aggressive when they are younger. Duration of cohabitation was not a predictor of reciprocal psychological partner aggression.The present study analyzes reciprocal psychological aggression assessed by the Conflict Tactics Scale–Revised (CTS-2) in a sample of 590 adult couples from the Region of Madrid. Psychological aggression is the most frequent form of partner aggression. Results showed high percentages of psychological aggression perpetrated and suffered in men and women and showed significant statistical differences in severe psychological aggression in the case of women. Partner agreement about acts of psychological aggression was significant, albeit at moderate levels. Generalized Hierarchical Linear Models with the HLM-6.0 program were proposed to examine reciprocal psychological aggression. The models confirmed the pattern of reciprocal psychological aggression and also that couples are more aggressive when they are younger. Duration of cohabitation was not a predictor of reciprocal psychological partner aggression.

Design and Evaluation Process of a Personal and Motive-Based Competencies Questionnaire in Spanish-Speaking Contexts

Most questionnaires used for managerial purposes have been developed in Anglo-Saxon countries and then adapted for other cultures. However, this process is controversial. This paper fills the gap for more culturally sensitive assessment instruments in the specific field of human resources while also addressing the methodological issues that scientists and practitioners face in the development of questionnaires. First, we present the development process of a Personal and Motive-based competencies questionnaire targeted to Spanish-speaking countries. Second, we address the validation process by guiding the reader through testing the questionnaire construct validity. We performed two studies: a first study with 274 experts and practitioners of competency development and a definitive study with 482 members of the general public. Our results support a model of nineteen competencies grouped into four higher-order factors. To assure valid construct comparisons we have tested the factorial invariance of gender and work experience. Subsequent analysis have found that women self-rate themselves significantly higher than men on only two of the nineteen competencies, empathy (p < .001) and service orientation (p < .05). The effect of work experience was significant in twelve competencies (p < .001), in which less experienced workers self-rate higher than experienced workers. Finally, we derive theoretical and practical implications.

Resiliencia en adolescentes expuestos a condiciones vitales de riesgo

Antecedentes: La resiliencia se ha convertido en un tema central en el estudio y en la intervencion con adolescentes. Las investigaciones realizadas sobre dicho tema encuentran grandes diferencias en su capacidad de afrontar el estres y la adversidad. El objetivo de esta investigacion es examinar si los adolescentes que han vivido circunstancias acumuladas de riesgo y adversidad, pueden tener resultados resilientes cuando participan en programas de intervencion psicosocioeducativa. Objetivo de gran relevancia para el Trabajo Social, al permitirle identificar fuentes de resiliencia que pueden y deben ser fomentadas en la intervencion con adolescentes que han estado expuestos a condiciones vitales de riesgo. Metodo: Se utilizo un diseno no experimental con grupos seleccionados. Los participantes fueron 507 adolescentes pertenecientes a cuatro grupos con diferentes niveles de riesgo: proteccion social (n=189); cumplimento de medidas judiciales (n=104); tratamiento por abuso de drogas (n=25) y grupo de comparacion (n=189). Se aplico, de forma colectiva, una version reducida de la Escala de Resiliencia (Wagnild & Young, 1993), considerado el instrumento mas adecuado para el estudio de la resiliencia en la poblacion adolescente debido a sus propiedades psicometricas. Las variables medidas fueron: variables sociodemograficas y resiliencia. Resultados: Se encontraron diferencias estadisticamente significativas en resiliencia entre el grupo de adolescentes en tratamiento por consumo de drogas con el resto de los grupos. Los adolescentes en proteccion y los infractores mostraban puntuaciones similares a las del grupo de comparacion. Conclusiones: En la direccion de las hipotesis planteadas, los resultados reflejan que la resiliencia es un proceso que puede ser favorecido a traves de ciertas estrategias de aprendizaje derivadas de la experiencia o en con la participacion en programas psicosocioeducativos.

Neurofisiología de la diabetes mellitus: estudio de los potenciales evocados visuales y auditivos en una muestra de niños entre 6 y 16 años

Resumen Introduccion La diabetes mellitus (DM) es una enfermedad cuyas complicaciones a corto plazo (hiperglucemia e hipoglucemia) pueden afectar al normal funcionamiento neurofisiologico, especialmente cuando el control metabolico de la enfermedad no es el adecuado. Objetivos Estudiar el rendimiento neurofisiologico de un grupo de ninos diagnosticados de DM. Material y metodos La muestra esta formada por un grupo de 42 ninos diabeticos (GD) y otro grupo control formado por 43 ninos no diabeticos (GND). El GD se dividio en dos subgrupos: diabeticos precoces y diabeticos tardios, dependiendo de la edad de diagnostico de la enfermedad, antes o despues de los 5 anos. Pruebas Se registraron potenciales evocados visuales (PEV) y potenciales evocados auditivos (PEA). Resultados Se han obtenido diferencias en los registros de las latencias y amplitudes de los PEV entre el GD y el GND, cuando se estimulaba el ojo derecho en la derivacion O 1 . Tambien se han encontrado diferencias entre el GD y el GND en la amplitud de los PEV en la derivacion O 1 cuando era estimulado el ojo izquierdo. No se han encontrado diferencias en los PEA. Conclusiones La DM puede producir ligeras alteraciones en la actividad bioelectrica infantil, a pesar de que la enfermedad lleve poco tiempo de evolucion.