The Role of Emotional and Meta-Emotional Intelligence in Pre-adolescents’ Well-Being and Sociometric Status

The study examined the relationships among emotional and meta-emotional intelligence, well-being, and sociometric status in 105 pre-adolescents. Emotional and meta-emotional intelligence were measured using the Intelligenza Emotiva: Abilità, Credenze e Concetto di Sé Meta-Emotivo (IE-ACCME) test (D’Amico, 2013), allowing to measure ability emotional intelligence (EI), emotional self-concept, meta-emotional knowledge, meta-emotional ability in self-evaluation, and meta-emotional beliefs. Metaemotional dimensions refer to the awareness of individuals about their emotional abilities and to their beliefs about the functioning of emotions in everyday life. Eudemonic well-being and sociometric status were, respectively, measured using the well-known Psychological Well-Being (PWB) scale by Ryff’s (1989) and registering the levels of acceptance/rejection from peers (Moreno, 1960). Results demonstrated that: preadolescents’ meta-emotional beliefs are positively associated to eudemonic well-being: pre-adolescents with higher levels of ability EI, meta-emotional knowledge and metaemotional self-evaluation are more accepted by others while those that overestimate their emotional abilities are more refused by peers. These results evidence that metaemotional variables may play a crucial role in well-being and sociometric status, encouraging future studies on this issue

Distraction effects of manual texting and voice messaging when approaching pedestrian crossings on urban roads: a driving simulator study

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of texting while driving on driver performance and road safety. In order to achieve this goal, 51 participants took part in a driving simulator study that replicated an urban environment. During the trials, text messages with questions of equal cognitive weight were sent to be answered via 1) a manual texting application or 2) a voice message application. A baseline condition with no secondary task was also tested. Along the simulated route, there were some events that could cause a crash, like pedestrians crossing on-and-off crosswalks. The overall findings indicate that both texting and voice messaging activities while driving have detrimental effects on driving performance and road safety, putting drivers at high risk. The practical applications of the findings of this study are primarily directed at policymakers and stakeholders for the development of effective and targeted campaigns

Comparing eye-tracking system effectiveness in field and driving simulator studies

Background: Several studies have been developed by combining the benefits of eye-tracking systems with driving simulators to simultaneously investigate driving behavior and the potential source of distraction. However, little effort has been spent in terms of eye-tracking validation in the driving simulator environment. Objective: The overall aim of this study is to validate an eye-tracking system within the context of a driving simulation environment by considering a specific urban context application. Methods: Both a field survey and a driving simulation experiment have been developed for a case study located in Rome, Italy. The selected real road sections and events have been reproduced on the driving simulator system and an eye-tracking has been used to record the eye movements both on board of a real vehicle and on the simulator. The eye movements of 14 participants in the field survey and 18 participants in the driving simulation tests, as well as their driving performances, have been collected while approaching an urban intersection and in relation to two specific road events: i) the presence of a speed limit sign and ii) the presence of a crossing pedestrian. Results: Eye tracker parameters and driving performances were compared between the real driving tests and driving simulator experiments in order to validate the eye-tracking system. It has been validated for both the events in terms of duration and distance of the eye fixation. Conclusion: The results demonstrate that the eye-tracking system stands as an effective tool for studies and applications in a virtual reality environment

The Relationship between Perceived Emotional Intelligence, Work Engagement, Job Satisfaction, and Burnout in Italian School Teachers: An Exploratory Study

The study investigates the relationship between perceived emotional intelligence, burnout, work engagement, and job satisfaction in 238 Italian school teachers. The mean age was 50 years, ranged from 26 to 66 (SD = 9.16). The research protocol included a demographics data sheet, the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS; Wong & Law, 2002), the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI; Kristensen, Borritz, Villadsen, & Christensen, 2005), the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES; Schaufeli, Bakker, & Salanova, 2006), and the Organizational Satisfaction Scale (QSO; Cortese, 2001). Several international studies already demonstrated an association among these variables. Our results showed that perceived emotional intelligence positively correlates with work engagement and job satisfaction, and negatively correlates with burnout. Hierarchical regression analyses also point out that, among all the perceived emotional intelligence subdimensions, the use of emotion is the best predictor of the study variables, even when controlling for gender differences. These results suggest that emotional intelligence may have a protective role in preventing negative working experiences of teachers

BIM for Healthy Buildings. An Integrated Approach of Architectural Design based on IAQ Prediction

The relationship between users and the built environment represents a fundamental aspect of health. The factors that define the properties linked to health and well-being are increasingly becoming part of building design. In these terms, building information modelling (BIM) and BIM-based performance simulation take on a priority role. Among the key features for the design of Healthy Buildings, indoor air quality (IAQ) plays a central role. There are numerous indoor pollutants with significant health effects; volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are to be mentioned among these. The paper presents the proposal of an integrated workflow in the BIM process for the check and control of VOC emissions from building materials and their concentration in confined environments. The workflow is developed through the systematisation of IAQ parameters for the open BIM standard, the integration in the BIM process of a numerical model for the prediction of the VOCs concentration in the indoor environment, and the development of model checkers for performance verification. The results show a good adhesion between the numerical model and the implementation in BIM, providing the designer with a rapid control instrument of IAQ in the various phases of the building design. The present study is the first development focused on TVOC, but implementable concerning other aspects of IAQ, as needed for the effectiveness of performance building-based design for health and wellness issues

Teachers’ Emotional Intelligence, Burnout, Work Engagement, and Self-Efficacy during COVID-19 Lockdown

Teachers’ psychological well-being is a crucial aspect that influences learning in a classroom climate. The aim of the study was to investigate teachers’ emotional intelligence, burnout, work engagement, and self-efficacy in times of remote teaching during COVID-19 lockdown. A sample of 65 teachers (Mage = 50.49), from early childhood through lower secondary education, were recruited during a period of school closure to answer self-report questionnaires and other measures assessing study variables. Results showed that during the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers reported higher levels of burnout and lower levels of self-esteem due to multiple challenges related to remote teaching and the growing sense of insecurity regarding health safety in the school environment. However, the negative effects of COVID-19 on teachers’ self-efficacy, work engagement, and burnout varied according to their own levels of emotional intelligence. These results demonstrate that emotional intelligence may support teachers in facing these challenges

PERCEPCIÓN DE LA HOMOSEXUALIDAD EN EL DEPORTE VENEZOLANO

Hablar de homosexualidad es aún un tema que en algunos países no es común. En Venezuela tendemos a creer que se podría hablar de dicho tema. A pesar de todo, en algunos intentos de conversar con algunas personas del sector deportivo, el tema no ha sido un tópico del cual se pueda hablar con facilidad. También, no existe mucha información en la literatura deportiva venezolana acerca de este tema. Esto fue notorio para los autores de este estudio. Es por esto que nuestra investigación se llevó a cabo. El propósito de este estudio es conocer la percepción de la homosexualidad en el sector deportivo venezolano. La metodología consistió en un enfoque mixto, donde se administró una escala de Likert y una entrevista semi-estructurada a nueve (09) participantes, que estuvieron de acuerdo en participar de manera anónima y voluntaria. Los participantes fueron voceros de diferentes sectores deportivos, todos heterosexuales, tales como entrenadores, jueces, administradores y deportistas. Los resultados se analizaron mediante el análisis de contenido y la frecuencia de respuestas. Los resultados revelan ciertas características de la sociedad venezolana que han sido indicadas en investigaciones antes, pero no en el sector deportivo. Palabras clave: Homosexualidad, Deporte, Venezuela, Tolerancia, Educación

Modelling VOC Emissions from Building Materials for Healthy Building Design

The profound qualitative changes of indoor air and the progressive increase in the absolute number of pollutants, combined with the scientific awareness of the health impacts deriving from spending more than 90% of one’s time inside confined spaces, have increased the attention onto the needs of well-being, hygiene, and the health of users. This scientific attention has produced studies and analyses useful for evidence-based insights into building performance. Among the main pollutants in the indoor environment, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) play a central role, and the use of box-models using the mass balance approach and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models are now consolidated to study their concentrations in an indoor environment. This paper presents the use of both types of modelling for the prediction of the VOC concentration in the indoor environment and the proposal of a guide value for the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)-oriented building design, specifically related to the indoor VOC concentration due to building materials. Methodologically, the topic is addressed through environmental sampling, the definition of the parameters necessary for the numerical models, the simulations with the box-model and the CFD, and the comparison between the results. They show a good correspondence between the modelling tools used, highlighting the central role of ventilation and allowing a discussion of the relationship between regulatory limits of emissivity of materials and Indoor Air Guide Values for the concentration of pollutants