Relating emotional intelligence to social competence and academic achievement in high school students

This study investigated the discriminant, criterion and incremental validity of an ability measure of Emotional Intelligence (EI). High school students (N= 77) took the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test - Spanish Version (MSCEIT V. 2.0, 2002), a measure of Big Five personality traits (BFQ; Caprara, Barbanelli, & Borgogni, 1993), an General Intelligence test (IGF-r 5; Yuste, 2002), and a social competence inventory (AECS; Moraleda, González, & García-Gallo, 1998). Students’ academic grades also were obtained from official school records at the end of the school year. As predicted, the MSCEIT was discriminable from well-established measures of personality and intelligence. The test was also moderately related to social competence and predicted students’ final grades. Most of the findings remained significant after personality and academic intelligence were statistically controlled. The potential utility of EI in the context of academic institutions is discussed

Perceived health and emotional intelligence.

The Fourth World Conference on Women showed that women have the right to enjoy the highest health. Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not186 Abstractsmerely the absence of disease. In 1999, Commission on the Status of Women of the United Nations stated the need to adopt measures to improve women health quality. Motivated by these proposals, and knowing the linking between perceived health and emotional intelligence (Fernández-Berrocal & Extremera, 2007), we design and apply an emotional intelligence program, based on Mayer & Salovey Model (1997), with the objective of improving perceived health. After a mean comparison, we check that experimental group (N= 50) increases in a significant way in every variable of SF36 Health Survey not only when concluding the program but also in comparison with the control group (N=50). These findings allow us to confirm the importance of working emotions to improve emotional health

Assessing the ability to perceive basic and complex emotions in deaf people with the PERVALE-S

Un aspecto poco conocido de las personas sordas es su manejo de las emociones como habilidad cognitiva. Software PERVALE-S es una herramienta para la evaluación de la percepción, la expresión y la evaluación de emociones básicas y complejas de las personas sordas, con diferente código de comunicación (verbal y gestual). PERVALE-S presenta imágenes visuales e instrucciones (a través de un intérprete), en el que el sujeto debe identificar lo que la imagen transmite tanto la percepción de la emoción correcta como su nivel de intensidad. A pesar de la pequeña muestra que tenemos, se han encontrado algunos resultados los cuales indicaron que la edad (.555**), el género (.438**) y el sordo no oralizante (.556**)- cuando nuestra hipótesis era lo contrario; rindieron significativamente en la prueba de emociones sociales. La explicación a éste último se debe a que los sordos oralizantes están más entrenador a fijarse en la boca de la otra persona que los de LSE, y por lo tanto no captan parte de la imagen visual que los de LSE, y por tanto no captan parte de la imagen visual para reconocer la emoción con la misma eficacia que los no oralizantes.A poorly understood aspect in deaf people is their cognitive emotion information processing abilities. Deaf people have more difficulties to distinguish the tone, intensity and rhythm of the language that listener people. When deaf people that they acquired deafness oral communication system, so they achieve a greater development of self and understanding of own and others’ emotions than deaf people who develop a gestural (LSE). PERVALE-S software is a tool for assessing perception, expression and evaluation both basic and complex emotions in deaf people with different communication codes (verbal and gestural). PERVALE-S presents visual images and instructions (by an interpreter), where the subject must identify what the image conveys both emotion and intensity level. Though the small simple, initial finding indicated that age (.556**), gender (.438**) and just gestural deaf people (.556**, 1: oral; 2: gestural)- last one, the assessment (all of them did not show interaction effect). An alternative explanation, for the better performance among gestural, in that oral deaf people he been training focus his visual perception in the mouth under social context situation, while just gestural spend more time paying attention on the rest of body when they need to accurate a social emotion. Eye tracking instrument will be used to test this hypothesis.peerReviewe

It is not enough understanding the anxiety but also managing it

Emotional intelligence (EI) is a concept that has been proved with different outcomes (including health). Sometimes, the findings are been promising but also controversial – especially because investigations do not explain how EI can help to increase the mental health, among other reasons. EI is a set of 4 abilities (perceiving, using, understanding and managing) emotions with oneself and others (Mayer & Salovey, 1997). In a sample of 200 undergraduates, the participants filled the MSCEIT – which encompassing the four abilities described – and EAE (scales of appraisal of stress) – which measures whether the anxiety was overcome or not, and how several experiences related with the anxiety is still affecting to participants. After regression analysis, this investigation shows how people with an existential experience with the anxiety can help them to understanding the anxiety but not to managing it. This research claims the necessity for increasing cognitive-emotional managing ability for overcoming anxious experiences

Emotional intelligence and social and academic adaptation to school

In a sample of 127 Spanish adolescents, the ability to understand and manage emotions, assessed by a performance measure of emotional intelligence (the MSCEIT), correlated positively with teacher ratings of academic achievement and adaptation for both males and females. Among girls, these emotional abilities also correlated positively with peer friendship nominations. After controlling for IQ and the Big Five personality traits, the ability to understand and manage emotions remained significantly associated with teacher ratings of academic adaptation among boys and peer friendship nominations among girls. Self-perceived emotional intelligence was unrelated to these criteria. These findings provide partial support for hypotheses that emotional abilities are associated with indicators of social and academic adaptation to school

The Key Role of Emotional Repair and Emotional Clarity on Depression among Breast Cancer Survivors

Breast cancer is the malignancy with the highest incidence in women worldwide. The empirical evidence is inconsistent with the prevalence of depression among breast cancer survivors (BCS), pointing to emotional competencies as protective factors against affective disorders. However, the mechanisms through which these competencies favor a more adaptive emotional state are unknown. Therefore, this study aims to explore the relationship between the experience of having survived the disease and depression levels in a group of BCS, and the mediating role of Perceived Emotional Intelligence (PEI) in this relation. This was a cross-sectional study with 237 women divided into two groups: 56 BCS and 181 healthy controls who completed the Trait Meta-Mood Scale 24 (TMMS-24) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results showed that Survivorship and PEI explained and predicted 37.8% of the variance of depression, corresponding the 11.7% to the direct and/or the indirect effect of the PEI dimensions (Emotional Attention, Emotional Clarity, and Emotional Repair). In conclusion, interventions aimed at promoting an adequate PEI in this population-and in the Psycho-oncology field, in general-with a particular focus on the development of Emotional Clarity and Repair need to be implemented. Limitations and future research lines are discussed

Enhancing Self-Esteem and Body Image of Breast Cancer Women through Interventions: A Systematic Review

Breast Cancer (BC) is the most common neoplasm in women worldwide, considered a global public health problem. Among BC women, some of the most common psychological symptoms in the adaptation to the disease are reduction in self-esteem and distorted body image (BI). Although there are numerous studies with the goal of promoting different psychological variables, BI and self-esteem are often separately observed despite their relationship and their importance in the process of the illness. Moreover, there have been no reviews that have synthesized the findings related to interventions aimed at enhancing both self-esteem and BI in BC women. Therefore, the objective of this review was to identify and examine the implemented interventions aimed at boosting both variables in this population. For this purpose, a systematic review was implemented following the PRISMA statement. A thorough search was performed on the following databases: Web of Science, PubMed, PsychInfo, PsychArticles, and Scopus. Among 287 records, only eight articles met the eligibility criteria. Interventions were grouped into three types according to their characteristics: Group therapies, Physical activity therapies, and Cosmetic and beauty treatments. The levels of effectiveness of the different interventions varied between them, and within each, in their impact on self-esteem and BI. More interventions focused on developing BI and self-esteem in this population are needed due to their ability to predict psychological functioning and quality of life of women with breast cancer.This research was funded by the Ministry of Health of the Junta de Andalucia by the financed Project PIN-0109-2018-INIBICA, by the Research Group HUM-843 Emotional Intelligence from the University of Cadiz (Spain), and the University Institute for Sustainable Social Development (INDESS). The funding body had no involvement in the study design, collection, analysis, or interpretation data, writing of the manuscript, and the decision to submit the manuscript for publication

Estrategias de afrontamiento y crecimiento postraumático en mujeres con y sin cáncer de mama

Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG now on) can be understood as the positive change that an individual experiences as a result of a traumatic event. Breast cancer can be considered as a traumatic situation due both to the diagnosis impact and to the administered treatments. However, regardless of suffering a serious illness, all people face traumatic situations in their lives through which they can obtain –or not- certain benefits and/or PTG. Likewise, the experimented growth derived from these events could be promoted or hindered by the use of different coping strategies (CS from this point on). In this sense, the objectives of this study are: 1) to examine whether there are statistically significant differences in the levels of PTG and the CS used among women with and without breast cancer, 2) to explore the existence of statistically significant correlations between the used CS and the levels of PTG; and 3) to analyze the prospective explanatory and predictive capacity of the use of various CS and the development of PTG, controlling for the possible effect of age and the disease.The sample was comprised of 110 women, 45 of them with breast cancer (40.9%) and 55 without cancer (59.1%). Two instruments were administered: The Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) (Tedeschi and Calhoum, 1996) and the Spanish version of the Coping Strategies inventory (Cano et al, 2007). The results reported that both groups differed in the use of CS emotional expression; that PTG correlates with different CS, being social support and problems solving those CS that explain and predict the PTG, regardless of age and illness. We conclude that both CS should be included in interventions aimed at promoting PTG in women who have suffered a traumatic experience, being this clinic or not.Entendemos por Crecimiento Postraumático (CPT en adelante) el cambio positivo que un individuo puede llegar a experimentar tras un suceso traumático. Padecer cáncer de mama constituye una experiencia traumática, tanto por el impacto del diagnóstico, como por los tratamientos administrados. No obstante, toda persona vivencia momentos traumáticos a lo largo de sus vidas, pudiendo obtener a partir de ellos ciertos beneficios y/o CPT, o no. Consideramos que el desarrollo de CPT a partir de experiencias traumáticas puede verse promovido, o dificultado, por el uso de diferentes estrategias de afrontamiento (EA en adelante). Es por ello que en el presente estudio nos planteamos como objetivos: 1) comprobar si existen diferencias estadísticamente significativas en los niveles de CPT y las EA empleadas entre mujeres con cáncer de mama y sanas, 2) explorar la existencia de correlaciones estadísticamente significativas entre las EA empleadas y el nivel de CPT; y 3) analizar la posible capacidad explicativa y predictiva del uso de diversas EA y el desarrollo de CPT, controlando el posible efecto de la edad y la enfermedad. Participaron un total de 110 mujeres, 45 con cáncer de mama (40.9%) y 55 sin cáncer (59.1%). Se administraron el Inventario de Crecimiento Postraumático (PTGI) de Tedeschi y Calhoum (1996) y la versión española del Coping Strategies Inventory (Cano y cols, 2007). Los resultados informan que ambos grupos de mujeres se diferenciaron en el uso de la EA expresión de emociones; que el CPT correlaciona con distintas EA, siendo las EA apoyo social y la resolución de problemas las que explican y predicen el CPT, con independencia de la edad y la enfermedad. Concluimos en la necesidad de que ambas EA deberían ser incorporadas en intervenciones dirigidas a la promoción del CPT en mujeres que han padecido una experiencia traumática, sea esta clínica o no

Las actitudes del alumnado universitario frente a las personas con trastorno mental

La enfermedad mental es un problema de salud a nivel mundial que afecta a una de cada cuatro personas. A pesar de su elevada incidencia, existe una fuerte discriminación social sobre estos enfermos (OMS, 2004). Diversos profesionales se encuentran en su desempeño diario situaciones de interacción con estos pacientes pudiendo actuar como perpetuadores del estigma si muestran actitudes negativas de miedo y hostilidad (Roos y Goldner, 2009). Asimismo, el contacto con estos enfermos mentales condicionará las actitudes hacia la propia enfermedad. El objetivo de este estudio es conocer las actitudes hacia los enfermos mentales de los futuros profesionales de Ciencias de la Salud, en comparación con el alumnado de otras ramas de conocimiento, y explorar si mantener contacto con estos enfermos puede modificar dicha actitud. Se administró el cuestionario “Opiniones sobre la enfermedad mental” (Ozamiz, 1980) a 820 estudiantes (70,37% mujeres y 29,63% hombres) de diferentes titulaciones de Ciencias de la Salud y Ciencias Sociales y Jurídicas. Esta escala informa sobre la Actitud general y 5 subdimensiones (Negativismo, Etiología social, Autoritarismo, Restrictividad y Prejuicio), obteniendo una fiabilidad superior a .7 en Negativismo y Etiología Social. Los resultados indican que los estudiantes de Ciencias de la Salud muestran menores niveles de Negativismo hacia el enfermo mental que el alumnado de Ciencias Sociales y Jurídicas, independientemente del contacto mantenido. Además, los estudiantes que manifiestan haber tenido contacto con estos enfermos presentan menores niveles de Negativismo, no diferenciándose de forma estadísticamente significativa ni en la Actitud general, ni en Etiología social, con independencia de la titulación cursada. Estos resultados parecen indicar que una actitud negativa hacia el enfermo mental es menor entre el alumnado de Ciencias de la Salud en comparación con las Ciencia Sociales y Jurídicas, y entre los que han mantenido contactos con enfermos mentales.Mental illness is a global health problem that affects one in four people around the world. Despite its high incidence, there is strong social discrimination towards this population (WHO, 2004). Different professionals encounter, in their daily performance, situations of interaction with these patients and may act as stigma perpetuators if they display negative attitudes of fear and hostility (Roos and Goldner, 2009). Likewise, contact with these mental ill patients will condition their attitudes toward the disease. The aim of this study was to examine the attitudes of future professionals of Health Sciences toward mental ill patients, compared with students of other knowledge fields, and to explore if maintaining contact with these patients can modify these attitudes. The questionnaire “Opinions concerning mental illness” (Ozamiz, 1980) was administered to 820 students (70.37% women and 29.63% men) from different degrees of Health Sciences, and Social and Legal Sciences. This scale assessed global Attitude and five subscales (Negativism, Social Etiology, Authoritarianism, Restrictivism, and Prejudice), obtaining a reliability higher than .7 in Negativism and Social Etiology. Results indicated that Health Sciences students show lower levels of Negativism towards mental ill patients than students in Social and Legal Sciences degrees, regardless of the contact maintained. In addition, students who report contact with these patients have lower levels of Negativism, not differing in a statistically significant way neither in the general Attitude, nor in social Etiology, and regardless of the university degree. These results seem to indicate that negative attitudes toward mental ill patients is lower among Health Sciences students and among students who have contact with this population compared with Social and Legal Science ones

Las actitudes del alumnado universitario frente a las personas con trastorno mental

Mental illness is a global health problem that affects one in four people around the world. Despite its high incidence, there is strong social discrimination towards this population (WHO, 2004). Different professionals encounter, in their daily performance, situations of interaction with these patients and may act as stigma perpetuators if they display negative attitudes of fear and hostility (Roos and Goldner, 2009). Likewise, contact with these mental ill patients will condition their attitudes toward the disease. The aim of this study was to examine the attitudes of future professionals of Health Sciences toward mental ill patients, compared with students of other knowledge fields, and to explore if maintaining contact with these patients can modify these attitudes. The questionnaire “Opinions concerning mental illness” (Ozamiz, 1980) was administered to 820 students (70.37% women and 29.63% men) from different degrees of Health Sciences, and Social and Legal Sciences. This scale assessed global Attitude and five subscales (Negativism, Social Etiology, Authoritarianism, Restrictivism, and Prejudice), obtaining a reliability higher than .7 in Negativism and Social Etiology. Results indicated that Health Sciences students show lower levels of Negativism towards mental ill patients than students in Social and Legal Sciences degrees, regardless of the contact maintained. In addition, students who report contact with these patients have lower levels of Negativism, not differing in a statistically significant way neither in the general Attitude, nor in social Etiology, and regardless of the university degree. These results seem to indicate that negative attitudes toward mental ill patients is lower among Health Sciences students and among students who have contact with this population compared with Social and Legal Science ones.La enfermedad mental es un problema de salud a nivel mundial que afecta a una de cada cuatro personas. A pesar de su elevada incidencia, existe una fuerte discriminación social sobre estos enfermos (OMS, 2004). Diversos profesionales se encuentran en su desempeño diario situaciones de interacción con estos pacientes pudiendo actuar como perpetuadores del estigma si muestran actitudes negativas de miedo y hostilidad (Roos y Goldner, 2009). Asimismo, el contacto con estos enfermos mentales condicionará las actitudes hacia la propia enfermedad. El objetivo de este estudio es conocer las actitudes hacia los enfermos mentales de los futuros profesionales de Ciencias de la Salud, en comparación con el alumnado de otras ramas de conocimiento, y explorar si mantener contacto con estos enfermos puede modificar dicha actitud. Se administró el cuestionario “Opiniones sobre la enfermedad mental” (Ozamiz, 1980) a 820 estudiantes (70,37% mujeres y 29,63% hombres) de diferentes titulaciones de Ciencias de la Salud y Ciencias Sociales y Jurídicas. Esta escala informa sobre la Actitud general y 5 subdimensiones (Negativismo, Etiología social, Autoritarismo, Restrictividad y Prejuicio), obteniendo una fiabilidad superior a .7 en Negativismo y Etiología Social. Los resultados indican que los estudiantes de Ciencias de la Salud muestran menores niveles de Negativismo hacia el enfermo mental que el alumnado de Ciencias Sociales y Jurídicas, independientemente del contacto mantenido. Además, los estudiantes que manifiestan haber tenido contacto con estos enfermos presentan menores niveles de Negativismo, no diferenciándose de forma  estadísticamente significativa ni en la Actitud general, ni en Etiología social, con independencia de la titulación cursada. Estos resultados parecen indicar que una actitud negativa hacia el enfermo mental es menor entre el alumnado de Ciencias de la Salud en comparación con las Ciencia Sociales y Jurídicas, y entre los que han mantenido contactos con enfermos mentales