Beyond forgiveness and suicidal behaviour in adolescence: the moderating role of gender

With the development of positive psychology, forgiveness has received increasing attention among psychologists from different social science fields . Empirical evidences have suggested associations between forgiveness and suicidal ideation and behaviours, but moderator’s role of gender has been scarcely studied. The aim of the present study was to test the role of gender as a potential moderating factor in the relationship between forgiveness and suicidal behaviour in adolescence. A total of 586 Spanish adolescents from three different high school centres took part in this study. Their average age was 15.51 (SD= 1.17) and 51.2% were men. We conducted moderation analyses and used age and personality factors as control variables. First, we found negative association between forgiveness and risk suicide. Moreover, results showed that gender moderated the relationship between forgiveness and suicidal ideation. Specifically, males compared to females were found to show significantly higher tendency of suicidal behaviour depending on their level of forgiveness. Thus, males who showed higher scores on forgiveness tend to report lower levels of suicidal behaviour, whereas males who reported lower scores on forgiveness showed greater levels of risk suicide. Our findings suggest that forgiveness may operate as a key buffering factor against suicidal risk underlying the importance of examining gender differences in this association. These findings provide therapeutic targets to reduce risk of suicide in this high-risk group of adolescent males with lower levels of forgiveness. Our results are discussed in terms of the need of using gender perspectives in positive psychology intervention programs.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Emotional intelligence and satisfaction at work in teachers: Testing affectivity as potential mediator.

Introduction: Although previous research has highlighted the role of emotional intelligence on satisfaction at work, the underlying processes accounting for this association remain relatively unexplored. Objectives: To address this gap, this study examined the role of positive and negative affect as potential mediators in this link controlling for classic and well-known personality traits. Method: A sample of 124 Spanish secondary teachers completed an emotional intelligence scale, the positive and negative affective scale, the Big-Five questionnaire and the overall job satisfaction. Results: As expected, results showed that teachers´ EI was positively related to positive affect and negatively related to negative affect. Similarly, EI was positively associated to satisfaction at work. Besides, multiple mediation analysis revealed that EI showed a significant indirect effect (through positive affect) on satisfaction at work even when controlling for known confounding effects of gender, age, years of experience and personality traits. Conclusion: Our study contributes to understanding of mediating processes involved in increasing positive attitudes at work in teachers and suggests the implementation of intervention program in teachers designed to bolster EI abilities as a way of enhancing affect, which might increase job satisfaction.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Beyond general self-efficacy beliefs and big-five personality traits in teacher burnout: the role of emotional intelligence

Introduction: Prior research has underlined the key role that specific personal resources such as generalized self-efficacy and Big-Five traits play in the process of burnout. However, no studies have examined the predictive and incremental role of emotional intelligence over and above the domains and facets of these classic constructs of burnout. Objectives: The authors investigated in a sample of Spanish secondary teachers, whether emotional intelligence scores would account for variance in burnout dimensions (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment) beyond the level attributable to generalized self-efficacy and big-five personality traits. Method: A sample of teachers completed the general self-efficacy scale, the Big-Five questionnaire, the emotional intelligence Scale, and the burnout inventory. Results: Stepwise multiple regression analysis confirmed these findings and indicated that emotional intelligence abilities accounted for further variance in three burnout subscales not accounted for by generalized self-efficacy and personality traits. Conclusion: These findings extend previous studies and provide additional support for the incremental validity of the emotional intelligence suggesting that emotional intelligence abilities have a role to play in burnout, often with effects that are incremental over the basic dimensions of generalized self-efficacy and personality traits.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Dealing with teachers’ role stressors and depressive symptomatology: does gender impact on the buffering effect of emotion regulation ability?

Certain work-related stressors as role ambiguity and role conflict have been traditionally linked to negative outcomes such as mental health problems. Previous studies have focused on the moderating effect of personal resources in the association between role stressors and work attitudes. Emotion regulation ability (ERA) has showed robust associations with numerous mental health outcomes, with significant gender differences in this relationship.. The purpose of our study was twofold. Firstly, to examine the moderating effect of ERA in the association among role ambiguity/conflict and depressive symptomatology in a teacher sample. Secondly, we aimed to test whether gender would affect the impact of ERA. Participants were 337 Spanish teachers (54.89% were female) from different grade level taught in Malaga. Results showed that ERA moderated the relationship between role ambiguity and depressive symptoms, whereas did not moderate the effect of role conflict. Indeed, gender-specific analysis revealed a three-way interaction of role ambiguity, ERA and gender on depressive symptomatology showing a significant moderation effect only for males. These results suggest underlying processes by which ERA would differently buffer the association between role clarity and depressive symptoms in teachers. Our resultsmay shed some light on showing on testing gender-specific models including work-related factors, emotional abilities, mental health and well-being outcomes in teaching. Finally, these findings might provide guidance in developing further stress management programmes and emotional training considering gender perspectives.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Inteligencia emocional auto-informada, indicadores de calidad de vida e ideaciones auto-líticas en desempleados españoles

El presente estudio analiza las relaciones entre la inteligencia emocional auto-informada, diferentes indicadores de calidad de vida y su relación con las conductas e ideaciones suicidas en una amplia muestra de 1125 (506 hombres and 619 mujeres) y sus posibles diferencias de género. Nuestros resultados mostraron que no había diferencias de género en las distintas dimensiones evaluadas, exceptuando una tendencia estadística en IE, mostrando que las mujeres puntuaban ligeramente más que los varones. La inteligencia emocional percibida se asoció positivamente con indicadores de calidad de vida y negativamente con ideaciones auto-líticas y siendo un factor explicativo de cada una de estas variables, incluso cuando se controlaron diferentes variables socio-demográficas tales como edad, sexo y tiempo desempleado. De todas las dimensiones de IE, asimilación y regulación fueron las que correlacionaron en mayor magnitud con los indicadores de calidad de vida en desempleados. En definitiva, futuras intervenciones psicosociales dirigidas a la mejora de la calidad de vida en desempleados podrían incluir estas habilidades emocionales. Finalmente, se discuten posibles implicaciones prácticas y futuras líneas de trabajo.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Cognitive coping strategies and Subjective happiness in a sample of Spanish elderly women

The aim of this study was to analyze the main strategies of cognitive-emotional regulation uses a sample of Spanish elderly women, and the predictive ability of these strategies on happiness. To do this, participants completed the Short Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) and Happiness Subjective Scale (SHS). The results showed that elderly women used mainly positive regulation strategies. Mainly, use planning, positive reappraisal, and perspective taking. Furthermore, the results indicate that catastrophizing and positive reappraisal predict higher levels of happiness in the sample of elderly women. Our findings suggest that the use of positive regulation strategies is a good way to cope with stressful events, which could be considered in future intervention programs with this group.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

Relaciones interpersonales positivas y acoso escolar en adolescentes españoles: el papel moderador de la evitación

El estudio del fenómeno del acoso escolar en los últimos años ha desvelado las consecuencias psicológicas y sociales que éste puede tener en los adolescentes que lo sufren. Este estudio investigó el posible efecto moderador que podría tener la evitación como recurso personal en la relación existente entre la victimización y las relaciones positivas de los adolescentes. Una muestra de 838 estudiantes (396 chicos y 442 chicas) de Educación Secundaria y Bachillerato, con una edad media de 14,22 años (DT= 1,708 / Rango=de 11 a 19 años) participaron en el estudio rellenando tres cuestionarios: un test de acoso escolar (EBIQ), un test sobre el bienestar subjetivo centrándose en la dimensión de relaciones positivas (RYFF) y un test de perdón del cual se seleccionó la dimensión de evitación para este estudio (TRIM 18). Los resultados de prevalencia de la victimización indicaron según la variable sexo, que en los chicos la victimización se dió en 175 casos (un 44,2%) mientras que en las chicas se presentaron 189 casos de victimización (un 42,8%). Esto da una prevalencia mayor en el sexo femenino (51,9%) frente al masculino (48,1%). Por otro lado, el análisis de moderación mostró que la evitación ejerce un papel moderador en la relación entre la victimización y las relaciones positivas del adolescente. Los resultados de esta investigación parecen aportar evidencia sobre el papel moderador de la evitación frente al acoso escolar, mostrando menores relaciones positivas si los adolescentes evitan ante situaciones de victimización bajas.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. Universidad de Málaga (PPIT.UMA.B1. 2017/23

Tendencia hacia el perdón y calidad de vida en personas mayores: el papel mediador de las estrategias de regulación cognitiva-emocional

El objetivo de la presente investigación fue analizar las estrategias de regulación cognitivo-emocional más utilizadas por una muestra de personas mayores así como examinar el posible papel mediador de dichas estrategias en la relación perdón-salud física y mental. Para ello, los participantes completaron la subescala de perdón del Cuestionario de la fortalezas del carácter (VIA), el Cuestionario de estrategias de regulación cognitiva (CERQ), y el Cuestionario de calidad de vida relacionada con la salud (SF-12). Los resultados mostraron que las estrategias de regulación más utilizadas fueron planificación, reevaluación positiva y catastrofismo. Asimismo los datos mostraron que ciertas estrategias de regulación como la reevaluación positiva, la rumiación y la refocalización positiva mediaban la relación perdón-salud mental y que planificación como estrategia de regulación cognitiva-emocional mediaba la relación entre perdón y salud física en este colectivo. Nuestros hallazgos sugieren un perfil en el uso de estrategias de regulación cognitivo-emocional y su importancia sobre la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud, que podrían ser tenidas en cuenta en futuros programas de intervención con personas mayores.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Emotional intelligence facets as protective factors for problematic digital technology usage in spanish adolescents

Digital technology has numerous advantages for our daily lives. However, inadequate usage may lead to negative psychosocial consequences, such as anxiety and depression symptoms. Adolescents have been considered a vulnerable population since this developmental stage is usually characterized by emotionally charged situations and an increase in risk-taking and sensation seeking behavior. The aim of our study was to examine the potential protective role of emotional intelligence facets in problematic Internet and smartphone users. Participants in the study were 2197 Spanish adolescents (45.9% male, 54.1% female) with a mean age of 14.6 years old (SD = 1.65) from Malaga, Andalusia. Adolescents completed measures of emotional intelligence (WLEIS), problematic Internet use (IAT) and problematic smartphone use (SAS-SV). We conducted two separate logistic regression analyses to determine a problematic usage profile, entering age and sex as covariates, and self-emotion appraisal, other-emotion appraisal, use of emotion and emotion regulation as predictors. For problematic Internet use, our results show that older adolescents with higher other-emotion appraisal and lower use of emotion and emotion regulation are at risk of becoming problematic users. For problematic smartphone use the profile was similar, but also sex emerged as a significant predictor, that is, older female adolescents with higher other-emotion appraisal and lower use of emotion and emotion regulation are at risk of becoming problematic users. In sum, our findings may guide the design of further programs aimed at preventing adolescents’ problematic usage of digital technologies, as they point towards the specific emotional intelligence facets that problematic users need to develop