Academic Resilience in Mathematics and Science: Europe TIMSS-2019 Data.

BACKGROUND: Academically resilient students are those who exhibit high performance starting from a disadvantaged socioeconomic situation. This study aims to identify the personal, school, and national factors that are associated with that resilience in the European Union (EU). METHOD: The sample comprised 96556 fourth grade students from 21 EU countries participating in TIMSS-2019. Two three-level logistic regression models were specified for the overall sample. RESULTS: The EU has an average of 25.67% resilient students in mathematics and 24.16% in science. Student confidence and having done prior linguistic tasks at school were the variables with the most predictive power after accounting for gender and students' immigrant background. The European countries analyzed largely compensated for the doubly-disadvantaged situation of immigrant students. Those countries with higher proportions of low-performing students had fewer resilient students. CONCLUSIONS: The educational policies in the EU member states are able to largely compensate for unfavorable starting positions; fundamentally, policies of a social nature such as support for immigrant students, families, or schools.

Corrigendum: Assessment of Eight Entrepreneurial Personality Dimensions: Validity Evidence of the BEPE Battery.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02352.].

Assessment of Eight Entrepreneurial Personality Dimensions: Validity Evidence of the BEPE Battery.

Background: The study of entrepreneurial activity has undergone intense development in recent decades. Traditionally this topic has been addressed from three approaches: economic, sociological and psychological. In the study of enterprising personality, two fundamental perspectives stand out: the use of general personality traits, like the Big Five, and the use of more specific traits related to entrepreneurial spirit, such as self-efficacy, autonomy, innovation, optimism, and others. The objective of this study is to provide validity evidence for a new instrument for measuring eight specific dimensions of entrepreneurial personality (BEPE). Methods: The sample was composed of 1,170 adults from the general population (59.9% women). The average age was 42.34 years with a standard deviation of 12.96. Of the sample, 13% were self-employed. Internal factorial structure and reliability of BEPE were examined. The relationships with other variables and the discriminative capacity of the BEPE between different groups of workers were analyzed. Results: First order exploratory factor analyses show the essential unidimensionality of each of the eight proposed sub-scales, with factorial weights ranging between 0.341 and 0.825. In the Confirmatory Factor Analysis, the best fit was achieved with a Bifactor model. With regards to reliability, the eight BEPE sub-scales gave high alpha coefficient values, between 0.81 and 0.89, as did the total battery (0.97). BEPE sub-scales show a high canonical correlation with the Big Five personality factors (0.796) and with the sub-scales of the Measure of Entrepreneurial Talents and Abilities questionnaire (0.779). Conclusion: The BEPE questionnaire for the evaluation of the eight fundamental specific dimensions of the entrepreneurial personality presents adequate psychometric properties. Its relationships with other measures of personality traits are in line with what is expected. Therefore, the BEPE is a new measurement instrument that can be used with confidence both in the applied field and in research.

Using reversed items in Likert scales: A questionable practice.

BACKGROUND: The use of positively worded items and reversed forms aims to reduce response bias and is a commonly used practice nowadays. The main goal of this research is to analyze the psychometric implications of the use of positive and reversed items in measurement instruments. METHOD: A sample of 374 participants was tested aged between 18 and 73 (M=33.98; SD=14.12), 62.60% were women. A repeated measures design was used, evaluating the participants with positive, reversed, and combined forms of a self-efficacy test. RESULTS: When combinations of positive and reversed items are used in the same test the reliability of the test is flawed and the unidimensionality of the test is jeopardized by secondary sources of variance. In addition, the variance of the scores is reduced, and the means differ significantly from those in tests in which all items are either positive or reversed, but not combined. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study present a trade-off between a potential acquiescence bias when items are positively worded and a potential different understanding when combining regular and reversed items in the same test. The specialized literature recommends combining regular and reversed items for controlling for response style bias, but these results caution researchers in using them as well after accounting for the potential effect of linguistic skills and the findings presented in this study.

Development and validation of a questionnaire for assessing the characteristics of diet and physical activity in patients with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: The aim ofthis study was to explore the psychometric properties of the Motiva.Diaf-DM2 questionnaire, which assesses adherence to a healthy diet and physical activity in patients with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D). METHOD: Participants were 206 patients who attended primary care services, with a mean age of 69.63 years (SD = 11.05), with 39.3% of the participants being women. To assess the test-retest reliability of the measure, a random subsample (n = 40) of patients who had another appointment scheduled was selected to fill in the questionnaire once again two weeks after the initial administration. RESULTS: The reliability of the scores was found to be appropriate both in terms of internal consistency (α first factor = .756; α second factor = .821) and temporal stability (r first factor = .604; r second factor = .638). The structure of the test is two-dimensional. The scores for the second dimension (adherence to physical activity) are in agreement with the scores for basic psychological needs (r physical activity = .281), resilience (r = .216), and glycated haemoglobin (r = -.182). CONCLUSIONS: The Motiva.Diaf-DM2 test was shown to have the appropriate relia-bility and validity to assess adherence to a healthy diet and physical activity in patients diagnosed with T2D.

Parental involvement and academic performance: Less control and more communication.

BACKGROUND: Parental involvement in the educational process is desirable, although more involvement does not guarantee better results. The aim of this research is to explore the relationship between styles of parental involvement at home and academic performance. METHOD: A random sample of 26,543 Spanish students was used, with a mean age of 14.4 (SD = 0.75). Two thirds (66.2%) attended a publicly funded school; 49.7% were girls; 87.8% had Spanish nationality; and 73.5% were in the school year corresponding to their age. Different three-level hierarchical-linear models were fitted: student, school, and region (autonomous community). RESULTS: Students whose parents exhibited a more distal or indirect profile of family involvement tended to demonstrate better results than those from homes with a more controlling style. Parental involvement styles have an effect on achievement at an individual and school level, even after accounting for the effect of context or background variables. CONCLUSIONS: Given the importance of parental involvement in academic performance, schools should consider it in their family information and training policies. Schools which have more communicative family profiles tend to demonstrate lower levels of intra-school differences in students’ academic performance.

Students' Achievement and Homework Assignment Strategies.

The optimum time students should spend on homework has been widely researched although the results are far from unanimous. The main objective of this research is to analyze how homework assignment strategies in schools affect students' academic performance and the differences in students' time spent on homework. Participants were a representative sample of Spanish adolescents (N = 26,543) with a mean age of 14.4 (±0.75), 49.7% girls. A test battery was used to measure academic performance in four subjects: Spanish, Mathematics, Science, and Citizenship. A questionnaire allowed the measurement of the indicators used for the description of homework and control variables. Two three-level hierarchical-linear models (student, school, autonomous community) were produced for each subject being evaluated. The relationship between academic results and homework time is negative at the individual level but positive at school level. An increase in the amount of homework a school assigns is associated with an increase in the differences in student time spent on homework. An optimum amount of homework is proposed which schools should assign to maximize gains in achievement for students overall.

Estimating the effect of emotional intelligence in wellbeing among priests.

Background/Objective: Emotional intelligence is a variable which has been the subject of significantly increased research in recent years. Relationships have been shown with both physical and psychological problems. The aim of this study is to analyse the direct and indirect effect that emotional intelligence exerts over the manifestation of physical and psychological clinical symptomatology and to severe disorders such as burnout syndrome in a professional group in which social function is fundamental. Method: So that, 881 Latin-American catholic priests (M age = 45.89; SD age = 11.58) were evaluated using the Trait Meta-Mood Scale-24, the Maslach Burnout Inventory-22 and the General Health Questionnaire-28. Results: Using path analysis, emotional intelligence, especially Attention and Emotional Clarity, shows a high effect on psychological and somatic issues. Conclusions: Thus, both specific disorders and general well-being are related to emotional intelligence. Providing effective emotional intelligence training sessions seems to be able to reduce possible physical and emotional disorders.

Antecedentes/Objetivo: La inteligencia emocional es una variable que ha sido objeto de un incremento notable de investigación a lo largo de los últimos años. La inteligencia emocional ha mostrado numerosas relaciones con múltiples variables psicológicas, destacando su conexión con diversos trastornos físicos y psicológicos. El objetivo del presente estudio es analizar los efectos directos e indirectos que la inteligencia emocional ejerce sobre la manifestación de sintomatología somática y psicológica, así como sobre el desarrollo de trastornos como el síndrome de burnout en un grupo de profesionales cuya labor social resulta esencial. Método: Se aplicaron las escalas Trait Meta-Mood Scale-24, Maslach Burnout Inventory-22 y General Health Questionnaire-28 a un total de 881 sacerdotes católicos latinoamericanos (M edad = 45,89; DT edad = 11,58). Resultados: Mediante path analysis se muestra el efecto que la inteligencia emocional, especialmente la atención y claridad emocional, ejerce sobre las alteraciones somáticas y psicológicas. Conclusiones: Tanto los trastornos específicos como el bienestar general presentan una relación clara con la inteligencia emocional. Proporcionar programas formativos efectivos que desarrollen la inteligencia emocional podría reducir la aparición de trastornos físicos y emocionales.

Adherence to healthy diet and physical activity in clinical patients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to explore the psychometric properties of the Motiva.Diaf questionnaire, which assesses the adherence to healthy diet and physical activity in clinical patients. METHOD: Participants were 230 patients, who attended hospital services, with a mean age of 49.28 years (SD = 12.34). Women constituted 55.7% of the patients. Two weeks after initial administration, 40 participants, from those who had another hospital appointment scheduled, were selected at random to complete again the questionnaire in order to assess test–retest reliability.   Results:  the accuracy of the scores is adequate both in terms of internal consistency (α = .802; Ω = .776) and temporal stability ( r = .786).  The test’s structure is essentially one-dimensional, and the scores in this dimension converge with other necessary basic psychological measurements ( r Diet = .294; r Physical Activity = .359) and perceived health ( r = .266). In addition, a relatively moderate relationship was found with the Body Mass Index ( r = - .129). CONCLUSIONS: The test has shown adequate reliability and validity for evaluating adherence to healthy habits. The availability of an instrument with these characteristics has significant implications for evaluating behaviour, designing and implementing behavioural interventions.

A computerized adaptive test for enterprising personality assessment in youth.

Backgound : Assessing specific personality traits has shown better predictive power of enterprising personality than have broad personality traits. Hitherto, there have been no instruments that evaluate the combination of specific personality traits of enterprising personality in an adaptive format. So, the aim was to develop a Computerized Adaptive Test (CAT) to assess enterprising personality in young people. METHODS: A pool of 161 items was developed and applied to two sets of participants (n 1 = 357 students, M age = 17.89; SD age = 3.26; n 2 = 2,693 students; M age = 16.52, SD age = 1.38) using a stratified sampling method. RESULTS: 107 items that assess achievement motivation, risk-taking, innovativeness, autonomy, self-efficacy, stress tolerance, internal locus of control, and optimism were selected. The assumption of unidimensionality was tested. The CAT demonstrated high precision for a wide range of q, using a mean of 10 items and demonstrating a relatively low Standard Error (0.378). CONCLUSIONS: A brief, valid, and precise instrument was obtained with relevant implications for educational and entrepreneurial contexts.

Information sources used by high school students in the college degree choice.

INTRODUCTION: Searching for information is a necessary step for young people to decide what to study and prevent school drop-out. The aim of this study is to identify the main sources of information used by students in choosing a university career and to assess the degree of usefulness of these sources. METHOD: A new measuring instrument to assess the use and usefulness of the information sources used in choosing university studies was developed. 2,005 high school students aged 17 to 24 (M = 17.56, SD = .77) participated in the study, representing 44.95 % of the total of school centers of the Principality of Asturias (Spain). RESULTS: The new instrument has adequate psychometric properties and shows that the information from parents and web pages by universities are the most used and most useful information sources for pre-university students. CONCLUSIONS: Obtaining this type of information is very important, as it encourages investing in those activities or resources that are important for pre-university students.

Instruments for assessing Person Centered Care in Gerontology.

BACKGROUND: The assessment of Person Centered Care (PCC) is internationally recognised as an approach of great interest for improving the quality of care of the elderly. The aim of this research is to review the procedures and instruments used in the assessment of services using this approach. METHOD: The measurement instruments designed to assess elderly care services from PCC were reviewed, particularly residential services, day centers and home help. The main databases, research articles, and specialized websites were consulted. RESULTS: Four observational instruments for the assessment of Person Centered Care are described; five for the assessment of physical space; six aimed at discovering users’ opinions; one which records family opinions, and five aimed at professionals, as well as several qualitative tools for self-assessment of centers. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the diversity of instruments available for assessing PCC, and in order to avoid partial evaluations of attention, a combined strategy of assessment is recommended as well as integrating these measures into a broader service evaluation which includes the different strands related to care quality.

Spanish validation of the Person-centered Care Assessment Tool (P-CAT).

OBJECTIVES: Person-centered Care (PCC) is an innovative approach which seeks to improve the quality of care services given to the care-dependent elderly. At present there are no Spanish language instruments for the evaluation of PCC delivered by elderly care services. The aim of this work is the adaptation and validation of the Person-centered Care Assessment Tool (P-CAT) for a Spanish population. METHOD: The P-CAT was translated and adapted into Spanish, then given to a sample of 1339 front-line care professionals from 56 residential elderly care homes. The reliability and validity of the P-CAT were analyzed, within the frameworks of Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theory models. RESULTS: The Spanish P-CAT demonstrated good reliability, with an alpha coefficient of .88 and a test-retest reliability coefficient of .79. The P-CAT information function indicates that the test measures with good precision for the majority of levels of the measured variables (θ values between -2 and +1). The factorial structure of the test is essentially one-dimensional and the item discrimination indices are high, with values between .26 and .61. In terms of predictive validity, the correlations which stand out are between the P-CAT and organizational climate (r = .689), and the burnout factors; personal accomplishment (r = .382), and emotional exhaustion (r = - .510). CONCLUSION: The Spanish version of the P-CAT demonstrates good psychometric properties for its use in the evaluation of elderly care homes both professionally and in research.

Psychometric properties of a Spanish-version of the Schizophrenia Objective Functioning Instrument (Sp-SOFI).

The Schizophrenia Objective Functioning Instrument (SOFI) is an interviewer-administered scale designed to objectively assess the actual level of patient functioning and to measure community functioning related to cognitive impairment and psychopathology. The aim was to examine the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the SOFI (Sp-SOFI) in a sample of 155 Spanish outpatients with schizophrenia disorder. The instruments applied were Sp-SOFI, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Clinical Global Impression-Schizophrenia Scale (CGI-SCH), Personal and Social Performance Scale (PSP), and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF). The discrimination indexes of the Sp-SOFI items range from .21 to .77. Exploratory factor analysis showed an essentially one-dimensional structure. Cronbach's alpha was .93. Test-retest reliability for the Sp-SOFI total score was .87 (p < .001). The canonical correlation between SP-SOFI domains and PSP dimensions was .83. The multiple correlation coefficient between Sp-SOFI domains and GAF score was .84. Sp-SOFI scores were significantly different between high and low scores on the PANSS scales (p < .001). Sp-SOFI measures discriminated among patients with doubtful, mild, moderate, and severe schizophrenia disorder according to CGI-SCH scales (p < .001). New evidence about the validity of the SOFI was provided. The Sp-SOFI is a reliable and valid tool for using in clinical practice.

El Instrumento de Funcionamiento Objetivo para la Esquizofrenia (SOFI) es una entrevista para evaluar el nivel de funcionamiento comunitario en relación con el daño cognitivo y los síntomas psicopatológicos. El objetivo del estudio consistió en examinar las propiedades psicométricas de la versión española de la SOFI (Sp-SOFI) en una muestra de 155 pacientes ambulatorios con esquizofrenia. Los índices de discriminación de la Sp-SOFI oscilaron entre 0,21 y 0,77. El análisis factorial exploratorio mostró una estructura esencialmente unidimensional. El alfa de Cronbach fue 0,93. El coeficiente de fiabilidad test-retest fue 0,87 (p < 0,001). La correlación canónica entre la Sp-SOFI y la Escala de Funcionamiento Personal y Social (PSP) fue 0,83. El coeficiente de correlación múltiple entre la Sp-SOFI y la Escala de Evaluación de la Actividad Global (EEAG) fue 0,44. Las puntuaciones en la Sp-SOFI fueron significativamente diferentes entre los pacientes con puntuaciones altas y bajas en la Escala del Síndrome Positivo y Negativo (PANSS) (p < 0,001). La Sp-SOFI discriminó entre pacientes con trastorno de esquizofrenia dudoso, leve, moderado y grave de acuerdo con la Escala de Impresión Clínica Global de Esquizofrenia (CGI-SCH) (p < 0,001). La Sp-SOFI es un instrumento fiable y válido para la práctica clínica.

The Person Centered approach in Gerontology: New validity evidence of the Staff Assessment Person-directed Care Questionnaire.

Background/Objective Person centered care is a novel approach which aims to improve care quality in services for older people requiring care. The aim of this work is the adaptation and validation of the Staff Assessment Person-directed Care (PDC) in a Spanish population. Method The PDC was applied to a sample of 1,339 direct care professionals from 56 elderly care homes. The psychometric properties were analyzed within the framework of Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theory models. Results The measure showed a high reliability provided by Cronbach's alpha (α = .96), the test-retest reliability (r = .88), and also an adequate Information Function (highest scores between theta values -2 and +2). The factorial structure of PDC is essentially unidimensional, and confirms the existence of two large dimensions which are in turn expressed in eight highly correlated factors. Especially notable in terms of validity evidence based on relations to others variables are the correlations of PDC with the The Person-centered Care Assessment Tool (r= .68), organizational climate (r = .67), emotional exhaustion (r= -.41) and personal accomplishment (r = .45). Conclusions The Spanish version of the PDC demonstrates adequate psychometric properties for its use in the evaluation of elderly care facilities, both for professional and research purposes.

Antecedentes/Objetivos La atención centrada en la persona es un enfoque innovador que busca mejorar la calidad asistencial de los servicios para personas mayores que precisan cuidados. Ante el creciente interés hacia este enfoque es necesario contar con instrumentos de medida que permitan evaluar en qué grado los servicios gerontológicos llevan a cabo una atención centrada en la persona. El objetivo de este trabajo es la adaptación y validación del Staff Assessment Person-directed Care (PDC) en población española. Método Se llevó a cabo la traducción y adaptación del PDC al español y se aplicó a una muestra de 1.339 profesionales de atención directa, pertenecientes a 56 residencias para personas mayores. El estudio de las propiedades psicométricas se realizó desde el marco de la Teoría Clásica de los Tests y los modelos de Teoría de Respuesta a los Ítems. Resultados El coeficiente alfa de Cronbach fue de 0,97 y el coeficiente de fiabilidad test-retest de 0,89. La Función de Información indica que la prueba mide de forma precisa para un amplio rango de puntuaciones (valores θ entre -2 y + 2). La estructura factorial del PDC es esencialmente unidimensional, confirmándose la existencia de dos grandes dimensiones que se articulan a su vez en ocho factores muy correlacionados. En cuanto a la validez predictiva destacan las correlaciones del PDC con el The Person-centered Care Assessment Tool (r= 0,68), con el clima organizacional (r = 0,67) y con los factores del burnout, agotamiento emocional (r= -0,41) y realización personal (r = 0,46). Conclusiones La versión española del PDC confirma los resultados encontrados en otras poblaciones, presentando unas excelentes propiedades psicométricas para su uso en la evaluación de residencias de personas mayores, tanto con fines profesionales como de investigación.

Bifactorial Structure of Locus of Control Cross-culturally Invariant across Spain, Chile and United Kingdom

Locus of control (LOC) is a variable often studied owing to the important role that it plays in different contexts. Nonetheless, there is no unanimous agreement about how many dimensions make up the factorial structure of the locus of control. The goal of this research was to add new evidence of cross-cultural validity in relation to the bifactorial invariance of the LOC. The test was given to a total of 1781 participants from Spain (697), Chile (890) and The United Kingdom (194). The study of the factorial invariance between the groups was carried out using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis models for ordered-categorical data. The progressive evaluation of factorial invariance confirms that factor loadings, thresholds and error variances are invariant across groups. Relevant cross-cultural differences in LOC between Spain, Chile, and United Kingdom were not found (PS < .50).

El locus de control (LOC) es una variable frecuentemente evaluada debido a que juega un importante papel en diferentes contextos. Sin embargo, no existe un acuerdo unánime sobre cuántas dimensiones componen la estructura factorial del locus de control. El objetivo de esta investigación fue añadir nuevas evidencias de validez transcultural en relación con la invarianza bifactorial del LOC. El test fue aplicado a un total de 1781 participantes procedentes de España (697), Chile (890) y Reino Unido (194). El estudio de la invarianza factorial entre los grupos se realizó utilizando modelos de análisis factorial confirmatorio multigrupo para datos categóricamente ordenados. La evaluación progresiva de la invarianza factorial confirma que las cargas factoriales, los umbrables, y las varianzas de los errores son invariantes a través de los grupos. Finalmente, no se encontraron diferencias transculturales relevantes en LOC entre España, Chile y Reino Unido (PS < .50).

Cuestionario para la evaluación del optimismo: fiabilidad y evidencias de validez / Questionnaire for the assessment of optimism: reliability and evidence of validity

El optimismo ha mostrado numerosos beneficios físicos y emocionales en diversas poblaciones y contextos profesionales. Sin embargo, los instrumentos para evaluarlo son escasos y presentan importantes limitaciones, especialmente en población joven. En el presente trabajo se presenta un cuestionario que, mediante 9 ítems, evalúa el optimismo disposicional y se analiza su relación con la personalidad e inteligencia emocional. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 2.693 jóvenes españoles (M=16.52, DT=1.38), de los cuales el 51.10 por ciento fueron hombres. La inteligencia emocional se evaluó con el cuestionario Trait Meta-Mood Scale-24, mientras que los cinco grandes rasgos de personalidad se midieron mediante la escala Overall Personality Assessment Scale. El cuestionario de optimismo muestra una fiabilidad elevada (alfa=.84), siendo preciso para un amplio rango de habilidad (zeta entre -3 y +2), así como un ajuste aceptable a una estructura unidimensional. Se confirma la elevada relación entre el optimismo y los rasgos de personalidad e inteligencia emocional.

Optimism has been shown to have numerous physical and emotional benefits in a range of populations and professional contexts. Nonetheless, there are few instruments for its evaluation and they have significant limitations, especially in young people. This work presents a questionnaire which, through 9 items, evaluates dispositional optimism and analyses its relationship to personality and emotional intelligence. The sample was made up of 2,963 Spanish adolescents of whom 51.10 percent were male. Emotional intelligence was measured using the Trait Meta-Mood Scale-24, while the big-five personality traits were measured using the Overall Personality Assessment Scale. The optimism questionnaire demonstrated high reliability (alpha=.84), it was accurate over a wide ability range (theta from -3 to +2) and gave an acceptable fit to a unidimensional structure. The clear relationship between optimism, personality traits and emotional intelligence was confirmed.

Enterprising personality profile in youth: components and assessment.

BACKGROUND: In the study of enterprising personality, there are two main approaches, the utilization of general personality traits, such as Big Five, and the use of more specific traits. The aim of the present work is to develop and validate a new measurement instrument that will permit a rigorous assessment of the basic traits of enterprising personality in young people. METHOD: A sample of 2,693 students (51% males) from different regions in northern Spain was used. Mean age was 16.52 years (SD = 1.38), with an age range of 16 to 23. Eight principal dimensions of enterprising personality were identified, and a new battery of tests was developed for their assessment. RESULTS: The reliability coefficients of the battery scales were over .80. Common variance among the eight specific personality dimensions and the Big Five factors was 24%, and with three emotional intelligence dimensions, it was 16%. The enterprising personality traits show a very low correlation with socio-economic status (r = .126), and a moderate correlation with estimations of entrepreneurial spirit by teachers (r = .385). CONCLUSIONS: Eight specific dimensions of enterprising personality in youth have been identified, and a new battery for their assessment, with adequate psychometric properties, was developed.

Multivariate analysis of burnout syndrome in Latin-American priests.

BACKGROUND: Burnout syndrome is a highly prevalent disorder in a wide range of professional groups, and is associated with substantial psychophysiological alterations. Nevertheless, this syndrome has not been analyzed in depth among the clergy, a group which fulfils a fundamental social function and has to deal with numerous stressors that increase the risk of burnout onset. METHOD: In the present study, the authors assessed 881 Catholic priests from Latin America. The Maslach Burnout Inventory-22, the General Health Questionnaire-28 and the CAGE were applied; we also recorded the priests' rates of cigarette-smoking. Specific cut-off points were set for burnout syndrome in priests. RESULTS: The original factor structures of the questionnaires are confirmed in the clerical sample, and the reliability is adequate. As regards the dimensions of the syndrome as a function of the countries studied, no statistically significant differences were found, except for the exhaustion dimension. CONCLUSIONS: The authors established the typology that defines the relevance and effect of each dimension, as well as its prevalence in this group, with a figure of 25.39%. Furthermore, burnout shows a clear relationship with general health and may be associated with addiction to substances such as alcohol or tobacco.