Longitudinal paths between parents' use of rewards and young adolescents' moral traits and prosocial behaviors.

BACKGROUND: Although prior research shows supportive evidence that parental practices are associated with adolescents' prosocial behaviors, limited evidence exists on the effects of parents' use of social and material rewards on distinct forms of prosocial behaviors, and the mediating effects of sociocognitive and socioemotive traits in these relations. AIMS: The present study was designed to examine the longitudinal relations among parents' use of social and material rewards, youth prosocial traits, and prosocial behaviors. MATERIALS & METHODS: Participants were 417 adolescents (M age = 14.70 years; 225 girls) from Valencia, Spain who completed surveys on parents' use of social and material reward practices, prosocial moral reasoning, empathic concern, and six types of prosocial behaviors. RESULTS: Path analyses showed that parents' use of social rewards was indirectly, positively related to emotional, dire, altruistic, public (negatively), and compliant prosocial behaviors via empathic concern. The use of social rewards was also indirectly positively linked to altruistic prosocial behaviors via both empathic concern and prosocial moral reasoning. In contrast, parents' use of material rewards predicted less prosocial moral reasoning, which in turn, was linked to more altruistic, prosocial behaviors. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The implications for parental socialization and self-determination theories of prosocial and moral development are discussed.

What Should I do and Who's to blame? A cross-national study on youth's attitudes and beliefs in times of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 crisis has had a major impact on youth. This study examined factors associated with youth's attitudes towards their government's response to the pandemic and their blaming of individuals from certain risk groups, ethnic backgrounds, and countries or regions. In a sample of 5,682 young adults (Mage = 22) from 14 countries, lower perceived burden due to COVID-19, more collectivistic and less individualistic values, and more empathy were associated with more positive attitudes towards the government and less blaming of individuals of certain groups. Youth's social identification with others in the pandemic mediated these associations in the same direction, apart from the COVID-19 burden on attitudes, which had a positive indirect effect. No evidence of country-level moderation was found.

Worry about COVID-19 contagion and general anxiety: Moderation and mediation effects of cognitive emotion regulation.

The global pandemic caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) occasioned that most of the population in Spain was confined to home to reduce the risk of contagion. This affected mental health, increasing anxiety and worry about COVID-19 contagion. The aim of this study was assessing the moderation and mediation effect of cognitive emotion regulation strategies (CERS) on general anxiety and whether the mediation effect was moderated by gender and/or age. A total of 1753 Spanish adults (78,6% female; M = 40.4 years, SD = 12.9) participated in an online survey that was available from March 26 to April 25 (2020) during the time period in which the population in Spain was confined. Participants completed measures of worry about COVID-19 contagion, the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-Short (CERQ-Short) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). Several models were tested through structural equation modelling. Moderation analyses reported that maladaptive strategies moderated positively anxiety, whereas adaptive strategies moderated negatively anxiety. Also, the best fitted mediation model found that worry about COVID-19 contagion and general anxiety was mediated by CERS in different directions. Maladaptive CERS increased anxiety, whereas adaptive CERS reduced anxiety. Age (not gender) also moderated this mediation, were younger adults presented an indirect effect only through maladaptive CERS, but older adults through both adaptive and maladaptive. Limitations are related to the study design which was a convenience sample. CERS moderated and mediated between worry about COVID-19 contagion and general anxiety. Prevention programs for mental health problems during the pandemic must be provided, especially for younger adults.

Parents or Peers? Predictors of Prosocial Behavior and Aggression: A Longitudinal Study.

The aim of this longitudinal study was to determine the associations among peer attachment, warmth from the mother and father, strict control by the mother and father, prosocial behavior, and physical and verbal aggression in adolescence. Few longitudinal studies have examined how peer attachment and parenting styles of the mother and father relate to prosocial behavior and aggression. Participants were 192 boys and 255 girls (M = 14.70 years; SD = 0.68) in wave 1. In the study participated 11 schools. For three successive years, participants reported on their fathers' and mothers' warmth and strict control, peer attachment, prosocial behavior, and aggression. Structural equations modeling was employed to explore two longitudinal models. Results show the influence of the mother and father on prosocial and aggression during adolescence. In addition, strong peer attachment predicted prosocial behavior in subsequent years. Therefore, the findings indicate that despite the increasingly important role of friends during the transition from childhood to adolescence, parenting styles play a key role in the personal and social development of their children. Programs aimed at preventing aggression should be designed considering the importance of stimulating and strengthening prosocial behavior, peer attachment and a family environment of affect, support and communication.

Parenting Styles, Prosocial, and Aggressive Behavior: The Role of Emotions in Offender and Non-offender Adolescents.

The aim is to analyse the parenting styles effects (acceptance, negative control and negligence) on prosociality and aggressive behavior in adolescents through the mediator variables empathy and emotional instability, and also, if this model fits to the same extent when we study adolescents institutionalized due to problems with the law and adolescents from the general population, and at the same time, if the values of the different analyzed variables are similar in both groups of adolescents. We carried out a cross-sectional study. 220 participants from schools in the metropolitan area of Valencia took part in the study. Also, 220 young offenders took part recruited from four Youth Detention Centres of Valencia, in which they were carrying out court sentences. The age of the subjects range from 15-18 years. The results indicate that the emotional variables act as mediators in general, in the non-offender adolescents, but it has been observed, in the offender adolescents, a direct effect of support on aggressive behavior in a negative way and on prosociality in a positive way; and of negligence on aggressive behavior and of permissiveness on prosociality in a negative way.

Parenting, Peer Relationships, Academic Self-efficacy, and Academic Achievement: Direct and Mediating Effects.

The aim of the present study is to analyze the relation between authoritative and permissive parenting styles with the kinds of adolescent peer relationships (attachment, victimization, or aggression), and of the latter ones, in turn, with academic self-efficacy, and academic performance, in three waves that range from the early-mid adolescence to late adolescence. Five hundred Spanish adolescents, of both sexes, participated in a three-wave longitudinal study in Valencia, Spain. In the first wave, adolescents were either in the third year of secondary school or the fourth year of secondary school. The mean age in the first wave was 14.70 (SD = 0.68; range = 13-16 years). Child Report of Parental Behavior Inventory (Schaefer, 1965; Samper et al., 2006), Peer Attachment (from the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment by Armsden and Greenberg, 1987), Victimization (from the Kit at School, Buhs et al., 2010), Physical and Verbal Aggression Scale (Caprara and Pastorelli, 1993; Del Barrio et al., 2001), items of academic self-efficacy, and items of academic performance were administered. Structural equations modeling-path analysis was employed to explore the proposed models. The results indicated that parenting styles relate to the way the adolescents develops attachments to their peers and to academic self-efficacy. The mother's permissive style is an important positive predictor of aggressive behavior and a negative predictor of attachment to their peers. At the end, peer relations and academic self-efficacy are mediator variables between parenting styles and academic performance.

Depression and aggressive behaviour in adolescents offenders and non-offenders.

BACKGROUND: Adolescent behaviour is strongly linked to emotions. The aim of this study is 1) analyse the differences between young offenders and non-offenders in emotional instability, anger, aggressive behaviour, anxiety and depression, and also the differences according to sex; and 2) compare the relation between emotional instability and anxiety, depression and aggressive behaviour mediated or modulated by anger in both groups. METHOD: participants are 440 adolescents, both male and female (15-18 years old). 220 were young offenders from four different correctional centres of the Valencia Region. The other 220 participants were randomly chosen from ten public and private schools in the Valencia metropolitan area. In the Schools the instruments were applied collectively in the classroom, with a 50 minutes maximum duration. In the Youth Detention Centre the application was carried out in small groups. RESULTS: The structural equation model (SEM) carried out on each group, young offenders and non-offenders show a relation between the assessed variables. Emotional instability appears strongly related with anger in both samples, but anger just predicts depression and aggressive behaviour in the offender population. CONCLUSIONS: The results give relevant information for treatment and prevention of aggressive behaviour and delinquency in teenagers through emotional regulation.

Disability and perceived stress in primary care patients with major depression / Discapacidad y estrés percibido en pacientes de atención primaria con depresión mayor

BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is highly prevalent in the Spanish primary care (PC) setting and the leading cause of disability in Spain. The aim of this study was to evaluate several key psychometric properties of the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) in patients with or without MDD and varying degrees of symptom severity using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). METHOD: A total of 1,704 PC patients participating in the PsicAP clinical trial completed the SDS and PHQ-9. We evaluated the factor structure, measurement invariance across gender, internal consistency, and the discriminative and predictive validity. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analyses revealed a unifactorial model of the SDS containing 4 items (SDS-4) with the best model fit (CFI: .99; GFI: .99; TLI: 96; RMSEA: .10). This model contained the three life domain items (work, family, and social life) plus perceived stress (PS) with significant loadings. The internal consistency of the SDS-4 was acceptable in patients with or without MDD, regardless of symptom severity. The SDS-4 also showed good discriminative capacity and acceptable predictive validity in all subsamples. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the use of the SDS-4 to assess depression-related disability in patients at Spanish primary care centres

ANTECEDENTES: el Trastorno Depresivo Mayor (TDM) es muy prevalente en la atención primaria (AP) española y es la principal causa de discapacidad en España. En este trabajo se estudiaron algunas propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Discapacidad de Sheehan (SDS) en pacientes con o sin TDM y con varios niveles de severidad de síntomas, usando el Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). MÉTODO: 1.704 pacientes de AP que participaron en el ensayo clínico PsicAP cumplimentaron la SDS y el PHQ-9. Se estudió la estructura factorial, medida de invarianza de género, consistencia interna, validez discriminativa y la validez predictiva. RESULTADOS: el análisis factorial confirmatorio mostró un modelo unifactorial con 4 ítems (SDS-4) con un buen ajuste (CFI: .99; GFI: .99; TLI: 96; RMSEA: .10). Este modelo contenía los tres ítems de esferas de la vida (trabajo, familia y vida social) más el ítem de estrés percibido con cargas significativas. La consistencia interna de la SDS-4 fue aceptable en pacientes con MDD y con diferente severidad de síntomas depresivos. También se halló una buena validez discriminativa y aceptable validez predictiva. CONCLUSIONES: nuestros hallazgos respaldan el uso de la SDS-4 cuando se evalúe la discapacidad relacionada con la depresión en centros de AP españoles

Anxiety in adolescence. Can we prevent it?

BACKGROUND: Emotions are potent modulators and motivators of the behaviour that the individual displays in the different situations they have to live and they can act as a protection factor or vulnerability of the adapted or maladaptive behaviour. This study focuses on anxiety in adolescence. OBJECTIVES: The objective is, through a longitudinal study, to analyse the psychological processes and emotions that facilitate the symptoms of anxiety and those which protect the adolescent from these symptoms. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 417 adolescents (192 boys and 225 girls) participated in a three-wave longitudinal study in Valencia, Spain. In the first wave, adolescents were either in the third year of secondary school (81 boys and 85 girls) or the fourth year of secondary school (111 boys and 140 girls). The mean age was 14.70 (SD = 0.68; range = 13-17 years). This study monitored participating adolescents for three years. RESULTS: The results indicate a differential profile in the evaluated emotions according to sex, with the girls being the ones to experiment more anxiety and more empathy, while the boys show more emotional instability and aggression. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that the best predictors for anxiety are anger state, aggressive behaviour, empathic concern together with the lack of coping mechanisms focused on problem solving and the perception of stress as a threat

[Parenting and children's aggression: are there differences in the influence of the father and the mother?]. / Crianza y agresividad de los menores: ¿es diferente la infl uencia del padre y de la madre?

Child rearing provides messages and rules that mediate the children's personality. These messages have a positive or negative influence on their behaviour. The objective of this empirical study was to analyse the relationship between physical and verbal aggression of sons and daughters and parenting style practiced by the father and the mother. The sample consisted of 2,788 students, aged 10 to 15 years, studying either the third cycle of Primary Education (44%) or the first cycle of Secondary Education (56%). Of them, 1,412 were boys (50.6%) and 1,375 were girls (49.3%). The results show that children's aggressiveness is more related to factors associated with the mother's parenting. In the case of daughters, the influence of parenting factors are caused by both parents (father and mother).

The role of emotions in depression and aggression

BACKGROUND: Depression is a broad and heterogeneous diagnostic grouping, central to which is depressed mood or inability to enjoy most activities. Depressive symptoms are frequently accompanied by conduct problems stemming from anger. It is very important to know the interrelation of these emotions very well to be able to help adolescents to manage them more easily. The main aim of this article is to present the problem of interaction between negative affects (emotional instability, anger state and trait, physical and verbal aggression and depression) analyzing the different relationship through the time in Spanish sample. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The sample included 470 adolescents (192 boys and 225 girls) in a three-wave longitudinal study in Valencia (Spain). The mean age was 14.70 in the first wave. Structural equations modeling was employed to explore two longitudinal models. RESULTS: The results show differences based on sex, and that an internalised variable, like emotional instability, is relevant to prevent the appearance of depression directly in girls and also the later appearance of aggression as long as anger mediates, in both boys and girls, so the control of anger becomes an important goal to control the rest of the negative effects. CONCLUSIONS: This results has consequences in the preparation of all programmes that try to establish an emotional control on adolescents, as not only has to be taken into account as a direct goal the control of externalised emotions like anger, but internalised emotions like emotional instability have to be taken into account also. Furthermore, it is also made apparent that not only the punctual explosions and externalisation of anger have to be worked on, but the temperamental aspects which are the base of anger trait have to be worked on too

Evaluación del rol de variables intelectuales y socioemocionales en la resolución de problemas en la adolescencia / Evaluation of the Role of Intellectual and Socioemotional Variables in Solving Problems in Adolescence

El objetivo del estudio es analizar las variables cognitivas, emocionales y socio familiares que alcanzan un mayor poder predictor del afrontamiento eficaz en la adolescencia. Han participado 532 estudiantes de 3° curso de enseñanza secundaria obligatoria, (edad media: 14.45 años y SD= 0.763). Los ANOVA realizados muestran diferencias de género en las variables evaluadas. Los análisis de regresión indican que el apoyo de los demás y la percepción del estrés como un reto y desafío son las variables con mayor poder predictor del afrontamiento centrado en la resolución del problema. Por el contrario, la inteligencia general, la empatia y el apego con los iguales no alcanzan ningún peso significativo en los mecanismos de afrontamiento ante un problema en la adolescencia.

The aim of this research is to analyze cognitive, emotional, and socio-family variables to determine which of these factors have the greatest predictive power to predict effective coping mechanisms among adolescents forced to resolve problems. The sample is made up of 532 students in the third stage of compulsory secondary education (mean = 14.45 years old; SD = 0.763). Using ANOVA, we show the existence of gender differences for the variables under study. Furthermore, regression analysis indicates that the support of others and the perception of stress as a challenge are the variables with the greatest power to predict a coping mechanism when resolving a problem. In contrast, general intelligence, empathy, and attachment to peers have no significant weighting in the prediction of coping mechanisms among adolescents faced with problems.

Crianza y agresividad de los menores: ¿es diferente la influencia del padre y de la madre? / Parenting and children’s aggression: Are there differences in the influence of the father and the mother?

La crianza aporta mensajes y reglas que modulan el desarrollo de la personalidad de los menores. Estos mensajes tienen una influencia positiva o negativa sobre su conducta. El objetivo de este estudio empírico ha sido analizar las relaciones entre la agresividad física y verbal de los hijos y las hijas y el estilo de crianza practicado por el padre y por la madre. Se ha realizado sobre una muestra de 2.788 alumnos entre 10 y 15 años, que cursan el tercer ciclo de Educación Primaria (44%) y el primer ciclo de Educación Secundaria (56%). De ellos, 1.412 son varones (50,6%) y 1.375 son mujeres (49,3%). Los resultados muestran que la agresividad de los hijos varones está más relacionada con los factores de crianza asociados a la madre, además de la inestabilidad emocional. En las hijas, ambos progenitores influyen por igual (AU)

Child rearing provides messages and rules that mediate the children’s personality. These messages have a positive or negative influence on their behaviour. The objective of this empirical study was to analyse the relationship between physical and verbal aggression of sons and daughters and parenting style practiced by the father and the mother. The sample consisted of 2,788 students, aged 10 to 15 years, studying either the third cycle of Primary Education (44%) or the first cycle of Secondary Education (56%). Of them, 1,412 were boys (50,6%) and 1,375 were girls (49,3%). The results show that children’s aggressiveness is more related to factors associated with the mother’s parenting. In the case of daughters, the influence of parenting factors are caused by both parents (father and mother) (AU)