Differential impact of stay-at-home orders on mental health in adults who are homeschooling or "childless at home" in time of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the confinement of most populations worldwide, through stay-at-home orders. Children have continued their education process at home, supervised by parents, who, in most cases, have adopted the role of prime drivers of their learning processes. In this study, the psychological impact of confinement was explored, as well as the relationship of the forced homeschooling situation with psychological well-being. During their confinement, 400 individuals residing in Spain-165 without children at home (Group 1), 104 parents who dedicated little time to homeschooling (Group 2), and 131 who dedicated more time to homeschooling (Group 3)-responded to an online questionnaire. The results show that confinement threatened the mental health of all the participants but especially Group 3 individuals, who had the highest loneliness, anxiety, and stress levels. Moreover, loneliness, perception of discomfort due to homeschooling, and anxiety exacerbated the stress experienced during confinement. Discomfort due to the homeschooling situation was especially relevant in explaining anxiety and stress for Group 3 individuals. These results suggest that forced homeschooling could be associated with the negative consequences that confinement has on individuals' mental health. Moreover, the results suggest that parents who dedicate more time to homeschooling feel more unprotected and more stressed due to the homeschooling in comparison to Group 2 individuals. Health professionals must pay special attention to parents who dedicate more time to homeschooling, and governments and schools must emphasize social support provision to families during homeschooling situations.

La pandemia de la COVID-19 ha impuesto el confinamiento de la mayoría de las poblaciones de todo el mundo mediante órdenes de quedarse en casa. Los niños han continuado su proceso de escolarización en sus hogares, supervisados por los padres, quienes, en la mayoría de los casos, han adoptado el papel de impulsores principales de sus procesos de aprendizaje. En este estudio se analizó el efecto psicológico del confinamiento, así como la relación de la situación forzada de enseñanza en el hogar con el bienestar psicológico. Durante su confinamiento, 400 personas residentes en España -165 sin niños en casa (grupo 1), 104 padres que dedicaron poco tiempo a la enseñanza en el hogar (grupo 2), y 131 que dedicaron más tiempo a la enseñanza en el hogar (grupo 3)- respondieron un cuestionario en línea. Los resultados demuestran que el confinamiento amenazó la salud mental de todos los participantes, pero especialmente la de las personas del grupo 3, quienes demostraron mayores niveles de soledad, ansiedad y estrés. Además, la soledad, la percepción de incomodidad a consecuencia de la enseñanza en el hogar, y la ansiedad agravaron el estrés sufrido durante el confinamiento. La incomodidad provocada por la situación de enseñanza en el hogar fue especialmente importante para explicar la ansiedad y el estrés de las personas del grupo 3. Estos resultados sugieren que la enseñanza forzada en el hogar podría estar asociada con las consecuencias negativas que tiene el confinamiento en la salud mental. Además, los resultados indican que los padres que dedican más tiempo a la enseñanza en el hogar se sienten más desprotegidos y más estresados debido a este tipo de enseñanza en comparación con las personas del grupo 2. Los profesionales de la salud deben prestar especial atención a los padres que dedican más tiempo a la enseñanza en el hogar, y los gobiernos y centros educativos deben brindar más apoyo social a las familias durante las situaciones de enseñanza en el hogar.

Social inclusion level of Spanish and foreign adolescents: Proposal for an evaluation instrument.

Social exclusion is one of the most complex and sensitive social problems nowadays. Of all social groups, adolescents are among the most vulnerable to social exclusion, which can interfere with their social development. Consequently, the evaluation of this construct in adolescents is an important matter. The aim of this investigation was to develop the Social Inclusion for Adolescents Scale (SIAS). Firstly, five psychosocial factors were proposed, which potentially contribute to social inclusion: (1) covered needs, (2) self-efficacy, (3) social support, (4) job training, and (5) social integration. From these five factors, a set of items was created and reduced using qualitative evaluations. The final set of items was used in three studies, with a Spanish population (N = 1540) and a foreign population (N = 460), to test the psychometric properties of the scale, its dimensional structure, the measurement invariance between Spanish and foreign people, the reliability of the instrument and the evidence of the validity of its measurements. The results indicate that this scale is psychometrically reliable enough to assess social inclusion in adolescents. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-020-01201-5.

The role of vulnerable environments in support for homegrown terrorism: Fieldwork using the 3N model.

The 3N model of radicalization proposes that violent radicalization is the result of the contribution of needs, networks, and narratives. Although research has mainly been supportive of this perspective, a substantial amount of ground remains uncovered regarding the network component of the model. Within this framework, we examine why individuals living in certain social environments tend to harbor more positive attitudes toward homegrown terrorism than others. Building on prior research, we hypothesized that individuals living in social environments known to be vulnerable (vs. less vulnerable) are more likely to experience a sense of significance loss (i.e., lack of social integration, perceived conflicts between religious groups), find solace in religious social networks (i.e., mosques), and thus adhere to radical narratives (i.e., legitimization of terrorism). A study with 365 young Muslims from different cities in Spain (Almería, Barcelona, Ceuta, and Melilla)supported these predictions. Theoretical and practical implications for the study of violent extremism are discussed.

Passion and moral disengagement: Different pathways to political activism.

OBJECTIVE: Four studies examined the relationship between motivational imbalance-the degree to which a goal dominates other goals-and political activism. METHOD: Based on the dualistic model of passion (Vallerand, 2015) and recent theorizing on violent extremism (Kruglanski, Jasko, Chernikova, Dugas, & Webber, 2017), we predicted that obsessive passion (OP), which facilitates alternative goal suppression, would increase support for violent political behaviors. In contrast, we predicted that harmonious passion (HP), which facilitates the integration of multiple goal pursuits, would increase support for peaceful political behaviors. RESULTS: Study 1a demonstrated that OP for environmentalism was positively associated with moral disengagement, which in turn predicted violent behaviors. HP was positively associated with peaceful behaviors. Political activism among Democrats yielded similar findings in Study 1b. Study 2 replicated Studies 1a-1b using an implicit measure of moral disengagement. Study 3 replicated Studies 1-2 by demonstrating that experimentally inducing a harmonious (vs. obsessive) passion mindset indirectly reduced violent behaviors through the attenuation of moral disengagement while directly promoting peaceful behaviors. Study 4 conceptually replicated Studies 1-3 by experimentally manipulating moral disengagement. CONCLUSIONS: These results offer insights into the workings of radicalization and suggest theory-driven methods of reducing political violence.

Disconnected Out of Passion: Relationship Between Social Alienation and Obsessive Passion.

Violent radicalization continues to be a global problem. One of the main proposals for understanding radicalization and support for political violence is based on social alienation as a trigger. That is, individuals who feel alienated from society try to get out of this situation by using violence, if necessary. However, social alienation alone is not enough to explain radicalization. Therefore, we propose that social alienation interacts with other factors to foster radicalization. Particularly, we propose that obsessive passion, an internal compulsion that leads a person to engage in an activity even when they should not, is one of the interacting factors. Following previous literature, we hypothesized that higher social alienation predicts support for political violence to a greater extent the higher the obsessive passion. To test this hypothesis, we performed two studies in which the cause of passion varied (religion: N = 652 and family: N = 873). Both studies assessed social alienation, harmonious and obsessive passion, and support for political violence. The results showed a significant increase in the effect of social alienation on support for political violence when obsessive passion was higher, even controlling by harmonious passion. These results highlight the importance of considering other variables related to social alienation that could facilitate radicalization processes, particularly maintaining an obsessive passion for a cause when one feels a social disconnection. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed given their contributions to prevention based on work on feelings of social disconnection and harmonization of causes.

Development and Validation of the COVID-19 Worries and Fears Scale.

Objectives: How individuals perceive the risk of COVID-19 influences their mental health and protective behaviors. Therefore, the development of an instrument to capture COVID-19-related worries and fears is relevant. This study aims to develop and validate the CoV-WoFe to measure COVID-19-related worries and fears. Methods: An online questionnaire was completed by 593 participants during Christmas 2020 and by 328 participants during Summer 2021, from which 88 participants formed a longitudinal sample. Results: Analyses confirmed a robust adjustment for consistency over time and a gender-invariant bifactorial structure. Factor 1 represented worry about the health consequences of COVID-19 and Factor 2 represented the perceived physiological symptoms associated with fear of COVID-19. Construct validity was evidenced by: the expected relations between the CoV-WoFe and other theoretically related constructs; the serial mediating role of both dimensions in the relationship that security values establish with protective behaviors against COVID-19 and with anxiety; and the expected gender differences in the Cov-WoFe. Conclusion: The CoV-WoFe represents a short, valid, reliable, gender-invariant tool that is easy to apply in both the health professional and research context to assessCOVID-19-related worries and fears, which are variables of relevance for spread of the virus and for mental health.

Evidence of Psychological Manipulation in the Process of Violent Radicalization: An Investigation of the 17-A Cell.

Introduction: Radicalization leading to violence is a complex social process that frequently targets young people. In this study, we examine the 17-A cell, which carried out terrorist attacks in the Spanish cities of Barcelona and Cambrils on August 17, 2017. We focus on the psychological manipulation techniques used to radicalized members of the cell. Methods: Using deductive content analysis, we examined the judicial order of the National High Court related to "Operation Ramblas" and the police proceedings of Cuerpo de Mossos d'Esquadra (CME) associated with the Barcelona and Cambrils attacks. Our goal was to determine whether psychological manipulation was used on the cell members and, if so, how frequently. Results: Our results suggest that different psychological manipulation techniques were used on the 17-A cell members to facilitate their use of ideological violence. The most frequent strategies were cognitive control (control of attention, group identification, and denigration of critical thinking), environmental control (control of information), and emotional control (authoritarian leadership). Conclusions: This study provides evidence that psychological manipulation techniques were used in the radicalization of 17-A cell members. The results are discussed in the context of previous research on the psychology of violent extremism and terrorism. We highlight the need for prevention and psychosocial interventions to steer young people away from violent extremism.

The role of sensation seeking in political violence: An extension of the Significance Quest Theory.

Adventure and excitement have often been invoked to explain why people engage in political violence, yet empirical evidence on the topic has thus far been anecdotal. The present research sought to fill this gap in knowledge by examining the role of sensation seeking in political violence and integrating this concept with Significance Quest Theory (Kruglanski, Chen, Dechesne, Fishman, & Orehek, 2009; Kruglanski et al., 2013). Extending prior research on violent extremism, Study 1 found that sensation seeking mediated the relation between meaning in life and willingness to self-sacrifice and support for political violence. Study 2 established temporal precedence of the variables in the mediation model, using a longitudinal design. Studies 3 and 4 experimentally replicated findings of Studies 1 and 2. In Studies 5a and 5b, we found that sensation seeking predicts support for a real life violent activist group. In Studies 6a and 6b, the positive evaluation of a violent activist group by individuals high in sensation seeking was explained by how exciting they perceived the group to be. Finally, Study 7 introduced an intervention targeting the sensation seeking motive by presenting participants with a peaceful (less exciting vs. exciting) activism group. As hypothesized, providing individuals high in sensation seeking with a peaceful yet exciting group mitigated their support for extreme behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Radicalization Leading to Violence: A Test of the 3N Model.

The present research examines the social cognitive processes underlying ideologically-based violence through the lens of the 3N model of radicalization. To test this theory, we introduce two new psychometric instruments-a social alienation and a support for political violence scale-developed in collaboration with 13 subject matter experts on terrorism. Using these instruments, we test the theory's hypotheses in four different cultural settings. In Study 1, Canadians reporting high levels of social alienation (Need) expressed greater support for political violence (Narrative), which in turn positively predicted wanting to join a radical group (Network), controlling for other measures related to political violence. Study 2a and 2b replicated these findings in Pakistan and in Spain, respectively. Using an experimental manipulation of social alienation, Study 3 extended these findings with an American sample and demonstrated that moral justification is one of the psychological mechanisms linking social alienation to supporting political violence. Implications and future directions for the psychology of terrorism are discussed.

Prevalence of high blood pressure among schoolchildren from Córdoba, Argentina, and its relation to socioeconomic status. / Prevalencia de hipertensión arterial en escolares de Córdoba, Argentina, y su relación con el nivel socioeconómico.

INTRODUCTION: Prior studies conducted in Argentina found variable prevalence rates of high blood pressure (HBP) among children using different measurement methods. The objective of this study was to know the prevalence of HBP among schoolchildren from the city of Córdoba and its relation to sex, nutritional status, socioeconomic status (SES), and level of maternal education. POPULATION AND METHODS: Blood pressure measurements and information on SES, level of maternal education, and body mass index of schoolchildren from the city of Córdoba, Argentina, were obtained. HBP was defined as systolic or diastolic blood pressure levels that are greater than or equal to the 95th percentile for a given age, sex, and height percentile at three consecutive measurements on separate days. RESULTS: A total of 1531 boys and girls participated; their average age was 10.6 years. Fifty-five children had HBP. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels showed a significant association with obesity (p= 0.001), but not with age (p= 0.87), sex (systolic: p= 0.48; diastolic: p= 0.71) or SES (systolic: p= 0.07; diastolic: p= 0.09). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of HBP in a sample of schoolchildren from Argentina was 3.7%. It showed a significant association with obesity, but not with SES.

Introducción. Estudios previos en Argentina encontraron prevalencias variables de hipertensión arterial (HTA) en niños, utilizando diferentes métodos de medición. El objetivo de este estudio fue conocer la prevalencia de HTA en escolares de la ciudad de Córdoba y su relación con el sexo, el estado nutricional, el nivel socioeconómico (NSE) y la escolaridad materna. Población y métodos. Se obtuvieron mediciones de presión arterial e información sobre el NSE, la educación materna y el índice de masa corporal de niños escolarizados de la ciudad de Córdoba, Argentina. La HTA se definió como niveles de presión arterial sistólica o diastólica iguales al percentil 95 o mayores para una edad, sexo y percentil de altura determinados, en tres mediciones consecutivas realizadas en días diferentes. Resultados. Participaron 1531 niños y niñas de 10,6 años de edad promedio. Cincuenta y cinco niños tenían HTA. Los niveles de presión arterial sistólica y diastólica se asociaron significativamente con la obesidad (p= 0,001), pero no con la edad (p= 0,87), el sexo (sistólica: p= 0,48; diastólica: p= 0,71) o el NSE (sistólica: p= 0,07; diastólica: p= 0,09). Conclusiones. La prevalencia de HTA en una muestra de escolares de Argentina fue de 3,7%. Se asoció significativamente con la obesidad, pero no con el NSE.

From Oppression to Violence: The Role of Oppression, Radicalism, Identity, and Cultural Intelligence in Violent Disinhibition.

Violent radicalization and terrorism continue to pose social and security problems. Starting from the theoretical framework offered by the significance quest theory, the purpose of this research was to analyze the different roles that radical intentions play in the relationship between the loss of significance and violent disinhibition in Muslims and non-Muslims. For this reason, we carried out two studies: the first one with 133 Muslims and 126 non-Muslims, and the second with 98 Muslims and 167 non-Muslims. Specifically, we measured how perceived oppression influenced violent disinhibition through radical intentions. Secondly, we also measured the impact of identity and cultural intelligence in these relations. The main finding of the research was that there was an indirect effect of perceived oppression on violent disinhibition through radical intentions in the Muslim sample, whereas, in the non-Muslim sample, the effect of perceived oppression on violent disinhibition was not mediated by radical intentions. These results were replicated in both studies. Additionally, we found that identity and culture were factors that moderated the proposed relations. This work therefore shows that the conjunction of the loss of significance and radical intentions seems to strongly exacerbate the likelihood of a process of violent disinhibition for those who are considered to be in marginal contexts. Overall, different pathways and intervening factors are in the process of radicalizing Muslims and non-Muslims in Western societies.

The road to extremism: Field and experimental evidence that significance loss-induced need for closure fosters radicalization.

The present studies examined the hypothesis that loss of personal significance fuels extremism via the need for cognitive closure. Situations of significance loss-those that make one feel ashamed, humiliated, or demeaned-are inconsistent with the desire for a positive self-image, and instill a sense of uncertainty about the self. Consequently, individuals become motivated to seek certainty and closure that affords the restoration of personal significance. Extremist ideologies should thus increase in appeal, because they promise clear-cut strategies for such restoration. These notions were supported in a series of studies ranging from field surveys of political extremists imprisoned in the Philippines (Study 1) and Sri Lanka (Study 2) to experiments conducted with American samples (Studies 3-4). Implications of these findings are considered for the psychology of extremism, and for approaches to counterradicalization, and deradicalization. (PsycINFO Database Record

Prevention and educational intervention on bullying: physical education as an opportunity / Prevenção e intervenção educativa sobre o bullying: a educação física como uma oportunidade / Prevención e intervención educativa sobre el acoso escolar: la educación física como oportunidad

Bullying is a social problem characterized by intentional aggression over time, usually in school contexts and in cyberspace (cyberbullying). There has been growing interest in preventing that phenomenon to reduce its adverse effects. Different studies and reports suggest that Physical Education may be a setting of interest to promote attitudes and behaviors against bullying. This work examines the state of the debate in this area through scientific literature. Based on the analysis of the evidence, we conclude by making recommendations regarding strategies and skills that should be included in Physical Education curricula to prevent bullying and cyberbullying. Among those most widely used, we highlight cooperative methodologies, a teaching attitude that promotes a motivational climate focused on the task, and curricular integration of teaching resources that address skills and protective factors.

O bullying é um problema social caracterizado pela agressão intencional que ocorre ao longo do tempo, geralmente em contextos escolares e no ciberespaço (cyberbullying). Tem havido um interesse crescente na prevenção deste fenômeno, a fim de reduzir os efeitos adversos. Diferentes estudos e relatórios sugerem que o tema da Educação Física pode ser um cenário de interesse para promover atitudes e comportamentos contra o bullying. O objetivo deste trabalho é examinar o estado da questão nesta área através de uma revisão da literatura científica. Com base na análise das evidências, concluímos fazendo recomendações sobre estratégias e habilidades que devem ser incluídas nos currículos de Educação Física para prevenir o bullying e o cyberbullying. Dentre as mais utilizadas, destacamos as metodologias cooperativas, uma atitude de ensino que promove um clima motivacional focado na tarefa e a integração curricular de recursos didáticos que abordam habilidades e fatores de proteção.

El acoso escolar es un problema social caracterizado por la agresión intencional que se produce a lo largo del tiempo, generalmente en contextos escolares y en el ciberespacio (ciberacoso). Hay un creciente interés en la prevención de este fenómeno, con el fin de reducir sus efectos adversos. Diferentes estudios e informes sugieren que la Educación Física puede impulsar actitudes y comportamientos contra el acoso escolar. El objetivo de este trabajo es examinar, a través de una revisión de la literatura científica, el estado de este tema en el área. Con base en el análisis de las evidencias, concluimos con recomendaciones sobre estrategias y habilidades que deberían incluirse en los currículos de Educación Física para prevenir el acoso y el ciberacoso. Entre las más utilizadas, destacamos las metodologías cooperativas, una actitud docente que promueve un clima motivacional centrado en la tarea y la integración curricular de recursos didácticos que aborden habilidades y factores de protección.

Prevalencia de hipertensión arterial en escolares de Córdoba, Argentina, y su relación con el nivel socioeconómico / Prevalence of high blood pressure among schoolchildren from Córdoba, Argentina, and its relation to socioeconomic status

Introducción. Estudios previos en Argentina encontraron prevalencias variables de hipertensión arterial (HTA) en niños, utilizando diferentes métodos de medición. El objetivo de este estudio fue conocer la prevalencia de HTA en escolares de la ciudad de Córdoba y su relación con el sexo, el estado nutricional, el nivel socioeconómico (NSE) y la escolaridad materna. Población y métodos. Se obtuvieron mediciones de presión arterial e información sobre el NSE, la educación materna y el índice de masa corporal de niños escolarizados de la ciudad de Córdoba, Argentina. La HTA se definió como niveles de presión arterial sistólica o diastólica iguales al percentil 95 o mayores para una edad, sexo y percentil de altura determinados, en tres mediciones consecutivas realizadas en días diferentes. Resultados. Participaron 1531 niños y niñas de 10,6 años de edad promedio. Cincuenta y cinco niños tenían HTA. Los niveles de presión arterial sistólica y diastólica se asociaron significativamente con la obesidad (p= 0,001), pero no con la edad (p= 0,87), el sexo (sistólica: p= 0,48; diastólica: p= 0,71) o el NSE (sistólica: p= 0,07; diastólica: p= 0,09). Conclusiones. La prevalencia de HTA en una muestra de escolares de Argentina fue de 3,7%. Se asoció significativamente con la obesidad, pero no con el NSE.

Introduction. Prior studies conducted in Argentina found variable prevalence rates of high blood pressure (HBP) among children using different measurement methods. The objective of this study was to know the prevalence of HBP among schoolchildren from the city of Córdoba and its relation to sex, nutritional status, socioeconomic status (SES), and level of maternal education. Population and methods. Blood pressure measurements and information on SES, level of maternal education, and body mass index of schoolchildren from the city of Córdoba, Argentina, were obtained. HBP was defined as systolic or diastolic blood pressure levels that are greater than or equal to the 95th percentile for a given age, sex, and height percentile at three consecutive measurements on separate days. Results. A total of 1531 boys and girls participated; their average age was 10.6 years. Fifty-five children had HBP. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels showed a significant association with obesity (p= 0.001), but not with age (p= 0.87), sex (systolic: p= 0.48; diastolic: p= 0.71) or SES (systolic: p= 0.07; diastolic: p= 0.09). Conclusions. The prevalence of HBP in a sample of schoolchildren from Argentina was 3.7%. It showed a significant association with obesity, but not with SES.