Aggressiveness in Adopted and Non-Adopted Teens: The Role of Parenting, Attachment Security, and Gender.

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship among aggressiveness, parenting practices, and attachment security in adolescents, assessing maternal and paternal effects separately. Two different subsamples of adolescents between 12 and 16 years old participated in the study (n = 157): 67 adopted adolescents (61.2% girls) and 90 non-adopted adolescents (56.7% girls). Partial and full mediation models were analyzed in multi-group structural equation models (using maximum likelihood estimates), allocating non-adoptive and adoptive adolescents into two different groups. Results showed that whereas acceptance/involvement of each parent predicted attachment security towards the corresponding parental figure, only the father's coercion/imposition predicted aggressiveness, and only attachment security to the mother was a (negative) predictor of adolescent's aggressiveness. The partial mediation model provided the most parsimonious explanation for the data, showing no differences between adopted and non-adopted subsamples and supporting a good model fit for both boys and girls in a multi-group invariance analysis. The implications of these results are discussed in light of the protective effects of care relationships in early adolescence (vs. late adolescence) as well as the differential role of parent figures.

Collective Effervescence, Self-Transcendence, and Gender Differences in Social Well-Being During 8 March Demonstrations.

8 March (8M), now known as International Women's Day, is a day for feminist claims where demonstrations are organized in over 150 countries, with the participation of millions of women all around the world. These demonstrations can be viewed as collective rituals and thus focus attention on the processes that facilitate different psychosocial effects. This work aims to explore the mechanisms (i.e., behavioral and attentional synchrony, perceived emotional synchrony, and positive and transcendent emotions) involved in participation in the demonstrations of 8 March 2020, collective and ritualized feminist actions, and their correlates associated with personal well-being (i.e., affective well-being and beliefs of personal growth) and collective well-being (i.e., social integration variables: situated identity, solidarity and fusion), collective efficacy and collective growth, and behavioral intention to support the fight for women's rights. To this end, a cross-cultural study was conducted with the participation of 2,854 people (age 18-79; M = 30.55; SD = 11.66) from countries in Latin America (Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador) and Europe (Spain and Portugal), with a retrospective correlational cross-sectional design and a convenience sample. Participants were divided between demonstration participants (n = 1,271; 94.0% female) and non-demonstrators or followers who monitored participants through the media and social networks (n = 1,583; 75.87% female). Compared with non-demonstrators and with males, female and non-binary gender respondents had greater scores in mechanisms and criterion variables. Further random-effects model meta-analyses revealed that the perceived emotional synchrony was consistently associated with more proximal mechanisms, as well as with criterion variables. Finally, sequential moderation analyses showed that proposed mechanisms successfully mediated the effects of participation on every criterion variable. These results indicate that participation in 8M marches and demonstrations can be analyzed through the literature on collective rituals. As such, collective participation implies positive outcomes both individually and collectively, which are further reinforced through key psychological mechanisms, in line with a Durkheimian approach to collective rituals.

Basque Ethnic Identity and Collective Empowerment: Two Key Factors in Well-Being and Community Participation.

Social identity is a factor that is associated with well-being and community participation. Some studies have shown that ethnic identity goes along with empowerment, and that interaction between the two leads to greater indices of well-being and community participation. However, other works suggest a contextual circumstance (i.e., perceiving one's own group as a minority and/or being discriminated) may condition the nature of these relations. By means of a cross-sectional study, we analyzed the relations of social identification (or identity fusion) and collective psychological empowerment with personal well-being, social well-being and community participation in a sample of Basques. A total of 748 Basques participated (63.1% women; age M = 39.28; SD = 12.13). Individuals who were highly identified or fused with Basque speakers and who were highly empowered showed higher indices of well-being (both personal and social) and of community participation than non-fused individuals with low empowerment. The results also suggest that social identification (or identity fusion) offsets the negative effects of perceiving the group as a linguistic minority. Collective psychological empowerment proved to be an especially relevant factor that needs to continue to be explored.

Attachment to Parents and Aggressiveness in Adopted Adolescents: A Multi-Sample Comparison Study.

This study examined adopted adolescents' levels of attachment security to parents and aggressiveness as compared to those of community nonadopted adolescents and of clinical nonadopted adolescents. Three different subsamples participated (n = 262): 101 community nonadopted adolescents (48.5% girls), 80 community adopted teens (65.0% girls), and 81 nonadopted counterparts (35.8% girls) who participated in a treatment program for youth with behavioral problems. There were no differences between community groups in attachment security or aggressiveness, whereas clinical nonadopted adolescents showed less attachment security and more aggressiveness than the other two groups. The implications of these results are discussed in terms of the potential healing impact that living with adoptive families could have on adopted teenagers' risk of maladaptive outcomes.

Validación preliminar del Método para la Evaluación de la Mentalización en el Contexto Interpersonal (MEMCI) / Preliminary Validation of the Method for Evaluation of Mentalization in the Interpersonal Context (MEMIC)

El objetivo de este estudio fue realizar una validación preliminar de un instrumento diseñado para evaluar mentalización en adultos (Método para la Evaluación de la Mentalización en el Contexto Interpersonal, MEMCI). Una muestra de 97 estudiantes (72% mujeres) y una muestra de 10 pacientes (50% mujeres) participaron en el estudio. Los participantes completaron el MEMCI junto con medidas de empatía, teoría de la mente y apego. El análisis factorial sugirió una estructura de dos dimensiones (mentalización de pensamientos/mentalización de sentimientos y de otros estados mentales subyacentes a la conducta) que explicaban el 75,26% de la varianza. La consistencia interna fue alta y el acuerdo entre jueces adecuado. En cuanto a la validez, la puntuación total del instrumento correlacionó alto con las puntuaciones en función reflexiva. También correlacionó significativamente con empatía, apego y teoría de la mente. Asimismo, diferenció pacientes con trastorno límite de personalidad de la población normal (AU)

The aim of this study was to perform a preliminary validation of an instrument designed to assess mentalization in adults (Method for Evaluation of Mentalization in the Interpersonal Context, MEMIC). A sample of 97 students (72% women) and a sample of 10 patients (50% women) participated in the study. They completed the MEMIC and some other measures of empathy, theory of mind and attachment. The results of the factor analysis suggested a two-dimensional structure (mentalizing thoughts/mentalizing feelings and several other mental states that underlie behavior) that explained 75,26% of the variance. The internal consistency was high, and inter-rater reliability was adequate. Regarding validity, the total score of the instrument showed high correlations with reflective function scores, and significant correlations with empathy, attachment and theory of mind. Furthermore, it showed capacity to differentiate patients with borderline personality disorder from the general population (AU)

Apego romántico en adolescentes maltratados en su niñez / Romantic attachment of adolescents abuse in childhood

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The aim of this study was to examine whether maltreatment experiences in childhood influence romantic attachment style in adolescence. The study included 54 adolescent who had suffered serious family maltreatment, who were separated from their biological families and were in residential care, 63 adolescents who had suffered moderated maltreatment and who were living with their biological families under treatment, and 139 nonmaltreated adolescents. Results indicated that those who have been maltreated during childhood show greater use of avoidance romantic attachment strategy. However, no differences were found in the anxious dimension of attachment. Results are discussed in relation to the normative trends of the attachment models and attachment styles identified in adolescence, and according to the available evidence on the relationship between child maltreatment and romantic attachment styles in this developmental stage. Also, some implications for the therapeutic interventions with maltreated adolescents in their childhood are discussed (AU)

Método para la evaluación de la mentalización en el contexto interpersonal (MEMCI) aplicado a la relación parento-filial / Method for the assessment of the mentalization in the interpersonal context (MEMCI) applied to the parent-child relationship

Esta comunicación presenta el Método de Evaluación de la Mentalización en el Contexto Interpersonal (MEMCI) como una herramienta de evaluación de FR en los progenitores. Desde la teoría de la Mentalización, la posibilidad de que los infantes, en su desarrollo, alcancen la representación de estados mentales va de la mano de un "mentalizar parental suficientemente bueno". El trabajo terapéutico, en cualquiera de sus formas, trata de favorecer la mentalización y, desde esta premisa, consideramos importante poder captar la presencia o ausencia de procesos mentalizadores en el psiquismo de las figuras parentales. Se ofrece, también, una viñeta clínica para ejemplificar la aplicación del MEMCI en la evaluación de la función reflexiva de una madre (AU)

This study presents the Method for Assessment of Mentalization in the Interpersonal Context (MEMCI) as an approach to assess the reflective function in parents. According to the mentalization theory, the possibility that infants in their development achieve the representation of mental states is strongly associated to a "good enough parental mentalization". In addition, it is proposed that the therapeutic work, in whatever form, involves a promotion of mentalization. From this premise, capturing the presence or absence of mentalization processes in the psyche of parental figures represents a key component of the therapy. In the present study we provide a clinical vignette to illustrate the application of MEMCI in assessing reflective function of a mother (AU)