Preliminary Validation and Gender Invariance of the Technology Anxiety Scale in Older Spanish Adults / Validación preliminar e invarianza de género de la Escala de Ansiedad Tecnológica en mayores españoles

Background: Technology anxiety is more prevalent in older people and can compromise their functionality in an increasingly techno-dependent world. There are no validated instruments to assess it in older Spanish people. Method: A technology anxiety scale was cross-culturally adapted and applied to 355 Spaniards (66% women, M = 78.63, SD = 6.77). Two models were tested by confirmatory factor analysis: a one-dimensional model (technology anxiety) and a model with two correlated factors (fear and confidence in technology, respectively). Results: Both showed an adequate fit, although higher in the two-factor correlated model (χ2 = 243.797, df = 26, CFI = .969, TLI = .945, SRMR = .039). Concurrent validity was confirmed through correlations with psychological well-being, quality of life, and health satisfaction. Configural, metric, and scalar factorial gender invariance were also verified. Conclusion: Our data support the preliminary validity of the Technology Anxiety Scale in older Spanish men and women. (AU)

Introducción: La ansiedad tecnológica es más prevalente en mayores y puede dificultar su funcionalidad en un mundo cada vez más tecnodependiente. No hay instrumentos validados para evaluarla en mayores españoles. Método: Se adaptó transculturalmente una escala de ansiedad tecnológica y se aplicó a 355 españoles (66% mujeres, M = 78,63, DT = 6,77). Se testaron dos modelos mediante análisis factorial confirmatorio: un modelo unidimensional (ansiedad tecnológica) y un modelo con dos factores correlacionados (miedo a la tecnología y confianza en la misma). Resultados: Ambos mostraron un ajuste adecuado, aunque mayor en el modelo de dos factores correlacionados (χ2 = 243,797, gl = 26, CFI = .969, TLI = .945, SRMR = .039). La validez concurrente se confirmó mediante correlaciones con bienestar psicológico, calidad de vida y satisfacción con la salud. También se verificó la invarianza de género configural, métrica y escalar. Conclusión: Los resultados confirman la validez preliminar de la Escala de Ansiedad Tecnológica en hombres y mujeres mayores españoles. (AU)

Effective Coping with Academic Stress Is a Matter of Personality Types: Revisiting the Person-Centred Approach.

Recent literature provides alarming data on the increase in university academic stress. The role of personality in understanding and addressing this problem is well established. However, this evidence could be improved by adopting a person-centred approach (e.g., types), as opposed to the usual variable-centred approach (e.g., traits), and considering the role of gender. Our aim was to explore how personality types and gender relate to coping strategies and perceived coping efficacy for academic stress. A total of 810 university psychology students completed the NEO-FFI Inventory and the Coping Strategies Inventory. Post hoc tests for MANOVA and ANOVA were performed. Types and gender were used as predictors and coping strategies, and perceived coping efficacy as criteria. There was no type-gender interaction. Types combining low neuroticism-high conscientiousness (e.g., entrepreneur) chose the most adaptive coping strategies and showed the highest levels of perceived coping efficacy, while high neuroticism-low conscientiousness types (e.g., insecure) opted for maladaptive coping strategies and presented the lowest perceived coping efficacy. Gender was not associated with perceived coping efficacy but with use (e.g., women prefer emotional expression). The personality typology provided useful information on individual differences in coping with academic stress, which can help guide specific strategies to manage it.