The central role of social exclusion when representing ethnic minorities and its association with intergroup attitudes.

A mixed-methods approach was used to analyze the social representations of four ethnic minorities in southern Spain. Following a between-subjects design, Spanish participants (n = 532) were assigned to evaluate either Romanian Roma, Spanish Roma, Moroccan, or Romanian non-Roma people, with a free-association task and scales of stereotypes, emotions, and behavioral tendencies. Results showed that Romanian Roma was the most devalued target, eliciting the worst representation and attitudes. The content analysis revealed that participants described minorities mainly in terms of social exclusion, culture, appearance, personality, opportunity seeking, stigmatization, and personalization/equality, with social exclusion being a key category associated with worst attitudes.

Self-uniqueness increases women's willingness to participate in collective action for gender justice, but not support for sex quotas.

Affiliation with certain groups allows to simultaneously satisfy two competing needs: the need to be moderately different from others and the need to belong. We propose that the feminist movement, that has been turning towards individualistic goals based on individual empowerment, may be one of such groups for women. In three studies we examined the relationship between self-uniqueness and women's support for collective action and structural measures (i.e. sex quotas) promoted by the feminist movement. A first correlational study indicated that self-uniqueness need is positively associated with willingness to participate in collective action for gender justice generally, but not with support for sex quotas. Consistently, two experimental studies (Studies 2-3) found that priming self-uniqueness increases collective action intentions, but not quota support. Study 3 also showed that the effect of self-uniqueness on collective action intentions for gender justice may be mediated by greater perceptions of personal discrimination for being a woman and fusion with the feminist movement. These results suggest that appeals to self-uniqueness may attract women to the feminist movement but do not guarantee support for concrete collective measures against gender inequality.

Active and Passive Facilitation Tendencies at Work Towards Sexy and Professional Women: The Role of Stereotypes and Emotions.

Stereotypes have important social consequences, such as promoting female discrimination in the workplace, which depends on how women are categorized. Extending prior work, here we analyze how two important female subgroups, women who are categorized as professional or sexy women, are evaluated on key dimensions of stereotype content (morality, sociability, and competence), positive and negative emotions, and facilitation behavioral tendencies (active and passive). To this end, we adapted a previous scale of facilitation tendencies to the working environment. Furthermore, we aim to explore the mechanism involved in carrying out helping behaviors towards each subgroup of women in the workplace. In order to fulfill these goals, 201 participants (Mage = 28.88, SD = 12.25; 66.2% women) were randomly assigned to evaluate a woman categorized as either sexy or professional on the mentioned variables. Results show that women categorized as sexy are devalued compared to those categorized as professionals. We also found that competence has a driving role in predicting more active facilitation tendencies towards a woman categorized as professional than a woman categorized as sexy via positive emotions. These findings have implications for the career development of women.

The values we share: A multi-method approach to understanding how perceived outgroup values are related to attitudes towards immigrants.

Cultural understanding entails a recognition of outgroup values. Combining quantitative and qualitative methods, we analysed the perception of Spaniards of the core values of Moroccan immigrants across two online surveys, 139 interviews and an experimental study. In Study 1, participants spontaneously generated the values considered fundamental for Moroccans, rated such values on a continuum of negativity-positivity and reported their attitudes towards Moroccans. In Study 2, participants were asked about the values that Spaniards and Moroccans (do not) share. In Study 3, participants were interviewed about the core values for Moroccans and those shared with Spaniards. Study 4 experimentally manipulated the salience of value-sharing. An inductive analysis revealed that the perceived core values for Moroccans were related to family/community, material issues, religion and integrity. Study 2 showed that religion, gender-universalism and culture/tradition were perceived as different values, whereas integrity, social-interaction and family/community values were perceived as shared. Study 4 confirmed that making salient the common importance of family for Spaniards and Moroccans indirectly increased the perceived morality of Moroccan immigrants via perceived shared values. Implications for the way lay people think about the values of outgroups are discussed.

Withstanding psychological distress among internally displaced Yazidis in Iraq: 6 years after attack by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

BACKGROUND: Insurgents of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant created a crisis that has had immediate and long-term consequences for the population in Iraq. Yazidis are among the most affected ethnos religious groups in the region. The current study focuses on investigating the level of psychological distress and its association with subjective resilience among the Yazidi minority 6 years after the attack by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. METHODS: The present study recruited four hundred and twenty-two Yazidi individuals (50.8% female) residing in two camps in the Iraqi Kurdistan region. In face-to-face interviews, each participant replied to different scales to measure psychological distress (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress), perceived stress, and subjective resilience. In addition, they were asked questions about mental health and psychosocial service acquisition. RESULTS: The results indicate that levels of psychological distress were high among the target population; around 65% of respondents reported having some level of psychological distress. Moreover, women showed not only higher level of psychological distress but also revealed slightly lower subjective resilience as compared to male participants. Hierarchical regressions showed that subjective resilience significantly contributed to the predictive model of distress beyond demographics and having received or not mental health and psychosocial support. Subjective resilience was significantly associated to less anxiety (R2adj = .157, ΔR2 = .022, p = .010) and stress (R2adj = .083, ΔR2 = .026, p = .008) in Mam-Rashan camp; and to less depression (R2adj = .184, ΔR2 = .095, p < .001), anxiety (R2adj = .140, ΔR2 = .024, p = .034), stress (R2adj = .046, ΔR2 = .047, p = .005), and perceived stress (R2adj = .024, ΔR2 = .032, p = .022) in Shekhan camp. CONCLUSIONS: Conflict and displacement contribute to high level of psychological distress. Resilience, however, seem to have a negative association with psychological distress. Additionally, living conditions and sex also played an important role in both psychological distress and resilience. Consequently, Yazidi community residing in camps are in need of further support to alleviate the consequences of displacement. We critically discuss the differences in the results among participants per camp and by sex, and its implications.

The Effect of the Valence of Imagined Contact with Immigrants onAdolescents’ Stereotype Content: The Importance of Perceived Typicality

En dos estudios, hemos examinado el efecto de la valencia del contacto intergrupal imaginado sobre el contenido de los estereotipos que mantienen los adolescentes españoles hacia inmigrantes ecuatorianos y marroquíes considerando el papel moderador de la tipicidad percibida y el origen étnico sobre este efecto. El Estudio 1 (N = 133) mostró que, solo para los marroquíes, cuando el compañero de interacción se percibía muy típico, los marroquíes se percibían más morales y sociables después de un contacto positivo imaginado que después de uno negativo. En contraste, cuando el compañero de interacción se percibía como atípico, los marroquíes se percibían más morales y sociables después de una interacción imaginada negativa que después de una positiva. El Estudio 2 (N = 113) reprodujo, en líneas generales, estos hallazgos, y confirmó el mayor efecto del contacto imaginado negativo sobre los estereotipos. Solo cuando el contacto imaginado era negativo y el compañero de interacción se percibía como típico, el contacto alteraba las percepciones de los adolescentes y disminuía la sociabilidad percibida de los marroquíes. Nuestros hallazgos ponen de manifiesto la dependencia del contexto del efecto de la valencia de contacto, así como la importancia de la tipicidad percibida para la generalización de sus efectos sobre el contenido de los estereotipos.(AU)

Across two studies, we examined the effect of imagined inter-group contact valence on Spanish adolescents’ stereotype content of Ec-uadorian and Moroccan immigrants considering the moderator role of per-ceived typicality and ethnic origin on this effect. Study 1 (N= 133) showed that, only for Moroccans, when the interaction partner was perceived as highly typical, Moroccans were perceived as more moral and sociable after an imagined positive contact than after a negative one. In contrast, when the interaction partner was perceived as atypical, Moroccans were per-ceived as more moral and sociable after a negative imagined interaction than after a positive one. Study 2 (N= 113) broadly replicated these find-ings and confirmed the stronger effect of negative imagined contact on stereotypes. Only when the imagined contact was negative and the interac-tion partner was perceived as typical, contact altered adolescents’ percep-tions and impaired Moroccans’ perceived sociability. Our findings highlight the context-dependency of the effect of contact valence and the im-portance of the perceived typicality for the generalization of its effects on stereotype content.

Willingness to sacrifice among convicted Islamist terrorists versus violent gang members and other criminals.

Is terrorism just another form of criminal activity, as many nations' justice systems assume? We offer an initial answer using face-to-face interviews and structured surveys in thirty-five Spanish prisons. Recent theories of extreme sacrifice inform this direct observational and comparative study. Islamist terrorists display levels of self-sacrifice for their primary reference group similar to that of Latino gangs, but greater willingness to sacrifice for primary values than other inmates (non-radical Muslims, Latino gangs, and delinquent bands). This disposition is motivated by stronger perceived injustice, discrimination, and a visceral commitment to such values (risk/radicalization factors). Nevertheless, state authorities, prison staff, and families are (protective/de-radicalization) factors apt to reduce willingness to sacrifice and keep foreign fighters, now being released in large numbers, from returning to terrorism.

Exploring the intergroup consequences of majority members' perceptions that minority members want majority members to adopt the minority culture.

There remains an obvious gap in the acculturation literature, which relates to cultural change associated with the majority/dominant group. This paper explores how majority members react to a perceived expectation from minority members that majority members should undergo cultural change. A study was conducted exploring how majority members' perceptions of a demand by minority members that the majority should adopt the minority culture affects the majority members' preferences for minority acculturation, and whether effects are mediated by perceptions of symbolic threat. Two hundred sixty-six participants who self-reported being white British completed an online survey. A model was hypothesized whereby a perception that minority members demand that the majority takes on the minority culture predicted perceived symbolic threat, which was in turn negatively associated with a desire that minority members should maintain the minority culture, and positively with a desire that minority members should adopt the majority culture. Results supported the hypothesized model, with all individual paths and indirect effects significant in the hypothesized directions. Symbolic threat mediated the effect of perceived demand for minority culture adoption on majority preferences for minority acculturation. Findings are discussed in relation to implications for intergroup relations in culturally plural societies.

Awareness of the Psychological Bias of Naïve Realism Can Increase Acceptance of Cultural Differences.

Acceptance of cultural differences can contribute to diversity. However, naïve realism-the conviction that one's views are objective whereas others' are biased-might hinder intercultural coexistence. We tested, in three experimental studies, whether a cognitive strategy based on raising awareness of the naïve realism, without any reference to culture and free of emotional involvement, can have a beneficial effect on cultural acceptance. Results revealed that participants showed more acceptance of cultural differences once they were aware of this bias (Study 1). The intervention had an indirect effect on acceptance via openness, especially for participants higher in prejudice (Study 2). Participants aware of this bias could not maintain an enhanced self-view, which mediated the effect of the manipulation on acceptance (Study 3). These findings suggest that strategies based on "cold" cognition, without an explicit emphasis on culture, might be beneficial for increasing the acceptance of cultural differences in an era of xenophobia.

Unpacking negative attitudes towards Moroccans: The interactive effect of ethnicity and gender on perceived morality.

Research on stereotyping has mainly focused on single social categories such as ethnicity or gender. Extending prior work, here we analyse the effects of the intersection of ethnicity and gender on stereotyping considering the descriptive and prescriptive components of positive and negative stereotype dimensions of morality, sociability and competence. We also examine these interaction effects on the stereotypes-emotions-facilitation behavioural tendencies link. Following a 2 × 2 between-subjects design, Spanish participants evaluated Moroccan immigrant (vs. Spaniard) women (vs. men). We found interaction effects only on descriptive moral character: Moroccan men are perceived as less moral than Spanish men, and less moral and more immoral than Moroccan women. Moreover, (im)morality has a driving role in predicting less facilitation tendencies towards Moroccan men (vs. Moroccan women and Spanish men) via positive emotions. Our findings reveal the primacy of (im)morality in social perception and helping intentions towards targets varying on gender and ethnicity.

Case Studies in Physiology: Physiological and clinical effects of temporary diaphragm pacing in two patients with ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction.

Ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction (VIDD) is increasingly recognized as an important side-effect of invasive ventilation in critically ill patients and is associated with poor outcomes. Whether patients with VIDD benefit from temporary diaphragm pacing is uncertain. Intramuscular diaphragmatic electrodes were implanted for temporary stimulation with a pacing device (TransAeris System) in two patients with VIDD. The electrodes were implanted via laparoscopy (first patient) or via bilateral thoracoscopy (second patient). Stimulation parameters were titrated according to tolerance. Diaphragm thickening fraction by ultrasound, maximum inspiratory pressure (Pimax) and diaphragm electromyography (EMGdi) signal analysis were used to monitor the response to diaphragm pacing. Both patients tolerated diaphragm pacing. In the first patient, improvements in diaphragm excursions were noted once pacing was initiated and diaphragm thickening fraction did not further deteriorate over time. The diaphragm thickening fraction improved in the second patient, and Pimax as well as EMGdi analysis suggested improved muscle function. This patient could be fully weaned from the ventilator. These case reports present the first experience with temporary diaphragm pacing in critically ill patients with VIDD. Our results should be taken cautiously given the reduced sample size, but provide the proof of concept to put forward the hypothesis that a course of diaphragm pacing may be associated with improved diaphragmatic function. Our findings of the tolerance to the procedure and the beneficial physiological effects are not prove of safety and efficacy, but may set the ground to design and conduct larger studies.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Diaphragmatic electrode implantation and temporary diaphragm pacing have not been previously used in ICU patients with VIDD. Patients were monitored using a multimodal monitoring approach including ultrasound of the diaphragm, measurement of maximum inspiratory pressure and EMG signal analysis. Our results suggest that diaphragm pacing may improve diaphragmatic function, with the potential to prevent and treat VIDD in critically ill patients. Safety and efficacy of this intervention is yet to be proven in larger studies.

Ambivalent Effects of Positive Contact Between Women and Men on Collective Actions for Women's Rights.

Positive intergroup contact, under some conditions, can undermine the interest of members of both socially disadvantaged and advantaged groups to act for equality. However, little is known about whether similar effects appear in a unique form of intergroup relations, gender relations. In two correlational studies and two experiments, we investigated the relationships among quality of contact, perceived discrimination, fusion with the feminist movement, and willingness to engage in collective action for women's rights. For women (Study 1a), positive contact with men was associated with less perceived discrimination, less fusion, and less collective action. For men (Study 1b), the relationships were in the opposite direction. Studies 2a and 2b revealed that recalling experiences of gender discrimination nullified the effects of contact for both women and men as compared to a control condition. Thus, when discrimination is not explicitly recognized, positive contact might have sedative effects on women, but mobilizing effects on men.

Threat Enhances Aggressive Inclinations Among Devoted Actors Via Increase in Their Relative Physical Formidability.

Devoted actors-those who share sacred values with a group with which they are fused-are particularly willing to self-sacrifice to defend their group or values when they are threatened. Here, we explore whether they are also prone to aggressive inclinations toward those who endanger their group or convictions. To that end, we examined the effect of threat and the two components of the devoted actor framework-identity fusion and sacred values-on aggressive inclinations. These inclinations were registered with a videogame that allowed participants to destroy ingroup and outgroup symbols. Two experiments indicated that devoted actors reacted to threats to their ingroup and value by increasing aggressive inclinations against the rival group. This effect was apparently mediated by the perceived physical strength of the ingroup versus foes. Results suggest that devoted actors might be more prone to self-sacrifice, but also to attack those who threaten their group or values.

Why People Enter and Embrace Violent Groups.

We distinguish two pathways people may follow when they join violent groups: compliance and internalization. Compliance occurs when individuals are coerced to join by powerful influence agents. Internalization occurs when individuals join due to a perceived convergence between the self and the group. We searched for evidence of each of these pathways in field investigations of former members of two renowned terrorist organizations: the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) (Study 1) and Islamist radical groups (Study 2). Results indicated that ex-fighters joined LTTE for reasons associated with both compliance and internalization but that ex-fighters joined Islamist radical groups primarily for reasons associated with internalization. When compliance occurred, it often took the form of coercion within LTTE but involved charismatic persuasion agents within Islamist groups. This evidence of systematic differences in the reasons why fighters enter violent groups suggests that strategies for preventing radicalization and fostering de-radicalization should be tailored to particular groups.

The Way We See Others in Intercultural Relations: The Role of Stereotypes in the Acculturation Preferences of Spanish and Moroccan-Origin Adolescents.

Although the relationship between stereotypes and acculturation preferences has been previously studied from the majority perspective among adults, the perspective of adolescents and minority groups is understudied. This research analyzed the contribution of four stereotype dimensions (i.e., morality, immorality, sociability, and competence) to the acculturation preferences of Spanish adolescents and adolescents of Moroccan-origin, the moderating role of stereotypes in intergroup acculturation discrepancies, and the interaction of stereotypes with acculturation perceptions on acculturation preferences. A sample of 488 Spanish adolescents and 360 adolescents of Moroccan-origin living in Spain, from 12 to 19 years old, reported how moral, immoral, social, and competent they perceive each other to be. Spanish adolescents reported their perception about how Moroccan youth were acculturating in terms of maintaining their original culture and adopting the host culture, and their acculturation preferences in the same dimensions. Adolescents of Moroccan-origin reported to what extent they were maintaining their original culture and adopting the host culture, their acculturation preferences, and their ethnic and national (Spanish) identity. Results showed that adolescents of Moroccan-origin reported more positive perceptions of Spanish youth than conversely. The perceived immorality of the outgroup was important for understanding the preferences for adopting the host culture of both groups, but in the opposite direction. The four stereotype dimensions modulated the majority-minority discrepancies in preferences for cultural adoption. An analysis of the interaction between stereotypes and perceived adoption on acculturation preferences showed that when Spanish adolescents perceived that Moroccan youth were not adopting the Spanish culture, perceived morality and sociability played a role in their preferences for adoption. The less moral and sociable Moroccans were perceived, the more preference for cultural adoption. These findings support the importance of considering stereotypes in acculturation studies of majority and minority groups, as well as the relevance of including these perceptions in interventions aimed at improving intercultural relations.

Ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction: translational mechanisms lead to therapeutical alternatives in the critically ill.

Mechanical ventilation [MV] is a life-saving technique delivered to critically ill patients incapable of adequately ventilating and/or oxygenating due to respiratory or other disease processes. This necessarily invasive support however could potentially result in important iatrogenic complications. Even brief periods of MV may result in diaphragm weakness [i.e., ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction [VIDD]], which may be associated with difficulty weaning from the ventilator as well as mortality. This suggests that VIDD could potentially have a major impact on clinical practice through worse clinical outcomes and healthcare resource use. Recent translational investigations have identified that VIDD is mainly characterized by alterations resulting in a major decline of diaphragmatic contractile force together with atrophy of diaphragm muscle fibers. However, the signaling mechanisms responsible for VIDD have not been fully established. In this paper, we summarize the current understanding of the pathophysiological pathways underlying VIDD and highlight the diagnostic approach, as well as novel and experimental therapeutic options.

Adjustment Outcomes of Native and Immigrant Youth in Spain: A Mediation Model.

This work proposes a conceptual model of psychological adjustment of native and immigrant adolescents who live in Spain. Psychological adjustment was expected to mediate between perceived family support and adolescents' school adjustment and problem behaviors. Spanish adolescents (n = 156) and immigrant adolescents (n = 137) filled out a self-report questionnaire regarding their perceived family support, psychological adjustment (i.e., self-esteem and life satisfaction), school adjustment, and problem behaviors. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to examine the relational patterns among these variables. The specific model -with psychological adjustment mediating between family support and school adjustment (z = 2.70, ß = .21, p = .007 for Spanish adolescents, and z = 2.42, ß = .16, p = .015 for immigrant adolescents), and school adjustment mediating between psychological adjustment and problem behaviors (z = -2.51, ß = -.14, p = .012 for Spanish adolescents, and z = -2.01, ß = -.11, p = .044 for immigrant adolescents) was confirmed for both samples. An implication of this study is the relevance of adolescents' family support to their well-being, and the mediating role of psychological adjustment between family support and school adjustment.

Variants of biculturalism in migrant and host adolescents living in Italy and Spain: Testing the importance of life domains through the Relative Acculturation Extended Model.

Several variants of biculturalism have recently been proposed (Schwartz, Birman, Benet-Martínez, & Unger, 2016). Nevertheless, few studies have identified different types of bicultural individuals, and no one has addressed the possibility that these types could depend on acculturation domains. By using the Relative Acculturation Extended Model (RAEM), this study aimed to explore if different variants of biculturalism could be individuated, and if some of these variants were sensitive to life domains. Four samples of migrant and host adolescents living in Italy (n = 173 and n = 186) and Spain (n = 139 and n = 156) answered a questionnaire about acculturation perceptions and preferences in central and peripheral life domains. Together with acculturation options consistent with Berry's (1997) model (full-assimilation, full-separation and full-marginalisation), some variants of biculturalism emerged from the latent class analysis: full-high and full-low integration, which were not sensitive to life domains; and "alternate" acculturation options that were sensitive to life domains, with participants switching from their original culture to the host culture according to the peripheral and central domains. Acculturation options varied across the four samples, with Italians switching more from one culture to another, and Spanish adolescents being more full-high or full-low integrated.

Adjustment outcomes of native and immigrant youth in Spain: a mediation model

This work proposes a conceptual model of psychological adjustment of native and immigrant adolescents who live in Spain. Psychological adjustment was expected to mediate between perceived family support and adolescents' school adjustment and problem behaviors. Spanish adolescents (n = 156) and immigrant adolescents (n = 137) filled out a self-report questionnaire regarding their perceived family support, psychological adjustment (i.e., self-esteem and life satisfaction), school adjustment, and problem behaviors. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to examine the relational patterns among these variables. The specific model - with psychological adjustment mediating between family support and school adjustment (z = 2.70, ß = .21, p = .007 for Spanish adolescents, and z = 2.42, ß = .16, p = .015 for immigrant adolescents), and school adjustment mediating between psychological adjustment and problem behaviors (z = -2.51, ß = -.14, p = .012 for Spanish adolescents, and z = -2.01, ß = -.11, p = .044 for immigrant adolescents) was confirmed for both samples. An implication of this study is the relevance of adolescents' family support to their well-being, and the mediating role of psychological adjustment between family support and school adjustment

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"Si eres moral y competente adoptaré elementos de tu cultura": el rol mediador de las emociones positivas en el proceso de aculturación de inmigrantes ecuatorianos en España / "If You are Moral and Competent, I Will Adopt Your Culture": The Mediating Role of Positive Emotions in the Acculturation Process of Ecuadorian Immigrants in Spain

Resumen Los procesos psicosociales implicados en las preferencias de aculturación de las personas inmigrantes son importantes para comprender las relaciones interculturales en contextos multiculturales. Este trabajo analiza las relaciones entre tres dimensiones estereotípicas y las emociones positivas experimentadas hacia españoles con las preferencias de aculturación de inmigrantes ecuatorianos en España. La muestra estuvo conformada por 92 personas ecuatorianas (53.3 % mujeres; Medad = 31.58 años) que respondieron a un cuestionario que evaluaba la moralidad, sociabilidad y competencia percibidas en los españoles, las emociones positivas experimentadas hacia ellos y sus preferencias de mantenimiento y adopción cultural. Los resultados muestran que la percepción estereotípica de ecuatorianos sobre españoles (en las dimensiones de moralidad y competencia) predice su preferencia por adoptar costumbres españolas a través de las emociones positivas.

Abstract The psychosocial processes involved in the acculturation preferences of immigrants are important to understand intercultural relationships in multicultural contexts. This work analyzes how three stereotype dimensions and positive emotions are related to the acculturation preferences of Ecuadorians living in Spain. A sample of 92 Ecuadorians (53.3% female; Mage = 31.58 years) answered to a questionnaire expressing how moral, sociable and competent they perceived Spanish people were, to what extent they felt positive emotions towards Spanish people, and their own acculturation preferences regarding maintenance of their original culture and adoption of the Spanish culture. Results show that the way Ecuadorians perceive Spanish people (especially regarding their morality and competence) predicts their preference for adopting Spanish customs through positive emotions.