Interamerican Journal of Psychology

The ecological engagement in the context of an amazon river village

A inserção ecológica pressupõe um envolvimento contínuo do pesquisador com os participantes no contexto em que a investigação ocorre. Contudo, em algumas pesquisas de campo há problemas operacionais inerentes que dificultam o contato ininterrupto do pesquisador e que se configuram como um desafio metodológico. O presente artigo apresenta as estratégias utilizadas para a "inserção ecológica" de um grupo de pesquisadores em um contexto ribeirinho amazônico na ilha do Marajó. Serão especialmente discutidos os seguintes aspectos: a) a formação da equipe de pesquisadores e a construção coletiva do conhecimento; b) o contato com informante, o seu papel e a descrição de uma estratégia de coleta de dados através da técnica de fotografias e c) a utilização do inventário sociodemográfico (ISD) como elemento de coleta e de inserção ecológica.

The ecological engagement presupposes a continuous involvement between researchers and the participants in the context where the investigation occurs. However, in some field researchers there are inherent operational problems that complicate the ceaseless contact of the researchers and that configure themselves as a methodological challenge. This article presents the strategies used for ecological engagement of a researchers team in an Amazon river context at Marajó island. It will be discussed the following aspects: a) the formation of the researchers team and the collective construction of knowledge; b) the contact with the informer, his role and the description of one strategy for a data collection through the techniques of photographies and c) the use of the sociodemographic inventory (SDI) as an element of collection and ecological engagement.

Role of contextual keys on the occurrence of the state-dependent learning phenomenon

En esta investigación se explora el papel del contexto en la ocurrencia del aprendizaje estado-dependiente. Se realizó una Investigación de Laboratorio con cuatro grupos de cuatro ratas (Sprague Dawley). Inicialmente, tres grupos fueron entrenados (RF10) bajo los efectos de 2,5 mg/kg de diazepam y en presencia de tono y alcanfor; el último grupo fue entrenado en el mismo contexto pero en ausencia de droga. Se verificó el papel del contexto, primero, al variar todas o alguna condición del entrenamiento y, luego de un procedimiento de extinción: de la droga, del contexto o de ambas condiciones. Ocurrió aprendizaje estado-dependiente cuando las pruebas se llevaron a cabo en ausencia de droga pero no en ausencia de los estímulos del contexto. Se puede afirmar que la respuesta es controlada por el diazepam, mientras que el contexto no cumple una función discriminativa contundente, ni durante la adquisición ni después de la extinción.

The role of context on the occurrence of state-dependent learning was explored in this research. The laboratory experiment was done with four groups of rats (Sprague-Dawley). Three groups were trained with an RF10 reinforcement program under the effects of 2,5mg/kg of diazepam and with the presence of a tone and a camphor solution. The last group received the same treatment but without diazepam. The role of context was tested first, varying either one or all training conditions. After extinction, drug or context effects were tested alone or in combination. State-dependent learning occurred when the tests were carried out without diazepam but did not occur in the absence of the stimuli of the context. Responses were under the control of diazepam while the context didn't have a discriminative function, neither during response acquisition nor after the extinction.

The development of human values from 5 to 14 years old: an exploratory study

Pesquisas nas ciências sociais e humanas têm notificado a existência de valores, culturais e individuais. Como tais valores surgem no curso do desenvolvimento mental das pessoas? Na presente pesquisa, observou-se o desenvolvimento de quatro valores: Obediência; Cooperação; Responsabilidade e Criatividade, tomando como base para análise o referencial teórico de Jean Piaget. Três etapas do desenvolvimento foram enfocadas: a primeira e a segunda infância e o início da adolescência. Pediu-se a 116 crianças e adolescentes nas idades de 5 a 8; 9 a 11 e 12 a 14 anos, de ambos os sexos, estudantes de três escolas particulares da cidade de João Pessoa, Paraíba, para que apresentassem uma definição de cada valor. Suas respostas foram analisadas procurando-se encontrar características específicas da formação dos valores mencionados, em cada uma das etapas. Dentre essas características, a descentração ocupou um lugar de destaque. Assim, as respostas foram categorizadas considerando-se os níveis de descentração - do mais baixo para o mais alto -, na seguinte ordem: Indefinido, Intrapessoal, Interpessoal e Impessoal. Os resultados indicaram que ocorriam diferenças significativas, entre três faixas etárias, na forma como as crianças e adolescentes definiam os valores. As crianças com menos de 9 anos apresentaram para todos os valores definições da categoria Intrapessoal. Já aquelas entre 9 e 11 anos de idade alternaram suas respostas entre as categorias Intrapessoal, Interpessoal e Impessoal e os adolescentes dificilmente se valeram de definições relativas à categoria Intrapessoal. Assim, de uma forma geral, pode-se concluir que o desenvolvimento dos valores acompanha a descentração.

Many Social and Human Sciences researchers have been investigating the existence of individual and cultural values. How those values emerge during the mental development? On present research, one observes the development of the human values, based on Jean Piaget's theory. It focuses on the following three crucial moments of personality development: (1) First childhood; (2) Second childhood, and (3) Adolescence, considering four values: Obedience; Cooperation; Responsibility and Creativity. 116 children and adolescents, both gender, students of three privates schools from the city of João Pessoa, Brazil have participated. They defined some values as names. Their answers were analyzed in order to find particular characteristics on each one of three developmental segments - 5 to 8 years old; 9 to 11 years old and 12 to 14 years old. Categories were organized from lower to higher level of descentration, and named as: (1) Undefined; (2) Intrapersonal; (3) Interpersonal, and (4) Impersonal ones. The results indicated significant differences between the ways participants defined values. Children under 9 years old gave Intrapersonal answers to all values. Those who were between 9 to 11 years old presented Interpersonal answers tending alternatively to Intrapersonal and Impersonal categories. The adolescents hardly used Intrapersonal resources on values definitions.

The reader and the text: developing text comprehension in the school setting

O presente estudo de intervenção teve por objetivo desenvolver a compreensão de textos em crianças com dificuldades nesta área. Para tal, os participantes foram divididos em um Grupo Experimental e um Grupo Controle. Às crianças do GE foi oferecida uma intervenção em que os leitores tinham que relacionar informações textuais com seu conhecimento de mundo e integrar as informações mencionadas no texto. Não foram identificadas diferenças significativas entre os grupos no pré-teste. Entretanto, no pós-teste as crianças do GE tiveram um desempenho mais elaborado que aquelas do GC, sendo as únicas que melhoraram a compreensão de textos do pré para o pós-teste. A natureza da intervenção e suas implicações educacionais são discutidas em termos de práticas de ensino que desenvolvam a compreensão de textos no contexto escolar.

This study involves a teaching experiment aimed to improve children's text comprehension. Children with difficulties in text comprehension were divided into an Experimental and a Control Group. Children in the EG were given inferential training that required readers to relate textual information to their previous knowledge and to integrate information mentioned in the text. No significant differences were found between the two groups in the pre-test. However, in the post-test children in the EG were significantly more successful than those in the CG. Only the children in the EG showed improvement of their comprehension skills when compared in the pre- and in the post-test. The nature of the intervention and its implications for education are discussed in terms of finding useful ways of teaching comprehension in the school setting.

Towards an argentine version of parents-adolescent communication scale

El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar el proceso de adaptación de la Escala de Comunicación Padres-Adolescente (PACS, de Barnes & Olson, 1982). En la primera parte de la adaptación, se llevó a cabo la revisión de ítems y constructos a través de paneles de expertos. Se presenta el resultado de tal revisión, a partir de la cual se generó la primera versión de la PACS argentina. En la segunda parte de la adaptación, se aplicó la versión argentina de la escala a una muestra heterogénea de 591 adolescentes. Se aportan datos sobre la validez de constructo y se discuten los resultados, considerando la importancia de generar nuevos desarrollos conceptuales e instrumentales relativos a la comunicación humana.

The aim of this work is to present the adaptation process of Parents-Adolescent Communication Scale (PACS) of Barnes and Olson (1982). In the first study, specific procedures for items and construct revision were followed with expert panels' cooperation. The results of such revision are presented, from which first PACS argentine version was generated. In the second study, PACS argentine version was applied to a 591 adolescent heterogeneous sample. Data about construct validity are presented and results are discussed, considering the relevance of generating new conceptual and instrumental developments about human communication.

Testing zimbardo time perspective inventory in a brazilian sample

This paper examines the construct and discriminant validity of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI) in a sample of 247 undergraduate Brazilian students. The ZTPI five-factor structure, comprised by Past-Negative, Present-Hedonistic, Future, Past-Positive and Present-Fatalistic, provided acceptable fit to the data, and was statistically better fitting than competing models. Present-Hedonistic correlated positively with alcohol consumption and negatively with religiosity, Future correlated positively with health concern, and negatively with alcohol consumption, and Past-Positive correlated positively with wristwatch use. Findings were in line with previous studies, indicating that both the five time perspective dimensions can be identified cognitively, and their pattern of relationships with other variables are comparable across cultures.

Éste artículo evalúa la validez de constructo y la validez discriminante del Inventario de Perspectiva Temporal de Zimbardo (Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, ZTPI) de una muestra de 247 estudiantes brasileños. La estructura de cinco-factores de ZTPI, definidos por Pasado-Negativo, Presente-Hedonístico, Futuro, Pasado-Positivo y Presente-Fatalista, provee un ajuste aceptable de los datos, y pareció ser mejor estadísticamente que el ajuste de los modelos alternativos. El Presente-Hedonístico fue positivamente correlacionado con el consumo de alcohol y negativamente con la religiosidad, el Futuro fue correlacionado positivamente con la preocupación por la salud y negativamente con el consumo de alcohol, y el Pasado-Positivo fue positivamente correlacionado con el uso del reloj. Los resultados encontrados concuerdan con los estudios anteriores, indicando que las cinco dimensiones de perspectiva del tiempo pueden ser identificadas cognitivamente. Además los patrones de correlación con otras variables son comparables a través de otras culturas.

Traditional culture and masculinity femininity

Considerando la sociocultura como uno de los determinantes del comportamiento de las personas, la presente investigación tuvo como objetivo identificar la estructura de las premisas histórico-socioculturales y de la masculinidad-feminidad, su relación; así como conocer los efectos de diferentes variables sociodemográficas en dicho constructos. Con base a 291 personas, se obtuvieron estructuras factoriales que explican el 43.03% y el 40.3% de la varianza de las de las premisas y de la masculinidad-feminidad, respectivamente. De igual manera se encontraron diferencias significativas en los factores de acuerdo a distintas variables sociodemográficas. Los resultados muestran también la relación entre los factores, las cuales nos muestran un grupo de variables que denotan una cultura tradicional, así como aquellos que van dirigidas hacia un dinamismo cultural.

Considering socioculture as a determinant of personal behavior, this investigation had as objective to know the premises and masculinity- femininity structures, the relation between both constructs as; and the effect of different socio-demographic variables. With a sample of 291 participants, factorial structures explain the 43.03% and 40.3% of variance of the premises and of masculinity-femininity respectively. In addition, based on diverse socio-demographic variables, significant differences around factors were found. Results also show the relation between factors: a group of variables that denote a traditional culture, as well some items that moves towards cultural dynamism

The concept of sexual orientation at the crossroads between sex, gender, and motricity

Este artigo discute algumas contribuições teóricas no campo da sexualidade humana, bem como importantes conceitos e sua articulação como sexo, gênero, motricidade e orientação sexual. Evitei tomar a confortável postura politicamente correta ao tentar discutir essas categorias da sexualidade à luz de uma concepção interativista e fundamentada em dados e evidências. O propósito desta discussão foi o de organizar de forma mais objetiva diferentes concepções acadêmicas sobre esses diferentes fenômenos e orientar futuras pesquisas de cunho mais explicativo. Isto é, futuras pesquisas que produzam dados úteis para comparação e que ajudem a esclarecer algumas dúvidas básicas, como, por exemplo, qual o nível da relação entre sexo, gênero, motricidade e orientação sexual?

This article discusses some theoretical contributions in the field of the human sexuality, as well as, important concepts and their articulation as sex, gender, motricity and sexual orientation. I avoided taking the comfortable posture politically correct when trying to discuss these categories of the sexuality based on new data and evidences. The purpose of this discussion is to reorganize some theories in order to clarify this subject to guide future researches with more explanatory stamp. That is, future researches that would produce useful data for future comparison to help to clarify some of the most basic issues, for instance, what would be the level of the relationship among sex, gender, motricity and sexual orientation in human being?

The place of fathers and mothers in the contemporary media: gender issues

Este artículo discute la construcción de los puestos sociales de padres y madres a partir de dos ideas orientadoras. La primera está relacionada con la comprensión de la media como un espacio que produce y hace circular discursos que contribuyen de forma decisiva para la subjetivación. La segunda idea es la de que las relaciones de género traspasan el tejido social de punta a punta. Fueran analizados productos de la media con el objetivo de conocer los discursos que están construyendo las formas de ser padre y madre en nuestra sociedad. El análisis, en la perspectiva foucaultiana, señaló dos resultados principales: la asociación entre la significación sobre masculinidad y paternidad y entre la feminidad y la maternidad, por épocas esta última despunta como esencia de la mujer; y la referencia a un conflicto constante entre los padres y las madres, siendo los hijos e las hijas referidos como personas deseadas, pero también como objetos del negocio. En la discusión, dirigida por lo concepto de relaciones de género, si preguntó la naturalización de estas significaciones, demostrando los juegos de poder/saber implicados en su constitución.

This paper aims to discuss the construction of social places of fathers and mothers from two guidelines. The first one considers media as a space that produces and circulates discourses that have decisively contributed towards our subjectivation. The second idea is that gender relations are widely spread through the social field. An analysis of products of media has been carried out in order to know the discourses that have been constructing ways of being a father and a mother in our society. The analysis, in a foucaultian perspective, pointed out two main findings. The association between significations of masculinity and paternity and between feminility and maternity, usually appearing as an essence of the woman; also the reference to a constant dispute between fathers and mothers, being sons and daughters often placed as desired beings or as bargain objects. The discussion, guided by the conception of gender relations, questioned the naturalization of these significations, showing the dispute of power/knowlege implied in its constitution.

Changes...: How do they influence on adolescents in reconstituted family?

En Puerto Rico, al igual que en países de América Latina, el Caribe y Estados Unidos, existe una alta tasa de divorcios. Muchas personas divorciadas vuelven a casarse, estableciendo una familia reconstituida. En esta nueva relación, la madre o el padre biológico comparte con su pareja (madrastra o padrastro) e hijo/s e hija/s de la relación anterior. Nuestro objetivo fue estudiar cómo se ajustan los hijos e hijas adolescentes de padre y madre divorciados, que ahora integran una familia reconstituida, a los cambios que surgen como resultado de pertenecer a la misma. Seleccionamos personas adolescentes ya que ésta es una etapa de transición importante en su desarrollo. Además, en estudios previos se señala que el divorcio afecta a los y las adolescentes más que a otros miembros del núcleo familiar. Realizamos entrevistas semi-estructuradas con integrantes adultos/as y adolescentes de ocho familias reconstituidas. Los y las adolescentes informaron que al formar parte de la familia reconstituida se enfrentaron a cambios negativos y positivos, entre ellos: cambio de escuela, alejamiento de familiares, compartir con familiares de la nueva pareja de su madre o padre, mejoría en los procesos de comunicación y en el estatus económico. Recomendamos investigaciones e intervenciones futuras dirigidas a esta población.

A high rate of divorce exists in Puerto Rico, however, many divorced people decide to remarry, establishing a reconstituted family. In this new relation the biological mother or father shares with their new relationship (mother and father in law) and also with their children of their first relation. They can come into this relationship with their children or they can have children of their own. Our objective was to study how adolescent children of mothers and fathers who are divorced adjust to a newly reconstituted family and the changes that come as a result of being a part of this family. We selected adolescents because this is an important stage in a child's development. Furthermore, in previous studies authors report that divorce affects adolescents more than other members of the family. We carried out semi-structured interviews with adults and adolescents of eight reconstituted families. The adolescents informed us of how negative and positive changes had affected them when the reconstituted family was formed. The adolescents reported that when forming part of a reconstituted family, they faced both negative and positive changes, such as change of school, distancing from relatives, spending time with relatives of their father or mother's new spouse, improvement in the communication processes and the economical status. We recommend research and future interventions directed at this population.

The concept of resilience applied to work in organizations

Resiliência é um conceito que tem sido utilizado para explicar fenômenos psicossociais referidos a indivíduos, grupos ou organizações que superam ou transcendem situações adversas. Neste artigo, é discutido o conceito de resiliência como referencial teórico para pesquisas no campo da Psicologia do Trabalho, sendo apresentados: a) análise de conteúdo de dois filmes recentes - Frida e A Vida é Bela - ilustrativa do conceito de resiliência psicológica; b) análise qualitativa de relatos verbais de executivos(as), alunos (as) de cursos de educação continuada, submetidos(as) a situações de tensão vividas na interface entre trabalho, vida pessoal e dedicação ao estudo. Os achados do estudo indicam que, no contexto do trabalho humano nas organizações, a resiliência pode explicar a mobilização de recursos psicossociais para o enfrentamento das rupturas e situações de tensão características da modernidade. Conclui-se que neste ambiente, de transformação de crises em oportunidades, o desenvolvimento da resiliência pode ser o elemento diferencial entre o enfrentamento da situação que leva ao crescimento psicológico ou a sensação de vitimização, em situações similares de pressão organizacional. A resiliência parece estar associada ao auto-conhecimento, religiosidade e arte. Portanto, a compreensão da relação pessoa-.pressão-subjetividade-trabalho e o conceito de resiliência são fundamentais para o entendimento do enfrentamento das adversidades humanas nas organizações.

Resilience is a concept that has been used to explain psychosocial phenomena referred to individuals, groups or organizations that surpass or transcend adverse situations. In this study, the use of the concept of resilience as a theoretical referential in the field of Psychology of Work is discussed through: a) content analysis of two recent films - Frida and Life is Beautiful - as illustrations of the concept of psychological resilience and b) qualitative analysis of verbal narratives of executives who face tense situations at the interfaces of their jobs, personal lives and the demands of further education. The results of this study point out that, within the context of human labor in organizations, the resilience concept offers consistent explanation of the mobilization of psychosocial resources as means for the coping with radical ruptures and steady tensions - typical contingencies of the modern world. The analyses allowed the conclusion that the transformation of crises into opportunities is a must in adverse environments, and that the development of resilience can be the differential element between facing the situation (leading to psychological growth), and feeling like victim of it, in similar situations of organizational pressure. Resilience seems to be associated to self knowledge, religiosity and art. Thus, the comprehension of the interface person-pressure-subjectivity-work and the concept of resilience are essential to understanding the surpassing of human adversities within organizations.

The influence of overload and self-efficacy on burnout:

El objetivo del estudio fue analizar la influencia de la sobrecarga laboral y la autoeficacia sobre el síndrome de quemarse por el trabajo (SQT). La muestra se formó por 714 profesionales de enfermería que trabajan en diferentes hospitales. El SQT se estimó mediante el cuestionario MBI-HSS, la sobrecarga laboral se midió mediante una escala de 7 ítems de Karasek y la autoeficacia mediante la escala de Baessler y Schwarzer. Los resultados mostraron que la sobrecarga laboral y la autoeficacia fueron predictores significativos de las dimensiones agotamiento emocional, realización personal en el trabajo y despersonalización. En la comprobación de los efectos moduladores de la autoeficacia en la relación entre sobrecarga laboral sobre las tres dimensiones del MBI sólo resultó significativo el efecto modulador de la autoeficacia en la relación entre sobrecarga laboral y agotamiento emocional. Estos resultados permiten afirmar que es necesario evitar la sobrecarga laboral para prevenir la aparición del SQT, y que la autoeficacia percibida de los profesionales va a prevenir la aparición del SQT y disminuirá la incidencia de la sobrecarga laboral sobre esta patología.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of overload and self-efficacy on the burnout. The sample was composed by 714 nursing professionals that were working in different hospitals. The burnout was estimated by the MBI-HSS questionnaire, overload was estimated by a scale of 7 items of Karasek and self-efficacy by a scale of 9 items of Baessler and Schwarser. The results of the study indicate that overload and self-efficacy were significant predictors of emotional exhaustion, personal accomplishment and depersonalization. In the confirmation of the self-efficacy buffering effects in the relationship between overload and the three dimensions of the MBI only was significant the buffering effect of self-efficacy on the relationship between overload and emotional exhaustion. The conclusions are that is necessary to prevent the overload to prevent the appearance of the burnout, and that the self-efficacy perceived of subjects will prevent the appearance of the burnout and it will reduce the overload incidence on this pathology.

Time pressure on consumer decision making

O presente artigo expõe os resultados de um experimento que objetivou mensurar os efeitos da pressão do tempo na decisão do consumidor. Visou, ainda, apresentar o desenvolvimento de um instrumento informatizado, em língua portuguesa, para a avaliação do efeito de configuração na tomada de decisão do consumidor. O experimento teve a participação de 96 estudantes universitários, designados a três grupos constituídos em função da variável pressão do tempo, representados pelo grupo controle, sem tempo delimitado para o julgamento e tomada de decisão, e pelos grupos experimentais, com tempo reduzido em 25% e 50% em relação à média de tempo despendido para a tomada de decisão do grupo controle. Os resultados mostraram os padrões esperados de aversão ao risco, documentados originalmente em pesquisa básica por Kahneman e Tversky (1979), Tversky e Fox (1995) e Tversky e Kahneman (1981) e corroboraram os resultados de Svenson e Benson (1993), já que o aumento da pressão do tempo parece diminuir o efeito de configuração.

This article presents an experiment that aimed to measure the effect of time pressure on consumers' decision making. In addition, the development of a software for the evaluation of framing effects on consumers' decision making is also presented. Undergraduates (N=96) were assigned to three groups according each level of the independent variable time pressure. The control group had no time constraints for each task of judgment and decision making. The two experimental groups had time constraints for performing the same tasks as the control group, namely, time decreased in 25% and 50% in relation to the average time spent by the control group to make their decisions. The results showed the expected pattern of risk aversion, originally documented by Kahneman & Tversky (1979), Tversky & Fox (1995) and Tversky e Kahneman (1981). The data was also in accordance with the results of Svenson and Benson (1993) since framing effects on decision making tended to disappear with the increase in time pressure.

Associate factors and development trajectories of the antisocial behavior during the adolescence: prevention of the juvenile violence in latin america

La multicausalidad del comportamiento antisocial durante la adolescencia parece no sólo obedecer a la combinación de múltiples factores de riesgo ubicados en diferentes niveles del desarrollo humano, sino también a procesos históricos, sociales y culturales que afectan de manera diferenciada a varias generaciones de jóvenes desde su temprana infancia. Este artículo revisa las principales teorías explicativas del comportamiento antisocial durante la adolescencia, enfatizando en la teoría neuropsicológica de la Taxonomía del desarrollo de la conducta antisocial propuesta por Terrie E. Moffitt. Asimismo, se mencionan algunos estudios realizados que confirman la validez transcultural del modelo teórico de Moffitt y sus contribuciones para el diseño de programas de prevención del comportamiento antisocial entre población adolescente y juvenil en América Latina.

Several causes of the antisocial behavior during the adolescence seems to respond not only to the combination of many risk located along the different levels of human development, but also to cultural and historical, social processes affecting, in many ways, to specific generations during their early childhood. This paper revises the main explicative theories about antisocial behavior during the adolescence and tries to reflect them, emphasizing on the theory of the Neuropsychological Taxonomy of the antisocial behavior proposed by Terrie E. Moffitt. Moreover, some studies are mentioned due to the fact that they confirm the cross-cultural validity of Moffitt's theoretical model and its contributions to the design of prevention programs against antisocial behavior for youngsters and adolescents in Latin America.

Drug dependence, mental impairment and education

This study aimed to evaluate the mental conditions of cocaine-dependent individuals and school commitment/attachment. We evaluated 50 patients referred to the psychiatry emergency room due to mental disorders from chemical dependence. After clinical diagnosis, clinical interview, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Hamilton Scale for Depression and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale were applied. The Spearman and Mann-Whitney nonparametric tests, as well as the t-Student test were utilized for statistical analysis.. The accepted significance value was 0.05. All subjects had used cocaine or crack and other substances. Only 13 (26%) did not drop out of school (group 1). Regarding the other 37 (74%), irregular class attendance , successive failures and definitive school drop out rates (group 2) were verified. These subjects presented an early substance use when compared with those which did not drop out of school (p=0.0001). Patients with an early substance use presented higher school dropout rates than those with a later initiation to substance use. Psychopathological phenomena were frequent in both groups.

El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar la relación entre las condiciones mentales de dependientes de sustancias psicoativas y el vínculo escolar. Fueron evaluados 50 participantes atendidos en emergencias psiquiátricas por trastornos mentales asociados a la dependencia química. Luego del diagnóstico clínico, fueron realizadas las siguientes estrategias metodológicas: Entrevista Clínica, Escala Hospitalaria de Ansiedad y Depresión, Escala de Depresión de Hamilton y Escala Psiquiátrica Breve. La análisis estadístico se expresó mediante testes no-paramétricos como correlación de Spearman, Mann-Whitney, y t-Student test, con nivel de significación de 0,05. Todos los participantes hacían uso de cocaína o crack con otras sustancias. Apenas 13 (26%) no interrumpen el vínculo escolar (grupo 1). Los demás, 37 participantes (74%), verificaron frecuencia irregular en aula, sucesivas reprobaciones y interrupción definitiva del vínculo escolar (grupo 2). Estos últimos participantes (con interrupción del vínculo escolar) habían iniciado el uso de sustancias psicoativas más precozmente cuando los comparamos con los primeros (sin interrupción del vínculo escolar) con diferencia significativa entre ambos (p=0,0001). En conclusión, los participantes que iniciaron tempranamente el uso de sustancias psicoativas presentaban tasas mayores de interrupción del vínculo escolar quando comparados con aquejes con inicio más tardío. Los fenómenos psicopatológicos eran frecuentes y graves en ambos grupos.

Quality of life and coping styles among chronic patients

Utilizando la Escala WHOQoL-Bref de la Organización Mundial de la Salud y la Escala de Estilos de Afrontamiento de Páez et al., se evalúa la relación existente entre el estilo de afrontamiento y la calidad de vida en una muestra de 440 participantes, 220 de las cuales viven con una patología física crónica y son usuarios de Servicios de Atención Primaria en Salud en España y Chile. Se observan diferencias tanto a nivel de calidad de vida como en estilos de afrontamiento, siendo el nivel de la primera superior en España que en Chile y mayor en no crónicos que crónicos, predominando estilos de tipo activo en España y estilos de tipo evitativos en Chile. Existen diferencias culturales en la relación entre Calidad de Vida y afrontamiento, vinculándose los estilos conductuales en Chile a la Calidad de Vida, mientras que en los participantes españoles se relaciona con estilos de tipo cognitivo.

The purpose of this study was report the linked between the quality of life and coping styles in people living with non transmissible chronic diseases. The Spanish version of WHOQoL - Bref and The Coping Styles Questionnaire was applied to 220 participants with chronic diseases and 220 non chronic, patients for primary care on health in Spain and Chile. The results show differences in levels of quality of life being higher in the Spanish and non chronic participants. About the coping styles, in the Chilean sample it prevails the avoidance styles whereas in the Spanish sample the active styles. There is cultural differences in both variables: linked the behavioural coping style to quality of life in the Chilean sample and the avoidance coping styles in the Spanish sample.

Educational attainment as a predictor of attributions and expressed emotion in a tri-ethnic sample of relatives of patients with schizophrenia

Strong evidence indicates that, following a relapse, patients with schizophrenia who return home to live with relatives who are rated as critical, hostile, or emotionally over-involved, known as high expressed emotion or high-EE, suffer elevated future relapse rates compared to those whose relatives are rated as low-EE. Evidence further suggests that high-EE relatives tend to make more blaming attributions for the patient's illness than do low-EE relatives. Few studies, however, have examined other important variables that predict family members' EE and attributions. Using a tri-ethnic sample of 57 relatives of patients with schizophrenia, this study finds that greater educational attainment in family members predicts less blameworthy attributions towards patients. Specifically, for Whites and Hispanics, greater educational attainment predicts less blameworthy self-reported causal attributions. For Blacks, education does not relate to attributions. A content analysis of relatives' causal attributions further reveals that, regardless of ethnicity or education, biological factors are most often cited as having caused relatives' schizophrenia. Study implications are discussed.

Investigación robusta indica que, después de una recaída, pacientes con esquizofrenia quienes retornan a hogares con familiares altos en crítica, hostilidad, o relación excesivo-familiares conocidos como altos en emoción expresada o EE-sufren recaídas futuras más frecuentes que aquellos cuyos familiares son bajos en EE. Investigación también sugiere que familiares altos en EE tienden a exhibir atribuciones más culpables hacia el paciente que familiares bajos en EE. Sin embargo, pocos estudios han examinado otros factores importantes que pudieran predecir los niveles de EE y las atribuciones causales de los familiares. Examinando una muestra tri-étnica de 57 familiares de pacientes con esquizofrenia, esta investigación encuentra que más educación formal predice atribuciones menos culpables hacia los pacientes, en particular para latinos y angloamericanos. Entre los afro-americanos, la educación formal no se relaciona con las atribuciones ni los niveles de EE de los familiares. Un análisis de contenido de las atribuciones causales de los familiares indica que, no obstante la etnicidad ni la educación, biología es la supuesta causa de la esquizofrenia de sus familiares citada con más frecuencia. Las implicaciones de este estudio se discuten.

Ramón Indalecio Cardozo as a pioneer of psychology in Paraguay

La Escuela Activa representó un amplio movimiento educacional que renovó las bases y los fundamentos de la pedagogía de comienzos del siglo XX. El nuevo enfoque surgió en Suiza y fue un movimiento que tuvo un impacto importante en varios países de América Latina en los que su recepción fue entusiasta y fructífera. Los defensores de la Escuela Activa basaron una parte importante de su accionar pedagógico en los conocimientos aportados por la Psicología, principalmente los estudios sobre la cognición y la personalidad del niño. Por eso muchos de sus exponentes centrales fueron también figuras relevantes en el ámbito de la Psicología. En este artículo se estudia la obra de Ramón Indalecio Cardozo (1876-1943), el más importante de los representantes de la Escuela Activa en el Paraguay, analizando en particular su rol como pionero de la psicología paraguaya. Se discuten sus conexiones con el movimiento de la Escuela Activa y con algunos de sus representantes a nivel internacional, las contribuciones de Cardozo a la Psicología y las áreas principales que abarcó su trabajo dentro de esta. Finalmente se determina la pertinencia de ubicar a Cardozo como uno de los pioneros de la Psicología en el Paraguay.

The Active School was a broad educational movement that renewed both the basis and the fundamentals of pedagogy at the beginnings of the twenty century. The new approach appeared in Switzerland but also was a movement with a great impact in several countries of Latin America where its reception was both enthusiast and fruitful. The defenders of the Active School based an important part of their pedagogical action on psychological knowledge, specialy research on cognition and children's personality. For this reason many of its main researchers were also important figures in the field of Psychology. In this article we study the works of Ramón Indalecio Cardozo (1876-1943), the most important representative of the Active School in Paraguay and also we make an analysis of his place as a pioneer of paraguayan psychology. Both Cardozo's connection with the movement of the Active School and with some of its international representatives are discussed, as well as the contributions of Cardozo to Psychology and the main areas that covered his work related to that science. The relevance of Cardozo as a pioneer of Psychology in Paraguay is discussed at the end of this article.