Reliability and validity evidence of the Out-group Threat Perception Scale (OTPS)

This study aimed to analyze the psychometric properties of a new scale: the Out-group Threat Perception Scale (OTPS). The OTPS was designed to measure the perception of out-group threat, an important psychosocial variable that is closely related to negative attitudes towards out-groups. Three hundred and two Spanish participants responded to the OTPS in reference to the following out-groups: Moroccans (N= 102), Romanians (N= 101) and Ecuadorian immigrants (N= 99). The reliability and item analyses showed that the scale had good internal consistency. Factor analyses yielded two independent dimensions: Realistic Threat and Symbolic Threat. Correlational analyses showed that the OTPS correlated significantly with several psychosocial variables. The present findings suggest that the OTPS is a reliable and valid measure, and it can be a useful instrument to study intergroup relationships in our country.     

Self-concept and psychosocial adjustment in adolescence

This study analyses the relationship between a multidimensional measure of self-concept, Self-concept Form-5 Questionnaire (AF5), and a broad set of adolescents' psychosocial adjustment indicators. From the responses of 1,281 participants (53.7% females) aged 12 to 17 years ( M = 14.98 years, SD = 1.74 years), results indicated that higher self-concept scores corresponded to better psychological adjustment, good personal skills and fewer behavioral problems. Although a positive relationship between social self-concept and drug use was found, this significant relationship disappeared once the adolescent's age and sex was controlled for. These results support the idea that the self-concept is a basic theoretical construct closely related to the psychosocial adjustment in adolescence. Also this study helps explain some contradictory results reported in the literature (i.e., a positive relationship between social self-concept and drug use), by showing how the statistical control of a third variable effect (i.e., age) avoids reaching conclusions based on spurious relationships.     

Acculturation Preference Profiles of Spaniards and Romanian Immigrants: The Role of Prejudice and Public and Private Acculturation Areas

The main goal of this study was to identify acculturation preference profiles using cluster analysis in public and private areas of culture in the host and immigrant populations, and to find out the relationship between these profiles and prejudice levels. Four hundred and ninety-nine Spaniards and 500 Romanians participated in a survey. The sampling of Spaniards was multistage random and the sampling of Romanians was by quota. The results confirm our predictions. Romanians who are less prejudiced against Spaniards prefer assimilation in public areas and integration in private areas. Romanians who are more prejudiced against Spaniards prefer integration in public areas and separation in private areas. Spaniards who are less prejudiced against Romanians prefer integration in both public and private areas. Spaniards who are more prejudiced against Romanians prefer assimilation in both areas.     

When is a lie acceptable? Work and private life lying acceptance depends on its beneficiary

In this article we show that when analyzing attitude towards lying in a cross-cultural setting, both the beneficiary of the lie (self vs other) and the context (private life vs. professional domain) should be considered. In a study conducted in Estonia, Ireland, Mexico, The Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and Sweden (N = 1345), in which participants evaluated stories presenting various types of lies, we found usefulness of relying on the dimensions. Results showed that in the joint sample the most acceptable were other-oriented lies concerning private life, then other-oriented lies in the professional domain, followed by egoistic lies in the professional domain; and the least acceptance was shown for egoistic lies regarding one’s private life. We found a negative correlation between acceptance of a behavior and the evaluation of its deceitfulness.     

Preliminary examination of a couple-based eating disorder prevention program

The purpose of the current study was to investigate a new dissonance-based prevention program that is based on the dual pathway model of eating disorders within the context of an individual's romantic relationship. A total of 209 dating couples participated in a couple-based prevention program or an assessment-only condition and completed measures of body dissatisfaction, thin-ideal internalization, disordered eating, negative affect, and relationship satisfaction at two time points (approximately one week apart) and approximately half of the sample completed 1-month follow-up measures. The prevention program significantly reduced several key risk factors for eating disorders such as environmental pressures to be thin, internalization of the thin and athletic ideals, state body dissatisfaction, and actual-ideal body discrepancy. Initial support was found for the inclusion of couples in eating disorder prevention programs as a successful way of addressing the thin ideal and its detrimental effects for women.     

In-group Bias Test adapted to the relative acculturation extended model: reliability and validity evidences

In-group favouritism has become a variable of enormous importance in the study of inter-ethnic relations. According to current approaches, it can be understood as a tendency among the members of one group to favour or value the behaviour, attitudes, preferences or perceptions of their own group over those of another group to which they do not belong. The aim of this work is to study the psychometric properties of a new test for measuring inter-ethnic in-group bias, in majority (native) and minority (immigrant) groups. The test is based on the acculturation areas of the Relative Acculturation Extended Model (RAEM). Participants were 992 Spaniards and 975 immigrants (500 Romanians and 475 Ecuadorians). The reliability estimate and validity evidence for these samples show that the psychometric properties of the In-group Bias Test are appropriate for use in multi-ethnic contexts, as it can be used in majority (native) and minority (Romanian and Ecuadorian immigrants) groups.     

Multiple victimization of Spanish adolescents: a multilevel analysis

Multiple victimization in adolescence is an issue that has received little research attention. Furthermore, adolescents are particularly vulnerable to victimization in different contexts. The aim of this study is to analyze correlates of multiple victimization in three contexts (home, school, and street). The following forms of victimization were considered: stealing, hitting, insulting, threatening, blackmailing, and weapon intimidation. Multiple victimization correlates explored were: sex, age, public/private school, socioeconomic status, quality of family relationships, and antisocial behavior. A probabilistic sample of 1,908 adolescents (ages 13 to 18) was used. Multilevel analyses were conducted to separate correlates at the individual level from those operating at the contextual level. Results show that gender, quality of family relationships, and deviant behavior were related to multiple victimization in adolescence.     

I blush, therefore I will be judged negatively: influence of false blush feedback on anticipated others’ judgments and facial coloration in high and low blushing-fearfuls

In the present study, we investigate whether people attribute costs to displaying a blush. Individuals with and without fear of blushing were invited to have a short conversation with two confederates. During the conversation, half of the individuals received the feedback that they were blushing intensely. The study tested whether the belief that one is blushing leads to the anticipation that one will be judged negatively. In addition, the set-up permitted the actual physiological blush response to be investigated. In line with the model that we propose for erythrophobia, participants in the feedback condition expected the confederates to judge them relatively negatively, independent of their fear of blushing. Furthermore, sustaining the idea that believing that one will blush can act as a self-fulfilling prophecy, high-fearfuls showed relatively intense facial coloration in both conditions, whereas low-fearfuls only showed enhanced blush responses following false blush feedback.