Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

The aim of this study is to examine the relationships between social support (family, peers and teachers) and emotional intelligence. A sample of 1543 adolescents, 728 boys (47.18%) and 815 (52.81%) girls, whose ages ranged from 11 to 18 (Mage = 14.24, SD = 1.63), was employed in this study. The statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 21 for Windows program. On the one hand, Pearson correlations indicated that social support and emotional intelligence are meaningful and positively correlated in boys and girls in the sample. On the other hand, multivariate regression analyses showed the predictive capability that the three types of social support have on emotional intelligence in both genders.

Introduction Retirement challenges the preservation of cognitive functions, since unstructured time increases as obligations diminish. Objectives 1. Analyse the characteristics of unstructured time in the healthy elderly. 2. Verify the relationship between types of leisure and cognitive functions. Methodology The study included 72 retired persons distributed into three groups: Group G1 (participants in Senior University programs), G2 (participants in a memory training program), and G3 (table games players). The measurements applied include the Clock Test, registering daily activities, and several cognitive tests. Results The analysis of variance and post hoc comparisons were performed. G1 and G2 groups gave more precise details on the distribution of time, and they both practice more cognitive activities than G3, which prefers social activities. G1 practiced “active rest”, as opposed to passive rest by G2 and G3, which was mainly watching TV or sleeping siesta. Cognitive measurements are significantly better in G1 than in any other group, while the results of G2 were significantly higher than G3. Conclusions The type of leisure activities is positive and significantly related to a richer and more intense planning of non-structured time and with a better cognitive level.

The aim of this work is twofold: first, to find out if there are differences by gender and academic level in relaxation and mindfulness competence in high school students. Second, it is intended to analyze the relation between Relaxation-Mindfulness, Classroom Climate and Academic Performance based on the hypothesis that classroom climate acts as a mediator between relaxation-mindfulness and academic performance. The study was conducted during an intervention of TREVA’s Relaxation-Mindfulness Program on a sample of 420 students of Compulsory Secondary School and High School with an average age of 14.29. The results showed no differences by gender in mindfulness but partially, by educational level. It was found that classroom climate acts as a mediator between mindfulness and academic performance. The implementation of programs of relaxation-mindfulness is highly recommended for Secondary and High School students.

Attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neuro-behavioural disorder with onset in childhood. These children have impaired emotional self-control, self-regulation of drive and motivation. Numerous studies have reported cognitive disabilities in memory, executive functions, spatial abilities and language skills. The main objective of this work is to determine whether a socio-emotional intervention programme could improve executive functions in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The sample of this study consisted of 25 children (8 female and 17 male) aged between 8 and 12 years, diagnosed with ADHD and who were not taking any psychopharmacological treatment at the time of the study, and had not taken medication previously. Executive functioning was assessed through the Zoo Map test and Tower of Hanoi puzzle in pre-/post-test design. A socio-emotional intervention programme was implemented. The training consisted of 8 one-hour weekly sessions, on an individual basis. Results indicate that such a programme does lead to improved performance in the execution of tasks that evaluate executive functions. After the intervention, the children took less time to resolve the Zoo Map test. Results for the Hanoi Tower puzzle were also improved after intervention. The children needed a lower number of movements to complete the task.

A literature review was performed on Ibero-American journals of Psychology and Education indexed in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) of 2013. In order to determine their situation, use was made of the indicators provided by the JCR (Impact Factor of 2013, of the last five years, and their progression, as well as the Immediacy Index of 2013, journal country of origin country, and position and quartile of each journal in its category). Data was also obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoS) (h index, g index, mean citations per article, total citations, indexing year of the WoS, and author country of origin). A total of 29 journals from both disciplines were found indexed in the JCR of 2013. Spain is the Ibero-American country with more indexed journals (12 of Psychology and 7 of Education). For Psychology, the International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology is the only Ibero-American journal in the first quartile, and has the highest IF of the Ibero-American journals (2.915). For Education, the journal Cultura y Educación has the highest IF (.375), a higher hindex (6) and a higher g index (7) shared with the journal Comunicar.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of autonomy support, psychological mediators, and self-determined motivation have on teacher satisfaction. The study was performed on a sample of 172 teachers from primary, secondary and high schools, and vocational training institutions. It measured the autonomy supportive, the basic psychological needs, work motivation and teacher satisfaction. The results supported the factorial structure and showed that the scale had an appropriate validity and reliability to measure teacher satisfaction. The autonomy support of the teacher, the basic psychological needs, and the self-determined motivation predicted the teacher satisfaction. The satisfaction of basic psychological needs turned out to be the best index to reduce burnout, and promote the vitality necessary for the performance of the teaching task. The types of self-determined motivation are negatively related to the depletion of teachers and positively oriented work, while less self-determination was positively associated with the depletion of the professional work, and the use of external pressure to perform the professional task. Psychological mediators contributed to teacher satisfaction.

Standard conventional tests only assess a narrow sampling of the abilities required for success in school and in life. In contrast, the augmented theory of successful intelligence asserts that intelligence involves creative skills in producing new ideas, analytical skills in evaluating whether the ideas are good ones, practical skills in putting the ideas into practice and in convincing other people of the value of the ideas, and wisdom-based skills in confirming that one is using one's knowledge and skills to serve a common good. Three projects were created to evaluate the theory with regard to college admissions: First, the Rainbow Project demonstrated that prediction of first-year college academic performance could be increased while simultaneously decreasing differences between ethnic groups on a predictive assessment, in comparison with the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Second, the Kaleidoscope Project improved prediction of academic and extracurricular performance over SAT scores alone; but the ethnic-group differences usually obtained vanished. Third, the Panorama Project showed the success of similar techniques in a less selective population. The projects demonstrate the application of the augmented theory of successful intelligence in enhancing college and university admissions procedures.

School refusal behavior refers to the avoidance of a child attending school and/or persistent difficulty staying in the classroom throughout the school day. Based on a review of the scientific literature, the aim of this study is to describe the current state of research on school refusal, differentiating between the findings and progress made in Spain from those achieved in the international field. For this purpose, the significance of this phenomenon, in addition to associated risk factors and variables, will be reviewed in the child and youth population. In turn, the commonly used assessment methods and most recommended treatment proposals, mainly based on cognitive behavioral therapy, are discussed. The results reveal several gaps and subjects for debate in some areas of knowledge about school refusal behavior, with differences being found between Spanish and international studies. In conclusion, future studies and challenges in this field are required.

Homework is one of the educational tools that lately have generated major controversies among educators. This paper aims at investigating the relationship between the amount of homework done, time doing homework, and homework time management, considering secondary students academic achievement in the subjects of Mathematics, Spanish language and English. In the current research 613 secondary Spanish students participated. Findings show that high academic achievement is positively associated with a higher amount of homework done, more time doing homework and also with a better homework time management. On the contrary, lower levels of academic achievement on the mentioned subjects are positively associated with a low amount of homework done, less time spent on homework and also with a lower homework time management.

The aim of this study was to create and validate the Scale of Style Controller and check its relationship with perceived competence of students in higher education. For this purpose a sample of 276 Spanish university students with a mean age of 22 years who were measured style controller and basic psychological need of academic competence was used. The results of confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency and temporal stability were adequate. The controller style was not related to perceived competence. This study has enabled to provide a valid and reliable scale that can be used to measure interpersonal style controller type of teaching in higher education.