International Journal of Advances in Psychology

Disturbing Concerns for Dark Personalities: Anxiety Sensitivity and the Dark Triad

2016-0

Disturbing Concerns for Dark Personalities: Anxiety Sensitivity and the Dark Triad

Pages 1-5
Author Béla BirkásAndrás LángLászló MartinJános Kálla
Abstract Former empirical findings on psychopathy, narcissism and anxiety symptoms suggested that even socially aversive or antisocial personality traits could be positively related to the different dimensions of anxiety. However, the relationship between the Dark Triad and anxiety sensitivity – the tendency to interpret the different effects (physiological, psychological, and social) of anxiety experiences as aversive or threatening – hasn’t been investigated, yet. Based on previous research and the unique strategies associated with dark personality traits, we predicted that narcissists, psychopaths, and Machiavellians would react to anxiety symptoms in a unique way. Predictions were tested with self-report measures. In line with our assumptions, psychopathy was positively associated with Cognitive Concerns and marginally with Physical Concerns. Machiavellianism was related to Social Concerns, whereas narcissism showed negative association with the same dimension of anxiety sensitivity. Results are discussed from a perspective where Dark Triad traits are considered as pseudopatologies.

Early Systematic Thinking Underlying Moral Values in Children Precognitive Stages: an Information Integration Theory Approach

2016-0

Early Systematic Thinking Underlying Moral Values in Children Precognitive Stages: an Information Integration Theory Approach

Pages 6-10
Author Claudia Jaquelina GonzalezHilda Isela Mirand
Abstract A sample of 25 children aging from 4 to 5 years old was required to judge twelve scenarios where moral values regarding respect, justice and kindness were manipulated. Participants had to use a jumping frog to rate how respectful a scenario actor was about the behavior of another child in the scenario. Results showed that when manipulated moral values of respect, justice and kindness were high, participants integrated scenery information by using a cognitive summative algebraic rule. It is argued that this kind of systematic thinking at pre-conventional stages of moral development can be typified and further explored by using an Information Integration Approach.

Emotional Intelligence in Nursing Students—Describing Emotional Intelligence in the Last 2 Years of a BSN Program

2016-0

Emotional Intelligence in Nursing Students—Describing Emotional Intelligence in the Last 2 Years of a BSN Program

Pages 11-22
Author Ezra C. HolstonJanette Y. Taylo
Abstract Emotional Intelligence (EI) is fundamental for nursing students to develop therapeutic relationships in the clinical settings. However, there was little research about EI’s level during the last 2 years of a Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) program. Thus, the purpose of this longitudinal study was to characterize nursing students’ level of EI during their last 2 years in a BSN program at a 4-year university. With a convenience sample (n = 32), demographic data were collected once and the Bar-On Emotional Quotient inventory was completed 3 times (baseline and two 7-month follow-up evaluations). Data were analyzed with descriptive and multivariate statistics (α = .05). Several aspects of EI were significantly impacted by time. A significant (p ≤ .03) increase occurred in emotional self-awareness, assertiveness, and problem solving with a significant (p ≤ .04) decrease in self-actualization, impulse control, and happiness. Also, certain aspects of EI contributed to explaining 54% of the variance in academic performance. Emotional intelligence did not change over the last 2 years of the BSN program. Nursing students began and graduated with moderate-low EI, which may not emotionally prepare them for the nursing workforce. Therefore, more emphasis needs to place on EI throughout the nursing curricula.

The Parental Investment Effect on Immigrant Children at Schools: Employment and Specialization of Parents as an Explaining Variable for Tasks Achievement in Second Language

2016-0

The Parental Investment Effect on Immigrant Children at Schools: Employment and Specialization of Parents as an Explaining Variable for Tasks Achievement in Second Language

Pages 23-34
Author Sandra FigueiredoMargarida Alves MartinsCarlos Silv
Abstract The present research study examines how family environment has an impact on immigrant children’s task performance considering the Socioeconomic Status (SES) of parents, but focusing two dimensions of the immigrant SES specificities (APA, 2012): the professional situation and related educational background (employment and specialization professions/work of parents). Economically disadvantaged families (parents unemployed or whose job is unspecialized) may be a predictor of different performances in a second language (L2), involving deficits for parental investment and for specific cognitive skills in childhood and adolescence. 108 learners of Portuguese as a L2, aged 8 to 17, from lower to middle socioeconomic backgrounds, completed four language and verbal reasoning tasks in European Portuguese: verbal analogies, semantic associations, picture identification and morphological extraction. A series of MANOVAs indicated that learners from lower socioeconomic backgrounds perform worse in the four administered tasks due to their parents' unemployment situation but students whose parents had unspecialized jobs performed better than those whose parents had specialized jobs. Unskilled jobs were confirmed as related to higher immigrant parental investment. Educational and cognitive implications will be discussed concerning how the participants differed in the tasks.