Optimismo y pesimismo son dos de los constructos de la personalidad mas popularmente utilizados. Quizas, las actuales exigencias sociales, economicas, familiares, politicas… llevan a entender y a ver el mundo desde perspectivas muy diferentes que en cierto modo, afectan a la propia manera de ser y actuar de la persona. Recientemente, desde hace unas decadas, optimismo y pesimismo se han convertido en foco de multiples investigaciones que nos han proporcionado una extensa bibliografia (Chang, 2001; Ferrando, Chico y Tous, 2002; Vera- Villaroel, Cordova- Rubio y Celis- Atenas, 2009). De esta forma, ambos constructos parecen jugar un importante papel en el desarrollo del bienestar psiquico y fisico de la persona (Brissette, Carver y Scheier, 2002; Chang, D’Zurilla, y Maydeu- Olivares, 1994; Peterson y Seligman, 1984), permitiendo predecir ciertas enfermedades como depresion o ansiedad o permitiendo analizar la propia satisfaccion personal del individuo (Chico y Ferrando, 2008; Mroczek, Spiro, Aldwin, Ozer y Bosse, 1993; Robinson- Whelen, Kim, MacCallum y Kiecolt-Glaser, 1997). Ademas, otras investigaciones se centran en analizar los costes y beneficios de tener una personalidad optimista o pesimista (Golub, Gilbert y Wilson, 2009) o de estudiar la gran influencia que tiene el apoyo social para el desarrollo de ambos constructos (Vollman, Renner y Weber, 2007) asi como tambien, el estudio del optimismo como predictor de diferentes estrategias adaptativas (Chico, 2002). Aunque el optimismo y pesimismo se desarrollan en la edad adulta (Chang y Sanna, 2001) poco se sabe acerca de como y cuando aparecen ambos constructos en las primeras edades (Ey et al, 2005) y si se desarrollan mas en ninos o ninas. El hecho de no existir un gran numero de estudios sobre optimismo y pesimismo en ninos y ninas se debe en parte a la dificultad por definir los constructos desde los sentimientos de los mas jovenes, a la incapacidad de analizar optimismo y pesimismo como dos constructos distintos en un mismo continuo y a las problematicas existentes en las propiedades psicometricas de diferentes test para adultos aplicados a ninos. El test de medida para adultos Life Orientation Test- Revisado (Scheier y Carver, 1985) posee cualidades idoneas para el estudio de ambos constructos como elementos de un mismo continuo con una fiabilidad test-retest pero al ser aplicado a ninos, se observa que esta fiabilidad disminuye considerablemente aceptando pues, que el cuestionario es inapropiado para ninos. De esta forma y a partir de diferentes analisis y estudios, Ey y sus colaboradores (2005) propusieron una nueva escala psicometrica valida y fiable para poblacion joven: Youth Life Orientation Test (YLOT) donde redujeron el numero de items y los adaptaron a poblacion mucho menor, de entre 8 y 12 anos, con la finalidad de ser entendido. El hecho de no existir validacion alguna en poblacion espanola de este cuestionario hace que el presente estudio tenga como primer objetivo analizar la validez y fiabilidad del cuestionario YLOT en poblacion espanola de edades comprendidas entre los 8 y 12 anos con una traduccion al espanol del mismo y ademas, establecer un modelo predictivo del alto o bajo optimismo y pesimismo a traves del analisis de las atribuciones causales academicas, el afecto, la personalidad, la agresividad y el rechazo escolar. Por otro lado, otro de los objetivos mas importantes de esta tesis es analizar quienes somos mas optimistas o pesimistas y sobre que edades se es mas optimista o pesimista (Kassinove y Sukhodolsky, 1995; Stipek, Roberts y Sanborn, 1984).

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Validación del cuestionario Youth Life Orientation Test y su relación con variables psicoeducativas y de personalidad

Violence suffered by children is a violation of human rights and a global health problem. Children with disabilities are especially vulnerable to violence in the school environment, which has a negative impact on their well-being and health. Students with disabilities educated in special schools have, in addition, more reduced experiences of interaction that may reduce both their opportunities for learning and for building protective social networks of support. This study analyses the transference of evidence-based actions to prevent violence in schools –the Dialogic Model of Prevention and Resolution of Conflicts (DMPRC)– in the context of a special school, and its impact on the reduction of violence, the creation of egalitarian relationships and the prevention of bullying. A case study with a communicative approach was conducted including in-depth interviews and communicative focus groups with the diverse participants to analyse the process of transformation carried out in the school and the main actions that give students a voice in the management and creation of egalitarian non-violent relationships. The results show that the inclusion of the students’ voices in the resolution and prevention of conflicts reduces violence, empowers special education students, strengthens friendship relationships, caring behaviour, and active positioning among the community. The positive impact of the transference of the Dialogic Model of Prevention and Resolution of Conflicts to special schools contributes to students’ well-being and healthy development by offering safe and protective educational spaces and quality emotional education, also contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals related to the elimination of all forms of violence in childhood.

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Creating Learning Environments Free of Violence in Special Education Through the Dialogic Model of Prevention and Resolution of Conflicts.

Background: Thalassemia is one of the diseases that make people worried about their present and future status and is associated with a wide range of serious psychological and clinical challenges. Like any other chronic disease, thalassemia effects a patient’s psychological state and has adverse effects on mental health of the patient and his/her family. Objectives: Given the psychological problems that patients with thalassemia encounter, the present study aimed at investigating the effect of positive psychotherapy on perceived competence and quality of life among children with thalassemia in Zabul. Methods: This quasi-experimental study had a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The current study had a statistical population consisting of all children with thalassemia in Zabul, Iran, during year 2017. The sample included 30 children, selected using the convenience sampling method and randomly assigned to 2 groups of experimental and control. Positive psychotherapy was performed for the experimental group during 8 sessions (2 sessions per week) within a month. After completing the psychotherapy sessions, a posttest was carried out and a follow-up was conducted one month later. To collect data, Harter Perceived Competence Scale for Children and KIDSCREEN-Quality of Life Measure for Children and Adolescents were used. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics via the SPSS version 16 software. Results: Results of the analysis of covariance showed that due to the intervention, as the independent variable (positive psychotherapy), there were significant differences in the scores of perceived competence and quality of life (P < 0.005). In the posttest, 0.46 of the variance in perceived competence and 0.77 of the variance in quality of life, were explained by the independent variable (positive psychotherapy). Furthermore, in the follow-up, 0.52 of the variance in perceived competence and 0.41 of the variance in quality of life, were explained by the independent variable (positive psychotherapy). Conclusions: Regarding the effectiveness of positive psychotherapy in improving perceived competence and quality of life, specialists working at centers for special diseases are recommended to use positive psychotherapy programs to enhance perceived competence and quality of life among these patients.

The Effect of Positive Psychotherapy on Perceived Competence and Quality of Life Among Children With Thalassemia

Structural empirical model of personal positive youth development, parenting, and school climate

A positividade refere-se a disposicao do individuo para avaliar positivamente os diversos aspectos da vida. Estudos demonstram os efeitos beneficos da positividade na vida das pessoas em diversos dominios, incluindo a performance no trabalho e nas relacoes sociais. Na adolescencia, a positividade apresenta-se como um importante fator de protecao para o desenvolvimento saudavel. O presente estudo apresenta evidencias iniciais de validade da Escala de Positividade (EP) para uma amostra de 638 adolescentes brasileiros (67,7 % do sexo feminino; idade media = 15,19; DP = 2,40). Analises fatoriais exploratoria e confirmatoria indicaram solucao unifatorial para a EP, corroborando sua estrutura original.  A validade convergente foi evidenciada por meio de correlacoes positivas moderadas entre a EP e os indicadores de esperanca, otimismo, autoestima, e saude mental. Este estudo amplia as evidencias de validade da EP no contexto brasileiro e oferece uma nova ferramenta para os estudos da Psicologia Positiva desenvolvidos com adolescentes.

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Escala de positividade: evidências iniciais de validade para adolescentes brasileiros

This investigation analyzes a sample of 332 Spanish teenagers following different academic careers and the relationship among four emergent cognitive concepts in positive psychology: dispositional optimism, hope, self-efficiency and the sense of coherence. The results indicate statistically significant differences between individuals who have pursued successful academic careers, regardless of the direction towards university or professional orientation, and those who have had unsuccessful academic backgrounds. Furthermore, there are interrelationships between all constructs considered, clearly defining a positive development profile in adolescents, which suggest further research and development of different human performance indicators to promote positive development in adolescents.

http://www.scielo.org.mx/pdf/jbhsi/v5n2/v5n2a5.pdf

Personal competencies of spanish students pursuing different academic careers. contributions and reflections from positive psychology.

This study analyzed how the relationships of adolescent students with their peers, the educational community, and their families, as well as their attitudes to school violence, influences becoming ...

School Networks of Positive Relationships, Attitudes against Violence, and Prevention of Relational Bullying in Victim, Bystander, and Aggressor Agents

Personal competencies of spanish students pursuing different academic careers. contributions and reflections from positive psychology. competencias personales en estudiantes españoles que siguen distintas trayectorias académicas. aportaciones y reflexiones desde la psicología positiva.

Santos Orejudo-Hernández

Papers

Personal competencies of spanish students pursuing different academic careers. contributions and reflections from positive psychology.

School Networks of Positive Relationships, Attitudes against Violence, and Prevention of Relational Bullying in Victim, Bystander, and Aggressor Agents

Personal competencies of spanish students pursuing different academic careers. contributions and reflections from positive psychology. competencias personales en estudiantes españoles que siguen distintas trayectorias académicas. aportaciones y reflexiones desde la psicología positiva.