Articles

Background. Visuospatial working memory (VSWM) is critical for academic achievement, particularly in mathematics. The Corsi Block-Tapping Test (CBTT) is one of the most widely used tools to assess VSWM, traditionally relying on span length as the primary performance indicator. However, recent research suggests that additional metrics, such as accuracy and reaction time (RT), may offer complementary insights. Despite this, RT remains underexplored in studies examining VSWM development and its links to academic outcomes such as math performance.

Objective. To investigate age- and sex-related changes in VSWM using CBTT accuracy, span, and RT, and to examine how these metrics relate to math achievement across school grades and sexes.

Design. Data were collected from 2,749 Russian pupils (53% girls), aged 10 to 18 years (M = 13.89, SD = 2.08), enrolled in grades 5 to 11 in two regions (Nizhny Novgorod and Irkutsk). Regression analysis was applied to three indicators of CBTT and math achievement that was measured by average school grades.

Results. CBTT accuracy increased and RT decreased from grades 5 to 8, then both increased post-grade 9, suggesting a developmental shift. Accuracy predicted math grades in grades 5–9 but not later; RT was a stable negative predictor across all grades. Sex did not moderate VSWM–math associations, though girls showed greater RT efficiency in late adolescence.

Conclusion. VSWM develops along non-linear trajectories that differ by metric. Multi-indicator assessment is essential, and school grades should be interpreted with caution as proxies for math ability.

Background. Encounters with threats can lead to a motivation to justify the existing social system, which can be expressed through endorsement of system-justifying beliefs.

Objective. The aim of the study was to examine how different types of threats contribute to endorsement of system-justifying beliefs in the economic domain.

Design. We tested a theoretical model (N = 577) with internal threats (fear of death), economic threats (threats of poverty and socio-economic inequality), and subjective threat perception (belief in a dangerous and competitive world) as predictors; system-justifying beliefs (economic system justification, opposition to equality, dominance, and antiegalitarianism) served as dependent variables, and sociodemographic characteristics were included as control variables.

Results. Structural equation modeling showed adequate fit in the Russian context. Belief in a competitive world positively predicted dominance, antiegalitarianism, and opposition to equality, while belief in a dangerous world negatively predicted economic system justification. Fear of death positively predicted opposition to equality, whereas perceived economic threats (poverty and inequality) negatively predicted antiegalitarianism, and opposition to equality.

Conclusion. Dangerous and competitive worldviews, internal and economic threats contribute to the support of system-justifying beliefs in the economic domain.

Background. Extreme events, including warfare, lead to transformations in moral norms and the heightened intensity of moral disengagement mechanisms, which may be prolonged or become irreversible. Research to identify the factors that reduce the frequency of moral disengagement mechanisms among adolescents can lead to understanding how to prevent and decrease the intensity of destructive behavior.

Objective. To identify the emotional states and fundamental belief systems that correlate with the intensity of moral disengagement in adolescents from combat zones, compared to peers in a control group.

Design. The study employed the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21) to assess the severity of negative emotional states; the revised World Assumption Scale (Russian adaptation) to measure the intensity of five fundamental beliefs; and the Propensity to Morally Disengage Scale (Russian adaptation) to evaluate the extent of moral disengagement. The sample consisted of 196 adolescents aged 13 to 16. 98 participants were residents of a combat zone (Belgorod Region) and 98 participants from various regions of the Russian Federation with no exposure to combat danger.

Results.  The study revealed a significant deterioration across all assessed indicators of emotional state, as well as a reduction in fundamental beliefs about the benevolence of the world, the trustworthiness of others, and self-worth among adolescents in the primary group compared to the control group. Adolescents from the Belgorod Region exhibited significantly higher levels of 5 (from 8) moral disengagement mechanisms. Predictors of the intensity of moral disengagement were identified.

Conclusion.  Living in a combat zone contributes to the intensification of negative emotional states, the breakdown of fundamental belief systems, and a prevalence of moral disengagement mechanisms in adolescents. Depression levels (directly) and beliefs in the benevolence and controllability of the world (inversely) predicted moral disengagement.

Background. Attention to emotions is growing in workplaces. To address this interest, new psychological instruments have been developed to assess the emotional states of individuals at work. The Work-Related Affective Feelings (WORAF) Scale is a new psychological tool for measuring four main emotions: happiness, anxiety, anger, and dejection at work. 

Objective. To determine psychometric properties of the Farsi version of the WORAF Scale in Iran.

Design. This research employed a cross-sectional research design. The sample consisted of 514 people (250 females and 264 males). We collected data using the Work-Related Affective Feelings Scale, the Job-Related Affective Well-Being Scale, and the Ten-Item Personality Inventory. Confirmatory Factor Analysis was used to check the factorial structure of this scale. The Pearson correlation coefficient and Cronbach’s alpha were analyzed using SPSS version 26 and R software version 4.2.

Results. The model fit indices suggested satisfactory fit for the final models as CFI = .907, TLI = .904, NFI = .907, IFI = .907, X²/_df = 3.809, RMR = .055, and RMSEA = .079. The Cronbach’s alpha of the scale was .87 and values ranging from .73 to .92 confirmed the reliability of the WORAF. The Pearson correlation analysis revealed a statistically significant relationship between this scale and similar scales, verifying the convergent validity of this scale and similar scales.

Conclusion. The findings provide empirical support and introduce the WORAF Scale as a valid and reliable scale translated and validated in Iran. The Farsi version of this scale can measure four major emotions of individuals in Iranian workplaces. This scale can be used by Iranian researchers as well as by organizational practitioners to measure, identify, and improve the emotions employees experience in their workplaces. Considering the large number of employees in the private and public sectors in Iran, this scale can be and useful.  

Background. Addressing global environmental challenges requires an understanding the factors that influence pro-environmental behaviour. 

Objective. This review summarises Chilean research that explores how environmental knowledge, nature connection, and prosociality influence such behaviour. The review summarises Chilean studies on these driving factors and discuss their implications for environmental education strategies. 

Design. A focussed review was conducted of Chilean studies that employed the General Ecological Behavior (GEB) scale. This self-reported measure captures a wide range of pro-environmental actions (e.g., recycling, conservation efforts) and environmentally harmful behaviours. The review acknowledges the existence of broader Latin American research on this topic.  

Results. The review highlights the importance of specific types of environmental knowledge for pro-environmental behaviour. Knowledge about human impact on ecosystems (human-impact system knowledge) and knowledge of actionable solutions (action knowledge) emerged as key determinants. Interestingly, a knowledge deficit regarding personal effectiveness in environmental protection (effectiveness knowledge) was evident in the Chilean population. In addition, the review emphasises the role of prosocial tendencies, mediated by nature connection, in driving pro-environmental behaviour.  

Conclusion. Developing effective environmental education programmes in Chile should prioritise fostering diverse environmental knowledge and strengthening connections with nature. Both environmental knowledge and nature connection can empower individuals and leverage prosocial motivations for positive environmental action. A key limitation of the Chilean studies reviewed are their reliance on cross-sectional data. This type of data allows for the identification of associations but cannot definitively establish causation. To strengthen the causal inferences, future research should employ interventional study designs.

Background. Motherhood in Chile is complex and challenging -marked as it is by a growing number of women raising children on their own, against a backdrop of multiple social, cultural and economic factors- as well as a significant decline in birth rates. Perezhivanie is a Russian word, originating in Russian scholarship.  This concept integrates the personal, social, and environmental dimensions of individual experience.  This study adopts a cultural-historical approach grounded in Vygotskian theory, proposing perezhivanie as the unit of analysis.

Objective. To study the perezhivanie of Chilean women in relation to the psychological, social, and cultural factors underlying the complexities of motherhood.

Design. This study uses a qualitative epistemology and adopts a constructive-interpretative paradigm proposed by González-Rey. As a research strategy, it uses a case study design and applies a purposive sampling method which allows to recruit 10 Chilean mothers to whom the episodic interview technique proposed by Flick is applied. Data analysis was conducted following González-Rey’s method to interpreting subjective productions.

Results. The main findings indicate that participants construct a perezhivanie marked by guilt and frustration within a social framework characterised by family difficulties, of monoparenting, and lack of economic resources, all associated with cultural patterns that reinforce the unequal distribution of parenting responsibilities and gender stereotypes in society.

Conclusion. The study concludes on the importance of studying and providing comprehensive responses to the complex reality of motherhood in Chile.

Background. Socio-emotional competencies are important for mental health and successful human interaction. In the university context, strengthening socio-emotional competencies is essential for fostering a collaborative learning environment, where students can manage academic stress and build meaningful connections with their peers.

Objective. To test the psychometric properties of the Socio-Emotional Competence Assessment Scale in the Cuban population.

Design. Two cross-sectional studies were conducted. Study 1 (N = 640) assessed the psychometric properties of the Socio-Emotional Competence Assessment Scale within the Cuban population. In Study 2 (N = 913), the nomological validity of the scale was evaluated.

Results. In Study 1, the scale demonstrated high internal consistency and the expected three-factor structure. We had to eliminate one item, as it was negatively correlated with the rest of the scale items; the result was the Cuban ECSE. In Study 2, we tested the nomological validity of the scale: we found that socio-emotional competencies had medium-sized positive correlations with subjective well-being and perceived academic self-efficacy. Negative associations were found between socio-emotional competencies and academic stress. Additionally, socio-emotional competencies were positively and statistically significantly correlated with the dimension of coping strategies in response to stressful stimuli or situations.

Conclusion. The use of the ECSE is recommended in the Cuban context.

Background. Investigating the complexities of consumer behaviour requires an understanding of the sociocultural contexts that shape individual preferences and purchasing patterns. Factors such as family dynamics, community norms, and cultural values emphasise the importance of exploring the influence of sociocultural premises. These forces are continuously negotiated within the evolving trends of the global consumer culture. As a result, it is essential to recognise that each group has unique values and needs that must be acknowledged.

Objective. This study aims to explore, develop, and assess psychometric properties and evidence of a measure assessing consumer sociocultural premises from an ethnopsychology approach, to identify distinctive elements shaping purchasing patterns based on social norms.

Design. A mixed-methods research design was employed to gather qualitative and quantitative data for a comprehensive analysis. First, sociocultural norms were extracted through focus group discussions. Building upon these identified premises, the subsequent study developed a scale wherein scale items were created, and their psychometric properties were evaluated through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses.

Results. The first study identified sociocultural premises related to family, gender roles, self-sacrifice, product, and hedonism that shape consumer behaviour. In the second study, these elements were incorporated into the initial set of scale items, which were then refined through expert review, pilot testing, and statistical analyses. Results revealed a seven-factor structure reflecting the key socio-cultural premises identified in the focus groups. The scale demonstrated strong internal consistency and adequate psychometric properties evidence.

Conclusion. The findings of this study underscore the significance of sociocultural factors in shaping individual purchasing behaviour, emphasising the need for a measurement tool that captures culturally specific purchasing beliefs and universal factors. This research contributes to the existing body of knowledge on social dynamics and consumer behaviour, providing valuable insights for future studies and practical applications in the field.

Background. Currently, insufficient attention is being paid to methods of rehabilitation of patients with negleсt syndrome. It is necessary to create an effective way to overcome this condition.

Objective. After we developed and tested a specialized rehabilitation training program for patients with neglect syndrome, we sought to verify that the designed program would have a positive impact on the indicators of visuospatial search in these patients, in contrast to a control group. The patients underwent the specialized training, and improvements in the indicators of visuospatial search were observed, which minimized manifestations of left neglect.

Design. The study consisted of two stages: 1) the development and approbation of the author's task aimed at diagnosing visuospatial neglect syndrome, and 2) the development and approbation of the specialized rehabilitation training and evaluation of its impact on the indicators of visuospatial search in patients with neglect syndrome. Eighty-three patients with lesions of the right hemisphere of the brain took part in the first stage of the study; 37 patients with left-sided visuospatial neglect syndrome took part in the second.

Results. The results of the ANOVARM data analysis indicated statistically significant changes in the visuospatial search of the experimental group's patients. Specifically, there was an increase in the number of head turns to the left (F = 18.127, p<.05) and a decrease in the proportion of missed stimuli on the left (F = 18.367, p<.05). Additionally, the total time to complete the tasks presented by the author's methodology increased after participation in the specialized rehabilitation training. An increase in this indicator may suggest that patients in the experimental group were becoming more aware of the search process. There were no significant differences in the indicators of visuospatial search between patients in the two control groups.

Conclusion. After completing a specialized rehabilitation program to overcome left-sided neglect, patients with neglect syndrome demonstrated improved visuospatial search indicators and increased overall visual activity. The training also had non-specific effects, such as increased motivation, more engagement in the rehabilitation process, and more willingness to participate in other individual and group classes.

Background. The concept of mental workload (MW) is a conceptual framework for evaluating the balance between the cognitive resources allocated to a task and those available to an individual. MWis influenced by the effort expended, the complexity of the task, and the individuals total processing capacity and resources.

Objective. This paper aims to explore MW in the field of sport and its relationship with other psychological variables, such as anxiety and burnout. This approach is not widely used in this context so this analysis is considered novel and unique.

Design. This paper is a cross-sectional study, with a sample selected by convenience sampling, consisting of Bulgarian athletes divided into three qualification categories: athletes competing at international competitions, athletes participating in national-level competitions, and non-professional athletes. The sample consisted of 107 athletes from various sports, with 62% male and 38% female participants.

The instruments used to assess the different psychological variables included the NASA-TLX for MW and an abbreviated questionnaire derived from the SAS-2 for Anxiety and Burnout based on ABQ. 

Results. Athletes' mental workload is multifaceted, influenced by physical and psychological factors, which may also act as a protective factor against anxiety. Team sports show higher levels of mental workload due to contextual uncertainty (entropy), which could reduce performance anxiety. Two athlete profiles emerged: a bright side (high effort, low anxiety) and a dark side (low effort, high anxiety).

Conclusion. These findings contribute to existing knowledge in sports psychology, providing deeper insights into the role of mental workload in athletic preparation and its potential function as a protective factor against anxiety.

Background. After decades of research, gender differences in spatial abilities (SA) remain poorly understood. Among factors that may contribute to these differences are self-perceived SA, inclinations, everyday behaviour and interests in SA-related activities, and related personality characteristics. In order to understand these links, a multifactorial approach is needed.  

Objective. This study explored the relationships among SA, spatial interests, and personality among adolescent boys and girls.

Design. The study recruited 660 participants (mean age = 15.04, SD = 1.08; 48% females) from public schools. Participants contributed data on a battery of SA tests; 8 personality traits: Big Five and Dark Triad; as well as SA-related activities: spatial interests and school commute information (mode and time) as a proxy for everyday spatial behaviour.

Results. Weak-to-moderate mean gender differences were observed: males scored higher on spatial ability, spatial interests, machiavellianism, and psychopathy; and females on agreeableness, openness to experience, and neuroticism. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed some gender differences in associations among personality traits and SA. In males, openness to experience and conscientiousness were significantly related to SA test performance. In females, openness to experience, extraversion, agreeableness, and machiavellianism contributed to SA performance. Although spatially-related interests were linked to SA, they were not significantly predicted by personality traits. Everyday spatial behaviour showed no relationship with personality traits or SA. 

Conclusion. The study replicated patterns of gender differences in spatial ability, spatial interests, and personality reported in previous literature. The results showed differential links between personality traits and spatial ability for males and females. However, the overall amount of variance explained in spatial ability was very small, suggesting that other factors are more prominent sources of gender differences in spatial ability. 

Background. Fluid intelligence is an integral cognitive ability that involves solving new non-standard problems. It strongly predicts academic and professional achievement, whereas a low level of fluid intelligence is an important predictor of learning problems. Clinical studies of fluid intelligence are of interest for the development of training programs in various groups of children with special needs. This article presents a study on fluid intelligence in children with learning disabilities.

Objective. This study aimed to investigate characteristics of fluid intelligence and its relationships with other cognitive characteristics in children with learning disabilities.

Design. This study involved 93 children, divided into two groups: 55 typically developing children (control group) and 38 children with learning disabilities (clinical group). To assess intelligence characteristics, this study employed the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (KABC-II) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Fifth Edition (WISC-V).

Results. A reduction was found in fluid intelligence, working memory, short-term memory, long-term memory, processing speed, visual-spatial abilities, and verbal abilities in the group of children with learning disabilities compared to the control group. In the clinical group, fluid intelligence was strongly associated with a greater number of cognitive parameters compared to the control group.

Conclusions. It is possible to assume that a close connection of fluid intelligence with the assessed cognitive characteristics in the group of children with learning disabilities may be due to general challenges in cognitive development.

Background. This study is based on the idea of unity between affect and intelligence. It explores how different types of intelligence (fluid, verbal, self-assessed, and emotional) contribute to emotional creativity and implicit theories of creativity and emotion.

Objective. To identify the contributions of various types of intelligence to emotional creativity and the implicit theories of creativity and emotion.

Design. Linear regression and mediation analyses were conducted on a sample of 244 students. These analyses aimed to uncover the relationships between different types of intelligence, emotional creativity, and related components of self-awareness (at the levels of self-assessment and implicit theories).

Results. The findings demonstrated the intricate connections between various forms of intelligence – fluid, crystallized, emotional, emotional creativity, and self-awareness components such as self-assessment of intelligence and creativity. Specifically, the impact of intelligence on emotional intelligence traits and emotional creativity was mediated by measures of self-esteem in intelligence and creativity. To test specific hypotheses, we conducted a series of regression analyses and developed two structural models. The first model included linear regression equations with each emotional creativity (EC) scale as the dependent variable and both types of intelligence, as well as self-assessments—SAI and SAC—as predictors. The second model demonstrated the mediation effect of implicit theories of emotions (ITE) in the influence of emotional intelligence (EI) on emotional creativity.

Conclusion. This study highlights the complexity of the interplay between different types of intelligence and emotional creativity. It reveals the mediating role of self-esteem in these relationships and underscores the distinct nature of emotional creativity domains. Additionally, it establishes the link between implicit theories of emotions and creativity, with emotional intelligence and self-esteem, offering valuable insights for further research.

Background. In the competitive world of emerging athletes, performance is crucial; in sports, it is essential. However, under the spotlight of competition, performance anxiety lurks as the unseen rival every athlete must conquer. Two important factors are fundamental to this dynamic—athletic identity and perceived coaching styles. Athletic identity becomes an athlete’s armor, while the coaching styles catalyze transformation. Their alliance can either elevate performance or diminish it.

Objective. To investigate the relationship between athletic identity, perceived coaching styles, and performance anxiety among university athletes.

Design. Using a correlational research design, 353 university athletes (191 men, 162 women, aged 18-25, M= 20.8, SD= 1.78) were recruited through non-probability purposive sampling from various universities. The athletic identity measurement scale (AIMS), leadership scale for sports (LSS), and sport anxiety scale-2 (SAS-2) were used to measure the constructs; the athletes also completed a demographic information sheet and provided informed consent.

Results. The Pearson product moment correlation results indicated a significant negative correlation between athletic identity and performance anxiety, while perceived coaching styles were significantly positively correlated with performance anxiety. The moderation analyses revealed that training and instruction, social support, democratic behavior, and positive feedback significantly moderated the relationship between self-identity and performance anxiety. Additionally, training and instruction and autocratic behavior significantly moderated the relationship between negative affectivity and performance anxiety.

Conclusion. This study underscores the importance of understanding the dynamics between athletic identity, perceived coaching styles, and performance anxiety to optimize athletic performance and reduce performance anxiety among university athletes.

Background. We can see outbreaks of social violence (notably wars, riots, and revolutions), both historically and in the current social situation. Some authors point to the impact of hostility on human cognitive processes and on decision making, and through these factors – on aggressive behaviour. Moreover, some retrospective studies note the role of cognitive complexity in the peaceful resolution of conflicts (including international conflicts). These findings prompted us to ask whether the two phenomena are related. To answer this question a meta-analysis of correlation between hostility and cognitive complexity was conducted.

Objective. Our objective was to summarise research findings on the relationship between hostility and cognitive complexity.

Design. The total number of papers screened was 839 (in English and Russian). A total of 5 effect sizes from 4 selected papers were included in the meta-analysis derived from a pooled sample of 3114 participants. Three-level random-effects meta-analysis, p-curve, p-uniform and p-uniform* methods were used in the data analysis.

Results. The results of different effect size calculation methods (three-level random-effects model, two-level random-effects model, and p-uniform*) confirmed that there is a moderately weak negative correlation between hostility and cognitive complexity. The most accurate result is r_pooled = -0.22 [-.45;.003].

Conclusion. There is a negative correlational relationship between hostility and cognitive complexity. Apparently, hostility and cognitive complexity have some reciprocal influence on each other. The authors hypothesise that hostility is rather complementary to cognitive simplicity as the opposite pole of cognitive complexity - if the function of hostility in ensuring the protection of one’s sense of Self is taken into account. Both hostility and cognitive simplicity work to create a simple (in one case dangerous, in another case unambiguous) world in which it is easier to make decisions (including the decision to engage in aggressive behaviour).

Background. There has been a recent increase in research to empirically verify different personal and contextual variables that impact psychological adjustment indicators, but further research is still needed in the construction of explanatory models, especially for children.

Objective. This study aimed to analyze the role of self-esteem, self-efficacy, and family social support in resilience, and their effect on indicators of psychological adjustment, in children living in at-risk contexts.

Design. A sample of 450 participants (229 boys, 221 girls) aged 9 to 12 years, with a mean age of 1.70 (SD=.67), participated in the study. With the parents’ consent, the children completed a questionnaire containing sociodemographic questions and seven scales for the measurement of each of the variables under study. 

Results. Significant differences in the predictor variables were found according to the levels of resilience, but not with respect to gender, and the correlations between the variables were found to be significant. The proposed structural model was verified, which shows acceptable fit indices and highlights that family social support is related to resilience and psychological adjustment.

Conclusion. Personality characteristics and family social support, as personal and social variables, constitute protective factors during childhood in the context of psychosocial risk, suggesting that they must be taken into account when implementing programs to promote resilience and well-being.   

Background. Studies of self-efficacy in sports have demonstrated its importance in performance. These have been of English-speaking and Latin American origin, mostly descriptive, qualitative, and relate it essentially to emotional variables; interventions reveal its sources and the way to improve it.

Objective. A meta-analysis and systematic review of self-efficacy studies in high- performance sports in 2015–2022.

Design. The PRISMA method and a flow diagram were used. The databases were SciELO, Dialnet, Redalyc, CORE, REBID, Science Research, Google Scholar, and PubMed. The dimensions of analysis were: descriptions of the articles; methodological approach, and characteristics of the self-efficacy measurements. The keywords “self-efficacy” and “sports,” along with their translations into Spanish, were connected using the OR Boolean operator. The inclusion of “high performance” or “elite” was carefully considered to avoid unintended exclusions.

Results. Thirty-four articles were selected, with soccer and basketball being the most studied sports. Descriptive and correlational designs predominated: increasing relationships between two or more variables with self-efficacy, the studies that discussed interventions were the only ones that addressed longitudinal studies. In the measurements, those of general self-efficacy predominate according to the tasks faced by the athletes; individual self-efficacy is more highly valued; strength and generality are considered in the microanalyses.

Conclusion. Progress has been shown in studies of self-efficacy in high-performance sports. There remain opportunities for longitudinal studies, instruments with sport-specific indicators, analysis of levels and collective self-efficacy that will allow researchers to further explain the phenomenon.

Background. Emerging adulthood is a newly known developmental stage in humans, between late adolescence and fully-achieved adulthood. This stage is characterized by continued indecision and postponement of individuation; it also corresponds with a delay in identity actualization. Personal identity is related to the development of the individual across various aspects of life including the identification of long-term goals, career selection, friendship, and sexuality. Therefore, identity is understood to be an individual's perception of themselves and the conceptualization of their place within a social context. Identity development is expected to reach this critical stage between late adolescence and emerging adulthood, where specific factors may arise to hinder the realization of identity, potentially resulting in identity problems or identity distress. The latter considered a disorder within the DSM-III, and based on its diagnostic criteria, the Identity Distress Scale was created to measure the presence of identity distress.

Objective. First, to report evidence of validity and reliability of the IDS using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency, and invariance testing according to the Identity Distress Scale across a sample of Ecuadorian emerging adults. Second, to report the scores of the Identity Distress Scale among the participants.

Design. The study employed a quantitative approach with a non-experimental, cross-sectional design, and an instrumental scope.

Results. The results reveal that the scale operates with a first-order two-factor model, demonstrating a good fit and internal consistency (χ² (df) = (34) 125.03, CFI= .97, TLI= .95, SRMR=.07, RMSEA=.07, ɑ = from .72 to .76, ⍵ = from .66 to .73). Evidence of measurement invariance was found between males and females.

Conclusion. The IDS has adequate psychometric properties for its use in the Ecuadorian context.  

Background. The standardized identification, psychoeducational assessment, and diagnosis of children at risk of reading comprehension (RC) difficulties is a highly specialized, time-consuming, and cumbersome process for teachers, psychologists, and researchers. Following the graph theory framework, text summaries, a ubiquitous RC measure used in schools, can be represented as networks of words (nodes) connected by arcs (TSGraphs). Do their resulting topological properties highlight individual variability in traditional reading/language comprehension measures?

Objective. The objective of this study was to determine whether there is a significant association between individual variability in the connectivity measures of the TSGraphs of selected texts produced using graph theory and individual variability in traditional standardized measures of reading and language comprehension in Cuban school-age children.

Design. Two correlational studies were conducted. Study 1 evaluated the association between the TSGraph properties and the reading comprehension of good and poor fifth-grade readers (N=21). Study 2 evaluated the association between the TSGraph properties and language comprehension in sixth-grade children at risk of intellectual disability (IDr) and typically developing (TD) controls matched in age and gender (N=42). Reading fluency, intellectual capacity, and vocabulary were controlled for in both studies.

Results. Study 1 showed a significant association between TSGraph density and reading comprehension in fifth graders after controlling for reading fluency. Study 2 found that density significantly covaried with language comprehension in sixth graders after controlling for intellectual capacity.

Conclusion. Topological measures of text summaries show promise for the assessment and characterization of reading and language comprehension. This is the first such study conducted on native Spanish speakers. Additional experimental studies in larger samples are required.

Background. Because of the pandemic, it has been suggested that motivation and job performance may have declined in various professional groups, a phenomenon known as quiet quitting. This study focuses on understanding this issue and its broader effect within the educational sector.

Objective. This study analyses work motivation, work behavior, and psychic structure in a sample of university professors from Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Design. A total of 612 professors from Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay and Peru participated in the study. Of the total sample, 379 (61.93%) of them were female. A subset of nine questions from the Bochum Inventory of Personality and Skills (BIP; Arribas et al., 2006) was used as the research instrument. The evaluation employed a cross-sectional multivariate factorial design.

Results. The data revealed high overall scores and suggested a general profile of motivation, commitment and personal stability. Among the most salient results linked to years of teaching experience, statistically significant differences were observed between teachers at the beginning and end of their working careers compared to the scores obtained in the intermediate years of experience. The lowest scores derived from the majority of dependent variables were found among teachers with the least work experience. In contrast, teachers with more than 25 years of teaching experience presented the highest values in those constructs such as emotional stability and self-confidence. The area of subject matter which teachers taught (technical or humanistic) also significantly influenced the main variables evaluated.

Conclusion. The evaluated university teachers did not present problems in terms of work motivation, work behavior and psychological structure. In other words, overall, they do not align with the phenomenon described as quiet quitting. However, the first years of teaching experience may be the most challenging for teachers to navigate, a factor that institutions may want to consider.