Our sense of entitlement influences our interactions and attitudes in a range of specific relational contexts, one of them being aging parents’ relationships with their adult children. This study aimed to examine the factor structure of the Sense of Relational Entitlement—aging parents toward their offspring, an 11-item questionnaire that assesses aging people’s sense of relational entitlement toward their children, and examine the associations of its subscales with related personality and mental health constructs. One thousand and six participants, aged 65–99, with (...) at least one child, completed the SRE-ao, Brief Symptom Inventory, Loneliness Scale, and General Belongingness scale. The SRE-ao demonstrated good construct structure using confirmatory factor analysis. Both SRE-ao subscales were significantly and positively associated with anxiety, depression, somatization and sense of loneliness and negatively with sense of belonging. When all variables were entered into a regression model, age, anxiety, and low sense of belonging, but not sense of loneliness, positively predicted both restricted and inflated sense of entitlement. Somatization negatively predicted inflated sense of entitlement. The SRE-ao is a reliable and valid scale that can be used in clinical practice and research to enhance our understanding of parent–child relationships throughout the lifespan. (shrink)

According to a motor theory of empathy, empathy results from the automatic activation of emotion triggered by the observation of someone else's emotion. It has been found that the subjective experience of emotions and the observation of someone else experiencing the same emotion activate overlapping brain areas. These shared representations of emotions could be the key for the understanding of empathy. However, if the automatic activation of SRE suffi ces to induce empathy, we would be in a permanent emotional turmoil. (...) In contrast, it seems intuitively that we do not empathize all the time and that far from being automatic, empathy should be explained by a complex set of cognitive and motivational factors. I will provide here a new account of the automaticity of empathy, starting from a very simple question: when do we empathize? We need to distinguish clearly the activation of SRE and empathy. I will provide a model that accounts both for the automaticity of the activation of SRE and for the selectiveness of empathy. As Prinz says about imitation, the problem is not so much to account for the ubiquitous occurrence of empathy, but rather for its notorious nonoccurrence in many situations. (shrink)

Sleep-related experiences [Watson, D. . Dissociations of the night: Individual differences in sleep-related experiences and their relation to dissociation and schizotypy. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 110, 526–535] refer to a host of nocturnal altered-consciousness phenomena, including narcoleptic tendencies, nightmares, problem-solving dreams, waking dreams, and lucid dreams. In an attempt to clarify the meaning of this construct, we examined cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of sleep-related experiences , altered-consciousness tendencies , psychological distress, childhood maltreatment , and life stress in young adults. Both (...) types of SREs were found to be distinguishable from altered-consciousness tendencies. Transliminality emerged as a longitudinal predictor of both general SREs and lucid dreams. Psychological distress and an increase in life stress predicted an increase in general SREs over a 3-month interval. We conclude that transliminality is a general altered-consciousness trait that accounts for some of the individual differences in sleep-related experiences, and that general sleep experiences are an outcome of psychological distress and life stress. (shrink)

Sparse knowledge exists about measuring spiritual, religious, and existential (SRE) constructs in children. Well-validated questionnaires measuring such concepts are necessary when researchers want to quantitatively investigate the spiritual lives of children. We aimed to identify questionnaires measuring SRE constructs in children and assess their psychometric properties. We conducted literature searches in four electronic databases. Studies were included if they described the use of a questionnaire measuring SRE constructs in children under 12 years. Systematic data extraction and assessment of the studies (...) using standardized COSMIN guidelines were performed. A total of 17,681 records were screened. Twenty-seven articles assessing 18 different questionnaires met the inclusion criteria. In total, 16 structural validity, 20 internal consistency, 4 measurement invariance, and 16 construct validity studies were found. We identified no high-quality content validity studies. The Meaning in Life in Children Questionnaire by Shoshani and Russo-Netzer showed promising measurement properties. However, all included instruments need further content validity testing before being recommended for use. (shrink)

PresentaciónSr. Rector; Sr. Presidente de la Junta Directiva; Sres. Miembros de la Junta Directiva; Sres. Vicerrectores; Sres. Decanos; Sres. Directivos; Sres. Integrantes de la Comunidad Bolivariana; Sres. Invitados especiales; Señoras y Señores:La obra intelectual de Joaquín García RocaEs un honor y a la vez un placer para mí realizar el laudatio del Doctor Joaquín García Roca, conocido como “Ximo” para quienes nos preciamos de ser sus amigos. Yo tuve el regalo de poder conocerlo en el otoñ..

Resumen: Este artículo tiene por finalidad indagar sobre las representaciones sociales que se tejen en torno de la educación religiosa escolar (ERE). Para ello, se empleó una investigación cualitativa amparada en una perspectiva hermenéutica y un método narrativo desarrollado a través de redes semánticas naturales y análisis de contenido. El trabajo de campo se realizó con una población de estudiantes de dos instituciones educativas de carácter privado, en la ciudad de Popayán. El análisis permitió identificar los aportes de la ERE (...) a los sujetos abordados, la descripción de sinónimos con los cuales se asocia la ERE y algunas temáticas que se deberían abordar en esta área. Estos tránsitos permitieron analizar las variaciones y tendencias que posibilitan la inferencia de su articulación con la dimensión espiritual. Abstract: The purpose of this article is to investigate the social representations that are woven around school religious education (SRE). To do this, the researchers developed a qualitative research based on a hermeneutical perspective and a narrative method developed through natural semantic networks and content analysis. The fieldwork was carried out with a population of students from two private educational institutions in the city of Popayán, Colombia. The analysis made it possible to identify the contributions of the SRE to the subjects approached, the description of synonyms with which the SRE is associated, and some issues that should be addressed in this area. These transits allowed us to analyze the variations and tendencies that make possible the inference of its articulation with the spiritual dimension. (shrink)

The self-reference effect refers to better memory for self-relevant than for other-relevant information. Generally, the SRE is found in conditions in which links between the stimuli and the self are forged in the encoding phase. To investigate the possibility that such conditions are not prerequisites for the SRE, this research developed two conditions by using two recognition tasks involving abstract geometric shapes. One was the cue-in-encoding condition in which self- and other-cues were presented to construct links with AGSs during the (...) encoding phase, and the other was the cue-in-retrieval condition in which self- and other-cues were presented to construct links with AGSs during the retrieval phase. The SRE was found in both conditions. The findings reveal that self-cues merely presented during the retrieval phase are sufficient to induce the SRE. Links between the stimuli and the self constructed during the encoding phase may not be necessary prerequisites for the SRE. (shrink)

The recent federal interest in advancing “scientifically based research,” along with the National Research Council's 2002 report Scientific Research in Education, have provided space and impetus for a more general dialogue across discourse boundaries within the field of educational research. The goal of this article is to develop and illustrate principles for an educative dialogue across research discourses. I have turned to Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics and the critical dialogue that surrounds it to seek guidance about how we might better understand (...) one another's perspectives and learn more about ourselves through the encounter. To illustrate these principles, I consider the dialogue between SRE authors and critics that was published in Educational Researcher shortly after the release of the report. I focus in particular on one of the many issues about which misunderstandings seem to arise — the nature, status, and role of generalizations — and point to some instructive challenges that each of the articles seems to raise for the others. Finally, I propose what I argue is a more prudent aspiration for general principles in educational research: developing the principles through which open critique and debate across differences might occur and through which sound decisions about particular programs for research might be made. (shrink)

Recent research has investigated how the sense of relational entitlement diminishes couple satisfaction, but little is known about how SRE affects the daily quality of close, romantic relationships. Moreover, the evidence on how SRE interacts with other features of a satisfying relationship is scarce. Using an electronic daily diary, we examined 99 couples for 7 days, with two daily measurements for each partner. We used a dyadic double intercept multilevel model, which simultaneously computes effects for men and women. We tested (...) a model where one partner's daily couple satisfaction was predicted by their overall levels of SRE and by their daily and overall levels of self-disclosure, perceived partner self-disclosure, and perceived partner responsiveness. The model also included person-level interactions and cross-level interactions between the SRE types and variables of the interpersonal process model of relationships for each gender. The analysis indicated that person-level excessive SRE lowers couple satisfaction. Also, day and person-level perceived partner responsiveness and person-level self-disclosure are related to couple satisfaction, but the latter association is significant only for men. Finally, we found some significant person-level interactions that account for changes in couple satisfaction. For men, the links between couple satisfaction, excessive and restricted SRE were moderated by self-disclosure and perceived partner responsiveness, respectively, perceived partner self-disclosure and perceived partner responsiveness. For women, the associations between couple satisfaction, restricted and assertive SRE were moderated by self-disclosure, respectively, perceived partner self-disclosure. This study advances our understanding of the general implications of SRE in the dynamics of couple relationships. More specifically, it shows how SRE interacts with other couple-specific variables in shaping day-to-day couple satisfaction. The theoretical and clinical implications for couple therapy are discussed. (shrink)

Pressing and urgent domestic problems were the justification for L. Cornelius Sulla's election to the dictatorship in 82b.c.He responded with an extensive legislative programme which reorganized the judicial and legislative processes of theres publica. While there is agreement, in broad terms, about the nature of these changes, their purpose and significance remain debated. None the less, there is general consensus that the Senate's role in Sulla'sres publicawas enhanced in comparison with earlier periods. This conclusion is based on the increase in (...) the size of the Senate; on the monopoly it resumed of judicial decision-making in theiudicia publica; and on the extension, in practice, of its legislative capacity, given that its decrees could not be vetoed by tribunes of the plebs, who had also lost their capacity to put forward legislation. Flower offers a recent and concise summary: ‘This new “consensus” of Sulla was based on force and on the necessity of agreeing with Sulla himself, and subsequently with his new, mighty senate that was expected to wield unprecedented power and absolute authority.’. (shrink)

Forming and sustaining healthy relationships of any kind requires empathy, thought, communication and effort, all of which are learned skills. Many of these skills can and should be learned in a variety of places, including and especially in schools. One of the most appropriate venues for teaching interpersonal relationship skills in school is through ‘sex ed’ classes. I argue that student-centred, anti-racist, culturally affirming and appropriate, inclusive, egalitarian and relationship-based learning environments are necessary for sex education that benefits all students. (...) The principles of hip-hop-based pedagogies, including Christopher Emdin's Reality Pedagogy, Bettina Love's Abolitionist Pedagogy and Rawls and Robinson's Youth Culture Pedagogy can serve as a useful theoretical framework around which to build sex education curriculum and policy. School-based sex education (SBSE) based on these principles may prove extremely beneficial not only to all students and their individual sense of identity and sexual autonomy but also to the general welfare of the public in the long run. (shrink)