Departamento de Psicología

URI permanente para esta comunidadhttps://hdl.handle.net/10953/48

En esta Comunidad se recogen los documentos generados por el Departamento de Psicología y que cumplen los requisitos de Copyright para su difusión en acceso abierto.

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Age-Related Differences in Creative Cognition: The Mediating Role of Executive Functions and Associative Processes
(American Psychological Association, 2024) Peláez-Alfonso, José Luis; Pelegrina, Santiago; Lechuga, M. Teresa
Divergent and convergent creativity may rely on associative and executive control processes. We examined whether age-related differences in both types of creativity are mediated by executive functions and associative processes. A total of 427 primary, secondary-school, and university students completed a battery of tasks measuring executive functioning (updating, inhibition and shifting), verbal fluency, and divergent (fluency, flexibility, and originality) and convergent creativity (remote-associative problems). The results confirmed that executive and associative processes accounted for age-related differences in divergent and convergent creativity, albeit to different degrees. Specifically, verbal fluency contributed to explaining age differences in both types of creativity, whereas updating and inhibition mediated age-related differences only in convergent creativity. These findings provide evidence for the differential contribution of executive and associative processes to age-differences in both types of creativity, and provide additional support for a dual-process view of creativity.
Análisis intercultural del trastorno por uso de alcohol: criterios diagnósticos en universitarios
(Córdoba: Asociacion Argentina de Ciencias del Comportamiento; Facultad de Psicologia Universidad de Córdoba, 2020) Conde, Karina; Gimenez, Paula Victoria; Diaz Castela, Mª del Mar; Ortega Martínez, Ana; Cremonte, Mariana
El objetivo de este estudio fue examinar las manifestaciones clínicas del trastorno por uso de alcohol (TUA) en universitarios de países con distintas prácticas de consumo, y estimar el potencial de una medida de consumo de alcohol como marcador de TUA. Participaron estudiantes de universidades en Argentina (N = 2157), España (N = 320) y Brasil (N = 149). Se evaluaron criterios diagnósticos de TUA, puntos de corte compatibles con el DSM 5, y una medida de consumo excesivo episódico de alcohol. Se realizaron análisis descriptivos y de clases latentes. Generalmente el TUA grave se caracterizó por endorsar todos los criterios; el moderado-leve por tolerancia, pérdida de control, problemas interpersonales y negligencia de obligaciones. En los países con un patrón húmedo de consumo (Argentina y España) los criterios uso en situaciones peligrosas y consumo a pesar de problemas mentales/físicos se manifestaron en categorías distintas. La medida de consumo presentó potencial como marcador de TUA.
Can parent training for parents with high levels of expressed emotion have a positive effect on their child’s social anxiety improvement?
(Elsevier, 2014-09-19) Garcia Lopez, Luis Joaquín; Diaz Castela, Mª del Mar; Muela Martinez, Jose Antonio; Espinosa Fernández, Lourdes
Existe gran debate sobre el papel que puede desempeñar la participación de los padres en la mejora de la ansiedad social de sus hijos/as. Este artículo tuvo como objetivo investigar si entrenar a los padres con emociones expresadas (EE) altas podría mejorar los resultados de la intervención de ansiedad social en adolescentes. Cincuenta y dos adolescentes con ansiedad social (de 13 a 18 años), cuyos padres mostraban altos niveles de emoción expresada, fueron asignados a (a) una intervención escolar con un componente adicional de capacitación para padres, o (b) una intervención escolar sin un componente adicional de capacitación para padres, es decir, un programa basado únicamente en intervenir con el adolescente (sin participación de los padres). Los hallazgos posteriores al tratamiento y de seguimiento a los 12 meses mostraron que la intervención escolar con capacitación para padres fue superior al programa específico para adolescentes, produciendo reducciones significativas en la remisión del diagnóstico y la sintomatología social y depresiva, particularmente cuando cambió el estado de EE de los padres, de alta EE a baja EE. En general, los hallazgos sugieren que los padres con alta EE de niños con ansiedad social deben participar en la terapia de sus hijos e hijas.
Exploring the relevance of expressed emotion to the treatment of social anxiety disorder in adolescence
(Elsevier, 2009) Garcia Lopez, Luis Joaquín; Muela Martínez, Jose Antonio; Espinosa Fernández, Lourdes; Diaz Castela, Mª del Mar
El papel que la participación de los padres puede desempeñar en el resultado del tratamiento de sus hijos con trastornos de ansiedad aún son objeto de debate. Algunos estudios han mostrado que la Emoción Expresada (EE) parental juega un papel importante en el curso de un trastorno de ansiedad. Especificamente puede influir en el resultado del tratamiento y en la recaída. Dado que algunos de estos aspectos han sido asociados con la ansiedad social durante mucho tiempo, se planteó la hipótesis de que la EE puede estar asociada con un menor resultado del tratamiento. La muestra estuvo compuesto por 16 adolescentes que se beneficiaron de un programa cognitivo-conductual dirigida a superar la ansiedad social. Luego, los padres fueron clasificados con EE alta o baja. Los resultados revelaron que los adolescentes cuyos padres tenían baja EE mostraron una reducción estadísticamente significativa de sus puntuaciones de ansiedad social en la prueba posterior, a diferencia de los adolescentes de padres con alta emoción expresada. Estos hallazgos sugieren que se debe tener en cuenta la EE de los padres (principalmente de padres con alta EE) para prevenir malos resultados del tratamiento en adolescentes.
Frustrative nonreward: Detailed c-Fos expression patterns in the amygdala after consummatory successive negative contrast
(Academic Press Inc, 2024-05-28) Arjol, David; Agüera, Antonio; Hagen, Christopher; Papini, Mauricio R.
The amygdala has been implicated in frustrative nonreward induced by unexpected reward downshifts, using paradigms like consummatory successive negative contrast (cSNC). However, existing evidence comes from experiments involving the central and basolateral nuclei on a broad level. Moreover, whether the amygdala’s involvement in reward downshift requires a cSNC effect (i.e., greater suppression in downshifted animals than in unshifted controls) or just consummatory suppression without a cSNC effect, remains unclear. Three groups were exposed to (1) a large reward disparity leading to a cSNC effect (32-to-2% sucrose), (2) a small reward disparity involving consummatory suppression in the absence of a cSNC effect (8-to-2% sucrose), and (3) an unshifted control (2% sucrose). Brains obtained after the first reward downshift session were processed for c-Fos expression, a protein often used as a marker for neural activation. c-Fos-positive cells were counted in the anterior, medial, and posterior portions (A/P axis) of ten regions of the rat basolateral, central, and medial amygdala. c-Fos expression was higher in 32-to-2% sucrose downshift animals than in the other two groups in four regions: the anterior and the medial lateral basal amygdala, the medial capsular central amygdala, and the anterior anterio-ventral medial amygdala. None of the areas exhibited differential c-Fos expression between the 8-to-2% sucrose downshift and the unshifted conditions. Thus, amygdala activation requires exposure to a substantial reward disparity. This approach has identified, for the first time, specific amygdala areas relevant to understand the cSNC effect, suggesting follow-up experiments aimed at testing the function of these regions in reward downshift.
Increased short-term food intake after external lateral parabrachial subnucleus lesions
(Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, 2019-03-31) Agüera, Antonio ; Zafra, María A.; Molina-Valero, Filomena; Puerto, Amadeo
The vagus nerve and several brainstem nuclei to which it projects have been closely associated with food intake. The aim of this study was to determine the degree to which the same or different information on food intake is processed by this nerve and by one of these nuclei, the external lateral parabrachial subnucleus (LPbNe). For this purpose, we analyzed the solid and liquid food intake of Wistar rats subjected to vagal deafferentation with capsaicin or lesions of the LPbNe. Vagotomized animals consumed significantly larger amounts of solid food during the first 24 h post‐surgery but not at 48, 72, or 96 h. Animals with LPbNe lesions also consumed larger amounts of liquid and solid foods but only during periods of 60 min on day 5 and 90 min on day 6 post‐surgery, respectively. According to these findings, both the vagus nerve and the LPbNe appear to be involved in short‐term regulation of food intake, although they participate over different time scales. These data are discussed in terms of the potential importance of the vagal‐parabrachial axis in the rapid processing of nutritional information from the upper gastrointestinal tract.
Nearest transfer effects of working memory training: A comparison of two programs focused on working memory updating
(Plos, 2019) Linares, Rocio; Borella, Erika; Lechuga, M. Teresa; Carretti, Barbara; Pelegrina, Santiago
This study analyzed the mechanisms involved in possible transfer effects for two different working memory updating (WMU) training programs administered to young adults and based on two updating paradigms: n-back and arithmetical updating. The influence of practice distribution on transfer effects was also explored by including two training regimens: massed and spaced practice. Performance on different WMU tasks more or less structurally similar to the tasks used in the training was assessed to analyze the nearest transfer effects. Near and far transfer effects were tested using complex working memory (WM) and fluid intelligence tasks. The results showed that the WMU training produced gains in only some of the WMU tasks structurally similar to those used in the training, not in those lacking the same structure, or in WM or fluid intelligence tasks. These limited nearest transfer effects suggest that gains could be due to the acquisition of a specific strategy appropriate for the task during the training rather than to any improvement in the updating process per se. Performance did not differ depending on the training regimen.
Normative data for 102 Spanish remote associate problems and age-related differences in performance
(Sciendo, 2020) Peláez-Alfonso, José Luis; Pelegrina, Santiago; Lechuga, M. Teresa
The Remote Associates Test (RAT) is a measure developed by Mednick (1962) which is used to assess the convergent thinking component of creativity. This study presents a normative database in Spanish including 102 problems based on the RAT. Three sets of problems were built according to the type of between-word associations: semantic, compound, and two-word expressions. These problems were administered to a sample of 309 elementary, high-school, and university students. The results show good internal consistency as well as good convergent validity with insight problems, and discriminant validity using Guilford’s Alternative Uses Test. In addition, the results indicate age-related differences in the ability to solve the different types of problems
Psychometric Properties of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders for Socially Anxious and Healthy Spanish Adolescents
(Cambridge University Press, 2013) Hale III, William; Raaijmakers, Quinten; Garcia Lopez, Luis Joaquin; Espinosa Fernández, Lourdes; Muela Martínez, Jose Antonio; Diaz Castela, Mª del Mar
Este trabajo se realizo con dos muestra, una de ellas con adolescentes socialmente ansiosos y otra con adolescentes comunitarios. El objetivo era probar las propiedades psicométricas del Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). Se emplearon análisis factoriales confirmatorios para probar la invarianza de medición entre estas dos poblaciones, se calcularon los alfa de Cronbach para determinar la confiabilidad de las escalas y las pruebas eta-cuadrado parciales calcularon el tamaño del efecto de las diferencias entre los adolescentes socialmente ansiosos y sanos y entre los adolescentes según el sexo. Las propiedades psicométricas del SCARED fueron buenas, como lo demuestra tener confiabilidades aceptables (que van desde 0,75 a 0,41) y un tamaño del efecto multivariado moderado (ηp2 = 0,08) entre los niños y niñas adolescentes. Lo más importante es que se demostró que el SCARED podía diferenciar entre adolescentes españoles socialmente ansiosos y sanos, como lo demuestra la invarianza de medición (χ2 = 254,27, df = 1343, GFI = 0,884, AGFI = 0,872, RMR = 0,031) y la gran tamaño del efecto (ηp2 = .22) entre las muestras.
Relevance of the nucleus of the solitary tract, gelatinous part, in learned preferences induced by intragastric nutrient administration
(Academic Press, 2017-08-05) Zafra, María A.; Agüera, Antonio; Molina-Valero, Filomena; Puerto, Amadeo
Food preferences have been investigated in Wistar rats utilizing a learned concurrent flavor preference behavioral procedure. Previous studies have demonstrated that the perivagal administration of neurotoxin capsaicin disrupts the learning of preferences induced by intragastric administration of rewarding nutrients (pre-digested milk). The vagus nerve projects almost exclusively towards the nucleus of the solitary tract (NST), a brain medullary gateway for visceral signals. The objective of this study was to investigate the participation of the lateral portion of the dorsomedial region, the gelatinous subnucleus (SolG), in the learning of a concurrent preference task. Results show that unlike neurologically intact animals, which learn this task correctly, animals lesioned in the gelatinous part of NST manifest a disruption of discrimination learning. Thus, intakes of the flavored stimulus paired with predigested liquid diet and of the flavored stimulus paired with physiological saline were virtually identical. However, SolG- and sham-lesioned groups consumed similar total amounts of both flavors. These findings suggest that SolG, as a relay of the vagus nerve, along with its anatomical projection, the external lateral parabrachial subnucleus (LPBe), may constitute an anatomical axis that is important in the induction of concurrent flavor/side preferences. It also appears to be relevant in other behavioral processes that require rapid processing of information from the upper gastrointestinal tract.
Retrieval-based concept mapping makes a difference as a retrieval practice activity: a study with high school students
(frontiersin.org, 2024) Lechuga, M. Teresa; Ortega-Tudela, Juana M.; Gómez-Ariza, Carlos J.
Introduction: While specific sequences of retrieval-based activities have been shown to have a powerful effect on learning, no previous study has examined this issue in children or adolescents. Here, we aimed to determine whether the benefit of concept mapping as an initial retrieval activity observed previously with college students in a lab setting may also be found in younger and less experienced students in a more naturalistic school setting. Methods: After a short training in concept mapping, participants (N = 60) read an educational text and then engaged in a sequence of two learning activities that required them to retrieve relevant ideas from the text. One of the activities involved free recall by writing down as many ideas as possible and the other involved creating a concept map, both of them in the absence of educational texts. Critically, we manipulated the order in which the activities were performed. Results: A mediation analysis with success during retrieval practice as the mediator revealed both a direct effect of retrieval sequence and an indirect effect. Creating a concept map first and then freely recalling by writing paragraphs significantly improved performance on a 2-week delayed learning test, as compared to performing the same activities in the inverse order, even when doing concept mapping first led to lower success rates during practice. Discussion: These results support the idea that concept learning from instructional texts can be modulated by the sequence of retrieval activities performed and point to the educational value of retrieval-based concept mapping as a first learning activity within a series across different learners and educational settings.
Role of executive functions in the relations of state‐and trait‐math anxiety with math performance
(The New York Academy of Sciences, 2024) Pelegrina, Santiago; Martín‐Puga, M. Eva; Lechuga, M. Teresa; Justicia‐Galiano, M. José; Linares, Rocío
The detrimental effect of math anxiety on math performance is thought to be mediated by executive functions. Previous studies have primarily focused on trait-math anxiety rather than state-math anxiety and have typically examined a single executive function rather than comprehensively evaluating all of them. Here, we used a structural equation modeling approach to concurrently determine the potential mediating roles of different executive functions (i.e., inhibition, switching, and updating) in the relationships between both state- and trait-math anxiety and math performance. A battery of computer-based tasks and questionnaires were administered to 205 university students. Two relevant results emerged. First, confirmatory factor analysis suggests that math anxiety encompassed both trait and state dimensions and, although they share substantial variance, trait-math anxiety predicted math performance over and above state-math anxiety. Second, working memory updating was the only executive function that mediated the relationship between math anxiety and math performance; neither inhibition nor switching played mediating roles. This calls into question whether some general proposals about the relationship between anxiety and executive functions can be extended specifically to math anxiety. We also raise the possibility that working memory updating or general cognitive difficulties might precede individual differences in math anxiety.
Selective intentional forgetting in adolescents with social anxiety disorder
(Elsevier, 2013) Gomez Ariza, Carlos; Iglesias Parro, Sergio; Garcia Lopez, Luis Joaquin; Diaz Castela, Mª del Mar; Espinosa Fernandez, Lourdes; Muela Martinez, José Antonio
La ansiedad en adultos jóvenes se ha relacionado recientemente con capacidades reducidas para inhibir el procesamiento de distractores de la percepción afectiva. Sin embargo, ninguna investigación anterior ha abordado la relación entre Trastorno de ansiedad social (TAS) y la capacidad de inhibir intencionalmente recuerdos que ya no son relevantes. Este estudio experimental con adolescentes diagnosticados con TAS y controles no clínicos emparejados, se llevó a cabo un procedimiento de olvido dirigido, se utilizó para evaluar el grado en que los individuos ansiosos mostraban menores deterioro de la memoria para información que debe ser olvidada que sus contrapartes no ansiosas. Los datos revelaron que, si bien el grupo de muestra no clínico demostró la capacidad de olvidar selectivamente cuando eran instruidos, los adolescentes ansiosos demostraron buena memoria para el material que iba a ser olvidado y por lo tanto, no se pudo olvidar. Curiosamente, una sintomatología más grave del TAS predijo inversamente en un grado del olvido. Concluimos que la principal diferencia entre personas socialmente ansiosas y no ansiosas está específicamente relacionado con la capacidad de olvidar intencionalmente y podría reflejar habilidades cognitivas, lo cual está asociado con la vulnerabilidad a la ansiedad. El deterioro de la capacidad de tomar los recuerdos no deseados, menos recuperables, podrían impulsar a algunas personas a iniciar o mantener la ansiedad. Futuros tratamientos psicológicos podrían beneficiarse de incluir módulos sobre control de capacitación de la memoria.
Surprising reward downshift activates the lateral habenula, but not the medial habenula, as measured in terms of c-fos expression
(Elsevier Inc., 2023-10-01) Agüera, Antonio; Navarro-Expósito, Alejandro; Zafra, David; Sabariego, Marta; Papini, Mauricio R.; Torres-Bares, Carmen
Convergent results suggest that lateral habenula (LHb) activity reduces reward value and enhances aversive learning. Electrical stimulation of LHb neurons reduces sucrose intake and cocaine/morphine seeking, whereas LHb lesions attenuate taste aversion learning and avoidance of predator odor, retard appetitive extinction, and interfere with appetitive conditioned inhibition training. However, the role of the LHb in consummatory successive negative contrast (cSNC), an animal model of acute anxiety/frustration induced by reward loss, remains unknown. We hypothesized that a surprising reward downshift would enhance activity in the LHb. Three groups of rats received access to sucrose during eleven 5-min sessions. Group 32-2 had access to 32% sucrose for 10 sessions followed by a downshift to 2% sucrose on session 11. Groups 2-2 and 32-32 (unshifted controls) had access to 2% and 32% sucrose, respectively, in each of 11 sessions. After session 11, all animals were perfused and brains were prepared for immunohistochemistry of c-Fos expression, a marker of neuronal depolarization. There was less sucrose consumption on session 11 in Group 32-2 than in Groups 2-2 and 32-32—the cSNC effect (p<0.04). Cell density was elevated in the lateral and medial sections of the LHb in Group 32-2, relative to unshifted groups (ps<0.02). No group differences were observed in the medial habenula (p>0.60). These results suggest that the LHb is involved in the cSNC effect, but its precise function remains to be determined, whether it affects cSNC by detecting the mismatch between obtained and expected rewards (reward relativity) or triggers negative emotion (frustrative nonreward) elicited by the reward loss event. Further studies involving integrated assessment of c-Fos in a wide range of brain regions, including the LHb, may clarify the fit of the LHb activity in the connectome underlying the response to reward downshift.
Testing the Effectiveness of Retrieval-Based Learning in Naturalistic School Settings
(Sage Journals, 2021) Ortega-Tudela, Juana M.; Lechuga, María Teresa; Bermúdez-Sierra, Miriam; Gómez-Ariza, Carlos J.
While the learning benefits of retrieval activities have been clearly demonstrated in laboratory settings, evidence on their usefulness in naturalistic school settings is still scant. The goal of the present studies was to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of retrieval-based learning in children (fourth and sixth grades) when school teachers themselves design and implement retrieval activities relating to genuine curriculum contents. Three studies were conducted in a public elementary school with fourth and sixth graders and their teachers. Two of the studies involved mathematics and one dealt with social sciences. Teachers used learning activities that required students to recall part of previously taught concepts, while different concepts in the same unit were worked through with those learning activities that were normally used by each teacher. Two out of three studies revealed that, relative to business-as-usual learning activities, performing retrieval activities during classes led to better performance in the assessments at the end of the lessons. Overall, our finding provides preliminary evidence that retrieval activities can enhance learning in elementary school children when they are devised by teachers in the exercise of their professional duties. These results have important practical implications and suggest that, if teachers are aware of the value of retrieval activities in fostering meaningful learning, these activities could be successfully embedded in their daily duties even when considering the constraints imposed by school reality.
The measurement of Perceived Emotional Intelligence for Spanish Adolescents with Social Anxiety Disorder Symptoms
(Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Murcia. Murcia (España), 2013-05) Diaz Castela, Mª del Mar; Hale III, William; Muela Martinez, Jose Antonio; Espinosa Fernández, Lourdes; Klimstra, Theo; Garcia Lopez, Luis Joaquin
La Inteligencia Emocional (IE) es un concepto que ha sido discutido durante décadas en Psicología pero no ha recibido apoyo empírico hasta hace pocos años, a pesar de ello parece que en las últimas décadas este concepto está suscitando mucho interés entre las diversas áreas de la Psicología. Con este creciente interés, el concepto de percepción de la Inteligencia Emocional está recibiendo mayor atención. Debido a interés mostrado en este concepto, este artículo tiene como objetivo explorar dos aspectos importantes del mismo: la medida de la percepción de la IE y las implicaciones que la percepción de la IE puede tener en adolescentes con un trastorno de Ansiedad Social (TAS). Este estudio explora un cuestionario muy utilizado, llamado Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS). La versión española reducida de dicho cuestionario (TMMS-24) y una serie de cuestionarios muy utilizados para evaluar el TAS fueron administrados a 425 adolescentes españoles. Los resultados del estudio corroboraron que el TMMS-24 posee buenas propiedades psicométricas en adolescentes y que el componente de regulación emocional parece que está involucrado en la ansiedad social.

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