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This paper explores the relationship between trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) and appearance perception in a Lebanese university sample (N = 201). Two indicators of appearance perception, body image dissatisfaction (BID) and physical attractiveness (PAT), were investigated in relation to trait EI and depression. Global trait EI and the well-being and self-control factors negatively correlated with BID, while global trait EI and all four factors positively correlated with PAT. In addition, the well-being trait EI factor was a significant predictor of BID and PAT (marginal) over BMI, emotion regulation, and self-worth. These variables jointly predicted 38% of the variance in BID and 41% of the variance in PAT. Moderation analyses showed that global trait EI moderated the relationship between the appearance perception indicators and depressive symptomatology. The role of trait EI in attenuating the psychological impact associated with a negative appearance perception is discussed in relation to its clinical utility.

This study examined the role of different psychological coping mechanisms in mental and physical health during the initial phases of the COVID-19 crisis with an emphasis on meaning-centered coping.A total of 11,227 people from 30 countries across all continents participated in the study and completed measures of psychological distress (depression, stress, and anxiety), loneliness, well-being, and physical health, together with measures of problem-focused and emotion-focused coping, and a measure called the Meaning-centered Coping Scale (MCCS) that was developed in the present study. Validation analyses of the MCCS were performed in all countries, and data were assessed by multilevel modeling (MLM).The MCCS showed a robust one-factor structure in 30 countries with good test-retest, concurrent and divergent validity results. MLM analyses showed mixed results regarding emotion and problem-focused coping strategies. However, the MCCS was the strongest positive predictor of physical and mental health among all coping strategies, independently of demographic characteristics and country-level variables.The findings suggest that the MCCS is a valid measure to assess meaning-centered coping. The results also call for policies promoting effective coping to mitigate collective suffering during the pandemic.Este estudio examinó el papel de diferentes estrategias de afrontamiento psicológico en la salud mental y física durante las fases iniciales de la crisis de COVID-19.11,227 personas de 30 países representando todos los continentes participaron en el estudio y completaron medidas de malestar psicológico (depresión, estrés y ansiedad), soledad, bienestar, salud física, medidas de afrontamiento centrado en el problema y en la emoción, y una medida denominada Escala del Afrontamiento Centrado en el Sentido (MCCS) que fue desarrollada en este estudio. El análisis de validación de la MCCS se realizó en todos los países, y los datos se evaluaron mediante un modelo multinivel.La MCCS mostró una estructura unifactorial en 30 países con buenos resultados de validez test-retest, concurrente y divergente. Los análisis mostraron resultados mixtos en cuanto a las estrategias de afrontamiento centradas en la emoción y en el problema. La MCCS fue el predictor positivo más fuerte de salud física y mental, independientemente de las características demográficas y las variables a nivel de país.Los resultados sugieren que la MCCS es un insrumento fiable para medir afrontamiento centrado en el sentido. Estos resultados pueden servir para dirigir políticas que promuevan un afrontamiento eficaz con el fin de mitigar el sufrimiento colectivo durante la pandemia.

Studies investigating the COVID-19 pandemic from a psychological point of view have mostly focused on psychological distress. This study adopts the framework of existential positive psychology, a second wave of positive psychology that emphasizes the importance of effective coping with the negative aspects of living in order to achieve greater wellbeing. Trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) can be crucial in this context as it refers to emotion-related personality dispositions concerning the understanding and regulation of one’s emotions and those of others. The present study investigated the relationship between trait EI and both wellbeing and psychological distress (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress), while exploring the mediating role of meaning-centered coping (proactive transformative strategies based on meaning in life) and maladaptive coping (i.e., behavioral disengagement and self-blame) during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic. A sample of 326 Lebanese adults completed measures of trait EI, wellbeing, psychological distress, coping, and meaning-centered coping. Results showed a strong positive correlation between trait EI and meaning-centered coping. Trait EI also correlated positively with wellbeing and negatively with psychological distress. Structural equation modeling showed that meaning-centered coping partially mediated the relationship between trait EI and wellbeing. Maladaptive coping fully mediated the relationship between trait EI and psychological distress. Findings indicate that trait EI is positively related to dealing with a stressful situation such as the pandemic in positive ways at both the cognitive level, by reformulating the situation to see something valuable in it, and behavioral level, by being proactive about it. Trait EI was positively linked to seeing the situation as an opportunity for personal growth, finding personal meaning in this situation, maintaining an attitude of hope and courage, and acting more responsibly with one’s self and others during the current crisis. In turn, this coping formula was related to lower psychological distress and improved mental health. These results are consistent with the existential positive psychology framework and can inform implementation programs and policies aiming at raising awareness and promoting healthy and successful coping during the pandemic.

This study investigates the relationship between Aggressive Behavior and individual factors, namely trait Emotional Intelligence, personality dimensions, emotion regulation and self-worth, as well as social factors, namely accepting/rejecting parenting styles and exposure to violence. The sample consisted of 252 university students in Lebanon (154 females), from 16 to 30 years old. Results from hierarchical regression analyses (controlling for age and gender and in the presence of social and individual predictors) showed that the Self-control and Emotionality factors of trait Emotional Intelligence were significant negative predictors of Aggressive Behavior while controlling for age and gender and in the presence of social and individual predictors). Exposure to violence and openness to experience also predicted Aggressive Behavior. Implications for future research and limitations of the present study are discussed.

Disordered eating behaviors are on the rise among youth. The present study investigates psychosocial and weight-related variables as predictors of eating disorders (ED) through disordered eating (DE) dimensions (namely restrained, external, and emotional eating) in Lebanese university students. The sample consisted of 244 undergraduates (143 female) aged from 18 to 31 years (M = 20.06; SD = 1.67). Using path analysis, two statistical models were built separately with restrained and emotional eating as dependent variables, and all possible direct and indirect pathways were tested for mediating effects. The variables tested for were media influence, perfectionism, trait emotional intelligence, and the Big Five dimensions. In the first model, media pressure, self-control, and extraversion predicted eating disorders via emotional eating. In the second model, media pressure and perfectionism predicted eating disorders via restrained eating. Findings from this study provide an understanding of the dynamics between DE, ED, and key personality, emotion-related, and social factors in youth. Lastly, implications and recommendations for future studies are advanced.

The aim of this study was to validate the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue v. 1.5) in a Lebanese sample and compare its factorial structure to that of a UK sample. There were similar gender and age distributions in both samples as well as satisfactory structural reliabilities at the global, factor, and facet levels. Results from exploratory factor analysis showed a four-factor structure similar to that originally obtained by the author of the questionnaire. There were strong correlations between the factor scores derived from the two datasets (≥.90). Tucker congruence supported the similarity between the Lebanese and UK factors. Independent-samples t tests showed that Lebanese participants scored higher on the Sociability factor and the facets of self-esteem, social awareness and emotion perception, whereas UK participants scored higher on the facets of stress management, optimism and relationships. Gender differences are also reported, and recommendations for future research discussed.

Although stigma negatively impacts autistic people globally, the degree of stigma varies across cultures. Prior research suggests that stigma may be higher in cultures with more collectivistic orientations. This study aimed to identify cultural values and other individual differences that contribute to cross-cultural differences in autism stigma (assessed with a social distance scale) between college students in Lebanon ( n = 556) and those in the United States ( n = 520). Replicating prior work, stigma was lower in women than men and in the United States relative to Lebanon. Heightened autism knowledge, quality of contact with autistic people, openness to experience, and reduced acceptance of inequality predicted lower stigma. Collectivism was not associated with heightened stigma. Findings highlight the need to address structural inequalities, combat harmful misconceptions, and foster positive contact to combat stigma.

The acceptance of rape myths persists at varying levels across societies, which creates a hostile environment in which rape is justified and victims are blamed for being assaulted. This study investigated experience and familiarity with sexual assault, the Dark Triad traits, and gender-based beliefs benevolent and hostile sexism, and masculine honor beliefs as predictors of rape myth acceptance in a Lebanese sample consisting of 311 participants (177 women). Men scored significantly higher than women in rape myth acceptance, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, hostile sexism, and masculine honor beliefs. Participants who were victims of sexual assault or knew someone who had been assaulted in the past scored significantly lower on rape myth acceptance than those who did not. In addition, familiarity with sexual assault moderated the relationship between psychopathy and both benevolent sexism and masculine honor beliefs. Results from Structural Equation Modeling demonstrated that both hostile sexism and masculine honor beliefs mediated the relationship between the Dark Triad traits and rape myth acceptance. These findings emphasize the role of specific personality traits, subjective experience and beliefs in shaping rape-enabling attitudes; such a model can be used as the foundation of rape prevention programs in the future.

Trait emotional intelligence (“trait EI”) concerns our perceptions of our emotional abilities, that is, how good we believe we are in terms of understanding, regulating, and expressing emotions in order to adapt to our environment and maintain well-being. In this article, we present succinct summaries of selected findings from research on (a) the location of trait EI in personality factor space, (b) the biological underpinnings of the construct, (c) indicative applications in the areas of clinical, health, social, educational, organizational, and developmental psychology, and (d) trait EI training. Findings to date suggest that individual differences in trait EI are a consistent predictor of human behavior across the life span.

This paper aims at investigating resiliency factors (sense of mastery, sense of relatedness, and emotional reactivity), and hope as predictors of academic performance, while controlling for gender, tuition fees, and age. Differences in resiliency factors across gender and tuition fees were also explored. Participants were 599 Lebanese adolescents (330 female), ranging from ages 11 to 19. Resiliency factors predicted academic performance over gender, tuition fees, and hope, and played a more important role in the academic performance of middle/late than early adolescence. Gender differences were found in emotional reactivity (marginal) and sense of relatedness, with females scoring higher than males in both cases. Finally, adolescents with low tuition fees scored lower than those with middle tuition fees on emotional reactivity and marginally lower than those with high tuition fees on sense of relatedness. The relevance of these findings to resiliency among adolescents is discussed, along with implications and recommendations for future research and educational practice.

Using the omnicultural composite (OCC) approach within an Item Response Theory framework, the present study aimed both to provide evidence of the invariance of the emotional intelligence facets (emotionality, self-control, well-being, and sociability) across women from Western to Eastern countries and to detect unique cultural patterns. Samples of women from Canada (N = 360), China (N = 216), Italy (N = 209), Lebanon (N = 295), and Spain (N = 291) were administered the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short form (TEIQue-SF). Each cultural group was compared with its unique OCC obtained by merging the other groups. Results showed that emotionality and well-being facets were invariant across all respondents. A difference in self-control was found when comparing Chinese women with women belonging to different cultures and in sociability when comparing Lebanese women with those belonging to different cultures. The current findings provide a preliminary basis for studying EI in women across cultures.

Purpose To examine three indicators of psychopathology (stress, anxiety, and depression) as potential moderators of the relationship between body image dissatisfaction (BID) and restrained, emotional, and external eating, while controlling for family-related variables (i.e., household income, living situation, and psychopathology in the family) and individual variables (i.e., body mass index, physical activity, and major life events). Design and Methods A descriptive, correlational cross-sectional design was used. A sample of 894 female undergraduates aged between 18 and 25 completed a self-reported questionnaire. Findings Moderation analyses indicated that anxiety significantly moderated the relationship between BID and restrained eating, whereas depression and stress did not. Practice Implications Findings may be used in the development and implementation of education and prevention programs for disordered eating in college campuses. The usefulness of these findings for nursing practice is discussed.

Trait emotional intelligence (trait EI or trait emotional self-efficacy) is formally defined as a constellation of emotional perceptions assessed through questionnaires and rating scales (Petrides et al. Br J Psychol 98:273–289, 2007). The construct describes our perceptions of our emotional world (e.g., how good we believe we are in terms of understanding, managing, and utilizing our own and other people’s emotions). Although it has been empirically demonstrated that these perceptions affect virtually every area of our life, the present chapter focuses exclusively on their role in education. We begin with a brief overview of trait EI theory and measures that have been salient in education research, with particular emphasis on scales developed for children and adolescents. Subsequently, we summarize the effects of trait EI on academic performance and related variables across primary, secondary, and tertiary education. The review of the evidence indicates that research-based applications of trait EI theory in educational settings can yield concrete and lasting advantages for both individuals and schools.

This article reviews research on the link between stress and creativity. It does so within the context of two general lines of research, namely the research on affect-related traits and creativity and investigations of psychological states and creative performance. Results so far are rather contradictory, particularly for the link between stress state and creativity. This is a complex relationship that cannot be summarized simply as positive or negative. The article highlights the challenges of stress-creativity research and current methodological limitations. These challenges include: the use of narrow state dimensionality, poor domain differentiation, lack of temporal modeling, use of a single (and sometimes weak) creativity measure, and the underuse of trait-state models to research the topic. Some research and practical implications are outlined.

Recent findings suggest that disordered eating (DE) symptomatology may be underestimated in the male population. The present study examined depressive symptomatology as a potential mediator of the relationships between body image dissatisfaction, strategies to change body weight and muscles, media pressure, and DE (emotional, restrained and emotional eating) in 260 male undergraduates who completed a self-reported questionnaire. Path analyses indicated that media influence and strategies to decrease body weight had direct positive effects on depressive symptomatology, which in turn predicted emotional eating. Media influence had a direct positive effect on emotional eating, whereas strategies to decrease body weight did not exhibit a direct effect on emotional eating. Therefore, the latter pathway was removed from the model. The link between media pressure, strategies to decrease body weight and emotional eating was partially mediated by depressive symptomatology. The present findings can inform the development and implementation of prevention and education programs for DE in schools and universities.

Reconocimiento-No comercial-SinObraDerivada, Los tests de pensamiento divergente no atienden generalmente a la naturaleza compleja de la creatividad y se centran en el producto final o solución del problema, obviando fases previas del proceso creativo como la búsqueda y formulación del problema. El presente estudio adopta el modelo de problem-finding y plantea una nueva medida de la creatividad para ninos ˜ de educación primaria (6-12 anos). ˜ Se expone la fundamentación teórica así como el proceso de diseno, ˜ construcción y validación de la prueba a través de diferentes estudios. El Test de Creatividad Infantil (TCI) evalúa el proceso creativo a partir de una tarea estructurada en dos fases: formulación y solución del problema. El test considera no sólo el resultado final (un dibujo) sino las fases previas que llevan a alcanzarlo. Los resultados muestran una fiabilidad y validez satisfactorias de las puntuaciones de la prueba. Se concluye que el TCI tiene unas propiedades psicométricas robustas y puede ser una herramienta útil para predecir el comportamiento creativo de los ninos ˜ en educación primaria, Divergent thinking tests do not generally address the complex nature of creativity but rather focus on the final product or solution of a problem, overlooking the previous stages of the creative process such as the discovery and formulation of a problem. The present study adopts the lrsquo;problem finding’ model and presents a new measure of creativity in children in primary education (6-12 years old). This paper presents the theoretical foundations as well as the process of designing, developing, and validating the test through different studies. The Child Creativity Test (TCI in Spanish) evaluates the creative process through a task structured in two stages: formulation and solution of a problem. The test considers not only the final output (a drawing), but also the previous phases that lead to it. Results show satisfactory validity and reliability of the test scores. It is concluded that the TCI has robust psychometric properties and can be a useful tool to predict creative behavior in primary school children