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The goal of the present study was to investigate whether generativity and wisdom played a mediating role in the relationships between gerotranscendence and humor styles among people in late adulthood. The study included 399 participants aged 60–85 years. The following measures were used: Gerotranscendence Scale Type 2 (GST2), Humor Styles Questionnaire (HSQ), Loyola Generativity Scale (LGS), and the Self-Assessed Wisdom Scale (SAWS). The analyses revealed that generativity and wisdom, taken together, were mediators in the relationship between gerotranscendence and the four styles of humor in late adulthood. The results of the survey show that gerotranscendence is a factor that protects individuals against the use of aggressive humor, at the same time predisposing them to using humor that expresses self-acceptance and strengthens interpersonal relations. An interesting result was obtained for self-defeating humor. It was shown that gerotranscendence, by increasing generativity and wisdom, increases the tendency to poke fun at oneself and to talk about one’s own weaknesses or mistakes. This tendency, as suggested by the specific character of the relationships observed, does not have to be non-adaptive. Our results demonstrate that the processes related to the shaping of humor among people in late adulthood have a unique nature.

In the paper the authors describe the phenomenon of inconspicuous consumption, including the consumer behaviors characteristic of it and the socioeconomic processes underlying it. The authors analyzed the manifestations of inconspicuous consumption from the perspective of three conceptions of materialism: Belk’s, Richins and Dawson’s, and Kasser and Ryan’s. They identified the elements linking inconspicuous consumption with specific aspects of materialism as well as the points of difference between these two phenomena.

The present article reviews the psychological literature on selected problems of gifted education. It discusses issues which are particularly important from the point of view of the skills and tools used by psychologists, educational specialists, teachers and tutors in their daily work with gifted children and adolescents. The problems described include diagnosis of giftedness in education, types of educational support provided to the gifted, and the requirements placed on teachers of gifted students. A particular emphasis is put on the contemporary research-related and practical challenges faced by gifted support specialists in schools.

The present article contains a review of the literature devoted to gifted education in Europe. Forms of supporting the development of gifted students provided in European schools are presented with reference to the problems of diagnosing exceptional abilities, the existence and forms of educational measures for gifted students and forms of in-service training for teachers of such students. The individual European countries have not developed a uniform system of educational provision for supporting gifted students. This variety, however, gives educationalists, psychologists, teachers and parents involved on a daily basis in the process of educating gifted students an opportunity to avail themselves of the rich practical experience.

This article is an attempt at a systematic presentation of the knowledge of problems related to the value system of gifted persons. Psychological literature was reviewed to make the reader familiar with the concept of the value system and to present the current state of research. The problem of the value system of gifted persons was discussed from the perspective of its relationship with intelligence, abilities and school achievement. From a theoretical point of view, a multi-dimensional description of those issues allows readers to get acquainted with the problem of value preferences in gifted persons. On the educational plane, it allows psychologists, educationalists and teachers to avail themselves of the findings from the research review in their work with schoolchildren and young people with outstanding achievements.

Dependencies between creativity and values can be investigated at various levels. Taking into consideration four dimensions in which human creative competence reveals, the present article concentrates on the study of connections between these variables. The presented theoretical conceptualization and the results of research are aimed at demonstrating that an individual’s inner creativity, individual externalised creativity, group (social) creativity, and values, both those displayed in individual judgements and hierarchies and those accepted by members of a broader group, interact with each other. The importance of creativity in compromising axiological issues is shown in the article. The role that is played by values in individual creativity and their impact on the level and range of an innovation are also presented. Zależności między twórczością a wartościami można rozpatrywać na różnych poziomach. W niniejszym artykule skoncentrowano się na omówieniu tych związków z uwzględnieniem czterech wymiarów, w obrębie których przejawia się twórcza kompetencja człowieka. Przedstawione ujęcia teoretyczne i wyniki badań mają na celu wykazanie, że twórczość psychiczna (wewnętrzna) jednostki, indywidualna (uzewnętrzniona), grupowa (społeczna) i kulturowa oraz wartości, zarówno te przejawiające się w postaci indywidualnych wartościowań i hierarchii, jak i podzielane przez członków szerszej grupy wchodzą ze sobą w interakcje. W artykule wykazano znaczenie kreatywności w procesie uzgadniania zagadnień aksjologicznych, a także przedstawiono rolę, jaką odgrywają wartości w procesie twórczości jednostkowej oraz ich oddziaływanie na poziom i zasięg innowacji.

We examined properties of culture-level personality traits in ratings of targets (N = 5,109) aged 12 to 17 in 24 cultures. Aggregate scores were generalizable across gender, age, and relationship groups and showed convergence with culture-level scores from previous studies of self-reports and observer ratings of adults, but they were unrelated to national character stereotypes. Trait profiles also showed cross-study agreement within most cultures, eight of which had not previously been studied. Multidimensional scaling showed that Western and non-Western cultures clustered along a dimension related to Extraversion. A culture-level factor analysis replicated earlier findings of a broad Extraversion factor, but generally resembled the factor structure found in individuals. Continued analysis of aggregate personality scores is warranted.

The article presents the results of a study focusing on the family situation, education and interpersonal relations of adults (26–35 years old) who in their adolescence (16–19 years old) displayed exceptional giftedness. One group of those surveyed were national academic award winners (90). The control group consisted of 90 people of no outstanding academic achievement. The research found many differences between these two groups, both in the family situation and in interpersonal relations. High achievers were raised in families of higher social and professional status, and almost 72.2% of them decided to continue their academic career after they had graduated from university. The national academic award winners showed higher scores in shyness and lower scores in sociability in interpersonal relations.

Although large international studies have found consistent patterns of sex differences in personality traits among adults (i.e., women scoring higher on most facets), less is known about cross-cultural sex differences in adolescent personality and the role of culture and age in shaping them. The present study examines the NEO Personality Inventory-3 (McCrae, Costa, & Martin, 2005) informant ratings of adolescents from 23 cultures (N = 4,850), and investigates culture and age as sources of variability in sex differences of adolescents' personality. The effect for Neuroticism (with females scoring higher than males) begins to take on its adult form around age 14. Girls score higher on Openness to Experience and Conscientiousness at all ages between 12 and 17 years. A more complex pattern emerges for Extraversion and Agreeableness, although by age 17, sex differences for these traits are highly similar to those observed in adulthood. Cross-sectional data suggest that (a) with advancing age, sex differences found in adolescents increasingly converge toward adult patterns with respect to both direction and magnitude; (b) girls display sex-typed personality traits at an earlier age than boys; and (c) the emergence of sex differences was similar across cultures. Practical implications of the present findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Numerous studies have documented subtle but consistent sex differences in self-reports and observer-ratings of five-factor personality traits, and such effects were found to show welldefined developmental trajectories and remarkable similarity across nations. In contrast, very little is known about perceived gender differences in five-factor traits in spite of their potential implications for gender biases at the interpersonal and societal level. In particular, it is not clear how perceived gender differences in five-factor personality vary across age groups and national contexts and to what extent they accurately reflect assessed sex differences in personality. To address these questions, we analyzed responses from 3,323 individuals across 26 nations (mean age = 22.3 years, 31% male) who were asked to rate the five-factor personality traits of typical men or women in three age groups (adolescent, adult, and older adult) in their respective nations. Raters perceived women as slightly higher in openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness as well as some aspects of extraversion and neuroticism. Perceived gender differences were fairly consistent across nations and target age groups and mapped closely onto assessed sex differences in self- and observer-rated personality. Associations between the average size of perceived gender differences and national variations in sociodemographic characteristics, value systems, or gender equality did not reach statistical significance. Findings contribute to our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of gender stereotypes of personality and suggest that perceptions of actual sex differences may play a more important role than culturally based gender roles and socialization processes. Fil: Löckenhoff, Corinna E.. Cornell University.; Estados Unidos Fil: Chan, Wayne. Rutgers University; Estados Unidos Fil: McCrae, Robert R.. No especifíca; Fil: De Fruyt, Filip. University of Ghent; Bélgica Fil: Jussim, Lee. Rutgers University; Estados Unidos Fil: De Bolle, Marleen. University of Ghent; Bélgica Fil: Costa Jr, Paul T.. University of Duke; Estados Unidos Fil: Sutin, Angelina R.. Florida State University; Estados Unidos Fil: Realo, Anu. University Of Tartu.; Estonia Fil: Allik, Jüri. University Of Tartu.; Estonia. Estonian Academy of Sciences; Estonia Fil: Nakazato, Katsuharu. Tokyo University of Social Welfare; Japón Fil: Shimonaka, Yoshiko. Bunkyo Gakuin University; Japón Fil: Hřebíčková, Martina. Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; República Checa Fil: Graf, Sylvie. Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; República Checa Fil: Yik, Michelle. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; China Fil: Ficková, Emília. Slovak Academy of Sciences; Eslovaquia Fil: Brunner Sciarra, Marina. Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia; Perú Fil: Leibovich, Nora Blanca. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Psicología. Instituto de Investigaciones; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Schmidt, Vanina Ines. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Psicología. Instituto de Investigaciones; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Ahn, Chang Kyu. Pusan National University; Corea del Sur Fil: Ahn, Hyun Nie. Ewha Womans University; Corea del Sur Fil: Aguilar Vafaie, María E.. Tarbiat Modares University; Irán Fil: Siuta, Jerzy. Jagiellonian University; Polonia Fil: Szmigielska, Barbara. Hampshire College; Estados Unidos Fil: Cain, Thomas R.. Hampshire College; Estados Unidos Fil: Crawford, Jarret T.. The College of New Jersey; Estados Unidos Fil: Anwar Mastor, Khairul. Universiti Kebangsaan; Malasia Fil: Rolland, Jean Pierre. Universite Paris Ouest Nanterre la Defense; Francia Fil: Nansubuga, Florence. Makerere University; Uganda Fil: Miramontez, Daniel R.. San Diego Community College District; Estados Unidos Fil: Benet Martínez, Veronica. Universitat Pompeu Fabra; España Fil: Rossier, Jérôme. Universite de Lausanne; Suiza Fil: Bratko, Denis. University of Zagreb; Croacia Fil: Marušić, Iris. Institute for Social Research in Zagreb; Croacia Fil: Halberstadt, Jamin. University of Otago; Nueva Zelanda Fil: Yamaguchi, Mami. University of Otago; Nueva Zelanda Fil: Knežević, Goran. Belgrade University; Serbia Fil: Martin, Thomas A.. Susquehanna University; Estados Unidos Fil: Gheorghiu, Mirona. The Queen's University Belfast; Irlanda Fil: Smith, Peter B.. University of Sussex; Reino Unido Fil: Barbaranelli, Claudio. Università degli studi di Roma "La Sapienza"; Italia Fil: Wang, Lei. Peking University; China Fil: Shakespeare Finch, Jane. Queensland University of Technology; Australia Fil: Lima, Margarida P.. Universidad de Coimbra; Portugal Fil: Klinkosz, Waldemar. The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin; Polonia Fil: Sekowski, Andrzej. The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin; Polonia Fil: Alcalay, Lidia. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; Chile Fil: Simonetti, Franco Lucio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; Chile Fil: Avdeyeva, Tatyana V.. University of St. Thomas; Estados Unidos Fil: Pramila, V. S.. No especifíca; Fil: Terracciano, Antonio. Florida State University; Estados Unidos

Consensual stereotypes of some groups are relatively accurate, whereas others are not. Previous work suggesting that national character stereotypes are inaccurate has been criticized on several grounds. In this article we (a) provide arguments for the validity of assessed national mean trait levels as criteria for evaluating stereotype accuracy and (b) report new data on national character in 26 cultures from descriptions (N = 3323) of the typical male or female adolescent, adult, or old person in each. The average ratings were internally consistent and converged with independent stereotypes of the typical culture member, but were weakly related to objective assessments of personality. We argue that this conclusion is consistent with the broader literature on the inaccuracy of national character stereotypes. Fil: McCrae, Robert R.. No especifica; Fil: Chan, Wayne. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentina Fil: Jussim, Lee. Rutgers University; Estados Unidos Fil: De Fruyt, Filip. University of Ghent; Bélgica Fil: Löckenhoff, Corinna E.. Cornell University; Estados Unidos Fil: Leibovich, Nora Blanca. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Schmidt, Vanina Ines. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Miramontez, Daniel R.. San Diego Community College District. Office of Institutional Research and Planning; Estados Unidos Fil: Benet Martínez, Veronica. Universitat Pompeu Fabra; España. Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avancats; España Fil: Rossier, Jérôme. Universite de Lausanne; Suiza Fil: Bratko, Denis. University of Zagreb; Croacia Fil: Marušić, Iris. Institute for Social Research in Zagreb; Croacia Fil: Halberstadt, Jamin. University of Otago; Nueva Zelanda Fil: Yamaguchi, Mami. University of Otago; Nueva Zelanda Fil: Knežević, Goran. Belgrade University; Serbia Fil: Purić, Danka. Belgrade University; Serbia Fil: Martin, Thomas A.. Susquehanna University; Estados Unidos Fil: Gheorghiu, Mirona. Queens University; Reino Unido Fil: Smith, Peter B.. University Of Sussex; Reino Unido Fil: Barbaranelli, Claudio. La Sapienza University; Italia Fil: Wang, Lei. Peking University; China Fil: Shakespeare Finch, Jane. Queensland University of Technology; Australia Fil: Lima, Margarida P.. Universidad de Coimbra; Portugal Fil: Klinkosz, Waldemar. John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin; Polonia Fil: Sekowskil, Andrzej. John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin; Polonia Fil: Alcalay, Lidia. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; Chile Fil: Simonetti, Franco. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; Chile Fil: Avdeyeva, Tatyana V.. University of St. Thomas; Estados Unidos Fil: Pramila, V. S.. Andhra Pradesh. Visakhapatnam; India Fil: Terracciano, Antonio. Florida State University College of Medicine; Estados Unidos

The role of self-esteem in achievements of gifted persons calls for the attention of research workers and for the accumulation of new experiences in this field. Self-esteem is one of the characteristics whose impact on social and personal functioning is emphasised by many authors representing both cognitive and humanistic orientation. The research is based on the theory and practice of Virginia Satir. The author has cooperated with her, and her co-workers. In this paper, the problem of the influence of self-esteem of gifted youngsters on their achievements is discussed. Their self-esteem does not only affect the level of achievements, but also their social functioning and attitudes of the environment towards them. Concrete forms of work with them aiming at the elevation of their real self-esteem and at the improvement of their relations with other people are also discussed. Some assumptions and hypotheses are formulated for discussion but strong emphasis is given to the importance of self-esteem in the process of the learning of gifted children and adolescents.

Psychologists have long attached great importance to the issue of individual differences, investigating, among others, abilities, intelligence, creativity, temperament, and personality. The present chapter is devoted to individual differences primarily as manifested in the effectiveness of performed actions, i.e., related to intelligence and abilities. The first part shows the positioning of the issue of giftedness in the psychology of individual differences. The second part is devoted to methodological issues and discusses the leading theories and research methods. The third part concerns the levels of individual differences, from the physiological mechanisms of the phenomenon (e.g., the use of mismatch negativity in the study of interindividual differences regarding intelligence) to manifestations of individual differences in particular fields of human activity (e.g., styles of learning or temperament). The fourth part presents an analysis of the social consequences of individual differences (i.e., identification, selection, and education). The concluding section presents trends in the development of research on individual differences in giftedness.

Riluzole, a pre- and postsynaptic modulator of glutamate transmission, administered alone at doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg did not affect pentetrazole-evoked seizures in mice. However, it enhanced the anti-seizure action of valproate, phenobarbital, ethosuximide, although not that of clonazepam, in this model of experimental epilepsy. Keeping in mind that riluzole did not change plasma levels of antiepileptic drugs, a pharmacokinetic interaction, at least in terms of free plasma levels, does not seem probable. Regarding undesired effects, riluzole (5 mg/kg) and its combination with valproate did not produce any motor or long-term memory impairment. In contrast, the concomitant treatment of riluzole (5 mg/kg) with valproate (144 mg/kg), phenobarbital (4.9 mg/kg), or ethosuximide (90 mg/kg), resulted in a moderate motor deficit, but not long-term memory impairment in the tested mice. In conclusion, the results of the present study suggest that riluzole might occur effective as an additive drug in the treatment of myoclonic or absence epilepsy in humans.