After the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, several articles have described the fragility of young adults, such as students, highlighting the severity, frequency, and nature of mental distress. ...However, less research has examined the resources of young people, such as their creative competence and their ability to draw on a social network. Furthermore, the analysis of these resources is not very common in international comparative studies. The main aim of this cross-national study is to investigate whether creativity factors such as creative personality and divergent thinking together with social support predict resilience in college students, controlling for gender and nationality, in a sample of college students from Italy and Spain, European Mediterranean countries particularly affected by the pandemic. The following instruments were used to measure these constructs: The Creative Personality Scale, the Runco Ideational Behavior Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and the Connor Davidson Resilience Scale. A total of 287 college students participated, 147 from Italy and 140 from Spain, with an average age of 22 years. The results show that there are statistically significant differences between Italian and Spanish students for all variables except resilience. The hierarchical regression shows that divergent thinking and social support are predictors of resilience for the whole sample. In light of these results, it may be important for universities to continue investing in divergent thinking and social support through workshops and activities to promote student resilience.
In previous studies, children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have been found to have more difficulties with processing speed, working memory, and attentional tasks. The present ...study aimed to compare the cognitive variables (working memory and processing speed) and the attentional profiles of a sample of students with and without ADHD, using scales from the WISC-IV, and the virtual reality-based attentional test known as 'Aula Nesplora'; and determine the extent to which the aforementioned variables may predict student group membership. A total of 88 students took part in this study (66 males and 22 females), aged from 6 to 16 years (M = 10.20; SD = 2.79). The sample was divided into two groups: an ADHD group (n = 50) and a Control group (n = 38). Students in the ADHD group obtained lower scores in working memory and in processing speed, as well as demonstrating poorer performance in Aula Nesplora than did their peers. Working memory, and the number of omissions, were both shown to be reliable predictors of group membership. This study revealed the importance of obtaining data from attentional variables differentiated by modality when considering cognitive variables, in order to better characterize the difficulties experienced by individuals diagnosed with ADHD.
Objective: To analyze the diagnostic effectiveness of the AULA Nesplora test to discriminate the different ADHD presentations: impulsive/hyperactive (I/H), inattentive, and combined.Method: A total ...of 117 students (76.9% male and 23.1% female) between 5 and 16 years of age (M = 11.18 years, SD = 3.10 years) participated, and were divided into three groups with ADHD according to their presentation, and a control group. Results: Each of the test conditions allowed the discrimination between the I/H and combined presentations with respect to the control group, and between the I/H and inattentive presentations. However, differences among ADHD presentations were only evident when the results were separately analyzed for the visual and auditory modalities. Conclusion: This study showed that the indicators offered by the AULA Nesplora test (omissions, commissions, response times, and motor activity) make it possible to establish a differential diagnosis of ADHD presentations when analyzed under different contextual conditions.
Background/Objective: Continuous Performance Tests (CPTs) have demonstrated validity when differentiating children with ADHD from healthy controls. However, these CPTs have limitations such as low ...ecological validity. New CPTs based on the use of Virtual Reality (VR) have appeared as supposedly improved methods for assessing ADHD. This study aims to compare the discriminant value of attentional variables produced by a VR CPT (Aula Nesplora) with that of variables from a traditional CPT (Test of Variables of Attention; TOVA) for identifying ADHD. Method: A total of 338 children aged between 6 and 16 years old (M = 10.84, SD = 3.01) participated in the study: 31.95% correspond to the inattentive presentation, 15.38% to the impulsive-hyperactive presentation, 22.78% to the combined presentation, and the remaining 29.88% correspond to children without ADHD. Results: Results indicated that Aula Nesplora predicts ADHD presentations better than TOVA. It also differentiates better between ADHD and non-ADHD students. Conclusions: These findings show the potential advantages of using virtual reality in ADHD assessment, as it facilitates the diagnosis of ADHD and the differentiation of its presentations in a realistic environment.
Antecedentes/objetivos: Los tests de ejecución continua (Continuous Perfomance Test; CPT) han mostrado utilidad en la diferenciación de los niños con TDAH de los controles. Sin embargo, este tipo de tarea no está exenta de limitaciones como su baja validez ecológica. Para la mejora de la evaluación del Trastorno por Déficit de Atención con Hiperactividad (TDAH) surgen en los últimos años los CPTs en realidad virtual. Este estudio tiene como objetivo comparar el valor discriminativo de las variables proporcionadas por un CPT basado en la realidad virtual (Aula Nesplora) con respecto a aquellas recogidas por un CPT tradicional (Test de variables de atención; TOVA) para identificar las distintas presentaciones de TDAH. Método: Participaron un total de 338 estudiantes de entre 6 y 16 años (M = 10,84; DT = 3,01): 31,95% correspondientes a la presentación inatenta, 15,38% presentación hiperactiva-impulsiva, 22,78% presentación combinada y 29,88% controles. Resultados: Los resultados indicaron que el Aula Nesplora predice mejor que el TOVA las presentaciones de TDAH, así como a los estudiantes sin TDAH. Conclusiones: Se discuten las ventajas del uso de la realidad virtual en evaluación del TDAH, ya que facilitan el diagnóstico del trastorno y la diferenciación de sus presentaciones.
Previous studies have shown the positive effects of educational video games (serious games) in improving motivation, attention and other cognitive components in students with learning disabilities. ...This study analyzes the effects on attention of a serious game based on multiple intelligences in a sample of 44 students (age range = 6-16 years; experimental group = 24; control group = 20) with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and specific learning disorder (SLD). Performance and observation measures of attention were used. The intervention consisted of 28 sessions (10 min each), in which the participants trained with 10 games based on multiple intelligences. A significant improvement in attention performance measures (visual attention) was found after the intervention, with the experimental and the control groups significantly differing in the posttest. These results invite consideration of the applicability of boosting different intelligences, talents or unique abilities through educational videogames as an important bridge to improving areas of deficit-in this case attention-in students with learning disabilities.
This study examined differences in future anxiety (FA) among mothers and fathers of children with and without developmental disabilities (DD), and it also analyzed differences in FA within the group ...of parents of children with DD taking into consideration parent-related factors and child-related factors. A group of 167 parents of children with DD were compared to a group of 103 parents of children with typical development. The group with DD included children with autism spectrum disorders, sensory disorders, and intellectual disability. Parents completed the Future Anxiety Scale-FAS1. Mothers of children with DD had a higher general level of FA than fathers of children with and without DD. Mothers of children with DD reported higher anxiety about their future health and the meaning of their future life than fathers of children with DD. For parents of children with DD, those with lower education, male children, and older children reported higher FA. The group at risk of highest general FA are mothers of children with DD, especially those without a professional career. Similarly, parents of teenagers and/or sons with DD are at increased risk of FA.
(1) Background: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) are neurodevelopmental disorders that affect various areas of children's development, such as ...language. It exists an emerging idea that ADHD is characterised by the presence of language difficulties, which can be explained by the high comorbidity between ADHD and DLD. The aim of this review is to analyse the empirical evidence of language competence in children aged 6-17 years old, diagnosed with ADHD and/or DLD. (2) Method: Fifteen studies with experimental designs were identified from Scopus, PsycINFO, and WoS databases, reporting on language skills in children diagnosed with ADHD and/or DLD. Studies relating executive functioning to language skills in this target population were also included. (3) Results: The literature is heterogeneous and different components of language are also examined. Even though the results are contradictory, they convincingly demonstrate there are overlapping symptoms between ADHD and DLD, such as language skills and executive functions. (4) Conclusions: The differences in the samples limit the generalisability of the results. Therefore, this review highlights the importance of considering language skills when designing individualised interventions for the population with ADHD and DLD, both in comorbidity and in isolation.
Only a few months before starting university, more than 50% of Spanish high-school students do not know what course to choose. Data from the Ministry of Education show that dropout rates reach 40% in ...some Spanish communities. This study aims to analyse the most important reasons behind students' choices of degree course and the sources of information they use to help them choose depending on the type of the school and the field of study chosen.
A sample of 2,254 students from all over Spain completed two previously validated questionnaires.
The results showed that in general terms, intrinsic motives were more highly valued. The sources of information that students used most and rated more highly were university websites and family advice. Students from private schools rated guidance activities organized by universities more highly than students from state schools. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis statistics showed that the intrinsic component was more highly valued by students who wanted to study degrees in the fields of Arts and Humanities or Services.
These findings provide quality information that may be used to improve the effectiveness of guidance counselling activities.
Neurodevelopmental disorders can be studied from two distinct perspectives: an internal approach, which examines the causes and consequences of these disorders; and a contextual approach, which ...considers the role of the family in the lives of children and adolescents. Research has demonstrated that the most significant form of family involvement in families raising a child with NDD is through homework. This involvement has been shown to have an emotional impact on children with neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD or dyslexia. The objective of this study is to review published articles on homework and neurodevelopmental disorders, with particular attention to the role of the family and the emotional health of children and families. Method: The review followed the PRISMA guidelines. The final sample consisted of 11 articles, with samples ranging from less than 30 participants to more than 100 at the international level. Results: The results demonstrate the complex methodological and bibliometric picture of the final sample, as well as the many emotional and contextual variables that influence the relationship between homework and neurodevelopmental disorders. Conclusions: Future research should consider how emotional health affects the engagement of families with children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Attentional and working memory (WM) processes undergo significant changes during different stages of development. However, currently there are not many continuous performance tools based on virtual ...reality (VR) for measuring attentional capacity in adults. The present study aimed to obtain normative data for the Nesplora Aquarium VR test in a Spanish population, looking at sex and age variables. In addition, this study also aimed to analyze the psychometric properties of the tool such as scale, internal consistency, and item difficulty and discrimination indices. A total of 1,469 participants from different regions of Spain (57.6% female) with ages ranging from 16 to 90 years old took part in this normative study. Nesplora Aquarium was developed in order to support clinicians in the assessment of attentional processes and WM in adults over 16 years old. It is an 18-minute individual test performed through a VR system. The system provides better visual and auditory immersion in the task than computerized CPTs. This study revealed that the new VR tool, designed to measure adult attention and working memory levels, exhibited good psychometric properties related to reliability and internal consistency. In addition, item difficulty and discrimination values were also acceptable.
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