DPBPMCC. Artículos del Departamento de Psicología Básica, Psicobiología y Metodología de las Ciencias del Comportamiento

Positive and negative affect as predictors of university academic performance: systematic review and meta-analysis

Sat, 31 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

[EN]Positive and negative affect are key emotional dimensions for understanding learning processes and academic performance in university students. This study presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of empirical evidence published between 2015 and 2025 on the association between affect and academic performance in higher education. Following PRISMA guidelines, 14 studies were included. The results indicate that positive affect shows a clear and consistent direction of effect, with a moderate and statistically significant association with academic performance (r = .27, 95% CI [.12, .41], I² = 90.91%). In contrast, negative affect showed an inconsistent direction of effect and a weak, non-significant association (r = –.11, 95% CI [–.28, .07], I² = 95.45%). Moderation analyses examining study-level methodological characteristics (type of affect measure, type of academic performance measure, and study design) did not identify any statistically significant moderators, and subgroup differences disappeared when meta-regression models were applied. Both meta-analyses exhibited high heterogeneity (I² > 90%), but only positive affect showed a significant association with academic performance. These results underscore the need for more precise affective measures, longitudinal and context-sensitive research designs, and teaching practices that explicitly integrate the affective dimension into the university learning experience. [ES]El afecto positivo y negativo son dimensiones emocionales clave para comprender los procesos de aprendizaje y el rendimiento académico en estudiantes universitarios. Este estudio presenta una revisión sistemática y un metaanálisis de la evidencia empírica publicada entre 2015 y 2025 sobre la asociación entre afecto y rendimiento académico en la educación superior. Siguiendo las directrices PRISMA, se incluyeron 14 estudios. Los resultados mostraron que el afecto positivo presenta una dirección del efecto clara y consistente, con una asociación moderada y estadísticamente significativa con el rendimiento académico (r = .27, IC del 95% [.12, .41], I² = 90.91%). En contraste, el afecto negativo presenta una dirección del efecto inconsistente y una asociación débil y no significativa (r = –.11, IC del 95% [–.28, .07], I² = 95.45%). Los análisis de moderación que han examinado las características metodológicas a nivel de estudio (tipo de medida del afecto, tipo de medida del rendimiento académico y diseño del estudio) no identificaron moderadores estadísticamente significativos, y las diferencias entre subgrupos desaparecieron al aplicar modelos de meta-regresión. Ambos metaanálisis mostraron alta heterogeneidad (I² > 90%), pero solo el afecto positivo evidenció una asociación significativa con el rendimiento académico. Estos resultados subrayan la necesidad de medidas afectivas más precisas, diseños de investigación longitudinales y sensibles al contexto, así como prácticas docentes que integren explícitamente la dimensión afectiva en el contexto de aprendizaje universitario.

Relationship between Self-Regulated Learning and Student Satisfaction in a Collaborative Science Communication Task

Sat, 01 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT

[EN]The influence of self-regulated learning on academic performance has been studied from various perspectives and in different contexts. However, few studies have explored its impact on student satisfaction in learning environments related to scientific dissemination. This study examines the influence of self-regulated learning —specifically motivation and learning strategies— on university students’ satisfaction with the group preparation of a scientific dissemination article. A total of 83 university students participated by completing a self-regulated learning questionnaire (MSLQ) and two ad hoc questionnaires assessing satisfaction with the dissemination project (group interaction and content). The results showed high levels of satisfaction with both the interaction and the content of the project, with average scores exceeding eight out of ten. Furthermore, regarding the dimensions of self-regulated learning, motivation was found to influence satisfaction with the content among students who reported lower use of learning strategies. The implications of these findings are discussed within the educational context.

Working memory training improves episodic memory in older people: transfer based on controlled retrieval processes

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

[EN]Introduction: The results of working memory (WM) training to improve episodic memory in older people are inconsistent. This inconsistency could be due to the fact that the episodic memory tests used do not share the same cognitive resources as the trained WM task. The aim of this study was to assess whether performance on an episodic memory test will improve only when this test requires controlled processes of retrieval of information from secondary memory or recollection, similar to the processes exercised during WM training. Method: Fifty-five people over 60 years of age participated in the study: 27 were randomly assigned to the experimental group (EG) and the rest to the control group (CG). The EG was trained in complex span tasks. Before and after training, both groups were tested on episodic memory tests (a verbal and a visuospatial recognition test) and WM span tasks (reading, digit and spatial location). Results: ANOVAs revealed a greater improvement of recollection estimates in the EG than in the CG for both verbal recognition (p = 0.023) and visuospatial recognition (p = 0.014). Discussion: Our results provide support for a cognitive mechanism whose shared presence favored transfer from training on a WM task to a test of episodic memory. Consistent with our predictions, training on complex span tasks improved performance on recognition tests only when recall required a controlled search process in secondary memory, or recollection. We therefore stress the importance of identifying other cognitive resources that are susceptible to transfer from a training task to other untrained tasks. A better understanding of the phenomenon of transfer is crucial for the design of increasingly effective intervention programs for older people.

Working memory training improves episodic memory in older people: transfer based on controlled retrieval processes

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT

[EN] The results of working memory (WM) training to improve episodic memory in older people are inconsistent. This inconsistency could be due to the fact that the episodic memory tests used do not share the same cognitive resources as the trained WM task. The aim of this study was to assess whether performance on an episodic memory test will improve only when this test requires controlled processes of retrieval of information from secondary memory or recollection, similar to the processes exercised during WM training. Method: Fifty-five people over 60 years of age participated in the study: 27 were randomly assigned to the experimental group (EG) and the rest to the control group (CG). The EG was trained in complex span tasks. Before and after training, both groups were tested on episodic memory tests (a verbal and a visuospatial recognition test) and WM span tasks (reading, digit and spatial location). Results: ANOVAs revealed a greater improvement of recollection estimates in the EG than in the CG for both verbal recognition (p = 0.023) and visuospatial recognition (p = 0.014). Discussion: Our results provide support for a cognitive mechanism whose shared presence favored transfer from training on a WM task to a test of episodic memory. Consistent with our predictions, training on complex span tasks improved performance on recognition tests only when recall required a controlled search process in secondary memory, or recollection. We therefore stress the importance of identifying other cognitive resources that are susceptible to transfer from a training task to other untrained tasks. A better understanding of the phenomenon of transfer is crucial for the design of increasingly effective intervention programs for older people.

Effects of Teacher Enthusiasm and Type of Text on the Motivation and Achievement of Schoolchildren

Mon, 30 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT

[EN]This study aims to analyze the effects of teacher enthusiasm and type of text on student motivation and achievement. The participants were 369 elementary school students. We used four videos showing a teacher presenting two texts (narrative or descriptive) in two conditions of enthusiasm (high or neutral). A MANOVA revealed additive effects due to enthusiasm and text type on motivation and achievement, but no interaction. Mediation analyzes indicated that enthusiasm showed direct and indirect effects through motivation only for descriptive text. Therefore, the motivational mediation between teacher enthusiasm and student achievement could be especially important when the text is descriptive.

Motivation and learning strategies in the use of ICTs among university students

Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

[EN] Within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) considerable efforts are being made to promote the incorporation of Information and Communication Technology (ICTs) in Higher Education (HE), together with placing emphasis on the cognitive and motivational components underlying learning. The objectives of this research were to analyze: (a) the relationship between different uses of ICTs and the learning outcomes and (b) the relationship between learning strategies and motivation and the use of ICTs. Four factors explain 57.4% of the total variance of the types of use of ICTs. It is possible to discern four patterns of use of ICTs (Social, Technical, Academic and Educational Platforms). Our results show significant associations of the different uses of ICT with expectations of improved performance and satisfaction. In addition, the Educational Platform Use (EPU) is linked to performance. In turn, the EPU is predicted by learning strategies and motivation variables which point to primarily motivational components. The results are discussed in relation to the difficulties inherent in the process of implementing the EHEA.

Network analysis to examine sex differences linked to emotional well-being in cardiovascular disease

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

[EN]Psychosocial dimensions are essential to guarantee an optimal approach to improve emotional well-being in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). There is evidence of sex differences regarding these dimensions. Thus, the connections between them are crucial to implement personalized therapies. Network model analyses were conducted on data from 593 CVD patients. The models included scores from the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), positive (PA) and negative affect (NA), positivity (PS), satisfaction of life (SLS), social support (SS), self-efficacy on emotion regulation (RESE), cardiac self-efficacy (CSE) and the Short Form-12 Health Survey. The main sex differences were found in: PA-PS (p = 0.03), SS-RESE (p = 0.04), for which the positive associations are stronger for men than for women and PA-RESE (p < 0.01) for which the positive association is stronger for women than for men. These nuances should be considered to implement tailored and integrative therapies for each CVD patient.

Generalized and visual anosognosia, Anosodiaphoria after bifrontal injury: symptom length and cognitive outcomes after one year from first report documented

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

[EN]Importance: GAAB Syndrome was recently discovered and coined by Rodríguez, Azariah, Ritter, et al.. (2024). It is characterized by bifrontal brain injury, visual pathway damage involving bilateral enucleation, generalized and visual anosognosia and lack of emotional processing with visual anosognosia being more prominent in the clinical presentation of the patient given the context of bilateral enucleation. The syndrome was not explained by delirium nor by amnesia, not either by multiple shunt adjustments or psychological denial. Objective: To describe the clinical presentation and syndrome length of the patient one year after injury. Results show that most of the syndrome symptoms are resolved after nine months, with just visual anosognosia not resolving completely. The patient improved cognitively as shown by the same tests one year later.

Generalized anosognosia, anosodiaphoria, and visual hallucinations with bilateral enucleation after severe bifrontal brain injury: a case report describing similarities with and differences from Anton syndrome

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

[EN]Visual anosognosia, associated with confabulations and cortical blindness in the context of occipital lobe injury, is known as Anton syndrome. Patients with this syndrome strongly deny their vision loss and confabulate to compensate for both visual loss and memory impairments. In this article, we present a case of a patient with some similarities to Anton syndrome, however, with several differences in clinical presentation. Bifrontal brain injury, bilateral enucleation, affective indifference (anosodiaphoria), generalized anosognosia, and the conviction that vision will resume mark clear clinical differences with Anton syndrome. Differentiating these findings from Anton syndrome will help occupational therapists, neuropsychologists, speech-language pathologists, physical therapists, and physicians when assessing frontal lobe brain injury with total and partial visual loss. This case demonstrates that visual anosognosia and confabulations can occur without occipital lobe dysfunction or cortical blindness

Effects of a memory training program in older people with severe memory loss

Fri, 01 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT

[EN]Strategies based memory training programs are widely used to enhance thecognitive abilities of the elderly. Participants in these training programs areusually people whose mental abilities remain intact. Occasionally, people withcognitive impairment also participate. The aim of this study was to test ifmemory training designed specifically for healthy people is effective in peoplewith severe memory impairment. We carried out a 10-year retrospective case-control study with Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test (RBMT) and memorycomplaint measures obtained pre-post training. The case group consisted of73 people with memory impairment (IM group). The control group (n = 72) wasmade of individuals with preserved memory and sociodemographic character-istics similar to the case group (PM group). Both groups improved theirperformance on everyday memory tasks (measured using the RBMT). The IMgroup improved more than the PM group in everyday memory tasks, especiallyin prospective memory tasks. Both groups also reduced their level of subjectivecomplaints as a result of training. In conclusion, our results are encouragingwith respect to the efficacy of comprehensive memory training programs forolder people with severe memory impairment.

Subtle interactions for distress regulation: Efficiency of a haptic wearable according to personality

Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT

[EN]The incorporation of empathic systems in everyday life draws a lot of attention from society. Specifically, the use of wearables to perform stress regulation is a growing field of research. Among techniques explored, the haptic emulation of lowered physiological signals has been suggested to be promising. However, some discrepancies remain in empirical research focusing on such biofeedback (BF) regarding their efficacy, and the mechanisms underlying the effects of these wearables remains unclear. Moreover, the influence of individual traits on the efficiency of BF has been marginally studied, while it has been shown that personality could impact both stress and its regulation. The aim of this study is to investigate the outcome of interactions with these technologies from a psycho-physiological standpoint, but also to explore whether personality may influence its efficiency when other interaction devices are present. Participants had to play a challenging game while a lowered haptic BF of their heart rate was induced on their wrist. Results showed variable efficiency of the wearable among the participants: a subjective relaxation was evident for the participants exhibiting the highest neurotic and extraverted traits score. Our results highlight the plurality of the modes of action of these techniques, depending on the individual and on the level of stress to regulate. This study also suggests that tailoring these regulation methods to individual characteristics, such as personality traits, is important to consider, and proposes perspectives regarding the investigation of stress and regulation systems embedded in wearables.

Cognitive and body manifestations of driving anxiety according to different onsets

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

[EN]Background: Driving anxiety can have deleterious effects not only on driving behavior, but also on life quality. The interaction between motor vehicle collision (MVC) experiences and driving anxiety has been studied from different standpoints. However, the comparison with other events triggering it has been scarcely considered. Objectives: To analyze the body manifestations and the driving cognitions related to accident, social and panic concerns in people suffering from different levels of driving anxiety. Method: A total of 260 participants suffering from driving anxiety were included in a survey, including Driving Cognition Questionnaire and Body Sensation Questionnaire. Results: Panic attacks and criticisms are the most relevant onsets of driving anxiety, more than MVC. Only 11.4% of MVC victims considered it as the onset. People with MVC history showed lower scores in social concerns than people without MVC experience and neither the responsibility of the MVC nor the role (driver/passenger) seemed to have an impact on the anxiety level. Conclusions: Although the most relevant body sensations, heart palpitations and sweating, were the same in people with panic attack experiences and MVC victims, a discrimination of the emotions behind the concept of “driving anxiety” is desirable to clarify the psychological effects of different onsets.

Syntactic and emotional interplay in second language: emotional resonance but not proficiency modulates affective influences on L2 syntactic processing

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

[EN] Previous research has demonstrated the influence of emotions during linguistic processing, indicating the interactivity of both processes in the brain. However, little is known regarding such interplay in a second language (L2). This study addressed this question by examining the reading effects of syntactic violations while processing L2 emotional and neutral statements. Forty-six Spanish-English bilinguals with various levels of L2 proficiency and emotional resonance (i.e. capability for emotional experience in L2) were presented with a self-paced sentence reading task. Sentences contained positive (16), neutral (16) and negative (16) verbs, half of them presented in agreement and half in disagreement with the preceding pronoun. Analysis of verb reading times using linear mixed effects modelling revealed a significant interaction between syntactic violation, verb valence and emotional resonance, suggesting that stronger emotional L2 experience results in a higher saliency of negative verbs, reducing the impact of syntactic violations.

Biliteracy and acquisition of novel written words: the impact of phonological conflict between L1 and L2 scripts

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

[EN] The acquisition of new orthographic representations is a rapid and accurate process in proficient monolingual readers. The present study used biliterate and bialphabetic population to address the impact of phonological inconsistencies across the native (L1) and second (L2) alphabets. Naming latencies were collected from 50 Russian–English biliterates through a reading-aloud task with familiar and novel word forms repeated across 10 blocks. There were three Script conditions: (1) native Cyrillic, (2) non-native Roman, and (3) Ambiguous (with graphically identical, but phonologically inconsistent graphemes shared by both alphabets). Our analysis revealed the main effect of Script on both reading and orthographic learning: naming latencies during training were longer for the ambiguous stimuli, particularly for the novel ones. Nonetheless, novel word forms in the ambiguous condition approached the latencies for the familiar words along the exposures, although this effect was faster in the phonologically consistent trials. Post-training tests revealed similarly successful performance patterns for previously familiar and newly trained forms, indicating successful rapid acquisition of the latter. Furthermore, we found the highest free recall rates for the ambiguous stimuli. Overall, our results indicate that phonological inconsistency initially interferes with the efficiency of novel word encoding. Nevertheless, it does not prevent efficient attribution of orthographic representations; instead, the knowledge of two distinct alphabets supports a more efficient learning and a better memory for ambiguous stimuli via enhancing their encoding and retrieval.

Road to serenity: Individual variations in the efficacy of unobtrusive respiratory guidance for driving stress regulation

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT

[EN] Stress impacts driving-related cognitive functions like attention and decision-making, and may arise in automated vehicles due to non-driving tasks. Unobtrusive relaxation techniques are needed to regulate stress without distracting from driving. Tactile wearables have shown efficacy in stress regulation through respiratory guidance, but individual variations may affect their efficacy. This study assessed slow-breathing tactile guidance under different stress levels on 85 participants. Physiological, behavioral and subjective data were collected. The influence of individual variations (e.g., driving habits and behavior, personality) using logistic regression analysis was explored. Participants could follow the guidance and adjust breathing while driving, but subjective efficacy depended on individual variations linked to different efficiency in using the technique, in relation with its attentional cost. An influence of factors linked to the evaluation of context criticality was also found. The results suggest that considering individual and contextual variations is crucial in designing and using such techniques in demanding driving contexts. In this line some design recommendations and insights for further studies are provided.

Examining Internal and External Consent in Consensual and Non-Consensual Contexts in Women

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

[ES]Antecedentes/objetivo: Las Escalas de Consentimiento Interno y Externo (ICS y ECS) han sido empleadas para medir estos constructos, principalmente entre estudiantes universitarios o adultos jóvenes en los Estados Unidos en contextos sexuales de consentimiento. El objetivo de este trabajo consistió en examinar el consentimiento interno y externo de las mujeres en contextos de consentimiento y no consentimiento sexual. Método: Se aplicaron las escalas de ICS y ECS tanto en contextos consentidos como no consentidos en una muestra de 764 mujeres adultas de España. Entre las mujeres que experimentaron relaciones sexuales no consentidas (n = 252), se analizaron los factores situacionales asociados con el encuentro: el entorno (es decir, si la participante se encontraba en un lugar conocido frente a uno desconocido cuando se produjo la relación no consentida), y el tipo de relación no consentida (coacción sexual o agresión sexual). Resultados: Nuestros resultados muestran que, en lo que respecta al consentimiento externo, al participar en relaciones sexuales consentidas, las mujeres indicaron un mayor uso de todas las señales que van desde comunicación/comportamiento de inicio hasta conductas no verbales, en comparación con quienes experimentaron sexo no consentido. De manera similar, aquellos que experimentaron un comportamiento no consentido informaron de menor excitación, menos seguridad/comodidad, consentimiento/deseo, y disposición en comparación con aquellas que tuvieron relaciones sexuales consentidas. Además, las mujeres que experimentaron relaciones sexuales no consentidas en un entorno desconocido (vs. conocido) informaron sentirse menos seguras y con menor disposición en términos de consentimiento interno. Por último, las mujeres que sufrieron coerción sexual (vs. agresión sexual) indicaron un mayor uso de la presión límite. Conclusión: Nuestro estudio amplía la conceptualización previa del ICS y el ECS para su análisis tanto en contextos consentidos como no consentidos, lo que proporciona más información sobre la continuidad del consentimiento sexual. [EN]Background/aim: The Internal and External Consent Scales (ICS and ECS) have been used to measure these constructs, primarily among college students or young adults in the United States during consensual sexual activity. The aim of this work is to examine women’s internal and external consent to both consensual and nonconsensual sexual experiences. Method: Building on this research, we applied these measures to both consensual and nonconsensual contexts in a sample of 764 adult women from Spain. Then, among women who experienced nonconsensual sex (n = 252), we further analyzed situational factors associated with the encounter: setting (i.e., whether the participant was in a known vs. unknown location when the nonconsensual sex occurred), and whether the nonconsensual sex was sexual coercion or sexual assault. Results: Our results show that, with regard to external consent, when engaging in consensual sex, women indicated greater use of all cues ranging from communication/initiation behavior to nonverbal behaviors than those who experienced nonconsensual sex. Similarly, those who experienced nonconsensual reported lower physiological responses of arousal, less safety/comfort, consent/wantedness, and readiness compared with those who had consensual sex. Further, those who experienced nonconsensual sex in an unknown setting (vs. known) reported feeling less safety and readiness in term of internal consent. Finally, women who experienced sexual coercion (vs. sexual assault) indicated greater use of borderline pressure. Conclusion: Our study expands on previous conceptualization of the ICS and ECS to include both consensual and nonconsensual encounters, which provides further insight about the continuum of sexual consent.