University of Valencia logo Logo Scientific Technological Offer Logo del portal

Description

The research activity focuses on analysing the contexts involved in prosocial behaviour: family, school and peer groups, fundamentally around family and the different types of family, variables related to family cohesion and conflict, child-to-parent violence, the hierarchy of values, prosocial development and agressive behaviour in children and adolescents and their integration in an intercultural context.

In particular, we focus our research on the protective factors that favour and strengthen prosocial behaviour in adolescence and childhood: factors of protection and vulnerability to aggression, taking into account personal, family, emotional, school and peer relationship variables. Types of family: given their importance in the psychosocial development of children, the variables are analysed considering the different types of family and aggressiveness/prosociality of children (discrimination between single-parent, two-parent, LGBT-parent families, family structure, biological or adoptive family). Adolescence and childhood: analysis of parenting practices and styles, friendship relationships, intimate partner violence, bullying and victimisation, school failure and risk behaviours in adolescents and pre-adolescents, such as alcohol abuse, together with the analysis of emotional competences mainly in adolescence, but also in childhood. Other variables to be analysed: anxiety, depression, stress, coping mechanisms and the relationship with peers, prosocial peers-aggressive peers.

Goals CT

To provide answers, programmes and resources for applied prevention and intervention, in relation to the contexts involved in prosocial behaviour. The ultimate aim of our research, among other tasks, is the communication of the results obtained to the scientific community; publication in high-impact journals; development of protocols for action in situations such as peer harassment (bullying and cyberbullying), intimate partner violence, child-to-parent violence; training courses for parents and teachers; design of prevention and intervention programmes aimed at promoting resilience or personal protection against adversity, at a stage in which one is especially vulnerable, such as pre-adolescence and adolescence.

Research lines
  • Psychosocial determinants of the addictive process

    Focused on the specific field of addictive behaviours, this research line develops intervention PROGRAMMES for young people who have been fined for the consumption or possession of addictive substances on the street, with an important aspect being the adaptation of the action to the characteristics of each of the groups to be intervened, adjusting to the many differences found among young people from different cultures and races. On the other hand, this research line is also aimed at the ADAPTATION of tools, given that in recent years intensive alcohol consumption has become consolidated among Spanish minors, often leading to alcohol intoxication and in which the incorporation of female teenagers between 14 and 15 years of age is increasingly notorious and worrying (Cortés, Giménez y Motos, 2012; Cortés, 2012; OED, 2013). The consequences of this pattern of consumption on brain development and the effects it has on attention, processing and retention of new information, emotional control, etc., are known with considerable accuracy (López et al.,, 2013; Crego et al. 2009; Guerri, 2010; Tapert, 2007), but there is not the same level of knowledge about to what extent and in what way it is interfering in the development of each of the social and personal skills that are acquired at this age and which, like the deterioration in brain structure, will also have consequences on the optimal development of these young people. It has become evident that in this aspect it is not possible to use tools adapted from other countries, since the pattern of consumption differs markedly (OED, 2013).

  • Psychological and emotional processes and prosocial behaviour

    The variables involved in prosocial versus aggressive behaviour are investigated, analysing the different contexts involved in these behaviours: family, school and peer groups, fundamentally around family and the different types of family, related to family cohesion and conflict, child-to-parent violence, the hierarchy of values, prosocial development and agressive behaviour in children and adolescents and their integration in an intercultural context. Based mainly on how, in recent years, different forms of violence have increased in adolescence, such as peer violence (bullying and cyberbullying), child-to-parent violence and gender-based violence (between couples), with important consequences in the personal, family, school and social spheres. Emotions and their lack of self-regulation, lack of empathy, coping mechanisms, peer preassure, the socialisation process and the values that society transmits are factors that may be behind these behaviours. In particular, we focus our research on the protective factors that favour and strengthen prosocial behaviour in adolescence: factors of protection and vulnerability to aggression, taking into account personal, family, school and peer relationship variables. Types of family: given their importance in the psychosocial development of children, the variables are analysed considering the different types of family and aggressiveness/prosociality of children (discrimination between single-parent families, family structure, biological or adoptive family). Adolescence: analysis of emotional competences in adolescence (11-18 years old), as well as of parenting practices and styles, school failure and risk behaviours in adolescents, such as alcohol abuse. Other variables to be analysed: anxiety, depression, stress, coping mechanisms and the relationship with peers, prosocial peers-aggressive peers.

Management
  • MESTRE ESCRIVA, M VICENTA
  • PDI-Catedratic/a d'Universitat
  • Rector/a de la Universitat de Valencia
View details
Members
  • SAMPER GARCIA, PAULA
  • PDI-Titular d'Universitat
  • Director/a de Departament
View details
  • TUR PORCAR, ANA MARIA
  • PDI-Titular d'Universitat
View details
Collaborators
  • CORTES TOMAS, MARIA TERESA
  • PDI-Titular d'Universitat
View details
Non-UV research staff

Collaborators

  • Gustavo Carlo - University of Missouri (USA)
  • Belén Mesurado - National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (Argentina)
  • Concetta Pastorelli - Sapienzza Università di Roma
  • Cristina Richaud - National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (Argentina)
Associated structure
Contact group details
Research Group on Assessment and Intervention in Childhood and Adolescence: Psychosocio-Educational and Emotional Variables Involved in Prosocial Behavior (EVAIN)

Blasco Ibáñez Campus

Av. Blasco Ibáñez, 21

46010 València (Valencia)

+34 963 864 100

+34 963 983 537

Geolocation

https://evain.es

maria.v.mestre@uv.es

paula.samper@uv.es

Contact people
  • MESTRE ESCRIVA, M VICENTA
  • PDI-Catedratic/a d'Universitat
  • Rector/a de la Universitat de Valencia
View details