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Papers by Sebastian Vaida

The Concept of Death. From Socrates to Ellis

Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai Psychologia-Paedagogia

"Death is a concept studied from ancient times by all major areas, from lite... more "Death is a concept studied from ancient times by all major areas, from literature and art, to philosophy and psychology. In this research, we analyze the way Socrates, the famous Greek philosopher, negotiates the idea of death, through his own death. We approached this, because the ancient philosopher was put in this situation when he was sentenced to death, unjustly, following a democratic decision. His way of seeing death reveals a formula that does not match the expectation of his contemporaries, nor the classical typology of the imminence of his own death, belonging to psychiatrist Elizabeth Kübler-Ross. And the explanation of this non-coincidence is based on the philosophical idea of man and world and the specifics of his philosophical practice. It is precisely this philosophical conception and practice that will make Socrates’ attitude become repeatable and not unrepeatable, as one might expect, since this attitude appears so conditioned by specific elements. In fact, the rational research on the grounds of beliefs and personal knowledge that stands at the basis of his philosophical practice, is deeply rooted in the foundations of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). Therefore, what lays at the basis of Socrates’ view on death goes far beyond the ancient cultural framework. To fill in the phenomenal dimension with the one of organic layer, the analysis will also include an interpretation of Socrates’ behavior, from the dopamine mechanism approach. Keywords: death, Socrates, method, concept, analysis, beliefs. "

Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory: Exploratory Factor Analysis of the Romanian version

Psychology of Music

Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory (K-MPAI) is one of the most widely used instruments in ... more Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory (K-MPAI) is one of the most widely used instruments in the research of music performance anxiety. The aim of this study was to investigate the factor structure of the Romanian version of K-MPAI. A sample of 420 (aged 18–66, M = 24.46, SD = 7.36; 48% women and 52% men) musicians completed the K-MPAI. Exploratory factor analysis with principal axis factoring and oblimin rotation method indicated eight factors which explained 49.16% of variance. Due to the overestimation of the number of factors by the Kaiser’s criterion of 1, parallel analysis with the syntax provided by O’Connor was implemented. Four factors were extracted which explained 41.37% of variance. They were named “music performance anxiety symptoms,” “depression and hopelessness,” “parental support,” and “memory self-efficacy.” Results partially support the theoretical model which sustained the development of K-MPAI, and further clinical implications for the Romanian musician popul...

Psychological Safety and Trust. A Conceptual Analysis

Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai Psychologia-Paedagogia

“GO BEYOND YOURSELF” - Testing the Efficiency of A Short-Term Program of Social-Emotional Competencies Development for Young Adults Working in the IT Industry

Romanian Journal of Experimental Applied Psychology

Subjective well-being and its meaning for young people in Romania

ABSTRACT Subjective well-being (SWB) is ‘a broad category of phenomena that includes people’s emo... more ABSTRACT Subjective well-being (SWB) is ‘a broad category of phenomena that includes people’s emotional responses, domain satisfactions and global judgments of life satisfaction’ (Diener et al., 1999). Although this concept is extensively used in relation to young people, there is still significant ambiguity around the definition, and only a few studies investigate young people’s perspectives on SWB. The purpose of the study is to explore the meaning that young people attribute to SWB. We invited young people between 19 and 22 years to keep a journal for no more then 5 days. Each day they wrote half a page about their daily experiences concerning SWB. After that, they had to attach a photo illustrating wellbeing from their perspective. Preliminary results show that young people consider personal relationships, social networks, family support and the positive perspective over life as the key dimensions for their subjective SWB. The implications for the findings will be discussed.

Introduction to MS Office

Emotional Intelligence versus Emotional Competence

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is one of the best approaches to teaching students the skills nee... more Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is one of the best approaches to teaching students the skills needed to better adapt to life and develop on a personal and professional level. YourSELF is an abbreviation for "Your Social Emotional Learning Facilitator" and represents a social-emotional learning program based on the Rational Emotive Behavior Theory (REBT). It was implemented and tested as a personal development program for university students, for an entire academic year, with 3-4 hours weekly trainings. It is also a powerful and effective way to decrease the level of irrationality in the students' thinking style, along with developing some major life competencies (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, decision making). In order to test this idea, an experimental design with repeated measures was used and the results clearly support the hypothesis that a SEL program based on the principles of REBT can lead to a significant decrease in the level of irrationality of the students in the experimental group, compared to the control one. Also, the four sub-scales of the instrument used to investigate the level of irrationality (ABS2) were analyzed and the same significant results were found on the level of low frustration tolerance, self-downing/global evaluation and awfulizing. The only exception was demandingness, and a rationale for this is offered in the discussion part of the article. The study shows that such a program can be beneficial and useful for the students involved and it is worth implementing on a larger scale.

The World of SELF. Stories for the Social Emotional Development of Kindergarten Children

ABSTRACT More info: http://www.selfkit.ro

This paper provides a cross-validation study of the Social Emotional Competence Inventory (SECD-I... more This paper provides a cross-validation study of the Social Emotional Competence Inventory (SECD-I) from English to Romanian. The intent was to determine if the SECDI-I measure retained adequate internal validity after translation. Results suggest that the translated measure, called the Competenţe Socio Emoţionale scale, is a valid instrument for evaluating the social emotional competencies for young adults in a Romanian-speaking sample.

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2013

Ever since ancient times, emotions have been studied and intrigued the scientists. In this articl... more Ever since ancient times, emotions have been studied and intrigued the scientists. In this article, we set out to see how perspectives upon the concept of emotions have changed over time and according to each approach. We briefly discuss about two major Greek philosophers, Plato and Aristotles, move on to more recent times with Descartes and Darwin, change the pace again with Sartre as the representative of phenomenology and end up with the cognitivists' approach presented by Johson and Laird, Lazarus, Frijda and Ellis, with the main focus on Ellis' ABC model based on the Rational Emotive Behavior Theory.

Cogniţie Creier Comportament, 2008

The main tenet of the Expressive Writing procedure is that by disclosing stress related emotions ... more The main tenet of the Expressive Writing procedure is that by disclosing stress related emotions and thoughts in writing, one may experience improved physical and psychological health. The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the differentiated effect of two Expressive Writing tasks on female freshmen: the classic task and the classic task enhanced with REBT. Our results indicate that both tasks succeed to significantly reduce levels of depression, nevertheless, only the classic task enhanced with REBT is able to enhance other aspects of the affective life as well. On the other hand, neither task is able to induce significant increases in positive affect.

During the last five decades, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) (Ellis, 1955) clearly reve... more During the last five decades, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) (Ellis, 1955) clearly revealed its efficiency and flexibility beyond the clinical settings. An adapted form of the clinical model in educational environment is the Rational Emotive Behavior Education (REBE). By its structure and strategies, REBE strongly emphasizes the prophylactic value of the entire paradigm. In the present pilot study we addressed the matter of such an educational program and tested its efficiency in the Romanian high schools. We intended to decrease students' irrationality and offer them the chance to develop a more adaptive life philosophy, by changing the way they see and perceive things. To reach this goal, we used an experimental design with repeated measures. The results clearly confirm our hypotheses and sustain the possibility of achieving significant changes in the belief systems, emotions and behaviors, by using an REBE intervention.

The Concept of Death. From Socrates to Ellis

Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai Psychologia-Paedagogia

"Death is a concept studied from ancient times by all major areas, from lite... more "Death is a concept studied from ancient times by all major areas, from literature and art, to philosophy and psychology. In this research, we analyze the way Socrates, the famous Greek philosopher, negotiates the idea of death, through his own death. We approached this, because the ancient philosopher was put in this situation when he was sentenced to death, unjustly, following a democratic decision. His way of seeing death reveals a formula that does not match the expectation of his contemporaries, nor the classical typology of the imminence of his own death, belonging to psychiatrist Elizabeth Kübler-Ross. And the explanation of this non-coincidence is based on the philosophical idea of man and world and the specifics of his philosophical practice. It is precisely this philosophical conception and practice that will make Socrates’ attitude become repeatable and not unrepeatable, as one might expect, since this attitude appears so conditioned by specific elements. In fact, the rational research on the grounds of beliefs and personal knowledge that stands at the basis of his philosophical practice, is deeply rooted in the foundations of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). Therefore, what lays at the basis of Socrates’ view on death goes far beyond the ancient cultural framework. To fill in the phenomenal dimension with the one of organic layer, the analysis will also include an interpretation of Socrates’ behavior, from the dopamine mechanism approach. Keywords: death, Socrates, method, concept, analysis, beliefs. "

Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory: Exploratory Factor Analysis of the Romanian version

Psychology of Music

Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory (K-MPAI) is one of the most widely used instruments in ... more Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory (K-MPAI) is one of the most widely used instruments in the research of music performance anxiety. The aim of this study was to investigate the factor structure of the Romanian version of K-MPAI. A sample of 420 (aged 18–66, M = 24.46, SD = 7.36; 48% women and 52% men) musicians completed the K-MPAI. Exploratory factor analysis with principal axis factoring and oblimin rotation method indicated eight factors which explained 49.16% of variance. Due to the overestimation of the number of factors by the Kaiser’s criterion of 1, parallel analysis with the syntax provided by O’Connor was implemented. Four factors were extracted which explained 41.37% of variance. They were named “music performance anxiety symptoms,” “depression and hopelessness,” “parental support,” and “memory self-efficacy.” Results partially support the theoretical model which sustained the development of K-MPAI, and further clinical implications for the Romanian musician popul...

Psychological Safety and Trust. A Conceptual Analysis

Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai Psychologia-Paedagogia

“GO BEYOND YOURSELF” - Testing the Efficiency of A Short-Term Program of Social-Emotional Competencies Development for Young Adults Working in the IT Industry

Romanian Journal of Experimental Applied Psychology

Subjective well-being and its meaning for young people in Romania

ABSTRACT Subjective well-being (SWB) is ‘a broad category of phenomena that includes people’s emo... more ABSTRACT Subjective well-being (SWB) is ‘a broad category of phenomena that includes people’s emotional responses, domain satisfactions and global judgments of life satisfaction’ (Diener et al., 1999). Although this concept is extensively used in relation to young people, there is still significant ambiguity around the definition, and only a few studies investigate young people’s perspectives on SWB. The purpose of the study is to explore the meaning that young people attribute to SWB. We invited young people between 19 and 22 years to keep a journal for no more then 5 days. Each day they wrote half a page about their daily experiences concerning SWB. After that, they had to attach a photo illustrating wellbeing from their perspective. Preliminary results show that young people consider personal relationships, social networks, family support and the positive perspective over life as the key dimensions for their subjective SWB. The implications for the findings will be discussed.

Introduction to MS Office

Emotional Intelligence versus Emotional Competence

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is one of the best approaches to teaching students the skills nee... more Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is one of the best approaches to teaching students the skills needed to better adapt to life and develop on a personal and professional level. YourSELF is an abbreviation for "Your Social Emotional Learning Facilitator" and represents a social-emotional learning program based on the Rational Emotive Behavior Theory (REBT). It was implemented and tested as a personal development program for university students, for an entire academic year, with 3-4 hours weekly trainings. It is also a powerful and effective way to decrease the level of irrationality in the students' thinking style, along with developing some major life competencies (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, decision making). In order to test this idea, an experimental design with repeated measures was used and the results clearly support the hypothesis that a SEL program based on the principles of REBT can lead to a significant decrease in the level of irrationality of the students in the experimental group, compared to the control one. Also, the four sub-scales of the instrument used to investigate the level of irrationality (ABS2) were analyzed and the same significant results were found on the level of low frustration tolerance, self-downing/global evaluation and awfulizing. The only exception was demandingness, and a rationale for this is offered in the discussion part of the article. The study shows that such a program can be beneficial and useful for the students involved and it is worth implementing on a larger scale.

The World of SELF. Stories for the Social Emotional Development of Kindergarten Children

ABSTRACT More info: http://www.selfkit.ro

This paper provides a cross-validation study of the Social Emotional Competence Inventory (SECD-I... more This paper provides a cross-validation study of the Social Emotional Competence Inventory (SECD-I) from English to Romanian. The intent was to determine if the SECDI-I measure retained adequate internal validity after translation. Results suggest that the translated measure, called the Competenţe Socio Emoţionale scale, is a valid instrument for evaluating the social emotional competencies for young adults in a Romanian-speaking sample.

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2013

Ever since ancient times, emotions have been studied and intrigued the scientists. In this articl... more Ever since ancient times, emotions have been studied and intrigued the scientists. In this article, we set out to see how perspectives upon the concept of emotions have changed over time and according to each approach. We briefly discuss about two major Greek philosophers, Plato and Aristotles, move on to more recent times with Descartes and Darwin, change the pace again with Sartre as the representative of phenomenology and end up with the cognitivists' approach presented by Johson and Laird, Lazarus, Frijda and Ellis, with the main focus on Ellis' ABC model based on the Rational Emotive Behavior Theory.

Cogniţie Creier Comportament, 2008

The main tenet of the Expressive Writing procedure is that by disclosing stress related emotions ... more The main tenet of the Expressive Writing procedure is that by disclosing stress related emotions and thoughts in writing, one may experience improved physical and psychological health. The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the differentiated effect of two Expressive Writing tasks on female freshmen: the classic task and the classic task enhanced with REBT. Our results indicate that both tasks succeed to significantly reduce levels of depression, nevertheless, only the classic task enhanced with REBT is able to enhance other aspects of the affective life as well. On the other hand, neither task is able to induce significant increases in positive affect.

During the last five decades, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) (Ellis, 1955) clearly reve... more During the last five decades, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) (Ellis, 1955) clearly revealed its efficiency and flexibility beyond the clinical settings. An adapted form of the clinical model in educational environment is the Rational Emotive Behavior Education (REBE). By its structure and strategies, REBE strongly emphasizes the prophylactic value of the entire paradigm. In the present pilot study we addressed the matter of such an educational program and tested its efficiency in the Romanian high schools. We intended to decrease students' irrationality and offer them the chance to develop a more adaptive life philosophy, by changing the way they see and perceive things. To reach this goal, we used an experimental design with repeated measures. The results clearly confirm our hypotheses and sustain the possibility of achieving significant changes in the belief systems, emotions and behaviors, by using an REBE intervention.