Sophie Leontopoulou - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Sophie Leontopoulou

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

This study explored the relationship between COVID-19 impacts and resilience in emerging adulthoo... more This study explored the relationship between COVID-19 impacts and resilience in emerging adulthood during the final two months of the pandemic. It aimed to examine whether mental health symptoms moderated this relationship. In total, 205 university students completed an online questionnaire survey. Regression analysis was used to examine the prediction of resilience by pandemic-related impacts, and moderation analysis was used to explore the potential moderating effect of mental health on the relationship between impacts and resilience. The findings failed to confirm the hypothesis that total COVID-19 impacts would predict resilience. Rather, resource-type impacts predicted resilience [B = 0.17, p < 0.5]. Significant partial correlations found among resource, financial, and psychological impacts may go some way toward clarifying connections between impacts and resilience [for resource-type impact with financial-type impact, r = 0.48, p < 0.01; for resource-type impact with psy...

Springer International Publishing eBooks, 2022

Social Indicators Research

Intergenerational social mobility and its associations with youth well-being has scarcely been ex... more Intergenerational social mobility and its associations with youth well-being has scarcely been examined in Greece. This study examines educational and income mobility across generations, its relations with emerging adults’ well-being, and the impact of interpersonal and contextual factors on this relationship, such as parental school involvement and the recent severe socio-economic crisis in Greece. 468 female and male University students and graduates completed a questionnaire battery, using two different modes: pen-and-pencil and online. The questionnaire assessed demographics, including information about educational levels for youths, parents and grandparents of both genders, and income (for the former two), flourishing and quality of life, as well as parental involvement, and the impact of the crisis on youths. The results revealed upward educational mobility across three generations. Intergenerational mobility was significantly, and positively associated with youth well-being. ...

The present study seeks to examine the effectiveness of a Positive Psychology Intervention in enh... more The present study seeks to examine the effectiveness of a Positive Psychology Intervention in enhancing well-being in a multicultural school setting. 121 5th and 6th grade primary school male and female students participated in the study. 57.9% were native Greeks and 42.1% were migrant children. 81 students were allocated to the positive intervention group, while 40 students partook in a control group with no positive orientation. Students were asked to complete a questionnaire battery a day prior to the interventions and also fifteen days later. Results indicated that only the positive intervention was effective in enhancing positive emotional experiences, optimism and selfefficacy in peer interactions two weeks after its implementation. The results were mostly undifferentiated for gender, migrant and socioeconomic status as far as positive emotions are concerned, while the patterns of influence of demographic variables on the efficacy of the intervention concerning the participant...

Psychology, 2010

The aims of this exploratory study were twofold: a. to identify any relations between children's ... more The aims of this exploratory study were twofold: a. to identify any relations between children's altruism and a set of demographic and other personal and social characteristics of Greek children, such as empathy, resilience and classroom climate; and b. to examine the psychometric properties of a newly-developed measure of altruistic behavior in children, namely the Altruistic Behavior Questionnaire (ABQ). 232 male and female students of the 5 th and 6 th class of Primary School in Northern Greece participated in this study. The ABQ was found to have adequate internal consistency and concurrent and construct validity. Using a hierarchical regression analysis, altruism in children was found to be reliably predicted by participants' gender and academic performance, by empathy and also by resilience; nevertheless, the more socially determined variable of classroom climate only marginally predicted altruism. The importance of including training in the development and manifestation of altruism in emotional education programmes and resilience interventions at school is highlighted.

Europe’s Journal of Psychology, 2017

This study investigated emerging adulthood and transition to adulthood in Greece, a highly underr... more This study investigated emerging adulthood and transition to adulthood in Greece, a highly underresearched issue in this country. Participants were 784 university students aged 17.5-27.5 years. Criteria for the transition to adulthood, developmental features of emerging adulthood, perceived adult status, views of the future (optimism), and sociodemographic variables were assessed. The results support the existence of emerging adulthood as a distinct life period in Greece. More than two thirds of the sample were self-perceived emerging adults. Most prevalent criteria were Norm compliance and Family capacities. Developmental features of emerging adulthood ranked high, especially Identity exploration, Experimentation/possibilities, and Feeling “in-between”. Statistically significant variations emerged as a function of gender, age, living arrangement, job experience, and perceived adult status. Views of the future were cautiously optimistic. Similarities with existing data and differenc...

International Journal of Wellbeing, 2012

The present study brought together and examined two related, but distinct, concepts rooted in pos... more The present study brought together and examined two related, but distinct, concepts rooted in positive psychology, namely subjective wellbeing (SWB) and character strengths. It sought to assess the impact of a number of demographic and other sociological and psychological factors, including physical and mental health, on emerging adults' outlook on life. This study also set out to validate and investigate the levels of wellbeing and character strengths in the context of a more collective, Mediterranean culture; that of Greece. Three hundred and twelve male and female students from two Greek Universities participated in the study, which consisted of a questionnaire battery, including measures of subjective wellbeing, character strengths and mental and physical health. Youths were found to have a positive outlook on life. Wisdom, courage and transcendence appeared to be the most salient among their character strengths, since character strengths were each highly and positively correlated with the wellbeing subscales of environmental mastery, purpose in life and self-acceptance. Good physical and mental health were positively related to, and reliably predicted different aspects of, both wellbeing and character strengths; nevertheless, mental health appeared to affect and predict more aspects of wellbeing and character strengths than physical health. The significance of the above findings for the field of positive psychology is discussed.

School Psychology International, 2011

The present exploratory study examined student perceptions of the stressfulness and incidence of ... more The present exploratory study examined student perceptions of the stressfulness and incidence of life events across three countries—Greece, Cyprus and the United States. The participants include 378 6th-grade elementary school students. Students in the United States completed the ‘What Do You Think?’ questionnaire and its translated Greek form ‘Esy Ti Pistevis?’ in Greece and Cyprus to share their perceptions of stressful life events. Marked cross-cultural similarities were revealed regarding the life events students reported as most stressful. Events reported as most stressful included those that signified personal and irreversible loss, such as losing a parent, going blind, and academic retention. In addition, events characterized as socially taboo (e.g. being caught in theft, wetting in class), and poor academic performance (e.g. getting a poor report card) were also stressful for most children cross-culturally. These same events were the least common experienced among the studen...

International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 2010

Abstract The present study is concerned with an exploration of counselling needs of students at t... more Abstract The present study is concerned with an exploration of counselling needs of students at two Greek universities as well as their attitudes to utilizing a university counselling centre. The sample consisted of 312 students who completed a Greek version ...

Social Indicators Research, 2006

Variable-and person-focused approaches were applied to study the resilient outcomes of 326 Greek ... more Variable-and person-focused approaches were applied to study the resilient outcomes of 326 Greek male and female 1st year university students at a major educational transition point. Results indicated that resilience was related to both cognitive and behavioural psychosocial resources in late adolescence. Locus of control emerged as an important resource which affected adaptation in the face of difficulties. Active and avoidance coping strategies significantly influenced adaptation, as did adversity. Under low adversity, avoidance coping was used; under high adversity, however, both active and avoidance coping were used equally. Resilient and adapted young people utilised more resources than the maladaptive youths, and demonstrated significantly higher levels of positive adaptation. Excelling-resilient adolescents utilised coping resources expertly.

The European Journal of Counselling Psychology, 2015

This study assessed the impact of a positive psychology intervention in a sample of 40 young men ... more This study assessed the impact of a positive psychology intervention in a sample of 40 young men (35%) and women (65%) aged 18-30 years. Participants were 1st and 4th year undergraduate University students, postgraduate students and working youths. The study examined the effects of a battery of interventions commonly used in positive psychology interventions, including a video and three exercises (i.e. expressing gratitude, best possible selves, goal setting) on character strengths, hope, gratitude and social relations. Intervention activities were carried out during a session that lasted an hour and a half, while a further half-hour evaluation session took place after a two-week interval. Marked positive changes were revealed with regards to youths’ well-being as a result of the intervention. In particular, elevated levels of hope, perceptions of social support and ability to handle social stress successfully, as well as levels of three out of six key character strengths, i.e. cour...

Convergence the journal of …, 1995

In view of the issues raised by the use of multimedia in museums, this paper offers a framework f... more In view of the issues raised by the use of multimedia in museums, this paper offers a framework for describing multimedia in museums as a first step in their evaluation A means of classifying multimed. Поиск в библиотеке, ... Название публикации, MULTIMEDIA IN MUSEUMS. ...

Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education

Hope lies at the core of human psyche. It has a unique power to propel individuals, groups, organ... more Hope lies at the core of human psyche. It has a unique power to propel individuals, groups, organizations, and communities to action and can sustain their energies to help them achieve their goals. Hope is differentially conceptualized and studied as an emotion; as a positive motivational state incorporating elements of pathways and agency thinking and also as goals pursuit cognitions that can cause emotions; and, lately, as a character strength. Thus, hope research and practice transverses major theoretical and applied fields of psychology (namely positive) developmental, educational, and counseling psychology. Long-established links between hope and well-being places it in a unique position to affect positive youth development through positive education practices but also to enhance physical and mental health and positive psychosocial adaptation throughout the life cycle with the use of successful approaches in therapy and counseling. Established criteria for hope-based interventi...

Psychology: the Journal of the Hellenic Psychological Society

The PERMA theory brings together elements of the PERMA model, character strengths, and well-being... more The PERMA theory brings together elements of the PERMA model, character strengths, and well-being. Set in the context of positive education this study set out to empirically test this multidimensional theory with emerging adults in higher education. 516 female and male students aged 18 to 29 years studying in Universities in Greece were asked to participate in a web-based survey of (a) the five elements of PERMA, i.e. positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning and accomplishment; (b) four character strengths, i.e. curiosity, gratitude, love for learning and humor; and (c) three well-being indicators, i.e. flourishing, resilience and positive perception. The patterning of associations within and between the three components of the theory was examined, leading to insights regarding both the multidimensionality of well-being and the specificity of relations between the three components. Conclusions were drawn regarding the theoretical and applied implications of the results ...

The Journal of Positive Psychology