Chamarrita Farkas | Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile (original) (raw)

Papers by Chamarrita Farkas

DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Feb 5, 2012

DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), May 1, 2008

Este artículo se centra en el estudio del apego adulto y su relación con el ajuste socioemocional... more Este artículo se centra en el estudio del apego adulto y su relación con el ajuste socioemocional durante el primer embarazo. Se utiliza una investigación descriptiva correlacional de carácter transversal. La muestra se compone de 139 embarazadas primigestas de 19 a 40 años y nivel socio-económico medio, medio bajo y bajo. El estilo de apego fue evaluado con el Cuestionario de Apego en Adultos, CaMir, y el ajuste socioemocional con el Cuestionario de Salud Mental, OQ-45.2. Se realizan análisis descriptivos de la muestra y correlaciones entre estilos de apego y las dimensiones del Cuestionario de Ajuste Socioemocional con el Coefi ciente Producto Momento de Pearson. Los resultados muestran una relación significativa entre los estilos de apego y los indicadores de ajuste.

Estudios pedagógicos (Valdivia), 2014

Problemas conductuales en preescolares chilenos: Percepción de las madres y del personal educativ... more Problemas conductuales en preescolares chilenos: Percepción de las madres y del personal educativo * Behavior Problems in Chilean Preschool Children: Perceptions of Mothers and Educational Staff Chilenos problemas de comportamento pré-escolar: Percepções de mães e os professores

Current Psychology, Feb 5, 2021

Emotional problems in early childhood increase the risk of mental health problems into adolescenc... more Emotional problems in early childhood increase the risk of mental health problems into adolescence and adulthood, but the cross-cultural etiological risk factors are unclear. We examined predictors of emotional problems in preschoolers, using a national cohort of children in Chile and in Scotland. Participants included 1,648 children and their families enrolled in the Chilean Encuesta Longitudinal de la Primera Infancia (ELPI) cohort and 3,786 children and their families enrolled in the Growing Up in Scotland (GUS) cohort. Data were collected between 2005 and 2012. Information on emotional problems along with social and health determinants were collected via maternal reports. Emotional problems in the clinical range were identified in 10.4% of children from the ELPI cohort and in 3.6% of children from the GUS cohort. The difference between cohorts was statistically significant. Logistic regression revealed that maternal unemployment predicted emotional problems across cohorts. Lower maternal education and living in rural areas predicted higher risk of emotional problems for the ELPI cohort only, whereas having a younger mother, daily parent-child shared activities such as a lower frequency of sharing letters/shapes, and a higher exposure to television predicted higher risk for emotional problems for the GUS cohort. Maternal unemployment as a risk factor across cohorts indicates the importance of shared cross-cultural factors. However, sample specific differences highlight the importance and need for greater attention towards cultural specificities in policy and intervention development for child mental health.

Child Psychiatry & Human Development, Nov 1, 2020

A secondary analysis was conducted on longitudinal data collected from ELPI, a representative Chi... more A secondary analysis was conducted on longitudinal data collected from ELPI, a representative Chilean survey to model Chilean infant's receptive language using contextual, maternal and prenatal factors. The sample for the current study comprised children aged between 36 and 48 months (n = 3921). The sample was reassessed when children were aged 60-72 months (n = 3100). Linear regression analyses were conducted. At the first time point, all the predictors included were significant (living area, health system provision, maternal intelligence and education, adolescent pregnancy, maternal medical appointments during pregnancy, and presence of a significant other at childbirth), except for smoking during pregnancy. The model explained 13% of the variance. However, when timepoint one receptive language scores were included in the analyses for when children were aged 60-72 months, only two variables remained as significant predictors: previous receptive language scores and maternal education, explaining 21% of the variance. Findings and implications are discussed.

Infant and Child Development, Mar 16, 2017

Nonverbal cues have been fundamental to the survival

Infant Behavior & Development, Nov 1, 2017

Due to the rapid growth in early socioemotional skills during the first three years of life, sign... more Due to the rapid growth in early socioemotional skills during the first three years of life, significant variations in socioemotional development begin early and increase with time. Family competences as sensitivity and mentalization, contribute to differences among children of the same age. This study examines whether the level of socioemotional skills is stable or changes between 12 and 30 months of age, and whether primary caregiver sensitivity and mentalization, as well as educational level, are associated with changes in the level of socioemotional skills. One hundred and three Chilean children were evaluated. The results showed a significant change in socioemotional level between 12 and 30 months. Primary caregivers' sensitivity was associated with socioemotional skills at 12 months of age, and caregivers' educational levels was the strongest predictor. At 30 months, caregivers' sensitivity and educational level did not contribute additional influence, and only child socioemotional skills reported at 12 months acted as a predictor. Results indicate that family competences contribute to infants' socioemotional development in the first year of life, which subsequently influences their later skills.

Infant Behavior & Development, Aug 1, 2016

Temperament refers to individual differences in reactivity and self-regulation and is influenced ... more Temperament refers to individual differences in reactivity and self-regulation and is influenced by genetic and experiential variation and maturation. Temperament reflects biologically based individual differences that emerge in early life and remain relatively stable thereafter. Given the growing interest in cultural variation in infant temperament, this study examined the temperament of 12-month-old children in Chile and the US. The aims were to validate a version of the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised-Very Short Form in Spanish for Chile and to compare Chilean and US infants' temperament. For the first aim, 150 Chilean infants aged 10-15 months were assessed, and 73 US infants aged 10-15 months were examined for the second aim. The children's parents completed a demographic questionnaire and the IBQ-R-VSF, which measures three dimensions of temperament: Surgency, Negative Affectivity, and Effortful Control. The reliability of each dimension for the Chilean sample was between 0.70 and 0.75, and significant differences between Chilean and US infants emerged. Parents of Chilean infants reported higher levels of Effortful Control, whereas US parents reported that their infants exhibited higher levels of Negative Affectivity. A relationship between parents' higher educational level and infants' higher levels of Surgency was found for both countries. No gender or age differences were observed for any of the three temperament dimensions. These results and their implications for cultural studies are discussed.

Psicoperspectivas, 2016

Las competencias lingüísticas se desarrollan principalmente en los primeros años de vida del niño... more Las competencias lingüísticas se desarrollan principalmente en los primeros años de vida del niño e influyen en la forma en que este se desenvuelve con su familia, pares, otros adultos y en contextos escolares, afectando significativamente la adquisición de aprendizajes formales e informales. La presente investigación estudia la influencia de la mentalización de los cuidadores principales y el nivel socioeconómico, sobre el nivel de desarrollo del lenguaje alcanzado por el niño a los 30 meses de edad. La muestra se compuso de 85 niños y sus cuidadores, de diferentes niveles socioeconómicos y residentes en la ciudad de Santiago de Chile. Se aplicó la Escala de Lenguaje del Bayley III y un instrumento para medir la mentalización. Los resultados indican un efecto significativo de la mentalización de los padres evaluada a los 12 meses y del nivel socioeconómico, sobre el lenguaje de los niños a los 30 meses de edad. El lenguaje receptivo a los 12 meses también es un factor predictor del mismo a los 30 meses, no así el lenguaje expresivo. Se discuten los resultados y sus implicancias. Palabras clave: lenguaje; infancia temprana; mentalización del adulto; nivel socioeconómico ¿To what extent do parental mentalization and socioeconomic status predict children's language skills? ABSTRACT Linguistic competence develops mainly during the first years of a child and influences the way in which he gets along with her family, peers, other adults and in school contexts, and have a significant impact in the acquisition of formal and informal learning skills. This research studies the influence that the parent's mentalization and the socioeconomic status have on the level of language skills attained by that child when he is 30 months old. Subjects were eighty-five children and their respective care providers from different socioeconomic status, all residents of Santiago de Chile. We applied the Bayley III Language Scale and an instrument to assess mentalization. Our results show that parent's mentalization assessed at the age of 12 months and the socioeconomic status influence the language skills of the same children when they become 30 months old. Language receptive ability at the age of 12 months is also a predictor of the same at the age of 30 months, but not so of language expressive ability. We discuss the results obtained and their implications.

Cognitive Development, 2020

Abstract Children’s storybooks may be considered as an important resource for young children to l... more Abstract Children’s storybooks may be considered as an important resource for young children to learn about different mental states (emotions, desires, cognitions); however, mental states represented in stories vary, and may vary across cultures. This study investigates preschoolers’ storybooks from Chile, Colombia, Scotland, and the USA to test similarities and differences in rates and types of mental references. The texts in 160 children’s storybooks (40 per country) were coded. Results showed similarities between countries in the references to desires, psychological states, and physical expressions. Differences between countries were observed, where Chilean books contained more references to cognitions, mood states, and causal talk compared with USA books, and more references to emotions and causal talk compared with Scottish books. Also, Colombian books had more references to emotions and causal talk compared with Scotland and USA books, and more references to physiological states compared with Chilean and Scottish books. Finally, USA books contained more references to perceptions in comparison to Colombian and Scottish books. Similarities were identified between Chilean and Colombian books, and between Scotland and USA books, and more differences between South American books (Chile, Colombia) and those from Scotland and the USA.

Early Education and Development, Feb 26, 2017

Parental mentalizing, which is the capacity to understand behavior in terms of mental states and ... more Parental mentalizing, which is the capacity to understand behavior in terms of mental states and to reflect this back to a child through speech, is a key construct in child development. Adults with high mentalization promote children's secure attachment, mentalization and self-regulation. This study describes this competency in a sample of teachers from Chilean nurseries in interaction with 12-month-old children during a storytelling scenario and compares it with the children's mothers. The sample comprised 208 adults (104 teachers and 104 mothers). The adults were asked to tell 2 stories to the children, and these situations were recorded, transcribed, and codified using guidelines that identified 4 references to mental states (desires, cognitions, emotions, and attributes) and 4 references to nonmental states (causal and factual talk, physical states, and connections with the child's life). Research Findings: The results showed significant differences between the educational staff and the mothers, and the teachers performed better than the mothers in terms of both greater mentalization and a greater number of references to desires, causal talk, emotions, and physical states. Practice or Policy: The results provide evidence regarding the supportive role played by educational staff in children's development, especially in underprivileged sectors. Mentalization: Individual Capacity and Parental Competency Mentalization is the process through which the mind mediates the experience of the world and allows an individual to understand and distinguish mental processes as well as intrapersonal and interpersonal emotions, which allows for the creation and integration of the self over the course of development (Fonagy, Gergely, Jurist, & Target, 2002; Zucchi, Huerin, Duhalde, & Raznoszczyk de Schejtman, 2006). When individuals mentalize, they can transform experiences and behaviors to build mental representations of feelings, thoughts, desires, and beliefs that give meaning to their internal experiences of both themselves and other people with whom they interact (Fonagy & Allison, 2012). The operationalization of the mental ability that makes mentalization possible is known as reflective functioning (RF; Fonagy,

Psicoperspectivas, Mar 15, 2017

Existe alta variabilidad en las reacciones emocionales presentes en víctimas de abuso sexual, por... more Existe alta variabilidad en las reacciones emocionales presentes en víctimas de abuso sexual, por tanto urge conocer los factores que podrían explicar dicha variabilidad y utilizar esa información para generar tratamientos y políticas públicas más específicos. El objetivo del presente estudio fue identificar distintos perfiles de víctimas adolescentes de acuerdo a su sintomatología de estrés postraumático. Participaron 123 adolescentes víctimas de abuso sexual de entre 12 y 17 años (M = 14.13, DT = 1.75). Los resultados de un análisis de conglomerados arrojaron tres grupos de adolescentes con alta, moderada y baja sintomatología. Los tres grupos mostraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas en función del género, las creencias de autoeficacia y la percepción de apoyo social. Así mismo, se aprecian algunas tendencias que otorgan relevancia a la frecuencia de los abusos y a la relación con el agresor. Estos resultados dan cuenta de perfiles diferenciados de víctimas que pudieran servir para complejizar el debate asociado a las políticas en materia de infancia y para los programas de reparación a lo largo del país.

Psicoperspectivas, Jan 22, 2016

Journal of Child and Family Studies, May 2, 2019

Objectives Maternal sensitivity is the ability to perceive, interpret, and respond appropriately ... more Objectives Maternal sensitivity is the ability to perceive, interpret, and respond appropriately and contingently to infant cues. The impact of maternal sensitivity on child outcomes has been widely documented in the literature. Maternal sensitivity is a dyadic construct influenced by various adult and child factors. The study aimed to analyze maternal sensitivity between mothers from Chile and the USA when their children were 12 months of age, and to examine whether maternal sensitivity differs based on infant temperament and gender as well as the country of origin. Methods This cross-sectional study analyzed the relationship between maternal sensitivity and child temperament and gender in 147 dyads from two countries: Chile and the United States of America (USA). The dyads were evaluated when children were 12 months of age using the Adult Sensitivity Scale (ESA) and Rothbart's Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised Very Short Form (IBQ-R-VSF). Results Compared with Chilean mothers, USA mothers scored higher on total sensitivity, responsiveness, playful encouragement, and warm attunement. Mothers were more sensitive to their daughters than to their sons, and no correlations between maternal sensitivity and child temperament were observed. Conclusions The results of this study showed that maternal sensitivity is influenced by contextual aspects as well as child characteristics, particularly gender. These results have to be taken into account for the future development of early intervention programs, including the diversity and specificity of each context and dyad. Keywords Maternal sensitivity • Early childhood • Child gender • Child temperament • Cross-cultural study * Valeska Woldarsky

Mind Mindedness o la capacidad del adulto para tratar al niño(a) como un individuo con mente: Nue... more Mind Mindedness o la capacidad del adulto para tratar al niño(a) como un individuo con mente: Nuevas perspectivas para el estudio de la interacción entre el(la) niño(a) preescolar y sus figuras de apego 1 Mind Mindedness or the ability of adults to treat the child as minded individual: New perspectives for the study of the interaction between a preschool child and their attachment figures

Child Abuse & Neglect, Feb 1, 2018

Sexual abuse has the potential to generate serious emotional consequences for its victims, but th... more Sexual abuse has the potential to generate serious emotional consequences for its victims, but there is high variability in the symptoms reported by different victims. Therefore, it is necessary to ascertain the factors associated with the symptoms presented by sexual abuse victims. The aim of the study was to use a single model to evaluate the relationship between sexual abuse characteristics (frequency, violence, relation with the aggressor and physical commitment), cognitive and behavioral factors (self-efficacy, active coping and perceived family support) and internalizing symptoms (anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress) in a group of sexually abused adolescents. The participants included 106 female adolescent victims of sexual abuse (M = 14.25 years, SD = 1.74). The results of a path analysis indicated that sexual abuse characteristics were unrelated to symptomatology. Only a negative relationship was observed between the victim's relationship with the aggressor and PTSD symptomatology. The violence of the sexual abuse was negatively related to self-efficacy, and self-efficacy was positively related to active coping and negatively related to symptomatology. Finally, the perception of family support was positively related to self-efficacy and negatively related to symptomatology. These results suggest the need to consider the studied factors in the process of psychotherapy with victims of sexual abuse.

Journal of Child and Family Studies, Sep 14, 2016

It is well known in the field that culture and context play an important role in child rearing an... more It is well known in the field that culture and context play an important role in child rearing and parenting practices. However, many studies do not address the cultural dimension of attachment, although evidence indicates that aspects of early attachment differ across cultures. With the goal of comparing the quality of mother-baby interactions, this study analyzed attachment behaviors and maternal sensitivity in two settings: urban/non-Mapuche and rural/Mapuche in Chile. The sample was composed of 34 mother-baby dyads (17 urban/non-Mapuche and 17 rural/ Mapuche) with 12-month-old children. During a feeding episode, the attachment style of the interaction was assessed with the Attachment during Stress scale, and maternal sensitivity was evaluated with the Child-Adult Relationship Experimental Index-Toddlers (CARE-Index). The groups differed in their interaction attachment style and in affective and proximity modalities: Urban/non-Mapuche mothers tended to have secure and ambivalent attachment styles, and rural/Mapuche mothers tended to have avoidant styles. When educational level is controlled, ethnicity group can explain the differences in mothers' attachment styles. The findings of the study and their implications are discussed.

Psykhe; Vol. 11 Núm. 1 (2002), Jan 20, 2021