Ognen Spasovski | Ss. Cyril & Methodius University in Skopje (original) (raw)

Papers by Ognen Spasovski

Cross-cultural advancements in positive psychology, Jul 10, 2012

Recent research in the field of subjective well-being (SWB) emphasized the importance of genetic,... more Recent research in the field of subjective well-being (SWB) emphasized the importance of genetic, motivational, and societal factors. Regarding motivational predictors, the aim of this study is to explore the relation between subjective well-being to basic psychological needs (BPN), intrinsic and extrinsic life goals (LG), and orientation toward collectivism, in Macedonian socioeconomic and cultural context – Macedonia being an ex-communist developing country. Sample of 242 undergraduates from natural, social, and technical studies was used. Correlation and regression analysis was done on scores for all variables. Results show that all BPNs and intrinsic LGs significantly correlated with SWB. That is congruent with the findings from developed countries, but contrary to them, SWB in this sample highly correlates also with extrinsic life goals. Further, pursuit and realization of extrinsic goal for status/fame is shown as significant predictor of SWB, while the intrinsic goal for contribution to the community is not. Results suggest that probably the realization of extrinsic goals has a complementary role to the achievement of intrinsic goals in satisfying one’s basic needs and increase of SWB. It is also found that SWB is positively related with the orientation toward collectivism. It could be interpreted that it is beneficial to be a collectivist in a collectivistic country because patterns of relations with the surrounding create more positive and less negative life experiences.

Background and aims: Despite its inclusion in the 11th revision of the International Classificati... more Background and aims: Despite its inclusion in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases, there is a virtual paucity of high-quality scientific evidence about compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD), especially in underrepresented and underserved populations. Therefore, we comprehensively examined CSBD across 42 countries, genders, and sexual orientations, and validated the original (CSBD-19) and short (CSBD-7) versions of the Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder Scale to provide standardized, state-of-the-art screening tools for research and clinical practice. Method: Using data from the International Sex Survey (N=82,243; Mage=32.39 years, SD=12.52), we evaluated the psychometric properties of the CSBD-19 and CSBD-7 and compared CSBD across 42 countries, three genders, eight sexual orientations, and individuals with low vs. high risk of experiencing CSBD. Results: A total of 4.8% of the participants were at high risk of experiencing CSBD. Country and gende...

Journal of Psychiatric Research

Ideal partner preferences (i.e., ratings of the desirability of attributes like attractiveness or... more Ideal partner preferences (i.e., ratings of the desirability of attributes like attractiveness or intelligence) are the source of numerous foundational findings in the interdisciplinary literature on human mating. Recently, research on the predictive validity of ideal partner preference-matching (i.e., do people positively evaluate partners who match versus mismatch their ideals?) has become mired in several problems. For one, articles exhibit discrepant analytic and reporting practices. Furthermore, different findings emerge across laboratories worldwide, perhaps because they sample different relationship contexts and/or populations. The current project—partnered with the Psychological Science Accelerator—can bring clarity to this literature. This registered report uses a highly powered design across multiple world regions to calculate preference-matching effect sizes and variability estimates for all relevant analytic tests. It also examines effects in different relationship conte...

Review of psychology

The aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Macedonian version of the... more The aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Macedonian version of the Implicit Positive and Negative Affect Test (IPANAT–M; Quirin, Kazén, & Kuhl, 2009). First, in a pretest study, it was shown that two of the artificial words from the original test needed to be replaced, since they were not free of meaning in a Macedonian context. Two new artificial words were included in the IPANAT–M. Study 1 showed that the IPANAT–M had satisfactory test-retest reliability over a period of one week. In Study 2, the factorial validity of the test was explored. The two factor solution explained 63.91% of the total variance, and the factors could be easily interpreted as implicit positive and implicit negative affect. The results indicate that IPANAT–M has satisfactory psychometric properties. Keywords: implicit affect, IPANAT–M, psychometric properties

Evolution and Human Behavior

The European Journal of Humour Research, 2018

Three related studies are presented with the aim of investigating the individual differences in h... more Three related studies are presented with the aim of investigating the individual differences in humour appreciation, sensation seeking and need for closure. In order to accomplish this, the construction and initial validation of a new instrument will be presented. The Humour Structure Appreciation Scale (HSAS) distinguishes between incongruity-resolution (INC-RES), and nonsense (NON) humour. The first study analyses the content validity of a broad item pool. The second study focused on the metric properties of the selected items. In the third study, the remaining jokes were given to a quota sample from Macedonia, along with measures of sensation seeking (Arnett Inventory of Sensation Seeking) and need for closure (Need for Closure Scale). Psychometric properties of the scales were investigated and showed to be satisfactory. Intercorrelations among the scales provide evidence for the construct validity of the HSAS.

Love is a worldwide known phenomenon that affects many aspects of human life, including consideri... more Love is a worldwide known phenomenon that affects many aspects of human life, including considering a romantic partner with whom to bond. Thus, developing a reliable and valid measure of love experiences is crucial. One of the most popular tools to test love levels is Sternberg's 45-item Triangular Love Scale (TLS-45), which measures three love components: Intimacy, Passion, and Commitment. However, our literature review reveals that the majority of studies (64%) use a broad variety of shortened versions of the TLS-45. To achieve scientific consensus and improve the reliability, comparability, and generalizability of results across studies, here, we develop a short version of the scale–the TLS-15–which contains 15 items with a 5-point rather than 9-point response scale. In Study 1 (N = 7,332), we re-analyzed secondary data from a large-scale multinational study that validated the original TLS-45 to establish whether the scale could be truncated. In Study 2 (N = 307), we provided...

Data set - responses of participants in a survey on well-being of students during self-isolation ... more Data set - responses of participants in a survey on well-being of students during self-isolation due to pandemic. Background: Covid-19 pandemic resulted with a lock-down measure imposed by the government of North Macedonia. Conditions of self-isolation during pandemic affect the mental health. We research the possible protective factors of psychological well-being. Method: A total of 510 college students from the biggest university in the country (70% females, M age = 21.12 years, SD = 1.58) responded to a structured online questionnaire, one month after the country's complete lock down. Results: The correlational analysis suggests that at this age, psychological well-being in conditions of isolation is higher when the perceived social support and adequacy of being informed about the virus, as well the self-engagement with physical activities are higher. Further, respondents who assess...

Macedonian Academic Profession in Search of Identity: Transition Never Ending Paper Abst... more Macedonian Academic Profession in Search of Identity: Transition Never Ending Paper AbstractThe context of Macedonian higher education has changed dramatically in the last fifteen years. The rapid increase in the number of public and private institutions, while diversifying the offers of higher education degrees in the country, did not provide better quality. The academic staff themselves produce rather small research outputs, and contribute little to the society's development. Likewise, the chronic underfinancing of higher education and research, and an underdeveloped system of quality assurance, as well as the growing expectations for relevance and internationalization, put additional pressure on Macedonian academia. This paper presents an original empirical study on academic staff, and examines how they perceive changes in the environment of the academic profession, and how changes in their working conditions potentially influence their academic identity and wellbein...

Inspired by several cases of contradictory findings reported in some empirical studies related to... more Inspired by several cases of contradictory findings reported in some empirical studies related to extrinsic life goals, this study aims to examine the internal structure of the instrument Aspiration Index, constructed by Kasser and Ryan. This is done by using exploratory factor analysis. The sample consists of 419 participants at the age between 18 and 56, from different towns in Macedonia. Findings show that the construct of intrinsic and extrinsic life goals is confirmed on Macedonian population, although there are some differences in that how the subscales instrument is consist of are structured. Key words: ASPIRATION INDEX, INTRINSIC AND EXTRINSIC LIFE GOALS, FACTOR ANALYSIS.

European Journal of Education, 2020

Civitas et Lex, 2017

This research is trying to explore the perceptions and beliefs of young ethnic Macedoniansregardi... more This research is trying to explore the perceptions and beliefs of young ethnic Macedoniansregarding the EU, European and ethnic/national identity situated in an ambivalent societal context– an exposure to pro-European educational goals, together with the recently emerging reluctancetowards joining the Union.72 students with different study backgrounds at the age between 19 and 22 participated inthe study. In 10 focus groups, formed on the basis of homogeneity of the field of study, they werediscussing their views on the EU concept and their reflections on the congruities and incongruitiesbetween their national identity and the EU identity.Results show that respondents tend to idealize the concept of EU and are willing to acceptEuropean citizenship. On the other hand, some are skeptical and question the possibilityof developing European identity and citizenship because they perceive a serious gap betweenthe European values and the values that are dominant in the current public and po...

A Final Report to DG Education & …, 2005

International Journal of Inclusive Education, 2013

The article summarises the socio-political, cultural, economic and educational background to the ... more The article summarises the socio-political, cultural, economic and educational background to the Western Balkans region and outlines the wider qualitative research study that provided the data on early and pre-school educational opportunities in the seven countries involved; Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo (under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244), the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. The authors examine international research and literature on early education that identifies it as an important means of enabling subsequent educational and social inclusion and attainment. They proceed to discuss and illustrate from the research data five inter-linked factors showing that provision of early education in the Western Balkans is inadequate and exclusive and that children who are already at greatest socio-economic and cultural disadvantage and at potential risk in elementary and secondary education are least likely to participate in, or benefit from, it. Some recent more encouraging developments are noted but the article concludes that substantially more investment and positive actions are needed in raising awareness of the importance of early education and in developing policies and provision for it that will benefit children currently at greatest disadvantage.

Primenjena psihologija

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in lock-down measures being imposed by the government of North Mac... more The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in lock-down measures being imposed by the government of North Macedonia. Conditions of self-isolation have direct effects on mental health. We researched the possible protective factors of psychological well-being. A total of 510 college students from the biggest university in the country (70% females, Mage = 21.12 years, SD = 1.58) responded to a structured online questionnaire, one month after the country's lock down. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed on hypothesized protective factors of well-being. Results showed that significant predictors of the psychological well-being in conditions of isolation are: perceived social support during self-isolation, self-engagement in physical exercises, perception of being adequately informed about the virus and the ways of protection, and the tendency to hold conspiracy explanations about the virus and pandemic. Perception of medical and restriction of movement measures, together with self-e...

Do illusionary positive memories cast a shadow on current happiness?... Evaluations of the presen... more Do illusionary positive memories cast a shadow on current happiness?... Evaluations of the present and the past in relation to subjective well-being Abstract Studies on Subjective Well-being (SWB) show that the the Republic of Macedonia and other ex-communist developing countries are at the bottom of lists measuring this variable. One possible determinant is how the evaluation of present living conditions compared to socialism era 20 years ago, is related to the way people evaluate their current SWB. We hypothesize that the higher the difference in evaluation of the past compared to the evaluation of the present, the lower the subjective well-being will be. Participants were 443 adults, all 50 to 65 years of age. SWB was measured using Satisfaction with Life Scale and PANAS. Appropriate questionnaires were developed to measure evaluation of the present and past self, as well as present and past societal conditions, focusing on perceived opportunities, uncertainty and hopelessness. The results support our assumptions that the higher the difference between the evaluations of past and present self, the lower the SWB is. This difference is included in a regression analysis as a significant predictor of SWB, but present self and past social conditions are the strongest factors. The model explains 37.5% of the variance. It could be interpreted that this specific "shadow" of the past thwarts people to see and benefit from present opportunities. This additionally worsens their present living conditions and present SWB. Keywords: evaluation of the past, present and past selves, evaluation of the societal conditions, life satisfaction, subjective well-being. Czy pozytywne, acz iluzoryczne wspomnienia rzucają cień na obecne poczucie szczęścia? Ocena teraźniejszości i przeszłości w relacji do subiektywnego dobrostanu Streszczenie Badania nad subiektywnym dobrostanem, prowadzone w Republice Macedonii i w innych rozwijających się krajach postkomunistycznych, wskazują na jego niską pozycję w rankingu. Jednym z możliwych uwarunkowań jest rozbieżność wynikająca z porównania aktualnego poczucia dobrostanu z tym sprzed 20 lat. Sformułowaliśmy hipotezę, że im wyższa różnica w ocenie aktualnego dobrostanu w porównaniu z dobrostanem w przeszłości, tym niższy bę-dzie subiektywny dobrostan obecnie. Przebadano 443 osoby w wieku 50-65 lat. Do pomiaru

This report is one of seven being prepared in the context of a regional study entitled Mapping Po... more This report is one of seven being prepared in the context of a regional study entitled Mapping Policies and Practices for the Preparation of Teachers for Inclusive Education in Contexts of Social and Cultural Diversity, which was commissioned by the European Training Foundation (ETF) and is being conducted by SCIENTER and the Centre for Education Policy. It focuses on policies and practices for the preparation of teachers for inclusive education in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonioa, with particular focus on pre-service education and in-service professional development. This is a qualitative study exploring the perceptions of the relevant actors through document analysis, interviews and focus groups, and, to a lesser extent, qualitative information collected in an online survey. (DIPF/author)