Estrella Romero | University of Santiago de Compostela (original) (raw)

Papers by Estrella Romero

Perceptual and Motor Skills, 1993

The current confused status of the research on impulsivity may be attributed to the lack of preci... more The current confused status of the research on impulsivity may be attributed to the lack of precise definitions, the reliance of most operationalizations on a single index, and inconsistency among different measures of the construct. Empirical measurements of impulsivity by self-reports, rating scales, or performance tasks suggest that the instruments employed measure aspects that have very little in common, a finding that throws serious doubts on the validity of the construct and implies a need for further research. To clarify this topic, we applied four different measures of impulsivity to 46 7th-grade (12 to 13 years old) schoolchildren. The children were rated by their teachers on an impulsivity behavior scale and were administered Kagan's Matching Familiar Figures Test, Version MFF-20, and two self-report forms, the Eysenck Impulsiveness Questionnaire, and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. Although the results confirmed the lack of convergence among these measures, high late...

Brain Sciences

The role of psychopathic traits in predicting more serious and persistent patterns of child condu... more The role of psychopathic traits in predicting more serious and persistent patterns of child conduct problems has been well documented. The jointly presence of interpersonal (grandiose–deceitful), affective (e.g., callous–unemotional), and behavioral psychopathic traits (impulsive–need of stimulation) identifies a group of children at increased risk of psychosocial maladjustment. The present study aims to disentangle the underlying mechanisms by examining how early parenting (i.e., warmth) and child temperament (i.e., fearlessness) predict later psychopathic traits, via conscience development (CD). Data were collected in a large sample of children (n = 2.266; 48.5% girls), aged 3 to 6 at the onset of the study (Mage = 4.25; SD = 0.91), who were followed up one and two years later. The results showed direct effects from fearlessness to interpersonal and behavioral psychopathic traits. Parental warmth, fearless temperament, and their interaction, predicted CD, which, in turn, showed a ...

Journal of Personality Disorders

Dvoskin et al. (2022) offered a cautionary comment on an article published in the Journal of Pers... more Dvoskin et al. (2022) offered a cautionary comment on an article published in the Journal of Personality Disorders (López-Romero et al., 2021). This comment was focused on the scientific and policy grounds of our study, and cautioned against the use of the “putative psychopathic personality” label for applied purposes. While we agree with most of their concerns and cautions, we aim to provide additional clarification on the raised concerns, noting that the purpose of our study is purely exploratory, and that its findings are not intended for applied purposes. We do expect that our study and this commentary will further clarify the importance of examining psychopathic personality from a developmental perspective, opening new ways of discussion regarding how to best conceptualize and study a construct that, while waiting for additional longitudinal research, has been shown as relevant in identifying a group of children and adolescents at increased risk for maladjustment.

Routledge International Handbook of Psychopathy and Crime, 2018

Journal of Criminal Justice, 2020

Abstract This study aimed to test the predictive and incremental value of psychopathic trait dime... more Abstract This study aimed to test the predictive and incremental value of psychopathic trait dimensions in early childhood. To this end, a callous-unemotional (CU)-based approach was compared to the multidimensional psychopathic personality approach in predicting future and stable conduct problems (CP) and aggression, whilst controlling for well-established risk factors for child CP. Prospective longitudinal data were collected from a community sample of 2247 children (48.6% girls) aged three to six (Mage = 4.25; SD = 0.91) at the initial assessment. Participants were followed annually for two years, with information provided by parents. Children were assigned to six mutually exclusive groups based on their baseline levels of psychopathic traits and conduct problems. Results showed that, after accounting for sociodemographic variables, temperamental features (e.g., fearlessness), and ADHD symptoms, children scoring high in all psychopathic traits and high in CP were at increased risk to display future and stable CP, reactive and proactive aggression, followed by the group of children high in CU traits and CP. Future research on child psychopathy may benefit from considering the constellation of co-occurring interpersonal, affective and behavioral psychopathic traits, and could inform developmental models aiming to explain heterogeneity in child CP.

Anuario de Psicología Jurídica, 2005

El concepto de psicopatia aplicado a ninos y adolescentes es un Campo que, en los ultimos anos, h... more El concepto de psicopatia aplicado a ninos y adolescentes es un Campo que, en los ultimos anos, ha sido objeto de considerable atencion. Aunque se han hecho diferentes propuestas pata conceptualizar y evaluar la psicopatia infanto-juvenil, el APSD (Antisocial Process Screening Device) ha acaparado buena parte de la investigacion. Sin embargo, su estructura y su validez todavia no estan suficientemente clarificadas. Este estudio proporciona nuevos datos sobre el funcionamiento de la escala en nuestro pais, particularmente en una poblacion de alto riesgo pata el desarrollo de problemas de conducta: ninos institucionalizados. Una muestra de 71 ninos internos en centros de menores de Galicia fue evaluada a traves del APSD, y se aplicaron asi mismo otros instrumentos que evaluan competencia personal y social, conducta antisocial, ansiedad, empatia e inteligencia general. A partir de estos datos se estudia la estructura factorial del APSD, por medio de metodos confirmatorios y exploratori...

Psychopathy in children and adolescents has received considerable attention during the last years... more Psychopathy in children and adolescents has received considerable attention during the last years. Although several proposals have been made in order to define and assess childhood psychopathy, most studies have used the APSD (Antisocial Pro c e s s Screening Device). Nevertheless, neither the structure nor the validity of APSD has been clarified enough. This study brings new data about the use of the scale in our country, particularly in a population under high risk of developing conduct problems: institutio nalized children. The sample consisted of 71 children from Galician youth centres who were rated in the APSD. Other instruments were also administered in order to measure personal and social competence, antisocial behaviour, anxiety, empathy and general intelligence. APSD factor stru c t u re was analysed via confirm a t o ry and exploratory methods, and the resulting components were correlated with the other measure s taken in the study. Results showed a three-factor structure...

espanolIntroduccion. Paralelamente al rapido crecimiento del acceso a las nuevas tecnologias (NT)... more espanolIntroduccion. Paralelamente al rapido crecimiento del acceso a las nuevas tecnologias (NT) aumenta el uso problematico que se hace de las mismas, especialmente entre los ninos y adolescentes. A pesar de que la investigacion en este campo esta creciendo, los estudios realizados se desarrollan fundamentalmente en comunidad, y no se sabe que caracteristicas se asocian al uso problematico de NT (UPNT) en muestras que demandan asistencia clinica. Por ello, el objetivo de este estudio es analizar la relacion entre uso problematico de los videojuegos (UPV) e Internet (UPI) y los rasgos de personalidad y problemas de conducta en una muestra clinica de ninos y adolescentes. Metodologia. Participaron 88 pacientes que acudieron a la consulta de psicologia clinica de la Unidad de Salud Mental Infanto-Juvenil (USM IJ) del Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS). Se tomaron datos procedentes tanto de autoinformes como de escalas de calificacion cumplimentadas p...

Escritos de Psicología - Psychological Writings, 2000

El estudio de las relaciones entre factores psicosociales y delincuencia presenta una larga tradi... more El estudio de las relaciones entre factores psicosociales y delincuencia presenta una larga tradición en las ciencias sociales. Concretamente, la familia y el grupo de amigos son dos espacios que han recibido gran atención en la búsqueda de determinantes de la conducta inadaptada. Décadas de investigación han permitido constatar que la delincuencia se asocia con una débil vinculación afectiva a la familia, con la puesta en práctica de estilos educativos inadecuados por parte de los padres, y con la implicación en grupos de amigos antisociales. Habitualmente, estos hallazgos se interpretan en términos unidireccionales: la delincuencia sería el producto de un clima familiar deteriorado y de la asociación con amigos delincuentes. En los últimos años, sin embargo, surgen marcos teóricos que plantean la posibilidad de efectos recíprocos: la delincuencia puede influir también sobre las relaciones familiares y sobre el tipo de amigos buscados por el individuo. En este trabajo se exploran e...

Personality and Individual Differences, 2014

Condensates of colored fermions driving electroweak symmetry breaking could give rise to a light ... more Condensates of colored fermions driving electroweak symmetry breaking could give rise to a light pseudoscalar that would show up in the Higgs search at the LHC. The branching ratios of its decay will distinguish it from the Higgs and illuminate its origin. In particular the colored fermions may be the techniquarks of a one family technicolor theory or the quarks of a strongly interacting fourth family. The former has more difficulties in this context.

Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 2012

Child and youth conduct problems are known to be a heterogeneous category that implies different ... more Child and youth conduct problems are known to be a heterogeneous category that implies different factors and processes. The current study aims to analyze whether the early manifestation of psychopathic traits designates a group of children with severe, pervasive and persistent conduct problems. To this end, cluster analysis was conducted in a sample of 138 children (27.6 % female), aged 6-11 at the first wave of the study (T1) and 12-17 in a follow-up carried out 6 years later (T2). Results allowed the identification of four distinctive clusters: Primarily externalizing, Externalizing-psychopathic, Primarily psychopathic and Non-problematic. As was expected, the Externalizing-psychopathic cluster showed the most severe and persistent pattern of behavioral, temperamental and social disruptions across the 6 years of the study. Early psychopathic traits seemed also to be relevant in predicting higher levels of conduct problems in T2, even when conduct disorders had not manifested in T1. These results highlight the role of psychopathic traits in predicting adolescent psychosocial disorders and the relevance to analyze them at early developmental stages.

Revista de Psicología Clínica con Niños y Adolescentes, 2021

The association between psychopathic traits and conduct problems has been extensively analyzed, w... more The association between psychopathic traits and conduct problems has been extensively analyzed, with results showing a significant predictive effect of psychopathic traits on later conduct problems. However, some recent research has evidenced some reversed effects, with early-onset conduct problems also showing a significant effect on psychopathic traits. The present study aimed to examine the longitudinal effects (i.e., autoregressive, direct, and bidirectional) between the three psychopathy dimensions (i.e., interpersonal, affective, and behavioral), and conduct problems in two data collections spanning one year (T1-T2). The potential mediation effect from inconsistent parenting and parental warmth was also analyzed. Data were collected, trough parents’ reports, in a sample of 1.833 children (48.8% girls; Mage = 4.24; SD = 0.92), participating in the ELISA study (Longitudinal Study for a Healthy Childhood). A cross-lagged path analysis with mediation effects was performed in Mplus...

Anales De Psicologia, 2005

One of the more pervasive controversies in personality psy-chology deals with the units needed to... more One of the more pervasive controversies in personality psy-chology deals with the units needed to define the discipline. The problem was posed by G.W. Allpor...

Research on child and adolescent psychopathology, 2021

Despite advances in the theoretical and empirical literature, a better understanding of the etiol... more Despite advances in the theoretical and empirical literature, a better understanding of the etiological determinants of callous-unemotional (CU) traits is needed. In this study, we tested the hypotheses advanced by the Sensitivity to Threat and Affiliative Reward (STAR) model, a theoretical framework, which proposes that individual differences in two temperament dimensions, fearlessness and low affiliation, jointly contribute to the development of CU traits. Specifically, we examined the unique and interactive effects of fearlessness and low affiliation on CU traits, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally and within and across informants (teachers and parents) in a large community sample of Spanish preschoolers (N = 2467, 48.1% girls, M = 4.25 years; SD = 0.91). Both fearlessness and low affiliation were independently related to higher CU traits across models. Consistent with the purported relationships outlined in the STAR model, we also found that a significant interaction betw...

In this study, we explore how users’ personalities affect their responses to interactive narrativ... more In this study, we explore how users’ personalities affect their responses to interactive narratives. In particular, we analyze the relationship between personality traits and relevant variables in narrative reception: identification with characters, enjoyment, self-perceived physiological sensations, emotional How to cite this article: SOTO-SANFIEL, M.T., AYMERICHFRANCH, L. & ROMERO, E., “Personality in interaction: how the Big Five relate to interactive narratives reception”, Communication & Society / Comunicación y Sociedad, Vol. 27, n. 3, 2014, pp. 151-186. Soto-Sanfiel, M.T., Aymerich-Franch, L. & Romero, E. How the Big Five relate to interactive narratives reception ISSN 0214-0039 © 2014 Communication &Society / Comunicación y Sociedad, 27, 3 (2014) 151-186 152 experience and content. Experimental participants (N=310) answered the NEOFFI personality questionnaire and watched a movie in one of four experimental conditions that combined modality (interactive vs. linear) and conte...

Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology

Research into co-occurrent internalizing and externalizing problems during childhood is flourishi... more Research into co-occurrent internalizing and externalizing problems during childhood is flourishing. In particular, investigation on the association between anxiety and externalizing problems has yielded mixed findings, focused mainly on the issue of which problem might precede the other, and what role anxiety plays with respect to externalizing problems. Relatively little attention has been paid to the developmental patterns of these behaviors from early childhood, despite the potential of such knowledge to fully delineate etiological models of co-occurrence. This study aimed to examine the longitudinal association of anxiety and externalizing problems in a community sample of preschoolers (ELISA Project; N = 2,341; 48.2% girls), by identifying empirically derived profiles and then describing their change and stability through the use of Latent Transition Analysis. Gender differences were explored. Four different profiles were identified: “typically developing”, “mainly anxious”, “...

An increasing number of studies have addressed the psychological impact of the COVID-19 crisis in... more An increasing number of studies have addressed the psychological impact of the COVID-19 crisis in the general population. Nevertheless, far less is known about the impact in specific populations such as university students, whose psychological vulnerability has been shown in previous research. This study sought to examine different indicators of mental health in university students during the Spanish lockdown; we also analyzed the main sources of stress perceived by students in relation to the COVID-19 crisis, and the coping strategies adopted when faced with the situation. Data was collected from 932 students (704 women) through a web-based platform. Measures of anxiety (i.e., GAD-7), depression (PHQ-9), irritability and self-perceived change in mental health were administered, as well as ad hoc measures of stressors and coping strategies. Results indicated that students experienced considerable psychological problems during the confinement, with higher rates of emotional difficult...

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the lives of millions of people around the globe and some of th... more The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the lives of millions of people around the globe and some of the unprecedent emerged disruptions, are likely to have been particularly challenging for young children (e.g., school closures, social distancing measures, movement restrictions). Studying the impact of such extraordinary circumstances on their well-being is crucial to identify processes leading to risk and resilience. To better understand how Spanish children have adapted (or fail to) to the stressful disruptions resulting from the pandemic outbreak, we examined the effects of child coping and its interactions with contextual stressors (pandemic and family-related) on child adjustment, incorporating in our analysis a developmental perspective. Data was collected in April 2020, through parent-reports, during the acute phase of the pandemic and, temporarily coinciding with the mandatory national quarantine period imposed by the Spanish Government. A sample of 1,123 Spanish children (50% gi...

International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction

Over recent years, numerous studies have examined the relationship between Problematic Internet U... more Over recent years, numerous studies have examined the relationship between Problematic Internet Use (PIU) and the Big Five personality traits. However, detailed studies have yet to analyze the relationship between PIU and the Five-Factor Model (FFM) while considering (1) the domains and specific facets of the FFM and (2) the components of PIU. This study analyzes data collected from 910 adolescents who were administered the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and the JS-NEO-S questionnaire to measure the domains and facets of the FFM. The results show that high levels of Neuroticism and Extraversion and low levels of Agreeableness, Openness, and Conscientiousness predict PIU. This study allows for the determination of the specific facets of the Big Five that are associated with an increased risk of PIU. Furthermore, it suggests that different traits are associated with each of the PIU components: low Agreeableness predict Emotional Investment in Internet use, while high Neuroticism, high Extraversion, and low Conscientiousness predict a decrease in Performance and Time Management. Therefore, these results suggest that distinct personal mechanisms may be involved in the different dimensions making up PIU.