Tesis Doctorals - Departament - Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia

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Early developmental trajectories in the encoding of speech sound features: the Influence of sex and bilingualism
(Universitat de Barcelona, 2025-01-24) Puertollano Rodríguez, Marta; Escera i Micó, Carles; Universitat de Barcelona. Departament de Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia
[eng] Early speech acquisition relies on the appropriate maturation of the auditory system and the fine-tuning to a range of speech sound features that define a particular language. This process initiates early in development as the auditory system becomes functional during the third trimester of gestation. From that moment, fetuses are exposed to a variety of sounds, both internal and external to the maternal womb, and the speech acoustic signal is first encountered. Still, the auditory system and infant acoustic capacities are not fully developed at birth and overcome a marked maturation during the first infant year, with key developmental processes such as neuronal migration to the auditory cortex and myelination of the auditory brainstem extended into this infant stage. Along this developmental journey, infant auditory capacities are shaped by both genetic and environmental factors, which ultimately affect how speech sounds are perceived. Biological factors like sex introduce early genetic differences, while environmental experiences like bilingualism influence the auditory input infants receive. Despite the clear impact of both sex and bilingualism on speech perception development, the underlying changes in the neural encoding of speech sounds remain unexplored. The present thesis aimed at investigating the neural maturation underlying speech sounds encoding during the first infant year, and how sex and bilingual experiences shape this developmental trajectory. Speech perception undergoes significant changes during the first year of life, when infants begin to explore and adapt to the speech sounds in their environment. Milestones in language development, such as the onset of consonant-vowel articulations at around six months and the first spoken words by the end of the first year, rely on infants’ accurate phoneme perception and native-like attunement to speech sounds. For instance, infants need to differentiate between similar yet distinct sounds to discern phonemic categories relevant to their language. The development of phonetic perception has been an area of growing interest, with auditory evoked potentials like the Mismatch Negativity Response (MMN) frequently used to study this process. However, research into the auditory maturation that supports these infant capacities remains limited. For phoneme discrimination, infants must accurately encode the acoustic features that compose speech signals. The proper encoding of key speech-sound features –such as voice pitch and formant structure– guides early speech acquisition by providing essential acoustic cues to the infant. The frequency-following response (FFR) has recently emerged as a valuable auditory evoked potential capable of capturing the neural encoding of these speech features, making it ideal for studying their development during infancy. Yet, there is still a gap in the literature examining how the neural encoding of speech sounds develops alongside early speech acquisition. The first objective of the present thesis was to disentangle the neural developmental underlying the encoding of key speech-sound features along the auditory pathway during the first year of life. By longitudinally recording FFR responses at birth, six months and twelve months of age, this thesis investigates its first aim through two complementary studies. In the first study, FFRs were recorded in response to a two-vowel stimulus (/oa/) from a cohort of 37 healthy-term infants across these three developmental stages. This study focused on analyzing neural transmission latency, as well as the neural encoding of voice pitch and formant structure. The second study extended the sample to 73 infants, maintaining the same experimental procedure and stimulus while incorporating additional variables, such as perinatal linguistic exposure and sex. To illustrate developmental trajectories in the neural encoding of speech sound features, linear mixed-effects models were employed for both voice pitch and formant structure. Together, these studies provide a comprehensive picture of the typical neural maturation involved in encoding voice pitch and formant structure of speech during the first postnatal year. Crucially, they converge on identifying the first six months as a critical period for the maturation of neural encoding mechanisms essential for speech acquisition. Particularly, they reveal rapid advancements in the encoding of formant structure, which is crucial for discerning subtle acoustic differences delimiting phonetic categories. A sensitive period for the mapping of phonetic categories emerges during the first year of life, with biological and environmental factors influencing speech perception development. For example, sex-related biological factors introduce early genetic differences that extend to speech perception. Additionally, speech acquisition is language-dependent, with early auditory experiences significantly shaping infants' acoustic capacities from the onset of hearing in utero, likely affecting their future speech abilities. The second objective of this thesis was to explore the mediating effects of sex and bilingual exposure on the neural development of speech encoding across the first infant year. This goal was addressed in the second study, which uncovered distinct developmental trajectories associated with sex and bilingualism, highlighting their role in shaping neural attunement to key speech-sound features. By revealing the positive effect of bilingualism in neural speech encoding by the end of the first year, the findings suggest that enriched linguistic environments during this critical period could positively influence auditory processing and speech development. Overall, the findings enclosed in the present thesis provide important insights into the neural mechanisms underpinning early speech perception and acquisition, revealing biological and environmental influences that shape individual variability. Future research examining how these early neural patterns predict later language outcomes could extend the results from this thesis, potentially contributing to early detection of language delays or disorders.
Virtual-Self Identity Construal in Online Videogames
(Universitat de Barcelona, 2025-01-23) Gabarnet Prat, Adrià; Feixas i Viaplana, Guillem; Montesano del Campo, Adrián; Universitat de Barcelona. Departament de Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia
[eng] One of the most compelling topics in scholarly research over the years has been personal Identity, its formation, and its psychological functions. Our sense of identity helps us recognize ourselves and distinguish us from other people and gives us a sense of internal consistency and continuity over time. This need for continuity, while crucial for our well-being, can often conflict with our need for change, which is also essential for adaptation to our environment and for personal growth. Fortunately, this need for continuity is not as rigid as it would seem, different aspects of one’s identity can coexist. Thus, every individual possesses several “selves”, each fulfilling a different role (e.g., the "self” as a parent, a worker, a friend, etc.). Following this idea of identity multiplicity, the advent of online virtual environments has introduced the concept “virtual identity” or “the virtual self”. It refers to the aspects of an individual’s identity that are expressed online. The anonymity of the Internet and the capacity to customize how users present themselves allow them to manifest aspects of their identity that might diverge significantly from their offline selves without disrupting their sense of continuity. Consequently, virtual environments serve as useful platforms for the expression of different identities that fulfill various psychological needs. This thesis aims to explore how virtual environment users construe their virtual self and what different psychological functions this virtual self can have. To that aim, we conducted three studies. In the first study, we reviewed the available literature on virtual identity across different types of virtual environments, examining how it relates to personal identity. We categorized articles based on the type of virtual environment they focused on: social media, online videogames, avatar-mediated environments, and specialized environments (e.g., dating sites or professional networks). We conducted a quality assessment of the articles included and provided a narrative synthesis of the most notable findings. In the second study, we aimed to put forward and validate a typology identifying the different ways online videogame players construe their virtual selves. The typology was defined by the perceived discrepancies between our participants’ actual self, ideal self, and their online videogame characters (their virtual self). We administered the Repertory Grid Technique to 202 online videogame players to measure their actual-ideal, actual-virtual, and virtual-ideal self discrepancies, and we divided them into three clusters using k-means cluster analysis: · Proximal-type: Characterized by a low actual-virtual self-discrepancy. This category represents characters that are considerably similar to the player’s actual self, serving an instrumental function of extending their offline identity into the game rather than creating a new one. · Projection-type: Characterized by a high actual-ideal self-discrepancy, high actual-virtual self-discrepancy, and low virtual-ideal self-discrepancy. This category represents players who see themselves as distant from how they would like to be and create a virtual self that compensates for that by being closer to their ideal self. · Exploratory-type: Characterized by a low actual-ideal self-discrepancy, high actual-virtual self-discrepancy, and high virtual-ideal self-discrepancy. This category represents players who are already satisfied with themselves and choose to explore alternative identities that are not necessarily ideal for the performative enjoyment of adopting a different persona.
Neural correlates of the altered states of consciousness induced by acoustic rhythmic stimulation
(Universitat de Barcelona, 2024-11-20) Aparicio-Terrés, Raquel; Escera i Micó, Carles; Universitat de Barcelona. Departament de Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia
[eng] Throughout history and across diverse cultures, sound has been a profound and persistent influence, shaping both individual experiences and collective bonds. Its role is evident in the way it has been harnessed in cultural and religious practices to achieve psychological states beyond the ordinary. To explore this in the past was one of the objectives of the ERC Artsoundscapes project in which this PhD can be framed. The project sought to investigate whether the acoustic properties of ritual sites facilitate the non-ordinary states desired in the spiritual practices performed there. Some psychological states reached by exposure to sound can be characterized as altered states of consciousness (ASCs). In particular, sound has been structured in various ways to facilitate non-ordinary experiences. One notable example is slow (i.e., around 2 Hz) and highly rhythmic patterns, which are employed across cultures to induce dissociative mental states. This includes drumming in shamanic rituals and the four-on-the-floor beats in electronic music events. The cross-cultural and cross-temporal use of sound to alter consciousness suggests that acoustic stimulation structured in specific ways can have a distinct effect on the central nervous system, explaining sound-induced ASCs. However, the precise cognitive and neural mechanisms of this phenomenon remain elusive. These types of non-ordinary experiences have not been adequately addressed in the scientific literature compared to other ASCs, such as some forms of meditative states and drug-induced ASCs. Previously, some progress has been made in understanding ASCs induced by highly metric sounds from a neuroscientific perspective. One physiological mechanism that has gained considerable attention in this field is neural entrainment, which refers to the phase synchronization of brainwaves with periodic external stimuli. However, systematic studies examining the direct relationship between neural entrainment and ASCs remain scarce. The primary goal of this doctoral thesis was to deepen our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying ASCs induced by sound. Also, it aimed at advancing methodologies for studying states of altered phenomenology. A key focus of this research was on neural entrainment as a potential mechanism to explain how highly metric sounds contribute to proxies of these non-ordinary states. This exploration sought to expand our understanding of rituals in which sound is key, both historical and contemporary, by focusing on how sounds that are structured in specific ways may affect listeners. Additionally, it intended to provide a clearer insight into ASCs by examining non-ordinary experiences not influenced by pharmacological interventions. These interventions can bias our understanding of these experiences. ASCs are intricate and inherently subjective, posing challenges for their measurement. Traditionally, ASCs have been assessed through phenomenological experiences reported via retrospective questionnaires or cognitive tasks that provide insights into cognitive function at specific moments. In Study I, we reviewed research methodologies and identified gaps in the field of ASCs induced by sound. We also summarized the phenomenological, cognitive, and neural patterns associated with sound-induced ASCs into potential neurobiological mechanisms that might connect sound to non-ordinary experiences. Study I established the conceptual and methodological foundation for Studies II and III, which specifically examined rhythm-induced ASCs. In Studies II and III, we explored the relationship between proxies of ASCs induced by highly metric sounds and neural entrainment to these sounds. In particular, the sounds used were extracts of naturalistic electronic music in Study II and drumming in Study III. We manipulated rhythmic components of these auditory stimuli to create conditions of high and low strength of neural entrainment, which allowed us to subsequently explore whether the strength of entrainment was related to the intensity of phenomenological and cognitive characteristics related to ASCs. In Study II, we manipulated the strength of entrainment by varying the tempo of electronic music based on findings that entrainment to auditory stimuli reaches a maximum at rates around 2 Hz. In Study III, we manipulated entrainment by modulating the rhythmicity of drumming. To gain a comprehensive understanding of ASCs, non-ordinary states were measured by a combination of phenomenological and cognitive measures. Although neural entrainment typically refers to the synchronization in phase of neural activity with repetitive external stimuli, previous research has employed a frequency-tagging approach with electroencephalography to measure entrainment in a broad manner. Therefore, in Study II and Study III, we used a combination of frequency-tagging and electroencephalography to explore neural entrainment. Overall, this doctoral thesis reveals that highly metric and continuous auditory stimuli can induce characteristics of ASCs, including absorption, relaxation, pseudo-hallucinations, and vivid imagery. These states align with neurophysiological mechanisms involving the thalamus, thalamocortical interactions, and the default mode network, like those in psychotic and psychedelic experiences. When focusing on highly metric sounds, the rhythmic elements of these sounds enhance the subjective experience of dissolving psychological boundaries, consistent with 8 anthropological evidence that sound alone can induce ASCs in rituals. Additionally, personality traits, particularly absorption, significantly influence the phenomenological aspects of these states. High-absorption individuals reported greater disembodiment, while those with lower absorption experienced enhanced spiritual effects. Our findings also suggest that neural entrainment to highly metric sounds modulates cognitive functions related to ASCs, such as executive function and auditory sensitivity. This highlights the intricate role of both neural entrainment and personality traits in shaping sound-induced ASCs. In summary, this doctoral thesis advances our understanding of how sound induces ASCs. It highlights the role of neural entrainment, personality traits, and specific rhythmic elements in shaping ASCs induced by highly metric sounds. By integrating phenomenological, cognitive, and neural insights, this research offers a comprehensive view of the complex interplay between sound and ASCs, contributing valuable knowledge to both scientific and cultural perspectives on altered mental states.
Genetic and environmental modulators of neural encoding associated to speech processing and their relationship with auditory skills
(Universitat de Barcelona, 2024-07-16) Puddu Gallardo, Giannina; Via i García, Marc; Universitat de Barcelona. Departament de Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia
[eng] Individuals exhibit variability in auditory processing skills, including those related to musical or speech perception, which rely on an accurate neural representation of the spectro-temporal characteristics of the auditory signal. The Frequency-Following Response (FFR) is a neurological response originating mainly in the brainstem that synchronizes with incoming stimuli and serves as a tool to assess the tracking accuracy of the auditory system. FFR has been associated with problems in phonological awareness, reading alterations, and dyslexia. It has also been noted that this response is sensitive to environmental influences such as language experience, bilingualism, and musical training. In addition to studying environmental factors in auditory processing, genetic studies have helped to understand the contributions of genetic variants to individual differences observed in auditory skills. Twin studies have reported remarkable heritability for auditory processing, including pitch recognition, temporal processing, and dichotic word discrimination, among others. Molecular genetics approaches have investigated the association between genetic regions and behavioral phenotypes of auditory perception, such as music perception and beat synchronization. In the field of auditory responses measured by EEG, a study reported a significant association between the FFR and the serotonin uptake gene (SLC6A4), representing the only study relating an auditory electrophysiological response with a gene. While the study of auditory processing and perception has been focused on environmental factors or genetic contributions separately, studies that combine both approaches are scarce. Furthermore, studies that integrate measures at different levels, including genetic data, electrophysiological measures, and behavioral assessments of auditory processing in a iv single study, are non-existent. This thesis includes four studies that aim to explore the genetic and environmental factors contributing to auditory processing as reflected in the FFR. It also aims to investigate the relationship between FFR and functional assessments of audiological, musical and speech perception. A total of 129 young adults volunteered as participants in an experimental session that consisted of an FFR-EEG experiment, a saliva sample collection for genetic analyses, four behavioral tests to assess speech-in-noise (SIN) perception, reading skills, musical skills, and amplitude-modulation discrimination, in addition to a language proficiency questionnaire. Study I attempted at characterizing the relationship between the FFR and processing sounds in challenging environments. Its results revealed that background noise affects the FFR by enhancing the response to the F0 on one side and degrading the response to the formant and the neural transmission delay on the other side. Additionally, we correlated the FFR parameters with the performance in a SIN perception task, finding that only the response to the F1 to the vowel /a/ was correlated with SIN perception. In Study II, the auditory skills measured behaviorally were correlated with four components obtained by PCA from the FFR parameters to describe functional implications of the FFR. Only the F1 /o/ component was significantly correlated with the performance in reading skills and no other significant correlation was observed. When evaluating the relationship only between the behavioral measures, significant correlations were observed between SIN perception and reading skills. In Study III, we replicated the association between the promoter region of the SLC6A4 gene and the FFR response to the F0. Moreover, genome-wide analyses did not reveal significant associations after correcting for multiple comparisons, but suggestive probability values were found between FFR component and SNPs related to genes linked to different cognitive and behavioral assessments and v highly expressed in brain tissues. Based on the polygenic score analyses, we found a significant shared genetic etiology between SIN perception and ADHD. In Study IV, regarding the role of the age of bilingualism acquisition as a potential modulator of the neural response, we did not find a main effect of bilingualism across all FFR measures, nor with the behavioral assessments, indicating that by itself, this variable does not contribute to the observed differences. In summary, throughout this thesis, it was observed that the individual contribution of the different environmental and genetic effects studied has a relatively small effect size, thus highlighting the complexity underlying the in-depth study of auditory processing of sounds in our environment.
Testing a New Comprehensive Model for Eating Disorder Symptoms and Academic Achievement Among Spanish and Iranian Undergraduates: The Relationships Between Parental, Developmental, External, and Cognitive Factors, Body Image Concerns, and Self-Efficacy
(Universitat de Barcelona, 2024-06-28) Zabolipour, Zahra; Ferrer, Marta (Ferrer García); Universitat de Barcelona. Departament de Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia
[eng] Background: The prevalence of eating disorders (EDs) has more than doubled in the last few years, increasingly jeopardizing the academic achievement and future accomplishments of undergraduate university students, who are a particularly vulnerable group to EDs. Prior research has identified several key risk factors for the emergence of EDs, which have been highly recommended to be included together in future etiological models. Moreover, EDs have been found to be culture-bound, with a higher prevalence rate in certain cultural contexts. On the other hand, the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), a well-known measure for evaluating parenting styles as one of the most important risk factors for EDs, was previously validated in Spain over thirty years ago, in a very specific sample. Objectives: The objectives of this dissertation were to firstly establish the theoretical foundation for developing a novel comprehensive model for the etiology of EDs’ symptoms and subsequent poor academic achievement; secondly, update the Spanish version of the PBI and assess its factorial structure; and thirdly, evaluate the proposed research model within two culturally diverse samples of undergraduate university students. Hence, three distinct studies were conducted, including a narrative literature review of the relationships between eating disorder symptoms, academic achievement, and the shared risk factors that influence both; PBI validation for the second time in Spain; and assessment of the hypothesized model, as well as examining the potential moderating effect of culture on the commonly confirmed mediations between two samples. Method: For the narrative review, related published articles were identified by searching in four databases: Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and PsycINFO. Regarding the PBI validation, it was translated to Spanish, and 445 Spanish-Caucasian volunteer university students (79.3% female, 21.73 ± 3.48) completed both its maternal and paternal forms as well as the S-EMBU questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted for fourteen previously suggested models in the literature and their model fits were compared. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and concurrent validity of the new Spanish PBI were also assessed. In terms of the model evaluation in the third study, two samples of 367 Spanish (85.8% female, 20.64 ± 1.79) and 368 Iranian volunteer undergraduate students (84.5% female, 21.35 ± 1.81) answered eight questionnaires. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the hypothesized model. Results: In the first study, reviewing existing academic literature supported the association between eating disorder symptoms and poor academic achievement as well as the interrelationships between their shared risk factors. In the second study, the four-factor structure of care, overprotection, autonomy, and indifference showed the best fit for the new Spanish PBI; the test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of this updated version were also confirmed. The third study confirmed the reliability and validity of both the Spanish and Iranian models; the dominant culture was revealed to be horizontal collectivism and horizontal individualism for the Spanish and Iranian samples, respectively; and four hypothesized mediations were found to be mutually supported: body dissatisfaction significantly mediated the effect of schema domains, weight-related teasing, and peer and media pressures on eating disorder symptoms, namely restraint, eating concern, and bulimia nervosa, and the impaired autonomy schema domain significantly mediated the impact of childhood abuse on general self-efficacy. No significant moderated mediation was observed in any of the samples. Conclusion: In this dissertation, an elaborate model was formulated for risk factors contributing to disordered eating and poor academic achievement among the high-risk group of undergraduates. Similar mediations were revealed in both individualistic (Iranian) and collectivistic (Spanish) cultures. The proposed model, for the first time, revealed the sequential mediation of early maladaptive schemas and body dissatisfaction in the relationship between childhood abuse and EDs' symptoms; the mediating role of the disconnection schema domain in the relationship between childhood abuse and body dissatisfaction; and the mediating role of the impaired autonomy schema domain in the impacts of parenting style and childhood abuse on general self-efficacy. These findings, along with shared confirmed relationships in the Spanish and Iranian samples, have practical implications for prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of EDs in both clinical and educational settings, and an additional 26 causal relationships have been suggested to be examined in future research endeavors.
Rock Art Soundscapes: Perception and emotions evoked by singular acoustic spaces
(Universitat de Barcelona, 2024-05-13) López-Mochales, Samantha; Escera i Micó, Carles; Díaz-Andreu, Margarita; Universitat de Barcelona. Departament de Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia
[eng] Sound permeates our daily existence universally and timelessly, as shown by its integral role in the ritualistic practices in almost every culture worldwide. The physical characteristics of sound propagation in space can significantly influence our perception and emotional responses towards sound. Consequently, a hypothesis arises that the acoustic attributes of ritual sites may influence the emotional impact of sound on participants during rituals. Christian temples provide a tangible example, characterized by specific acoustic features such as prolonged reverberation that amalgamates sound, which Western individuals culturally associate with an approach to the divine. Rock art sites represent another intriguing case. Archaeologists theorize that the creation of rock art —paintings or engravings on rock surfaces— during prehistory was intertwined with social and ritualistic activities that incorporated sound production. However, how sound is perceived in rock art sites and, more crucially, the influence of acoustics on listeners' perceptions, is a largely unexplored field. The primary goal of this doctoral thesis was to investigate the acoustic characteristics of rock art sites, discern how listeners perceive them, explore their modulation of emotional responses to sound, and identify specific acoustic attributes distinguishing rock art sites from comparable locations lacking such features. This exploration would help to unveil the criteria that prehistoric individuals potentially employed in selecting optimal spots for their ritual activities in which rock art was an element, and whether this involved the preference of particular sites because of their sound nature. A common approach to approximate a desired acoustic environment for listeners involves capturing the acoustic print of spaces through the register of its so-called impulse response. Impulse responses compile information on sound propagation within a given space, enabling, on one hand, the acoustic analysis of the space, and on the other hand, the virtual recreation of its acoustic characteristics for presentation to listeners. Such recreation of acoustic environments receives the name of auralization. Employing this methodology, four studies were designed and implemented, that involved presenting listeners with a series of auralizations of Christian temples, in the first study, and rock art sites, in the subsequent three studies. Additionally, subjective impressions of listeners were gathered through a series of behavioral scales in the first two studies and via sensory profiling methods in the latter two studies. In the first two studies, listeners' perception of auralizations was evaluated using a set of bipolar Likert scales. The first study involved the recreation of the acoustics of Christian temples of the United Kingdom, combining their impulse responses with musical pieces from the Renaissance. The outcomes indicated that the acoustic attributes of Christian temples elicited a stronger sense of transcendence but diminished feelings of tenderness and expressiveness when compared to drier acoustics characterized by shorter reverberation. In the second study, a series of auralizations of rock art sites from the Altai region of Russian Siberia were presented to listeners, combining captured impulse responses from the sites with various sounds from natural sources. The findings demonstrated that listeners perceived the sounds as closer, more present, and more tension-evoking when paired with the acoustics of certain rock art sites, as opposed to auralizations of locations with similar characteristics but lacking rock art features. In the third and fourth studies, we moved from employing pre-selected Likert scales to adopting a sensory profiling method, wherein listeners were asked to provide their own descriptions of the presented auralizations. In the third study, we examined perceived differences between two rock art sites in the southern mountains of Cádiz, Spain. The acoustics of these sites were combined with various sounds, including speech, singing voices, and musical instruments. Listeners perceived significant differences in the acoustics of the two sites in the dimensions of echo, distance from the sound source, resonance, clarity, and envelopment. In the fourth study, listeners were presented with auralizations of a series of rock art sites in the province of Valencia, Spain. These auralizations combined captured impulse responses with sounds of singing voices and drums. Results unveiled that the acoustic recreations of the rock art sites were perceived as significantly bigger, wider, more reverberant, farther, and less direct compared to their counterparts, i.e, the auralizations of locations with similar physical characteristics but devoid of rock art. Overall, the findings of this doctoral thesis indicate that the acoustic attributes of natural landscapes may have influenced the selection process of rock art sites in prehistoric contexts. Differences were identified in both the acoustics and the perceived auditory experience when comparing rock art sites to other locations lacking rock art. However, it is noteworthy that the acoustic features characterizing the studied rock art sites and listeners' perceptions thereof were not uniform across the various studies conducted, each of them focusing on a different rock art landscape. It is posited that the intended activities at the site and the sounds to be produced may have played a pivotal role in the selection process. Reverberation emerged as a primary acoustic feature explaining most of the outcomes across the studies. Notably, the dimension of perception most prominently influenced by the acoustics of rock art sites, consistently observed across the studies, was the perceived distance from the sound source. In summary, this doctoral thesis contributes significantly to our comprehension of how acoustics influenced the selection of rock art sites in prehistory, highlighting the crucial significance of reverberation. Furthermore, it demonstrates the efficacy of employing auralization and sensory profiling methods in investigating listeners' responses to the acoustics of rock art sites.
Asociación entre las experiencias adversas y de victimización y la salud mental
(Universitat de Barcelona, 2024-04-05) Bartolomé Valenzuela, Marina; Pereda Beltran, Noemí; Universitat de Barcelona. Departament de Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia
[spa] La presente investigación tiene como objetivo principal estudiar el efecto de las Experiencias Adversas en la Infancia (ACEs, por sus siglas en inglés) en la salud mental. Para ello, en primer lugar, se ha estudiado la prevalencia de ACEs en una muestra de personas adultas con trastorno mental grave. En un segundo lugar, y con el objetivo de conocer si existen diferencias significativas en las prevalencias de estas experiencias en personas con y sin trastorno, se ha realizado un estudio comparando las ACEs de jóvenes estudiantes universitarios. En último lugar, se ha realizado un estudio para observar el impacto de ACEs en el bienestar mental autoreportado. Por lo que respecta a los participantes, la muestra del Estudio I se compone de 74 personas, 32 hombres (43,2%) y 42 mujeres (56,8%) con un trastorno mental grave de la ciudad de Barcelona, los cuales, en su mayoría, están vinculadas a un Centro de Salud Mental para Adultos y cuentan con el certificado de discapacidad. Las personas participantes tienen edades comprendidas entre los 21 y los 68 años, con una edad promedio de 42,03 años (DE = 9,60). Para los Estudios II y III se ha contado con una muestra de 1.023 estudiantes universitarios, con una proporción de hombres del 28,4% y mujeres del 71,6%, y edades comprendidas entre los 18 y los 64 años (M = 20,10, DE = 3,93). Se ha usado el Adverse Childhood Experiences International Questionnaire (ACE-IQ, por sus siglas en inglés) (Felitti et al., 1998) para medir las adversidades vividas durante la infancia. Los datos demográficos se han recabado a través de un cuestionario desarrollado ad hoc para la investigación, mientras que los datos clínicos sobre la salud física y mental general se han obtenido a través de preguntas desarrolladas en base al cuestionario usado en el estudio ACE de la universidad de Liverpool John Moores University (Ford et al., 2016), así como también en base al Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire (TLEQ por sus siglas en inglés) (Kubany et al., 2000). Por otro lado, para medir el nivel de bienestar mental de forma autoreportada por parte de los estudiantes se ha usado la Short Edinburgh-Warwick Mental Well-being Scale o Escala de Bienestar Mental de Edimburgo-Warwick Corta (SWEMWBS, por sus siglas en inglés). Para comparar las prevalencias entre diferentes grupos se ha empleado el estadístico Chi cuadrado y la medida de la Odds Ratio (OR) junto con su correspondiente intervalo de confianza (IC) y se ha establecido la significancia estadística en un nivel de p < ,05. Para observar el impacto de las ACEs en el bienestar mental de los estudiantes, se ha realizado una regresión lineal múltiple y jerárquica y se han usado, como variables de control, la edad, la orientación sexual, el país de origen y la presencia de trastorno mental. Los resultados de los estudios muestran que las personas con trastorno mental presentan altas prevalencias de ACEs, especialmente de las formas más graves. En adultos con trastorno mental grave, el abuso físico ha sido reportado por más del 50%, y, el abuso sexual, por más de uno de cada tres participantes, teniendo las mujeres seis veces más probabilidad de haber sufrido abuso sexual infantil con contacto físico que los hombres (OR = 6,36; IC 95%: 1,89-21,34). Cuando se han llevado a cabo comparaciones entre grupos de estudiantes con y sin trastorno mental, se ha visto que aquellos con trastorno tienen casi cuatro veces más probabilidades de haber sufrido cualquier ACE en comparación con aquellos sin trastorno mental (OR = 3,83; IC 95%: 1,66-8,88).En cuanto al impacto de las ACEs en el bienestar mental de los estudiantes, el análisis ha mostrado que tener un diagnóstico de trastorno mental es el predictor más fuerte de niveles más bajos de bienestar (β = -,635, t(1015) = -6,49 p < ,001), seguido de haber sufrido un alto número de ACEs (β = - ,454, t(1015) = -3.59, p < ,001) o haber sufrido victimización física en el hogar y victimización por parte de iguales (β = -,429, t(1015) = -6,16, p < ,001). Se concluye que haber vivido experiencias de victimización en la infancia es algo común en la vida de las personas con trastorno mental, apoyando la idea de que las ACEs pueden ser factores sociales de peso que contribuyen al desarrollo de trastornos mentales en la edad adulta. Además, también se ha visto que tener un trastorno mental predice niveles más bajos de bienestar mental, por lo que se subraya la necesidad de promover la comprensión y el apoyo hacia aquellos que luchan con problemas de salud mental. Esta investigación busca guiar a los profesionales de la salud hacia una intervención más integral y adecuada, a la vez que aporta datos para la comprensión del origen y el desarrollo de las enfermedades mentales.
Preferencias temporales en orangutanes y bonobos
(Universitat de Barcelona, 2016-12-02) Salas Morellón, Laura; Colell Mimó, Montserrat; Call Balaguer, Josep; Universitat de Barcelona. Departament de Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia
[spa] Constantemente, los seres humanos y otros animales eligen cómo comportarse, y sus decisiones tienen consecuencias que se desarrollan con el tiempo. El estudio de las preferencias temporales explora cuánto valora un individuo los beneficios futuros según en qué momento van a llegar y cómo decide, en consecuencia, entre sus diversas opciones. Los individuos impulsivos prefieren recompensas rápidas, mientras que los pacientes pueden optar por beneficios mayores aunque tarden más en llegar. Este trabajo investiga las preferencias temporales de orangutanes y bonobos. En el primer estudio, mostramos que los orangutanes y bonobos (y, adicionalmente, gorilas) son más pacientes cuando eligen entre recompensas alejadas en el tiempo. Cuando un beneficio mayor conlleva una espera adicional, la asumen más fácilmente cuando ocurrirá seis minutos después de la elección que cuando tienen que esperar inmediatamente. Estos resultados indican que, aunque a veces se comporten de manera impaciente en paradigmas tradicionales que plantean elecciones con consecuencias inmediatas, toman decisiones más pacientes cuando pueden escoger con antelación. Sin embargo, sus preferencias podrían volverse más impulsivas cuando el momento de la recompensa se acerca. En un segundo estudio, aprovechamos este fenómeno para preguntarnos si son capaces de elegir con antelación contextos futuros donde no exista la opción de ser impulsivos. Este fenómeno, conocido en humanos, implica comprometerse de antemano evitando, o limitando, las consecuencias de nuestra impulsividad futura. En este caso, sólo dos orangutanas pasaron todos los criterios necesarios para completar el experimento y sus resultados fueron negativos. En el estudio final, presentamos a orangutanes y bonobos una tarea estándar de acumulación de recompensas donde podían escoger esperar más o menos tiempo para obtener más o menos recompensas. Añadimos una condición en la que la única manera de obtener comida era esperar el máximo de tiempo posible, hasta que todas las recompensas se habían acumulado. En la versión estándar, que permitía la obtención de pequeñas recompensas rápidamente, ambas especies mostraron una baja capacidad de espera. En la versión modificada, donde la espera máxima era la única opción recompensada, elevaron significativamente sus puntuaciones, mostrando que su capacidad de espera es mayor de lo que sugieren las tareas intertemporales estándar. Sin embargo, los sujetos que realizaron la condición estándar después de la modificada no trasladaron el aumento de sus puntuaciones a la condición de elección libre. Esto sugiere que orangutanes y bonobos ajustan de modo flexible sus elecciones a los requerimientos de la tarea y podría apuntar a una diferenciación básica entre capacidad y estrategia. Nuestra aportación teórica e interpretación de resultados se divide en tres áreas diferenciadas e interrelacionadas: paciencia, cognición orientada al futuro y control inhibitorio. La paciencia está directamente vinculada al campo de las preferencias temporales. Además, hemos considerado la cognición orientada al futuro, en la medida en que creemos que las capacidades de cada población para prever consecuencias futuras son importantes para el estudio comparado de las preferencias temporales y para trazar su historia evolutiva. Por último, hemos incluido el control inhibitorio como otro eje fundamental, ya que los comportamientos pacientes suelen implicar la inhibición de impulsos y distracciones. Según nuestra propuesta, las decisiones temporales de los animales no humanos reflejan la interrelación entre diferentes sistemas cognitivos y motivacionales.
Efficacy of Mindfulness Based Swinging Technique (MBST) for Improving Anxiety, Stress, Hopelessness and Self Efficacy among Breast Cancer Patients in Treatment
(Universitat de Barcelona, 2024-03-01) Bahcivan, Ozan; Gutiérrez Maldonado, José; Estapé i Madinabeitia, Tania; Universitat de Barcelona. Departament de Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia
[eng] Stress, anxiety, and hopelessness are found to be the most common reasons for psychological counselling for breast cancer patients. Due to the complexity of the medical treatment of cancer, patients often lose hope and consequently their treatment drop-out rate increases. In fact, these patients usually require shorter and briefer psychological interventions as their medical treatment hinders patients to attend longer psychological sessions. Therefore, shorter psychological intervention targeting specifically for breast cancer patients is needed in the current psycho-oncology clinical practice. This research project consists of two different independent studies and three articles, two of them published in a scientific journal. The main objective of this research is to investigate the efficacy of this short new mindfulness intervention called the Mindfulness Based Swinging Technique (MBST). The MBST intervention combines a breathing exercise and a particular guided imagery for swinging activity inspired by t’ai chi and qigong motions that could make it possible to support women with breast cancer; for combating their anxiety, stress as well as increase their self-efficacy and hope. In order to assess its efficacy, the MBST intervention was compared with the Cognitive Disputation (CD) technique, a form of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). In the initial study, MBST was conducted to measure its immediate (within 20mins) efficacy among breast cancer patients who were in active oncology treatment. On the other hand, in the final study, MBST’s 8-week efficacy among breast cancer patients who were in active oncology treatment was tested. That includes bio-indicators, such as Heart Rate (HR) in beats-per-minute (bpm) and saturation/oxygen levels of the patients were measured. The results of these studies provided insights about its clinical suitability, efficaciousness, and time savings in clinical interventions among breast cancer patients in oncology treatment. The efficacy of the MBST intervention was assessed with a randomised controlled clinical trial in which patients were evaluated before starting the MBST intervention, at the end of the intervention, and after 8-week follow-up. Based on our immediate efficacy results, MBST was found to be efficacious among women with breast cancer for tackling stress, anxiety, hopelessness, and increase in self-efficacy. In the 8-week follow-up, MBST was not shown to be more effective than the control condition (CD). The current project provides another example of how mindfulness techniques can be applied to breast cancer patients. This brief mindfulness-based intervention can enhance traditional psychotherapy techniques. Particularly for cognitive behavioural therapies which is combined with third-wave therapy approaches to improve the emotional, and psychological responses of patients to cancer as well as support them to better cope with their cancer illness and diagnosis. Therefore, indirectly MBST can assist a patient’s adherence to their medical treatment
Exploring violence and vulnerability: Experiences of victimization among adults with intellectual disabilities
(Universitat de Barcelona, 2024-02-26) Codina Cobo, Marta; Pereda Beltran, Noemí; Universitat de Barcelona. Departament de Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia
[eng] People with intellectual disabilities (ID) seem to be at an increased risk of experiencing interpersonal victimization, especially for the most violent types, such as physical and sexual aggression. However, figure disparities across studies contribute to an inconclusive portrayal of the phenomenon. Still, they are often considered a vulnerable group towards victimization simply because of their disability, without considering other risk factors that may have a significant impact on the course of victimization. This dissertation aims to contribute to the knowledge and understanding of vulnerability and victimization among people with ID. It consists of three empirical studies analyzing the self-reported experiences of victimization in a sample of adults with ID and a narrative review analyzing different layers and intersecting vulnerabilities to victimization and offending. The study sample for the empirical studies consisted of 260 participants (154 men and 106 women) with ages ranging from 20–71 (M = 41.69, SD = 12.05) and a diagnostic of ID. Study 1 explores the rates of different forms of lifetime victimization and polyvictimization using the JVQ questionnaire and introduces a gender and age-related approach. The results showed high rates of lifetime victimization, with nearly all participants reporting some victimization experience (96.9%). Conventional crimes, including some forms of property crime, was the most frequent type of victimization among this sample (87.7%). High rates of physical and sexual violence were also reported. If the mean number of different victimization types experienced for the whole sample was six, poly-victims experienced more than double victimizations (13 or more incidents). Overall, women and early adults tended to experience higher rates of victimization in comparison with men and older adults. Study 2 examines the rates and characteristics of sexual victimization experiences among the sample. The results showed that 35% of the participants had been sexually victimized at some point in their lives, with fondling being the most reported victimization (19.2%). Rape showed the greatest gender differences, with a higher risk for women of being raped compared to their men counterparts (OR = 4.28, p < .001). Being a woman, being declared legally incapable, and having comorbid mental health diagnoses were the most relevant characteristics of sexual victims with ID. The offender was generally a known adult man, and the percentage of incidents reported to the authorities was low (7.4%). The abuse led to negative psychological consequences for the victims. Study 3 explores the rates and characteristics of caregiver victimization, a disabilityrelated abuse particularly relevant for people with ID. This study outlines high rates of lifetime caregiver victimization (59.2%), with physical abuse, verbal abuse, and neglect being the most frequently reported forms. Those who live in residential care settings were at particular risk, experiencing significantly more victimization incidents and a broader range of victimization forms than their counterparts outside residential care. Most participants disclosed their victimization to someone, but only a small number reported it to the police (9.8%). The experiences of victimization led to adverse psychological consequences and, in some cases, physical harm (33.8%). Study 4 is a critical and historical narrative review exploring the complexity of the acts of violence involving women with ID. They face multiple adversities, being involved in the phenomenon of violence both as victims and as perpetrators. These two roles are not mutually exclusive, but the interrelation between statuses owes its variability and dynamics to other interacting variables. This study synthesizes different layers of analysis (i.e., ID label, vulnerability, mental health comorbidity, poverty, social deprivation, ethnicity, and race) using an intersecting approach, which has been particularly neglected in disability studies. This thesis revealed high self-reported victimization rates among people with ID when a lifetime assessment was conducted. Significant gender, residential, age, and disability-related differences concerning the rates and numbers of victimization experienced were identified. This helps to identify those ID profiles requiring special protection given their increased vulnerability.
Self-generation effects: beyond sensory processing
(Universitat de Barcelona, 2024-01-19) Font Alaminos, Marta; San Miguel Insua, Iria; Costa Faidella, Jordi; Universitat de Barcelona. Departament de Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia
[eng] Our actions shape our everyday experience: what we experience, how we perceive and remember it, is deeply affected by how we interact with the world. Performing an action to deliver a stimulus engages neurophysiological processes which are reflected in the modulation of sensory and pupil responses. Furthermore, research shows that the sensory modulation of those self-generated (SG) stimuli may have an impact on higher order cognitive processes such as memory and personality. The present thesis attempts to elucidate whether actions have an impact on memory encoding and retrieval as well as examining whether the self-generation effects correlate with personality traits. Study I tested whether actions alone are a pivotal part of the production effect, a widely studied phenomenon that shows an increase of memory performance through active learning. Participants (N= 19) listened to sounds presented either during or in between their actions while the event related potentials (ERP) to the sounds were recorded and memory performance was assessed. Results showed attenuation of ERP sensory responses for action-coinciding sounds. However, there was no significant effect on memory performance. Study II went a step further looking into contingent action-sound relationships discerning whether the self-generation of sounds shape memory encoding, parsing the experience by grouping self- and externally generated (EG) stimuli into differentiated events. Participants (N = 25) encoded short sound sequences, in which either the first or last few sounds were SG and the rest EG while ERPs, pupil dilation and memory performance were recorded. Recall of the sequential order of sounds that had originated from within the same event was not higher than from across events, suggesting that the memory representation was not structured by actions. Recall of the sequential order of sounds between EG and SG remained similar, not evidencing a production effect. However, during encoding, we replicated the well-known electrophysiological response attenuation, together with increased pupil dilation for self-generated sounds. Moreover, we found that at the boundary between events, the pupil and electrophysiological responses to the first sound originating from the new source were determined by the direction of the source switch. The results suggest that introducing actions, acts as a stronger contextual shift than removing them, despite not directly contributing to memory performance. Finally, Study III ventured into the realm of individual variability exploring the relationship between personality traits and the self-generation effects. The analysis was performed using data from four experiments (N = 87) from our laboratory, including data from Study II. Electrophysiological measures of self-generation effects on various ERP components, pupil dilation and memory performance, were analyzed along with scores from four personality questionnaires that assessed schizotypal traits and sense of agency. Findings suggest that individuals with higher schizotypal traits exhibit reduced self-generation effects on the Tb ERP component. However, our results challenge previous findings showing a correlation of schizotypal traits with the N1 ERP component. There was no relationship of personality with the pupil response or the memory performance. The findings contribute to our understanding of how interacting with sensory input shapes our experiences, by addressing the unexplored relationships between action effects on sensory responses, pupil dilation and memory. This thesis concludes that: 1) low-level neurophysiological mechanisms tied to action execution do not seem to significantly contribute to the modulation of memory; 2) the introduction of actions appears to exert a more powerful contextual shift compared to removing them; 3) no direct relationship was found between the neuromodulatory mechanisms of action, as reflected by pupil dilation, and the electrophysiological self-generation effects; and 4) individuals with higher schizotypal traits demonstrate reduced self-generation effects in electrophysiological sensory responses; however the N1 may not be the perfect candidate to mirror the underlying prediction deficit.
Neural encoding of speech in newborns: voice pitch, formant structure and the effects of prenatal acoustic environment
(Universitat de Barcelona, 2024-01-12) Arenillas-Alcón, Sonia; Escera i Micó, Carles; Costa Faidella, Jordi; Universitat de Barcelona. Departament de Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia
[eng] The process of language acquisition is a remarkable milestone in infant life observed across several cultures and populations, making oral language the most prevalent form of human communication. Regardless of cultural background or native language, infants show comparable developmental trajectories in acquiring language, suggesting a universal organic foundation for this ability. However, language acquisition is far from simple, as it involves the development of complex perceptual and cognitive abilities, linked to the maturation of the auditory system and the encoding of speech sounds. In this context, a well-developed ability to perceive and distinguish the phonemes that constitute the different languages serve as essential prerequisites for effective language acquisition and communication in infants. Therefore, assessing at birth the state of maturity of the abilities that will allow future language acquisition emerges as a primary aspect to study. The present thesis aimed at investigating the neural mechanisms underlying speech processing in neonates, as well as the potential effects of the prenatal acoustic environment on the development of these mechanisms. Studying speech encoding abilities in newborns poses challenges due to the neonates’ inability to provide overt responses. To overcome this, the frequency-following response (FFR) has emerged as a promising tool for exploring complex sound encoding. The FFR provides a noninvasive snapshot of sound processing in the brain and has proven potential to predict future language development. Additionally, the FFR appears to be well suited for the study of auditory plasticity, since it has been shown to be modulated by several factors both postnatally and prenatally, including context-dependent contingencies, different auditory experiences and short-term auditory training. To investigate speech encoding, researchers have employed various speech stimuli in FFR studies (e.g., consonant-vowel syllable /da/, different single vowels with rising pitch, Mandarin syllables following the four lexical tones). These stimuli allowed to explore easily the neural responses to the voice pitch (mainly the fundamental frequency, F0) in neonates, but do not allow to fully explore critical aspects of language encoding, such as how precisely the newborn brain encodes the temporal fine structure of auditory stimuli –particularly relevant to discriminate vowels. As a consequence, the extent to what neonates are able to encode the formant structure of speech sounds remains unclear. Thus, the first objective of the present doctoral thesis was to design a new speech stimulus that simultaneously assessed fundamental frequency and temporal fine structure, to explore the functional maturity of the neural mechanisms involved in encoding voice pitch contour and formant structure in newborns. We compared the FFRs recorded in a group of newborns and adults, and provided evidences on how newborns are able to encode voice pitch and formant structure at birth. We disclosed that newborns show a remarkable ability to encode the voice pitch of speech sounds with adult-like accuracy, and that they are able to encode the formant structure of the speech as well. Given the exceptional plasticity of the neural mechanisms generating the FFR and its potential as a biomarker for early identification of speech encoding impairments, external factors that might influence speech encoding at birth were considered. Neonatal speech encoding is shaped by several factors that can affect the development of the auditory system, not only perinatally or long after birth, but also during the pregnancy period, including for example prematurity, prenatal clinical conditions, or prenatal environmental factors. Thus, a critical question arises regarding the potential influence of the fetal environment, particularly the acoustic environment, on the newborn’s abilities to encode speech sounds. Consequently, the second and third studies of this thesis were focused on exploring the impact of prenatal music exposure and prenatal bilingualism environments, respectively, on the encoding of speech sounds at birth, by conducting FFR recordings in groups of newborns with different degrees of prenatal music and language exposure. The second study revealed that daily prenatal music exposure during the final trimester of pregnancy was linked to a stronger encoding of voice pitch at birth, suggesting that exposure to music during the prenatal period plays a facilitating role in tuning the infant's sensitivity to the fundamental frequency of human speech. The third study disclosed that newborns exposed to a monolingual prenatal environment during the final trimester of pregnancy exhibited a more accurate encoding of voice pitch and formant structure of speech sounds at birth. These findings were interpreted as the result of a less variable speech background in monolingually-exposed newborns, resulting in larger neural responses and more accurate encoding of voice pitch and formant structure at birth, while neonates bilinguallyexposed would show an enhanced sensitivity to a broader range of frequencies without exhibiting an especially strong response at any of them. Overall, the findings of the present thesis add significant value to the understanding of early language acquisition processes and highlight the importance of early acoustic experiences in shaping the development of auditory mechanisms. Further studies should continue to explore these acoustic environmental factors, as they hold large potential in designing early interventions for potential future speech and language disorders.
Análisis de constructos personales en el trastorno límite de la personalidad
(Universitat de Barcelona, 2023-12-21) Suárez Aragonés, Victor; Feixas i Viaplana, Guillem; Universitat de Barcelona. Departament de Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia
[spa] El trastorno límite de la personalidad (TLP) es una condición mental muy incapacitante caracterizada por una intensa inestabilidad afectiva, identitaria e interpersonal, además de una marcada tendencia a la impulsividad. Las personas que lo padecen experimentan una severidad sintomática tan elevada que a menudo las lleva a tomar decisiones e involucrarse en conductas que atentan contra su bienestar físico y emocional. En ocasiones, su nivel de sufrimiento es tan extremo que puede conducirlas a realizar intentos de suicidio. La Teoría de Constructos Personales (TCP) postula que cada persona construye esquemas a partir de su experiencia para comprender e interpretar los acontecimientos. Su funcionamiento psicológico (pensamientos, creencias, decisiones, acciones, emociones o imágenes) y su forma de operar con la realidad se derivan de los significados que reflejan tales constructos. Desde esta aproximación teórica se han desarrollado herramientas de evaluación, como la técnica de la rejilla interpersonal (TRI), las cuales permiten acceder al sistema de constructos de una persona. A partir de su análisis se puede inferir la forma en que un individuo se percibe a sí mismo y a las personas de su alrededor. El objetivo de esta tesis doctoral es evaluar las características del sistema de constructos con el que las personas con TLP perciben el “sí mismo” y a las otras personas. En concreto, pretendemos valorar diferentes índices de conflictividad cognitiva (constructos dilemáticos, dilemas implicativos e intensidad dilemática), discrepancias entre la percepción del “yo” y los “otros” (autoestima, aislamiento autopercibido y adecuación percibida de los demás), polarización, indefinición y diferenciación cognitiva. Administramos herramientas de evaluación psicológica a una muestra clínica de 78 personas derivadas de centros de salud mental del área de Barcelona y alrededores para verificar su diagnóstico base de TLP, recabar información sobre su estado sintomatológico general y evaluar su sistema de constructos. Los datos recogidos se compararon con los obtenidos en una muestra control del mismo tamaño formada por personas con características sociodemográficas similares de la población general. Tras realizar los análisis estadísticos, se hallaron diferencias significativas entre grupos en cuanto a los niveles de presencia y porcentaje de conflictividad cognitiva, sobre todo por lo que respecta a los constructos dilemáticos, siendo estos niveles mayores en la muestra clínica. Los indicadores de autoestima, aislamiento autopercibido y adecuación percibida de los demás también resultaron ser más elevados en el grupo clínico. Asimismo, los índices de polarización, indefinición y diferenciación cognitiva fueron superiores en el grupo de participantes con diagnóstico de TLP. Por lo que respecta a la muestra clínica, no se observó una relación entre la conflictividad cognitiva y la intensidad psicopatológica, a pesar de que los resultados mostraron una ligera tendencia asociativa entre los dilemas implicativos y la sintomatología psicológica general. Los hallazgos obtenidos apoyan la mayoría de las hipótesis previamente planteadas por lo que respecta a los procesos interpretativos y a las características del sistema constructivo de las personas con un diagnóstico de TLP. Estos resultados denotan la conveniencia de abrir caminos hacia nuevas aplicaciones clínicas derivadas desde la perspectiva de la TCP, las cuales podrían complementar los principales modelos psicoterapéuticos basados en la evidencia disponibles en la actualidad.
Integrative understanding of bias-motivated violence targeting underrepresented populations
(Universitat de Barcelona, 2023-11-29) Arias Díaz-Faes, Diego; Pereda Beltran, Noemí; Universitat de Barcelona. Departament de Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia
[eng] Bias-motivated violence encompasses various types of targeted violence against underrepresented groups and is considered more potentially harmful than non-based biasmotivated violence. Research in this area has flourished during the last two decades, although some gaps and inconsistencies limit current knowledge. This dissertation aims to synthesize and bridge existing literature on bias-motivated violence by focusing on ethnic and racial minorities. It also provides empirical insights on bias-motivated violence regarding two other underrepresented groups: individuals with intellectual disabilities and sexual minorities. The dissertation consists of four studies, one integrative narrative review, and three research articles using self-reported primary data. Study 1 offers a critical reappraisal of theoretical, methodological, and empirical research from a systemic perspective, bridging existing knowledge by drawing from 134 academic publications across multiple disciplines. It identifies this type of violence as a distinct phenomenon, distinguished by its roots in prejudice, identity, and attitudes, mainly influenced by individual, psychosocial, and ecological factors. Psychological consequences for the victims are heterogeneous and distinctive. Study 2 investigates adverse experiences and their connection to suicide attempts among 924 undergraduate students (M = 20.10 years old, SD = 3.34, 71.6% women). The study compares the participants who self-identify as belonging to a sexual minority (n = 231) with their heterosexual counterparts using a 1:3 ratio propensity. Sexual minority individuals reported higher adversity rates, higher ACE scores (2.70 vs. 1.85), and a threefold increase in suicide attempt risk. Logistic regression reveals a relationship between sexual minority status and some adverse experiences with suicide attempts. Study 3 and Study 4 are from a study of 260 adults with a diagnosis of intellectual disability (59.2% men) aged 20 to 71 years (M = 41.7; SD = 12.0). Study 3 examines the number of different types of victimization experiences and polyvictimization status, comparing bias and non-bias attack victims. The results show that bias victims experienced a wider variety of other types of victimization than non-bias victims (M = 7.74 vs. 4.96) and were four times more likely to be poly-victims. Most victims encountered multiple bias incidents and over a quarter sustained injuries. Study 4 seeks to analyze whether there are differences among victims with intellectual disabilities regarding the types of victimization experienced. For this purpose, it uses latent class analysis to identify three unobserved victimization clusters: High victimization (10.4%), medium victimization but low sexual victimization (37.3%), and low victimization (52.3%). The results emphasize sexual and physical victimization in the highvictimization class, physical victimization in the medium-victimization class, and varying degrees of assault and bias attack experiences in the three classes. Differences in the sociodemographic characteristics of the class members were identified. While the latent class analysis and poly-victimization estimation method showed substantial agreement, they also revealed significant differences in identifying the most victimized individuals. This dissertation highlights the multifaceted nature of bias-motivated violence, its relationship with other forms of violence, its overlap with other types of victimization, and its negative consequences. The studies also advocate for critical and epistemological thinking, aiming to build bridges between different levels of analysis and challenge narrow or groundless assumptions about underrepresented groups.
Testing for exact model fit and model comparison in structural equation modeling under non-normality
(Universitat de Barcelona, 2023-11-24) Pavlov, Goran; Maydeu, Alberto; Universitat de Barcelona. Departament de Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia
[eng] Structural equation modeling (SEM) is a versatile framework that allows researchers to estimate systems of equations and test theoretical models. A significant portion of the literature on SEM focuses on model fit and selection, where researchers are interested in evaluating the goodness of fit of a theoretical model (absolute fit) or comparing multiple plausible models (relative fit). Evaluating exact or approximate fit is possible in both cases. The current doctoral thesis is a compilation of two published studies that contribute to the literature on both absolute and relative fit. The first study aimed to compare the accuracy of assessing exact model fit using two tests, namely the mean and variance adjusted chi-square test and the recently developed robust version of the Standardized Root Mean Squared Residual (SRMR) test, in situations where data is not normal. Through simulation, the study examined the impact of factors such as (non)normality, sample size, and model size on test accuracy. The results showed that the robust chi-square test outperformed the robust SRMR test with respect to Type I error rates and was less affected by model size. The second study investigated the accuracy of evaluating relative model fit using several versions of chi-square difference tests that are robust to violations of normality. The study manipulated levels of (non)normality, sample size, model size, and degrees of freedom for the difference test through simulation. The results showed that the mean and variance adjusted chisquare difference test performed accurately across all investigated conditions and outperformed its mean-adjusted competitors, which required larger samples to perform adequately. In summary, the two studies in the doctoral thesis contribute to the literature on both absolute and relative fit in SEM. The findings suggest that the robust chi-square test is more accurate in assessing exact model fit than the robust SRMR test, and the mean and variance adjusted chi-square difference test is a reliable method for evaluating relative model fit in SEM.
Weight bias, weight bias internalization and weight discrimination. Assessment and practical implications
(Universitat de Barcelona, 2023-10-26) Macho García, Sergio; Saldaña García, Carmina; Andrés, Ana; Universitat de Barcelona. Departament de Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia
[eng] Weight discrimination (WD) has existed for decades, and it is well spread in our societies. However, it has received less attention from authorities and society than other forms of discrimination. Being different and not fitting into what is socially desirable, is not pain-free. Many harmful physical, psychological and social outcomes were reported in the WD context. This sort of discrimination is usually sustained on an array of stereotypes that lead to bias and stigmatization of people with non-normative weights and body shapes. Although people living with obesity are the ones who are usually on target, this sort of discrimination is getting extensible to all the Body Mass Index (BMI) spectrum. It is also common that those who face this discrimination apply to themselves negative stereotypes about weight, what is called Weight Bias Internalization (WBI). WBI has been linked to important psychological and physical disturbances. Hence, it is crucial to still research the reduction of weight bias, as well as work on the improvement of psychological adjustment of those who face WD. One of the main aims of this doctoral dissertation was to adapt into Spanish population the Modified Weight Bias Internalization Scale (WBIS-M) and to overcome some limitations of the previous Spanish adaptation of the Anti-Fat Attitudes scale (AFA). Another aim was to assess the most effective coping strategies to reduce the psychological distress associated with weight-based discrimination. Moreover, another aim of this dissertation was to research which was the best predictor for psychological distress and body dissatisfaction among BMI, WD and WBI. Finally, the last aim was to test the mediating effect of body dissatisfaction, fear of gaining weight and weight bias internalization between WD and psychological distress. At the same time, the moderation of BMI and sex were included in the mediation analysis as an approach to assess intersectionality. Five studies were designed to achieve the main aims. All the studies were conducted using large samples including participants from all weight categories. Results from study I and study II revealed that the validation of the WBIS-M and the AFA showed excellent psychometric properties. Hence, they are suitable scales for clinical and research settings. In general, women and people with obesity reported higher WBI and less weight bias. On the other hand, men and people without excess weight reported higher negative attitudes toward obesity. Results from study III showed that no coping strategies were linked to psychological adjustment in people who faced WD. Nevertheless, coping strategies were linked to WBI. Regarding the results from study IV, WBI was the strongest significantly positive predictor of psychological distress, after controlling for BMI and WD (past and current experiences). In terms of study V, results evinced that people with obesity and women reported higher body dissatisfaction, fear of gaining weight, WBI and psychological distress. The results confirmed the serial mediation effect of body dissatisfaction, fear of gaining weight and WBI between WD and psychological distress. Nevertheless, the mediated effect of WBI was the strongest. In terms of interaction, WD and higher BMI were linked to higher WBI and WD and lower BMI were linked to higher psychological distress with small differences in different BMI values. The results are consistent with previous studies conducted with different samples regarding sociocultural aspects. WBI has to be considered as a therapeutic target to improve the psychological distress of all those who experience WD. Hence, more research on coping strategies and effective interventions to reduce WBI is urgently needed. Especially professionals working in weight management must be aware of clients’ WBI to reduce it. Additionally, implementing actions to reduce weight bias in the general population is urgent. Overall, the results highlighted the discrimination in terms of weight that people with obesity and women are constantly exposed. This seems to reflect the thin body-ideal that especially women are pressured to assume. At the same, the results also stress the inclination in terms of body ideals to idealize slimmer bodies than normal-weight ones, which seems to prove that beauty, rather than health, is gaining the war. Hence, a redefinition of beauty ideals is urgently needed.
Percepció Interpersonal en les Parelles, Qualitat de la Relació i llur Influència en l’Èxit de la Teràpia Sistèmica de la Depressió
(Universitat de Barcelona, 2016-07-15) Salla Martínez, Marta; Feixas i Viaplana, Guillem; Universitat de Barcelona. Departament de Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia
[cat] En l'estudi de les relacions humanes ha augmentat l'interès en els processos interpersonals degut a les seves implicacions en la qualitat de la relació de parella i en la salut mental dels cònjuges. La percepció interpersonal sembla un bon candidat per estudiar aquestes relacions, doncs es troba en la base de processos com la construcció de la identitat, la comunicació i la interacció. A més, en parelles on un dels membres pateix un trastorn mental com la depressió, pot ser un dels factors que afecten els símptomes i el seu tractament amb teràpia de parella. No obstant, aquest darrer aspecte ha estat poc estudiat, existeix una literatura poc cohesionada en aquest àmbit i els mètodes emprats per a la seva avaluació compten amb limitacions per captar-ne la seva complexitat. La present investigació té com objectiu aprofundir i ampliar el coneixement del paper de la percepció interpersonal en les relacions romàntiques mitjançant els significats personals de cada parella. Amb aquesta finalitat s’han dut a terme tres estudis. A l’estudi 1 s’elabora una tècnica, la Graella de Parella, que pretén captar els processos de percepció interpersonal únics de cada relació mitjançant els constructes personals de la parella i les percepcions i metapercepcions d’elements com el jo, la parella, el jo ideal i la parella ideal. S’il·lustra el seu desenvolupament i anàlisi mitjançant un cas exemple i s’utilitza com a instrument principal en els estudis posteriors. A l’estudi 2 s'explora la relació entre la percepció interpersonal i la qualitat de la relació mitjançant una mostra comunitària de 26 parelles heterosexuals. S'aplica el mètode d’anàlisi diàdic Actor-Partner Interdependence Model per avaluar la relació predictiva entre aquestes variables i per estudiar l’efecte del gènere i el temps de la relació en aquesta associació. A l’estudi 3, en una mostra clínica de 13 parelles en les quals un dels membres pateix depressió major, s’exploren els canvis en la percepció interpersonal i la qualitat de la relació que realitzen després d’una teràpia sistèmica de parella, tenint en compte la disminució dels símptomes dels pacients deprimits. Els resultats d’aquests estudis emfatitzen la importància de tenir en compte la visió d’ambdós membres de la parella. En l’anàlisi diàdica de l’estudi 2 s’han obtingut més resultats significatius en els efectes de parella que en els efectes d’actor indicant que com ens percep la parella (més que com la percebem a ella) té un paper rellevant en la satisfacció conjugal. A l’estudi 3, els canvis en la percepció interpersonal que han realitzat els cònjuges també han tingut un paper fonamental en la disminució dels símptomes dels pacients amb depressió. En conjunt, s’ha observat que quan la parella té una visió positiva de l’altre cònjuge i valida les seves construccions interpersonals millora el funcionament de la relació. Els resultats en els efectes condicionals del temps de la relació han mostrat que les parelles que porten més temps perceben millor qualitat en la relació quan construeixen la realitat de manera semblant, mentre que els cònjuges de les parelles noves obtenen resultats més diversos. No s’han obtingut diferències de gènere a l’hora de construir-se a sí mateix i a l’altra, però si s’han observat tendències que assenyalen que la variància de la qualitat de la relació dels homes està més explicada per la percepció interpersonal que la de les dones. Així mateix, el fet que les dones tinguin una visió positiva de la parella i de sí mateixes podria ser un indicador d’una bona qualitat de la relació per ambdós cònjuges. Pel que fa a la teràpia sistèmica de parella, s’ha observat que més de la meitat dels pacients han realitzat un canvi clínicament significatiu en la reducció dels símptomes, sobretot aquells que tenien una bona qualitat de la relació a l’inici de la teràpia. Mitjançant la grandària de l’efecte s’ha observat que aquests pacients i les seves parelles han realitzat canvis rellevants en la percepció interpersonal com millorar l’autoestima del pacient, que el cònjuge no deprimit tingui una visió positiva de la parella, sentir-se comprès i construir-se de forma semblant, aspectes que podrien contribuir a identificar els mecanismes de canvi d’aquesta teràpia. Finalment, el conjunt d’informació obtinguda mitjanant la Graella de Parella posa de manifest que pot ser un instrument útil tant per la investigació com per la pràctica clínica. Les aportacions d’aquesta tesi poden contribuir a cohesionar i millorar l’estudi de la percepció interpersonal en les parelles, a ampliar el coneixement respecte la qualitat i el funcionament de les relacions de parella, i a promoure aplicacions pràctiques per a la intervenció terapèutica en parelles i depressió.
Auditory processing around actions: Evidence from psychophysics, electroencephalography, and pupillometry
(Universitat de Barcelona, 2022-09-30) Paraskevoudi, Nadia; San Miguel Insua, Iria; Clemente, Immaculada; Universitat de Barcelona. Departament de Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia
[eng] The ability to distinguish self-generated stimuli from those caused by external sources is critical for all biological organisms. Although substantial work has been done in this domain, mainly showing attenuated perception and sensory processing for self-generated information, several issues remain unknown, mainly related to the direction of the action effects on behavioural and sensory responses, the nature of the effects, but also the influence of other factors that are often confounded with self-generation. The present thesis attempts to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the effects of actions on auditory processing. In three original studies, we examined the self-generation effects from the angles of behavioural responses, namely perceptual processing and memory encoding, and basic physiology, namely electrophysiological responses and neuromodulatory processes (i.e., measured with pupillometry). Study I tested for possible interactions between actions and stimulus intensity on sound detection and loudness discrimination, while examining which aspect of perception is modulated (sensitivity or bias). Study II addressed the effects of cued actions on sensory processing and memory encoding of concurrent, but unpredictable, sounds, while exploring for the first time the involvement of neuromodulatory systems in the action-induced modulations of auditory responses. Study III disentangled self-generation and predictability – two factors that have been conflated in previous work – and assessed how they interact in shaping auditory responses, subcortical neuromodulation, and memory encoding of sounds. Finally, Study II and Study III also tested for possible links between memory encoding, sensory attenuation, and subcortical neuromodulation. Related to the behavioural findings, the present thesis tapped onto two main research lines, namely low-level perceptual processing and memory encoding. Study I showed that actions interact with stimulus intensity on perceptual bias, but not sensitivity measures. Study II and Study III showed that actions modulate memory performance, but the direction of the effects depends on predictability confounds and the type of action. Specifically, when actions are cued and afford temporal predictability, memory performance drops and relates to the magnitude of the attenuation effects for self-generated sounds (Study II). In contrast, in the absence of predictability confounds and when action alternatives are provided, the mere presence of an action enhances memory performance of sounds, but this enhancement does not relate to the suppression effects (Study III). Related to the effects of actions on sensory processing, the present thesis assessed the specificity of the action-induced attenuation effects and clarified the role of neuromodulatory processes in sensory suppression. Study II showed that cued actions attenuated sensory responses and increased pupil diameter despite the absence of a predictive action-sound relationship, but sensory suppression and subcortical neuromodulation were not related. Study III employed a predictable and an unpredictable session where both self- and externally- generated sounds were equally predictable in identity, timing, and probability of occurrence and were presented shortly after or farther away from the action or cue, respectively. With short delays, predictability mattered since attenuation was only obtained in the predictable session. With longer delays, self-generation and predictability no longer interacted: N1- attenuation was driven by self-generation only, while Tb- and P2-attenuation were driven by predictability only. Crucially, pupil diameter increased during actions, interacted with predictability, and was linked to the Tb-attenuation when the effects were strongest (i.e., with fully contingent action-sound relationship and short action-sound delays). Taken together, the present thesis disentangled the contribution of factors other than self- generation in modulating perception, memory, and neurophysiological responses for self- generated inputs (i.e., sound intensity, predictability, and action-sound delay), and showed that actions trigger a cascade of stimulus-specific and unspecific processes – presumably driven by subcortical neuromodulatory processes – that collaboratively orchestrate auditory processing and memory encoding.
Factores implicados en el envejecimiento cognitivo
(Universitat de Barcelona, 2022-04-29) Lamonja Vicente, Noemí; Matarró Serrat, Maria; Via i García, Marc; Universitat de Barcelona. Departament de Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia
[spa] El declive cognitivo y funcional asociado a la edad es un proceso biológico continuo con diferentes trayectorias cognitivas. Las complejas interacciones entre genes, variables ambientales y cognición en el proceso de envejecimiento han sido destacados como factores clave para entender las diferencias interindividuales y generar estrategias específicas para un envejecimiento saludable y exitoso. Entre otros factores, las diferencias genéticas explican alrededor del 15-25% de la variación de la esperanza de vida. Uno de los genes más relevantes implicados en la cognición es la Apolipoproteína E (APOE). Este gen está implicado en varias vías que afectan directa e indirectamente a la cognición. Además, presenta interacciones complejas con otros genes como el factor neurotrófico derivado del cerebro (BDNF) y variables ambientales como son las sociodemográficas y características del estilo de vida. Nuestra principal hipótesis fue que, en una cohorte de individuos cognitivamente sanos mayores de cincuenta años, los genotipos APOE y BDNF estarían implicados en las diferencias interindividuales en el envejecimiento cognitivo y que la edad, el sexo, las interacciones gen-gen y el perfil lipídico serían factores clave para entender esta compleja relación. Al inicio del estudio, encontramos que los portadores del alelo E2 del gen APOE se desempeñaron notablemente mejor en los dominios de la memoria verbal y la fluidez, pero este efecto estaba presente sólo entre mujeres y fue parcialmente mediada por factores inflamatorios y metabólicos. Cuando la cohorte fue analizada longitudinalmente, también observamos efectos interactivos gen-sexo sobre el cambio en cognición, pero la dirección de los efectos fue sustancialmente diferente. Nuestros resultados destacan la importancia del genotipo APOE sobre el envejecimiento cognitivo y como el sexo, las interacciones gen-gen y el perfil de lípidos están implicados y modifican el efecto del genotipo sobre la cognición.
Beyond the American Dream: Testing the alleged system-justifying effect of making both social boundaries look permeable and those who advocate changes look like a threat (Towards a Model of Class Struggle)
(Universitat de Barcelona, 2023-05-24) Moreno Montero, Fernando; Eiroá Orosa, Francisco José; Universitat de Barcelona. Departament de Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia
[eng] The ultimate aim of the present thesis is to further understand why people rebel (and why don´t). First of all, we carried out a profound review of the literature on system attitudes, mainly Social Dominance Theory, System Justification Theory, Social Identity Approach, and classical Marxism. It led us to devise two hypotheses that should not be extricated one from another: those worse-off individuals within a class-based hierarchy gravitate towards a more equal distribution of labour and resources (H1), whereas dominant-class practices mitigate, or reverse, such gravitation (H2). 5 empirical studies were carried out to test them. First, (1) we developed an instrument to capture willingness towards collective actions in a class-struggle context (2 validation studies; NTOTAL = 442). Second, (2) we tested if making people perceive high social mobility has system-justifying effects (2 survey experiments; NTOTAL = 449). Third, (3) we tested if making people perceive system-change advocates as a threat has system-justifying effects (1 survey experiment; N = 324). Our results, at large, supported our hypotheses. With respect to the first one, our low-income, low- status, and/or working-class participants were, on average, less pro-system oriented than their high- income, high-status, and/or dominant-class counterparts. With respect to the second hypothesis, our findings suggested that ideology can be shaped ―from outside‖ (though not always in the expected direction). In parallel to the foregoing, we developed a proposal for a comprehensive explanation of system attitudes. We named it Model of Class Struggle (MCS), and it proved useful to design research and to analyse findings. The main conclusion of the research process is that, in spite of social reality´s complexities, efforts towards a more objective approach are well worth. More specifically, for a better understanding of people´s beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours towards the system, greater attention to the economic foundations of society seems necessary.

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