Vanessa Smith-Castro

University of Costa Rica | UCR · Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas (IIP)

Despite global commitments and efforts, a gender‐based division of paid and unpaid work persists. To identify how psychological factors, national policies, and the broader sociocultural context contribute to this inequality, we assessed parental‐leave intentions in young adults (18–30 years old) planning to have children (N = 13,942; 8,880 identifi...

Parenting styles are a risk factor for adolescents overweight/obesity worldwide, but this association is not well understood in the context of Latin America. This study examines the association between the parenting styles of mothers and fathers and the risk of overweight/obesity among Costa Rican adolescents. Data are cross-sectional from a sample...

The role of perceived social support in the acculturation process of immigrants remains unclear. In this study, we jointly evaluated the associations between acculturative stress and negative emotions associated with discrimination as antecedents of anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms in 283 immigrants living in Chile. Three competing models w...

Memoria científica del proyecto Actitudes hacia la aculturación y la interculturalidad del profesorado de educación obligatoria en España (Diverprof). Proyecto financiado por Universidad Internacional de La Rioja/B0036 Más información en: diverprof.es

Previous research has stated a relationship between sexist ideologies and humour appreciation. However, most research has been done in North America and Europe. In the present study, we aimed to approach in an exploratory way to the social perceptions of sexist humour in Costa Rica. Data was gathered through an online survey, participants (N = 323;...

(Objective) The purpose of the present study was to analyze the relationship between students' mathematical self-efficacy and performance in the national high school graduation mathematics test, taking into account other relevant psychosocial predictors and the moderating effects of sex and educational center. (Methodology) The design of the study...

Despite global commitments and efforts, a gender-based division of paid and unpaid work persists. To identify how psychological factors, national policies, and the broader sociocultural context contribute to this inequality, we assessed parental leave intentions in young adults (18-30 years old) planning to have children (N = 13,942; 8,880 identifi...

Introducción: Siguiendo los procesos migratorios en la región, la Unión Europea de resalta en sus planes de acción la importancia de una educación inclusiva en todas las etapas educativas. Es así como las situaciones de contacto entre culturas que origina la inmigración en los centros educativos son unos de los principales retos de la educación int...

Marijuana use during adolescence may result in altered neurocognitive functioning; therefore, preventing or delaying the onset of marijuana use is a public health concern. Parenting styles have been consistently identified as influential risk factors for adolescent drug use. However, most relevant studies have focused on non-Latin American populati...

Work in progress presented in ISPP 2022 Annual Meeting (14-17 July 2022) in Athens, Greece

Objectives Parental feeding styles (PFS) influence children's diet and weight; we aimed to evaluate this relationship in adolescents. Methods Cross-sectional study in 686 Costa Rican adolescents (13–18y). Parents responded to a questionnaire from which four validated PFS scores were derived: promotion (verbal encouragement of healthy eating); verb...

Background: Whereas parental feeding styles (PFS) influence children's diet, less is known about this relationship in adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional study in 686 Costa Rican adolescents (13-18 years) evaluated 4 validated PFS scores: healthy eating verbal encouragement; scolding; directly controlling diet; instrumental/emotional. Diet w...

The present article describes the development of a Modern Biased Information Test (MBIT) inspired by the work published by Donald Campbell in 1950 on indirect measures of prejudice. A biased information test aims to tap individuals' intergroup attitudes from the selective information they use to describe group members. Two biased information tests...

Background Acculturation stress is associated with poorer physical and mental health and a lower level of psychological well-being. The causes of acculturation stress are diverse, but most are similar in the migrant population. Despite the importance of evaluating this variable, few studies have reported culturally adapted and validated instruments...

n recent years, questions have emerged regarding if it is possible to train executive functions and if music, for its high level of complexity, has an impact on these processes. Even though there is a relation between musical training and executive functions, this results are contradictory and there is no quantification of this potential associatio...

Of all the countries in Central America, Costa Rica is generally regarded as having the most stable and democratic government. In 1949, the Costa Rican Constitution abolished the army, gave women the right to vote, and provided several social, economic, and educational guarantees for all its citizens. The country has one of the highest literacy rat...

Little is known about how parenting styles can influence the adolescent’s consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB), fruits and vegetables (FV) and beans in Latin America. This study uses hierarchical moderated regression models to examine such association by area of residence, sex of the parent and of the adolescent in Costa Rica. Results sho...

This book addresses the psychosocial causes, consequences, and underpinnings of intraregional migration in Latin America. War, political instability, and disparities in wealth and opportunity have long driven migration within Latin America, and this process shows no sign of slowing. In this book, cross-cultural and social psychologists address the...

Objective To examine the association between family environment variables (parenting styles, family meal atmosphere), gender-based stereotypes, and food intake in Latin American adolescents. Design Structural equation modeling applied to cross-sectional data, 2017. Setting Urban and rural sites of San José, Costa Rica. Participants n = 813; 13-1...

We examined the role of authoritarianism, social dominance and attitudes towards political elites in predicting the voting behavior among Costa Ricans in the last presidential elections

Rica, se comparten bajo términos de la Licencia Creative Commons: Reconocimiento, No Comercial, Sin Obra Derivada 3.0 Costa Rica. Las autorizaciones adicionales a las aquí delimitadas se pueden obtener en el correo: educare@una.cr Resumen: Reconociendo que el género, como constructo, es expresión de una estructura de poder, se buscó explicar difere...

Esta investigación utiliza la perspectiva de la eficacia escolar considerando tres factores: características sociodemográficas, actitudes hacia la matemática y creencias sociales en torno al género en contextos matemáticos. El objetivo es explorar el valor predictivo de variables que podrían estar asociadas al rezago en asignaturas de contenido mat...

Se ha sugerido que la práctica profesional de un instrumento musical esta relacionada con mejores puntajes en tareas de funciones ejecutivas. Con el fin de examinar sistemáticamente esta hipótesis se realizó un metaanálisis para identificar el efecto de la interpretación de un instrumento en las funciones ejecutivas, así como las variables que podr...

Objective To elucidate mechanisms across family function, home environment and eating behaviours within sociocultural context among Hispanic youth. Design Two models tested via path analysis (youth fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption; empty energy consumption) using data from the Study of Latino Youth (2011–2013). Setting Chicago, IL; Miami, FL;...

Objective. The study aimed to develop and test the validity and reliability of a gender-based food intake stereotype scale (GBFISS) to further the understanding of gender stereotype influences on food intake. Design. Two cross-sectional studies were conducted among adolescents. In the first one (n = 611), exploratory and confirmatory factor analyse...

Knowledge of evolutionary influences on patterns of human mating, social interactions, and differential health is increasing, yet these insights have rarely been applied to historical analyses of human population dynamics. The genetic and evolutionary forces behind biases in interethnic mating and in the health of individuals of different ethnic gr...

En Chile, el incremento del flujo migratorio desde América Latina ha llamado la atención con respecto a los procesos de ajuste psicológico y sociocultural de los nuevos inmigrantes. Por tanto, con este trabajo se busca (a) establecer relaciones entre las orientaciones de aculturación, el estrés aculturativo y el bienestar psicológico, (b) identific...

Research has shown that gender differences in Math performance are partially predicted by sociocultural aspects such as sexist ideologies and stereotypes. This study examined sexist ideologies as predictors of women´s achievement in standardized Math tests, and the mediation role of Math-gender stereotypes and Math self- efficacy, while controlling...

This paper describes how the use of Rasch Analysis (RA), compared with the Classical Test Theory (CTT) and other Item Re- sponse Theory (IRT) approaches, could enhance the study and in- terpretation of attitudinal scales. This is illustrated with data from 197 students from the University of Costa Rica who answered the Benevolent Sexism (BS) Scale...

We conducted preregistered replications of 28 classic and contemporary published findings, with protocols that were peer reviewed in advance, to examine variation in effect magnitudes across samples and settings. Each protocol was administered to approximately half of 125 samples that comprised 15,305 participants from 36 countries and territories....

We conducted preregistered replications of 28 classic and contemporary published findings with protocols that were peer reviewed in advance to examine variation in effect magnitudes across sample and setting. Each protocol was administered to approximately half of 125 samples and 15,305 total participants from 36 countries and territories. Using co...

We conducted preregistered replications of 28 classic and contemporary published findings, with protocols that were peer reviewed in advance, to examine variation in effect magnitudes across samples and settings. Each protocol was administered to approximately half of 125 samples that comprised 15,305 participants from 36 countries and territories....

Introducción: la discriminación social y la estigmatización de las personas por su pertenencia a un grupo determinado, en el presente caso por su lugar de residencia, es un problema relevante y que afecta el bienestar y la salud mental. Objetivo: establecer la influencia relativa de la identidad colectiva y la percepción de discriminación en el bie...

La presente investigación se dirigió a analizar el efecto del uso de un videojuego de simulación para el entretenimiento en la tendencia altruista de una muestra no probabilística de 56 personas con una edad promedio de 32,63 años, participantes de un programa comunal de capacitación en el uso de la computadora. Mediante un diseño cuasiexperimental...

La Escala de Competencia Intrasexual-Intergrupal, diseñada por Klavina, Buunk y Park (2009) evalúa el nivel de competencia intrasexual en la selección de pareja en contextos intergrupales, en relación con extranjeros. Con el fin de proporcionar evidencias de validez de constructo en población costarricense se realizaron dos estudios. Los resultados...

El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo analizar la activación de información estereotípica en contextos de selección de personal. Las hipótesis fueron contrastadas mediante un diseño experimental 2 (sexo del aplicante) x 2 (atractivo del aplicante) x 2 (sexo de la persona reclutadora) en un grupo de reclutadores profesionales. Los resultados indica...

This article reviews cognitive psychology's theoretical approximations to dehumanization, starting with Leyens et al. (2000) infrahumanization theory, following with Haslam's dehumanization (2006) model, continuing with Fiske, Cuddy, Glick and Xu (2002) Stereotype Content Model, and finishing with Jack, Dawson and Norr's (2013) approach to understa...

The psychometric trait approach to human life history, based on common factor modeling, has recently come under some criticism for neglecting to inquire into the developmental progression that orients and executes human life history trajectories (Copping, Campbell, & Muncer, 2014). It was asserted that the psychometric approach wholly focuses on cr...

The psychometric trait approach to human life history, based on common factor modeling, has recently come under some criticism for neglecting to inquire into the developmental progression that orients and executes human life history trajectories (Copping, Campbell, Muncer, 2014). It was asserted that the psychometric approach wholly focuses on crea...

Background: In Latin America, more than 80% of adolescent girls are physically inactive. Inactivity may be reinforced by female stereotypes and objectification in the Latin American sociocultural context. Methods: We examined the influence of objectification on the adoption of an active lifestyle among 192 adolescents (14 -17 y/old) from urban a...

Previous cross-cultural studies have found differences in food attitudes. For example, Americans are more concerned about weight gain than people from France and India. This study aimed to add on the literature on cross-cultural differences in food attitudes by comparing Euro-Americans with Costa Ricans on three different food attitudes: concern ab...

We examined the influence of perceived parental sexual values, religiosity, and family environment on young adults' sexual values from the United States (n = 218), Spain (n = 240), Costa Rica (n = 172), and Peru (n = 105). On average, and across the four national groups, the messages young adults received from their parents about broad domains of s...

Resumen Esta investigación estudió las asociaciones implícitas entre prototipos de emociones y música de valencia afectiva positiva (música alegre, tempo rápido) y negativa (música triste, tempo lento). Para ello se recurrió a una versión modificada del Test de Asociaciones Implícitas, el cual se aplicó a 59 estudiantes universitarios, entre los 18...

Los instrumentos de medición representan una herramienta fundamental para recopilar observaciones numéricas, ya sea mediante el autoreporte o la ejecución de actividades específicas por parte de las personas; o bien mediante el registro de terceros, encuestadores, jueces, evaluadores, observadores. El presente cuaderno metodológico es una compilac...

Purpose: To identify the influence of gender stereotypes on eating habits among Costa Rican adolescents. Design: Qualitative, descriptive research was used in this study. Setting: Adolescents and parents were recruited from socioeconomically diverse populations in rural and urban areas of San José, Costa Rica. Subjects: Subjects were 92 adol...

Childrearing behaviors are often shaped by familial and cultural principles that function as guides for socialization goals and effective childrearing practices. For an increasing number of Latino families, the extended kin often acts as a source of childcare support. Due to a scarcity of research on the familial support configurations of Latin Ame...

Recent findings indicate that a slow Life History (LH) strategy factor is associated with increased levels of Executive Functioning (EF), increased emotional intelligence, decreased levels of sexually coercive behaviors, and decreased levels of negative ethnocentrism. Based on these findings, as well as the generative theory, we predicted that slow...

Recent findings indicate that a slow Life History (LH) strategy factor is associated with increased levels of Executive Functioning (EF), increased emotional intelligence, decreased levels of sexually coercive behaviors, and decreased levels of negative ethnocentrism. Based on these findings, as well as the generative theory, we predicted that slow...

The present study tests the two-dimensional model of stereotype content proposed by Fiske, Cudy, Glick and Xu (2002) among 121 Costa Rican students. Results show that warmth and ability represent two underlying principles of the stereotypical perception of social groups. Both, warmth and ability differentiate four stereotypical perceptions (paterna...

Previous developmental research has found that children from households with high shared parenting, childrearing agreement, and equitable division of parental labor experience positive developmental and social outcomes; a major limitation of these studies is that shared parenting measures do not assess the amount of total parental effort the child...

The beneficial effects of exercise programs are widely recognized; however, the use of mirrors in the exercise setting might counteract the positive acute and chronic effects of resistance training programs. PURPOSE: To examine the acute and chronic effects of a resistance training program performed with and without mirrors on the social physique a...

This paper presents the "Scale of beliefs about the post-divorce parental role" (CRP-D for its Spanish acronym). It comprises 12 items to assess the father's beliefs about his post-divorce parental role. Two hundred Costa Rican divorced or separated fathers from Great Metropolitan Area of the country (known in Costa Rica as GAM for its Spanish acro...

This paper presents the "Scale of beliefs about the post-divorce parental role" (CRP-D for its Spanish acronym). It comprises 12 items to assess the father's beliefs about his post-divorce parental role. Two hundred Costa Rican divorced or separated fathers from Great Metropolitan Area of the country (known in Costa Rica as GAM for its Spanish acro...

La inmigración y el desplazamiento forzado de la población colombiana en el Ecuador se han debido principalmente a motivaciones de carácter político, el conflicto armado y las violaciones de derechos humanos, lo cual ha generado el desplazamiento de 5 millones de personas. Dentro de las cifras oficiales se reconoce que entre 1999 y abril del 201...

Income inequality undermines societies: The more inequality, the more health problems, social tensions, and the lower social mobility, trust, life expectancy. Given people's tendency to legitimate existing social arrangements, the stereotype content model (SCM) argues that ambivalence-perceiving many groups as either warm or competent, but not both...

One hundred colombian refugees completed a questionnaire measuring the level of stress they have experienced during the process of adaptation to the Costa Rican society; the social networks they have built in Costa Rica; the frequency with which they have been discriminated against; and their mental health. Data show four dimensions for acculturati...

Cien personas refugiadas colombianas completaron un cuestionario que me-día el estrés experimentado durante el proceso de adaptación a la sociedad costarricense, las redes de apoyo construidas en Costa Rica, la frecuencia con que se han visto discriminadas y su nivel de salud mental. Los datos muestran que el estrés por aculturación se estructuran...

For the last years, the recognition of same-sex civil unions and marriages has been subject of intense debates in several countries in the world, particularly in Latin America. In this study, we explore the relative impact of religiosity, authoritarianism, homophobia, and contact with homosexual persons in the rejection or approval of these initiat...

Much previous theory and evidence in both social and evolutionary psychology has been equivocal and inconsistent regarding whether in-group altruism should predict out-group hostility, and whether this effect should be positive or negative in direction. A "slow" Life History (LH) strategy emphasizes both kin-selected altruism and reciprocal altruis...

For the last years, the recognition of same-sex civil unions and marriages has been subject of intense debates in several countries in the world, particularly in Latin America. In this study, we explore de relative impact of religiosity, authoritarianism, homophobia, and contact with homosexual persons in the rejection or approval of these initiati...

This study designed and validated a questionnaire aimed at examining parental feeding styles to encourage healthy eating habits among Costa Rican adolescents. Adolescents (n=133; mean age 15.4 years), and their parents, participated in the study. The parents completed a parental feeding style questionnaire, and the adolescents completed 3-day food...

Cien personas refugiadas colombianas completaron un cuestionario que medía el estrés experimentado durante el proceso de adaptación a la sociedad costarricense, las redes de apoyo construidas en Costa Rica, la frecuencia con que se han visto discriminadas y su nivel de salud mental. Los datos muestran que el estrés por aculturación se estructura en...

The article presents the current research work of the Institute for Psychological Research, and describes its internal organization and academic dynamics. The article ends with some reflections on the link of the Institute with the Faculty of Social Sciences.

Two studies combining qualitative and quantitative techniques were developed in order to test the relevance of the theory of infra-humanization in Costa Rican contexts. Participants were 170 students from two Careers at the University of Costa Rica: Law and Engineering. The first hypothesis stated that people tend to attribute more secondary emotio...

Actualmente existe un marcado interés por procurar el bienestar económico de los hijos(as) después del divorcio o la separación de la pareja parental mediante leyes que establecen y regulan el pago de una pensión alimentaria por parte del padre. Las escasas investigaciones realizadas sobre el tema se centran en analizar el efecto de dichas leyes si...

The stereotype content model (SCM) proposes potentially universal principles of societal stereotypes and their relation to social structure. Here, the SCM reveals theoretically grounded, cross-cultural, cross-groups similarities and one difference across 10 non-US nations. Seven European (individualist) and three East Asian (collectivist) nations (...

El presente estudio denominado “Construyendo una comunidad: la integración de niños, niñas y adolescentes refugiados colombianos en Costa Rica” nace de la iniciativa del Alto Comisionado de Naciones Unidas para los Refugiados (ACNUR) y su agencia socia implementadora la Asociación de Consultores y Asesores Internacionales (ACAI) como un esfuerzo pa...