Well-being is a concept that has aroused multidisciplinary interest. Particularly in studies about family caregivers of older adults there has been the need to analyze this attribute facing the imminent increase of family caregivers. The goal of this paper is to describe the design process, the exploratory and confirmatory validation, as well as the usefulness of the current Scale of Subjective Well-Being of Family Caregivers for Older Adults - EBEMS/ CFAM. Results are shown in a sequence, from qualitative analysis, to factor analysis, Rasch modeling and structural equations in four samples of study that, taken together, confirm the validity and reliability of the scale.

El bienestar es un concepto que ha despertado un interés multidisciplinar y particularmente en la línea de estudios sobre cuidadores familiares de adultos mayores se ha registrado la necesidad de analizar dicho atributo ante el inminente aumento de familias cuidadoras. El objetivo de este trabajo es describir el proceso de diseño, validación exploratoria y confirmatoria, así como la utilidad actual de la Escala de Bienestar Subjetivo para Cuidadores Familiares de Adultos Mayores - EBEMS/CFAM. Se presenta una secuencia de resultados de análisis cualitativos, análisis factoriales, de modelamiento Rasch y ecuaciones estructurales en cuatro muestras de estudio que, en conjunto, confirman la validez y confiabilidad de la escala.

A review of the pertinent literature shows that the interest of most environmental psychologists focuses on studying the antecedent events (i.e., historical-and-situational dispositional variables) that promote sustainable behavior. This behavior is defined as the set of actions aimed at conserving the Earth's natural and socio-cultural resources, so that the wellbeing of present and future generations can be guaranteed. Although several psychological frameworks -eminently the behaviorist- acknowledge the importance of the positive consequent variables (i.e., positive repercussions) on the display and maintenance of sustainable behavior, a limited interest in their study is detected, especially in regard to the role played by intrinsic consequences. Since a number of those consequences have been recently reported in research reports, this paper discusses how the positive repercussions might promote the display of sustainable lifestyles and how the antecedent events could be connected with the consequent ones, so that a higher likelihood of generating pro-environmental and pro-social behaviors among citizens may be achieved. The paper also reviews a possible way of connecting individual proenvironmental behavior with the cultural practice of sustainable actions.

Una revisión de la literatura relevante muestra que el interés de la mayor parte de los psicólogos ambientales se centra en el estudio de los eventos antecedentes (variables disposicionales históricas y situacionales) que promueven la conducta sustentable. Esta conducta se define como un conjunto de acciones encaminadas a la conservación de los recursos naturales y socio-culturales del planeta, las que permiten el bienestar de las presentes y futuras generaciones. A pesar de que múltiples esquemas teóricos en psicología -especialmente el conductista- reconocen la importancia de las variables consecuentes (repercusiones) positivas en el mantenimiento e incremento de la conducta sustentable, se detecta actualmente poco interés en su estudio, especialmente en lo referente al rol que juegan las consecuencias intrínsecas de esa conducta. Dado que un buen número de esas consecuencias se ha descrito recientemente en reportes de investigación, el presente escrito discute de qué manera esas repercusiones positivas pueden promover el desarrollo de estilos de vida sustentable y cómo podrían conectarse los eventos antecedentes con los consecuentes, de manera que la probabilidad de generar comportamientos pro-ambientales y pro-sociales sea mayor en los ciudadanos. El escrito revisa también una posible alternativa para conectar la conducta proambiental individual con la práctica cultural de acciones sustentables.

Foram analisadas as relações das estratégias de enfrentamento, apoio social e variáveis sócio-demográficas com o bem-estar subjetivo de uma amostra de idosos. O bem-estar foi definido pela satisfação com a vida, os afetos positivos e afetos negativos. Participaram 123 idosos (média = 67,1; desvio padrão = 6,1), residentes em João Pessoa, Brasil. Análises de regressão hierárquica revelaram que (a) a satisfação com a vida é maior em mulheres, nas pessoas que recebem pensão, as pessoas que estão satisfeitas com o apoio recebido, as pessoas que dão apoio aos outros e nas pessoas que enfrentam os problemas de forma direta e uma re-avaliação positiva; (b) os afetos positivos aumentam com a satisfação do apoio recebido e com o enfrentamento direto e re-avaliativo e a diminuição do enfrentamento de esquiva e (c) os afetos negativos diminuem ao dar apoio e aumentam com o enfrentamento de esquiva. Os resultados mostram as diferenças dos componentes cognitivo e afetivo do bem-estar e apontam a necessidade de investigar a autonomia funcional do idoso.

Subjective well-being was studied in a sample of the elderly by analyzing the relationship among coping strategies, social support, and social-demographic variables. Well-being was defined by life satisfaction and positive and negative affect. There were 123 elderly participants (mean=67.1; standard deviation=6.1) who were residents in João Pessoa, Brazil. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that (a) life satisfaction is higher in: women, people who receive pensions, people who are satisfied with the support they receive, people who give support to others, and people who cope with problems directly and by re-appraising the situation in a positive way; (b) positive affect increases with the satisfaction of the support received, with direct and re-appraisal coping, and with the decrease of coping by avoidance, and (c) negative affect decreases with giving support and increases with coping by avoidance. The results show the differences of the cognitive and affective components of well-being and identify the need to investigate the functional autonomy of the elderly.

With the purpose of presenting a view of the multigrade classes in a rural area of extreme poverty, a statistical classification strategy is employed here proceeding by clusters. The sample population was made of 206 teachers, which were classified on the basis of data observed and verbal reporting of didactic strategies, group control, planning, and evaluation and support to learning, allowing the identification of five types in the teaching practice. The groups were contrasted with their students' results in basic academic competencies. The article highlights the importance of diversity in the didactic and group supervision strategies, and also of the variety of elements teachers employ in their planning and evaluation, as the characteristics that allow identifying the difference in students' results. Under the perspective of the current educational policy the text analyzes the impact of the mechanisms of incentives and teacher education as elements for the promotion of cognitive abilities for the teaching-learning process. The text emphasizes the conditions of the multigrade teaching in rural areas as a fundamental element in mediating the regulation of discipline control strategies and planning of teaching practice. It criticizes the current systems of compensation for their excessively managerial perspective of teaching. Finally, it emphasizes the usefulness of the classification of teaching practice for future training actions specific to the conditions of the rural area, and to the distinct levels of expertise of the teachers.

Con el objeto de presentar el escenario del aula multigrado en la zona rural en pobreza extrema se emplea una estrategia de clasificación estadística con el procedimiento por conglomerados. La muestra poblacional fue de 206 docentes que se clasificaron en base a datos de observación y reporte verbal de estrategias didácticas, control de grupo, planeación, evaluación y apoyo al aprendizaje, identificándose 5 tipos en la práctica docente. Los grupos se contrastan con los resultados en competencias académicas básicas de sus alumnos. Se señala la importancia de la diversidad en las estrategias didácticas y de manejo grupal, así como la variedad de elementos que los docentes emplean en su planificación y evaluación como la característica que permite identificar la diferencia entre los resultados de los alumnos. En la perspectiva de la política educativa vigente se analiza el impacto de los mecanismos de incentivos y capacitación docente como elementos para promover habilidades cognitivas sobre el proceso enseñanza-aprendizaje. Se resaltan las condiciones de la enseñanza multigrado en zona rural como elemento primordial para mediar la regulación de estrategias de control disciplinario y planeación de la práctica docente. Se crítica los sistemas actuales de compensación por la preponderancia de una visión administrativa de la enseñanza. Finalmente se enfatiza la utilidad de la clasificación de la práctica docente para posteriores acciones de capacitación específica a las condiciones de la zona rural, así como a distintos niveles de pericia de los profesores.