Abstract

This research evaluates the psychometric properties of the Spanish language adaptation of the Inventory of Statements About Self-injury (Klonsky and Glenn, 2009). This scale assesses the motivations or functions that people with non-suicidal self-injuries report for engaging in self-injurious behaviors. The inventory was administered to a sample of 435 male and female university students with a lifetime history of non-suicidal self-injuries. A confirmatory factor analysis detected 7 interpretable factors (self-regulation, revenge, sensation seeking/toughness, avoiding suicide, marking distress, self-determination and numbness), 5 more than the original instrument. The scale had adequate internal consistency with a Cronbachs alpha of 0.89 and Cronbachs alphas of 0.72 to 0.82 for each factor. Positive correlations between the scale and measures of depression, anxiety and impulsivity suggest the convergent validity of the scale. Overall, the scale presents acceptable psychometric properties for the measurement of non-suicidal self-injuries in a Mexican university population.

Abstract

The evolution of libraries through three stages –modernization, automation and digitization- is analysed. A formula is presented to evaluate the importance of libraries to our society, and it is applied both retrospectively and futuristically, extrapolating a 2030 scenario. The conclusion is that if the current generation of librarians does not introduce radical changes in the role of libraries, their future is seriously threatened.

Abstract

The evolution of libraries through three stages –modernization, automation and digitization- is analysed. A formula is presented to evaluate the importance of libraries to our society, and it is applied both retrospectively and futuristically, extrapolating a 2030 scenario. The conclusion is that if the current generation of librarians does not introduce radical changes in the role of libraries, their future is seriously threatened.

Abstract

The article analyzes the results of the international survey «Synthesis of Media Literacy Education and Media Criticism in the Modern World», conducted by the authors in May-July 2014. 64 media educators, media critics, and researchers in the field of media education and media culture participated in the survey, representing 18 countries: the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Finland, Greece, Cyprus, Hungary, Ukraine, Serbia, Turkey, and Russia. Analysis of the data shows that the international expert community on the whole shares the view that the synthesis of media education and media criticism is not only possible, but also necessary, especially in terms of effectively developing the audience’s critical thinking skills. However, only 9.4% of the experts believe that media critics' texts are used in media literacy education classes in their countries to a large extent. Approximately one-third (34.4% of the polled experts) believe that this is happening at a moderate level, and about the same number (32.8%) believe that this is happening to a small extent. Consequently, media education and media criticism have a lot to work to do to make their synthesis really effective in the modern world.

Abstract

The current study analyzes the different ways in which teenagers use their mobile phones, and, based on several theoretical conceptualizations, it provides an approach to the instrumental and symbolic dimensions of this form of communication, as well as the functions– ludic-expressive, referential and communicative –derived from it. The theoretical contributions put forward here lay the ground for further investigations on how minors use mobile telephony, the influences of new technologies on social relations and the responsibilities of the social agents involved, mainly families and mobile phone operators themselves. This work also intends to be a starting point for future empirical studies on the habits and new ways in which young people interact with mobile telephony, and the risks associated with improper uses of this new technology.