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According to findings by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA, 2020), lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals continue to face widespread discrimination and prejudice in many EU member states. According to the European Commission data, Slovakia ranked last among EU countries in terms of agreement for equal rights for LGBT individuals (European Commission, 2019). The present study will examine attitudes towards sexual minorities in Slovakia. Specifically, the aim of the study is to explore the relationships between cognitive processes and individual differences (especially metacognitive accuracy, divergent thinking, need for closure and the so-called "Big 5" personality traits, mainly extraversion and openness to experiences) and political beliefs, specifically right-wing authoritarianism and attitudes towards sexual minorities.

Social isolation and the loss of control associated with the COVID-19 lockdown led to elevated levels of perceived stress in many countries. The present study examines the effectiveness of 13 different coping strategies (SVF-78) and the personality trait grit (Grit-S) on perceptions of stress (PSS-10) in 438 participants (362 women, Mage = 33.45 years, SD = 12.48) from the second to third week of lockdown. A structural equation model showed that coping strategies acted as a complete mediator of the relationship between grit and perceived stress, indicating that grit does not directly affect perceived stress but that people with higher levels of grit choose more effective coping strategies and that results in lower perceived stress. Overall, active emotion-focused strategies such as minimization and positive self-instruction were associated with lower levels of helplessness and a higher self-efficacy to cope with stress. Taking into account the different ways participants adopted coping strategies and relied upon grit, non-hierarchical clustering identified four specific profiles: gritty persons, easy-goers, avoiders, and people feeling powerless. The implications for each group are discussed., Mediterranean Journal of Clinical Psychology, Vol 8, No 3 (2020)

The aim of this thesis is to test the utility of the Cognitive Assessment System 2 (CAS2) in a group of adolescents with ADHD. The CAS2 battery is a test of cognitive abilities based on the PASS theory (Planning, Attention, Simultaneous and Successive Processes). Previous foreign studies have indicated lower performance in children with ADHD on the Planning and Attention scales, but average performance on the Simultaneous and Successive Processes. The empirical part of this paper focuses on the Czech population of adolescents with ADHD, an age group that has been neglected in research to this date. Adolescents who met the criteria for ADHD (N = 30) were assessed using the CAS2 and their scores were subsequently compared to the norm, i.e., the Czech standardization sample. Results showed significantly lower scores on the Planning and Attention scales, but average scores on the Simultaneous and Successive Processes in clinical group. Subsequently, the cognitive profiles of probands from the clinical group were analyzed. It was found that there was a significant difference between the PASS scales in the clinical group; significantly lower scores on the Attention scale compared to the others. These findings are consistent with previously published research suggesting the CAS2 is sensitivive in...

There is broad agreement among researchers to view mind wandering as an obstacle to learning because it draws attention away from learning tasks. Accordingly, empirical findings revealed negative correlations between the frequency of mind wandering during learning and various kinds of learning outcomes (e.g., text retention). However, a few studies have indicated positive effects of mind wandering on creativity in real-world learning environments. The present article reviews these studies and highlights potential benefits of mind wandering for learning mediated through creative processes. Furthermore, we propose various ways to promote useful mind wandering and, at the same time, minimize its negative impact on learning., Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe; 835

This thesis pursues a cognitive literary analysis of three works of Neil Gaiman's Gothic Children's Literature - Coraline (2002), The Wolves in the Walls (2003), and The Graveyard Book (2008), arguing for their positive psychological impact on selected areas that characterize the qualitative and quantitative psycho-social development during school-age. These areas include the development of an increasingly realistic sense of self, social development, and a general improvement in cognitive and metacognitive skills. Of primary concern to the thesis will be the age group between six and twelve years of age, for practical reasons limited solely to neurocognitively normatively functioning children of the Western cultural context. A cognitive literary approach allows us to view the text not as a means of single-directional transmission but as an active, multifaceted interaction between a sensitive reader and a text constructed to maximise their engagement, suggesting that it is not primarily the epistemic value of the text but the specific stage of the reader's cognitive development which determines their engagement with the text, enhances their understanding of fictionality and helps to stimulate their cognitive activity. As the foundation for the assessment of the cognitive abilities of the implied...

The popularity and usage of social networking sites (SNS) are constantly on the rise, mainly among adolescents. Nowadays kids and adolescents probably don't even remember the world without the internet and smartphones. This fact has an impact on their development, mostly during adolescence. The main task during adolescence, mainly during late adolescence, is identity achievement. This process is realized through identity experiments, self-presentation, getting feedback from others, and the peer-socialization. The environment of social media is ideal for all these processes. Thus, my thesis aims to find answers to questions considering the impact of SNS in process of identity formation. To complete the aim of my work I've chosen the concept of identity and its status proposed by James Marcia and I investigated the SNS behavior via the process of self-presentation and its relatedness to the statuses of identity. In the theoretical part, I am focusing on the complex term of identity, possible definitions of identity, and on key developmental tasks with a focus on identity development and its predictors. I focus on the definitions of SNS, its up-to-date popularity among adolescents, and the characteristics of the most used SNS. The last chapter is dedicated to the relationship between online and...

The thesis describes ADHD disorder from the clinical perspective, describes symptoms and development of the disorder, possibilities of the diagnostic process, and common comorbidities, which may negatively affect treatment. Last but not least, the thesis includes the description of cognitive abilities and attention of people with ADHD. It deals with therapeutic and intervention strategies that can be used to reduce symptomes of the disease and to improve cognitive performance of people dealing with the diagnosis. The theoretical part of the thesis summarizes findings about ADHD and its symptoms, with the focus on attention and its development f o l l o w e d b y t h e c h a p t e r about the s y m p t o m s , p r o g r e s s a n d structure of cognitive abilities of people with ADHD. A separate chapter lists intervention approaches used in the context of the diagnosis, such as pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, and also different kinds of alternative approaches (relaxation, exercises, food complements, compensatory tools etc.). In the empirical part A follows a specific intervention, use of earplugs to eliminate the background noise, which can improve the cognitive performance of children with ADHD. The research involved fourteen children with the diagnosis of ADHD. The CAS 2 assessment battery was...

Parental burnout is a new psychological concept. The theoretical part of the thesis describes an overview of research on parental burnout, including its prevalence, symptoms, mechanisms and factors of development, distinction of related concepts, consequences, and diagnostic options. The aim of the study carried out as a part of this thesis was validation of the Czech version of the Parental Burnout Assessment (PBACZ). The research sample consisted of 285 parents. The confirmatory factor analysis indicated poor fit of the theoretical four factor structure of original questionnaire (exhaustion, contrast, feelings of being fed up, emotional distancing) to the data. The reliability of PBACZ was excellent (α= .97). The PBACZ did not corelated with job burnout however it showed strong correlation with stress, anxiety, depression, and it predicted the level of the parental rejection. We can assume that the overall PBACZ scale gives a valid information about the level of parental burnout. Nevertheless, it cannot be evaluated on the level of the single subscales. The detected prevalence of parental burnout in Czech parents' sample was 12,6 %. Mothers, parents on maternity or paternity leave, mothers who perceive that they are taking more care for the child compared to their partners and parents who spend...

The master thesis introduces the topic of a period of family breakdown. It focuses on the benefits and difficulties of assisted handover of a child between parents who undergo a problematic separation. The content of the literature review section describes the development of family breakdown and the process of transformation of the family as a whole into a new phase. Emphasis is placed on the risk factors and conflicts that arise during the break-up period and on the issue of highly conflictual divorces. It covers the means of trained professionals suited to help such families allowing the resolution of disputes. The focus is on assisted handover. The empirical part of a qualitative nature maps out the central topics related to the service of assisted handover of a child from the parents' point of view. Data analysis was processed using the method of thematic analysis based on semi-structured interviews with parents using assisted child handover service. The output reflects the significant areas of the parents' split-up, as well as the benefits and difficulties of the service of assisted handover service as described by the parents using this service.

This diploma thesis deals with the environment of the classroom from the perspective of the classroom climate. The school classroom is a unique social system in which a wide variety of social interactions take place. It also focuses on the connection between classroom climate and student well-being, and last but not least, it emphasises the importance of communication, which is an essential part of social relationships in the school environment. In the research part, established questionnaire methods (SORAD, Classroom climate), that are used to diagnose classes with the sociomappig method, are compared. The results show that this method has its place in the school environment and it is advisable to use it in future research. Keywords Classroom; Environment; Atmosphere; School classroom climate; Student well-being; Communication; SORAD; Sociomapping

The bachelor's thesis deals with dynamic assessment and its use in different clinical groups, with the greatest emphasis on a group of younger school-aged children whose mother tongue is different from the language taught at primary school and who are at risk of dyslexia. The aim of this paper is to describe the benefits and effectiveness of using dynamic assessment with individuals from the target clinical group. The contrast between dynamic and static methods is described in the thesis. The literature overview focuses on the definition of dynamic assessment, the theories underlying it and its use in clinical groups. It further describes and defines the concept of dyslexia, the risks of dyslexia and its possible causes. The last chapter of the literature overview discusses the benefits of using dynamic assessment with children at risk of dyslexia with a different mother tongue than the language of instructions at primary school. The empirical part presents a research proposal that aims to determine which assessment approach, static or dynamic, is more accurate in predicting the risk of dyslexia in children whose mother tongue differs from the language of school instructions and also the language in which the child would be diagnosed by default.

This diploma thesis deals with the relationship between emotional intelligence and parenting style in individuals aged 18-25. The literature review part deals with emotional intelligence, family education and previous research dealing with the relationship between emotional intelligence and other characteristics. The primary aim of the research part is to examine whether the parenting style (subjectively evaluated by respondents) is related to the level of emotional intelligence of their offspring, or how they are related. Another aim is to compare the results of women's and men's emotional intelligence and find out whether there is a statistically significant difference between the sexes. The data were collected by means of a questionnaire on parenting style and the Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale. The research sample consists of 167 respondents, whose age ranges from 18 to 25 years. Statistical testing demonstrated that individuals with a positive and extremely positive emotional relationship from their parents (subjective evaluation by respondents) achieve statistically significantly higher levels of emotional intelligence than individuals with a negative emotional relationship from their parents (subjective evaluation by respondents). No statistically significant difference in the level of...

The diploma thesis focuses on interaction between siblings in pre-school age, with the older sibling being impacted by an autistic spectrum disorder, while the younger sibling has not been diagnosed with the disorder. The theoretical part of the thesis analyses contemporary scientific findings related to this topic. It provides theoretical bases of the autistic spectrum disorder and provides information on the relationship between the siblings. An individual chapter discusses the healthy sibling and its development. The last section of the theoretical part analyses the interaction between the two siblings. Main attention is given to features which infiltrate into the relationship of the siblings and influence it. This part also examines potential methods which are to be used to improve the quality of interaction between the siblings. The empirical part consists of two researches, a quantitative one and the supplementary qualitative research. The goal of the quantitative research was to identify how certain specifics of interaction are impacted by the sincerity of problematic behavior of the sibling diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder. The results proved a significant positive correlation between the sincerity of problematic behavior and the amount of conflicts occurring between the siblings....

This master thesis deals with socials skills of instrumental music teachers and their development through the VTI method. The theoretical part of the thesis sums up a knowledge of music education psychology, social skills and it outlines VTI method. The empirical chapter of the thesis uses a questionnaire focused on music teachers' attitude to social skills and their development. At the same time it analyses by means of a case-study an appropriate form of VTI intervention in the field of music education. The results of the questionnare research show that teachers perceive social skills as important ones. As well they show that teachers are used to developing their skills by consulting their colleagues, practicing their musical instruments or participating in professional workshops and master classes. The case study shows a possible form of the VTI method intervention. Keywords: social skills, video interaction guidance, music teacher