The purpose of this research is to describe the requirements that psychologists must meet as per required by employers in different Latin American countries and their connection with professional training programs. Three countries were selected Chile, Mexico and Colombia, and as criteria for their selection was the ranking obtained in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). For data collection, web pages were visited. A sample for each country was taken monthly from January to May in the year 2009. All of the job listings for psychologists were registered and also those activities that a psychologist could perform, in spite of the fact that the offer specifically did not mention such professional. The university plans and programs of a representative public university of each country of interest were checked. In general terms we can point out that the psychology professionals that employers require the most are those specialized in the training area in organizations with an emphasis on training, recruitment and selection activities.

The purpose of this study was to appreciate the possibility to use the method of study of probabilistic forecasting for staff selection needs. Indicators of probabilistic forecasting, prone to risk were studied in a stochastic environment. This is a pilot study, because a well known technique: Bayesian logic applied to decision making with probability inference - using the knowledge of prior events to predict future events - in the new modification was used. The novelty lies in the fact that, besides the opportunity to study the prognostic abilities of the brain in a situation of uncertainty, was made an attempt to study the impact on the forecasting process of emotions associated with possible monetary gain or loss. Differences in effectiveness and dynamics of probabilistic activity were revealed in persons with differing extent of gain and temperament type.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of drinking water shortage on emotions and hope in an Iranian sample, and to investigate the roles of gender, location of residence, marital status, job and the level of education on these constructs. Participants were included 1198 rural residents from two regions with and without drinking water shortage from Darab and Eghlid cities, Iran. A demographic questionnaire, the Adult Dispositional Hope Scale (ADHS), the Adult State Hope Scale (ASHS) and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) were used in this study. The rural residents with drinking water shortage had higher levels of negative emotions than rural residents without drinking water shortage. However, rural residents without drink water shortage had the higher performance on positive emotions, dispositional hope and state hope than the rural residents with drink water shortage. The effects location of residence, gender, the level of education and occupation on positive and negative emotions, dispositional hope and state hope are confirmed in this sample.

Scientific problem lies within the interdisciplinary domain of cognitive development of a person in education; is focused on the search for psychological foundations of educational technologies aimed at embracing values of cognitive development and negotiating diverse educational values and attitudes of students and teachers. The main thesis of the research is based upon the assumption that phenomenon of cognitive development can be positioned as an educational trend adequate to tendencies of development of psychological knowledge and socio-cultural practices in the process of knowledge society emergence. Strategic task of elaborating educational technologies advancing values of cognitive development in higher education is of growing relevance for Russian educational psychology as internationalization, new educational standards and trends of socio-cultural development pose diverse challenges for educational theory and practice, for students, teachers and researchers. Research is focused on developing practice of Russian education and the problem of value-laden self-determination of its participants. Necessity to include the epistemological dimension in the content of cognitive development as complex and multidimensional construct is substantiated. The study demonstrates the ways of employing qualitative research methods, reveals ontological and epistemological attitudes of students and teachers, discusses students’ subjective representations of educational process and main epistemological categories, and argues that research on educational practice might at the same time be an embodiment of its transformation. Research methodology includes a methodological reflection of Russian and international trends in the development of psychological knowledge (system anthropological psychology and anthroepistemology). Main conclusions suggest that: psychological construct of cognitive development acquires multiple dimensions as contextualized in education; constructive negotiation of educational values and attitudes in pedagogical practice is crucial for further development of pedagogical practice itself and its participants; promoting the values of cognitive development in higher education requires specific technologies and forms of educational interaction.

Communication and conflict styles and resolutions are key issues for understanding the dynamics underlying every social relationships. However they are usually investigated separately in different social contexts. In the current study, the similarities and differences of the adolescents’ communication, conflict styles, conflict resolution and satisfaction with parents, best friends and boy/girlfriend were explored. One hundred and three Italian adolescents, aged 15 to 20years, were administered a version of the Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale (PACS; Barnes, and Olson, 1985). Exploratory principal component analyses, Cronbach’s alpha, Repeated Measures ANOVAs, correlation and hierarchical regression analyses were used to analyze the data. The adolescents use similar levels of open and problem communication, compromise and aggression (conflict styles), intimacy and frustration (conflict resolutions) with father, mother, friends and romantic partners and they are similarly satisfied with their partners. However open communication, compromise and intimacy are more frequent with friends and romantic partners than with the parents. Besides, the strongest predictor of satisfaction is always open communication. However, with the family and the boy/girlfriend the resolution of the conflict is also important, while with the friends the way to manage the conflict is relevant too.

Research analysis features of the educational environment of higher education institution and personal characteristics of students depending on the tendency to xenophobia. 50 students of humanitarian higher school settlements took part in the research. According to the criterion of «proximity - remoteness» in relation to the category «us - them» two groups of students were singled out - with more and with less expressed tendency to xenophobia’s manifestation. As a result it was established that the tendency for xenophobia depended on some external determinants like culture levels of fellow students, personal and psychological characteristics of teachers, and on such internal determinant as traditional cultural values (interesting work, sense of duty, irreconcilability) and application of socially approved ways of a goal-setting.

This study aimed to contribute at exploring friendship in children from two different countries, Italy and Bolivia, focusing on the association between specific characteristics of children’s friendships, such as similarity, cohesion and distance with friends as represented by the children through drawing, and the perception of their friendship quality. Participants were 100 children (55 Italians and 45 Bolivians) attending primary schools. The two subgroups are balanced for gender and age [Italian girls: 56%, N=31, Bolivian girls 51%, N=23; M age Italian children=8.09 (SD = .74) and Bolivian children M age=7.91 (SD = .90)]. We used children’s drawings and self-reported measures to investigate the dyadic characteristics and the quality of their friendship. Results showed that Italian children drawn themselves and their best friend more similar than Bolivian children [F (1, 94) = 6.65; p less than .002]. There are more conflicts in the friendships of Bolivian children than in the Italian ones [F (1, 98) = 7.87; p less than . 006]. There is a moderation effect of children's nationality on the association between the pictorial friendship features and friendship quality. These preliminary findings highlighted the importance of investigating children's perceptions of friendship, which is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon, taking into account the social and cultural differences.

Currently, many universities are demonstrating interest in identifying the factors that may place their students’ psychological well-being at risk. It is considered important to identify the personality traits that may endanger students’ university education and professional activities. The sample consisted of 324 students recently entering an undergraduate program in psychology. The Spanish-language version of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) with standards for Mexican university students was used. Female students report feelings of sadness, depression and anxiety, as well as behaviors that are demanding, histrionic, persuasive and impulsive, and they indicate a desire that situations be adapted to them. Male participants report immature and rebellious behavior toward authority figures and tend to blame others for their problems. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for internal consistency of the instrument was calculated for the Validity, Basic, Supplementary and Content scales, yielding a total score of 0.824. These results indicate that the MMPI-2 version for Mexico is a reliable measure for the university students tested.

One of the main goals of higher professional education is to provide national communities with highly qualified human resource. In turn, the global challenge of transition to a knowledge-based society influences the national systems of professional training and predetermines a substantial increase in the role of innovations and scientific research in the countries’ economic and social progress. Therefore, it is essentially important that the system of professional education be aimed at developing students’ research competence in higher educational settings. As shown, the Russian students are mainly aware of the necessity of research work as a part of the educational curriculum and its importance. On the other hand, most of them do not have much interest in their own research projects. The paper discusses the problem of students’ motivation for research activity from the psychological-acmeological point of view. This approach seems to be beneficial since it takes into account the idea of sustainable development and lifelong learning. The study presented was aimed at evaluating the effect of the training programme on students’ motivation for research activity which was implemented into the educational process. The results of the programme implementation have shown a significant change in students’ motives for doing research among undergraduate students whose majors were natural sciences, mathematics and electrical engineering.

The study examines a career notion from the point of view of a personality development in professional activity. Particular attention is paid to career orientations as stable personality formations defining on one hand methods of control, stabilization and integration of an individual's career, and on the other hand, the way to professional self-development and personal growth. Correlations are analyzed between career orientations and motivation, and creativity of employees of an architectural design company (N = 21), realizing creative and regulated activity. Necessity to apply tests in order to identify career orientations, a person’s motivation to achieve success, avoid failure, the personal, verbal and non-verbal creativity of the personality is reasoned in the empirical study. Obtained data state importance of creativity for the realization of a personal career depending on a type of professional activity. The results obtained during the research became a basis for the elaboration and implementation of programs for the development of a career and creative potential of the employees.

Nobody will out-argue the fact, that all of us are in social situations each day. Even being alone, we think over what impression we made on others, what we should do that the others valued us more favourably, that we were more attractive. Creation of good image and its preservation is very urgent in recent time period, when supply considerably exceeds demand in labour market, and a good impression directly affects job search, career success; when short-term interpersonal relations dominate, and communication, affiliation needs haven’t died out yet, and, searching for new contacts, we want to be attractive, emotionally accepted, loveable. Much information, various instructions can be found, on how to create a good impression, how to present yourself to the employers, how to expose the best qualities of your personality in the presence of the surrounding people. However, still too little is written and spoken about one of the essential factors of personality attractiveness – self-monitoring, i.e., analysis, checking and correction of verbal and non-verbal information sent about you, about your behaviour, comparing it with social norms, behavioural standards, other people’s reactions and expectations.

The study of coping strategies in children and adolescents is a topic in line with the study of a healthy development, as the very fact of having coping skills serves as a guarantee for a healthy lifestyle and quality of life. The general aim is the prediction of children coping (coping strategies used by students of elementary education, and in relation to four types of stressors known as the school, family, peer interaction and health) in terms of the impact of varying stress, coping, School, clinical and social maladjustment. Participants were 402 students, ranging from 9 to 12 years old. Results show that that the variable coping with the ACS, stress and clinical maladjustment predict, with different impact, coping strategy employed by children. This information attempts to be useful in the applied Educational.