Joaquín Ungaretti

Previous research suggests that people who identify with global communities tend to show greater concern for global challenges. Using student samples from 44 countries across different cultural clusters ( N = 13,055), we examined whether (1) three forms of dispositional global social identification (GSI, with all humanity, citizens of the world, and people all over the world) are related to concern for global issues, (2) situational activation of these identifications increases such concern, (3) country‐level traditional and survival values are negatively associated with global concern, and (4) these values moderate the GSI–concern link. Both dispositional and situational GSIs positively predicted global concern. Situational activation showed inconsistent effects, whereas dispositional GSIs demonstrated moderate and consistent associations with global concern across the full sample and most countries. Overall, dispositional forms of GSI appeared more influential than situational ones. Contrary to expectations, traditional values (and survival values—marginally) were positively related to global concern and showed no evidence of moderating GSI–concern associations. Additional analyses showed the indices of GDP per capita, Human Development, Gini, and poverty as robust predictors of global concern. We discuss how these findings refine claims about the universality of global identification outcomes and highlight the importance of socio‐cultural context in shaping such concern.

In an increasingly globalized world challenged by multiple social problems, global social identifications (GSIs, e.g., with all humanity) are concepts of growing interest. Although such identifications can be affected by the cultural contexts in which they are manifested, research on them remains largely confined to Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic (WEIRD) societies. Using data collected in 45 countries ( N = 9807, preregistered), we compared the strength of three types of GSIs between countries and cultural clusters, and explored the possible role of five cultural dimensions. The results revealed relatively small cross‐national differences in GSIs overall, but African and South‐East Asian cultural clusters reported significantly stronger identifications than those from other regions, with India, South Africa, and Ghana scoring the highest. Contrary to our hypotheses, GSIs were positively associated with in‐group collectivism, survival values, and traditional values, while institutional collectivism was unrelated. As expected, humane orientation was positively related to most GSIs. Additional exploratory analyses showed higher GSIs in countries with a lower quality of life (broadly understood). GSIs were also more pronounced in less globalized, younger societies, with a higher proportion of men, fewer immigrants, and stronger diversity. Our study highlights the need to broaden research on GSIs beyond WEIRD contexts.

Intercultural sensitivity has become a pivotal competence in teacher education, particularly in urban and culturally diverse contexts. This study examines how emotional intelligence, prosocial behavior, and social dominance orientation jointly shape intercultural sensitivity among 629 prospective secondary teachers in Madrid, Spain. Using a cross-sectional survey design, participants completed standardized measures of intercultural sensitivity, emotional intelligence, prosociality, and social dominance orientation. Results showed that teacher trainees in the final stage of their program reported higher levels of intercultural sensitivity—especially in interaction confidence, respect for cultural differences, and engagement—than those at the beginning. Additionally, participants born outside Madrid demonstrated greater openness and respect in intercultural encounters compared to their local counterparts. Emotional intelligence correlated positively with all dimensions of intercultural sensitivity, underscoring the importance of emotion regulation and clarity for fostering positive interactions in diverse classrooms. Prosocial behaviour predicted higher intercultural engagement and confidence, whereas social dominance orientation negatively impacted all three dimensions of intercultural sensitivity. These findings contribute to the growing body of research on socio-emotional factors in education, highlighting how emotional competencies, prosocial dispositions, and hierarchical attitudes can influence future teachers’ readiness to engage with diversity. The study offers practical implications for designing teacher training programs that promote emotional intelligence and prosociality while addressing social dominance tendencies, ultimately aiming to cultivate more inclusive and equitable educational environments.

Digital well-being refers to the subjective balance between the benefits and drawbacks of technological connectivity. Although it is a relatively recent construct, research has shown that it can be measured reliably. The Digital Well-Being Scale, comprising three dimensions—Digital Satisfaction, Digital Wellness, and Safe and Responsible Behavior—has been validated in other countries, but not yet in Argentina. This study aimed to adapt and validate the scale in the Argentine context and to examine its associations with Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) and identity bubbles, two variables previously linked to digital experiences. A total of 895 participants (55.2% women; aged 18–65) completed an online survey including the Digital Well-Being Scale, the FoMO Scale, and the Identity Bubble Reinforcement Scale (IBRS-9). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported the original three-factor structure, and all dimensions showed an adequate internal consistency. A significant negative correlation was found between FoMO and the Digital Wellness dimension, suggesting that individuals with higher FoMO experience lower emotional balance in their digital lives. In contrast, associations between identity bubble dimensions and digital well-being were modest and selective. Only Digital Satisfaction and Digital Wellness were weakly related to social identification and homophily; no relationship was observed with safe digital behavior. These findings support the adapted scale’s psychometric soundness in the Argentine context and provide initial insights into how FoMO and digital identity processes may influence digital well-being. Further research is needed to explore these relationships in more diverse populations and cultural contexts.

El aislamiento social se considera un problema frecuente en los adultos mayores y se define como la falta objetiva de contactos sociales con los demás junto con sentimientos de exclusión y aislamiento. En este estudio participaron 812 casos, la edad promedio de los participantes fue de 67,45 años, con un rango de edad entre 60 y 80 años. Se utilizaron medidas de autoinforme a través de una batería de instrumentos de evaluación compuesta por: Aislamiento social, FoMO, Sentimientos de exclusión social, Desconexión social y datos sociodemográficos. Los resultados han mostrado una relación entre el FoMO, la exclusión social y desconexión social. Se discuten los alcances y límites de los hallazgos.

Adult cyberbullying remains understudied in Spain, where research has largely centered on adolescents. This study quantified the prevalence and behavioral profile of cyberbullying perpetration in Madrid adults and examined whether Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) and Critical Thinking (CT) differentiate aggressors from non-aggressors. A cross-sectional, community-based survey of 821 residents (51% women; M = 38.2 years, SD = 11.9) was conducted between July 2024 and January 2025. Participants completed a twelve-item dichotomous checklist of cyberbullying perpetration, a 10-item FoMO scale, and an 11-item CT scale. Group contrasts were analyzed with independent sample t-tests and effect sizes (Cohen’s d). Results indicated that nine of the twelve behaviors were endorsed by fewer than 7% of respondents; the most common offense was sending mocking or insulting messages (13.8%). Men and adults aged 18–33 accounted for most of the aggression across indicators. Perpetrators reported significantly higher FoMO and marginally lower CT than non-perpetrators. FoMO differences were largest for message forwarding, threats, and public humiliation. CT deficits were most pronounced for covert tactics such as impersonation and rumor-spreading, whereas threat perpetrators displayed CT scores comparable to non-aggressors. To conclude, interventions that combine FoMO-reduction strategies with ethically grounded CT training may be necessary to curb adult cyberbullying.

Cyberstalking is a form of persecution that has spread with the evolution of technology and has gained significant attention in recent years. There are different studies that attempt to investigate variables that could be related to this type of behavior. This research aims to find some validity evidence for the assessment of cyberstalking in the Argentine context. Additionally, it seeks to analyze the relationships between cyberstalking and other emerging digital phenomena, such as Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) and compulsive internet use. The study was conducted with a sample of 1102 participants, with an age range of 18 to 65 years (M = 38.21; SD = 10.45), 53.90 % were identified as female and 46.10 % as male. Regarding the first objective of the study, we observed validity evidence of the cyberstalking scale, confirming its reliability and relevance. Concerning the second objective, the findings provided an analysis between cyberstalking, FoMO, and compulsive internet use. The findings highlight the importance of how compulsive internet use and the fear of missing out are potential factors that favor cyberstalking behaviors. The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions and digital literacy programs aimed at reducing the risk of cyberstalking, especially among vulnerable populations.

Technology and social media have transformed the way we communicate, interact, and stay informed. Phubbing is a term that comes from two words «phone» and «snubbing» and represents the act of ignoring a person in a real life setting by paying attention to their cell phone. This behavior may be normalized or cause social difficulties in certain situations. The aim of this study was to analyze the levels of normative behavior and their relations with FoMO, feelings of social exclusion and the phubbing perceived scale. A cross-sectional study was conducted, and the participants were 1506 people in Argentina (50.79% identified as women and 49.21% as men), with an age range between 18 and 65 years old who completed an online survey. The results confirmed that phubbing is perceived as normative behavior in most of the participants, representing a predictor of phubbing in their social interactions. Relations were also found between the perceived normative phubbing and levels of Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) and feelings of social exclusion. Implications of the variables studied are discussed as possible predictors of phubbing and are to be considered in its approach. The study examines phubbing as a normative behavior in Argentina. No previous studies have been carried out in our country that consider Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), Feelings of Social Exclusion and Perceived Phubbing as predictor variables.