Papers by Claudia I . Iacob
This data contains 864 entries from self-reported measures on community adults reporting about CO... more This data contains 864 entries from self-reported measures on community adults reporting about COVID-19 vaccination intention, health belief model components (perceived threat, benefits of vaccination, barriers to vaccination, self-efficacy) and pandemic worry . Data was collected during the first state of emergency declared in march 2020 in Romania. Our hypothesis was that the HBM components act as mediators between pandemic worry and vaccination intention.
The Sample 1 database includes reports on functional disability, pain levels, pain catastrophizin... more The Sample 1 database includes reports on functional disability, pain levels, pain catastrophizing and basic psychological needs satisfaction for 193 hospitalized LDH patients. The research aim is to investigate the predictors of functional disability. The Sample 2 database contains pre- and post-surgical reports of patients with LDH regarding pain catastrophizing and basic psychological needs satisfaction.
Natural Hazards, Jul 5, 2021
This paper aimed to investigate emotional distress related to hazards (EDH) considering appraisal... more This paper aimed to investigate emotional distress related to hazards (EDH) considering appraisals and personal resources from cognitive appraisal theory in a sample of Bucharest inhabitants periodically exposed to earthquakes (EQ). The sample consisted of 336 respondents (M = 33.71 years old, SD = 13.71, 64.6% females). The hierarchical regression model revealed that discomfort of living space, a personal resource, was the strongest predictor of EDH (β = .18, t(313) = 3.09, p < .01), closely followed by appraisals or risk perception variables: hazards anticipation (β = .17, t(316) = 2.11, p < .05) and negative EQ consequences (β = .13, t(316) = 2.28, p < .05). The overall model explained 17% of the variance of EDH. This study shows that the cognitive appraisal theory can be successfully used to explain the EDH of citizens living in an earthquake-prone city. Also, it emphasizes that earthquake-related factors can be relevant when discussing EDH levels of people in cities experiencing recurrent earthquakes.
Research in Developmental Disabilities, May 1, 2021
BACKGROUND The Kingston Caregiver Stress Scale (KCSS) was designed to measure stress in caregiver... more BACKGROUND The Kingston Caregiver Stress Scale (KCSS) was designed to measure stress in caregivers of people with dementia, but empirical studies have used this instrument to measure stress in caregivers of children and adults with disabilities, without investigating its psychometric properties. AIMS This study analysed the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the KCSS in Romanian caregivers of children and adults with disabilities. METHODS AND PROCEDURES A total of 276 familial caregivers of children and adults with various disabilities completed measures of caregiver stress and related concepts. After 3 months, 72 participants were retested. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS A new bifactorial model with eight items was compared against the originally proposed trifactorial model and a previously proposed bifactorial model with 10 items. The bifactorial eight-item model had the best fit indices (χ2 = 41.4, df = 19, p = .002, CFI = .981, TLI = .971, RMSEA = .065 [90 % CI = .038, .092]), along with good test-retest reliability and convergent, divergent, and predictive validity of anxiety and depression. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS The KCSS is a reliable instrument for assessing caregiver stress among caregivers of children and adults with disabilities. Implications, limitations, and future research suggestions are discussed.
IGI Global eBooks, 2022
<jats:p>Raising a child with ASD is generally considered a challenging experience for famil... more <jats:p>Raising a child with ASD is generally considered a challenging experience for families due to the pervasive difficulties in communication, social skills, and other adaptive behaviors encountered in these children. The family system restructures and adapts to accommodate the needs of the child with ASD. In this chapter, the author highlights the importance of communication skills for the development of children with ASD and summarizes the evidence-based individual interventions for improving them. Although there is robust evidence for the family's beneficial contribution to developing adaptive communication skills in children with ASD, there is still room for uplifting the existing programs in terms of accessibility, efficacy, and culture-based elements. In the final part of the chapter, the author provides recommendations for designing future family interventions addressed to communication skills in children with ASD and argues that culture-specific and systemic factors (such as support policies for children with disabilities) enhance program success. </jats:p>
Romanian Journal of Applied Psychology, Jun 30, 2021
The present paper aimed to investigate the incremental validity of conscientiousness over the Hea... more The present paper aimed to investigate the incremental validity of conscientiousness over the Health Belief Model (i.e., HBM) components in predicting students' eating habits. Using a nonexperimental, longitudinal design, data from 200 Romanian students (181 females; Mage = 20.75, SDage = 3.89) were initially collected (T1). After one month (T2), the second wave of data was received from 150 students. Hierarchical regression results with eating habits from T2 as a criterion showed that self-efficacy for healthy eating was the only significant predictor for students' eating habits (β = .45, t(145) = 5.41, p < .01). Self-efficacy alone explained 27% of the variance in eating habits. Contrary to expectations, the perceived benefits of healthy eating did not correlate with the participants' eating habits. Conscientiousness did not bring additional predictive value, besides the HBM components (β = .03 , t(145) = .38, p = .70). These results reinforce the value of the HBM as a frame of reference for explaining eating habits in young people. From a practical standpoint, the findings suggest the need to strengthen self-efficacy in youth, which, in turn, can help them develop healthier eating habits. Limitations and other implications were further discussed.
International Journal of Developmental Disabilities
In order to carry out this needs analysis, we used a mixed cross-sectional methodology (quantitat... more In order to carry out this needs analysis, we used a mixed cross-sectional methodology (quantitative and qualitative), which would offer a comprehensive perspective on several aspects regarding the education and interaction with students with LD: attitude and knowledge about learning difficulties, concerns about teaching students with LD, integrated curriculum use, methods of teaching Mathematics, Reading, Writing, and Spelling, methods for identifying students with LD and assessing their cognitive skills, management of challenging behaviors, parent-teacher relationship, methods of enhancing empathy in children with LD, and education quality
The database contains information regarding the contribution of working memory and language measu... more The database contains information regarding the contribution of working memory and language measures to verbal learning and memory in 70 epileptic patients (44 with left temporal lobe epilepsy and 26 with right temporal lobe epilepsy) compared with 40 healthy controls. This study aims to understand the unique contributions of the verbal/auditory working-memory and language in various stages of the verbal learning and memory (i.e. short-term, delayed) of drTLE patients with left (LTLE) or right (RTLE) epileptic foci, beyond the impact of the demographic information and disease-characteristics.
Analyzing Paradigms Used in Education and Educational Psychology, 2020
This chapter represents a literature review of inclusion policies and practices for children with... more This chapter represents a literature review of inclusion policies and practices for children with special needs into the mainstream education system of Romania. The authors provide a structured analysis of the main inclusion practices, with an emphasis on the criticism of the current practice. The main criticisms come from teachers, informal caregivers, students with disabilities, and stakeholders. The analysis is backed up by official documents (reports and legislation), empirical research, and other papers of Romanian professionals in the field of special and inclusive education. After approximately two decades of inclusive schooling in Romania, the authors conclude that there is still a lot of room for improvement. Inclusion is an uninterrupted process that requests resources, structure, and scientific evidence, all embodied in technical and material means, diverse teaching strategies, and well-trained professors that are able to face the challenges.
Romanian Journal of Applied Psychology, 2019
This paper aimed at investigating the mediating role of one personality construct (i.e., disposit... more This paper aimed at investigating the mediating role of one personality construct (i.e., dispositional optimism) on the relationship between self-authenticity and basic psychological needs (BPN) satisfaction. This study also aims to investigate the predictive role of three personality constructs (self-authenticity, optimism, and neuroticism) on basic psychological needs satisfaction. The participants were 566 Romanian adults from the general population (M = 43.66 years old, SD = 10.46), who were asked to fill in multiple questionnaires. Findings reveal that optimism mediates the relationship between self-authenticity and the satisfaction of the need for autonomy (β=.30, R2=.39, p<0.001) and also mediates the relationship between self-authenticity and the satisfaction of the need for competence (β=.51, R2=.36, p<0.001), but does not mediate the relationship between self-authenticity and the need for relatedness. Another result of this study is that the three personality factors...
Frontiers in Psychology
IntroductionLumbar disc herniation (LDH) is one of the most common conditions associated with fun... more IntroductionLumbar disc herniation (LDH) is one of the most common conditions associated with functional disability, affecting patients’ quality of life (QOL). Disability can be affected by cognitive factors, such as pain catastrophizing. Similarly, unfulfilled basic psychological needs (i.e., autonomy, competence, relatedness) are associated with biases in pain perception and QOL. Using the fear-avoidance model and the self-determination theory, this study investigates: (1) the separate contribution of pain-related variables and basic psychological needs satisfaction in predicting QOL in patients proposed for LDH surgery; (2) pre- and post-surgical differences in pain catastrophizing and basic psychological needs satisfaction.MethodsFirst, we used hierarchical regression on 193 patients (Mage = 46.10, SDage = 11.40) to identify predictors of QOL. Second, we performed paired t-tests on 55 patients to investigate pre- and post-surgical differences in pain catastrophizing and basic ps...
International Journal of Developmental Disabilities
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated sedentarism in children, including those with a... more Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated sedentarism in children, including those with autism. Given the importance of the topic for long-term health, this study aimed to explore the post-pandemic relationship between physical activity, sedentary behaviours and quality of life (QOL) in children with autism from Romania and Greece. Methods: An online questionnaire collected information regarding physical activity levels in children and their parents, children’s sedentary behaviours and QOL from 83 Romanian parents (m1age ¼ 40.1; sd1age ¼ 6.37) and 42 Greek parents (m2age ¼ 39.5; sd2age ¼ 5.45) between March and July 2022. Results: Most Greek children (95%) had 2 or 3 weekly hours of physical education at school/kindergarten, while only 64% of Romanian children had the same level of physical education. Romanian parents reported being more active (v2 weekdays¼ 33.7, df¼3, p &lt; .001; (v2 leisure¼ 41.8, df¼2, p &lt; .001) than the Greek counterparts. Contrary to expectations, the parents’ physical activity did not correlate with the child’s physical activity. Sedentary behaviour time was significantly higher in Greek than Romanian children during working days and the weekends. Sedentary behaviour during weekdays predicted the child’ QOL. Conclusions: This exploratory study offers insight into Romanian and Greek children’s patterns of physical and sedentary activities. The results stress the need to increase physical activity and decrease sedentary behaviours in children with autism from Romania and Greece. The practical implications and limits of this exploratory approach were further discussed. Keywords: sedentary behaviour; physical activity; quality of life; screen
Frontiers in Psychology, 2021
Given the negative consequences of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on public health, his study aime... more Given the negative consequences of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on public health, his study aimed at investigating: (1) the differences between adults with and without chronic illness in buying behavior, vaccination intention, pandemic worry, and the health belief model (HBM) components; (2) the HBM components as mediators of the relationship between pandemic worry and vaccination intention. The sample consisted of 864 adults (66.6% females, Mage = 47.61, SD = 9.23), of which 20.5% reported having a chronic illness. Associations between pandemic worry, vaccination intention, and HBM were ascertained using correlation and mediation analyses. Individuals with chronic illness reported a higher level of pandemic worry, higher levels of perceived threat, greater benefits from vaccination, had lower self-efficacy and bought more medicine and sanitary/hygienic products. No significant differences were observed regarding vaccination intention, barriers against vaccination, and changes in f...
Natural Hazards, 2021
This paper aimed to investigate emotional distress related to hazards (EDH) considering appraisal... more This paper aimed to investigate emotional distress related to hazards (EDH) considering appraisals and personal resources from cognitive appraisal theory in a sample of Bucharest inhabitants periodically exposed to earthquakes (EQ). The sample consisted of 336 respondents (M = 33.71 years old, SD = 13.71, 64.6% females). The hierarchical regression model revealed that discomfort of living space, a personal resource, was the strongest predictor of EDH (β = .18, t(313) = 3.09, p < .01), closely followed by appraisals or risk perception variables: hazards anticipation (β = .17, t(316) = 2.11, p < .05) and negative EQ consequences (β = .13, t(316) = 2.28, p < .05). The overall model explained 17% of the variance of EDH. This study shows that the cognitive appraisal theory can be successfully used to explain the EDH of citizens living in an earthquake-prone city. Also, it emphasizes that earthquake-related factors can be relevant when discussing EDH levels of people in cities ex...
Research in Developmental Disabilities, 2021
BACKGROUND The Kingston Caregiver Stress Scale (KCSS) was designed to measure stress in caregiver... more BACKGROUND The Kingston Caregiver Stress Scale (KCSS) was designed to measure stress in caregivers of people with dementia, but empirical studies have used this instrument to measure stress in caregivers of children and adults with disabilities, without investigating its psychometric properties. AIMS This study analysed the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the KCSS in Romanian caregivers of children and adults with disabilities. METHODS AND PROCEDURES A total of 276 familial caregivers of children and adults with various disabilities completed measures of caregiver stress and related concepts. After 3 months, 72 participants were retested. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS A new bifactorial model with eight items was compared against the originally proposed trifactorial model and a previously proposed bifactorial model with 10 items. The bifactorial eight-item model had the best fit indices (χ2 = 41.4, df = 19, p = .002, CFI = .981, TLI = .971, RMSEA = .065 [90 % CI = .038, .092]), along with good test-retest reliability and convergent, divergent, and predictive validity of anxiety and depression. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS The KCSS is a reliable instrument for assessing caregiver stress among caregivers of children and adults with disabilities. Implications, limitations, and future research suggestions are discussed.
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2020
The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate factors associated with resilience in familial c... more The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate factors associated with resilience in familial caregivers of children with developmental disabilities. The protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database, with the registration number CRD42018105180. Several electronic databases were searched for studies. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed on 26 selected studies that associated resilience to an array of other variables (i.e., psychological distress, social support, coping, perceived health, life satisfaction). Overall, the significant pooled effect sizes were small to medium, ranging from r = 0.291 for coping to r = 0.442 for social support. Although the literature on the topic has improved, there is a lot of study heterogeneity and the need for focusing on male caregivers becomes evident.
Romanian Journal of Applied Psychology, 2021
The present paper aimed to investigate the incremental validity of conscientiousness over the Hea... more The present paper aimed to investigate the incremental validity of conscientiousness over the Health Belief Model (i.e., HBM) components in predicting students' eating habits. Using a non-experimental, longitudinal design, data from 200 Romanian students (181 females; Mage = 20.75, SDage = 3.89) were initially collected (T1). After one month (T2), the second wave of data was received from 150 students. Hierarchical regression results with eating habits from T2 as a criterion showed that self-efficacy for healthy eating was the only significant predictor for students' eating habits (β = .45, t(145) = 5.41, p < .01). Self-efficacy alone explained 27% of the variance in eating habits. Contrary to expectations, the perceived benefits of healthy eating did not correlate with the participants' eating habits. Conscientiousness did not bring additional predictive value, besides the HBM components (β = .03 , t(145) = .38, p = .70 ). These results reinforce the value of the HBM...
Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences, 2021
Purpose of the article: This study explores the impact of the lockdown imposed during the outbrea... more Purpose of the article: This study explores the impact of the lockdown imposed during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives of children with developmental disabilities (DD) and the emotional experiences of their parents. Methods: A total of 81 Romanian parents (90% mothers, Mage = 39.3, SDage = 8.50) of children with DD participated in this cross-sectional study. Information regarding changes in lifestyle, health conditions, and psychosocial reactions of their children during the lockdown as well as measures adopted for compliance to preventive strategies and in dealing with emotions, was gathered. Results: The results of the study revealed that most of the children had restricted access to leisure activities, family doctor consultations, were less active physically, got fewer opportunities to socialise with their peers, had restricted access to rehabilitation therapies, and specialised medical services. Compliance with COVID-19 preventive measures is challenging for ch...
Sustainability, 2022
Countries seek to implement sustainable policies for supporting professionals working with studen... more Countries seek to implement sustainable policies for supporting professionals working with students with an autism spectrum disorder. These policies can advance more slowly in developing states like Romania and Greece. As such, this study aimed to investigate the reported knowledge and training needs of professionals working with ASD students to inform policymakers. Using a cross-sectional design, 475 Romanian and 211 Greek specialists completed an online questionnaire on the following dimensions: diagnosis and assessment of ASD, management of behavioural problems in ASD students, communication skills, technology, teaching, and e-learning platforms. The results showed that Greek professionals have higher levels of ASD knowledge compared to Romanian respondents (MGreece = 15.2, SDGreece = 4.22; MRomania = 13.7, SDRomania = 3.88; U = 39703, p < 0.001). There is also a significant need for training on all the investigated dimensions in both countries, with greater training needs in ...
Uploads
Papers by Claudia I . Iacob