Three experiments were conducted to determine the effect of global and internal attributions on immunization against learned helplessness. Experiment 1 replicated the helplessness effect and its immunization. This immunization effect was weakened in Ss with global internal attributions about negative events and strengthened in Ss with specific and external attributions. In Experiment 2, previous attributional style did not produce any effect on either immunization or helplessness. However, instructions to induce global internal attributions produced an enhanced helplessness effect. In Experiment 3, global internal attributions induced by instructions during uncontrollability, but not during controllability, produced significant differences in the immunization effect. Immunization against helplessness was a function of a previous controllable experience, and attributions represented a vulnerability factor that modulated the actual influence of previous experiences on new tasks.

Two experiments were conducted to explore the associations involved in human predictive learning. Experiment 1 found that post-training devaluation of one of the outcomes by instructing participants that one of the attackers was indestructible, led to a significant decrease in participants' predictive responses to the cue that was initially followed by the devalued outcome, suggesting that cue-outcome associations play a major role in human simple predictive learning. In Experiment 2, immediately after receiving cue-outcome predictive judgment training, participants were instructed to destroy the attackers by using the same responses previously used to give predictive judgments, but they were not informed as to which response should be used on each attacker. During a test in which both attackers were present at the same time, when the cue was present, participants preferentially chose the instrumental response alternative that was previously used as a predictive judgment about the relationship between the present cue and its outcome. In the absence of cues, participants equally chose either response alternative. This transfer of control shows that participants also establish judgment-outcome associations during predictive training.

No abstract

In the last decades there has been increased the study of the psychological strengths as factor that concerns the well-being. They are considered as a subset of features of personality to which a moral value is added, being defined as natural qualities that the persons are intrinsically motivated to use as they increase the quality of life. The investigations demonstrate that they act as factors of protection and prevention of the psychopathology and of the problems of behavior in the different stages of life. There are strengths that are more relevant in older people and their training would try to influence the behavior and the emotional functioning to increase the satisfaction with the life. In the present work we analyze the strengths that predominate in older and we propose a program of intervention to promote the improve their health and quality of life. This is a new proposal because, until now, interventions in this area have been aimed at palliate various problems or as a complement to traditional therapy but not to prevent the onset of common disorders in the elderly.

In the last decades there has been increased the study of the psychological strengths as factor that concerns the well-being. They are considered as a subset of features of personality to which a moral value is added, being defined as natural qualities that the persons are intrinsically motivated to use as they increase the quality of life. The investigations demonstrate that they act as factors of protection and prevention of the psychopathology and of the problems of behavior in the different stages of life. There are strengths that are more relevant in older people and their training would try to influence the behavior and the emotional functioning to increase the satisfaction with the life. In the present work we analyze the strengths that predominate in older and we propose a program of intervention to promote the improve their health and quality of life. This is a new proposal because, until now, interventions in this area have been aimed at palliate various problems or as a complement to traditional therapy but not to prevent the onset of common disorders in the elderly.