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Sustainable Human Development versus Sustainable Personal Development

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Health, Well-Being and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2023) | Viewed by 10348

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Paula Fernández

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Psychology, University of Oviedo, 33003 Oviedo, Spain
Interests: methodology of the behavioral sciences; body image and adolescence; parenting and co-parenting; learning difficulties; mild cognitive Impairment; clinical psychology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The term “sustainable” is old, but it began to become fashionable as part of binomial sustainable development as a result of the publication of the Report on Our Common Future (1987–1988), coordinated by Gro Harlem Brundtland within the framework of the United Nations. As an adjective of the term development, it was understood as something that allows us "to satisfy our current needs without compromising the capacity of future generations to satisfy theirs." This was only the starting point, and the definition of the term has become something extraordinarily complex and extensive. The Sustainability journal, since its creation in 2009, attests to the enormous variety of content that falls under the umbrella of the word sustainability.

The term is always defined in favor of the community (of society) of the present and of the future. Now, if the term human is inserted between the two words development and sustainable, what would be the definition? If, instead of human, the word were personal, would the definition be different? A scientific definition is sought for both constructs, sustainable human development and sustainable personal development, to avoid the vagueness of the term and so that they can be made operative with the intention of intervening.

The term sustainable is applied because there is a threat in the present, and it is perceived that this threat will be greater in the future. What is threatening personal development? Additionally, what is threatening to human development? (Is it understood as humans in general? Understood as the human species? For example (there are many examples, but this is a case putting them all on the table), how does over-information affect human development and personal development? Conversely, given that it is impossible to absorb all the information that comes to us, is it sustainable to be informed to a great extent only through slogans? Is it sustainable to be informed only through a spotlight? Can deliberate and thoughtful knowledge be exchanged by the knowledge provided by a slogan or a spotlight? If we also consider that simply because they are information pills, they are biased and impact us in a disruptive way to capture our attention, how does this affect us? Isn't this mass manipulation? Therefore, it is necessary to define what of human development is to be preserved, how it is to be preserved, and the reasons for preserving it. Are these personal indicators of a paradigm shift in social psychology? Are there sufficient reasons for us to speak of sustainable social psychology?

Dr. Paula Fernández
Guest Editor

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Keywords

sustainable human development versus sustainable personal development
social psychology versus sustainable social psychology

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 2033 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Moderating Effect of Sex and Age on the Pattern of Body Image by Pre-Adolescents and Adolescents and Its Relationship with the Time They Spend Doing Sports

by Paula Fernández, José Antonio Labra, María Teresa Méndez, Carmen González, Soraya Coballes and Antonio Souto-Gestal

Sustainability 2023, 15(13), 10061; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310061 - 25 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1113

Abstract

The cult of the body has become a universal phenomenon, and many adolescents feel frustrated and disappointed with their own bodies for not matching the prevailing beauty standards. An empirical-quantitative cross-sectional investigation was carried out to understand perspectives of body image among Spanish youngsters of both sexes in three evolutionary substages (pre-adolescence, early adolescence, and middle adolescence) in the four factors that make up the Multidimensional Body Self Relations Questionnaire adapted to Spanish pre-adolescents and adolescents (MBSRQ-S_A-a) and their relationship with the time that they spend partaking in extracurricular sports. The results show that both boys and girls do not consider physical activity as an instrument to improve health. On the other hand, girls differ from boys regarding a more unstable and convulsive pattern of body image, characterized by a disconnect between physical activity and satisfaction with body image, where weight loss diets could acquire greater relevance. This research demonstrates two things: first, that the MBSRQ-S_A-a is a valid instrument to assess the body image pattern of adolescents, and second, that it opens the possibility of being able to identify adolescents who are at risk (physical, psychological, social); therefore, it is also capable of helping to prevent dramatic results and protecting the Sustainable Personal Development of adolescents. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Human Development versus Sustainable Personal Development)

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9 pages, 286 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Profiling and Prevalence of Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders and Behavioural Addictions in Incarcerated Traffic Offenders

by Francisca Fariña, Juan Romero, Manuel Isorna and Ramón Arce

Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9771; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129771 - 19 Jun 2023

Viewed by 1167

Abstract

A field study was designed to determine if traffic offenders were characterised by substance-related and addictive disorders and behavioural addictions, and to examine their prevalence in this population. A total of 268 regular drivers (weekly or daily use) participated in the study; 132 incarcerated traffic offenders and 136 drivers with no criminal background. Subsamples were matched in age, sex, and time elapsed since their driving test. Participants responded to a measure of impulse control and addictions. The results revealed a more-than-problematic effect regarding drug addiction, alcohol consumption, and compulsive purchasing in the population of traffic offenders. In contrast, a trivial effect (insignificant) was observed in addiction to gambling, internet, videogames, eating, and sex. Comparatively, traffic offenders reported higher addiction to drugs, alcohol, gambling, compulsive purchasing, and sex, but less addiction to internet than controls. As for caseness analysis, a significant prevalence of caseness (>0.05) was observed in traffic offenders in connection to drugs, alcohol, internet, compulsive purchasing, and eating addictions. Moreover, addiction comorbidity or multi-comorbidity was found to be common (=0.50). The implications of the results for interventions with traffic offenders are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Human Development versus Sustainable Personal Development)

10 pages, 528 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Family Conflict and Suicidal Behaviour in Adolescence: The Mediating Role of the Assertive Interpersonal Schema

by Dalila Eslava, Carmela Martínez-Vispo, Víctor J. Villanueva-Blasco, José M. Errasti and Susana Al-Halabí

Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 5149; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065149 - 14 Mar 2023

Viewed by 2803

Abstract

Suicidal behaviour in adolescents is a significant problem worldwide. Family plays an important role in this issue, with family conflict associated with a greater likelihood of current suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. It has been suggested that the relationship between these two variables may be mediated by how social information is handled. The assertive interpersonal schema, which helps to understand conflict as a normal experience, may be a relevant variable. The aim of this study was to examine the direct and indirect effects of family conflict on suicidal behaviour through the assertive interpersonal schema in an adolescent sample. The sample comprised 229 participants (52.8% boys, M(SD)age = 15.76 years (1.24)). A total of 29.7% of the participants reported suicidal ideation, and 4.8% indicated having attempted suicide in the previous two weeks. Family conflict was positively related to suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. A multiple mediation analysis showed that both effects were significant in all the dependent variables, with the assertive interpersonal schema explaining a large part of the effect of family conflict, particularly for suicidal ideation. These findings have implications for the prevention and treatment of this problem in adolescents. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Human Development versus Sustainable Personal Development)

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17 pages, 39012 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Do House Prices and Financial Expenditure Affect Birth Rate? New Evidence from the Dynamic Threshold Panel Model

by Lifang Yan and Wenzhong Ye

Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 3093; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043093 - 8 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1800

Abstract

Owing to low birth rate, the demographic dividend in China is disappearing. It is thus of great significance to study the regional differences and influencing factors of the birth rate, further proposing political advices on how to raise birth rate. In this study, 31 administrative units in China were chosen as the regional targets, and the nonlinear effects of house prices and financial expenditure on birth rate were extensively investigated by using a dynamic panel threshold model. A dynamic panel threshold model with disposable income as threshold variable, house price as independent variable, financial expenditure that concluding education funds and social security as variables influenced by threshold variable was established, which can effectively handle regional heterogeneity and endogeneity problems. The results show that the effect of financial expenditure on birth rate is complex, exhibiting a “S” shape for education funds and an inverted “U” shape for social security. Previous controversial conclusions on the impact of financial expenditure on birth rate in the literature can thereby be reasonably explained. It shows that birth rate is influenced by the lagged birth rate and house prices have negative effects on birth rate. The rationality of the present results has been verified by using consumption and input-output economic theories. Based on the empirical investigation, specific suggestions have been proposed in order to acquire sustainable development of population. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Human Development versus Sustainable Personal Development)

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Other

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13 pages, 970 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Keep Playing or Restart? Questions about the Evaluation of Video Game Addiction from a Systematic Review in the Context of COVID-19

by Jorge Oceja, Víctor J. Villanueva-Blasco, Andrea Vázquez-Martínez, Verónica Villanueva-Silvestre and Susana Al-Halabí

Sustainability 2023, 15(2), 1456; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021456 - 12 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2686

Abstract

This is a systematic review of the impact of COVID-19 confinement on problematic video game use and addiction. The research questions were: (1) What instruments were used to measure problematic gaming and video game addiction in the context of COVID-19; (2) how many studies made comparisons with analogous samples measured at two timepoints (pre-confinement and confinement); and (3) what were the results of these studies in terms of a possible increase of problematic gaming and video game addiction during confinement. The review followed the PRISMA model and used Web of Science and Scopus. Following an initial identification of 99 articles, inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied leaving 31 articles in response to the first two research questions and 6 articles for the third. The results show that a wide variety of instruments were used, with IGDS9-SF and IGD-20 being the most common. A high number of non-validated ad hoc instruments were used. Only six (22.58%) of the 31 studies examined compared pre-confinement measures with measures during confinement. Those studies were inconclusive about the negative impact of confinement on the variables mentioned, with some studies noting an increase in problematic behaviors (n = 4) and others not confirming that (n = 2). The conclusion is a need for more scientific evidence based on validated instruments, consolidation of the concepts related to problematic gaming, and consideration of other theories such as the active user to produce more robust, transferrable findings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Human Development versus Sustainable Personal Development)

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