A review of the scientific literature shows that many studies have analyzed the relationship between academic achievement and different psychological constructs, such as self-concept, personality, and emotional intelligence. The present work has two main objectives. First, to analyze the academic achievement, as well as the self-concept, personality and emotional intelligence, according to gender and cultural origin of the participants (European vs. Amazigh). Secondly, to identify what dimensions of self-concept, personality and emotional intelligence predict academic achievement. For this, a final sample consisting of 407 students enrolled in the last 2 years of Primary Education were utilized for the study. By gender, 192 were boys (47.2%) and 215 girls (52.8%), with an average age of 10.74 years old. By cultural group, 142 were of European origin (34.9%) and 265 of Amazigh origin (65.1%). The academic achievements were evaluated from the grades obtained in three school subjects: Natural Sciences, Spanish Language and Literature, and Mathematics, and the instruments used for data collection of the psychological constructs analyzed were the Self-Concept Test-Form 5, the Short-Form Big Five Questionnaire for Children, and the BarOn Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version-Short. Based on the objectives set, first, the grades in the subject of Spanish Language and Literature varied depending on the gender of the students. Likewise, differences were found in self-concept, personality, and emotional intelligence according to gender. Also, the physical self-concept varied according to the cultural group. Regarding the second objective, in the predictive analysis for each of the subjects of the curriculum of Primary Education, the academic self-concept showed a greater predictive value. However, so did other dimensions of self-concept, personality and emotional intelligence. The need to carry out a comprehensive education in schools that addresses the promotion of not only academic but also personal and social competences is discussed. Also, that the study of the variables that affect gender differences must be deepened.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a music training program on children’s phonological awareness and naming speed in Spanish. Participants were preschool children whose first language was either Spanish (n = 45) or Tamazight ( n = 52), a Berber dialect spoken in Morocco’s Rif area. The two-year pretest/posttest study showed that the children who received phonological training with or without music performed significantly better in a naming speed posttest and a series of phonological processing tasks than those who did not participate in specialized training. The phonological training that included music activities was particularly effective for the development of phonological awareness of ending sounds and naming speed. The benefits of the training on children’s phonological awareness and naming speed, two strong predictors of reading acquisition, were significant regardless of the native language of the children.

The aim of this longitudinal study is to determine the effect of formal musical training on language development in 3 to 4 year- old children from a Head Start Program in Puerto Rico. For two years the Experimental Group received formal music classes for 20minutes, three times a week at least. Control Group children did not receive formal music classes. The Child Observation Record (COR) was used to assess child development and was administered six times during the study. The findings demonstrate that music can make a significant difference in children's language development

This article analyzes the relationship between musical preference and type of personality in a large group of Brazilian young and adult participants (N = 1050). The study included 25 of 27 states of Brazil and individuals aged between 16 and 71 years (M = 30.87; SD = 10.50). Of these, 500 were male (47.6%) and 550 were female (52.4%). A correlational study was carried out applying two online questionnaires with quality parameters (content-construct validity and reliability), one on musical preference and the other on personality. The results indicate four main findings: (1) the musical listening of the participants is limited to a reduced number of styles, mainly Pop music and others, typical of Brazilian culture; (2) the Brazilian context supposes a determining aspect in the low preference of non-Brazilian music; (3) there is a positive correlation between most personality types analyzed and the Latin, Brazilian, Classical and Ethnic musical styles. A negative correlation between these types of personality and the consumption of Rock music was also observed; (4) musical preferences are driven not only by personality but in some cases they are also driven by socio-demographic variables (i.e., age and gender). Likewise, this work shows how participants make use of music in personality aspects that may be of interest for the analysis of socio-affective behavior (personality) as well as according to different socio-demographic variables (e.g., age and gender). More cross-cultural research on musical preference and personality would need to be carried out from a global perspective, framed in the context of social psychology and studies of mass communication.

This study analyzes cognitive and emotional empathy in students who started their training at the Education Science Faculty of the Pedagogical and Technological University of Colombia. The sample was formed by 317 students enrolled in the study programs of Preschool, Plastic Arts, Natural Sciences, Physical Education, Philosophy, Computer Science, Foreign Languages, Mathematics, Music, Psychopedagogy, and Social Sciences. The Cognitive and Affective Empathy Scale (TECA for its Spanish initials) was used to collect data. Both the reliability of TECA and its construct validity were determined for this sample. Participants obtained better results in the cognitive dimension, the highest scores additionally corresponding to the emotional understanding scale. As far as gender is concerned, women outperformed men in their scores, especially in the two affective dimension scales. Differences also appeared according to age, scores growing as age increased. With regard to the training program in which students were enrolled, significant contrasts were identified in perspective adoption and empathic stress. Finally, a suggestion is made about the need for teacher training curricula to envisage empathy development for the purpose of strengthening the emotional skills of future lecturers.

This paper analyses Emotional Intelligence (EI) in Colombian Primary School Children depending on their location (rural or urban) and gender. The final sample consisted of 1451 students in fourth and fifth grade of three provinces in Boyacá department. Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version (EQ-i: YV; Bar-On & Parker, 2000) was used for data collection. Both the reliability and validity of EQ-i: YV have been determined for this sample. The main results revealed differences in EI according to location. Overall, EI was higher in the urban than rural settings. Also, scores on the dimensions interpersonal and adaptability differed by gender. Additionally, the need for future research and development of Social and Emotional Learning programs in schools is discussed.