Resumen

COSENTINO, Alejandro César; AZZARA, Sergio Héctor  y  GRINHAUZ, Aldana Sol. Emotional Decision Making Negatively Affects the Effectiveness of Psychological First Aid, Irrespective the Rescuer’s Psychological Profile. Av. Psicol. Latinoam. [online]. 2023, vol.41, n.3, e8.  Epub 08-Jun-2024. ISSN 1794-4724.  https://doi.org/10.12804/revistas.urosario.edu.co/apl/a.10100.

The psychological first aid protocol based on the 4 Cs model (PAP-4C) establishes guidelines for providing support and rescue to affected individuals at the scene and in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. The objectives of this research were to study the effects of decision making and brief training in the PAP-4C on the propensity for effective rescue behaviour according to that model, assessed one week after the training received; and to identify other psychological variables that are linked to that propensity. For this study, an explanatory approach was adopted, involving the implementation of a 2x2 factorial experimental design, with the factors decision making and brief face-to-face training in the PAP-4C, in a sample of 175 university students from a military academy with no previous training in disaster rescue. The results of an ancova showed that emotion-based decision making impaired the propensity for effective behaviour in PAP-4C compared to rationality-based decision making, after statistically controlling for covariates. In relation to the identification of covariates, a number of psychological characteristics had been shown to be associated with the propensity for efficient rescue behaviour. In this regard, positive correlations were found with tenacity, honesty, openness to experience, cheerfulness, agree-ableness, affective attraction to the other and taking the other's perspective. In addition, positive associations were found with cognitive coping strategies aimed at changing the situation, and cognitive and behavioural motor coping strategies aimed at reducing the emotion. Finally, negative associations were also found with an affective aversion towards the other and avoidant coping. In conclusion, on the one hand, the results of this study aim to show the importance of rescue team leaders instructing rescuers to avoid making emotional decisions when carrying out rescuing disaster-affected people. On the other hand, the results provide guidance for the selection of personnel with no previous experience in disaster relief, as a wide range of psychological variables associated with the propensity for effective behaviour in PAP-4C were identified. In sum, this research provides a valuable contribution to the field of psychological assistance in crisis situations by identifying psychological factors and variables that may influence the behaviours of non-professional and inexperienced rescuers when rescuing and providing psychological support to disaster-affected people.

Palabras clave : Psychological first aid; disasters; decision making; personality; military personal; students; education.

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