Social and Emotional Intelligence as Factors in Terrorist Propaganda: An Analysis of the Way Mass Media Portrays the Behavior of Islamic Terrorist Groups

In the era of speed and technology, mass media has an important role in keeping people informed about events happening all around the world, but also in shaping their opinion. One of the main issues that mass-media focuses on is represented by terrorist propaganda. Nowadays, terrorist attacks have become more frequent, and we argue that, due to their social and emotional intelligence, terrorists have the power to manipulate not only people but also mass media. The purpose of our paper was to assess the way Romanian and foreign online mass-media channels present information about Islamic terrorist groups and the activities developed by them, in order to raise awareness about the matter of propaganda and the role of mass media in promoting it. In order to conduct the research, content analysis was used as a method. A total of 36 news presented online by Romanian and foreign mass-media channels were analyzed. The result of the research revealed that Romanian mass-media channels focus more on using words with aggressive content, and that foreign mass-media channels focus on religious and cultural-geographic content. Therefore, the results of the research revealed that the way mass media presents terrorist attacks can unintentionally contribute to the promotion of terrorist propaganda.

Features and results of the diagnosis of disorders of social and emotional intelligence of patients with schizophrenia at an early stage of the disease

Aim. The aim of the paper was to study the specifics of diagnosing disorders of social and emotional intelligence of patients with schizophrenia at an early stage of the disease (mainly by projective methods) and to determine, thanks to the diagnosis, the targets of psychocorrectional effects. Methods. 64 people were studied (40 men and 24 women, average age 28 years). The experimental group included patients with a verified diagnosis of schizophrenia (F20) at an early stage of the disease (33 people, 21 men and 12 women) aged 16 to 37 years (average age 29 years), the control group of a similar age and gender structure mentally healthy persons (31 people, 19 men and 12 women, average age 28 years). As research methods the following tests were used: (1) Methodology G. Rorschachs Ink Spot Test (The Rorschach Inkblot Test, 1921); (2) Test Understanding the mental state of the eyes Reading the mind in the Eyes (Baron-Cohen et al., 2001) a modified version of E.E. Rumyantseva (2016); (3) Test Social Intelligence by J. Guildford, M. Sulliven (adaptation by E.S. Mikhailova, 1996); (4) Methodology Emotional Intelligence by J. Mayer, P. Salovei and D. Caruso (MSCEIT V2.0, 2014); (5) Test of emotional intelligence of Lucin (EmIn); (6) Hall emotional intelligence test. Data Processing Methods: John Exner Integrative System (Exner, 1997, 2003). Results. It was found that patients with schizophrenia, even at an early stage of the course of the disease, are worse at solving problems to assess the success of social functioning. Conclusions. The most significant and reliable differences (reliable by the U-criterion, at p 0.001) are found when schizophrenic patients perform tasks related to the characteristics of perception and analysis not so much of the social stimuli themselves, as by their nuancing. The structure of violations of social functioning is also dominated by difficulties in predicting both their further actions and the interlocutor. Determined by the decrease in general social incompetence is the practically reduced possibility of using emotions and their manifestations in solving social problems.

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AS A BASIS FOR COMMUNICATIVE RESOURCE FORMATION IN FAMILY CAREGIVERS OF PATIENTS WITH ENDOGENOUS MENTAL DISORDERS

The aim of our study was to determine features of social and emotional intelligence in family caregivers of patients with endogenous mental disorders as a basis for communicative resource formation in family where a patient lives. Materials and methods: A total of 273 family caregivers of patients with paranoid schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were involved into this survey under informed consent conditions. Control group included 55 mentally healthy respondents, in whose families there is no mentally sick family member. Emotional intelligence of family caregivers was measured using the psychodiagnostic test “EQ” by N. Hall. To assess level of social intelligence the J. Gilford and M. Sullivan test (in adaptation done by Mikhailova E.S.) was used. Values of p <0.05 were considered significant. Results: The study revealed that family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia and affective disorders demonstrate a decrease in emotional and social intelligence indicators, which creates significant obstacles for effective interpersonal family communication and for the harmonious functioning of a family, in which a mentally sick patient lives, in general. Difficulties of emotional regulation, emotional management, recognition of emotional states of other participants of communication related to the level of emotional and social intelligence of FC are factors, that complicate interpersonal relations in families of patients and reduce possibilities for psychosocial adaptation of all family members. Conclusions: Revealed features should be taken into consideration when creating appropriate psycho-educational and psycho-corrective programs for family caregivers of patients with endogenous mental disorders.