Behaviour In Spain Research Articles

Generations of pride? LGBTQ+ rights, sexuality, and voting behaviour in Spain

ABSTRACT This study investigates the enduring presence of a sexuality gap in political behaviour within the unique context of Spain – an early-mover country in the expansion of LGBTQ+ rights. First, analysing supply-side dynamics, we demonstrate that political parties in Spain remain markedly polarised on LGBTQ+ rights. Second, utilising original survey data, we observe a more pronounced sexuality gap among younger generations: the youngest LGB voters demonstrate notably greater support for left-wing parties, particularly emergent progressive parties to the left of the social democrats than their older counterparts, while rejecting right-wing alternatives. These results underscore the enduring significance of sexual identity in shaping political behaviours, even in a nation celebrated for its strides in the advancement LGBTQ+ rights.

Social Media as a Tool for Informal Spanish Learning: A Phenomenological Study of Chinese Students' Behaviour in Spain.

This study explores the perceptions of Chinese learners in Spain regarding the use of social networks for informal Spanish language learning. The objective is to identify the challenges and benefits of using social networks to address the real needs of students in learning Spanish. A qualitative phenomenological approach was adopted, focusing on participants' perceptions before and after using social networks. Eight Chinese students were selected for the study. The study was conducted in Valencia and Barcelona, Spain, from 1 September 2023 to 20 March 2024, and three commonly used social media networks were compared. The results indicate positive perceptions towards social media as a tool for learning Spanish, highlighting its usefulness in improving language skills and enhancing cultural awareness. Additionally, Xiaohongshu and Bilibili emerged as the most popular platforms for Spanish language learning among Chinese students. This study concludes that social media effectively meets the authentic needs of Chinese students learning Spanish in Spain, enhancing both language skills and cultural adaptation. This multifaceted approach reflects the complexity of learning Spanish in the digital age, combining personal passion, professional aspirations, and cultural adaptation needs.

Where has everyone gone? Depopulation and voting behaviour in Spain

AbstractIn many European countries, people increasingly leave rural or small municipalities to live and work in urban or metropolitan environments. Although previous work on the ‘left behind’ places has examined the relationship between the rural–urban divide and vote choice, less is known about how depopulation affects electoral behaviour. Is there a relationship between experiencing a loss in population and support for the different parties? We investigate this question by examining the Spanish case, a country where the topic of depopulation has become a salient issue in political competition. Using a newly compiled dataset, we also explore whether the relationship between depopulation and electoral returns is moderated by municipality size, local compositional changes, the loss of public services and changes in amenities. Our findings show that depopulated municipalities give higher support to the main Conservative party, mainly in small municipalities. Yet, municipalities on the brink of disappearance are more likely to give larger support to the far‐right. Results overall show that the effect of depopulation seems to be driven by compositional changes, and not as a result of losing public services or a deterioration of the vibrancy of the town. Our findings have important implications for our understanding of the relationship between internal migration and electoral behaviour.

Suicidal behavior in persons attended in out-of-hospital emergency services in Spain.

The aims of this study were to describe the use of health services by patients attended for suicidal behavior by out-of-hospital emergency services and to identify the variables associated with the repetition of this behavior in Spain. An analytical, observational, retrospective study was carried out. A total of 554 patients attended by the mobile teams of the Primary Care Emergency (mt-PCES) of the Malaga Health District (Spain), after being coordinated by the 061 Emergency Coordination Center (ECC) were analyzed. Of the total, 61.9% of the patients were women and the mean age was 43.5 years. Ninety-six percent (N = 532) of the patients attended by mt-PCES were transferred to hospital emergency services. Regarding clinical decision, of those transferred 436 persons (82%) were discharged home. Of the total sample 25.5% (N = 141) were referred to primary care, while 69% (N = 382) were referred to outpatient mental health care. Regarding follow up in the 6 months after being seen by emergency services, among those referred to a mental health facility, 64.4% (N = 246) attended the follow-up appointment while out of the total sample only 50.5% (N = 280) attended a follow-up appointment with an outpatient mental health service. Finally, it should be noted that 23.3% presented a relapse of suicidal behavior in the 6 months following index episode. The variables associated with repetition of suicidal behavior were older age, greater number of previous suicide attempts and having any contact with mental health services in the following 6 months. We believe that selective suicide prevention initiatives should be designed to target the population at risk of suicide, especially those receiving both out-of-hospital and in-hospital emergency services.

Towards a plastic-less planet. Gender and individual responsibility predict the effect of imagery nudges about marine (micro)plastic pollution on R-behavior intentions

Emerging microplastics (MP) pollution is one of the biggest threats for the oceans today. Consumers could reduce MP pollution adopting R-behaviors such as reducing consumption of plastic, refusing products with MP, replacing them for green products, and recycling. Here we tested the efficiency of online nudges (images and short messages) for promoting MP-conscious behavior in Spain (n = 671). The perceived level of environmental responsibility and the willingness to adopt R-behaviors were measured. Messages about seafood with MP and plastic-polluted marine environment were more efficient than images of animals killed by plastics. Feeling responsible for MP pollution predicted R-behavior intention. Women would adopt more R-behaviors than men, while men were more sensitive than females to the proposed nudges. Raising the sense of environmental responsibility would be priority in education campaigns. For different cultural sensitivities to animal suffering, evoking environmental health instead of threats to wildlife would be generally recommended.

Does Sustainability Matter to Fashion Consumers? Clustering Fashion Consumers and Their Purchasing Behavior in Spain

Using choice-based conjoint analysis, this research explores consumer behavior for sustainable fashion in Spain. We confronted consumers through an online survey with a real marketplace situation in which they had to make trade-offs between different attributes and where the importance of the price factor was explicitly considered. Specifically, the information available for consumers on clothing hangtags – price, country of origin, material composition, and (with/without) fair-trade label – was used to study consumer preferences for sustainable fashion products. Furthermore, we examined how consumers ponder the five dimensions of sustainable fashion – functionality, authenticity, exclusivity, localism and equity. Based on a sample of 1,063 respondents, the results indicate that price is still the critical purchasing driver for the average consumer. 31.9% of the sample always chose the lowest price-tag independently of the other attributes. Combining the conjoint results, the attitude towards the five dimensions of slow fashion, and demographics, we identified four clusters of consumers: Sustainability Rejecters, Sustainability Neutrals, Sustainability Believers, and Sustainability Enthusiasts. Ninety-two consumers, 8.65% of the sample, appear to buy sustainable fashion regularly. This endorses and significantly adds to the literature on sustainable fashion consumer behavior in a flourishing market and to the attitude-behavior gap research.

The Political Economy of Rent-Seeking: Evidence from Spain’s Support Policies for Renewable Energy

This paper provides a theoretical framework to explore how the support policies for renewable energies can promote rent-seeking incentives in private firms. We develop a political economy of rent-seeking that considers the link between the regulatory decisions of political agents and the potential scope of socially wasteful pursuits. We argue that systematic public support schemes bring rent-seeking as a perception shared by entrepreneurs that influencing political allocations of resources is an essential and potentially preferable source of private profit than other for-profit economic avenues. As evidence of our claims, the framework is applied to the case of Spain to illustrate the economic effects of support policies on the production and distribution of renewable energy. We find rent-seeking behavior in Spain’s renewable energy industry, and precisely that: (i) political regulations have induced market concentration and rent-seeking in renewable energy firms, (ii) these firms have required increasing regulations and premiums to survive, and (iii) energy consumers are forced to pay rent-seeking through increasingly expensive electricity bills. The analysis reveals some challenges and opportunities to drive efficient market-based policies to strengthen entrepreneurial competition and curb rent-seeking behavior. These insights have relevant proposals for the Spanish energy industry in complying with the EU Green Deal through a sustainable transition and comprehensive growth.

Intergenerational transmission of fertility outcomes in Spain

AbstractThe aim of this paper is to analyze whether parents' fertility behavior may be an important determinant of the future fertility outcomes of their children in Spain. To address this issue, we use data from the Survey of Living Conditions. Our results confirm the intergenerational transmission of fertility behavior in Spain. The higher the parents’ number of children, the higher the number of children that individuals have. We find that individuals from regions where parents have few children may have 0.02 fewer children, because of differences in parental fertility, than those individuals living in regions whose parents have a large number of children, which represents 7% of the difference in fertility across regions.

Empty Summer: International Tourist Behavior in Spain during COVID-19

COVID-19 has led to the biggest tourism crisis in modern Spanish history. Although its borders were opened in June 2020, incoming international tourism to Spain was very low. Tourist behavior, however, has been very diverse between types of tourism. Data from credit card transactions showing tourist behavior in 33 destinations representative of various types of tourism were analyzed. Results show that differences in tourist behavior between destinations can be explained by risk perception and the proximity of the destination to home, which favors natural areas and charming coastal cities. This study contributes to the academic literature by studying the effective behavior of international tourists in the time of COVID-19.

The Industry Life Cycle in an Economic Downturn: Lessons from Firm’s Behavior in Spain, 2007–2012

This paper presents the main results of the application of the Industry Life Cycle model in the study of stagnant and declining businesses. The main purpose was to prove its validity to assess the competitive environment, in a context of economic turmoil as the one of the 2007–2008 economic downturn. The comparison of macro and micro data at a national level, with managerial declaration of behavior of a sample of firms with declining demands, revealed that there was a mismatch on the interpretation of the environment and strategic conduct and this impacted in the overall performance of the industry. Our findings stress the need for a dialogue between researchers and practitioners, in order to provide better advice and directions to adapt to unfavorable circumstances, because of the long-lasting effects of downturn and the current COVID-19 crisis.

Effects of control measures on the dynamics of COVID-19 and double-peak behavior in Spain.

The COVID-19 disease significantly has threatened the human lives and economy. It is a dynamic system with transmission and control as factors. Modeling the dynamics of the spread of COVID-19 based on the reported data can predict the growing trend of such a disease. In this paper, the dynamic evolution of COVID-19 in Spain is studied, and a comprehensive SEIR model is adopted to fit the obtained clinical progressive data of COVID-19 in Spain. The transmission rate between the susceptible and the self-quarantine susceptible is made to be time-variant, which is reasonable. The equilibria are found, and the stability condition is given using the basic reproduction number and eigenvalues at the points. The effect on daily confirmed cases for the transmission rate from susceptible to the exposed population due to the currently exposed and infectious is extensively investigated. The risk of the easing of the control measure is investigated. The double-peak dynamic behavior of the COVID-19 system is observed. The second wave rebound shows that the daily confirmed cases of the second peak even much higher than the first peak.

Mind the map? Mapping the academic, citizen and professional stakeholder views on buildings and heating behaviour in Spain

The residential building sector is a major driver of current and future energy consumption and associated CO2 emissions. The main use of energy by households is for heating. Consumers’ heating behaviour results from the interactions of internal and external drivers, which makes it a complex system. We used Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping method to represent key drivers and interactions in that system. Maps were drawn up at three focus groups representing different social groups from Spain – academics, citizens and energy experts – in order to capture heterogeneity of behaviours. Maps seek to identify and set out the factors that influence heating costs as well as private and public adaptation measures to minimise them. The core common concepts of the maps deal with consumer behaviour regarding investment in energy efficiency technologies such insulation or thermostat, attitudes regarding the environment or the thermal comfort temperature, economic factors such as price and income and regulatory interventions. The most significant differences between the groups were that the academics and energy experts considered that taxes could improve energy savings. The results shown in this paper may be helpful in designing effective policies on heating consumption.

Migration behavior and performance of the great spotted cuckoo (Clamator glandarius).

The study of brood parasitism has traditionally been focused on the breeding period, but recent evidence suggests that it urgently needs a new spatio-temporal perspective to explore novel avenues on brood parasite-host co-evolutionary interactions. Many brood parasites are migrants, but their ecology outside their short breeding season is poorly known. The great spotted cuckoo (Clamator glandarius) is one of the classical models in the study of brood parasitism, however, there is very little information on its migratory strategy, route and wintering grounds. Furthermore, there is no previous information on the geographical distribution of mortality and its causes in this species; information that is critical to understand the fluctuations in cuckoo populations and detect potential conservation risks. Using satellite tracking technology, we provide novel insight into the migratory behavior and performance of the great spotted cuckoo. We found individuals from southern Spain to be long-distance nocturnal migrants that use the East Atlantic Flyway for both post and pre-breeding migration, and that winter in the western Sahel. We found evidence of individual variation in their migration route, particularly regarding their post-breeding behavior in Spain. Our study also suggests that the south of Morocco is the most dangerous area due to a large number of deaths during the post-breeding migratory period. Furthermore, we found that natural predation seems to be the main cause of death, probably due to raptors, although human activities (i.e. hunting) could also played a role in the southern Mediterranean shore. Our study offers novel findings and challenges traditional ideas on the ecology of this species providing a good example of how the new spatio-temporal perspective can expand our knowledge on brood parasites.

Leisure-time physical activity and prevalence of non-communicable pathologies and prescription medication in Spain.

Our aims were to describe physical activity (PA) behaviour in Spain and to examine its association with the prevalence of some of the major non-communicable diseases and with the use of prescription medication. Individualized secondary data retrieved from the 2014 European Health Interview Survey (EHIS) for Spain were used to conduct a cross-sectional epidemiological study (n = 18926). PA was assessed by two different measures: a specific designed variable for EHIS and a leisure time PA frequency-based query of the national survey. Diseases analyzed were hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, depression and anxiety. The use of prescription medication was also included in the study. Weighted percentages were computed and contingency tables were calculated to describe PA by levels of the traits and sociodemographic characteristics. Chi-square test was used to compare percentages between groups and weighted logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship between PA and the prevalence of the disease. About 73% of the Spanish population performs no PA at all or only occasionally during their leisure time, and only one third meets minimum PA international guidelines (≥ 150min/week). Men are considerably more active than women and less PA is observed as the education level decreases and as age increases. The risk of the diseases evaluated was up to three times higher among inactive individuals. This study provides national population-based estimations highlighting the impact of PA in Spain, not only in the prevalence of some of the major non-communicable diseases but also in reducing prescription medication, and the potential sex and socioeconomic influence.

Dispositional Employability and Online Training Purchase. Evidence from Employees' Behavior in Spain.

This article explores the relationship between dispositional employability and online training purchase. Through a sample of 883 employees working for enterprises in Spain, and a using principal component analysis and binomial logit probabilistic models, the research revealed two main results. First, it was found that dispositional employability is characterized by five factors: “openness to changes at work,” “career motivation and work resilience,” “work and career proactivity,” “optimism and engagement at work,” and “work identity.” Second, the research also found a double causality in the relationship analysis between dispositional employability and online training purchase. However, this causality is not direct. In explaining dispositional employability, certain motivations and types of behavior of employees participating in online training are significant. In particular, greater sensitivity toward career-related personal empowerment, a greater predisposition toward developing new experiences at work, and a greater awareness of the fact that positive job outcomes are related to preparation conscientiousness. In explaining online training purchase, employees who are more motivated and who better identify with their jobs are more likely to pay. Moreover, employees who spend more time on training and have less contact with new trends in their jobs, find it hard to keep calm in difficult situations, and have a greater predisposition toward effort, and preference for novelty, variety and challenges at work are more likely to purchase online training.

Ciclo inmobiliario y demográfico. Un análisis de cointegración para el caso español

The relationship between the real estate cycle and demographic behavior in Spain during the period 1975-2013 is analyzed. The existence of a pattern of behavior between the two cycles following the traditional methodology of time series studies are empirically evaluated. A model error correction is specified. The domain of the long-term effect on the short term is evaluated. The model detects a long-term equilibrium between the two series, a cointegrating equation that displays the domain of the real number estate series.

Links between teleconnection patterns and mean temperature in Spain

This work describes the relationships between Spanish temperature and four teleconnection patterns with influence on the Iberian Peninsula on monthly, seasonal and annual time scales, using data from 144 meteorological stations. Partial correlation analyses were carried out using Spearman test, and spatial distribution maps of the correlation coefficients were produced with geostatistical interpolation techniques. We regionalize the study area based on homogeneous areas containing weather stations with a similar response of temperatures to the same patterns. The links between the temperature and the patterns are mainly positive; only the correlations with Western Mediterranean Oscillation (WeMO) in the north and west are negative, indicating that WeMO plays an opposed role in temperature behaviour in Spain. In general terms, the four modes exert considerable influence on temperature in February, May and September. The East Atlantic (EA) is the pattern with the strongest influence on temperature in Spain—mainly in the north—except in June. Generally, on the seasonal and annual scales, large significant areas were only observed for the EA. EA and WeMO best account for the mean temperature on the Mediterranean fringe and in northern Spain, while EA and North Atlantic Oscillation largely explain the temperature in the rest of Spain.

Business cycle and spillover effects on pre-retirement behavior in Spain

We test the hypothesis that exits from the labor market for pre-retirement individuals in Spain respond mainly to economic conditions and to incentives by analyzing two effects. First, we test the existence of spillover effects from a reform of the old-age pension system on transitions from employment to disability, unemployment and inactivity. We exploit the fact that the reform only affected individuals that had contributed between 15 and 25 years to the Social Security. Second, we estimate the effect of business cycle (BC) conditions at the local, sector and national level on these transitions. We find that both factors affect the exit timing and the choice of route out of the labor market.JEL classificationJ21, J22, R23

Mathematical Modeling of the Propagation of Democratic Support of Extreme Ideologies in Spain: Causes, Effects, and Recommendations for Its Stop

This paper deals with the construction of a discrete population mathematical model for the short-term forecast until January 2016 of the electoral support of extreme ideology parties in Spain. Firstly, the nontrivial concept of extreme ideology is stated. Then, the electoral register is split in three subpopulations: supporters of extremist parties, abstentions/blank voters, and supporters of establishment parties. The model takes into account the following variables: economy measured throughout the Spanish unemployment rate; demography quantified in terms of birth and death rates and emigration; sociopolitical situation measured by the Spanish poverty indicator, trust on the Government labor indicator (GLI), and the indicator of political trust. By considering the dynamic subpopulations transits built throughout data obtained from public and private prestigious institutions and sociopolitical analysis, a system of difference equations models the electoral population behavior in Spain allowing us to compute the expected electoral support in the time horizon of January 2016. Sensitivity analysis versus uncertain parameters is performed in order to improve the reliability of the model results.

Is There Evidence of Loss Aversion in Saving Behaviors in Spain?

This study uses data from the 2005 Survey of Household Finances to investigate the existence of loss aversion in household saving behavior in Spain. Loss aversion refers to an asymmetry in saving behavior in response to increases and decreases in income, where income decreases have a greater effect than increases. Evidence of loss aversion in household saving behaviors in the U.S. has been presented in previous research, and evidence of loss aversion in saving has been found using aggregate data from Europe, but to date there are no household level studies on loss aversion and saving behaviors in Europe. The present results do not support the existence of loss aversion at the household level in Spain. The results indicate symmetry in the responses to positive and negative income changes, failing to provide support for loss aversion in household saving behaviors.