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- Meditation effects on anxiety and resilience of preadolescents and adolescents: a randomized controlled studyPublication . Gomes, Alexandra; Santos, Joana; Vieira, Luís SérgioMeditation has been described as having a positive impact on well-being while reducing anxiety and stress among those who practice, mainly working as a resource to cope with everyday difficulties. As a simple and easy to apply meditation technique, transcendental meditation (TM) has shown promising results in adults and in children, although more studies are needed to show the impact on psychological and behavioral dimensions in children and adolescents. This quasi-experimental, pre-test–post-test study, with a control group, aimed to evaluate the impact of TM on the stress and resilience of children and adolescents, with ages between 9 and 16 years old. Participants were selected within schools which implemented the Quiet Time Program (QT), from those who volunteered to participate. They were randomly assigned to an experimental group (immediate TM learning) and to a control group (delayed TM learning). A repeated measures ANOVA showed an interaction of time and group on externalizing behavior, from the strengths and difficulties measure. The experimental group decreased on externalizing less adjusted behaviors, while the control group increased in this aspect, after a twelve-week period. TM failed to reduce anxiety and to contribute to resilience in the TM experimental group. Both groups improved anxiety indicators. The results might suggest students were acting upon their expectation of improvement on practicing TM or solely modifying their behavior along the contextual factors, which affected both groups equally.
- Comparative analysis between condom use clusters and risk behaviours among portuguese university studentsPublication . Gomes, Alexandra; Nunes, CristinaThe research on condom use has been focused on high-risk individuals, paying less attention to those who have moderate risk or safe sexual conducts. In order to design accurate interventions, potential differences among the condom use behavior groups must be considered. The goal was to assess possible differences in individuals presenting different types of risk behavior. 140 heterosexual university students answered a self-reported questionnaire about their sexual history, condom use habits, sexual self-esteem, sexual satisfaction, sexual control, attitudes towards condoms, self-efficacy to condom use, and emotions and feelings during sexual intercourse. A cluster analysis was conducted using the results about condom use and risk behaviors. Three groups with different risk levels emerged, presenting differences over sexual self-efficacy, attitudes towards condoms, socio-demographic variables, and sexual history. The results suggest the condom use inconsistency is highly associated with other risk behaviors but the contrary does not necessarily happens. Condom use consistent users also presented risk behaviors as smoking and drinking. The group differences suggest the risks were more affected by the combination of lack of skills with a negative attitude toward condoms than by contextual or personal variables. These differences sustain the need of an intervention adjusted to the individual's risk levels, since they differ on skills and beliefs that may hinder or promote the adoption of health behaviors.
- Are we getting less sexist? a ten-year gap comparison analysis of sexism in a Portuguese samplePublication . Gomes, Alexandra; Gonçalves, Gabriela; Sousa, Cátia; Vieira dos Santos, J.; Giger, Jean-ChristopheWidely and slowly, discrimination against women based upon gender has become socially unacceptable. However, less is known about how sexist beliefs have progressed in the last years and if we are responding to this social antagonizing of a sexist discourse. Our goal was to verify the existence of differences in ambivalent sexism and neosexism over a ten-year gap in a Portuguese adult sample and to assess possible modifications in the relationship between the variables. A cross-sectional, correlational study was conducted using two independent groups, with measures taken in 2009 and then in 2019. Both groups were invariant in terms of average age and proportion of sexes. Our results show a decrease in hostile and benevolent forms of sexism, while neosexism remains constant. The relationships between variables suggest that sexist beliefs are changing to accommodate subtler and modernized forms of sexism, like neosexism, that deny the existence of discrimination against women, resent discrimination complaints, and maintain a paternalistic view of women. Neosexism also seems to have a stronger correlation with hostile sexism than with benevolent forms of sexism in the male subsample. This relationship is stronger for the 2019 sample. These relationships suggest that sexism is more deeply rooted than we would like to admit and adapts to social discourse. Despite our best efforts, it is yet to be overcome.
- Portuguese adaptation of a faux pas test and a theory of mind picture stories taskPublication . Faisca, Luis; Fonseca, Sofia; Bruene, Martin; Gonçalves, Gabriela Maria Ramos; Gomes, Alexandra; Martins, Ana TeresaBackground: Developmental concepts of 'Theory of Mind' (ToM) suggest that this cognitive domain is an innate human capacity requiring input from the social environment to mature. Research suggests substantial individual differences in ToM, depending on childhood experiences, genetics, and the presence or absence of a neuropsychiatric disorder. None of the existing ToM tests for adult populations have been made available in Portuguese. Accordingly, the main objective of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Portuguese versions of the Faux Pas (FP) Recognition Test and the ToM Picture Stories Task. Sampling and Methods: Both tests were given to a sample of 200 Portuguese adults (125 women and 75 men) aged between 18 and 60 years. Results and Conclusions: The psychometric analyses of the results indicate that the Portuguese version of the FP Recognition Test is appropriate for use in research and clinical settings, providing a composite score that reliably measures the ability to infer the thoughts and feelings of others in a 'faux pas' situation (Cronbach's alpha = 0.82). However, the ToM Picture Stories Task did not show acceptable psychometric qualities. (C) 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel
- Comportamentos sexuais de risco:um estudo com estudantes universitáriosPublication . Gomes, Alexandra; Nunes, CristinaO preservativo é a forma mais eficaz de protecção contra infecções sexualmente transmissíveis. No entanto, a sua utilização continua a ser inconsistente, resultando num aumento de casos de HIV/SIDA nas diversas camadas etárias. Os modelos cognitivos e socio-cognitvos dos comportamentos para a saúde têm sido adequados a esta realidade revelando pouca aplicabilidade. Este estudo pretende contribuir para a aplicabilidade dos modelos socio-cognitivos aos comportamentos sexuais de risco, especificamente à não utilização do preservativo. Elaborou-se um modelo, com base nas relações teóricas estudadas, que englobava variáveis socio-demográficas, intrapessoais, interpessoais e situacionais. Foi objectivo deste estudo, testar, através de análises exploratórias e confirmatórias, a aplicabilidade deste modelo à utilização do preservativo. Complementarmente realizou-se a uma análise comparativa entre sexos e níveis de risco. Aplicaram-se 165 questionários a estudantes universitários, com idades compreendidas entre os 18 e os 25 anos. Os resultados sugerem que o modelo elaborado inicialmente não era o indicado para explicar os comportamentos sexuais de risco. Eliminaram-se as variáveis que, explorativamente, não tinham um peso na explicação da utilização do preservativo. Este novo modelo foi testado através de uma análise confirmatória, tendo-se verificado um ajustamento dos dados ao modelo criado. Concluiu-se que o comportamento anterior é o melhor preditor da intenção futura da utilização do preservativo. Variáveis intrapessoais, interpessoais e situacionais mostram ter um peso no comportamento anterior, mas perdem o seu impacto numa intenção futura de utilização. Sugerem-se estudos futuros que contextualizem o comportamento sexual de risco, alterando o enfoque do indivíduo como racional para um paradigma menos racionalizado.
- The contribution of professional coach for emotional and psychological adjustment of soccer playerPublication . Silva, José Eduardo; Sérgio Vieira, Luís; Gomes, AlexandraABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to explore the perception of professional soccer coaches about their contribution to the psychological and emotional player's adjustment. It is a qualitative study and dates were obtained by semi-structured interviews conducted with ten professional soccer coaches. A descendent hierarchical corpus identified four classes organized into two themes. Theme 1 (the coach and soccer player toward competition demands) corresponds to class 1 (soccer coach profile) and 2 (soccer player in competition), and theme 2 (the coach and player psychological dimension), class 3 (player psychological dimension) and 4 (relationship coach-player).Results allowed us to understand that coaches appreciate the player psychological dimension, but they reveal a fragile domain on regular mastery of strategies for player's psychological and emotional regulation.
- A influência da representação social do sexo nos comportamentos sexuais de risco dos jovens adultos portuguesesPublication . Gomes, Alexandra; Nunes, Cristina
- Representação social do sexo nas revistas e jornais portuguesesPublication . Gomes, Alexandra; Nunes, CristinaFoi objectivo deste estudo caracterizar a representação social do sexo estabelecendo uma possível relação entre esta e o uso do preservativo. Foram recolhidas notícias com o vocábulo “sexo”, tendo sido realizada a análise hierárquica descendente do seu conteúdo. A análise, através do programa ALCESTE 4.9, evidenciou discursos que não abordam aspectos da saúde individual ou social, referentes à sexualidade, observando-se uma representação social do sexo que poderá estar a fomentar os níveis transversais de inconsistência no uso do preservativo. Sugere-se a necessidade de sensibilização dos meios de comunicação para introduzirem informação sobre o preservativo, de forma a integrá-lo na representação do sexo, podendo estimular a sua utilização e promover comportamentos seguros.
- Social representation of sex in portuguese young adultsPublication . Gomes, Alexandra; Nunes, CristinaThe objective of this study was to measure the social representation of sex through free evocations of 1,138 young Portuguese adults, aged between 18 and 25 years, with the goal of exploring an explicative approach of a possible influence of this social representation in risky sexual behaviors observed in this age group. Evocations were collected through an online questionnaire made available by Portuguese universities and professional schools. Data were analyzed according to Verges' prototypical analysis for social representations. The results suggest a romanticized social representation of sex, based on love and pleasure ideas, in which risky aspects such as use of condoms or sexually transmitted infections belong to the peripheral system. These aspects are integrated in order to preserve the central nucleus without interfering in the way participants live their sexual experiences. In addition, the association between love and condom use seems to be associated to the concept of "who loves, protects" which reduces condom use, instead of increasing it. Therefore, social representation of sex, focused on love and pleasure, might include cognitive, affective and behavioral aspects present in the well-known socio-cognitive models used for explaining and predicting condom use behavior.
- Tarefas em geometria: da sala de aula para a formação de professores, descrição de um projetoPublication . Gomes, Alexandra; Ribeiro, Carlos Miguel; Martins, Fernando; Pinto, Hélia; Aires, Ana Paula; Campos, Helena; Caseiro, Ana; Alves, C.; Rebelo, Paula; Gomes, Helena; Rodrigues, Cátia; Poças, RicardoNeste poster, apresentamos um projeto que pretende abordar de forma conglomerada conhecimentos, raciocínios, argumentação e representações de alunos e professores dos primeiros anos. Perspetiva-se como uma das formas de contribuir para uma melhoria dos conhecimentos geométricos de alunos e professores bem como para uma possível mudança de foco na prática e na formação geométrica de professores.