RCAAP Repository

Abstract This article addresses two questions about purpose in life: what is mature purpose, and how can it be cultivated? We first outline a picture of mature purpose based in part on established purpose research, and point out new frameworks that can resolve missing pieces and tensions in the current paradigms. We contend that above and beyond fulfilling discrete criteria present in operational definitions, mature purpose requires agentic yet flexible commitment to worthy goals rather than simplistic adoption of expected goals. A review of purpose formation beyond the classroom identifies similar roles of parents, post-secondary educational institutions, and extracurricular activities for supporting development of mature purpose in the direction of agentic commitment, namely, encouraging processes of: active exploration, tentative commitment, and support in navigating and sustaining meaningful commitment.

Abstract Fatalism refers to the attitude of treating negative situations as inherent to destiny or as outcome of divine will. Considering the fatalism consequences impact in the transformative action and having elected Martin-Baró as theoretical reference, the present article reviewed the nuances of fatalism in the narratives of industrial workers, who reported on the repercussions of work accidents on their lives. From the data of a previous qualitative investigation, conducted through open and in-depth interviews, three interviews were selected whose narratives represented different facets of fatalism. The information accessed was analyzed and categorized, at which time the elements of the experiences that ensured the maintenance of fatalism and the movements of consciousness that, also from experience, challenged conformism and indicated a potential rupture with fatalism were highlighted.

Abstract The aim of this research was to update the psychometric properties of the Del-Prette Social Skills Inventory-2, a measure of social performance in social interaction situations. The sample consisted of 4,250 participants of both sexes aged between 18 and 59 years old (M = 35.85; df = 11.33; 51.1% woman). Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling suggested the adequacy of the internal structure of the original version of the instrument, consisting of five factors: Assertive Conversation, Affective-Sexual Approach, Expression of positive sentiment, Self-Control/Coping, and Social Resourcefulness, all of them with good reliability indicators, alphas higher than 0.774, and measurement invariance indicators across groups as a function of sex and different age ranges. The Partial Credit Model provided the item’s and participant’s parameters: difficulty level/theta and adjustment indices, which were adequate. The results suggest that the inventory is a suitable measure of social skills for professional and research purposes.

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales - Short Form in a Brazilian sample. The instrument was answered online by 250 university students. The following models were tested through Confirmatory Factor Analysis: one-dimensional, three oblique factors, hierarchical, and bifactor. The estimated indices showed a better adjustment for a bifactor model composed of three specific factors and one global factor. Additional statistical analysis, such as explained common variance and omega hierarchical estimates, indicated that the measure is predominantly one-dimensional. The results also indicated evidence of convergent validity (Average Extracted Variance between 0.48 and 0.60), internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha between 0.87 and 0.94) and temporal reliability of the instrument (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient between 0.64 and 0.74).

Abstract This quantitative and cross-sectional study aimed to describe and associate the levels of resilience, parenting stress and multidimensional poverty of poor families living in the city of Belém (PA). The probabilistic sample consisted of 429 caregivers, interviewed in Social Assistance Reference Centers, where the application of instruments to access socio-demographic information, family resilience, parenting stress and poverty was carried out, in order to investigateprotection and risk processes for development. The sample consisted of women (97%) between 20 and 39 years (69%). This study showed associations between low resilience, high parenting stress and higher level of poverty. None of the families had high resilience scores. These results point to aspects regulating family dynamics as crucial in the healthy development of these families in relation to risk exposure.

Abstract Physical punishment – corporal punishment – of children/adolescents is highly prevalent. The objective of this study was to verify if, in a sample of parents/caregivers, there would be subgroups that would differentiate themselves regarding the behavior of physically punishing the children, in terms of modalities, frequency, body parts of the child affected, and presence of parental anger in the act of punishing, denoting severity levels associated with differences in the psychosocial variables pointed out in the literature as risk factors for physical abuse. A quantitative approach was adopted, with a cross-sectional design and cluster method. The study included 87 parents/caregivers who practice physical punishment. The analyses indicated the existence of three clusters that differed in the level of severity of corporal punishment and some of the psychosocial variables, denoting the importance of developing services/programs to cope with violence against children/adolescents and specific psychosocial intervention strategies.

Abstract Music has been debated as a positive factor for the health of elderly people. In a randomized study, the researchers compared an intervention based on percussion and musical improvisation with a choir activity. The objective was to investigate whether improvisation would influence the executive functioning and motor skills of healthy elderly people. A set of instruments for psychological and motor assessment was used before and after the procedure. Differences were found in the performance of the participants of the improvisation group in the Clock Drawing Test suggesting possible gains in executive function. There were gains, regardless of the group, in part A of the Trail Making Test, which indicates a sustained attention. No evidence of motor effects was found in this study. The results suggest that musical activities can contribute to the prevention of cognitive decline caused by aging.

Abstract Adolescents in situations of social vulnerability demand a type of care, from parents, teachers, and society, that protects them from the additional risks to which they are exposed, without compromising the development of their autonomy. This qualitative study aimed to investigate the imaginative elaborations of 30 teachers about adolescence using an Interactive Narrative approach as an investigative resource. The narrative material was analyzed interpretively, searching for the affective-emotional senses underlying the elaborations of the participants, resulting in the following fields of meaning: "Do not turn adolescence into rocket science" and "Adolescence: a sign of danger". In addition to the pedagogical issues, the participants expressed difficulty in dealing with issues that are specific to the adolescent's emotional development, oscillating between stereotyped conceptions and an empathic posture in the face of adolescent immaturity. It is concluded that teachers experience ambivalent feelings towards adolescents, assuming either an authoritarian or a patronizing posture, understanding adolescent conflict as natural at this development stage.

Abstract The aim of this study, accordingly, is to determine the relation between creativity and theory of mind skills of children aged 5-11 (Ns:117) who continue Primary Education in rural areas and to reveal the relation between the sub-dimensions of these abilities. At the end of the study, it was found that there was a significant and positive relation between the total creativity score and the sub-dimensions of theory of mind. It was found that there was a significant and positive relation between all sub-dimensions of creativity and theory of mind. The total creativity score and the scores of the sub-dimensions of creativity (fluency, originality, and elaboration) were significant but weak predictors of theory of mind tasks.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of technologies in fostering students’ creativity and motivation in university classrooms, according to professors and students. Nine professors from three groups – those who use information and communication technologies creatively, those who make traditional use of these technologies, and those who do not use information and communication technologies –, were interviewed. Additionally, 249 students completed the Inventory of Teaching Practices for Creativity in Higher Education and the Motivation Scale for Learning. In the professors’ report, it was not noticed a link between technology and the development of creativity. Students whose teachers did not use information and communication technologies evaluated the teaching practices for creativity more positively. The use of digital technologies in the classroom should be planned according to the purposes that are sought to achieve.

Abstract The present work analyzes the access of deaf people fluent in Brazilian Sign Language in the National High School Exam, which was created to measure the performance based on the curriculum and on the High School guidelines, which acquired the purpose of providing the access of High school seniors to higher education. The methodological theoretical approach upon which this study is based is the qualitative research of exploratory nature. The sequential mixed method was used for the collection and analysis of qualitative data and, based on these, the quantitative analysis was performed. The results show an increase in the number of deaf participants in the exams and justify the offer of bilingual exams to measure learning.

Abstract This integrative review aimed to investigate the structure of successful interventions in the development of self-regulation for learning to optimize reading comprehension of Basic Education students. The search for articles was carried out in five databases, and by the method of searching for quotes. Of the 137 items retrieved, 13 were eligible. The samples of the reported interventions were composed of students from the 3rdto 6thgrade, from American, German, and Slovenian schools. The interventions were of an instructional type, focusing on developing self-regulatory strategies to develop reading comprehension. The studies indicated that participation in the interventions increased the students' performance in this cognitive-linguistic skill. It is assumed that this review can assist psychologists and educators in preparing, applying, and monitoring the results of intervention programs to develop students' self-regulation in carrying out tasks that involve reading comprehension.

Abstract Within the scope of socio-cognitive theories, student engagement in school has been studied as a multidimensional construct. A four-dimensional perspective was adopted, with the dimensions: affective, cognitive, behavioural and agentic. The objective, to analyse how the variables age and parental education relate to student engagement in school. The sample consisted of 715 Portuguese public Higher Education students from the Lisbon area. The data was collected through an online survey, which included the Student Engagement in School: a Four-Dimensional Scale – Higher Education Version. Data analysis not only revealed that students of age 26 or older scored considerably higher results in engagement than younger colleagues, but also highlighted significant differences of engagement in the affective, behavioural and agentic dimensions, depending on parental education. The results, while partially corroborating the revised literature, suggest future in-depth studies.

Abstract The diagnosis of childhood cancer, the treatment itself and its sequelae can be considered as stressful events in the child’s life, requiring the use of coping strategies. The aim of this study was to describe the coping behaviors used by children and adolescents with cancer undergoing chemotherapy treatment, separated by sex, age and type of cancer. A total of 15 children and adolescents, from 6 to 12 years old, of both sexes, answered the Hospitalization Coping Strategies instrument regarding coping behaviors. Participants referred to behaviors with greater chances of an adaptive outcome: watching TV, talking, and taking their medicines. There were differences in the coping behaviors regarding sex, age, and types of cancer. These differences highlight the need for personalized interventions that include specific characteristics to facilitate the child’s adaptation to the treatment.

Abstract Mothers staying with their premature babies, hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit tend to have reduced contact with friends and family, so it is pertinent that the perceived social support be evaluated during this period. This study aims to verify the validity of the Scale to evaluate the perceived social support by mothers of hospitalized premature babies. It is composed by the following dimensions: affective support; material support; informational support; emotionalsupport; embracing support; and attentional support. It is a sectional analytical study. The participants were 218 mothers of premature babies hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The social support Scale for mothers of hospitalized premature neonates demonstrates satisfactory psychometric quality, presenting evidence of criterion validity, internal consistency and internal structure.

Abstract Sickle cell anemia represents an aversive context, placing the family in a situation of vulnerability. This study investigated the psychological impact of sickle cell anemia on family caregivers of children and adolescents with this disease. A research with a quantitative approach followed by a survey was carried out, with a non-probabilistic sample of 100 caregivers who answered the instruments for measuring family functioning, disease-related stress, coping, anxiety, and depression. Clinical and sociodemographic characteristics were obtained from medical records and specific protocols. Caregivers of children with late diagnosis presented high disengaged coping scores, and minimum depression; early diagnosis was associated with mild depression. Family functioning domain scores were lower in families with younger children. Regression analyses showed that primary control coping indicates lower depression scores, and involuntaryengagement is a predictor of depression/anxiety. This study contributes to the understanding of the relationship between psychological, clinical, and sociodemographic variables in the context of sickle cell anemia.

Abstract Our study compared the effects of mindfulness and relaxation interventions on stress, quality of life, resilience, and mindfulness levels. A total of 29 workers, recruited at a university hospital in the northeastern region of Brazil and distributed in two groups: Mindfulness (89.5% female, age mean 37.5 ± 6.23 years old); and Relaxation (90.0% female, age mean 34.2 ± 8.66). After eight weeks of daily mindfulness or relaxation practices, both groups significantly reduced the perceived stress and stress at work, and increased their mindfulness and resilience levels, as well as the physical and psychological quality of life domains. Our results suggest that both interventions may be effective in the organizational environment, assisting in health promotion and increasing the ability of individuals to recover from an adversity (resilience).

Abstract The study aimed to identify the predictive relationship of sociodemographic variables and emotional symptoms related to post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and stress. A sample of 194 people who experienced an air disaster, average age of 32 years, participated in the survey. The instruments used were: Sociodemographic Data Questionnaire, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist – Civilian Version, and Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale. A multiple regression analysis indicated that women participants were associated with post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and those directly exposed to the disaster had higher odds ratios to develop post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and stress symptoms. It is expected, with this information, to identify early the people who may be most vulnerable and contribute to the elaboration of intervention protocols.

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate possible factors that prevent adherence to the treatment of codependent family members of problem drug use individuals. A quasi-experimental study was carried out with 133 relatives of psychoactive substances users who called the Brazilian drug hotline (Ligue 132) between 2013 and 2015, from the five regions of Brazil. The following instruments were used: General service protocol; Family assistance protocol; Holyoake Codependency Index; Behavioral Adherence Scale; and Adherence Factor Questionnaire. Univariate analysis of data was performed for categorical variables and Chi-square test for comparison between variables, with p < 0.05. The sample showed a predominance of women (91.7%), especially mothers (82.7%). Among the investigated factors, alcohol as the substance involved in the problem showed a significant association with the non-adherence to treatment through teleintervention of family members.

Abstract This study aims to investigate the effect of Sandplay Therapy on the treatment of children who are victims of mistreatment with internalizing and/or externalizing behavioral problems. Method: The Child Behavior Check List instrument was applied to all children between 6 years 6 months and 10 years 11 months from 24 institutions. All of them presented clinical and/or borderline levels of behavior concern. The institutions where the children would compose a control group, those where they would receive Sandplay Therapy treatment (experimental group), and those where they would receive Placebo treatment were determined by drawing lot. The same instrument was applied after the treatments, or 20 weeks; in the experimental group, a test was applied after six months. The results show that the children in the experimental group showed significant improvements. These changes remained six months after the end of therapy and were verified by analyzing Sandplay scenarios.