Socially in Action-Peers (SAp)

This study aimed to demonstrate the value and psychometric qualities of an instrument that assesses social competence for children in critical social situations within the relationships with peers in the school context - Socially in Action-Peers (SAp) using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Similarity Structure Analysis (SSA). This instrument was administered to 182 Portuguese children aged between 8 and 11 years, of 3rd and 4th grades. These children were assessed by three sources: themselves, their peers and their teacher. Additionally, we used the Test of Emotion Comprehension (Pons & Harris, 2002; Pons, Harris & Rosnay, 2004) to assess SAp’s criterion-related validity. Mean differences results in SAp by gender were analyzed. Concerning to gender, we only have found gender significant differences in a few items and in the general assessment made by teachers, in which girls being considered superior. The results of the SAp’s psychometric analysis are satisfactory, both in terms of items’ sensitivity and reliability (internal consistency) in three versions (self-assessment, peer and teacher). Finally, we performed a confirmatory factor analysis that confirmed that the model underlying the instrument’s rational: a hierarchical model with a 1st order factor (composite social competence) that has three factors of 2nd order (consisting of the three sources of evaluation: self, peers and teacher). In addition the CFA data were analyzed through Louis Guttman’s SSA - a non-metric multidimensional scaling (MDS) procedure. CFA and SSA confirmed the psychometric qualities of SAp and identified the subscales and dynamic relationships between them. Implications of these findings for social competence assessment and intervention in childhood are discussed, as well as, the advantages and disadvantages of CFA compared to SSA for empirical validation of psychological constructs are examined

Violência entre pares na adolescência: Um estudo com estudantes no início e no final do 3.º ciclo do ensino básico

Resumo: Este estudo propõe-se caraterizar comportamentos de violência entre pares, em função do nível de escolaridade, género e variáveis socioafetivas. Os participantes incluem uma amostra de 80 estudantes do 3.º ciclo do ensino básico (7.º – 9.º anos), avaliados com o QEVE, em dois momentos (7.º e 9.º anos). Os resultados demonstram que: i) as condutas de vitimação e agressão mais frequentes são a exclusão social e a agressão verbal; ii) a taxa de vitimação diminui do 7.º para o 9.º ano, enquanto a taxa de agressão mantém-se estável; iii) os rapazes encontram-se mais envolvidos em situações de bullying físico do que as raparigas; iv) o sentimento face à escola (i.e., gostar da escola) e a perceção de ter amigos revelam-se aspetos protetores especialmente importantes das condutas de vitimação e agressão entre os alunos do nível de escolaridade mais baixo. Estes resultados sugerem uma intervenção educativa diferenciada e orientada para a literacia socioemocional, destacando o papel dos pares na prevenção da violência escolar

Social competence and emotional comprehension: How are they related in children?

The developmental progression of emotional competence in childhood provides a robust evidence for its relation to social competence and important adjustment outcomes. This study aimed to analyze how this association is established in middle childhood. For this purpose, we tested 182 Portuguese children aged between 8 and 11 years, of 3rd and 4th grades, in public schools. Firstly, for assessing social competence we used an instrument directed to children using critical social situations within the relationships with peers in the school context - Socially in Action-Peers (SAp) (Rocha, Candeias & Lopes da Silva, 2012); children were assessed by three sources: themselves, their peers and their teacher. Secondly, we assessed children’s emotional understanding, individually, with the Test of Emotion Comprehension (Pons & Harris, 2002; Pons, Harris & Rosnay, 2004). Relations between social competence levels (in a composite score and using self, peers and teachers’ scores) and emotional comprehension components (comprehension of the recognition of emotions, based on facial expressions; external emotional causes; contribute of desire to emotion; emotions based on belief; memory influence under emotional state evaluation; possibility of emotional regulation; possibility of hiding an emotional state; having mixed emotions; contribution of morality to emotion experience) were investigated by means of two SSA (Similarity Structure Analysis) - a Multidimensional Scaling procedure and the external variable as points technique. In the first structural analysis (SSA) we will consider self, peers and teachers’ scores on Social Competence as content variables and TEC as external variable; in the second SSA we will consider TEC components as content variables and Social Competence in their different levels as external variable. The implications of these MDS procedures in order to better understand how social competence and emotional comprehension are related in children is discussed, as well as the repercussions of these findings for social competence and emotional understanding assessment and intervention in childhood is examined

The Influence of Family Support According to Gender in the Portuguese Language Course Achievement

Several factors like pupils’ characteristics, school conditions and family context have been pointed out in the literature as being linked to academic achievement. Regarding the latter, family socio-economic status and parental support have been identified as determining variables on success at school. The current study analyses the influence of family support on the achievement of school children in their native language [Portuguese language course (PLC)]. Participants were 885 students attending PLC on basic and secondary schools (6th and 9th school grades) (ISCED 1); 418 boys and 467 girls, ranged between 10 and 18 years of age (M = 12.99). School achievement was assessed using year-end classifications in PLC. Family support was assessed using the Family Support-Context Variables Questionnaire. A regression analysis showed that students’ perception about instrumental and affective family support in school life was positively related to their Portuguese grades. However, different predictive values were revealed according to gender. Girls’ Portuguese languge couse classification seemed to depend on affective variables like their perception of affective parental support and affective attitudes toward the PLC, while boys’ results seemed to be influenced by instrumental variables, such as the perception of instrumental support from parents and boys’ attitudes toward the utility of learning Portuguese language. These results supported those of other studies, showing the need to take gender differences into account in educational interventions, especially during early adolescence. In conclusion, the study shows an influence of parental support on PLC achievement. Such influence differs according to gender, with girls being more sensitive to the affective dimension of parental support and boys to the instrumental one

Psychology in Education and Health. Proceedings of the III Leipzig-Evora Scientific Meeting in Psychology

The phenomena of achievement motivation is one of the most important among studied by psychology as far as its study approaches of scientists to the answer to the question about motivation forces of human behavior and activity. Motivation for achievement consists of two main components - adaptive and transcendent vectors. Based on the empirical studies carried out, the authors obtained results that became the basis for the assumption that the motivation of achievement among people who are conditionally called healthy is fundamentally different from the motivation of achievement among people with mental pathology. There is a non-linear link between mental health, mental disorders and adaptation, transcendence. Mental health requires a balance of these two components of the motivational sphere

Academic Achievement in Physics-Chemistry: The Predictive Effect of Attitudes and Reasoning Abilities

Science education plays a critical role as political priority due to its fundamental importance in engaging students to pursue technological careers considered essential in modern societies, in order to face scientific development challenges. High-level achievement on science education and positive attitudes toward science constitutes a crucial challenge for formal education. Several studies indicate close relationships between students’ attitudes, cognitive abilities, and academic achievement. The main purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of student’s attitudes toward the school discipline of Physics and Chemistry and their reasoning abilities on academic achievement on that school subject, among Portuguese 9th grade students using the data collected during the Project Academic Performance and Development: a longitudinal study on the effects of school transitions in Portuguese students (PTDC/CPE-CED/104884/2008). The participants were 470 students (267 girls – 56.8% and 203 boys – 43.2%), aged 14–16 years old (m D 14.3 0.58). The attitude data were collected using the Attitude toward Physics-Chemistry Questionnaire (ATPCQ) and, the Reasoning Test Battery (RTB) was used to assess the students reasoning abilities. Achievement was measured using the students’ quarterly (9-week) grades in the physics and chemistry subject. The relationships between the attitude dimensions toward Physics-chemistry and the reasoning dimensions and achievement in each of the three school terms were assessed by multiple regression stepwise analyses and standardized regression coefficients (b), calculated with IBM SPSS Statistics 21 software. Both variables studied proved to be significant predictor variables of school achievement. The models obtained from the use of both variables were always stronger accounting for higher proportions of student’s grade variations. The results show that ATPCQ and RTB had a significantly positive relationship with student’s achievement in Physics-chemistry, indicating that both attitudinal and cognitive variables should be taken into account on science education as well as in educative intervention

School achievement and failure in Portuguese and Spanish speaking countries

School failure is an important social problem in the present world (Organization for Economic Co-operation Development, 2010). This seems to be especially true for Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries in Europe (Eurydice, 2011) and Latin America (Román, 2013). Consequently, school achievement and failure is an increasingly important topic of discussion and research. Psychology can make an important contribution to understanding these issues, emphasizing the individual perspective, i.e., defining academic and pre-academic skills for a good achievement and developing sound evaluation and intervention techniques for children with school failure problems. The following papers revise the latest developments in the field. The research covered tried to answer the most urgent questions on the topic: (1) Which variables are responsible for school achievement and failure? (2) Which intervention techniques can be used to help children with school failure problems? All papers focused on children attending primary or secondary school, except one that dealt with prevention strategies for children at risk before schooling. Most sought correlations between determining variables and some measures of school achievement. Two studies applied intervention strategies designed to improve the academic performance of children with problems at school and systematically evaluated their results

Multiple Approaches to the Study and Intervention in Stress.

Researchers of the Department of Psychology of the University of Leipzig look back on 30 years of research on stress and on about 25 years of trauma-research. The development of diagnostic and therapeutic techniques for stress management and trauma therapy will be reported in brief in this article. The article is focusing on the development of psychological assessment tools for stress and trauma

Impacto da criatividade no declínio cognitivo: estudo em mulheres portuguesas

A Criatividade, quer como processo, quer como reflexo da individualidade inerente à condição humana, traduz-se nas diversas vertentes contextuais que caracterizam a história e evolução da humanidade. Será um talento, um preditor de Inteligência ou uma capacidade aprendida através de exercícios que fomentem aprendizagem? A sua definição parece evidente, no entanto, assume-se como uma questão extremamente controversa (James, Gerard, Bagt-Traore, 2010). Sabe-se que, através de trabalhos como o de Alves, Simões e Martins (2014) que a avaliação do Declínio Cognitivo passa por um conhecimento prévio das capacidades cognitivas pré-mórbidas. O Declínio Cognitivo pode ser descrito pela perda contínua das capacidades cognitivas e executivas (Giebel, Sutcliffe, & Challis, 2015). A propósito desta abordagem, considera-se útil a utilização de métodos quantitativos como o Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Nesta linha, Starr e colaboradores (1992) reconhecem que a pontuação obtida neste instrumento pode ser mediada pela Inteligência Pré-Mórbida e pela idade do indivíduo (Starr, & Lonie, 2007). Como fator protetor do Declínio Cognitivo, a Criatividade e a prática de atividades a esta relacionada demonstram poder intensificar aspetos como a eficácia e competência dos adultos idosos (Fisher, & Specht, 1999 citado por Flood, & Phillips, 2007). O artesanato, como uma prática criativa, não surge de uma tela branca. Recorrem-se a múltiplas componentes que refletem, potencialmente, uma personalidade criativa ou identidade regional e espelham a história, a motivação e a experiência que, conjugados de uma forma holística procuram aprimorar os produtos que, geralmente, se inserem na mesma categoria (Secca Ruivo, 2011). O presente estudo correlacional visa analisar o impacto da prática de atividades criativas – artesanato – nas capacidades cognitivas e executivas em mulheres idosas. Presume-se, então, que a Criatividade pode estar relacionada com a preservação e integração das capacidades cognitivas dos indivíduos.FCT e três projetos ENABLIN+ (Leonardo Da Vinci), Cognition & Inclusion (ERASMUS+) e LLL-HUB (Lifelong Learning Programm) e da I Conferência Europeia em Life Long Learning (realizada na Universidade de Évora com os apoios do Departamento de Psicologia e da Escola de Ciências Sociais), e da Associação Portuguesa de Gestão de Pessoas (APG) e a Associação Nacional para a Qualificação e Ensino Profissiona

Re-assessing the Current Assessment Practices of Children with Special Education Needs in Europe

Introduces the study developed countries that comprise the project DAFFODIL about assessment practices used frequently with children and young people with special educational needs. Apresenta o estudo desenvolvido nos países que integram o projecto DAFFODIL acerca das práticas de avaliação mais frequentes com crianças e jovens com necessidades educativas especiais