Reasons for facebook usage: data from 46 countries

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Predictors of enhancing human physical attractiveness: Data from 93 countries

People across the world and throughout history have gone to great lengths to enhance their physical appearance. Evolutionary psychologists and ethologists have largely attempted to explain this phenomenon via mating preferences and strategies. Here, we test one of the most popular evolutionary hypotheses for beauty-enhancing behaviors, drawn from mating market and parasite stress perspectives, in a large cross-cultural sample. We also test hypotheses drawn from other influential and non-mutually exclusive theoretical frameworks, from biosocial role theory to a cultural media perspective. Survey data from 93,158 human participants across 93 countries provide evidence that behaviors such as applying makeup or using other cosmetics, hair grooming, clothing style, caring for body hygiene, and exercising or following a specific diet for the specific purpose of improving ones physical attractiveness, are universal. Indeed, 99% of participants reported spending >10 min a day performing beauty-enhancing behaviors. The results largely support evolutionary hypotheses: more time was spent enhancing beauty by women (almost 4 h a day, on average) than by men (3.6 h a day), by the youngest participants (and contrary to predictions, also the oldest), by those with a relatively more severe history of infectious diseases, and by participants currently dating compared to those in established relationships. The strongest predictor of attractiveness-enhancing behaviors was social media usage. Other predictors, in order of effect size, included adhering to traditional gender roles, residing in countries with less gender equality, considering oneself as highly attractive or, conversely, highly unattractive, TV watching time, higher socioeconomic status, right-wing political beliefs, a lower level of education, and personal individualistic attitudes. This study provides novel insight into universal beauty-enhancing behaviors by unifying evolutionary theory with several other complementary perspectives

Attractiveness of leg length: Report from 27 nations

The leg-to-body ratio (LBR) is a morphological index that has been shown to influence a person's attractiveness. In our research, 3,103 participants from 27 nations rated the physical attractiveness of seven male and seven female silhouettes varying in LBR. We found that male and female silhouettes with short and excessively long legs were perceived as less attractive across all nations. Hence, the LBR may significantly influence perceptions of physical attractiveness across nations. © The Author(s) 2011

As relações de conflito em contexto de trabalho - ocaso de uma organização de solidariedade social

O presente trabalho de investigação constitui uma reflexão sobre as interacções humanas que se estabelecem no seio de uma organização de solidariedade social alentejana, mais concretamente, sobre as relações de conflito de interesses entre os membros participantes. A organização, que constitui o objecto de análise, encontra nos seus fundamentos a solidariedade social, pelo que, a cooperação entre os seus participantes constitui um mecanismo relevante para um serviço de qualidade, fundado nas relações sociais. A dinâmica das organizações, tal como neste caso em particular, é equiparada a um sistema, marcado pela complexidade, o qual comporta mecanismos sobrepostos e cruzados, múltiplas interacções e um leque de interesses organizacionais e particulares. O conteúdo destas estruturas é contemplado com subsistemas formais que designam o conjunto das regras, das normas e das políticas que se concretizam na departamentalização e determinação de procedimentos; e subsistemas informais que incorporam as múltiplas interacções entre as pessoas e os grupos, nos diversos níveis da organização. Este conteúdo é abordado por Jorge Vala et al (1994) quando referem a existência de estruturas organizacionais que se situam num contínuo, que os autores definem como dimensão mecânica e dimensão orgânica. A estrutura mecânica caracteriza-se pela formalização dos mecanismos de trabalho, pela especialização rígida das tarefas, pela metodologia dos procedimentos e pelos poderes que caracterizam cada um dos papéis funcionais, enquanto, a estrutura orgânica retira às funções a sua definição formal, no que concerne aos procedimentos, deveres e poderes, redefinindo-as, informalmente, através da interacção que se desenrola entre os actores participantes. No contexto das interacções, a actividade comunicativa assume-se como um meio privilegiado para a transferência da informação, através da partilha de significados que constituem uma cultura própria, marcada, esta última, pela doutrina e moral cristãs e pelas obras materiais e espirituais que regem os seus fundamentos. Os actores sociais expressam-se como personalidades integrais, recebem ensinamentos através do processo de socialização, mas, transportam os seus valores pessoais para as tarefas profissionais. Os membros podem possuir personalidades diferentes, formas diferenciadas de agir e pensar, mas, o trabalho direccionado para as pessoas, e, que envolve as pessoas, exige uma moldagem individual significativa, uma interacção e comunicação cuidada, ter firmeza sem magoar e evitar reacções emocionais, quer com os utentes, que beneficiam dos cuidados prestados, quer com os colegas de serviço que partilham o mesmo espaço físico e as mesmas preocupações. Em contexto de trabalho, emergem interacções sociais e interesses particulares, cuja dinâmica e complexidade nem sempre se apresentam de forma harmoniosa, contribuindo para a formação conflitos de interesses entre indivíduos, ou, entre estes e a organização. O conflito, que se apresenta como o resultado de sentimentos, atitudes, ou, interesses antagónicos e colidentes, integra a dinâmica da organização, pressupondo, relações de desentendimento, discórdia, inconsistência, oposição e desaprovação. Segundo Ruiz (2000), a realização dos objectivos da organização beneficia, de modo desigual, os interesses particulares dos seu membros, daí advêm, segundo o autor, as atitudes e comportamentos, de cada membro, como o manifesto pela insatisfação resultante da distribuição dos interesses. A designação atribuída, às organizações sociais, de sistema cooperante e conflitante, é o resultado da forma como os diferentes actores actuam, por um lado, cooperando para atingir os objectivos que lhes são destinados, mas, por outro, zelando pelos interesses particulares

Predictors of anxiety in the COVID-19 pandemic from a global perspective: Data from 23 countries

Prior and ongoing COVID-19 pandemic restrictions have resulted in substantial changes to everyday life. The pandemic and measures of its control affect mental health negatively. Self-reported data from 15,375 participants from 23 countries were collected from May to August 2020 during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. Two questionnaires measuring anxiety level were used in this study\u2014the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), and the State Anxiety Inventory (SAI). The associations between a set of social indicators on anxiety during COVID-19 (e.g., sex, age, country, live alone) were tested as well. Self-reported anxiety during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic varied across countries, with the maximum levels reported for Brazil, Canada, Italy, Iraq and the USA. Sex differences of anxiety levels during COVID-19 were also examined, and results showed women reported higher levels of anxiety compared to men. Overall, our results demonstrated that the self-reported symptoms of anxiety were higher compared to those reported in general before pandemic. We conclude that such cultural dimensions as individualism/collectivism, power distance and looseness/tightness may function as protective adaptive mechanisms against the development of anxiety disorders in a pandemic situation

Factors Associated With Highest Symptoms of Anxiety During COVID-19: Cross-Cultural Study of 23 Countries

The COVID-19 restrictions have impacted people’s lifestyles in all spheres (social, psychological, political, economic, and others). This study explored which factors affected the level of anxiety during the time of the first wave of COVID-19 and subsequent quarantine in a substantial proportion of 23 countries, included in this study. The data was collected from May to August 2020 (5 June 2020). The sample included 15,375 participants from 23 countries: (seven from Europe: Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Russia; 11 from West, South and Southeast Asia: Armenia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Turkey; two African: Nigeria and Tanzania; and three from North, South, and Central America: Brazil, Canada, United States). Level of anxiety was measured by means of the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) and the 20-item first part of The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)—State Anxiety Inventory (SAI). Respondents were also asked about their personal experiences with COVID-19, attitudes toward measures introduced by governments, changes in attitudes toward migrants during a pandemic, family income, isolation conditions, etc. The factor analysis revealed that four factors explained 45.08% of variance in increase of anxiety, and these components were interpreted as follows: (1) personal awareness of the threat of COVID-19, (2) personal reaction toward officially undertaken measures and attitudes to foreigners, (3) personal trust in official sources, (4) personal experience with COVID-19. Three out of four factors demonstrated strong associations with both scales of anxiety: high level of anxiety was significantly correlated with high level of personal awareness of the threat of COVID-19, low level of personal reaction toward officially undertaken measures and attitudes to foreigners, and high level of presence of personal experience with COVID-19. Our study revealed significant main effects of sex, country, and all four factors on the level of anxiety. It was demonstrated that countries with higher levels of anxiety assessed the real danger of a pandemic as higher, and had more personal experience with COVID-19. Respondents who trusted the government demonstrated lower levels of anxiety. Finally, foreigners were perceived as the cause of epidemic spread

Cross-cultural perspectives on the role of empathy during COVID-19’s first wave

The COVID-19 pandemic has spread throughout the world, and concerns about psychological, social, and economic consequences are growing rapidly. Individuals’ empathy-based reactions towards others may be an important resilience factor in the face of COVID-19. Self-report data from 15,375 participants across 23 countries were collected from May to August 2020 during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, this study examined different facets of empathy—Perspective-Taking, Empathic Concern, and Personal Distress, and their association with cross-cultural ratings on Individualism, Power Distance, The Human Development Index, Social Support Ranking, and the Infectious Disease Vulnerability Index, as well as the currently confirmed number of cases of COVID-19 at the time of data collection. The highest ratings on Perspective-Taking were obtained for USA, Brazil, Italy, Croatia, and Armenia (from maximum to minimum); on Empathetic Concern, for the USA, Brazil, Hungary, Italy, and Indonesia; and on Personal Distress, from Brazil, Turkey, Italy, Armenia, Indonesia. Results also present associations between demographic factors and empathy across countries. Limitations and future directions are presented