O efeito do sorriso na percepção psicológica da pessoa

O objectivo do estudo foi o de verificar o efeito do sorriso na percepção psicológica da pessoa em jovens, adultos, idosos e jovens negros. Pretendia-se verificar se o sorriso contribui para os traços diferenciais entre os grupos humanos em estudo e se o mesmo era descritor de género. O estudo envolveu um delineamento transversal analítico ou estudo não-experimental, também classificado por estudo pós-facto, estudo de observação passiva ou estudo correlacional e de observação, de comparação entre grupos, mediante o juízo ou julgamento psicológico da face neutra e do tipo de sorriso contrastados, de matriz factorial 4 x 2 x 2 (face neutra, sorriso fechado, sorriso superior, sorriso largo; género dos estímulos; género dos respondentes) e a sua finalidade foi descrever a percepção psicológica do sorriso em função das variáveis género do estímulo, género do respondente e grupo étnico, na Escala de Percepção do Sorriso (EPS), em formato diferenciador semântico, com 19 itens bipolares opostos, tendo a avaliação sido feita numa escala ordinal de 1 a 7 pontos, nas dimensões Avaliação (12 itens) e Movimento Expressivo (7 itens) resultante dos estudos preliminares sobre a atractividade facial (estudo preliminar 1) e a escolha de dípolos de adjectivos preditores para percepção psicológica da face neutra (estudo preliminar 2). Nos estudos principais 1, 2 e 3 foram utilizados 24 estímulos fotográficos apresentando o tipo de sorriso (fechado, superior e largo) e a face neutra (12 do estímulo mulher e 12 do estímulo homem) referentes aos três grupos etários (18-25 anos, 40-50 anos e 60-70 anos) e a Escala de Percepção do Sorriso (EPS) foi aplicada a uma amostra não probabilística ou intencional do tipo homogénea de 480 participantes portugueses de ambos os géneros (240 mulheres e 240 homens) distribuídos por grupos etários de jovens (80 mulheres e 80 homens, média: 22.2 anos), adultos (80 mulheres e 80 homens, média: 43.1 anos) e idosos (80 mulheres e 80 homens, média: 65.0 anos) No estudo principal 4, foram utilizados 8 estímulos fotográficos apresentando o tipo de sorriso (fechado, superior e largo) e a face neutra (4 do estímulo mulher e 4 do estímulo homem) de universitários de Cabo Verde, a estudar em Portugal, e a Escala de Percepção do Sorriso (EPS) foi aplicada a uma amostra não probabilística ou intencional do tipo homogénea de 160 participantes de ambos os géneros (80 mulheres e 80 homens) e estudantes universitários portugueses (média: 21.8 anos). Os resultados revelam e confirmam o efeito do sorriso na percepção psicológica da pessoa, à semelhança de outros estudos, isto é, sorrir torna a percepção psicológica mais positiva ou negativa e verifica-se que tal sucede em função do género do estímulo e do género do respondente. As diferenças significativas na percepção da face neutra e tipo de sorriso contrastados são justificadas pela pertença de género de quem os percepciona e pela pertença do género de quem é percepcionado. Tal apenas não sucede no factor Avaliação do grupo dos adultos. Os resultados obtidos indicam que, quer no factor Avaliação quer no factor Movimento Expressivo, os tipos de sorriso largo e superior são os que registam médias ponderadas mais elevadas. Pelo contrário, a face neutra e o sorriso fechado registam valores menos elevados na percepção. A análise da percepção da pessoa em função da face neutra e tipo de sorriso contrastados revelou uma correspondência entre a expressão facial, o género do estímulo e o género do respondente. No factor Avaliação, a mulher é percepcionada mais positivamente que o homem, verificando-se o inverso no factor Movimento Expressivo no grupo dos adultos e dos idosos. Verificou-se efeito do sorriso na percepção psicológica dos estímulos de cor negra. No grupo dos jovens que percepcionaram estímulos de cor negra, o homem é considerado mais positivo que a mulher em ambos os factores. O efeito significativo do género revela que a sua percepção é condicionada pelo seu próprio género. Os resultados apontam ainda para a configuração pronunciada de uma hierarquização ascendente da face neutra e tipo de sorriso contrastados em dois conjuntos bem delimitados e distinguindo diferentes formas topográficas de sorrir: a face neutra e o sorriso fechado e o sorriso superior e o sorriso largo.

Rational reasoning or adaptive behavior? Evidence from two-person beauty contest games

Many experiments have shown that human subjects do not necessarily behave in line with game theoretic assumptions and solution concepts. The reasons for this non-conformity are multiple. In this paper we study the argument whether a deviation from game theory is because subjects are rational, but doubt that others are rational as well, compared to the argument that subjects, in general, are boundedly rational themselves. To distinguish these two hypotheses, we study behavior in repeated 2-person and many-person Beauty-Contest-Games which are strategically different from one another. We analyze four different treatments and observe that convergence toward equilibrium is driven by learning through the information about the other player s choice and adaptation rather than self-initiated rational reasoning.

When Preference Is Not Satisfied but the Individual Is: How Power Distance Affects Person-Job Fit

One aspect of person-job fit reflects congruence between personal preferences and job design; as congruence increases so should satisfaction. We hypothesized that power distance would moderate whether fit is related to satisfaction with degree of job formalization. We obtained measures of job-formalization, fit and satisfaction, as well as organizational commitment from employees (n = 772) in a multinational firm with subsidiaries in six countries. Confirming previous findings, individuals from low power-distance cultures were most satisfied with increasing fit. However, the extent to which individuals from high power-distance cultures were satisfied did not necessarily depend on increasing fit, but mostly on whether the degree of formalization received was congruent to cultural norms. Irrespective of culture, satisfaction with formalization predicted a broad measure of organizational commitment. Apart from our novel extension of fit theory, we show how moderation can be tested in the context of polynomial response surface regression and how specific hypotheses can be tested regarding different points on the response surface.

Noise in Brain Activity Engenders Perception and Influences Discrimination Sensitivity.

Behavioral and brain responses to identical stimuli can vary with experimental and task parameters, including the context of stimulus presentation or attention. More surprisingly, computational models suggest that noise-related random fluctuations in brain responses to stimuli would alone be sufficient to engender perceptual differences between physically identical stimuli. In two experiments combining psychophysics and EEG in healthy humans, we investigated brain mechanisms whereby identical stimuli are (erroneously) perceived as different (higher vs lower in pitch or longer vs shorter in duration) in the absence of any change in the experimental context. Even though, as expected, participants' percepts to identical stimuli varied randomly, a classification algorithm based on a mixture of Gaussians model (GMM) showed that there was sufficient information in single-trial EEG to reliably predict participants' judgments of the stimulus dimension. By contrasting electrical neuroimaging analyses of auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) to the identical stimuli as a function of participants' percepts, we identified the precise timing and neural correlates (strength vs topographic modulations) as well as intracranial sources of these erroneous perceptions. In both experiments, AEP differences first occurred ∼100 ms after stimulus onset and were the result of topographic modulations following from changes in the configuration of active brain networks. Source estimations localized the origin of variations in perceived pitch of identical stimuli within right temporal and left frontal areas and of variations in perceived duration within right temporoparietal areas. We discuss our results in terms of providing neurophysiologic evidence for the contribution of random fluctuations in brain activity to conscious perception.

Perception of tobacco, cannabis, and alcohol use of others is associated with one's own use.

BACKGROUND: Interventions have been developed to reduce overestimations of substance use among others, especially for alcohol and among students. Nevertheless, there is a lack of knowledge on misperceptions of use for substances other than alcohol. We studied the prevalence of misperceptions of use for tobacco, cannabis, and alcohol and whether the perception of tobacco, cannabis, and alcohol use by others is associated with one's own use. METHODS: Participants (n=5216) in a cohort study from a census of 20-year-old men (N=11,819) estimated the prevalence of tobacco and cannabis use among peers of the same age and sex and the percentage of their peers drinking more alcohol than they did. Using the census data, we determined whether participants overestimated, accurately estimated, or underestimated substance use by others. Regression models were used to compare substance use by those who overestimated or underestimated peer substance with those who accurately estimated peer use. Other variables included in the analyses were the presence of close friends with alcohol or other drug problems and family history of substance use. RESULTS: Tobacco use by others was overestimated by 46.1% and accurately estimated by 37.3% of participants. Cannabis use by others was overestimated by 21.8% and accurately estimated by 31.6% of participants. Alcohol use by others was overestimated by more than half (53.4%) of participants and accurately estimated by 31.0%. In multivariable models, compared with participants who accurately estimated tobacco use by others, those who overestimated it reported smoking more cigarettes per week (incidence rate ratio [IRR] [95% CI], 1.17 [range, 1.05, 1.32]). There was no difference in the number of cigarettes smoked per week between those underestimating and those accurately estimating tobacco use by others (IRR [95% CI], 0.99 [range, 0.84, 1.17]). Compared with participants accurately estimating cannabis use by others, those who overestimated it reported more days of cannabis use per month (IRR [95% CI], 1.43 [range, 1.21, 1.70]), whereas those who underestimated it reported fewer days of cannabis use per month (IRR [95% CI], 0.62 [range, 0.23, 0.75]). Compared with participants accurately estimating alcohol use by others, those who overestimated it reported consuming more drinks per week (IRR [95% CI], 1.57 [range, 1.43, 1.72]), whereas those who underestimated it reported consuming fewer drinks per week (IRR [95% CI], 0.41 [range, 0.34, 0.50]). CONCLUSIONS: Perceptions of substance use by others are associated with one's own use. In particular, overestimating use by others is frequent among young men and is associated with one's own greater consumption. This association is independent of the substance use environment, indicating that, even in the case of proximity to a heavy-usage group, perception of use by others may influence one's own use. If preventive interventions are to be based on normative feedback, and their aim is to reduce overestimations of use by others, then the prevalence of overestimation indicates that they may be of benefit to roughly half the population; or, in the case of cannabis, to as few as 20%. Such interventions should take into account differing strengths of association across substances.

Perception et communication du risque: du diabète à la maladie cardiovasculaire [Risk perception and communication: from diabetes to cardiovascular diseases].

Evidence-based medicine has enabled to approach disease in a more rational and scientific way. Clinical research has identified behaviours and risk factors that could cause disease often "silent" at the beginning, such as diabetes. Despite the clear impact of these evidences on public health, it seems that the individual risk perception level remains weak. To mention as well, the health professionals very often have a different views, which makes it difficult to communicate the risk with patients. In this article we describe the principles of risk perception, the diabetes related risk perception concerning cardiovascular complications, and suggest some practical strategies and tools which could improve risk communication in the everyday practice.

Percepció de dificultat i esforç en la mobilització de persones dependents, en el seu entorn domiciliari, per part dels seus cuidadors, abans i després de la utilització de llençols lliscants

Les persones amb dependència necessiten ajuda en la mobilització al llit, que suposa un esforç per a la persona cuidadora. La percepció de dificultat en dur a terme aquestes tasques pot afectar negativament la qualitat de vida de les persones cuidadores i també la de les persones dependents. L’objectiu d’aquest estudi va ser investigar si la utilització de superfícies de reducció de la fricció (tipus llençols lliscants) redueix la dificultat percebuda per les persones cuidadores i les persones dependents en la mobilització al llit. Mètodes: es va dur a terme un estudi quasi experimental a domicili en una mostra seleccionada a conveniència de 12 persones amb dependència i els seus cuidadors en diverses localitats. Es va avaluar la percepció de dificultat en la mobilització per part dels cuidadors i les persones dependents abans i després d’una intervenció formativa simultània a la utilització de llençols lliscants. Resultats: el perfil del cuidador és el d’una dona de mitjana edat amb una relació filial amb la persona dependent i sense formació específica en mètodes de mobilització de persones dependents. El perfil de la persona dependent és el d’una dona major de 80 anys amb una gran dependència que necessita ajuda de la persona que la cuida en les maniobres de redreçament i trasllat al llit. En una escala de percepció de la dificultat de 0 a 10, les mitjanes de les puntuacions observades en els cuidadors abans de la intervenció van ser de 6,9 (DE: 3,1) en el redreçament cap amunt i de 7,1 (DE: 3,1) en el trasllat lateral; després de la intervenció van ser d’1,25 (DE: 1,8) en el redreçament cap amunt i d’1,45 (DE: 1,6) en la mobilització lateral. En la mateixa escala, les mitjanes de les puntuacions observades en les persones dependents abans de la intervenció van ser de 8,6 (DE: 2,3) en el redreçament cap amunt i de 8,6 (DE: 2,3) en el trasllat cap als costats, i després de la intervenció van ser de 2 (DE: 2,6) en els redreçaments cap amunt i de 2 (DE: 2,6) en els trasllats cap als costats. Comparant les puntuacions d’abans i després de la intervenció, observem que la dificultat percebuda per part dels cuidadors de les persones dependents va disminuir de manera significativa (p & 0,001); en les persones dependents també va disminuir, però la disminució no va arribar a ser significativa (p = 0,057). Conclusions: els resultats observats mostren que la utilització de llençols lliscants millora la qualitat de vida dels cuidadors, mesurada per la percepció de la dificultat en les maniobres de mobilització al llit. Així mateix, la seva utilització pot contribuir a un millor envelliment actiu. Caldria fer estudis que permetin quantificar l’esforç físic necessari i el cost-benefici que suposa la utilització d’aquests dispositius.

Estratègies de cura i presa de decisions en persones grans amb dependència ingressades en una unitat geriàtrica d'atenció intermèdia : estudi descriptiu

Aquest estudi té com objectiu observar les relacions entre les estratègies de cura (formal, informal, mixta) que fan servir els cuidadors de persones grans dependents, la seva situació social i les seves motivacions per la decisió respecte a com fan la cura. L’estat del tema destaca el predomini de les cures informals sobre les formals en els models de benestar mediterranis i la rellevància de la interacció entre factors personals socioculturals i les polítiques socials en la presa de decisions individuals sobre la cura de la dependència. La llei de la dependència, de recent implementació a l’Estat espanyol, ha universalitzat l’accés als recursos formals, creant un nou paradigma d’interacció cuidadors-recursos. Es tracta d’un estudi observacional, transversal, descriptiu de tipus mixt quantitatiu/qualitatiu realitzat a partir d’entrevistes individuals als cuidadors de dependents ingressats en una unitat geriàtrica d’atenció intermèdia. Es recullen dades sobre el context sociofamiliar, l’estratègia de cura, l’autopercepció i les motivacions. Els resultats mostren que els cuidadors combinen prestacions econòmiques i serveis (públics i privats) per adaptar al màxim l’estratègia a les condicions del dependent i a les seves pròpies. Tenen la convicció generalitzada que l’atenció cal fer-la al domicili per motius de reciprocitat i respecte a la persona cuidada. El pas a l’atenció residencial és una decisió molt difícil pels cuidadors. La implantació de la llei de la dependència ha normalitzat la relació entre cuidadors i recursos formals, però la burocratització i la insuficiència de l’oferta de serveis no afavoreixen canvis substancials en la provisió de l’ajut, que continua essent majoritàriament informal. La millora en la percepció de continuïtat d’atenció entre el domicili i la residència, i també en la gestió i l’oferta de serveis formals públics es presenten com a reptes de treball importants al nostre país.