Head movement synchrony in social interactions of patients with schizophrenia indicates symptoms, cognition and social functioning

Background: Disturbed interpersonal communication is a core problem in schizophrenia. Patients with schizophrenia often appear disconnected and "out of sync" when interacting with others. This may involve perception, cognition, motor behavior, and nonverbal expressiveness. Although well-known from clinical observation, mainstream research has neglected this area. Corresponding theoretical concepts, statistical methods, and assessment were missing. In recent research, however, it has been shown that objective, video-based measures of nonverbal behavior can be used to reliably quantify nonverbal behavior in schizophrenia. Newly developed algorithms allow for a calculation of movement synchrony. We found that the objective amount of movement of patients with schizophrenia during social interactions was closely related to the symptom profiles of these patients (Kupper et al., 2010). In addition and above the mere amount of movement, the degree of synchrony between patients and healthy interactants may be indicative of various problems in the domain of interpersonal communication and social cognition. Methods: Based on our earlier study, head movement synchrony was assessed objectively (using Motion Energy Analysis, MEA) in 378 brief, videotaped role-play scenes involving 27 stabilized outpatients diagnosed with paranoid-type schizophrenia. Results: Lower head movement synchrony was indicative of symptoms (negative symptoms, but also of conceptual disorganization and lack of insight), verbal memory, patients��� self-evaluation of competence, and social functioning. Many of these relationships remained significant even when corrected for the amount of movement of the patients. Conclusion: The results suggest that nonverbal synchrony may be an objective and sensitive indicator of the severity of symptoms, cognition and social functioning.

O PAPEL DA COMUNICA����O FACE A FACE NAS ORGANIZA����ES NO CONTEXTO DA SOCIEDADE MIDIATIZADA

Este estudo trata da comunica����o face a face nas organiza����es sob diferentes abordagens te��ricas. Considera a perspectiva da simultaneidade dos meios, j�� que as empresas utilizam diversos canais para dialogar com seus p��blicos de interesse. Leva em conta o fen��meno da midiatiza����o, que reestrutura o modo como as pessoas se relacionam na sociedade contempor��nea. O objetivo geral da pesquisa �� sistematizar papeis potencialmente exercidos pela intera����o face a face e conhecer algumas circunst��ncias que envolvem sua pr��tica nas organiza����es. Por se tratar de uma tese te��rica, a pesquisa bibliogr��fica se apresenta como um dos principais procedimentos metodol��gicos; an��lises de casos emp��ricos e um estudo de caso desenvolvido na Embrapa Pantanal constituem situa����es ilustrativas. Conclui-se que a comunica����o face a face nas empresas ocorre de forma simult��nea e combinada a outros canais de comunica����o, por��m, ela proporciona resultados pr��ticos e filos��ficos ainda pouco explorados. �� rara a utiliza����o estrat��gica de contatos presenciais como mecanismo para estabelecer relacionamentos, conhecer as rea����es alheias e ajustar a comunica����o, aliar o discurso corporativo ��s pr��ticas empresariais e avaliar o contexto onde se desenvolvem as intera����es, o que pode ser decisivo para a comunica����o organizacional.

A pilot study of orthopaedic resident self-assessment using a milestones' survey just prior to milestones implementation.

OBJECTIVE: To pilot test if Orthopaedic Surgery residents could self-assess their performance using newly created milestones, as defined by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education. METHODS: In June 2012, an email was sent to Program Directors and administrative coordinators of the 154 accredited Orthopaedic Surgery Programs, asking them to send their residents a link to an online survey. The survey was adapted from the Orthopaedic Surgery Milestone Project. Completed surveys were aggregated in an anonymous, confidential database. SAS 9.3 was used to perform the analyses. RESULTS: Responses from 71 residents were analyzed. First and second year residents indicated through self-assessment that they had substantially achieved Level 1 and Level 2 milestones. Third year residents reported they had substantially achieved 30/41, and fourth year residents, all Level 3 milestones. Fifth year, graduating residents, reported they had substantially achieved 17 Level 4 milestones, and were extremely close on another 15. No milestone was rated at Level 5, the maximum possible. Earlier in training, Patient Care and Medical Knowledge milestones were rated lower than the milestones reflecting the other four competencies of Practice Based Learning and Improvement, Systems Based Practice, Professionalism, and Interpersonal Communication. The gap was closed by the fourth year. CONCLUSIONS: Residents were able to successfully self-assess using the 41 Orthopaedic Surgery milestones. Respondents' rate improved proficiency over time. Graduating residents report they have substantially, or close to substantially, achieved all Level 4 milestones. Milestone self-assessment may be a useful tool as one component of a program's overall performance assessment strategy.

Effect of reading sport chronicles on the perception of justice and the predisposition to protest actions in soccer

In this study three chronicles from national newspapers (one generalist and two sport press) were analyzed. The chronicles belong to Spain���s soccer final of the King���s Cup in 2014. The aim of the study was to know if there was any influence on the readers��� perception of justice and consequently if this influence could cause a particular predisposition to participate in acts of protest. 462 university students participated. The results showed that different chronicles caused differences in the perception of justice depending on the chronicle read. However, a clear influence on the willingness to participate in acts of protest was not obtained. These results should make us think about the impact of sport press and its influence, and to be aware of the indirect responsibility of every sector on the antisocial behaviors generated by soccer in our country.

Psicomotricidade na promo����o de compet��ncias pessoais e sociais : interven����o com jovens adultos em acompanhamento no ��mbito de medidas de execu����o na comunidade

O presente relat��rio descreve as atividades realizadas no ��mbito do Mestrado em Reabilita����o Psicomotora, Ramo de Aprofundamento de Compet��ncias Profissionais da Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, realizado na Dire����o Geral de Reinser����o e Servi��os Prisionais, Equipa Lisboa 1. O trabalho pressup��s a conce����o e implementa����o de um Programa de Compet��ncias Pessoais e Sociais, dirigido a jovens adultos em acompanhamento no ��mbito de medidas de execu����o na comunidade. O Programa encontra-se dividido em tr��s ��reas de interven����o: Comunica����o Interpessoal, Autorregula����o e Resolu����o de problemas e �� composto por 22 sess��es, tendo sido implementado na Casa de S��o Bento, a oito sujeitos, com idades compreendidas entre os 18 e 25 anos. Os resultados obtidos na interven����o permitiram observar melhorias, tanto a n��vel relacional, como emocional e comportamental, verificando-se uma evolu����o positiva por parte dos participantes. Na parte final deste relat��rio �� realizada uma an��lise dos resultados obtidos, por forma a avaliar o impacto do programa, e s��o apresentadas as dificuldades, conclus��es e sugest��es para interven����es futuras.

Estrategias de comunicaci��n interpersonal y p��blica en los movimientos sociales. Transformaciones de las redes informales y de los repertorios en la era de la Web social

El objetivo de este trabajo es contribuir al estudio del campo de la comunicaci��n en movimientos sociales de la era de la Web social. La investigaci��n plantea como hip��tesis que han aparecido nuevas estrategias comunicativas en los ���cibermovimientos sociales��� para influir en el cambio social. Propone una clasificaci��n en la que se distinguen transformaciones en el ��mbito de la comunicaci��n interpersonal (las redes informales) y la comunicaci��n p��blica (los repertorios de acci��n colectiva). Los resultados se apoyan en una exhaustiva revisi��n bibliogr��fica y en la observaci��n directa virtual, especialmente de los movimientos sociales de indignaci��n global de 2011.

Researching the Use of Communication Technologies in Higher Education Institutions in Portugal

This paper describes a research which main purpose was identifying and characterizing the use of Communication Technologies by Portuguese Public Higher Education Institutions to support learning activities. An analysis model was created and used to develop a nationwide online survey used to collect data from students, teachers and institutional managers. The results show that institutional policies and resources are in place and being used to support learning; learning management systems and interpersonal communication technologies are intensely used and widely adopted; and that there are gender differences as far as the students' use of Communication Technologies is concerned. The results of this project provide a useful insight on the use of Communication Technologies by Portuguese Public Higher Education Institutions and give valuable information for ongoing decision making processes regarding the institutional adoption and development of learning models that take advantage of these technologies.

O PAPEL DA COMUNICA����O FACE A FACE NAS ORGANIZA����ES NO CONTEXTO DA SOCIEDADE MIDIATIZADA

Este estudo trata da comunica����o face a face nas organiza����es sob diferentes abordagens te��ricas. Considera a perspectiva da simultaneidade dos meios, j�� que as empresas utilizam diversos canais para dialogar com seus p��blicos de interesse. Leva em conta o fen��meno da midiatiza����o, que reestrutura o modo como as pessoas se relacionam na sociedade contempor��nea. O objetivo geral da pesquisa �� sistematizar papeis potencialmente exercidos pela intera����o face a face e conhecer algumas circunst��ncias que envolvem sua pr��tica nas organiza����es. Por se tratar de uma tese te��rica, a pesquisa bibliogr��fica se apresenta como um dos principais procedimentos metodol��gicos; an��lises de casos emp��ricos e um estudo de caso desenvolvido na Embrapa Pantanal constituem situa����es ilustrativas. Conclui-se que a comunica����o face a face nas empresas ocorre de forma simult��nea e combinada a outros canais de comunica����o, por��m, ela proporciona resultados pr��ticos e filos��ficos ainda pouco explorados. �� rara a utiliza����o estrat��gica de contatos presenciais como mecanismo para estabelecer relacionamentos, conhecer as rea����es alheias e ajustar a comunica����o, aliar o discurso corporativo ��s pr��ticas empresariais e avaliar o contexto onde se desenvolvem as intera����es, o que pode ser decisivo para a comunica����o organizacional.

Lideran��a transformacional/transacional: que impacto no cinismo organizacional?

Disserta����o apresentada �� Escola Superior de Comunica����o Social como parte dos requisitos para obten����o de grau de mestre em Gest��o Estrat��gica das Rela����es P��blicas.

Avalia����o da satisfa����o do utente na comunica����o com os profissionais de sa��de constru����o e valida����o de um instrumento

A satisfa����o do utente na comunica����o com profissionais de sa��de �� um indicador de qualidade dos servi��os ou institui����es. Na literatura n��o encontramos instrumentos padronizados e validados, que avaliem a satisfa����o do utente na comunica����o com os profissionais de sa��de. O presente estudo tem como objetivo construir e validar um instrumento para avaliar a satisfa����o do utente na comunica����o com os profissionais de sa��de. Desenvolvemos este estudo em tr��s ciclos. Um primeiro, revis��o da literatura, para identificar dimens��es e itens da comunica����o interpessoal na sa��de. No segundo ciclo, conduzimos um m��todo de Delphi modificado em tr��s rondas, com recurso �� plataforma inform��tica de question��rios Survey Monkey, no qual participou um painel de 25 peritos; estabelecemos como crit��rio m��nimo de reten����o para a ronda seguinte os itens que recebessem 70% do consenso por parte do painel. Ap��s as tr��s rondas, obtivemos um instrumento com seis dimens��es comunicacionais (comunica����o verbal, comunica����o n��o verbal, empatia, respeito, resolu����o de problemas e material de apoio), vinte e cinco itens espec��ficos, e mais seis dimens��es gen��ricas, que avaliam cada uma das dimens��es. No terceiro ciclo avaliamos as caracter��sticas psicom��tricas, em termos de sensibilidade, validade do construto e fidelidade, numa amostra de 348 participantes. Os resultados mostram que todas as categorias de resposta estavam representadas em todos os itens. Validade do construto- a an��lise fatorial identificou uma solu����o de seis componentes que explicam 71% da vari��ncia total. Fiabilidade - os valores da correla����o item-total variam entre 0,387 e 0,722, existindo uma correla����o positiva moderada a forte. O valor de alfa de Cronbach (��=0,928) indica que a consist��ncia interna �� excelente. O instrumento constru��do apresenta boas propriedades psicom��tricas. Fica assim dispon��vel uma nova ferramenta para auxiliar na gest��o e no processo de planeamento necess��rios ao incremento da qualidade nos servi��os e institui����es de sa��de.

Contributos do postal ilustrado para a hist��ria do Free Card

Disserta����o de mestrado em Ci��ncias da Comunica����o (��rea de especializa����o em Publicidade e Rela����es P��blicas)

Oficina de escrita criativa: como se conta uma hist��ria?

Projecto de mestrado em Media����o Cultural e Liter��ria

Pensamiento geogr��fico versus teor��a de la comunicaci��n. Hacia un modelo de an��lisis comunicativo del paisaje

El estudio de las implicaciones comunicativas presentes en el paisaje abre un amplio abanico de posibilidades para el tratamiento de la dualidad entre comunicaci��n y paisaje. Aspectos como los efectos que el paisaje genera en los procesos de comunicaci��n humana (comunicaci��n intrapersonal e interpersonal), el seguimiento de los procesos comunicativos mediante los cuales se mercadea con el paisaje (comunicaci��n de masas), la construcci��n de imaginarios individuales y colectivos a partir de la interacci��n entre ciudadan��a y paisaje y, m��s recientemente, la construcci��n de identidades territoriales a partir de la elaboraci��n de una imagen de marca de ciudad o de pa��s ���l��ase promoci��n tur��stica, citymarketing y/o branding��� tienen, todos ellos, unas enormes implicaciones en las sociedades contempor��neas. Es por todo ello por lo que se hace imprescindible avanzar hacia un modelo de an��lisis comunicativo del paisaje, objetivo posible interrelacionando la geograf��a y los estudios de comunicaci��n, dos disciplinas aparentemente alejadas una de la otra en cuanto a sus or��genes y su praxis y, sin embargo, muy cercanas en lo que respecta a la evoluci��n reciente de sus paradigmas y en lo referente al tratamiento de determinados conceptos, como los de espacio y paisaje.

Discovery of the faithfulness gene: a model of transmission and transformation of scientific information.

The purpose of this paper is to study the diffusion and transformation of scientific information in everyday discussions. Based on rumour models and social representations theory, the impact of interpersonal communication and pre-existing beliefs on transmission of the content of a scientific discovery was analysed. In three experiments, a communication chain was simulated to investigate how laypeople make sense of a genetic discovery first published in a scientific outlet, then reported in a mainstream newspaper and finally discussed in groups. Study 1 (N=40) demonstrated a transformation of information when the scientific discovery moved along the communication chain. During successive narratives, scientific expert terminology disappeared while scientific information associated with lay terminology persisted. Moreover, the idea of a discovery of a faithfulness gene emerged. Study 2 (N=70) revealed that transmission of the scientific message varied as a function of attitudes towards genetic explanations of behaviour (pro-genetics vs. anti-genetics). Pro-genetics employed more scientific terminology than anti-genetics. Study 3 (N=75) showed that endorsement of genetic explanations was related to descriptive accounts of the scientific information, whereas rejection of genetic explanations was related to evaluative accounts of the information.

Neural substrates of social emotion regulation: a FMRI study on imitation and expressive suppression to dynamic facial signals.

Emotion regulation is crucial for successfully engaging in social interactions. Yet, little is known about the neural mechanisms controlling behavioral responses to emotional expressions perceived in the face of other people, which constitute a key element of interpersonal communication. Here, we investigated brain systems involved in social emotion perception and regulation, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in 20 healthy participants. The latter saw dynamic facial expressions of either happiness or sadness, and were asked to either imitate the expression or to suppress any expression on their own face (in addition to a gender judgment control task). fMRI results revealed higher activity in regions associated with emotion (e.g., the insula), motor function (e.g., motor cortex), and theory of mind (e.g., [pre]cuneus) during imitation. Activity in dorsal cingulate cortex was also increased during imitation, possibly reflecting greater action monitoring or conflict with own feeling states. In addition, premotor regions were more strongly activated during both imitation and suppression, suggesting a recruitment of motor control for both the production and inhibition of emotion expressions. Expressive suppression (eSUP) produced increases in dorsolateral and lateral prefrontal cortex typically related to cognitive control. These results suggest that voluntary imitation and eSUP modulate brain responses to emotional signals perceived from faces, by up- and down-regulating activity in distributed subcortical and cortical networks that are particularly involved in emotion, action monitoring, and cognitive control.