Predicting harsh discipline in at-risk mothers: the moderating effect of socioeconomic deprivation severity

Socioeconomic disadvantage is an important predictor of maternal harsh discipline, but few studies have examined risk mechanisms for harsh parenting within disadvantaged samples. In the present study, parenting stress, family conflict, and child difficult temperament are examined as predictors of maternal harsh discipline among a group of 58 mothers from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds and their young children between the ages of 1- to 4-years-old. Maternal harsh discipline was measured using standardized observations, and mothers reported on parenting stress, family conflict, and child temperament. Severity of socioeconomic deprivation was included as a moderator in these associations. Results showed that parenting stress and family conflict predicted maternal harsh discipline, but only in the most severely deprived families. These findings extend prior research on the processes through which socioeconomic deprivation severity and family functioning impact maternal harsh discipline within a high-risk sample of low-income families. They suggest that the spillover of negative parental functioning into parent–child interactions is particularly likely under conditions of substantial socioeconomic deprivation. Severity of socioeconomic stress seems to undermine maternal adaptive forms of coping, resulting in harsh disciplining practices. Intervention efforts aimed at improving parenting and family relations, as well as an adaptive coping style assume especial relevance.

Abstract computation in schizophrenia detection through artificial neural network based systems

Schizophrenia stands for a long-lasting state of mental uncertainty that may bring to an end the relation among behavior, thought, and emotion; that is, it may lead to unreliable perception, not suitable actions and feelings, and a sense of mental fragmentation. Indeed, its diagnosis is done over a large period of time; continuos signs of the disturbance persist for at least 6 (six) months. Once detected, the psychiatrist diagnosis is made through the clinical interview and a series of psychic tests, addressed mainly to avoid the diagnosis of other mental states or diseases. Undeniably, the main problem with identifying schizophrenia is the difficulty to distinguish its symptoms from those associated to different untidiness or roles. Therefore, this work will focus on the development of a diagnostic support system, in terms of its knowledge representation and reasoning procedures, based on a blended of Logic Programming and Artificial Neural Networks approaches to computing, taking advantage of a novel approach to knowledge representation and reasoning, which aims to solve the problems associated in the handling (i.e., to stand for and reason) of defective information.

Adolescent parents’ values: the role played by retrospective perceptions of the family-of-origin

Family-of-origin is an important system in individual’s lives, and its influence is extensive over the life cycle. The aim of this study was to investigate, in a sample of adolescents’ parents, whether their retrospective perceptions of parenting and relationship qualities within their families-of-origin during adolescence predicted their current collectivist and individualist values. Participants included 110 Portuguese adults with a mean age of 46.86 years old. The results of structural equation modeling supported that retrospective perceptions of parenting and relationship qualities in the family-of-origin predicted the adults’ collectivist values but not their individualist values. This study highlights the importance of retrospective perceptions of supporting and non-rejecting parenting for value acquisition. The results also suggest that values that preserve and protect family connections and collaborations are more likely to be socialized by families. Implications for practice and for the theories on parenting, values, family-of-origin influences and family intergenerational transmission are discussed.

Quality of life in women with urinary incontinence

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship among psychological, clinical and sociodemographic variables, and quality of life in women with urinary incontinence. The sample consisted of 80 women diagnosed with urinary incontinence (UI) followed in a Northern Central Hospital in Portugal. Participants answered the Incontinence Quality of Life (I-QOL); Satisfaction with Sexual Relationship Questionnaire (SSRQ); Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales (HADS) and the Brief Cope. The results revealed that women with higher quality of life considered their symptoms of urine loss as mild or moderated compared to those with severe urine loss. The less severe urine loss was associated with greater sexual satisfaction and less use of religion and self-blame as coping strategies. In terms of coping, women who considered the loss of urine as severe expressed more feelings regarding UI. Stress urinary incontinence, high sexual satisfaction, and less use of denial, distraction, and religion as coping strategies, predicted higher quality of life. According to the results, UI has an impact on women’s sexual satisfaction and quality of life. Therefore, intervention programs should target these women, including their partners, helping them to adjust to their condition and teaching effective coping strategies in order to improve their sexual satisfaction and quality of life.

Attachment to parents: the mediating role of inhibition of exploration and individuality on health behaviors

This study’s goal was to analyze whether the quality of university students’ relationship with their parents mediated the association between mental health and physical symptoms and health behavior. Participants were 250 university students (66% female and 34% male), aged between 17 and 29 years old (M = 20.88, SD = 2.03) that answered the Father/Mother Attachment Questionnaire (FMAQ), the Physical Symptoms Scale from the Rotterdam Symptom Checklist (RSCL), the Health Behavior Questionnaire (HBQ), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The results showed that the indirect effect of physical symptoms on health behavior was significantly mediated by the father’s and mother’s inhibition of exploration and individuality (IEI). Also the indirect effect of psychological distress on health behavior was significantly mediated by the father’s and mother’s IEI. These results suggest that young adults who had more restrictions to their individuality show worse health behaviors. Separation Anxiety and Dependence (SAD) and Quality of Emotional Bond (QEB), the other 2 attachment scales, were not mediators of the relationship between physical symptoms/ psychological distress and health behavior. This study shows the importance of promoting positive parenting practices that contribute to healthier behavior choices and less risky behaviors, as well as the need for more studies that clearly identify these practices in young adult populations.

Formação e avaliação de desempenho: contributos para o desenvolvimento profissional

Tese de Doutoramento em Ciências da Educação (Especialidade em Desenvolvimento Curricular)

Hume e o problema moral

Tese de Doutoramento em Filosofia (área de especialização em Filosofia Moderna e Contemporânea).

Current and previous eating practices among women recovered from anorexia nervosa: a qualitative approach

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze qualitatively how women, who have recovered from anorexia nervosa, perceive and describe their current eating practices, as well as the ones developed during the eating disorder period. METHODS: Seven women were interviewed individually with the objective of investigating their eating practices, transition phases and all relevant aspects that somewhat contributed to the habit-forming; experiences, feelings and perceptions related to mealtime and the influence that food has had over the present subjects' life. The interviews were analyzed by the discourse of the collective subject method. RESULTS: The results brought up the following topics: a) control; b) concerns and feelings; c) deprivation d) beauty dictatorship; e) eating competence; f) importance of food; g) food cacophony. CONCLUSIONS: What stands out is a multiplicity of eating practices, which during the eating disorder were similar to and characterized by restriction; however, after recovery, part of the subjects seem to have developed a higher eating competence, whereas others show a practice similar to the one acquired during the anorexia nervosa, such as the difficulty in realizing when they are satisfied and a feeling of discomfort when facing social interactions.

Produções independentes em arte e comunicação como ferramentas para a construção de realidades sociais: estudos de caso no Brasil

Dissertação de mestrado em Comunicação, Arte e Cultura

O uso do Facebook e as emoções experienciadas pelas crianças na óptica dos seus professores

Atualmente a rede social mais visitada em todo o mundo é o Facebook. Além de nos permitir ter um perfil pessoal podemos partilhar fotos, vídeos, mensagens e outros ficheiros. No Facebook também é permitido criar grupos fechados onde os seus membros podem interagir através de mensagens escritas, de áudio, de vídeo e/ou imagens. Tanto esta rede social quanto os grupos dentro da mesma podem ser usados de forma indevida, mas, por outro lado, também podem ser utilizados para aprender, aprender a fazer, conhecer, desenvolver a linguagem escrita e outras competências. O nosso estudo teve como objetivo conhecer a perceção de educadores de infância e professores de primeiro ciclo do ensino básico relativamente ao uso do Facebook por parte das crianças, bem como às emoções que as crianças manifestam neste uso. Foi um estudo transversal, para o qual construímos e validámos um questionário específico, com questões fechadas sobre o uso da respetiva rede social. O instrumento foi disponibilizado e preenchido online através do Google Forms. A amostra foi de conveniência, tendo sido constituída por 75 indivíduos (69 mulheres, 6 homens) com idades compreendidas entre os 25 e os 56 anos. Os resultados evidenciam que os professores e educadores discordam essencialmente que as crianças aceitem pedidos de amizade e comuniquem pelo chat do Facebook com pessoas que não conhecem, concordando mais que usem para comunicar com familiares e amigos, para aderir a grupos com o objetivo de aprender e que permitem o acesso dos adultos à sua conta. No respeitante as emoções e sentimentos registou-se maior discordância quanto ao facto de as crianças preferirem estar no Facebook do que na presença dos seus amigos e de se sentirem dependentes do uso do mesmo. Porém, observou-se o maior nível de concordância para o facto de ficarem aborrecidas se as obrigarem a sair do Facebook.

O Calcolítico e a Idade do Bronze na bacia do rio Neiva, NW de Portugal

Relatório de estágio de mestrado em Arqueologia

Perceção das crianças do segundo ciclo do ensino básico em relação aos cetáceos

Dissertação de mestrado em Ecologia

Promover a educação sensorial: dar "Sentidos" à transição entre a educação pré-escolar e o 1.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico

Relatório de estágio de mestrado em Educação Pré-escolar e Ensino no 1.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico

24-h urinary free cortisol from mid-pregnancy to 3-months postpartum: gender and parity differences and effects

Background: Pregnancy and postpartum have been associated to several physiological changes;however, empirical evidence was almost exclusively obtained in primiparous women and few studies focus on hormonal changes in men and second-time parents. The main aim of this study is to examine 24-h urinary free cortisol from mid-pregnancy to 3-months postpartum, comparing women/men and first/second-time parents.Methods: Twenty-six women and 22 men (N = 48) were recruited from an antenatal obstetric unit in Porto, Portugal. 24-h urinary free cortisol was measured at the 2nd and 3rd trimester and at 3-months postpartum. Repeated measures analyses of variance were conducted, in order to analyze 24-h urinary free cortisol patterns of change over this period. Gender and parity were included in the analyses as potential modifiers, in order to compare women and men, and first-and second-time parents.Results: An increase from the 2nd to the 3rd trimester (p = .006) and a decrease from the 3rd trimester to 3-months postpartum (p = .005) were reported in all parents’ 24-h urinary free cortisol. The interaction effects for Time * Gender (p = .03) and Time * Parity (p = .02) were found. Women and first-time parents revealed higher levels, while men and second-time parents showed lower 24-h urinary free cortisol levels at the 2nd trimester than at 3-months postpartum.Conclusions: Findings appear to clarify the direction, as well as, the timing, gender and parity extension of 24-h urinary free cortisol changes from mid-pregnancy to 3-months postpartum.The same pattern of change in all parents’ 24-h urinary free cortisol from mid-pregnancy to 3-months postpartum is consistent with the proposed role of hormones in preparation to parenting.

Childhood history of abuse and child abuse potential: the role of parent’s gender and timing of childhood abuse

It has been suggested that being physically abused leads to someone becoming a perpetrator of abuse which could be associated to parents' gender, timing of the physical abuse and specific socio-demographic variables. This study aims to investigate the role the parents' gender, timing of childhood abuse and socio-demographic variables on the relationship between parents' history of childhood physical abuse and current risk for children. The sample consisted of 920 parents (414 fathers, 506 mothers) from the Portuguese National Representative Study of Psychosocial Context of Child Abuse and Neglect who completed the Childhood History Questionnaire and the Child Abuse Potential Inventory. The results showed that fathers had lower current potential risk of becoming physical abuse perpetrators with their children than mothers although they did not differed in their physical victimization history. Moreover, the risk was higher in parents (both genders) with continuous history of victimization than in parents without victimization. Prediction models showed that for fathers and mothers separately similar socio-demographic variables (family income, number of children at home, employment status and marital status) predicted the potential risk of becoming physical abuses perpetrators. Nevertheless, the timing of victimization was different for fathers (before 13 years old) and mothers (after 13 years old). Then our study targets specific variables (timing of physical abuse, parents' gender and specific socio-demographic variables), which may enable professionals to select groups of parents at greater need of participating in abuse prevention programs.