Combinative Aspects of Leadership Style and Emotional Intelligence

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the leader’s emotional intelligence influences the leader’s preferences for different ways of combining leadership behaviors (i.e. combinative aspects of leadership style). Design/methodology/approach – The authors used a hybrid design to collect the data to avoid common-method biases. The authors described a high-stress workplace in a vignette and asked participants to rank four styles of combining a task-oriented leadership (i.e. Pressure) statement and a socio-emotional leadership (i.e. Support) statement. The authors then asked participants to complete a Likert-scale based questionnaire on emotional intelligence. Findings – The authors found that leaders who prefer to provide Support immediately before Pressure have higher levels of emotional intelligence than do leaders who prefer the three other combinative styles. Leaders who prefer to provide Pressure and Support separately (i.e. provide Pressure 30 minutes after Support) have the lowest levels of emotional intelligence. Research limitations/implications – A key implicit assumption in the work is that leaders do not want to evoke negative emotions in followers. The authors did not take into account factors that influence leadership style which participating managers would be likely to encounter on a daily basis such as the relationship with the follower, the follower’s level of performance and work experience, the gender of the leader and the gender of the follower, the hierarchical levels of the leader and follower, and the followers’ preferred combinative style. The nature of the sample and the use of a hypothetical scenario are other limitations of the study. Practical implications – Providing leadership behaviors that are regarded as effective is necessary but not enough because the emotional impact of leadership behaviors appears to also depend on how the behaviors are configured. Originality/value – This is the first study to show that the emotional intelligence of leaders is related to their preferences for the manner in which they combine task and social leadership statements. Furthermore, two-factor theories of leadership propose that the effects of task and social leadership are additive. However, the findings show that the effects are interactive.

Gestão de Recursos Humanos no Terceiro Setor: O Caso das Instituições Particulares de Solidariedade Social

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo geral estudar a gestão de recursos humanos (GRH) no terceiro setor, focando-se especificamente nas Instituições Particulares de Solidariedade Social (IPSS). Estas organizações têm vindo a demonstrar um papel cada vez mais relevante nas comunidades em que se inserem, pela sua missão em prestar serviços de cariz social e pela atual relevância como entidades empregadoras. A diversidade presente nas IPSS ao nível da estrutura, funcionamento, dimensão, organização e dinâmicas internas, proporciona o estudo e reflexão das especificidades na GRH. Para isso, abordam-se um conjunto de aspetos: i) diferenças entre meio empresarial e terceiro setor na GRH; ii) implicações da diversidade de respostas sociais e suas especificidades na gestão de pessoas; iii) o papel do Instituto de Segurança Social e as implicações legais na gestão de pessoas; iv) a localização geográfica e acesso a recursos humanos qualificados; v) a perspetiva das IPSS sobre os recursos humanos; vi) o perfil profissional dos colaboradores das IPSS; vii) práticas quotidianas na gestão de recursos humanos nas IPSS; viii) características da GRH nas IPSS (administrativa ou estratégica); ix) responsáveis pela GRH nas IPSS; x) o papel dos órgãos sociais na GRH; xi) profissionalização versus voluntariado; xii) a GRH, certificação e qualidade; xiii) as tendências do terceiro setor na gestão de pessoas. Foi utilizada uma metodologia qualitativa e aplicada a técnica de entrevista para recolher o conhecimento, experiências e perspetivas de diferentes interlocutores do terceiro setor, dirigentes, técnicos superiores, diretores de serviço, investigadores e representantes nacionais e distritais das IPSS. Da sistematização e análise dos dados recolhidos retiraram-se várias conclusões. As pessoas são consideradas o recurso mais importante para estas organizações, pela natureza social e humana das atividades desenvolvidas, prestadas por pessoas e destinadas a pessoas. Neste sentido, é demonstrada a importância do potencial humano aquando do recrutamento e seleção, pela primazia de requisitos como o relacionamento interpessoal em detrimento das qualificações. O perfil profissional característico das IPSS reconhece a importância da polivalência, disponibilidade, comprometimento, confiança, proximidade afetiva, voluntarismo e sentido de missão dos colaboradores, os quais tendem a ser são vistos como investimento tanto quanto reúnam estes aspetos; caso contrário podem ser encarados como custo. Quanto à acessibilidade a recursos humanos, surgem diferentes modalidades, consoante fatores de localização, dimensão, formação e estrutura organizacional, bem como o fenómeno da fuga de mão de obra, indício da dificuldade em captar e reter recursos humanos. O modelo de GRH nas IPSS é de cariz tradicional, caracterizado por uma gestão porimproviso com diferentes níveis de sensibilidade e capacidade das IPSS, no que concerne à implementação de processos de GRH, tais como sistemas de progressão na carreira, recrutamento interno e sistemas de avaliação de desempenho. Quanto aos aspetos da motivação e satisfação profissional, é assumida a importância da proximidade e apoio aos colaboradores, indicativos de um sistema de recompensas informal. É percetível a resistência na aplicação de técnicas de desenvolvimento organizacional, comprovada pela limitação na formação dos quadros de colaboradores. No entanto as IPSS são confrontadas com a rigidez dos instrumentos legais. A responsabilidade pela GRH é mais ou menos partilhada entre a direção técnica e os órgãos sociais, condicionada pelo estilo de liderança e relação de confiança entre si, em norma, pouco clara quanto aos papéis e funções desempenhadas. Por fim, é percebida a necessidade de coexistência de uma gestão profissionalizada e de direções voluntárias mais capacitadas e sensibilizadas para o desenvolvimento de metodologias e estratégias de gestão de pessoas, adaptadas às especificidades das IPSS. Este trabalho pretende contribuir com um espaço de reflexão para a elaboração de respostas mais eficazes e inovadoras que proporcionem o desenvolvimento organizacional, face às necessidades e transformações do terceiro setor. / This work main objective is the study of human resource management (HRM) in the third sector. It is focused specifically on Instituições Particulares de Solidariedade Social [Private Institutions for Social Solidarity] (IPSS). These kind of organizations have demonstrated an increased value in the communities they are inserted in, by providing social care services and by generating new jobs in the local communities. The study and reflection of HRM specificities is based on the variety in the structure, the purpose, the size, the internal organization and the dynamics of the different IPSS. For this purpose we explored the following aspects : i) the differences between business community and the third sector in HRM; ii) the implications of social responses diversity in people management; iii) the role of the National Insurance Institute and the legal impact on people management; iv) the geographic location and the IPSS access to skilled human resources; v) the understanding of IPSS on human resources; vi) the professional profile of IPSS employees; vii) the daily practices in human resource management on the IPSS; viii) the characteristics of HRM in IPSS (managerial or strategic); ix) who is responsible for HRM in IPSS; x) the role of executive board in HRM; xi) professionalization versus voluntary work; xii) HRM, quality and certification; xiii) the third sector trends in people management. The qualitative method and the interview technique were applied in order to gather knowledge, experiences and perspectives from several sources such as, different partners of the third sector, managers, service directors, technicians, researchers and national and local IPSS representatives. The results indicate several conclusions. Firstly the human resources are the most important resource of IPSS organizations due to the social nature of the services provided by them but also the importance of, the individual and social, skills required for these activities that are provided by people and are directed to people. This demonstrates the importance of interpersonal skills over professional qualifications during recruitment and selection. The IPSS recognize in their professionals the importance of versatility, availability, commitment, confidence, emotional proximity, voluntarism and sense of mission. If an employee fulfills these requirements, is considered an investment; otherwise might be seen as a cost. Regarding the accessibility of IPSS to qualified human resources, we consider different models, depending on location, size and training and organizational structure as well as the phenomenon run of hand labor, defined as the index of difficulty in capturing and retaining human resources. The model of HRM in IPSS is traditional in its nature and is characterized by management based on improvisation at different levels, regarding the implementation ofHRM processes such as career advancement systems, internal recruitment and performance evaluation. In regards to motivation and job satisfaction, it is valued the proximity and the support to the employees, showing therefore an informal system of rewards. There is a noticeable resistance to the application of organizational techniques which is demonstrated by controlling the formation of employees. However the IPSS are required to face the rigidity of legal instruments. The responsibility for HRM is shared between the technical direction and the management bodies, which depends on leadership style and mutual trust, and is generally unclear about the roles and duties performed. Finally, it becomes evident the need for coexistence between a professional management and a voluntary management, more capable and more sensible to the development of methods and strategies for people management, specifically adapted to each IPSS. This paper aims to contribute with space for reflection in the development of more effective and innovative responses for the organizational development, given the needs and transformations of the third sector.

Desenvolvimento e Estudo da Validade Facial do Questionário de Motivações para Revelar/Não Revelar a Parentalidade Não-Genética por Doação de Gâmetas

Introdução: A parentalidade é um papel muito valorizado socialmente. No entanto, para casais com infertilidade o desempenho deste papel pode implicar tratamentos de fertilidade, alguns deles com recurso a gâmetas de dador. Para os casais que recorrem a gâmetas de dador, surge uma outra preocupação: contar à criança a origem da sua conceção ou manter segredo. Ainda que as motivações que influenciam este processo de decisão tenham sido alvo de estudo, em Portugal a investigação relativa a este tema é escassa. Objetivos: A presente investigação pretendeu desenvolver e estudar a validade facial do Questionário de Motivações para Revelar/Não Revelar a Parentalidade não Genética por Doação de Gâmetas (QMRDG), o qual se destina a avaliar as principais motivações que influenciam o processo de tomada de decisão dos pais que recorrem a gâmetas de dador relativamente a contar ou não contar ao/à seu/sua filho/a a origem da sua conceção. Pretendeu-se ainda explorar a relação entre os sintomas emocionais negativos e o sentido de competência parental nos diferentes grupos em estudo (pais que já contaram à criança, pais que decidiram não contar e pais que ainda não contaram). Metodologia: Estudo exploratório conduzido numa amostra de 21 participantes que recorrem a tratamento de fertilidade com recurso a gâmetas de dador, tendo tido filhos resultantes desse mesmo tratamento, com idades compreendidas entre os 30 e 49 anos. Os participantes preencheram um conjunto de questionários numa plataforma online, tendo o estudo sido divulgado pela Associação Portuguesa de Fertilidade. Resultados: Os dados obtidos indicam que a maioria dos pais ainda não contou ao/à seu/sua filho/a sua origem genética devido ao facto de a criança ser ainda muito pequena, encontrando-se estes com intenção de revelar à criança. Dos pais que já contaram, as motivações que mais influenciaram a decisão basearam-se na falta de motivos para omitir, na importância dada à honestidade, no direito do conhecimento das origens genéticas e na transparência no seio familiar. Face às motivações para não contar, das que mais influenciaram os pais salienta-se a pouca importância dada à genética. O QMRDG revelou possuir validade facial não tendo sido reportada a existência de itens ambíguos ou de difícil compreensão. Discussão: A tendência dos pais no presente estudo foi de contar ao/à seu/sua filho/a a origem da sua conceção, sendo também esta a tendência reportada em estudos mais recentes. Verificou-se a existência de algumas limitações no estudo, nomeadamente o tamanho da amostra. No entanto, o QMRDG mostrou possuir validade facial, podendo constituir-se como um instrumento útil na prática clínica e na investigação com pessoas que estejam a realizar tratamento de fertilidade com recurso a gâmetas de dador. / Introduction: Parenting is a highly valued social role. However, for couples dealing with infertility this role can involve fertility treatments, and for some of them donorassisted reproduction. For couples who use third party reproduction, another concern can emerge: tell the child about the donor conception, or preserve secrecy. Although arguments for decision making have been studied, in Portugal research on this topic is scanty. Objectives: The current study sought out to develop and study the facial validity of Motivations for Disclosing/Not Disclosing Non-genetic Parenthood through Gamete Donation (QMRDG), which is designed to assess motivations that influence the decision-making process of parents who use gamete donation regarding tell or not to tell to his/her son/daughter his/her conception. The existence of differences concerning emotional negative symptoms and parenting sense of competence in three groups (parents that already disclosed, parents that decided not to disclose and parents that did not decide what to do) was also explored. Methods: This exploratory study was conducted in sample of 21 participants who undergone third-party reproduction treatment and became parents. Participants´ age ranged from 30 to 49 years. Participants completed a set of questionnaires through an online platform. The study was advertised by Associação Portuguesa de Fertilidade. Results: Data showed that most parents did not disclose to their child their donor conception due to the fact that the child is still very young, but their intention seems to be to disclose in the future. For parents who have disclosed, core motivations for that decision are based on the lack of reasons for omitting, on the importance of honesty, on the right to know genetic origins and on transparency in the family. Concerning motivations for not disclosing the little importance given to genetics emerges as one of the most important ones. QMRDG revealed good facial validity. The existence of ambiguous or difficult to understand items has not been reported. Discussion: In our study parent’s tendency was to disclose to his/her son/daughter his/her donor conception and this is also the trend reported in recent studies. There are some methodological limitations that should be considered mainly due to the sample size. However, the QMRDG proved to be an instrument showing facial validity, and it can be a useful tool in clinical practice and research with people who are pursuing fertility treatment with gamete donation.

Pathways to emotional closeness in neonatal units - a cross-national qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Research shows evidence for the importance of physical and emotional closeness for the infant, the parent and the infant-parent dyad. Less is known about how, when and why parents experience emotional closeness to their infants in a neonatal unit (NU), which was the aim of this study. METHODS: A qualitative study using a salutogenic approach to focus on positive health and wellbeing was undertaken in three NUs: one in Sweden, England and Finland. An 'emotional closeness' form was devised, which asked parents to describe moments/situations when, how and why they had felt emotionally close to their infant. Data for 23 parents of preterm infants were analyzed using thematic networks analysis. RESULTS: A global theme of 'pathways for emotional closeness' emerged from the data set. This concept related to how emotional, physical, cognitive and social influences led to feelings of emotional closeness between parents and their infants. The five underpinning organising themes relate to the: Embodied recognition through the power of physical closeness; Reassurance of, and contributing to, infant wellness; Understanding the present and the past; Feeling engaged in the day to day and Spending time and bonding as a family. CONCLUSION: These findings generate important insights into why, how and when parents feel emotionally close. This knowledge contributes to an increased awareness of how to support parents of premature infants to form positive and loving relationships with their infants. Health care staff should create a climate where parents' emotions and their emotional journey are individually supported.

Adolescent boys’ health : managing emotions, masculinities and subjective social status

The health of adolescent boys is complex and surprisingly little is known about how adolescent boys perceive, conceptualise and experience their health. Thus, the overall aim of this thesis was to explore adolescent boys’ perceptions and experiences of health, emotions, masculinity and subjective social status (SSS). This thesis consists of a qualitative, a quantitative and a mixed methods study. The qualitative study aimed to explore how adolescent boys understand the concept of health and what they find important for its achievement. Furthermore, the adolescent boys’ views of masculinity, emotion management and their potential effects on wellbeing were explored. For this purpose, individual interviews were conducted with 33 adolescent boys aged 16-17 years. The quantitative study aimed to investigate the associations between pride, shame and health in adolescence. Data were collected through a cross-sectional postal survey with 705 adolescents. The purpose of the mixed methods study was to investigate associations between SSS in school, socioeconomic status (SES) and self-rated health (SRH), and to explore the concept of SSS in school. Cross-sectional data were combined with interview data in which the meaning of SSS was further explored. Individual interviews with 35 adolescents aged 17-18 years were conducted. In the qualitative study, data were analysed using Grounded Theory. In the quantitative study, statistical analyses (e.g., chi-square test and uni- and multivariable logistic regression analyses) were performed. In the mixed method study, a combination of statistical analyses and thematic network analysis was applied. The results showed that there was a complexity in how the adolescent boys viewed, experienced, dealt with and valued health. On a conceptual level, they perceived health as holistic but when dealing with difficult emotions, they were prone to separate the body from the mind. Thus, the adolescent boys experienced a difference between health as a concept and health as an experience (paper I). Concerning emotional orientation in masculinity, two main categories of masculine conceptions were identified: a gender-normative masculinity and a non-gender-normative masculinity (paper II). Gender-normative masculinity comprised two seemingly opposite emotional masculinity orientations, one towards toughness and the other towards sensitivity, both of which were highly influenced by contextual and situational group norms and demands, despite that their expressions are in contrast to each other. Non-gender-normative masculinity included an orientation towards sincerity, emphasising the personal values of the boys. Emotions were expressed more independently of peer group norms. The findings suggest that different masculinities and the expression of emotions are intricately intertwined and that managing emotions is vital for wellbeing. The present findings also showed that both shame and pride were significantly associated with SRH, and furthermore, that there seems to be a protective effect of experiencing pride for health (paper III). The results also demonstrated that SSS is strongly related to SRH, and high SRH is related to high SSS, and further that the positioning was done in a gendered space (paper IV). Results from all studies suggest that the emotional and relational aspects, as well as perceived SSS, were strongly related to SRH. Positive emotions, trustful relationships and having a sense of belonging were important factors for health and pride was an important emotion protecting health. Physical health, on the other hand, had a more subordinated value, but the body was experienced as an important tool to achieve health. Even though health was mainly perceived in a holistic manner by the boys, there were boys who were prone to dichotomise the health experience into a mind-body dualism when having to deal with difficult emotions. In conclusion, this thesis demonstrates that young, masculine health is largely experienced through emotions and relationships between individuals and their contexts affected by gendered practices. Health is to feel and function well in mind and body and to have trusting relationships. The results support theories on health as a social construction of interconnected processes. Having confidence in self-esteem, access to trustful relationships and the courage to resist traditional masculine norms while still reinforcing and maintaining social status are all conducive to good health. Researchers as well as professionals need to consider the complexity of adolescent boys’ health in which norms, values, relationships and gender form its social determinants. Those working with young boys should encourage them to integrate physical, social and emotional aspects of health into an interconnected and holistic experience.

Skolan är en lättköpt arena - livskunskap i kritisk belysning

During the last decade a school subject with the designation of Life Competence Education ("Livskunskap" in Swedish) has emerged in many Swedish schools. The aim of this article is to describe and analyse the subject Life Competence Education, its historical and ideological roots and current place in the curricula of some selected schools. The article is based on analyses of policy documents, interviews and participant observations from fieldwork in two upper secondary schools and in one course for further training of teachers arranged by a municipality. Work by Foucault, especially on governmentality, is used as an analytic tool, as well as work developed from Foucault by Nicolas Rose and Stephen J. Ball. The analyses show that the subject Life Competence Education is constructed in many varied ways in Swedish schools due to different influences, both from the state, but also from private policy entrepreneurs (Ball, 2006). It is also shown that the SET-programme, which is only one example of programmes used for this type of education, is quite widely used in Life Competence Education in Swedish schools. In light of analyses from Foucault and Rose, I suggest that these programmes can be seen as the "psy", i.e. the "psychological domains" (Rose, 1999), entering into the educational arena and with the help of behaviouristic theories constructing "governable subjects" (Foucault, 1988, 1991). This raises questions regarding what kind of subjects are constructed in Life Competence Education, with what kind of methods, as well as how these methods are construed in the light of the Swedish National Curriculum

Economic competence and financial literacy of young adults. Status and challenges

This book will concentrate on economic competence and financial literacy of young adults in the US, Europe and South America. The subjects of the research are mainly individuals who have begun an apprenticeship or university education. Economic competence and financial literacy are of special interest for this group because they are usually in the unique position of being responsible for managing their own financial affairs autonomously, often for the first time. Furthermore, economic competence is key to social participation and active citizenship. (DIPF/Orig.)

Tecendo vivências e sentidos do câncer infantil : família, doença e redes de apoio social em Natal-RN

This paper discusses the experiences related to the treatment of children´s cancer which had children, their mothers and families as their main characters. They were mainly originated from areas in the countryside and urban poor areas in the State of Rio Grande do Norte. The non-governmental organization Grupo de Apoio à Criança com Câncer (GACC) was the privileged ethnographic location. In this setting, the mother, which was called acompanhante (companion), and the children, defined as pacientes (patients), were often sheltered in reason of therapeutic practices and the treatment undertaken by children in a nearby hospital. This study aims to focus on the therapeutic itinerary, beyond the children´s suffering, dealing with the family as a whole, since the moral values from these popular families imply the complete involvement of the family in relation to the illness and its treatment. Therefore, it is experienced as a family problem. We also intend to understand the construction of meanings to the illness, dealing with the ideological continuity in the relationships between the families and the GACC. These meanings were built in the intersection of these two spheres, which refer particularly to medical, religious and emotional explanations. Ethnographic methods were applied in this research at the entity and another social contexts, such as the family households. I also tried to retrieve the process of treatment outside the GACC, visiting the family context, when doing dense interviews or just having conversations with informants. It was found that the GACC, as a non-governmental organization, generates a negotiation of identities, which develops, then, through the family as a whole, but also through the child and especially the mother, affecting, in some way, their internal organization. Furthermore, the meanings of the experience of illness appeared to be shaped by the family sphere as well as by the logic of public health structures

A representação social do cuidado no programa saúde da família na cidade de Natal

RODRIGUES, M. P.; LIMA, K. C.; RONCALLI, A. G. A representação social do cuidado no programa saúde da família na cidade de Natal. Ciênc. Saúde Coletiva, v. 13, n. 1, p. 71-82. 2008. ISSN 1413-8123.

A representação social do cuidado no programa saúde da família na cidade de Natal

RODRIGUES, Maisa Paulino; LIMA, Kenio Costa de; RONCALLI, Angelo Giuseppe. A representaçao social do cuidado no programa saúde da familia na cidade de Natal. Ciência & Saúde Coletiva, v. 13, n. 1, p. 71-82, 2008.Disponivel em: . Acesso em: 04 out. 2010.

Developmental Neural Correlates of Social Interaction

Children develop in a sea of reciprocal social interaction, but their brain development is predominately studied in non-interactive contexts (e.g., viewing photographs of faces). This dissertation investigated how the developing brain supports social interaction. Specifically, novel paradigms were used to target two facets of social experience—social communication and social motivation—across three studies in children and adults. In Study 1, adults listened to short vignettes—which contained no social information—that they believed to be either prerecorded or presented over an audio-feed by a live social partner. Simply believing that speech was from a live social partner increased activation in the brain’s mentalizing network—a network involved in thinking about others’ thoughts. Study 2 extended this paradigm to middle childhood, a time of increasing social competence and social network complexity, as well as structural and functional social brain development. Results showed that, as in adults, regions of the mentalizing network were engaged by live speech. Taken together, these findings indicate that the mentalizing network may support the processing of interactive communicative cues across development. Given this established importance of social-interactive context, Study 3 examined children’s social motivation when they believed they were engaged in a computer-based chat with a peer. Children initiated interaction via sharing information about their likes and hobbies and received responses from the peer. Compared to a non-social control, in which children chatted with a computer, peer interaction increased activation in mentalizing regions and reward circuitry. Further, within mentalizing regions, responsivity to the peer increased with age. Thus, across all three studies, social cognitive regions associated with mentalizing supported real-time social interaction. In contrast, the specific social context appeared to influence both reward circuitry involvement and age-related changes in neural activity. Future studies should continue to examine how the brain supports interaction across varied real-world social contexts. In addition to illuminating typical development, understanding the neural bases of interaction will offer insight into social disabilities such as autism, where social difficulties are often most acute in interactive situations. Ultimately, to best capture human experience, social neuroscience ought to be embedded in the social world.

A Multidimensional Approach to Social Support: the Questionnaire on the Frequency of and Satisfaction with Social Support (QFSSS)

The Questionnaire on the Frequency of and Satisfaction with Social Support (QFSSS) was designed to assess the frequency of and the degree of satisfaction with perceived social support received from different sources in relation to three types of support: emotional, informational, and instrumental. This study tested the reliability of the questionnaire scores and its criterion and structural validity. The data were drawn from survey interviews of 2042 Spanish people. The results show high internal consistency (values of Cronbach's alpha ranged from .763 to .952). The correlational analysis showed significant positive associations between QFSSS scores and measures of subjective well-being and perceived social support, as well as significant negative associations with measures of loneliness (values of Pearson's r correlation ranged from .11 to .97). Confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation modelling verified an internal 4-factor structure that corresponds to the sources of support analysed: partner, family, friends, and community (values ranged from .93 to .95 for the Goodness of Fit Index (GFI); from .95 to .98 for the Comparative Fit Index (CFI); and from .10 to .07 for the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA)). These results confirm the validity of the QFSSS as a versatile tool which is suitable for the multidimensional assessment of social support.

Sexuality in the media and emotional well-being among lesbian, gay, & bisexual adolescents

LGB teens’ feelings, desires, and physical attractions run contrary to the heteronormative standards of American society. As such, LGB youth often experience feelings of sadness and dejection that can lead to depression and suicidal tendencies (Russell & Joyner, 2001). Evaluating the factors that could possibly influence the emotional well-being of LGB youth would be an important undertaking given the hindrances LGB adolescents face during sexual socialization. The purpose of this dissertation was to study the portrayal of sexuality in media popular with LGB adolescents and to assess the relationship between media exposure and emotional well-being among LGB teens. In particular, this dissertation distinguished between mainstream media and gay- and lesbian-oriented (GLO) media. GLO media were defined as any media outlet specifically designed, produced, and marketed for gay and lesbian audiences. Two studies were conducted to serve as the initial investigation in a program of research that will be designed to better understand the role of media in the lives of LGB individuals. The first study of this dissertation was a content analysis of the television programs, films, songs, and magazines most popular with LGB teens as determined by self-reports of media consumption in a survey of media use. A total of 96 media vehicles composed the content analysis sample, including 48 television programs, 22 films, 25 musical artists, and 6 magazines. Using a coding scheme that was adapted from previous media sex research, Study 1 measured the frequency of sexual instances as well as the type, nature, and source characteristics for each sexual instance. Results of the content analysis suggest that heterosexuality reigns supreme in mainstream media. When LGB sexuality is depicted in mainstream media, it is often sanitized. LGB sexual talk is rarely sexual; rather it is primarily about the social or cultural components of being lesbian, gay, or bisexual. LGB sexual behavior is also rare in mainstream media, which tend to depict LGB individuals as non-sexually as possible. LGB sexuality in mainstream media exists, but is more about proclaiming LGB identity than actually living it. GLO media depicted LGB sexuality more frequently than mainstream media did. GLO media often depict LGB sexuality in a more realistic manner. LGB sexual talk is about LGB identity, as well as the relational and sexual aspects of being a sexual minority. LGB sexual behavior is commonplace in GLO media, depicting LGB individuals as sexual beings. LGB sexuality in GLO media is prevalent and relatively authentic. The second study was a survey that assessed the relationship between media exposure (both mainstream media and GLO media) and LGB teens’ emotional well-being, considering self-discrepancy as an important mediating variable in that relationship. Study 2 also considered age, sex, and sexual identity commitment as possible moderating variables in the relationship between media exposure and emotional well-being. In Study 2, emotional well-being was defined as lower levels of dejection-related emotions. LGB adolescents (N = 573) completed a questionnaire that was used to investigate the relationships between media exposure and emotional well-being. Results of the survey indicated that mainstream media exposure was not significantly associated with dejection-related emotions. In contrast, GLO media exposure was negatively related to feelings of dejection even when controlling for age, sex, race, perceived social support, school climate, religiosity, geographical location, sexuality of peers, and motivation for viewing LGB inclusive media content. Neither age nor sex moderated the relationships between media exposure variables and dejection, but sexual identity commitment did act as a moderator in the relationship between GLO media exposure and dejection. The negative relationship between GLO media exposure and dejection was stronger for participants lower in sexual identity commitment than for participants higher in sexual identity commitment. In addition, the magnitude of discrepancies between the actual self and the ideal self mediated the relationship between GLO media exposure and dejection for LGB adolescents low in sexual identity commitment. However, self-discrepancy did not mediate the relationship between GLO media exposure and dejection for LGB teens highly committed to their sexual identities. Results of both the content analysis and the survey are discussed in terms of implications for theory and method. Practical implications of this dissertation’s findings are also discussed, as well as directions for future research.

Estado emocional e satisfação com o suporte social após uma interrupção voluntária da gravidez

Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada no Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada para obtenção de grau de Mestre na especialidade de Psicologia Clínica

Social support in cyberspace: A content analysis of communication within a Huntington’s Disease online support group

Objective: Huntington’s Disease (HD) is an inherited disorder, characterised by a progressive degeneration of the brain. Due to the nature of the symptoms, the genetic element of the disease and the fact that there is no cure, HD patients and those in their support network often experience considerable stress and anxiety. With an expansion in Internet access, individuals affected by HD have new opportunities for information retrieval and social support. The aim of this study is to examine the provision of social support in messages posted to a HD online support group bulletin board. Methods: In total, 1313 messages were content analysed using a modified version of the Social Support Behaviour Code developed by Cutrona & Suhr (1992). Results: The analysis indicates that group members most frequently offered informational (56.2%) and emotional support (51.9%) followed by network support (48.4%) with esteem support (21.7%) and tangible assistance (9.8%) least frequently offered. Conclusion: This study suggests that exchanging informational and emotional support represents a key function of this online group. Practice implications: Online support groups provide a unique opportunity for health professionals to learn about the experiences and views of individuals affected by HD and explore where and why gaps may exist between evidence-based medicine and consumer behaviour and expectations.