Repositório do ISPA
Repositório Institucional do Ispa-Instituto Universitário
Entradas recentes
Displacement, personal loss, and psychological strain among physicians and nurses working in Gaza, 2023–2024
Publication . Mohanad S. A. Qudaih; Daqqa, Hamza A. Abu; AlNajjar, Omar R.; Wehedi, Dalia T. A.; Khoury, Rasha; Bouquet, Benjamin; Matos, Lisa; Sariahmed, Karim
On January 26th 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) recognized plausible grounds for genocide being committed in Gaza by Israel. A hallmark of the violence has been unprecedented attacks on health workers since October 7th, 2023. We use the word “genocide” to refer to this period of accelerated violence and displacement in Gaza, following ICJ findings, detailed reports by human rights organizations, and statements by genocide scholars concluding that Israel is indeed committing genocide. To assess impacts of this violence, between December 2023 and January 2024 we conducted an anonymous cross-sectional online survey of physicians and nurses working in Gaza prior to and during the genocide. Participants reported on workplace displacement, personal losses, and psychological impacts using the Professional Quality of Life Scale for Health Workers (ProQOL-H). 56 participants completed one or more survey components. Among 46 participants reporting on displacement, 25 (54%) reported having to change workplaces at least once. Among 41 participants documenting personal loss, 17 (41%) reported that a family member was killed and 32 (78%) reported that a close colleague was killed. Among 35 participants completing the ProQOL-H, 17 (49%) respondents reported “high” compassion satisfaction (scores of 24–30), 13 (37%) reported high burnout, and 13 (37%) reported high secondary traumatic stress. This is markedly different from CS, BO, and STS scores reported by nurses in the West Bank in a recent study, likely reflecting the genocide in Gaza. Further work with survivors is needed to characterize their experiences and reconcile them with culture-specific coping strategies such as . Culturally relevant, mixed methods follow up to this work is needed to inform interventions to support the recovery of survivors and rebuild Gaza’s healthcare system. This will only be possible when the genocide is brought to a permanent end, along with the conditions which have enabled it.
Facial mimicry to infant and adult emotions in mothers and non‐mothers
Publication . Sinisalo, Hanneli; Veistola, Sonja; Bakermans‐Kranenburg, Marian J.; Peltola, Mikko J.
A key aspect of parent–infant interaction is parental mirroring of infant emotions through facial mimicry, the automatic imitation of observed facial expressions. Facial mimicry can be measured using facial electromyography (EMG) and has been associated with empathic abilities, such as recognizing others' emotions. Currently, there is no research investigating how such empathy‐related processes might change during the transition to parenthood. In this study, we compared first‐time mothers of young infants and non‐mothers in their physiological responses in two facial muscle areas (corrugator supercilii and zygomaticus major) to dynamic emotional infant and adult faces. In addition, we examined whether the EMG responses are associated with salivary testosterone levels. Participants performed an emotion recognition task with dynamic infant and adult emotional expressions changing between happy and distressed expressions while facial mimicry was measured with EMG. Mothers showed a more pronounced zygomaticus response specifically to smiling infant faces, and a greater corrugator response to faces changing to distress, regardless of stimulus age. Non‐mothers' zygomaticus response to infant smiles was inversely associated with testosterone level. No other correlations between testosterone and EMG responses were found. These results indicate that new mothers may show heightened affective empathic reactivity especially to infant emotions.
Gender and judicial decision-making: A systematic review of how gendered narratives shape judicial reasoning
Publication . Pereira, Bárbara; Sousa, Marta; Rodrigues, Andreia de Castro; de Castro Rodrigues, Andreia
Gendered assumptions within judicial reasoning shape how cases of
sexual violence (SV) are interpreted, prosecuted, and adjudicated. This
systematic review synthesizes empirical evidence on how gender
stereotypes and cultural myths influence judicial and prosecutorial
perceptions of adult female victims, primarily in SV cases, with limited
evidence from intimate partner violence (IPV). Twenty-eight studies,
with judges, prosecutors, and jury eligible mock jurors’ samples were
identified across five databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Medline,
PsycINFO, and SCOPUS), following PRISMA guidelines. Findings suggest
that gender stereotypes function as heuristic frameworks shaping
the construction and discounting of victim credibility, the interpretation
of evidence, and the attribution of responsibility. These patterns
were most consistently observed in SV contexts, where deviations
from the “ideal victim” stereotype were associated with increased
victim-blaming and reduced case progression. Evidence from IPV studies,
although limited, suggests distinct credibility dynamics linked to
ongoing relational contexts. The review highlights the persistence of
gendered biases across decision-maker types and study designs.
Conclusions are therefore tempered by the heterogeneity of the evidence
base and the predominance of SV research. The findings support
the need for structural, procedural, and training-based
interventions to reduce bias and promote more equitable judicial
outcomes.
Friends without benefits: Familiarity does not improve fitness-related behaviours in larvae of a marine shoaling fish
Publication . Vicente, Patrícia Nunes; Almeida, João; Faria, Ana Margarida
It has long been recognized that associating with familiar individuals may confer fitness benefits.
However, gaps in our knowledge remain about how behaviours critical for fish survival are affected by
social experience in early stages. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that familiarity acquired during early life stages improves larval performance. Using sand smelt, Atherina presbyter, we examined the effect of familiarity on foraging efficiency, swimming behaviour and escape response. In view of the benefits of familiarity, we predicted that sand smelt larvae are more responsive and perform more successful escape responses and prey strikes when in groups of familiar conspecifics. The results indicate that sand smelt are indeed more prone to associate with conspecifics based on familiarity; however, contrary to our expectations, familiarity, at this life stage, did not improve behaviours closely related to survival. This may be related to the highly dynamic nature of shoaling, characterized by frequent exchange of individuals among groups, meaning that individuals must constantly adjust their behaviour to that of new members, limits the relevance of familiarity during this life stage. This research underscores the importance of evaluating the ecological and developmental context when investigating social behaviours in early life stages.
Social presence and isolation effects on intergroup bias: Task matters
Publication . Garcia-Marques, Teresa; Figueira, Pedro
This paper examines whether and how intergroup bias, typically studied in explicitly social contexts, extends to conditions of social isolation. Prior research has yielded mixed findings, varying both in how social contexts are operationalized and in how bias is assessed. Across two experiments, we compared intergroup bias under conditions of complete social isolation and co-action (social presence). Bias was measured using the Implicit Association Test (IAT; Experiment 1) and the Weapon Identification Task (WIT; Experiment 2). Results from both experiments demonstrated that intergroup bias reliably emerges even when individuals are socially isolated. However, partially replicating earlier findings, the IAT revealed lower levels of bias when participants were alone, whereas in the WIT, social isolation improved response control without reducing the magnitude of bias. These findings suggest that the expression of intergroup bias depends jointly on social context and task characteristics, pointing to distinct underlying cognitive mechanisms. We discuss the implications of these results for understanding how social presence and task demands shape intergroup cognition.