Browsing by Author "Antunes, Marta"
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- Uma análise exploratória das relações entre as representações de vinculação do pai e o seu envolvimento em atividades práticas e lúdicasPublication . Monteiro, Lígia Maria Santos; Maia, Rita; Fernandes, Carla; Fernandes, Marília; Antunes, Marta; Verissimo, ManuelaResumo: Este estudo teve como principal objetivo explorar as relações entre as representações de vinculação (script de base segura) do pai, e o seu envolvimento em atividades práticas (relacionadas com a gestão e cuidados à criança) e em atividades com características lúdicas (brincadeira/lazer). Participaram 62 famílias nucleares, com crianças entre os 2 e os 5 anos, de estatuto socioeconómico médio e de duplo-rendimento. De modo a analisar os scripts de base segura utilizou-se as Narrativas de Representação da Vinculação em Adultos, aplicadas individualmente ao pai, tendo a mãe e o pai preenchido, de modo independente, um questionário sobre o envolvimento parental. Os resultados indicam que os pais possuem e acedem ao script de base segura em contextos onde este é elicitado; que participam mais nas atividades lúdicas, do que nas práticas; e que pais com valores mais elevados de script adulto/criança se encontram mais envolvidos nas atividades práticas, mesmo quando a idade da criança e as habilitações do pai são controladas.
- Uma análise exploratória das relações entre as representações de vinculação do pai e o seu envolvimento em atividades práticas e lúdicasPublication . Monteiro, Lígia Maria Santos; Maia, Rita; Fernandes, C.; Fernandes, M.; Antunes, Marta; Veríssimo, ManuelaEste estudo teve como principal objetivo explorar as relações entre as representações de vinculação (script de base segura) do pai, e o seu envolvimento em atividades práticas (relacionadas com a gestão e cuidados à criança) e em atividades com características lúdicas (brincadeira/lazer). Participaram 62 famílias nucleares, com crianças entre os 2 e os 5 anos, de estatuto socioeconómico médio e de duplo- -rendimento. De modo a analisar os scripts de base segura utilizou-se as Narrativas de Representação da Vinculação em Adultos, aplicadas individualmente ao pai, tendo a mãe e o pai preenchido, de modo independente, um questionário sobre o envolvimento parental. Os resultados indicam que os pais possuem e acedem ao script de base segura em contextos onde este é elicitado; que participam mais nas atividades lúdicas, do que nas práticas; e que pais com valores mais elevados de script adulto/ /criança se encontram mais envolvidos nas atividades práticas, mesmo quando a idade da criança e as habilitações do pai são controladas.
- Associations between secure base script knowledge in early childhood and perceived quality of attachment in middle childhoodPublication . Fernandes, C.; Fernandes, M.; Antunes, Marta; Santos, António J.; Vaughn, Brian; Verissimo, ManuelaAbstract: Previous studies suggest that mental representations of attachment can show moderate stability across childhood but none of these considered the child’s use of the Secure Base Script (SBS). This study tested the longitudinal stability of attachment representations from early to middle childhood, providing data that will allow us to determine whether the SBS score behaves like other attachment measures for early childhood in this regard. A sample of 70 Portuguese preschool children (36 girls) was assessed regarding their access to and use of the SBS when producing narratives relevant to attachment themes (e.g., separation, fear of ambiguous threat) at age 5 years using the Attachment Story Completion Task. Follow-up assessments were obtained at 8 and 9 years of age using the Kerns Security Scale. Security scores for both parents were obtained from the child in both years. All crosstime correlations were positive and significant. Subsequent tests on correlation magnitudes for mothers vs. fathers were not significant. Finally, correlations for mother/father security scores were significant at both age levels. Our findings indicate that children’s access to and use of the SBS in early childhood does predict their perceived quality of attachment with parents in middle childhood. Overall, our results indicate that access to and use of SBS in young children’s attachment-relevant narratives is a valid and potentially productive measure.
- Changes in preschool children’s social engagement positively predict changes in social competence: A three‐year longitudinal study of portuguese childrenPublication . Santos, António J.; Daniel, J. R.; Antunes, Marta; Coppola, Gabrielle; Trudel, Marcel; Vaughn, BrianTo test the hypothesis that social engagement is a foundational aspect of other peer social competence indicators during early childhood, 160 Portuguese preschool children (“3‐year‐olds”) were observed at least in two different school years, using a battery of validated social competence assessments based on direct observations and child interviews. Multilevel growth models tested whether social engagement predicted initial values and linear changes in the other social competence indicators. Results were consistent with the hypothesis, insofar as both initial values and changes in social engagement significantly predicted initial values and changes in other social competence indicators. Additionally, the number of children's reciprocated friendships was also predicted by social engagement. These results are discussed from the perspectives of conceptual frameworks that consider individual differences in social competence during early childhood as a consequence of attachment histories and/or emotional competence.
- Convergent and Discriminant Validities of SCBE-30 Questionnaire Using Correlated Trait–Correlated Method Minus OnePublication . Fernandes, Marília; Santos, Antonio José; Antunes, Marta; Fernandes, Carla; Monteiro, Lígia Maria Santos; Vaughn, Brian; Veríssimo, ManuelaCorrelated trait-correlated method minus one was used to evaluate convergent and discriminant validity of Social Competence Behavior Evaluation questionnaire (Social Competence, Anger-Aggression, Anxiety-Withdrawal) between multiple raters. A total of 369 children (173 boys and 196 girls; M age = 55.85, SD age = 11.54) were rated by their mothers, fathers, and teachers. Results showed more convergence between parents than parent-teacher ratings. Mother-teacher share a common view of child behavior that is not shared with father. Parents had more difficulty distinguishing internalizing and externalizing behaviors (especially fathers). Measurement invariance across child sex was explored, results imply that differences between boys and girls were not due to measure. Girls (compare to boys) were described as more social competent by their fathers and teachers, while boys as more aggressive by mothers and teachers.
- Early attachment to mothers and fathers: Contributions to preschoolers' emotional regulationPublication . Fernandes, Carla; Fernandes, Marilia; Santos, António J.; Antunes, Marta; Monteiro, Lígia; Vaughn, Brian E.; Verissimo, ManuelaChildren acquire and develop emotional regulatory skills in the context of parent-child attachment relationships, nonetheless empirical studies have focused mainly on mother and less information is available regarding the role of both parent-child attachment relationships. Furthermore, despite its importance, there is no information regarding preschool years. This study aims to fill this gap by exploring the potential influences of both mother-child and father-child attachments on preschooler’s later emotion regulation observed in the peer group. Fifty-three Portuguese nuclear families (mother, father and focal child) participated in the study; 47% of the children were boys and 53% were girls. Attachment Security was assessed at home using the Attachment Behavior Q-set when children were 3 years of age, and emotion regulation was observed in the preschool classrooms attended by the children at age 5, using the California child Q-sort to derive an Emotion Regulation Q-Scale. Results showed that the combined influence of both parent-child attachment security predicted better emotion regulation results, than did the specific contributions of each parent per se. Findings are consistent with integrative approaches that highlight the value of including both mother- and father-child attachment relationships, as well as their combined effect, when studying emotion regulation.
- Early father–child and mother–child attachment relationships: contributions to preschoolers’ social competencePublication . Fernandes, Carla; Monteiro, Lígia Maria Santos; Santos, António J.; Fernandes, Marilia; Antunes, Marta; Vaughn, Brian; Verissimo, ManuelaThe main goal of this study was to explore the contributions of early father-child and mother-child attachment relationships to children's later social competence with their preschool peers; possible unique and shared contributions were tested. Using a multi-method design and focusing on direct observation, attachment was assessed at home at age 3 with the Attachment Behavior Q-sort (AQS) and two years later social competence was assessed at classrooms of 5-year-olds using a set of seven measurement indicators that are part of the Hierarchical Model of Social Competence. Results show that attachment to each parent made unique and significant contributions to children's social competence and suggested the possibility that each caregiver may have somewhat different patterns of influence on the different indicators of children's social competence. Findings also suggest the possibility that a secure attachment with one parent may buffer the impact of having an insecure relationship with the other. Due to sample size, these results should be seen as a starting point to generate new and larger studies.
- Links between use of the secure base script and preschool children’s knowledge about emotionsPublication . Fernandes, Carla; Veríssimo, Manuela; Fernandes, Marília; Antunes, Marta; Santos, António; Vaughn, Brian E.Abstract: The links between attachment security and multiple aspects of emotional development have been studied for several decades. Although these studies are valuable insofar some answers related to representations of attachment and emotion knowledge are still open. Preschool aged children (N=40) participated in this study. We used the Attachment Story Completion Task as their attachment measure, with representations measured as access to and use of the Secure Base Script (SBS) to organize children’s attachment relevant narratives. Emotional knowledge was assessed using the Affect Knowledge Test. Our main goal was to demonstrate that the SBS behaves like a typical measure of attachment representations with respect to its relations with children’s emotion understanding. Results suggested that children with secure attachment histories tend to have a larger fund of emotion knowledge. The SBS measure behaved similarly to other measures of attachment security suggesting its validity as a measure of attachment representations during early childhood.
- Preliminary perceived intervention changes and engagement in an evidence-based program targeted at behavioral inhibition during early childhood, delivered in-person and onlinePublication . Guedes, Maryse; Maia, Rita; Matos, Inês; Antunes, Marta; Rolão, Teresa; Chronis-Tuscano, Andrea; Rubin, Kenneth; Veríssimo, Manuela; Santos, Antonio JoséIntroduction: Behavioral inhibition during early childhood is one of the strongest risk factors for the development of later anxiety disorders. Recently developed in- person interventions that target both young children who are highly inhibited and their parents (e.g., the Turtle Program), have decreased children’s anxiety and have increased social participation in the peer group. However, researchers have yet to examine the eects of intervention mode of delivery. In the present study, we compared the pre-to post-intervention changes in child and parenting functioning of families participating in the Turtle Program, delivered in-person and online with those changes made in families allocated to a waiting-list condition; compared session attendance, homework completion and satisfaction with the intervention outcomes of families involved in the Turtle Program, delivered in-person and online; and explored the predictive role of parenting and child factors in session attendance, homework completion and satisfaction with the outcomes of families involved in the Turtle Program, depending on the mode of delivery (in-person vs. online). Method: Fifty-seven parents of highly inhibited preschoolers (3–5 years), with no diagnosis of selective mutism or developmental disorders, who were randomly allocated to waiting-list (n = 20), Turtle Program delivered in-person (n = 17) and online (n = 20) conditions completed the Portuguese versions of the Behavioral Inhibition Questionnaire, the Preschool Anxiety Scale, the Social Behavior and Competence Scale, the Modified Child-Rearing Practices Questionnaire at pre- and post-intervention assessment. Parents also completed the Preschool Shyness Study Satisfaction Survey at post-intervention assessment. Results: Independent of intervention mode of delivery, generalized equation estimates revealed a reduction in children’s total anxiety symptoms and an improvement in parental nurturing behaviors. Child anxiety and social competence at pre-assessment were the most prominent predictors of session attendance and satisfaction with post-intervention child and parenting outcomes. Discussion: Overall, this study showed that parents in both intervention conditions perceived comparable positive changes in child functioning from pre- to post- intervention assessment and similar levels of session attendance, homework completion, and satisfaction. Significantly, however, perceived satisfaction with post-intervention child and parenting outcomes was higher, when children were reported to display higher SEL skills at baseline, independent of the intervention mode of delivery.
- Preschoolers’ secure base script representations predict teachers’ ratings of social competence and externalizing behaviorPublication . Fernandes, M.; Verissimo, Manuela; Santos, António; Fernandes, Carla; Antunes, Marta; Vaughn, Brian E.Recent meta-analyses have reported significant effects of attachment quality on social competence, mostly using observational assessments of attachment behavior to assess security. We analyze the associations between attachment security - assessed as a secure base script, and social competence with peers - measured by teachers' ratings on two self-report instruments, in a Portuguese sample of 82 preschool children (34 boys and 48 girls). We also tested the association between children's secure base script scores and teacher ratings for externalizing and internalizing symptomatology. Results show significant sex differences. Girls had higher scores on secure base script and were rated by teachers as more socially competent, while boys received higher ratings for aggressive/externalizing behaviors. Nonetheless, when the effect of child sex was controlled, attachment representations were positively associated with child social competence and negatively associated with ratings of externalizing behaviors.