Browsing by Author "Gaspar, Rui"
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- Beyond positive or negative : Qualitative sentiment analysis of social media reactions to unexpected stressful eventsPublication . Gaspar, Rui; Pedro, Cláudia; Panagiotopoulos, Panos; Seibt, BeateSentiment analysis techniques are increasingly used to grasp reactions from social media users to unexpected and potentially stressful social events. This paper argues that, alongside assessments of the affective valence of social media content as negative or positive, there is a need for a deeper understanding of the context in which reactions are expressed and the specific functions that users' emotional states may reflect. To demonstrate this, we present a qualitative analysis of affective expressions on Twitter collected in Germany during the 2011 EHEC food contamination incident based on a coding scheme developed from Skinner et al.'s (2003) coping classification framework. Affective expressions of coping were found to be diverse not only in terms of valence but also in the adaptive functions they served: beyond the positive or negative tone, some people perceived the outbreak as a threat while others as a challenge to cope with. We discuss how this qualitative sentiment analysis can allow a better understanding of the way the overall situation is perceived – threat or challenge – and the resources that individuals experience having to cope with emerging demands.
- Crises social sensing: Longitudinal monitoring of social perceptions of systemic risk during public health crisisPublication . Gaspar, Rui; Domingos, S.; Toscano, Hugo; Filipe, Jessica; Leiras, Gisela; Raposo, Beatriz; Pereira, Cícero; Godinho, Cristina; Francisco, Rita; Silva, Ana Cláudia; Arriaga, MiguelMonitoring how different people – as ‘social sensors’ – evaluate and respond to crisis such as pandemics, allows tailoring crisis communication to the social perceptions of the situation, at different moments. To gather such evidence, we proposed a index of social perceptions of systemic risk (SPSR), as an indicator of a situational threat compromising risks to physical health, psychological health, the economy, social relations, health system, and others. This indicator was the core of a social sensing approach applied to crisis situations, implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic through a content analysis of more than 130.000 public comments from Facebook™ users, in COVID-19 related publications. This content coding allowed creating a SPSR index monitored during a one-year descriptive longitudinal analysis. This index correlated with co-occurring events within the social system, namely epidemiological indicators across measurement cycles (e.g. new deaths; cumulative number of infection cases; Intensive Care Unit hospitalizations) and tended to reflect the epidemiological situation severity (e.g. with the highest level registered during the worst pandemic wave). However, discrepancies also occurred, with high SPSR registered in a low severity situation, i.e. low number of hospitalizations and deaths (e.g. school year beginning), or low SPSR in a high severity situation (e.g. 2nd pandemic wave during Christmas), showing other factors beyond the epidemiological situation contributing to the social perceptions. After each ‘crisis period’ with SPSR peaking, there was a ‘restoration period’, consistently decreasing towards average levels of the previous measurement cycle. This can either indicate social resilience (recovery and resources potentiation) or risk attenuation after a high-severity period. This study serves as preliminary proof of concept of a crises social sensing approach, enabling monitoring of social system dynamics for various crisis types, such as health crisis or the climate crisis.
- Dynamic mental representations of habitual behaviours: Food choice on a web-based environmentPublication . Gaspar, Rui; Palma-Oliveira, José Manuel; Corral-Verdugo, VictorAim: Rather than being rigid, habitual behaviours may be determined by dynamic mental representations that can adapt to context changes. This adaptive potential may result from particular conditions dependent on the interaction between two sources of mental constructs activation: perceived context applicability and cognitive accessibility . Method: T wo web-shopping simulations of fering the choice between habitually chosen and non-habitually chosen food products were presented to participants. This considered two choice contexts dif fering in the habitual behaviour perceived applicability (low vs. high) and a measure of habitual behaviour chronicity . Results: Study 1 demonstrated a perceived applicability ef fect, with more habitual (non-organic) than non-habitual (organic) food products chosen in a high perceived applicability (familiar) than in a low perceived applicability (new) context. The adaptive potential of habitual behaviour was evident in the habitual products choice consistency across three successive choices, despite the decrease in perceived applicability . Study 2 evidenced the adaptive potential in strong habitual behaviour participants – high chronic accessibility – who chose a habitual product (milk) more than a non-habitual product (orange juice), even when perceived applicability was reduced (new context). Conclusion: Results portray consumers as adaptive decision makers that can flexibly cope with changes in their (inner and outer) choice contexts.
- Energy efficiency and appliance’s characteristics considered prior to purchase: Differences and similarities between the United Kingdom, Germany, Portugal, Greece, Poland, Spain and ItalyPublication . Gaspar, Rui; Antunes, DalilaThis article reports country differences in the consumer’s most considered characteristics when choosing electrical appliances, including but not restricted to the energy efficiency aspect. A survey was performed to store customers from 7 countries: the United Kingdom; Germany; Portugal; Greece; Poland; Spain; Italy. Results showed consistency between countries in the top three characteristics considered: cost; quality; and a balance between price and quality. Differences were found for reported environmental attitudes and behaviours, purchase motives, and store employees evaluation. The results may support national policies and store level energy efficiency interventions. Specifically, they can provide input for store employee’s training, in persuading customers towards the purchase of energy efficient appliances.
- Extreme natural and man-made events and human adaptive responses mediated by information and communication technologies' use: A systematic literature reviewPublication . Gaspar, Rui; Yan, Zheng; Domingos, SamuelInformation and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are nowadays an interactive means through which humans respond to potentially stressful extreme events (e.g., natural or technological disasters). Despite growing research and reviews on ICTs' role, these often follow an event-specific approach, describing how or what people respond without explaining why they respond as they do, limiting a broader comprehension of human adaptation processes. Therefore, a systematic literature review on natural and man-made extreme events sought to identify: how people respond during extreme events through ICTs devices/platforms use, what ICTs-mediated responses take place during these, and why they respond in the way they do (i.e., the responses' adaptive functions). A database search identified 60 articles through three inclusion criteria: (1) report of events deviating in socio-physical parameters from “normal” circumstances; (2) type of ICTs devices/platforms used; and (3) longitudinal data collection method. A theory-driven content analysis showed that different ICT platforms may be used for different adaptive functions with a predominant function of allowing coordinating an individual's actions with the contingencies in the environment, through approach (e.g., problem solving) and avoidance (e.g., escape) ways of coping. ICTs seemingly are an important data source and means in enabling socio-physical systems to effectively respond to extreme events. PROSPERO CRD42016042455.
- Life design counseling: A study on client's operations for meaning constructionPublication . Cardoso, Paulo; Duarte, Maria Eduarda; Gaspar, Rui; Bernardo, Fátima; Janeiro, Isabel Nunes; Santos, GraçaThis study evaluated the adequacy of the micro-theory of client operations to explain meaning construction during Life Design Counseling. Four adolescents were interviewed about their second counseling session. Their recollections were stimulated through the replay of counseling videotapes. The resulting transcribed interviews were qualitatively analyzed. Results confirmed a sequence of client operations evolving from the symbolic representation of experience and reflexive self-examination towards making new realizations and revisioning self. Moreover, clients reported negative and positive session moments evidencing that clients' attention and activity during the session was not restricted to meaning construction operations. Practical implications for life design counseling are derived from the results and discussed.
- Lisbon Emoji and Emoticon Database (LEED): Norms for emoji and emoticons in seven evaluative dimensionsPublication . Rodrigues, David; Prada, Marília; Gaspar, Rui; Garrido, Margarida Vaz; Lopes, DinizThe use of emoticons and emoji is increasingly popular across a variety of new platforms of online communication. They have also become popular as stimulus materials in scientific research. However, the assumption that emoji/emoticon users' interpretations always correspond to the developers'/researchers' intended meanings might be misleading. This article presents subjective norms of emoji and emoticons provided by everyday users. The Lisbon Emoji and Emoticon Database (LEED) comprises 238 stimuli: 85 emoticons and 153 emoji (collected from iOS, Android, Facebook, and Emojipedia). The sample included 505 Portuguese participants recruited online. Each participant evaluated a random subset of 20 stimuli for seven dimensions: aesthetic appeal, familiarity, visual complexity, concreteness, valence, arousal, and meaningfulness. Participants were additionally asked to attribute a meaning to each stimulus. The norms obtained include quantitative descriptive results (means, standard deviations, and confidence intervals) and a meaning analysis for each stimulus. We also examined the correlations between the dimensions and tested for differences between emoticons and emoji, as well as between the two major operating systems-Android and iOS. The LEED constitutes a readily available normative database (available at www.osf.io/nua4x ) with potential applications to different research domains.
- Serving science to the public: Deliberations by a sample of older adults upon exposure to a serving size recommendation for meatPublication . Gaspar, Rui; Domingos, Samuel; Demétrio, PatríciaTo enable consumers to make informed decisions based on communications about food risks and particularly intake recommendations, it is essential that individuals understand the information presented to them. Thus, research into the way people make sense and understand newly received information is important from a public policy perspective. This is the case when dealing with scientific information destined for the general public, such as recommended food intake serving sizes provided in numerical format. Hence, this study analysed responses from exposure to information concerning red meat intake risks and a numerical serving size recommendation. The study analysed: 1) participants’ reported difficulties in understanding a recommended serving size of red meat (70 g/day); and 2) behavioural indicators of deliberation strategies used to manage uncertainty and make sense of the numerical information. A mixed qualitative-quantitative method collected data from an older adults’ sample through single in-person deliberative sessions. While quantitative measures indicated that the information was perceived as moderately easy to understand; a qualitative thematic content analysis with a closed coding procedure evidenced participants’ implicit difficulties in understanding the quantity recommendation. “Commonplace” arguments (e.g. using general arguments and remarks applicable to any context/theme) emerged as the most commonly used deliberative strategy, along with various other individual strategies apparently intended to reduce uncertainty about quantities. This type of deliberative approach provides a step towards developing policies to reduce citizens’ uncertainty when exposed to scientific information in numerical formats. Such deliberative strategies may also promote increased citizen engagement in communication activities and health policy making.
- Sufficiency before efficiency: Consumers' profiling and barriers/facilitators of energy efficient behavioursPublication . Gaspar, Rui; Antunes, Dalila; Faria, Ana; Meiszner, AndreasEven if consumers have positive attitudes towards the environment and household energy conservation measures, and are seemingly motivated to implement them, there are factors that function as barriers to such behaviours. The literature is still insufficient in exploring variables with such negative influence and in identifying ways of shielding consumers against it. A first step towards the latter can be achieved through energy consumers' psychosocial profiles identification, i.e. configurations of consumer characteristics based on a set of psychosocial factors. To contribute in this regard, a nationwide survey of Portuguese householders aimed to identify: 1) psychosocial factors that may function as barriers or facilitators to energy conservation measures implementation; and 2) psychosocial consumer profiles defined based on facilitators, i.e. factors with a positive/facilitative influence over such implementation. Despite highly positive environmental and energy conservation attitudes, householders reported that what they did was “sufficient”. This perceived “sufficiency” functioned as a justification for not “doing more” which, in addition to consumption estimation biases, seemingly constituted energy conservation barriers. Additionally, a k-means Cluster Analysis identified specific configurations of psychosocial factors e consumer profiles e that may function as energy conservation facilitators. Applying procedures as exemplified in this study may therefore enable tailoring behaviour change interventions to the different identified energy consumer's profiles, in order to promote energy efficient household behaviours.
- Understanding climate change adaptation: the role of citizens’ perceptions and appraisals about extreme weather eventsPublication . Domingos, Samuel; Gaspar, Rui; Maroco, J. P.; Beja, RitaClimate change is driving dramatic environmental changes and posing new demands to citizens, health authorities, and policy makers worldwide. This is due to an increased frequency, intensity, and duration of associated extreme weather events. Recent calls for better understanding of how citizens adapt to such demands and the role that psychological processes’ play in that adaptation, have been put forward. We contributed in this regard by (1) applying the Biopsychosocial Model of Challenge and Threat (e.g. Blascovich 2008) to the study of human responses (psychological, physiological, and behavioural) to extreme weather events; (2) using it as the conceptual basis for a mixed methods study aimed at exploring citizens’ perceptions, beliefs, and appraisals of the demands posed by such events and available resources to cope with them. Preliminary qualitative results are presented and potential implications for stakeholders and policy makers in the climate change domain are discussed. An example of how such conceptual and methodological approaches may contribute to developing evidence-based strategies for incrementing citizens’ resilience and adaptation to climate change, will be provided. This allow a better understanding of citizen appraisals and perceptions’ role in shaping adaptive behaviour, in order to provide them with the necessary personal and social resources to cope with extreme weather events and increment future resilience.