Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2024"
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- Male perpetrators of child sexual abuse: A comparison between individuals serving custodial and non-custodial sentencesPublication . Sousa, Marta; Cunha, Olga; Abrunhosa Gonçalves, Rui; Rodrigues, Andreia de CastroThe literature considers individuals who sexually offended children (ISOCs) as a heterogeneous group. In Portugal, ISOCs may be subject to two types of sentences: custodial and non-custodial measures. In the present study, we performed a comparative analysis between 66 male individuals sentenced to prison and 47 male individuals sentenced to community measures for sexual crimes against children, using a set of sociodemographic, penal, and psychological measures. The results showed that the incarcerated ISOCs’ had more static risk factors for sexual and nonsexual recidivism. Only two variables increased the probability of belonging to the incarceration group: having other convictions beyond child sexual abuse and having committed serious sexual offenses. Based on these results, implications for ISOCs’ treatment and sentencing are discussed.
- Marine protected areas promote stability of reef fish communities under climate warmingPublication . Benedetti-Cecchi, Lisandro; Bates, Amanda; Strona, Giovanni; Bulleri, Fabio; Horta e Costa, Barbara; Edgar, Graham J.; Hereu, Bernat; Reed, Dan; Stuart-Smith, Rick D.; Barrett, Neville; Kushner, David J.; Emslie, Mike; García-Charton, José Antonio; Gonçalves, Emanuel J.; Aspillaga, EnekoProtection from direct human impacts can safeguard marine life, yet ocean warming crosses marine protected area boundaries. Here, we test whether protection offers resilience to marine heatwaves from local to network scales. We examine 71,269 timeseries of population abundances for 2269 reef fish species surveyed in 357 protected versus 747 open sites worldwide. We quantify the stability of reef fish abundance from populations to metacommunities, considering responses of species and functional diversity including thermal affinity of different trophic groups. Overall, protection mitigates adverse effects of marine heatwaves on fish abundance, community stability, asynchronous fluctuations and functional richness. We find that local stability is positively related to distance from centers of high human density only in protected areas. We provide evidence that networks of protected areas have persistent reef fish communities in warming oceans by maintaining large populations and promoting stability at different levels of biological organization.
- Portuguese Validation of a Reduced Version of the IAT (Internet Addiction Test) Scale—Youth VersionPublication . Patrão, Ivone; Borges, Inês; Sobral, Patrícia; Moreira, AnaAbstract: This study adapted and assessed a shortened version of the IAT (Internet Addiction Test) scale completed by young people aged 12 years and older regarding their online behaviors and risk of online addiction. The psychometric qualities of the reduced version (Screening IAT—youth) are presented in order to validate the use of this version in the early detection of online addiction. The total sample was composed of 3021 participants that were 55.9% female and 44.1% male, with a mean age of x = 15 years (σ = 3.028), attending junior high school (56.2%), high school (37.8%), and college (5.9%). The procedure included a factorial analysis in which the total sample was randomly divided into three samples. An exploratory factor analysis was performed with one part of the sample, and a confirmatory factor analysis was performed with the other parts, assessing internal consistency, construct reliability, and discriminant validity. The results indicate that this reduced version of the IAT for young people has good psychometric qualities and that it can be applied in research and clinical settings. With this version and the parent–teacher version, there is a direct contribution to a tripartite assessment of internet addiction risk.
- Meta-analysis of social presence effects on stroop task performancePublication . Garcia-Marques, Teresa; Fernandes, AlexandreIn this paper, we conducted a meta-analytic review to examine the impact of social presence on individuals’ performance on the Stroop task, shedding light on the cognitive processes underlying social facilitation. We followed PRISMA guidelines to identify and include 33 relevant studies in a multivariate random-effects meta-analysis. Our results show that social presence reliably modulates Stroop interference (a measure of cognitive control); specifically, participants exhibit lower Stroop interference when performing the task in the presence of others compared to performing it in isolation. We also found that the strength of the effect varies depending on the type of social presence: it is stronger with an attentive audience compared to an inattentive one, and null with an evaluative audience. Additionally, different features of the Stroop task itself moderate the effect; the effect is stronger for the classic version of the task compared to the semantic version, and for experiments that use mixed within-block trials compared to those with homogenous blocks. We also observed a negative relationship between the number of trials and the magnitude of the effect. Overall, these findings provide insights into the mechanisms by which the presence of others affects performance on the Stroop task, and how they align with social facilitation theories.
- Evidence-based interventions targeting remand prisoners: A systematic review and meta-analysisPublication . Andrade, Joana; Gonçalves, Rui Abrunhosa; Abrunhosa, Catarina; Castro-Rodrígues, Andreia deABSTRACT: Background/Aim: Official data show that nearly three million people are awaiting trial in prison. Despite this group representativeness, few interventions have been developed and assessed for these prisoners, even though literature has been showing that they present specific vulnerabilities. Nevertheless, no previous literature review had covered this topic. Considering this, the present review aims to gather evidence on the programs focused on this population, analyzing their intervention targets and their effectiveness. Method: The search identified a total of 7,143 studies. After removing the duplicates, 2,199 were screened using the title and abstract, according to the inclusion criteria. The full-text screening comprehended 45 articles, of which 37 were excluded. This resulted in 8 studies for inclusion in the final analysis, of which four were pharmacological studies. Results: Overall, meta-analysis results exhibited that treatment of remand prisoners (RPs) has an extraordinarily large positive effects, exceeding 92%. Our study confirmed that RPs would benefit from treatment, and therefore intervention programs should be established. Conclusions: Besides, our findings underlined the scarce resources to address the difficulties of the remand population, reinforcing the importance of assessing these individuals’ needs to develop effective responses to them.
- Beyond work: The role of “Family-Friendly” practices in the subjective well-being of teleworkers and on-site workers in the COVID-19 PandemicPublication . Lopes, Sílvia; Couto, Rita; Rodrigues, Anabela; Sabino, Ana; Oliveira, Íris M.; C. Dias, Paulo; Carvalho, Ana SofiaDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, telework emerged as a pivotal strategy to mitigate the spread of the virus. However, telework’s feasibility was contingent on job roles. This gave rise to two distinct groups: teleworkers and on-site workers. However, the impacts of social support and well-being extended to both groups. This study investigated the link between organisational and supervisory family support and subjective well-being, examining work engagement as a mediator. Conducted in Portugal, this cross-sectional study surveyed 515 individuals via web-based questionnaires. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and multiple-group analysis. The findings revealed a positive correlation between perceived organisational family support (POFS) and work engagement for both groups. Additionally, perceived supervisory family support (PSFS) positively correlated with work engagement for telecommuters but not on-site workers. Furthermore, work engagement was positively associated with subjective well-being for both groups. Moreover, work engagement mediated the relationship between POFS and subjective well-being. This study enriches the literature by analysing POFS, PSFS, work engagement, and subjective well-being dynamics among teleworkers and on-site employees.
- The effect of psychological flexibility on well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: The multiple mediation role of mindfulness and copingPublication . Paiva, Thiago; Nunes da Silva, Ana; Neto, David Dias; Karekla, Maria; Kassianos, Angelos P.; Gloster, AndrewThe COVID-19 pandemic involved a complex set of stressors affecting the health and wellbeing of the population. The understanding of the psychological processes that influence well-being in response to the pandemic and their interrelation is vital. A promising process in understanding the emotional impacts of these stressors is psychological flexibility. This study investigated the effect of psychological flexibility on well-being, both directly and indirectly, via mindfulness and coping strategies. A total of 334 Portuguese adults participated in this cross-sectional study. Participants were asked to complete an online questionnaire, including measures of psychological flexibility, wellbeing, mindfulness, and coping strategies. A multiple mediation model studied whether there are conditional indirect effects of mindfulness and coping strategies on well-being. The results showed statistically significant correlations between psychological flexibility, well-being, mindfulness, and coping strategies. Furthermore, we found that mindfulness and coping strategies partly mediate the relationship between psychological flexibility and well-being. Understanding the processes through which psychological flexibility influences well-being in a stressful context is important in comprehending the processes involved in an emotional reaction to a pandemic-like societal event. Mindfulness and coping are shown to be important processes to consider in understanding this phenomenon and designing future responses.
- Underneath the sheets: A cross-cultural cluster analysis of older adults’ patterns of aging and sexual well-being in Portugal and MexicoPublication . von Humboldt, Sofia; Mendoza Ruvalcaba, Neyda Ma; Low, Gail; Leal, I.This study aims to assess the patterns of life satisfaction with life (SwL), sexual satisfaction, and adjustment to aging (AtA), of older adults in Mexico and Portugal. A sample of 658 older adults, aged 65 years-old and older, from Mexico and Portugal were recruited for this cross-cultural study. The following measures were applied: (a) Adjustment to Aging Scale (ATAS); (b) Satisfaction with Life Scale (SwLS); (c) New Sexual Satisfaction Scale (NSSS); (d) Mini-Mental State Exam; and (e) Sociodemographic, health and lifestyle questionnaire. Clusters were identified and characterized by using K-means cluster analysis, encompassing SwL, AtA, and sexual satisfaction. Sexual well-being differences among clusters were analyzed with One-way ANOVAs. Findings indicated three clusters, which explained 76.4% (R-sq=0.764) of the total variance: Cluster #1: “Moderately adjusted older adults” (n=355, 53.9%), Cluster #2: “Moderately fulfilled older adults” (n=265, 40.3%), and Cluster 3: “Well adjusted and satisfied older adults” (n=38, 5.8%). Participants in Cluster #1 were mostly Mexican, with moderate levels of AtA and reduced sexual satisfaction and SwL. Conversely, Cluster #2 predominantly consisted of Portuguese participants with moderate sexual satisfaction and SwL, and lower levels of AtA. Participants from Cluster #3 were mostly Portuguese with high levels of AtA, sexual satisfaction, and SwL. This innovative study explored the intricate relationship between sexual well-being, the ability to adjust to aging, and overall SwL, in two different cultural contexts. Findings contributed to the understanding of the relationship between these three variables and for developing tailored future interventions and service planning with older adults in different cultures.
- Self-explaining roads: Effects of road design on speed choicePublication . Theeuwes, Jan; Snell, Joshua; Koning, Trisha; Bucker, BernoOne of the leading principles for road design is the notion of Self-Explaining Roads (SER). According to this notion, the design and layout of the road environment should automatically elicit behavior that is appropriate for that type of road. The current study investigated the effects of the road environment (i.e., the presence of particular road elements such as the presence/absence of edge lines, and a physical separation between driving lanes) on driving speed choice in the Netherlands for roads in- and outside the city limits (ICL and OCL). A total of 462 participants (all car drivers) were exposed to either 152 ICL or 152 OCL pictures of road environments for either a short (300 ms in Experiment 1, 200 ms in Experiment 2) or long duration (1500 ms) and indicated as fast as possible which speed they would drive given the road environment they viewed. All images were labeled with respect to the presence or absence of particular road elements. A linear mixed model was used to determine the effects of road elements on speed choice and response time. The results showed that the presence of certain road elements impacted the speed chosen. For example, inside the city limits, relative to no bicycle lane, a bicycle lane painted on the road reduced driving speed while a separate bike lane increased the speed chosen. Also, central line markings (relative to no line marking) and a road made of asphalt (relative to pavers) were associated with higher speeds. Outside city limits, having multiple lanes (versus one lane) was related to higher speeds and having two driving directions without separation (versus a one-way road) was related to lower speed choices. Importantly, exposure duration (200 /300 ms versus 1500 ms) only had a marginal effect, indicating that road users generally only need a brief glimpse of the road to be able to decide what speed to drive. Consistent with the principles of SER, we conclude that categorization and the associated speed decision is fast, operating within a single glance and is impacted by the road elements present in the environment. Finally, we believe our method constitutes a valuable tool in road design, as it allows one to efficiently and effectively gauge the impact of various road elements in large population samples.
- Factor analysis of ordinal items: Old questions, modern solutions?Publication . Marôco, JoãoFactor analysis, a staple of correlational psychology, faces challenges with ordinal variables like Likert scales. The validity of traditional methods, particularly maximum likelihood (ML), is debated. Newer approaches, like using polychoric correlation matrices with weighted least squares estimators (WLS), offer solutions. This paper compares maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) with WLS for ordinal variables. While WLS on polychoric correlations generally outperforms MLE on Pearson correlations, especially with nonbell-shaped distributions, it may yield artefactual estimates with severely skewed data. MLE tends to underestimate true loadings, while WLS may overestimate them. Simulations and case studies highlight the importance of item psychometric distributions. Despite advancements, MLE remains robust, underscoring the complexity of analyzing ordinal data in factor analysis. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, emphasizing the need for distributional analyses and careful consideration of data characteristics.