Browsing by Author "Costa, Ana"
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- Adaptation and Anxiety Assessment in Undergraduate Nursing StudentsPublication . Costa, Ana; Candeias, Analisa; Ribeiro, Célia; Rodrigues, Herlander; Mesquita, Jorge; Caldas, Luís; Araújo, Beatriz; Araújo, Isabel; Vicente, Henrique; Ribeiro, Jorge; Neves, JoséThe experiences and feelings in a first phase of transition from undergraduate to graduate courses may lead to some kind of anxiety, depression, malaise or loneliness that are not easily overwhelmed, no doubt the educational character of each one comes into play, since the involvement of each student in academic practice depends on his/her openness to the world. In this study it will be analyzed and evaluated the relationships between academic experiences and the correspondent anxiety levels. Indeed, it is important not only a diagnose and evaluation of the students’ needs for pedagogical and educational reorientation, but also an identification of what knowledge and attitudes subsist at different stages of their academic experience. The system envisaged stands for a Hybrid Artificial Intelligence Agency that integrates the phases of data gathering, processing and results’ analysis. It intends to uncover the students’ states of Adaptation, Anxiety and Anxiety Trait in terms of an evaluation of their entropic states, according to the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, i.e., that energy cannot be created or destroyed; the total quantity of energy in the universe stays the same. The logic procedures are based on a Logic Programming approach to Knowledge Representation and Reasoning complemented with an Artificial Neural Network approach to computing.
- Attitudes Towards People With Mental Disorders and Psychiatry: Impact of Mental Health Residence on a Sample of Portuguese Medical StudentsPublication . Campos, Luísa; Palha, Filipa; Dias, Pedro; Lima, Vânia Sousa; Pinhal, Ana; Costa, Ana
- Being female and in a romantic relationship enhances the association between satisfaction with love life and capacity to lovePublication . Leite, Ângela; Costa, Ana; Ribeiro, Beatriz; Fonseca, Carolina; Ribeiro, Inês; Mesquita, Joana; Ribeiro, SaraThis study aims to evaluate if the relation between love life satisfaction, assessed by the satisfaction with love life scale (SWLLS), and capacity to love, assessed by the capacity to love inventory (CTL-I), is moderated by gender and by being or not in a romantic relationship, in a Portuguese sample. To this end, the adaptation and validation of CTL-I for this population were carried out through an exploratory factorial analysis (EFA) followed by a Robust Maximum Likelihood (MLR) confirmatory factorial analysis (CFA). A multi-group analysis for measurement invariance depending on being in a romantic relationship or not was assessed. The model’s reliability was also evaluated. The associations between SWLLS and CTL-I were tested by correlations, regressions and moderations. At last, differences between means and distributions concerning sociodemographic variables were determined. The results showed that a good model fit for the Portuguese version of the CTL-I was found, as well as good psychometric properties. Results also showed that satisfaction with love life contributes to explaining the capacity to love and all its dimensions, and that gender and being in a romantic relationship moderate the association between love life satisfaction and the capacity to love. Being female and being in a romantic relationship make the relationship between love life satisfaction and the capacity to love stronger and more meaningful.
- O bem-estar docente: um estudo exploratório com escolas portuguesas no estrangeiroPublication . Costa, Ana; Dias, Paulo CésarO bem-estar dos docentes é um tema particularmente relevante e tem vindo a receber um interesse crescente. Contudo, são escassos os estudos em escolas no estrangeiro, motivo pelo qual se apresenta este trabalho que pretende explorar do bem-estar destes professores, em particular, descrever o seu bem-estar subjetivo e o bem-estar na escola, explorando o papel de variáveis pessoais e profissionais no bem-estar dos professores. Para isso, participaram neste estudo exploratório quantitativo uma amostra de 58 docentes a lecionar em escolas portuguesas no estrangeiro, na sua maioria mulheres, com idades entre os 27 e os 69 anos que responderam a questionários relativos às variáveis em estudo. Os resultados sugerem um bem-estar subjetivo globalmente positivo, acima do ponto médio, e relações significativas com variáveis organizacionais. Aspectos que são discutidos. Ainda sugeridas novas investigações neste domínio.
- Determinants of academic achievement from the middle to secondary school education: a systematic reviewPublication . Costa, Ana; Moreira, Diana; Casanova, Joana; Azevedo, Ângela; Gonçalves, Armanda; Oliveira, Íris; Azevedo, Raquel; Dias, Paulo C.Because it is crucial for psychosocial adjustment and lifelong learning, education is the most relevant tool for ensuring inclusion and reducing inequalities. Due to its relationship with positive outcomes, such as life satisfaction, mental health, job performance or SES, academic achievement is a significant phenomenon that impacts students, families, and educational institutions. The present study sought to contribute to the field by reviewing the literature on the determinants that influence the objective achievements of a typical population of middle- to high-school students. Based on the PRISMA statement, a search for related studies was performed in the WoS, EBSCO, and PubMed databases, and 771 studies published between 1930 and 2022 were identified. After screening based on the analysis of abstracts, 35 studies met the selection criteria. The Bronfenbrenner ecological model served as the theoretical rationale for organizing the studies’ findings. The results of this review highlight the following determinants of school achievement: (i) Personal factors—gender, personality traits, cognitive abilities and academic background, motivation and self-constructs, stress and problem-solving strategies, and substance use; (ii) Contextual microsystem factors—(a) Family—parental educational background; parenting practices and interactions; parental involvement and support; (b) School—school location; school conditions, responsiveness, and practices; (c) Peers—peer-group disagreement management. This systematic review updates the existing empirical evidence on this topic and highlights the complexity of the phenomenon of academic achievement.
- Do students' mindsets about emotional intelligence change over secondary school? Developmental paths in adolescencePublication . Costa, Ana; Faria, LuísaResearch on mindsets has grown exponentially over the last few years, but the developmental trajectories of the different types of mindsets are less explored, especially among youth. Thus, the present study analyzed and compared the trajectory of both growth and fixed implicit theories of emotional intelligence over the secondary school cycle. In total, 523 students were followed during the complete Portuguese 3-year secondary school cycle, through a three-wave design from the 10th to the 12th grade. In the first wave, the participants were aged between 14 and 18 years (mean [M] = 15.4; standard deviation [SD] = 0.63) and were mainly female (58.6%). The results indicated that the emotional intelligence (EI) growth mindset increased over secondary school, whereas students’ fixed mindset tended to decrease in the same period. A students previous trait EI levels predicted the EI mindset change patterns, while a students gender did not. Moreover, in this study, the different mindset trajectories predicted students emotions toward school at the end of secondary school but not their EI trait levels. The results of this study provide information about the dynamics of emotion-related mindsets in late adolescence and will be discussed on the basis of their implications for the educational context.
- Eucalyptus-enhanced cotton: pretreatment and bioactive coating strategies for the development of sustainable textiles with antimicrobial and antioxidant activities for skin applicationsPublication . Oliveira, Cláudia S.; Costa, Ana; Mendanha, Daniel; Macedo, Tiago; Moreira, Joana; Oliveira, Juliana A. S. A.; Bernardes, Beatriz G.; Silva, Carla J.; Tavaria, Freni K.Eucalyptus essential oils and extracts are widely recognized for their antimicrobial, antioxidant, insecticidal, anti-inflammatory, and aromatizing properties, making them highly valuable across pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and textiles. For the design of biomedical textiles, cotton is favored for its mechanical strength, porosity, and biodegradability, but its vulnerability to microbial action limits its applications. To address this issue, natural compounds like eucalyptus essential oils and extracts have been prioritized over synthetic agents to enhance their antimicrobial properties. While bioactive textiles using essential oils have been well-documented, the incorporation of eucalyptus leaf extracts with different surface modifications of cotton remains largely unexplored. In this line, this study investigated pretreatment approaches to improve the uptake and uniformity of eucalyptus extract on cotton fibers. To achieve this, chitosan (CH), a cationic agent, and alum were applied to the cotton fabric to promote stronger electrostatic interactions and improve the binding of extract’s bioactive components. The functionalized fabrics were tested for antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Escherichia coli, antioxidant properties, and cytotoxicity using human keratinocytes. Eucalyptus-functionalized cotton, particularly with CH pretreatment, exhibited strong antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria and enhanced antioxidant capacity in the DPPH assay. No cytotoxicity was detected with 8 h of exposure, but potential effects were observed after 24 h, indicating the need for further evaluation of long-term safety. These findings highlight the potential of eucalyptus-functionalized textiles for personalized clothing aimed at managing skin conditions linked to microbiota dysregulation, emphasizing the need for optimized functionalization and biocompatibility evaluation.
- Individualist-collectivist profiles in secondary school: an exploratory study of trait emotional intelligence and academic achievementPublication . Costa, Ana; Faria, LuísaAn individualist (I) or collectivist (C) cultural orientation affects individuals’ attitudes, behaviours and values. This study aimed to identify the first-year secondary-school students’ I–C profiles and explore their implications for students’ trait emotional intelligence (EI), emotions towards school and academic achievement (GPA) throughout the 3-year secondary-school cycle. A total of 222 secondary-school students (58.6% females; Mage = 15.4; SD =.63 in the 10th grade) were enrolled in a longitudinal study. The cluster analysis identified three distinct I–C profiles: high individualist-low collectivist students, low individualistic-midlevel collectivist students and high individualist–high collectivist students. The results revealed significant differences between the I–C profiles regarding students’ trait EI, emotions towards school and GPA throughout secondary school, in particular favouring the high individualist–high collectivist profile. These findings are discussed based on the practical implications for students’ outcomes in the current secondary school system.
- School motivation inventory: development of a short scale in the Portuguese educational contextPublication . Costa, Ana; Dias, Paulo C.; Azevedo, Ângela Sá; Oliveira, Íris; Gonçalves, Armanda; Casanova, JoanaThe present study focuses on the development of a short scale of The Facilitating Conditions Questionnaire adapted to the Portuguese secondary school. Based on the McInerney’s School Motivation Inventory (McInnerney et al., 1997), a short form of the instrument with 31 items assesses the following motivation facilitating conditions: valuing school (5 items), affect to school (3 items), influence of teachers (5), positive (6 items) and negative (5 items) parental influence and negative (4 items) and positive (4 items) peer influence (4 items). The sample included 605 students from the secondary school, aged between 14 and 18 years (M = 15.76, SD = 1.14), mostly female (58.7%), attending to different academic courses. Overall, the short version of instrument exhibited good psychometric qualities: good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = .85), the extraction of 7 factors through exploratory factor analysis that explain 55.1% of the total variance and the confirmation of this structure by confirmatory factor analysis with good fit indices (Ȥ2 / 384 = 1.79, CFI = .94, TLI = .93 and RMSEA = .05). The results indicated adequate correlations between the dimensions, with the strongest association between the positive parental influence and negative peer influence (r = -.53) and the lowest between positive peer influence and negative parental influence (r = -.19). The scale also revealed adequate construct validity with the General Achievement Goals Orientation Scale (McInnerney et al., 1997; adapted to the Portuguese context by Gomes et al., 2018), presenting the strongest association between the positive parental influence’s dimension and global motivation (r = .66) and general mastery (r =.66) and the lowest associations between the general social dimension and the valuing school (r =.15) and positive peer influence (r =.16) dimensions. These results support the psychometric qualities of the instrument, not excluding, however, the need to replicate this study in larger samples and in other contexts.
- The role of emotional intelligence and gender in the relationship between implicit theories of emotions and aggression: moderated mediation model in young individualsPublication . Gómez-Leal, Raquel; Fernández-Berrocal, Pablo; Faria, Luísa; Costa, Ana; Cabello, RosarioAggression is a widespread problem among young individuals and has far-reaching consequences for society. Using a mediation model approach, this research seeks to delve into the impact of implicit theories of emotions and the ability emotional intelligence on aggressive behaviour. 608 Spanish students (9 and 18 aged) (Mage = 14.07; SD = 2.64; 46.4% boys) completed the Implicit Theories of Emotion Scale, The Botín Foundation’s Emotional Intelligence Test for Adolescents, and The Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire. We found that individuals who possess incremental implicit theories of emotion tend to exhibit lower levels of aggression and higher levels of emotional intelligence. A noteworthy finding is that emotional intelligence mediates the relationship between implicit theories of emotions and aggressive behaviour. Additionally, the link between implicit theories of emotions and emotional intelligence and aggression is moderated by gender. These findings have significant implications for clinical practice, informing the development of targeted intervention programs to prevent aggression.