Browsing by Author "Gaspar, Augusta D."
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- MindRegulation: randomized controlled trial of the effects of a relaxation and guided imagery intervention on the psychophysiological well-being, socioemotional regulation, cognitive and academic development of children in schoolPublication . Galinha, Iolanda Costa; Carvalho, Joana Sampaio; Oliveira, Ana Cristina; Arriaga, Patrícia; Gaspar, Augusta D.; Ortega, VitóriaBackground: Mental imagery has long been used in psychological therapies, but only recently did research begin to provide a scientific background for it.Imagery interventions are inexpensive anda substantial body of research supports their effectiveness on behavior change, promotion of adaptive health outcomes, anxiety reduction, and adherence to medical interventions, in both adults and children. However, literature on relaxation and guided imagery interventions benefits for children in elementary school context is very scarce. This Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) aims to contribute to that knowledge by implementing and testing the benefits of an intervention program MindRegulation (MR) comprising relaxation, instructions for body posture, and guided imagery with socioemotional learning (SEL), conveying adaptive beliefs about oneself, the relationships with others and the environment. Method: The MR intervention will be developed in the classroom for 15 minutes before learning activities, three times per week, for five months, and its effects will be measured on a range of emotional, physiological, and cognitive outcomes. Fifteeen classes will be randomly assigned to three conditions: (a) relaxation and guided imagery-MR; (b) relaxation only; and (c) waitlist control. The RCT includes four data collection times: pretest, intermediate, posttest, and a six-month follow-up (trial registration NCT06101225, 05th October, 2023). The sample comprises 240 students, elementary school third and fourth graders, 8–11 years old. The variables measured in all times, except the intermediate, are: well-being, affect, anxiety, emotional regulation, socioemotional competencies, attention and processing speed, and perceived benefits of the intervention. Physiological indicators of emotional arousal, emotional regulation, stress and well-being are also taken, specifically, heart rate variability, electrodermal activity, actigraphy and salivary cortisol. The validity of the measures will be tested for the population and objectives of the study. Discussion: Significant improvements on the children's well-being, socioemotional regulation, cognitive function, physiological activity and academic performance are expected - after 5-months’ intervention at posttest and11 months’ follow-up -at MR condition, compared to the relaxation and control conditions. Changes in physiological activity are expected during MR and relaxation sessions. Emotional regulation, well-being and anxiety are expected to mediate the effects of the interventions over socioemotional competence, cognitive function and academic performance. Well-being and anxiety levels at pretest are expected to moderate the interventions’ effects.
- The good bank: preference of banking institutions based on perceptions of corporate environmental and social causesPublication . Gaspar, Augusta D.; Pinto, Joana CarneiroIntroduction: This study aims to contribute to understanding factors that explain consumers' preferences for banking institutions. We specifically explored the roles of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)—targeted primarily at Environmental causes and secondarily at Social causes—on corporate image (CI), consumer satisfaction (CS) and consumer loyalty (CL). We tested whether integrating a CSR description with an emphasis on environmental causes into the bank marketing strategy would positively affect CI, CS and CL. We also inspected the effect of online banking vs. direct human contact, and perception of price fairness, as well as that of the consumers' demographic variables. Methods: A survey was carried out online, with 322 international respondents recruited through social networks. Participants were randomly directed to one of eight different bank conditions, each combining descriptions where Environmental and social CSR, Price fairness, and direct human contact with the clients varied. After reading the bank description participants filled out a questionnaire that addressed their perception of the bank's CI and their projections of CS and CL. Results and discussion: Results indicated that participants favored the banks that included CSR as part of their description, with the perception of price fairness being the second critical factor in the respondents' CI, CS, and CL. Direct human contact vs. remote banking did not play a role in the participant's ratings of the bank, which is in line with more current studies. We concluded that businesses in the banking sector enhance their global reputation when investing in environmental and social CSR. The question What makes banks attractive to consumers? was addressed to us by a consumer's awareness association preceding our decision to conduct a study on the topic. Studies on the banking sector report that banks have succeeded over the years in attracting and retaining customers, due to factors that encompass a strong brand name and investment in the brand image (Zhang, 2015), the perceptions of quality and functionality of their mobile digital services (e.g., AlSoufi and Ali, 2014; Mbama et al., 2018), the perceived value of human contact provided by traditional banking services versus time-effectiveness, lower costs and saved time provided by fintech (e.g., Mainardes et al., 2023) and loyalty incentives such as rewards in purchases or programs that foster customers feelings of status (e.g., Chaabane and Pez, 2017). However, the brand image per se, and the emotions that the customer associates with it, have a powerful direct effect on intentions of consumer loyalty (Ou and Verhoef, 2017) and thereby on the brand's continuous profit.