Isabel Maria Marques Alberto

Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance of the Coimbra Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (BANC)

Objective This study aimed to investigate the factor structure of the Coimbra Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (BANC), which is an individually administered battery designed to assess a wide range of neurocognitive functions in children. Method Using the standardization sample of the BANC, a confirmatory factor analysis and a multiple-group analysis were conducted to examine the factor structure and the measurement invariance of three main domains (Memory, Language, and Attention/Executive Functions) in 833 children aged 7-15 years. Results Consistent with the BANCs conceptualization, the three-correlated-factor model demonstrated the most adequate fit to the data. The measurement invariance of the three-correlated-factor model across two age-groups (7-9 years and 10-15 years) was supported (configural, metric, and partial scalar invariance). Conclusion Overall, the BANC shows adequate psychometric properties and provides useful information regarding the childrens neuropsychological functioning.

“But … we are Africans!”: Family life cycle structuring and functioning in southern Angola

This study sought to explore and describe family life structuring and functioning in a southern Angolan setting. Informants were 20 people with an intimate knowledge of southern Angolan culture (females = 9, 45%; age range 26-88 years) and all employees in the health (n = 5; 25%), education (n = 8; 40%), juridical (n = 2; 10%), public administration (n = 2; 10 %) and faith-based organisations (n = 3; 15%) sectors. We engaged then in one-to-one interviews of aspects of family structure and function which they perceived to characterise the family life cycle in southern Angola. Findings suggest an intergenerational family structure with communal living and marriages in which premarital pregnancy was a precursor. Beginning or young families cohabitated with several other generation, others mostly from extended family in backyard townhomes. Traditionalist gender roles in which men were perceived as heads of households and women as caregivers persisted. Family life in southern Angola is marked by social adaptation of traditionalist African communal living in the context of modernity.

Escala de Evaluación de la Comunicación en la Parentalidad (COMPA): Desarrollo y Validación de una Medida de la Comunicación Padres-Hijos

Este trabajo presenta las caracteristicas psicometricas de las versiones de la Escala de Evaluacion de la Comunicacion en la Parentalidad (COMPA): version parental, version para adolescentes (12-16 anos) y version para ninos (7-11 anos). Esta es una prueba que tiene el objetivo de evaluar las percepciones de padres e hijos sobre la comunicacion que mantienen. El estudio se realizo con una muestra de 803 padres y 619 hijos de la poblacion portuguesa. Los resultados del analisis de componentes principales han revelado una estructura de cinco factores para la version parental (expresion afectiva/ soporte emocional, α:.821; disponibilidad parental para la comunicacion, α:.732; metacomunicacion, α:.725; compartir/confianza de los padres en los hijos, α:.753; compartir/confianza de los hijos en los padres, α:.615) y para la version de adolescentes (disponibilidad parental para la comunicacion, α:.865; compartir/confianza de los hijos en los padres, α:.873; expresion afectiva/soporte emocional, α:.838; metacomunicacion, α:.805; patrones negativos de comunicacion, α:.650) y de dos factores para la version de los ninos (disponibilidad parental para la comunicacion, α:.842; expresion afectiva/soporte emocional, α:.784). Esta estructura factorial exploratoria fue confirmada mediante un analisis de ecuaciones estructurales. Los niveles de consistencia interna se han revelado buenos para el proposito de investigacion y evaluacion clinica.

O Papel da Comunicação no Exercício da Parentalidade: Desafios e especificidades

O presente artigo tem como objectivo reflectir sobre o papel da comunicacao no exercicio da parentalidade, atendendo aos desafios, especificidades e transversalidades familiares. A literatura teorica destaca a efectividade desta relacao, surgindo o Modelo da Pragmatica da Comunicacao Humana (Watzlawick, Beavin, & Jackson, 1967/1993) como importante suporte para a compreensao da interaccao entre estes dois conceitos. Em termos empiricos, verifica-se a existencia de diversos estudos sobre a relacao da comunicacao parento-filial com outras variaveis, nomeadamente, o sexo de progenitores e filhos, a etapa do ciclo vital da familia e a tipologia/composicao familiar. Desta forma, pretende-se aprofundar o conhecimento sobre uma dimensao da parentalidade tao influente, como e a comunicacao, para o bem-estar relacional entre pais e filhos.

Triarchic Model of Psychopathy: A Brief Measure Among Detained Female Youths

ABSTRACT The present study examined the psychometric properties of a brief measure of the Triarchic model of psychopathy based on the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory (YPI-Tri-S) among a forensic sample of detained female youth offenders (M = 16.41 years; SD = 1.19 years) from Portugal. Results supported the expected three-factor structure and cross-gender measurement invariance. The YPI-Tri-S showed good psychometric properties in terms of factor structure, internal consistency, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and criterion-related validity. Findings suggest that the YPI-Tri-S is a valid and reliable measure of the Triarchic model of psychopathy, which can be used to assess female juvenile offenders.

Family life cycle: reflections on ethnic and cultural specificities of African’s family development

A Psicologia da Familia tem enfatizado o papel das especificidades etnicas e culturais no desenvolvimento e funcionamento familiar. No entanto, pouco se sabe sobre a forma como as familias africanas (subsarianas) funcionam ao longo do seu curso desenvolvimental. Este trabalho pretende identificar de que modo os modelos teoricos e os estudos empiricos caracterizam o desenvolvimento e o funcionamento (ao nivel dos stress/tensoes, forcas, rituais e rotinas) das familias africanas ao longo do percurso vital. Para tal realizou-se uma revisao teorica sustentada pela pesquisa em bases bibliograficas, da qual resultou a analise de 22 artigos. Os resultados evidenciam a escassez de investigacao focada nas familias africanas. As pesquisas relatadas nos artigos analisados demonstram a existencia de especificidades a nivel das situacoes indutoras de stress/tensoes e de forcas das familias africanas e o papel estabilizador e organizador dos rituais e das rotinas durante os momentos de transicao familiar. Da revisao teorica emergiu a necessidade de se conceberem modelos do percurso de desenvolvimento familiar ajustado as especificidades etnicas e culturais destas familias e de promover mais investigacao sobre o seu funcionamento familiar, que permitam criar um quadro teorico e compreensivo valido para a avaliacao e intervencao ao nivel do sistema familiar.

Once up on a time, in the Institution where I lived: adults’ accounts on the experiences of institutionalization

This study aimed to achieve a better understanding on the life-experiences of adults with experience in institutional care in childhood and/or adolescence, into two distinct cases: i) internment in a institution for child victims of violence and ii) detention in a young offenders’ institution, after being found guilty of a crime. This study is based on the narrations of fourteen interviewees, focusing on what they perceived as positive and negative aspects of this experience, their experiences while institutionalized, as well as their suggestions in order to improve the quality of these services. The results tend to show that institutionalization has positive and negative aspects that have been clearly identified by the participants of our study.