José Fernando A. Cruz

Estresse ocupacional em profissionais de saúde: um estudo com enfermeiros portugueses

This work analyses occupational stress in 286 nurses from hospitals and health care centres in Portugal. The following dimensions were evaluated: stress, burnout, physical health problems, satisfaction and professional fulfilment. Results revealed significant stress experiences in 30% of the professionals, and emotional exhaustion problems in 15%. Multiple regression analysis pointed out stress as an important predictor of emotional exhaustion, physical health, satisfaction and professional fulfilment. Comparative analysis suggested more occupational stress and professional negative experiences in the following groups: female nurses, younger and less experienced nurses, those with short-term working contracts, nurses working on a shift-basis system, and nurses working during long hours.

A entrevista no estudo da Excelência: Uma proposta

The present study investigated implicit and explicit attitudes toward people with disabilities and examined the effects of internal versus external source of motivation to respond without prejudice. The implicit and explicit attitudes of undergraduate students (N = 109) toward people with disabilities were measured, and the effects of both kinds of motivation in regulating prejudice were investigated. The results were as follows: undergraduate students had positive explicit attitudes toward people with disabilities; however, they were also found to have negative implicit attitudes toward people with disabilities; and high internal motivation to regulate prejudice effectively moderated implicit attitudes toward people with disabilities. We discuss possible ways to effectively moderate prejudice in education.

Abordagem carismática e transformacional: modelos conceptuais e contributos para o exercício da liderança

En este articulo se presenta una revision de la literatura acerca del enfoque carismatico y transformacional del estudio del liderazgo, buscandose analizar sus conceptos principales y los modelos conceptuales mas representativos. De igual modo, se analizan las posibilidades de aplicacion de dichas contribuciones al ejercicio del liderazgo, ayudando en la comprension de los procesos inherentes a la relacion entre el lider y los miembros del grupo. Por ultimo, se describen algunos resultados que se obtuvieron hasta ahora en el estudio de lideres con caracteristicas carismaticas y transformacionales.This paper presents a review of the literature written about the charismatic and transformational leadership approaches, stressing the main concepts and conceptual models. We also observe the possibility of applying these contributions in order to understand leadership actions and the relationship between leaders and group members. Lastly, we describe some results obtained until now about the efficacy of charismatic and transformational leaders.

Be(com)ing an excellent student: a qualitative study with engineering undergraduates

This study explores the factors affecting the development of academic excellence on a group of 33 high-achieving engineering students. Participants were interviewed individually to explore several personal and contextual aspects of their past and current academic pathways. The results obtained reflect three main contributions to the conceptualization and understanding of excellence in academic contexts: the need to adopt a multidimensional and dynamic view about the concept of excellence; the existence of a variety of possible pathways and environmental conditions to achieve excellence; and the understanding of excellence as a process undergoing continuous development, which thrives within the family context and school environment, and that seems to be continuously nurtured by individuals in interaction with their contexts.

Relação treinador-atleta e exercício da liderança no desporto: a percepção de treinadores de alta competição

Resumo Neste artigo apresentamos os resultados de quatro entrevistas levadas a cabo com treinadores de alta competicao portugueses, em que se procurou recolher informacoes sobre as competencias necessarias para exercer a actividade de treinador, os principios e filosofia adoptada no trabalho, as principais areas de exercicio da lideranca e os valores defendidos na modalidade e na pratica profissional. Os resultados permitiram verificar um acordo quanto a importância de possuirem boas competencias conceptuais e pessoais, principios claros e aceites pelos atletas, boas condicoes de trabalho e atletas com qualidade para a alta competicao. Paralelamente, foi evidente a complexidade de tarefas assumidas na orientacao dos atletas (nove dimensoes do exercicio da lideranca). Por ultimo, e de salientar a importância dada a obtencao dos resultados competitivos (objectivo principal) em conjunto com a analise satisfatoria do trabalho realizado e a valorizacao do desenvolvimento pessoal, tanto no treinador como nos atletas (objectivos “perifericos”). Palavras-chave: lideranca; desporto; transformacional; carisma

Bayesian–Nash equilibria in theory of planned behaviour

The theory of planned behaviour studies the decision-making mechanisms of individuals. We propose the Bayesian–Nash equilibria as one, of many, possible mechanisms of transforming human intentions in behaviour. This process corresponds to the best strategic individual decision taking in account the collective response. We show that saturation, boredom and frustration can lead to splitted strategies, in opposition to no saturation that leads to a constant strategy.

Avaliações cognitivas, emoções e coping : um estudo com futebolistas portugueses.

Resumen pt: O presente trabalho teve como objectivo analisar os padroes e associacoes das estrategias de coping, da avaliacao cognitiva, da ansiedade e de outras emo...

Achieving scientific excellence: an exploratory study of the role of emotional and motivational factors

Abstract This study investigates the perceived role of psychological factors in achieving excellence in scientific research. Six outstanding scientists aged 33–42 were interviewed. Data were analyzed inductively resulting in three main dimensions: personality traits and characteristics, psychological skills and processes, and task-specific strategies. Researchers highlighted the importance of emotional factors and motivational processes to achieve and sustain scientific excellence. Flexible coping, emotion regulation, and goal setting were emphasized and described as particularly important in dealing with rejections, setbacks, and team management issues. Persistence and adaptive perfectionism were key individual characteristics which helped participants in nurturing and sustaining motivation. This study suggests that the specific impact of emotional, motivational, and other psychological skills at different stages of excellence development is relevant; yet, further investigation is needed.

Exploring Individual Differences in the Experience of Anger in Sport Competition: The Importance of Cognitive, Emotional, and Motivational Variables

As anger is one of the most commonly experienced emotions in sport competition, this study aims to explore the individual differences in anger. A multisport sample of 269 athletes completed self-report measures of anger and several cognitive, motivational, and emotional variables. The results revealed significant differences in approach and avoidance motivation, anger rumination, thought suppression, antisocial behavior toward teammates and opponents, and self-control among athletes with different levels of anger. In addition, antisocial behavior toward opponents and teammates, anger rumination, challenge appraisals, and self-control predicted anger levels and significantly discriminated between athletes with low and high trait anger.

Nash Equilibria in Theory of Reasoned Action

Game theory and Decision Theory have been applied to many different areas such as Physics, Economics, Biology, etc. In its application to Psychology, we introduce, in the literature, a Game Theoretical Model of Planned Behavior or Reasoned Action by establishing an analogy between two specific theories. In this study we take in account that individual decision‐making is an outcome of a process where group decisions can determine individual probabilistic behavior. Using Game Theory concepts, we describe how intentions can be transformed in behavior and according to the Nash Equilibrium, this process will correspond to the best individual decision/response taking in account the collective response. This analysis can be extended to several examples based in the Game Theoretical Model of Planned Behavior or Reasoned Action.