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- Com@Viver sem (cyber)bullying: Um guia para trabalhar com crianças e jovensPublication . Veiga Simão, Ana; Ferreira, Paula; Salgado Pereira, Nádia; Oliveira, Sofia; Francisco, Sofia; Gomes, Sónia
- Automatic cyberbullying detection: A systematic reviewPublication . Rosa, Hugo; Salgado Pereira, Nádia; Ribeiro, Ricardo; Ferreira, Paula; Carvalho, Joao P.; Oliveira, Sofia; Coheur, Luisa; Paulino, Paula; Veiga Simão, Ana; Trancoso, IsabelAutomatic cyberbullying detection is a task of growing interest, particularly in the Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning communities. Not only is it challenging, but it is also a relevant need given how social networks have become a vital part of individuals' lives and how dire the consequences of cyberbullying can be, especially among adolescents. In this work, we conduct an in-depth analysis of 22 studies on automatic cyberbullying detection, complemented by an experiment to validate current practices through the analysis of two datasets. Results indicated that cyberbullying is often misrepresented in the literature, leading to inaccurate systems that would have little real-world application. Criteria concerning cyberbullying definitions and other methodological concerns seem to be often dismissed. Additionally, there is no uniformity regarding the methodology to evaluate said systems and the natural imbalance of datasets remains an issue. This paper aims to direct future research on the subject towards a viewpoint that is more coherent with the definition and representation of the phenomenon, so that future systems can have a practical and impactful application. Recommendations on future works are also made.
- Com@ Viver: Promover Comportamentos Pró-sociais. Investigação e intervenção no âmbito do cyberbullyingPublication . Veiga Simão, Ana; Ferreira, Paula; Salgado Pereira, Nádia; Oliveira, Sofia
- Towards Cyberbullying Detection: Building, Benchmarking and Longitudinal Analysis of Aggressiveness and Conflicts/Attacks Datasets from TwitterPublication . Ferreira, Paula; Salgado Pereira, Nádia; Rosa, Hugo; Oliveira, Sofia; Coheur, Luísa; Francisco, Sofia; Souza, Sidclay B.; Ribeiro, Ricardo; Carvalho, João P.; Paulino, Paula; Trancoso, Isabel; Veiga Simão, AnaOffense and hate speech are a source of online conflicts which have become common in social media and, as such, their study is a growing topic of research in machine learning and natural language processing. This article presents two Portuguese language offense-related datasets that deepen the study of the subject: an Aggressiveness dataset and a Conflicts/Attacks dataset. While the former is similar to other offense detection related datasets, the latter constitutes a novelty due to the use of the history of the interaction between users. Several studies were carried out to construct and analyze the data in the datasets. The first study included gathering expressions of verbal aggression witnessed by adolescents to guide data extraction for the datasets. The second study included extracting data from Twitter (in Portuguese) that matched the most frequent expressions/words/sentences that were identified in the previous study. The third study consisted in the development of the Aggressiveness dataset, the Conflicts/Attacks dataset, and classification models. In our fourth study, we proposed to examine whether online aggression and conflicts/attacks revealed any trend changes over time with a sample of 86 adolescents. With this study, we also proposed to investigate whether the amount of tweets sent over a period of 273 days was related to online aggression and conflicts/attacks. Lastly, we analyzed the percentage of participants who participated in the aggressions and/or attacks/conflicts.
- Online verbal aggression, social relationships, and self-efficacy beliefsPublication . Ferreira, Paula; Veiga Simão, Ana; Pereira, Nádia Salgado; Paulino, Paula; Oliveira, SofiaThis study aims to understand whether the relationships adolescent bystanders of cyberbullying have with the victim and other bystanders and their self-efficacy beliefs may affect their use of aggressive language online. Students (676, Mage=14.10, SD=2.74, 55.5% male) answered questions about social media use, self-efficacy to solve cyberbullying situations, interpersonal relationships, and their use of verbal aggression to communicate online. Through structural equation modeling, results demonstrated that having a relationship with the victim or other bystanders mediated the relationship between observing cyberbullying behavior and bystanders’ use of aggressive language online. The effect of observing cyberbullying behavior through having a relationship with the victim or other bystanders was lower than its direct effect on adolescent bystanders’ use of aggressive language. Self-efficacy beliefs mediated the relationship between having a relationship with the victim and other bystanders and adolescents’ use of aggressive language online. Implications for intervention in interpersonal communication online are proposed.
- Psychometric Assessment of the Physicians’ Job Demands and Resources ScalePublication . Moreira, Sérgio; Oliveira, Sofia; Vala, Jorge; Costa-Lopes, Rui; Marques-Pinto, A.Job demands and resources have been consistently associated with the burnout syndrome in physicians, however the literature points to a lack of robust measures to assess these job characteristics across various medical specialties. This study aimed to develop a theoretically and empirically grounded physician-specific job demands and resources self-report measure – the Physicians’ Job Demands and Resources Scale. Relevant dimensions of physicians’ job demands and resources were identified, corresponding measurement items were generated and pre-tested, and the factor structure of the resulting 44 items was tested with a sample of 9,176 Portuguese physicians. The results of EFAs and CFAs with two random split samples provided consistent evidence of a nine-factor structure with 38 of the 44 items. Importantly, the nine-factor structure is consistent with the dimensions identified in the literature. The paper discusses the theoretical and practical impacts of the scale.
- A+ : desenvolvimento e avaliação de um programa de promoção de competências sociais e emocionais para professores do 1º cicloPublication . Oliveira, Sofia; Simão, Ana Margarida Vieira da Veiga; Pinto, Maria Alexandra Penedo Marques; Roberto, Magda Sofia Valadas DominguezAs a result of the excessive professional demands that characterize their daily lives, teachers are among the professionals with the highest prevalence of occupational stress and burnout in Portugal. Due to the psychosocial, educational, organizational, and economic risks of teacher burnout, the occupational health of teachers represents one of the main current political and scientific concerns. In this scenario, psychology has invested in the identification of effective ways to promote teachers’ occupational health, with Social and Emotional Learning interventions presenting promising results in this regard. This research project aims to develop, implement, and evaluate a theoretically and empirically grounded, and ecologically and socially validated online Social and Emotional Learning intervention program named A+, considering, in the different stages of its design and evaluation, the role of contextual variables. To this end, this research integrated three distinct phases (composed of six interrelated empirical studies). The first sought, through literature review studies, to identify theoretical and empirical gaps in the current literature, informing the planning and evaluation of the intervention program and supporting the decision-making of the 2nd and 3rd phases of the research project. In the 2nd phase, as a result of the gaps previously identified, two measurement instruments were developed and adapted, which were later used in the evaluation of the intervention program. The 3rd phase, in turn, consisted of the development, implementation, and evaluation of the A+. All studies included in this research project were supported by the theoretical framework of Social and Emotional Learning for teachers, the Social and emotional competence in schools’ model and the Job demands and resources’ model. The 1st study evaluated the effectiveness of pre-existing Social and Emotional Learning interventions for teachers through a systematic review with meta-analysis of 43 empirical studies. According to the results, the interventions were shown to be effective in promoting teachers’ social and emotional skills (g = 0.59, 95% CI [0.29, 0.90]) and well-being (g = 0.35, 95% CI [0.16, 0.54]), as well as in decreasing their psychological distress (g = -0.34, 95% CI [-0.57, -0.10]). Nevertheless, high between-studies heterogeneity was identified, as well as publication bias in some of the outcome domains assessed. The 2nd study sought to deepen the results found previously. For this purpose, a systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted of 13 empirical studies that evaluated the efficacy of Social and Emotional Learning interventions on teachers’ burnout indicators. The results showed a significant impact of the interventions on teachers’ emotional exhaustion (g = -0.37, 95% CI [-0.70, -0.03]) and personal accomplishment (g = 0.45, 95% CI [0.12, 0.79]) dimensions. Specifically for personal accomplishment, the findings suggested that interventions lasting three months or longer and tailored to the specific needs of pre-school and elementary-school teachers appear to be more effective. Taken together, the results of these studies contributed to the identification of specific characteristics to consider when designing Social and Emotional Learning interventions for teachers, as well as to the recognition of methodological constraints that may impact their efficacy, namely, the inconsistency of the instruments used, which contributes to the high heterogeneity identified among the studies. Thus, considering the variables subject to assessment in the 3rd phase of the project, the validation of measurement instruments that allowed for a robust assessment of the Social and Emotional Competence and the perception of organizational climate among Portuguese elementary-school teachers was deemed necessary. Hence, the 3rd study involved the development of the Social and Emotional Competence Assessment Battery for Adults, with a total sample of 796 Portuguese adults. The 4th study, integrating a total sample of 768 Portuguese elementary-school teachers, consisted in the Portuguese adaptation of the Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire Revised for Elementary schools. In both studies, factor structure, internal consistency, temporal stability, and validity of the measures were assessed. The main results of both studies suggested the adequacy of the instruments to assess, respectively, adults’ social and emotional competence and the organizational climate of Portuguese elementary schools. Overall, these studies ensured the psychometric quality of the instruments that were subsequently used to assess the efficacy of the intervention program. The 5th study described the development of the A+ intervention. In a first step, 10 focus group interviews were conducted (N = 66 teachers), to (1) assess teachers perceived social and emotional needs and (2) understand their interest in participating in a Social and Emotional Learning intervention. Findings suggested the interest and relevance of this type of intervention. Also, the results highlighted the relationship between contextual variables and teachers perceived Social and Emotional Competence. In the subsequent stage, a pilot study with 21 elementary-school teachers and a pre-post-test design allowed for a preliminary evaluation of the efficacy, implementation quality, and social validity of a trial version of the A+. Results showed promising indicators of quality, adequacy, and efficacy of the intervention, evidencing participants’ high interest and satisfaction, and mostly positive effects of the intervention on the outcome variables. Study 6 entailed the evaluation of the final version of the A+ intervention, through a between-samples longitudinal design involving 81 Portuguese elementary-school teachers. Overall, the findings suggested the efficacy of the A+, showing positive impacts on proximal (e.g., self-regulation) and distal (e.g., well-being) variables favoring the experimental group. Nevertheless, and as expected, results differed across the school contexts, emphasizing the predictive role of organizational climate in teachers’ Social and Emotional Competence. These results were accompanied by good implementation quality indicators and highlighted the impact of participants’ responsiveness on post-intervention outcomes. These studies contributed to scientific knowledge and psychological practice regarding teachers’ professional development and occupational health by providing a socially relevant and validated intervention program. Furthermore, the findings add to the reflection on the methodological practices and guidelines for implementation and evaluation of interventions in educational settings, ensuring their cost-effectiveness. Finally, this project provided insight on the importance of integrating contextual variables in the planning and evaluation of interventions for teachers’ professional development and occupational health.
- Does Our Age Affect the Way we Live? A Study on Savoring Strategies Across the Life SpanPublication . Marques-Pinto, A.; Oliveira, Sofia; Santos, Andrea; Camacho, Cláudia; Silva, Débora Pires; Pereira, Mónica SofiaThis study set out to explore the savoring strategies used by adolescents, adults and the elderly with a view to contributing to theory on age and savoring. A sample of 1018 Portuguese participants (n=114 adolescents in the 3rd cycle of basic education; n=474 adolescents in secondary education; n=311 adults; and n=119 older adults), answered the Positive Experiences Questionnaire, a self-report questionnaire with open-ended questions on savoring strategies used to prolong or intensify the positive emotions associated with positive events, in addition to their respective efcacy. The data content analysis showed that participants use complex strategy patterns to up-regulate their positive emotional experiences, comprising cognitive, behavioral, interpersonal, volitional and sensory strategies. Age diferences in savoring were identifed, with the adolescents mostly referring to interpersonal strategies, namely taking care of relationships, and the adult and elderly participants predominantly recalling cognitive strategies, more specifcally sharing with others and having thoughts of faith or thankfulness, respectively. The majority of participants considered the savoring strategies used to be efcacious and no signifcant associations were found between the lifespan groups in this regard. These fndings may further the understanding of documented diferences in subjective well-being across the life-span and inform intervention eforts in this domain. The article closes by suggesting directions for future studies.
- Prosociality in Cyberspace: Developing Emotion and Behavioral Regulation to Decrease Aggressive CommunicationPublication . Veiga Simão, Ana; Ferreira, Paula; Pereira, Nádia Salgado; Oliveira, Sofia; Paulino, Paula; Rosa, Hugo; Ribeiro, Ricardo; Coheur, Luisa; Carvalho, Joao P.; Trancoso, IsabelDifferent forms of verbal aggression are often present in cyberbullying, which may impair executive function skills that enable the regulation of emotions and behavior. Emotion and behavioral regulation has been associated with better social adjustment and more positive interactions between peers. This study aimed to understand if fostering emotion and behavioral regulation strategies could decrease aggressive communication. A quasi-experimental longitudinal design, based on a Twitter client mobile application, with pre-posttest measures was used. For the application, we explored different machine learning approaches, including computational intelligence methods. Multilevel linear modeling and frequency analyses were performed. A convenience sample of 218 adolescents (M age=14.67, SD=0.84, 53% female) participated in the study. Results suggest that a Twitter client mobile application intervention based on emotion and behavioral regulation strategies may help decrease adolescents’ aggressive communication. Moreover, female and male participants who used the digital application tended to present distinct trajectories over time with regard to searching for information concerning prosocial behavior. These findings suggest that digital tools resorting to emotion and behavioral regulation strategies may be effective in reducing an aggressive communication style amongst adolescents, and consequently, promote resource seeking to engage in prosociality. These results can be significant for the design of intervention programs against cyberbullying.
- Trabalho Colaborativo no 1º Ciclo: Suporte Percebido e Regulação PartilhadaPublication . Marques, Joana; Oliveira, Sofia; Ferreira, Paula; Veiga Simão, AnaA regulação partilhada é um elemento essencial na aprendizagem colaborativa e os trabalhos de grupo representam boas oportunidades para que o indivíduo possa desenvolver competências autorregulatórias por meio de interações com os outros. O presente estudo procurou compreender de que forma os alunos percecionam a regulação partilhada em trabalhos de grupo e como se apoiam enquanto equipa na regulação das tarefas e na resolução de problemas. Participaram do estudo 251 alunos de 3º e 4º ano do 1º ciclo do ensino básico. Os resultados mostraram que os alunos identificam facilitadores e não facilitadores na regulação partilhada da tarefa, tendo o suporte do grupo um papel relevante como facilitador. Discutem-se implicações práticas assim como as limitações do estudo.