Portuguese Sample Research Articles

Condom use in casual sexual relationship scripts

ABSTRACT Casual sexual relationships (CSRs) are increasingly common among young adults, yet research rarely explores whether condom use is part of the behavioral scripts guiding these encounters. This study, grounded in a cognitive script framework, examined the inclusion of condom use in three heterosexual CSR types—friends with benefits, one-night stands, and hook-ups—as well as in dating/regular relationships. Data were collected from two samples of Portuguese emerging adults aged 18–29 (N = 86 and N = 120) between March and May 2023. In a preliminary study, participants rated how typical various actions were within each relationship type. Condom use was rated as typical in CSRs but not in dating relationships. A memory recognition task was then used to assess whether condom use was cognitively encoded as part of these scripts. While participants often reported condoms as typical in CSRs, the results exposed a contradiction: false recognitions (false alarms) were significantly higher for typical actions, but condom-related actions were processed more like atypical ones. These findings suggest that although individuals consciously endorse condom use in CSRs, their underlying cognitive scripts may not support it. This highlights a gap between reported beliefs and implicit processing, with implications for sexual health interventions targeting young adults.

Climate change anxiety and pro-environmental behaviours: disentangling gender disparities.

Climate change represents the most significant environmental and social issue of our time. Climate change anxiety has been identified as a relevant consequence of climate change globally. The current study explored how climate change anxiety and pro-environmental behaviour vary with gender and social psychological characteristics, using a nationally representative Portuguese sample. The findings revealed that women reported higher levels of climate change anxiety compared to men, and this was driven by women's higher levels of climate change anxiety cognitive impairment. Women also indicated more frequent pro-environmental behaviours, higher levels of environmental identity and climate change perceptions than men. The findings further showed similar relations for men and women, between social psychological mechanisms (environmental identity and climate change perceptions) and their impact on climate change anxiety and some types of pro-environmental behaviours. The results also demonstrated that climate change perceptions mediated the effect of environmental identity on pro-environmental behaviours and those mediations were further moderated by gender. The results highlight the importance of exploring the gender gap in environmental related attitudes and behaviours and the incorporation of gender mainstreaming in environmental sustainability policies and programmes.

Associations between pathophysiological traits and symptom development in retrospective analysis of V30M and V122I transthyretin amyloidosis.

Associations between pathophysiological traits and symptom development in retrospective analysis of V30M and V122I transthyretin amyloidosis.

Psychometric evaluation of the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI) in Portuguese adult samples: a consensus version

ABSTRACT Background Fatigue is a multidimensional symptom common across various conditions, often underdiagnosed despite its significant impact on quality of life. The Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI) is a self-assessment scale designed to measure multiple fatigue dimensions. However, its factor structure has proven difficult to replicate. Objective This study evaluates the psychometric properties of the MFI in a Portuguese sample, proposing a refined version and contributing to the debate on its structural validity. Methods A total of 1,858 participants (aged 18–85, M = 30.72 ± 13.9; 69.5% female) were recruited through non-probabilistic sampling and split into two subsamples. Six factor structures were tested using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA); the three best-fitting models underwent measurement invariance testing across subsamples and sex. The best model was further validated in the full sample, with a second-order factor (Global Fatigue – GlobF) tested. Results Three models were discarded due to poor fit. The retained models showed strong measurement invariance and good psychometric properties. The final model preserved the original Physical Fatigue and Mental Fatigue dimensions. CFA fit indices were strong (RMSEA = 0.076, SRMR = 0.028, CFI = 0.971, TLI = 0.957). Reliability was high (α = 0.798–0.881; ω = 0.807–0.880), with adequate construct validity (AVE = 0.519–0.648) and discriminant validity (HTMT = 0.589). Conclusions This study proposes a refined, reliable and valid consensus version of the MFI for the Portuguese population. The revised instrument improves fatigue assessment and may support better fatigue identification and management in clinical and non-clinical settings. Further research should examine its responsiveness and cross-cultural applicability.

Prevalence of Self-Reported Musculoskeletal Disorders in Dentists-A Cross-Sectional Study in Portugal and Italy.

Objectives: A dentist may assume incorrect working positions throughout their professional career, which can lead to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). This study aimed to quantify the prevalence of self-reported MSDs in dentists and the body region most affected, as well as to evaluate the most frequent working position, the area of work and the age group most frequently associated with MSDs. Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational study adhering to the STROBE and CHERRIES guidelines, approved by the local Ethics Committee. An online questionnaire (including the Nordic Musculoskeletal Symptoms Questionnaire) was applied to a convenience sample of Portuguese and Italian dentists. Data analysis was conducted with non-parametric comparisons (IBM© SPSS® Statistics vs. 28.0, p < 0.05). Results: A total of 341 dentists (170 Portuguese, 171 Italian) aged 18-75 years participated. The prevalence of self-reported MSDs in Portugal and Italy was 78.8% and 81.9%, respectively. The most affected self-reported MSD body regions were the neck (65.3% Portuguese and 61.4% Italian dentists), shoulder (49.4% Portuguese and 39.2% Italian) and lumbar region (52.4% and 39.2%, respectively). The neck region was the one reported to cause the highest work absenteeism. The higher age group (41-50 years and higher) has a higher risk for self-reported MSD. Multivariate analysis highlighted increased practice time as a significant risk factor for MSDs in the previous year in both countries. Age group, practice duration and work position relative to the patient were significantly linked to MSD occurrence and work avoidance. Conclusions: Dentists showed a high prevalence of self-reported MSD despite performing clinical activity mostly seated. It was concluded that dentists older than 40 years and those who have been working for more than 20 years have a higher risk of MSD, and that endodontics is the area where they report feeling more discomfort. Dentists should be encouraged to take more breaks between appointments and regular exercise to prevent the development/progression of MSDs.

Callous-Unemotional Traits and Motivational Aggression: The Mediating Role of Self-Regulation

ABSTRACT Aggression perpetration can be influenced by our temperament and personality. This study examines the role of self-regulation as a mediator in the relationship between CU traits and proactive (n = 746, 66% males; M = 14.81; SD = 1.79) and reactive aggression (n = 1552, 59.4% males; M = 15.12; SD = 1.80) across two Portuguese community samples. The findings highlight that self-regulation accounts for the association of CU traits with both proactive and reactive aggression. Results suggest that the study of aggression considering personal variables could contribute to the development of preventive interventions, reducing the number of incidents and the recurrence of aggressive behavior within the community.

Students’ perceptions of teaching styles use and motivation to participate in PE: A multigroup analysis of the mediating role of basic psychological needs

The teaching styles physical education (PE) teachers employ may promote or undermine pupils’ motivation. While reproductive styles are thought to rely on the repetition of patterns of movement teachers provide, productive styles aim for students to generate their own solutions to problems. Therefore, productive styles may promote students' basic psychological needs (BPNs), which tend to be associated with the quality of students’ motivation. This mediation model was tested using structural equation models. Group invariance between Portuguese and Scottish subsamples was tested with a multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. A total of 548 secondary school PE pupils from Portugal ( n = 353; 47.3% females) and Scotland ( n = 195; 31.3% females) completed online measures of pupils’ perceptions of teaching styles, motivation and BPNs. The data indicated that the most frequently used styles were from the reproductive cluster. Portuguese students perceived significantly greater use of reproductive styles than Scottish students. The model had an adequate fit to the data for both subsamples. Productive styles were positively associated with BPNs and BPNs were positively associated with autonomous motivation. Productive styles had a direct and indirect effect, through BPNs, on autonomous motivation. Reproductive styles also had a direct positive effect on autonomous motivation in the Portuguese sample and neither a direct nor indirect effect on controlled motivation in both samples. BPNs were positively associated with controlled motivation in the Scottish sample but negatively associated in the Portuguese sample. None of the teaching clusters were directly associated with autonomous motivation in the Scottish sample. Associations of teaching styles with motivation vary according to cultural and situational factors.

Discriminated and Violent? The Social Representations of Minorities in the Rise of Radical Right Populist Parties in Portugal and Italy

The rise of radical right-wing parties in Europe brings new dynamics and challenges to western liberal democratic models, particularly in how these parties construct narratives around minorities, often framing them as threats to national identity and security. Given the historical background of populist governments in Italy and Portugal being, until recently, an exception in the context of populism in Europe, the comparison between these two countries offers an opportunity to analyse the dynamics and impacts of radical right-wing populism in both countries. The present research aims to address the scarcity of studies on social representations of minorities in Portugal and Italy. To achieve this goal, we conducted a survey (N = 1796) in Portugal and Italy. Using the free word association technique, based on Abric’s Structural Approach to Social Representations Theory, we analyse responses regarding social representations of minorities. Our findings reveal that, while respondents in both nations acknowledge discrimination, the Italian sample includes a wider range of negative terms, such as “violent”—whereas the Portuguese sample largely portrays minorities in positive terms, favouring their inclusion. Respondents in both countries recognise the existence of discrimination against minorities in society, yet the evocation of terms such as “violent”, “profiteers”, and “repugnant” reflects considerable influence from exclusionary and marginalising narratives.

Validation and proposal of a short version of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) for Portuguese adolescent students

Self-regulated learning is one of the most relevant learning concepts, representing cognitive, metacognitive, emotional, behavioural and motivational aspects. The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) is the most used instrument to measure self-regulated learning. Though, its 81-item structure is lengthy and presents psychometric issues. Additionally, there is no translation/validation of MSLQ for European Portuguese secondary students. This study involved two stages; in the first, the scale’s psychometric properties were examined, and a short version with 56 items was proposed; in the second, the short version was re-analysed. The first sample consisted of 795 adolescents aged 14–19; 429 adolescents formed the second sample, aged 13–17. Confirmatory factor analyses using robust estimators showed a good fit to the data for the three separated first-order models. Also, good reliability values were found, and information reproduction between the original version and this reduced proposal was verified. These results suggest that the proposed Portuguese short version of the MSLQ (MSLQ-PTS) is a valid and reliable measure for adolescent Portuguese samples. Moreover, the shorter version length makes it a more effective tool for practitioners and researchers.

Factorial structure, measurement invariance and reliability of the Emotion Regulation Checklist (ERC) in a sample of Portuguese parents

Emotion regulation is important for socioemotional and mental health development, with lifelong implications. The Emotion Regulation Checklist (ERC; Shields &amp; Cicchetti, 1997) is a widely used tool to assess emotional regulation and dysregulation in children. Despite wide use and translate into several languages, inconsistent findings have been found in its factorial structure across studies. This study addresses this gap by examining the factorial structure, reliability, and measurement invariance of the ERC in a Portuguese sample. A sample of 789 parents (mostly mothers, 90.9%) with children between 3 to 12 years old (49.3% preschoolers and 50.7% School-age) completed the scale. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) revealed that the original two-factor model (Emotion Regulation and Lability/Negativity) reached an acceptable fit, however three items had to be removed, and two item residuals correlated. Full invariance was achieved regarding boys and girls. While, regarding age, only configural invariance was achieved, meaning that, different loadings should be expected between preschool and school-age children. Considering the final model the Cronbach’s alphas (α) was .66 for Emotion Regulation and .80 for Lability/Negativity. These findings provide some support for the use of the Portuguese parents’ version of the ERC with preschool and school-age children.

Psychometric validation of the passive and active use measure (PAUM) for Facebook and Instagram among a Portuguese sample

The advent of social media has fundamentally transformed how people interact, bridging the divide between passive digital consumption and active engagement. Objective. This study aims to validate the Passive and Active Use Measure (PAUM) for Facebook and Instagram in a Portuguese sample, exploring distinct interaction modes encompassing Active Social, Active Non-social, Active, and Passive. Methods. Two descriptive, cross-sectional, and quantitative studies were conducted, involving a total of 606 participants (N=198 for study 1, N=408 for study 2), spanning ages 17 to 67. Results. The factor structure of both scales was analyzed, as well as their convergent and discriminant validity and reliability. Both scales-PAUM-Facebook (study 1) and PAUM-Instagram (study 2)-demonstrated robust factorial structures, underscored by sound validity and reliability indicators. Comprising ten and seven items, respectively, these scales are organized into two dimensions: Active and Passive. Conclusion. This study establishes that the PAUM instruments possess strong psychometric properties, rendering them valuable tools for evaluating Facebook and Instagram usage patterns in Portuguese populations, with broader applicability in future research within the field of psychology.

Measuring commitment in paws: Adaptation of the Investment Model Scale to the context of companion animals with a Portuguese sample

Measuring commitment in paws: Adaptation of the Investment Model Scale to the context of companion animals with a Portuguese sample

Character Strengths in Old People: a Cross-Cultural Study

To analyze cross-cultural differences in character strengths (CS) of the elderly, the Values in Action 120 Survey was applied in 74 Brazilian (M=71.66; SD=7.34) and 74 Portuguese (M=72.01; SD=7.55) samples. CS associations with gender, age, schooling years and psychological well-being were also performed. CS profile had a considerable consistency between the two samples being remarkable that, in both samples, Authenticity was a signature CS and Curiosity was positively correlated with psychological well-being. Although there were more similarities between genders, it was possible to identify minor gender differences in the Portuguese samples CS. Further, very few CS were correlated with age or schooling years. Due to limitations of this and other investigations, it is suggested to intensify and to go deeper into cross-cultural research about CS of the elderly, mainly through longitudinal studies with more representative samples. To perform research with this design is fundamental to the development of the science of positive aging.

The contamination effect on recognition memory: adding evidence of an adaptive mnemonic tuning

ABSTRACT Previous research has revealed enhanced free recall for neutral items previously associated with disease-causing agents, compared to when they are associated with neutral information; this has been termed the contamination effect. However, it remains unknown whether this effect extends to recognition memory and, if so, on what processes it would rely (i.e., recollection or familiarity). This is a relevant question to establish the generality and enrich our knowledge about the effect on the various processes in which memory operates. We employed a Yes/No recognition task with Remember/Know judgments to assess the recognition experience. Online American (Experiment 1) and in-person Portuguese (Experiment 2) samples were used. Furthermore, in Experiment 2, participants responded to a Health Status questionnaire and the Fear of COVID-19 scale, allowing us to explore the relation of the effect with these individual variables. In both experiments, the results revealed that objects were significantly better recognised after having been previously associated with sick faces than with healthy faces. Moreover, participants assigned a higher proportion of Remember-judgments to contaminated (vs. non-contaminated) objects, suggesting these were retained with more contextual information. Exploratory analyses revealed that participants’ illness recency correlated positively with the proportion of Remember-judgments. The robustness of this effect is supported by its replication among participants from two different countries, employing both online and on-site procedures. Notably, the to-be-recognised objects were the same across conditions, preventing possible item-selection concerns. Overall, this study expands our understanding of the impact of contamination on memory, emphasising its role in disease avoidance.

SME rebalancing short-term and long-term debt ratios: the role of financial distress costs

PurposeThis study seeks to analyze the effect of the financial distress costs on small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) rebalancing of short-term and long-term debt ratios.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use the system-generalized method of moments (GMM-sys) to treat data collected for a sample of Portuguese manufacturing SMEs for the period 2011–2017.FindingsFinancial distress costs positively impact the speed with which SMEs rebalance their short-term and long-term debt ratios The positive effect of financial distress costs on the speed of adjustment (SOA) is higher for the short-term than for the long-term debt ratio. This result suggests that SMEs seek to overcome quicker the financing imbalance in the short run, probably, due to their dependence on short-term debt.Practical implicationsSME owners-managers should seek to rely less on short-term debt to reduce the firm default risk, the financing imbalance and the financial distress costs. Banks should lend long-term loans to SMEs, given that the high financial distress risk of these firms results from their dependence on short-term debt financing. Policymakers should promote SME access to external finance sources with lower transaction costs, to SME rebalance their capital structures.Originality/valueThis study analyzes the effect of financial distress costs on the SOA with which SMEs rebalance their capital structure. We estimate the financial distress costs based on a hazard model, to analyze their effect on the SOA toward the target debt ratios.

Creative Self-Efficacy and Social Skills in a Portuguese Sample of University Students: Links with Self-Esteem, Academic Achievement and Life Satisfaction.

Creative self-efficacy and social skills are two elements that can significantly enhance personal and professional development. The main objective of this research is to analyze the relations established between creative self-efficacy and social skills with other variables such as self-esteem, academic performance, and life satisfaction. The participants included in the methodology of this study are a total of 238 Portuguese university students. The instruments used were the Creative Self-Efficacy Scale, the Social Skills Questionnaire (CHASO), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and a series of ad hoc questions to assess academic performance. The results obtained indicate the existence of significant relations between creative self-efficacy and social skills, with the latter also being positively associated with self-esteem and life satisfaction. Analyses indicate that there are significant differences according to gender, academic performance, and the level of self-esteem of the participants. In addition, variables such as self-esteem, academic performance, and fluency act as predictors of life satisfaction. The importance of further exploring and understanding the complex relationship between creative self-efficacy, social skills, and individual well-being in the university context is discussed.

Sex estimation using adult femora and humeri trained on a Portuguese reference sample, and tested on Portuguese and South African samples

ABSTRACT Forensic anthropology involves analysing human skeletal remains to assist legal investigations, with sex estimation being a key component of constructing a biological profile. This study evaluated the feasibility of developing metric methods for sex estimation using femora and humeri across different populations. Logistic regression models were created from Portuguese training samples (360 femora; 329 humeri) and tested on independent Portuguese (200 femora; 150 humeri) and South African (66 femora; 66 humeri) samples. The primary goal was to develop sex estimation models using pooled data from Portuguese samples and assess their reliability across Portuguese and South African populations. Femoral models for the Portuguese testing sample achieved an accuracy between 82.0% and 85.5%, with sex bias from 0.0% to 8.0%. Humeral models showed higher accuracy, between 88.0% and 94.0%, with sex bias from 2.4% to 13.1%. In the South African sample, both femoral and humeral models exceeded 75.0% accuracy but exhibited notable sex bias. The results suggest that using a heterogeneous training set, combining data from diverse populations, offers a broader understanding of sexual dimorphism compared with a homogeneous dataset from a single group. The study emphasizes that relying solely on skeletal samples from one population is insufficient for modern forensic anthropology standards.

Mass polarisation: identification with parliamentary discourses and psychological factors

ABSTRACT Ideological polarisation research has gained prominence due to its growing presence in established democracies and its associated negative consequences. This study aimed to explore the identification with polarised parliamentary discourses in a Portuguese sample and its relationship with psychological factors. Results revealed the absence of mass ideological polarisation and a greater leftist identification. Participants who identified more with the right-wing evidenced greater identity fusion with the country and dogmatism, and less tendency to ruminate and to be verbally aggressive. Participants who identified more with the left-wing showed less identity fusion with the country, less dogmatism and greater capacity for empathy, rumination, tolerance to ambiguity, and verbal aggression. Innovative results were also found on the relationship between greater left-wing identification, identity fusion with the country and verbal aggression.

Blastocystis occurrence and subtype diversity in European wild boar (Sus scrofa) from the Iberian Peninsula

The ongoing increase in wild boar populations across Europe has fostered human–wildlife conflicts, including the transmission of emerging pathogens with zoonotic importance. Blastocystis is a ubiquitous, faecal-oral transmitted protist that can cause gastrointestinal illnesses and is observed in humans and animals worldwide. The role of wildlife in the epidemiology of Blastocystis is insufficiently understood. Thus, we investigated the occurrence and subtype diversity of Blastocystis in free-ranging wild boars from the Iberian Peninsula using conventional PCR and next-generation amplicon sequencing of a fragment of the ssu RNA gene. A total of 459 wild boar faecal samples were collected across Spain (n = 360) and Portugal (n = 99) between 2014 and 2021. Blastocystis was present in 15.3% (70/459; 95% CI 12.1–18.9) of the wild boars analysed, and its occurrence was significantly higher in Portugal (34.3%, 34/99; 95% CI 25.1–44.6) than in Spain (10.0%, 36/360; 95% CI 7.1–13.6). Seven Blastocystis subtypes (ST5, ST10b, ST13–ST15, ST24b, and ST43) were detected among the surveyed wild boar populations, with greater variability detected in Portuguese samples. ST5 was identified in all the Blastocystis-positive animals, whereas 14.3% of them harboured ST mixed colonisations. Our results demonstrate that Blastocystis ST5 is particularly adapted to infect wild boars. The additional identification of zoonotic STs reinforces the role of wild boars as spreaders of zoonotic infections with public health significance.

Assessing non-dysfunctional attitudes toward sleep: psychometric properties of the Charlotte Attitudes Toward Sleep scale in Portuguese samples

ObjectivesTo adapt the Charlotte Attitudes Toward Sleep (CATS) scale, the only self-assessment instrument measuring non-dysfunctional attitudes toward sleep, into Portuguese and to study its psychometric properties in a Portuguese sample.MethodA sample of 1858 participants, recruited through non-probabilistic methods, was randomly split in two subsamples; one was used to develop the CATS model, the other for testing model invariance. We used structural equation models to assess factorial validity, measurement invariance, and relationships with other variables (e.g., the Karolinska Sleep Questionnaire) through confirmatory factorial analysis and causal models using a robust maximum likelihood method with Satorra-Bentler correction.ResultsThe CATS factorial model showed excellent evidence of factorial validity (robust CFI = 0.987, TLI = 0.979, SRMR = 0.026, RMSEA = 0.043), good reliability indicators (α and ώ1 > 0.75), and strict invariance of measurement (|∆CFI|< 0.01). CATS factors were weak-to-moderate predictors of sleep behaviors (β < 0.4). The scale showed evidence of divergent validity with the Karolinska Sleep Questionnaire. Some items had significant sensitivity problems and/or did not have adequate factorial weights and had to be dropped from the model.ConclusionsThe CATS is a new and promising scale with solid evidence of validity in terms of internal structure, but with sensitivity issues at item level. Further work should be carried out at item level to increase sensitivity and predictive validity, and further research with other samples, such as clinical sleep medicine patients, should be conducted.