Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T20:56:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Simone Priscila Paludeto.pdf: 1981101 bytes, checksum: 40c0a9203c006913d1ab71e910e22e46 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-26 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The theory of mind and empathy are important socio-cognitive skills whose theoretical boundaries are not clearly defined. These skills develop gradually in children, and are essential to everyday interactions and children's social learning. Thus, we find it relevant to study the relationship between the development of theory of mind and empathy, as these two skills are important dimensions of social-emotional development and children's social-cognitive. The main objective of this research was to investigate the associations between theory of mind and empathic ability in children during early childhood education. Thus, our study aims to investigate the relationship between theory of mind and empathy as integral parts of social cognitive development. Participants in this study included 40 children aged between 3 and 6 years. Children's performance in tasks theory of mind and empathy, quantitatively and qualitatively, was analyzed by age group. Children were considered to be 3, 4, 5 and 6 years, descriptively, and then two groups of 3 and 4 years and 5 and 6 years. The second analysis was performed using the Student T test. Analysis of correlation between theory of mind and empathy with the Pearson test was performed. The results showed the existence of a correlation between empathy and theory of mind, although not statistically significant, except in relation to the false belief task. Also, we could see a correlation in our study between better performance of children in theory of mind and empathy with increasing age of the child / A teoria da mente e a empatia, cujas fronteiras teóricas ainda não estão claramente definidas, são habilidades sociocognitivas importantes, que se desenvolvem gradualmente na infância, sendo fundamentais para interações cotidianas e aprendizagem social da criança. Acreditamos relevante estudar a relação entre o desenvolvimento da teoria da mente e a empatia, visto que tais habilidades são dimensões importantes do desenvolvimento socioemocional e sociocognitivo da criança. O objetivo do presente estudo é investigar associações entre a teoria da mente e a habilidade empática em crianças da educação infantil. Dessa forma, nosso estudo propõe-se verificar a relação entre a teoria de mente e a empatia como partes integrantes do desenvolvimento sociocognitivo. Participaram desta pesquisa 40 crianças com idades compreendidas entre 3 e 6 anos. Foi analisado o desempenho das crianças nas tarefas de teoria da mente e empatia, quantitativa e qualitativamente, por faixa etária. Foram consideradas as crianças de 3, 4, 5 e 6 anos de maneira descritiva e depois dois grupos: de 3 e 4 anos e de 5 e 6 anos. Para essa segunda análise, foi utilizado o teste T de Student. Também foi utilizada a análise de correlação entre teoria da mente e empatia com o teste de Pearson. Os resultados demonstraram a existência de uma correlação entre empatia e teoria da mente estatisticamente significativa, no que diz respeito à tarefa de crença falsa, mas não significativa nas outras tarefas de teoria da mente. Também foi verificado neste estudo um melhor desempenho das crianças em teoria da mente e em empatia conforme o aumento da idade da criança

Dentro dos transtornos do espectro autístico, as alterações de linguagem e da comunicação sempre foram consideradas elementos fundamentais. Hoje inúmeros trabalhos relatam a atuação do fonoaudiólogo junto a esta população. Esta pesquisa propõe-se a contribuir para um melhor entendimento dos processos de desenvolvimento da linguagem e do desempenho sócio cognitivo em crianças normais e em crianças autistas no período que antecede à verbalização e no período inicial da mesma. A fundamentação teórica tem por finalidade ancorar este estudo e fornecer uma amostra do que se discute atualmente nas áreas abordadas. O objetivo do trabalho é traçar as correlações entre o perfil funcional da comunicação e o desempenho sócio cognitivo de crianças normais de zero a trinta e seis meses e de autistas. A metodologia proposta para esta pesquisa envolve o acompanhamento próximo e sistemático do desenvolvimento de 6 crianças, em situações de interação com suas mães, através de gravações trimestrais realizadas entre o primeiro e o décimo quinto mês (3 sujeitos) e entre o décimo oitavo e o trigésimo sexto mês (3 sujeitos). Com o objetivo de corroborar os dados referentes a este pequeno grupo, bem como ampliar as possibilidades de generalização dos resultados obtidos, foram colhidos dados da interação mãe - criança de outros 39 sujeitos, sendo 3 de cada faixa etária, respectivamente, 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33 e 36 meses. Os dados obtidos a respeito do desenvolvimento do perfil comunicativo e desempenho sócio-cognitivo em crianças normais forneceram parâmetros a partir dos quais investigar o perfil comunicativo e o desempenho sócio-cognitivo de 20 crianças autistas (10 falantes e 10 não falantes). Os resultados mostram que as crianças normais e as crianças autistas apresentam formas distintas de correlacionar a linguagem com as habilidades cognitivas e sociais. Nos dois grupos foi possível observar que o perfil funcional da comunicação e o desempenho sócio-cognitivo estão interligados e que o desenvolvimento de um passa necessariamente pelo desenvolvimento do outro. A presente pesquisa confirmou que há intenção comunicativa desde o nascimento e que a criança amplia quantitativamente e qualitativamente suas habilidades comunicativas, junto com o aprimoramento de suas habilidades sociais e cognitivas. Nas crianças autistas verbais e não verbais a caracterização do perfil funcional da comunicação e do desempenho sócio-cognitivo realizada neste estudo confirmou a dificuldade destas crianças nas três áreas abordadas e como estas dificuldades muitas vezes determinam o seu desempenho. Diferentemente das crianças normais, as autistas apresentam muitas vezes dissociações entre o perfil funcional da comunicação e o desempenho sóciocognitivo, em função das dificuldades específicas da patologia / Language and communication disorders have always been considered within autistic spectrum disorders. Nowadays many studies report the speech and language therapist\'s work with this population. This research provides a contribution to the better understanding of language and social cognitive developmental processes in the preceding and early stages of verbalization in normal developing and autistic children. The theoretical basis aims to support this study and to provide a sample of the recent discussions about the issue. The objective of the research is to determine the correlations between the functional communicative profile and the social-cognitive performance of children with normal development between zero and 36 months of age and autistic children. The methodology proposed involves the systematic follow up of six children interacting with their mothers through recordings sessions conducted in their homes, with three months interval of three children between the first and the 15th month (3 subjects) and between the 18th and the 36th months (3 subjects). To further improve the generalization possibilities of the data obtained with this small group the same data was obtained from other 39 subjects interaction with their mothers, 3 of each age (respectively 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33 and 36 months). The data about the development of communicative language profile and social cognitive performance provided parameters from which investigate the communicative profile and the social cognitive development of autistic children (10 verbal and 10 non-verbal). Results show that normal and autistic children presented different correlations between language and social-cognitive habilities. In both groups it was possible to observe that the functional communication profile and the social-cognitive performance are associated and that the development of one domain in necessarily linked to the development of the other. The present research confirmed that communicative intent is present since birth and that there is a quantitative and a qualitative improvement of communicative abilities along with the improvement of social-cognitive abilities. In verbal and non-verbal autistic children the characterization of the functional communicative profile and the socialcognitive performance conducted in this study confirmed these children\'s inabilities in the three domains and how these inabilities determine their general performance. Contrary to normal developing children the autistic children many times present dissociation between the functional communicative profile and the social-cognitive performance due specific characteristics of the disorder.

Este trabalho tem por objetivo buscar, no discurso de Diogo Mainardi, regularidades que nos permitam reconhecer a construção de um modelo mental específico de representação do Presidente da República, Luis Inácio Lula da Silva, e de integrantes do Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT). O corpus compreende três crônicas, publicadas na Revista VEJA no período entre junho de 2006 e janeiro de 2007, Alicerçamos nossos estudos na Teoria Sociocognitiva e na Análise Crítica do Discurso (ACD), a partir do que indica Teun van Dijk (1983; 1991; 2004; 2005). Nossa pesquisa concluiu que Mainardi, por meio de manipulação contextual e da atribuição de características socialmente desfavoráveis, como corrupção, incompetência, incapacidade crítica e apego à noção de povo/popular, cria um modelo mental negativo do Presidente Lula e de integrantes do PT. / The aim of this work is to identify, in the discourse of Diogo Mainardi, patterns that might allow us to recognize the construction of a specific mental model of representation of the President of the Federal Republic of Brazil, Luis Inácio Lula da Silva, and of members of the Workers Party (PT). The corpus contains three chronicles published in the VEJA magazine, between June 2006 and January 2007. We based our studies on the principles of the Social Cognitive Theory and the Critical Discourse Analysis, as defined in the writings of Teun A. van Dijk (1983; 1991; 2004; 2005). Through our research, we come to the conclusion that Mainardi created a negative mental model of President Lula and of the members of PT, by using contextual manipulation and unfavorable social characteristics, such as corruption, incompetence, critical incapacity and attachment to the notion of people/popular.

Dentro dos transtornos do espectro autístico, as alterações de linguagem e da comunicação sempre foram consideradas elementos fundamentais. Hoje inúmeros trabalhos relatam a atuação do fonoaudiólogo junto a esta população. Esta pesquisa propõe-se a contribuir para um melhor entendimento dos processos de desenvolvimento da linguagem e do desempenho sócio cognitivo em crianças normais e em crianças autistas no período que antecede à verbalização e no período inicial da mesma. A fundamentação teórica tem por finalidade ancorar este estudo e fornecer uma amostra do que se discute atualmente nas áreas abordadas. O objetivo do trabalho é traçar as correlações entre o perfil funcional da comunicação e o desempenho sócio cognitivo de crianças normais de zero a trinta e seis meses e de autistas. A metodologia proposta para esta pesquisa envolve o acompanhamento próximo e sistemático do desenvolvimento de 6 crianças, em situações de interação com suas mães, através de gravações trimestrais realizadas entre o primeiro e o décimo quinto mês (3 sujeitos) e entre o décimo oitavo e o trigésimo sexto mês (3 sujeitos). Com o objetivo de corroborar os dados referentes a este pequeno grupo, bem como ampliar as possibilidades de generalização dos resultados obtidos, foram colhidos dados da interação mãe - criança de outros 39 sujeitos, sendo 3 de cada faixa etária, respectivamente, 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33 e 36 meses. Os dados obtidos a respeito do desenvolvimento do perfil comunicativo e desempenho sócio-cognitivo em crianças normais forneceram parâmetros a partir dos quais investigar o perfil comunicativo e o desempenho sócio-cognitivo de 20 crianças autistas (10 falantes e 10 não falantes). Os resultados mostram que as crianças normais e as crianças autistas apresentam formas distintas de correlacionar a linguagem com as habilidades cognitivas e sociais. Nos dois grupos foi possível observar que o perfil funcional da comunicação e o desempenho sócio-cognitivo estão interligados e que o desenvolvimento de um passa necessariamente pelo desenvolvimento do outro. A presente pesquisa confirmou que há intenção comunicativa desde o nascimento e que a criança amplia quantitativamente e qualitativamente suas habilidades comunicativas, junto com o aprimoramento de suas habilidades sociais e cognitivas. Nas crianças autistas verbais e não verbais a caracterização do perfil funcional da comunicação e do desempenho sócio-cognitivo realizada neste estudo confirmou a dificuldade destas crianças nas três áreas abordadas e como estas dificuldades muitas vezes determinam o seu desempenho. Diferentemente das crianças normais, as autistas apresentam muitas vezes dissociações entre o perfil funcional da comunicação e o desempenho sóciocognitivo, em função das dificuldades específicas da patologia / Language and communication disorders have always been considered within autistic spectrum disorders. Nowadays many studies report the speech and language therapist\'s work with this population. This research provides a contribution to the better understanding of language and social cognitive developmental processes in the preceding and early stages of verbalization in normal developing and autistic children. The theoretical basis aims to support this study and to provide a sample of the recent discussions about the issue. The objective of the research is to determine the correlations between the functional communicative profile and the social-cognitive performance of children with normal development between zero and 36 months of age and autistic children. The methodology proposed involves the systematic follow up of six children interacting with their mothers through recordings sessions conducted in their homes, with three months interval of three children between the first and the 15th month (3 subjects) and between the 18th and the 36th months (3 subjects). To further improve the generalization possibilities of the data obtained with this small group the same data was obtained from other 39 subjects interaction with their mothers, 3 of each age (respectively 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33 and 36 months). The data about the development of communicative language profile and social cognitive performance provided parameters from which investigate the communicative profile and the social cognitive development of autistic children (10 verbal and 10 non-verbal). Results show that normal and autistic children presented different correlations between language and social-cognitive habilities. In both groups it was possible to observe that the functional communication profile and the social-cognitive performance are associated and that the development of one domain in necessarily linked to the development of the other. The present research confirmed that communicative intent is present since birth and that there is a quantitative and a qualitative improvement of communicative abilities along with the improvement of social-cognitive abilities. In verbal and non-verbal autistic children the characterization of the functional communicative profile and the socialcognitive performance conducted in this study confirmed these children\'s inabilities in the three domains and how these inabilities determine their general performance. Contrary to normal developing children the autistic children many times present dissociation between the functional communicative profile and the social-cognitive performance due specific characteristics of the disorder.

Resumo: Nesta dissertação nós mostraremos, pela contribuição da filosofia de Merleau-Ponty, focalizando o conceito de expressão e os processos de referenciação, que as relações entre linguagem, corpo e mundo da vida são formadoras do simbolismo e da significação. Em acréscimo, examinaremos alguns desenvolvimentos recentes das vertentes lingüísticas de uma perspectiva sócio-cognitiva da linguagem, refletindo sobre as conseqüências da afirmação da união senciente-sensível para a ontologia clássica da mente e da linguagem, como também para a teoria corrente do conhecimento e dos debates epistemológicos sobre a negação dos dualismos interno-externo, sujeito-objeto e mente-corpo. / Abstract: In this dissertation we will show, through contribution of the philosophy Merleau-Ponty, focusing the conception of expression and the referention processes, however relations between language, body and life's world is formed the simbolism and the signification. In addition, we will examine some recent developments from the linguistics siope of a social-cognitive view of the language, reflecting upon the consequences of this assert of the unite perceive-perceptible to the classic ontogeny of mind and language, as well as to current theory of knowledge and espistemological debates about negation of the dualisms internal-external, subject-object, mind-body. / Orientador: Jonas Gonçalves Coelho / Coorientador: Edwiges Maria Morato / Banca: Helena Franco Martins / Banca: Mariana Claudia Broens / Banca: Rosana do Carmo Novaes Pinto / Banca: Lourenço Chacon / Mestre

Lack of STEM-related self-efficacy has impeded the growth of women in STEM fields. Out of school (OST) robotics programs and other STEM-related OST programs provide secondary students with opportunities to work in groups, brainstorm, and formulate ideas that require communication and teamwork. The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental study was to compare STEM-related self-efficacy scores among male and female students who participated in OST robotics programs or other OST STEM-related programming. Independent variables were type of OST STEM program and gender. The dependent variable was students' STEM-related self-efficacy as measured by the Coping Self-Efficacy Scale. Responses from 149 students in 4 southeastern U.S. metropolitan high schools were analyzed using a 2x2 factorial ANOVA. Findings indicated the relationship between STEM-related self-efficacy scores and type of OST programming was not moderated by gender. There was a significant main effect for program type. Students in the robotics OST programs demonstrated significantly higher STEM-related self-efficacy than did students in other STEM-related OST programs. Findings may be used to inform educators, community leaders, parents, and policymakers regarding the benefits of OST robotics programs, which may encourage women to obtain STEM-related degrees and pursue STEM careers.

In the United States, African American women remain underrepresented in senior leadership positions in many workforce sectors, including the federal sector. Despite this challenge, a few African American women have successfully attained senior leadership responsibilities in a public health service agency. Using intersectionality and social cognitive career theory as the theoretical frameworks, the purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of African American women leaders in their career advancement to senior leadership positions in a health service agency of the Department of Health and Human Services in the United States. The research questions explored the experiences and perceptions of these women leaders and ways the intersection of race and gender contributed to their leadership experiences. A qualitative research design using a transcendental phenomenological approach was the chosen method. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with eight African American women leaders at the General Schedule Grade 15 and Senior Executive Service levels. Data were analyzed using the van Kaam method modified by Moustakas. Results indicated that while African American women leaders faced challenges and barriers, strategies exist to enhance career advancement. The results from this study may support social change by elevating understanding of the experiences and perspectives whereby strategies for increasing the career advancement of aspiring African American women leaders can be identified. When organizational leaders become more culturally competent, they can implement approaches that promote diversity within the senior leadership positions, which can have an overall effect on meeting the needs of a diverse population.

HIV-related stigma and discrimination is a complex concept that affects HIV reduction interventions. HIV-related stigma occurs among healthcare providers resulting in reduction of quality of care of people living with HIV. Social psychological research into stigma reduction has led to the development of many stigma reduction interventions, but has not resolved the underlying problem. This study was designed to identify predictors of stigmatizing behavior among healthcare workers in Ghana using the social cognitive theory (SCT) for use in developing an evidence-based intervention. The study used a cross-sectional research design incorporating a preexisting survey, Measuring HIV Stigma and Discrimination Among Health Staff: Comprehensive Questionnaire. Survey data were analyzed using descriptive, multiple regression analysis and Pearson's coefficient to estimate the relationship between the dependent variable, HIV related stigmatizing behavior, and independent variables, personal attributes and environmental factors. The key findings from the analysis were that the personal attributes of healthcare workers predicted their stigmatizing behavior (R2= 0.674, p < 0.05). There was, however, no significant relationship between environmental factors and stigmatizing behavior and between personal attributes and environmental factors. The social change implications may be to reduce stigma among healthcare workers toward people living with HIV and in turn increase the willingness of healthcare workers to engage with people living with HIV and provide quality service to them.

Project managers are important to organizational performance and survival because of their role in managing, controlling, and steering organizational projects to success. Research has shown that project failures are globally pervasive due to the shortage of experienced and well-skilled project managers. The purpose of this descriptive correlational study was to improve the current understanding of the relationships among project managers' project management experience, self-efficacy, and project success, for which the research questions were focused on in addition to the role of project management experience on self-efficacy and project success. The theoretical framework was based on the social cognitive theory. This study involved a nonexperimental research design with a survey to collect data. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 51 Canadian-based Project Management Institute certified project managers with experiences in IT projects. The assessment of the role of project management experience on self-efficacy and project success was achieved through multiple linear regression. Results indicated significant relationships among project management experience, self-efficacy, and project success and that project management experience did not mediate the relationship between self-efficacy and project success. The results may assist organizational leaders to better understand the holistic implications of project managers' project management experiences with project success as well as the role of self-efficacy on project success. The positive social change implications of this study include greater project success and decrease project risks due to ineffective project management. Improved project success may enhance the economic prosperity of organizations, employees, and the community.

Research on obesity, weight loss, and food addiction (FA) suggested a strong relationship between use of food additives and the brain's addictive response to food. Previous researchers have examined (FA) and have identified certain food additives such as monosodium glutamate (MSG) and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as contributors to food addiction and overeating. Social cognitive theory (SCT) has also been effective in addressing addictive behaviors such as drug addiction, alcohol addiction, and smoking cessation (Bricker et al., 2010). However, researchers had not examined food addiction, social cognitive theory, and obesity in the same study. The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental study was to compare the effects of SCT-based health information and non-SCT-based health information on FA among obese and overweight women. The Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) was used to measure changes in FA and food addiction symptoms among 84 obese and overweight women who received SCT-based health information and non-SCT-based health information. Total scores from pretests and posttests were analyzed using analysis of covariance. Between-group differences on the symptom count posttest scores of the YFAS were analyzed using analysis of variance. Scores were used to determine the difference in FA and FA symptoms between nonrandomized groups. Although the results were not statistically significant, almost 60% (n = 50) of participants experienced a favorable decrease in FA symptoms and experienced weight loss. Findings may provide a basis for determining additional options for health professionals to address obesity and FA patterns.