Para avaliar se ocorreriam mudanças cognitivas, sensoriais, comportamentais e emocionais positivas duradouras em mulheres submetidas à psicoterapia cognitivo-comportamental em grupo em relação à fibromialgia, foram selecionadas 36 doentes do sexo feminino, 18 formando o grupo experimental e 18 o grupo comparativo. O grupo experimental foi submetido a 10 sessões em grupo de psicoterapia cognitivo-comportamental. Os resultados foram comparados e analisados qualitativamente, o que permitiu a elaboração da representação social da mulher com fibromialgia / In order to evaluating if the cognitive-behavioral group psychotherapy would provide cognitive, sensorial, behavioral, emotional, lasting and positive changes in women with fibromyalgia, in comparison to those who had not been submitted to this intervention, thirty-six women participated in this study; eighteen formed an experimental group and eighteen, a comparative group. The experimental group underwent ten sessions of cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy. The recollected data had been compared and analyzed qualitatively, which allowed elaborating the social representation of the woman with fibromyalgia.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-01T18:09:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Thalita Cavalcanti.PDF: 988553 bytes, checksum: 4a70202b2c7980685599723f66b92993 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-03-15 / The history tells the peculiarity of the roll attributed to women in society. Through out the centuries this roll has been transformed along with the new ways of thinking and representing the world and the gender relations. For a long period of time the dominant representation was the religious one to be more precise, in the western culture, the Jewish and Christian. We continue to receive influences from this specific view of world, but in a very particular way considering the changes and the new social, economical and cultural context of post-modernity. As we become subjects in a cultural and social context of which religion is part, the following question arises: What is the possibility of thinking about the feminine identity having the religious experience as a starting point. Therefore, the present study searched to apprehend the representation of Feminine Identity presented by evangelical women, living in the metropolitan area of Recife, by analyzing how they comprehend the roll of woman in family, public space and the influences of the religious Christian protestant code. For this, fifteen women pertaining to the average sociocultural layer, with age between 20 and 35 years, created in a protestant Christian home and that has been currently congregating in Historical Churches (Baptist; Presbyterian and Episcopal) participated in this study. The social pointers taken in consideration to define the social class were: instruction degree, profession, place of residence and monthly income. We carried out half-structuralized interviews, in the schedule and place of convenience of the participants, by asking the following starting question: What it means, for you, to be woman? . To analyze the supplied material, we transcribed the participant s speeches, and guided by the objectives of the research, we made use of the Analysis of the Content. We identified two main groups: Gender relations: in the family, at work and at church and Women of other times and of nowadays . We loaned from the Theory of the Cinema the term addressing ways in order to explain what are the social representations from a post-structuralism perspective, and after that, to understand the interpretation of these women on what it means to be woman. In relation to these identities crossed by the religious speech, we saw that the transmission and the investment in such positionings require the belief in the disclosed content as Holy. So, out of the religious significance systems, these positions would receive other valuations. In this context, the participants make use of Adam and Eve criacional myth in order to explain the established gender relations inside the spaces they occupy. For believing that the woman was made for the man, aiming at to complement it, they are represented as being its helper. In this relation, the man is pointed out to be the couple1 s leader - nominated head of the home - having the woman to submit to his leadership. Nevertheless, the thematic of submission is directly related with the kind of gender relation established inside a social space (either private or public). Concomitantly, these same women receive other addressings, from varied speeches, influencing the reading and redirection of the positions received from the Christian protestant religious speech. Reading and redirection identified through the presented variations of significations. / A história narra as peculiaridades do papel atribuído à mulher na sociedade. Ao longo dos séculos este foi sendo transformado a partir das novas formas de se pensar e representar o mundo e as relações de gênero. Por muito tempo a representação dominante era a religiosa mais precisamente, na cultura ocidental, a judaico-cristã. Continuamos atualmente recebendo influências dessa visão de mundo, porém de maneira muito particular, modificada pelo contexto socioeconômico da pós-modernidade. Por sermos constituídos enquanto sujeitos dentro de um contexto sociocultural, do qual a religião faz parte, surge o questionamento: como pensar a identidade feminina a partir da ótica da experiência religiosa. Desta forma, a presente pesquisa procurou apreender a representação da Identidade Feminina apresentada por mulheres evangélicas, residentes na cidade do Recife, analisando a forma como entendem o lugar da mulher na família, no espaço público e as influências dos códigos religiosos cristãos protestantes sobre essa representação. Para isso, participaram deste estudo quinze mulheres, pertencentes à camada sociocultural média, com idade entre 20 e 35 anos, criadas em um lar cristão protestante e que, atualmente, congregam em Igrejas Históricas (Batista; Presbiteriana e Episcopal). Os indicadores sociais levados em consideração para definir a camada social foram: grau de instrução, profissão, local de residência e renda mensal. Realizamos entrevistas semi-estruturadas, no horário e local de conveniência das participantes, partindo de uma questão disparadora, a saber: O que significa, para você, ser mulher? . Para analisar o material fornecido, transcrevemos a fala das participantes, e orientados pelos objetivos da pesquisa, fizemos uso da Análise do Conteúdo. Identificamos dois núcleos de sentido: Relações de Gênero: na família, no trabalho e na igreja e Mulheres de antigamente e de hoje em dia . Tomamos emprestado da Teoria do Cinema o termo modos de endereçamento a fim de explanar o que são as representações sociais a partir de uma perspectiva pós-estruturalista, e, em seguida, compreender a interpretação dessas mulheres sobre o que significa ser mulher. Em relação ao atravessamento dessas identidades pelo discurso religioso, vimos que a transmissão e o investimento em tais posicionamentos requerem a crença no conteúdo revelado de escrituras como sendo da ordem do sagrado. Logo, fora dos sistemas de significação religiosos, essas posições receberiam outras valorações. Nesse contexto, as participantes utilizam-se do mito criacional de Adão e Eva a fim de explicar as relações de Gênero estabelecidas dentro dos espaços que ocupam. Por acreditarem que a mulher foi feita para o homem, visando complementá-lo, esta é representada como sendo sua auxiliadora. Nessa relação, o homem é apontado enquanto líder do casal nomeadamente cabeça do lar devendo a mulher submeter-se à sua liderança. Não obstante, a temática da submissão está diretamente ligada ao tipo de relação de gênero estabelecida dentro de um espaço social (seja este privado ou público).Concomitantemente, estas mesmas mulheres recebem endereçamentos outros, de discursos mais variados, que influenciam na releitura e redirecionamento das posições recebidas pelo discurso religioso cristão protestante. Releituras estas identificadas através das variações de significação apresentadas.

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This research examines the coping processes of African American women with breast cancer and how those processes relate to low usage of cancer support groups by these women. Prior coping research has utilized predominantly White samples. The limited research on African American coping responses is conflicting and characterized by small samples and non-probability sampling techniques. In this study, 26 respondents from Central and North Texas metropolitan areas were interviewed, including 9 key informants, 9 African American breast cancer survivors, and 8 White survivors. The data suggest that African American and White women cope with breast cancer in significantly different ways. Culture appears to account for the differences. All African American breast cancer survivors identified faith as their primary coping strategy. In contrast, only half of the White survivors claimed faith as their primary coping strategy, but like the other White survivors, tended to rely on multiple coping strategies. The African American survivors conceptualized God as an active member of their support network. Most prayed for healing, and several attributed examples of healing to God's intervention. The White survivors found God's presence in the actions of other people. They prayed for strength, peace, and courage to endure the illness. The use of faith as a coping strategy was the most significant difference between the African American and White breast cancer survivors, but different social support needs were also evident. White survivors readily disclosed the details of their illness and actively sought the assistance of other people. African American women were much less likely to discuss their illness with other persons and expressed a greater inclination to rely on themselves. This study indicates that cancer support groups must be structured to consider cultural coping differences for wider African American usage. Coping research conducted on primarily African American samples is necessary to develop interventions intended to serve African Americans.

South Africa is a country of diversity, culture and various identities; and beneath this diversity, lays the complexity of defining and owning a space for oneself. This study was motivated with the intention to understand Black women’s representations in South Africa as well as the social interactions evident in the relationship between a Black woman and her hair. Literature elucidates on the historical richness of representation for Black people as well as the contemporary relevance of representation for Black women in particular. Furthermore, beauty discourse extends beyond the merely corporeal and finds meaning in historical, political, and circumstantial frames of thought. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with Black women. These interviews generated three discursive themes – hair and politics, hair and media and finally, circumstantial self-representation. Exploring these themes revealed that hair, as a projection of the self, is constantly redefining itself and its meaning in a progressive social culture. Furthermore, women assume agency and a degree of importance and identity from the hairstyles they choose to wear on a daily basis. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology-Research Consultation)

HIV infection is escalating among African-American heterosexual women in alarming rates. African-American women are 23 times as likely to be infected with the AIDS virus as white women. African-American women account for 72% of new HIV cases among women in 29 states. The risk of contracting HIV virus is highest in African-American communities, which inevitably places African-American women at higher risk than other populations of women. The purpose of this study was to advance knowledge regarding what is unknown about risky sexual behaviors among African-American heterosexual women by giving them the “voice” to share their own personal experiences in their natural environments. I examined participants’ perceptions of risk for contracting HIV/AIDS in relationships with male partners. This qualitative research design focused on a constant comparative analysis. I conducted one focus group [four members and one recorder] along with seven individual interviews, of African-American heterosexual women involved in the Women In Motion [WIM] HIV/AIDS prevention program. The following three health behavior frameworks were examined as a means of understanding the limitations of existing models of sexual risk behaviors among African-American women: The Health Belief Model (HBM), the Transtheoretical Change Model, and the Black feminist perspective. Gaps in the literature included insufficient knowledge of how cultural taboos and myths influence sexual decision-making. An overview of the findings of this study has been explicated under the following three main headings: (1) Observation, (2) Interpretation, and (3) Application. The results of the study are discussed under the following three main categories 1) Understanding Sexual Decision-Making, 2) Understanding Intimacy, and 3) Understanding HIV/AIDS Prevention With Male Partners. In conclusion, sexual decision-making in this inquiry became an all encompassing construct based on African-American women’s perceptions of how they viewed the paradox of sexual needs in intimate relationships with male partners and the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS.

The purpose of this study was to examine the hypotheses that the external factors of family environment, gender, and clinical status and the internal factors of self-esteem and impression management would have either a positive influence or a negative influence on individuals' congruence between their sexual attitudes and their sexual behavior. The hypotheses that the external and internal factors would be significant predictors of congruence between sexual attitudes and behavior were not supported by regression analyses. Clinical status and impression management were significant predictors of congruence but in the opposite direction than hypothesized. When age was factored out of the regression equation, clinical status was no longer a significant predictor of congruence. However, impression management remained a significant predictor of congruence.

The prevalence of dieting is alarmingly high amongst adolescents in South Africa. Dieting behaviour, influenced by the promotion of the thin ideal, poses one of the main risks for eating disorders, which have serious physical, psychological and social consequences, including death. Treatment of eating disorders is a costly, difficult and long-term process, therefore preventative measures have been advocated. One of the shortcomings of existing school-based primary intervention programmes has been the failure to bring about significant changes in body image, a key defining feature of eating disorders. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a modified version of Rosen's body image programme with adolescents, with the view to exploring the idea of adding a body image component to existing preventative programmes. The modified version of Rosen's programme proved to be effective in improving the body image of mid-adolescents. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education, with specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

The study sought to explore the influence of gastrointestinal symptoms in female respondents with emetophobia disorder, panic disorder with agoraphobia and obsessive compulsive disorder. The research assessed a sample of sixty respondents which formed part of three groups which were recruited from clinical and online support groups. The age ranged from twenty to forty-five years. Non-probability quota sampling was employed. A non-experimental research design was implemented in order to make comparisons between these groups’ association of gastrointestinal symptoms and the occurrence of possible vomiting. The differential research strategy determined whether a statistically significant difference existed. The groups were assessed on the Gastrointestinal Symptom Score (2005) and the Patient Assessment of Upper Gastrointestinal Symptom Severity Index (2004). The research aimed to determine whether empirical support exists for the Cognitive Behavioural Model of Emetophobia by Boschen (2007). / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

The purpose of the study was to investigate the impact of maternal stress as it relates to the mothers' perceived social behaviors of their preschool children in both immigrant Korean families in the US and Korean families in Korea. The subjects included 49 immigrant Korean mothers in the US and 52 Korean mothers in Seoul, Korea. This study is relevant to current research because of the dramatically increasing Korean immigrants in the US and needed information concerning unique cultural and psychosocial needs of Korean-Americans. All mothers completed the Demographic Survey, Parenting Stress Index (PSI), and Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales-2 (PKBS-2). Statistical analyses of the data used for the study were multiple regressions, independent t-tests, and Pearson correlation coefficients. Data analysis revealed that (a) there were different demographic variables affecting maternal stress between immigrant Korean mothers in the US and Korean mothers in Korea; (b) there was no significant difference in maternal stress and mothers' perceptions of their preschool children's social skills in the areas of social cooperation, social interaction, and social independence between both groups; (c) there was a significant difference in preschool children's behavioral problems in the areas of externalizing and internalizing social-emotional behaviors between both groups; (d) there was a negative relationship between maternal stress and mothers' perceptions of their preschool children's social skills, and (e) there was a positive relationship between maternal stress and mothers' perceptions of their preschool children's behavioral problems in both groups. Findings from this study showed that US immigrant Korean children and their mothers could experience stress in mother-child interaction and culturally expected gender behaviors. This study provides information that could be helpful for early childhood educators who work with Korean young children and their families in regards to the process of acculturating to the United States.