Science (Universidade Europeia)
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Attachment Anxiety and Dissociation Mediate Associations Between Polytrauma and Somatization in Kenyan Adolescents
No full textThe experience of several potentially traumatic events (PTE) is a risk factor for higher somatization symptoms severity among adolescents. Attachment orientations and dissociation may influence the link between exposure to PTE and somatization symptoms severity. We analyzed the associations between direct exposure to PTE and somatization symptoms in Kenyan adolescents and explored the mediating role of attachment orientations and dissociation symptoms in the associations between direct exposure to PTE with somatization symptoms severity. A sample of 475 Kenyan adolescents completed validated self-report questionnaires. Serial multiple mediation models were tested by conducting a structural equation modeling employing Preacher and Hayes’ procedures (2008). Attachment anxiety and dissociation symptoms mediate the association between direct exposure to traumatic events and somatization symptoms. Higher exposure to traumatic events was significantly associated with higher attachment anxiety levels, which was associated with higher levels of dissociation symptoms, which was then associated with higher somatization symptoms severity. High levels of attachment anxiety and dissociation might aggravate somatization symptoms differently according to sex, which might be seen as a psychological distress mechanism subsequent to exposure to multiple PTE in African adolescents
Assessing cultural intelligence and its antecedents in the portuguese higher education context
No full textThe concept of cultural intelligence has been the object of increasing attention from the
scientific community due to its importance in a globalized world. To fulfil their mission, higher
education institutions need individuals capable of effectively interacting with others who come
from different cultural backgrounds. This study analyzes the level of cultural intelligence and its
background in a Portuguese engineering higher education institution. This study used a cultural
intelligence scale and applied it to a sample of 445 participants. The results show that individuals
in this Portuguese institution have an interesting level of awareness of others’ cultural preferences.
However, particular attention should be paid to improving the outcome of the cognitive dimension.
The results show the potential of international experiences and activities that foster cultural exposure.
Consequently, the managers of institutions should make efforts to promote Erasmus programs or similar
internships abroad. In addition, they should promote activities that foster multicultural contact,
whether extracurricular activities or multicultural clubs or associations, meetings, lectures or classes
with appropriate pedagogical methodologies, for example, experiential or collaborative teaching
Behaviour of the adolescents and their parents in relation to the micro-influencers in Instagram
No full textInfluence marketing on social networks is a strategy that has emerged in recent years, especially in Instagram. Communication through digital channels is more effective than traditional advertising, influencing individuals’ purchasing decisions and thus representing a great opportunity for companies. The micro-influencer is defined as an individual with a great impact through the word-of-mouth method in digital media. Micro-influencers are not considered traditional celebrities, but individuals who are exclusively dedicated to categories of true knowledge, passion, and authenticity, in addition to being seen as reliable sources when recommending purchasing situations, usually tend to generate more impact than the average expert by the power of dissemination of information and impact more consumers. This research aimed to explore the perspectives of adolescents as receptors of commercial messages. It also aims to understand and investigate the position of adolescents’ parents, whose role can be decisive in this scenario. A quantitative study was carried out through an online survey of adolescents aged between 10 and 19 and a qualitative study through individual interviews with the parents of adolescents. The results obtained confirm the influence of digital micro-influencers on teenagers’ choices, who often follow their suggestions and consumption patterns, as well as their lifestyle. This proximity is because micro-influencers appear several times to use the product they promote, giving more credibility. The results show weaknesses in parents’ control of adolescents’ social networks these days because they believe their children can recognize these types of advertising
Managing the plot structure of character-based interactive narratives in games
No full textThe use of narrative generation methods in games is a complex challenge that involves multiple problems of plot-based processes integrated with character-based methods. Examples of these problems are the high computational complexity of many story generation algorithms, the difficulties associated with the generation of interactive narratives that are compelling and emotionally impactful, the complex interactions among characters, and the need for tools and methods to support story writers in the process of creating and managing the narrative structure of interactive stories. In this work, we present and evaluate a new approach to generate and manage the plot structure of character-based interactive narratives in games, which combines multi-agent planning with a drama management strategy based on narrative structures. The proposed method is supported by an authoring tool that allows authors to create and test interactive narratives using graphical interfaces and intuitive diagrams. The results of our study suggest the effectiveness of our approach in generating interactive narratives for highly interactive game environments. In addition, a user study of the proposed authoring tool indicates that it can successfully support the development of character-based interactive narratives without requiring programming knowledge
Designing a speculative design toolkit for community biodiversity activism
No full textThis paper forms part of a doctoral research project based on the proposition that a diverse Speculative Design practice can support community biodiversity activism, from which a Strategic Speculative Design Framework rooted in queer and more-than-human perspectives and theories was developed. This Framework forms the basis of the ongoing development of a Design Toolkit, which aims to be a practical application of the framework’s principles that can be applied in community biodiversity activism settings. The toolkit draws on speculative gaming elements to make the framework concepts accessible for a wide audience, and has been tested, both in terms of the overall concepts and in play-testing specific game elements, as part of the design process. The conclusions drawn from this iterative design and testing phase, which is still underway, are that the speculative strategies in the framework can indeed be a useful tool to engage communities in considering possible futures for the environment, but that this depends on the toolkit being designed in order that they can be understandable to a wide audience and being well structured that there is a logical flow between activities that will scaffold the participants to think speculatively and craft transformative speculations about the future of the ecosystem
Revealing cooperative behaviour arrangements within hotel marketing consortia
No full textThe purpose of this paper is to examine how hotel marketing consortia (HMC) manage cooperation among their members. This research aims to uncover processes of HMC networking. To achieve the research goals, an exploratory interview was addressed. After this, a questionnaire was applied to four- and five-star hotel managers in Portugal. Data was subsequently analysed for social network analysis. The results show that direct contact among HMC members occurs annually, during specific events. In consortia, cooperative behaviour relates to sharing experiences and market trends among members are similar in national and international consortia. The original contribution of the study is twofold: firstly, by identifying cooperative behaviours in HMC, and secondly, by focusing on the role of HMC in networking as an important business model in the hotel sector. Results will contribute to an understanding of the management perspective on HMC, which could be useful for assisting managers' decisions and strategies
Listen as much as you want: The antecedents of the engagement of podcast consumers
No full textPodcasts are becoming popular with internet users and are used by
brands as part of their digital marketing strategy. The aim of the paper is to
understand which variables influence the engagement of consumers and result
in financial support for podcasts. With a focus group followed by a survey
involving 274 Brazilian listeners who financially support podcasts, it was
possible to confirm that the benefits perceived by these listeners play a
significant role in their engagement with this medium. Feelings of gratitude and
connection with the brand also had a positive impact on engagement, therefore
confirming the literature and the focus group analysis. Contrary to the
literature, however, feelings of indebtedness were not significant in the model.
The main contribution of the paper is that it sheds light on why people
financially support podcasts, even though the content is available for free
“To adopt or not to adopt, that is the question”: Are social marketing strategies effective to stimulate animal adoption?
No full textThousands of animals are abandoned each year in Portugal. Shelter asso-ciations as kennels or catteries dependent on municipal or parish councils are over-crowded and with limited conditions to warrant a good quality of life to all sheltered animals, despite their continuous and relentless efforts. This paper builds on how social marketing and its techniques, working on communication strategies through social media content and followers’ engagement, become relevant in the promotion of animal adoption from shelters. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to present the results of a case study of a social marketing strategy employed by a Portuguese non-for-profit organization dedicated to provide shelter for abandoned animals and promote careful and responsible adoption. It explores the potential of social media within social marketing campaigns to alter individuals’ attitudes and behaviours regarding animal abandonment and adoption in desirable ways. This study contributes to the literature on social marketing, addressing animal abandonment, a theme that has been scarcely explored in the area. Two research methods were developed simulta-neously: (a) a survey about animal adoption to 312 respondents; (b) a case study of a Portuguese Animal Shelter Association (ASA), including a netnographic approach to 90 social media publications, which generated 8,637 reactions through emojis, 345 comments with positive feelings, 77 comments with negative feelings, resulting in 11,389 shares. The findings allowed identifying the reasons that most motivate individuals and families to adopt animals instead of purchasing them. The most important reason pointed out by the respondents was empathy for the animals’ often-precarious situation and life story triggered by a social media publication, which not previously suggested in the literature. Second, identifying the most relevant elements in the online communication that influenced animal adoption, which is Publications, where photographs and videos of animals are shared. Finally, finishing with a set of recommendations that might lead to the desired social behavioural change explored in this study, i.e., animal adoption
Does signal APP’s design protect users’ informational privacy? A critical assessment
No full textBigTech corporations and governments erode privacy rights for alleged legitimate interests and public security reasons. The business model fueling this process, called ‘surveillance capitalism’, relies on increasingly sophisticated means to capture people’s data, often taking advantage of people’s willingness to share personal information over digital platforms to enable massive surveillance. This paper argues that the violations of users’ privacy by the recipients of personal information exchanged through messaging apps threaten the dignity and wellbeing of the affected users. Building on our recent research on privacy infringements between end-users on the messaging platforms WhatsApp and Telegram, we assess Signal’s features to understand whether it allows users to exchange personal information securely. Signal is praised for not being controlled by a large corporation and for allowing users to send end-to-end encrypted messages that are stored directly on the users’ devices. However, encryption does not guarantee that the information exchanged is properly used by the recipient. The paper shows that adequate informational privacy against threats by other users can only be achieved through changes in design practice
A design approach to protect children’s rights to privacy and freedom
No full textThe lack of privacy in digital services is one of the main features of contemporary surveillance capitalism. Privacy can be understood as the right not to have intrusions into one’s private life and information, which we call negative privacy. Conversely, we regard positive privacy as the right to have personal data processed by service providers in a way that respects and enhances users’ preferences and tastes. This paper—which is part of a PhD project in design, ethics, and privacy—explores the relationship between UX design and positive privacy for a specific group of vulnerable users and citizens: children. In particular, this paper analyses to what extent design patterns found in YouTube Kids protect and enhance their positive privacy by recommending content consistent with the videos they (and their parents) have previously watched and searched for. The methodology followed involves field research and an assessment of the legal provisions governing the processing of children’s data under European and American legislation, along with YouTube Kids’ privacy policies. Our research reveals that the app’s UX has major loopholes that do not guarantee users’ positive privacy adequately