Compreensão de crianças e pré-adolescentes sobre forças de caráter: um estudo qualitativo / La comprensión de niños y pre-adolescentes sobre las fortalezas de carácter: un estudio cualitativo / Children and pre-adolescents' comprehension of character strengths: a qualitative study

RESUMO. Este estudo tem por objetivo analisar o conhecimento de crianças e pré-adolescentes em relação aos termos que designam as forças de caráter e compreender como percebem a expressão desses traços nos próprios comportamentos e nos de outras pessoas. Foram entrevistados 17 participantes, de oito a 13 anos (M = 10,6; DP = 1,5). Para cada força foram feitas sete perguntas, que investigavam a definição do termo e exemplos da expressão da força nos outros e nos próprios entrevistados. As entrevistas foram gravadas e transcritas para análise de conteúdo, ao fim gerando categorias para cada força. As forças descritas com maior facilidade pelos participantes e suas respectivas definições foram criatividade (capacidade de criar coisas), curiosidade e amor ao aprendizado (busca de conhecimento e novas experiências), honestidade (falar a verdade), amor (comportamento de dar carinho), bondade (ajudar e cuidar do outro), trabalho em equipe (realização de trabalhos colaborativos em brincadeiras ou atividades escolares), perdão (08 categorias a respeito de sua definição, sem destaque para alguma) e esperança (desejar acontecimento futuro). Esses achados podem tornar mais acessível o desenvolvimento e a avaliação das forças nessa faixa etária.

RESUMEN. Este estudio buscó analizar el conocimiento de niños y pre-adolescentes sobre los términos que fueron designados como fortalezas de carácter, y comprender cómo perciben estos rasgos en sus proprios comportamientos y en los de otras personas. Diecisiete participantes entre ocho y trece años fueron entrevistados (M = 10.6; SD = 1.5). Para cada fortaleza, se hicieron siete preguntas, que investigaron la definición del término y ejemplos prácticos de su expresión. Las entrevistas fueron grabadas y transcritas para el análisis de contenido, creando categorías para cada fortaleza. Las fortalezas descritas por los participantes con mayor facilidad y sus respectivas definiciones fueron: creatividad (capacidad de crear cosas), curiosidad y amor por el aprendizaje (búsqueda de conocimiento y nuevas experiencias), honestidad (decir la verdad), amor (comportamientos afectivos), amabilidad (ayudar y cuidar a los demás), trabajo en equipo (desempeño del trabajo colaborativo en juegos o actividades escolares), perdón (ocho categorías con respecto a su definición, sin énfasis en ninguna) y esperanza (deseo por un evento futuro). Estos hallazgos pueden facilitar el desarrollo y la evaluación de las fortalezas con este grupo de edad.

ABSTRACT This study aims to analyze the children and pre-adolescents' knowledge regarding terms that designate character strengths and to understand how they perceive the expression of these traits in their and other people's behavior. Seventeen participants aged eight to thirteen were interviewed (M = 10.6; SD = 1.5). For each strength, seven questions were asked, which investigated the definition and examples of the strength expression. The interviews were recorded and transcribed for content analysis, generating categories for each strength. The strengths most easily described by the participants and their respective definitions were: creativity (ability to create things), curiosity and love for learning (searching for knowledge and new experiences), honesty (speaking the truth), love (acts involving affection), kindness (helping and caring for others), teamwork (collaborative works in games or school activities), forgiveness (eight categories regarding their definition, without highlighting any) and hope (longing for a future event). These findings may make developing and evaluating character strengths in this age group more accessible.

A psychometric study of an executive function assessment instrument (TDI-FE).

BACKGROUND: This study aims to present and discuss the psychometric properties of executive functions, which were measured using the TDI-FE instrument. The analysis encompasses its internal structure, potential sensitivity to fatigue factors, relationships with external criteria, and diagnostic accuracy. METHODS: The study sample comprised 382 students from Brazil, aged 6-8 years. Child development variables were screened using the TDI-FE and gold standard tests (Cancellation Attention and Trail Making Tests). The proposed scale comprised four activities: a test with fruit images with three tasks, and one memory game. RESULTS: The one-factor model of EF of the TDI-FE failed to fit to the data. However, fit substantially improved once a latent fatigue factor was controlled in the model. The latent factor of EF assessed by the TDI-FE tasks was coherently associated with a series of external variables, including two popular collateral measures of EF. The diagnostic accuracy was reasonable, and a cut-off of 37 points produced 70% of sensitivity and 60% of specificity. CONCLUSION: Results indicated that the TDI-FE demonstrated sound psychometric properties and diagnostic accuracy, then consisting of an efficient alternative for the assessment of EFs in early childhood education. The study also proved the need to control for response biases such as fatigue in the latent variable models of EF. The TDI-FE is notable because of its low cost and easy application, and it might fulfill a need for instruments for individuals from different contexts at this stage of development in Brazil.

Association of Emotional Self-Regulation with Psychological Distress and Positive Functioning Dimensions in Brazilian University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Emotional self-regulation is a relevant factor for human development capable of minimizing emotional difficulties in the face of adverse events, as was particularly useful during the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study aimed to evaluate emotional self-regulation in Brazilian health science university students and its relationship with positive psychology constructs (subjective well-being, hope, optimism, spirituality, self-compassion, and self-efficacy) and psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress). This was a prospective, cross-sectional, observational, analytic study of 1062 Brazilian undergraduate students with data collected using self-administered online questionnaires. Students in the first years of their undergraduate degree programs had significantly higher dysregulation scores than those in the final years. Multiple linear regression yielded a model that explained 71.8% of the variation in emotion dysregulation. The correlations of emotion dysregulation were significant and strong, scoring negatively with self-compassion, optimism, and subjective well-being and positively with psychological distress.

TIDE: evidências de validade baseadas em critérios externos / TIDE: evidence of validity based on external criteria / TIDE: evidencia de validez basada en criterios externos

Objetivou-se buscar evidências de validade baseadas em critérios externos do Teste Informatizado e Dinâmico de Escrita - TIDE, em relação à ortografia e cognição. Participaram 304 alunos, entre 10 e 17 anos. Foram utilizados o TIDE, o instrumento Ditado Balanceado de Moojen e os subtestes: "Dígitos, Informação, Compreensão e Vocabulário" do WISC III. Em relação ao critério ortográfico, o módulo pré-teste esteve negativamente associado aos erros do Ditado, com exceção dos erros relacionados a irregularidades da língua. O módulo instrucional correlacionou-se de forma significativa negativa com os três tipos de erro do ditado. Em relação aos aspectos cognitivos, o módulo pré-teste não esteve associado. O módulo instrucional correlacionou-se com os quatro subtestes do WISC-III, demonstrando relação com aspectos cognitivos, memória, atenção, julgamento e o conhecimento lexical dos sujeitos. (AU)

The aim of this study was to investigate evidence of validity based on external criteria for the Computerized and Dynamic Writing Test - TIDE, in relation to spelling and cognition. Participants were 304 students, aged between 10 and 17 years. The TIDE, the Moojen Balanced Dictation instrument and the "Digits, Information, Understanding and Vocabulary" subtests of the WISC III were used. Regarding the orthographic criterion, the TIDE pre-test module was negatively associated with Dictation errors, with the exception of errors related to language irregularities. The instructional module presented significant negative correlations with the three types of dictation error. The pre-test module was not associated with the cognitive aspects. The instructional module correlated with the four WISC-III subtests, demonstrating a relation with cognitive aspects, memory, attention, judgment and the lexical knowledge of the subjects. (AU)

Se objetivó buscar evidencias de validez basadas en criterios externos del Test de Escritura Computarizada y Dinámica - TIDE, con relación a la ortografía y la cognición. Participaron 304 estudiantes, entre 10 y 17 años. Se utilizaron TIDE, el instrumento de Dictado Equilibrado de Moojen y las subpruebas "Dígitos, Información, Comprensión y Vocabulario" de WISC III. En cuanto a los criterios ortográficos, el módulo de prueba previa se asoció negativamente con los errores del Dictado, a excepción de los errores relacionados con las irregularidades del idioma. El módulo de instrucción se correlacionó significativamente de manera negativa con los tres tipos de errores del dictado. Con respecto a los aspectos cognitivos, el módulo de prueba previa no se ha asociado. El módulo de instrucción se correlacionó con las cuatro subpruebas de WISC-III, demostrando una relación con los aspectos cognitivos, la memoria, la atención, el juicio y el conocimiento léxico de los sujetos. (AU)