http://hdl.handle.net/10451/2669 2013-05-24T17:54:36Z 2013-05-24T17:54:36Z Pires, Rute Fagulha, Teresa Silva, Danilo R. http://hdl.handle.net/10451/4192 2011-10-03T01:28:48Z 2007-07-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The Millon Index of Personality Styles Revised (MIPS-R) in Portugal: Gender Differences Authors: Pires, Rute; Fagulha, Teresa; Silva, Danilo R. Abstract: This study aims to determine whether males and females differ in the personality styles mesured with the Portuguese version of the Millon Index of Personality Styles Revised, MIPS-R (Millon, 2004). The MIPS-R is a 180-item, True/False inventory designed to measure personality styles of normally functioning adults between the ages of 18 and 65+. It is a theory-based inventory, grounded in biosocial and evolutionary theory, and comprises 12 pairs of scales organized into three main areas: Motivating Styles – that assess what purposes and goals direct individual’s behaviour; Thinking Styles – that describe cognitive processes, the sources employed to gather knowledge about life and the ways in which people evaluate and organize experiences, once apprehended; Behaving Styles – that represent different ways of interacting with others. Gender differences in some personality styles are theoretically expected (Millon, 2004) and have been empirically confirmed (Millon, 1994, 2004; Sánchez López, et al., 2001). This study was carried out with a sample of 280 participants, 120 males (age average = 35,85; standard deviation = 11,44) and 160 females (age average = 34,63; standard deviation = 10,93). Preliminary data analysis point to significant differences between men and women in the Other-Nurturing Style (p=.006), the Internally Focused Style (p=.036), the Thought-Guided Style (p=.000), the Feeling-Guided Style (p=.003), the Unconventional/Dissenting Style (p=.013) and the Cooperative/Agreeing Style (p=.012). The are compared with those obtained with the original test (Millon, 1994,2004) and its spanish adaptation (Sánchez López, et al., 2001).

2007-07-01T00:00:00Z Pires, Rute Fagulha, Teresa http://hdl.handle.net/10451/4191 2011-10-10T01:29:45Z 2002-09-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Anxiety Elaboration Strategies in the Response Sequences of Scenes in the “Once-Upon-A-Time…” Projective Technique Authors: Pires, Rute; Fagulha, Teresa Abstract: In this study we proceed to the identification of four anxiety elaboration strategies in the response sequences of scenes in the “Once-upon-a-time…” projective technique. A strategy which corresponds to the negation of the anxiety emotion – Negation –, two strategies which represent different means of positive dealing with anxiety – Operational Adaptative Strategy and Emotional Equilibration Strategy –, and a fourth strategy which represents the failure of the elaboration of this emotion – Impossibility – were conceived. In a sample of 100 children, from six to ten years old, without identified psychological difficulties, the evolution of the four strategies was studied according to their age and expressiveness in each of the seven cards of the “Once-upon-a-time…” technique. The process of growing implies an increase of the adaptative strategies – Operational Adaptative Strategy and Emotional Equilibration Strategy – and a decrease of the Negation and Impossibility. These findings were expected in theory and support the validation of the anxiety elaboration strategies that have been conceived. Comparing these results with those of 30 neglected children, from six to ten years old, whose emotional difficulties lead to their attendance at a Psychological Service, it was expected that, in this latter group of children, the adaptative strategies would be lower and the Negation and Impossibility of dealing with anxiety would be higher. There aren’t meaningful differences in the results of the two groups, although the neglected childrens’ group uses slightly more the Negation than the other group. Limitations of this second study, partly due to the low number of subjects, might have contributed to these results. It is our belief that this study improves the interpretative process of the “Once-upon-a-time…” technique and may contribute for a new branch of studies regarding this technique.

2002-09-01T00:00:00Z Pires, Rute Fagulha, Teresa http://hdl.handle.net/10451/4190 2011-09-30T11:33:57Z 2004-09-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Estratégias de elaboração da ansiedade na Prova “Era uma vez...”: Contributos para a diferenciação de crianças com funcionamentos psicológicos distintos Authors: Pires, Rute; Fagulha, Teresa Abstract: Quatro estratégias de elaboração da ansiedade, identificadas nas respostas sequências de cenas à Prova “Era uma vez...”, foram utilizadas para descrever o movimento interno de elaboração das emoções nas respostas de duas crianças de 10 anos, com e sem perturbação emocional identificada. A estratégia Negação traduz um movimento interno que impede o reconhecimento dos aspectos perturbadores da situação, defendendo o Ego da experiência de ansiedade. As restantes estratégias caracterizam-se pela possibilidade de reconhecimento da ansiedade. Na Estratégia Adaptativa Operacional e na Estratégia com Equilibração Emocional, a situação ansiogénea é resolvida, respectivamente, através do recurso à acção e da utilização criativa da fantasia. A Impossibilidade traduz o insucesso na elaboração adaptativa da ansiedade. Estudos prévios sobre a comparação entre as estratégias de elaboração da ansiedade utilizadas por crianças com diferentes capacidades de adaptação psicológica, sugerem um aumento da utilização da Negação e da Impossibilidade com a idade, nas crianças com perturbação emocional (Pires & Fagulha, 2003/2004). Através da apresentação de algumas respostas à Prova “Era uma vez...”, ilustram-se as diferentes possibilidades de elaboração da experiência ansiosa das duas crianças mencionadas, reconhecendo-se a utilidade clínica das estratégias identificadas na diferenciação de crianças com funcionamentos psicológicos distintos.

2004-09-01T00:00:00Z Pires, Rute Fagulha, Teresa http://hdl.handle.net/10451/4189 2011-10-03T01:29:32Z 2005-07-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The use of the "Once-Upon-A-Time…" Test in treatment outcome assessment Authors: Pires, Rute; Fagulha, Teresa Abstract: In an era in which the advent of managed health care is questioning the value of traditional psychological assessment, we discuss the role of the "Once-upon-a-time…" Test in treatment outcome assessment. The "Once upon a time..." Test (Fagulha, 1992, 1997) is a storytelling projective technique whose purpose is to describe the way children deal with the emotions of anxiety and pleasure. In psychodynamic theories, these emotions have an important adaptive function for psychological development (Freud, 1926/1978; Klein, 1932/1969). The “Once upon a time..." Test task is to complete seven stories which are presented as pictures in a cartoon format. Each story depicts common situations in the life of any child that evoke emotions of anxiety and of pleasure. Five cards refer to anxiety provoking situations and two refer to pleasurable experiences. For each card there are nine scenes that represent different possible ways of dealing with the emotional experience evoked by the card. These scenes are grouped into three categories of three scenes each – the Anxiety category (A), the Fantasy category (F) and the Reality category (R). The child is asked to complete the story drawn on the card by selecting and then placing three of these nine scenes in sequence. The categories of the scenes chosen by the child and the sequences organized with these scenes reflect the way children deal with their emotions, anxiety and pleasure, in a transitional space (Winnicott, 1971/1975) between fantasy and reality. After selecting and placing the scenes in sequence, the child tells the story that he/she has just invented. Although the majority of the studies done on the "Once upon a time..." Test have been centered on the analysis of the chosen scenes, according to their category (Anxiety, Fantasy and Reality) and their placement in sequence (in the first, second or third position), a complementary coding system was developed afterwards. This system involves the study of the arranged sequences based on the nine scenes available for each card, and not only the three categories (Pires & Fagulha, 2001). According to this system, the arranged sequences based on the nine scenes available for each card correspond to four different possible ways of facing anxiety and confronting with it. There is a strategy that represents the non-recognition of the painful emotion – Denial –, and three strategies that involve the recognition of this disturbing affect, corresponding to two distinct ways of coping with it – Operational Adaptive Strategy and Emotional Equilibration Strategy – and to one other that proves to be inefficient in dealing with it – Impossibility. The studies done with both coding systems have come to the same conclusion: the patterns of answers reflect differences in ages. As children mature they are able to master anxiety in a more active and efficient manner. In the coding system category of the scenes chosen and their position in the sequence, this developmental achievement is seen through a tendency to respond to anxious situations by choosing scenes that show either anxiety or reality in the first position of the sequence. There is also a progressive decrease in choice of anxiety scenes for story endings corresponding to an increase in the choice of reality or fantasy scenes. As children mature, fantasy scenes in first position of the sequence are less chosen because they reflect the denial of the distress reflected in the card (Fagulha, 1992, 1997, 2000) Regarding the complementary coding system sequences of scenes, the higher degree of emotional stability allows children to deal with anxious situations through adaptive strategies, such us Operational Adaptive Strategy and Emotional Equilibration Strategy. Denial of the anxiety and Impossibility to deal with it are strategies less used by mature children (Pires & Fagulha, 2001) In view of these empirical data is our aim to analyze and discuss a child pattern of answers to the "Once upon a time..." Test at two different moments of her psychotherapeutic process, at treatment initiation and then again to make a decision about treatment termination. We expect to give an account of the "Once upon a time..." Test potentialities to the objective evaluation of the results of child psychotherapy.

2005-07-01T00:00:00Z