EDITORIAL

 

Editorial

 

 

Alessandra Gotuzo Seabra

Editor

 

 

Dear readers,

We present the second issue of the 21st volume of the journal Psychology: Theory and Practice. With the classification in A2 stratum in Psychology area by the "Qualis-Periódicos" system, our journal has also published the articles in English, which consolidates an important means of scientific researches dissemination in Psychology and related areas. In this issue, we have an international article, from the University of La Habana, Cuba, and articles from four regions of Brazil, from Northeast (University of Fortaleza), Midwest (Catholic University of Brasília), South (Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, University of Londrina, ESPM-Sul and Federal University of de Santa Catarina) and Southeast (Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, University of São Francisco, Universidade Federal Fluminense, University of São Paulo, and Mackenzie Presbyterian University).

In 2019, we have implemented a new graphical project. Our journal is now more modern, with a more elegant, simple, and beautiful design. We have also updated the format of the articles to meet the indexing requirements of the main databases and, for that reason, we ask attention to the changes made in our guidelines, which can be accessed at http://editorarevistas.mackenzie.br/index.php/ptp/about/submissions

In this issue, 12 papers and a book review are presented along the five thematic sections of the journal.

In the "Psychological Evaluation" section, there are four articles. The authors Lucas de Francisco Carvalho, Ana Carolina Zuanazzi, and Fabiano K. Miguel, from the University of São Francisco and the University of Londrina, present the article titled "Pathological personality and quality of life: Validity evidences for IDCP-2". Given the evidence that pathological traits of the personality are related to the perception of the low quality of life, they investigated the discriminative capacity of the Clinical Dimensional Inventory of Personality 2 (IDCP-2) and sought evidence of validity concerning the quality of life. The results were promising and indicated that inventory factors correlated to aspects of quality of life, as well as showing the predictive capacity of some inventory dimensions.

The second article, "Instruments for measuring cognitive reserve: A systematic review," was written by Thaís Landenberger, Nicolas de Oliveira Cardoso, Irani Iracema de Lima Argimon, and Camila Rosa de Oliveira, from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) and Faculdade Meridional (IMED). Through a systematic review, they investigated the instruments (scales and questionnaires) used to measure cognitive reserve. They describe the instruments found, their characteristics, and point out the limitations observed. Given the results, however, they reiterate the need for more research in the area.

Jací Carnicelli Mattos, Maria Eloísa Famá D'Antino, and Roberta Monterazzo Cysneiros, from Mackenzie Presbyterian University, wrote the article "Evidences of reliability and validity of the sensory assessment instrument: a preliminary study." They investigated the psychometric parameters of reliability and validity of the Sensory Profile, applied to children from 5 to 10 years of age, with Autistic Spectrum Disorder and without any neurodevelopmental disorders. The instrument showed satisfactory internal consistency for most categories and factors. As the mean scores of the Brazilian children sample differed from the American normative one, they defined new scores values for the sensorial performance ranges. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder showed lower performance than children without neurodevelopmental disorders. These results provide evidence of the validity and reliability of the Sensory Profile translated and adapted culturally to Brazilian Portuguese.

The fourth article of the "Psychological Evaluation" section is "Digital phenotyping and personality disorders: A necessary relationship in the digital age," written by Lucas de Francisco Carvalho and Giselle Pianowski, of the University of São Francisco. The article deals with "digital phenotyping," which refers to the in-situ quantification of the human phenotype, using personal data from digital devices, and its use in mental health. In the review, they discussed the applications, implications, and challenges in the use of digital phenotyping in Personality Disorders.

The "Human Development" section has an original article. Entitled "Stress, parenting and family support in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder," it was written by Fernanda Pádua Rezende, Sandra Leal Calais, and Hugo Ferrari Cardoso, from the Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho (Unesp). The study aimed to characterize stress, parental style, and perception of family support in parents of children with ADHD, establishing relationships between these variables. It was observed that mothers had more stress than their fathers did. There was an association between mothers' stress and negative parental practices and low perception of family support; as well as there was an association between the child's age and the parental style.

The "Social Psychology" section has two original articles and a review. "Management of psychosocial risks? An S.O.S. in Cuban organizations" was written by Arianne Medina Macías and Adalberto Avila Vidal, from the University of Havana, Cuba. It presents a reflection on the need to manage psychosocial risk and risk factors within the scope of health and safety systems in Cuban organizations. A critical analysis is done on the Cuban regulatory framework for safety and health, literature review, and accumulated experience in the consulting work. The need to offer greater visibility and importance to health and safety management practices is emphasized in order to guarantee the sustainability of Cuban organizations.

Natalia Lopes Braga, Noália Magna de Araújo, and Regina Heloisa Maciel, from the University of Fortaleza, present the article "Work conditions of women: An integrative review of the Brazilian literature." They reviewed the conditions of women's work reported in Brazilian scientific literature. Three categories were described after the systematic review: gender relations and conflicts in the work environment; work and family; and precariousness of work. They critically discuss these categories.

This section also presents the review "Counseling and coaching: Similarities, differences, and relevance in times of uncertainty." It was written by Gabriela Techio, Daniela Boucinha, Alyane Audibert, and Manoela Ziebell de Oliveira, from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul and ESPM-Sul.

The "Psychology and Education" section has two original articles. Cláudia Silva and Franciany Berriel Pereira, from Universidade Federal Fluminense, wrote the article "Performance in receptive vocabulary and reading comprehension tests in elementary education students." They described the profile of students in grades 3, 4, and 5 of Elementary School in tests of receptive vocabulary and reading comprehension. There were significant differences for the two tests throughout the series, leading to the discussion of the influence of extrinsic factors, such as one's environment, and intrinsic factors, such as information processing and memory formation.

In "Interventions with games in educational context: Improving executive functions," written by Daniela Karine Ramos, Maria Luiza Bianchi, Eliza Regina Rebello, and Maria Eduarda de Oliveira Martins, from the Federal University of Santa Catarina, the authors analyzed if the use of games in educational context can enhance the executive functions of a sample of students. The results indicate better performance in working memory, processing speed, and attention tasks, as well as in the teachers' reports. They suggested that the use of games, in an intentional and mediated way, can help to foster executive functions.

The "Clinical Psychology" section has two articles. Sebastião S. Almeida, Alessandra F. E. Garcia, and Telma Maria Braga Costa, from the University of São Paulo, presents the article "How I am, how am I: Nutritional status and body image in women submitted to aesthetic plastic surgery." Facing the growing search for aesthetic plastic surgery, the study compared the characteristics of adult women requesting cosmetic plastic surgery to non-seeking women. Among the significant differences, the group requesting surgery had a higher prevalence of overweight/obesity, dissatisfaction with general appearance, concern about body mass index, and investment in appearance. It discusses the need for psychological and nutritional monitoring to prevent poor outcome in cosmetic plastic surgery.

The article "Autobiographical memory: A proposal for mnemic stimulation in elderly individuals" was written by Alliny Michelly Santos Vale, Henrique Salmazo da Silva, and Isabelle Patriciá Freitas Soares Chariglione from the Catholic University of Brasília. They aimed to document the process of implantation of an autobiographical memory intervention for the elderly individuals, previously developed, and to verify the impact on cognition, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and quality of life. Although there were no gains in cognitive scores, depression, anxiety, and quality of life, the application of the protocol provided the interaction and socialization of the elderly individuals in an environment capable of favoring autobiographical recall.

We hope that you, readers, enjoy the articles available here and we reiterate our thanks to the authors, reviewers, section editors, and others involved in the editorial process.