Pictorial size perception in schizophrenia

In this study, we compared visual pictorial size perception between healthy volunteers (CG) and an experimental group (EG) of people diagnosed with schizophrenia. We have been using paintings by Salvador Dalí and Rorschach plates to estimate visual pictorial size perception. In this transversal, ex post facto, and quasi-experimental study, we observed differences between EG and CG. Schizophrenic in-patients perceived sizes about 1.3-fold greater than healthy volunteers (p=0.006), implying that pictorial size perception is altered in some way in schizophrenia. Considering the present and previous results, this measurement of diameter size of first pictorial perception may be a useful estimate of some aspects of perceptual alterations that may be associated with psychotic symptoms in prodromal and acute schizophrenic episodes and other related mental states. Eventually, this may help in preventing people from evolving to acute episodes.

Escala de clima organizacional para organizações de saúde: desenvolvimento e estrutura fatorial / Organizational climate scale for health organizations: development and factorial structure

O clima organizacional, um dos construtos de maior complexidade na área organizacional, apresenta características que podem ser percebidas de formas distintas por diferentes profissionais. Este estudo teve como objetivo desenvolver e validar a Escala de Clima Organizacional para Organizações de Saúde. Para validar o instrumento foram investigados 668 trabalhadores da área de saúde, que responderam a 100 itens, distribuídos em 13 dimensões. Foi utilizada para estudo da validade a análise fatorial e, para exame da consistência interna, o cálculo do alpha de Cronbach. Os resultados apontaram como melhor solução fatorial a estrutura de 64 itens, dispostos em sete fatores. A consistência interna da medida foi de 0,934. A Escala de Clima Organizacional para Organizações de Saúde demonstrou boa qualidade psicométrica, considerando-se o contexto cultural investigado. Sugere-se, entretanto, a ampliação dos estudos para outros tipos de amostra e organizações, de modo a verificar a validade transcultural do construto.

Organizational climate, as one of the most complex constructs in the organizational area, possesses characteristics that may be perceived in distinct ways by different professionals. This study aimed to develop and validate the Organizational Climate Scale for Health Organizations. In order to validate the tool, 668 health workers were investigated, responding to 100 items, distributed across thirteen dimensions. Factorial analysis was used to validate and calculate Cronbach's alpha in order to estimate internal consistency. The results suggest the best factorial solution was a structure composed of 64 items, organized into seven factors. The internal consistency was 0.934. The Organizational Climate Scale for Health Organizations shows good psychometric quality, considering the cultural context investigated. However, it is recommended that these studies be extended to other types of samples and organizations, in order to verify the cross-cultural construct validity.