Cristina Nunes is Full Professor of Psychology at the University of Algarve. She obtained her Ph.D. in Development and Educational Psychology from the University of Seville (Spain).
Her research focuses on positive parenting, family context assessment, family and child well-being. She has coordinated the management unit of UAlg of the Psychology Research Center (CIP) and has published more than 110 peer-reviewed scientific articles. She has led and collaborated on numerous national and international research projects and has served on editorial boards. She also held several academic leadership positions at the University of Algarve.
Applied research group has focused on prevention and promotion factors of health and well-being throughout life. It seeks to create and validate evaluation and intervention tools in clinical, educational and organizational contexts, focused on research on health and well-being, to develop promotional and prevention programs in these areas and to define guidelines for social practices and policies. Research projects are developed, many of them from an action research perspective, aiming to carry out research with a direct impact on the well-being of people and institutions in which this research is carried out.
Their efforts aim to create and validate assessment and intervention tools applicable in clinical, educational, and organizational contexts. Research projects, often employing an action research perspective, seek to have a direct impact on the well-being of individuals and institutions where the research is conducted.
Members have coordinated and participated in numerous national and international research projects, published extensively in high-impact peer-reviewed journals, and served on editorial boards and scientific evaluation panels.
The knowledge built through this research group supports the design and assessment of interventions aimed at promoting positive development, health and well-being. The researchers adopt an ecological, systemic and transactional heuristic approach. Their research is oriented towards:
- Obtaining empirical knowledge about the impact of different family, educational and institutional contexts on the development of children, adolescents and adults and about the processes of social exclusion;
- Adapting, designing and validating instruments for the diagnosis of social issues;
- Assessing interventions aimed at promoting positive development, health and well-being;
- Contributing with current and relevant contents which are suitable to professional training;
- Generating evidence-based intervention guidelines to enhance the effectiveness of existing programs.
Jesus, S., Antunes, J. P., Andretta, I., Russel, T., Mello, L., & Chiodelli, R. (2025). Comparison of face-to-face and synchronous online mindfulness-based interventions: a quasi-experimental study. Health Psychology Report, 13(4), 354. https://doi.org 10.5114/hpr/208641
Morina, A., & Martins, M. H. (2024). Success and self-determination: A systematic review of the narratives of students and graduates with disabilities. Higher Education Research & Development, 43(5), 1107-1123. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2023.2293191
Nunes, C., Martins, C., Ayala-Nunes, L., Matos, F., Costa, E., & Gonçalves, A. (2021). Parents' perceived social support and children's psychological adjustment. Journal of Social Work, 21(3), 497-512. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468017320911614
Paixão, O., & Gamboa, V. (2022). Autonomous versus controlled motivation on career indecision: The mediating effect of career exploration. Journal of Career Development, 49(4), 802-815. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894845321992544
Vieira dos Santos, J., Gomes, A., Rebelo, D. F. S., Lopes, L. F. D., Moreira, M. G., & da Silva, D. J. C. (2023). The consequences of job crafting and engagement in the relationship between passion for work and individual performance of Portuguese workers. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1180239. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1180239