How Accurately Can Parents Judge Their Children’s Boredom in School?

PubMed Central

Nett, Ulrike E.; Daschmann, Elena C.; Goetz, Thomas; Stupnisky, Robert H.

2016-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to explore what parents know about their Children’s boredom in school; specifically, the frequency, intensity, and antecedents of their Children’s boredom, as well as how they cope with boredom. A questionnaire was administered to 437 grade 9 students (54% female, Mage = 14.82) and their parents (72% mothers, 14% fathers, 12% both parents, Mage = 45.26) measuring variables related to students boredom in mathematics class. Three different measurements were used to evaluate the accuracy of parents’ judgments: (1) the correlation between parents’ and students’ answers, (2) the mean differences between parents’ and students’ answers, and (3) the mean values of absolute differences of parents’ and students’ answers. The results suggest that parents generally have an informed knowledge about their child’s boredom and related facets. This is reflected by a mean correlation of medium size ( = 0.34) and a small mean effect size of the difference between parents’ and students’ judgments over all items ( = 0.20). Parents are also substantially better in judging their Children’s boredom compared to guessing for all variables (mean effect size of = 0.65). They had the most precise judgments for the frequency and intensity of boredom. The antecedents of boredom (e.g., characteristics of instruction) were also well estimated by parents; specifically, parents tend to have a bias in favor for their children evidenced by overestimating antecedents that cannot be influenced by the students and underestimating those that can be influenced by the students. The least concordance was found between parents’ and Children’s perception of boredom coping strategies (e.g., accepting boredom), implying that parents lack information about how their children intentionally cope with boredom. Implications for research on student boredom are discussed as well as practical applications involving parents in boredom prevention. PMID:27445876

Electroencephalogram oscillations support the involvement of task-unrelated thoughts in the mechanism of boredom: A pilot study.

PubMed

Miyauchi, Eri; Kawasaki, Masahiro

2018-06-11

Boredom is a universal experience; however, the neural mechanisms underlying the phenomenon remain unclear. Previous research suggests that boredom is related to attentional failure and derives a possible explanation for the cognitive processes of boredom as a product of appraisals made about task-unrelated thoughts. There are little published data regarding proposed processes from neuroscientific perspectives. Therefore, the authors aimed to examine whether cognitive processes of boredom with task-unrelated thoughts followed by appraisals of them can be explained by examining oscillatory correlates. Electroencephalography was used to measure changes in neural oscillatory activity during subjective experiences of boredom or dislike in healthy subjects. Using this approach, temporal information of brain activity particular to the boredom experience was acquired. Additionally, the Adult Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Self-Report Scale was used to evaluate the effects of attentional deficits in the neural processing of boredom. Tonic increase in theta and transient increases in alpha activity were exhibited before the key press response for experiencing boredom; however, only tonic increases in theta amplitudes were boredom specific. The results of this pilot study suggest that the boredom experience is possibly associated with cognitive processes involved in task-unrelated thoughts, followed by their appraisals to be bored, mediated by alpha and theta activity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Boredom, depressive symptoms, and HIV risk behaviors among urban injection drug users.

PubMed

German, Danielle; Latkin, Carl A

2012-11-01

Boredom is closely aligned with depression, but is understood to be conceptually distinct. Little is known about boredom among active drug users and the potential association with depression and HIV risk. Current IDUs (n = 845) completed a baseline behavioral survey including socio-demographic characteristics, self-reported boredom, depressive symptoms (CESD score), and HIV risk behaviors. One-third of the sample reported high boredom in the past week. In multivariate analysis, those who reported boredom were less likely to be older, African-American, have a main partner, and to be employed at least part-time. Controlling for covariates, those with high boredom were almost five times as likely to report high depressive symptoms. Co-occurrence of boredom and depressive symptoms (28 %) was strongly and independently associated with a range of injection risk behaviors and sex exchange. This study demonstrates the need for more thorough understanding of mental health and HIV risk among urban drug users.

Traumatic brain injury, boredom and depression.

PubMed

Goldberg, Yael; Danckert, James

2013-09-01

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) often presents with co-morbid depression and elevated levels of boredom. We explored the relationship between boredom and depression in a group of mild (n = 38), moderate-to-severe TBI patients (n = 14) and healthy controls (n = 88), who completed the Beck Depression Inventory and Boredom Proneness Scales as part of a larger study. Results showed that the relationship between boredom and depression was strongest in moderate-to-severe TBI patients. We explored two boredom proneness factors that index an individual's need for external or internal stimulation. Results indicated that the need for external stimulation was the critical driver in the relation between boredom and depression. Once again, this relationship was strongest in the moderate-to-severe TBI group. These results suggest that one common factor underlying boredom and depression is the need for stimulation from the external environment and, presumably, a failure to satisfy that need-a disconnection felt most strongly in moderate-to-severe TBI.

Boredom proneness--the development and correlates of a new scale.

PubMed

Farmer, R; Sundberg, N D

1986-01-01

This article reports the development, validation, and correlates of a self-report measure of boredom proneness. The 28-item Boredom Proneness (BP) Scale demonstrates satisfactory levels of internal consistency (coefficient alpha = .79) and test-retest reliability (r = .83) over a 1-week interval. Evidence of validity for the BP is supported by correlations with other boredom measures and from a set of studies evaluating interest and attention in the classroom. Other hypothesized relationships with boredom were tested, with significant positive associations found with depression, hopelessness, perceived effort, loneliness, and amotivational orientation. Additional findings indicate boredom proneness to be negatively related to life satisfaction and autonomy orientation. The relationship of boredom to other affective states is discussed, and directions for future research are outlined.

Boredom proneness: its relationship to psychological- and physical-health symptoms.

PubMed

Sommers, J; Vodanovich, S J

2000-01-01

The relationship between boredom proneness and health-symptom reporting was examined. Undergraduate students (N = 200) completed the Boredom Proneness Scale and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist. A multiple analysis of covariance indicated that individuals with high boredom-proneness total scores reported significantly higher ratings on all five subscales of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (Obsessive-Compulsive, Somatization, Anxiety, Interpersonal Sensitivity, and Depression). The results suggest that boredom proneness may be an important element to consider when assessing symptom reporting. Implications for determining the effects of boredom proneness on psychological- and physical-health symptoms. as well as the application in clinical settings, are discussed.

When the job is boring: the role of boredom in organizational contexts.

PubMed

Guglielmi, Dina; Simbula, Silvia; Mazzetti, Greta; Tabanelli, Maria Carla; Bonfiglioli, Roberta

2013-01-01

The present study investigates the role of boredom within the Job Demands-Resources model. Although empirical evidence suggests that the incidence of boredom at work is widespread, the study of job boredom remains neglected today. Data were collected from 269 mass-retail workers, by means of structured face-to-face interviews. Results of multiple mediation analyses partially supported our hypotheses. Boredom mediates the relationship between transformational leadership, low learning opportunities and general dysphoria, while work engagement mediates the relationship between transformational leadership, low learning opportunities and job satisfaction as well as general dysphoria. Taken together, our results confirm the suitability of conceptualizing boredom within the JD-R model and contribute to the ongoing conceptualization of both the boredom literature and the JD-R literature.

Beating Boredom, Creating Interest. Fastback 419.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, M. Thomas

This "Fastback" focuses on avoiding boredom in schools. Following an introduction that explains the importance of teachers breathing life into subject matter, the booklet includes five sections. Section one, "The Nature of Boredom," defines boredom and explains that both teachers and students are responsible for beating…

Traumatic Brain Injury, Boredom and Depression

PubMed Central

Goldberg, Yael; Danckert, James

2013-01-01

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) often presents with co-morbid depression and elevated levels of boredom. We explored the relationship between boredom and depression in a group of mild (n = 38), moderate-to-severe TBI patients (n = 14) and healthy controls (n = 88), who completed the Beck Depression Inventory and Boredom Proneness Scales as part of a larger study. Results showed that the relationship between boredom and depression was strongest in moderate-to-severe TBI patients. We explored two boredom proneness factors that index an individual’s need for external or internal stimulation. Results indicated that the need for external stimulation was the critical driver in the relation between boredom and depression. Once again, this relationship was strongest in the moderate-to-severe TBI group. These results suggest that one common factor underlying boredom and depression is the need for stimulation from the external environment and, presumably, a failure to satisfy that need—a disconnection felt most strongly in moderate-to-severe TBI. PMID:25379247

Boredom, depressive symptoms, and HIV risk behaviors among urban injection drug users

PubMed Central

German, Danielle; Latkin, Carl A.

2013-01-01

Boredom is closely aligned with depression, but is understood to be conceptually distinct. Little is known about boredom among active drug users and the potential association with depression and HIV risk. Current IDUs (n=845) completed a baseline behavioral survey including socio-demographic characteristics, self-reported boredom, depressive symptoms (CESD score), and HIV risk behaviors. One-third of the sample reported high boredom in the past week. In multivariate analysis, those who reported boredom were less likely to be older, African-American, have a main partner, and to be employed at least part-time. Controlling for covariates, those with high boredom were almost five times as likely to report high depressive symptoms. Co-occurrence of boredom and depressive symptoms (28%) was strongly and independently associated with a range of injection risk behaviors and sex exchange. This study demonstrates the need for more thorough understanding of mental health and HIV risk among urban drug users. PMID:22760741

Exploring the relationship between boredom and sustained attention.

PubMed

Malkovsky, Ela; Merrifield, Colleen; Goldberg, Yael; Danckert, James

2012-08-01

Boredom is a common experience, prevalent in neurological and psychiatric populations, yet its cognitive characteristics remain poorly understood. We explored the relationship between boredom proneness, sustained attention and adult symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The results showed that high boredom-prone individuals (HBP) performed poorly on measures of sustained attention and showed increased symptoms of ADHD and depression. The results also showed that HBP individuals can be characterised as either apathetic-in which the individual is unconcerned with his/her environment, or as agitated-in which the individual is motivated to engage in meaningful activities, although attempts to do so fail to satisfy. Apathetic boredom proneness was associated with attention lapses, whereas agitated boredom proneness was associated with decreased sensitivity to errors of sustained attention, and increased symptoms of adult ADHD. Our results suggest there is a complex relationship between attention and boredom proneness.

Development and validation of the multidimensional state boredom scale.

PubMed

Fahlman, Shelley A; Mercer-Lynn, Kimberley B; Flora, David B; Eastwood, John D

2013-02-01

This article describes the development and validation of the Multidimensional State Boredom Scale (MSBS)-the first and only full-scale measure of state boredom. It was developed based on a theoretically and empirically grounded definition of boredom. A five-factor structure of the scale (Disengagement, High Arousal, Low Arousal, Inattention, and Time Perception) was supported by exploratory factor analyses and confirmatory factor analyses of two independent samples. Furthermore, all subscales were significantly related to a single, second-order factor. The MSBS factor structure was shown to be invariant across gender. MSBS scores were significantly correlated with measures of trait boredom, depression, anxiety, anger, inattention, impulsivity, neuroticism, life satisfaction, and purpose in life. Finally, MSBS scores distinguished between participants who were experimentally manipulated into a state of boredom and those who were not, above and beyond measures of trait boredom, negative affect, and depression.

Development and Validation of the Multidimensional State Boredom Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fahlman, Shelley A.; Mercer-Lynn, Kimberley B.; Flora, David B.; Eastwood, John D.

2013-01-01

This article describes the development and validation of the Multidimensional State Boredom Scale (MSBS)--the first and only full-scale measure of state boredom. It was developed based on a theoretically and empirically grounded definition of boredom. A five-factor structure of the scale (Disengagement, High Arousal, Low Arousal, Inattention, and…

Leisure Boredom and High School Dropout in Cape Town, South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wegner, Lisa; Flisher, Alan J.; Chikobvu, Perpetual; Lombard, Carl; King, Gary

2008-01-01

This prospective cohort study investigated whether leisure boredom predicts high school dropout. Leisure boredom is the perception that leisure experiences do not satisfy the need for optimal arousal. Participants completed a self-report questionnaire which included the Leisure Boredom Scale. The original cohort of grade 8 students (n=303) was…

Leisure boredom and high school dropout in Cape Town, South Africa.

PubMed

Wegner, Lisa; Flisher, Alan J; Chikobvu, Perpetual; Lombard, Carl; King, Gary

2008-06-01

This prospective cohort study investigated whether leisure boredom predicts high school dropout. Leisure boredom is the perception that leisure experiences do not satisfy the need for optimal arousal. Participants completed a self-report questionnaire which included the Leisure Boredom Scale. The original cohort of grade 8 students (n=303) was followed up twice at 2-yearly intervals. Of the 281 students at the second follow-up, 149 (53.0%) students had dropped out of school. The effect of leisure boredom on dropout was investigated using logistic regression taking into account the clustering effect of the schools in the sampling strategy, and adjusting for age, gender and racially classified social group. Leisure boredom was a significant predictor of dropout (OR=1.08; 95% CI: 1.01-1.15) in students 14 years and older, but not so in younger students (OR=1.0; 95% CI: 0.95-1.05). The study has shown that measuring leisure boredom in grade 8 students can help identify students who are more likely to dropout of school. Further research is needed to investigate the longitudinal association between leisure boredom and school dropout.

Towards a Model for the Assessment of Student Boredom and Boredom Proneness in the UK Higher Education Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharp, John G.; Hemmings, Brian; Kay, Russell

2016-01-01

Recently identified as an academic "achievement emotion", boredom has long been implicated as a factor contributing adversely to student attainment across a diverse range of formal educational settings. Despite this, the study of boredom, particularly among students in higher education, remains a relatively neglected and underdeveloped…

Testing the Predictors of Boredom at School: Development and Validation of the Precursors to Boredom Scales

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daschmann, Elena C.; Goetz, Thomas; Stupnisky, Robert H.

2011-01-01

Background: Boredom has been found to be an important emotion for students' learning processes and achievement outcomes; however, the precursors of this emotion remain largely unexplored. Aim: In the current study, scales assessing the precursors to boredom in academic achievement settings were developed and tested. Sample: Participants were 1,380…

Boredom in Achievement Settings: Exploring Control-Value Antecedents and Performance Outcomes of a Neglected Emotion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pekrun, Reinhard; Goetz, Thomas; Daniels, Lia M.; Stupnisky, Robert H.; Perry, Raymond P.

2010-01-01

The linkages of achievement-related boredom with students' appraisals and performance outcomes were examined in a series of 5 exploratory, cross-sectional, and predictive investigations. Studies 1 and 2 assessed students' boredom in a single achievement episode (i.e., state achievement boredom); Studies 3, 4, and 5 focused on their habitual…

Exploring the relationships between free-time management and boredom in leisure.

PubMed

Wang, Wei-Ching; Wu, Chung-Chi; Wu, Chang-Yang; Huan, Tzung-Cheng

2012-04-01

The purpose of the study was to examine the relations of five dimensions of free-time management (including goal setting and evaluating, technique, values, immediate response, and scheduling) with leisure boredom, and whether these factors could predict leisure boredom. A total of 500 undergraduates from a university in southern Taiwan were surveyed with 403 usable questionnaires was returned. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that five dimensions of free-time management had significant negative relationships with leisure boredom. Furthermore, the results of stepwise regression analysis revealed that four dimensions of free-time management were significant contributors to leisure boredom. Finally, we suggested students can avoid boredom by properly planning and organizing leisure time and applying techniques for managing leisure time.

Boredom Prone or Nothing to Do? Distinguishing Between State and Trait Leisure Boredom and its Association with Substance Use in South African Adolescents

PubMed Central

Weybright, Elizabeth H.; Caldwell, Linda L.; Ram, Nilam; Smith, Edward A.; Wegner, Lisa

2015-01-01

Reducing adolescent substance use is important in South Africa, a developing nation with increasing adolescent substance use, lack of leisure/recreation opportunities, and high rates of adolescent discretionary time. Previous research suggests leisure boredom and adolescent substance use co-occur in this setting. Using longitudinal data from 2,580 SA adolescents as they progressed from the 8th to 11th grade, the current study disentangles the associations of trait and state leisure boredom with substance use, and examines how ability to restructure boring situations moderates those associations. On average, individuals with higher trait boredom used more substances, and on occasions when state boredom was high, the prototypical adolescent used more substances. Although restructuring did not moderate these associations, greater ability was associated with lower substance use independent of leisure boredom. Findings illustrated the importance of considering how trait and state aspects of leisure may contribute to adolescents’ risk behavior and addressed through preventive intervention. PMID:26085700

Avoiding boredom: Caudate and insula activity reflects boredom-elicited purchase bias.

PubMed

Dal Mas, Dennis E; Wittmann, Bianca C

2017-07-01

People show a strong tendency to avoid boring situations, but the neural systems mediating this behavioural bias are yet unknown. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate how the anticipation of a boring task influences decisions to purchase entertainment. Participants accepted higher prices to avoid boredom compared to control tasks, and individual differences in boredom experience predicted the increase in price. This behavioural bias was associated with higher activity in the caudate nucleus during music purchases driven by boredom avoidance. Insula activation was increased during performance of the boring task and subsequently associated with individual differences in boredom-related decision making. These results identify a mechanism that drives decisions to avoid boring situations and potentially underlies consumer decisions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exorcising Boredom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Connor, Constance

1976-01-01

Boredom relates to many areas within a society: crime, child abuse, suicide, extreme loneliness, family tension, depression, violence, alcoholism, and drug abuse; a primary concern of the leisure services should be the alleviation of boredom. (JD)

Eaten up by boredom: consuming food to escape awareness of the bored self

PubMed Central

Moynihan, Andrew B.; van Tilburg, Wijnand A. P.; Igou, Eric R.; Wisman, Arnaud; Donnelly, Alan E.; Mulcaire, Jessie B.

2015-01-01

Research indicates that being bored affectively marks an appraised lack of meaning in the present situation and in life. We propose that state boredom increases eating in an attempt to distract from this experience, especially among people high in objective self-awareness. Three studies were conducted to investigate boredom’s effects on eating, both naturally occurring in a diary study and manipulated in two experiments. In Study 1, a week-long diary study showed that state boredom positively predicted calorie, fat, carbohydrate, and protein consumption. In Study 2, a high (vs. low) boredom task increased the desire to snack as opposed to eating something healthy, especially amongst those participants high in objective self-awareness. In addition, Study 3 demonstrated that among people high in objective self-awareness, high (vs. low) boredom increased the consumption of less healthy foods and the consumption of more exciting, healthy foods. However, this did not extend to unexciting, healthy food. Collectively, these novel findings signify the role of boredom in predicting maladaptive and adaptive eating behaviors as a function of the need to distant from the experience of boredom. Further, our results suggest that more exciting, healthy food serves as alternative to maladaptive consumption following boredom. PMID:25883579

The measurement of boredom: differences between existing self-report scales.

PubMed

Mercer-Lynn, Kimberley B; Flora, David B; Fahlman, Shelley A; Eastwood, John D

2013-10-01

There are two commonly used measures of boredom: the Boredom Proneness Scale (BPS) and the Boredom Susceptibility Scale (ZBS). Although both were designed to measure the propensity to experience boredom (i.e., trait boredom), there are reasons to think they may not measure the same construct. The present research sought to evaluate this proposition in several stages. Specifically, relationships between the BPS, ZBS, and important causal (Study 1, N = 837), correlational (Study 2, N = 233), and outcome variables (Study 3, N = 137) were examined in university students. Taken together, results support the notion that the BPS and ZBS do not measure the same construct. Specifically, higher BPS scores were associated with higher levels of neuroticism, experiential avoidance, attentional and nonplanning impulsivity, anxiety, depression, dysphoria, and emotional eating. Conversely, higher ZBS scores were associated with higher levels of motor impulsivity, sensitivity to reward, gambling, and alcohol use and lower levels of neuroticism, experiential avoidance, and sensitivity to punishment.

The prevalence of boredom proneness and depression among profoundly deaf residential school adolescents.

PubMed

Watt, J D; Davis, F E

1991-12-01

We investigated boredom proneness and depression among 50 profoundly deaf residential school adolescents using the Boredom Proneness (BP) scale and a version of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) that has been modified for use with deaf subjects. Consistent with previous research, the deaf students had a significantly higher incidence of depression than the hearing students. In addition, the deaf students were found to be significantly more boredom prone than the hearing subjects. The results suggest that deafness not only increases a person's vulnerability to mild levels of depression, but also tends to augment one's tendency toward experiencing boredom. Implications for educational settings and areas for future research are discussed.

Ethnic and gender differences in boredom proneness

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gibson, G.S.; Morales,

1996-02-01

Although boredom may exhibit many shared elements, culturally specific attitudes have also been found to exist. The present paper investigated boredom proneness among African-American college students. Data from 120 participants on the Boredom Proneness (BP) Scale was analyzed and compared to cross-cultural participants. African-American females scored significantly higher than African-American males. Scores were presented from two other studies to show a comparative look at boredom proneness in five other ethnic groups. African-American females are the only female ethnic group to score higher on the BP Scale than their male counterparts. Additionally, overall African-Americans, were found to have higher BP scoresmore » than their Western counterparts.« less

A self-regulatory approach to understanding boredom proneness.

PubMed

Struk, A A; Scholer, A A; Danckert, J

2015-07-29

We investigated the relationship between self-regulation and two types of boredom proneness (perceived lack of internal stimulation, perceived lack of external stimulation) using a variety of measures of self-regulation. These included a general measure of self-control, measures of both regulatory focus (i.e., promotion or a sensitivity to gains/non-gains vs. prevention or a sensitivity to losses/non-losses) and regulatory mode (i.e., assessment or the tendency to compare means and goals vs. locomotion or the tendency to initiate and maintain commitment to action), and measures of cognitive flexibility (i.e., a perceived sense of control and the tendency to seek alternative solutions). Results identified a unique set of factors related to each boredom proneness component. Trait self-control and prevention focus were associated with lower boredom propensity due to a lack of external stimulation. Locomotion and the tendency to seek alternatives were associated with lower boredom propensity due to a lack of internal stimulation. These findings suggest that effective goal pursuit is associated with reduced likelihood of experiencing boredom.

The Prevalence of Boredom Proneness and Depression among Profoundly Deaf Residential School Adolescents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watt, John D.; Davis, Faith E.

1991-01-01

Fifty profoundly deaf residential school adolescents were administered the Boredom Proneness scale and a modified version of the Beck Depression Inventory. Deaf students had a significantly higher incidence of depression and were more boredom prone than were hearing subjects. (Author/JDD)

Boredom in psychiatric practice.

PubMed

Morrant, J C

1984-08-01

This paper discusses some of the causes of boredom in psychiatric practice. It also describes how many psychiatric conditions can have boring facets to them, which can lead to difficulties in treatment and "burn-out" in the therapist. Finally, some practical suggestions are given to help avoid and deal with boredom.

Perception of Boredom: Students' Resistance to a Secondary Physical Education Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Ang

1998-01-01

Used Q methodology to examine university students' perceptions of boredom in secondary school physical education. Identified four response patterns: fitness development, socialization, activity variation, and self-expression. Four types of conflict between learning expectations and reality accounted for perceived boredom: competition, meaning,…

Initial validation of a scale to measure purposelessness, understimulation, and boredom in cancer patients: toward a redefinition of depression in advanced disease.

PubMed

Passik, Steven D; Inman, Alice; Kirsh, Kenneth; Theobald, Dale; Dickerson, Pamela

2003-03-01

The problem of boredom in people with cancer has received little research attention, and yet clinical experience suggests that it has the potential to profoundly affect quality of life in those patients. We were interested in developing a Purposelessness, Understimulation, and Boredom (PUB) Scale to identify this problem and to begin to differentiate it from depression. Cancer patients and professionals were interviewed using a semi-structured format to elicit their perceptions of the incidence, causes, scope, and consequences of boredom. From their responses, 45 questions were developed, edited for clarity, and piloted. A total of 100 cancer patients were recruited to participate in the study. Preliminary validation of the PUB using a cross-sectional survey of the measure was conducted. Other instruments used for purposes of convergent and divergent validity included the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Scale-Anemia, Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale, Boredom Proneness Scale, Leisure Boredom Scale, Cancer Behavior Inventory, Systems of Belief Inventory, and the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status Scale. The average age of the sample was 62.37 years (SD = 13.43) and was comprised of 60 women (60.00%) and 40 men (40.00%). The results of a factor analysis on the 45 initial items (selected on the basis of professional and patient interviews) created a two-factor scale. The eight items from the strongest factor (items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10) seemed to best tap the construct that could be deemed as overt boredom whereas the six items of the second factor (items 36, 38, 39, 42, 44, 45) seemed to tap the construct of boredom related to meaning and spirituality. Total scale internal consistency, when all 14 items were included in the analysis, yielded a coefficient alpha of 0.84 and good test-retest reliability at 2 weeks (r = .80, p < .001). The novel 14-item PUB Scale was significantly correlated to other measures of boredom; the Boredom Proneness Scale (r = -.588, p < .001) and the Leisure Boredom Scale (r = .576, p < .001). The PUB Scale was found to be a statistically viable tool with the ability to detect boredom and differentiate it from depression. In many respects this work is in concert with much of the current research and clinical effort going on in psycho-oncology that defines components of distress that in sum, redefines depression in advanced cancer.

Boredom and monotony as a consequence of automation : a consideration of the evidence relating boredom and monotony to stress.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1980-02-01

As air traffic control becomes increasingly automated, the various implications of this trend should be considered. One of the likely byproducts of highly automated air traffic control systems is an increase in boredom and monotony among controllers ...

Does Being Bored Make Us More Creative?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mann, Sandi; Cadman, Rebekah

2014-01-01

Boredom has traditionally been associated with a range of negative outcomes, both within the workplace and outside it. More recently, however, it has been suggested that boredom can have positive outcomes, one of which might be increased creativity. This study addressed this proposition by examining the relationship between boredom and creative…

On Academic Boredom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baghdadchi, Amir

2005-01-01

The kind of boredom experienced in academia is unique. Neither a purely subjective nor objective phenomenon, it is the product of the way research is organized into papers, seminars, and conferences, as well as of a deep implicit metaphor that academic argument is a form of warfare. In this respect, the concepts of boredom and rigour are closely…

Boredom and Schooling: A Cross-Disciplinary Exploration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belton, Teresa; Priyadharshini, Esther

2007-01-01

This paper undertakes a wide-ranging exploration of the concept of boredom from contrasting perspectives across different disciplines with a view to informing the pedagogy of schooling. It notes the rise of the concept in recent times, and juxtaposes diverse views on the perceived forms, causes, effects and responses to boredom, along the way…

Boredom and Academic Achievement: Testing a Model of Reciprocal Causation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pekrun, Reinhard; Hall, Nathan C.; Goetz, Thomas; Perry, Raymond P.

2014-01-01

A theoretical model linking boredom and academic achievement is proposed. Based on Pekrun's (2006) control-value theory of achievement emotions, the model posits that boredom and achievement reciprocally influence each other over time. Data from a longitudinal study with college students (N = 424) were used to examine the hypothesized effects. The…

Was Bob Seger Right? Relation Between Boredom in Leisure and [Risky] Sex.

PubMed

Miller, Jacqueline A; Caldwell, Linda L; Weybright, Elizabeth H; Smith, Edward A; Vergnani, Tania; Wegner, Lisa

2014-01-16

This article examines the association between boredom in leisure and risky sexual behaviors among South African youth (N = 1695) using longitudinal data. We hypothesized that youth who were higher on boredom in leisure at the end of ninth grade would be more likely to report engaging in risky sexual behaviors at the beginning of tenth grade. Chi-square results indicate youth, especially male youth who experience high levels of leisure boredom in ninth grade, are more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors in tenth grade. These findings have implications for prevention programs that aim to delay sexual initiation, reduce sexual risk behaviors, and decrease the transmission of HIV and AIDS. The findings support the need for additional research on how the reduction of leisure boredom may be a potential target for reducing sexual risk among youth.

Was Bob Seger Right? Relation Between Boredom in Leisure and [Risky] Sex

PubMed Central

MILLER, JACQUELINE A.; CALDWELL, LINDA L.; WEYBRIGHT, ELIZABETH H.; SMITH, EDWARD A.; VERGNANI, TANIA; WEGNER, LISA

2015-01-01

This article examines the association between boredom in leisure and risky sexual behaviors among South African youth (N = 1695) using longitudinal data. We hypothesized that youth who were higher on boredom in leisure at the end of ninth grade would be more likely to report engaging in risky sexual behaviors at the beginning of tenth grade. Chi-square results indicate youth, especially male youth who experience high levels of leisure boredom in ninth grade, are more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors in tenth grade. These findings have implications for prevention programs that aim to delay sexual initiation, reduce sexual risk behaviors, and decrease the transmission of HIV and AIDS. The findings support the need for additional research on how the reduction of leisure boredom may be a potential target for reducing sexual risk among youth. PMID:25684832

Ability grouping of gifted students: effects on academic self-concept and boredom.

PubMed

Preckel, Franzis; Götz, Thomas; Frenzel, Anne

2010-09-01

Securing appropriate challenge or preventing boredom is one of the reasons frequently used to justify ability grouping of gifted students, which has been shown to have beneficial effects for achievement. On the other hand, critics stress psychosocial costs, such as detrimental effects on academic self-concept (contrast or big-fish-little-pond effect). The effects of full-time ability grouping in special classrooms for the gifted on students' academic self-concept and their experience of boredom in mathematics classes were investigated. The sample comprised 186 ninth-grade students (106 male) from eight classes at one Austrian high school. Four of these classes were part of a gifted track beginning from school year 9 on (N=93). Students were assessed repeatedly within the first half of the school year, three times via self-report questionnaires and once by applying a standardized IQ-test. Students in gifted classes reported a decrease in maths academic self-concept which was most pronounced early in the academic year. Interventions to counterbalance the negative effect of exposure to a high-ability reference group should therefore be implemented when ability grouping begins. No evidence for the boredom hypothesis was found (higher levels of boredom among gifted students in regular classes). However, students clearly differed in the reasons they stated for experiencing boredom. Boredom attributions changed over time and supported the assumption that gifted classes provide more appropriate levels of challenge.

Battling Boredom: 99 Strategies to Spark Student Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Bryan

2011-01-01

Drive boredom out of your classroom--and keep it out--with the student-engagement strategies in this book. You'll learn how to gain and sustain the attention of your students from the moment the bell rings. Perfect for teachers of all subjects and grade levels, these activities go head-to-head with student boredom and disengagement, resulting in…

The Concept of Profound Boredom: Learning from Moments of Vision

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibbs, Paul

2011-01-01

This paper recognizes that we become bored in our post-modern, consumerist Western world and that boredom is related to this existence and hidden within it. Through Heidegger, it seeks to provide a way to structure our understanding of boredom and suggest ways of acknowledging its cause, and then to allow it to liberate our authentic appreciation…

Academic Boredom among Students in Higher Education: A Mixed-Methods Exploration of Characteristics, Contributors and Consequences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharp, John G.; Hemmings, Brian; Kay, Russell; Murphy, Barbara; Elliott, Sam

2017-01-01

Academic boredom usually contributes adversely towards student engagement and performance across a diverse range of settings including universities. The formal study of academic boredom in higher education remains, however, a relatively underdeveloped field and one surprisingly neglected in the UK. Rooted in Control-Value Theory, details of a…

Examining Leisure Boredom in High School Students in Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akgul, Merve Beyza

2015-01-01

High school students who do not have leisure skills are more likely to be bored during leisure time. The aim of the study is to examine leisure boredom of high school students based on some variables (gender and income), and to investigate the relationship between leisure boredom, the presence/absence of anti-social behavior and the frequency at…

Canadian and Chinese University Students' Approaches to Coping with Academic Boredom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tze, Virginia M. C.; Daniels, Lia M.; Klassen, Robert M.; Li, Johnson C.-H.

2013-01-01

Although past research has shown the benefits of using approach coping in dealing with negative emotions, little is known about how students cope with a common negative achievement emotion, boredom, across cultures. Therefore, the goals of this study were to validate the Boredom Coping Scale (BCS) in Canada (n = 151, mean age = 23.29) and China (n…

A Study on the Relationship between College Students' Boredom Tendency and Attribution Style as Well as Achievement Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yan, Shunqin

2016-01-01

Aim: This thesis discusses the relationship between college students' boredom tendency and attribution style as well as achievement motivation. Method: The author uses scale assessment on college students of boredom tendency scale, the inner-control scale, internality-powerful others scale and chance scale draw up by Leveson, as well as…

Boredom, sustained attention and the default mode network.

PubMed

Danckert, James; Merrifield, Colleen

2016-03-15

Boredom is a ubiquitous human experience that can best be described as an inability to engage with one's environment despite the motivation to do so. Boredom is perceived as a negative experience and demonstrates strong associations with other negatively valenced states including depression and aggression. Although boredom has been shown to be elevated in neurological and psychiatric illnesses, little is known about the neural underpinnings of the state. We scanned the brains of healthy participants under four separate conditions: a resting state scan, a sustained attention task and two video-based mood inductions, one known to produce boredom and another we validated to produce a state of interest or engagement. Using independent components analyses, results showed common regions of correlated activation in posterior regions of the so-called default mode network (DMN) of the brain across all four conditions. The sustained attention and boredom induction scans were differentiated from the resting state scan by the presence of anticorrelated activity-i.e. when DMN regions were active, this region was deactivated-in the anterior insula cortex. This same region demonstrated correlated activity with both the DMN and the regions associated with attentional control during the interest mood induction. We interpret these findings to suggest that boredom represents a failure to engage executive control networks when faced with a monotonous task-in other words, when the task demands some level of engagement (watch the movie, search for infrequent targets), but is so mundane that attempts to do so fail.

Is it beneficial to use Internet-communication for escaping from boredom? Boredom proneness interacts with cue-induced craving and avoidance expectancies in explaining symptoms of Internet-communication disorder

PubMed Central

Ostendorf, Sina

2018-01-01

The use of online-communication applications including messengers (e.g. WhatsApp) or social networking services (e.g. Facebook) on the smartphone has turned into daily practice for billions of people, for example during waiting times. An increasing number of individuals show diminished control over their usage of these applications despite negative consequences in everyday life. This can be referred to as Internet-communication disorder (ICD). The current study investigated the effect of boredom proneness on symptoms of an ICD. It further examined the mediating role of cognitive and affective mechanisms, namely expectancies to avoid negative feelings online and cue-induced craving. The results of a structural equation model (N = 148) illustrate that boredom proneness is a risk factor for the development and maintenance of an ICD as it had a significant direct effect on ICD symptoms. Furthermore, boredom proneness predicted avoidance expectancies as well as cue-induced craving. Both in turn enhanced the risk of developing ICD tendencies. Moreover, both variables mediated the effect of boredom proneness on ICD and interacted among each other. In summary, the results demonstrate that people who have a higher susceptibility to experience boredom show higher expectancies to avoid negative emotions online, which promotes higher craving reactions when being confronted with specific cues (e.g. an incoming message), and could result in ICD tendencies. PMID:29672574

Is it beneficial to use Internet-communication for escaping from boredom? Boredom proneness interacts with cue-induced craving and avoidance expectancies in explaining symptoms of Internet-communication disorder.

PubMed

Wegmann, Elisa; Ostendorf, Sina; Brand, Matthias

2018-01-01

The use of online-communication applications including messengers (e.g. WhatsApp) or social networking services (e.g. Facebook) on the smartphone has turned into daily practice for billions of people, for example during waiting times. An increasing number of individuals show diminished control over their usage of these applications despite negative consequences in everyday life. This can be referred to as Internet-communication disorder (ICD). The current study investigated the effect of boredom proneness on symptoms of an ICD. It further examined the mediating role of cognitive and affective mechanisms, namely expectancies to avoid negative feelings online and cue-induced craving. The results of a structural equation model (N = 148) illustrate that boredom proneness is a risk factor for the development and maintenance of an ICD as it had a significant direct effect on ICD symptoms. Furthermore, boredom proneness predicted avoidance expectancies as well as cue-induced craving. Both in turn enhanced the risk of developing ICD tendencies. Moreover, both variables mediated the effect of boredom proneness on ICD and interacted among each other. In summary, the results demonstrate that people who have a higher susceptibility to experience boredom show higher expectancies to avoid negative emotions online, which promotes higher craving reactions when being confronted with specific cues (e.g. an incoming message), and could result in ICD tendencies.

Brain Potentials and Personality: A New Look at Stress Susceptibility.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-09-01

disinhibition (Dis) measures a hedonistic , extraverted lifestyle including drinking, parties, sex, and gambling; boredom susceptibility (BS) indicates an...adventure seeking; ES = Experience seeking; Dis = Disinhibition; BS = Boredom susceptibility. 1 14 I N i*5’ Table 4 Correlation of Auditory Evoked...20. aTAS = Thrill and adventure seeking; ES = Experience seeking; Dis = Disinhibition; BS = Boredom susceptibility. < .05. 15 I The present study

Boredom proneness and emotion regulation predict emotional eating.

PubMed

Crockett, Amanda C; Myhre, Samantha K; Rokke, Paul D

2015-05-01

Emotional eating is considered a risk factor for eating disorders and an important contributor to obesity and its associated health problems. It has been suggested that boredom may be an important contributor to overeating, but has received relatively little attention. A sample of 552 college students was surveyed. Linear regression analyses found that proneness to boredom and difficulties in emotion regulation simultaneously predicted inappropriate eating behavior, including eating in response to boredom, other negative emotions, and external cues. The unique contributions of these variables to emotional eating were discussed. These findings help to further identify which individuals could be at risk for emotional eating and potentially for unhealthy weight gain. © The Author(s) 2015.

Narcissism and boredom revisited: an exploration of correlates of overt and covert narcissism among Dutch university students.

PubMed

Zondag, Hessel J

2013-04-01

This article presents a study of the relationship between narcissism, overt and covert, and seven aspects of boredom, defined as listlessness, drawn out experience of time, depletion, lack of concentration, restlessness, experience seeking, and lack of interest. The survey was conducted using questionnaires administered to 32 men and 177 women. The mean age of male respondents was 30.9 yr. (SD = 11.9), that of female respondents 30.2 yr. (SD = 12.2). In general terms, covert narcissism was found to be positively, and overt narcissism negatively, associated with boredom. The results showed a more complex pattern than was found in previous research into the relationship between narcissism and boredom and suggest that overt and covert narcissism are at opposite ends of the adjustment continuum.

Death Preparation and Boredom Reduction as Functions of Reminiscence in Alzheimer's Disease.

PubMed

El Haj, Mohamad; Antoine, Pascal

2016-09-06

Reminiscence, or the process of thinking or telling about past experience, is thought to serve social, instrumental, and integrative functions. Our paper investigated these functions in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Twenty-six participants with a clinical diagnosis of probable mild AD and 28 control older adults filled in a French adaptation of the Reminiscence Functions Scale. Eight specific functions were assessed: death preparation, identity, problem-solving, teaching/informing, conversation, boredom reduction, bitterness revival, and intimacy maintenance. Both older adults and AD participants reported reminiscence about their past to prepare themselves for the idea of their own mortality. All participants also reported reminiscence "to reduce boredom" and "for something to do". However, reminiscence for death preparation and boredom reduction was reported more by AD participants than by older adults. In all participants, the death preparation function of reminiscence was significantly correlated with depression. Individuals with AD seem to reminiscence to cope with thoughts about their own mortality. This helps them to see that they have lived a full life and can therefore accept death more calmly. Individuals with AD also seem to cope with boredom by using reminiscence, probably as a tool to fill time or simply to create ease of conversation.

[The stomach speaks: chronicle of a deadly boredom].

PubMed

Martens, F

1993-01-01

The author describes the evolution of the psychotherapy of an 11 year old child: starting with an anonymous depression related to diffuse somatic complaints, it evolved into a playful assertion of a self which seems to depart from the family destiny. The author describes his counter-transferential feelings of tiredness and boredom which were compensated by a constant complicity with his young client. The author suggests that it is this very act of supporting the assertion and formulation of the subject, and disregarding unconditionally the boredom of what is said, which has brought about such a striking and sudden change.

Teacher’s Autonomy Support and Engagement in Math: Multiple Mediating Roles of Self-efficacy, Intrinsic Value, and Boredom

PubMed Central

Wang, Jia; Liu, Ru-De; Ding, Yi; Xu, Le; Liu, Ying; Zhen, Rui

2017-01-01

Previous studies have highlighted the impacts of environmental factors (teacher’s autonomy support) and individual factors (self-efficacy, intrinsic value, and boredom) on academic engagement. This study aimed to investigate these variables and examine the relations among them. Three structural equation models tested the multiple mediational roles of self-efficacy, intrinsic value, and boredom in the relation between teacher’s autonomy support and behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement, respectively, in math. A total of 637 Chinese middle school students (313 males, 324 females; mean age = 14.82) voluntarily participated in this study. Results revealed that self-efficacy, intrinsic value, and boredom played important and mediating roles between perceived teacher’s autonomy support and student engagement. Specifically, these three individual variables partly mediated the relations between perceived teacher’s autonomy support and behavioral and cognitive engagement, while fully mediating the relation between perceived teacher’s autonomy support and emotional engagement. These findings complement and extend the understanding of factors affecting students’ engagement in math. PMID:28690560

Teacher's Autonomy Support and Engagement in Math: Multiple Mediating Roles of Self-efficacy, Intrinsic Value, and Boredom.

PubMed

Wang, Jia; Liu, Ru-De; Ding, Yi; Xu, Le; Liu, Ying; Zhen, Rui

2017-01-01

Previous studies have highlighted the impacts of environmental factors (teacher's autonomy support) and individual factors (self-efficacy, intrinsic value, and boredom) on academic engagement. This study aimed to investigate these variables and examine the relations among them. Three structural equation models tested the multiple mediational roles of self-efficacy, intrinsic value, and boredom in the relation between teacher's autonomy support and behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement, respectively, in math. A total of 637 Chinese middle school students (313 males, 324 females; mean age = 14.82) voluntarily participated in this study. Results revealed that self-efficacy, intrinsic value, and boredom played important and mediating roles between perceived teacher's autonomy support and student engagement. Specifically, these three individual variables partly mediated the relations between perceived teacher's autonomy support and behavioral and cognitive engagement, while fully mediating the relation between perceived teacher's autonomy support and emotional engagement. These findings complement and extend the understanding of factors affecting students' engagement in math.

Hitting the Wall: Youth Perspectives on Boredom, Trouble, and Drug Use Dynamics in Rural New Mexico

PubMed Central

Willging, Cathleen E.; Quintero, Gilbert A.; Lilliott, Elizabeth A.

2011-01-01

We examine the experience of boredom and its relationship to troublemaking and drug use among rural youth in southwestern New Mexico. We draw on qualitative research with area youth to describe what they think about drug use and how they situate it within their social circumstances. We then locate youth drug use within globalized processes affecting this setting, including a local economic environment with limited educational and employment opportunities for youth. Drug use emerges as a common social practice that enables youth to ameliorate boredom, yet only some youth become known as troublemakers. Study findings offer insight into how dominant social institutions—schools and juvenile justice authorities—shape the construction of trouble from the perspectives of youth. We contend that boredom and troublemaking among rural youth are not simply age-appropriate forms of self-expression but instead represent manifestations of social position, political economic realities, and assessments of possible futures. PMID:24532859

An open label pilot study of citalopram for depression and boredom in ambulatory cancer patients.

PubMed

Theobald, Dale E; Kirsh, Kenneth L; Holtsclaw, Elizabeth; Donaghy, Kathleen; Passik, Steven D

2003-03-01

Significant levels of depressive symptoms are an impediment to adjustment and affect greater than one-third of people with cancer. The clinical diagnosis of major depression is estimated to occur in 25%. Depression is dramatically underrecognized by oncologists and oncology nurses, and as a result, often undertreated. Clinical experience suggests that antidepressants of virtually all types are well tolerated and potentially efficacious. There is, however, a lack of an evidence base for the use of antidepressants in cancer patients. We undertook an open-label pilot study using citalopram in 30 cancer patients who reported a high level of depressive symptoms on the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (ZSDS). In addition to the ZSDS, eligible patients completed a series of visual analog scales for pain, depression, and sleep disturbance; the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General Module; and the Purposelessness, Understimulation, and Boredom Scale developed by the research team. Patients began a 2-month course of therapy with citalopram 20 mg, increasing to 40 mg at the end of the fourth week if the patient was in the same range of depressive symptoms as measured by the ZSDS. Twenty-one of 30 patients completed the protocol. The average age of the sample was 57.32 years (SD = 12.6) and was comprised of 11 women (52.4%) and 10 men (47.6%). Depressive symptoms decreased and quality of life improved during the 8-week treatment period. Of special interest was the rate of improvement in boredom, and using the total boredom score of the PUB, significant improvement compared to baseline was seen in weeks 6 (F = 5.266, p < .05) and 8 (F = 9.248, p < .01). Overall, the positive findings suggest the need for a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of citalopram in cancer patients. Regarding the interplay of boredom and depression, the relationship between improvements in depressive symptoms and boredom is complex. This is illustrated by the way in which the different elements respond to antidepressant treatment. Depression began to improve almost immediately upon initiation of treatment whereas improvement in boredom does not become evident until week 6.

Time Perspectives and Boredom Coping Strategies of Undergraduate Students from Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eren, Altay; Coskun, Hamit

2015-01-01

Using person-centered and variable-centered analyses, this study examined the relationships between undergraduate students' time perspectives and boredom coping strategies. A total of 719 undergraduate students voluntarily participated in the study. Results of the study showed that undergraduate students' time perspectives can be reliably defined…

The Development of Leisure Boredom in Early Adolescence: Predictors and Longitudinal Associations with Delinquency and Depression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spaeth, Michael; Weichold, Karina; Silbereisen, Rainer K.

2015-01-01

The literature proposes that leisure boredom may systematically increase during adolescence. Moreover, some authors assume that this hypothesized developmental trend is associated with increases in youthful delinquency and depression. Individual dispositions (e.g., temperamental disinhibition) are believed to exacerbate the relationship between…

Trait Procrastination, Self-Efficacy and Achievement Goals: The Mediation Role of Boredom Coping Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhou, Mingming; Kam, Chester Chun Seng

2017-01-01

Limited research has examined the mediational role of coping strategy in students' motivation and procrastination. In this study, we examined the relationships among self-efficacy, achievement goals, boredom coping strategies and procrastination with 506 Chinese college students. Data were collected via questionnaires. Structural equation…

Neuroscience Reveals that Boredom Hurts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willis, Judy

2014-01-01

The student who appears lazy, intentionally oppositional, or who seems to willfully ignore admonitions to pay attention, apply more effort, or to stop talking to his neighbor or texting may not be making voluntary choices. These students' brains may be responding to the stress of sustained or frequent boredom. Functional neuroimaging and…

Positive Ways To Avoid Instructor Burnout.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaikai, Septimus M.; Kaikai, Regina E.

Multiple demands and pressures on teachers have increased instructor burnout, a state characterized by boredom, depression, envy, and physical and emotional fatigue. In response to the high incidence of burnout, teachers and professors may use a job diversification approach similar to one used in industry to combat boredom and monotony.…

Maintaining human productivity during Mars transit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Statler, Irving C.; Billings, Charles E.

1989-01-01

This paper addresses the special nature of the human-machine relationship during a trip to Mars. In particular, the potential for monotony and boredom during a long-duration space voyage and the effect on motivation and productivity can be important considerations to the health and welfare of the crew. For the voyage to Mars, a design may be considered that will purposefully maintain some level of workload for the crew as a preventive measure for the deterioration of productivity that comes with boredom. This paper speculates on these considerations, on the appropriate level of workload for maximum productivity, and on what might be done during the mission to alleviate the problems caused by monotony and boredom.

Boredom begets creativity: A solution to the exploitation-exploration trade-off in predictive coding.

PubMed

Gomez-Ramirez, Jaime; Costa, Tommaso

2017-12-01

Here we investigate whether systems that minimize prediction error e.g. predictive coding, can also show creativity, or on the contrary, prediction error minimization unqualifies for the design of systems that respond in creative ways to non-recurrent problems. We argue that there is a key ingredient that has been overlooked by researchers that needs to be incorporated to understand intelligent behavior in biological and technical systems. This ingredient is boredom. We propose a mathematical model based on the Black-Scholes-Merton equation which provides mechanistic insights into the interplay between boredom and prediction pleasure as the key drivers of behavior. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Applying the Job Characteristics Model to the College Education Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kass, Steven J.; Vodanovich, Stephen J.; Khosravi, Jasmine Y.

2011-01-01

Boredom is one of the most common complaints among university students, with studies suggesting its link to poor grades, drop out, and behavioral problems. Principles borrowed from industrial-organizational psychology may help prevent boredom and enrich the classroom experience. In the current study, we applied the core dimensions of the job…

Leisure Time Boredom: Issues Concerning College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hickerson, Benjamin D.; Beggs, Brent A.

2007-01-01

Students who do not have leisure skills, cannot manage leisure time, or are not aware that leisure can be psychologically rewarding are more likely to be bored during leisure. This study examined the impact of boredom on leisure of college students in relation to gender, level of education, and activity choice. Subjects at a Midwestern university…

The Relationship between Student Anti-Intellectualism and Proneness to Boredom in a Sample of College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laverghetta, Antonio

2015-01-01

College student anti-intellectualism is defined as a general disdain of intellectual and academic endeavors. Eigenberger and Sealander (2001), using the student anti-intellectualism scale (SAIS), reported that SAIS scores were negatively correlated with openness to experience and elaborative/deep cognitive processing. Proneness to boredom,…

Ability Grouping of Gifted Students: Effects on Academic Self-Concept and Boredom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Preckel, Franzis; Gotz, Thomas; Frenzel, Anne

2010-01-01

Background: Securing appropriate challenge or preventing boredom is one of the reasons frequently used to justify ability grouping of gifted students, which has been shown to have beneficial effects for achievement. On the other hand, critics stress psychosocial costs, such as detrimental effects on academic self-concept (contrast or…

Boredom-proneness, loneliness, social engagement and depression and their association with cognitive function in older people: a population study.

PubMed

Conroy, Ronan M; Golden, Jeannette; Jeffares, Isabelle; O'Neill, Desmond; McGee, Hannah

2010-08-01

In this study, we use data from a population survey of persons aged 65 and over living in the Irish Republic to examine the relationship of cognitive impairment, assessed using the Abbreviated Mental Test, with loneliness, boredom-proneness, social relations, and depression. Participants were randomly selected community-dwelling Irish people aged 65+ years. An Abbreviated Mental Test score of 8 or 9 out of 10 was classified as 'low normal', and a score of less than 8 as 'possible cognitive impairment'. We used clustering around latent variables analysis (CLV) to identify families of variables associated with reduced cognitive function. The overall prevalence of possible cognitive impairment was 14.7% (95% CI 12.4-17.3%). Low normal scores had a prevalence of 30.5% (95% CI 27.2-33.7%). CLV analysis identified three groups of predictors: 'Low social support' (widowed, living alone, low social support), 'personal cognitive reserve' (low social activity, no leisure exercise, never having married, loneliness and boredom-proneness), and 'sociodemographic cognitive reserve' (primary education, rural domicile). In multivariate analysis, both cognitive reserve clusters, but not social support, were independently associated with cognitive function. Loneliness and boredom-proneness are associated with reduced cognitive function in older age, and cluster with other factors associated with cognitive reserve. Both may have a common underlying mechanism in the failure to select and maintain attention on particular features of the social environment (loneliness) or the non-social environment (boredom-proneness).

The Relationship between Academic Self-Efficacy and Academic-Related Boredom: "MAOA" Gene as a Moderator

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Yangyang; Lu, Zuhong

2017-01-01

The present study sought to examine the relationship between Chinese high school students' academic self-efficacy and their academic-related boredom. Another objective was to explore the moderating effects of mono-amine-oxidase type A ("MAOA") gene polymorphism on this relationship. In a sample of 514 Chinese high school students, we…

Variations in Motivation, Anxiety and Boredom in Learning English in Second Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kruk, Mariusz

2016-01-01

The article presents the results of a study whose main aim was to investigate the changes in motivation, language anxiety and boredom in learning English in "Second Life." The sample consisted of 16 second year students of English philology. The study was conducted over the period of a summer semester. During that time the participants…

The Definition, Assessment, and Mitigation of State Boredom within Educational Settings: A Comprehensive Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vogel-Walcutt, Jennifer J.; Fiorella, Logan; Carper, Teresa; Schatz, Sae

2012-01-01

Mitigating the situational factors that give rise to state boredom is a consistent challenge facing educators. Despite the growing amount of literature devoted to the construct, the field has yet to arrive at a consensus regarding a clear theoretical or operational definition. Subsequently, inconsistencies exist in the assessment methodologies,…

What to Do when Feeling Bored?: Students' Strategies for Coping with Boredom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nett, Ulrike E.; Goetz, Thomas; Daniels, Lia M.

2010-01-01

The goal of this study was to explore different strategies for coping with boredom. A questionnaire was developed targeting two dimensions of coping, namely approach versus avoidance oriented coping and cognitive versus behavioral oriented coping. First, based on the responses of 976 students (51% female) from grades 5 to 10, the structure of the…

A Cross-Cultural Validation of the Learning-Related Boredom Scale (LRBS) with Canadian and Chinese College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tze, Virginia M. C.; Klassen, Robert M.; Daniels, Lia M.; Li, Johnson C.-H.; Zhang, Xiao

2013-01-01

This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Learning-Related Boredom Scale (LRBS) from the Academic Emotions Questionnaire (AEQ; Pekrun, Goetz, & Perry, 2005; Pekrun, Goetz, Titz, & Perry, 2002) in a sample of 405 university students from Canada and China. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the factor…

Researchers Argue Boredom May Be "A Flavor of Stress"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sparks, Sarah D.

2012-01-01

Students may say a teacher's lesson is boring, a researcher says, when frustration is really what they feel. While boredom is a perennial student complaint, emerging research shows it is more than students' not feeling entertained, but rather a "flavor of stress" that can interfere with their ability to learn and even their health. An…

Hitting the Wall: Youth Perspectives on Boredom, Trouble, and Drug Use Dynamics in Rural New Mexico

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willging, Cathleen E.; Quintero, Gilbert A.; Lilliott, Elizabeth A.

2014-01-01

We examine the experience of boredom and its relationship to troublemaking and drug use among rural youth in southwestern New Mexico. We draw on qualitative research with area youth to describe "what" they think about drug use and "how" they situate it within their social circumstances. We then locate youth drug use within…

Creative Self-Efficacy: The Role of Self-Regulation for Schoolwork and Boredom as Antecedents, and Divergent Thinking as a Consequence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Puente-Díaz, Rogelio; Cavazos-Arroyo, Judith

2017-01-01

The purpose of our investigation was to examine the role of intrinsic and extrinsic regulation and boredom as antecedents of creative self-efficacy. In addition, we also assessed the effect of creative self-efficacy on divergent thinking among children. A battery of questionnaires assessing regulation for schoolwork, creative self-efficacy,…

[Beyond boredom: the effort to make a patient interesting].

PubMed

Marin, C

2009-02-11

The doctors' emotional reaction towards the patients has an impact on the doctor-patient relationship. This article focuses on a particular emotion, boredom which is evoked by certain patients. By means of a case vignette, this phenomenon is elucidated and confronted with the psycho-analytical concept of "pensée opératoire", and ways are identified to raise the interest in patients.

Beyond the basics. Effects of the Eden Alternative model on quality of life issues.

PubMed

Bergman-Evans, Brenda

2004-06-01

In Life Worth Living, Thomas (1996) proposed that in long-term care facilities for elderly individuals, loneliness, helplessness, and boredom are out of control and are steadily decaying the residents' spirits, adversely affecting quality of life. While Thomas' contention appeals to common sense, no empirical evidence is offered in its support. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to assess the impact of implementation of the Eden Alternative model on levels of loneliness, boredom, and helplessness of older residents of a long-term care facility. The model was introduced into the experimental facility on May 1, 1998. The final sample for the experimental group included 21 cognitively intact older adults from a state veterans home (13 men, 8 women, mean age = 76.1). The final control group was composed of 13 residents in a private long-term care facility (11 women, 2 men, mean age = 85.7). A Background Data Sheet, the Geriatric Depression Scale (includes yes or no questions related to helplessness and boredom), and the UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3) were administered by an interviewer at baseline and 1-year post-implementation of the Eden Alternative model. Data analysis from the post-implementation phase revealed significant differences between the groups on levels of boredom (z = -2.6, p = .01) and helplessness (z = -2.2, p = .03). Lower levels of distress were found in the experimental group on both boredom and helplessness, but not loneliness. Findings suggest health care professionals and researchers have an opportunity to take a leading role in impacting services related to quality-of-life issues for this important, but often overlooked, population.

Analysis of physiological signals for recognition of boredom, pain, and surprise emotions.

PubMed

Jang, Eun-Hye; Park, Byoung-Jun; Park, Mi-Sook; Kim, Sang-Hyeob; Sohn, Jin-Hun

2015-06-18

The aim of the study was to examine the differences of boredom, pain, and surprise. In addition to that, it was conducted to propose approaches for emotion recognition based on physiological signals. Three emotions, boredom, pain, and surprise, are induced through the presentation of emotional stimuli and electrocardiography (ECG), electrodermal activity (EDA), skin temperature (SKT), and photoplethysmography (PPG) as physiological signals are measured to collect a dataset from 217 participants when experiencing the emotions. Twenty-seven physiological features are extracted from the signals to classify the three emotions. The discriminant function analysis (DFA) as a statistical method, and five machine learning algorithms (linear discriminant analysis (LDA), classification and regression trees (CART), self-organizing map (SOM), Naïve Bayes algorithm, and support vector machine (SVM)) are used for classifying the emotions. The result shows that the difference of physiological responses among emotions is significant in heart rate (HR), skin conductance level (SCL), skin conductance response (SCR), mean skin temperature (meanSKT), blood volume pulse (BVP), and pulse transit time (PTT), and the highest recognition accuracy of 84.7% is obtained by using DFA. This study demonstrates the differences of boredom, pain, and surprise and the best emotion recognizer for the classification of the three emotions by using physiological signals.

Neural Correlates of Boredom in Music Perception

PubMed Central

Fakhr Tabatabaie, Ashkan; Azadehfar, Mohammad Reza; Mirian, Negin; Noroozian, Maryam; Yoonessi, Ahmad; Saebipour, Mohammad Reza; Yoonessi, Ali

2014-01-01

Introduction: Music can elicit powerful emotional responses, the neural correlates of which have not been properly understood. An important aspect about the quality of any musical piece is its ability to elicit a sense of excitement in the listeners. In this study, we investigated the neural correlates of boredom evoked by music in human subjects. Methods: We used EEG recording in nine subjects while they were listening to total number of 10 short-length (83 sec) musical pieces with various boredom indices. Subjects evaluated boringness of musical pieces while their EEG was recording. Results: Using short time Fourier analysis, we found that beta 2 rhythm was (16–20 Hz) significantly lower whenever the subjects rated the music as boring in comparison to non-boring. Discussion: The results demonstrate that the music modulates neural activity of various parts of the brain and can be measured using EEG. PMID:27284390

Validation of the Spanish version of the Multidimensional State Boredom Scale (MSBS).

PubMed

Alda, Marta; Minguez, Joaquin; Montero-Marin, Jesús; Gili, Margalida; Puebla-Guedea, Marta; Herrera-Mercadal, Paola; Navarro-Gil, Mayte; Garcia-Campayo, Javier

2015-05-15

Boredom, which is a common problem in the general population, has been associated with several psychiatric disorders. The Multidimensional State Boredom Scale (MSBS) was developed, based on a theoretically and empirically grounded definition of boredom, to assess this construct. The aim of the present study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Spanish validated version of the MSBS in a multi-age sample recruited from the general population. The patients (N = 303) were recruited from primary care settings. In addition to the sociodemographic variables and the MSBS, the General Health Questionnaire 28 items (GHQ-28), Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), Negative subscale and the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) were administered. We used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to analyse the dimensionality of the MSBS. Cronbach's α coefficient was used to analyse the internal consistency of the scale. The consistency of the MSBS over time (test-retest reliability) was assessed using the intra-class correlation coefficient. The construct validity was examined by calculating Pearson's r correlations between the MSBS with theoretically related and unrelated constructs. Cronbach's α for MSBS was 0.89 (95 % CI, 0.87-0.92), ranging from 0.75 to 0.83 for the 5 subscales. The characteristics of the final sample (N = 303) were that the participants were primarily female (66.77 %) with a mean age of 49.32 years (SD, 11.46) and primarily European (94.71 %). The CFA of the MSBS confirmed that the original five-factor model showed good fit indices: CFI = .96; GFI = .94; SRMR = .05; and RMSEA = .06 [.05-.08]. Cronbach's α for MSBS was 0.89 (95 % CI, 0.87-0.92), ranging from 0.75 to 0.83 for the 5 subscales. The MSBS showed a test-retest coefficient measured with an ICC of 0.90 (95 % CI, 0.88-0.92). The ICC for the 5 subscales ranged from 0.81 to 0.89. The MSBS showed a significant negative correlation with MAAS and a significant positive correlation with the GHQ (total score and subscales) and PANAS-Negative Affect. The Spanish version of the MSBS has been validated as a reliable instrument for measuring boredom in the general population. This study will facilitate the assessment of boredom for clinical and research purposes in Spanish-speaking populations.

Boredom at Work: Implications for the Design of Jobs with Variable Requirements

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-09-01

of jobs both in the military and in the larger world of work. It presents implications for staffing a variety of boring jobs... the job is a fact of life for millions of workers, it has been largely ignored as a research topic. This paucity of research reflects a tendency to...prominent. Also, the focus of this review on work-related boredom limits its treatment of situational factors to job and task

Assessing the Impact of Low Workload in Supervisory Control of Networked Unmanned Vehicles

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-01

influence is expected to contain men and women between the ages of 18 and 50 with an interest in using computers. You should read the information below...controlling land, air, and sea vehicles of all different types from the same supervisory control interface. As human supervisory control of UxVs...expressions indicated when boredom was occurring. Video coding shows that humans deal with boredom in different ways. Some individuals are more

On boredom: a close encounter with encapsulated parts of the psyche.

PubMed

Bergstein, Avner

2009-06-01

The psychoanalytical literature has numerous scattered references to the analyst's experience of boredom, especially amongst writers working with primitive mental states. In the present paper, the author tries to gather some of these references in an attempt to integrate the various facets of this widespread phenomenon, and reflect on some clinical issues and dilemmas it raises. It is suggested that the experience of boredom in analysis may be a reaction to an encounter with a hidden, encapsulated part of the psyche, a bidimensional area of experience in which mental activity has been suspended, and experience remains meaningless. This is a barren area of lack, an encounter with the autistic core of the psyche. However, boredom may also be an experiential expression of despair, a re-living of primitive object relations with an emotionally non-existent primary object. Through bringing the emptiness and desolation into analysis, the individual makes room for the empty, blunt, dead inner object which resides within him, and that needs to be integrated into the psyche. This inner object is a vital part of the patient's inner world, part of his history, and can neither be erased nor filled in order to eradicate the emptiness. This is illustrated by clinical material from patients along the spectrum of autism, autistic reaction following trauma and autistic barriers in neurotic patients.

Environmental enrichment reduces signs of boredom in caged mink.

PubMed

Meagher, Rebecca K; Mason, Georgia J

2012-01-01

Animals housed in impoverished cages are often labelled 'bored'. They have also been called 'apathetic' or 'depressed', particularly when profoundly inactive. However, these terms are rarely operationally defined and validated. As a negative state caused by under-stimulation, boredom should increase interest in stimuli of all kinds. Apathy (lack of interest), by contrast, should manifest as decreased interest in all stimuli, while anhedonia (loss of pleasure, a depressive symptom) should specifically decrease interest in normally rewarding stimuli. We tested the hypotheses that mink, a model carnivore, experience more boredom, depression-like apathy, or anhedonia in non-enriched (NE) cages than in complex, enriched (E) cages. We exposed 29 subjects (13 E, 16 NE) to ten stimuli categorized a priori as aversive (e.g. air puffs), rewarding (e.g. evoking chasing) or ambiguous/neutral (e.g. candles). Interest in stimuli was assessed via latencies to contact, contact durations, and durations oriented to stimuli. NE mink contacted all stimuli faster (P = 0.003) than E mink, and spent longer oriented to/in contact with them, albeit only significantly so for ambiguous ones (treatment*type P<0.013). With stimulus category removed from statistical models, interest in all stimuli was consistently higher among NE mink (P<0.0001 for all measures). NE mink also consumed more food rewards (P = 0.037). Finally, we investigated whether lying down while awake and stereotypic behaviour (both increased by NE housing) predicted these responses. Lying awake positively co-varied with certain measures of increased exploration. In contrast, stereotypic 'scrabbling' or locomotion (e.g. pacing) did not. Overall, NE mink showed no evidence of apathy or depression, but instead a heightened investigation of diverse stimuli consistent with boredom. This state was potentially indicated by spending much time lying still but awake (although this result requires replication). Boredom can thus be operationalized and assessed empirically in non-human animals. It can also be reduced by environmental enrichment.

Environmental Enrichment Reduces Signs of Boredom in Caged Mink

PubMed Central

Meagher, Rebecca K.; Mason, Georgia J.

2012-01-01

Animals housed in impoverished cages are often labelled ‘bored’. They have also been called ‘apathetic’ or ‘depressed’, particularly when profoundly inactive. However, these terms are rarely operationally defined and validated. As a negative state caused by under-stimulation, boredom should increase interest in stimuli of all kinds. Apathy (lack of interest), by contrast, should manifest as decreased interest in all stimuli, while anhedonia (loss of pleasure, a depressive symptom) should specifically decrease interest in normally rewarding stimuli. We tested the hypotheses that mink, a model carnivore, experience more boredom, depression-like apathy, or anhedonia in non-enriched (NE) cages than in complex, enriched (E) cages. We exposed 29 subjects (13 E, 16 NE) to ten stimuli categorized a priori as aversive (e.g. air puffs), rewarding (e.g. evoking chasing) or ambiguous/neutral (e.g. candles). Interest in stimuli was assessed via latencies to contact, contact durations, and durations oriented to stimuli. NE mink contacted all stimuli faster (P = 0.003) than E mink, and spent longer oriented to/in contact with them, albeit only significantly so for ambiguous ones (treatment*type P<0.013). With stimulus category removed from statistical models, interest in all stimuli was consistently higher among NE mink (P<0.0001 for all measures). NE mink also consumed more food rewards (P = 0.037). Finally, we investigated whether lying down while awake and stereotypic behaviour (both increased by NE housing) predicted these responses. Lying awake positively co-varied with certain measures of increased exploration. In contrast, stereotypic ‘scrabbling’ or locomotion (e.g. pacing) did not. Overall, NE mink showed no evidence of apathy or depression, but instead a heightened investigation of diverse stimuli consistent with boredom. This state was potentially indicated by spending much time lying still but awake (although this result requires replication). Boredom can thus be operationalized and assessed empirically in non-human animals. It can also be reduced by environmental enrichment. PMID:23155462

Psychometric properties of the "sport satisfaction instrument (SSI)" in female athletes: predictive model of sport commitment.

PubMed

Granero-Gallegos, A; Baena-Extremera, A; Gómez-López, M; Abraldes, J A

2014-08-01

The objective of this research was to assess the psychometric properties of the Sport Satisfaction Instrument (SSI) in a Spanish sample of female athletes in team sports federations, to decide whether it constitutes a valid and reliable instrument to be used in the context of female competitive sport in future research. The SSI was administered to a total of 615 athletes from 12 to 38 yr. of age. Confirmatory procedures and psychometric analysis supported the hypothesized theoretical model of two factors (Satisfaction/fun and Boredom). For female athletes, the 7-item model showed better goodness-of-fit indexes upon eliminating Item 2 from the Boredom subscale. Concurrent validity was explored through the correlations with the Perception of Success Questionnaire and Sport Commitment, obtaining positive correlations between Satisfaction/fun and Task Orientation and Sport Commitment, whereas Boredom correlated positively but less closely with Ego Orientation. The importance of Satisfaction/fun in the prediction of Sport Commitment, starting from task orientation, is emphasized.

A pilot study to examine the relationship between boredom and spirituality in cancer patients.

PubMed

Inman, Alice; Kirsh, Kenneth L; Passik, Steven D

2003-06-01

Spirituality has been neglected when assessing the well-being of cancer patients. Traditionally, researchers have focused on areas such as physical, social, and emotional functioning. However, there is a potential for spirituality to have a large impact on quality of life in patients with cancer. The current study was conducted to investigate the relationship between spirituality and boredom, constraint, social contact, and depression. A total of 100 oncology patients completed several assessment instruments, including the Purposelessness, Under-stimulation, and Boredom (PUB) Scale, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Scale-Anemia, Brief Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (BZSDS), Cancer Behavior Inventory, Systems of Belief Inventory, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status Scale. The average age of the sample was 62.37 years (SD = 13.43) and was comprised of 60 women (60%) and 40 men (40%). A regression analysis conducted to explore the impact of the variables on quality of life found only the BZSDS (R2 delta = .650, F = 180.392, p < .001) and the PUB Scale (R2 delta = .077, F = 26.885, p < .001) were significant predictors of quality of life. Another set of regression analyses were conducted to explore whether spirituality had a mediating effect on this relationship, but the mediated model was not supported. We conclude that spirituality and boredom are difficult concepts to define, operationalize, and measure, but crucial to our understanding of quality of life in advanced cancer. More research is needed to clarify the nature of the interrelationships between these important concepts.

Motivational Antecedents of Well-Being and Health Related Behaviors in Adolescents.

PubMed

Balaguer, Isabel; Duda, Joan L; Castillo, Isabel

2017-10-01

Grounded in the Achievement Goal Theory framework of motivation and optimal functioning, there were two objectives of this study: (a) to test a model hypothesizing links between personal theories of school achievement, indices of the quality of academic engagement, wellbeing, and health-related behaviors, and (b) to explore whether the hypothesized model was invariant across gender groups. A multisection questionnaire pack tapping the targeted variables was administered to 967 teenagers (475 boys and 492 girls) aged between 11 to 16 years old. Structural equation modeling analysis revealed that Task theory of achievement predicted positively satisfaction in school and negatively boredom in school. An Ego theory of achievement was linked to higher levels of boredom in school. Satisfaction in school corresponded to higher life satisfaction, while boredom was negatively related. Higher life satisfaction was associated with lower tobacco, alcohol and marijuana consumption, more healthy food intake and greater levels of physical activity. The results revealed partial invariance of the model by gender. The quality of adolescents' involvement in the classroom holds important implications for adolescent's well-being and their health related behaviors. Interventions on the creation of a task-involving motivational climate in the school are proposed to promote healthy lifestyles among young people.

Perceived Academic Control and Academic Emotions Predict Undergraduate University Student Success: Examining Effects on Dropout Intention and Achievement.

PubMed

Respondek, Lisa; Seufert, Tina; Stupnisky, Robert; Nett, Ulrike E

2017-01-01

The present study addressed concerns over the high risk of university students' academic failure. It examined how perceived academic control and academic emotions predict undergraduate students' academic success, conceptualized as both low dropout intention and high achievement (indicated by GPA). A cross-sectional survey was administered to 883 undergraduate students across all disciplines of a German STEM orientated university. The study additionally compared freshman students ( N = 597) vs. second-year students ( N = 286). Using structural equation modeling, for the overall sample of undergraduate students we found that perceived academic control positively predicted enjoyment and achievement, as well as negatively predicted boredom and anxiety. The prediction of dropout intention by perceived academic control was fully mediated via anxiety. When taking perceived academic control into account, we found no specific impact of enjoyment or boredom on the intention to dropout and no specific impact of all three academic emotions on achievement. The multi-group analysis showed, however, that perceived academic control, enjoyment, and boredom among second-year students had a direct relationship with dropout intention. A major contribution of the present study was demonstrating the important roles of perceived academic control and anxiety in undergraduate students' academic success. Concerning corresponding institutional support and future research, the results suggested distinguishing incoming from advanced undergraduate students.

Female Sexual Dysfunction

MedlinePlus

... Mental distress: stress, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, past sexual abuse, fear of unwanted pregnancy Relationship issues: boredom, anger, abuse (physical or emotional) Religious or cultural beliefs about sex ...

Protective Isolation for Patients with Haematological Malignancies: A Pilot Study Investigating Patients' Distress and Use of Time.

PubMed

Annibali, O; Pensieri, C; Tomarchio, V; Biagioli, V; Pennacchini, M; Tendas, A; Tambone, V; Tirindelli, M C

2017-10-01

Background: Patients with haematological malignancies are often hospitalized in protective isolation until full neutrophil recovery in order to prevent infections. This descriptive pilot study evaluate the level of isolation-related distress and the use of free time in a sample of Italian onco-haematological patients who were hospitalized in protective isolation. Materials and Methods: Participants were 18 patients hospitalized in hematologic ward to receive induction therapy (n=12) or autologous stem cell transplant (n=6). They completed a self-report questionnaire before discharge. Results: Participants reported a moderate level of isolation-related distress, anxiety, and boredom: the more the anxiety and the boredom, the more the distress (r=.77; P<.001), (r=.79; P<.001), respectively. The activities performed during isolation were: watching TV (72.2%), reading (55.6%), thinking (33.3%), surfing in Internet or using PC (33.3%), and playing games or making cross-words (16.7%). Participants who reported pessimistic thinking had higher isolation-related distress (P=.004) as well as anxiety (P<.001) and boredom (P=.001). Conclusion: Haematology Units should support isolated patients in spending their time in recreational activities, allowing more contacts with immediate relatives and friends, providing free TV and Wi-Fi connection inside the room. In addition, patients should have to keep themselves physically active. Isolation-related distress could also be reduced by providing psychological support.

Perceived Academic Control and Academic Emotions Predict Undergraduate University Student Success: Examining Effects on Dropout Intention and Achievement

PubMed Central

Respondek, Lisa; Seufert, Tina; Stupnisky, Robert; Nett, Ulrike E.

2017-01-01

The present study addressed concerns over the high risk of university students' academic failure. It examined how perceived academic control and academic emotions predict undergraduate students' academic success, conceptualized as both low dropout intention and high achievement (indicated by GPA). A cross-sectional survey was administered to 883 undergraduate students across all disciplines of a German STEM orientated university. The study additionally compared freshman students (N = 597) vs. second-year students (N = 286). Using structural equation modeling, for the overall sample of undergraduate students we found that perceived academic control positively predicted enjoyment and achievement, as well as negatively predicted boredom and anxiety. The prediction of dropout intention by perceived academic control was fully mediated via anxiety. When taking perceived academic control into account, we found no specific impact of enjoyment or boredom on the intention to dropout and no specific impact of all three academic emotions on achievement. The multi-group analysis showed, however, that perceived academic control, enjoyment, and boredom among second-year students had a direct relationship with dropout intention. A major contribution of the present study was demonstrating the important roles of perceived academic control and anxiety in undergraduate students' academic success. Concerning corresponding institutional support and future research, the results suggested distinguishing incoming from advanced undergraduate students. PMID:28326043

Risky decision making in adults with ADHD.

PubMed

Matthies, S; Philipsen, A; Svaldi, J

2012-09-01

Risky decision making and disadvantageous choices constitute core characteristics of patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Consequences include negative psychosocial and health-related outcomes. However, risky decision making and its interrelations with emotional states in ADHD are poorly understood. Therefore, the authors investigated risky decision making without and after boredom induction in adults with and without ADHD. In study 1, ADHD patients (n = 15) and age/education matched controls (CG; n = 16) were compared on the Game of Dice Task (GDT), an established task measuring decision making in unambiguous situations. In study 2, ADHD patients (n = 14) and CG (n = 13) underwent boredom induction prior to the GDT. In study 1, ADHD patients selected the disadvantageous alternatives significantly more often than CG. In study 2, no significant group differences were found due to an increase in risky decision making in CG following the boredom induction. Even if severity of depression did not affect our results, it may be necessary to compare GDT responses in ADHD patients with and without current depression. Risk as a motor of disadvantageous decision making needs to be taken into account in therapeutic contexts as a maintenance factor of dysfunctional behaviour. The findings of study 2 are in line with postulated alterations of emotional state adjustment in ADHD. The link between decisions making and emotional regulation in ADHD needs further attention in research. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Incidence of Parental Support and Pressure on Their Children's Motivational Processes towards Sport Practice Regarding Gender.

PubMed

Amado, Diana; Sánchez-Oliva, David; González-Ponce, Inmaculada; Pulido-González, Juan José; Sánchez-Miguel, Pedro Antonio

2015-01-01

Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, structural equation modeling (SEM) with the aim of examining how parental support/pressure could influence their children´s motivational processes in sport was conducted, as well as the models´ differences in operability regarding gender. The sample size was 321 children ranging in age from 10 to 16 years old who were athletes from Extremadura, and 321 parents (included only the father or mother more involved with the sport of his or her child). 175 participants were male and 146 were female from individual (n = 130), and team sports (n=191). A questionnaire was conducted to assess parental perception of support/pressure and another questionnaire was conducted to measure satisfaction of basic psychological needs, type of motivation and enjoyment/boredom showed by their children towards sport practice. Results revealed that parental pressure negatively predicted satisfaction of the basic psychological needs. It also emerged as a strong positive predictor of intrinsic motivation and negative predictor of amotivation. Moreover, intrinsic motivation emerged as positive predictor of enjoyment and a negative predictor of boredom, whereas amotivation positively predicted boredom and negatively predicted enjoyment. Furthermore, results showed there were mean differences by gender: male athletes perceived greater parental pressure. Hence, it is necessary to decrease parental pressure towards their children in sport, with the aim of making them more motivated and enjoy, promoting positive consequences.

Incidence of Parental Support and Pressure on Their Children’s Motivational Processes towards Sport Practice Regarding Gender

PubMed Central

Amado, Diana

2015-01-01

Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, structural equation modeling (SEM) with the aim of examining how parental support/pressure could influence their children´s motivational processes in sport was conducted, as well as the models´ differences in operability regarding gender. The sample size was 321 children ranging in age from 10 to 16 years old who were athletes from Extremadura, and 321 parents (included only the father or mother more involved with the sport of his or her child). 175 participants were male and 146 were female from individual (n = 130), and team sports (n=191). A questionnaire was conducted to assess parental perception of support/pressure and another questionnaire was conducted to measure satisfaction of basic psychological needs, type of motivation and enjoyment/boredom showed by their children towards sport practice. Results revealed that parental pressure negatively predicted satisfaction of the basic psychological needs. It also emerged as a strong positive predictor of intrinsic motivation and negative predictor of amotivation. Moreover, intrinsic motivation emerged as positive predictor of enjoyment and a negative predictor of boredom, whereas amotivation positively predicted boredom and negatively predicted enjoyment. Furthermore, results showed there were mean differences by gender: male athletes perceived greater parental pressure. Hence, it is necessary to decrease parental pressure towards their children in sport, with the aim of making them more motivated and enjoy, promoting positive consequences. PMID:26039062

Protective Isolation for Patients with Haematological Malignancies: A Pilot Study Investigating Patients’ Distress and Use of Time

PubMed Central

Annibali, O.; Pensieri, C.; Tomarchio, V.; Biagioli, V.; Pennacchini, M.; Tendas, A.; Tambone, V.; Tirindelli, M.C.

2017-01-01

Background: Patients with haematological malignancies are often hospitalized in protective isolation until full neutrophil recovery in order to prevent infections. This descriptive pilot study evaluate the level of isolation-related distress and the use of free time in a sample of Italian onco-haematological patients who were hospitalized in protective isolation. Materials and Methods: Participants were 18 patients hospitalized in hematologic ward to receive induction therapy (n=12) or autologous stem cell transplant (n=6). They completed a self-report questionnaire before discharge. Results: Participants reported a moderate level of isolation-related distress, anxiety, and boredom: the more the anxiety and the boredom, the more the distress (r=.77; P<.001), (r=.79; P<.001), respectively. The activities performed during isolation were: watching TV (72.2%), reading (55.6%), thinking (33.3%), surfing in Internet or using PC (33.3%), and playing games or making cross-words (16.7%). Participants who reported pessimistic thinking had higher isolation-related distress (P=.004) as well as anxiety (P<.001) and boredom (P=.001). Conclusion: Haematology Units should support isolated patients in spending their time in recreational activities, allowing more contacts with immediate relatives and friends, providing free TV and Wi-Fi connection inside the room. In addition, patients should have to keep themselves physically active. Isolation-related distress could also be reduced by providing psychological support. PMID:29340129

Effects of variety and repeated in-home consumption on product acceptance.

PubMed

Zandstra, E H; de Graaf, C; van Trijp, H C

2000-10-01

The present study was designed to investigate the effect of variety on long-term product acceptance and consumption in a home-use situation. Subjects (N= 105) consumed a meat sauce once a week at dinner at home for a period of 10 weeks. Three variety groups were designed. The monotony group (N= 45) consistently received the same flavour of meat sauce across all 10 weeks; the imposed variation group (N= 30) received one from three different flavours of the meat sauce in random order, and the free choice (N= 30) in variation group was allowed to choose among three flavours of the meat sauce. Results showed a substantial increase in boredom and decline in acceptance ratings after repeated consumption. As hypothesized, this effect was the largest for the monotony group and was least pronounced in the free-choice group, with the imposed variation group in between. Consumption data were in line with these acceptance ratings; the monotony group consumed less of the food than the free-choice group over that time. In conclusion, repeated consumption of a food product only once a week at home resulted in a remarkable increase of boredom over time. The boredom effect was the largest for subjects who consistently received the same food, and was least pronounced for subjects who were allowed to choose among three different flavours of the food. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

Coach autonomy support and quality of sport engagement in young soccer players.

PubMed

Alvarez, María Sol; Balaguer, Isabel; Castillo, Isabel; Duda, Joan L

2009-05-01

Based on the self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000), this study tested a model of the assumed sequential relationships between perceived autonomy support, psychological need satisfaction, self-determined motivation, and enjoyment/boredom. The hypothesized mediational roles of psychological need satisfaction and self-determined motivation were also studied. In a sample of 370 young male soccer players, path analysis results offered support for the proposed model. Total mediation was supported in the case of the psychological need satisfaction in the relationship between autonomy support and self-determined motivation, and partial mediation for self-determined motivation in the links between psychological need satisfaction and enjoyment (positive) and boredom (negative). Implications of autonomy-supportive behaviors provided by coaches for the quality of sport involvement among young athletes are discussed.

Training to Survive the Hazard Called Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agassi, Joseph

1984-01-01

The evils of compulsory instruction and the problems of educational reform in the general education system are explored. Strategies which target student boredom as a focal point are offered for improving education. (DF)

Psychotherapy with the boring patient.

PubMed

Taylor, G J

1984-04-01

Boredom is an unpleasant affective state which may be evoked by monotonous sensory input and reduction of an individual's internal instinctual and fantasy activity. Certain difficult patients have the capacity to evoke boredom in their psychotherapists and unless technical modifications are used, therapy quickly reaches an impasse and may be terminated on the grounds that the patient is 'not psychologically-minded.' Chronically boring patients have an impaired capacity for symbolization and can be identified by their non-symbolic communicative style. This reflects an inner struggle with primitive mental states due to fixation at, or regression to, the paranoid-schizoid developmental position. The patient may use projective identification to discharge unbearable psychic tension into the therapist whose boredom is partly a defense against this. Alternatively, the patient may create impenetrable barriers with language by making 'attacks on linking' which are tantamount to attacks on the therapist's peace of mind. The therapist should initially interpret the form and function of the patient's communications rather than the contents. In a manner comparable to a mother's interaction with her young child, the therapist can help the patient acquire a greater capacity for symbolization, including the ability to accurately label and verbalize different affective experiences. Careful analysis of the countertransference will identify the patient's projective identifications, provide valuable information about the patient's primitive mental life, and prevent anti-therapeutic projective counter-identifications. The patient will become less boring as he learns to use symbols and as his primitive anxieties are resolved.

Using Circus Stunts in the Physical Education Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burkel, John R.

1969-01-01

To eliminate boredom, a three week unit of circus stunts requiring little space and a minimum of equipment was presented to a senior boys' gym class at Miles Township High School West, Skokie, Illinois. (AP)

The Screaming Boredom of Learning Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krips, H.

1977-01-01

Advocates changing the role of secondary school science from one of theory verification and problem solving to the formulation and acceptance of hypotheses for observed phenomena. Provides an example of the procedure using Hooke's Law. (CP)

ALIENATION, SENSATION SEEKING AND MULTIPHASIC PERSONALITY QUESTIONNAIRE PROFILE IN MEN BEING TREATED FOR ALCOHOL AND/OR OPIOID DEPENDENCE

PubMed Central

Mattoo, Surendra K.; Varma, Vijoy K.; Singh, Ram Avatar; Khurana, Hitesh; Kaur, Rajinder; Sharma, Suresh K.

2001-01-01

Two hundred and thirty men, being treated for ICD-10 diagnosed dependence on alcohol, opioids or both, were studied 2-4 weeks after the last use of alcohol or opioids. Alienation Scale, Sensation Seeking Scale and Muliphasic Personality Questionnaire (MPQ), and selected sociodemographic and family history data were studied. All three groups showed high alienation (more in opioid cases), high sensation seeking (more in alcohol cases, more for boredom susceptibility), and a disturbed MPQ profile. The dual dependence group was similar to opioid group for age, but closer to alcohol group in terms of personality profile. Only alcohol cases showed a significantly positive correlation between alienation and sensation seeking- in terms of total scale, and boredom susceptibility and disinhibition subscales only. Thus, substance specificity was not reflected prominently in the inter-relationships between alienation, sensation seeking and MPQ scores, and sociodemographic variables. PMID:21407879

Predicting substance use behavior among South African adolescents: The role of leisure experiences across time

PubMed Central

Sharp, Erin Hiley; Coffman, Donna L.; Caldwell, Linda L.; Smith, Edward A.; Wegner, Lisa; Vergnani, Tania; Mathews, Catherine

2012-01-01

Using seven waves of data, collected twice a year from the 8th through the 11th grades in a low-resource community in Cape Town, South Africa, we aimed to describe the developmental trends in three specific leisure experiences (leisure boredom, new leisure interests, and healthy leisure) and substance use (cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana) behaviors and to investigate the ways in which changes in leisure experiences predict changes in substance use behaviors over time. Results indicated that adolescents’ substance use increased significantly across adolescence, but that leisure experiences remained fairly stable over time. We also found that adolescent leisure experiences predicted baseline substance use and that changes in leisure experiences predicted changes in substance use behaviors over time, with leisure boredom emerging as the most consistent and strongest predictor of alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use. Implications for interventions that target time use and leisure experiences are discussed. PMID:22707811

Predictive factors of excessive online poker playing.

PubMed

Hopley, Anthony A B; Nicki, Richard M

2010-08-01

Despite the widespread rise of online poker playing, there is a paucity of research examining potential predictors for excessive poker playing. The aim of this study was to build on recent research examining motives for Texas Hold'em play in students by determining whether predictors of other kinds of excessive gambling apply to Texas Hold'em. Impulsivity, negative mood states, dissociation, and boredom proneness have been linked to general problem gambling and may play a role in online poker. Participants of this study were self-selected online poker players (N = 179) who completed an online survey. Results revealed that participants played an average of 20 hours of online poker a week and approximately 9% of the sample was classified as a problem gambler according to the Canadian Problem Gambling Index. Problem gambling, in this sample, was uniquely predicted by time played, dissociation, boredom proneness, impulsivity, and negative affective states, namely depression, anxiety, and stress.

Students’ Achievement Goals, Learning-Related Emotions and Academic Achievement

PubMed Central

Lüftenegger, Marko; Klug, Julia; Harrer, Katharina; Langer, Marie; Spiel, Christiane; Schober, Barbara

2016-01-01

In the present research, the recently proposed 3 × 2 model of achievement goals is tested and associations with achievement emotions and their joint influence on academic achievement are investigated. The study was conducted with 388 students using the 3 × 2 Achievement Goal Questionnaire including the six proposed goal constructs (task-approach, task-avoidance, self-approach, self-avoidance, other-approach, other-avoidance) and the enjoyment and boredom scales from the Achievement Emotion Questionnaire. Exam grades were used as an indicator of academic achievement. Findings from CFAs provided strong support for the proposed structure of the 3 × 2 achievement goal model. Self-based goals, other-based goals and task-approach goals predicted enjoyment. Task-approach goals negatively predicted boredom. Task-approach and other-approach predicted achievement. The indirect effects of achievement goals through emotion variables on achievement were assessed using bias-corrected bootstrapping. No mediation effects were found. Implications for educational practice are discussed. PMID:27199836

Validation Evidence of the Motivation for Teaching Scale in Secondary Education.

PubMed

Abós, Ángel; Sevil, Javier; Martín-Albo, José; Aibar, Alberto; García-González, Luis

2018-04-10

Grounded in self-determination theory, the aim of this study was to develop a scale with adequate psychometric properties to assess motivation for teaching and to explain some outcomes of secondary education teachers at work. The sample comprised 584 secondary education teachers. Analyses supported the five-factor model (intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, introjected regulation, external regulation and amotivation) and indicated the presence of a continuum of self-determination. Evidence of reliability was provided by Cronbach's alpha, composite reliability and average variance extracted. Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses supported the partial invariance (configural and metric) of the scale in different sub-samples, in terms of gender and type of school. Concurrent validity was analyzed by a structural equation modeling that explained 71% of the work dedication variance and 69% of the boredom at work variance. Work dedication was positively predicted by intrinsic motivation (ß = .56, p < .001) and external regulation (ß = .29, p < .001) and negatively predicted by introjected regulation (ß = -.22, p < .001) and amotivation (ß = -.49, p < .001). Boredom at work was negatively predicted by intrinsic motivation (ß = -.28, p < .005) and positively predicted by amotivation (ß = .68, p < .001). The Motivation for Teaching Scale in Secondary Education (Spanish acronym EME-ES, Escala de Motivación por la Enseñanza en Educación Secundaria) is discussed as a valid and reliable instrument. This is the first specific scale in the work context of secondary teachers that has integrated the five-factor structure together with their dedication and boredom at work.

Crick's gossip test and Watson's boredom principle: A pseudo-mathematical analysis of effort in scientific research.

PubMed

Charlton, Bruce G

2008-01-01

Crick and Watson gave complementary advice to the aspiring scientist based on the insight that to do your best work you need to make your greatest possible effort. Crick made the positive suggestion to work on the subject which most deeply interests you, the thing about which you spontaneously gossip - Crick termed this 'the gossip test'. Watson made the negative suggestion of avoiding topics and activities that bore you - which I have termed 'the boredom principle'. This is good advice because science is tough and the easy things have already been done. Solving the harder problems that remain requires a lot of effort. But in modern biomedical science individual effort does not necessarily correlate with career success as measured by salary, status, job security, etc. This is because Crick and Watson are talking about revolutionary science - using Thomas Kuhn's distinction between paradigm-shifting 'revolutionary' science and incremental 'normal' science. There are two main problems with pursuing a career in revolutionary science. The first is that revolutionary science is intrinsically riskier than normal science, the second that even revolutionary success in a scientific backwater may be less career-enhancing than mundane work in a trendy field. So, if you pick your scientific problem using the gossip test and the boredom principle, you might also be committing career suicide. This may explain why so few people follow Crick and Watson's advice. The best hope for future biomedical science is that it will evolve towards a greater convergence between individual effort and career success.

Comparing daily drivers of problem drinking among older and younger adults: An electronic daily diary study using smartphones.

PubMed

Kuerbis, Alexis; Treloar Padovano, Hayley; Shao, Sijing; Houser, Jessica; Muench, Frederick J; Morgenstern, Jon

2018-02-01

By 2030, numbers and proportions of older adults with substance-use problems are expected to increase. While risk factors for problem drinking in late life have been identified, it remains unknown whether these factors drive daily drinking among older problem drinkers. This study examined the daily drivers of drinking among problem drinkers, moderated by age, utilizing ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Participants (N = 139), ages 20-73, received daily EMA online surveys completed via a smartphone prior to initiation of treatment. Multilevel modeling tested the moderating impact of age on within- and between-person relationships between drinking and focal predictors (mood, loneliness, boredom, stress, poor sleep, social factors, alcohol salience, commitment and confidence not to drink heavily). Older adults reported greater alcohol consumption when daily boredom levels were higher. Heavier drinking among younger adults was associated with poorer sleep quality. Greater daily confidence, daily commitment and daily alcohol salience did not impact drinking to the same extent for older adults as for younger adults. Greater person-level commitment predicted reduced drinking equivalently across age, but low person-level commitment predicted greater drinking among older adults compared to their younger counterparts. Older adults may have unique daily drivers of drinking that are not fully realized in current research and intervention efforts. Addressing the growing substance-use treatment needs among this population will require identifying the unique drivers of drinking among older adults, such as boredom, when compared to younger adults. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Stress for Success: How to Optimize Your Performance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gmelch, Walter H.

1983-01-01

This article explores linkages between stress and effective job performance: while too much stress can lead to burnout, too little stressful stimulation can result in boredom. Generating the proper amount of stress for optimal job performance is discussed. (PP)

For Parents Particularly--"Only the Lonely": The Latchkey Child.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Brien, Shirley J.

1989-01-01

Discusses ways in which call-in hotlines provide assistance to latchkey children. Describes ways in which parents can provide a feeling of safety for latchkey children and cure feelings of loneliness and boredom through structured activities.(RJC)

Depression and Daydreaming: An Analysis Based on Self-Ratings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giambra, Leonard M.; Traynor, Thomas D.

1978-01-01

Investigated the relationship between depression and daydreaming characteristics in a non-hospitalized sample. Use was made of self-report psychometric instruments that measure depression and aspects of depression and other activity such as mindwandering, boredom, distractibility, and curiosity. (Editor/RK)

Understanding Underachievers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Flora

1984-01-01

Reasons children underachieve in school are examined: emotional problems, secondary gains, teacher troubles, peer pressure, boredom, fear of trying, and fear of growing up. Guidelines for parents are offered concerning involvement with homework, holding children back, rewards versus bribes, activities that boost self-esteem, and parent…

Summary of ARI Research on Drug and Alcohol Abuse

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-05-01

8217 values--resentment of authority, rejection of traditional American culture, and generally hedonistic outlook. Users perceived the company-level...with low morale, boredom , and dissatisfaction with job, officers, and the Army. Certain value-attitude profiles among enlisted men, including

Stress Training and the New Military Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-04-01

stressors in military missions may be for example, fatigue and boredom . A typical acute stressor is threat. The outcomes of stress can be either... prosocial behaviour, increased personal aggression, neglect of social or interpersonal cues, and less cooperative behaviour among team members [6

Moment-to-Moment Emotions during Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graesser, Arthur C.; D'Mello, Sidney

2012-01-01

Moment-to-moment emotions are affective states that dynamically change during reading and potentially influence comprehension. Researchers have recently identified these emotions and the emotion trajectories in reading, tutoring, and problem solving. The primary learning-centered emotions are boredom, frustration, confusion, flow (engagement),…

A Remedy for Student Boredom: Stimulation through Simulation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwartz, Donald

1990-01-01

Suggests that the most effective way to motivate student enthusiasm and interest in the social studies classroom is through the use of educational simulations. Discusses the advantages and disadvantages of simulations, and presents three of the most effective commercial simulations available today. (DB)

Dive In to Aquatic Circuits.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldfarb, Joseph M.

1995-01-01

The article presents a method for swimming teachers and coaches to stave off workout boredom in their students by using a circuit in the pool. After explaining how to set up a training circuit, the article describes sample stations and notes important safety precautions. (SM)

Task Monotony and Performance Efficacy of Mentally Retarded Young Adults.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Locke, Bill J.; And Others

1982-01-01

Thirty-six mildly mentally retarded young adults were exposed to one of three training arrangements for vigilance performance, a monitoring task that some professionals consider uniquely appropriate for such persons because they are assumed to be less susceptible to boredom. (Author)

Second-year medical students' motivational beliefs, emotions, and achievement.

PubMed

Artino, Anthony R; La Rochelle, Jeffery S; Durning, Steven J

2010-12-01

A challenge for medical educators is to better understand the personal factors that lead to individual success in medical school and beyond. Recently, educational researchers in fields outside medicine have acknowledged the importance of motivation and emotion in students' learning and performance. These affective factors have received less emphasis in the medical education literature. This longitudinal study examined the relations between medical students' motivational beliefs (task value and self-efficacy), achievement emotions (enjoyment, anxiety and boredom) and academic achievement. Second-year medical students (n=136) completed motivational beliefs and achievement emotions surveys following their first and second trimesters, respectively. Academic achievement was operationalised as students' average course examination grades and national board shelf examination scores. The results largely confirmed the hypothesised relations between beliefs, emotions and achievement. Structural equation modelling revealed that task value beliefs were positively associated with course-related enjoyment (standardised regression coefficient [β] = 0.59) and were negatively related to boredom (β= -0.25), whereas self-efficacy beliefs were negatively associated with course-related anxiety only (β = -0.47). Furthermore, student enjoyment was positively associated with national board shelf examination score (β = 0.31), whereas anxiety and boredom were both negatively related to course examination grade (β= -0.36 and -0.27, respectively). The overall structural model accounted for considerable variance in each of the achievement outcomes: R(2) = 0.20 and 0.14 for the course examination grade and national board shelf examination score, respectively. This study suggests that medical students' motivational beliefs and achievement emotions are important contributors to their academic achievement. These results have implications for medical educators striving to understand the personal factors that influence learning and performance in medical training. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2010.

Association of obesity and eating in the absence of hunger among college students in a Mexican-USA border city.

PubMed

Pérez-Morales, Eugenia; Jiménez-Cruz, Arturo; Alcántara-Jurado, Luis; Armendáriz-Anguiano, Ana; Bacardí-Gascón, Montserrat

2014-06-01

Few studies have examined disinhibited eating behaviors in Mexico. However eating in the absence of hunger (EAH), defined as eating in response to the presence of palatable foods in the absence of physiological hunger, is one of the more frequently examined behaviors. The purpose of this study was to assess the association between obesity and EAH among college students in a large Mexican-USA border city. Two-hundred and one sophomore college students completed the EAH questionnaire (EAH-C). Weight and height were measured. To assess reproducibility a test-retest was conducted in a subset sample (n = 20). Test-retest correlations ranged from ρ = 0.44 to 0.86, p < 0.01. Data obtained from the EAH-C were subjected to a principal components analysis with a varimax rotation. The mean age of participants was 21.0 ± 2.0 years, 52 % were female. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 29 and 14 % respectively. The internal validity was assessed by Cronbach's alph. Internal consistency for all subscales was: external eating (α = 0.83), negative affect (α = 0.92) and fatigue/boredom (α = 0.86). Principal component analysis generated four subscales for the EAH-C: external eating, negative affect, fatigue and boredom. Comparing normal weight students versus obese students, normal weight students (57.1%) had higher scores on boredom subscale than obese students (p < 0.008). Female students had higher scores in the negative affect subscale than the males (p < 0.001). We conclude that the EAH-C had internal consistent subscales with good convergent validity. In this study population we found no association between EAH and obesity.

The role of negative emotionality and impulsivity in depressive/anxiety disorders and alcohol dependence.

PubMed

Boschloo, L; Vogelzangs, N; van den Brink, W; Smit, J H; Beekman, A T F; Penninx, B W J H

2013-06-01

Much is still unclear about the role of personality in the structure of common psychiatric disorders such as depressive/anxiety disorders and alcohol dependence. This study will therefore examine whether various traits of negative emotionality and impulsivity showed shared or specific associations with these disorders. Method Cross-sectional data were used from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA), including individuals with no DSM-IV psychiatric disorder (n = 460), depressive/anxiety disorder only (i.e. depressive and/or anxiety disorder; n = 1398), alcohol dependence only (n = 32) and co-morbid depressive/anxiety disorder plus alcohol dependence (n = 358). Aspects of negative emotionality were neuroticism, hopelessness, rumination, worry and anxiety sensitivity, whereas aspects of impulsivity included disinhibition, thrill/adventure seeking, experience seeking and boredom susceptibility. Aspects of negative emotionality formed a homogeneous dimension, which was unrelated to the more heterogeneous construct of impulsivity. Although all aspects of negative emotionality were associated with alcohol dependence only, associations were much stronger for depressive/anxiety disorder only and co-morbid depressive/anxiety disorder with alcohol dependence. The results for impulsivity traits were less profound and more variable, with disinhibition and boredom susceptibility showing modest associations with both depressive/anxiety disorder and alcohol dependence, whereas low thrill/adventure seeking and high disinhibition were more strongly related with the first and the latter, respectively. Our results suggest that depressive/anxiety disorder and alcohol dependence result from shared as well as specific aetiological pathways as they showed the same associations with all aspects of negative emotionality, disinhibition and boredom susceptibility as well as specific associations with thrill/adventure seeking and disinhibition.

Fun and games and boredom

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Serious videogames use entertainment to teach, train, or change behavior. What began in the 1970s as tentative attempts to create learning software is now a recognized videogame genre and an emerging health science. Although more research is needed, a growing body of literature suggests serious vide...

Programming that Takes Stress Out of the Military.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caverly, Mary

1980-01-01

A major form of stress often found in today's military service is that of boredom. Military recreation centers must provide a variety of challenging activities to meet the needs of bored military personnel. The challenge lies in motivating and stimulating military personnel to participate. (JN)

Avoiding Faculty Burnout through the Wellness Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eastman, Wayne

Burnout affects all professions but tends to be more pervasive in the human service occupations such as education. Symptoms include dissatisfaction, negativism, boredom, unpreparedness, testiness, frequent illness, forgetfulness, depression, and tiredness. The wellness approach can lessen or prevent burnout in a community college setting. Centered…

Compulsive Eating in College Women.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ondercin, Patricia A.

1979-01-01

Compulsive eating (uncontrolled overeating that is not related to hunger) was investigated in 279 college women with the use of a self-report questionnaire. Results indicated a relationship between unpleasant affective states (boredom, depression, anxiety, loneliness, anger), a calming effect of eating, and compulsive eating. Implications for…

Teaching Information Literacy to Generation Y.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manuel, Kate

2002-01-01

Discusses how to change library information literacy classes for Generation Y students (born after 1981) to accommodate their learning styles and preferences, based on experiences at California State University, Hayward. Topics include positive outlooks toward technology; orientation toward images, not linear text; low thresholds for boredom and…

Experience-Seeking Characteristics of Methadone Clients.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kohn, Paul M.; And Others

1979-01-01

Methadone clients scored higher than controls on measures reflecting boredom, desire for change and attraction to physically thrilling activities. Correlations of these measures with length of most recent dependency before treatment, time on program, and time since initial dependency suggest peculiarities of methadone clients antedated involvement…

Preventing Boredom in the Language Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Obanya, Pai

1978-01-01

An experimental year of oral testing using the language laboratory at Victoria University is described. A new first-year 12-credit course is primarily a language course based on audiovisual/lingual methods. The content, evaluation, and administration of oral expression tests and performance tapes are covered. (SW)

Nutrition and Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldsmith, Robert H.

Nutritional deficiencies and imbalances can influence learning directly or indirectly. Fatigue, boredom and low motivation may be the result of poor nutrition. Some vision problems, it is known, are related to deficiencies in vitamin A. A number of studies indicate that protein-caloric malnutrition affects intellectual and psychomotor development.…

Examination of Automation-Induced Complacency and Individual Difference Variates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prinzel, Lawrence J., III; DeVries, Holly; Freeman, Fred G.; Mikulka, Peter

2001-01-01

Automation-induced complacency has been documented as a cause or contributing factor in many airplane accidents throughout the last two decades. It is surmised that the condition results when a crew is working in highly reliable automated environments in which they serve as supervisory controllers monitoring system states for occasional automation failures. Although many reports have discussed the dangers of complacency, little empirical research has been produced to substantiate its harmful effects on performance as well as what factors produce complacency. There have been some suggestions, however, that individual characteristics could serve as possible predictors of performance in automated systems. The present study examined relationship between the individual differences of complacency potential, boredom proneness, and cognitive failure, automation-induced complacency. Workload and boredom scores were also collected and analyzed in relation to the three individual differences. The results of the study demonstrated that there are personality individual differences that are related to whether an individual will succumb to automation-induced complacency. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Self-report measures of distractibility as correlates of simulated driving performance.

PubMed

Kass, Steven J; Beede, Kristen E; Vodanovich, Stephen J

2010-05-01

The present study investigated the relationship between self-reported measures pertaining to attention difficulties and simulated driving performance while distracted. Thirty-six licensed drivers participated in a simulator driving task while engaged in a cell phone conversation. The participants completed questionnaires assessing their tendency toward boredom, cognitive failures, and behaviors associated with attention deficit and hyperactivity. Scores on these measures were significantly correlated with various driving outcomes (e.g., speed, lane maintenance, reaction time). Significant relationships were also found between one aspect of boredom proneness (i.e., inability to generate interest or concentrate) and self-reports of past driving behavior (moving violations). The current study may aid in the understanding of how individual differences in driver distractibility may contribute to unsafe driving behaviors and accident involvement. Additionally, such measures may assist in the identification of individuals at risk for committing driving errors due to being easily distracted. The benefits and limitations of conducting and interpreting simulation research are discussed. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Masking the Feeling of Being Stupid.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Sally L.

1988-01-01

Teaching experience at The Lab School of Washington has shown that learning-disabled children and adults cope with their lack of self-esteem and feelings of stupidity by developing masks to hide their hurt. These include masks of super-competence, helplessness, invisibility, clowning, injustice collecting, indifference, boredom, outrageousness,…

Exploring the Entanglement of Personal Epistemologies and Emotions in Students' Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gupta, Ayush; Elby, Andrew; Danielak, Brian A.

2018-01-01

Evidence from psychology, cognitive science, and neuroscience suggests that cognition and emotions are coupled. Education researchers have also documented correlations between emotions (such as joy, anxiety, fear, curiosity, boredom) and academic performance. Nonetheless, most research on students' reasoning and conceptual change within the…

Transforming Librarians.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Chung I.

1985-01-01

New information technologies have begun to help librarians transfer their routine procedures and tasks to nonprofessional staff and library users, which allows them to begin to be relieved from the boredom of glorified clerical work. Developments in information technology also allow librarians to see their work from new and different perspectives.…

Visual Evoked Potential Augmenting-Reducing and Personality: The Vertex Augmenter is a Sensation Seeker

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-01-01

disinhibition (DIS) measures a hedonistic , extraverted lifestyle including drinking, parties, sex and gambling; boredom susceptibility (BS) indicates an...has reported that the correlation with A/R is often the strongest with the disinhibition scale, which measures a hedonistic pursuit of extraverted

Toward Balancing the Goals of Legal Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowles, James P.

1981-01-01

The boredom of law students in their second and third years raises questions about the meaningfulness and appropriateness of traditional courses and the place of clinical and interdisciplinary courses in the curriculum. Seven curriculum priorities were identified, among them: legal history, social sciences, economics, international law, and…

Using Local History, Primary Source Material, and Comparative History to Teach Reconstruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adomanis, James F.

1989-01-01

Suggests using local history, primary source material, and comparative history to alleviate the boredom most students experience when studying the Reconstruction period of U.S. history. Provides an example of comparative history usage through a discussion of ante-bellum Maryland and the history of Liberia. (KO)

Boredom Transcended: Adolescent Survival in the Suburban High School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linton, Thomas E.

This paper discusses the American educational system as a quiet and nondeliberate destroyer of the adolescent's spirit in terms of stifling the development of cognitive, social, cultural, and intellectual growth. This phenomenon has been produced by the content, structure, and teaching methodology used in schools, beginning with fourth grade and…

Spelling across the Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fowler, Elaine D.

There are many reasons for teachers' reluctance to address the issue of spelling content area vocabulary words; however, content vocabulary word spelling need not be ignored because of time constraints, boredom, or lack of knowledge on the teacher's part any longer. A method which can be utilized is an adaption of "Scratch, Scribble and…

Drugs in Sport: An Overview.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ungerleider, Steven

This literature review addresses the prevalance of drug use and abuse among college athletes and the reasons for such abuse. Among reasons cited are status, peer pressure, boredom, and performance enhancement. Possible interventions that may prevent illegal drug use are also discussed, including educating coaches and trainers to help athletes,…

The T(ea) Test: Scripted Stories Increase Statistical Method Selection Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hackathorn, Jana; Ashdown, Brien

2015-01-01

To teach statistics, teachers must attempt to overcome pedagogical obstacles, such as dread, anxiety, and boredom. There are many options available to teachers that facilitate a pedagogically conducive environment in the classroom. The current study examined the effectiveness of incorporating scripted stories and humor into statistical method…

Measuring Students' Emotions in the Early Years: The Achievement Emotions Questionnaire-Elementary School (AEQ-ES)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lichtenfeld, Stephanie; Pekrun, Reinhard; Stupnisky, Robert H.; Reiss, Kristina; Murayama, Kou

2012-01-01

This article reports about the development and validation of a measurement instrument assessing elementary school students' achievement emotions (Achievement Emotions Questionnaire-Elementary School, AEQ-ES). Specifically, the instrument assesses students' enjoyment, anxiety, and boredom pertaining to three types of academic settings (i.e.,…

Detecting Measurement Disturbances in Rater-Mediated Assessments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wind, Stefanie A.; Schumacker, Randall E.

2017-01-01

The term measurement disturbance has been used to describe systematic conditions that affect a measurement process, resulting in a compromised interpretation of person or item estimates. Measurement disturbances have been discussed in relation to systematic response patterns associated with items and persons, such as start-up, plodding, boredom,…

Unschoolers of the World, Unwork! Grassroots Lessons and Strategies against 21st Century Capitalism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jandric, Petar; Taylor, Astra

2016-01-01

This conversation explores unschooling through theory and personal experience of Astra Taylor, who examines deschooling alongside the continua of Freedom/Oppression, Personal Control/Personal Autonomy, Solitude/Boredom, Privilege/Social Reproduction, Socialisation/Democracy. Taylor reveals complex relationships between the main strands of her…

The Affective Side: Gifted Identification and the Call to Advocacy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strop, Jean

2003-01-01

This article lists common pitfalls in parents' gifted advocacy attempts: believing exceptionality is synonymous with entitlement; responding to stated boredom without determining the meaning; waiting for a crisis before advocating; pushing for a response before agreeing on the issue; and advocating from their own issues. Strategies for developing…

Mathematics-Related Emotions among Finnish Adolescents across Different Performance Levels

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holm, Marja Eliisa; Hannula, Markku Sakari; Björn, Piia Maria

2017-01-01

This study examined the relation of mathematics performance and gender with seven mathematics-related emotions (enjoyment, pride, anger, anxiety, shame, hopelessness and boredom) among adolescents. Using strict and lenient mathematics performance cut-off scores, respective groups of adolescents with mathematics difficulties (MD, n = 136), low (LA,…

Perspective on Giftedness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Frederick E.

1989-01-01

Four authors present arguments and counter-arguments on issues in gifted education, including student boredom, the atrophying of abilities not used, advanced classes which focus on ability but are out of step with student interests, problems of social adjustment in grade-skipping, etc. All authors stress the importance of the whole child. (JDD)

Office Safety (Part II).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swartz, Carl

Toxic chemicals, noise, inadequate lighting, poor equipment design, smoking, and accidents pose serious health hazards for millions of office workers. Stress and boredom also contribute to the problems of safety. Workers should be on guard in the office for hazards, many of which are recognizable through common sense and patience. Workers must…

SEAGULL: A Project for Releasing the Potential of the Gifted.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Michael L.

1980-01-01

Describes a program to heighten self-esteem, interest in school, and creativity of gifted/talented children. Identity, inquiry, and interaction are presented as primary motivations to learning. The curriculum includes group sessions to foster self-image development, a media center to stimulate inquiry and eliminate boredom, and activities to…

Motivating Students: A Teacher's Challenge.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crump, Charla A.

Motivation can be defined as exciting the mind of the student to receive the instruction. Excitement, interest, and enthusiasm toward learning are the primary objectives in motivation. College professors need strategies to reduce student boredom and enhance student motivation. Students will learn what they want to learn and will have difficulty…

Group Processes in Helping Groups: Toward a Developmental Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lakin, Martin; And Others

1984-01-01

Analyzed 10 interaction dimensions of group behavior and three emotional atmosphere categories among old and young participants in 12 "support-discussion" groups. Results showed significant differences with respect to frequencies of boundary, self-disclosure, and support behaviors. In addition, the young showed signs of boredom more frequently.…

Hours of Boredom, Moments of Terror: Temporal Desynchrony in Military and Security Force Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-10-01

Administrative Science Quarterly 24 (1979), 285–306. 31 Robert A. Karasek and Tores Theorell , Healthy Work: Stress, Productivity and the...first symptoms of incipient failure. 30 Robert A. Karasek , “Job Demands, Job Decision Latitude and Mental Strain: Implications for Job Redesign

Overload and Boredom: When the Humanities Turn to Noise.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walter, James A.

This paper argues that the current debate over humanities curricula has failed to articulate a vision for humanities education because it has turned on a liberal/conservative axis. It also contends that educators must stop debating elite versus democratic values or traditional versus contemporary problems in humanities education, and start…

Waking up Audiences: Lessons in Rhetorical Devices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawrence, Samuel G.

2015-01-01

A fundamental challenge that all public speakers face is getting and keeping the attention of audiences. Because audiences absorb large amounts of talk with little chance of taking the floor, the potential for inattentiveness and boredom is significant. In conversational interchanges, the brief duration of speaking turns and regular transfers of…

Boredom on the Assembly Line: Age and Personality Variables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stagner, Ross

1975-01-01

Research shows wide differences in the way individuals react to paced, constrained jobs. Workers show increasing job satisfaction with age, but there are few older workers among assembly line operatives; perhaps they leave because of seniority, job change, or retirement. Aging, however, may make personalities more compatible with assembly line…

Brain Research Can Help Principals Reform Secondary Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sousa, David A.

1998-01-01

Rather than decrying students' boredom and short attention span, principals should adjust schools accordingly. One's feelings about a learning situation determine the attention devoted to it. Secondary principals can help by keeping their schools violence-free, informing their teachers about emotional aspects of learning and teaching, working with…

Team Training for Command and Control Systems. Volume II. Recommendations for Research Program.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-04-01

between individual and group goals and how they are set, the roles of hedonistic individual orientation and altruistic commitment to a group, and... boredom . They are not intended to be definitive, comprehensive, nor exhaustive. They are also not mutually exclusive and other partitionings of the

The Positive Psychology of Interested Adolescents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunter, Jeremy P.; Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly

2003-01-01

Using the experience sampling method with a diverse national sample of 1,215 high school students, identified 2 groups of adolescents, those who experience chronic interest in everyday life experiences and those who experience widespread boredom. Suggests that a generalized chronic experience of interest can be a signal of psychological health.…

Students' Emotions during Homework: Structures, Self-Concept Antecedents, and Achievement Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goetz, Thomas; Nett, Ulrike E.; Martiny, Sarah E.; Hall, Nathan C.; Pekrun, Reinhard; Dettmers, Swantje; Trautwein, Ulrich

2012-01-01

In the present study (N = 553; 8th and 11th grade students; 52% female) we investigated students' enjoyment, pride, anxiety, anger, and boredom while completing homework (homework emotions), and contrasted these emotions with those experienced during class (classroom emotions). Both homework emotions and classroom emotions were assessed separately…

Incremental Beliefs of Ability, Achievement Emotions and Learning of Singapore Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luo, Wenshu; Lee, Kerry; Ng, Pak Tee; Ong, Joanne Xiao Wei

2014-01-01

This study investigated the relationships of students' incremental beliefs of math ability to their achievement emotions, classroom engagement and math achievement. A sample of 273 secondary students in Singapore were administered measures of incremental beliefs of math ability, math enjoyment, pride, boredom and anxiety, as well as math classroom…

A Review of Emotion Regulation in Intelligent Tutoring Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malekzadeh, Mehdi; Mustafa, Mumtaz Begum; Lahsasna, Adel

2015-01-01

Having improved emotional (affective) state may have several benefits on learners, such as promoting higher cognitive flexibility and opens the learner to discovery of new ideas and possibilities. On other side, negative emotional states like boredom and frustration have been linked with less use of self-regulation and cognitive strategies for…

Waiting Time: The De-Subjectification of Children in Danish Asylum Centres

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vitus, Kathrine

2010-01-01

This article analyses the relationship between time and subjectification, focusing on the temporal structures created within Danish asylum centres and politics, and on children's experiences of and reactions to open-ended waiting. Such waiting leads to existential boredom which manifests in the children as restlessness, fatigue and despair. The…

The Aging and Alcohol Abuse.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brody, Jacob A.

Demographic data suggest that alcohol abuse among the elderly will increase in proportion to the population growth of that group. Four factors which may cause the elderly to be a highly susceptible group for alcohol problems are: (1) retirement and its boredom, role changes, and financial problems; (2) increased concern with death and losses of…

Designing Appropriate Learning Tasks: The Environmental Management Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palmer, Stephen E.; Hildebrand, Kathryn

2005-01-01

An important goal of physical education is to instill positive attitudes toward physical activity that result in a healthy and active lifestyle (National Association for Sport and Physical Education, 2004). Boredom or frustration will cause students to lose interest in the activity unless it is modified to meet the individual's needs. For this…

Visualisation and Gamification of e-Learning and Programming Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olsson, Marie; Mozelius, Peter; Collin, Jonas

2015-01-01

Courses in virtual learning environments can leave recently enrolled participants in a state of loneliness, confusion and boredom. What course content is essential in the course, where can more information be found and which assignments are mandatory? Research has stated that learner control and motivation are crucial issues for successful online…

Psychological Needs and the Quality of Student Engagement in Physical Education: Teachers as Key Facilitators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curran, Thomas; Standage, Martyn

2017-01-01

Motivation research is central to understanding why certain students exhibit high levels of behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement with learning, and why others lack interest, display boredom, and withdraw effort (i.e., are disaffected). In this review, tenets within self-determination theory (SDT) are used to provide a…

Powerful Learning with Public Purpose

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cervone, Barbara

2010-01-01

Boredom and failure combine in a toxic brew that propels too many young people off the graduation path. Research shows that engaged students are more likely to perform well academically, that students who are challenged are less likely to be bored and disengaged, and that high-quality instruction and meaningful activities are key factors in…

The Value of Emoticons in Investigating Student Emotions Related to Mathematics Task Negotiation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

D'Agostin, Fabio

2014-01-01

"Emoticons" are simple face icons expressing common feelings such as happiness, interest and boredom and are popularly used in electronic communication. Emoticons were utilised in this study as experience sampling devices. Year 10 students selected emoticons to indicate their emotional states at set intervals during classroom tasks.…

Five C Framework: A Student-Centered Approach for Teaching Programming Courses to Students with Diverse Disciplinary Background

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tom, Mary

2015-01-01

The already existing complexities of teaching and learning computer programming are increased where students are diverse in their disciplinary backgrounds, language skills, and culture. Learners experience emotional issues of anxiety, fear or boredom. Identifying opportunities for improvement and applying theoretical and empirical evidence found…

Physiological, subjective, and performance correlates of reported boredom and monotony while performing a simulated radar control task.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1975-01-01

Forty-five male subjects performed a simulated air traffic control radar task for 1 hour. Subjects were equally divided into three time-of-day groups and tested at 1000, 1300, and 1530. The subject's task was to respond as rapidly as possible to infr...

Class-Related Emotions in Secondary Physical Education: A Control-Value Theory Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simonton, Kelly L.; Garn, Alex C.; Solmon, Melinda Ann

2017-01-01

Purpose: Grounded in control-value theory, a model of students' achievement emotions in physical education (PE) was investigated. Methods: A path analysis tested hypotheses that students' (N = 529) perceptions of teacher responsiveness, assertiveness, and clarity predict control and value beliefs which, in turn, predict enjoyment and boredom.…

School and Classroom Goal Structures: Effects on Affective Responses in Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barkoukis, Vassilis; Koidou, Eirini; Tsorbatzoudis, Haralambos; Grouios, George

2012-01-01

The current study examined the relative impact of school and classroom goal structures on students' affective responses and the mediating role of motivation. The sample of the study consisted of 368 high school students, who completed measures of school and classroom goal structures, motivational regulations in physical education, boredom, and…

Beyond Grades in Online Learning: Adaptive Profiles of Academic Self-Regulation among Naval Academy Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Artino, Anthony R., Jr.; Stephens, Jason M.

2009-01-01

This study examined students' motivational beliefs, negative achievement emotions, and several measures of academic success in an online course. Naval Academy undergraduates (N = 481) completed a survey that assessed their motivational beliefs (self-efficacy and task value); negative achievement emotions (boredom and frustration); and a collection…

Can tasks be inherently boring?

PubMed

Charney, Evan

2013-12-01

Kurzban et al. argue that the experiences of "effort," "boredom," and "fatigue" are indications that the costs of a task outweigh its benefits. Reducing the costs of tasks to "opportunity costs" has the effect of rendering tasks costless and of denying that they can be inherently boring or tedious, something that "vigilance tasks" were intentionally designed to be.

Affect and Learning: An Exploratory Look into the Role of Affect in Learning with AutoTutor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Craig, Scotty D.; Graesser, Arthur C.; Sullins, Jeremiah; Gholson, Barry

2004-01-01

The role that affective states play in learning was investigated from the perspective of a constructivist learning framework. We observed six different affect states (frustration, boredom, flow, confusion, eureka and neutral) that potentially occur during the process of learning introductory computer literacy with AutoTutor, an intelligent…

Exploring the Complex Relations between Achievement Emotions and Self-Regulated Learning Behaviors in Online Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Artino, Anthony R., Jr.; Jones, Kenneth D., II

2012-01-01

Online learning continues to grow, but there is limited empirical research on the personal factors that influence success in online contexts. This investigation addresses this research gap by exploring the relations between several discrete achievement-related emotions (boredom, frustration, and enjoyment) and self-regulated learning behaviors…

Basics without Boredom? With Imagination, Yes!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunter, Florence

On the premise that the aim of high school and college English teachers is to intensify students' powers of thinking and feeling and to keep themselves alive while doing so, this paper suggests numerous imaginative activities for use in the classroom. The activities include a Victorian panel discussion, a presentation of early English ballads,…

What is emptiness? Clarifying the 7th criterion for borderline personality disorder.

PubMed

Klonsky, E David

2008-08-01

The present study aims to clarify the 7th DSM-IV criterion for Borderline Personality Disorder: "chronic feelings of emptiness." Emptiness has been the subject of little empirical investigation. The relationship of emptiness to boredom and other affect-states is uncertain, and patients and clinicians can find it difficult to generate verbal descriptions of emptiness. In the present study, two sets of analyses address the meaning and clinical implications of feeling empty. First, affect-states that co-occur with emptiness are identified in 45 young adults who exhibit a prominent feature of Borderline Personality Disorder (i.e., self-injury). Second, the relationship of chronic emptiness to key psychiatric variables is examined in a large nonclinical sample (n = 274). Results indicate that emptiness is negligibly related to boredom, is closely related to feeling hopeless, lonely, and isolated, and is a robust predictor of depression and suicidal ideation (but not anxiety or suicide attempts). Findings are consistent with DSM-IV revisions regarding the 7th criterion for Borderline Personality Disorder. In addition, findings suggest that emptiness reflects pathologically low positive affect and significant psychiatric distress.

Anxiety, depression and PTSD in asylum-seekers: assocations with pre-migration trauma and post-migration stressors.

PubMed

Silove, D; Sinnerbrink, I; Field, A; Manicavasagar, V; Steel, Z

1997-04-01

Research into the mental health of refugees has burgeoned in recent times, but there is a dearth of studies focusing specifically on the factors associated with psychiatric distress in asylum-seekers who have not been accorded residency status. Forty consecutive asylum-seekers attending a community resource centre in Sydney, Australia, were interviewed using structured instruments and questionnaires. Anxiety scores were associated with female gender, poverty, and conflict with immigration officials, while loneliness and boredom were linked with both anxiety and depression. Thirty subjects (79%) had experienced a traumatic event such as witnessing killings, being assaulted, or suffering torture and captivity, and 14 subjects (37%) met full criteria for PTSD. A diagnosis of PTSD was associated with greater exposure to pre-migration trauma, delays in processing refugee applications, difficulties in dealing with immigration officials, obstacles to employment, racial discrimination, and loneliness and boredom. Although based on correlational data derived from'a convenient' sample, our findings raise the possibility that current procedures for dealing with asylum-seekers may contribute to high levels of stress and psychiatric symptoms in those who have been previously traumatised.

Baseline heart rate, sensation seeking, and aggression in young adult women: a two-sample examination.

PubMed

Wilson, Laura C; Scarpa, Angela

2013-01-01

Although substantial literature discusses sensation seeking as playing a role in the relationship between baseline heart rate and aggression, few published studies have tested the relationships among these variables. Furthermore, most prior studies have focused on risk factors of aggression in men and have largely ignored this issue in women. Two samples (n = 104; n = 99) of young adult women completed measures of resting heart rate, sensation seeking, and aggression. Across the two samples of females there was no evidence for the relationships of baseline heart rate with sensation seeking or with aggression that has been consistently shown in males. Boredom susceptibility and disinhibition subscales of sensation seeking were consistently significantly correlated with aggression. The lack of significance and the small effect sizes indicate that other mechanisms are also at work in affecting aggression in young adult women. Finally, it is important to consider the type of sensation seeking in relation to aggression, as only boredom susceptibility and disinhibition were consistently replicated across samples. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Understanding the Role of Negative Emotions in Adult Learning and Achievement: A Social Functional Perspective

PubMed Central

Fitness, Julie

2018-01-01

The role of emotions in adult learning and achievement has received increasing attention in recent years. However, much of the emphasis has been on test anxiety, rather than the wider spectrum of negative emotions such as sadness, grief, boredom and anger. This paper reports findings of a qualitative study exploring the experience and functionality of negative emotions at university. Thirty-six academic staff and students from an Australian university were interviewed about emotional responses to a range of learning events. Data analysis was informed by a prototype approach to emotion research. Four categories of discrete negative emotions (anger, sadness, fear, boredom) were considered by teachers and students to be especially salient in learning, with self-conscious emotions (guilt, embarrassment, shame) mentioned by more students than staff. While negative emotions were frequently viewed as detrimental to motivation, performance and learning, they were also construed under some circumstances as beneficial. The findings are discussed in relation to the value of social functional approaches for a better understanding of the diverse roles of negative emotions in learning and achievement. PMID:29461487

Understanding the Role of Negative Emotions in Adult Learning and Achievement: A Social Functional Perspective.

PubMed

Rowe, Anna D; Fitness, Julie

2018-02-20

The role of emotions in adult learning and achievement has received increasing attention in recent years. However, much of the emphasis has been on test anxiety, rather than the wider spectrum of negative emotions such as sadness, grief, boredom and anger. This paper reports findings of a qualitative study exploring the experience and functionality of negative emotions at university. Thirty-six academic staff and students from an Australian university were interviewed about emotional responses to a range of learning events. Data analysis was informed by a prototype approach to emotion research. Four categories of discrete negative emotions (anger, sadness, fear, boredom) were considered by teachers and students to be especially salient in learning, with self-conscious emotions (guilt, embarrassment, shame) mentioned by more students than staff. While negative emotions were frequently viewed as detrimental to motivation, performance and learning, they were also construed under some circumstances as beneficial. The findings are discussed in relation to the value of social functional approaches for a better understanding of the diverse roles of negative emotions in learning and achievement.

Correlates of men's sexual interest: a cross-cultural study.

PubMed

Carvalheira, Ana; Traeen, Bente; Štulhofer, Aleksandar

2014-01-01

Low sexual desire has been studied more extensively in women than in men. The study aims to analyze the correlates of distressing lack of sexual interest and the self-assessed reasons for the lack of sexual interest among heterosexual men from three countries. A web-based survey was completed by 5,255 men aged 18-75 years from Portugal, Croatia, and Norway. We used an item that assesses lack of sexual interest from the British NATSAL 2000. Anxiety and depression were measured with the SCL-ANX4 and SCL-DEP6. Relationship intimacy was measured using a five-item version of the Emotional Intimacy Scale. A shortened version of the Sexual Boredom Scale was used to assess proneness to sexual boredom in relation to the duration of relationship, and personal distress was evaluated using an item created for this study. Distressing lack of sexual interest lasting at least 2 months in the previous year was reported by 14.4% of the participants. The most prevalent comorbidity among these men was erectile difficulty (48.7%). Men with low confidence levels in erectile function, not feeling attracted to the partner, and those in long-term relationships were more likely to have experienced lack of sexual interest than were men with high confidence levels and those who felt attracted to their partner and those in shorter-term relationships. Professional stress was the most frequently reported reason for lack of sexual interest. Sexual boredom as a result of a long-term relationship was significantly and negatively correlated with the level of intimacy (r = -0.351, P < 0.001) and sexual satisfaction (r = -0.497, P < 0.001). Distressing lack of sexual interest in heterosexual men was associated with a number of intrapersonal (self-confidence in erectile function, stress), interpersonal (relationship duration, partner attractiveness), and sociocultural variables. © 2013 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

"How Do You Feel about Math?": Relationships between Competence and Value Appraisals, Achievement Emotions and Academic Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peixoto, Francisco; Sanches, Cristina; Mata, Lourdes; Monteiro, Vera

2017-01-01

This study analyzes the relationships between cognitive appraisals, classroom and test emotions, and math achievement in a sample of 1,219 Portuguese students from the 6th and 8th grades. Participants completed measures of perceived value, perceived competence, and seven math achievement emotions (boredom, hopelessness, anger, anxiety, enjoyment,…

I Am Curious-Grey: Information Seeking and Depression Across the Adult Lifespan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Camp, Cameron J.

1986-01-01

Reviews research on curiosity in adulthood and old age, showing curiosity to have state- and trait-like qualities. Notes that curiosity does not seem to lesssen with aging, while susceptibility to boredom may decrease with aging. Views depression in opposition to curiosity. Shows depression to reduce levels of curiosity. Discusses implications for…

[The phenomenology of depression].

PubMed

Lammel, M

1987-06-01

Jakob Wassermann's story Die Gefangenen auf der Plassenburg (The prisoners of Plasenburg) is taken as a starting point for a discussion of experiences, coping with events, and estrangement, and their effect regarding depressive emotional deterioration and its description. The possibilities of succinct expression in the description of boredom, depressive emotional deterioration, melancholy, and dejection are indicated, with special reference to interactional psychopathology.

Like China in the Bull Shop: Classroom Accidents Waiting To Happen and Downshifting into Boredom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kastelic, Robert L.; McLinn, Kathleen

1997-01-01

Suggests that students come to school with an enthusiasm for learning only to discover the confusion and frustration associated with schooling. Proposes that educators must reframe their conceptual understandings and philosophy of the educational process, reduce the use of fear as a student motivator, and work toward eliminating the "bull" or…

Emotions, Self-Regulated Learning, and Achievement in Mathematics: A Growth Curve Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahmed, Wondimu; van der Werf, Greetje; Kuyper, Hans; Minnaert, Alexander

2013-01-01

The purpose of the current study was twofold: (a) to investigate the developmental trends of 4 academic emotions (anxiety, boredom, enjoyment, and pride) and (b) to examine whether changes in emotions are linked to the changes in students' self-regulatory strategies (shallow, deep, and meta-cognitive) and achievement in mathematics. Four hundred…

Making Connections through the Lens of Blue Man Group

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephens, Pam

2005-01-01

The Blue Man Group began in 1988 when friends Matt Goldman, Phil Stanton, and Chris Wink all living in New York--voiced their increasing disgruntlement and boredom with urban life. With a gut feeling that creativity and a tribal-like community could prosper in their metropolitan environment, the friends decided to confront the issues rather than…

Investigating the Differences between Girls and Boys Regarding the Factors of Frustration, Boredom and Insecurity They Experience during Science Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wegner, Claas; Strehlke, Friederike; Weber, Phillip

2014-01-01

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are subjects comprising knowledge whose schooling is essential for every country striving after long-term economic success. Despite the already existing shortage of skilled labour within the mathematic-technical-scientific professional field, men still dominate the respective subjects and…

Differences between Semantic Profiles of the Action Tendencies Linked to Emotion Words in Achievement and Unspecified General Contexts, Defined by Colombian Spanish Native Speakers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chavarría, Jason A.; Villada Zapata, Johny; Chaves Castaño, Liliana

2017-01-01

Introduction: We investigated the meaning of sixteen achievement emotion words--anger, anxiety, boredom, contentment, despair, disappointment, frustration, guilt, hope, hopelessness, joy, pride, relief, sadness, shame, and surprise--, specifically in terms of their action tendencies component, through a modified version of the CoreGRID…

Microgravity Playscapes: Play in Long-Term Space Missions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liapi, Marianthi; Ackermann, Edith

2016-01-01

Th?e authors examine the potential impact of play on astronauts adapting to the extreme conditions of space travel. Th?ey cite research showing that well-trained astronauts, though in general physically fi?t and emotionally stable, can suffer from--among other things--boredom and sensory deprivation in the con?fines of the microgravity capsules…

Classroom Texting in College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pettijohn, Terry F.; Frazier, Erik; Rieser, Elizabeth; Vaughn, Nicholas; Hupp-Wilds, Bobbi

2015-01-01

A 21-item survey on texting in the classroom was given to 235 college students. Overall, 99.6% of students owned a cellphone and 98% texted daily. Of the 138 students who texted in the classroom, most texted friends or significant others, and indicate the reason for classroom texting is boredom or work. Students who texted sent a mean of 12.21…

Boys, Books, and Boredom: A Case of Three High School Boys and Their Encounters with Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarroub, Loukia K.; Pernicek, Todd

2016-01-01

We examine the literacy gender gap through the documented experiences of 3 representative high schools boys and their teacher--how they view themselves as students, their dispositions toward schooling and education, and their engagement with literacy--as a way to further understand how literacy teachers can better work with them. We offer a case…

Mark Twain, Walt Disney, and the Playful Response to Pirate Stories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

West, Mark I.

2010-01-01

Like many a modern play theorist, both Mark Twain and Walt Disney were enchanted by the way children act out stories, in particular pirate tales. For both Twain and Disney, this fascination grew out of their small-town, midwestern boyhoods, where avid reading and fantasy play helped stave off boredom and fill emotional gaps for both of them. Even…

Natural Learning: The Life of an Environmental Schoolyard. Creating Environments for Rediscovering Nature's Way of Teaching.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Robin C.; Wong, Herb H.

The "Environment Yard" project is a 10-year effort to transform an ordinary asphalt schoolyard into a lush, naturalized environment. This book describes the project from which a natural extension of the classroom was created, reducing student boredom and antisocial behavior as they became engaged in the landscape. It instructs on how to…

Background Music in the Dissection Laboratory: Impact on Stress Associated with the Dissection Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anyanwu, Emeka G.

2015-01-01

Notable challenges, such as mental distress, boredom, negative moods, and attitudes, have been associated with learning in the cadaver dissection laboratory (CDL). The ability of background music (BM) to enhance the cognitive abilities of students is well documented. The present study was designed to investigate the impact of BM in the CDL and on…

Experimental Longitudinal Test of the Influence of Autonomy-Supportive Teaching on Motivation for Participation in Elementary School Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leptokaridou, Elisavet T.; Vlachopoulos, Symeon P.; Papaioannou, Athanasios G.

2016-01-01

The present study examined the efficacy of autonomy-supportive teaching during elementary school physical education (PE) in influencing pupils' enjoyment, fear of failure, boredom and effort. A sample of 54 pupils attending fifth and sixth grades comprised the control group (typical instruction; n = 27) and the experimental group…

Patience: A Key Word when Talking with Teachers and Administrators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGee, Christy D.

2012-01-01

Summer activities have grown old. Going swimming has lost its allure, and boredom has set in. No matter how well parents have planned interesting and educational activities for the summer months or how much they have enjoyed the freedom from stricter schedules and more rigid bedtimes, it is time to transition back to the routines of the school…

"My Mum and Dad Said It Calms You down": Children's Perceptions of Smoking as a Coping Strategy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milton, Beth S.; Dugdill, Lindsey; Porcellato, Lorna A.; Springett, R. Jane

2012-01-01

While studies have shown that adults use smoking to deal with stress, little research has been carried out with children to explore their perceptions of smoking as a coping strategy. Qualitative questionnaire and interview data were generated with children aged 9-11 years. Participants perceived that adults smoked to relieve boredom and stress,…

Leisure Time in Modern Societies: A New Source of Boredom and Stress?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haller, Max; Hadler, Markus; Kaup, Gerd

2013-01-01

The increase in leisure time over the last century is well documented. We know much less, however, about the quality of the use of leisure time. Quite divergent predictions exist in this regard: Some authors have argued that the new, extensive free time will lead to new forms of time pressure and stress; others have foreseen an expansion of…

40 CFR Appendix III to Part 600 - Sample Fuel Economy Label Calculation

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... miles per gallon. Note that the car line of the test vehicle using a given engine makes no difference... engine. These four car lines are: Ajax Boredom III Dodo Castor (Station Wagon) A. A car line is defined... different car line than the normal Castor car line made up of sedans, coupes, etc. B. The engine considered...

40 CFR Appendix III to Part 600 - Sample Fuel Economy Label Calculation

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... miles per gallon. Note that the car line of the test vehicle using a given engine makes no difference... engine. These four car lines are: Ajax Boredom III Dodo Castor (Station Wagon) A. A car line is defined... different car line than the normal Castor car line made up of sedans, coupes, etc. B. The engine considered...

40 CFR Appendix III to Part 600 - Sample Fuel Economy Label Calculation

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... miles per gallon. Note that the car line of the test vehicle using a given engine makes no difference... engine. These four car lines are: Ajax Boredom III Dodo Castor (Station Wagon) A. A car line is defined... different car line than the normal Castor car line made up of sedans, coupes, etc. B. The engine considered...

40 CFR Appendix III to Part 600 - Sample Fuel Economy Label Calculation

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... miles per gallon. Note that the car line of the test vehicle using a given engine makes no difference... engine. These four car lines are: Ajax Boredom III Dodo Castor (Station Wagon) A. A car line is defined... different car line than the normal Castor car line made up of sedans, coupes, etc. B. The engine considered...

Predicting Substance Use Behavior among South African Adolescents: The Role of Leisure Experiences across Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharp, Erin Hiley; Coffman, Donna L.; Caldwell, Linda L.; Smith, Edward A.; Wegner, Lisa; Vergnani, Tania; Mathews, Catherine

2011-01-01

Using seven waves of data, collected twice a year from the 8th through the 11th grades in a low-resource community in Cape Town, South Africa, we aimed to describe the developmental trends in three specific leisure experiences (leisure boredom, new leisure interests, and healthy leisure) and substance use (cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana)…

The Road to Interest and Curiosity: It Begins with a Deliberate Choice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rude, Ron

2002-01-01

Suggests that in the push to make lessons more interesting for students, it is important not to lose sight of the chicken-and-egg paradox--that knowledge and effort are often what beget interest in the first place. Asserts that if the teacher begins with what is already interesting, the eventual result may be boredom. (SM)

STEM the Boredom: Engage Students in the Australian Curriculum Using ICT with Problem-Based Learning and Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newhouse, Christopher Paul

2017-01-01

The well-being of modern economies and societies is increasingly requiring citizens to possess capabilities in integrating knowledge and skills in science, technology, engineering and science to solve problems. However, by the end of schooling, the majority of Australian students show little interest in these discipline areas and have no plans to…

Acedia and Student Life: Ancient Christian Wisdom for Addressing Boredom, Distraction, and Over-Commitment in Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aijian, J. L.

2017-01-01

Although the deadly vice of acedia is prevalent in contemporary student culture, it is often misunderstood as mere carelessness. This article reconstructs the ancient meaning of acedia, highlighting its outward markers and arguing for a complex account of its internal motivations grounded in the work of John Cassian. These insights are then…

Promoting Health-Related Fitness during Warm-Up Activities for Secondary Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Ingrid

2008-01-01

It is common to begin a physical education class by having students run laps. Many teachers find that doing the same running warm-up day after day leads to boredom and a lack of interest in their students. This article provides teachers with developmentally appropriate warm-up activities that will not only motivate students, but also keep them…

Hallucinations, loneliness, and social isolation in Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

El Haj, Mohamad; Jardri, Renaud; Larøi, Frank; Antoine, Pascal

2016-01-01

Cognitive and functional compromise, as frequently observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD), hinders communication and social interactions. One consequence of this hindrance may be a feeling of loneliness. Moreover, emptiness and boredom, as observed in social isolation and loneliness, may thus be compensated for by creating imagined stimuli. Conditions of loneliness may be viewed as potentially generating hallucinatory experiences. To assess this assumption, the present study explored the relationship between social isolation, loneliness, and hallucinations in a sample of 22 mild AD participants and 24 elderly, healthy controls. Participants were assessed using the Launay-Slade Hallucination Scale, the UCLA Loneliness Scale, and a scale exploring contact with others and social participation. More hallucinatory experiences, social isolation, and loneliness were found in the AD group than in the healthy control group. Moreover, significant correlations were observed between hallucinations and loneliness and between hallucinations and social isolation in both groups. Finally, hallucinations were predicted by social isolation. Hallucinations may constitute a compensatory mechanism that aims to fulfil communication needs in lonely, elderly participants. Hallucinations may also be regarded as experiences that allow certain participants to escape the cycle of boredom, emptiness, and affective deprivation caused by social isolation.

Modeling Operator Performance in Low Task Load Supervisory Domains

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

PDF Probability Distribution Function SAFE System for Aircrew Fatigue Evaluation SAFTE Sleep , Activity, Fatigue, and Task Effectiveness SCT...attentional capacity due to high mental workload. In low task load settings, fatigue is mainly caused by lack of sleep and boredom experienced by...performance decrements. Also, psychological fatigue is strongly correlated with lack of sleep . Not surprisingly, operators of the morning shift reported the

Exploring the Impact of Career Mentoring on High School Dropout: A Qualitative Phenomenological Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raffington Ameir, Caroline

2012-01-01

According to Department of Education reports on public high school dropout rates for 2009, a national average of 44.3% of dropouts left their secondary school education in the 11th and 12th grades. The majority of school dropouts attributed the reason for dropping out of school to boredom. High social and economic costs associated with dropping…

Young Peoples' Opinions about the Causes of, and Solutions to, New Zealand's High Youth Suicide Rate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heled, Edna; Read, John

2005-01-01

In response to an open-ended question about the causes of New Zealand's high youth suicide rate, 384 young adults most commonly cited pressure to conform and perform, followed by financial worries, abuse and neglect, problems with alcohol or drugs, and boredom. Depression was cited by 5 percent and mental illness by only 1 percent. Recommended…

Students' Use of Cell Phones in Class for Off-Task Behaviors: The Indirect Impact of Instructors' Teaching Behaviors through Boredom and Students' Attitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolkan, San; Griffin, Darrin J.

2017-01-01

This study was conducted to determine how various teaching behaviors influence students' emotional and cognitive experiences in class, and how these experiences relate to students' use of cell phones while considering contextual factors that might influence this outcome. Two hundred and seventy-four students responded to questions regarding their…

Application of Gamification in a College STEM Introductory Course: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Machajewski, Szymon Tomasz

2017-01-01

Between 2000 and 2016, the STEM industry reportedly added jobs at the rate of 28% while all jobs were growing at only 6%. However, 48% of bachelor's degree students and 69% of associate's degree students in STEM majors left their program of study between 2003 and 2009. The high attrition rate is often attributed to low student engagement, boredom,…

Can Boredom Educate Us? Tracing a Mood in Heidegger's Fundamental Ontology from an Educational Point of View

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mansikka, Jan-Erik

2009-01-01

Martin Heidegger (1989-1976) was convinced that we can learn something about the way we inhabit the world by turning attention to our fundamental moods. It was one important theme of his fundamental ontology in the 1920s. There is, according to Heidegger, an intricate connection between awakening our moods and developing a reflexive stance. He…

Navy Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program: Research and Evaluation.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-11-20

Disinhibition, Susceptibility to Boredom, Novel Experience Seeking, and Thrill and Adventure Seeking), the Rathus (1973) Assertiveness Inventory, Rotter’s...predictive relationship between facilitator responses to Rokeach and Firo-B scales and their subsequent scores in The University of Arizona Facilitator...Rokeach and Firo-B scales was continued. Results from the initial effort forced recognition that a major problem associated with predicting trainer

Feelings and Performance in the First Year at University: Learning-Related Emotions as Predictors of Achievement Outcomes in Mathematics and Statistics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Niculescu, Alexandra C.; Templelaar, Dirk; Leppink, Jimmie; Dailey-Hebert, Amber; Segers, Mien; Gijselaers, Wim

2015-01-01

Introduction: This study examined the predictive value of four learning-related emotions--Enjoyment, Anxiety, Boredom and Hopelessness for achievement outcomes in the first year of study at university. Method: We used a large sample (N = 2337) of first year university students enrolled over three consecutive academic years in a mathematics and…

Implementation of ergonomics in the management of parking increasing the quality of living parking park in mall Robinson Denpasar city

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutapa, I. K.; Sudiarsa, I. M.

2018-01-01

The problems that often arise in the area of Denpasar City mostly caused by parking problems at the centers of activities such as shopping centers. The problems that occur not only because of the large number of vehicles that parked but also the result of the condition of parking officers who have not received attention, there is no concern about the physical condition of parking attendants because doing night guard duty. To improve the quality of parking officer, ergonomic parking lot is improved through the application of appropriate technology with systemic, holistic, interdisciplinary and participatory approach. The general objective of the research is to know the implementation of ergonomics in parking management on the improvement of the quality of parking officer in Robinson shopping center. The indicator of the quality of the parking officer work is the decrease of musculoskeletal complaints, fatigue, workload, boredom and increasing work motivation. The study was conducted using the same subject design, involving 10 subjects as a simple random sample. Intervention is done by arrangement of ergonomic basement motorcycle parking. Measurements done before and after repair. Washing out (WO) for 14 days. The data obtained were analyzed descriptively, tested normality (shapirowilk) and homogeneity (Levene Test). For normal and homogeneous distribution data, different test with One Way Anova, different test between Period with Post Hoc. Normally distributed and non-homogeneous data, different test with Friedman Test, different test between periods using Wilcoxon test. Data were analyzed with significance level of 5%. The results showed that the implementation of ergonomic in the management of parking area of the court decreased musculoskeletal complaints by 15.10% (p <0.05), decreased fatigue rate by 22.06% (p <0.05), decreased workload by 21, 90 % (P <0,05), decrease boredom 15,85% (p <0,05) and motivation improvement 37, 68% (p <0,05). It is concluded that the implementation of ergonomics in parking management of the parking lot improves the quality of the parking officer work from: (1) decrease of musculoskeletal complaints, (2) decrease of melting rate, (3) decrease of parking workload, decreasing boredom and increasing work motivation.

Caller Characteristics, Call Contents, and Types of Assistance Provided by Caller Sex and Age Group in a Canadian Inuit Crisis Line in Nunavut, 1991-2001

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tan, Josephine C. H.; Maranzan, Kathryn Amanda; Boone, Margaret; Vander Velde, John; Levy, Sheila

2012-01-01

Analysis of calls made to a northern Canadian Inuit crisis line in the territory of Nunavut between 1991 and 2001 revealed that the majority of users were adult females who called to discuss problems primarily related to relationships and loneliness/boredom. Younger callers tended to make prank calls. The volunteer staff used mostly empathetic…

Meaning, lived experience, empathy and boredom: Max van Manen on phenomenology and Heidegger.

PubMed

Paley, John

2018-07-01

Phenomenology as Qualitative Research: A Critical Analysis of Meaning Attribution has attracted the attention of Max van Manen, who has published a highly critical review article. Anyone reading this article, but unfamiliar with the book, will get a distorted view of what it is about, whom it is addressed to, what it tries to achieve, and how it goes about presenting its arguments. Not mildly distorted, in need of the odd correction here and there, but systematically misrepresented. One problem is that van Manen appears to have an idée fixe which prevents him from recognizing that the book is not about a certain philosophical tradition (known as "phenomenology"), but about a particular type of qualitative research (also known, unfortunately and confusingly, as "phenomenology"). A second idée fixe disposes him to misread an earlier article of mine and (much more seriously) three works by Heidegger. My aim in this article is to describe these two idées fixes, and exhibit their consequences. In doing so, I will examine what van Manen has to say on four crucial topics: meaning, lived experience, empathy, and Heidegger's analysis of boredom in The Fundamental Concepts of Metaphysics. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Real-time predictors of suicidal ideation: mobile assessment of hospitalized depressed patients.

PubMed

Ben-Zeev, Dror; Young, Michael A; Depp, Colin A

2012-05-15

Suicidal ideation is a risk factor for suicide attempt and completion. Cross-sectional or retrospective studies cannot capture the dynamic course and possible predictors of suicidal ideation as it occurs in daily life. This study utilizes an experience sampling paradigm to identify real-time predictors of suicidal ideation in inpatients with major depressive disorder. Thirty-one depressed patients admitted to a psychiatric unit were signaled by a mobile device to record suicidal ideation, affect, and other symptoms, multiple times a day over 1 week. Participants completed a total of 1350 questionnaires. Seventy-four percent of the sample reported suicidal ideation during the week. Time-lagged analyses revealed that momentary ratings of Sadness, Tension, and Boredom (as well as suicidal ideation itself) predicted subsequent suicidal thoughts in the following hours. Baseline severity of depression and past suicide attempts were both correlated with mean ideation severity during the week. A number of predictors identified in prior research (e.g. hopelessness) were unrelated to subsequent suicidal ideation in the current study. Momentary interventions that guide individuals through activities designed to reduce levels of Sadness, Tension, and Boredom in real-time (e.g., thought challenging, relaxation, behavioral activation) may be especially warranted. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Integrated Architecture for Grounded Intelligence in Its Development, Experimental, Environmental, and Social Context

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-05-01

supervisory system lie core drives, such as hunger , boredom, attention-seeking, and other domain-specific drives (such as task success), modeled as scalar...the control of routing activities. Cognitive Neuropsychology , 17:297-338. [Davies and Stone, 1995] Davies, M. and Stone, T. (1995). Introduction. In...Thornton, I., J., P., and Shiffrar, M. (1998). The visual perception of human locomotion. Cognitive Neuropsychology , 15:535-552. [Wilson, 2001] Wilson

Condition Recognition for a Program Synthesizer.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-06-01

suited for tnls type work since it neitner complains c±* boredom nor wanders from its assigned task. Tne macnine meticulously sequences throuzh a series...natural language understanding is a difficult problem that can De solvel only in limited domains. The use of natural language in programming ta been...and output behavior. For example, if someone wanted to lescribe a proeram to compute tne Fibonacci numbers tnen tie could supply tne input-outpost pairs

Evacuation Behavior: Case Study of the Taft Louisiana Chemical Tank Explosion Incident.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-05-01

bedridden elderly evacuees. The weather was cool to cold on Saturday so both children and adults remained indoors. To combat boredom, a film was shown in...adults, and 10 percent were elderly adults (however, one nuclear plant evacuation document estimates that there are approximately 5,000 persons 60 years...by the transportation officer, but a pattern was followed. People living in neighborhoods known to contain the poor and/or elderly were serviced first

The Use of Inflight Online Distance Education for Mission Support and Psychological Support.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mardon, Austin; Nichol, Kenneth; Mardon, Catherine

Time, too much of and the resulting boredom is a major psychological barrier to multi year inner solar system space missions. Cross training which could be facilitated by online in flight educational programs might serve mission purposes and distract astronauts from the natural multiyear boredom to and from Mars. The personnel selected will be motivated well educated and likely very intelligent. They might have even experience some educational online and computer based education during their educational history. Distance learning is become more and more common in the educational landscape in the world. The mission doctor might learn geology. The geologist might learn ship systems. The pilot might learn basic medical treatment. The advantage of having planned out learning schemes might have major morale boosting factors by giving the self motivated high achieving crew something to direct their energies toward. The time lag could be compensated for by AI spacecraft educational software. Also for recreational purposes archeology or cultural studies could be taught to give greater breadth of interest. Online educational institutions might even do curriculum for free if they could be used afterward and before. Many high achievers have diverse interests and this might boost morale by allowing them to learn about a field of study that they had always had an interest in but their career took them in a different direction

Randomized test of a brief psychological intervention to reduce and prevent emotional eating in a community sample.

PubMed

Armitage, Christopher J

2015-09-01

Emotional eating is associated with mental health problems and weight gain, but research has focussed on treatment rather than prevention. The present research tests a brief theory-based psychological intervention to reduce and prevent emotional eating in a community sample. Two hundred and forty women were randomized to a control condition in which they were asked to identify emotional eating triggers and strategies for change (a 'volitional help sheet') or to an experimental condition in which they were asked explicitly to use the volitional help sheet to link emotional eating triggers with strategies for change and so form implementation intentions. Results showed that eating in response to boredom was more common than eating in response to anxiety or depression. There was a significant condition × time interaction showing that the formation of implementation intentions resulted in significantly lower levels of emotional eating in response to boredom at follow-up (d = 0.29). The intervention shows promise in reducing and preventing emotional eating, but further research is required to refine the tool and to examine whether eating in response to anxiety or depression is more common among clinical populations. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Eating when depressed, anxious, bored, or happy: Are emotional eating types associated with unique psychological and physical health correlates?

PubMed

Braden, Abby; Musher-Eizenman, Dara; Watford, Tanya; Emley, Elizabeth

2018-06-01

The majority of research on emotional eating has examined general emotional eating, to the exclusion of more distinct emotions such as boredom and positive emotions. The current study aimed to examine whether specific types of emotional eating (i.e., eating in response to depression (EE-D), anxiety/anger (EE-A), boredom (EE-B), and positive emotions (EE-P)) were related to a range of psychological (i.e., global psychological well-being, eating disorder symptoms, emotion regulation) and physical health variables. A sample of adults (n = 189) with overweight/obesity were recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Participants self-reported height and weight and completed a battery of questionnaires. Correlational analyses showed that more frequent EE-D, EE-A, and EE-B were related to poorer psychological well-being, greater eating disorder symptoms, and more difficulties with emotion regulation. EE-P was not significantly related to outcome variables. In regression analyses, eating in response to depression (EE-D) was the type of emotional eating most closely related to psychological well-being, eating disorder symptoms, and emotion regulation difficulties. Exploratory analyses revealed associations between EE-D, EE-A, and EE-B and facets of emotion regulation and specific disordered eating symptoms. Findings suggest that unique patterns exist between specific types of emotional eating and psychological outcomes. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Workout at work: laboratory test of psychological and performance outcomes of active workstations.

PubMed

Sliter, Michael; Yuan, Zhenyu

2015-04-01

With growing concerns over the obesity epidemic in the United States and other developed countries, many organizations have taken steps to incorporate healthy workplace practices. However, most workers are still sedentary throughout the day--a major contributor to individual weight gain. The current study sought to gather preliminary evidence of the efficacy of active workstations, which are a possible intervention that could increase employees' physical activity while they are working. We conducted an experimental study, in which boredom, task satisfaction, stress, arousal, and performance were evaluated and compared across 4 randomly assigned conditions: seated workstation, standing workstation, cycling workstation, and walking workstation. Additionally, body mass index (BMI) and exercise habits were examined as moderators to determine whether differences in these variables would relate to increased benefits in active conditions. The results (n = 180) showed general support for the benefits of walking workstations, whereby participants in the walking condition had higher satisfaction and arousal and experienced less boredom and stress than those in the passive conditions. Cycling workstations, on the other hand, tended to relate to reduced satisfaction and performance when compared with other conditions. The moderators did not impact these relationships, indicating that walking workstations might have psychological benefits to individuals, regardless of BMI and exercise habits. The results of this study are a preliminary step in understanding the work implications of active workstations. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

An inquiry - aesthetics of art in hospitals.

PubMed

Gates, Jillian

2008-09-01

Historically, art has served a significant purpose within hospital waiting rooms. However, in recent times we have experienced cuts in funding and less interest in improving the aesthetic of art displayed in Australian hospitals. This article briefly discusses the history of art in hospitals and explores a methodology for researching the preference of Australian patients today. Potentially, Australians waiting in hospitals and medical clinics could benefit from art works that reflect their preferences; this may help to ease the pain, anxiety, and boredom of waiting.

The Relative Acceptability and Consumption of the Current and Proposed Versions of the T Ration

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-05-01

Orange Juice, Instant Coffee Coffee Peanut Butter/Jelly Peanut Butter/Jelly Cocoa 8. Eggs /Ham 8. Swedish Meatballs in Pork Sausage Links Brown Gravy...more closely resembles eggs . Moreover, in the 1985 study the same items were served more frequently, and a boredom or fatigue factor may have lowered...omelets were high calorie and yet not very filling. Several participants mentioned that they’d prefer to have plain scrambled eggs because they don’t

Smoking frequency among current college student smokers: distinguishing characteristics and factors related to readiness to quit smoking.

PubMed

Berg, Carla J; Ling, Pamela M; Hayes, Rashelle B; Berg, Erin; Nollen, Nikki; Nehl, Eric; Choi, Won S; Ahluwalia, Jasjit S

2012-02-01

Given the increased prevalence of non-daily smoking and changes in smoking patterns, particularly among young adults, we examined correlates of smoking level, specifically motives for smoking, and readiness to quit smoking among 2682 college undergraduates who completed an online survey. Overall, 64.7% (n = 1736) were non-smokers, 11.6% (n = 312) smoked 1-5 days, 10.5% (n = 281) smoked 6-29 days and 13.2% (n = 353) were daily smokers. Ordinal regression analyses modeling smoking level indicated that correlates of higher smoking level included having more friends who smoke (β = 0.63, 95% CI 0.57-0.69) and more frequent other tobacco use (β = 0.04, 95% CI 0.02-0.05), drinking (β = 0.04, 95% CI 0.02-0.07) and binge drinking (β = 0.09, 95% CI 0.06-0.13). Bivariate analyses indicated that daily smokers (versus the subgroups of non-daily smokers) were less likely to smoke for social reasons but more likely to smoke for self-confidence, boredom, and affect regulation. Controlling for sociodemographics, correlates of readiness to quit among current smokers included fewer friends who smoke (P = 0.002), less frequent binge drinking (P = 0.03), being a social smoker (P < 0.001), smoking less for self-confidence (P = 0.04), smoking more for boredom (P = 0.03) and less frequent smoking (P = 0.001). Specific motives for smoking and potential barriers to cessation particularly may be relevant to different groups of college student smokers.

Reminiscence and adaptation to critical life events in older adults with mild to moderate depressive symptoms.

PubMed

Korte, Jojanneke; Bohlmeijer, Ernst T; Westerhof, Gerben J; Pot, Anne Margriet; Pot, Anne M

2011-07-01

The role of reminiscence as a way of adapting to critical life events and chronic medical conditions was investigated in older adults with mild to moderate depressive symptoms. Reminiscence is the (non)volitional act or process of recollecting memories of one's self in the past. 171 Dutch older adults with a mean age of 64 years (SD = 7.4) participated in this study. All of them had mild to moderate depressive symptoms. Participants completed measures on critical life events, chronic medical conditions, depressive symptoms, symptoms of anxiety and satisfaction with life. The reminiscence functions included were: identity, problem solving, bitterness revival and boredom reduction. Critical life events were positively correlated with identity and problem solving. Bitterness revival and boredom reduction were both positively correlated with depressive and anxiety symptoms, and negatively to satisfaction with life. Problem solving had a negative relation with anxiety symptoms. When all the reminiscence functions were included, problem solving was uniquely associated with symptoms of anxiety, and bitterness revival was uniquely associated with depressive symptoms and satisfaction with life. Interestingly, problem solving mediated the relation of critical life events with anxiety. This study corroborates the theory that reminiscence plays a role in coping with critical life events, and thereby maintaining mental health. Furthermore, it is recommended that therapists focus on techniques which reduce bitterness revival in people with depressive symptoms, and focus on problem-solving reminiscences among people with anxiety symptoms.

Mood, motives, and money: An examination of factors that differentiate online and non-online young adult gamblers.

PubMed

Goldstein, Abby L; Vilhena-Churchill, Natalie; Stewart, Sherry H; Hoaken, Peter N S; Flett, Gordon L

2016-03-01

Background and aims To date, there is a lack of research on psychological factors associated with young adult online gambling. The current study examined differences between young adult online and non-online gamblers, using information gathered at baseline and over 30 days during which participants reported on their moods, gambling behaviors, and reasons for initiating and discontinuing gambling. Methods Participants were 108 young adult regular gamblers (i.e., gambling four or more times in the past month) who participated in a 30-day daily diary study. Results Male gender, baseline coping motives for gambling and negative affect averaged across the 30 days emerged as significant correlates of online gambling, over and above other background variables. Online gamblers also scored higher on a baseline measure of pathological gambling. Over the 30 days of self-monitoring, online gamblers spent more time gambling, and won more money gambling, whereas non-online gamblers consumed more alcohol while gambling. Online gambling was more often initiated to make money, because of boredom and to demonstrate skills, whereas non-online gambling was more often initiated for social reasons and for excitement. Online gambling was more often discontinued because of boredom, fatigue or distress, whereas non-online gambling was discontinued because friends stopped gambling or mood was improved. Discussion and conclusions This study provides preliminary evidence that coping strategies may be particularly important to reduce risks for online gamblers, whereas strategies for non-online gamblers should focus on the social aspects of gambling.

Smoking history and motivation to quit in smokers with schizophrenia in a smoking cessation program.

PubMed

Mann-Wrobel, Monica C; Bennett, Melanie E; Weiner, Elaine E; Buchanan, Robert W; Ball, M Patricia

2011-03-01

The present study sought to better understand the relationships among smoking history, motivation to change, and smoking cessation outcomes in people with schizophrenia who smoke. We examined smoking and quit history, negative consequences due to smoking, readiness to change, smoking temptation, and confidence to quit in a sample of people diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder according to DSM-IV criteria who were participating in a larger randomized trial of bupropion SR and a psychoeducational intervention for smoking cessation. Data were collected from June 2003 to May 2005. At baseline, participants reported high levels of nicotine dependence and daily smoking, as well as multiple recent and lifetime quit attempts that were generally brief in nature. Participants were most concerned about the health effects of smoking and endorsed reasons for smoking related to coping with negative affect and boredom. Most participants reported wanting to quit smoking, but the sample generally reported low levels of confidence in their ability to quit. During the course of participation in the intervention, self-efficacy to quit increased while temptation to smoke decreased; however readiness to quit remained unchanged. Smoking cessation programs for people with schizophrenia should focus on teaching coping skills for negative affect, boredom, and specific "high risk situations" for smoking in addition to education, medication, or nicotine replacement therapy. Further, cessation efforts may benefit from directly addressing low self-efficacy for quitting, rather than readiness for change alone, among people with schizophrenia. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Video game addiction in children and teenagers in Taiwan.

PubMed

Chiu, Shao-I; Lee, Jie-Zhi; Huang, Der-Hsiang

2004-10-01

Video game addiction in children and teenagers in Taiwan is associated with levels of animosity, social skills, and academic achievement. This study suggests that video game addiction can be statistically predicted on measures of hostility, and a group with high video game addiction has more hostility than others. Both gender and video game addiction are negatively associated with academic achievement. Family function, sensation seeking, gender, and boredom have statistically positive relationships with levels of social skills. Current models of video game addiction do not seem to fit the findings of this study.

Proceedings from the ETS and ARI Emotional Intelligence Workshop held in Princeton, New Jersey on November 13-15, 2003. Volume 1. Sessions 1 and 2

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-11-01

cultural influences” describes its subject or informants as students at a particular university, or nationals of a particular country, this is the...companion. This is an NSF project in my lab where the companion would be not so much an intelligent tutor, but at the peer level of the student ...assisting the student by helping to monitor their affect, watching especially for states such as boredom or interest, and for signs of enjoyment. You might

Psychophysiological investigation of vigilance decrement: boredom or cognitive fatigue?

PubMed

Pattyn, Nathalie; Neyt, Xavier; Henderickx, David; Soetens, Eric

2008-01-28

The vigilance decrement has been described as a slowing in reaction times or an increase in error rates as an effect of time-on-task during tedious monitoring tasks. This decrement has been alternatively ascribed to either withdrawal of the supervisory attentional system, due to underarousal caused by the insufficient workload, or to a decreased attentional capacity and thus the impossibility to sustain mental effort. Furthermore, it has previously been reported that controlled processing is the locus of the vigilance decrement. This study aimed at answering three questions, to better define sustained attention. First, is endogenous attention more vulnerable to time-on-task than exogenous attention? Second, do measures of autonomic arousal provide evidence to support the underload vs overload hypothesis? And third, do these measures show a different effect for endogenous and exogenous attention? We applied a cued (valid vs invalid) conjunction search task, and ECG and respiration recordings were used to compute sympathetic (normalized low frequency power) and parasympathetic tone (respiratory sinus arrhythmia, RSA). Behavioural results showed a dual effect of time-on-task: the usually described vigilance decrement, expressed as increased reaction times (RTs) after 30 min for both conditions; and a higher cost in RTs after invalid cues for the endogenous condition only, appearing after 60 min. Physiological results clearly support the underload hypothesis to subtend the vigilance decrement, since heart period and RSA increased over time-on-task. There was no physiological difference between the endogenous and exogenous conditions. Subjective experience of participants was more compatible with boredom than with high mental effort.

Sensation seeking amongst healthy volunteers participating in phase I clinical trials.

PubMed Central

Farré, M; Lamas, X; Camí, J

1995-01-01

1. Phase I clinical trials are usually carried out in healthy volunteers. In addition to economic gain, factors that may influence willingness to participate include scientific interest, curiosity and choice for risky activities. 2. We assessed the relationship between personality variables and volunteering for clinical pharmacology research. Two personality questionnaires, the Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS, form V) and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), were administered to 48 male healthy university students who volunteered to participate in a phase I clinical trial and to 43 male university students who were not willing to participate in phase I clinical trials. General norm data were also used for the comparison of results. 3. When healthy volunteers were compared with unwilling subjects, significant differences were found in thrill-and-adventure seeking (7.9 vs 6.7, P = 0.0034), experience seeking (6.4 vs 5.2, P = 0.0012), disinhibition (6.2 vs 4.3, P < 0.0001), boredom susceptibility (3.9 vs 2.8, P = 0.0073), total sensation seeking trait (24.3 vs 19.0, P < 0.0001), extraversion (15.1 vs 13.3, P = 0.0490), and psychoticism (4.4 vs 3.5, P = 0.0086). When healthy volunteers were compared with general norm data similar statistically significant differences were found in all these scales, except for boredom susceptibility and psychoticism. 4. The personality profile of healthy volunteers was characterized by a higher sensation seeking trait and extraversion as compared with individuals who were not willing to participate in phase I clinical trials and general norm data. PMID:7640147

Human factors measurement for future air traffic control systems.

PubMed

Langan-Fox, Janice; Sankey, Michael J; Canty, James M

2009-10-01

This article provides a critical review of research pertaining to the measurement of human factors (HF) issues in current and future air traffic control (ATC). Growing worldwide air traffic demands call for a radical departure from current ATC systems. Future systems will have a fundamental impact on the roles and responsibilities of ATC officers (ATCOs). Valid and reliable methods of assessing HF issues associated with these changes, such as a potential increase (or decrease) in workload, are of utmost importance for advancing theory and for designing systems, procedures, and training. We outline major aviation changes and how these relate to five key HF issues in ATC. Measures are outlined, compared, and evaluated and are followed by guidelines for assessing these issues in the ATC domain. Recommendations for future research are presented. A review of the literature suggests that situational awareness and workload have been widely researched and assessed using a variety of measures, but researchers have neglected the areas of trust, stress, and boredom. We make recommendations for use of particular measures and the construction of new measures. It is predicted that, given the changing role of ATCOs and profound future airspace requirements and configurations, issues of stress, trust, and boredom will become more significant. Researchers should develop and/or refine existing measures of all five key HF issues to assess their impact on ATCO performance. Furthermore, these issues should be considered in a holistic manner. The current article provides an evaluation of research and measures used in HF research on ATC that will aid research and ATC measurement.

Circadian typology and sensation seeking in adolescents.

PubMed

Muro, Anna; Gomà-i-Freixanet, Montserrat; Adan, Ana

2012-12-01

The relationship of circadian typology with personality has been largely studied in adults, but there are few studies exploring such relationship in adolescents. Adolescence has been associated with a greater tendency to eveningness preference, sleeping problems, poorer academic achievement, earlier substance use, or risky behaviors, and it is suggested that this association might be mediated by personality factors. Given the relevance of identifying the behavioral outcomes of young evening types to detect and prevent health problems, the present study aimed to explore, for the first time, the relationship between sensation seeking and circadian typology in an adolescent sample of 688 students (51.45% boys) from 12 to 16 yrs old. They answered the Spanish versions of the Morningness-Eveningness Scale for Children (MESC) and the Junior Sensation Seeking Scale (J-SSS), which includes four subscales measuring Thrill and Adventure Seeking, Experience Seeking, Disinhibition, and Boredom Susceptibility. Analyses showed that boys obtained significantly higher scores than girls on J-SSS total score and all subscales except Boredom Susceptibility, whereas evening-type adolescents of both sexes scored significantly higher than neither types and than morning types on J-SSS total score. These results indicate that evening-type adolescents show a greater desire for varied, new, complex, and intense sensations, and they are ready for experiencing more risks than morning types. The implications of this study suggest the need of being aware of individual differences in the SS trait in evening-type adolescents, as well as taking into account the wide variety of behaviors associated with it, either prosocial or antisocial, to design better preventive health and academic programs.

Translating the use of an enriched environment poststroke from bench to bedside: study design and protocol used to test the feasibility of environmental enrichment on stroke patients in rehabilitation.

PubMed

Janssen, H; Ada, L; Karayanidis, F; Drysdale, K; McElduff, P; Pollack, M; White, J; Nilsson, M; Bernhardt, J; Spratt, N J

2012-08-01

Environmental enrichment, a paradigm investigated extensively in animal models, is an intervention, which by design facilitates motor, sensory, social, and cognitive activity. It has been shown to improve poststroke motor and cognitive function in animal models of stroke. This is the first study to attempt to translate this intervention from the laboratory to the clinical setting. The overall aim of this pilot study is to test the feasibility of using environmental enrichment with stroke patients in a rehabilitation setting. The aim is to enrich the environment of stroke survivors in a rehabilitation ward and measure changes in their activity (physical, cognitive, and social activity). Prospective nonrandomized block design intervention study. In the control phase we will determine the change in activity levels of patients treated in a usual rehabilitation environment over time. In the intervention phase structured observational techniques (behavioural mapping) will be used to quantify the change in activity levels of patients exposed to environmental enrichment. The primary outcome is change in activity level. Additional data collected on entry to and exit from the study will include: cognitive function using a battery of cognitive tests, general function using the Functional Independence Measure, mood using the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 and boredom using the Stroke Rehabilitation Boredom Survey. Quality of life will be assessed using the Assessment of Quality of Life 1 month postdischarge from rehabilitation. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry# ACTRN12611000629932. © 2012 The Authors. International Journal of Stroke © 2012 World Stroke Organization.

Smoking frequency among current college student smokers: distinguishing characteristics and factors related to readiness to quit smoking

PubMed Central

Berg, Carla J.; Ling, Pamela M.; Hayes, Rashelle B.; Berg, Erin; Nollen, Nikki; Nehl, Eric; Choi, Won S.; Ahluwalia, Jasjit S.

2012-01-01

Given the increased prevalence of non-daily smoking and changes in smoking patterns, particularly among young adults, we examined correlates of smoking level, specifically motives for smoking, and readiness to quit smoking among 2682 college undergraduates who completed an online survey. Overall, 64.7% (n = 1736) were non-smokers, 11.6% (n = 312) smoked 1–5 days, 10.5% (n = 281) smoked 6–29 days and 13.2% (n = 353) were daily smokers. Ordinal regression analyses modeling smoking level indicated that correlates of higher smoking level included having more friends who smoke (β = 0.63, 95% CI 0.57–0.69) and more frequent other tobacco use (β = 0.04, 95% CI 0.02–0.05), drinking (β = 0.04, 95% CI 0.02–0.07) and binge drinking (β = 0.09, 95% CI 0.06–0.13). Bivariate analyses indicated that daily smokers (versus the subgroups of non-daily smokers) were less likely to smoke for social reasons but more likely to smoke for self-confidence, boredom, and affect regulation. Controlling for sociodemographics, correlates of readiness to quit among current smokers included fewer friends who smoke (P = 0.002), less frequent binge drinking (P = 0.03), being a social smoker (P < 0.001), smoking less for self-confidence (P = 0.04), smoking more for boredom (P = 0.03) and less frequent smoking (P = 0.001). Specific motives for smoking and potential barriers to cessation particularly may be relevant to different groups of college student smokers. PMID:22156071

The Influence of Perceived Disgust on Students' Motivation and Achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Randler, Christoph; Hummel, Eberhard; Wüst-Ackermann, Peter

2013-11-01

There are a wide range of student emotions in academic settings, but apart from emotions such as interest and well-being, disgust is a negative emotion which might be relevant in biology education, for instance, during dissection or when encountering living animals. This paper addresses the issue of situational disgust during a course at the university using living animals and prepared mounts. The course covers a wide range of organisms from protists (e.g. Paramecium) through invertebrates to vertebrates and uses many methods (e.g. microscopy, dissection, and behavioral observations) and specific content (anatomy, structure, and behavior). The dissection of the trout was rated as most disgusting, followed by working with living woodlice, living earthworms, and living snails. The least disgusting lessons were those dealing with microscopy, mammalian skulls, honeybee dance, and bird flight. Based on animals, macro-invertebrates were rated as most disgusting and mammals as least disgusting. Concerning methods, observing through a microscope was perceived as being least disgusting, followed by experiments without animals, then followed by experiments with living animals and, most disgusting, dissection. Disgust was correlated negatively with interest, well-being, and competence but positively with pressure and boredom. Thus, low disgust is related to high interest, well-being, and competence, while higher disgust is related to higher pressure and boredom. The results show a need for measuring situational disgust in addition to survey studies. They also suggest that perceived disgust negatively affects intrinsic motivation. This has implications for biology teaching, because carrying out dissections or experiencing living animals in the classroom may have a detrimental effect on motivation.

Mood, motives, and money: An examination of factors that differentiate online and non-online young adult gamblers

PubMed Central

Goldstein, Abby L.; Vilhena-Churchill, Natalie; Stewart, Sherry H.; Hoaken, Peter N. S.; Flett, Gordon L.

2016-01-01

Background and aims To date, there is a lack of research on psychological factors associated with young adult online gambling. The current study examined differences between young adult online and non-online gamblers, using information gathered at baseline and over 30 days during which participants reported on their moods, gambling behaviors, and reasons for initiating and discontinuing gambling. Methods Participants were 108 young adult regular gamblers (i.e., gambling four or more times in the past month) who participated in a 30-day daily diary study. Results Male gender, baseline coping motives for gambling and negative affect averaged across the 30 days emerged as significant correlates of online gambling, over and above other background variables. Online gamblers also scored higher on a baseline measure of pathological gambling. Over the 30 days of self-monitoring, online gamblers spent more time gambling, and won more money gambling, whereas non-online gamblers consumed more alcohol while gambling. Online gambling was more often initiated to make money, because of boredom and to demonstrate skills, whereas non-online gambling was more often initiated for social reasons and for excitement. Online gambling was more often discontinued because of boredom, fatigue or distress, whereas non-online gambling was discontinued because friends stopped gambling or mood was improved. Discussion and conclusions This study provides preliminary evidence that coping strategies may be particularly important to reduce risks for online gamblers, whereas strategies for non-online gamblers should focus on the social aspects of gambling. PMID:28092184

The loneliness of the long-duration astronaut.

PubMed

Cooper, H S

1996-01-01

This paper investigates the psychological implications of long duration spaceflight. Initial psychological problems associated with a heavy workload were identified during Skylab missions. Since then, most of our knowledge of psychological problems has come from experience onboard Russian spacecraft. Noted problems include anxiety, boredom, crew interactions, problems associated with isolation and confinement, and others. Efforts to alleviate or prevent these problems are discussed, as well as comparisons to similar environments such as arctic regions or submarines. As the U.S. participates in longer space missions, it will be wise to study psychological issues and to learn from our Russian counterparts.

Religious coping and cognitive symptoms of depression in elderly medical patients.

PubMed

Koenig, H G; Cohen, H J; Blazer, D G; Kudler, H S; Krishnan, K R; Sibert, T E

1995-01-01

The investigators examined associations between depressive symptom type and religious coping in 832 consecutively admitted older medical inpatients. Cognitive symptoms of depression, but not somatic symptoms, were related to religious coping. Boredom, loss of interest, social withdrawal, feeling downhearted and blue, restlessness, feeling like a failure, feeling hopeless, or feeling that other people were better off were all significantly less common among religious copers. Difficulty initiating new activities was the only somatic symptom related to this coping behavior. Religious coping, a strategy heavily dependent on cognitive processes, is associated with fewer cognitive but not somatic symptoms of depression in medically ill older patients

Young peoples' opinions about the causes of, and solutions to, New Zealand's high youth suicide rate.

PubMed

Heled, Edna; Read, John

2005-04-01

In response to an open-ended question about the causes of New Zealand's high youth suicide rate, 384 young adults most commonly cited pressure to conform and perform, followed by financial worries, abuse and neglect, problems with alcohol or drugs, and boredom. Depression was cited by 5 percent and mental illness by only 1 percent. Recommended solutions included crisis support services located in schools and youth centers, youth activities, educational programs to assist young people to discuss feelings and to bolster self-esteem, and financial aid. Neither increasing mental health services, nor reducing media coverage of suicides, was considered to be a solution.

Trial, Adoption, Usage and Diffusion of Social Media

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

Gaming Users Online Forums Users Podcasting Users Ease of use 15 20 3 0 0 0 To stay in contact 11 0 1 0 0 0 Pressure from friends 10 1 2 0 0 0...focused 2 0 0 0 0 0 Ease of use 2 3 0 0 0 0 Kill boredom 2 0 0 0 0 0 Content (self- expression) 1 0 1 0 0 0 Catch people’s attention 1 0 0 0 0 0...Users Online Forums Users Podcasting Users Stay in contact with friends 20 0 0 0 0 0 Ease of use 6 2 0 0 0 0 Technology features 6 8 0 0

The physiology of boredom, depression and senile dementia.

PubMed

Saunders, M N

1996-05-01

Mental stimulation ensures the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients to the brain. The stimulation can be either generated internally from thought and rumination or externally from our environment via the senses. Without this stimulation, neuron shrinkage and atrophy eventually may lead to depression and senile dementia. This paper explains why mental stimulation may be prevented from realizing its beneficial effects of increasing the blood flow to the brain. The hypothesis is based on feedback biological mechanisms that prevent overload of the neural circuitry due to excessive mental stimulation. However, if overstimulation is maintained over a long period and, with it, the overload protection process, it may eventually lead to permanent depletion of neuron connections and also neural communications.

Borderline personality disorder: study in adolescence.

PubMed

James, A; Berelowitz, M; Vereker, M

1996-04-01

The study of the presentation, symptomatology and family characteristics of an exclusively adolescent sample of patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) was undertaken. Twenty-four cases of borderline personality disorder, 20 females, 4 males, identified using chart review and meeting the criteria of the Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines (DIB) and DSM III-R, were matched with psychiatric controls. Adolescents with borderline personality disorder were found to have high rates of affective symptomatology with Axis I diagnosis of major depressive disorder MDD (DSM-III-R), and high rates of interpersonal psychopathology, i.e., manipulation, devaluation, and a pervasive sense of boredom. The latter seem to be characteristic as for adults with borderline personality disorder. The families were particularly angry and volatile.

Identifying Features of Bodily Expression As Indicators of Emotional Experience during Multimedia Learning

PubMed Central

Riemer, Valentin; Frommel, Julian; Layher, Georg; Neumann, Heiko; Schrader, Claudia

2017-01-01

The importance of emotions experienced by learners during their interaction with multimedia learning systems, such as serious games, underscores the need to identify sources of information that allow the recognition of learners’ emotional experience without interrupting the learning process. Bodily expression is gaining in attention as one of these sources of information. However, to date, the question of how bodily expression can convey different emotions has largely been addressed in research relying on acted emotion displays. Following a more contextualized approach, the present study aims to identify features of bodily expression (i.e., posture and activity of the upper body and the head) that relate to genuine emotional experience during interaction with a serious game. In a multimethod approach, 70 undergraduates played a serious game relating to financial education while their bodily expression was captured using an off-the-shelf depth-image sensor (Microsoft Kinect). In addition, self-reports of experienced enjoyment, boredom, and frustration were collected repeatedly during gameplay, to address the dynamic changes in emotions occurring in educational tasks. Results showed that, firstly, the intensities of all emotions indeed changed significantly over the course of the game. Secondly, by using generalized estimating equations, distinct features of bodily expression could be identified as significant indicators for each emotion under investigation. A participant keeping their head more turned to the right was positively related to frustration being experienced, whereas keeping their head more turned to the left was positively related to enjoyment. Furthermore, having their upper body positioned more closely to the gaming screen was also positively related to frustration. Finally, increased activity of a participant’s head emerged as a significant indicator of boredom being experienced. These results confirm the value of bodily expression as an indicator of emotional experience in multimedia learning systems. Furthermore, the findings may guide developers of emotion recognition procedures by focusing on the identified features of bodily expression. PMID:28798717

Manufacturing work and organizational stresses in export processing zones.

PubMed

Lu, Jinky Leilanie

2009-10-01

In the light of global industrialization, much attention has been focused on occupational factors and their influence on the health and welfare of workers. This was a cross sectional study using stratified sampling technique based on industry sizes. The study sampled 24 industries, 6 were small scale industries and 9 each for medium and large scale industries. From the 24 industries, a total of 500 respondents for the questionnaire was taken. For occupational health and safety standards that industries have to comply with, there was low compliance among small-scale industries relative to the medium and large scale industries. Only one industry had an air cleaning device for cleaning contaminated air prior to emission into the external community. Among the 500 respondents, majority were female (88.8%), single (69.6%) and worked in the production or assembly-line station (87.4%). Sickness absenteeism was relative high among the workers in this study accounting for almost 54% among females and 48% among males. Many of the workers also reported of poor performance at work, boredom, tardiness and absenteeism. For association between work factors and personal factors, the following were found to be statistically significant at p=0.05. Boredom was associated with lack of skills training, lack of promotion, disincentives for sick leaves, poor relationship with boss and poor relationships with employers. On the other hand, poor performance was also associated with lack of skills training, lack of promotions, job insecurity, and poor relationship with employers. From the data generated, important issues that must be dealt with in work organizations include the quality of work life, and health and safety issues. Based on these findings, we can conclude that there are still issues on occupational health and safety (OHS) in the target site of export processing zones in the Philippines. There must be an active campaign for OHS in industries that are produce for the global market such as the target industries in this study.

Good distractions: Testing the effects of listening to an audiobook on driving performance in simple and complex road environments.

PubMed

Nowosielski, Robert J; Trick, Lana M; Toxopeus, Ryan

2018-02-01

Distracted driving (driving while performing a secondary task) causes many collisions. Most research on distracted driving has focused on operating a cell-phone, but distracted driving can include eating while driving, conversing with passengers or listening to music or audiobooks. Although the research has focused on the deleterious effects of distraction, there may be situations where distraction improves driving performance. Fatigue and boredom are also associated with collision risk and it is possible that secondary tasks can help alleviate the effects of fatigue and boredom. Furthermore, it has been found that individuals with high levels of executive functioning as measured by the OSPAN (Operation Span) task show better driving while multitasking. In this study, licensed drivers were tested in a driving simulator (a car body surrounded by screens) that simulated simple or complex roads. Road complexity was manipulated by increasing traffic, scenery, and the number of curves in the drive. Participants either drove, or drove while listening to an audiobook. Driving performance was measured in terms of braking response time to hazards (HRT): the time required to brake in response to pedestrians or vehicles that suddenly emerged from the periphery into the path of the vehicle, speed, standard deviation of speed, standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP). Overall, braking times to hazards were higher on the complex drive than the simple one, though the effects of secondary tasks such as audiobooks were especially deleterious on the complex drive. In contrast, on the simple drive, driving while listening to an audiobook lead to faster HRT. We found evidence that individuals with high OSPAN scores had faster HRTs when listening to an audiobook. These results suggest that there are environmental and individual factors behind difference in the allocation of attention while listening to audiobooks while driving. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Examining the relationships between posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, positive smoking outcome expectancies, and cigarette smoking in people with substance use disorders: a multiple mediator model.

PubMed

Hruska, Bryce; Bernier, Jennifer; Kenner, Frank; Kenne, Deric R; Boros, Alec P; Richardson, Christopher J; Delahanty, Douglas L

2014-01-01

Cigarette smoking is highly prevalent in people with substance use disorders (SUDs) and is associated with significant physical health problems. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is also highly associated with both SUDs and cigarette smoking and may serve as a barrier to smoking cessation efforts. In addition, people with PTSD are more likely to hold positive smoking outcome expectancies (i.e., beliefs that smoking cigarettes results in positive outcomes); these beliefs may contribute to cigarette smoking in people with SUDs experiencing PTSD symptoms. The present study examined the relationship between PTSD symptoms and typical daily cigarette smoking/cigarette dependence symptoms in a sample of 227 trauma-exposed current smokers with SUDs (59.9% male, 89.4% Caucasian) seeking detoxification treatment services. Additionally, the indirect effects of multiple types of positive smoking outcome expectancies on these relationships were examined. Participants completed questionnaires assessing PTSD symptoms, positive smoking outcome expectancies, cigarette consumption, and cigarette dependence symptoms. Results indicated that PTSD symptoms were not directly related to cigarette consumption or cigarette dependence symptoms. However, negative affect reduction outcome expectancies were shown to have a significant indirect effect between PTSD symptoms and cigarette consumption, while negative affect reduction, boredom reduction, and taste-sensorimotor manipulation outcome expectancies were all found to have significant indirect effects between PTSD symptoms and cigarette dependence symptoms. The indirect effect involving negative affect reduction outcome expectancies was statistically larger than that of taste sensorimotor manipulation outcome expectancies, while negative affect reduction and boredom reduction outcome expectancies were comparable in magnitude. These results suggest that expectancies that smoking can manage negative affective experiences are related to cigarette smoking in people with SUDs experiencing PTSD symptoms and suggest that effective smoking cessation treatments should take into account these expectancies. © 2013.

“Chickens Are a Lot Smarter than I Originally Thought”: Changes in Student Attitudes to Chickens Following a Chicken Training Class

PubMed Central

Hazel, Susan J.; O’Dwyer, Lisel; Ryan, Terry

2015-01-01

Simple Summary Our attitudes to animals are linked to our beliefs about their cognitive abilities, such as intelligence and capacity to experience emotional states. In this study, undergraduate students were surveyed on their attitudes to chickens pre- and post- a practical class in which they learnt to clicker train chickens. Students were more likely to agree that chickens are intelligent and easy to teach tricks to, and that chickens feel emotions such as boredom, frustration and happiness, following the practical class. Similar workshops may be an effective method to improve animal training skills, and promote more positive attitudes to specific animal species. Abstract A practical class using clicker training of chickens to apply knowledge of how animals learn and practice skills in animal training was added to an undergraduate course. Since attitudes to animals are related to their perceived intelligence, surveys of student attitudes were completed pre- and post- the practical class, to determine if (1) the practical class changed students’ attitudes to chickens and their ability to experience affective states, and (2) any changes were related to previous contact with chickens, training experience or gender. In the post- versus pre-surveys, students agreed more that chickens are easy to teach tricks to, are intelligent, and have individual personalities and disagreed more that they are difficult to train and are slow learners. Following the class, they were more likely to believe chickens experience boredom, frustration and happiness. Females rated the intelligence and ability to experience affective states in chickens more highly than males, although there were shifts in attitude in both genders. This study demonstrated shifts in attitudes following a practical class teaching clicker training in chickens. Similar practical classes may provide an effective method of teaching animal training skills and promoting more positive attitudes to animals. PMID:26479388

On the possible adaptive value of coprophagy in free-ranging chimpanzees.

PubMed

Krief, Sabrina; Jamart, Aliette; Hladik, Claude-Marcel

2004-04-01

Coprophagy occurred during major periods of feeding on fruits of Dialium spp. (Caesalpiniaceae) in a group of orphaned chimpanzees released in Conkouati Douli National Park, Republic of Congo. Since stress, boredom or food scarcity could not explain coprophagy according to our daily behavioral and veterinary control observations, we suggest that Dialium seeds were the item of interest in the feces. Two types of Dialium seeds were commonly found in the feces after chimpanzees swallowed the mesocarp and whole seeds together. These seeds were either whole and hard or whole/broken and soft imbibed. A mechanical and/or chemical effect of the gut passage may enable the chimpanzees to chew and ingest the seeds, thus providing nutritional intake.

Powerful learning with public purpose.

PubMed

Cervone, Barbara

2010-01-01

Boredom and failure combine in a toxic brew that propels too many young people off the graduation path. Research shows that engaged students are more likely to perform well academically, that students who are challenged are less likely to be bored and disengaged, and that high-quality instruction and meaningful activities are key factors in promoting a culture of engagement and achievement in and outside the classroom. With data and real-world examples, the author shows how students and their communities are benefiting from collaborative student-led projects. These projects stem from What Kids Can Do, a program that advocates for learning that engages students as knowledge creators and that promotes young people as valued resources and critical voices in policy debates about school, society, and world affairs.

Encouraging alternative forms of self expression in the generation Y student: a strategy for effective learning in the classroom.

PubMed

Arhin, Afua Ottie; Johnson-Mallard, Versie

2003-01-01

A majority of students in the classrooms of colleges and universities today, are a product of a generation of latch key kids in which daycare, babysitters, television, and computers serve as surrogate parents. With the proliferation of technology, the internet, beepers and cell phones have become social lifelines for this generation. They are technology savvy, independent and resourceful. Conditioned to expect immediate gratification, these youth have shorter attention spans and also a low threshold for boredom. It can be quite a challenge for educators to keep these young people engaged in the classroom. This paper presents an innovative teaching/learning strategy used in a nursing school in Florida that accommodates the unique characteristics of these learners.

The new dropout challenge: bridging gaps among students, parents, and teachers.

PubMed

Bridgeland, John M

2010-01-01

Interview and survey data reveal significant disconnects among the insights and perspectives of dropouts, parents, teachers, and administrators on the causes and solutions to the dropout challenge. Many educators, for example, do not see boredom as a factor for most dropouts, while young people who drop out see it as the central cause. The author argues that if these disconnects are not more fully understood and bridged, they will continue to set back efforts to keep more students in school and on track to graduate ready for postsecondary education. Models for how communities can engage these constituencies in productive dialogue and transformative action are included in reports and in Grad Nation, a guidebook that helps communities tackle their dropout crises.

Neurologic Complications of Psychomotor Stimulant Abuse.

PubMed

Sanchez-Ramos, Juan

2015-01-01

Psychomotor stimulants are drugs that act on the central nervous system (CNS) to increase alertness, elevate mood, and produce a sense of well-being. These drugs also decrease appetite and the need for sleep. Stimulants can enhance stamina and improve performance in tasks that have been impaired by fatigue or boredom. Approved therapeutic applications of stimulants include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy, and obesity. These agents also possess potent reinforcing properties that can result in excessive self-administration and abuse. Chronic use is associated with adverse effects including psychosis, seizures, and cerebrovascular accidents, though these complications usually occur in individuals with preexisting risk factors. This chapter reviews the adverse neurologic consequences of chronic psychomotor stimulant use and abuse, with a focus on two prototypical stimulants methamphetamine and cocaine. © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A person-centered approach to individualizing a school-based universal preventive intervention.

PubMed

Caldwell, Linda L; Bradley, Stephanie; Coffman, Donna

2009-01-01

This manuscript focuses on how individualized components may be embedded within a universal preventive intervention (TimeWise: Taking Charge of Leisure Time) to make program delivery more effective. Leisure related variables (motivation, boredom/interest and peer and parental influence) were used to suggest ways to individualize the program. Latent Class Analysis was used to develop individualized risk and strength profiles of adolescents (N = 617). Comparisons were made between a treatment and control group. Four classes were identified: undifferentiated high, intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation/amotivation, undifferentiated low. These classes were related to substance use. Membership in the intrinsic class was associated with intervention group while the extrinsic class was related to the control group. Results were useful in suggesting ways to tailor a universal prevention program.

Mood state and cerebral metabolism in persons with age-associated memory impairment.

PubMed

Cherrier, M M; Small, G W; Komo, S; La Rue, A

1997-12-30

People undergoing medical procedures sometimes experience feelings that may influence the results. In this study, we explore the relationship between changes in mood state self-ratings and cerebral glucose metabolism during positron emission tomography (PET) in persons with age-associated memory impairment (mean age 59.4 +/- 9.8 years). Brain regions of interest involved in both mood and memory were examined. Mood ratings of increased boredom correlated significantly with mesial temporal and parietal asymmetry and decreased parietal metabolism. Mood ratings of increased fatigue correlated with basal ganglia asymmetry and the right basal ganglia and left mesial temporal metabolism. These findings suggest that subjective mood state changes during PET may influence metabolism in brain regions implicated in emotion and memory function in people with age-related memory complaints.

Weinberg's syndrome: a disorder of attention and behavior problems needing further research.

PubMed

Brumback, R A

2000-07-01

A subset of inattentive children have an underlying problem in sustaining wakefulness ("vigilance"). This disorder of vigilance, termed Weinberg's syndrome, is characterized by difficulty in maintaining wakefulness and alertness as evidenced by (among other symptoms) motor restlessness (fidgeting and moving about, yawning and stretching, talkativeness) and complaints of tiredness. During tasks requiring concentration (continuous mental activity) such as reading, children with Weinberg's syndrome will daydream, lose interest, complain of boredom, and become increasingly restless. Napping, while infrequent, usually is not refreshing. A distinct personality described by family members and friends as kind, affectionate, compassionate, or "angelic" also seems to characterize this condition. Weinberg's syndrome has a familial pattern suggesting autosomal-dominant inheritance. Additional neurophysiologic, pharmacotherapeutic, epidemiologic, and genetic studies will be necessary for a full understanding of Weinberg's syndrome.

Work stress, substance use, and depression among young adult workers: an examination of main and moderator effect model.

PubMed

Wiesner, Margit; Windle, Michael; Freeman, Amy

2005-04-01

In this cross-sectional study, main and moderated relationships between 5 job stressors and alcohol consumption, drug use, and depression were examined using data from a community sample of 583 young adults (mean age = 23.68 years). Analyses revealed a few direct associations between high job boredom, low skill variety, and low autonomy and depression measures and heavy alcohol use. There were no direct relationships between job stress and binge drinking, alcohol consumption, drug use, or heavy drug use. In a few cases, job stress-outcome relationships were moderated by intrinsic job motivation or gender. The findings supported a specificity-of-effects hypothesis and underscored the need for examining the processes linking occupational stress to substance use and depression. Copyright 2005 APA, all rights reserved.

An ecological approach to learning with technology: responding to tensions within the "wow-effect" phenomenon in teaching practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herro, Danielle

2016-12-01

This review explores Anne Kamstrupp's "The Wow-effect in Science Teacher Education" by examining her theorized "wow-effect" as a teaching enactment that may serve to engage students, but often fails to provide deep understanding of science content. My response extends her perspective of socio-materiality as means to understand the "wow-effect" by suggesting social constructivism provides a more accurate lens to disentangle the phenomenon. I react to her position that tension fields within the phenomenon include the relationship between new and old technologies, boredom and engagement, and active and sedentary learning. In this conversation, I point to a new way of conceptualizing using digital media in the classroom as ecology of learning that may serve to decrease problems associated with the "wow-effect".

Considerations for human-machine interfaces in tele-operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newport, Curt

1991-01-01

Numerous factors impact on the efficiency of tele-operative manipulative work. Generally, these are related to the physical environment of the tele-operator and how he interfaces with robotic control consoles. The capabilities of the operator can be influenced by considerations such as temperature, eye strain, body fatigue, and boredom created by repetitive work tasks. In addition, the successful combination of man and machine will, in part, be determined by the configuration of the visual and physical interfaces available to the teleoperator. The design and operation of system components such as full-scale and mini-master manipulator controllers, servo joysticks, and video monitors will have a direct impact on operational efficiency. As a result, the local environment and the interaction of the operator with the robotic control console have a substantial effect on mission productivity.

Motivation.

PubMed

Chambers, David W

2007-01-01

Motivation is short-term focused energy. The oldest theories of motivation explain motivated activity as effort to overcome primary deficiencies, such as hunger or boredom. Such theories are difficult to apply because individuals learn idiosyncratic secondary motives as alternative ways of responding to these needs. Three prominent needs theories are discussed: Herzberg's theory of hygiene and motivational factors; McClelland's needs for achievement, power, and affiliation; and Maslow's hierarchy and theory of self-actualization. A second approach to motivation holds that individuals may be thought of as engaging in rational processes to maximize their self-interests. The presented examples of this approach include Vroom's expectancy theory, Adam's theory of inequality, and the Porter-Lawler model that addresses the question of whether satisfaction leads to high performance or vice versa. Finally, several theories of motivation as life orientation are developed.

Development and validation of a multi-dimensional measure of intellectual humility

PubMed Central

Alfano, Mark; Iurino, Kathryn; Stey, Paul; Robinson, Brian; Christen, Markus; Yu, Feng; Lapsley, Daniel

2017-01-01

This paper presents five studies on the development and validation of a scale of intellectual humility. This scale captures cognitive, affective, behavioral, and motivational components of the construct that have been identified by various philosophers in their conceptual analyses of intellectual humility. We find that intellectual humility has four core dimensions: Open-mindedness (versus Arrogance), Intellectual Modesty (versus Vanity), Corrigibility (versus Fragility), and Engagement (versus Boredom). These dimensions display adequate self-informant agreement, and adequate convergent, divergent, and discriminant validity. In particular, Open-mindedness adds predictive power beyond the Big Six for an objective behavioral measure of intellectual humility, and Intellectual Modesty is uniquely related to Narcissism. We find that a similar factor structure emerges in Germanophone participants, giving initial evidence for the model’s cross-cultural generalizability. PMID:28813478

Effect of work during pregnancy.

PubMed

Chamberlain, G

1985-05-01

Obstetricians pay much attention to the diet and environment of the pregnant woman in prenatal care, but perhaps the woman's work also may affect pregnancy outcome. All women work in the home in addition to any work performed outside the home. The former component needs careful assessment; to get from home to work may be itself a stressful experience. In the workplace, women may encounter specific hazards of radiation or chemicals. More widespread are the problems of fatigue and boredom, which need careful assessment in relation to the outcome of pregnancy. These factors should be measured more precisely, thus allowing the physician to advise pregnant women better about the safe duration of work. Currently, advice tends to be overly cautious, as physicians are uncertain of the data on which such standards are based.

Instructional games: Scientific language use, concept understanding, and attitudinal development of middle school learners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mongillo, Geraldine

The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover the influence of instructional games on middle school learners' use of scientific language, concept understanding, and attitude toward learning science. The rationale for this study stemmed from the lack of research concerning the value of play as an instructional strategy for older learners. Specifically, the study focused on the ways in which 6 average ability 7th grade students demonstrated scientific language and concept use during gameplay. The data were collected for this 6-week study in a southern New Jersey suburban middle school and included audio recordings of the 5 games observed in class, written documents (e.g., student created game questions, self-evaluation forms, pre- and post-assessments, and the final quiz) interviews, and researcher field notes. Data were coded and interpreted borrowing from the framework for scientific literacy developed by Bybee (1997). Based on the findings, the framework was modified to reflect the level of scientific understanding demonstrated by the participants and categorized as: Unacquainted, Nominal, Functional, and Conceptual. Major findings suggested that the participants predominantly achieved the Functional level of scientific literacy (i.e., the ability to adequately and appropriately use scientific language in both written and oral discourse) during games. Further, it was discovered that the participants achieved the Conceptual level of scientific literacy during gameplay. Through games participants were afforded the opportunity to use common, everyday language to explore concepts, promoted through peer collaboration. In games the participants used common language to build understandings that exceeded Nominal or token use of the technical vocabulary and concepts. Additionally, the participants reported through interviews and self-evaluation forms that their attitude (patterns included: Motivation, Interest, Fun, Relief from Boredom, and an Alternate Learning Approach) toward learning science was positively affected by playing games. This research confirmed the value of playing instructional games and indicated the potential benefits for teaching and learning scientific vocabulary and concepts in middle school settings. Educators are in need of finding methods that stimulate the often disinterested or disengaged adolescent student. Results from this investigation suggested that games provided a meaningful alternate learning approach that relieved the boredom associated with traditional science instruction.

What Chinese adolescents think about quitting smoking: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Abdullah, Abu Saleh M; Ho, Winnie W N

2006-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the attitudes of Chinese adolescents toward smoking, giving up smoking, and smoking cessation programs presently available. The study was a qualitative study carried out in 2002 by focus groups of 32 male secondary school students in Hong Kong who were either current smokers or had recently given up smoking. Subjects were students (grades 8-10) attending two full-day secondary schools in Hong Kong. Participants did not feel the need to make any serious psychological preparation for quitting. They underestimated the addictive nature of cigarette smoking and felt that they could choose to quit smoking at any time with little difficulty. Several barriers to quitting were reported, including boredom, peer influence, the urge to smoke, school work pressure, the wish to do something with their hands, difficulty in concentrating, and the ready availability of free cigarettes from peers. Those who had attempted to quit smoking (26/32) reported that peer influence and boredom were the main reasons why they started smoking and insisted that willpower and determination could have helped them in their quitting attempt. Participants were unanimous that pressure or encouragement from teachers, parents, or girlfriends did not help them to stay off cigarettes. Most (24/32) of the current smokers knew that smoking cessation services were available in Hong Kong, only 50% (12/24) of those who knew had made use of such services. None of the participants were able to identify any effective way of quitting smoking, though some suggested that the best practical measure was to avoid friends who smoked. The study suggests that attempts to persuade young people to quit smoking might benefit if they were framed to address issues such as the strong influence of their peers, the ease with which tobacco products can be obtained, the casual attitudes of young people toward smoking cessation, the perceived pros and cons of quitting, and (given that underage smoking is frowned upon by many parents and teachers) the need to respect confidentiality when offering support.

EEG Correlates of the Flow State: A Combination of Increased Frontal Theta and Moderate Frontocentral Alpha Rhythm in the Mental Arithmetic Task.

PubMed

Katahira, Kenji; Yamazaki, Yoichi; Yamaoka, Chiaki; Ozaki, Hiroaki; Nakagawa, Sayaka; Nagata, Noriko

2018-01-01

Flow experience is a subjective state experienced during holistic involvement in a certain activity, which has been reported to function as a factor promoting motivation, skill development, and better performance in the activity. To verify the positive effects of flow and develop a method to utilize it, the establishment of a reliable measurement of the flow state is essential. The present study utilized an electroencephalogram (EEG) during an experimentally evoked flow state and examined the possibility of objective measurement of immediate flow. A total of 16 participants (10 males, 6 females) participated in the experiment that employed a mental arithmetic task developed in a previous study. Post-trial self-report of the flow state and EEG during task execution were measured and compared among three conditions (Boredom, Flow, and Overload) that had different levels of task difficulty. Furthermore, the correlations between subjective flow items and EEG activity were examined. As expected, the ratings on the subjective evaluation items representing the flow state were the highest in the Flow condition. Regarding the EEG data, theta activities in the frontal areas were higher in the Flow and the Overload conditions than in the Boredom condition, and alpha activity in the frontal areas and the right central area gradually increased depending on the task difficulty. These EEG activities correlated with self-reported flow experience, especially items related to the concentration on the task and task difficulty. From the results, the flow state was characterized by increased theta activities in the frontal areas and moderate alpha activities in the frontal and central areas. The former may be related to a high level of cognitive control and immersion in task, and the latter suggests that the load on the working memory was not excessive. The findings of this study suggest the possibility of distinguishing the flow state from other states using multiple EEG activities and indicate the need for other physiological indicators corresponding to the other aspects of flow experience.

EEG Correlates of the Flow State: A Combination of Increased Frontal Theta and Moderate Frontocentral Alpha Rhythm in the Mental Arithmetic Task

PubMed Central

Katahira, Kenji; Yamazaki, Yoichi; Yamaoka, Chiaki; Ozaki, Hiroaki; Nakagawa, Sayaka; Nagata, Noriko

2018-01-01

Flow experience is a subjective state experienced during holistic involvement in a certain activity, which has been reported to function as a factor promoting motivation, skill development, and better performance in the activity. To verify the positive effects of flow and develop a method to utilize it, the establishment of a reliable measurement of the flow state is essential. The present study utilized an electroencephalogram (EEG) during an experimentally evoked flow state and examined the possibility of objective measurement of immediate flow. A total of 16 participants (10 males, 6 females) participated in the experiment that employed a mental arithmetic task developed in a previous study. Post-trial self-report of the flow state and EEG during task execution were measured and compared among three conditions (Boredom, Flow, and Overload) that had different levels of task difficulty. Furthermore, the correlations between subjective flow items and EEG activity were examined. As expected, the ratings on the subjective evaluation items representing the flow state were the highest in the Flow condition. Regarding the EEG data, theta activities in the frontal areas were higher in the Flow and the Overload conditions than in the Boredom condition, and alpha activity in the frontal areas and the right central area gradually increased depending on the task difficulty. These EEG activities correlated with self-reported flow experience, especially items related to the concentration on the task and task difficulty. From the results, the flow state was characterized by increased theta activities in the frontal areas and moderate alpha activities in the frontal and central areas. The former may be related to a high level of cognitive control and immersion in task, and the latter suggests that the load on the working memory was not excessive. The findings of this study suggest the possibility of distinguishing the flow state from other states using multiple EEG activities and indicate the need for other physiological indicators corresponding to the other aspects of flow experience. PMID:29593605

Effects of Exergame Play on EF in Children and Adolescents at a Summer Camp for Low Income Youth

PubMed Central

Flynn, Rachel M.; Richert, Rebekah A.; Staiano, Amanda E.; Wartella, Ellen; Calvert, Sandra L.

2014-01-01

Past research has suggested exergame play improves adolescents’ executive function (EF) skills. EF change in 70 African American and Hispanic/Latino 10- to 16-year-olds participating in an inner-city summer camp was assessed following five 30-minute exergame play sessions. Children’s EF scores improved from pre- to posttest, and factors related to this change were examined. The number of exergame sessions the participants attended predicted posttest scores. In addition, level of achievement during game play was related to EF scores. Finally, the children’s level of enjoyment was not related to EF; however, frustration and boredom during game play were negatively related to EF. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the relationship between exergame play and cognitive benefits for adolescent players. PMID:25328562

Measuring emotions during epistemic activities: the Epistemically-Related Emotion Scales.

PubMed

Pekrun, Reinhard; Vogl, Elisabeth; Muis, Krista R; Sinatra, Gale M

2017-09-01

Measurement instruments assessing multiple emotions during epistemic activities are largely lacking. We describe the construction and validation of the Epistemically-Related Emotion Scales, which measure surprise, curiosity, enjoyment, confusion, anxiety, frustration, and boredom occurring during epistemic cognitive activities. The instrument was tested in a multinational study of emotions during learning from conflicting texts (N = 438 university students from the United States, Canada, and Germany). The findings document the reliability, internal validity, and external validity of the instrument. A seven-factor model best fit the data, suggesting that epistemically-related emotions should be conceptualised in terms of discrete emotion categories, and the scales showed metric invariance across the North American and German samples. Furthermore, emotion scores changed over time as a function of conflicting task information and related significantly to perceived task value and use of cognitive and metacognitive learning strategies.

Drug-induced ego states. I. Cocaine: phenomenology and implications.

PubMed

Spotts, J V; Shontz, F C

1984-04-01

The ego state experienced by chronic users of cocaine is described in terms of sensorimotor functioning, cognitive functioning, emotionality, spatiality , temporality , causality, and materiality . At low use levels the state is pleasurable, but at high levels fear, anxiety, and paranoia increase, and ultimately reality contact breaks down. Q-sort, Semantic Differential, and other data suggest that low-level users take cocaine to overcome personal insecurities and relieve boredom. Heavy users take it to support overvaulting ambitions and intense strivings for self-sufficiency. Psychotherapy with such persons must deal with their counterdependency , anger, and despair, and with their underlying sense of betrayal . These persons have unacknowledged needs for spiritual experience that must be dealt with openly. A description of persons most vulnerable to heavy use of cocaine is provided, and recommendations for research and social policy are presented.

Empirical validation of a model of reminiscence and health in later life.

PubMed

Cappeliez, Philippe; O'Rourke, Norm

2006-07-01

This study addresses the adaptive value of functions of reminiscence with respect to physical and mental health in later life. A model examining the relationships between the functions of reminiscence and life satisfaction, psychiatric distress, and health is presented and tested. Self-positive (reminiscence for Identity, Death Preparation, and Problem Solving) and self-negative (reminiscence for Boredom Reduction, Bitterness Revival, and Intimacy Maintenance) functions have statistically significant and direct associations with the well-being of this sample of older adults, the first positively and the second negatively. Prosocial functions (reminiscence for Conversation, and to Teach-Inform Others) appear to have no direct link with health. Self-functions appear to have an important and lasting influence on physical and mental health, whereas prosocial functions may affect health by means of their role in emotional regulation.

Admission to a psychiatric unit and changes in tobacco smoking.

PubMed

Ker, Suzy; Owens, David

2008-05-06

Smoking and withdrawal from smoking complicates the assessment and treatment of mental illness. We aimed to establish whether psychiatric inpatients smoke different amounts after admission than beforehand and, if so, to find out why. Forty-three inpatients on a working age adult psychiatry ward completed self-report questionnaires about smoking habits. Those who smoked a different amount after admission had a follow-up interview to find out why they thought this had occurred. The interview incorporated qualitative and quantitative aspects which were analysed accordingly.Fifty-six percent of participants were smokers before admission, rising to 70% afterwards. Of the smokers, 17% smoked less after admission, and 63% smoked more. The average number of cigarettes smoked per person per day increased from five to thirteen. The main reasons for smoking more were boredom, stress and the wish to socialise.

Aspects of depression associated with borderline personality disorder.

PubMed

Rogers, J H; Widiger, T A; Krupp, A

1995-02-01

Shared symptoms between borderline personality disorder and depression have resulted in inherent difficulties in evaluating the relationship between these disorders. Some theorists have argued that depression in patients with borderline personality disorder is qualitatively distinct from depression in nonborderline patients. The purpose of this study was to empirically identify aspects of depression most associated with borderline personality disorder. Through interview and self-report measures, the authors studied depression in 50 inpatients, 21 of whom had borderline personality disorder. The aspects of depression most associated with borderline personality disorder were self-condemnation, emptiness, abandonment fears, self-destructiveness, and hopelessness; boredom and somatic complaints exhibited no association. Depression associated with borderline pathology appears to be in some respects unique, as well as distinct from nonborderline depression. The study's implications delineate the importance of considering the phenomenological aspects of depression in borderline personality disorder.

Effects of Exergame Play on EF in Children and Adolescents at a Summer Camp for Low Income Youth.

PubMed

Flynn, Rachel M; Richert, Rebekah A; Staiano, Amanda E; Wartella, Ellen; Calvert, Sandra L

2014-01-01

Past research has suggested exergame play improves adolescents' executive function (EF) skills. EF change in 70 African American and Hispanic/Latino 10- to 16-year-olds participating in an inner-city summer camp was assessed following five 30-minute exergame play sessions. Children's EF scores improved from pre- to posttest, and factors related to this change were examined. The number of exergame sessions the participants attended predicted posttest scores. In addition, level of achievement during game play was related to EF scores. Finally, the children's level of enjoyment was not related to EF; however, frustration and boredom during game play were negatively related to EF. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the relationship between exergame play and cognitive benefits for adolescent players.

Coprophagy in wild bonobos (Pan paniscus) at Wamba in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: a possibly adaptive strategy?

PubMed

Sakamaki, Tetsuya

2010-01-01

Four cases of coprophagy and two cases of fecal inspection were identified during the 1142 h of observing wild bonobos at Wamba in the Luo Scientific Reserve in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. At least 5 females in the study group practiced coprophagy and/or fecal inspection. According to our daily behavioral observations, boredom and stress, insufficient roughage, and the search for essential nutrients could not explain the coprophagy. Several episodes observed in this study indicated that bonobos might have sought and ingested certain valuable food items, such as hard Dialium seeds, in feces during relatively lean seasons. Although coprophagy occurred only rarely among wild bonobos, this practice appeared to represent a possibly adaptive feeding strategy during periods of food scarcity rather than a behavioral abnormality.

Estimating Facets of Psychopathy From Normal Personality Traits: A Step Toward Community Epidemiological Investigations

PubMed Central

Benning, Stephen D.; Patrick, Christopher J.; Blonigen, Daniel M.; Hicks, Brian M.; Iacono, William G.

2008-01-01

In three samples consisting of community and undergraduate men and women and incarcerated men, we examined the criterion validity of two distinct factors of psychopathy embodied in the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI) as indexed by primary trait scales from the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ). Consistent with the PPI factors themselves, MPQ-estimated PPI-I related negatively with internalizing disorder symptoms and fearfulness and positively with thrill and adventure seeking, sociability, activity, and narcissism. MPQ-estimated PPI-II was associated negatively with socialization and positively with externalizing disorder symptoms, impulsivity, disinhibition and boredom susceptibility, and trait anxiety and negative emotionality. Additionally, PPI-I was selectively related to the interpersonal facet of Factor 1 of the Psychopathy Checklist—Revised (PCL-R), whereas PPI-II was related preferentially to Factor 2 of the PCL-R. PMID:15695739

[The influence of musical rhythms on the perception of subjective states of adult patients on dialysis].

PubMed

Caminha, Leandro Bechert; da Silva, Maria Júlia Paes; Leão, Eliseth Ribeiro

2009-12-01

Being submitted to dialysis four hours a day, three times a week can mean experiencing boredom, besides discomfort. Patients often report that the time seems to take longer to go by. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of two different musical rhythms in the states of mind and perception of adult patients undergoing dialysis, since the literature on this subject is scarce. The study was performed at a private hospital with 43 patients, who participated in two sessions of musical improvisation with a keyboard. The subjective states and perception were evaluated before and after the intervention. Over 80% of the patients felt that time went by faster after the interventions in both rhythms. However, the pace was a decisive factor in the kind of emotional experience that the patients had.

The prosocial and aggressive driving inventory (PADI): a self-report measure of safe and unsafe driving behaviors.

PubMed

Harris, Paul B; Houston, John M; Vazquez, Jose A; Smither, Janan A; Harms, Amanda; Dahlke, Jeffrey A; Sachau, Daniel A

2014-11-01

Surveys of 1217 undergraduate students supported the reliability (inter-item and test-retest) and validity of the Prosocial and Aggressive Driving Inventory (PADI). Principal component analyses on the PADI items yielded two scales: Prosocial Driving (17 items) and Aggressive Driving (12 items). Prosocial Driving was associated with fewer reported traffic accidents and violations, with participants who were older and female, and with lower Boredom Susceptibility and Hostility scores, and higher scores on Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Openness, and Neuroticism. Aggressive Driving was associated with more frequent traffic violations, with female participants, and with higher scores on Competitiveness, Sensation Seeking, Hostility, and Extraversion, and lower scores on Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, and Openness. The theoretical and practical implications of the PADI's dual focus on safe and unsafe driving are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Emotional metacontrol of attention: Top-down modulation of sensorimotor processes in a robotic visual search task.

PubMed

Belkaid, Marwen; Cuperlier, Nicolas; Gaussier, Philippe

2017-01-01

Emotions play a significant role in internal regulatory processes. In this paper, we advocate four key ideas. First, novelty detection can be grounded in the sensorimotor experience and allow higher order appraisal. Second, cognitive processes, such as those involved in self-assessment, influence emotional states by eliciting affects like boredom and frustration. Third, emotional processes such as those triggered by self-assessment influence attentional processes. Last, close emotion-cognition interactions implement an efficient feedback loop for the purpose of top-down behavior regulation. The latter is what we call 'Emotional Metacontrol'. We introduce a model based on artificial neural networks. This architecture is used to control a robotic system in a visual search task. The emotional metacontrol intervenes to bias the robot visual attention during active object recognition. Through a behavioral and statistical analysis, we show that this mechanism increases the robot performance and fosters the exploratory behavior to avoid deadlocks.

Yawning and its physiological significance

PubMed Central

Gupta, Sharat; Mittal, Shallu

2013-01-01

Although yawning is a commonly witnessed human behavior, yet it has not been taught in much detail in medical schools because, until the date, no particular physiological significance has been associated with it. It is characterized by opening up of mouth which is accompanied by a long inspiration, with a brief interruption of ventilation and followed by a short expiration. Since time immemorial, yawning has been associated with drowsiness and boredom. However, this age old belief is all set to change as the results of some newer studies have pointed out that yawning might be a way by which our body is trying to accomplish some more meaningful goals. In this review, we have tried to put together some of the important functions that have been proposed by a few authors, with the hope that this article will stimulate the interest of newer researchers in this hitherto unexplored field. PMID:23776833

Resident-to-resident violence triggers in nursing homes.

PubMed

Snellgrove, Susan; Beck, Cornelia; Green, Angela; McSweeney, Jean C

2013-11-01

Certified nurses' assistants (CNAs) employed by a rural nursing home in Northeast Arkansas described their perceptions of resident-to-resident violence in order to provide insight on factors, including unmet needs, that may trigger the phenomenon. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 11 CNAs. Data were analyzed using content analysis and constant comparison. Two categories of triggers emerged from the data-active and passive. Active triggers involved the actions of other residents that were intrusive in nature, such as wandering into a residents' personal space, taking a resident's belongings, and so forth. Passive triggers did not involve the actions of residents but related to the internal and external environment of the residents. Examples were factors such as boredom, competition for attention and communication difficulties. Results indicate that there are factors, including unmet needs within the nursing home environment that may be identified and altered to prevent violence between residents.

Real-Time Associations Between Engaging in Leisure and Daily Health and Well-Being.

PubMed

Zawadzki, Matthew J; Smyth, Joshua M; Costigan, Heather J

2015-08-01

Engagement in leisure has a wide range of beneficial health effects. Yet, this evidence is derived from between-person methods that do not examine the momentary within-person processes theorized to explain leisure's benefits. This study examined momentary relationships between leisure and health and well-being in daily life. A community sample (n = 115) completed ecological momentary assessments six times a day for three consecutive days. At each measurement, participants indicated if they were engaging in leisure and reported on their mood, interest/boredom, and stress levels. Next, participants collected a saliva sample for cortisol analyses. Heart rate was assessed throughout the study. Multilevel models revealed that participants had more positive and less negative mood, more interest, less stress, and lower heart rate when engaging in leisure than when not. Results suggest multiple mechanisms explaining leisure's effectiveness, which can inform leisure-based interventions to improve health and well-being.

Cost effectiveness of ergonomic redesign of electronic motherboard.

PubMed

Sen, Rabindra Nath; Yeow, Paul H P

2003-09-01

A case study to illustrate the cost effectiveness of ergonomic redesign of electronic motherboard was presented. The factory was running at a loss due to the high costs of rejects and poor quality and productivity. Subjective assessments and direct observations were made on the factory. Investigation revealed that due to motherboard design errors, the machine had difficulty in placing integrated circuits onto the pads, the operators had much difficulty in manual soldering certain components and much unproductive manual cleaning (MC) was required. Consequently, there were high rejects and occupational health and safety (OHS) problems, such as, boredom and work discomfort. Also, much labour and machine costs were spent on repairs. The motherboard was redesigned to correct the design errors, to allow more components to be machine soldered and to reduce MC. This eliminated rejects, reduced repairs, saved US dollars 581495/year and improved operators' OHS. The customer also saved US dollars 142105/year on loss of business.

[Crossing borders. The motivation of extreme sportsmen].

PubMed

Opaschowski, H W

2005-08-01

In his article "Crossing borders -- the motivation of extreme sportsmen" the author gets systematically to the bottom of the question of why extreme sportsmen voluntarily take risks and endanger themselves. Within the scope of a representative sampling 217 extreme sportsmen -- from the fields of mountain biking, trekking and free climbing, canoyning, river rafting and deep sea diving, paragliding, parachuting, bungee jumping and survival training -- give information about their personal motives. What fascinates them? The attraction of risk? The search for sensation? Or the drop out of everyday life? And what comes afterwards? Does in the end the whole life become an extreme sport? Fact is: they live extremely, because they want to move beyond well-trodden paths. To escape the boredom of everyday life they are searching for the kick, the thrill, the no-limit experience. It's about calculated risk between altitude flight and deep sea adventure.

Reminiscence, personality, and psychological functioning in older adults.

PubMed

Cully, J A; LaVoie, D; Gfeller, J D

2001-02-01

The present study examined the relationships between the frequency and functions of reminiscence, personality styles, and psychological functioning. There is little research on the psychological factors that correlate with reminiscence, especially in relationship to clinical constructs such as depression and anxiety. Research in the area of reminiscence functions may facilitate a better understanding of the factors affecting change in reminiscence therapies. Seventy-seven healthy older adults completed the following self-report scales: Reminiscence Functions Scale, NEO Five Factor Personality Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Templer-McMordie Death Anxiety Scale. Using canonical correlation techniques, results indicated that individuals with negative psychological functioning frequently reminisce as a way to refresh bitter memories, reduce boredom, and prepare for death. The present study provides implications for both researchers and clinicians. Contrary to previous studies, results indicate that depressed and anxious older adults commonly use reminiscence and therefore may be appropriate candidates for reminiscence treatments.

Factorial structure and psychometric properties of a brief version of the Reminiscence Functions Scale with Chinese older adults.

PubMed

Lou, Vivian W Q; Choy, Jacky C P

2014-05-01

The current study aims to examine the factorial structure and psychometric properties of a brief version of the Reminiscence Functions Scale (RFS), a 14-item assessment tool of reminiscence functions, with Chinese older adults. The scale, covering four reminiscence functions (boredom reduction, bitterness revival, problem solving, and identity) was translated from English into Chinese and administered to older adults (N=675). Confirmatory factor analysis and hierarchical confirmatory factor analysis were conducted to examine its factorial structure, and its psychometric properties and criterion validity were examined. Confirmatory factor analysis supports a second-order model comprising one second-order factor and four first-order factors of RFS. The Cronbach's alpha of the subscales ranged from 0.75 to 0.90. The brief RFS contains a second-order factorial structure. Its psychometric properties support it as a sound instrument for measuring reminiscence functions among Chinese older adults.

Are online poker problem gamblers sensation seekers?

PubMed

Bonnaire, Céline; Barrault, Servane

2018-06-01

The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between sensation seeking and online poker gambling in a community sample of adult online poker players, when controlling for age, gender, anxiety and depression. In total, 288 online poker gamblers were recruited. Sociodemographic data, gambling behavior (CPGI), sensation seeking (SSS), depression and anxiety (HADS) were evaluated. Problem online poker gamblers have higher sensation seeking scores (total, thrill and adventure, disinhibition and boredom susceptibility subscores) and depression scores than non-problem online poker gamblers. Being male, with total sensation seeking, disinhibition and depression scores are factors associated with online poker problem gambling. These findings are interesting in terms of harm reduction. For example, because disinhibition could lead to increased time and money spent, protective behavioral strategies like setting time and monetary limits should be encouraged in poker online gamblers. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Risk-taking behaviour and criminal offending: an investigation of sensation seeking and the Eysenck personality questionnaire.

PubMed

Knust, Sonja; Stewart, Anna L

2002-10-01

This study investigated relationships between hostility, Zuckerman's sensation seeking, and Eysenck and Eysenck's personality scales within a prison population, to explore whether they could be conceptualized in terms of two socialized and unsocialized sensation seeking factors. Participants included 79 incarcerated adult male offenders (age range = 18-62). Findings support the distinction between socialized and unsocialized sensation seeking and suggest that these factors represent more overarching personality factors. Psychoticism was a clear marker of the more broad impulsive, unsocialized sensation seeking factor, rather than representing a supertrait in its own right. This factor was also represented by lie, disinhibition, and boredom susceptibility scales. Findings relating to hostility also supported such a reformulation, as unsocialized scales did cluster together to predict the unsocialized hostility factor, whereas unsocialized scales did not. The results demonstrate the need for a theoretical reformulation of the two given theories of personality.

Learning Ultrasound-Guided Needle Insertion Skills through an Edutainment Game

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, Wing-Yin; Ni, Dong; Pang, Wai-Man; Qin, Jing; Chui, Yim-Pan; Yu, Simon Chun-Ho; Heng, Pheng-Ann

Ultrasound-guided needle insertion is essential in many of minimally invasive surgeries or procedures, such as biopsy, drug delivery, spinal anaesthesia, etc. Accurate and safe needle insertion is a difficult task due to the high requirement of hand-eye coordination skills. Many proposed virtual reality (VR) based training systems put their emphasis on realistic simulation instead of pedagogical efficiency. The lack of schematic training scenario leads to boredom of repetitive operations. To solve this, we present our novel training system with the integration of game elements in order to retain the trainees' enthusiasm. Task-oriented scenarios, time attack scenarios and performance evaluation are introduced. Besides, some state-of-art technologies are also presented, including ultrasound simulation, needle haptic rendering as well as a mass-spring-based needle-tissue interaction simulation. These works are shown to be effective to keep the trainees up with learning.

Sensation seeking and visual selective attention in adults with HIV/AIDS.

PubMed

Hardy, David J; Castellon, Steven A; Hinkin, Charles H; Levine, Andrew J; Lam, Mona N

2008-11-01

The association between sensation seeking and visual selective attention was examined in 31 adults with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Sensation seeking was measured with Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale Form V (SSS-V). Selective attention was assessed with a perceptual span task, where a target letter-character must be identified in a quickly presented array of nontarget letter-characters. As predicted, sensation seeking was strongly associated (R(2) = .229) with perceptual span performance in the array size 12 condition, where selective attention demands were greatest, but not in the easier conditions. The Disinhibition, Boredom Susceptibility, and Experience Seeking subscales of the SSS-V were associated with span performance. It is argued that personality factors such as sensation seeking may play a significant role in selective attention and related cognitive abilities in HIV positive adults. Furthermore, sensation seeking differences might explain certain inconsistencies in the HIV neuropsychology literature.

Happiness and Satisfaction with Work Commute.

PubMed

Olsson, Lars E; Gärling, Tommy; Ettema, Dick; Friman, Margareta; Fujii, Satoshi

2013-03-01

Research suggests that for many people happiness is being able to make the routines of everyday life work, such that positive feelings dominate over negative feelings resulting from daily hassles. In line with this, a survey of work commuters in the three largest urban areas of Sweden show that satisfaction with the work commute contributes to overall happiness. It is also found that feelings during the commutes are predominantly positive or neutral. Possible explanatory factors include desirable physical exercise from walking and biking, as well as that short commutes provide a buffer between the work and private spheres. For longer work commutes, social and entertainment activities either increase positive affects or counteract stress and boredom. Satisfaction with being employed in a recession may also spill over to positive experiences of work commutes. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11205-012-0003-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

'To Boldly Go...' Building a Virtual Classroom

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

vandeVen, Ryan W.; Meurders, Mary F. E.

2008-01-01

The concept of a Exploration-Based Learning Environment has recently been introduced into the argument that technology can put students back into the field of real learning. IPN has set foot there, where no school has gone before, by actually building a Virtual Classroom.This paper is about our first step towards the Virtual Classroom: Experience-Based Learning by simulations. A field study on the processes involved when going from a regular educational setting to using simulations as part of the educational was done. We discuss eventual pitfalls and the role changes in education for both teacher and pupil, the importance of understanding the psychological process that the pupil goes through and the consequences this has for the guiding staff. Changes are not only necessary to keep up with the change but also to break through the vicious circle of what we call the trend of "Spectacle and Boredom" in education.

Working Conditions, Occupational Injuries, and Health Among Filipino Fish Processing Workers in Dutch Harbor, Alaska

PubMed Central

Garcia, Gabriel Macasiray; de Castro, Butch

2017-01-01

This study explored how unique environmental conditions in Alaska influenced occupational health and safety for Filipino fish processing workers, many of whom migrated from warm locations (e.g., the Philippines, California, and Nevada). In-depth interviews were conducted with 26 Filipino workers in one commercial fish processing company in Dutch Harbor. Results indicated that cold weather interferes with workers’ job performance, increasing their risk for injury and illness, whereas the community’s isolation and rural nature causes loneliness and boredom, resulting in more high-risk behaviors. Other non-environmental factors affecting worker health include roommate and supervisor concerns and culture-specific practices. Findings suggest the importance of job rotation to avoid long exposures to cold temperatures, the value of a designated individual to inform workers about company and community resources that promote healthy lifestyles, and the possible utility of a joint worker–management safety committee. PMID:27729501

Working Conditions, Occupational Injuries, and Health Among Filipino Fish Processing Workers in Dutch Harbor, Alaska.

PubMed

Garcia, Gabriel Macasiray; de Castro, Butch

2017-05-01

This study explored how unique environmental conditions in Alaska influenced occupational health and safety for Filipino fish processing workers, many of whom migrated from warm locations (e.g., the Philippines, California, and Nevada). In-depth interviews were conducted with 26 Filipino workers in one commercial fish processing company in Dutch Harbor. Results indicated that cold weather interferes with workers' job performance, increasing their risk for injury and illness, whereas the community's isolation and rural nature causes loneliness and boredom, resulting in more high-risk behaviors. Other non-environmental factors affecting worker health include roommate and supervisor concerns and culture-specific practices. Findings suggest the importance of job rotation to avoid long exposures to cold temperatures, the value of a designated individual to inform workers about company and community resources that promote healthy lifestyles, and the possible utility of a joint worker-management safety committee.

Fun and Games and Boredom.

PubMed

Buday, Richard; Baranowski, Tom; Thompson, Debbe

2012-08-01

Serious videogames use entertainment to teach, train, or change behavior. What began in the 1970s as tentative attempts to create learning software is now a recognized videogame genre and an emerging health science. Although more research is needed, a growing body of literature suggests serious videogames can be effective. Support for serious videogames, however, is not universal. An informal Web search reveals numerous skeptics. Critics question serious videogames' entertainment value and, thus, their viability. "How can serious videogames attract and maintain players," the argument goes, "if they aren't as much fun as commercial titles, or even any fun at all?" This article examines the argument that, to be effective, serious videogames should be overtly fun and comparable to commercial off-the-shelf videogames. It explores differences between game developer- and researcher-led projects and discusses ways serious videogames can avoid boring and alienating players. It concludes that direct comparisons between serious and commercial game entertainment values may be misdirected.

Reliability and validity of the Marijuana Motives Measure among young adult frequent cannabis users and associations with cannabis dependence.

PubMed

Benschop, Annemieke; Liebregts, Nienke; van der Pol, Peggy; Schaap, Rick; Buisman, Renate; van Laar, Margriet; van den Brink, Wim; de Graaf, Ron; Korf, Dirk J

2015-01-01

The Marijuana Motives Measure (MMM) has so far been examined mainly in student populations, often with relatively limited involvement in cannabis use. This study evaluated the factor structure of the MMM in a demographically mixed sample of 600 young adult (18-30 years) frequent (≥ 3 days per week) cannabis users in the Netherlands. Analysis confirmed a five-factor solution, denoting coping, enhancement, social, conformity and expansion motives. Additionally, the original MMM was extended with two items (boredom and habit), which formed a distinct, internally consistent sixth factor labelled routine motives. In a multivariable logistic regression analysis, coping and routine motives showed significant associations with 12-month DSM-IV cannabis dependence. The results suggest general reliability and validity of the MMM in a heterogeneous population of experienced cannabis users. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Career retention in the dental hygiene workforce in Texas.

PubMed

Johns, G H; Gutmann, M E; DeWald, J P; Nunn, M E

2001-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that influence the retention and attrition of dental hygienists within the workforce in Texas. Respondents' perception of the role of employee benefits and practice of dental hygiene on career retention were explored. Demographic descriptors, including educational level, marital status, age, employment setting, and practice statuses, were also examined. A questionnaire modified from the American Dental Hygienists' Association Extension Study: Retention of Dental Hygienists in the Workforce Final Report, April 1992, was mailed to a systematic sample of licensed Texas dental hygienists in March 1999. Descriptive statistics were computed for dental hygienists currently in practice in Texas and those not in practice at the time of the survey. Differences in demographics, benefits, and attitudes between dental hygienists currently in practice in Texas and dental hygienists not in practice at the time of the survey were tested using independent t-tests for interval data and chi-squared tests for categorical data. All statistical analyses were conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS v. 9, Chicago, Illinois). A response rate of 68.1% was obtained. Results revealed the primary reasons for remaining in the practice of dental hygiene were salary, family responsibility, professional collaboration, and variety of work. The primary reasons for leaving dental hygiene practice were family responsibility, boredom, salary, and lack of benefits. Secondary and tertiary reasons stated for staying in clinical practice revealed additional factors including benefits, participation in decision-making, and a safe environment. Dental hygienists in clinical practice were more likely to be employed by a dentist in a single practice and see more patients per day, have a certificate or associate's degree, be unmarried, have fewer children, and be younger than dental hygienists not in practice. The findings suggest that dental hygienists in Texas who remain in the workforce are positively influenced primarily by salary. Dental hygienists in Texas who had left the workforce were primarily influenced to leave practice because of family responsibility. Boredom and lack of benefits were also important factors in deciding to leave clinical practice. Employers of dental hygienists need to be aware of these factors in the hiring process. In addition, dental hygiene educators should prepare students in interviewing techniques for better communication regarding retention factors.

Epilepsy monitoring - The patients' views: A qualitative study based on Kolcaba's Comfort Theory.

PubMed

Egger-Rainer, Andrea; Trinka, Eugen; Höfler, Julia; Dieplinger, Anna Maria

2017-03-01

The aim of this qualitative study was to determine which perception of personal comfort patients name in the context of their hospitalization in an Austrian Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU). Problem-centred interviews with twelve inpatients were conducted. Data analyses were done according to Mayring's qualitative content analyses following the technique of structuring-deductive category assignment. Patients experienced different kinds of comfort along with their hospitalization in the EMU. Comfort-decreasing factors were bed rest, boredom, and waiting for possible seizures. As comfort-increasing factors, hope for enhanced seizure control, support by family and staff, and intelligible information about the necessity of restrictive conditions were identified. The study results should assist health care professionals, enabling them to design comfort enhancing interventions for patients undergoing video-electroencephalography (EEG) investigations in an EMU. Some of these seem to be simple and obtainable without high financial or technical effort. Others are more complex and have to be further assessed for their feasibility. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Achievement Emotions and Academic Performance: Longitudinal Models of Reciprocal Effects.

PubMed

Pekrun, Reinhard; Lichtenfeld, Stephanie; Marsh, Herbert W; Murayama, Kou; Goetz, Thomas

2017-09-01

A reciprocal effects model linking emotion and achievement over time is proposed. The model was tested using five annual waves of the Project for the Analysis of Learning and Achievement in Mathematics (PALMA) longitudinal study, which investigated adolescents' development in mathematics (Grades 5-9; N = 3,425 German students; mean starting age = 11.7 years; representative sample). Structural equation modeling showed that positive emotions (enjoyment, pride) positively predicted subsequent achievement (math end-of-the-year grades and test scores), and that achievement positively predicted these emotions, controlling for students' gender, intelligence, and family socioeconomic status. Negative emotions (anger, anxiety, shame, boredom, hopelessness) negatively predicted achievement, and achievement negatively predicted these emotions. The findings were robust across waves, achievement indicators, and school tracks, highlighting the importance of emotions for students' achievement and of achievement for the development of emotions. © 2017 The Authors. Child Development © 2017 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Exercise during long term exposure to space: Value of exercise during space exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

There appear to be two general physiological reasons why exercise will be beneficial to space travelers who will experience a weightless and isolated environment for many months or a few years: (1) to alleviate or prevent tissue atrophy (principally bone and muscle), to maintain cardiovascular function, and to prevent deleterious changes in extracellular and cellular fluid volumes and plasma constituents, especially electrolytes; and (2) to maintain whole organism functional physical and physiological status with special reference to neuromuscular coordination (physical skill) and physical fitness (muscle strength and power, flexibility, and aerobic endurance). The latter reason also relates well to the ability of the crew members to resist both general and local fatigue and thus ensure consistent physical performance. Various forms of exercise, performed regularly, could help alleviate boredom and assist the travelers in coping with stress, anxiety, and depression. The type, frequency, duration and intensity of exercise and ways of ensuring that crew members engage in it are discussed.

Perspectives of best Practices for Learning Gender-Inclusive Science: Influences of Extracurricular Science for Gifted Girls and Electrical Engineering for Women

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, Shaunda L.

Gifted girls in elementary school must follow the set curriculum, but their choices of extracurricular activities may indicate future subject preferences. This study attempted to explore the perceptions of gifted girls regarding how the family, home, and school environments influenced their choices to take extracurricular science classes. A mixed methodology was adopted: qualitative, to understand the girls' perceptions of influence, and quantitative, to measure their attitudes toward science. Influential factors identified in this study highlight fun as occurring with the highest frequency and four emergent factors: doubt, traditional sex roles, boredom, and group work. In addition, findings from a focused case study of a graduate electrical engineer are interwoven with the girls' perspectives of science. The varying ages and experiences with science of the participants provide interesting views. This study adds knowledge to the field of science education, specifically on withingender differences of gifted girls and women in engineering.

Economic and cultural correlates of subjective wellbeing in countries using data from the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD).

PubMed

Gaygisiz, Esma

2010-06-01

The correlations among indicators of objective well-being, cultural dimensions, and subjective well-being were investigated using Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) data from 35 countries. The subjective well-being measures included life satisfaction as well as six positive and six negative indexes of experience. Positive and negative experience scores were subjected to principal component analysis, and two positive experience components (labeled as "positive experiences" and "time management") and two negative experience components (labeled as "pain, worry, and sadness" and "anger and boredom") were extracted. Objective well-being included economic indicators, education, and health. The cultural variables included Hofstede's and Schwartz's cultural dimensions, national Big Five personality scores, and national IQs. High life satisfaction was positively related to Gross Domestic Product, life expectancy, education, individualism, affective and intellectual autonomy, egalitarianism, and conscientiousness, whereas low life satisfaction was related to unemployment, unequal income distribution, power distance, masculinity uncertainty avoidance, embeddedness, hierarchy, and neuroticism.

Adolescent Internet usage in Taiwan: exploring gender differences.

PubMed

Lin, Chien-Huang; Yu, Shu-Fen

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore gender differences in adolescent Internet accessibility, motives for use, and online activities in Taiwan; 629 5th and 6th graders were surveyed. Findings revealed that the gap in gender differences with regard to Internet use has decreased in this generation. Even though the Internet is the most recent form of major media in the world, it has become the second most important medium as perceived by boys and girls. No gender difference was found in adolescents' motives for using the Internet. The ranking of relative importance of motives for adolescents going online was searching for information, followed by socializing, and boredom avoidance for both boys and girls. However, a gender difference in online activities seems to persist. Searching for homework information and playing games were the most popular online activities for all adolescents. However, while girls tended to view the Internet more as a means of searching for information and e-mailing friends, boys tended to use it more for playing games and down-loading software.

Functions of reminiscence and the psychological well-being of young-old and older adults over time.

PubMed

O'Rourke, Norm; Cappeliez, Philippe; Claxton, Amy

2011-03-01

Existing cross-sectional research demonstrates an association between reminiscence functions and well-being in later life. The results of this study replicate and extend previous findings in separate participant samples above and below 70 years of age. Findings suggest a link between reminiscence functions and psychological well-being, and indirectly between reminiscence and well-being 16 months thereafter. Invariance analyses reveal few differences in association between reminiscence and well-being when young-old (n = 196) and older adults (n = 215) are compared. These findings suggest a direct positive association between self-positive reminiscence functions (identity, death preparation, and problem-solving) and a direct negative association between self-negative functions (boredom reduction, bitterness revival, and intimacy maintenance) and psychological well-being (life satisfaction, depressive, and anxiety symptoms). In contrast, prosocial reminiscence functions (conversation, teach/inform others) appear to have an indirect association with well-being (i.e., via self-positive and self-negative functions). These findings are discussed relative to evolving theory and research linking cognition and health.

Multiresolution analysis (discrete wavelet transform) through Daubechies family for emotion recognition in speech.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campo, D.; Quintero, O. L.; Bastidas, M.

2016-04-01

We propose a study of the mathematical properties of voice as an audio signal. This work includes signals in which the channel conditions are not ideal for emotion recognition. Multiresolution analysis- discrete wavelet transform - was performed through the use of Daubechies Wavelet Family (Db1-Haar, Db6, Db8, Db10) allowing the decomposition of the initial audio signal into sets of coefficients on which a set of features was extracted and analyzed statistically in order to differentiate emotional states. ANNs proved to be a system that allows an appropriate classification of such states. This study shows that the extracted features using wavelet decomposition are enough to analyze and extract emotional content in audio signals presenting a high accuracy rate in classification of emotional states without the need to use other kinds of classical frequency-time features. Accordingly, this paper seeks to characterize mathematically the six basic emotions in humans: boredom, disgust, happiness, anxiety, anger and sadness, also included the neutrality, for a total of seven states to identify.

Online Sales of Unscheduled Pharmaceutical Agents: A Case Report of Tianeptine Use in the United States.

PubMed

Gupta, Swapnil; Wallace, Ryan; Sloshower, Jordan

: Tianeptine is a tricyclic antidepressant that stimulates mu-opioid receptors at high doses. It is marketed and used across Europe and Latin America as an antidepressant, but is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States. In the United States, tianeptine is sold through online health stores as a cognition enhancer, dietary supplement, or as research chemical. We report the case of a 36-year-old man with a history of major depressive disorder, responsive to sertraline, who turned to the unmonitored use of tianeptine purchased online to treat residual feelings of apathy and boredom. His use of tianeptine was marked by rapidly escalating doses and a significant withdrawal syndrome that made discontinuation of this substance difficult. This case serves as a reminder that unscheduled pharmaceutical agents are available for misuse by the general population and have the potential to cause significant harm. Therefore, medical providers must be aware of and screen for the use of such products amongst their patients.

Everyday attention lapses and memory failures: the affective consequences of mindlessness.

PubMed

Carriere, Jonathan S A; Cheyne, J Allan; Smilek, Daniel

2008-09-01

We examined the affective consequences of everyday attention lapses and memory failures. Significant associations were found between self-report measures of attention lapses (MAAS-LO), attention-related cognitive errors (ARCES), and memory failures (MFS), on the one hand, and boredom (BPS) and depression (BDI-II), on the other. Regression analyses confirmed previous findings that the ARCES partially mediates the relation between the MAAS-LO and MFS. Further regression analyses also indicated that the association between the ARCES and BPS was entirely accounted for by the MAAS-LO and MFS, as was that between the ARCES and BDI-II. Structural modeling revealed the associations to be optimally explained by the MAAS-LO and MFS influencing the BPS and BDI-II, contrary to current conceptions of attention and memory problems as consequences of affective dysfunction. A lack of conscious awareness of one's actions, signaled by the propensity to experience brief lapses of attention and related memory failures, is thus seen as having significant consequences in terms of long-term affective well-being.

Physical and Psychological Effects of Head Treatment in the Supine Position Using Specialized Ayurveda-Based Techniques

PubMed Central

Iwawaki, Yoko; Uebaba, Kazuo; Yamamoto, Yoko; Takishita, Yukie; Harada, Kiyomi; Shibata, Akemi; Narumoto, Jin; Fukui, Kenji

2016-01-01

Abstract Objective: To clarify the physical and psychological effects of head massage performed in the supine position using Ayurveda-based techniques (head treatment). Design: Twenty-four healthy female students were included in the study. Using a crossover study design, the same participants were enrolled in both the head treatment intervention group and control group. There was an interval of 1 week or more between measurements. Outcome measures: The physiologic indices measured included blood pressure and heart rate fluctuations (high frequency and low frequency/high frequency). The psychological markers measured included liveliness, depression, and boredom using the visual analogue scale method. State anxiety was measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory method. Results: The parasympathetic nerve activity increased immediately after head treatment. Upon completion of head treatment, the parasympathetic nerve predominance tended to gradually ease. Head treatment boosted freshness and relieved anxiety. Conclusions: The results suggest that head treatment has a relaxing and refreshing effect and may be used to provide comfort. PMID:27163344

[What motivates smoking and alcohol drinking of young people? A behavioural epidemiologic study].

PubMed

Pikó, Bettina; Varga, Szabolcs

2014-01-19

Adolescence is a life period of trying harmful habits. It is helpful for prevention to map youth's motivations. The main goal of the present study was to investigate high school students' motivations related to alcohol and cigarette use. A questionnaire survey was performed in Debrecen including students from four high schools (n = 501; age range, between 14 and 22 years; mean age, 16.4 years; 34% boys and 66% girls). Beyond descriptive statistics, logistic regression analysis was used to detect odds ratios explaining relationships between substance use and motivations. Besides a slight difference in gender, there were significant differences by substance user status in the structure of motivations. In case of alcohol use, social motivation proved to be a predictor. In case of cigarette smoking, besides social motivation, boredom relief and affect regulation (coping) were also significant. These data suggest that young people start to smoke cigarette and drink alcohol in social situations due to peer pressure. Therefore, prevention strategies should be built on social skills training.

Autobiographical memory functions of nostalgia in comparison to rumination and counterfactual thinking: similarity and uniqueness.

PubMed

Cheung, Wing-Yee; Wildschut, Tim; Sedikides, Constantine

2018-02-01

We compared and contrasted nostalgia with rumination and counterfactual thinking in terms of their autobiographical memory functions. Specifically, we assessed individual differences in nostalgia, rumination, and counterfactual thinking, which we then linked to self-reported functions or uses of autobiographical memory (Self-Regard, Boredom Reduction, Death Preparation, Intimacy Maintenance, Conversation, Teach/Inform, and Bitterness Revival). We tested which memory functions are shared and which are uniquely linked to nostalgia. The commonality among nostalgia, rumination, and counterfactual thinking resides in their shared positive associations with all memory functions: individuals who evinced a stronger propensity towards past-oriented thought (as manifested in nostalgia, rumination, and counterfactual thinking) reported greater overall recruitment of memories in the service of present functioning. The uniqueness of nostalgia resides in its comparatively strong positive associations with Intimacy Maintenance, Teach/Inform, and Self-Regard and weak association with Bitterness Revival. In all, nostalgia possesses a more positive functional signature than do rumination and counterfactual thinking.

Emotional metacontrol of attention: Top-down modulation of sensorimotor processes in a robotic visual search task

PubMed Central

Cuperlier, Nicolas; Gaussier, Philippe

2017-01-01

Emotions play a significant role in internal regulatory processes. In this paper, we advocate four key ideas. First, novelty detection can be grounded in the sensorimotor experience and allow higher order appraisal. Second, cognitive processes, such as those involved in self-assessment, influence emotional states by eliciting affects like boredom and frustration. Third, emotional processes such as those triggered by self-assessment influence attentional processes. Last, close emotion-cognition interactions implement an efficient feedback loop for the purpose of top-down behavior regulation. The latter is what we call ‘Emotional Metacontrol’. We introduce a model based on artificial neural networks. This architecture is used to control a robotic system in a visual search task. The emotional metacontrol intervenes to bias the robot visual attention during active object recognition. Through a behavioral and statistical analysis, we show that this mechanism increases the robot performance and fosters the exploratory behavior to avoid deadlocks. PMID:28934291

Catecholamine excretion rates in relation to life-styles in the male population of Otmoor, Oxfordshire.

PubMed

Reynolds, V; Jenner, D A; Palmer, C D; Harrison, G A

1981-01-01

The paper gives the results of the number of analyses of aspects of life-style and dietary patterns of members of the Otmoor population, in relation to their catecholamine excretion rates. The data reported here are restricted to males. Feelings of boredom were associated with low adrenaline excretion rates. Reported physical tiredness was associated with low adrenaline levels, while mental tiredness seems to be related to high adrenaline levels. People who regarded themselves as having a competitive personality, as being faced by a large number of life challenges, as having to meet self-set deadlines, as choosing to focus on more than one task at the same time, or as being under time pressure had high rates. Cigarette smoking and coffee consumption were related to high adrenaline excretion rates. Taken together these variables can explain 16-20% of variance in adrenaline excretion. Smoking and coffee consumption are of primary importance. The results of similar analyses of noradrenaline are reported.

Attitude changes during and after long submarine missions.

PubMed

Weybrew, B B; Molish, H B

1979-01-01

To assess the kind and degree of attitude changes occurring during a 2-month submerged mission, two enlisted crews of one fleet ballistic missile submarine (FBM) (n = 101 each) were administered the Submarine Attitude Questionnaire before and after two 55-day submerged missions interspersed with a rehabilitation period of the same duration. Results showed that time-in-service and pay grade bore a U-shaped relationship to positive attitudes toward the service. During submergence, most attitudes became negative and then reversed polarity during rehabilitation. However, there were no cumulative effects upon attitudes during successive missions. Attitudes pertaining to the realities of the mission (for example, boredom, hazardous aspects) became more negative but recovered faster. On the other hand, attitude changes related to long-range expectancies in terms of goal achievement of the crew members were less likely to recover. Several possible explanations for these attitude changes are discussed in the context of the mission of the FBM submarine. Suggestions for preventing or alleviating untoward attitude changes during long submarine missions are also presented.

Sex differences in sensation-seeking: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Cross, Catharine P; Cyrenne, De-Laine M; Brown, Gillian R

2013-01-01

Men score higher than women on measures of sensation-seeking, defined as a willingness to engage in novel or intense activities. This sex difference has been explained in terms of evolved psychological mechanisms or culturally transmitted social norms. We investigated whether sex differences in sensation-seeking have changed over recent years by conducting a meta-analysis of studies using Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale, version V (SSS-V). We found that sex differences in total SSS-V scores have remained stable across years, as have sex differences in Disinhibition and Boredom Susceptibility. In contrast, the sex difference in Thrill and Adventure Seeking has declined, possibly due to changes in social norms or out-dated questions on this sub-scale. Our results support the view that men and women differ in their propensity to report sensation-seeking characteristics, while behavioural manifestations of sensation-seeking vary over time. Sex differences in sensation-seeking could reflect genetically influenced predispositions interacting with socially transmitted information.

Priming semantic concepts affects the dynamics of aesthetic appreciation.

PubMed

Faerber, Stella J; Leder, Helmut; Gerger, Gernot; Carbon, Claus-Christian

2010-10-01

Aesthetic appreciation (AA) plays an important role for purchase decisions, for the appreciation of art and even for the selection of potential mates. It is known that AA is highly reliable in single assessments, but over longer periods of time dynamic changes of AA may occur. We measured AA as a construct derived from the literature through attractiveness, arousal, interestingness, valence, boredom and innovativeness. By means of the semantic network theory we investigated how the priming of AA-relevant semantic concepts impacts the dynamics of AA of unfamiliar product designs (car interiors) that are known to be susceptible to triggering such effects. When participants were primed for innovativeness, strong dynamics were observed, especially when the priming involved additional AA-relevant dimensions. This underlines the relevance of priming of specific semantic networks not only for the cognitive processing of visual material in terms of selective perception or specific representation, but also for the affective-cognitive processing in terms of the dynamics of aesthetic processing. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cross-domain generality of achievement motivation across sport and the classroom: the case of Spanish adolescents.

PubMed

Castillo, Isabel; Duda, Joan L; Balaguer, Isabel; Tomás, Inés

2009-01-01

Drawing from contemporary social cognitive theories of achievement motivation, the relationship of personal theories of achievement (ego and task theory) with perceived ability and reported satisfaction with school and sport was examined. The cross-domain generality of these relationships in these contexts, in the case of a representative sample of adolescents between 11 and 15 years of age (N = 967, M age = 13.5, SD = 1.80; 492 girls and 475 boys) from the Valencian Community (Spain) also was examined. According to previous research in the United States (Duda & Nicholls, 1992), the findings of this study indicate a cross-domain consistency with regard to how adolescents tend to define success and their views of how achievement activities operate across sport and the classroom. However, little cross-domain generality was found for perceptions of ability and reported satisfaction. In the sport and classroom domains, a task theory was related to greater satisfaction, while an ego theory was related to greater reported boredom and low interest in the activity.

Historical space psychology: Early terrestrial explorations as Mars analogues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suedfeld, Peter

2010-03-01

The simulation and analogue environments used by psychologists to circumvent the difficulties of conducting research in space lack many of the unique characteristics of future explorations, especially the mission to Mars. This paper suggests that appropriate additional analogues would be the multi-year maritime and terrestrial explorations that mapped the surface of the Earth in previous centuries. These, like Mars, often involved a hazardous trek through unknown territory, flanked by extended, dangerous voyages to and from the exploration sites. Characteristic issues included interpersonal relationships under prolonged stress, stretches of boredom interspersed with intense work demands, the impossibility of rescue, resupply, or other help from home, chronic danger, physical discomfort and lack of privacy, and the crucial role of the leader. Illustrative examples of one important factor, leadership style, are discussed. The examination of such expeditions can help to identify the psychological stressors that are likely to be experienced by Mars explorers, and can also indicate countermeasures to reduce the damaging impact of those stressors.

[The personal digital assistant: A tool for supporting mental health rehabilitation].

PubMed

Charbonneau, Karine; Lalande, Mélissa; Briand, Catherine

2015-10-01

People living with mental illness may manifest cognitive and social-emotional difficulties leading to several challenges in their daily lives. Using technological aids may help to compensate for some of these difficulties. The objective of this study was to document the effects and issues of the use of mobile technology applications (apps) with people with mental illness during the rehabilitation process. Using an exploratory qualitative evaluative approach, 12 participants were engaged in ongoing brief interviews in which they discussed their use of a variety of apps that met their rehabilitation needs. A thematic analysis (descriptive interpretive) was used to uncover the effects and issues of the integration of apps in participants' daily life. The apps helped participants to overcome their cognitive difficulties, facilitated the management of their daily tasks and socialization, and prevented boredom. However, several issues related to the context, the technology, and the person need to be considered. The findings prompt one to consider the therapist's role in the integration of personal digital assistants in psychosocial rehabilitation.

The Perception of Art among Patients and Staff on a Renal Dialysis Unit.

PubMed

Corrigan, C; Peterson, L; McVeigh, C; Lavin, P J; Mellotte, G J; Wall, C; Baker Kerrigan, A; Barnes, L; O'Neill, D; Moss, H

2017-10-10

This study investigated the purpose and effectiveness of giving outpatients an opportunity to engage in art activities while receiving dialysis treatment. A mixed method study was conducted. 21 semi-structured interviews were conducted with outpatients attending the dialysis unit and 13 surveys of clinicians were completed. The principle reasons to partake in the art activity programme included: to pass time, to relieve boredom, to be creative, to try something new, distraction from concerns, to stay positive and to achieve something new. Patients who did not participate in the programme pass their time primarily by watching TV or sleeping. All staff who partook in the survey were satisfied with the programme and wanted it to continue. Our findings indicate that the creative arts programme is viewed positively by staff and patients alike, and might be useful in other hospital departments. Further in depth qualitative research would be useful to interrogate the potential effect of engagement in art on positive mental health and quality of life for patients with chronic conditions.

The Role of Employment on Neurocognitive Reserve in Adults with HIV

PubMed Central

Humphrey, Shameka C.; Yoo-Jeong, Moka; Jones, Gwendolyn "Lynn" D.; Nicholson, William C.

2015-01-01

The benefits of employment are enormous; being employed, one naturally: 1) socially engages with the public and colleagues/co-workers; 2) learns new skills to increase job productivity and competence; 3) establishes a routine that can prevent lethargy and boredom and may regulate sleep and healthy behaviors; 4) is provided purposeful and meaningful activity that may protect one from depression; and 5) gains income to pursue interests which are cognitively stimulating. All of these and other employment influences can provide an enriched personal and social environment that stimulates positive neuroplasticity and promotes neurocognitive reserve. Such potential neurocognitive benefits are particularly relevant to adults with HIV for two reasons: 1) approximately 50% of adults with HIV experience observable cognitive impairments that can adversely affect everyday functioning such as medication adherence, and 2) approximately 45% of adults with HIV are unemployed and do not receive the neurocognitive benefits of employment. From these considerations, implications for healthcare research and nursing practice are provided. PMID:26066688

Fun and Games and Boredom

PubMed Central

Baranowski, Tom; Thompson, Debbe

2012-01-01

Abstract Serious videogames use entertainment to teach, train, or change behavior. What began in the 1970s as tentative attempts to create learning software is now a recognized videogame genre and an emerging health science. Although more research is needed, a growing body of literature suggests serious videogames can be effective. Support for serious videogames, however, is not universal. An informal Web search reveals numerous skeptics. Critics question serious videogames' entertainment value and, thus, their viability. “How can serious videogames attract and maintain players,” the argument goes, “if they aren't as much fun as commercial titles, or even any fun at all?” This article examines the argument that, to be effective, serious videogames should be overtly fun and comparable to commercial off-the-shelf videogames. It explores differences between game developer- and researcher-led projects and discusses ways serious videogames can avoid boring and alienating players. It concludes that direct comparisons between serious and commercial game entertainment values may be misdirected. PMID:24761316

Physiological adjustments of young men to five-hour desert walks.

PubMed

Dill, D B; Soholt, L F; Oddershede, I B

1976-02-01

Seven young men undertook a desert walk of 30 km at a rate of 100 m/min. Six finished; the seventh stopped after 24 km. Each satisfied his thirst with cool tap water each hour. Periodic observations included metabolic rate, blood pressure, heart rate, rectal and skin temperature, body weight, and volume of water drunk. Hand sweat was collected each hour and body sweat residues on the skin were collected at the end of the walk. Subjective reports revealed portents of breakdown: aching muscles, painful joints, hot or blistered feet, hunger, and boredom. Cardiovascular adjustment and temperature regulation maintained tolerable conditions. The volumes of water evaporated by the 5-h walkers were about the same. Wet bulb temperatures were below 25 degrees C; all sweat evaporated and was available for temperature regulation. The volume of water drawn from body reserves was closely correlated with concentration of chloride in body sweat; the volume of water that satisfied thirst maintained osmotic pressure.

Smoking and deployment: perspectives of junior-enlisted U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army personnel and their supervisors.

PubMed

Poston, Walker S C; Taylor, Jennifer E; Hoffman, Kevin M; Peterson, Alan L; Lando, Harry A; Shelton, Suzanne; Haddock, C Keith

2008-05-01

Smoking during deployments is a growing problem, particularly among junior-enlisted personnel, who have the highest smoking rates in the military. Few studies have examined reasons for smoking initiation among never smokers, relapse among former smokers, or increased smoking frequency among current smokers. We conducted 24 focus groups at four Air Force and two Army installations (N = 189) to examine the extent of smoking during deployment and to elucidate factors thought to contribute to new initiation, relapse, and increased smoking in a sample of junior-enlisted personnel and their supervisors. Important reasons for smoking included: (1) managing stress, boredom, anxiety, and sleep deprivation; (2) lack of alternate activities and privileges; (3) the perception that dangers in the field trumps the health impact of smoking; and (4) the role of the military environment in encouraging smoking. In addition, the phenomenon of new initiation and relapse to smoking in the field was discussed.

Adult head-banging and stereotypic movement disorders.

PubMed

Mendez, M F; Mirea, A

1998-09-01

Stereotypic movement disorders (SMD) such as head-banging, which are common among children with mental retardation or pervasive developmental disorders, may also occur in intellectually normal adults. We report a 27-year history of daily head-banging with self-injury in a 49-year-old man with normal cognition. The patient had no personal or family history of Tourette's syndrome, tic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or mental retardation. The frequency of his stereotypical head-banging increased with anxiety, loud noises with startle, and boredom. He reported a sense of pleasure from his head-banging, and the frequency of this behavior decreased when he was treated with the opioid antagonist naltrexone. Although not diagnostic, the self-stimulatory or pleasurable component of head-banging, body-rocking, thumb-sucking, and other SMD may help distinguish them from tics, Tourette's syndrome, OCD, and deliberate self-harming behavior. This report reviews the disorders associated with SMD and discusses the potential mechanisms for these behaviors. The treatment of SMD includes drugs that work through opioid, serotonergic, or dopaminergic systems.

Exploring stroke survivor experience of participation in an enriched environment: a qualitative study.

PubMed

White, Jennifer H; Bartley, Emma; Janssen, Heidi; Jordan, Louise-Anne; Spratt, Neil

2015-01-01

Data highlight the importance of undertaking intense and frequent repetition of activities within stroke rehabilitation to maximise recovery. An enriched environment (EE) provides a medium in which these activities can be performed and enhanced recovery achieved. An EE has been shown to promote neuroplasticity in animal models of stroke, facilitating enhanced recovery of motor and cognitive function. However, the benefit of enriching the environment of stroke survivors remains unknown. To qualitatively explore stroke survivors' experience of implementation of exposure to an EE within a typical stroke rehabilitation setting, in order to identify facilitators and barriers to participation. Semi-structured interviews with 10 stroke survivors (7 females and 3 males, mean age of 70.5 years) exposed to an EE for a 2-week period following exposure to routine rehabilitation within a stroke rehabilitation ward. An inductive thematic approach was utilised to collect and analyse data. Qualitative themes emerged concerning the environmental enrichment paradigm including: (1) "It got me moving" - perceived benefits of participation in an EE; (2) "You can be bored or you can be busy." - Attenuating factors influencing participation in an EE; (3) "I don't like to make the staff busier" - limitations to use of the EE. This study provides preliminary support for the implementation of an EE within a typical stroke rehabilitation setting from a patient perspective. Reported benefits included (1) increased motor, cognitive and sensory stimulation, (2) increased social interaction, (3) alleviation of degree of boredom and (4) increased feelings of personal control. However, participants also identified a number of barriers affecting implementation of the EE. We have previously published findings on perceptions of nursing staff working with stroke survivors in this enriched rehabilitation environment who identified that patients benefited from having better access to physical, cognitive and social activities. Together, results contribute to valuable evidence for future implementation of an EE in stroke rehabilitation settings. Implications for Rehabilitation Stroke survivor access to an enriched environment (EE): RESULTS identified that participation in both individual and communal forms of environment enrichment within the stroke rehabilitation ward resulted in increased access to activities providing increased opportunities for enhanced motor, cognitive and sensory stimulation. Increased access to and participation in activities of the environmental enrichment (individual and communal) interrupted the ongoing cycle of boredom and inactivity experienced by many participants. This study provides preliminary support for the implementation of an EE within a typical stroke rehabilitation setting from a patient perspective.

The motivations and experiences of students enrolled in online science courses at the community college

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghosh, Urbi

An important question in online learning involves how to effectively motivate and retain students in science online courses. There is a dearth of research and knowledge about the experiences of students enrolled in online science courses in community colleges which has impeded the proper development and implementation of online courses and retention of students in the online environment. This study sought to provide an understanding of the relationships among each of the following variables: self-efficacy, task value, negative-achievement emotions, self-regulation learning strategies (metacognition), learning strategy (elaboration), and course satisfaction to student's performance (course final grade). Bandura's social-cognitive theory was used as a framework to describe the relationships among students' motivational beliefs (perceived task value, self-efficacy, and self-regulation) and emotions (frustration and boredom) with the dependent variables (elaboration and overall course satisfaction). A mixed-method design was used with a survey instrumentation and student interviews. A variety of science online courses in biology, genetics, astronomy, nutrition, and chemistry were surveyed in two community colleges. Community colleges students (N = 107) completed a questionnaire during enrollment in a variety of online science online courses. Upon course completion, 12 respondents were randomly selected for follow-up in-depth interviews. Multiple regression results from the study indicate perceived task value and self-regulatory learning strategies (metacognition) were as important predictors for students' use of elaboration, while self-efficacy and the number of prior online courses was not significant predictors for students' elaboration when all four predictors were included. Frustration was a significant negative predictor of overall course satisfaction, and boredom unexpectedly emerged as a positive predictor when frustration was also in the model. In addition, the correlations indicated that elaboration and overall course satisfaction were not significantly related to participants' course grade (performance). Furthermore, five major themes emerged from the students' experiences: the role of personal dispositions, academic challenge, self-regulated learning, student communication, and the negative emotions that shaped student experiences. In particular, negative emotions most experienced by students were found to be anxiety, stress, frustration and confusion. In total, results from this study implicate an important role of emotions such as frustration in students' overall course satisfaction and the importance of task value. Students' career aspirations and direct use of the course content were more likely to report greater use of elaboration strategies. Finally, this research also found that students self-regulated their learning in the online environment on a variety of levels.

Stress and burnout in forensic mental health nursing: a literature review.

PubMed

Dickinson, Tommy; Wright, Karen M

Forensic mental health nurses who work with patients who have severe and enduring mental health needs have been identified as at risk of suffering from occupational stress, and even developing burnout syndrome. Therefore, this article reviews the available literature on stress and burnout in inpatient forensic mental health nursing to identify the stressors and to highlight recommendations. From the review, the main stressors placed on forensic nurses are identified as interprofessional conflicts, workload, and lack of involvement in decision-making. Recommendations to reduce stress and burnout for nurses within this specialty are highlighted. These are identified as follows: staff should have easy access to support systems including clinical supervision; managers should foster an open and honest culture to enable staff members to express their feelings openly or in confidence and learn how to deal with their frustrations; and staff should be encouraged to rotate wards to increase personal and professional development and reduce boredom and apathy. Furthermore, staff should be provided with, and encouraged to undertake, continuing professional development which may include psychosocial interventions training.

How we can measure the non-driving-task engagement in automated driving: Comparing flow experience and workload.

PubMed

Ko, Sang Min; Ji, Yong Gu

2018-02-01

In automated driving, a driver can completely concentrate on non-driving-related tasks (NDRTs). This study investigated the flow experience of a driver who concentrated on NDRTs and tasks that induce mental workload under conditional automation. Participants performed NDRTs under different demand levels: a balanced demand-skill level (fit condition) to induce flow, low-demand level to induce boredom, and high-demand level to induce anxiety. In addition, they performed the additional N-Back task, which artificially induces mental workload. The results showed participants had the longest reaction time when they indicated the highest flow score, and had the longest gaze-on time, road-fixation time, hands-on time, and take-over time under the fit condition. Significant differences were not observed in the driver reaction times in the fit condition and the additional N-Back task, indicating that performing NDRTs that induce a high flow experience could influence driver reaction time similar to performing tasks with a high mental workload. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

On the Determinants and Outcomes of Passion for Playing Pokémon Go

PubMed Central

Orosz, Gábor; Zsila, Ágnes; Vallerand, Robert J.; Böthe, Beáta

2018-01-01

In 2016, Pokémon Go became the most popular smartphone game. Despite the increasing popularity of this augmented reality game, to date, no studies have investigated passion for playing Pokémon Go. On the theoretical basis of the Dualistic Model of Passion (DMP), our goal was to investigate the associations between Pokémon Go playing motives, passion, and impulsivity. A total of 621 Pokémon Go players participated in the study (54.9% female; Mage = 22.6 years, SDage = 4.4). It was found that impulsivity was more strongly associated with obsessive passion (OP) than with harmonious passion (HP). HP was associated with adaptive motives (i.e., outdoor activity, social, recreation, and nostalgia), while OP was associated with less adaptive motives (i.e., fantasy, escape, boredom, competition, and coping). Therefore, in line with the DMP, HP and OP for playing Pokémon Go can predict an almost perfectly distinguished set of adaptive or maladaptive playing motives, and OP has a noteworthy relationship with impulsivity as a determinant. PMID:29599735

On the Determinants and Outcomes of Passion for Playing Pokémon Go.

PubMed

Orosz, Gábor; Zsila, Ágnes; Vallerand, Robert J; Böthe, Beáta

2018-01-01

In 2016, Pokémon Go became the most popular smartphone game. Despite the increasing popularity of this augmented reality game, to date, no studies have investigated passion for playing Pokémon Go. On the theoretical basis of the Dualistic Model of Passion (DMP), our goal was to investigate the associations between Pokémon Go playing motives, passion, and impulsivity. A total of 621 Pokémon Go players participated in the study (54.9% female; M age = 22.6 years, SD age = 4.4). It was found that impulsivity was more strongly associated with obsessive passion (OP) than with harmonious passion (HP). HP was associated with adaptive motives (i.e., outdoor activity, social, recreation, and nostalgia), while OP was associated with less adaptive motives (i.e., fantasy, escape, boredom, competition, and coping). Therefore, in line with the DMP, HP and OP for playing Pokémon Go can predict an almost perfectly distinguished set of adaptive or maladaptive playing motives, and OP has a noteworthy relationship with impulsivity as a determinant.

The Glass Half Empty: How Emotional Exhaustion Affects the State-Trait Discrepancy in Self-Reports of Teaching Emotions

PubMed Central

Goetz, Thomas; Becker, Eva S.; Bieg, Madeleine; Keller, Melanie M.; Frenzel, Anne C.; Hall, Nathan C.

2015-01-01

Following from previous research on intensity bias and the accessibility model of emotional self-report, the present study examined the role of emotional exhaustion in explaining the discrepancy in teachers’ reports of their trait (habitual) versus state (momentary, “real”) emotions. Trait reports (habitual emotions, exhaustion) were assessed via trait questionnaires, and state reports (momentary emotions) were assessed in real time via the experience sampling method by using personal digital assistants (N = 69 high school teachers; 1,089 measures within teachers). In line with our assumptions, multi-level analyses showed that, as compared to the state assessment, teachers reported higher levels of habitual teaching-related emotions of anger, anxiety, shame, boredom, enjoyment, and pride. Additionally, the state-trait discrepancy in self-reports of negative emotions was accounted for by teachers’ emotional exhaustion, with high exhaustion levels corresponding with a greater state-trait discrepancy. Exhaustion levels did not moderate the state-trait discrepancy in positive emotions indicating that perceived emotional exhaustion may reflect identity-related cognitions specific to the negative belief system. Implications for research and educational practice are discussed. PMID:26368911

Physiological assessment of task underload

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Comstock, J. Raymond, Jr.; Harris, Randall L., Sr.; Pope, Alan T.

1988-01-01

The ultimate goal of research efforts directed at underload, boredom, or complacency in high-technology work environments is to detect conditions or states of the operator that can be demonstrated to lead to performance degradation, and then to intervene in the environment to restore acceptable system performance. Physiological measures may provide indices of changes in condition or state of the operator that may be of value in high-technology work environments. The focus of the present study was on the use of physiological measures in the assessment of operator condition or state in a task underload scenario. A fault acknowledgement task characterized by simple repetitive responses with minimal novelty, complexity, and uncertainty was employed to place subjects in a task underload situation. Physiological measures (electrocardiogram (ECG), electroencephalogram (EEG), and pupil diameter) were monitored during task performance over a one-hour test session for 12 subjects. Each of the physiological measures exhibited changes over the test session indicative of decrements in subject arousal level. While high correlations between physiological measures were found across subjects, individual differences between subjects support the use of profiling techniques to establish baselines unique to each subject.

Individual differences in cognition, affect, and performance: Behavioral, neuroimaging, and molecular genetic approaches

PubMed Central

Parasuraman, Raja; Jiang, Yang

2012-01-01

We describe the use of behavioral, neuroimaging, and genetic methods to examine individual differences in cognition and affect, guided by three criteria: (1) relevance to human performance in work and everyday settings; (2) interactions between working memory, decision-making, and affective processing; and (3) examination of individual differences. The results of behavioral, functional MRI (fMRI), event-related potential (ERP), and molecular genetic studies show that analyses at the group level often mask important findings associated with sub-groups of individuals. Dopaminergic/noradrenergic genes influencing prefrontal cortex activity contribute to inter-individual variation in working memory and decision behavior, including performance in complex simulations of military decision-making. The interactive influences of individual differences in anxiety, sensation seeking, and boredom susceptibility on evaluative decision-making can be systematically described using ERP and fMRI methods. We conclude that a multi-modal neuroergonomic approach to examining brain function (using both neuroimaging and molecular genetics) can be usefully applied to understanding individual differences in cognition and affect and has implications for human performance at work. PMID:21569853

The psychological health of remote area medics in Iraq.

PubMed

Whittaker-Howe, S; Brown, G; Williamson, V; Greenberg, N

2017-12-30

Remote area medics (RAMs) may be at increased risk of mental health difficulties. To explore the occupational experiences of RAMs to identify stressors and the mental health impact. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six RAMs working in Iraq to gather data, which was explored using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Three key themes emerged from the data (i) the experience of being remote, (ii) cultural shock and (iii) social support. A number of key stressors were identified, including loneliness and boredom, associated with being remote, and the loss of professional identity due to the occupational role. Three out of the six participants reported substantial depressive symptoms. A number of positive coping strategies were identified, particularly relationships with other RAMs, via instant messaging forums. RAMs experience a number of particular stressors that could put them at risk of depression. Adaptive coping strategies were identified; in particular, virtual social support. These findings should be of interest to companies which employ RAMs. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

[Severe depression and risk factors in Buenos Aires].

PubMed

Serfaty, E; Andrade, J; D'Aquila, H; Masautis, A E; Foglia, L

1995-03-01

A study on prevalence of depression and its risk factors in 18 year old males with residence in the city of Buenos Aires was performed in 1991 during a mass medical examination of aptitude for the Military Service. An anonyme, self administered questionnaire was given to 553 youngsters in a probability sample. From findings in that study it was deemed necessary a deepen analysis on severe depression and its possible associations with ideas of suicide. Prevalence at severe depression was 4.5% and strong association was found with sadness in depression was 4.5% and strong association was found with sadness in childhood (RR 12.73), boredom (RR 10.56), retiring (RR 8.28) and nervousness (RR 3.89) as well as drugs abuse by brothers (RR 3.48) and family conflicts (RR 2.43). Possibility of having ideas of suicide is thirty three times more when depression exists. The attributable risk of suicide due to severe depression is 75%. Keeping in mind this health problem in youngsters might help to establish collective and individual strategic measures toward prevention.

Depression in young people. A growing challenge for primary care.

PubMed

Cosgrave, E; McGorry, P; Allen, N; Jackson, H

2000-02-01

Recent research indicates that 27% of young people aged 18-24 have a mental health problem involving mood, anxiety, personality and/or substance abuse disorders and 15-40% report depressive symptomatology. A proportion of these young people will suicide. The morbidity associated with depressive illness in this age group is high, with those experiencing a depressive episode having reduced vocational and life prospects and being highly vulnerable to further episodes in later life. To outline the clinical features of depression in young people and to provide strategies for appropriate management. Presentation of depression in young people is likely to vary from accepted diagnostic criteria with non specific symptoms such as boredom, anxiety, failing adjustment and sleep disturbance predominating. Management includes attending to key social problems, ensuring a safe environment and counselling, which may be supportive counselling or more specific treatments of cognitive behavioural therapy or interpersonal psychotherapy. Medication is indicated for more severe depression or with failure of response to psychological strategies. Early case identification and intensive treatment of first episodes of depression is important in reducing prevalence, cost and morbidity.

Personality disorder symptomatology among Vietnam veterans with combat-related PTSD.

PubMed

Richman, H; Frueh, B C

1996-01-01

This research examined self-report personality profiles of 42 Vietnam veterans with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) evaluated at an outpatient Veteran's Administration hospital PTSD clinic. Assessment was via the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed., rev; DSM-III-R) Personality Disorders-II (SCID-II) self-report. Self-reported personality disorder symptomatology of PTSD patients was contrasted with that of 51 outpatients with a primary diagnosis of an anxiety disorder other than PTSD and with 16 patients with a primary diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD). Symptomatology from each of the 11 DSM-III-R categories and from the three personality disorder "clusters" was calculated in terms of percentage of possible traits endorsed, thus creating personality "profiles" for the three groups. PTSD veterans endorsed more traits overall than did both the mixed anxiety and MDD groups, particularly on the Cluster A, avoidant, and borderline scales. Results suggest a PTSD-related personality profile characterized by emotional lability/poor anger control, paranoia/suspiciousness, identity disturbance/confusion, social withdrawal/avoidance, and feelings of emptiness and boredom.

A dual-process perspective on fluency-based aesthetics: the pleasure-interest model of aesthetic liking.

PubMed

Graf, Laura K M; Landwehr, Jan R

2015-11-01

In this article, we develop an account of how aesthetic preferences can be formed as a result of two hierarchical, fluency-based processes. Our model suggests that processing performed immediately upon encountering an aesthetic object is stimulus driven, and aesthetic preferences that accrue from this processing reflect aesthetic evaluations of pleasure or displeasure. When sufficient processing motivation is provided by a perceiver's need for cognitive enrichment and/or the stimulus' processing affordance, elaborate perceiver-driven processing can emerge, which gives rise to fluency-based aesthetic evaluations of interest, boredom, or confusion. Because the positive outcomes in our model are pleasure and interest, we call it the Pleasure-Interest Model of Aesthetic Liking (PIA Model). Theoretically, this model integrates a dual-process perspective and ideas from lay epistemology into processing fluency theory, and it provides a parsimonious framework to embed and unite a wealth of aesthetic phenomena, including contradictory preference patterns for easy versus difficult-to-process aesthetic stimuli. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Dignity and respect: facilitating meaningful occupation for SeSotho elders.

PubMed

Du Toit, Sanetta H J; Böning, Wilmarié; Van Der Merwe, Tania Rauch

2014-03-01

Frail and vulnerable adults are divested of meaningful encounters when modernization and urbanization force them to embrace an unconventional residential care environment as a home. The aim of this article is to report on a study of SeSotho elders living in residential care to illustrate how more meaningful and culturally relevant experiences could be facilitated for them. A content analysis was done of the individual opinions of 15 collaborators as a secondary scrutiny of information obtained during a nominal group process. MAJOR FINDINGS. Findings revealed that elders were prone to experience loneliness, helplessness, and boredom due to situations dominated by occupational injustice. Co-occupations, training of staff, and environmental adaptations that allow a sense of interdependence could contribute in facilitating occupational justice for elders from a traditional South African indigenous background living in residential care. Human dignity and respect are upheld within residential care when elders have access to purposeful and meaningful activities of their choice that are culturally appropriate. Occupational therapists should advocate for doing, belonging, and becoming by facilitating meaningful occupational participation that is culturally relevant for their clients.

Women's orgasm obstacles: A qualitative study.

PubMed

Nekoolaltak, Maryam; Keshavarz, Zohreh; Simbar, Masoumeh; Nazari, Ali Mohammad; Baghestani, Ahmad Reza

2017-08-01

Woman's orgasm plays a vital role in sexual compatibility and marital satisfaction. Orgasm in women is a learnable phenomenon that is influenced by several factors. The aim of this study is exploring obstacles to orgasm in Iranian married women. This qualitative study with directed content analysis approach was conducted in 2015-2016, on 20 Iranian married women who were individually interviewed at two medical clinics in Tehran, Iran. Orgasm obstacles were explored in one category, 4 subcategories, and 25 codes. The main category was "Multidimensionality of women's orgasm obstacles". Subcategories and some codes included: Physical obstacles (wife's or husband's boredom, vaginal infection, insufficient vaginal lubrication), psychological obstacles (lack of sexual knowledge, shame, lack of concentration on sex due to household and children problems), relational obstacles (husband's hurry, having a dispute and annoyance with spouse) and contextual obstacles (Irregular sleep hours, lack of privacy and inability to separate children's bedroom from their parents, lack of peace at home). For prevention or treatment of female orgasm disorders, attention to physical factors is not enough. Obtaining a comprehensive history about physical, psychological, relational and contextual dimensions of woman's life is necessary.

Supporting Multiple Cognitive Processing Styles Using Tailored Support Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tuan Q. Tran; Karen M. Feigh; Amy R. Pritchett

According to theories of cognitive processing style or cognitive control mode, human performance is more effective when an individual’s cognitive state (e.g., intuition/scramble vs. deliberate/strategic) matches his/her ecological constraints or context (e.g., utilize intuition to strive for a "good-enough" response instead of deliberating for the "best" response under high time pressure). Ill-mapping between cognitive state and ecological constraints are believed to lead to degraded task performance. Consequently, incorporating support systems which are designed to specifically address multiple cognitive and functional states e.g., high workload, stress, boredom, and initiate appropriate mitigation strategies (e.g., reduce information load) is essential to reduce plantmore » risk. Utilizing the concept of Cognitive Control Models, this paper will discuss the importance of tailoring support systems to match an operator's cognitive state, and will further discuss the importance of these ecological constraints in selecting and implementing mitigation strategies for safe and effective system performance. An example from the nuclear power plant industry illustrating how a support system might be tailored to support different cognitive states is included.« less

The Glass Half Empty: How Emotional Exhaustion Affects the State-Trait Discrepancy in Self-Reports of Teaching Emotions.

PubMed

Goetz, Thomas; Becker, Eva S; Bieg, Madeleine; Keller, Melanie M; Frenzel, Anne C; Hall, Nathan C

2015-01-01

Following from previous research on intensity bias and the accessibility model of emotional self-report, the present study examined the role of emotional exhaustion in explaining the discrepancy in teachers' reports of their trait (habitual) versus state (momentary, "real") emotions. Trait reports (habitual emotions, exhaustion) were assessed via trait questionnaires, and state reports (momentary emotions) were assessed in real time via the experience sampling method by using personal digital assistants (N = 69 high school teachers; 1,089 measures within teachers). In line with our assumptions, multi-level analyses showed that, as compared to the state assessment, teachers reported higher levels of habitual teaching-related emotions of anger, anxiety, shame, boredom, enjoyment, and pride. Additionally, the state-trait discrepancy in self-reports of negative emotions was accounted for by teachers' emotional exhaustion, with high exhaustion levels corresponding with a greater state-trait discrepancy. Exhaustion levels did not moderate the state-trait discrepancy in positive emotions indicating that perceived emotional exhaustion may reflect identity-related cognitions specific to the negative belief system. Implications for research and educational practice are discussed.

The coming of age of self-mutilation.

PubMed

Favazza, A R

1998-05-01

Self-mutilation (SM), the deliberate, nonsuicidal destruction of one's own body tissue, occurs in such culturally sanctioned practices as tattooing; body piercing; and healing, spiritual, and order-preserving rituals. As a symptom, it has typically been regarded as a manifestation of borderline behavior and misidentified as a suicide attempt. It has begun to attract mainstream media attention, and many more who suffer from it are expected to seek treatment. This review suggests that SM can best be understood as a morbid self-help effort providing rapid but temporary relief from feelings of depersonalization, guilt, rejection, and boredom as well as hallucinations, sexual preoccupations, and chaotic thoughts. Major SM includes infrequent acts such as eye enucleation and castration, commonly associated with psychosis and intoxication. Stereotypic SM includes such acts as head banging and self-biting most often accompanying Tourette's syndrome and severe mental retardation. Superficial/moderate SM includes compulsive acts such as trichotillomania and skin picking and such episodic acts as skin-cutting and burning, which evolve into an axis I syndrome of repetitive impulse dyscontrol with protean symptoms.

Importance of the Motivational Climate in Goal, Enjoyment, and the Causes of Success in Handball Players.

PubMed

Granero-Gallegos, Antonio; Gómez-López, Manuel; Rodríguez-Suárez, Nuria; Abraldes, J Arturo; Alesi, Marianna; Bianco, Antonino

2017-01-01

The purpose of the study is to examine the effects of the motivational climate created by the coach and perceived by a group of young handball players on their goal orientations, their beliefs regarding reasons for success and their self-satisfaction. The study participants were 159 young handball players. Players were administered a battery composed of tests to measure the above-mentioned motivational constructs. Results showed that a perceived mastery-oriented motivational climate was positively related to a task-centered goal orientation, enjoyment, and a belief that success may be achieved through effort. In contrast, a perceived performance-orientated training climate was linked to an ego-centered goal orientation, boredom, or lack of enthusiasm, and a belief that the routes of success in this sport are the abilities and the use of deception techniques. On the whole, this study underlines the educational role of the coach in young handball players. Specifically, the coach's socializing role influences both handball player's commitment and positive motivational profile as well as sport performance.

The performance environment of the England youth soccer teams: a quantitative investigation.

PubMed

Pain, Matthew A; Harwood, Chris G

2008-09-01

We examined the performance environment of the England youth soccer teams. Using a conceptually grounded questionnaire developed from the themes identified by Pain and Harwood (2007), 82 players and 23 national coaches and support staff were surveyed directly following international tournaments regarding the factors that positively and negatively influenced performance. The survey enabled data to be captured regarding both the extent and magnitude of the impact of the factors comprising the performance environment. Overall, team and social factors were generally perceived to have the greatest positive impact, with players and staff showing high levels of consensus in their evaluations. Team leadership and strong team cohesion were identified by both groups as having the greatest positive impact. Overall, far fewer variables were perceived to have a negative impact on performance, especially for players. The main negatives common to both groups were players losing composure during games, player boredom, and a lack of available activities in the hotel. The major findings support those of Pain and Harwood (2007) and in using a larger sample helped to corroborate and strengthen the generalizability of the findings.

The performance environment of the England youth soccer teams.

PubMed

Pain, Matthew A; Harwood, Chris

2007-10-01

In the present study, we examined the performance environment of the England youth soccer teams. Using a semi-structured protocol with a prospective sample, national coaches (n = 6), sport scientists (n = 3), and players (n = 4) were interviewed directly following international tournaments about the factors that positively and negatively influenced performance. Qualitative content analysis revealed the following factors as major positive influences on performance: adhering to a consistent tournament strategy, player understanding, strong team cohesion, organized entertainment activities, detailed knowledge of opposition, an effective physical rest/recovery strategy, and previous tournament experience. Major factors perceived to have negatively influenced performance included: over-coaching, player boredom, player anxiety, physical superiority of the opposition, physical fatigue over the tournament, problems sleeping, and lack of information on the opposition. Eight overall dimensions emerged to describe the performance environment: planning and organization, physical environment, tactical factors, development and performance philosophy, psychological factors, physical factors, social factors, and coaching. The findings support recent work that suggests the performance environment is multifaceted, with performance being contingent upon a broad range of interacting factors that go beyond the traditional psychosocial and physical domains.

Television and eating: repetition enhances food intake

PubMed Central

Mathur, Utsa; Stevenson, Richard J.

2015-01-01

Some studies find that eating with TV increases food intake while others do not. Some of this variability may reflect the engagingness of what is being watched (i.e., content). To test this we varied engagingness by manipulating content familiarity. Female participants undertook two sessions. In the “Different” session they watched two different episodes of the comedy Friends, with snack food presented during the second episode. In the “Same” session they viewed another episode of Friends twice in succession, with snack food presented during the second repeat showing. The three episodes of Friends used here were fully counterbalanced, so overall the only difference between the “Same” and “Different” sessions was whether the content of the second show was familiar or novel. As expected, 14% less was eaten in the “Different” session, suggesting that novel and presumably more engaging content can reduce intake relative to watching familiar and presumably less engaging content. These findings are consistent with the idea that the engagingness of TV can differentially affect food intake, although boredom or irritability resulting from repeat viewing might also explain this effect. PMID:26579040

Perception of intensive care unit stressors in Malaysian Federal Territory hospitals.

PubMed

Soh, Kim Lam; Soh, Kim Geok; Ahmad, Zaiton; Abdul Raman, Rosna; Japar, Salimah

2008-12-01

The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is a therapeutic place for monitoring critically ill patients. However, it is a stressful area for the patients and it is causing them great anxiety. Previous studies have identified three groups of stressors in ICU namely; physical, psychological and environmental. The aims of this study were to determine the ICU stressors as experienced by patients and to determine the level of stressors felt by patients in ICU. A cross sectional study was done on 70 patients from two tertiary hospitals in Malaysia. A face-to-face interview with structured questionnaire was used for patients. Data collection occurred from 15 December 2006 to 31 January 2007. The five major ICU stressors perceived by patients were pain, being stuck with needles, boredom, missing their spouses and being too hot/cold. The ICU physical stressors were the major items ranked by post ICU patients. The findings from this study provided a set of baseline information to the health care providers, particularly ICU nurses in Malaysia, with which to provide better care for the patients in ICU.

The relationship between science classroom facility conditions and ninth grade students' attitudes toward science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, Angela Y.

Over half of the school facilities in America are in poor condition. Unsatisfactory school facilities have a negative impact on teaching and learning. The purpose of this correlational study was to identify the relationship between high school science teachers' perceptions of the school science environment (instructional equipment, demonstration equipment, and physical facilities) and ninth grade students' attitudes about science through their expressed enjoyment of science, importance of time spent on science, and boredom with science. A sample of 11,523 cases was extracted, after a process of data mining, from a databank of over 24,000 nationally representative ninth graders located throughout the United States. The instrument used to survey these students was part of the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:2009). The research design was multiple linear regression. The results showed a significant relationship between the science classroom conditions and students' attitudes. Demonstration equipment and physical facilities were the best predictors of effects on students' attitudes. Conclusions based on this study and recommendations for future research are made.

Importance of the Motivational Climate in Goal, Enjoyment, and the Causes of Success in Handball Players

PubMed Central

Granero-Gallegos, Antonio; Gómez-López, Manuel; Rodríguez-Suárez, Nuria; Abraldes, J. Arturo; Alesi, Marianna; Bianco, Antonino

2017-01-01

The purpose of the study is to examine the effects of the motivational climate created by the coach and perceived by a group of young handball players on their goal orientations, their beliefs regarding reasons for success and their self-satisfaction. The study participants were 159 young handball players. Players were administered a battery composed of tests to measure the above-mentioned motivational constructs. Results showed that a perceived mastery-oriented motivational climate was positively related to a task-centered goal orientation, enjoyment, and a belief that success may be achieved through effort. In contrast, a perceived performance-orientated training climate was linked to an ego-centered goal orientation, boredom, or lack of enthusiasm, and a belief that the routes of success in this sport are the abilities and the use of deception techniques. On the whole, this study underlines the educational role of the coach in young handball players. Specifically, the coach’s socializing role influences both handball player’s commitment and positive motivational profile as well as sport performance. PMID:29250011

A self-determination approach to the understanding of motivation in physical education.

PubMed

Ntoumanis, N

2001-06-01

It is widely acknowledged that Physical Education (PE) can play a potentially important role in enhancing public health by creating positive attitudes toward exercise and by promoting health-related fitness programmes. However, these initiatives will have limited success if students are not motivated to participate actively in their PE lessons. A sequence of motivational processes, proposed by Vallerand (1997), was tested in this study. The sequence has the form 'social factors-->psychological mediators-->types of motivation-->consequences'. Participants were 424 British students aged 14-16 years from Northwest England. Questionnaires were used to measure cooperative learning, self-referenced improvement, and choice of tasks (social factors), perceived competence, autonomy, and relatedness (psychological mediators), intrinsic motivation, identification, introjection, external regulation, and amotivation (types of motivation), and boredom, effort, and future intention to exercise (consequences). A SEM analysis showed that perceived competence was the major psychological mediator. Intrinsic motivation was related to positive consequences, whereas external regulation and amotivation were predictors of negative consequences. A multisample analysis indicated that the model was largely invariant across gender. The findings underline the importance of perceived competence and intrinsic motivation in compulsory PE.

Substance use in young adults with schizophrenic disorders.

PubMed

Test, M A; Wallisch, L S; Allness, D J; Ripp, K

1989-01-01

Use of nonprescribed mood altering substances is pervasive and problematic in young adults with serious mental illnesses in community care. Fifty-eight percent of young adult clients with clearly defined schizophrenia or schizophrenia-related disorders participating in a long-term community treatment study were rated by staff or themselves as using alcohol, cannabis, or other street drugs several times a week or more. We interviewed in depth a random sample of these "significant users" to obtain their perspective on their frequencies, patterns, histories, contributing factors to, and effects of substance use and their related treatment experiences. Results revealed these clients' substance use to be of long duration and deeply entrenched, with current use often involving multiple substances including both street drugs and substances of "everyday life" (e.g., caffeine, nicotine). Clients reported compelling reasons for use including anxiety reduction, relief of boredom, and a means for social contact. Staff and clients clearly view substance use quite differently, with the latter focusing at least as much on consequences of symptom relief as symptom exacerbation. Treatment implications are discussed.

Self-reported reasons for vaping among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders in the US: Nationally-representative results.

PubMed

Patrick, Megan E; Miech, Richard A; Carlier, Carola; O'Malley, Patrick M; Johnston, Lloyd D; Schulenberg, John E

2016-08-01

The study describes the most common reasons for using vaporizers (such as e-cigarettes) among US adolescents and investigates how reasons for use differ by grade, lifetime cigarette use, frequency of vaporizer use, gender, race/ethnicity, and parent education. Data were collected from 4066 students in the 8th, 10th, and 12th grades in 2015 as part of the Monitoring the Future study, a cross-sectional and nationally representative US survey. Common reasons for vaporizer use reported by respondents who had ever used a vaporizer were experimentation (53.0%), taste (37.2%), boredom (23.5%), having a good time (22.4%), and relaxation (21.6%). Reasons differed little across grades or parent education; reasons differed by lifetime use of regular cigarettes, frequency of vaping, gender, and race/ethnicity. Overall, results suggest that decisions to vape are based on curiosity, taste, and pleasure, rather than for reasons such as quitting regular cigarettes or substituting for regular cigarette smoking. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Self-Reported Reasons for Vaping Among 8th, 10th, and 12th Graders in the US: Nationally-Representative Results

PubMed Central

Patrick, Megan E.; Miech, Richard A.; Carlier, Carola; O’Malley, Patrick M.; Johnson, Lloyd D.; Schulenberg, John E.

2016-01-01

Objective The study describes the most common reasons for using vaporizers (such as e-cigarettes) among US adolescents and investigates how reasons for use differ by grade, lifetime cigarette use, frequency of vaporizer use, gender, race/ethnicity, and parent education. Method Data were collected from 4,066 students in the 8th, 10th, and 12th grades in 2015 as part of the Monitoring the Future study, a cross-sectional and nationally representative US survey Results Common reasons for vaporizer use reported by respondents who had ever used a vaporizer were experimentation (53.0%), taste (37.2%), boredom (23.5%), having a good time (22.4%), and relaxation (21.6%). Reasons differed little across grades or parent education; reasons differed by lifetime use of regular cigarettes, frequency of vaping, gender, and race/ethnicity. Conclusions Overall, results suggest that decisions to vape are based on curiosity, taste, and pleasure, rather than for reasons such as quitting regular cigarettes or substituting for regular cigarette smoking. PMID:27286951

Smoking behaviour, motives, motivation to quit and self-efficacy among patients in a secure mental health service: comparison with staff controls.

PubMed

Dickens, G L; Staniford, J; Long, C G

2014-08-01

People with mental disorder account for a disproportionately large amount of smokers, and the problem is greatest in inpatient settings. 'Stop smoking' services should be tailored to the needs of individual patient groups. It is important therefore to investigate factors relevant to different groups in order to inform future quit smoking interventions. We compared 50 patients and 50 staff in a secure mental health hospital on measures of smoking and smoking motives, nicotine dependence, craving, previous cessation attempts, motivation to quit and quit smoking-related self-efficacy. Patients were significantly more dependent on nicotine with higher levels of craving; were more likely to smoke to cope with stress, for something to do when bored, for enjoyment and pleasure; and reported significantly less readiness to quit smoking. Staff were more likely to cite health concerns as reasons for quitting. Future pre-intervention work with inpatients should focus on increasing their readiness to quit smoking. Once motivation is increased, interventions should include advice on reducing cravings, finding alternative methods for coping with stress and boredom and achieving enjoyment and pleasure from alternative sources. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Male imprisoned firesetters have different characteristics than other imprisoned offenders and require specialist treatment.

PubMed

Gannon, Theresa A; Ciardha, Caoilte Ó; Barnoux, Magali F L; Tyler, Nichola; Mozova, Katarina; Alleyne, Emma K A

2013-01-01

This study investigated whether a group of firesetters (n = 68) could be distinguished, psychologically, from a matched group of non-firesetting offenders (n = 68). Participants completed measures examining psychological variables relating to fire, emotional/self-regulation, social competency, self-concept, boredom proneness, and impression management. Official prison records were also examined to record offending history and other offense-related variables. A series of MANOVAs were conducted with conceptually related measures identified as the dependent variables. Follow-up discriminant function and clinical cut-off score analyses were also conducted to examine the best discriminating variables for firesetters. Firesetters were clearly distinguishable, statistically, from non-firesetters on three groups of conceptually related measures relating to: fire, emotional/self-regulation, and self-concept. The most successful variables for the discrimination of firesetters determined via statistical and clinical significance testing were higher levels of anger-related cognition, interest in serious fires, and identification with fire and lower levels of perceived fire safety awareness, general self-esteem, and external locus of control. Firesetters appear to be a specialist group of offenders who hold unique psychological characteristics. Firesetters are likely to require specialist treatment to target these psychological needs as opposed to generic offending behavior programs.

Female Fire-Setters: Gender-Associated Psychological and Psychopathological Features.

PubMed

Alleyne, Emma; Gannon, Theresa A; Mozova, Katarina; Page, Thomas E; Ó Ciardha, Caoilte

2016-01-01

Female fire-setters are reported to commit nearly one-third of deliberately set fires, yet there are limited studies examining the characteristics that distinguish them from suitable comparison groups. The aim of this study is to compare incarcerated female fire-setters with incarcerated male fire-setters and female offender controls on psychopathological and psychological features that could be targeted via therapeutic interventions. We recruited 65 female fire-setters, 128 male fire-setters, and 63 female offenders from the prison estate. Participants completed a battery of validated tools assessing psychiatric traits and psychological characteristics (i.e., inappropriate fire interest, emotion/self-regulation, social competence, self-concept, offense-supportive attitudes, and boredom proneness) highlighted in the existing literature. Major depression and an internal locus of control distinguished female fire-setters from male fire-setters. Alcohol dependence, serious/problematic fire interest, and more effective anger regulation distinguished female fire-setters from the female offender control group. This is the first study to examine differences between female fire-setters, male fire-setters, and female control offenders on both psychopathological features and psychological traits. These findings highlight the gender-specific and offense-specific needs of female fire-setters that clinicians need to consider when implementing programs that ensure client responsivity.

Targeting adolescent risk-taking behaviors: the contributions of egocentrism and sensation-seeking.

PubMed

Greene, K; Krcmar, M; Walters, L H; Rubin, D L; Jerold; Hale, L

2000-08-01

Tremendous resources are spent each year developing programs and messages targeting adolescent risk behavior. Adolescents are often reasonably well educated about methods for health promotion such as preventing HIV infection, yet they fail to act accordingly. One widely used individual difference variable, sensation-seeking, has been incorporated in health message design to some extent, but it fails to take development into account. Research on adolescent egocentrism suggests adolescents experience personal fable which can lead to an exaggerated sense of invulnerability. The present study sampled adolescents and college students to examine relative contributions of egocentrism and sensation-seeking to risk-taking behavior. Results indicate a latent factor labeled risk-seeking (primarily indicated by disinhibition and risk-taking personality, and to a lesser degree by invulnerability, experience-seeking, boredom susceptibility, and thrill and adventure-seeking) indeed predicted a latent factor labeled delinquent behavior (primarily indicated by alcohol consumption and delinquency, and to a lesser degree by drug use, drinking and driving, and risky driving). Other results indicate consistently high personal fable combined with high sensation-seeking explained most risk-taking behavior. Implications and directions for future research are discussed. Copyright 2000 The Association for Professionals in Services for Adolescents.

A narrative analysis of helplessness in depression.

PubMed

Vanheule, Stijn; Hauser, Stuart T

2008-12-01

The transcripts of semistructured clinical interviews with forty psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents were subjected to narrative analysis in an effort to map the logic of their explanations as they spontaneously talked about helplessness experiences, and to determine how helplessness is embedded in broader story lines. Three types of narrative composition were discerned, and are discussed by means of excerpts from the interviews. In a first and predominant type of narrative, a disturbing confrontation with another is pivotal: the other's intentions are obscure; this frightens the narrator, who does not know what to do. Helplessness arises as a direct result of not knowing how to manage the "unbearable riddle" of the other's intentions. In the second, more marginal type of narrative, helplessness is embedded in an account of emptiness and boredom. The protagonist relates enduring experiences of emptiness due to loss and the suffering consequent on it. In the third, also more marginal type of narrative, helplessness is framed in a context of failure: the protagonist adheres to strict standards, feels he or she has fallen short, and concludes that he or she is a failure. Only the first type of narrative is significantly related to the psychiatric diagnoses of mood disorder and major depression.

Mediating processes in an effective life-review intervention.

PubMed

Korte, Jojanneke; Westerhof, Gerben J; Bohlmeijer, Ernst T

2012-12-01

Life review has been established as an evidence-based treatment for depression and anxiety. This paper addresses an important gap in the existing evidence of the working mechanisms of life review. We were able to longitudinally investigate possible mediators of a life-review intervention on depression and anxiety in the context of a large randomized controlled trial. A total of 202 older Dutch adults living in the community participated in this study. They were randomly assigned to either life review or care as usual. Participants were measured in terms of their depressive and anxiety symptoms, reminiscence functions, meaning in life, mastery and positive thoughts at study entry (t0), postintervention (t1; 3 months after study entry), and follow-up (t2; 3 months after the end of the intervention). Findings suggest that processes which have been theoretically and empirically proposed as important processes of change in life review therapy, that is, bitterness revival and boredom reduction reminiscence, mastery and positive thoughts, are indeed mediating the effects of life review on depression and anxiety. It is now recommended to measure these processes during the intervention in order to shed light on the exact process of change and direction of causality. 2013 APA, all rights reserved

Low back pain.

PubMed Central

Ehrlich, George E.

2003-01-01

Low back pain is a leading cause of disability. It occurs in similar proportions in all cultures, interferes with quality of life and work performance, and is the most common reason for medical consultations. Few cases of back pain are due to specific causes; most cases are non-specific. Acute back pain is the most common presentation and is usually self-limiting, lasting less than three months regardless of treatment. Chronic back pain is a more difficult problem, which often has strong psychological overlay: work dissatisfaction, boredom, and a generous compensation system contribute to it. Among the diagnoses offered for chronic pain is fibromyalgia, an urban condition (the diagnosis is not made in rural settings) that does not differ materially from other instances of widespread chronic pain. Although disc protrusions detected on X-ray are often blamed, they rarely are responsible for the pain, and surgery is seldom successful at alleviating it. No single treatment is superior to others; patients prefer manipulative therapy, but studies have not demonstrated that it has any superiority over others. A WHO Advisory Panel has defined common outcome measures to be used to judge the efficacy of treatments for studies. PMID:14710509

A sociological stance on fatigue and tiredness: Social inequalities, norms and representations.

PubMed

Loriol, Marc

2017-04-01

Fatigue is complex, representing simultaneously a physiological, psychological and social phenomenon. The sociological approach attempts to understand the experience of fatigue and its characterization at diverse periods and in various social contexts. After giving a sociological history of different forms of fatigue through the ages (acedia, melancholy, neurasthenia, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc.), this article proposes a social epidemiology of fatigue in the current period. Objectification of working and living conditions allows us to illustrate social inequalities in fatigue and exhaustion, but seems to contradict dominant social representations of fatigue today. It invites a critical discussion of contemporary theories of fatigue (such those of Alain Ehrenberg or Byung-Chul Han), which consider that fatigue is a condition of modern man, overwhelmed by his freedom. More modestly, analysis of the fatigue presented here rests on the capacity to be able to find a good balance between too much investment in work or life (which is exhausting) and not enough investment (which leads to boredom and lack of self-fulfillment). This balance depends on fragile and specific social norms in different professional or social circles and cannot be defined a priori. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Technology, attributions, and emotions in post-secondary education: An application of Weiner’s attribution theory to academic computing problems

PubMed Central

Hall, Nathan C.; Goetz, Thomas; Chiarella, Andrew; Rahimi, Sonia

2018-01-01

As technology becomes increasingly integrated with education, research on the relationships between students’ computing-related emotions and motivation following technological difficulties is critical to improving learning experiences. Following from Weiner’s (2010) attribution theory of achievement motivation, the present research examined relationships between causal attributions and emotions concerning academic computing difficulties in two studies. Study samples consisted of North American university students enrolled in both traditional and online universities (total N = 559) who responded to either hypothetical scenarios or experimental manipulations involving technological challenges experienced in academic settings. Findings from Study 1 showed stable and external attributions to be emotionally maladaptive (more helplessness, boredom, guilt), particularly in response to unexpected computing problems. Additionally, Study 2 found stable attributions for unexpected problems to predict more anxiety for traditional students, with both external and personally controllable attributions for minor problems proving emotionally beneficial for students in online degree programs (more hope, less anxiety). Overall, hypothesized negative effects of stable attributions were observed across both studies, with mixed results for personally controllable attributions and unanticipated emotional benefits of external attributions for academic computing problems warranting further study. PMID:29529039

[The relevance of sexuality in the treatment of borderline personality disorder].

PubMed

Neeleman, A J F

2007-01-01

Although many articles about borderline personality disorder have been published over the last 25 years, sexuality has not received much attention. Sexual functioning may however be relevant for the treatment of this disorder. To find out from research reports, the literature and clinical practice whether they contain evidence of varying degrees of problematical sexuality in borderline patients, and if so, to make an inventory of the evidence. A literature search was conducted via PubMed and Psycinfo using the search terms 'borderline personality disorder', 'sexuality' and 'research'. In addition, the literature was searched manually. Only six empirical studies about the sexual functioning of patients with borderline personality disorder were found. The research findings provided information about patients' problems with regard to intimate and sexual relations. These problems related to heightened sexual impulsivity, reduced satisfaction, increased sexual boredom, greater preoccupation with sex, avoidance of sex and a range of other sexual complaints. In addition, there is evidence that homosexuality and vulnerability regarding gender identity occur more frequently in these patients. Helping to integrate love and sexuality with a suitable partner seems to be an important developmental assignment for persons assisting borderline patients.

"Chickens Are a Lot Smarter than I Originally Thought": Changes in Student Attitudes to Chickens Following a Chicken Training Class.

PubMed

Hazel, Susan J; O'Dwyer, Lisel; Ryan, Terry

2015-08-21

A practical class using clicker training of chickens to apply knowledge of how animals learn and practice skills in animal training was added to an undergraduate course. Since attitudes to animals are related to their perceived intelligence, surveys of student attitudes were completed pre- and post- the practical class, to determine if (1) the practical class changed students' attitudes to chickens and their ability to experience affective states, and (2) any changes were related to previous contact with chickens, training experience or gender. In the post- versus pre-surveys, students agreed more that chickens are easy to teach tricks to, are intelligent, and have individual personalities and disagreed more that they are difficult to train and are slow learners. Following the class, they were more likely to believe chickens experience boredom, frustration and happiness. Females rated the intelligence and ability to experience affective states in chickens more highly than males, although there were shifts in attitude in both genders. This study demonstrated shifts in attitudes following a practical class teaching clicker training in chickens. Similar practical classes may provide an effective method of teaching animal training skills and promoting more positive attitudes to animals.

Qualitative analysis of feedback on functional imagery training: A novel motivational intervention for type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Parham, Sophie C; Kavanagh, David J; Shimada, Mika; May, Jon; Andrade, Jackie

2018-03-01

Effective motivational support is needed in chronic disease management. This study was undertaken to improve a novel type 2 diabetes motivational intervention, (functional imagery training, FIT) based on participant feedback and results from a self-management randomised controlled trial. Qualitative inductive thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews. Open-ended questions on participant experiences of the FIT intervention content, process, most/least helpful features, suggestions for improvement and general feedback. Eight themes emerged. Participants thought FIT promoted autonomy and self-awareness. They found the intervention interesting and helpful in keeping their health on track through accountability provided by regular phone calls. However, boredom with repetitive use of imagery, feeling inadequately equipped to manage unhealthy cravings, and difficulty with the time commitment was reported by some. Supplementary written material was recommended. Several well-received features of FIT overlapped with those from traditional motivational interviewing. FIT sessions should ensure content is regularly adapted to new health-enhancing goals. After self-management behaviour becomes habitual, imagery practice could be restricted to challenging contexts. Provision of a written rationale and use of mindfulness for cravings is recommended. With these improvements, the impact of FIT on diabetic control may be substantially enhanced.

Women’s orgasm obstacles: A qualitative study

PubMed Central

Nekoolaltak, Maryam; Keshavarz, Zohreh; Simbar, Masoumeh; Nazari, Ali Mohammad; Baghestani, Ahmad Reza

2017-01-01

Background: Woman’s orgasm plays a vital role in sexual compatibility and marital satisfaction. Orgasm in women is a learnable phenomenon that is influenced by several factors. Objective: The aim of this study is exploring obstacles to orgasm in Iranian married women. Materials and Methods: This qualitative study with directed content analysis approach was conducted in 2015-2016, on 20 Iranian married women who were individually interviewed at two medical clinics in Tehran, Iran. Results: Orgasm obstacles were explored in one category, 4 subcategories, and 25 codes. The main category was “Multidimensionality of women’s orgasm obstacles”. Subcategories and some codes included: Physical obstacles (wife’s or husband’s boredom, vaginal infection, insufficient vaginal lubrication), psychological obstacles (lack of sexual knowledge, shame, lack of concentration on sex due to household and children problems), relational obstacles (husband’s hurry, having a dispute and annoyance with spouse) and contextual obstacles (Irregular sleep hours, lack of privacy and inability to separate children’s bedroom from their parents, lack of peace at home). Conclusion: For prevention or treatment of female orgasm disorders, attention to physical factors is not enough. Obtaining a comprehensive history about physical, psychological, relational and contextual dimensions of woman’s life is necessary. PMID:29082366

Employee engagement, boredom and frontline construction workers feeling safe in their workplace.

PubMed

Whiteoak, John W; Mohamed, Sherif

2016-08-01

Systems thinking is a philosophy currently prevalent within construction safety literature that is applied to understand and improve safety in sociotechnical systems. Among systems, the site-project organizational system is of particular interest to this paper. Using focus group and survey feedback research to learn about how safety incidents effect levels of construction workers engagement this paper reveals how a safety incident provides an opportunity to create a potential quality (productivity) upgrade within an organization. The research approach involved a qualitative study involving 27 frontline supervisors and a follow-up survey completed by 207 frontline workers in the Australian Asphalt and Pavement Industry. The focus group interviews supported the articulation of the concepts of tacit safety, explicit safety, situational awareness, foresight ability, practical intelligence and crew synergy. Our findings indicate that having regular shift changes and other job site workers being fatigued are influential on perceptions of tacit safety. An individual's foresight ability was found to be the most potent predictor of worker perceptions of work engagement. The paper explains that relatively small improvements in worker perceptions of safety can bring about significant improvements in employee engagement and productivity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Smoking Consequences Questionnaire: Factor structure and predictive validity among Spanish-speaking Latino smokers in the United States.

PubMed

Vidrine, Jennifer Irvin; Vidrine, Damon J; Costello, Tracy J; Mazas, Carlos; Cofta-Woerpel, Ludmila; Mejia, Luz Maria; Wetter, David W

2009-11-01

Much of the existing research on smoking outcome expectancies has been guided by the Smoking Consequences Questionnaire (SCQ ). Although the original version of the SCQ has been modified over time for use in different populations, none of the existing versions have been evaluated for use among Spanish-speaking Latino smokers in the United States. The present study evaluated the factor structure and predictive validity of the 3 previously validated versions of the SCQ--the original, the SCQ-Adult, and the SCQ-Spanish, which was developed with Spanish-speaking smokers in Spain--among Spanish-speaking Latino smokers in Texas. The SCQ-Spanish represented the least complex solution. Each of the SCQ-Spanish scales had good internal consistency, and the predictive validity of the SCQ-Spanish was partially supported. Nearly all the SCQ-Spanish scales predicted withdrawal severity even after controlling for demographics and dependence. Boredom Reduction predicted smoking relapse across the 5- and 12-week follow-up assessments in a multivariate model that also controlled for demographics and dependence. Our results support use of the SCQ-Spanish with Spanish-speaking Latino smokers in the United States.

Mobile phone use on a young person's unit.

PubMed

Bell, Jacquelyn; Finlay, Fiona; Baverstock, Anna

2009-09-01

To ascertain information about the use of mobile phones on a young person's hospital unit and to obtain the views of nursing staff and young people about the benefits of their use. A qualitative study using a pre-piloted questionnaire was given to 50 young people admitted consecutively to the young person's unit of district general hospital in a four-week period. A separate questionnaire was given to nine members of the nursing team over the same time period. Most young people had access to a mobile phone while on the ward. A total of 30 per cent were told they could use their phone, 75 per cent of those had made calls or sent texts while on the ward, 80 per cent had received calls or texts, and 20 per cent had used the ward phone at the nursing station. All staff agreed that it was helpful for young people to use their phones on the ward to keep in contact with friends and family, to avoid isolation and ease boredom. Young people have different social needs to younger children and appreciate the opportunity to use mobile phones. A more flexible approach should be adopted. The advantages of phone use clearly outweigh the risks.

Validating internet research: a test of the psychometric equivalence of internet and in-person samples.

PubMed

Meyerson, Paul; Tryon, Warren W

2003-11-01

This study evaluated the psychometric equivalency of Web-based research. The Sexual Boredom Scale was presented via the World-Wide Web along with five additional scales used to validate it. A subset of 533 participants that matched a previously published sample (Watt & Ewing, 1996) on age, gender, and race was identified. An 8 x 8 correlation matrix from the matched Internet sample was compared via structural equation modeling with a similar 8 x 8 correlation matrix from the previously published study. The Internet and previously published samples were psychometrically equivalent. Coefficient alpha values calculated on the matched Internet sample yielded reliability coefficients almost identical to those for the previously published sample. Factors such as computer administration and uncontrollable administration settings did not appear to affect the results. Demographic data indicated an overrepresentation of males by about 6% and Caucasians by about 13% relative to the U.S. Census (2000). A total of 2,230 participants were obtained in about 8 months without remuneration. These results suggest that data collection on the Web is (1) reliable, (2) valid, (3) reasonably representative, (4) cost effective, and (5) efficient.

Salivary immunoglobulin-A as a marker of stress during strenuous physical training.

PubMed

Carins, Julia; Booth, Christine

2002-12-01

Immunoglobulin-A in saliva (SIgA) has been proven to be decreased during periods of stress, a change that also correlates with increased disease risk. Concentration of SIgA is negatively associated with dietary deprivation, negative moods, and anxiety. SIgA was evaluated as a marker of the severity of stress during a 19-day Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) survival course, during which students experienced hunger, thirst, boredom, loneliness, and extreme heat and cold combined with demanding physical effort. There were 27 men and 2 women who participated. Students kept daily food diaries, from which daily intakes of energy and macronutrients were calculated. Saliva samples were collected on 9 d for the measurement of the ratio of SIgA to albumin (Alb). Students completed a health checklist and the State Anxiety Inventory on the same 9 d and the Profile of Mood States on 3 of the days. Dietary restriction, consumption of alcohol, body mass loss, occurrence of upper respiratory tract infection, and negative emotions were negatively associated with SIgA:Alb. SIgA:Alb is a useful marker of the severity of stresses encountered during stressful training.

Technology, attributions, and emotions in post-secondary education: An application of Weiner's attribution theory to academic computing problems.

PubMed

Maymon, Rebecca; Hall, Nathan C; Goetz, Thomas; Chiarella, Andrew; Rahimi, Sonia

2018-01-01

As technology becomes increasingly integrated with education, research on the relationships between students' computing-related emotions and motivation following technological difficulties is critical to improving learning experiences. Following from Weiner's (2010) attribution theory of achievement motivation, the present research examined relationships between causal attributions and emotions concerning academic computing difficulties in two studies. Study samples consisted of North American university students enrolled in both traditional and online universities (total N = 559) who responded to either hypothetical scenarios or experimental manipulations involving technological challenges experienced in academic settings. Findings from Study 1 showed stable and external attributions to be emotionally maladaptive (more helplessness, boredom, guilt), particularly in response to unexpected computing problems. Additionally, Study 2 found stable attributions for unexpected problems to predict more anxiety for traditional students, with both external and personally controllable attributions for minor problems proving emotionally beneficial for students in online degree programs (more hope, less anxiety). Overall, hypothesized negative effects of stable attributions were observed across both studies, with mixed results for personally controllable attributions and unanticipated emotional benefits of external attributions for academic computing problems warranting further study.

Pilot Biofeedback Training in the Cognitive Awareness Training Study (CATS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Uenking, M.

2000-01-01

One of the ongoing problems that pilots face today is a diminished state of awareness such as boredom, sleepiness, or fatigue during cruise conditions that could result in various pilot errors. This study utilized a cognitive training exercise to sharpen the pilot's awareness during simulated flight thereby providing them with a means to overcome these diminished states of awareness. This study utilizes psychophysiological methods in an attempt to assess a pilot's state of awareness more directly. In turn, the pilots will be able to train themselves to recognize these states of awareness and be more mentally sharp during mundane tasks such as those experienced in cruise conditions. The use of these measurement tools may be beneficial for researchers working within the NASA Aviation Safety Program. This paper will provide the reader with some background information concerning the motivation for the study, a brief description of the experimental setup and design matrix, the dependent and independent variables that were employed, and some preliminary findings based on some of the subjective and objective data that was collected. These preliminary findings are of part of an ongoing study being conducted at the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

A Step Towards EEG-based Brain Computer Interface for Autism Intervention*

PubMed Central

Fan, Jing; Wade, Joshua W.; Bian, Dayi; Key, Alexandra P.; Warren, Zachary E.; Mion, Lorraine C.; Sarkar, Nilanjan

2017-01-01

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a prevalent and costly neurodevelopmental disorder. Individuals with ASD often have deficits in social communication skills as well as adaptive behavior skills related to daily activities. We have recently designed a novel virtual reality (VR) based driving simulator for driving skill training for individuals with ASD. In this paper, we explored the feasibility of detecting engagement level, emotional states, and mental workload during VR-based driving using EEG as a first step towards a potential EEG-based Brain Computer Interface (BCI) for assisting autism intervention. We used spectral features of EEG signals from a 14-channel EEG neuroheadset, together with therapist ratings of behavioral engagement, enjoyment, frustration, boredom, and difficulty to train a group of classification models. Seven classification methods were applied and compared including Bayes network, naïve Bayes, Support Vector Machine (SVM), multilayer perceptron, K-nearest neighbors (KNN), random forest, and J48. The classification results were promising, with over 80% accuracy in classifying engagement and mental workload, and over 75% accuracy in classifying emotional states. Such results may lead to an adaptive closed-loop VR-based skill training system for use in autism intervention. PMID:26737113

Masturbation and Pornography Use Among Coupled Heterosexual Men With Decreased Sexual Desire: How Many Roles of Masturbation?

PubMed

Carvalheira, Ana; Træen, Bente; Stulhofer, Aleksandar

2015-01-01

The relation between masturbation and sexual desire has not been systematically studied. The present study assessed the association between masturbation and pornography use and the predictors and correlates of frequent masturbation (several times a week or more often) among coupled heterosexual men who reported decreased sexual desire. Analyses were carried out on a subset of 596 men with decreased sexual desire (mean age = 40.2 years) who were recruited as part of a large online study on male sexual health in 3 European countries. A majority of the participants (67%) reported masturbating at least once a week. Among men who masturbated frequently, 70% used pornography at least once a week. A multivariate assessment showed that sexual boredom, frequent pornography use, and low relationship intimacy significantly increased the odds of reporting frequent masturbation among coupled men with decreased sexual desire. These findings point to a pattern of pornography-related masturbation that can be dissociated from partnered sexual desire and can fulfill diverse purposes. Clinical implications include the importance of exploring specific patterns of masturbation and pornography use in the evaluation of coupled men with decreased sexual desire.

The diet of adult psittacids: veterinarian and ethological approaches.

PubMed

Péron, F; Grosset, C

2014-06-01

Parrots species are kept as pets because of their colours, their vocal abilities, their longevity and also their behaviours. Nevertheless, many owners do not know how to feed their bird in a healthy way and sometimes veterinarians and ethologists are confronted to dramatic situations. Diet is a key factor to prevent and reduce health and psychogenic disorders. Imbalance can lead to physical, physiological and behavioural modifications that can weaken the owner-bird relationship, cause bird discomfort and sometimes threaten its survival. Psittacids are known for their complex cognitive and communicative abilities. They are social animals and need many interactions. Kept in captivity, they could suffer from boredom because of lack of stimulations and also because of lack of possibility to explore and to forage, which could represent up to 70% of their day time in the wild. Indeed, humans control every parameter in the environment of pet psittacids. They provide a highly digestible diet. In captivity, foraging is not mandatory, and the bird can get bored. Here, we present a review of the literature regarding the quality of the diet and health disorders on one hand and the interaction between foraging opportunities and psychogenic disorders in adult psittacids on the other hand. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Neural signatures of experimentally induced flow experiences identified in a typical fMRI block design with BOLD imaging

PubMed Central

Keller, Johannes; Grön, Georg

2016-01-01

Previously, experimentally induced flow experiences have been demonstrated with perfusion imaging during activation blocks of 3 min length to accommodate with the putatively slowly evolving “mood” characteristics of flow. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a sample of 23 healthy, male participants to investigate flow in the context of a typical fMRI block design with block lengths as short as 30 s. To induce flow, demands of arithmetic tasks were automatically and continuously adjusted to the individual skill level. Compared against conditions of boredom and overload, experience of flow was evident from individuals’ reported subjective experiences and changes in electrodermal activity. Neural activation was relatively increased during flow, particularly in the anterior insula, inferior frontal gyri, basal ganglia and midbrain. Relative activation decreases during flow were observed in medial prefrontal and posterior cingulate cortex, and in the medial temporal lobe including the amygdala. Present findings suggest that even in the context of comparably short activation blocks flow can be reliably experienced and is associated with changes in neural activation of brain regions previously described. Possible mechanisms of interacting brain regions are outlined, awaiting further investigation which should now be possible given the greater temporal resolution compared with previous perfusion imaging. PMID:26508774

Accuracy and consistency of grass pollen identification by human analysts using electron micrographs of surface ornamentation1

PubMed Central

Mander, Luke; Baker, Sarah J.; Belcher, Claire M.; Haselhorst, Derek S.; Rodriguez, Jacklyn; Thorn, Jessica L.; Tiwari, Shivangi; Urrego, Dunia H.; Wesseln, Cassandra J.; Punyasena, Surangi W.

2014-01-01

• Premise of the study: Humans frequently identify pollen grains at a taxonomic rank above species. Grass pollen is a classic case of this situation, which has led to the development of computational methods for identifying grass pollen species. This paper aims to provide context for these computational methods by quantifying the accuracy and consistency of human identification. • Methods: We measured the ability of nine human analysts to identify 12 species of grass pollen using scanning electron microscopy images. These are the same images that were used in computational identifications. We have measured the coverage, accuracy, and consistency of each analyst, and investigated their ability to recognize duplicate images. • Results: Coverage ranged from 87.5% to 100%. Mean identification accuracy ranged from 46.67% to 87.5%. The identification consistency of each analyst ranged from 32.5% to 87.5%, and each of the nine analysts produced considerably different identification schemes. The proportion of duplicate image pairs that were missed ranged from 6.25% to 58.33%. • Discussion: The identification errors made by each analyst, which result in a decline in accuracy and consistency, are likely related to psychological factors such as the limited capacity of human memory, fatigue and boredom, recency effects, and positivity bias. PMID:25202649

Exploring the entanglement of personal epistemologies and emotions in students' thinking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Ayush; Elby, Andrew; Danielak, Brian A.

2018-06-01

Evidence from psychology, cognitive science, and neuroscience suggests that cognition and emotions are coupled. Education researchers have also documented correlations between emotions (such as joy, anxiety, fear, curiosity, boredom) and academic performance. Nonetheless, most research on students' reasoning and conceptual change within the learning sciences and physics and science education research has not attended to the role of learners' emotions in describing or modeling the fine timescale dynamics of their conceptual reasoning. The few studies that integrate emotions into models of learners' cognition have mostly done so at a coarse grain size. In this study, toward the long-term goal of incorporating emotions into models of in-the-moment cognitive dynamics, we present a case study of Judy, an undergraduate electrical engineering and physics major. We show that shifts in the intensity of a fine-grained aspect of Judy's emotions, her annoyance at conceptual homework problems, co-occur with shifts in her epistemological stance toward differentiating knowledge about and the practical utility of real circuits and idealized circuit models. We then argue for the plausibility of a cognitive model in which Judy's emotions and epistemological stances mutually affect each other. We end with discussions on how models of learners' cognition that incorporate their emotions are generative for instructional purposes and research on learning.

Relationship problems and extradyadic romantic and sexual activity in a web-sample of Norwegian men and women.

PubMed

Træen, Bente; Thuen, Frode

2013-04-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe the prevalence of self-reported types of extradyadic romantic and sexual activity among adult Norwegians and to explore the role of infidelity in breaking up a permanent relationship. The results are based on 1,001 web interviews with persons ranging in age from 18 to 67 years. The majority of respondents reported having engaged in some kind of extradyadic romantic and/or sexual activity. Forty-five percent of the women and 39% of the men claimed they had experienced a previous breakup from a marriage or cohabiting relationship. Among those aged 50 years or older, the most important reasons for breaking up a previous relationship were infidelity (38%) and lost love (38%). More men (44%) than women (33%) reported infidelity. Respondents younger than 50 years were more motivated by boredom. Among respondents below the age of 50 years, the most frequently reported reasons for considering termination of a present relationship were quarreling (37%), poor sex life (29%), and "other" reasons (25%). Accordingly, infidelity was not identified as an essential factor for considering a breakup from the present relationship. © 2012 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology © 2012 The Scandinavian Psychological Associations.

Preparedness actions towards seismic risk mitigation for the general public in Martinique, French Lesser Antilles: a mid-term appraisal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Audru, J. C.; Vernier, J. L.; Capdeville, B.; Salindre, J. J.; Mouly, É.

2013-08-01

Martinique is a French island in the Lesser Antilles, with a high seismic hazard. In 2006, Martinican stakeholders involved in seismic safety formed the "Réplik" working group ("Aftershock" in French), the first of its kind in this region. This paper addresses a mid-term appraisal of the first seismic awareness campaign organised by Réplik from 2006 to 2011, and how it has modified, or not, local earthquake and tsunami preparedness. Despite efforts from Réplik to assess its efficiency through surveys, a growing gap is noted between the observed awareness and the actual preparedness of the public. As usual, gender, age, educational level, then boredom and saturation contribute to this discrepancy; strong cultural items may also influence the perception of actions. To remain efficient and respond to the public's expectations, Réplik must redirect its actions towards a cultural congruence of information: consideration of religion and local beliefs, comprehensive messages on TV and radio, use of the Creole language, participatory experiences and drills, and a little science. With this, the Réplik stakeholders can hope to increase Martinicans' involvement into the preparedness process, to cope quickly with a strong earthquake and this know-how can be shared with other seismically active islands in the Caribbean.

Thai nursing students' adaption to problem-based learning: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Klunklin, Areewan; Subpaiboongid, Pornpun; Keitlertnapha, Pongsri; Viseskul, Nongkran; Turale, Sue

2011-11-01

Student-centred forms of learning have gained favour internationally over the last few decades including problem based learning, an approach now incorporated in medicine, nursing and other disciplines' education in many countries. However, it is still new in Thailand and being piloted to try to offset traditional forms of didactic, teacher-centred forms of teaching. In this qualitative study, 25 undergraduate nursing students in northern Thailand were interviewed about their experiences with problem-based learning in a health promotion subject. Content analysis was used to interrogate interview data, which revealed four categories: adapting, seeking assistance, self-development, and thinking process development. Initially participants had mixed emotions of confusion, negativity or boredom in the adaption process, but expressed satisfaction with creativity in learning, group work, and leadership development. They described increased abilities to problem solve and think critically, but struggled to develop questioning behaviours in learning. Socio-culturally in Thai education, students have great respect for teachers, but rarely question or challenge them or their learning. We conclude that problem-based learning has great potential in Thai nursing education, but educators and systems need to systematically prepare appropriate learning environments, their staff and students, to incorporate this within curricula. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reminiscence functions and the health of Israeli Holocaust survivors as compared to other older Israelis and older Canadians.

PubMed

O'Rourke, Norm; Bachner, Yaacov G; Cappeliez, Philippe; Chaudhury, Habib; Carmel, Sara

2015-01-01

Existing research with English-speaking samples indicates that various ways in which older adults recall their past affect both their physical and mental health. Self-positive reminiscence functions (i.e. identity, problem-solving, death preparation) correlate and predict mental health in later life whereas self-negative functions (i.e. bitterness revival, boredom reduction, intimacy maintenance) correlate and predict the physical health of older adults. For this study, we recruited 295 Israeli Holocaust survivors to ascertain if early life trauma affects these associations between reminiscence and health. In order to distinguish cross-national differences from survivor-specific effects, we also recruited two comparative samples of other older Israelis (not Holocaust survivors; n = 205) and a second comparative sample of 335 older Canadians. Three separate structural equation models were computed to replicate this tripartite reminiscence and health model. Coefficients for self-negative functions significantly differed between survivors and both Canadians and other older Israelis, and between Canadians and both Israeli samples. However, no differences were found between prosocial and self-positive functions. Moreover, the higher order structure of reminiscence and health appears largely indistinguishable across these three groups. Early life trauma does not appear to fundamentally affect associations between reminiscence and health. These findings underscore the resilience of Holocaust survivors.

Comparison of Classification Methods for Detecting Emotion from Mandarin Speech

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pao, Tsang-Long; Chen, Yu-Te; Yeh, Jun-Heng

It is said that technology comes out from humanity. What is humanity? The very definition of humanity is emotion. Emotion is the basis for all human expression and the underlying theme behind everything that is done, said, thought or imagined. Making computers being able to perceive and respond to human emotion, the human-computer interaction will be more natural. Several classifiers are adopted for automatically assigning an emotion category, such as anger, happiness or sadness, to a speech utterance. These classifiers were designed independently and tested on various emotional speech corpora, making it difficult to compare and evaluate their performance. In this paper, we first compared several popular classification methods and evaluated their performance by applying them to a Mandarin speech corpus consisting of five basic emotions, including anger, happiness, boredom, sadness and neutral. The extracted feature streams contain MFCC, LPCC, and LPC. The experimental results show that the proposed WD-MKNN classifier achieves an accuracy of 81.4% for the 5-class emotion recognition and outperforms other classification techniques, including KNN, MKNN, DW-KNN, LDA, QDA, GMM, HMM, SVM, and BPNN. Then, to verify the advantage of the proposed method, we compared these classifiers by applying them to another Mandarin expressive speech corpus consisting of two emotions. The experimental results still show that the proposed WD-MKNN outperforms others.

Talking to Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans about tobacco use.

PubMed

Widome, Rachel; Joseph, Anne M; Polusny, Melissa A; Chlebeck, Bernadette; Brock, Betsy; Gulden, Ashley; Fu, Steven S

2011-07-01

Our goal in this study was to examine beliefs and attitudes about tobacco use in the newest generation of combat veterans, those who served in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom [OEF]) and Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom [OIF]). We held 5 focus groups (n = 17) with Minnesota Army National Guard soldiers who had recently returned from combat deployment in support of OEF/OIF. Sessions were audiorecorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed using a grounded theory approach. We found that it is common to use tobacco in the combat zone for stress and anger management and boredom relief. Tobacco was also a tool for staying alert, a way to socialize, and provided a chance to take breaks. Participants recognized the culture of tobacco use in the military. Stress, nicotine dependence, the tobacco environment at drill activities, and perceived inaccessibility of cessation tools perpetuated use at home and served as a barrier to cessation. Repeatedly, participants cited tobacco policies (such as increased taxes and smoke-free workspaces) as motivators for quitting. There are specific circumstances common to combat zones that promote tobacco use. Results suggest that environmental changes that address the prominence of tobacco in military culture, the acceptance of nonsmoking breaks, and cessation programs that address stress issues and make cessation aids available may be effective in reducing tobacco use.

[Anxiety and depression of cancer patients hospitalized and at home].

PubMed

Vellone, Ercole; Sinapi, Nadia; Piria, Paola; Bernardi, Francesca M; Dario, Lucia; Brunetti, Annarita

2004-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the anxiety and depression of cancer patients hospitalized and at home. Using a descriptive, correlational and comparative design and the Roy Adaptation Model, a sample of 80 oncologic patients was studied. Several instruments were used to measure anxiety and depression (HADS), quality of life and symptoms (RSCL), sociodemographic factors, variables connected to the hospitalization, quality of the relationship with health practitioners, family members and friends and the degree of satisfaction for the received information and support. The examined variables were measured on the same patients at hospital and at home. About the 30% of the patients were anxious and depressed. Statistical analysis showed that while anxiety did not change from the hospital to home, depression increased soon after the discharge and decreased over time and after the increasing of the number of hospital access. Anxiety and depression were positively correlated to boredom during the hospitalization, physical symptoms, number of the patients children, and previous anxious and depressive problems. Anxiety and depression were negatively correlated to the ward comfort, the support of health practitioners, family members and friends and the satisfaction for the received information. Differences between this study and the international literature are discussed. Recommendations for the future research and nursing practice are given.

Age at onset typology in opioid dependent men: an exploratory study.

PubMed

De, Biswajit; Mattoo, Surendra K; Basu, Debasish

2002-04-01

This study attempted to apply age at onset typology in ICD-10 diagnosed opioid dependence. The sample comprised 80 men seeking treatment at an addiction clinic. The measures included socio-demographic and clinical profile, Severity of Opioid Dependence Questionnaire, Modified Sensation Seeking Scale, Multiphasic Personality Questionnaire (MPQ) and Family History Assessment Module. A cut-off age of 20/21 years for an early-onset late-onset typology of opioid dependence was obtained using two methods - the modal age at onset method and one-third sample by age at onset method. The early onset group showed significant differences in terms of it being more often younger, urban, unmarried, wage earning or students, using oral opioids (not heroin or injectables), showing higher lifetime use and dependence of sedatives, earlier onset of use and dependence of sedatives and tobacco, and higher global psychopathology in terms of MPQ. The early onset group also showed statistically insignificant trends for lesser use and dependence of alcohol, higher severity of opioid dependence, more legal and less social complications, higher sensation seeking (except boredom susceptibility), and more frequent substance dependence in first degree relatives. The age at onset typology in opioid dependence appears to be feasible and having some similarities to similar typology in alcoholism.

Qualitative exploration of family perspectives of smoke-free mental health and addiction services.

PubMed

Missen, Rebecca Leigh; Brannelly, Tula; Newton-Howes, Giles

2013-08-01

The significant health disparities experienced by people with mental illness indicate the need for mental health service improvement. This qualitative study explored family and whānau (Māori family group) perspectives of smoke-free mental health services. Thematic analysis found that family and whānau identified a number of barriers to the implementation of successful smoke-free policy, including lack of coordination and consistency, and limited, if any, family and whānau inclusion. Family and whānau discussed smoking as a strategy for coping with anxiety and boredom; therefore, the need for other activities and strategies to replace smoking was identified as necessary in effective service delivery. The attitude that mental health service policy should be different from general health policy, due to the experience of mental distress, was also identified. In this paper, we argue that the development and implementation of quality mental health services would be strengthened by involving family and whānau in smoke-free initiatives. Furthermore, the provision of relevant information to family, whānau, and service users would help dispel myths and stigma associated with tobacco and mental health. © 2012 The Authors; International Journal of Mental Health Nursing © 2012 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Behavioral responses of three lemur species to different food enrichment devices.

PubMed

Shapiro, Morgan E; Shapiro, Hannah G; Ehmke, Erin E

2018-05-01

Environmental enrichment is a tool used to promote the welfare and well-being of captive animals by encouraging the display of species-specific behaviors and reducing the stress or boredom induced by captive environments. Lemurs are highly endangered, yet few studies have analyzed the behavioral impacts of enrichment on captive populations. We studied the impacts of two novel enrichment devices on three lemur species (ring-tailed lemurs [Lemur catta], red-ruffed lemurs [Varecia rubra], and Coquerel's sifaka [Propithecus coquereli]) to determine both the overall and species-specific impacts of enrichment on lemur behavior. We recorded lemur behavior using the continuous sampling method to obtain behavior duration and analyzed our results using ANOVA Repeated Measures. Results showed enrichment effectiveness differed for each species and that different enrichment devices had varying impacts on lemur behavior across all species. We attributed the differences in species-specific responses to the unique locomotor patterns and methods of diet acquisition of each species, and the variances in behavioral responses across all species to the characteristics of each device. Our study highlights the importance of species-specific enrichment and encourages further research in this field in order to maximize the positive effects of enrichment, which in turn has the potential to affect the overall well-being of captive populations. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

We don’t live in igloos

PubMed Central

Ip, Janet

2007-01-01

OBJECTIVE To determine what health problems concern youth in the Canadian North and what solutions these youths propose to address these problems by interviewing Inuvik youths, using their photographs to spark discussion. DESIGN Qualitative study and photo-novella technique. SETTING Inuvik, NWT, from July 1 to August 31, 2004. PARTICIPANTS Thirty-five youths from Inuvik between the ages of 10 and 22. Two boys and 2 girls between the ages of 17 and 22 from the Inuvialuit and Gwich’in cultures featured in an educational video developed from the study. METHOD Disposable cameras were distributed to 35 youths; interviews structured around the photographs were recorded with 14 youths. Thematic analysis of the interview transcripts was completed; the themes identified formed the basis of a 19-minute video featuring 4 of these youths. MAIN FINDINGS Themes developed around mothers, culture, the land, and boredom. Specific health concerns identified were smoking, alcohol and drug abuse, and teen pregnancy. Solutions suggested included sources of recreation and distraction from substance abuse, such as a movie theatre, a shopping mall, and upgrades to the skatepark. CONCLUSION By having Inuvik youths share their stories and perspectives, health care providers can gain insight into the issues and concerns of youth in northern communities and expand their capacity to heal. Photo novella is a useful method for research in adolescent health. PMID:17872749

Screen-related sedentary behaviors: children's and parents' attitudes, motivations, and practices.

PubMed

He, Meizi; Piché, Leonard; Beynon, Charlene; Harris, Stewart

2010-01-01

To investigate school-aged children's and parents' attitudes, social influences, and intentions toward excessive screen-related sedentary behavior (S-RSB). A cross-sectional study using a survey methodology. Elementary schools in London, Ontario, Canada. All grades 5 and 6 students, their parents, and their teachers in the participating schools were invited to voluntarily participate; 508 student-parent pairs completed the surveys. Children's screen-related behaviors. Data were analyzed using the Independent Student t test to compare differences of continuous variables and the chi-square test to test for differences of categorical variables. Children spent 3.3 +/- 0.15 (standard error) hours per day engaged in screen-related activities. Entertainment, spending time with family, and boredom were cited as the top 3 reasons for television viewing and video game playing. Compared to "low-screen users" (ie, < 2 hours/day), "high-screen users" (ie, >or= 2 hours/day) had a less negative attitude toward excessive S-RSB and perceived loosened parental rules on screen use. Parents of high-screen users had a less negative attitude toward children's S-RSB, had fewer rules about their children's screen use, and were more likely to be sedentary themselves. Intervention strategies aimed at reducing S-RSB should involve both parents and children and should focus on fostering behavioral changes and promoting parental role modeling.

Bulimia nervosa: friend or foe? The pros and cons of bulimia nervosa.

PubMed

Serpell, Lucy; Treasure, Janet

2002-09-01

The aim of the current study was to use a qualitative approach to investigate the attitude of people with bulimia nervosa (BN) to their illness. Patients with BN were asked to write two letters to their bulimia, one addressing it as a friend and the other addressing it as an enemy. We used a coding scheme to classify themes in letters of people with anorexia nervosa (AN) to group together themes expressed by those with BN. We revised the coding scheme to include themes that were not present in the letters of people with AN. There were both similarities and differences in the themes described by AN and BN patients. Two positive themes (BN allowing the individuals to eat and not get fat and BN as a way of dealing with boredom) and two negative themes (shame or low self-esteem resulting from BN and obsessive thoughts of weight and shape) were added to the coding scheme to account for these differences. The positive and negative aspects of BN differ in some important ways from those expressed by patients with AN. The meaning of these differences is discussed with reference to the wider symptom pattern of BN compared with AN and their importance with reference to motivation for change is outlined. Copyright 2002 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Externalizing personality traits, empathy, and gray matter volume in healthy young drinkers

PubMed Central

Charpentier, Judith; Dzemidzic, Mario; West, John; Oberlin, Brandon G.; Eiler, William J.A.; Saykin, Andrew J.; Kareken, David A.

2016-01-01

Externalizing psychopathology has been linked to prefrontal abnormalities. While clinically diagnosed subjects show altered frontal gray matter, it is unknown if similar deficits relate to externalizing traits in non-clinical populations. We used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to retrospectively analyze the cerebral gray matter volume of 176 young adult social to heavy drinkers (mean age= 24.0 ± 2.9, male= 83.5%) from studies of alcoholism risk. We hypothesized that prefrontal gray matter volume and externalizing traits would be correlated. Externalizing personality trait components— Boredom Susceptibility-Impulsivity (BS/IMP) and Empathy/Low Antisocial Behaviors (EMP/LASB)— were tested for correlations with gray matter partial volume estimates (gmPVE). Significantly large clusters (pFWE < 0.05, family-wise whole-brain corrected) of gmPVE correlated with EMP/LASB in dorsolateral and medial prefrontal regions, and in occipital cortex. BS/IMP did not correlate with gmPVE, but one scale of impulsivity (Eysenck I7) correlated positively with bilateral inferior frontal/orbitofrontal, and anterior insula gmPVE. In this large sample of community-dwelling young adults, antisocial behavior/low empathy corresponded with reduced prefrontal and occipital gray matter, while impulsivity correlated with increased inferior frontal and anterior insula cortical volume. These findings add to a literature indicating that externalizing personality features involve altered frontal architecture. PMID:26778367

A controlled study of a simulated workplace laboratory for adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Fried, Ronna; Surman, Craig; Hammerness, Paul; Petty, Carter; Faraone, Stephen; Hyder, Laran; Westerberg, Diana; Small, Jacqueline; Corkum, Lyndsey; Claudat, Kim; Biederman, Joseph

2012-12-30

Despite an extant literature documenting that adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at increased risk for significant difficulties in the workplace, there is little documentation of the underlying factors associated with these impairments. The main aim of this study was to examine specific deficiencies associated with ADHD on workplace performance in a simulated workplace laboratory relative to controls. Participants were 56 non-medicated young adults with DSM-IV ADHD and 63 age- and sex-matched controls without ADHD. Participants spent 10h in a workplace simulation laboratory. Areas assessed included: (1) simulated tasks documented in a government report (SCANS) often required in workplace settings (taxing vigilance; planning; cooperation; attention to detail), (2) observer ratings, and (3) self-reports. Robust findings were found in the statistically significant differences on self-report of ADHD symptoms found between participants with ADHD and controls during all workplace tasks and periods of the workday. Task performance was found to be deficient in a small number of areas, and there were a few statistically significant differences identified by observer ratings. Symptoms reported by participants with ADHD in the simulation including internal restlessness, intolerance of boredom and difficulty maintaining vigilance were significant and could adversely impact workplace performance over the long-term. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Attitudes of overweight and normal weight adults regarding exercise at a health club.

PubMed

Miller, Wayne C; Miller, Todd A

2010-01-01

To compare attitudes of overweight (OW) and normal weight (NW) adults regarding health club exercise. A 46-item survey (23 pairs of attitude/value statements) measured attitudes toward exercising at a health club 30 minutes, twice a week, for a month. Survey posted on surveymonkey.com. Respondents (men = 730, women = 822). Attitudes toward exercise, exercise intent. t tests, Mann-Whitney rank sum, 2-way analysis of variance, Pearson rank correlations. Significance set at P < .05. More than NW, OW believe exercise improves appearance (P < .001) and self image (P < .03). OW feel more embarrassed and intimidated about exercising, exercising around young people, exercising around fit people, and about health club salespeople than NW (P < .001). OW and NW feel the same about exercising with the opposite sex, complicated exercise equipment, exercise boredom, and intention to exercise. Age rather than weight affects exercise intent. OW Caucasians (C) have less exercise intent than OW non-C. OW women are more embarrassed about exercising than NW women and OW men. The heavier the subject's weight, the lower his or her perception of health (r = -0.53, P < .001). Increasing the OW person's positive beliefs while decreasing negative beliefs about health club exercise will improve his or her intent to exercise at a health club.

Assessing practice-based influences on adolescent psychosocial development in sport: the activity context in youth sport questionnaire.

PubMed

García Bengoechea, Enrique; Sabiston, Catherine M; Wilson, Philip M

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to provide initial evidence of validity and reliability of scores derived from the Activity Context in Youth Sport Questionnaire (ACYSQ), an instrument designed to offer a comprehensive assessment of the activities adolescents take part in during sport practices. Two studies were designed for the purposes of item development and selection, and to provide evidence of structural and criterion validity of ACYSQ scores, respectively (N = 334; M age = 14.93, SD = 1.76 years). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the adequacy of a 20-item ACYSQ measurement model, which was invariant across gender, and comprised the following dimensions: (1) stimulation; (2) usefulness-value; (3) authenticity; (4) repetition-boredom; and (5) ineffectiveness. Internal consistency reliability estimates and composite reliability estimates for ACYSQ subscale scores ranged from 0.72 to 0.91. In regression analyses, stimulation predicted enjoyment and perceived competence, ineffectiveness was significantly associated with perceived competence and authenticity emerged as a predictor of commitment in sport. These findings indicate that the ACYSQ displays adequate psychometric properties and the use of the instrument may be useful for studying selected activity-based features of the practice environment and their motivational consequences in youth sport.

How Trajectories of Reasons for Alcohol Use Relate to Trajectories of Binge Drinking: National Panel Data Spanning Late Adolescence to Early Adulthood

PubMed Central

Patrick, Megan E.; Schulenberg, John E.

2010-01-01

Developmental changes in both alcohol use behaviors and self-reported reasons for alcohol use were investigated. Participants were surveyed every two years from ages 18 to 30 as part of the Monitoring the Future national study (analytic weighted sample size N=9,308; 53% women, 40% college attenders). Latent growth models were used to examine correlations among trajectories of binge drinking and trajectories of self-reported reasons for alcohol use across young adulthood. Results revealed developmental changes in reasons for use and correlations between the patterns of within-person change in frequency of binge drinking and within-person change in reasons for use. In particular, an increase in binge drinking between ages 18 and 22 was most positively correlated with slopes of using alcohol to get high and because of boredom. Continued binge drinking between ages 22 and 30 was most strongly correlated with using alcohol to get away from problems. Almost no moderation by gender, race, college attendance, employment, or marital status was found. Binge drinking and reasons for alcohol use traveled together, illustrating the ongoing and dynamic connections between changes in binge drinking and changes in reasons for use across late adolescence and early adulthood. PMID:21219061

Emerging Drug Use Trends in Kelantan, Malaysia.

PubMed

Desrosiers, Alethea; Chooi, Weng-Tink; Zaharim, Norzarina Mohd; Ahmad, Imran; Mohd Yasin, Mohd Azhar; Syed Jaapar, Sharifah Z; Schottenfeld, Richard S; Vicknasingam, Balasingam; Chawarski, Marek C

2016-01-01

The primarily rural and agrarian Kelantan province of Malaysia has high rates of drug use and is characterized by unique sociocultural factors. Combining qualitative and ethnographic methods, we investigated drug use and treatment needs of people who use drugs (PWUD) in rural areas of Kelantan. In February 2014, field visits, participant observation, and focus group discussions (FGDs) with 27 active PWUD were conducted in rural areas surrounding the capital city of Kelantan. The findings indicate a high prevalence of opiate and amphetamine type stimulants (ATS) use in these areas. FGD participants reported initiating drug use at early ages due to peer influences, to relieve boredom, to cope with problems, and a high saturation of villages with other PWUD was reported as a major contributor to their own continued drug use. They reported a trend of drug use initiation at younger ages and increased drug use among females. Participants were interested in treatment; however, their limited knowledge about treatment options and perceived limited availability of services were barriers to treatment seeking. Easy access to drugs, primarily from Thailand and facilitated by the use of mobile phones, resulted in an expanding prevalence of drug use that underscores the need to bolster education and prevention efforts and accessibility of treatment services in Kelantan.

We don't live in igloos: Inuvik youth speak out.

PubMed

Ip, Janet

2007-05-01

To determine what health problems concern youth in the Canadian North and what solutions these youths propose to address these problems by interviewing Inuvik youths, using their photographs to spark discussion. Qualitative study and photo-novella technique. Inuvik, NWT, from July 1 to August 31, 2004. Thirty-five youths from Inuvik between the ages of 10 and 22. Two boys and 2 girls between the ages of 17 and 22 from the Inuvialuit and Gwich'in cultures featured in an educational video developed from the study. Disposable cameras were distributed to 35 youths; interviews structured around the photographs were recorded with 14 youths. Thematic analysis of the interview transcripts was completed; the themes identified formed the basis of a 19-minute video featuring 4 of these youths. Themes developed around mothers, culture, the land, and boredom. Specific health concerns identified were smoking, alcohol and drug abuse, and teen pregnancy. Solutions suggested included sources of recreation and distraction from substance abuse, such as a movie theatre, a shopping mall, and upgrades to the skatepark. By having Inuvik youths share their stories and perspectives, health care providers can gain insight into the issues and concerns of youth in northern communities and expand their capacity to heal. Photo novella is a useful method for research in adolescent health.

The use of negative themes in television food advertising.

PubMed

Pettigrew, Simone; Roberts, Michele; Chapman, Kathy; Quester, Pascale; Miller, Caroline

2012-04-01

The ability of food advertising to trigger food consumption and influence social norms relating to food consumption has resulted in increasing attention being given to the prevalence and nature of food advertising. The present study investigated the use of negative themes in food advertisements aired on Australian television to determine the prevalence of depictions of violence/aggression, mocking, nagging, boredom, loneliness, food craving, mood enhancement, and the emotional use of food across 61 days of programming time. The results suggest that advertisers are using negative themes to capture attention and invoke an emotional response in the target audience. Sixteen percent (14,611) of the 93,284 food advertisements contained negative themes, with mood enhancement and food craving being the most commonly depicted negative themes. Advertisements with negative themes were more likely to be for non-core foods and to be aired during children's popular viewing times than at other times. The potential for negative themes in food advertising to promote unhealthy food consumption behaviors among children is likely to be of concern to policy makers. Building on this exploratory study, further research is needed to investigate how nutrition-related decision making is affected by exposure to food advertisements employing negative emotional themes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

EEG Frequency Changes Prior to Making Errors in an Easy Stroop Task

PubMed Central

Atchley, Rachel; Klee, Daniel; Oken, Barry

2017-01-01

Background: Mind-wandering is a form of off-task attention that has been associated with negative affect and rumination. The goal of this study was to assess potential electroencephalographic markers of task-unrelated thought, or mind-wandering state, as related to error rates during a specialized cognitive task. We used EEG to record frontal frequency band activity while participants completed a Stroop task that was modified to induce boredom, task-unrelated thought, and therefore mind-wandering. Methods: A convenience sample of 27 older adults (50–80 years) completed a computerized Stroop matching task. Half of the Stroop trials were congruent (word/color match), and the other half were incongruent (mismatched). Behavioral data and EEG recordings were assessed. EEG analysis focused on the 1-s epochs prior to stimulus presentation in order to compare trials followed by correct versus incorrect responses. Results: Participants made errors on 9% of incongruent trials. There were no errors on congruent trials. There was a decrease in alpha and theta band activity during the epochs followed by error responses. Conclusion: Although replication of these results is necessary, these findings suggest that potential mind-wandering, as evidenced by errors, can be characterized by a decrease in alpha and theta activity compared to on-task, accurate performance periods. PMID:29163101

The benefit of pets and animal-assisted therapy to the health of older individuals.

PubMed

Cherniack, E Paul; Cherniack, Ariella R

2014-01-01

Many studies utilizing dogs, cats, birds, fish, and robotic simulations of animals have tried to ascertain the health benefits of pet ownership or animal-assisted therapy in the elderly. Several small unblinded investigations outlined improvements in behavior in demented persons given treatment in the presence of animals. Studies piloting the use of animals in the treatment of depression and schizophrenia have yielded mixed results. Animals may provide intangible benefits to the mental health of older persons, such as relief social isolation and boredom, but these have not been formally studied. Several investigations of the effect of pets on physical health suggest animals can lower blood pressure, and dog walkers partake in more physical activity. Dog walking, in epidemiological studies and few preliminary trials, is associated with lower complication risk among patients with cardiovascular disease. Pets may also have harms: they may be expensive to care for, and their owners are more likely to fall. Theoretically, zoonotic infections and bites can occur, but how often this occurs in the context of pet ownership or animal-assisted therapy is unknown. Despite the poor methodological quality of pet research after decades of study, pet ownership and animal-assisted therapy are likely to continue due to positive subjective feelings many people have toward animals.

The Benefit of Pets and Animal-Assisted Therapy to the Health of Older Individuals

PubMed Central

Cherniack, E. Paul; Cherniack, Ariella R.

2014-01-01

Many studies utilizing dogs, cats, birds, fish, and robotic simulations of animals have tried to ascertain the health benefits of pet ownership or animal-assisted therapy in the elderly. Several small unblinded investigations outlined improvements in behavior in demented persons given treatment in the presence of animals. Studies piloting the use of animals in the treatment of depression and schizophrenia have yielded mixed results. Animals may provide intangible benefits to the mental health of older persons, such as relief social isolation and boredom, but these have not been formally studied. Several investigations of the effect of pets on physical health suggest animals can lower blood pressure, and dog walkers partake in more physical activity. Dog walking, in epidemiological studies and few preliminary trials, is associated with lower complication risk among patients with cardiovascular disease. Pets may also have harms: they may be expensive to care for, and their owners are more likely to fall. Theoretically, zoonotic infections and bites can occur, but how often this occurs in the context of pet ownership or animal-assisted therapy is unknown. Despite the poor methodological quality of pet research after decades of study, pet ownership and animal-assisted therapy are likely to continue due to positive subjective feelings many people have toward animals. PMID:25477957

From Danger and Motherhood to Health and Beauty: Health Advice for the Factory Girl in Early Twentieth-Century Britain1

PubMed Central

LONG, VICKY; MARLAND, HILARY

2015-01-01

A survey of government reports and the archives and journals of other agencies interested in industrial health in early twentieth-century Britain has led us to conclude that, in addition to apprehension about the potentially harmful impact of industrial work on the reproductive health of women, there was a great deal of interest in the health of young, unmarried girls in the workplace, particularly the factory. Adopting a broader time frame, we suggest that the First World War, with its emphasis on the reproductive health of women, was an anomalous experience in a broader trend which stressed the growing acceptability of women’s work within industry. Concern with girls’ health and welfare embraced hygiene, diet, exercise, recreation, fashion and beauty within and outside of the workplace, as well as the impact of the boredom and monotony associated with industrial work. The health problems of young women workers tended to be associated with behaviour and environment rather than biology, as were anxieties about the impact of work on morals, habits and character. Efforts to ensure that young female factory workers would be equipped to take their place as citizens and parents, we argue, often dovetailed rather than diverged with the ‘boy labour’ question. PMID:20481061

Smoking topography and outcome expectancies among individuals with schizotypy

PubMed Central

Stewart, Diana W.; Vinci, Christine; Adams, Claire E.; Cohen, Alex S.; Copeland, Amy L.

2013-01-01

Compared to smokers in the general population, smokers with schizophrenia smoke more cigarettes per day and have higher nicotine dependence and biochemical indicators of nicotine intake. They also have more intense smoking topography and greater positive smoking expectancies. Little is known about the relationship between smoking and schizotypy, defined as the personality organization reflecting a vulnerability to schizophrenia-spectrum pathology. This study assessed schizotypy symptoms, smoking characteristics and behaviors, and smoking expectancies in young adults with psychometrically defined schizotypy and demographically matched controls without schizotypy. Smokers with schizotypy had higher nicotine dependence and smoked more cigarettes per week compared to control smokers. They were also more likely to endorse greater positive consequences (i.e., improved state enhancement, stimulation, social facilitation, taste/sensorimotor manipulation, reduced negative affect and boredom) and fewer negative consequences of smoking. Smokers with schizotypy and control smokers did not differ on smoking topography or carbon monoxide levels. This is the first known study to investigate relationships between these smoking-related variables in smokers with schizotypy. Individuals with schizotypy possessed certain smoking-related characteristics and smoking expectancies similar to those with schizophrenia. This offers preliminary insight into unique smoking-related factors among individuals with schizotypy and highlights the importance of continued research in this area. PMID:23261186

Differences in smoking expectancies in smokers with and without a history of major depression.

PubMed

Weinberger, Andrea H; George, Tony P; McKee, Sherry A

2011-04-01

Adults with depression evidence higher rates of smoking and lower quit rates than adults without depression. Little is known about the relationship between depression and smoking beliefs which are associated with both smoking and smoking cessation behavior. The primary aim of this study was to examine whether adult smokers with and without a history of major depressive disorder (MDD) differ in their endorsement of smoking expectancies. The secondary aim of the study was to examine whether there were interactions of depression and gender on the endorsement of expectancies. Adult cigarette smokers participating in a clinical trial of Selegiline hydrochloride for smoking cessation were classified as having a history of depression (MDD+, n=26) or no history of depression (MDD-, n=75). History of depression and smoking expectancies were assessed prior to randomization into the clinical trial. There was a main effect of depression on 7 out of 10 of the assessed beliefs. MDD+ smokers, compared to MDD- smokers, more strongly endorsed beliefs that smoking reduces negative affect, boredom, and cravings; smoking increases stimulation and social facilitation; smoking helps to manage cravings and weight; and that the taste is enjoyable. The main effect of gender and the interactive effect of depression and gender were not significant. Incorporating expectancies into cognitive-behavioral treatments for smoking cessation may be useful for smokers with a history of depression. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

"If he had 40 cents he'd buy matches instead of lollies": motivational factors in a sample of New Zealand adolescent firesetters.

PubMed

Walsh, Daniel P; Lambie, Ian

2013-01-01

Motivation has been proposed as an important factor in both the causality and subsequent treatment of juveniles who deliberately light fires. Thus, a wide range of research has previously been completed, investigating such motives. This research has resulted in the creation of classifications of firesetting motives and behaviours, all of which fit upon a continuum of motivational categories-ranging from curiosity or match play, through to deliberate delinquent acts. This current study aimed to gain insight into how both firesetters and their caregivers perceived firesetting motivation. A total of 18 male youths, who had engaged in deliberate firesetting, and 13 parents were interviewed. Qualitative analysis gathered from interviews with adolescent participants reported personality and individual characteristic themes, the most frequent of these being anger, experimenting, peer pressure, and boredom. Parents on the other hand initially cited family historical factors as being a cause for their son's firesetting. This study showed the difficulties in attempting to classify firesetters. It became clear that there were often multiple motivations involved in adolescent firesetting, meanwhile a variation of motivations were reported by parents and firesetters. The differences between and ambiguities inherent in existing motivational typologies also became evident. The study produced strong evidence for the effectiveness of utilising multiple sources to gain a comprehensive understanding as to why children deliberately light fires.

The Sequential Binge, a New Therapeutic Approach for Binge Eating: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Neveu, Rémi; Neveu, Dorine; Barbalat, Guillaume; Schmidt, Ulrike

2016-01-01

Background and Objectives A sizeable proportion of patients experiencing binge eating do not respond to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). We present the sequential binge (SB), a new behavioral intervention that complements CBT, and preliminary results of its effects. SB breaks up the binge into repeated identical sequences of eating separated by incremental pauses. This pattern of ingestion aims at facilitating boredom toward the ingested foods and at turning cognitive control away from binge food restriction. SB is hypothesized to reduce food intake during the binge and the number of daily binges. Methods Prospective pilot study. Fifteen binging patients with previous unsuccessful intensive CBT were given SB as an adjunct to their treatment and were followed up for 16 weeks from admission. All patients were reassessed 47 weeks on average after discharge. Results SB was associated with a 44% relative reduction in the planned food intake (p<0.001), a longer consecutive binge refractory period compared to regular binges (median: 48 hours versus 4 hours, p = 0.002) and an average relative reduction by 26% of binge number the day after each SB (p = 0.004). 47% of patients reached binge abstinence for four consecutive weeks 16 weeks after the first SB. Conclusion This case series shows promising evidence for the use of SB in patients with refractory binge eating. Further evaluation in a prospective randomized controlled trial would be justified. PMID:27832121

Understanding why an active video game intervention did not improve motor skill and physical activity in children with developmental coordination disorder: A quantity or quality issue?

PubMed

Howie, Erin K; Campbell, Amity C; Abbott, Rebecca A; Straker, Leon M

2017-01-01

Active video games (AVGs) have been identified as a novel strategy to improve motor skill and physical activity in clinical populations. A recent cross-over randomized trial found AVGs to be ineffective at improving motor skill and physical activity in the home-environment for children with or at-risk for developmental coordination disorder (DCD). The study purpose was to better understand why the intervention had been ineffective by examining the quantity and quality of AVG play during an AVG intervention for children with or at-risk for DCD. Participants (n=21, ages 9-12) completed the 16 week AVG intervention. Detailed quantitative and qualitative data were systematically triangulated to obtain the quantity of exposure (AVG exposure over time, patterns of exposure) and quality of use (game selection, facilitators and barriers to play). The median AVG dose (range 30-35min/day) remained relatively stable across the intervention and met the prescribed dose. Play quality was impacted by game selection, difficulty playing games, lack of time, illness, technical difficulties and boredom. The ineffectiveness of a home-based AVG intervention may be due to quality of play. Strategies to improve the quality of game play may help realize the potential benefits of AVGs as a clinical tool for children with DCD. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design of robotic leg and physiotherapy (ROLEP) assist with interactive game

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasan, A. F.; Husin, M. F. Che; Hashim, M. N.; Rosli, K. A.; Roslim, F. R. A.; Abidin, A. F. Z.

2017-09-01

Injuries in certain parts of the feet can cause a person to have difficulty in walking or running if it is not treated through physiotherapy. In Malaysia, therapy centers only provide a service or the use of basic tools that are not efficient as more sophisticated equipment requires a high cost. In fact, exercise requiring close monitoring physiotherapist are also at a high cost. Therefore, using robot therapy is a new technology that can provide an alternative way to solve this problem. The implementation of this project has produced a robotic physiotherapy which has one degree of freedom, portable and inexpensive way to help the movement of the patient's leg. It covers basic electrical circuits, mechanical components, programming and has been combined with an interactive game as the main driver. ROLEP (Robotic-Leg-Physiotherapy) is able to help patients through the therapy process. It was built using CT-UNO as its microprocessor connected to MD10-C which acted as the motor driver. The interactive game produced by using Unity game software is a key driver in getting rid of boredom and reduce pain. As a result, ROLEP designed can operate well within its range of the patient's weight. It has the advantage of portability and easy to use by the patients. ROLEP expected to help patients undergoing therapy process more efficient and interesting in the process of recovery.

[Addiction and personality traits: sensation seeking, anhedonia, impulsivity].

PubMed

Sarramon, C; Verdoux, H; Schmitt, L; Bourgeois, M

1999-01-01

This study presents the evaluation of three dimensional traits of personality (Sensation Seeking, Anhedonia, Impulsivity) among 65 patients admitted in a psychiatric ward, with or without addictive behaviors. Our objective is to establish that these personality traits are commun to all addictive behaviors and to test the hypothesis that high scores on the three scales are linked to a greater probability of presenting with addictive behaviors. The two most frequent types of addiction were alcoholism and drug abuse. The subjects presenting with one or several addictive behaviors had higher average scores on the three scales. Our results printed in the same direction for the subjects having shown an addictive behavior in their past history. The risk to present with an addictive behavior increased with the total scores of these self-report questionnaires. There was a significant relationship between 3 sub-dimensions on the Sensation Seeking Scale and addictive behavior. Each time sub-scores of boredom susceptibility, disinhibition and thrill and adventure rise by one, the risk to present with an addictive behavior is multiplied by 1.4 for the first two and by 1.3 for the third one. Subjects with high scores on the anhedonia and impulsivity scales respectively show a risk multiplied by 1.6 and 3.3 of developing an addictive behavior. These results of this transverse study confirm the link between addiction behavior and these three personality traits.

An exploratory study of long-haul truck drivers' secondary tasks and reasons for performing them.

PubMed

Iseland, Tobias; Johansson, Emma; Skoog, Siri; Dåderman, Anna M

2018-08-01

Research on drivers has shown how certain visual-manual secondary tasks, unrelated to driving, increase the risk of being involved in crashes. The purpose of the study was to investigate (1) if long-haul truck drivers in Sweden engage in secondary tasks while driving, what tasks are performed and how frequently, (2) the drivers' self-perceived reason/s for performing them, and (3) if psychological factors might reveal reasons for their engaging in secondary tasks. The study comprised 13 long-haul truck drivers and was conducted through observations, interviews, and questionnaires. The drivers performed secondary tasks, such as work environment related "necessities" (e.g., getting food and/or beverages from the refrigerator/bag, eating, drinking, removing a jacket, face rubbing, and adjusting the seat), interacting with a mobile phone/in-truck technology, and doing administrative tasks. The long-haul truck drivers feel bored and use secondary tasks as a coping strategy to alleviate boredom/drowsiness, and for social interaction. The higher number of performed secondary tasks could be explained by lower age, shorter driver experience, less openness to experience, lower honesty-humility, lower perceived stress, lower workload, and by higher health-related quality of life. These explanatory results may serve as a starting point for further studies on large samples to develop a safer and healthier environment for long-haul truck drivers. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Exploratory factor analysis of borderline personality disorder criteria in hospitalized adolescents.

PubMed

Becker, Daniel F; McGlashan, Thomas H; Grilo, Carlos M

2006-01-01

The authors examined the factor structure of borderline personality disorder (BPD) in hospitalized adolescents and also sought to add to the theoretical and clinical understanding of any homogeneous components by determining whether they may be related to specific forms of Axis I pathology. Subjects were 123 adolescent inpatients, who were reliably assessed with structured diagnostic interviews for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Revised Third Edition Axes I and II disorders. Exploratory factor analysis identified BPD components, and logistic regression analyses tested whether these components were predictive of specific Axis I disorders. Factor analysis revealed a 4-factor solution that accounted for 67.0% of the variance. Factor 1 ("suicidal threats or gestures" and "emptiness or boredom") predicted depressive disorders and alcohol use disorders. Factor 2 ("affective instability," "uncontrolled anger," and "identity disturbance") predicted anxiety disorders and oppositional defiant disorder. Factor 3 ("unstable relationships" and "abandonment fears") predicted only anxiety disorders. Factor 4 ("impulsiveness" and "identity disturbance") predicted conduct disorder and substance use disorders. Exploratory factor analysis of BPD criteria in adolescent inpatients revealed 4 BPD factors that appear to differ from those reported for similar studies of adults. The factors represent components of self-negation, irritability, poorly modulated relationships, and impulsivity--each of which is associated with characteristic Axis I pathology. These findings shed light on the nature of BPD in adolescents and may also have implications for treatment.

Differences in smoking expectancies in smokers with and without a history of major depression

PubMed Central

Weinberger, Andrea H.; George, Tony P.; McKee, Sherry A.

2011-01-01

Adults with depression evidence higher rates of smoking and lower quit rates than adults without depression. Little is known about the relationship between depression and smoking beliefs which are associated with both smoking and smoking cessation behavior. The primary aim of this study was to examine whether adult smokers with and without a history of major depressive disorder (MDD) differ in their endorsement of smoking expectancies. The secondary aim of the study was to examine whether there were interactions of depression and gender on the endorsement of expectancies. Adult cigarette smokers participating in a clinical trial of Selegiline hydrochloride for smoking cessation were classified as having a history of depression (MDD+, n=26) or no history of depression (MDD−, n=75). History of depression and smoking expectancies were assessed prior to randomization into the clinical trial. There was a main effect of depression on 7 out of 10 of the assessed beliefs. MDD+ smokers, compared to MDD− smokers, more strongly endorsed beliefs that smoking reduces negative affect, boredom, and cravings; smoking increases stimulation and social facilitation; smoking helps to manage cravings and weight; and that the taste is enjoyable. The main effect of gender and the interactive effect of depression and gender were not significant. Incorporating expectancies into cognitive-behavioral treatments for smoking cessation may be useful for smokers with a history of depression. PMID:21239119

Sensation seeking and smoking behaviors among adolescents in the Republic of Korea.

PubMed

Hwang, Heejin; Park, Sunhee

2015-06-01

This study aimed to explore the relationship between the four components of sensation seeking (i.e., disinhibition, thrill and adventure seeking, experience seeking, and boredom susceptibility) and three types of smoking behavior (i.e., non-smoking, experimental smoking, and current smoking) among high school students in the Republic of Korea. Multivariate multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed using two models. In Model 1, the four subscales of sensation seeking were used as covariates, and in Model 2, other control factors (i.e., characteristics related to demographics, individuals, family, school, and friends) were added to Model 1 in order to adjust for their effects. In Model 1, the impact of disinhibition on experimental smoking and current smoking was statistically significant. In Model 2, the influence of disinhibition on both of these smoking behaviors remained statistically significant after controlling for all the other covariates. Also, the effect of thrill and adventure seeking on experimental smoking was statistically significant. The two statistically significant subscales of sensation seeking were positively associated with the risk of smoking behaviors. According to extant literature and current research, sensation seeking, particularly disinhibition, is strongly associated with smoking among youth. Therefore, sensation seeking should be measured among adolescents to identify those who are at greater risk of smoking and to develop more effective intervention strategies in order to curb the smoking epidemic among youth. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tobacco use among urban Aboriginal Australian young people: a qualitative study of reasons for smoking, barriers to cessation and motivators for smoking cessation.

PubMed

Cosh, Suzanne; Hawkins, Kimberley; Skaczkowski, Gemma; Copley, David; Bowden, Jacqueline

2015-01-01

Smoking prevalence among Aboriginal Australian young people greatly exceeds the prevalence in the broader population of Australian young people, yet limited research has explored the social context in which young Aboriginal Australians smoke. Four focus groups were conducted in 2009 with South Australian Aboriginal smokers aged 15-29 years residing in urban areas (n = 32) to examine attitudes and experiences surrounding smoking and quitting. The primary reasons for smoking initiation and maintenance among Aboriginal Australian young people were identified as stress, social influence and boredom. Motivators for quitting were identified as pregnancy and/or children, sporting performance (males only), cost issues and, to a lesser extent, health reasons. The barriers to cessation were identified as social influence, the perception of quitting as a distant event and reluctance to access cessation support. However, it appears that social influences and stress were particularly salient contributors to smoking maintenance among Aboriginal Australian young people. Smoking cessation interventions targeted at young urban Aboriginal Australian smokers should aim to build motivation to quit by utilising the motivators of pregnancy and/or children, sporting performance (males only), cost issues and, to a lesser extent, health reasons, while acknowledging the pertinent role of social influence and stress in the lives of young urban Aboriginal Australian smokers.

Pornography, sexual socialization, and satisfaction among young men.

PubMed

Stulhofer, Aleksandar; Busko, Vesna; Landripet, Ivan

2010-02-01

In spite of a growing presence of pornography in contemporary life, little is known about its potential effects on young people's sexual socialization and sexual satisfaction. In this article, we present a theoretical model of the effects of sexually explicit materials (SEM) mediated by sexual scripting and moderated by the type of SEM used. An on-line survey dataset that included 650 young Croatian men aged 18-25 years was used to explore empirically the model. Descriptive findings pointed to significant differences between mainstream and paraphilic SEM users in frequency of SEM use at the age of 14, current SEM use, frequency of masturbation, sexual boredom, acceptance of sex myths, and sexual compulsiveness. In testing the model, a novel instrument was used, the Sexual Scripts Overlap Scale, designed to measure the influence of SEM on sexual socialization. Structural equation analyses suggested that negative effects of early exposure to SEM on young men's sexual satisfaction, albeit small, could be stronger than positive effects. Both positive and negative effects-the latter being expressed through suppression of intimacy-were observed only among users of paraphilic SEM. No effect of early exposure to SEM was found among the mainstream SEM users. To counterbalance moral panic but also glamorization of pornography, sex education programs should incorporate contents that would increase media literacy and assist young people in critical interpretation of pornographic imagery.

Qualitative interviews on substance abuse relapse and prevention among female trauma survivors.

PubMed

Harris, Maxine; Fallot, Roger D; Berley, Rebecca Wolfson

2005-10-01

Complex relationships among trauma, substance abuse, and mental disorders raise significant questions for the study of long-term recovery. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine key themes in sustaining recovery among women with co-occurring disorders who had survived trauma. In semistructured interviews conducted at one of the nine sites of the Women, Co-occurring Disorders, and Violence Study, 27 female trauma survivors described the influences they considered most important in sustaining and hindering their recovery, with an emphasis on recovery from substance abuse. Recurring themes in the interviews were identified. Seven themes emerged from this analysis. Four of these themes supported recovery: connection, self-awareness, a sense of purpose and meaning, and spirituality. Three others served as obstacles to recovery: battles with depression and despair, destructive habits and patterns, and lack of personal control. The women in this study reported that, although caring relationships provided important supports for sustained recovery, some of these same relationships increased emotional stress and conflict and thus may impede recovery. It is important for women and clinicians to place a high priority on the development of boundary management and other relationship skills. In addition, clinicians need to attend to negative feelings such as boredom and loneliness and to help women develop a range of meaningful activities that are consistent with a strong sense of identity. Individual relapse prevention skills by themselves seem insufficient to sustained abstinence.

Improving Challenge/Skill Ratio in a Multimodal Interface by Simultaneously Adapting Game Difficulty and Haptic Assistance through Psychophysiological and Performance Feedback

PubMed Central

Rodriguez-Guerrero, Carlos; Knaepen, Kristel; Fraile-Marinero, Juan C.; Perez-Turiel, Javier; Gonzalez-de-Garibay, Valentin; Lefeber, Dirk

2017-01-01

In order to harmonize robotic devices with human beings, the robots should be able to perceive important psychosomatic impact triggered by emotional states such as frustration or boredom. This paper presents a new type of biocooperative control architecture, which acts toward improving the challenge/skill relation perceived by the user when interacting with a robotic multimodal interface in a cooperative scenario. In the first part of the paper, open-loop experiments revealed which physiological signals were optimal for inclusion in the feedback loop. These were heart rate, skin conductance level, and skin conductance response frequency. In the second part of the paper, the proposed controller, consisting of a biocooperative architecture with two degrees of freedom, simultaneously modulating game difficulty and haptic assistance through performance and psychophysiological feedback, is presented. With this setup, the perceived challenge can be modulated by means of the game difficulty and the perceived skill by means of the haptic assistance. A new metric (FlowIndex) is proposed to numerically quantify and visualize the challenge/skill relation. The results are contrasted with comparable previously published work and show that the new method afforded a higher FlowIndex (i.e., a superior challenge/skill relation) and an improved balance between augmented performance and user satisfaction (higher level of valence, i.e., a more enjoyable and satisfactory experience). PMID:28507503

Negative Academic Emotion and Psychological Well-being in Chinese Rural-to-Urban Migrant Adolescents: Examining the Moderating Role of Cognitive Reappraisal

PubMed Central

Wang, Daoyang; Li, Shuting; Hu, Mingming; Dong, Dan; Tao, Sha

2017-01-01

The study aimed to explore the relationship among negative academic emotions (e.g., anxiety, shame, anger, boredom, hopelessness, disappointment, and hatred), psychological well-being (including life vitality, health concern, altruism commitment, self-value, friendly relationship, and personal development), and cognitive reappraisal in rural-to-urban migrant adolescents in China. Specifically, it was hypothesized that the relationship between psychological well-being and negative academic emotions is moderated by cognitive reappraisal. A total of 311 migrant adolescents aged 14–20 years were selected, including 132 boys and 179 girls. Results of a regression analysis showed that cognitive reappraisal (positive) and negative academic emotions were significant predictors of psychological well-being. The interaction effect between cognitive reappraisal and negative academic emotion was also a significant predictor of psychological well-being. In the simple slope analysis the group with a below average cognitive reappraisal score the negative academic emotions were associated with lower psychological well-being, whereas in the group with above average cognitive reappraisal the effect of negative academic emotions on psychological well-being was not significant. However, for those with a cognitive reappraisal score of 1 standard deviation above the average, the effect of negative academic emotions on psychological well-being was not significant. These results suggest that cognitive reappraisal was a significant moderator in the relationship between negative academic emotion and psychological well-being. PMID:28824495

Social and Cultural Context of Betel Quid Consumption in Taiwan and Implications for Prevention and Cessation Interventions.

PubMed

Lin, Cheng-Chieh; Tamí-Maury, Irene; Ma, Wei-Fen; Lam, Cho; Tsai, Ming-Hsui; Lin, Mi-Ting; Li, Chia-Ing; Liu, Chiu-Shong; Li, Tsai-Chung; Chiu, Chang-Fang; Lu, I-Ying; Gritz, Ellen R

2017-04-16

In Taiwan, betel quid chewing is a part of social life for chewers. Betel quid itself, with or without tobacco, is a Group 1 human carcinogen. Betel quid chewing has become a severe health threat in Taiwan. The aim of the present study was to identify the individual, social, contextual, and cultural factors related to initiation, continuous use, and cessation of betel quid chewing. Four focus groups and 15 in depth face-to-face interviews were conducted in 2013 with current and former users of betel quid, members of a community organization located in central Taiwan. A thematic analysis identified themes evident across all groups. Study participants (N = 41) were 66% male and 34% female; mean age was 40.34 ± 9.23 years. Participants stated that betel quid initiation usually occurs during childhood and that the most frequent reasons for chewing were: to follow cultural/social traditions, to achieve an energetic feeling, and to avoid boredom. Participants perceived betel quid chewing as an addiction and a risk factor for cancer and other health-related conditions. The most frequently mentioned barriers to quitting betel quid included: peer pressure and selected withdrawal symptoms. For the development of culturally relevant and effective cessation interventions for betel quid in Taiwan, it is critical to understand and address perceptions of betel quid chewing and barriers to cessation.

Science fiction and human enhancement: radical life-extension in the movie 'In Time' (2011).

PubMed

Roduit, Johann A R; Eichinger, Tobias; Glannon, Walter

2018-03-20

The ethics of human enhancement has been a hotly debated topic in the last 15 years. In this debate, some advocate examining science fiction stories to elucidate the ethical issues regarding the current phenomenon of human enhancement. Stories from science fiction seem well suited to analyze biomedical advances, providing some possible case studies. Of particular interest is the work of screenwriter Andrew Niccol (Gattaca, S1m0ne, In Time, and Good Kill), which often focuses on ethical questions raised by the use of new technologies. Examining the movie In Time (2011), the aim of this paper is to show how science fiction can contribute to the ethical debate of human enhancement. In Time provides an interesting case study to explore what could be some of the consequences of radical life-extension technologies. In this paper, we will show how arguments regarding radical life-extension portrayed in this particular movie differ from what is found in the scientific literature. We will see how In Time gives flesh to arguments defending or rejecting radical life-extension. It articulates feelings of unease, alienation and boredom associated with this possibility. Finally, this article will conclude that science fiction movies in general, and In Time in particular, are a valuable resource for a broad and comprehensive debate about our coming future.

"Without Porn … I Wouldn't Know Half the Things I Know Now": A Qualitative Study of Pornography Use Among a Sample of Urban, Low-Income, Black and Hispanic Youth.

PubMed

Rothman, Emily F; Kaczmarsky, Courtney; Burke, Nina; Jansen, Emily; Baughman, Allyson

2015-01-01

Information about the pornography-viewing habits of urban, low-income youth of color in the United States is lacking. This study was designed to answer the following using a sample of 16- to 18-year-old urban-residing, low-income Black or Hispanic youth: (1) What types of pornography do youth report watching; where and for what purpose? (2) Do youth feel that pornography exposure has an impact on their own sexual behaviors? and (3) How do parents react to their pornography use? The following themes emerged from interviews with 23 youth: (1) Youth primarily reported watching pornography that featured one-on-one sexual intercourse but also reported having seen extreme pornography (e.g., public humiliation, incest); (2) youth reported watching pornography on home computers or smartphones, and that pornography was frequently watched in school; (3) youth reported watching for entertainment, for sexual stimulation, instructional purposes, and to alleviate boredom; many copied what they saw in pornography during their own sexual encounters; (4) pressure to make or to imitate pornography was an element of some unhealthy dating relationships; and (5) parents were generally described as unsupportive of youth's use of pornography but underequipped to discuss it. Approximately one-fifth expressed a preference for pornography featuring actors of their same race/ethnicity.

Functional decor in the International Space Station: Body orientation cues and picture perception

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coss, Richard G.; Clearwater, Yvonne A.; Barbour, Christopher G.; Towers, Steven R.

1989-01-01

Subjective reports of American astronauts and their Soviet counterparts suggest that homogeneous, often symmetrical, spacecraft interiors can contribute to motion sickness during the earliest phase of a mission and can also engender boredom. Two studies investigated the functional aspects of Space Station interior aesthetics. One experiment examined differential color brightnesses as body orientation cues; the other involved a large survey of photographs and paintings that might enhance the interior aesthetics of the proposed International Space Station. Ninety male and female college students reclining on their backs in the dark were disoriented by a rotating platform and inserted under a slowly rotating disk that filled their entire visual field. The entire disk was painted the same color but one half had a brightness value that was about 69 percent higher than the other. The effects of red, blue, and yellow were examined. Subjects wearing frosted goggles opened their eyes to view the rotating, illuminated disk, which was stopped when they felt that they were right-side up. For all three colors, significant numbers of subjects said they felt right-side up when the brighter side of the disk filled their upper visual field. These results suggest that color brightness could provide Space Station crew members with body orientation cues as they move about. It was found that subjects preferred photographs and paintings with the greatest depths of field, irrespective of picture topic.

Links between Psychotropic Substance Use and Sensation Seeking in a Prevalence Study: The Role of Some Features of Parenting Style in a Large Sample of Adolescents.

PubMed

Scalese, Marco; Curzio, Olivia; Cutrupi, Valentina; Bastiani, Luca; Gori, Mercedes; Denoth, Francesca; Molinaro, Sabrina

2014-01-01

Aims. The objectives of the study were to (a) investigate the prevalence risk of current drug users and (b) explore the association between parental monitoring, adolescent-parent relationship, family structure, financial status, and sensation-seeking and psychotropic substance use. Methods. Data were drawn from the 2002 Italian student population survey of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs. The sample size was 10,790 adolescents, aged 15-19 years. Multivariate logistic analyses were performed. Findings. The prevalence of users was 27.3% (34.2% males; 21.6% females). Single-parent and reconstructed families were related to the greatest likelihood of substance use. A medium financial status and, for females, a satisfying relationship with father were protective factors. Probability of engaging in risk-taking behavior increased when parental knowledge decreased. Exploring deeper how parental monitoring could modify the relation between different traits of sensation seeking and substances use revealed the following: "thrill and adventure seeking," within the case of a good monitoring, can help against the use of substances; "boredom susceptibility" is not associated with drug use, except when parental monitoring is weak. Conclusions. Specific subdimensions, associated with substance use, may be more amenable to prevention than general interventions on sensation-seeking personality. Family is the context that could promote health education.

The relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder and smoking outcome expectancies among U.S. military veterans who served since September 11, 2001.

PubMed

Calhoun, Patrick S; Levin, Holly F; Dedert, Eric A; Johnson, Yashika; Beckham, Jean C

2011-06-01

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with increased rates of smoking although little is known regarding the mechanisms underlying this relationship. The current study examined expectations about smoking outcomes among smokers with and without PTSD. The sample included 96 veterans (mean age of 34 years) and included 17% women and 50% racial minorities. Smoking expectancies were measured with the Smoking Consequences Questionnaire-Adult (Copeland, Brandon, & Quinn, 1995). Consistent with previous work suggesting that smokers with PTSD smoke in an effort to reduce negative affect, unadjusted analyses indicated that smokers with PTSD (n = 38) had higher expectations that smoking reduces negative affect than smokers without PTSD (d = 0.61). Smokers with PTSD also had increased expectancies associated with boredom reduction (d = 0.48), stimulation (d = 0.61), taste/sensorimotor manipulation aspects of smoking (d = 0.73), and social facilitation (d = 0.61). Results of hierarchical linear regression analyses indicated that PTSD symptom severity was uniquely associated with these expectancies beyond the effects of gender and nicotine dependence. More positive beliefs about the consequences of smoking may increase risk of continued smoking among those with PTSD who smoke. Further understanding of smoking expectancies in this group may help in developing interventions tailored for this vulnerable population. Published 2011. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

“Without Porn…I Wouldn’t Know Half The Things I Know Now”: A Qualitative Study of Pornography Use Among a Sample Of Urban, Low-Income, Black and Hispanic Youth

PubMed Central

Rothman, Emily F.; Kaczmarsky, Courtney; Burke, Nina; Jansen, Emily; Baughman, Allyson

2014-01-01

Information about pornography-viewing habits of urban, low income, youth of color in the U.S. is lacking. This study was designed to answer the following using a sample of 16-18 year old urban-residing, low income, Black or Hispanic youth: (1) What types of pornography do youth report watching, where, and for what purpose?; (2) Do youth feel that pornography exposure has an impact on their own sexual behaviors?; and (3) How do parents react to their pornography use? The following themes emerged from interviews with 23 youth: (a) Youth primarily reported watching pornography that featured one-on-one sexual intercourse, but also reported having seen extreme pornography (e.g., public humiliation, incest); (b) youth reported watching pornography on home computers or smartphones, and that pornography was frequently watched in school; (c) youth reported watching for entertainment, for sexual stimulation, instructional purposes, and to alleviate boredom; many copied what they saw in pornography during their own sexual encounters; (d) pressure to make or to imitate pornography was an element of some unhealthy dating relationships; and (e) parents were generally described as unsupportive of youths’ use of pornography, but under-equipped to discuss it. Approximately one-fifth expressed a prefererence for pornography featuring actors of their same race/ethnicity. PMID:25350847

PREVALENCE AND FACTORS INFLUENCING BETEL NUT CHEWING AMONG ADULTS IN WEST INSEIN TOWNSHIP, YANGON, MYANMAR.

PubMed

Myint, Su Kyaw; Narksawat, Kulaya; Sillabutra, Jutatip

2016-09-01

Betel nut chewing can cause precancerous oral lesions and is common in Myanmar. We conducted a cross sectional study aimed to estimate prevalence and factors influencing betel nut chewing among 420 subjects aged ≥18 years in West Insein Township, Yangon, Myanmar in order to inform preventive health programs. The mean age of the study subjects was 45(±15) years. The overall prevalence of current betel nut chewing among study subjects was 55.2%. The mean age starting betel nut chewing was 29(±13) years, and the mean duration of chewing was 15(±13) years. The reasons given by study subjects for chewing betel nut included the addictive effect to betel nut, to release tension, to get rid of boredom and to stop smoking. Sixty-two point three percent of current betel nut chewers also chewed tobacco and 24.2% also smoked cigarettes. Factors significantly associated with betel nut chewing were male gender, current alcohol consumer, having no education or finishing primary or secondary school, having a low score regarding their attitude about the health effects of betel nut chewing, and having high score on interpersonal factors by family and peer pressure. Our results show a need to better educate the public about the health effects of betel nut chewing among the study population.

Negative Academic Emotion and Psychological Well-being in Chinese Rural-to-Urban Migrant Adolescents: Examining the Moderating Role of Cognitive Reappraisal.

PubMed

Wang, Daoyang; Li, Shuting; Hu, Mingming; Dong, Dan; Tao, Sha

2017-01-01

The study aimed to explore the relationship among negative academic emotions (e.g., anxiety, shame, anger, boredom, hopelessness, disappointment, and hatred), psychological well-being (including life vitality, health concern, altruism commitment, self-value, friendly relationship, and personal development), and cognitive reappraisal in rural-to-urban migrant adolescents in China. Specifically, it was hypothesized that the relationship between psychological well-being and negative academic emotions is moderated by cognitive reappraisal. A total of 311 migrant adolescents aged 14-20 years were selected, including 132 boys and 179 girls. Results of a regression analysis showed that cognitive reappraisal (positive) and negative academic emotions were significant predictors of psychological well-being. The interaction effect between cognitive reappraisal and negative academic emotion was also a significant predictor of psychological well-being. In the simple slope analysis the group with a below average cognitive reappraisal score the negative academic emotions were associated with lower psychological well-being, whereas in the group with above average cognitive reappraisal the effect of negative academic emotions on psychological well-being was not significant. However, for those with a cognitive reappraisal score of 1 standard deviation above the average, the effect of negative academic emotions on psychological well-being was not significant. These results suggest that cognitive reappraisal was a significant moderator in the relationship between negative academic emotion and psychological well-being.

Canine olfaction as an alternative to analytical instruments for ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Recent literature has touted the use of canine olfaction as a diagnostic tool for identifying pre-clinical disease status, especially cancer and infection from biological media samples. Studies have shown a wide range of outcomes, ranging from almost perfect discrimination, all the way to essentially random results. This disparity is not likely to be a detection issue; dogs have been shown to have extremely sensitive noses as proven by their use for tracking, bomb detection and search and rescue. However, in contrast to analytical instruments, dogs are subject to boredom, fatigue, hunger and external distractions. These challenges are of particular importance in a clinical environment where task repetition is prized, but not as entertaining for a dog as chasing odours outdoors. The question addressed here is how to exploit the intrinsic sensitivity and simplicity of having a dog simply sniff out disease, in the face of variability in behavior and response. There is no argument that living cells emanate a variety of gas- and liquid-phase compounds as waste from normal metabolism, and that these compounds become easureable from various biological media including skin, blood, urine, breath, feces, etc. [1, 2] The overarching term for this phenomenon from the perspective of systems biology analysis is “cellular respiration”, which has become an important topic for the interpretation and documentation of the human exposome, the chemical counterpart to the genome.

Marijuana use and associated motives in Colorado university students.

PubMed

Phillips, Kristina T; Lalonde, Trent L; Phillips, Michael M; Schneider, Maryia M

2017-12-01

Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug among college students, with heavy use leading to negative outcomes. Use of marijuana for medical and recreational purposes in select U.S. states has been controversial, with concerns surrounding increased prevalence rates and harm. The current exploratory study aimed to assess marijuana use in college students in Colorado, demographic differences in frequency of use, and motives for using. College students (N = 300; 61% female) were recruited through introductory psychology courses and completed a series of questionnaires and a marijuana urine screen. Almost three-fourths of the sample reported lifetime use of marijuana. Sixty-five percent used marijuana within the last year and 29% tested positive on the urine screen. Hurdle Poisson regression models with a subset of participants (n = 117) showed non-Greek and freshman status were associated with increased number of days participants used marijuana in the last month. Problem marijuana use was positively associated with a range of motives-of note-motives focused on coping, boredom, alcohol, and food. Prevalence rates of marijuana use were high in this sample of college students in a state with legal recreational marijuana use. Particular students (eg, students who use marijuana to cope) may be at higher risk for problem marijuana use. Developing effective, tailored interventions for university students is warranted. (Am J Addict 2017;26:830-837). © 2017 American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

Ecological momentary assessment of antecedents and consequences of smoking in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Mitchell, John T; Dennis, Michelle F; English, Joseph S; Dennis, Paul A; Brightwood, Amy; Beckham, Jean C; Kollins, Scott H

2014-09-01

The current study assessed antecedents and consequences of ad lib cigarette smoking in smokers diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Adult smokers with ADHD (n = 17) completed 870 smoking and 622 nonsmoking electronic diary entries over a 7-day observation period of their naturalistic smoking behavior. Data collection occurred from 2011 to 2012. Generalized estimating equations indicated that ADHD smokers were more likely to smoke when urge to smoke, negative affect, boredom, stress, worry, and restlessness were elevated. In addition, participants were more likely to smoke in situations that elicited higher levels of nervousness and frustration. ADHD symptoms, in general, did not differ between smoking and nonsmoking contexts, though hyperactive-impulsive ADHD symptoms were elevated prior to smoking in frustrating situations. Additional situational antecedent variables were associated with smoking, including being in the presence of others smoking, being in a bar or restaurant, while outside, and while consuming caffeinated or alcoholic beverages. Participants also reported a significant improvement in urge to smoke, negative affect, stress, hunger, and ADHD symptoms after smoking a cigarette. Findings suggest certain contextual factors that may maintain ad lib cigarette smoking in smokers with ADHD and identify potential treatment targets in smoking cessation interventions for this at-risk group. Clinical implications and future research directions are discussed. Funding for this study was provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Perceptions of individual and community environmental influences on fruit and vegetable intake, North Carolina, 2004.

PubMed

Boyington, Josephine E A; Schoster, Britta; Remmes Martin, Kathryn; Shreffler, Jack; Callahan, Leigh F

2009-01-01

Increases in obesity and other chronic conditions continue to fuel efforts for lifestyle behavior changes. However, many strategies do not address the impact of environment on lifestyle behaviors, particularly healthy dietary intake. This study explored the perceptions of environment on intake of fruits and vegetables in a cohort of 2,479 people recruited from 22 family practices in North Carolina. Participants were administered a health and social demographic survey. Formative assessment was conducted on a subsample of 32 people by using focus groups, semistructured individual interviews, community mapping, and photographs. Interviews and discussions were transcribed and content was analyzed using ATLAS.ti version 5. Survey data were evaluated for means, frequencies, and group differences. The 2,479 participants had a mean age of 52.8 years, mean body mass index (BMI) of 29.4, and were predominantly female, white, married, and high school graduates. The 32 subsample participants were older, heavier, and less educated. Some prevalent perceptions about contextual factors related to dietary intake included taste-bud fatigue (boredom with commonly eaten foods), life stresses, lack of forethought in meal planning, current health status, economic status, the ability to garden, lifetime dietary exposure, concerns about food safety, contradictory nutrition messages from the media, and variable work schedules. Perceptions about intake of fruits and vegetables intake are influenced by individual (intrinsic) and community (extrinsic) environmental factors. We suggest approaches for influencing behavior and changing perceptions using available resources.

Students' Perceptions and Emotions Toward Learning in a Flipped General Science Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, Jin Su; González-Gómez, David; Cañada-Cañada, Florentina

2016-10-01

Recently, the inverted instruction methodologies are gaining attentions in higher educations by claiming that flipping the classroom engages more effectively students with the learning process. Besides, students' perceptions and emotions involved in their learning process must be assessed in order to gauge the usability of this relatively new instruction methodology, since it is vital in the educational formation. For this reason, this study intends to evaluate the students' perceptions and emotions when a flipped classroom setting is used as instruction methodology. This research was conducted in a general science course, sophomore of the Primary Education bachelor degree in the Training Teaching School of the University of Extremadura (Spain). The results show that the students have the overall positive perceptions to a flipped classroom setting. Particularly, over 80 % of them considered that the course was a valuable learning experience. They also found this course more interactive and were willing to have more courses following a flipped model. According to the students' emotions toward a flipped classroom course, the highest scores were given to the positive emotions, being fun and enthusiasm along with keyword frequency test. Then, the lowest scores were corresponded to negative emotions, being boredom and fear. Therefore, the students attending to a flipped course demonstrated to have more positive and less negative emotions. The results obtained in this study allow drawing a promising tendency about the students' perceptions and emotions toward the flipped classroom methodology and will contribute to fully frame this relatively new instruction methodology.

The development and initial evaluation of the Pornography-Use Avoidance Self-Efficacy Scale

PubMed Central

Kraus, Shane W.; Rosenberg, Harold; Martino, Steve; Nich, Charla; Potenza, Marc N.

2017-01-01

Background and aims This study employed a newly developed questionnaire to evaluate whether men’s self-efficacy to avoid using pornography in each of 18 emotional, social, or sexually arousing situations was associated with either their typical frequency of pornography use or their hypersexuality. Methods Using an Internet-based data collection procedure, 229 male pornography users (Mage = 33.3 years, SD = 12.2) who had sought or considered seeking professional help for their use of pornography completed questionnaires assessing their situationally specific self-efficacy, history of pornography use, self-efficacy to employ specific pornography-reduction strategies, hypersexuality, and demographic characteristics. Results Frequency of pornography use was significantly negatively associated with level of confidence in 12 of the 18 situations. In addition, lower hypersexuality and higher confidence to employ pornography-use-reduction strategies were associated with higher confidence to avoid using pornography in each of the 18 situations. A principal axis factor analysis yielded three clusters of situations: (a) sexual arousal/boredom/opportunity, (b) intoxication/locations/easy access, and (c) negative emotions. Discussion and conclusions This questionnaire could be employed to identify specific high-risk situations for lapse or relapse and as a measure of treatment outcome among therapy clients, but we recommend further examination of the psychometric properties and clinical utility of the questionnaire in treatment samples. Because only one of the three clusters reflected a consistent theme, we do not recommend averaging self-efficacy within factors to create subscales. PMID:28889754

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Subtype Differentially Predicts Smoking Expectancies in Adolescents

PubMed Central

Foster, Ida; Racicot, Simon; McGrath, Jennifer J.

2017-01-01

Purpose Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is an established risk factor for smoking; however, no studies have considered whether precursors to smoking behavior differ among adolescents with ADHD. Smoking expectancies are beliefs about the potential consequences of smoking, and they develop before smoking initiation. ADHD characteristics may contribute to the formation of expectancies and eventual smoking behavior. We evaluated whether clinical levels of ADHD subtypes differentially predicted smoking expectancies. Methods Adolescents (n = 221; age mean = 12.67 years) completed the Smoking Expectancy Scale for Adolescents, answered standardized questions about their smoking behavior, and provided expired breath samples to verify never-smoking status. Parents completed the Conners’ Parent Rating Scale for ADHD symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity. Results Adolescents with clinical levels of inattention were significantly less likely to endorse negative consequences, including Expected Costs (odds ratio [OR] = .16), Appearance–Presentation Costs (OR = .29), Social Costs (OR = .19), Health Costs (OR = .21), and Addiction Costs (OR = .39). Inattentive female adolescents were significantly more likely to endorse Weight Control as a consequence. Adolescents with clinical levels of hyperactivity/impulsivity were more likely to endorse positive consequences, including Expected Benefits (OR = 5.31), Affect Control (OR = 2.60), and Boredom Reduction (OR = 3.14); they were less likely to endorse Social Costs (OR = .27). Conclusions ADHD subtype differentially predicted smoking expectancies. Adolescents with ADHD may be more vulnerable to developing pro-smoking expectancies due to subtype-related deficits in neurocognitive processing. These findings have potential implications for developing targeted smoking prevention programs. PMID:22999841

Does playing violent video games cause aggression? A longitudinal intervention study.

PubMed

Kühn, Simone; Kugler, Dimitrij Tycho; Schmalen, Katharina; Weichenberger, Markus; Witt, Charlotte; Gallinat, Jürgen

2018-03-13

It is a widespread concern that violent video games promote aggression, reduce pro-social behaviour, increase impulsivity and interfere with cognition as well as mood in its players. Previous experimental studies have focussed on short-term effects of violent video gameplay on aggression, yet there are reasons to believe that these effects are mostly the result of priming. In contrast, the present study is the first to investigate the effects of long-term violent video gameplay using a large battery of tests spanning questionnaires, behavioural measures of aggression, sexist attitudes, empathy and interpersonal competencies, impulsivity-related constructs (such as sensation seeking, boredom proneness, risk taking, delay discounting), mental health (depressivity, anxiety) as well as executive control functions, before and after 2 months of gameplay. Our participants played the violent video game Grand Theft Auto V, the non-violent video game The Sims 3 or no game at all for 2 months on a daily basis. No significant changes were observed, neither when comparing the group playing a violent video game to a group playing a non-violent game, nor to a passive control group. Also, no effects were observed between baseline and posttest directly after the intervention, nor between baseline and a follow-up assessment 2 months after the intervention period had ended. The present results thus provide strong evidence against the frequently debated negative effects of playing violent video games in adults and will therefore help to communicate a more realistic scientific perspective on the effects of violent video gaming.

Phenomenology in Its Original Sense.

PubMed

van Manen, Max

2017-05-01

In this article, I try to think through the question, "What distinguishes phenomenology in its original sense?" My intent is to focus on the project and methodology of phenomenology in a manner that is not overly technical and that may help others to further elaborate on or question the singular features that make phenomenology into a unique qualitative form of inquiry. I pay special attention to the notion of "lived" in the phenomenological term "lived experience" to demonstrate its critical role and significance for understanding phenomenological reflection, meaning, analysis, and insights. I also attend to the kind of experiential material that is needed to focus on a genuine phenomenological question that should guide any specific research project. Heidegger, van den Berg, and Marion provide some poignant exemplars of the use of narrative "examples" in phenomenological explorations of the phenomena of "boredom," "conversation," and "the meaningful look in eye-contact." Only what is given or what gives itself in lived experience (or conscious awareness) are proper phenomenological "data" or "givens," but these givens are not to be confused with data material that can be coded, sorted, abstracted, and accordingly analyzed in some "systematic" manner. The latter approach to experiential research may be appropriate and worthwhile for various types of qualitative inquiry but not for phenomenology in its original sense. Finally, I use the mythical figure of Kairos to show that the famous phenomenological couplet of the epoché-reduction aims for phenomenological insights that require experiential analysis and attentive (but serendipitous) methodical inquiry practices.

Estimating psycho-physiological state of a human by speech analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ronzhin, A. L.

2005-05-01

Adverse effects of intoxication, fatigue and boredom could degrade performance of highly trained operators of complex technical systems with potentially catastrophic consequences. Existing physiological fitness for duty tests are time consuming, costly, invasive, and highly unpopular. Known non-physiological tests constitute a secondary task and interfere with the busy workload of the tested operator. Various attempts to assess the current status of the operator by processing of "normal operational data" often lead to excessive amount of computations, poorly justified metrics, and ambiguity of results. At the same time, speech analysis presents a natural, non-invasive approach based upon well-established efficient data processing. In addition, it supports both behavioral and physiological biometric. This paper presents an approach facilitating robust speech analysis/understanding process in spite of natural speech variability and background noise. Automatic speech recognition is suggested as a technique for the detection of changes in the psycho-physiological state of a human that typically manifest themselves by changes of characteristics of voice tract and semantic-syntactic connectivity of conversation. Preliminary tests have confirmed that the statistically significant correlation between the error rate of automatic speech recognition and the extent of alcohol intoxication does exist. In addition, the obtained data allowed exploring some interesting correlations and establishing some quantitative models. It is proposed to utilize this approach as a part of fitness for duty test and compare its efficiency with analyses of iris, face geometry, thermography and other popular non-invasive biometric techniques.

Do surgeon interviewers have human factor-related issues during the long day UK National Trauma and Orthopaedic specialty recruitment process?

PubMed

Scrimgeour, D S G; Higgins, J; Bucknall, V; Arnett, R; Featherstone, C R; Cleland, J; Lee, A J; Brennan, P A

2018-03-05

The role that human factors (HF) play in contributing to medical error is increasingly being recognised by healthcare professionals. Surprisingly, much less is known about the possible effects of HF including boredom, fatigue and organisational influences, on performance outside of the clinical environment such as examining or assessing candidates in other high stakes situations. The authors used a validated 38 response questionnaire based around the HF analysis and classification system (HFACS) to assess factors including stress and pressure, care and support and working within the rules for surgeon interviewers at the UK national trainee selection process in Trauma and Orthopaedic surgery. 121 completed questionnaires were analysed (86% response rate). No statistically significant differences were found between interviewer experience, grade or role at the interview and the mean scores obtained for all four factor items. Overall interviewers had a positive experience during national selection with mean factor scores ranging from 3.80 to 3.98 (out of a maximum satisfaction score of 5). Careful planning by organisations and recognising the importance of the human element are essential to ensure assessors are looked after properly during high stakes assessment processes. Our data suggests that a positive experience for examiners is likely to benefit candidate performance and contribute to a fair and reliable recruitment process. The relationship between examiner experience and candidate performance merits further investigation. Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Psychiatric morbidity in asymptomatic human immunodeficiency virus patients.

PubMed

Chauhan, V S; Chaudhury, Suprakash; Sudarsanan, S; Srivastava, Kalpana

2013-07-01

Psychiatric morbidity in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients is being studied all over the world. There is paucity of Indian literature particularly in asymptomatic HIV individuals. The aim of the following study is to establish the prevalence and the determinants of psychiatric morbidity in asymptomatic HIV patients. A cross-sectional study was undertaken to assess psychiatric morbidity as per ICD-10 dacryocystorhinostomy criteria in 100 consecutive asymptomatic seropositive HIV patients and an equal number of age, sex, education, economic and marital status matched HIV seronegative control. All subjects were assessed with the general health questionnaire (GHQ), mini mental status examination, hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) and sensation seeking scale (SSS) and the scores were analyzed statistically. Asymptomatic HIV positive patients had significantly higher GHQ caseness and depression but not anxiety on HADS as compared to HIV seronegative controls. On SSS asymptomatic HIV seropositive subjects showed significant higher scores in thrill and adventure seeking, experience seeking and boredom susceptibility as compared to controls. HIV seropositive patients had significantly higher incidence of total psychiatric morbidity. Among the individual disorders, alcohol dependence syndrome, sexual dysfunction and adjustment disorder were significantly increased compared with HIV seronegative controls. Psychiatric morbidity is higher in asymptomatic HIV patients when compared to HIV seronegative controls. Among the individual disorders, alcohol dependence syndrome, sexual dysfunction and adjustment disorder were significantly increased compared with HIV seronegative controls. High sensation seeking and substance abuse found in HIV seropositive patients may play a vital role in engaging in high-risk behavior resulting in this dreaded illness.

STEM the Boredom: Engage Students in the Australian Curriculum Using ICT with Problem-Based Learning and Assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newhouse, Christopher Paul

2017-02-01

The well-being of modern economies and societies is increasingly requiring citizens to possess capabilities in integrating knowledge and skills in science, technology, engineering and science to solve problems. However, by the end of schooling, the majority of Australian students show little interest in these discipline areas and have no plans to continue study or work in them; many refer to these disciplines as boring. Further, they typically have little experience in integrating knowledge and skills from these disciplines and/or in applying this to solve relevant problems. Therefore, there is a need to engage students with such learning experiences to develop their interest and capabilities, particularly during the early years of secondary schooling. This is not easy for teachers to respond to, but with the support of modern digital technologies and the new Australian curriculum, the potential is expanded and the challenge is more readily achievable. However, appropriate pedagogies need to be supported that include more authentic approaches to assessment. Learning activities need to support students to integrate knowledge and skills across discipline areas in tackling real problems, and this also needs to be reflected in how students are assessed. In this paper, I will draw on personal experience as a teacher, a review of recent literature, components of the Australian Curriculum, and findings from research projects associated with my University research centre, to argue for, and illustrate how, teachers can orchestrate powerful learning activities to promote an interdisciplinary approach to STEM.

Ecological Momentary Assessment of Antecedents and Consequences of Smoking in Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

PubMed Central

Mitchell, John T.; Dennis, Michelle F.; English, Joseph S.; Dennis, Paul A.; Brightwood, Amy G.; Beckham, Jean C.; Kollins, Scott H.

2014-01-01

The current study assessed antecedents and consequences of ad lib cigarette smoking in smokers diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Adult smokers with ADHD (n = 17) completed 870 smoking and 622 nonsmoking electronic diary entries over a seven-day observation period of their naturalistic smoking behavior. Data collection occurred from 2011 to 2012. Generalized estimating equations indicated that ADHD smokers were more likely to smoke when urge to smoke, negative affect, boredom, stress, worry, and restlessness were elevated. In addition, participants were more likely to smoke in situations that elicited higher levels of nervousness and frustration. ADHD symptoms, in general, did not differ between smoking and nonsmoking contexts, though hyperactive-impulsive ADHD symptoms were elevated prior to smoking in frustrating situations. Additional situational antecedent variables were associated with smoking, including being in the presence of others smoking, being in a bar or restaurant, while outside, and while consuming caffeinated or alcoholic beverages. Participants also reported a significant improvement in urge to smoke, negative affect, stress, hunger, and ADHD symptoms after smoking a cigarette. Findings suggest certain contextual factors that may maintain ad lib cigarette smoking in smokers with ADHD and identify potential treatment targets in smoking cessation interventions for this at-risk group. Clinical implications and future research directions are discussed. Funding for this study was provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. PMID:24827866

The meanings and context of smoking among Mexican university students.

PubMed

Thrasher, James F; Bentley, Mararet E

2006-01-01

We sought to describe the dominant social contexts and meanings of smoking among Mexican university students. Structured observations were made and individual in-depth interviews were conducted with 43 university students who were at five levels of involvement with smoking (i.e., never smoker; ex-smoker; experimenter; regular smoker; frequent smoker). Content analysis of interview transcripts was used to distill the primary settings and themes that students associated with smoking. Outside their homes and away from the purview of their parents, the environments that students frequented were permissive of smoking, supporting their perceptions of smoking behavior, cigarettes, and the tobacco industry as normal and socially acceptable. Cigarette smoking was a highly social practice, with students practicing simultaneous smoking and cigarette sharing to underscore bonds with others. Moreover, the leisure times and places in which students smoked appeared to bolster their perceptions of cigarettes as offering them pleasurable relaxation and escape from boredom and conflictual social relations. All students believed that smoking was addictive and that second-hand smoke was dangerous to non-smokers. The short-term negative outcomes of smoking appeared more salient to students than either the longer-term health outcomes of smoking or the practices of the tobacco industry. The meanings and context of smoking were comparable to those found among youth in other parts of the world. Successful tobacco prevention messages and policies to prevent smoking in other youth populations may also succeed among Mexican youth.

Metazoa Ludens: Mixed Reality Interaction and Play Between Humans and Animals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheok, Adrian David

Although animals and pets are so important for families and society, in modern urban lifestyles we can spend little time with our animal friends. Interactive media should be aimed to enhance not only human-to-human communication, but also human-to-animal communication. Thus, we promote a new type of inter-species media interaction which allows human users to interact and play with their small pet friends (in this case hamsters) remotely via the Internet through a mixed reality based game system “Metazoa Ludens”. We scientifically examined the effectiveness of this system in a two-pronged approach. Firstly and most importantly, the positive effects to the hamsters were ensured using Body Condition Score study. Secondly, the method of Duncan was used to assess the strength of preference of the hamsters towards Metazoa Ludens. Lastly, the effectiveness of this remote interaction with respect to the human users as a interactive gaming system with their pets/friends (hamsters) was examined based on Csikszentmihalyi's (Beyond boredom and anxiety, 1975) Flow theory. The results of both studies inform of positive remote interaction between human users and their pet friends using our research system. This research is not aimed just at providing specific experimental results on the implemented research system, but is aimed as a wider lesson for human-to-animal interactive media. Thus also the lessons learned are extrapolated and detailed in this chapter as a framework in general for human-to-animal interaction systems.

Weight loss practices among newly enrolling clients in a commercial weightloss program in Ghana.

PubMed

Ayisi-Addo, Sandra; Ayisi-Addo, Stephen; Ohemeng, Agartha

2016-03-01

In Ghana, obesity is showing a rising trend and there are weight loss initiatives being practised by individuals. However, the levels of commitment to such programs and the reasons for discontinuing have not been assessed. The objectives of this study were to investigate the weight loss practices of participants and reasons for quitting chosen weight loss programs. This was a cross-sectional study involving 50 subjects conveniently selected from people who were enrolling into a commercial weight loss program. A questionnaire was used to collect data on past weight loss practices and reasons for abandoning chosen programs. Data analysis was conducted using simple frequency and descriptive tests of the Excel software. More than half of the subjects (66%) had undertaken a weight loss practice before enrolment in study. Of these, 88.5% abandoned the strategy before the achievement of their desired weight goal. The three common programs that were practised were internet based diets (67.9%), commercial weight loss shakes (42.9%) and exercises (28.6%). Reasons given for abandoning programs included lack of sustainability (50%), lack of determination on the part of the client (15%), boredom with program (10%), not achieving desired results (10%), safety concerns (10%), and getting pregnant (5%). The findings suggest that future weight loss programs can be effective and have reduced attrition rates if they are designed to achieve sustainable dietary and other lifestyle changes, as well as boost motivation for weight loss.

The personality, motivational, and need-based background of problematic Tinder use.

PubMed

Orosz, Gábor; Benyó, Mária; Berkes, Bernadett; Nikoletti, Edina; Gál, Éva; Tóth-Király, István; Bőthe, Beáta

2018-04-12

Background and aims Tinder is a geo-located online dating application, which is present in almost 200 countries and has 10 million daily users. The aim of the present research was to investigate the motivational, personality, and basic psychological need-related background of problematic Tinder use. Methods After qualitative pretest and item construction, in Study 1 (N = 414), confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to corroborate the different motivational factors behind Tinder use. In Study 2 (N = 346), the associations between Big Five traits, Tinder motivations, and problematic Tinder use were examined with structural equation modeling (SEM). In Study 3 (N = 298), the potential role of general self-esteem, relatedness need satisfaction, and frustration in relation to Tinder-use motivations and problematic Tinder use was examined with SEM. Results In Study 1, a 16-item first-order factor structure was identified with four motivational factors, such as sex, love, self-esteem enhancement, and boredom. In Study 2, problematic Tinder use was mainly related to using Tinder for self-esteem enhancement. The Big Five personality factors were only weakly related to the four motivations and to problematic Tinder use. Counterintuitively, Study 3 showed that instead of global self-esteem, relatedness need frustration was the strongest predictor of self-esteem enhancement Tinder-use motivation which, in turn, was the strongest predictor of problematic Tinder use. Discussion Four motivational factors were identified as predictors of problematic use with need frustration being a relevant background variable instead of general personality traits.

Clinical speculation: is specificity back? This time thromboangiitis obliterans.

PubMed

Hofer-Mayer, T; Adler, R H; Minder, C; Mahler, F; Radvila, A

1995-01-01

Do men with thrombangiitis obliterans (TO) show conspicuous personality features and behavior? Twenty-one men with TO were compared with 20 men with coronary artery disease (CAD). All diagnoses were angiographically confirmed. Mean ages were 40.1 (TO) and 43.4 years (CAD). Semistructured, open-ended interviews were conducted. Interview-behavior: TOs were more hostile, minimizing, evasive, and complicated than CADs (p < .001). The interviewer reacted with more anger, impatience, boredom, astonishment, and less empathy towards TOs (p < .001). Adult behavior: TOs had changed their place of work more often (p < .001), had more absentism from work (p < .001), and had more debts (p = .01) unrelated to the present illness. They smoked more before the illness (p = .01) and continued to smoke more frequently during their illness than CADs (p < .003). They were more often single or divorced (p < .05) and had more conflicts in their relationships (p < .001) than CADs. During conflicts, TOs more often shouted or withdrew and less frequently tried to resolve conflicts with humor and discussions (p < .001) than CADs. TOs were more frequently dissatisfied with their life situation than CADs (p < .001). TOs more often passively submitted to their illness than CADs, who tried to cope by giving up smoking and by exercising (p < .001). Childhood: TOs more often mentioned a bad relationship with their father than CADS (p = .01) and had more disciplinary problems at home and in school (p = .002). TOs show remarkable personality features.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Motion sickness and proprioceptive aftereffects following virtual environment exposure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stanney, K. M.; Kennedy, R. S.; Drexler, J. M.; Harm, D. L.

1999-01-01

To study the potential aftereffects of virtual environments (VE), tests of visually guided behavior and felt limb position (pointing with eyes open and closed) along with self-reports of motion sickness-like discomfort were administered before and after 30 min exposure of 34 subjects. When post- discomfort was compared to a pre-baseline, the participants reported more sickness afterward (p < 0.03). The change in felt limb position resulted in subjects pointing higher (p < 0.038) and slightly to the left, although the latter difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.08). When findings from a second study using a different VE system were compared, they essentially replicated the results of the first study with higher sickness afterward (p < 0.001) and post- pointing errors were also up (p < 0.001) and to the left (p < 0.001). While alternative explanations (e.g. learning, fatigue, boredom, habituation, etc.) of these outcomes cannot be ruled out, the consistency of the post- effects on felt limb position changes in the two VE implies that these recalibrations may linger once interaction with the VE has concluded, rendering users potentially physiologically maladapted for the real world when they return. This suggests there may be safety concerns following VE exposures until pre-exposure functioning has been regained. The results of this study emphasize the need for developing and using objective measures of post-VE exposure aftereffects in order to systematically determine under what conditions these effects may occur.

Measuring aesthetic emotions: A review of the literature and a new assessment tool.

PubMed

Schindler, Ines; Hosoya, Georg; Menninghaus, Winfried; Beermann, Ursula; Wagner, Valentin; Eid, Michael; Scherer, Klaus R

2017-01-01

Aesthetic perception and judgement are not merely cognitive processes, but also involve feelings. Therefore, the empirical study of these experiences requires conceptualization and measurement of aesthetic emotions. Despite the long-standing interest in such emotions, we still lack an assessment tool to capture the broad range of emotions that occur in response to the perceived aesthetic appeal of stimuli. Elicitors of aesthetic emotions are not limited to the arts in the strict sense, but extend to design, built environments, and nature. In this article, we describe the development of a questionnaire that is applicable across many of these domains: the Aesthetic Emotions Scale (Aesthemos). Drawing on theoretical accounts of aesthetic emotions and an extensive review of extant measures of aesthetic emotions within specific domains such as music, literature, film, painting, advertisements, design, and architecture, we propose a framework for studying aesthetic emotions. The Aesthemos, which is based on this framework, contains 21 subscales with two items each, that are designed to assess the emotional signature of responses to stimuli's perceived aesthetic appeal in a highly differentiated manner. These scales cover prototypical aesthetic emotions (e.g., the feeling of beauty, being moved, fascination, and awe), epistemic emotions (e.g., interest and insight), and emotions indicative of amusement (humor and joy). In addition, the Aesthemos subscales capture both the activating (energy and vitality) and the calming (relaxation) effects of aesthetic experiences, as well as negative emotions that may contribute to aesthetic displeasure (e.g., the feeling of ugliness, boredom, and confusion).

Predictors of health of pre-registration nursing and midwifery students: Findings from a cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Deasy, Christine; Coughlan, Barry; Pironom, Julie; Jourdan, Didier; Mannix-McNamara, Patricia

2016-01-01

Student nurses/midwives evidence less than exemplary lifestyle habits and poor emotional health, despite exposure to health education/promotion during their educational preparation. Knowledge of the factors that predict nursing/midwifery students' health could inform strategies to enhance their health and increase their credibility as future health promoters/educators. To establish the predictors of nursing/midwifery student emotional health. Cross-sectional survey. The research took place at a university in Ireland. We involved a total sample (n=473) student nurses/midwives. Participants completed the General Health Questionnaire, Lifestyle Behaviour Questionnaire and Ways of Coping Questionnaire to determine their self-reported emotional health, lifestyle behaviour and coping processes. Multivariate regression was performed to identify the predictors of student emotional health (dependent variable). The independent variables were demographics, coping, lifestyle behaviour and students' perceptions of determinants of their health. Many respondents reported significant emotional distress (48.71%) and unhealthy lifestyle behaviours including smoking (27.94%), physical inactivity (34.29%), alcohol consumption (91.7%) and unhealthy diet (28.05%). Multivariate regressions indicated that the predictors of emotional distress included gender, year of study, smoking, passive coping and beliefs that their student life was stressful or/and that worry stress and boredom adversely impacted their diet. Targeting student's beliefs regarding influences upon their health, promotion of positive lifestyles and adaptive coping is necessary to facilitate health gain of future health professionals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of (social) media on the political figure fever model: Jokowi-fever model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yong, Benny; Samat, Nor Azah

2016-02-01

In recent years, political figures begin to utilize social media as one of alternative to engage in communication with their supporters. Publics referred to Jokowi, one of the candidates in Indonesia presidential election in 2014, as the first politician in Indonesia to truly understand the power of social media. Social media is very important in shaping public opinion. In this paper, effect of social media on the Jokowi-fever model in a closed population will be discussed. Supporter population is divided into three class sub-population, i.e susceptible supporters, Jokowi infected supporters, and recovered supporters. For case no positive media, there are two equilibrium points; the Jokowi-fever free equilibrium point in which it locally stable if basic reproductive ratio less than one and the Jokowi-fever endemic equilibrium point in which it locally stable if basic reproductive ratio greater than one. For case no negative media, there is only the Jokowi-fever endemic equilibrium point in which it locally stable if the condition is satisfied. Generally, for case positive media proportion is positive, there is no Jokowi-fever free equilibrium point. The numerical result shows that social media gives significantly effect on Jokowi-fever model, a sharp increase or a sharp decrease in the number of Jokowi infected supporters. It is also shown that the boredom rate is one of the sensitive parameters in the Jokowi-fever model; it affects the number of Jokowi infected supporters.

Screen-related sedentary behaviours: Children’s and parents’ attitudes, motivations, and practices

PubMed Central

He, Meizi; Piché, Leonard; Beynon, Charlene; Harris, Stewart

2016-01-01

Objective To investigate school-aged children’s and parents’ attitudes, social influences, and intentions toward excessive screen-related sedentary behaviour (S-RSB). Design A cross-sectional study using a survey methodology. Setting Elementary schools in London, Ontario, Canada. Participants All grades five and six students, their parents and teachers in the participating schools were invited to voluntarily participate; 508 student-parent pairs completed the surveys. Main Outcome Measure Children’s screen-related behaviours. Analysis Data were analyzed using the Independent Student t-test to compare differences of continuous variables and the Chi-Square test to test for differences of categorical variables. Results Children spent 3.3 ± 0.15 (standard error) hours per day engaged in screen-related activities. Entertainment, spending time with family, and boredom were cited as the top three reasons for television viewing and video game playing. Compared to “low-screen-users” (i.e. < 2hours/day), “high-screen-users” (i.e. ≥2hours/day) held less negative attitudes toward excessive S-RSB and perceived loosened parental rules on screen use. Parents of “high-screen-users” held less negative attitudes towards children’s S-RSB, had fewer rules about their children’s screen use, and were more likely to be sedentary themselves. Conclusions and Implications Intervention strategies aimed at reducing S-RSB should involve both parents and children and should focus on fostering behavioural changes and promoting parental role-modeling. PMID:19914872

Psychopathology of Online Poker Players: Review of Literature

PubMed Central

Moreau, Axelle; Chabrol, Henri; Chauchard, Emeline

2016-01-01

Background and aims Online Texas Hold’em poker has become a spectacular form of entertainment in our society, and the number of people who use this form of gambling is increasing. It seems that online poker activity challenges existing theoretical concepts about problem gambling behaviors. The purpose of this literature review is to provide a current overview about the population of online poker players. Methods To be selected, articles had to focus on psychopathology in a sample of online poker players, be written in English or French, and be published before November 2015. A total of 17 relevant studies were identified. Results In this population, the proportion of problematic gamblers was higher than in other forms of gambling. Several factors predicting excessive gambling were identified such as stress, internal attribution, dissociation, boredom, negative emotions, irrational beliefs, anxiety, and impulsivity. The population of online poker players is largely heterogeneous, with experimental players forming a specific group. Finally, the validity of the tools used to measure excessive or problematic gambling and irrational beliefs are not suitable for assessing online poker activity. Discussion and conclusions Future studies need to confirm previous findings in the literature of online poker games. Given that skills are important in poker playing, skill development in the frames of excessive use of online poker should be explored more in depth, particularly regarding poker experience and loss chasing. Future research should focus on skills, self-regulation, and psychopathology of online poker players. PMID:27348559

Psychopathology of Online Poker Players: Review of Literature.

PubMed

Moreau, Axelle; Chabrol, Henri; Chauchard, Emeline

2016-06-01

Background and aims Online Texas Hold'em poker has become a spectacular form of entertainment in our society, and the number of people who use this form of gambling is increasing. It seems that online poker activity challenges existing theoretical concepts about problem gambling behaviors. The purpose of this literature review is to provide a current overview about the population of online poker players. Methods To be selected, articles had to focus on psychopathology in a sample of online poker players, be written in English or French, and be published before November 2015. A total of 17 relevant studies were identified. Results In this population, the proportion of problematic gamblers was higher than in other forms of gambling. Several factors predicting excessive gambling were identified such as stress, internal attribution, dissociation, boredom, negative emotions, irrational beliefs, anxiety, and impulsivity. The population of online poker players is largely heterogeneous, with experimental players forming a specific group. Finally, the validity of the tools used to measure excessive or problematic gambling and irrational beliefs are not suitable for assessing online poker activity. Discussion and conclusions Future studies need to confirm previous findings in the literature of online poker games. Given that skills are important in poker playing, skill development in the frames of excessive use of online poker should be explored more in depth, particularly regarding poker experience and loss chasing. Future research should focus on skills, self-regulation, and psychopathology of online poker players.

The development and initial evaluation of the Pornography-Use Avoidance Self-Efficacy Scale.

PubMed

Kraus, Shane W; Rosenberg, Harold; Martino, Steve; Nich, Charla; Potenza, Marc N

2017-09-01

Background and aims This study employed a newly developed questionnaire to evaluate whether men's self-efficacy to avoid using pornography in each of 18 emotional, social, or sexually arousing situations was associated with either their typical frequency of pornography use or their hypersexuality. Methods Using an Internet-based data collection procedure, 229 male pornography users (M age  = 33.3 years, SD = 12.2) who had sought or considered seeking professional help for their use of pornography completed questionnaires assessing their situationally specific self-efficacy, history of pornography use, self-efficacy to employ specific pornography-reduction strategies, hypersexuality, and demographic characteristics. Results Frequency of pornography use was significantly negatively associated with level of confidence in 12 of the 18 situations. In addition, lower hypersexuality and higher confidence to employ pornography-use-reduction strategies were associated with higher confidence to avoid using pornography in each of the 18 situations. A principal axis factor analysis yielded three clusters of situations: (a) sexual arousal/boredom/opportunity, (b) intoxication/locations/easy access, and (c) negative emotions. Discussion and conclusions This questionnaire could be employed to identify specific high-risk situations for lapse or relapse and as a measure of treatment outcome among therapy clients, but we recommend further examination of the psychometric properties and clinical utility of the questionnaire in treatment samples. Because only one of the three clusters reflected a consistent theme, we do not recommend averaging self-efficacy within factors to create subscales.

Reasons for recent marijuana use in relation to use of other illicit drugs among high school seniors in the United States.

PubMed

Palamar, Joseph J; Griffin-Tomas, Marybec; Kamboukos, Dimitra

2015-01-01

Studies show that illicit cannabis (marijuana) use is related to use of other illicit drugs and that reasons for use are related to frequency of marijuana use. However, research is needed to examine whether specific reasons for marijuana use are associated with use of other illicit drugs. Data from recent marijuana-using high school seniors were examined from 12 cohorts of Monitoring the Future (Weighted n = 6481) to examine whether reasons for recent marijuana use are associated with use of eight other illicit drugs. Using "to experiment" decreased odds of reporting use of each drug and using to decrease effects of other drugs increased odds of reporting use of each drug. In multivariable models, using marijuana "to experiment" decreased the odds for reporting use of hallucinogens other than LSD and narcotics other than heroin. Using marijuana for "insight" increased the odds for use of hallucinogens other than LSD, and use due to "boredom" increased the odds for reporting use of powder cocaine and hallucinogens other than LSD. Using marijuana to increase effects of other drugs increased odds of reporting use of each of the eight drugs, and using it to decrease other drug effects increased odds of reporting use of crack, hallucinogens other than LSD, and amphetamine/stimulants. This study helped identify illicit marijuana users who are more likely to report use of other illicit drugs. Prevention efforts need to focus on students who report certain reasons for marijuana use as they may be at risk for use of other illicit drugs.

Benchmarking the minimum Electron Beam (eBeam) dose required for the sterilization of space foods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhatia, Sohini S.; Wall, Kayley R.; Kerth, Chris R.; Pillai, Suresh D.

2018-02-01

As manned space missions extend in length, the safety, nutrition, acceptability, and shelf life of space foods are of paramount importance to NASA. Since food and mealtimes play a key role in reducing stress and boredom of prolonged missions, the quality of food in terms of appearance, flavor, texture, and aroma can have significant psychological ramifications on astronaut performance. The FDA, which oversees space foods, currently requires a minimum dose of 44 kGy for irradiated space foods. The underlying hypothesis was that commercial sterility of space foods could be achieved at a significantly lower dose, and this lowered dose would positively affect the shelf life of the product. Electron beam processed beef fajitas were used as an example NASA space food to benchmark the minimum eBeam dose required for sterility. A 15 kGy dose was able to achieve an approximately 10 log reduction in Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli bacteria, and a 5 log reduction in Clostridium sporogenes spores. Furthermore, accelerated shelf life testing (ASLT) to determine sensory and quality characteristics under various conditions was conducted. Using Multidimensional gas-chromatography-olfactometry-mass spectrometry (MDGC-O-MS), numerous volatiles were shown to be dependent on the dose applied to the product. Furthermore, concentrations of off -flavor aroma compounds such as dimethyl sulfide were decreased at the reduced 15 kGy dose. The results suggest that the combination of conventional cooking combined with eBeam processing (15 kGy) can achieve the safety and shelf-life objectives needed for long duration space-foods.

Departing from PowerPoint default mode: Applying Mayer's multimedia principles for enhanced learning of parasitology.

PubMed

Nagmoti, Jyoti Mahantesh

2017-01-01

PowerPoint (PPT™) presentation has become an integral part of day-to-day teaching in medicine. Most often, PPT™ is used in its default mode which in fact, is known to cause boredom and ineffective learning. Research has shown improved short-term memory by applying multimedia principles for designing and delivering lectures. However, such evidence in medical education is scarce. Therefore, we attempted to evaluate the effect of multimedia principles on enhanced learning of parasitology. Second-year medical students received a series of lectures, half of the lectures used traditionally designed PPT™ and the rest used slides designed by Mayer's multimedia principles. Students answered pre and post-tests at the end of each lecture (test-I) and an essay test after six months (test-II) which assessed their short and long term knowledge retention respectively. Students' feedback on quality and content of lectures were collected. Statistically significant difference was found between post test scores of traditional and modified lectures (P = 0.019) indicating, improved short-term memory after modified lectures. Similarly, students scored better in test II on the contents learnt through modified lectures indicating, enhanced comprehension and improved long-term memory (P < 0.001). Many students appreciated learning through multimedia designed PPT™ and suggested for their continued use. It is time to depart from default PPT™ and adopt multimedia principles to enhance comprehension and improve short and long term knowledge retention. Further, medical educators may be trained and encouraged to apply multimedia principles for designing and delivering effective lectures.

The influence of music on mental effort and driving performance.

PubMed

Ünal, Ayça Berfu; Steg, Linda; Epstude, Kai

2012-09-01

The current research examined the influence of loud music on driving performance, and whether mental effort mediated this effect. Participants (N=69) drove in a driving simulator either with or without listening to music. In order to test whether music would have similar effects on driving performance in different situations, we manipulated the simulated traffic environment such that the driving context consisted of both complex and monotonous driving situations. In addition, we systematically kept track of drivers' mental load by making the participants verbally report their mental effort at certain moments while driving. We found that listening to music increased mental effort while driving, irrespective of the driving situation being complex or monotonous, providing support to the general assumption that music can be a distracting auditory stimulus while driving. However, drivers who listened to music performed as well as the drivers who did not listen to music, indicating that music did not impair their driving performance. Importantly, the increases in mental effort while listening to music pointed out that drivers try to regulate their mental effort as a cognitive compensatory strategy to deal with task demands. Interestingly, we observed significant improvements in driving performance in two of the driving situations. It seems like mental effort might mediate the effect of music on driving performance in situations requiring sustained attention. Other process variables, such as arousal and boredom, should also be incorporated to study designs in order to reveal more on the nature of how music affects driving. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The experiences of detained mental health service users: issues of dignity in care

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background When mental health service users are detained under a Section of the Mental Health Act (MHA), they must remain in hospital for a specific time period. This is often against their will, as they are considered a danger to themselves and/or others. By virtue of being detained, service users are assumed to have lost control of an element of their behaviour and as a result their dignity could be compromised. Caring for detained service users has particular challenges for healthcare professionals. Respecting the dignity of others is a key element of the code of conduct for health professionals. Often from the service user perspective this is ignored. Methods This paper reports on the experiences of 19 adult service users who were, at the time of interview, detained under a Section of the MHA. These service users had experienced coercive interventions and they gave their account of how they considered their dignity to be protected (or not), and their sense of self respected (or not). Results The service users considered their dignity and respect compromised by 1) not being ‘heard’ by staff members, 2) a lack of involvement in decision-making regarding their care, 3) a lack of information about their treatment plans particularly medication, 4) lack of access to more talking therapies and therapeutic engagement, and 5) the physical setting/environment and lack of daily activities to alleviate their boredom. Conclusions Dignity and respect are important values in recovery and practitioners need time to engage with service user narratives and to reflect on the ethics of their practice. PMID:24972627

Sociodemographic Pattern of Depression in Urban Settlement of Karachi, Pakistan.

PubMed

Altaf, Areeba; Khan, Maham; Shah, Syed Raza; Fatima, Kaneez; Tunio, Sameer Altaf; Hussain, Mehwish; Khan, Muhammad Asim; Shaikh, Moazzam Ali; Arshad, Mohammad Hussham

2015-06-01

Depression is a global issue prevalent among developing countries like Pakistan as compared to developed countries. We conducted a study to assess the prevalence and identify the significant predictors of depression in an elite urban settlement in Karachi, Pakistan. This cross-sectional study was done in the elitist residential area of Karachi; Defence Housing Authority (DHA). Four hundred and twenty three participants were included by going to their residences. Self-administered questionnaires were handed out after taking informed consent. Level of depression was assessed by Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Data were entered and analysed in Predictive Analytical Software v. 18.0. The mean and median total score of the scale were 5.9 ± 5.4 and 4 (7) respectively with minimum score 0 and maximum 27. In this sequence, 139 (32.86%) respondents were identified to be depressed. It was found that females were slight more depressed than males (p = 0.063). Regression Model identified only gender and marital status as significant predictors of depression. Having a female gender increased 0.658 times chance of being depressed (p = 0.047). Unmarried person had 0.296 times more likely to be depressed (p = 0.019). Boredom was considered as significant factor of depression by the participants (p< 0.0001). Odds ratio signified depression occurred 0.310 times more if one was bored. Depression should be considered as a major public health issue for the city. Public awareness should be done in all parts of the city in an attempt to reduce depression especially among the female gender.

Depressive symptoms among poststroke patients in Japan: frequency distribution and factor structure of the GDS.

PubMed

Schreiner, A S; Morimoto, T; Asano, H

2001-10-01

The present study examined the nature, prevalence, and covariates of depressive symptoms among home-dwelling poststroke patients in Japan using the Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form (GDS-1). Poststroke results were compared with those of elderly with affective disorders and with those of healthy nonstroke elderly. Poststroke patients (n = 101) who did not also have a diagnosis of Alzheimer's dementia, were identified from patient records at seven randomly selected hospitals with outpatient rehabilitation clinics in a metropolitan area in western Japan and invited to participate in the study. All instruments were interview-administered. GDS scores did not correlate with age, sex, education, functional dependence, aphasia, paralysis or presence of other chronic illnesses. However, GDS scores did correlate significantly with self-rated general health and poststroke duration. Compared with the frequency distribution in a psychiatric sample, poststroke patients had higher positive affect and lower depressed mood but similar social withdrawal scores. The factor structure of the poststroke sample differed from that of nonstroke elderly in that depressed mood items loaded with items for energy loss and memory problems. Despite the fact that 62% of subjects scored > or = 6 on the GDS, none were currently receiving assessment and/or treatment for their depressive symptoms. The frequency distribution and factor structure suggest that poststroke GDS scores reflect endorsement of functional losses such as decreased energy and impaired memory and subsequent feelings of helplessness, boredom and social withdrawal rather than decreased positive affect. Treatment should focus on dealing with these issues. Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[Are depression perceived by the public and depression described by DSM-III the same?].

PubMed

Kovess, V; Murphy, H B; Tousignant, M

1989-12-01

The public usage of the word depression does not correspond to the descriptions of depression proposed by classifications such as the DSM-III. Data from the pilot survey of Santé-Québec covering 3,291 persons distributed in two areas, one rural (D.S.C. of Rimouski) and other urban (D.S.C. of Verdun), allow to compare the use of the term depression between an informant reporting on a family member when this expression is included in a list of chronic illnesses, and an informant reporting on a self-administered questionnaire, symptoms similar to the diagnostics of depression and dysthymia of the DSM-III. Result show a low degree of correspondance between the term of depression as used by lay persons and as applied by medicine (14%); the small overlap mainly concerns the serious cases. Depression in its lay usage is refering less often to the psychic manifestations of the medical depression, i.e. lack of positive experiences, hopelessness, boredom, but it is often applied to persons who are not able any more to achieve social roles. The usage of the lay label varies according to sex and rural-urban origin. It applies more often to urban women under 40, even though these women are not showing the DSM-III signs of depression. On the other hand, rural men are almost never associated with this label even though a certain proportion meet the DSM-III criteria for depression. The discussion offers explanations for the different use of the label in urban and rural areas.

Predictors of binge eating in male and female youths in the United Arab Emirates.

PubMed

Schulte, Sabrina J

2016-10-01

Binge eating is a health-risk behavior associated with obesity, eating disorders and many other diseases. However, binge eating research remains narrow especially in Arab countries where obesity is a primary health concern but studies on psychological factors of compulsive overeating are rare. The present study addressed this gap by examining prevalence rates and key predictors of binge eating among youths in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Binge eating was assessed together with stress levels, emotional eating, body-related shame and guilt, obsessive-compulsiveness and depression in 254 youths using standardized self-report measures. The study comprised three online-based assessments over a 3-month period. Moderate to severe binge eating was reported by one-third of participants. Emotional eating and body-related guilt were the most consistent and powerful positive binge eating predictors. While stress levels and body-related shame were statistically significant predictors at follow up, neither obsessive-compulsiveness nor depressive symptomatology predicted binge eating in this study. Findings highlight binge eating as a common concern among youths in the UAE with prevalence rates similar to Western samples. Furthermore, the data suggest that binge eating may operate as a maladaptive coping strategy by alleviating negative emotions including boredom and loneliness. The finding that body-related guilt predicted binge eating is important as until now inconsistencies persist as to the relationship between body-related guilt and eating pathology. The study points towards multifactorial risk and maintenance factors of binge eating and extends our understanding within a population where until now research is poor. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Understand the tobacco industry's strategy for recruiting teens: Lessons from a 1973 marketing document].

PubMed

Dautzenberg, B

2018-06-01

For years, the tobacco industry has organized the inoculation of tobacco addiction to adolescents. The analysis of a 1973 RJReynols ® document identified ten physical and psychological factors in order to increase the number of young users for a brand of cigarettes. These young people are classified into three groups: pre-smokers, learners and smokers. The taste for pre-smokers and learners and nicotine for smokers are main physical parameters. The industry clearly knows that tobacco is mainly consumed because of nicotine addiction, so it is necessary to make adolescents addict. It is interesting to note that cigarette pack was in 1973 a positive factor to attract young smokers, whereas now with the arrival of the neutral packaging, the tobacco industry declares that packaging has no influence to attract teenagers ! Of the psychological factors, the only negative factor is the self-image of the smoker. The tobacco industry already recognized in 1973 that smokers were unhappy about smoking. For learners, self-image and the experience of adults are most important factor, which is why the industry strives to create a positive image and convey message that smoking initiation is a ritual to become adult. According to the tobacco industry, stress and alleviation of boredom are also important points in turning pre-smokers into learners and learners into smokers. This article aims to provide practical tools for understanding industry initiatives targeting adolescents. The attached tool can be used by the teens or adults involved to understand the optimization of teenagers tobacco marketing. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Fatigue in trans-Atlantic airline operations: diaries and actigraphy for two- vs. three-pilot crews.

PubMed

Eriksen, Claire A; Akerstedt, Torbjörn; Nilsson, Jens P

2006-06-01

The aim was to compare intercontinental flights with two-pilot and three-pilot crews with respect to fatigue/sleepiness and sleep, as there is considerable economic pressure on the airlines to use two-pilot crews. Twenty pilots participated. Data were collected before, during, and after outbound and homebound flights using a sleep/wake diary (sleepiness ratings every 2-3 h) and wrist actigraphy. The duration of flights was approximately 8 h, and six time zones were crossed. The same pilots participated in both conditions. Napping during the outbound flight was 26 min for the two-pilot crew, and 48 min for the three-pilot crew. Napping during the homebound flight was 54 min and 1 h 6 min, respectively, and the difference was directly related to the time allotted for sleep. Subjective sleepiness was significantly higher for the two-pilot condition in both directions, peaking a few hours into the flight. Performance at top of descent for the two-pilot condition was rated as lower than the three-pilot condition. In the overall evaluation questionnaire there was a significant negative attitude toward two-crew operations. Sleep, sleepiness, subjective performance, boredom, mood, and layover sleep were assessed as having deteriorated in the two-pilot condition. The homebound flight was associated with considerably higher levels of sleepiness than the outbound flight. The study indicates that the reduction of crew size by one pilot is associated with moderately increased levels of sleepiness. It is also suggested that time allotted to sleep in the two-pilot condition might be somewhat extended to improve alertness.

Estimating endogenous changes in task performance from EEG

PubMed Central

Touryan, Jon; Apker, Gregory; Lance, Brent J.; Kerick, Scott E.; Ries, Anthony J.; McDowell, Kaleb

2014-01-01

Brain wave activity is known to correlate with decrements in behavioral performance as individuals enter states of fatigue, boredom, or low alertness.Many BCI technologies are adversely affected by these changes in user state, limiting their application and constraining their use to relatively short temporal epochs where behavioral performance is likely to be stable. Incorporating a passive BCI that detects when the user is performing poorly at a primary task, and adapts accordingly may prove to increase overall user performance. Here, we explore the potential for extending an established method to generate continuous estimates of behavioral performance from ongoing neural activity; evaluating the extended method by applying it to the original task domain, simulated driving; and generalizing the method by applying it to a BCI-relevant perceptual discrimination task. Specifically, we used EEG log power spectra and sequential forward floating selection (SFFS) to estimate endogenous changes in behavior in both a simulated driving task and a perceptual discrimination task. For the driving task the average correlation coefficient between the actual and estimated lane deviation was 0.37 ± 0.22 (μ ± σ). For the perceptual discrimination task we generated estimates of accuracy, reaction time, and button press duration for each participant. The correlation coefficients between the actual and estimated behavior were similar for these three metrics (accuracy = 0.25 ± 0.37, reaction time = 0.33 ± 0.23, button press duration = 0.36 ± 0.30). These findings illustrate the potential for modeling time-on-task decrements in performance from concurrent measures of neural activity. PMID:24994968