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B-Man Stra/Tac Model of the Mind. Defining Consciousness
No full textThe B-Man Stra/Tac model is new and comprehensive and intended to replace previous theories of consciousness and the mind. David Chalmers’ idea of the Hard Problem of Consciousness can be considered on two levels, the functional level, why are we conscious, why do we have conscious experiences ? And the technological level, how does consciousness work; what exactly is conscious matter ? This theory resolves the first part, including the philosophical zombie question, as it shows why feeling is an inherent part of consciousness, and the tremendous advantage that a feeling organism possesses, summarised in the word “omnilyo”. While not directly addressing the technological aspects, the theory does define requirements and constraints on the workings of conscious matter, which, while clearly beyond current scientific capabilities, does signpost the invention of artificial consciousness, which, needless to say, would be mankind’s greatest discovery
Disparities in access to and outcomes of Minimally Invasive Surgery across individual characteristics: A scoping review protocol
No full textIntroduction: Evidence suggests that minimally invasive surgery (MIS) leads to better clinical outcomes for some procedures compared to open surgery. Such surgeries include laparoscopic and robotic-assisted surgery (RAS), which have both gained in popularity over the last decade. However, disparities across dimensions such as race/ethnicity, sex, geography and payor status continue to limit access to MIS and show disparate outcomes. The objective of this study is to map and summarize existing literature on disparities within the MIS space and to identify research gaps.
Methods and Analysis: The scoping review will follow the PRISMA-ScR methodology. We will search two engines (PubMed and Scopus), from January 1, 2020, to October 18, 2024, for literature on access to and outcomes of MIS in equity-seeking groups. The search will be limited to publications that are in English. Additional literature will be identified by searching reference lists of included papers. Title/abstracts and full text will be screened by one reviewer and verified separately by another reviewer, with any conflicts being resolved by consensus. A pilot test will be conducted before each screening stage. Information on study characteristics and outcomes (clinical and non-clinical outcomes) will be extracted from the included articles using Microsoft Excel. Results will be presented in tabular form with a narrative thematic summary.
Ethics and Dissemination: Ethics approval is not necessary for this review. The intended dissemination plan will include a peer-reviewed publication and conference posters.
Key-words: disparities, equity, robotics, social determinants of health, surger
Rapid research on the 2024 riots in England: A multi-method study of behaviour
No full textThis is a rapid research project of The Behavioural Research UK Leadership Hub, which is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council [Grant Number ES/Y001044/1]. The overall aim of the proposed research is to understand the processes and impacts of the 2024 riots in England, using multiple methods, with a view to informing policy and practice, in order not only to develop understanding but also to reduce the likelihood of similar events
Medical Invalidation
No full textMedical gaslighting is a term popularized in mainstream science, yet it remains underexplored in the realm of rigorous scientific evidence. Although initial publications are emerging in peer-reviewed journals, most studies focus on specific diseases such as Long Covid (Au et al., 2022), female-related conditions (Fielding-Singh & Dmowska, 2022) and Lyme disease (Fagen et al., 2023) Furthermore, numerous scientific commentaries (Fraser, 2021), (Durbhakula & Fortin, 2023) and theoretical discussions ((Sebring, 2021); (Barnes et al., 2023)) address the topic. The first systematic review summarizing the psychological impact of medical gaslighting on women has also been published (Khan et al., 2024).
Despite these initial efforts, there has been no comprehensive conceptualization or definition of medical gaslighting. To accurately define and conceptualize medical gaslighting, it is essential to consider, refine, and distinguish related terms. For instance, the more widely known term "medical invalidation" has been explored in a narrative review (Bontempo, 2022), although this review did not include a systematic search or consider related constructs. Including the conceptualization of medical invalidation in the current review will help conceptualize and define the phenomena “not being taken seriously in a medical encounter”. The experience of "not being taken seriously" in medical encounters is another related concept in research. Numerous qualitative studies address this phenomenon. It is crucial to include and distinguish these related terms to sharpen the definition of medical invalidation and its related constructs.
There is also a lack of systematic synthesis on the reasons for the occurrence of medical invalidation, its various consequences, or potential research methodologies
The aim of this review is to summarize the evidence on medical invalidation and gaslighting and its related concepts, clarify these concepts, and assess the current state of research to identify gaps. For future research, consistent use of terms related to medical gaslighting and invalidation is essential, making a conceptualization based on existing literature indispensable. Understanding the terminology and using it consistently is crucial, as is identifying the causes and consequences of medical gaslighting/invalidation. This knowledge can aid in developing interventions. Additionally, compiling current measurement methods is necessary to advance research in this field
Little evidence that posttraumatic stress is associated with diurnal hormone dysregulation in Turkana pastoralists
No full textResearch in industrialized populations suggests that post-traumatic stress disorder may be associated with decreased cortisol or testosterone sensitivity, resulting in a blunted diurnal rhythm. However, the evolutionary implications of this association are unclear. Studies have primarily been conducted in Western industrialized populations, so we do not know whether hormonal blunting is a reliable physiological response to PTSD or stems from factors unique to industrialized settings. Furthermore, existing studies combine PTSD from diverse types of traumas, and comparison groups with and without PTSD differ along multiple dimensions, making it hard to know if PTSD or other life factors drive the blunted cortisol response. We conducted a study among n = 60 male Turkana pastoralists, aged between about 18-65 years in Kenya, exposed to high levels of lethal inter-ethnic cattle raiding. 28% of men in this area have PTSD symptom severity that would qualify them for a provisional PTSD diagnosis. Saliva samples were collected at three points to compare the cortisol and testosterone profiles of Turkana warriors with and without PTSD. Contrary to existing work, our preregistered analysis found little evidence for a difference in the hormonal profiles of warriors with high versus low PTSD symptom severity. Our results imply that the relationship between PTSD and hormonal diurnal variation may vary across populations and ecologies or that the association documented in Western populations stems from other correlated life factors. Studies in a wider range of populations and ecological contexts are needed to understand the evolutionary underpinnings of hormonal responses to traum
The PERMA Well-being Scale Assessment in Undergraduate Students: Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Network Analysis
No full textThis study aims to develop and validate a well-being measure based on the PERMA model (Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment). Utilizing Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and network analysis, the research evaluates the structural validity and inter-item relationships of the PERMA well-being scale.
The current project was published in the International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE). http://doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v14i5.3236
The Revised Moral Foundations in Iran: Validation and Sociodemographic Correlates of the Moral Foundations Questionnaire-2
No full textAs a morally pluralistic theory going beyond classic notions of morality as harm and justice, Moral foundations theory (MFT) has inspired a substantial volume of studies since its inception. The theory was recently refined, leading to the development of a second version of its correspondent scale, namely Moral Foundations Questionnaire-2 (MFQ-2), which is aimed at assessing Care, Equality, Proportionality, Loyalty, Authority and Purity as the six foundations underlying morality according to the revised MFT. Given the low internal consistencies of a number of foundations in the former version of the scale (MFQ-1), this study aimed to examine psychometric properties of the Persian MFQ-2, including its convergent validity with MFQ-1. Data were collected from two separate samples (N1 = 392, N2 = 989). Internal consistencies of the subscales were acceptable and showed an improvement over MFQ-1. Exploratory factor analysis of MFQ-2 items in sample 1 led to four factors, with Loyalty, Authority and Purity items loading on one, and Care, Equality and Proportionality items loading on distinct factors each. Confirmatory factor analysis in sample 2 supported the factorial validity of the postulated six-foundation structure for MFQ-2. With respect to the grouping of moral foundations, exploratory graph analysis in sample 1 yielded one cluster, which in a follow-up CFA in sample 2 was found to be comparably fit to two posited bidimensional (referring to individual vs. group -related moral concern) alternatives. MFQ-2 foundations were most strongly related to their corresponding MFQ-1 counterparts, confirming the scale’s convergent validity. We also replicated and went beyond the existing literature on sociodemographic correlates of moral foundations. In particular, Proportionality had the weakest relations to religiosity and political orientation among all foundations. We close by proposing alternate explanations for the findings and discussing implications of the results for MFQ-2 and MFT