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Reciprocity, moral accounting work and the limitations of the concept of altruism: Motives for participation in a UK epidemiological cohort study
Get PDFThe assumption that research participation should be altruistically motivated is an underlying tenet of contemporary research ethics. In recent years, there has also been growing empirical interest in the role of altruism in non-clinical research, based on a desire to improve study recruitment and retention rates in longitudinal studies, observational studies and biobanks. Drawing on a survey with 241 respondents taking part in a UK epidemiological cohort study examining police health, and follow-up interviews with 23 participants, we illustrate the complexities of classifying participants' motivations for taking part in research based on typologies of altruism and self-interest. Participants in our study consistently highlighted the value of the free health checks they received as part of the study, although they simultaneously saw their participation as supporting the police community. However, a complicating factor was the influence of altruistic discourse on participants’ responses, and the moral accounting work that questions about motivations for research participation required. We argue that reciprocity is a superior conceptual frame for understanding research participation because it does not introduce a dichotomy between self and other, and enables fuller consideration of the ethical obligations and commitments of research relationships
Poetic Break: Incubation for Associative Creativity
Get PDFCreative thinking often improves during incubation, a phase where attention shifts away from the problem, often involving mind-wandering. This study examined whether reading poetry could be an effective incubator for creative ideation. A total of 153 participants were randomly assigned to one of the three incubation conditions: reading a poem (reading), reading and rating the poem (rating), and reading non-poetic text (control). Creativity was assessed using Forward Flow (FF) for associative thinking and the Alternate Uses Task (AUT) for divergent thinking, both pre- and post-incubation. Participants reported their levels of mind-wandering during incubation and also completed a questionnaire assessing their daydreaming trait. Results showed that high mind-wandering in the reading condition significantly boosted associative thinking, while low mind-wandering decreased it. In contrast, associative thinking increased in the other conditions regardless of mind-wandering levels. No significant effects were observed on divergent thinking in any condition, and daydreaming traits did not influence the results. These findings suggest that poetry reading during incubation may effectively enhance free-flowing associative thought but does not necessarily stimulate the generation of entirely novel ideas
Examining the Implementation of the Italian Version of the Teen Online Problem-Solving Program Coupled With Remote Psychological Support: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
Get PDFBackground
Pediatric acquired brain injury (ABI) is frequently associated with cognitive and socioemotional alterations. Therefore, targeted rehabilitation to improve everyday functioning, particularly executive functioning (EF), is needed to limit the possible deterioration of cognitive abilities and behavior over time and the associated social and psychological costs.
Objective
In this paper, we present the protocol for a phase-2 randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed at examining the feasibility and efficacy of a web-based intervention (ie, the Italian version of the Teen Online Problem-Solving [I-TOPS] intervention) to improve problem-solving abilities versus an active-control, web-based intervention (ie, wellness intervention) providing health and wellness content.
Methods
A double-blinded, phase-2 RCT will be conducted to guarantee controls on data quality and findings. In total, 42 adolescents will be recruited from a rehabilitation institute and individually randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive the I-TOPS intervention or the web-based wellness intervention. Both interventions will include 10 core sessions and will be delivered remotely using a web-based platform. Participants allocated to both interventions and their caregivers will independently complete the learning modules in an everyday setting using their computer. The I-TOPS intervention’s core sessions will target the EF domain (eg, planning, emotion regulation, and social skills), while all the contents of the wellness intervention will be aimed at providing psychoeducation on ABI sequelae and supporting health and wellness. Participants assigned to the I-TOPS intervention will also receive bimonthly direct training in problem-solving coupled with remote support from a psychologist. Feasibility data and efficacy outcomes on both adolescents’ and parents’ functioning will be assessed. Cognitive abilities in the EF domain and behavioral and psychological functioning (ie, internalizing and externalizing symptoms) of the adolescents will be evaluated via performance-based measures, administered remotely using the Google Meet platform, and paper-and-pencil questionnaires; parents’ well-being will be assessed through paper-and-pencil questionnaires. Efficacy will be evaluated immediately after training and at 6-month follow-up.
Results
This study started on February 26, 2021, and ended on February 28, 2023. A total of 42 adolescents were enrolled and randomly assigned to the 2 study groups, 34 (81%) completed the intervention and posttreatment evaluation (I-TOPS: n=19 and wellness intervention: n=15) and 31 performed follow-up evaluation (I-TOPS: n=18 and wellness intervention: n=13). Data analysis on feasibility and efficacy will be performed after protocol publication, and the results will be published in the form of a paper in a relevant journal in 2025.
Conclusions
This double-blinded, phase-2 RCT could extend knowledge on the best rehabilitation practices to adopt with the survivors of pediatric ABI by providing evidence-based data currently lacking for the Italian context. If this study yields positive results, a larger, multicenter, phase-3 RCT could be planned and delivered to examine program cost-effectiveness in a larger sample
Against the odds: Gendered politics of labour, infrastructure, and claim-making in Kolkata’s poor localities
Get PDFThe chapter focuses on the social implications of urban restructuring and the gendered effects of these processes on poor and marginal communities in Indian cities. It draws on empirical research with women belonging to communities that are located in heterogenous, middle-class dominated neighbourhoods of Kolkata and Salt Lake, West Bengal, highlighting the daily interactions with the socio-political sphere and struggles to access limited amenities that shape everyday lives. The chapter focuses on aspects of labour engaging with lacking or inadequate infrastructures using the example of water, it discusses under which circumstances poor women have mobilised to provide support and resources to their communities under conditions of crisis due to the Covid 19 pandemic, andthe conditionalities of political intervention under conditions of scarcity and patriarchal regimes
SuperCollider on Small Computers
Get PDFThis chapter explores the use of SuperCollider on a range of small computers, defined as cheap, single-board computers with ARM CPUs. Several exemplar systems have been selected: the NanoPi Neo, Beaglebone, and Raspberry Pi model 2 and 4. Different ways to pass audio into and out of the computers are considered, including direct wiring, daughterboards and USB sound cards. Audio quality measurements for these I/O methods are examined, using total harmonic distortion + noise and signal to noise ratio metrics. The SuperCollider performance capabilities of these exemplar systems are measured through the number of oscillators and FFTs they can run under various conditions. The chapter concludes with several case study projects which demonstrate the kinds of applications one might consider for SuperCollider on small computer
Narcofeminist affects: Gender, harm and fun in young women and gender diverse people’s experiences of alcohol and other drug consumption
Get PDFWhile much sociological research suggests that gender dynamics can make alcohol and other drug consumption settings potentially unsafe, these practices can still be highly pleasurable and meaningful for young people. Analysis of influential understandings of young people’s alcohol and other drug consumption highlights how the notion of ‘harm’ is gendered, with men and masculinity rarely addressed, while women are constituted as uniquely vulnerable. Mobilising a concurrent focus on harms and benefits inspired by narcofeminisms and analysing qualitative interviews with 22 young women and gender diverse people, we examine what they find appealing and concerning about alcohol and other drugs, and how they navigate these dual forces in their consumption practices. Our analysis centres affective dynamics to examine how these practices can form part of meaningful modes of living in a world shaped by persistent concerns about the threat of gendered violence. Our participants characterise the conduct of men as central concerns during consumption events. However, their accounts also highlight the affective appeal of alcohol and other drug consumption in relation to experiencing social connections, embodied pleasures and new ways of being and doing in the world. In navigating this nexus of risk and reward, these young people describe efforts to maximise the generative potential of consumption while minimising the harms that men’s conduct can pose. We argue that responses to young people’s alcohol and other drug consumption could be productively informed by a narcofeminist politics that considers not only the reduction of harm but the desire to live well
From Understanding to Mindreading: The Role of Scenario Comprehension and Verbal Demand on Theory of Mind
Get PDFWhile a role of language in the development of Theory of Mind (ToM) is well established, the interplay with a child’s ability to understand structured scenarios remains unclear. A new scale (PTOMs), assessing true and false belief comprehension at different levels of linguistic complexity, was used to explore language effects on ToM while accounting for scenario comprehension. 39 children (aged 4-6 years; 53.8% female) participated in this study. Results showed that 46.8% of 4–6-year-olds can understand false beliefs from picture-based scenarios with limited language output. Both language and scenario comprehension contributed to ToM in first-order false beliefs, whereas only scenario comprehension predicted true beliefs. In contrast, only language predicted second-order false beliefs, highlighting their different roles in ToM development
Immersive Intergroup Contact: Using Virtual Reality to Enhance Empathy and Reduce Stigma Towards Schizophrenia
Get PDFStigma towards individuals with schizophrenia reduces quality of life, creating a barrier to accessing education and employment opportunities. Schizophrenia is one of the most stigmatized mental health conditions, and stigma is prevalent particularly among healthcare professionals. In this study, we investigated whether Virtual Reality (VR) can be incorporated into interventions to reduce stigma. In particular, we compared the effectiveness of three VR conditions based on intergroup contact theory in reducing stigma in form of implicit and explicit attitudes, and behavioral intentions. Through an immersive virtual consultation in a clinical setting, participants (N=60) experienced one of three different conditions: the Doctor's perspective (embodiment in a majority group member during contact), the Patient's perspective (embodiment in a minority group member) and a Third-person perspective (vicarious contact). Results demonstrated an increase of stigma on certain explicit measures (perceived recovery and social restriction) but also an increase of empathy (perspective-taking, empathic concern) across all conditions regardless of perspective. More importantly, participants‘ viewpoint influenced the desire for social distance differently depending on the perspective: the Third-person observation significantly increased the desire for social distance, Doctor embodiment marginally decreased it, while Patient embodiment showed no significant change. No change was found in the Implicit Association Test. These findings suggest that VR intergroup contact can effectively reduce certain dimensions of stigma toward schizophrenia, but the type of perspective experienced significantly impacts outcomes
The effect of visual recognition on listener choices when searching for music in playlists.
Get PDFWith so many options available, how do listeners search for and choose music effectively? Here we examine the role of a simple cognitive heuristic: choosing based on recognition. In two experiments, participants were presented with multiple musical choices and asked to choose their favorite songs. We manipulated visual recognition by presenting songs either with recognizable titles (names previously learned in a familiarization task) or completely novel ones. In line with the Recognition Heuristic (Goldstein & Gigerenzer, 2002), Experiment 1 tested whether listeners rely on visual recognition in a compensatory fashion. Participants had to choose one of a pair of songs presented with familiar/novel titles and social information about the quality of the song (positive, neutral, and negative). Results revealed that visual recognition was a significant driver of choice, but its influence largely depended on additional social information. This suggests the use of a cue integration strategy in which listeners weigh all available cues and combine them according to their utility to choose the optimal option. In Experiment 2, we replicated the main effect of visual recognition in a more complex decision-making situation, where participants had to choose their favorite songs from a playlist with 10 choice options. In the two experiments, allowing participants to listen to the music significantly reduced the effect of visual recognition, but it did not suppress it completely. We discuss these findings in terms of the implications of recognition effects on listening behavior and aesthetic preferences, audio streaming services, and the music industry
Characterizing the Interaction of Cultural Evolution Mechanisms in Experimental Social Networks
Get PDFUnderstanding how cognitive and social mechanisms shape the evolution of complex artifacts such as songs is central to cultural evolution research. Social network topology (what artifacts are available?), selection (which are chosen?), and reproduction (how are they copied?) have all been proposed as key influencing factors. However, prior research has rarely studied them together due to methodological challenges. We address this gap through a controlled naturalistic paradigm whereby participants (N=2,404) are placed in networks and are asked to iteratively choose and sing back melodies from their neighbors. We show that this setting yields melodies that are more complex and more pleasant than those found in the more-studied linear transmission setting, and exhibits robust differences across topologies. Crucially, these differences are diminished when selection or reproduction bias are eliminated, suggesting an interaction between mechanisms. These findings shed light on the interplay of mechanisms underlying the evolution of cultural artifacts