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Online data collection could advantageously replace paper-and-pencil questionnaires in epidemiological studies by reducing the logistic burden, the cost and the duration of data processing. However, there is a need for studies comparing these new instruments to traditional ones. Our objective was to compare the web-based version of the NutriNet-Santé self-administered anthropometric questionnaire to the paper-based version. The questionnaire included 17 questions divided into subquestions (55 variables in all) dealing with height, weight, hip and waist circumferences, weight history, restrictive diet and weight self-perception. Both versions of the questionnaire were filled out by 147 volunteers (paper version first, N = 76, or web-based version first, N = 71) participating in the SU.VI.MAX (“Supplémentation en VItamines Minéraux et AntioXydants”) cohort (age-range: 49–75 years; men: 46.3%). At the end of the test, subjects filled in a “satisfaction” questionnaire giving their opinions and feelings about each version. Agreement was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and kappas. We also quantified the number of errors inherent in the paper version. Agreement between the two versions was high. ICCs ranged from 0.86 to 1.00. Kappas ranged from 0.69 to 1.00 for comparable variables. A total of 82 data entry mistakes (1.5% of total entries), 60 missing values (1.1%), 57 inconsistent values (1.1%) and 3 abnormal values (0.1%) were counted in the paper version (non-existent in the web-based version due to integrated controls). The web-based version was preferred by 92.2% of users. In conclusion, the quality of information provided by the web-based anthropometric questionnaire used in the NutriNet-Santé Study was equal to, or better than, that of the paper version, with substantial logistic and cost advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Region-adaptive normalization (RAN) methods have been widely used in the generative adversarial network (GAN)-based image-to-image translation technique. However, since these approaches need a mask image to infer pixel-wise affine transformation parameters, they are not applicable to general image generation models having no paired mask images. To resolve this problem, this paper presents a novel normalization method, called self pixel-wise normalization (SPN), which effectively boosts the generative performance by carrying out the pixel-adaptive affine transformation without an external guidance map. In our method, the transforming parameters are derived from a self-latent mask that divides the feature map into foreground and background regions. The visualization of the self-latent masks shows that SPN effectively captures a single object to be generated as the foreground. Since the proposed method produces the self-latent mask without external data, it is easily adaptable to existing generative models. Extensive experiments on various datasets reveal that our SPN significantly improves the performance of image generation technique in terms of Frechet inception distance (FID) and Inception score (IS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how image concerns affect the way giving behavior responds to social information. Subjects in the laboratory decide first whether they wish to donate part of their earnings to a charity, and then, conditional on opting in, decide how much to donate. They receive information on the size of a previous donation either before or after opting in, which allows one to examine the effect of the social information on the extensive and intensive margins of giving separately, and thus distinguish self-image concerns from potential alternative mechanisms. Information on a large previous donation caused subjects to opt out, but when shown only after opt-in, the same information caused subjects to increase donation amounts and did not lead to $0 donations. As further evidence of the influence of image concerns, the reaction to the social information was found to be correlated with a preference for quietly exiting a dictator game, and with scoring high on neuroticism. The results have implications for the inferences we draw about donor motives and welfare based on changes in giving in response to social information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental substance use, that is alcohol and illicit drugs, can have a deleterious impact on child health and wellbeing. An area that can be affected by parental substance use is the educational outcomes of children. Current reviews of the literature in the field of parental substance use and children's educational outcomes have only identified a small number of studies, and most focus on children's educational attainment. To grasp the available literature, the method from Arksey and O'Malley (2005) was used to identify literature. Studies were included if they were empirical, after 1950, and focused on children's school or educational outcomes. From this, 51 empirical studies were identified which examined the relationship between parental alcohol and illicit drug use on children's educational outcomes. Five main themes emerged which included attainment, behavior and adjustment, attendance, school enjoyment and satisfaction, academic self-concept, along with other miscellaneous outcomes. This paper highlights the main findings of the studies, the gaps in the current literature, and the challenges presented. Recommendations are made for further research and interventions in the areas of parental substance use and child educational outcomes specifically, but also for broader areas of adversity and child wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of age-related declines in physical activity (PA) and the dramatic increase in ageing populations in many countries, this paper sheds further light on the link between PA and self-perceived health (SPH) by examining whether the magnitude of this relationship is age specific. With a sample of 14,456 Spanish individuals aged 18-69, we estimated three levels of intensity in PA using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Individuals who did more PA per week showed higher levels of SPH (β = 0.28; 95% CI 0.24-0.32), and age moderated this relationship, with a positive effect over age 49. People aged 50-59 and 60-69 who practiced PA had higher probabilities of better SPH compared with those aged 40-49 (β = 0.14; 95% CI 0.04-0.24) and (β = 0.32; 95% CI 0.21-0.43), respectively. This association between PA and SPH also depended on the intensity of PA, especially for walking (β = 0.14; 95% CI 0.04-0.24). In particular, in comparison with people age 40-49, a statistically significant relationship with SPH was found among people age 50-59 who walked (β = 0.22; 95% CI 0.07-0.36) and people age 60-69 who did moderate PA (β = 0.38; 95% CI 0.23-0.54). This paper provides a major rationale for the design, organisation and implementation of public policies promoting PA and healthy ageing for different age groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper discusses awareness systems for supporting informal social relationships, focusing on some of they key concerns for designers and researchers. The discussion is general, but examples highlight the design issues discussed and summarize related empirical results. The paper argues in favor of automated capture of awareness information and suggests that social intelligence is relevant (a) as a design and evaluation criterion for such systems and (b) as a mechanism for supporting users in managing the information sharing by means of awareness systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper I explore the influence of an organisation's structure, such as that of the National Education System, in the emergence of desirable social properties. In this case the concern is schools with adequate performance. It is assumed that there is a circular causality between structure and the social results of schools. I highlight some of the structural requirements to have justice, sense of belonging, trust, honesty and cooperation as emerging properties of these schools, beyond normative statements. These are requirements for effective citizenship. In order to study this, it is necessary to observe the structures that constitute collectives into organisations. Central to this paper is a case study that I carried out at Millfield Primary School in the U.K., which focused on the observation of citizenship as a dynamic process permanently being constructed. This case went beyond the normative understanding of citizenship as established in the new school curriculum to be implemented from September 2002. I take the view that the aim of citizenship is to build up a community in which one is constituted as a citizen. For that purpose we need enabling people to build up their own communities. My conclusion from this case study suggests that current educational methodologies aim at teaching a "model of" citizenship rather than at providing the necessary tools to think about and create suitable spaces "for" citizenship. The case study shows that it is necessary to reinforce in schools practical methods to create membership and respect for others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Given the significance of motor competence (MC) for healthy development and as a cornerstone for lifelong physical activity (PA), it is crucial to understand the manifold factors that are associated with MC. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate correlates of children's MC and their fundamental movement skills (FMS) within their daily life from a comprehensive biopsychosocial-ecological perspective. Methods: This is a cross-sectional sub-study of the 'Physical Literacy for Communities (PL4C)' WAVES cohort study conducted in the West Vancouver School District, Canada. Motor competence was assessed using the PLAYfun tool including overall MC score and five FMS category scores, namely, running, locomotor skills, upper and lower body control and balance skills. By means of structural equation modeling (SEM), direct associationswith MC and with the specific FMS categories addressing physical activity behavior, self-perceived physical literacy, parenting, and school ground design were investigated. Results: A total of 355 children with a mean age of 7.5 years and 111.1 min of MVPA per day participated. The group comprised 51% boys and 47% girls from 14 elementary schools. Most children were at an emerging MC-level (71%), while those at a competent MC-level exhibited significantly more daily minutes of MVPA (123 versus 109, p = 0.001). Additionally, they played outdoors more frequently and engaged in more instructor-led PA. The results revealed that logistical support from parents had not only a direct positive association with overall MC, both for girls and boys, but also with most of the FMS categories. However, the correlates of MC varied between genders and showed different patterns across the five FMS categories. While time spent in sports or coach-/instructor-led physical activities had a significant SEM generated direct effect only for boys' MC and for locomotor, upper body object control and balance, the aesthetic design of the school grounds was only associated with girls' MC and those same three FMS categories. Multivariate SEM could explain 26% of variance for girls' MC and 30% for boys'. Conclusions: This exploratory baseline assessment revealed parental logistical support as an important correlate of MC, irrespective of gender. There were distinct gender patterns across biopsychosocial-ecological correlates influencing MC and FMS. Despite the heterogeneity of the results, our findings indicate a potential role of school ground design in supporting the development of children's MC, especially for girls. Key Points: • The influence of biopsychosocial-ecological correlates on motor competence (MC) varied based on gender and the specific fundamental movement skill (FMS) categories. • While parental logistical support demonstrated a positive direct association with both genders' MC and most of the FMS categories, coach-led physical activities appeared to enhance only boys'. • The positive direct association of outdoor play on boys' MC and of school ground aesthetics on girls' MC might suggest the role of the physical environment in MC development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approaches to supplication, such as faith and single-minded devotion to an ultimate value or deity, are proposed to constitute the human interface between the manifest and the unmanifest. A reciprocal, resonant interchange between the unmanifest and human summoning of the holy can bring the sacred to expression in cultural forms and personal experience. Addressing the boundaries between the human and the divine, this paper presents a cross-cultural model for spiritual supplication. This model utilizes the anthropological term ritual frame and provides an integrative worldview with which to examine the dynamics of sacred contact and invocation. This suggests that supplication is the universal and fundamental human orientation to invoke the reception of profound healings, as well as spiritual blessings, cross-cultural understandings and innumerable gifts of creativity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a critical analysis of research on self-esteem in children exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV), with particular emphasis on the role of sibling relationships. Over 100 empirical and review articles published from 2000 to 2015 examining self-esteem in children exposed to IPV, the role of sibling relationships in the development of self-esteem, and the sibling relationships of children exposed to IPV, were reviewed. Research findings show that self-esteem is an important component of understanding children’s positive adjustment and their adjustment difficulties. A substantial research literature also documents that siblings significantly influence one another’s self-esteem; however, the potential risk or protective function of sibling relationships in the development of self-esteem in children and adolescents exposed to IPV has only been minimally investigated. This is a serious gap in the literature, as this information has significant potential for informing prevention and intervention programming. Recommendations for future research were provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to offer an analysis of the notion of artificial moral agent (AMA) and of its impact on human beings’ self-understanding as moral agents. Firstly, I introduce the topic by presenting what I call the Continuity Approach. Its main claim holds that AMAs and human moral agents exhibit no significant qualitative difference and, therefore, should be considered homogeneous entities. Secondly, I focus on the consequences this approach leads to. In order to do this I take into consideration the work of Bostrom and Dietrich, who have radically assumed this viewpoint and thoroughly explored its implications. Thirdly, I present an alternative approach to AMAs—the Discontinuity Approach—which underscores an essential difference between human moral agents and AMAs by tackling the matter from another angle. In this section I concentrate on the work of Johnson and Bryson and I highlight the link between their claims and Heidegger’s and Jonas’s suggestions concerning the relationship between human beings and technological products. In conclusion I argue that, although the Continuity Approach turns out to be a necessary postulate to the machine ethics project, the Discontinuity Approach highlights a relevant distinction between AMAs and human moral agents. On this account, the Discontinuity Approach generates a clearer understanding of what AMAs are, of how we should face the moral issues they pose, and, finally, of the difference that separates machine ethics from moral philosophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Self-esteem is an individual's perception of themselves. Professional self-esteem is defined as the individual's perception of worthiness regarding their preferred profession. The research aims to examine the relationship between the self-esteem and professional self-esteem of Audiology department students and raise awareness of this issue. Material and Method: In our study, 532 students in the Audiology undergraduate department were included. Professional Self-Esteem and Self-Esteem questionnaires were delivered to the students online via Google Forms, using snowball sampling, in social media groups of the Audiology undergraduate students. Data were analyzed using Spearman correlation analysis, Mann Whitney U, and Kruskal Wallis Test. p < 0.05 was accepted as significance value. Results: According to the results, it has been observed that there is a weak and significant positive correlation between the professional self-esteem of the audiologist candidates and their total self-esteem scores (p < 0.05). Self-esteem and professional self-esteem scores of those who chose the profession willingly were significantly higher than those who did not choose the profession willingly (p < 0.05). As the grade level increased, professional self-esteem decreased significantly (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the scores in both scales according to income, university type, and gender (p > 0.05). Conclusion: As a result, it was observed that as the self-esteem of the audiologist candidates increased, their professional self-esteem increased. Also, as the class level increased, their professional self-esteem decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following Husserl's speculations on how geometry originated, we suggest that spatial perception is seduced by language as a result of human attempts to capture, signify and share its concepts. And this language traps geometry and humans themselves in to the forms that have guided and regulated past practices, thereby obscuring possibilities for cultural growth and adjustments to new conditions. Some body movement exercises reveal student teachers' spatial orientations. The paper proposes that the very evolution of geometry, and the ontological status of its objects, relate to their representation in cultural forms referenced to human self-image. It is further argued that learning crucially relates to evolving mathematical or pedagogical understandings of spatial phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the role of NGOs in corporate social responsibility (CSR) through an analysis of various stakeholders’ perceptions and of NGOs’ self-perceptions. In the course of qualitative research based in Spain, we found that the perceptions of the role of NGOs fall into four categories: recognition of NGOs as drivers of CSR; concerns about their legitimacy; difficulties in the mutual understanding between NGOs and trade unions; the self-confidence of NGOs as important players in CSR. Each of these categories comprises the various elements analysed in the paper. We found some discrepancies between the perception of others and the self-perceptions of NGOs, which explains why their role is often controversial. The research confirms that secondary stakeholders, such as NGOs, are key players in CSR, but their role is still regarded as controversial and their legitimacy contested. Deep-seated misunderstandings and mistrust among various stakeholder groups (particularly between NGOs and trade unions) are a possible hurdle to the integration of social and environmental concerns in business activity and corporate governance in Spain. The study finds that business managers need to take a less firm-centric and a more contextual approach, and look more closely into the relationship with and among stakeholder groups. For NGO managers, the research shows that NGOs are not always aware of the stereotypes they generate and the problems caused mainly by what is seen as ambivalent roles: critic and counsellor, accuser and judge, idealist and fund raiser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AimsInvestigations into glaucoma awareness have drawn on informed, clinic-based populations. The paper reports a section of findings from a larger study that aimed to elicit the perceptions of those potentially less informed in community settings.MethodsA qualitative investigation used face-to-face interviews and focus group discussions with 48 African Caribbean participants outside the hospital eye-service. Interview data were transcribed and coded using manual and computer-aided methods. Inferences and interpretations were corroborated by discussion with expert advisors and community members not directly involved in the study.ResultsPositive attitudes to health promotion existed, but ‘eye health’ did not appear to be integral to individuals' health schemas. The capacity for primary eye care to enhance glaucoma knowledge appeared under utilised and inconsistent across modes of service delivery and was undermined by perceived conflicts of interest.ConclusionsEnhancing reciprocal understanding between service users and ophthalmic practitioners in primary care is central to developing flexible, responsive local eye-care services. The study suggested useful foci for cultural self-reflection and self-awareness on the part of health professionals themselves, in relation to glaucoma detection. Areas for further research are identified.Eye (2007) 21, 912–920; doi:10.1038/sj.eye.6702461; published online 11 August 2006 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People living in the northeast of Thailand interchangeably label themselves and are labelled by others as Isan, Thai Isan, Lao Isan, Thai or Lao, depending on the ethnic, political, social or familial nuances of any given situation. I use the term Lao Isan to refer specifically to Isan people of Lao origin or ethnicity. Lao Isan are subject to complex and often competing notions of Isan-ness, Lao-ness and Thai-ness by insiders and outsiders. Using data derived from an ethnographic study of popular Thai television and Lao Isan youth (aged 17-25) living in the city of Khon Kaen and the town of Mahasarakham in northeast Thailand in 2002, this paper explores contemporary and co-existing interpretations of Isan identity or Khwampenisan among Lao Isan youth in relation to self-image and connections with national understandings of physical beauty as they are perpetuated in Thaiproduced television programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper address the problems of modeling the appearance of humans and distinguishing human appearance from the appearance of general scenes. We seek a model of appearance and motion that is generic in that it accounts for the ways in which people's appearance varies and, at the same time, is specific enough to be useful for tracking people in natural scenes. Given a 3D model of the person projected into an image we model the likelihood of observing various image cues conditioned on the predicted locations and orientations of the limbs. These cues are taken to be steered filter responses corresponding to edges, ridges, and motion-compensated temporal differences. Motivated by work on the statistics of natural scenes, the statistics of these filter responses for human limbs are learned from training images containing hand-labeled limb regions. Similarly, the statistics of the filter responses in general scenes are learned to define a “background” distribution. The likelihood of observing a scene given a predicted pose of a person is computed, for each limb, using the likelihood ratio between the learned foreground (person) and background distributions. Adopting a Bayesian formulation allows cues to be combined in a principled way. Furthermore, the use of learned distributions obviates the need for hand-tuned image noise models and thresholds. The paper provides a detailed analysis of the statistics of how people appear in scenes and provides a connection between work on natural image statistics and the Bayesian tracking of people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The topic of this paper is mathematical identity or self-concept. This elusive construct is explored through two classroom episodes, in the public domain of whole classwork, in a senior high-school class. The structures in the dialogue in both episodes could constitute enhancement of self-concept for some students and mediate against the confidence in mathematics of others, but intersecting effects of students’ one-to-one conversations are shown to be important to final outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to show how latent variable growth modeling can be utilized to examine change in students' attitudes toward science over the middle and high school years using data from the Longitudinal Study of American Youth (Miller, Hoffer, Suchner, Brown, & Nelson, 1992).The results of the present study show that students' attitudes toward science generally decline over the middle and high school years. Science self-concept was found to be the strongest predictor of attitudes toward science. Teacher encouragement of science and peer attitudes are also significant predictors of students' attitudes. The effect of the parent variable was found to be quite small and statistically nonsignificant, with the exception of the seventh grade. Boys were found to have higher initial status on attitudes toward science and their attitudes dropped faster than girls. Also it was found that students in metropolitan and rural schools have less positive attitudes toward science in the seventh grade compared to students in suburban schools. Latent variable growth modeling allows one to examine change in attitudes and also examine the effects of time-varying and time-invariant predictors. Substantive and methodological implications of this technique are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open-ended learning environments (OELEs) use the capabilities of technology to provide students with opportunities to engage in authentic problem solving; generate, test, and revise hypotheses; explore and manipulate concepts; and reflect on what they know. By design, such environments require sophisticated levels of cognitive functioning. The purpose of this paper is to critically analyze assumptions underlying learner-centered, technology-based environments in light of how well learners appear to meet the cognitive demands for engaging them. Implications for design include the following considerations: (a) direct learner attention to key variables and visual cues; (b) prompt and guide connections to prior knowledge; and (c) provide explicit scaffolding of metacognition and teaching-learning strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the author discusses effects of discrimination and self- and other-directed ageist attitudes on ageism. Topics discussed include ageism as prejudice and stereotypes against people because of their chronological age, according to study based on the European Social Survey, ageism as the most prevalent type of discrimination and contribution of internalized age stereotypes to ageism both towards others and oneself.

While Buddhism focuses on the same ethical concerns as Western ethical traditions, it provides a distinct perspective and method for dealing with them. This paper outlines the basic Buddhist perspective and then provides some experiential exercises which offer insight for self-understanding and ethical practices in business. Implications for business and ethics research are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wearable devices are increasingly being integrated to improve prevention, chronic disease management and rehabilitation. Inferences about individual differences in device-measured physical activity depends on devices being worn long enough to obtain representative samples of behavior. Little is known about how psychological factors are associated with device wear time adherence. This study evaluated associations between identity, behavioral regulations, and device wear adherence during an ambulatory monitoring period. Young adults who reported insufficient physical activity (N = 271) were recruited for two studies before and after the SARS-COVID-19 pandemic declaration. Participants completed a baseline assessment and wore an Actigraph GT3X + accelerometer on their waist for seven consecutive days. Multiple linear regression indicated that wear time was positively associated with age, negatively associated with integrated regulation for physical activity, and greater after (versus before) the pandemic declaration. Overall, the model accounted for limited variance in device wear time. Exercise identity and exercise motivation were not associated with young adults' adherence to wearing the physical activity monitors. Researchers and clinicians can use wearable devices with young adults with minimal concern about systematic motivational biases impacting adherence to device wear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children from lower socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds tend to have more negative self-perceptions. More negative self-perceptions are often related to lower academic achievement. Linking these findings, we asked: Do children's self-perceptions help explain socioeconomic disparities in academic achievement around the world? We addressed this question using data from the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey, including n = 520,729 records of 15-year-old students from 70 countries. We studied five self-perceptions (self-perceived competency, self-efficacy, growth mindset, sense of belonging, and fear of failure) and assessed academic achievement in terms of reading achievement. As predicted, across countries, children's self-perceptions jointly and separately partially mediated the association between socioeconomic status and reading achievement, explaining additional 11% (ΔR2 = 0.105) of the variance in reading achievement. The positive mediation effect of self-perceived competency was more pronounced in countries with higher social mobility, indicating the importance of environments that "afford" the use of beneficial self-perceptions. While the results tentatively suggest self-perceptions, in general, to be an important lever to address inequality, interventions targeting self-perceived competency might be particularly effective in counteracting educational inequalities in countries with higher social mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early ability tracking increases inequalities in education. It has been proposed that the awareness of negative school-track-related stereotypes contributes to educational inequalities, as stereotype awareness interferes with students' abilities to thrive, particularly those in lower, stigmatized tracks. The present study tested this assumption in a sample of 3880 German secondary school students from three tracks, who were assessed four times on stereotype awareness regarding their own school track and academic outcomes (achievement, engagement, self-concept) between Grades 5 and 8. Students in the lowest track reported higher levels of stereotype awareness than higher track students or students attending a combined track. Stereotype awareness increased across time in all tracks. Contrary to our preregistered hypotheses, however, the results from multigroup models revealed that (changes in) stereotype awareness were not more strongly related to (changes in) most outcomes in the lowest track in comparison with the other two tracks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on abusive supervision typically posits that abusive supervision will impede subordinate performance. We pivot from this predominant logic, arguing that under certain circumstances, abused subordinates are socialized to experience shame at the moment and aftermath of abusive supervision and then attempt to manage their shame and protect their self-image by improving their work performance as a self-image reparative action. Drawing on appraisal theories of emotions and the social functional view of emotions, we propose that such a self-image reparative process is more likely to ensue when subordinates otherwise hold a sensitivity to threats to their social self-worth (i.e., face threat sensitivity). The study sample comprised 312 military officers in Taiwan. A three-wave, time-lagged field study was conducted to provide support for our theorizing. As such, our study extends previous speculations on the consequences of supervisory abuse, which have typically found that it lowers subordinate performance. Overall, our work provides answers to both how and under what conditions abusive supervision improves subordinate performance and explains why abusive supervision can continuously prevail within organizations. Theoretical and practical contributions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to analyze the perceived barriers to dual career success and athletic identity of student-athletes according to disability type and level of professionalization. The final sample consisted of 203 student-athletes with disabilities from five European countries. The questionnaires used were ESTPORT, EBBS and AIMS. Depending on disability type, it was found that student-athletes with hearing and physical impairment showed the highest difficulty in reconciling sports and studies (p = 0.001); that student-athletes with a hearing impairment showed the highest score in the barrier 'the cost of education is high' (p = 0.023); that student-athletes with a physical impairment had the highest scores in the barrier 'Exercise tires me' (p = 0.013); that student-athletes with cerebral palsy showed the highest scores in the barrier 'I do not have enough university/educational institution support' (p = 0.014) and 'Exercise facilities do not have convenient timetables for me' (p = 0.001). Depending on sports professionalization level, semi-professional student-athletes showed the highest values in the barrier 'the university/educational institution is far from my training center' (p = 0.040); while professional student-athletes had the highest score in the barrier 'exercise takes too much time from family responsibilities' (p = 0.034). In most of the variables related to identity as athletes, professional student-athletes showed the highest values, followed by semi-professional athletes (p = 0.043- < 0.001). In conclusion, the self-perception of barriers is quite relevant, with differences arising from disability type and level of professionalization, whereas the identity as an athlete is only different according to the level of professionalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is one of the most common childhood disabilities, impacting many areas of a child's life. Increasingly, quality of life (QOL) measures are used to capture holistic wellbeing of children with CP. However most validated QOL measures for children are based on adult perspective only, with limited focus on child perspective. Conceptual differences between children's and adults' definitions of QOL may reflect different underlying QOL models which contribute to measurement score divergence. This qualitative study investigated the conceptual meaning of QOL for children with CP, comparing child and parent perspectives. Eighteen families completed 8 child interviews and 18 parent interviews. Children (11 boys, 7 girls) represented the spectrum of motor functioning, with comorbidities including epilepsy, intellectual disability, and communication impairments. Child and parent interviews were analysed separately using constructivist grounded theory methods and then findings were integrated to examine similarities and differences. Results: All participants sought child inclusion in social activities, education, and recreation, requiring negotiation, adaptations, and advocacy. Five conceptual categories emerged from child interviews: socialising, play, negotiating limitations, self-identity, and developing agency. This reflected an individual model of QOL supporting child development goals. Parent interview findings revealed concepts related to child-specific QOL (day-to-day functioning and enabling child goals), as well as parent and family functioning concepts aligned to models of "family QOL", embracing impacts of family relationships and the interdependence of QOL among family members. Conclusions: This study identified similarities and differences in child and parent perceptions of QOL for the child with CP. Children provided insights into the importance of play and peer support, and their developing self-identity and sense of agency. Self-directed free play, especially, was identified by children but not parents as a central everyday activity promoting wellbeing and social inclusion. Parents discussed family functioning and aspects outside of child sight, such as managing time and financial resources. Relying on parents' perspective alone to model child QOL misses valuable information that children contribute. Equally, child report alone misses parent experiences that directly influence child QOL. There is value in incorporating family QOL into parent reports while developing a conceptually separate child self-report QOL instrument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

However, neither of these interactions were significant for Internet calibration, meaning that the benefit of other people selecting profile images for internet ratings was consistent across contexts and traits ( B I both interactions Fs < 1 i b ). After a detailed investigation and re-analysis of the dataset, we found that this error affected participant rating data matrices in the "Internet calibration" analysis presented in the bottom two panels of Fig. Although the main pattern of results is unchanged, this error may impact users of the image and rating dataset that we made available for future work. [Extracted from the article]

This article explores how gender and religious belief come together in an elderly woman's experience of suffering. It is based on qualitative research that explored experiences of suffering in a group of community-dwelling elders (80+) living in a North American city. We use the case study method to introduce themes that show suffering's uniqueness to the individual whose narrative we report, as well as similarity to themes that emerged in other participants' narratives. In this case, an elderly woman's gender and religious identities merge in her stories of suffering, which include the memory of a childhood disability and an incident of clergy abuse that occurred 70 years previously . A key finding in this paper is that key themes in her story of suffering, which are disablement and clergy abuse, resonate to the general themes of suffering found in our study, which are (1) threats to personal identity; (2) loss of a valued item, quality, or relationship; and (3) a lack of control over self or the circumstances of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biased health care decision making has been regarded as responsible for inefficient behaviours (for example, the limited insurance purchase). This paper empirically examines two sets of biases in the perception of old age disability and longevity. Particularly, we test for the existence of a so called cumulative bias and, secondly' a so called optimism' bias. Findings are suggestive of a significant overestimation of disability risks but no overestimation of longevity expectations is found. Both disability and longevity perceptions appear to exhibit a 'cumulative' pattern when mapped over time. Healthier individuals are less likely to perceive high disability and longevity risks whilst female and younger respondents perceive a higher risk of disability in old age at a population level but not at an individual level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper integrates Zen and psychoanalytic concepts; introduces the Zen concept of total exertion; elaborates the profound implications that the notion of total exertion has for the psychoanalytic encounter and the psychotherapist's capacity for maintaining an optimal attentional stance; addresses anxiety-driven interferences to both the psychoanalytic process and deepened Zen practice. Clinical vignettes, personal experiences, poetry and psychoanalytic theory serve to demonstrate the abstract aspects of the discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the attractions of passionate involvement in wanting particular outcomes, which is popularly known as rooting. The author’s lifelong personal experience is the source of his analysis, along with the insights provided by spiritual literature and especially the work of Dr. Thomas Hora, with whom the author studied for 30 years. The phrase “choiceless awareness,” utilized by J. Krishnamurti, and attained via meditation, is seen as the means of transcending a rooting mode of being in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to review evidence of the effectiveness of interventions that present physical activity outcomes and potential mediators of behavioural change among 4–12-year-old children. A systematic search of electronic databases for original research articles published in peer-review journals between January 1985 and the end of June 2006 was carried out. A total of 19 studies that reported intervention effects on physical activity and mediators of behavioural change were identified. The most common mediators reported included physical activity knowledge or beliefs (11 studies); self-efficacy (8 studies); and enjoyment or preference for physical activity (6 studies). Less frequently reported mediators included attitudes, behavioural capability, intentions, outcome expectancies, social norms, social support and self-concept. Seven of the 11 interventions that reported intervention effects on knowledge/beliefs stated positive changes in this mediator. Four of the eight studies that reported intervention effects on self-efficacy had significant improvements; however, only two out of six interventions reported significant improvements in physical activity enjoyment or preference. None of the studies reviewed reported whether changes in these constructs mediated changes in children's physical activity behaviours. Although more than half of the studies reviewed reported a positive intervention effect on children's physical activity, no study carried out a mediating analysis to attempt to identify the mechanisms of change. Future research should more clearly identify the mediators of behavioural change that are being targeted and whether this explains intervention effects.International Journal of Obesity (2009) 33, S66–S73; doi:10.1038/ijo.2009.21 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To a first approximation, self-representationalism is the view that a mental state M is phenomenally conscious just in case M represents itself in the appropriate way. Proponents of self-representationalism seem to think that the phenomenology of ordinary conscious experience is on their side, but opponents seem to think the opposite. In this paper, I consider the phenomenological merits and demerits of self-representationalism. I argue that there is phenomenological evidence in favor of self-representationalism, and rather more confidently, that there is no phenomenological evidence against self-representationalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the concept of spontaneous, unsupervised changes in jobs (job crafting), in general, and the relationship of the qualities and magnitude of the changes to the individual characteristics of: cognitive ability, self-image, perceived control, and readiness to change. This study adds to what is known about individuals at work, in any level of an organization, who knowingly make unsupervised changes in their jobs. This study adds to the research base of what is called job crafting as examined in the seminal work of Wrzesniewski and Dutton (Acad Manag Rev 26(2):179–201, 2001). In this study of 107 outside salespersons we find that more than 75% report engaging in job crafting in various forms. Positive, significant correlations are found between episodes of work modification and the variables of self-image, perceived control, and readiness to change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to review and synthesize two interrelated topics in the adult metacomprehension literature: the bases of metacomprehension judgment and the constraints on metacomprehension accuracy. Our review shows that adult readers base their metacomprehension judgments on different types of information, including experiences with current tasks and pre-formed expectations of performance affected by factors such as self-perception of ability. We propose a model that shows the anchoring and adjustment mechanism (Tversky and Kahneman, Science 185:1124–1130, 1974) underlies metacomprehension judgments. Specifically, due to test uncertainty, people may judge future comprehension performance by starting with an anchor such as pre-formed performance expectations and then (insufficiently) adjust away from it based on experiences with current tasks. This anchoring and adjustment model of metacomprehension judgment sheds light on what constrains metacomprehension accuracy. We conclude that two main accuracy constraints are the anchoring effect and the poor diagnostic validity of experiential cues. Based on the review, we discuss avenues for future research that will further our understanding of the mechanisms underlying metacomprehension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is often said that some kind of peripheral (or inattentional) conscious awareness accompanies our focal (attentional) consciousness. I agree that this is often the case, but clarity is needed on several fronts. In this paper, I lay out four distinct theses on peripheral awareness and show that three of them are true. However, I then argue that a fourth thesis, commonly associated with the so-called "self-representational approach to consciousness," is false. The claim here is that we have outer focal consciousness accompanied often (or even always) by inner peripheral (self-)awareness. My criticisms stem from both methodological and phenomenological considerations. In doing so, I offer a diagnosis as to why the fourth thesis has seemed true to so many and also show how the so-called "transparency of experience," frequently invoked by representationalists, is importantly relevant to my diagnosis. Finally, I respond to several objections and to further attempts to show that thesis four is true. What emerges is that if one wishes to hold that some form of self-awareness accompanies all outer-directed conscious states, one is better off holding that such self-awareness is itself unconscious, as is held for example by standard higher-order theories of consciousness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  This paper contrasts two approaches to agentive self-awareness: a high-level, narrative-based account, and a low-level comparator-based account. We argue that an agent’s narrative self-conception has a role to play in explaining their agentive judgments, but that agentive experiences are explained by low-level comparator mechanisms that are grounded in the very machinery responsible for action-production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This paper reports on the development of a new measure of health-related quality of life for use among patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), funded as part of the REFLUX trial. This is a large UK multi centre trial that aims to compare the clinical and cost effectiveness of minimal access surgery with best medical treatment for patients with GORD within the NHS.Method: Potential items were identified via a series of interviews and focus groups carried out with patients who were receiving/had received medical or surgical treatment for GORD. The final measure consisted of 31 items covering 7 categories (Heartburn; Acid reflux; Wind; Eating and swallowing; Bowel movements; Sleep; Work, physical and social activities). The measure produced two outputs: a quality of life score (RQLS) and five Reflux symptom scores. Reliability (internal consistency), criterion validity with the SF-36 and, sensitivity to change in terms of relationship with reported change in prescribed medication were assessed amongst a sample of 794 patients recruited into the trial.Results: The measure was shown to be internally consistent, to show criterion validity with the SF-36 and sensitive to changes in patients use of prescribed medication at baseline and 3 month follow-up.Discussion: The Reflux questionnaire is a new self-administered questionnaire for use amongst patients with GORD. Initial findings suggest that the new measure is valid, reliable, acceptable to respondents and simple to administer in both a clinical and research context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by real-world information economics problems and by experimental findings on overconfidence, this paper introduces a general epistemic construction to model strategic interaction with incomplete information, where the players’ self-perception may be mistaken. This allows us to rigorously describe equilibrium play, by formulating appropriate equilibrium concepts. We show that there always exist “objective” equilibria, where the players correctly anticipate each other’s strategies without attempting to make sense of them, and that these outcomes coincide with the equilibria of an associated Bayesian game with subjective priors. In population games, these equilibria can also be always introspectively rationalized by the players, despite their possibly mistaken self-perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Method: The Adult Source of Self-Esteem Inventory (ASSEI) (A.C. Elovson and J.S. Fleming, unpublished manuscript. California: California State University, 1989), open-ended questions on self-evaluation, and interviewing were adopted as the major procedures for identifying the sources and basis of the self-concepts of people with mental illness. One hundred and twenty three Hong Kong Chinese adults with mental illness participated in this study.Results: From the results, the basis of the self-concepts of people with mental illness was explored and compared through probing, comparing, and contrasting their perceptions of different aspects of life. A hierarchical multidimensional self-concept model of the population with mental illness was thus suggested. This model includes five major self-concept factors, named as interpersonal relationship, social integrity, personal competency, personal quality, and external achievement. The self-concept of people with mental illness was also compared to that of people without mental illness. This paper discusses the implications of the findings for psychiatric rehabilitation practice for people with mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the implicit foundations of several theoretical propositions characteristic of the Marxist tradition in sociology. It argues that these propositions derive from self-contradictory critical premises which are paradoxes of Action Theory. Implicit in these premises is an ideal picture of social reality quite different from the one analytically described by Parsons. I suggest that Action Theory can provide conceptual tools needed to address some specific issues characteristic of the Marxist perspective and, moreover, offers a solution to some epistemological problems raised by the authors who endorse the postmodern position in social sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-induced cognitive trance (SICT) is a voluntary non-ordinary state of consciousness characterized by a lucid yet narrowed awareness of the external surroundings. It involves a hyper-focused immersive experience of flow, expanded inner imagery, modified somatosensory processing, and an altered perception of self and time. SICT is gaining attention due to its potential clinical applications. Similar states of non-ordinary state of consciousness, such as meditation, hypnosis, and psychedelic experiences, have been reported to induce changes in the autonomic nervous system. However, the functioning of the autonomic nervous system during SICT remains poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of SICT on the cardiac and respiratory signals of 25 participants proficient in SICT. To accomplish this, we measured various metrics of heart rate variability (HRV) and respiration rate variability (RRV) in three conditions: resting state, SICT, and a mental imagery task. Subsequently, we employed a machine learning framework utilizing a linear discriminant analysis classifier and a cross-validation scheme to identify the features that exhibited the best discrimination between these three conditions. The results revealed that during SICT, participants experienced an increased heart rate and a decreased level of high-frequency (HF) HRV compared to the control conditions. Additionally, specific increases in respiratory amplitude, phase ratio, and RRV were observed during SICT in comparison to the other conditions. These findings suggest that SICT is associated with a reduction in parasympathetic activity, indicative of a hyperarousal state of the autonomic nervous system during SICT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligent machines are no longer distant fantasies of the future or solely used for industrial purposes; they are real "living" things that operate similarly to humans with verbal and nonverbal communication capabilities. Humans see in such technology the horrifying dangers and the bliss enabled by the saving power. Entrenched in the emotions of hope and fear concerning intelligent machines, humans' attitudes toward intelligent machines are not free of expectations, judgments, strategies, and selfish agendas. As the discovery of the New Worlds has led to the development of an understanding of self as distinct from the other, narratives on intelligent robots have taken on similar forms of colonial discourse: contradictory manifestations of ethnocentrism (anthropocentrism) and exoticism. Similar to colonial encounters, the racialized Mechanical Other operates like any other marginalized group. Colonial discourse often regards the mechanical Other as both inferior yet exotic, which usually produces a mixed sense of blessing and curse, ambivalence composed of both desire and aversion. In these representations of machinic otherness, one should not miss the fundamental injustice of creating the "Machinic Other" and imposing humans' viewpoints. The field must expand the purview of intelligent machines to consider the larger historical and cultural forces shaping our understanding of who we are as reflected in the mirror of intelligent machines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Quality of life' is part of many different discourses and has been used in a variety of meanings ranging from purely descriptive (as in some medical contexts) to distinctly evaluative meanings (as in some social science and political contexts). The paper argues that there are good normative reasons to make the concept as descriptive as possible at least in its medical applications and, furthermore, to reconstruct it in a thoroughgoing subjectivist way, making the reflexive self-evaluation of the subject him- or herself the ultimate standard. Attention is drawn to the fact that only few of the measures of quality of life applied in present-day medicine correspond to these requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-completion instruments assessing subjective health are increasingly being used to measure patient outcome. However, there is very little evidence as yet of existing instruments‘ responsiveness to change. This paper describes a study to evaluate the responsiveness to change of a self-completion instrument for the measurement of clinical outcome in patients with diabetes. A prospective follow-up study of 48 patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes commencing insulin therapy was carried out, with assessments at baseline (i.e. pre-intervention), 6 weeks and 3 months post-intervention. The outcome measures used were the changes in scores on the self-completion instrument for symptom level, physical function, energy, depression, psychological distress and barriers to activity, HbA1c, non-fasting serum cholesterol and the body mass index (BMI). There were significant improvements in HbA1c and non-fasting serum cholesterol and worsening of the BMI, as expected. The self-completion instrument detected significant improvements in patient-reported symptoms within 6 weeks of the intervention (p<0.01) and in energy levels (p<0.05). There is evidence from this study of the self-completion instrument‘s ability to respond to change and it has potential for use in evaluative studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a survey of college students which was designed to provide insights into associations of advertising with the eating disorders of anorexia nervosa and bulemia. The study involved measuring self image and ideal self image and relating these measures to the incidence of the eating disorders and to advertising and merchandising measures. Based upon the findings, various tentative recommendations were made to advertisers who desire to assist in containing eating disorders through their efforts in the marketplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we argue that the optimal use of positioning models employed in marketing communication (e.g., multiattribute attitude models, self-image congruence models) is a function of situational factors such as product utilitarianism and product value-expressiveness. A normative model is introduced to show how positioning models can be used effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]