Search

We describe the development and validation of a test battery to assess musical ability that taps into a broad range of music perception skills and can be administered in 10 minutes or less. In Study 1, we derived four very brief versions from the Profile of Music Perception Skills (PROMS) and examined their properties in a sample of 280 participants. In Study 2 (N = 109), we administered the version retained from Study 1—termed Micro-PROMS—with the full-length PROMS, finding a short-to-long-form correlation of r = .72. In Study 3 (N = 198), we removed redundant trials and examined test–retest reliability as well as convergent, discriminant, and criterion validity. Results showed adequate internal consistency ($$\overline{\omega}$$ ω ¯ = .73) and test–retest reliability (ICC = .83). Findings supported convergent validity of the Micro-PROMS (r = .59 with the MET, p < .01) as well as discriminant validity with short-term and working memory (r ≲ .20). Criterion-related validity was evidenced by significant correlations of the Micro-PROMS with external indicators of musical proficiency ($$\overline{r}$$ r ¯ = .37, ps < .01), and with Gold-MSI General Musical Sophistication (r = .51, p

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on various aspects of life, including romantic relationships, has already been demonstrated in several investigations. The aim of the present study was to extend these findings by including a period extending from the beginning to the near end of the pandemic (April 2020-March 2022) and applying a latent class approach to identify population subgroups with different relationship and sexual satisfaction trajectories. We identified three latent classes, a group with high satisfaction levels but a descending trajectory, a group with low satisfaction levels but an ascending trajectory, and a fluctuating group. Living apart, psychological symptoms, low life satisfaction, and avoidant attachment characterized the latter two groups. Separations were mainly predicted by sex and living apart.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a strong impact on many aspects of life, particularly social relationships. Although there is some evidence regarding short-term effects of the pandemic on cohabitating couples or individuals, it is unclear to what extent these effects persist over time and whether they also apply to noncohabitating individuals. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in relationship and sexual satisfaction among both cohabitating and noncohabitating individuals during the first year of the pandemic and to examine the extent to which these changes could be accounted for by personal vulnerabilities, pandemic-related stressors, and their interaction.We assessed relationship and sexual satisfaction longitudinally with a cross-national sample (N = 2859) that included five prospective measurement time points and analyzed the data with multilevel models.We observed a decrease in relationship satisfaction over the course of the study, especially among noncohabitants. Sexual satisfaction, in turn, conformed to a quadratic trend among noncohabitants while changing only minimally in cohabitating individuals. Of the individual vulnerabilities examined, attachment avoidance was the greatest risk factor for both relationship and sexual satisfaction. Among pandemic-related stressors, mobility restrictions had a negative impact into the relationship and sexual satisfaction of noncohabitating individuals.Although the pandemic generally showed negative effects on close relationships, these effects varied depending on the type of couple (cohabitants or noncohabitants), the component of relationship satisfaction (relationship satisfaction or sexual satisfaction), the time interval (curfew period or not), and also individual dispositions (especially attachment avoidance).

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a large impact on various aspects of life, but questions about its effects on close relationships remain largely unanswered. In the present study, we examined perceived changes in relationship satisfaction at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic by using an international sample of 3,243 individuals from 67 different countries, mostly from Italy, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. In April and May 2020, participants responded to an online survey that included questions about relationship satisfaction, their satisfaction before the pandemic, other relationship aspects (e.g., shared time), special circumstances (e.g., mobility restrictions), and enduring dispositions (e.g., insecure attachment). A decline in time shared with one’s partner was most strongly associated with perceived decreases in relationship satisfaction, resulting in a different pattern of findings for cohabiting and non-cohabiting individuals. Among the most influential moderators were anxious and avoidant attachment. The findings offer insights into both aggravating and protecting factors in couples’ responses to pandemic-related stressors.

Bacterial food poisoning cases due to Salmonella have been linked with a variety of poultry products. This study evaluated the effects of a Salmonella-specific Lytic bacteriophage and Lactobionic acid (LBA) on Salmonella Typhimurium DT 104 growth on raw chicken breast meat. Each chicken breast was randomly assigned to a treatment group (Control, DI water, phage 1%, phage 5%, LBA 10 mg/mL, LBA 20 mg/mL, and phage 5% + LBA 20 mg/mL) with four chicken breasts per group. Samples were inoculated with 106 CFU/mL of Salmonella and stored at 4 °C for 30 min. The inoculated chicken breasts were randomly assigned to different storage time (0 h, 1 h, 24 h, or 48 h). Both time and treatment showed significance reduction (P

The study of musical ability has gained considerable traction across disciplines in recent years. In comparison, less effort has been invested in the development of sound measures of musical ability. To redress this gap, we conducted four studies to empirically validate two brief measures derived from the Profile of Music Perception Skills (PROMS)-an exceptionally inclusive battery of musical abilities that takes about 1 h to complete. In the Short-PROMS, test duration was reduced to less than half an hour by substantially reducing the number of trials per subtest. In the Mini-PROMS, the number of subtests was reduced to four, resulting in a battery that takes 15 min to complete. Both measures exhibited good internal consistency and retest reliability. Support for convergent, discriminant, and criterion validity was found across the studies. Additional strengths of the new instruments include their suitability for online administration and a feature called Modular PROMS, which offers researchers the possibility to request customized batteries that may include any combination of the subtests. The role of refining objective assessment instruments in research on music and the mind is discussed.

For residents of Finnish Lapland, snow frames outdoor and indoor activities during the entire year, both in its presence and in its absence. This article focuses on people’s social and aesthetic perspectives on what is commonly referred to as “snow work”, lumityö. In ethnographic tradition, the aim is to understand “doing living with snow” in contemporary urban society – with snow that falls and, unlike other forms of precipitation, stays around for many months to come, thus creating physical, mouldable obstacles that have mental, social and environmental consequences. The shovelling of snow is considered an important physical activity that allows people to practice their individual expert knowledge and lets them socialise during long annual periods of potential isolation. Hence, apart from its restricting features, snow and ice enhance the meaning of homeowners’ dwelling in the open. In this context, aesthetic and creative concepts are essential where they draw on people’s gardening and artistic skills, and bring satisfaction to those engaging with this mundane and unavoidable activity.

The decision to build a new nuclear power plant on a greenfield site in Pyhajoki, Northern Finland, is so far unprecedented in Western societies. It comes after Fukushima, after other European countries’ wish to phase out nuclear power and after Finland has started building a final repository for spent nuclear fuel. It also stands in the context of national discussions around the mining of uranium, a possibility not rejected by all as it would mean assuming responsibility for the entire fuel cycle, from beginning to end. Generally, nuclear power production is considered a means of becoming independent of electricity imports (especially from Russia) and, at the same time, not emitting greenhouse gases. The safe and efficient handling of the high-risk technology since the 1970s has become a source of national pride, and thus, catastrophes are considered unlikely – although this belief is frequently challenged when small scandals surface from the ongoing construction of the nation’s fifth nuclear power plant unit further south. In a country of “few resources,” nuclear energy production (and perhaps uranium exploitation in the future) function as tools toward happiness or contentment.

The study of musical ability has gained considerable traction across disciplines in recent years. In comparison, less effort has been invested in the development of sound measures of musical ability. To redress this gap, we conducted four studies to empirically validate two brief measures derived from the Profile of Music Perception Skills (PROMS)-an exceptionally inclusive battery of musical abilities that takes about 1 h to complete. In the Short-PROMS, test duration was reduced to less than half an hour by substantially reducing the number of trials per subtest. In the Mini-PROMS, the number of subtests was reduced to four, resulting in a battery that takes 15 min to complete. Both measures exhibited good internal consistency and retest reliability. Support for convergent, discriminant, and criterion validity was found across the studies. Additional strengths of the new instruments include their suitability for online administration and a feature called Modular PROMS, which offers researchers the possibility to request customized batteries that may include any combination of the subtests. The role of refining objective assessment instruments in research on music and the mind is discussed.

Large-scale development of Arctic energy resources for the economies south of the Arctic Circle requires environmental impact assessment in most countries and, in the case of northern Canada, the negotiation of impact and benefit agreements. This article discusses problems involved in implementing standardized procedures in the Arctic with reference to Finnish and Canadian examples of siting processes. In the context of environmental impact assessment, some scholars have observed an international convergence of concepts and practices, despite major differences in legal traditions between, for instance, the North American and European jurisdictions. Accordingly, I argue, such a convergence has resulted in the production of tools which are indifferent to local communities, cultures and local needs, on the one hand, and which generally exclude strategic consideration of development alternatives on the other. While political cohesion is lacking, and questions of indigenous rights to land and resources remain ...

The participatory turn in nuclear facility licensing produced the general aim to involve citizens in more direct ways in planning and decision making. However, purposes of public participation may be as manifold as actors involved. In Finland, the dominance of the proponent in the environmental impact assessment has produced forms of participation that may be functional in terms of their ability to inform citizens, to take their worries and concerns into account and subsequently to alleviate conflict. It is arguable whether this counts as “meaningful” participation as promoted by participatory democracy theories. Purposes need to be defined as well as the means to achieve meaningful public input. In addition, the empirical material for this study and contextual examples from Canada and Sweden hint at an associated problem concerning the absence of supervising institutions in assessment procedures.