Participatory Communication Research Articles

Golf training as an effective therapeutic tool for autism spectrum disorder: a multisite evaluation

Objectives A 6-week adapted golf training program was delivered to 31 individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the effects of the program were examined on golf skills, physical fitness abilities, and socio-communicative functioning. Methods The program led to significant improvements in golf skills such as grip positioning, shot control, aim, and posture as well as physical activity abilities including leg strength, core stability, and balance. Results Additionally, staff involved with the program documented significant improvements amongst participants in expressive and receptive communication, as well as social and regulatory skills. However, there were no significant changes in social or communicative abilities in the parent-rated, standardized instrument. Conclusions The adapted golf training program proved to be effective for boosting a variety of abilities in individuals with ASD; sport-training programs should continue to be studied and implemented at autism treatment facilities.

The impact of students’ individual differences on their communication apprehension in online classrooms: Empirical evidence from Iran

Hybrid learning is currently practiced in Iran’s Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), especially throughout the country’s business schools. Given the importance of Communication Apprehension (CA) as an inhibiting factor in student participation in online classrooms, this study aims to investigate CA in online classes among MBA students studying at the seven most prestigious Iranian business schools concerning their individual differences (the Big Five personality traits and demographic variables, namely, gender, year of study, and work experience). In this quantitative study, data was gathered through an online survey and analyzed using LISREL 8.80. The results indicate that extraversion and agreeableness negatively predict Communication Participation Avoidance (CPA) and Low Level of Communication Confidence (LCC) in an online class. While “neuroticism” predicts LCC and CPA positively and significantly, “conscientiousness” and “openness to experience” do not predict CA dimensions. The results demonstrate that the mean scores of LCC are higher for female students compared with male ones. The results of ANOVA tests also reveal that LCC is higher among first-year students. Finally, the accumulation of work experience reduces CA.

Ethno-linguistic and cultural interaction on the Russian-Chinese borderland

INTRODUCTION. Problems of dialogue of cultures and dialogue of languages on the Russian -Chinese borderland are currently actively attracting researchers. In the process of interaction b etween ethnic groups on the eastern section of the border between Russia and China, an exchange of information inevitably occurs, which is contained in political statements, media texts, works of science, technology, fiction, as well as through spontaneous information flows during informal communication between communication participants. The purpose of the study is to describe the interaction of languages on the Russian-Chinese borderland.MATERIALS AND METHODS. The material consists of recordings of speech of residents of the Far East. The main method is descriptive, which includes procedures for collecting material, its primary analysis, presentation of the results obtained and their characteristics. Elements of the comparative method are also used when comparing data from the Russian and Chinese languages.RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. It is necessary to separate concepts such as “regiolect” and “regionalism”. There is no special regionalect in the Far East, but the peculiarities of the speech of the inhabitants of the Outer Manchuria and Primorye regions include regionalisms, which are always represented in dialects, sociolects, and urban speech throughout the territories of distribution of the Russian language.CONCLUSION. The main interaction between the cultures and languages of the Russian and Chinese peoples occurs on the eastern section of the border between the countries, where more than 80 million people live. In the Russian-Chinese borderland, Chineseisms are noted in Russian linguistic culture and Russianisms in Chinese. Russian and Chinese onyms of all categories are widely represented in the speech of residents on both sides of the border, which function in dialect, urban speech and are included by writers in literary texts about the lives of people on both sides of the border.

Telerehabilitation with Verb Network Strengthening Treatment (VNeST) in two participants with mild-to-moderate and moderate-to-severe aphasia: A single-case experimental design study

ABSTRACT Background Verb Network Strengthening Treatment (VNeST) is a verb-centred aphasia treatment that targets the semantic relationships between a verb (e.g., dig) and related content words (e.g., gardener, hole), aiming to promote word retrieval and sentence production in aphasia. Previous research shows promising results of VNeST in several participants. Aims This study investigates the effects of VNeST through telerehabilitation on word retrieval and sentence production with treated and semantically related untreated verbs, as well as the possible generalisation to confrontation naming and connected speech. Further, functional communication, communicative participation, health-related quality of life and client satisfaction are explored. Methods and Procedures A single-case experimental design study with multiple baselines was conducted with two participants with stroke-induced mild-to-moderate Broca’s aphasia or moderate-to-severe Wernicke’s aphasia who received VNeST through telerehabilitation. Percentage of non-overlapping data, Baseline Corrected Tau and d-index effect size were used to measure improvement in word retrieval and sentence production elicited through video-clip stimuli. The study is registered with ClinicTrials.gov, number NCT05152979. Outcomes and Results The participant with Wernicke’s aphasia improved in word retrieval in sentences with trained and untrained verbs and showed some – albeit limited – generalisation to confrontation naming of nouns and verbs. The participant with Broca’s aphasia withdrew after half of the planned dosage, as he did not consider VNeST suitable for his needs. He did not improve in word retrieval or sentence production. Conclusions VNeST shows promise when it comes to improving word retrieval in trained and semantically related untrained stimuli in moderate-to-severe Wernicke’s aphasia. This study adds to the existing literature by showing potential improvement in VNeST through telerehabilitation.

Major discrimination due to stuttering and its association with quality of life

PurposeThis study aimed to identify what types of major discrimination have been experienced by adults who stutter throughout their lives, and investigate the association between the number of different types of major discrimination events experienced and quality of life. MethodsMeasures of quality of life (Kemp Quality of Life Scale) and major discrimination (adapted Major Experiences of Discrimination Scale) were completed by 303 adults who stutter. Correlational and regression analyses were conducted with these variables. ResultsA majority (56%) of the participants had experienced at least one episode of major discrimination due to stuttering during their lives. The major discrimination experiences most commonly reported included not being hired for a job and being discouraged by a teacher or advisor from pursuing certain careers or jobs because of stuttering. There was a significant negative relationship between quality of life and major discrimination. Increased major discrimination predicted lower quality of life even after taking into account demographic variables and severity of physical speech disruption. ConclusionsThe findings of a negative association between major discrimination and quality of life add support to the notion that reducing societal stigma related to stuttering should be a priority of the field. Discriminatory practices of listeners constitute a social-environmental barrier to communicative participation and quality of life in people who stutter and should be addressed by professionals in the field of speech-language pathology and other stakeholders.

Co-design of an intervention to improve patient participation in discharge medication communication.

Patients can experience medication-related harm and hospital readmission because they do not understand or adhere to post-hospital medication instructions. Increasing patient medication literacy and, in turn, participation in medication conversations could be a solution. The purposes of this study were to co-design and test an intervention to enhance patient participation in hospital discharge medication communication. In terms of methods, co-design, a collaborative approach where stakeholders design solutions to problems, was used to develop a prototype medication communication intervention. First, our consumer and healthcare professional stakeholders generated intervention ideas. Next, inpatients, opinion leaders, and academic researchers collaborated to determine the most pertinent and feasible intervention ideas. Finally, the prototype intervention was shown to six intended end-users (i.e. hospital patients) who underwent usability interviews and completed the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability questionnaire. The final intervention comprised of a suite of three websites: (i) a medication search engine; (ii) resources to help patients manage their medications once home; and (iii) a question builder tool. The intervention has been tested with intended end-users and results of the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability questionnaire have shown that the intervention is acceptable. Identified usability issues have been addressed. In conclusion, this co-designed intervention provides patients with trustworthy resources that can help them to understand medication information and ask medication-related questions, thus promoting medication literacy and patient participation. In turn, this intervention could enhance patients' medication self-efficacy and healthcare utilization. Using a co-design approach ensured authentic consumer and other stakeholder engagement, while allowing opinion leaders and researchers to ensure that a feasible intervention was developed.

The Paradox of the Niger Delta: Examining the Principal Determinants of Poverty and Underdevelopment

Extant literature indicates that the Niger Delta region has struggled with developmental issues for ages. Efforts by the government to tackle the perennial underdevelopment have met with failure, a situation that has necessitated the institution of diverse research to unearth the causal factors. Leveraging a combination of historical analysis and a survey involving 206 respondents, this study brings to the fore the principal drivers of poverty in the region, with mismanagement of funds and the apparent lack of citizen engagement emerging as the most significant predictors of poverty and underdevelopment. The study thus highlights the need for optimal management of financial resources and also emphasizes the centrality of citizen engagement and participatory communication in community development. The study argues that while funding is critical to development, no substantial development can occur without the active participation of the citizens, from the conceptualization to the execution of strategies and plans for development.

The Importance of Participatory Communication in Development Planning Deliberations for Agritourism Village Enhancement

Previous research has focused on the implementation of Development Planning Deliberation (DPD) as a tool to improve development communication among stakeholders, but few have explored this issue in the context of democratization in rural economies. Success in DPD is often determined by the capacity and competence of human resources in the government sector, public service, administration, and socioeconomic empowerment. This study examines the use of Development Planning Deliberation as a participatory communication tool in four agritourism villages of Central Java Province, Indonesia. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, including a questionnaire survey and a qualitative case study. The research findings show that Development Planning Deliberation fosters democratic decision-making, allowing stakeholders to express their aspirations and make decisions based on community needs and issues. Development Planning Deliberation creates a non-discriminatory culture and promotes decision-making based on mutual agreement. This study provides valuable insights into communication studies, highlighting the strategic characteristics required in the development planning process, particularly in the context of democratisation in rural economies.

The Relationship Between Resilience, Interactive Distance, and College Students' Online Mathematics Learning Engagement: A Longitudinal Study.

Resilience, a pivotal construct in positive psychology, remains incompletely understood in its facilitation of learners' online engagement. This study aims to investigate the relationship between resilience, transactional distance, and Online Mathematics Learning Engagement (OMLE) among first-year university students. Utilizing a cross-lagged path analysis approach, the study surveyed 612 first-year students. Multiple models were constructed and compared to explore the mutual predictive relationships between resilience, transactional distance, and OMLE. Among the compared models, Model 4 demonstrated the best fit. The model revealed that: (1) resilience at Time 1 and Time 2 positively predicted transactional distance at Time 2 and Time 3; (2) transactional distance at Time 1 and Time 2 positively predicted OMLE at Time 2 and Time 3; (3) resilience at Time 1 significantly predicted OMLE at Time 3; and (4) transactional distance at Time 2 fully mediated the relationship between resilience at Time 1 and OMLE at Time 3. Furthermore, mediational model analysis confirmed that transactional distance played a mediating role in the longitudinal relationship between resilience and OMLE. Using a cross-lagged mediational model with 5000 bootstrap samples, the indirect effect of transactional distance on the relationship between resilience at Time 1 and OMLE at Time 3 was significant and remained stable over time. The findings suggest that resilience, as a positive psychological resource, stimulates students to seek and utilize protective resources in online environments, leading to more active participation in interpersonal communication and classroom interactions. Additionally, resilience helps students overcome emotional and practical difficulties encountered in online learning, thereby enhancing their OMLE. These insights offer valuable implications for educators, highlighting the potential to improve students' online learning engagement by fostering their psychological resilience.

Participation of adolescents with and without physical disabilities and chronic diseases: A comprehensive conceptualization.

In 2001, the International Classification of Functioning and Disability (ICF) introduced participation as a main goal of rehabilitation processes. However, to date, a comprehensive concept of participation in the rehabilitative context is missing, particularly in German-speaking countries. We thus aimed to refine and extend the existing concepts of participation in this brief communication. In preceding studies, we conducted semi-structured interviews with adolescents who either had chronic diseases and/or physical disabilities or had no impairments and focus groups with parents and experts. Based on these diverse perspectives and findings, we refine the term participation. Participation is a construct that is embedded in a social context and consists of objective (i.e., attendance) and subjective (i.e., satisfaction and involvement) dimensions. These dimensions are reflected in different domains and areas that are relevant to adolescents' lives. In addition, the subjective relevance of respective areas in life needs to be regarded as a weighing component when evaluating participation. Our results reflect international models on participation, refine the existing concept, and underline the multidimensional character of participation. These findings are urgently needed to develop appropriate instruments, for example, for assessing whether rehabilitative processes are effective regarding the goal of participation.

The Komunikasi Partisipatif Antara Sekolah Dan Keluarga Dalam Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini di RA At Thoriq Batam

Early childhood education plays a crucial role in shaping a child's developmental foundation. In an effort to understand how early childhood education can be enhanced, this research delves into the theme of "Participatory Communication Between School and Family in Early Childhood Education at RA At Thoriq Batam." The research employs a qualitative approach and analyzes the dynamics of communication and family involvement within the context of early childhood education. This research underscores the significance of effective communication between the school and families in establishing a balanced educational environment. The research findings reveal various strategies and factors influencing the level of family involvement in early childhood education. These findings provide a profound insight into how participatory communication can strengthen collaboration between the school and families, ultimately yielding positive impacts on the development of young children. The implications of this research underscore that efforts to build and maintain effective communication between schools and families must be a priority in the context of early childhood education.

One-way semi-quantum private comparison protocol without pre-shared keys based on unitary operations

Semi-quantum private comparison is a method for private comparison with fewer quantum resources, enabling classical participants to collaborate with a semi-honest third party possessing complete quantum capabilities. A one-way quantum private comparison protocol is devised only by unitary operations. The protocol facilitates one-way transmission between third party (TP) and classical participants in quantum communication, where the classical participants only need to perform unitary operations and measurement operations on the transmitted qubits. In addition, classical participants do not require pre-shared keys. It is shown that the qubit efficiency of this protocol is 12.5%. Finally, security analysis and the simulation results on the IBM Quantum Experience demonstrate the security and the feasibility of this protocol.

Mark Z. Danilevsky's "House of Leaves": the Poetics of Simulacra

The object of research of this article is a novel by Mark Z. Danilevsky's "House of Leaves" in the context of Postmodernism. The subject of the study is the concept of a simulacrum, which appears in the novel "House of Leaves" as one of the funding components of the poetics of the work. The "House of Leaves" is considered from the position of postmodern sensitivity, in which Danilevsky deliberately blurs the boundaries between habitual space and hyperreality, real and unreal, fact and fiction. A similar effect is achieved through the simulacrum based on the novel – the short film "The Nevidson Film" – which was originally programmed by Danilevsky to expand into reality, to capture reality, that is, to limitless expansion of simulation through both material media (books) and the Internet. As a result of the proliferation of simulation within the work, the poetics of the novel text itself undergoes mutation, where genre mixing occurs, and mutually subordinate relations are established for the participants of author-reader communication due to the features of novel poetics. The text based on the simulacrum is absorbed by the simulation and eventually becomes a simulacrum due to the continuous formation and spread of the simulation. As a result, the language environment turns into a means of control, manipulation, subordination, both of the author and the recipient: the totality of simulation replaces reality and includes the perceiving consciousness in its own boundless becoming.

The Speech Genre of Commentary as a Way to Realize the Social Needs of Internet Communication Participants (Based the Survey Results).

The Speech Genre of Commentary as a Way to Realize the Social Needs of Internet Communication Participants (Based the Survey Results). The article studies commenting as a speech activity for creating and reading comments and an effective way to realize the social needs of representatives of a digital society. It reveals the features of comments as a primary network genre existing in the context of network discourse. During the research, a survey of Russian-speaking Internet users was conducted. The following conclusions are made: network users create a digital discourse designed to meet their needs for social interaction on a new emotional and cognitive level, as well as the need for self-expression in the outer world. The specific speech norms of commenting are: sincerity, focus on personal experience; constructiveness; positivity; benevolence; usefulness, relevance; "the right of the speaker". The results of the work can be used as a basis for further research of network discourse, communication on the Internet, in the process of codification of communicative and ethical norms of network communication, as well as in sociological researches of digital society.

Ethical Considerations in Social Media Utilization by Religious Organizations: An In-depth Investigation

In the contemporary landscape, social media platforms have evolved into highly effective instruments facilitating participatory communication across diverse aspects of human life. The advent of the digital revolution has introduced a novel dimension to the application of social media, extending its reach into various realms of communication, management, and development initiatives. Particularly noteworthy is the role that social media platforms play in the domain of religious communication, mobilization, and organization. Among the myriad social media platforms, Twitter and Facebook stand out as extensively utilized tools by religious organizations and leaders. Leveraging these platforms, religious entities seek to establish direct communication channels with their target groups, fostering active engagement and participation in the organizational and managerial aspects of religious institutions. This paradigm shift in communication strategies has become increasingly relevant and influential. To explore the dynamics of this intersection between social media and religious engagement, the present investigation was undertaken in Delhi, focusing on the National Capital Region (NCR) – a geographical area encompassing all major religions in the country. The study delves into the multifaceted ways in which social media platforms are employed for religious outreach, examining their impact on communication strategies, organizational dynamics, and the active involvement of the faithful within the diverse religious landscape of the NCR. Through a comprehensive analysis of the use of social media in this specific context, the research aims to contribute valuable insights into the evolving nature of religious communication in the digital age. Keywords: social media platforms, religious communication, digital revolution, national capital region, participatory engagement

Secure method of communication using Quantum Key Distribution

Secure communication plays a vital role now-a-days. Modern-day secure communication is made possible via cryptography. Modern cryptographic algorithms are based on the process of factoring large integers into their primes, as they are intractable. But the cryptography nowadays is vulnerable to technological advances in computing power like quantum computing and evolution in math to quickly reverse one-way functions like factorization of large integers. Incorporating quantum physics concepts into cryptography is the answer, which results in an assessment of quantum cryptography. A unique type of cryptography known as quantum cryptography makes advantage of quantum mechanics to provide complete protection against the transmitted message. Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), a random binary key distribution used in quantum cryptography, enables communication participants to recognize unauthorized listeners. Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is likely the most advanced quantum technology currently accessible with full stack systems already in use. This projects goal is to develop secure and encrypted communication between the parties with the help of a web application using the BB84 protocol.

The Development of Digital Content in the Metaverse Combined with Participatory Communication and Learning with Religious Leader to Enhance Students’ Perception of the Community Mosque

As a lot of juvenile Muslims tend to be less engaged with their religion and the history of mosques in their community, this study was conducted to develop a series of digital content in the metaverse combined with participatory communication and learning with religious leader to enhance students’ perception of community Mosque (Darun Naim, Thung Kru District, Thailand). The objectives of this research were to survey needs, to develop and assess the quality of the aforementioned series of digital content, to evaluate students’ perception, and to measure students’ satisfaction. Materials of this study included questionnaires and forms to survey needs, assess the quality of the digital content and media presentation, evaluate subjects perception, and measure their satisfaction. A total of 30 subjects who were students from Al-Bidayah Religious School, Thung Khru District, Bangkok and had been members of Young Muslim Association Ban Khru for at least 1 year were selected through purposive sampling. After questionnaire-based data collection, mean and standard deviation were used as a statistical tool for data analysis. The results of this study showed that the outcome of needs assessment was at a high level. The overall quality of the content and media presentation was at a good and very good level, respectively. The findings of the assessment of students’ perception and satisfaction were at the highest level. In summary, the developed digital content in the metaverse combined with participatory communication and learning with religious leader was of high quality and can be implemented.

Linguistic Means of Speech Manipulation in the Discourse of Modern German-Language Media

This article touches upon the problem of identifying and analysing speech manipulation in the texts of the German-speaking media. The media determines linguistic and cultural pictures of the world, so the analysis of media language will help to establish trends of influence on the cognitive consciousness of society. In today’s geopolitical environment, the basic functions of the media transform, as it uses specific techniques of speech manipulation to achieve informational and emotive effectiveness, allowing for the distortion of the cognitive perception of information by the audience. The material for this study was German-language media texts, selected by means of a total sampling and semantic-syntactic analysis. The relevance of the study lies in its linguistic and extralinguistic factors. The author states that in the conditions of information pollution all the participants of communication should be able to identify speech manipulation in a text, qualify information in terms of its significance or reliability, and to the risks of exposure to manipulative actions. Taking the peculiarities of speech manipulation methods used in the modern German-language media texts into account, the recipient must have sufficient interpretational competence to allow him or her to overcome the barriers that prevent the identification and mental comprehension of the means of speech manipulation in the texts of foreign-language publications. The main purpose of this study is to remove some difficulties in the perception of information in German-language media text by presenting signs of indirect pressure and speech manipulation in them. To this end, the article classifies the basic techniques of speech manipulation in terms of linguistic analysis, and also justifies the expediency of forming interpretative competence in the sphere of epistemic vigilance. We argue that this competence is effective when it comes to levelling the negative impact of the discourse of German-language media on the cognitive consciousness of the audience.

Attitudes of participants in digital communication in higher education on the importance of social skills and innovative teaching methods in the teaching process

In today's educational environment, it has become essential for both educators and students to acquire digital communication skills and competencies. This is driven by the growing incorporation of digital information technologies into teaching and learning methods. Primarily, these skills and competencies center around the capability to utilize diverse technologies and digital tools for the purpose of sharing information and facilitating knowledge transfer between educators and students. Conversely, communicative and social skills, as well as teaching methods, tend to receive less attention in recent studies. The goal of this research was to explore the opinions of teachers and students in digital communication in higher education about the importance of social skills and innovative teaching methods that are recognized in earlier literature (see Stronge, 2007) as the basis of an effective teaching process. A collaborative effort involving three international universities led to the creation and distribution of two online questionnaires. Each university administered two separate questionnaires, one targeting teaching staff (n = 70) and the other aimed at undergraduate students (n = 237). Data analysis using the SPSS software enabled the generation of a meaningful depiction of the data. The study revealed numerous findings. For instance, students from all three countries showed a highly positive attitude towards social skills and innovative teaching methods in digital communication during the teaching process, while teachers did not. This discrepancy is particularly evident between students and teachers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Also, the age of students significantly affects the importance they attach to these aspects of the educational process, while gender does not.

Validity and Reliability Study of the Turkish Version of Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six-34.

Speech and language disorders can negatively affect preschool children's communicative participation skills. Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six-34 (FOCUS-34) is a valid and reliable scale that evaluates communicative participation in preschool children with speech and language disorders. This study aimed to establish the Turkish version of FOCUS-34 (FOCUS-34-TR) and investigate its validity and reliability. A total of 175 children with language disorders, speech sound disorders, and fluency disorders (aged 20-72 months) and their parents were included in the study. Parents were asked to complete the demographic information form, the FOCUS-34-TR scale, and the Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional (ASQ-SE) Turkish version. The construct validity, convergent and divergent validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability of the scale were investigated. The FOCUS-34-TR had high values for internal consistency (α = .97) and test-retest reliability (r = .95). The correlations between the FOCUS-34-TR total score and its subscales were between .77 and .90. A moderately significant negative correlation was found between the FOCUS-34-TR scale and the ASQ-SE. The Turkish version of FOCUS-34 is a valid and reliable scale that can be used in clinics and for research purposes to evaluate the communicative participation skills of Turkish-speaking preschool children with speech and language disorders.