Mobile Experience Research Articles

Overcoming Social Interactions Stress During COVID-19 Lockdown: The Role of Individuals’ Mobility and Online Emotional Support

The effect of COVID-19 lockdowns on the shift from in-person (offline) social interactions to online interactions and its consequences on social support and stress attracted scholarly attention. However, much less is known about how individuals’ prior mobility experiences have influenced coping with this shift. In the present research, we hypothesized that people with mobility experiences should already be more familiar with, and could profit more from, online social interactions before the pandemic, which might buffer against the negative impact of the pandemic on the emotional social support they obtained and the stress they felt during these interactions. In order to investigate this issue, we collected data ( N = 875) in Germany during the lockdown between April and May 2021. We measured mobility by introducing a novel approach that encompasses the act of moving houses (both within a country and internationally), commuting patterns, and nationality (migration background). Participants also reported the frequency of their online and offline interactions (before and during the lockdown), as well as the emotional support they obtained from online and offline interactions and the stress felt during lockdown interactions (as compared to before the lockdown). Results provide quantitative evidence in support of the main hypothesis especially regarding migration background. We discuss the relevance of these findings for research on migration and mobility.

Vehicular Visualization: Enhancing Mobility Decisions With Human–Machine Interactions

In the age of intelligence, humans pursue a safe and convenient mobility experience. Intelligent vehicles have integrated various machine intelligence to support humans in making decisions on mobility. However, the support fails to meet human expectations because machine intelligence lacks a method to communicate with humans—verify the understanding of human needs, and explain how machine intelligence works. In this study, we address this issue through vehicular visualizations. Specifically, we summarize the decision-making requirements of humans, introduce how can techniques of vehicular visualizations satisfy these needs, describe prospective application scenes, and discuss future directions of vehicular visualizations to inspire related scholars or developers.

Power Mobility, Supported Standing and Stepping Device Use in the First Two Years of Life: A Case Report of Twins Functioning at GMFCS V

Mobility experience has a positive impact on activity, participation, socialisation, language and cognition, but children with cerebral palsy (CP), Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level V require assistive devices or assistance in all environments. Supported standing devices afford upright, weight-bearing positions to promote muscle, bone, joint and overall health. Supported stepping devices afford stepping and upright independent mobility, positively impacting self-esteem and participation, while power mobility is the only possibility for effective, independent community mobility. These devices and opportunities should be introduced at the age when children who are typically developing are pulling to stand, moving and exploring their environment. A detailed case description including lived experience and device use data is presented for female twins with dystonic tetraplegic CP born at 25 weeks gestational age and functioning at GMFCS level V. The feasibility of using power mobility, standing and stepping devices in home and community settings within the first two years is illustrated. The twins transitioned from spending 24 h in lying positions or being held in arms to spending more than 2 h daily in upright positions and having opportunities to move independently. Positioning and mobility devices can help to address all the F-words for child development: functioning, family, fitness, fun, friends and future.

Co-evolution of Smart Small Vehicles and Human Spatial Experiences: Case Study on Battery-Sharing Electric Two-Wheelers Experiment

Small-format mobility services have been introduced in many cities to promote sustainable urban development. In some cities, these services are primarily seen as entertainment rather than significant transport modes. Research has studied the roles of experiential/hedonic and functional/instrumental motivations in users’ adoption intent for such services. However, there is still a limited understanding of how actual spatial experiences of mobility travels shape travel behaviors. This study explores the role of spatial experience in mobility travels. Specifically, the research question revolves around whether better spatial knowledge leads to better spatial experiences, thereby satisfying users’ functional/instrumental and experiential/hedonic values for mobility trips. Additionally, we examine how spatial knowledge affects travel behaviors regarding trip chaining and vehicle charging. To assess road users’ spatial knowledge, we use sketch maps to examine changes after three months of using battery-sharing two-wheelers. A mixed-methods approach and multiple data sources are employed to provide deeper insights, including sketch maps, questionnaire surveys on attitudes, and a panel data analysis on activity-travel patterns. The results indicate that spatial experience significantly influences perceived values and, consequently, travel behaviors. Improved knowledge leads to greater satisfaction with mobility travel. Furthermore, an interaction effect is found between cognitive distance and cognitive direction concerning users’ satisfaction with the driving range and charging issues of electric vehicles.

Migration, abjection and visibility: the photographic projects of Sam Ivin, Melanie Friend and Yetunde Adebiyi

ABSTRACT This paper examines the work of three photographers addressing the experiences of migrants awaiting decisions upon, or denied residency applications by the UK government. While Sam Ivin’s Lingering Ghosts portraits convey the emotional and embodied impacts upon migrants awaiting notification of asylum requests, Melanie Friend’s images of Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs) investigate the spaces of exclusion and detention within the UK border control system. The paper concludes by examining Yetunde Adebiyi’s images of protests outside Yarl’s Wood IRC, Bedford and alternative communities for “non-legal” migrants in Liverpool. These images are put in the context of a process of “social abjection” , whereby migrants have been increasingly marginalised through negative media and government policy, ultimately diminishing or denying citizenship to certain groups within society. This raises issues of mobility justice , in that individuals’ experience of mobility is in sharp contrast to that of UK citizens and impacted by multi-scalar entanglements of other (im)mobilities. Individuals’ bodily and spatial experience of, and agency over (im)mobility is related to their visibility, and agency over being visible. By exposing the relative experiences of mobility and visibility the photographs provide a potential site of advocacy for mobility justice but can also draw attention to the unequal experiences of citizenship of subject, photographer and viewer. By suggesting that photographs constitute and engender a social relationship between these parties, the paper proposes that photographic projects might offer a potential “civil contract” between those with very different experiences of mobility, visibility and citizenship.

‘Stability is a foggy concept’: work stability from the perspective of young people with mobility experiences

ABSTRACT Currently, substantial attention is being paid to flexibility in the working life of young people. Stability is a conceptual companion of flexibility; however, its role has been vastly underestimated in the literature on working life. The key aim of this article is to explore the processes of meaning-making concerning work stability among young people with mobility experiences. Focusing on the intersection between career studies, mobility studies, and youth studies, the aim is to answer the following research questions. (1) How do young people with mobility experiences perceive stability in the context of the labour market? (2) What are the roles of spatial mobility and previous work experience in the perception of work stability? Based on qualitative data, the process of defining, redefining, questioning and denying the concept of work stability is discussed, showing that this process is subject to continuous verification and re-evaluation based on previous work experiences.

International collaborative tasks in language courses for engineers integrated in a multidimensional teaching format

Abstract The field of language learning has undergone considerable changes with the emergence of new technologies. This digitalization process has led us to reconsider the format of our language courses and has subsequently had an impact on course design, the teacher’s role as well as the student’s role. Language courses at the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm (KTH) aim to prepare students for their future professional lives and have a strong focus on language for specific purposes (LSP). Our experience has shown that a blended learning course design as well as student-owned learning are especially well suited for these language courses. In this report, we wish to present a multi-dimensional course-design which provides several pedagogical added values by combining three dimensions of teaching and learning; online/face-to-face, synchronous/asynchronous and teacher-led/student-owned. We will illustrate the combination of the three dimensions by presenting how we have integrated international collaborative activities in French and German courses for engineers. Collaborative online international learning projects (COIL) are well suited for our teaching model as they combine online meetings with asynchronous work and are typically a student-owned activity. As a virtual mobility experience, this activity assists students in creating a global engineer profile by emphasizing collaboration and developing intercultural and multilingual competence.

Healthcare professionals’ experiences of mobilising adult patients out of bed shortly after major abdominal surgery – a qualitative study

Background Early mobilisation is endorsed after abdominal surgery. Healthcare professionals are key figures in mobilisation. However, their experiences of barriers and enablers of mobilisation shortly after abdominal surgery is yet not fully explored. Therefore, the aim was to describe the healthcare professionals’ experiences of postoperative mobilisation shortly after abdominal surgery. Methods This study has a qualitative descriptive design. In November 2017, individual interviews were conducted with a convenience sampling of ten nurses, three nurse assistants and four physiotherapists who participated in an interventional trial mobilising adult patient within two hours after abdominal surgery. Data were analysed with inductive content analysis. Reporting of the study followed the COREQ checklist. Findings The study findings are presented in two categories: ‘a responsibility for the patient’ and ‘prerequisites and challenges’ with five subcategories. The healthcare professionals had initial concerns that mobilisation shortly after surgery would not be safe for the patient and would add extra burden on their workload. However, with time, their perceptions changed to believing that it enhanced the recovery and was feasible to conduct at the postoperative recovery unit. Conclusion Mobilisation shortly after abdominal surgery at the postoperative recovery unit, was found to be beneficial for the patients without reducing patient safety. However, it is important to assure that sufficient resources and adequate competence are available if such intervention should be implemented in clinical practice.

Family, a racialized space: A phenomenological approach to examining Afghan refugee families’ language policies in Norway

In this paper, I put forward and apply a phenomenological understanding of body and embodied experience to examine refugee families’ identity (trans)formation and language ideologies and practices. In particular, Kitarō Nishida’s (1870–1945) notion of historical body was adopted to investigate how Afghan refugee families’ lived experiences of forced mobility and life in different countries before their settlement in Norway influence their own as well as their children’s raciolinguistic and cultural/national identities, which in turn, affect their language ideologies and practices. Based on a thematic analysis of the interviews conducted with parents in three families, it was found that, having left Afghanistan at a young age with no hope to return to as well as their forced stays in different countries, Afghan parents have not developed a strong Afghan national identity. This embodied experience was entangled with painful emotions as well that resulted in the parents’ desire for their children to develop strong attachment to Norway and a Norwegian identity. Yet, parents’ wish does not seem to readily realize because the racial differences become an important marker of identity for the children as they grow up and enter the society, leading them to seek their roots. The study contributes to our better understanding of the complexities and nuances of transnational populations’ language ideologies and practices as well as identification and integration processes into the host society.

The application potential of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) at mega events: A case study of Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games

The hosting of mega sporting events will cause an ample increase in travel demand, causing an imbalance between supply and demand, so effective mobility management is essential. Mobility as a Service (MaaS) embodies a novel sustainable mobility paradigm and breathes fresh blood into mobility management. This work aims to reveal the potential acceptance of MaaS in the spectating context as well as the factors influencing the subscription of MaaS bundles, and to discuss the application of MaaS for mobility management at mega events. In the setting of the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games, an online stated preference survey was conducted in mainland China regarding the entire travel process during the spectating period. Two mixed logit models were employed to analyze the choices of MaaS bundles in Airport/High-Speed Rail Station pick-up and drop-off (APD) scenario and Hotel-Venue (HV) scenario, respectively. Estimation results indicate that about 80% of the respondents are willing to subscribe to MaaS bundles and MaaS is capable of being used for mobility management. Household structure and income, as well as modality styles in daily and tourism, have significant impacts on the subscription intention of MaaS bundles. The results also show that respondents are sensitive to the subscription fees of MaaS bundles. Behavioral inertia is clearly demonstrated in the choice of APD MaaS bundles and obvious preference heterogeneity exists among respondents concerning the travel modes included in HV MaaS bundles. The findings from this study provide valuable information and strategies for transportation planners, event organizers, and those involved in the tourism sector. These insights can facilitate the implementation of personalized and sustainable smart mobility services during events or in tourism, enhancing the overall mobility experience.

Sustainable Mobility Challenges in the Latin American Context

Sustainable mobility and transport are topics that have been rising exponentially since the 2000s within the academic community and society. One of the main drivers for this is the intensification of the urbanization processes on a global scale, which leads to higher demand for services and transport systems, consequently bringing more severe concern regarding social, environmental, and economic issues. However, nations do not seem to advance at the same pace regarding the proposition of policies and the implementation of strategies to promote sustainable mobility and transport. Latin American countries have long been striving to improve and implement, on a larger scale, mobility solutions toward more sustainable human agglomerations. Therefore, this article analyzes the sustainable mobility challenges in the Latin American context through a systematic literature review process. The main results show that within the Latin American context, there is a significant focus on the social inequality of mobility in urban areas, which is developed in studies through mobility indicators and modeling, participatory and other qualitative approaches, and a critical analysis of public policies. However, there is a need to explore, through alternative methodologies, such as experimental and in-situ evaluations, the paths/routes of trips within the Latin American context at different scales to promote a better understanding and strategies to advance towards more sustainable cities and mobilities and deliver a better mobility experience for citizens, adding value to the mobility itself.

Joint Mobilization and its Resultant Effects

Joint mobilization also called joint manipulation technique commonly used in a clinical setting to improve the range of movement of a joint in order to prevent stiffness and pain. Any joint which presents with pain or stiffness can be treated with mobilization except in rare instances such as where there is malignancy, bone infection, spinal cord compression or unhealed fracture. There are different grades of mobilization used to treat various conditions. Where there is significant local pain and inflammation, gentle mobilization is used (Grade 1 or 2) to help with pain relief and reduce inflammation by promoting movement. In conditions where there is not much pain but rather the main problem is joint stiffness, then a more vigorous mobilizing technique (Grade 3 or 4) can be used to help restore full range of movement. The manipulation can be considered as an advanced way of joint mobilization, because it shares the same biomechanical principles. So, in OMT, the manipulation consists on a linear translatoric movement (traction or gliding) performed in the joint’s resting position, through a high velocity, low amplitude and low force thrust. These linear translatoric thrust techniques are technically more difficult to perform, but equally effective and much safer than the rotatory thrusts that have been traditionally performed. The manipulations are performed with the aim of obtaining joint surface separation and restoring the gliding component in joints that, even if they show an appropriate end-feel, they are hypomobile when examining them. It is a very effective technique if it is performed correctly and if it is indicated, but in the opposite cases it also carries serious injury risk. Because of the risk it can carry, and because of the expertise grade it requires for its execution, the manipulation training, mainly in the spine, for those physical therapists who have demonstrated their experience in the joint mobilization. However, basic low risk and equally ...

Crossing the borders of social class: Social mobility as translational experience

ABSTRACT This article suggests that we might conceive of the experience of upward social mobility as a form of translational experience and view the socially mobile individual as both translatum and translator. Acknowledging that the experience of social mobility varies enormously in its specificity, the article’s temporal focus is on upward social mobility in Britain since the expansion of higher education in the early 1990s. It draws on the author’s own experience of social mobility and on the memoirs Hungry by Grace Dent (2021), Respectable by Lynsey Hanley (2017), and People Like Us (2020) by Hashi Mohamed, and relates the socially mobile self to the phenomenon of textual translation. It also theorises the ‘return’ – post-translation communication with the ‘source culture’ or social class of origin – and the process of back-and-forth translation in which socially mobile individuals are constantly engaged.

SYSTEM OF SOCIAL ELEVATORS, ADAPTATION AND INTEGRATION FOR RURAL YOUTH

This article studies the issues of adaptation and integration of rural youth in society using a system of social elevators. The author considers and analyzes the current situation and prospects of rural youth within the framework of the theoretical concepts of "social elevators" by P. Sorokin and from the point of the concept of "precariat" by G. Standing. The study concludes that the absence or ineffectiveness of social elevators in the context of growing inequality and social stratification in society creates conditions for developing of marginalization among rural youth, increasing inequality and social tension. The author tries to explore the foreign experience of social mobility and determine conditions favorable for the development and functioning of social mobility for rural youth in Kazakhstan. It also identifies factors which impede full development of social mobility among rural youth and increase inequality in society, and measures that can be countered against them. The author emphasizes the need for an integral approach for solving the problems of rural youth, reducing inequality and creating conditions for full functioning of social mobility channels, mechanisms for adaptation and integration of rural youth.

International Student Mobility and Academic Performance: Does Timing Matter?

We examine the impact of credit mobility exchange programs’ timing on students’ academic performance, focusing on the moment in which students travel and the length of the period spent abroad. To provide causal evidence, we exploit unique data from more than 10,000 students from a well-known and internationalized Brazilian university from 2010 to 2020. By combing Propensity Score Matching with Difference in Differences techniques, we find that international mobility impacts groups of students differently. Students who travel closer to the end of their undergraduate courses benefit the most from the mobility experience, while negative effects are found for those who travel at the beginning of their university program. Results also show that, while student mobility impacts positively and significantly students who participate in programs lasting from one semester to 1 year, negative effects are associated with shorter periods abroad. Our findings also reveal heterogeneity across destination countries. Mobility has a positive impact on students’ grades for those students traveling to English-speaking countries. Our analysis presents empirical evidence that can be used to design international student mobility programs, providing insights to policymakers engaged in maximizing their effects.

Perspectives of patients and clinicians on older patient mobility on acute medical wards: a qualitative study

BackgroundLow mobility during an acute care medical hospitalization is frequent and associated with adverse outcomes, particularly among older patients. Better understanding barriers and facilitators to improve mobility during hospitalization could help develop effective interventions. The goal of this study was to assess barriers and facilitators to older medical patients’ hospital mobility, from the point of view of patients and clinicians, to develop a framework applicable in clinical practice.MethodsWe conducted a qualitative study in one university and two non-university hospitals of two different language and cultural regions of Switzerland, including 13 focus groups (FGs; five with patients, eight with clinicians). We included 24 adults aged 60 years or older hospitalized on an acute general internal medicine ward of one of the three participating hospitals during the previous years, and 34 clinicians (15 physicians, nine nurses/nursing assistants, 10 physiotherapists) working on those wards. The FG guides included open-ended questions exploring mobility experiences, expectations, barriers and facilitators to mobility, consequences of low mobility and knowledge on mobility. We applied an inductive thematic analysis.ResultsWe identified four themes of barriers and facilitators to mobility: 1) patient-related factors; 2) clinician-related factors; 3) social interactions; and 4) non-human factors. Clinician-related factors were only mentioned in clinician FGs. Otherwise, subthemes identified from patient and clinician FGs were similar and codes broadly overlapped. Subthemes included motivation, knowledge, expectations, mental and physical state (theme 1); process, knowledge – skills, mental state – motivation (theme 2); interpersonal relationships, support (theme 3); hospital setting – organization (theme 4).ConclusionsFrom patients’ and clinicians’ perspectives, a broad spectrum of human and structural factors influences mobility of older patients hospitalized on an acute general internal medicine ward. New factors included privacy issues and role perception. Many of those factors are potentially actionable without additional staff resources. This study is a first step in participatory research to improve mobility of older medical inpatients.

PSYCHOLOGICAL FEATURES ADAPTATIONS OF CHILDREN IN THE CONDITIONS OF WAR AND EMIGRATION

The article notes that, despite a fairly wide study, the problem of researching the peculiarities of the psychological adaptation of emigrant children in modern conditions is gaining special relevance due to the war that is currently ongoing in Ukraine. Migration processes lead to the emergence of a whole set of problems, which are characterized by a certain specificity and require their immediate and detailed solution. In psychological science, the problem of adaptation of refugees and forced migrants has become widespread, but despite a fairly wide study, the problem of researching the peculiarities of the psychological adaptation of immigrant children in modern conditions is gaining special relevance. The purpose of the article is to conduct a theoretical and empirical study of the psychological features of children's adaptation in the conditions of war and emigration. Adaptation of immigrant children to the conditions of a new country depends on various factors, such as age, gender, previous experience of international mobility, level of support from relatives and social environment. Based on the conducted research, it is worth coming to the conclusion that the adaptation of children in conditions of emigration is a complex process that requires special attention and approach. Studies have shown that immigrant children have their own unique psychological characteristics associated with a change in environment, cultural context, and language situation. It is important to develop methodological approaches and tools to study and support the adaptation of these children, providing them with psychological support and resources for successful integration. A comparative analysis of emigrant children and children studying on the territory of Ukraine allows to understand the specifics of their development, to identify similar and different factors of adaptation that can be used to build effective programs and approaches in the field of education and psychological support .

Uneven mobilities and epistemic injustice: towards reflexive mobilities research

Who we are and how we ask questions shape qualitative researchers’ material and influence the understanding and intelligibility we attach to different mobility experiences. Our normativity and social positions have implications for the representation of people and places. In this way, methodological decisions are interlinked with the production and reproduction of mobility injustice and epistemic injustice. With its starting point in reflexive methodology, this article critically examines qualitative mobility research based on a research project in its final phases and exemplifies how mobility injustice is easily produced and reproduced in the research process. By way of confronting this tendency, we demonstrate that the interview guide is a powerful tool for supporting reflexivity at all stages of the research process, identifying new perspectives, and promoting reflexive mobilities research that recognises epistemic justice. However, the strategy is not infallible as it is impossible for mobilities researchers to identify all blind spots in their own culture, research field and language. A rich research community and adequate time for researchers to circle around and outside their core field are also crucial for supporting reflexivity and for reflexive mobilities research to thrive.

Transforming Commerce: A Bibliometric Exploration of E-Commerce Trends and Innovations in the Digital Age

The digital era has ushered in a transformative shift in commerce, culminating in the rise of e-commerce as a dominant force in the global market. This study employs a comprehensive bibliometric analysis, utilizing VOSviewer, to delve into the intricate fabric of e-commerce trends and innovations within the context of the digital age. Through the exploration of publication trends, co-authorship networks, keyword clustering, citation patterns, and emerging technologies, this research maps the intellectual terrain of e-commerce research. The findings illuminate the multidimensional evolution of e-commerce, from personalized mobile experiences to the integration of cutting-edge technologies. The analysis highlights pivotal contributions, collaborative dynamics, and emergent themes, providing a holistic understanding of how commerce has been reshaped in the digital age.

Geofencing in location-based behavioral research: Methodology, challenges, and implementation

This manuscript presents a novel geofencing method in behavioral research. Geofencing, built upon geolocation technology, constitutes virtual fences around specific locations. Every time a participant crosses the virtual border around the geofenced area, an event can be triggered on a smartphone, e.g., the participant may be asked to complete a survey. The geofencing method can alleviate the problems of constant location tracking, such as recording sensitive geolocation information and battery drain. In scenarios where locations for geofencing are determined by participants (e.g., home, workplace), no location data need to be transferred to the researcher, so this method can ensure privacy and anonymity. Given the widespread use of smartphones and mobile Internet, geofencing has become a feasible tool in studying human behavior and cognition outside of the laboratory. The method can help advance theoretical and applied psychological science at a new frontier of context-aware research. At the same time, there is a lack of guidance on how and when geofencing can be applied in research. This manuscript aims to fill the gap and ease the adoption of the geofencing method. We describe the current challenges and implementations in geofencing and present three empirical studies in which we evaluated the geofencing method using the Samply application, a tool for mobile experience sampling research. The studies show that sensitivity and precision of geofencing were affected by the type of event, location radius, environment, operating system, and user behavior. Potential implications and recommendations for behavioral research are discussed.