Individual-environment Interaction Research Articles

Sports participation, perceived neighborhood safety, and individual cognitions: how do they interact?

BackgroundLittle is known about the interaction between individual and environmental determinants of physical activity, although this may be important information for the development of effective interventions. The goal of this paper is to investigate whether perceived neighborhood safety modifies associations between individual cognitions and sports participation.MethodsCross-sectional data were obtained from residents (age 25-75) of 87 neighborhoods in the city of Eindhoven, who participated in the Dutch GLOBE study in 2004 (N = 2474). We used multilevel logistic regression to analyze the interactions between perceived neighborhood safety and individual cognitions (attitude, self-efficacy, social influence, and intention) on sports participation (yes/no).ResultsIn its association with sports participation, perceived neighborhood safety interacted significantly with self-efficacy and attitude (p < 0.05). Among persons who perceived their neighborhood as safe, a positive attitude was strongly associated with sports participation (OR = 2.00, 95%CI = 1.48-2.71). In contrast, attitude was not associated with sports participation in persons who perceived their neighborhood as unsafe (OR = 0.65, 95%CI = 0.34-1.24). Further, self-efficacy was significantly stronger associated with sports participation in persons who perceived their neighborhood as unsafe (OR = 1.85, 95%CI = 1.31-2.60) than in those who perceived their neighborhood as safe (OR = 1.19, 95%CI = 1.05-1.36). Social influence and intention did not interact with perceived neighborhood safety.ConclusionsAssociations between individual cognitions and sports participation depend on neighborhood circumstances, such as perceived neighborhood safety. Interventions to promote sports participation in adults should take the interaction between environmental and individual characteristics into account. More research is needed to find out the causal pathways in individual-environment interactions.

Sobre a relação entre filogenia e ontogenia no desenvolvimento da lateralidade na infância

A lateralidade humana tem sido concebida como sendo predominantemente o resultado de fatores filogeneticos do desenvolvimento humano, enquanto que apenas importância secundaria tem sido atribuida a interacao individuo-ambiente. Neste estudo e apresentada uma revisao critica da literatura com indicadores da influencia de fatores filo e ontogeneticos no desenvolvimento da lateralidade, com particular enfase aos primeiros anos de vida. A partir dos resultados discutidos, propomos que a lateralidade humana e um processo dinâmico, com efeitos marcantes das experiencias sensorio-motoras lateralizadas sobre a preferencia manual e assimetrias interlaterais de desempenho motor.

Gesundheit, Selbststeuerung körperlicher Signale und Intelligenz: Überblick und Hypothese

Childhood IQ and adult morbidity and mortality are known to be linked even beyond socioeconomic variables. Yet, their interrelations are insufficiently understood. It has been suggested that bodily sensations play a fundamental role in health-related self-regulation and that intelligence can influence the information processing of these somatic signals. This assumption is supported by reports on the influence of IQ on the exteroceptive (e.g. visual and auditory) and interoceptive (e.g. autonomic nervous system and posture) perception and processing of somatic information. Based on these findings the hypothesis of Psychosomatic Intelligence (PI) is introduced as an additional conceptual framework to probe the link between childhood IQ and adult health status. It implies a specific cognitive ability concerning the perception, interpretation, and self-regulation of bodily sensations. In this model, somatic signals are considered to reflect both intra-individual processes and individual-environment interactions. Based on this hypothesis the influence of intelligence on cognitive efforts to self-regulate somatic phenomena is amenable to systematic testing.

The Explicit Representation of Context in Agent-Based Models of Complex Adaptive Spatial Systems

The dynamic behavior of complex adaptive spatial systems is driven by interactions that occur among system components. The proper representation of individual–individual and individual–environment interaction in agent-based simulations of such systems is, therefore, of paramount importance to model design. In this article we develop and implement a context-driven, agent-based modeling approach that supports the explicit representation of situation-dependent information for decision making within dynamic spatial environments. This context-driven approach is characterized by the identification of primitive contextual elements, the organization of such elements into context patterns, and contextualized learning. We synthesize two existing frameworks for the representation of spatiotemporal context and extend them to include higher level constructs and feedback mechanisms needed for learning and adaptation. Contextualized information is organized, analyzed, and used by agents to enhance their problem-solving capabilities. Dynamically changing information relevant to the decision-making processes of agents is captured in this approach and used to drive spatiotemporal learning in agents. We examine the utility of this context-driven approach via an agent-based model of elk movement. Elk in this model are represented as contextually aware intelligent agents that learn optimal movement patterns and adapt to heterogeneous landscape dynamics. The internal and external stimuli received by elk during migration are incorporated into the representation of agent context. The context-driven approach, as experimental results indicate, provides solid support for the representation of individual-centric interactions within complex adaptive spatial systems.

Response to Chastin et al.: ANALYSIS OF NONLINEAR PATTERNS OF ACTIVITY

Response to Chastin et al.: ANALYSIS OF NONLINEAR PATTERNS OF ACTIVITY

Associations of personal and mobility resources with subjective well-being among older adults in Italy and Germany

The purpose of this study was to investigate the patterns of associations of personal and mobility resources with positive well-being in two sample populations of older adults from Germany ( n = 1518) and Italy ( n = 600). A correlation study showed which variables correlated the closest with the well-being components, then four logistic regression analyses were performed, one for each well-being component such as the positive and negative affect schedule (PANAS) positive scale, mobility satisfaction, health satisfaction and life satisfaction. High positive scores of PANAS and satisfaction scales were found both for Germany and Italy. As expected and in accordance with previous studies, components utilized as a measure of subjective well-being correlated significantly with each other in both countries, confirming their validity as instruments of evaluation for several different life domains. A considerable result of this study was that the driving car is an important predictor of well-being in both countries. The findings underlined a variety of associations among the mobility resources and the subjective perception of well-being. Our work supports the importance of being aware of the main variables influencing the positive dimension of well-being for creating a better understanding the needs and goals of older people. Moreover, the present study shows that individual–environment interaction should be considered in evaluating personal well-being, especially in older people.

From disablement to enablement: Conceptual models of disability in the 20th century

Purpose. The aim of this work is to provide a general view of the conceptual elaborations on disablement in the 20th century and to discuss the role of these different contributions in developing the current concepts of disablement.Method. A review of the literature on conceptual models of disablement in the past century has been performed.Results. The 20th century has witnessed important theoretical considerations on health, diseases and their consequences. These considerations have generated various conceptual models, some of which share the same focus and point of arrival, the so-called ‘Disablement Process’. Among the models that were developed, two stand out, which were drafted and disseminated under the aegis of the World Health Organization, namely the International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities and Handicaps (ICIDH) and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), but these are just one part of the conceptual elaboration in the field. Further conceptualization was produced in health and social settings by specialists, self-advocacy associations and activist groups.Conclusions. The current ICF model of the World Health Organization has been translated and recognized in 191 countries; it also incorporates the contribution of self-advocacy associations and it is now recognized by most of them. This model has enjoyed higher visibility than other conceptual models, though its level of development was not higher or more original. To our opinion the ICF is not very clear on the essential choice of the model, i.e., to see disablement as a dynamic process that happens when personal limits collide with socio-environmental needs, rather than as a personal feature. This choice is instead clearer in other models, like Nagi's 1991, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) model by Brandt and Pope, where the identification of three dimensions (the individual, the environment and the individual-environment interaction) clarifies the role played by all three dimensions within the process of disablement and introduces major hints for further considerations on how to create virtuous processes of enablement.

Communication on personalised nutrition: individual-environment interaction.

The growing number of people with unhealthy lifestyles causes an increase of non-communicable diseases, thereby compromising quality of life of a large number of people. It is expected that mortality, morbidity and disability attributed to the major non-communicable diseases will rise to account for 73% of all deaths and 60% of the global burden of disease in 2020 [1]. Unhealthy eating is one of the important components of lifestyle that contributes to the development of diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Despite the large efforts, most nutrition interventions fail to effectively influence food choice. In most European countries, eating styles do not match with basic recommendations. Despite some improvements, diets still contain too much saturated fat, sugar and salt and insufficient vegetables, fruits and fish [2, 3].

Associations of social-environmental and individual-level factors with adolescent soft drink consumption: results from the SMILE study

Adolescent obesity is positively associated with soft drink consumption. We investigated the association of social-environmental and individual-level factors with soft drink consumption in a Dutch adolescent sample. Data were gathered in a longitudinal Dutch adolescent sample (n = 208, 62% girls). Soft drink consumption, social cognitions from the Theory of Planned Behaviour and parenting practices towards limited soft drink intake, and Big Five personality dimensions were assessed. Data were analyzed using three-step linear regression analyses. Effect sizes were used as the informational source for the explanatory value of the model. Interaction terms were computed to test the individual-environment interaction. Attitude and subjective norm were significantly associated with soft drink consumption. When controlling for social cognitions, the distal variables parenting practices and the personality dimension Agreeableness remained significantly associated with soft drink consumption. Agreeableness moderated the association of parenting practices with adolescent soft drink consumption. Standardized regression coefficients ranged from 0.16 to 0.24 and explained 14% of the variance in soft drink consumption, indicating a medium effect size. Stricter parenting practices were associated with less soft drink consumption and these effects were moderated by adolescent personality. The direct effects of practices and personality are noteworthy from a theoretical perspective. Implications for obesity prevention interventions are discussed.

Reflexive Photography as an Alternative Method for the Study of the Freshman Year Experience

This article describes an alternative method for the study of first-year students’ impressions of their first-semester experiences in higher education. Using an innovative, phenomenologically-oriented, individual-environment interaction technique, a sample of undergraduates from a public four-year comprehensive university were asked to take a series of reflexive photographs, representative of their impressions of the university, describe in writing the reasons why the photographs illustrated their experiences, and discuss the various underlying themes of their photographs in subsequent focus-group interviews. This reflexive photography technique breaks the study subjects away from the typical researcher-oriented quantitative technique and allows for a more open and creative analysis of student perceptions. Our research revealed a number of primary themes including perceptions about the university’s physical environment, interactions with faculty, interactions with other students, student support services, and career counseling and preparation for the future with a level of detail and university specificity not available through quantitative techniques alone.

Reflexive Photography as an Alternative Method for the Study of the Freshman Year Experience

This article describes an alternative method for the study of first-year students’ impressions of their first-semester experiences in higher education. Using an innovative, phenomenologically-oriented, individual-environment interaction technique, a sample of undergraduates from a public four-year comprehensive university were asked to take a series of reflexive photographs, representative of their impressions of the university, describe in writing the reasons why the photographs illustrated their experiences, and discuss the various underlying themes of their photographs in subsequent focus-group interviews. This reflexive photography technique breaks the study subjects away from the typical researcher-oriented quantitative technique and allows for a more open and creative analysis of student perceptions. Our research revealed a number of primary themes including perceptions about the university’s physical environment, interactions with faculty, interactions with other students, student support services, and career counseling and preparation for the future with a level of detail and university specificity not available through quantitative techniques alone.

FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL KNOWLEDGE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN

The work presented in the present article was carried out for the purpose of evaluating the effects of the limitations imposed on children's autonomy on their acquisition of environmental knowledge. The representation of the home-school intinerary was investigated in 8–11 year old children who travelled along the itinerary in different ways (on their own, accompanied by an adult, on foot or by car). The tasks included a sketch map of the route and drawing the route on a blank map of the neighbourhood. In order to investigate the role of autonomy in the development of a full understanding of the environment in which they live, the children were asked to use landmarks to find their way around a blank map of the quarter and to mark on it the position of significant components of their environment. The children's freedom of movement in the quarter was investigated by indirect observation.The data were analysed and discussed as a function of the children's method of mobility, their age and gender. The results confirm the importance of the type of individual—environment interaction, in particular of freedom of movement, in acquiring, processing and structuring environmental knowledge. Children going to school on their own achieved the best performances in both making a sketch map of the itinerary and in drawing their movements on a blank map of the quarter. Even when the representation of the environment in which they live is taken into account, the key role played by autonomy is confirmed.

Social and perceptual processes in the installation The Trade

Through a discussion of the installation piece, The Trade / Oro por Baratijas, we address the theoretical issues behind the development of ecologically based compositional work. We discuss whether ecologically based music can be studied using linguistic tools. The concepts of potentiality and actuality are situated within the perspective of individual–environment interactions. A process that describes the relationship between an individual and his specific social context is proposed: the personal environment. Consistency is discussed in relation to environmental sound listening processes and ecological modelling work. The first part of the paper concludes by suggesting that form-creation is dynamically determined by a process of mutual adaptation between listener and environment. The second part focuses on compositional methods and contextual elements as they are used in The Trade. This work has been developed through a multilevel approach where visual and sonic materials stem from social and historical issues. The organisational processes of the sound piece are based on the micro-temporal and spectral properties suggested by the visual elements in the installation. The meso-temporal dynamic is organised through ecologically constrained events. The macro-structural shape and the sources used in the piece make reference to a specific historical context, i.e. the conquest of the American continent by the European armies during the first half of the sixteenth century.

El papel del psicólogo de la educación

In this paper, being the individual-environment interactions the nuclear facts of the educational phenomenon, the psychological analyses and intervention are viewed as a necessary piece in educational tasks. Psycologists, however, cannot forget that other analyses and interventions are as much necessary as theirs, and must participate in an interdisciplinary and multiprofessional process of intervention: This exigence, as much as the faét that psychologists have not the social mandate to directly manipulate the conditions where educational interactions take place, impel us to vindicate a modality of intervention: indirect intervention, which is considered to be the most appropriate one to canalize the professional activity of psychologists in the educational field. In this modality, psychologists, by means of a technological process of adaptation, transferthe current psychological knowledge to the professionals (or no-professionals) directly involved with educational interactions.

The Nature of creativity: contemporary psychological perspectives

Preface List of contributors Introduction Part I. The Role of the Environment in Creativity: 1. The conditions of creativity Beth A. Hennessey and Teresa M. Amabile Part II. The Role of the Individual in Creativity Section 1. Psychometric Approaches: 2. The nature of creativity as manifest in its testing E. Paul Torrance 3. Putting creativity to work Frank Barron 4. Various approaches to and definitions of creativity Calvin W. Taylor Section 2. Cognitive Approaches: 5. A three-facet model of creativity Robert J. Sternberg 6. Problem solving and creativity Robert W. Weisberg 7. A computational model of scientific insight Pat Langley and Randolph Jones 8. Freedom and constraint in creativity Philip N. Johnson-Laird 9. Creativity as a mechanical process Roger C. Schank Part III. The Role of the Individual-Environment Interaction in Creativity Section 1. The Study of Creative Lives: 10. Inching our way up Mount Olympus: the evolving-systems approach to creative thinking Howard E. Gruber and Sara N. Davis 11. Creativity: dreams, insights and transformations David Henry Feldman 12. Creative lines and creative works: a synthetic scientific approach Howard Gardener Section 2. The Study of Creative Systems: 13. Society, culture, and person: a systems view of creativity Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi 14. Creativity and talent as learning Herbert J. Walberg 15. The possibility of invention D. N. Perkins 16. Creativity, leadership, and chance Dean Keith Simonton Part IV. Integration and Conclusion: 17. What do we know about creativity? Twila Z. Tardiff and Robert J. Sternberg Author index Subject index.

Person-environment congruence in the light of the person-situation controversy

Despite years of debate, the person-situation controversy has not been resolved. There is evidence for both the consistency and the variability of behavior. The question now framed is how much of each there is, and the kind of person, situation, and process units that need to be considered. A static similarity perspective on individual environment interaction no longer seems reasonable, even when domain-specific situations are studied. Models of person-environment interaction that are dynamic, interpretive, process oriented, and which focus on the stasis and flow of behavior are preferable to static descriptive models. A theory of goal-directed behavior is described which focuses on people as active agents in ongoing exchanges with the environment.

Behavioral Sciences and Health Care

The brand new edition of this highly readable text presents succinct information about how neurological, psychological, social and behavioral processes interact and together contribute to the health and wellness of individuals. Based around but expanding on the Integrated Sciences Model, and integrating the Institute of Medicine's key themes for medical training, this latest edition is organized in sections covering: Brain Systems Homeostatic Systems and Disorders Individual-Environment Interaction Development Through the Life Cycle Social and Cultural Issues Societal and Behavioral Health Challenges The Health Care System, Policy, and Economics The Clinical Relationship Psychopathology New chapters deal with Nutrition, Metabolism, and Feeding Disorders, Physician Health, Impairment, and Misconduct, the Psychiatric Evaluation, Principles of Psychotherapy, and Dementia. Clear appendices review principles of epidemiology and bio-statistics. Each chapter begins with guidance questions and ends with current recommended readings and review questions. A complete 350+ question-and-answer multiple choice-type review section not only allows readers to assess how well they have learned the material, but also highlights important points and adds additional specific information to supplement the text.

Further Test of the Relationship between Satisfaction and Perceived Self-Environment Similarity

A test of the hypothesis that satisfaction with one's environment is related to perceived self-environment similarity and to the utility of TAPE (Transactional Analysis of Personality and Environment), based on the semantic differential. 169 Ss rated the concepts Self, Ideal Self and My Club on 52 polar adjective scales. Perceived self-club environment similarity was found to be related to ratings of satisfaction with a club environment on two different forms of TAPE. The relationship between similarity and satisfaction varied for different types of club satisfaction and did not appear to reflect satisfaction with the self. It was suggested that the semantic differential is a useful tool for individual-environment interaction research but further research with it would be more effective if relationships, in terms of distance and direction, of ratings for concepts such as Self, Ideal Self and Environment, were available.