Online Study Research Articles

Measuring Relationship Influences on Romantic Couples' Cancer-Related Behaviors During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Protocol for a Longitudinal Online Study of Dyads and Cancer Survivors.

Research has established the effects of romantic relationships on individuals' morbidity and mortality. However, the interplay between relationship functioning, affective processes, and health behaviors has been relatively understudied. During the COVID-19 pandemic, relational processes may influence novel health behaviors such as social distancing and masking. We describe the design, recruitment, and methods of the relationships, risk perceptions, and cancer-related behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic study. This study was developed to understand how relational and affective processes influence romantic partners' engagement in cancer prevention behaviors as well as health behaviors introduced or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The relationships, risk perceptions, and cancer-related behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic study used online survey methods to recruit and enroll 2 cohorts of individuals involved in cohabiting romantic relationships, including 1 cohort of dyads (n=223) and 1 cohort of cancer survivors (n=443). Survey assessments were completed over 2 time points that were 5.57 (SD 3.14) weeks apart on average. Health behaviors assessed included COVID-19 vaccination and social distancing, physical activity, diet, sleep, alcohol use, and smoking behavior. We also examined relationship factors, psychological distress, and household chaos. Data collection occurred between October 2021 and August 2022. During that time, a total of 926 participants were enrolled, of which about two-thirds were from the United Kingdom (n=622, 67.8%) and one-third were from the United States (n=296, 32.2%); about two-thirds were married (n=608, 66.2%) and one-third were members of unmarried couples (n=294, 32%). In cohorts 1 and 2, the mean age was about 34 and 50, respectively. Out of 478 participants in cohort 1, 19 (4%) identified as Hispanic or Latino/a, 79 (17%) as non-Hispanic Asian, 40 (9%) as non-Hispanic Black or African American, and 306 (64%) as non-Hispanic White; 62 (13%) participants identified their sexual orientation as bisexual or pansexual, 359 (75.1%) as heterosexual or straight, and 53 (11%) as gay or lesbian. In cohort 2, out of 440 participants, 13 (3%) identified as Hispanic or Latino/a, 8 (2%) as non-Hispanic Asian, 5 (1%) as non-Hispanic Black or African American, and 398 (90.5%) as non-Hispanic White; 41 (9%) participants identified their sexual orientation as bisexual or pansexual, 384 (87.3%) as heterosexual or straight, and 13 (3%) as gay or lesbian. The overall enrollment rate for individuals was 66.14% and the overall completion rate was 80.08%. We discuss best practices for collecting online survey data for studies examining relationships and health, challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, recruitment of underrepresented populations, and enrollment of dyads. Recommendations include conducting pilot studies, allowing for extra time in the data collection timeline for marginalized or underserved populations, surplus screening to account for expected attrition within dyads, as well as planning dyad-specific data quality checks. DERR1-10.2196/48516.

It makes me happy: anthropomorphism increases consumer preference for healthy food

PurposePeople frequently experience a conflict between immediate pleasure and long-term health when consuming healthy food. This study investigates how anthropomorphizing healthy food influences consumers’ sense of pleasure and their subsequent food preferences.Design/methodology/approachUsing different samples and food items, the authors conducted five online or laboratory studies to provide empirical support for the research hypothesis, rule out potential alternative explanations, and demonstrate boundary conditions.FindingsBy conducting five empirical studies involving self-reported and actual eating preferences, this study found that anthropomorphism increases consumer preference for and actual intake of healthy food. Such an anthropomorphism effect is driven by the increased positive affect evoked by anthropomorphism. However, this positive effect is suppressed for consumers who experience low trust in their affective feelings. Additionally, the effect is weakened when consumers readily attribute their affective feelings to a target-irrelevant source.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature on healthy consumption, anthropomorphism, and mood, revealing whether and how food anthropomorphism affects consumers. For marketers in the field of healthy food and relevant policymakers, anthropomorphic means can be employed, such as giving products human names, to enhance consumer preference for them. Moreover, anthropomorphizing can help alleviate consumers’ concerns about the relative lack of pleasurable taste in healthy foods and compensate for the lack of hedonic value that consumers may feel, thereby enhancing consumer welfare.HighlightsAnthropomorphism increases consumer preference for healthy food and actual intake of it.The anthropomorphism effect is driven by the increased positive affect evoked by anthropomorphism, through which affective feelings offer evaluative and decisional informativeness for judgments and decision-making.The positive effect of anthropomorphism is suppressed for consumers who experience low trust in their affective feelings.The anthropomorphism effect is weakened when consumers readily attribute their affective feelings to a target-irrelevant source.

What has changed us? Investigating consumers’ behaviors for m-commerce: Comparing the pre- and post-pandemic eras

ABSTRACT As the government, companies, and customers try to find a way to adapt to the post-pandemic era, we aim to examine how this new trend influences consumers’ intentions and preferred shopping styles. This study empirically examines the associations between different types (in-store vs. online) of customers, perceived security, and behavioral intention toward adopting m-commerce before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Two online studies were conducted for data collection in 2020 and 2023. We found that, first, the concern of perceived security when using m-commerce is insignificant during the pandemic for in-store customers and does not serve as an extra threat for both types of customers after the pandemic. Second, both in-store and online customers showed inconsistencies between their intentions and behaviors toward mobile commerce during the pandemic, and the tendency to adopt such services could be a temporary effect due to the pandemic as customers exhibited coherent behaviors after the pandemic. Furthermore, the combined effect of the pandemic and customer type to m-commerce adoption was strengthened during the post-pandemic era, indicating that despite in-store customers may use m-commerce when needed, they still prefer to shop physically.

Prevalence and correlates of insomnia and fatigue in patients with type 2 diabetes in Jordan.

Objective: The present study examined the prevalence and correlates of insomnia and fatigue in patients with type-2 diabetes in Jordan.Methods: This was a cross-sectional online study involving a convenience sample of 390 patients with type-2 diabetes. Insomnia was assessed by the Insomnia-Severity Index (ISI-A) and fatigue by the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI-A).Results: Severe insomnia was present in 132 patients (33.8%), and was correlated with length of diabetes (diagnosis >5years) (OR = 2.13, 95% CI = 1.19-3.81, P = 0.01), presence of uncontrolled diabetes (OR = 1.97, 95% CI = 1.45-2.69, P < 0.001), taking gabapentin (OR = 2.07, 95% CI = 1.07-4.01, P = 0.003), and age (<40 years) (OR = 0.30, 95% CI = 0.13-0.69, P = 0.005). Significant fatigue was also prevalent and correlated with gender (female) (B = 9.25, t = 4.48, P < 0.001), age (<40years) (B = 7.56, t = 2.56, P = 0.01), a diagnosis of hypertension (B = 4.74, t = 2.03, P = 0.04), uncontrolled diabetes (B = 7.21, t = 4.82, P < 0.001), and taking a sulfonylurea (B = 8.03, t = 3.37, P < 0.001), carbamazepine (B = 10.93, t = 2.65, P = 0.008), or gabapentin (B = 12.60, t = 3.83, P < 0.001).Conclusion: Given the high prevalence of insomnia and fatigue in this population, increased attention by primary healthcare providers to these symptoms in diabetic patients is required, particularly in developing countries such as Jordan.

Who Needs Academic Campuses? Are There Advantages to Studying on an Academic Campus Considering the Experience of Online Teaching Five Years after COVID-19?

This study explores students’ perceptions of the advantages of academic campuses as the location of studies that involve social interaction, with a focus on the role of social interaction in the learning experience. The study examines students’ perspectives approximately five years after the time of COVID-19, when online studies have become more prevalent. Participants were 1048 students from several departments at two academic institutions, a university and a college, of whom 39.1% (407) were male and 60.9% (633) female. The age of the respondents ranged from 18–23 (30.4%), 24–30 (60.3%), and 31–63 (9.3%). Among all respondents, 64.2% were studying social sciences and 35.8% engineering. A mixed methods research design was employed, combining qualitative and quantitative analysis. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to test the goodness-of-fit of the presented model. The research findings showed that measures of comprehensibility, concentration, and contact with the lecturer enhance learning in a physical classroom more than learning via online teaching. However, interaction with peers does not improve one’s studies at all and is not a sufficient reason to attend classes. These findings are based on analysis of survey responses, after applying SEM to test the goodness-of-fit of the presented model. The final model showed a good fit: CMIN/DF = 1.26, CFI = 0.999, NFI = 0.996, TLI = 0.994, RMSEA = 0.02. The findings of this study may hold importance for leaders of higher education when endeavoring to plan teaching, learning, and evaluation at academic institutions and for shaping the academic campus as a significant educational space in the future. Moreover, the findings may have important implications for education management strategies towards sustainable development. Higher education institutions need to re-evaluate the role of the physical campus and social interaction within it in the era of remote learning.

Influence of digital health literacy on online health-related behaviors influenced by internet advertising

BackgroundThe frequency of health-related information seeking on the internet and social media platforms has increased remarkably. Thus, the ability to understand and select accurate health-related information online, known as EHealth literacy, is crucial for the population. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate how eHealth literacy influences the critical analysis of oral health-related information obtained from the Internet and its influence on oral health-related behaviors. MethodsA cross-sectional online study was conducted with 418 Brazilian adults who responded to the eHEALS questionnaire, with questions regarding the influence of online information on oral health decisions. Socioeconomic and demographic characteristics were also collected.ResultsThe mean eHEALS score was 27.85 (± 8.13), with a range spanning from 8 to 40 points. Participants with higher eHEALS scores reported using social media platforms to seek for dentists and to acque information about symptoms, diagnoses, and treatments. Furthermore, this group tended not to disregard professional health recommendations based on Internet information and abstained from utilizing products promoted by digital influencers. In multivariate models, increased eHEALS scores were associated with reduced consumption of products endorsed by digital influencers.ConclusionsThe findings from this study suggest that individuals with higher scores on the eHealth literacy questionnaire often conduct research on their health status and seek for health care providers on the Internet. Moreover, these individuals were less likely to be influenced by digital influencers.

The relative importance of postharvest eating quality and sustainability attributes for apple fruit: A case study using new sensory–consumer approaches

Consumer-sensory methods based on check-all-that-apply (CATA) for texture and flavour terms and conceptual descriptors offer alternatives for characterising eating quality. In this study, ‘Red Delicious’, ‘Gala’ and ‘Scilate’ apples (Malus domestica Borkh.), which were of comparable instrumental firmness, and similar in crispness and apple flavour, evoked profoundly different consumer responses. Mean liking scores from 122 consumers were 7.1 (∼like moderately), 5.8 (∼like slightly), and 5.1 (∼neither like nor dislike) for ‘Scilate’, ‘Gala’, and ‘Red Delicious’ respectively, and cluster analysis indicated three consumer-segments: one that preferred ‘Scilate’ over the other cultivars (62 % of consumers), another that liked ‘Scilate’ and ‘Gala’ equally over ‘Red Delicious’ (26 %), and a small third segment that liked ‘Red Delicious’ and ‘Gala’ equally over ‘Scilate’ (12 %). In the associated experimental auction, consumers were provided with $US3, and the mean bids for ‘Scilate’, ‘Gala’, and ‘Red Delicious’ reflected the pattern of consumer liking at $US1.72, $US0.79, and $US0.52, respectively. Correspondence analysis plots of CATA data indicated that ‘Scilate’ was associated with sensory descriptors sweet, fruity, tropical and pear flavours and positive conceptual descriptors including exciting, complex, unique, premium, yummy, intense, and powerful. ‘Gala’ and ‘Red Delicious’ were associated with sensory descriptors including old, mealy, bland, green-grassy and sour-acidic and negative conceptual descriptors dissatisfied, inferior, boring, disappointing, and uninspiring. A best-worst scaling methodology was used to elicit consumers’ priorities regarding the aspects of apple quality and production sustainability. Despite the profound differences in eating quality uncovered in the hedonic and CATA tasks, the statement ‘tastes like the best apple eaten today’ was assessed as being only 23 % as important as the statement ‘grown in a way that is sustainable and does not harm the environment’ in consumer choices. This notable outcome was contradicted in a matching online study changing the eating quality statement ‘tastes like the best apple eaten today’ to ‘Crisp, juicy and sweet’ (the attributes most frequently identified in the sensory CATA). This suggests that trade-offs between eating quality and sustainability are subject to context effects associated with whether taste is an experienced or imagined factor. There is an urgent need to better understand how consumers’ needs for sustainability in the food production system might alter what is acceptable in terms of eating quality.

Investigation of intra-fractionated range guided adaptive proton therapy: I. On-line PET imaging and range measurement

Objective. Develop a prototype on-line positron emission tomography (PET) scanner and evaluate its capability of on-line imaging and intra-fractionated proton-induced radioactivity range measurement. Approach. Each detector consists of 32 × 32 array of 2 × 2 × 30 mm3 Lutetium–Yttrium Oxyorthosilicate scintillators with single-scintillator-end readout through a 20 × 20 array of 3 × 3 mm2 Silicon Photomultipliers. The PET can be configurated with a full-ring of 20 detectors for conventional PET imaging or a partial-ring of 18 detectors for on-line imaging and range measurement. All detector-level readout and processing electronics are attached to the backside of the system gantry and their output signals are transferred to a field-programable-gate-array based system electronics and data acquisition that can be placed 2 m away from the gantry. The PET imaging performance and radioactivity range measurement capability were evaluated by both the offline study that placed a radioactive source with known intensity and distribution within a phantom and the online study that irradiated a phantom with proton beams under different radiation and imaging conditions. Main results. The PET has 32 cm diameter and 6.5 cm axial length field-of-view (FOV), ∼2.3–5.0 mm spatial resolution within FOV, 3% sensitivity at the FOV center, 18%–30% energy resolution, and ∼9 ns coincidence time resolution. The offline study shows the PET can determine the shift of distal falloff edge position of a known radioactivity distribution with the accuracy of 0.3 ± 0.3 mm even without attenuation and scatter corrections, and online study shows the PET can measure the shift of proton-induced positron radioactive range with the accuracy of 0.6 ± 0.3 mm from the data acquired with a short-acquisition (60 s) and low-dose (5 MU) proton radiation to a human head phantom. Significance. This study demonstrated the capability of intra-fractionated PET imaging and radioactivity range measurement and will enable the investigation on the feasibility of intra-fractionated, range-shift compensated adaptive proton therapy.

Coping behaviour and defense mechanisms of nursing staff depending on the level of severity of emotional burnout

Introduction. Health care professionals’ (HCP) occupational activity is associated with a highly intense psycho-emotional load. The purpose of the study is to identify the basic strategies of stress-overcoming behaviour in the cognitive, emotional, and behavioural spheres and the characteristics of defense mechanisms among nursing staff. Materials and methods. An online study of coping strategies and defense mechanisms (DM) was carried out using E. Heim’s questionnaire, and method “Life Style Index”. The respondents were divided into two subgroups depending on the severity of emotional burnout (EB). Research results are displayed as median, upper and lower quartiles, and extensive indicators. The comparison of indicators was carried out using the χ2 criterion, the relationship between characteristics was assessed using correlation analysis, and the structure of the DM was studied using the factor analysis. Results. Non-constructive and relatively adaptive copings predominate in the structure of cognitive strategies among HCP with an average and high level of EB. Adaptive copings predominate among emotional strategies in HCP with an average level of EB, and non-adaptive and relatively adaptive in HCP with a high EB level. Non-constructive copings were in the majority among HCP with a high level of EB. The dominant MD among HCP with an average level of EB are “denial”, “repression”, “reaction formation”, and “regression”, “intellectualization”, “reaction formation” in HCP with a high EB level. The distribution of the largest weight loads in the MD complex is not identical; the common feature is the presence of “regression”, “compensation” in the first factor, “repression”, “response formation” in the second, and “denial” in the third. Limitations. The study is one-stage, performed with the participation of one occupational group. Conclusion. Non-adaptive, relatively adaptive cognitive and behavioural coping strategies predominate in the structure of coping behaviour among HCP with different levels of EB. The combination of MD in HCP with different EB levels is a key subsystem of interrelated functioning protective mechanisms that ensure the preservation of mental homeostasis and the integrity of the individual.

The impact of video gaming, music, and social media on physical activities among adults in China and Germany

ABSTRACT Videogaming, music listening, and social media are popular activities in leisure time. In this study, we aim to investigate if time spent on these leisure activities has impacts on physical activity (PA) level across China and Germany. Accordingly, we undertook an online study among adults in China (n = 1123) and Germany (n = 1009) from December 2021 to February 2022. We found that adults in Germany reported higher energy expenditure on PA than those in China. Adults in Germany preferred a high level of PA, while adults in China preferred a low level. We also found that less time on videogaming or more time on music listening was associated with higher PA level. Interestingly, time spent on social media had no effect on PA level. Our findings suggested that regulating time spent on video gaming and music listening might help promote the public’s physical activities.

Misophonia reactions in the general population are correlated with strong emotional reactions to other everyday sensory-emotional experiences.

Misophonic experiences are common in the general population, and they may shed light on everyday emotional reactions to multi-modal stimuli. We performed an online study of a non-clinical sample to understand the extent to which adults who have misophonic reactions are generally reactive to a range of audio-visual emotion-inducing stimuli. We also hypothesized that musicality might be predictive of one's emotional reactions to these stimuli because music is an activity that involves strong connections between sensory processing and meaningful emotional experiences. Participants completed self-report scales of misophonia and musicality. They also watched videos meant to induce misophonia, autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) and musical chills, and were asked to click a button whenever they had any emotional reaction to the video. They also rated the emotional valence and arousal of each video. Reactions to misophonia videos were predicted by reactions to ASMR and chills videos, which could indicate that the frequency with which individuals experience emotional responses varies similarly across both negative and positive emotional contexts. Musicality scores were not correlated with measures of misophonia. These findings could reflect a general phenotype of stronger emotional reactivity to meaningful sensory inputs. This article is part of the theme issue 'Sensing and feeling: an integrative approach to sensory processing and emotional experience'.

The impact of social media use on the relationship between social isolation and connectedness during COVID-19 in Hong Kong

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has emphasised the importance of social connectedness, whilst the popularity of social media continues to rise. The present study examined the relationship between engagement on social networking sites (SNSs), social connectedness and social isolation in a sample of Hong Kong Chinese adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 232 participants (65% female) aged 18–65 years were recruited to a cross-sectional online study. SNS engagement was predictive of social connectedness in the present sample. Findings revealed that SNS engagement was associated with lower levels of social isolation. Younger participants reported greater engagement with SNSs, and lower levels of social isolation compared to older participants. However, older respondents reported greater levels of social connectedness. No gender differences were observed in social connectedness, but men reported significantly higher levels of social isolation compared to women. With the COVID-19 pandemic only just at an end, social restrictions have recently been lifted in Hong Kong, resulting in the significance of online communication becoming ever more important as a means of maintaining social connectedness.

A jsPsych touchscreen extension for behavioral research on touch-enabled interfaces

Online experiments are increasingly gaining traction in the behavioral sciences. Despite this, behavioral researchers have largely continued to use keyboards as the primary input devices for such online studies, overlooking the ubiquity of touchscreens in everyday use. This paper presents an open-source touchscreen extension for jsPsych, a JavaScript framework designed for conducting online experiments. We additionally evaluated the touchscreen extension assessing whether typical behavioral findings from two distinct perceptual decision-making tasks – the random-dot kinematogram and the Stroop task – can similarly be observed when administered via touchscreen devices compared to keyboard devices. Our findings indicate similar performance metrics for each paradigm between the touchscreen and keyboard versions of the experiments. Specifically, we observe similar psychometric curves in the random-dot kinematogram across the touchscreen and keyboard versions. Similarly, in the Stroop task, we detect significant task, congruency, and sequential congruency effects in both experiment versions. We conclude that our open-source touchscreen extension serves as a promising tool for data collection in online behavioral experiments on forced-choice tasks.

Information and Counseling needs Regarding Parenthood Decisions: Are Existing Services Sufficient and what Role does Depression Play?

Support needs in parenting decisions and the associated desire for information and counseling services are insufficiently researched, especially in relation to groups of people with mental health burdens. The aim of this study was to assess information and counseling needs in parenting decisions. In addition, we investigated whether more severe depressive symptomatology is associated with increased needs. A sample of 187 individuals between the ages of 20 and 44 was surveyed in an online study. Not having enough information on the topic was expressed by 45% of participants, and the desire for information related to multiple topics. A larger offer of professional coun-seling was desired by 65% of the participants, 74% (rather) did not know where to get it. Existing counseling services were used infrequently in relation to needs and with predominantly moderate satisfaction. Greater depressive symptomatology was not associated with increased information or counseling needs. Findings suggest an expansion of support services on parenting decisions. Further research into the needs of different groups and barriers to using existing services is essential.

The EQ-5D-3L valuation study for Bermuda: using an on-line EQ-VT protocol.

In many countries, methods of economic evaluation and Health Technology Assessment are used to inform healthcare resource allocation decisions. These approaches often require EQ-5D health outcomes measures. This study aimed to create an EQ-5D-3L value set for Bermuda from which EQ-5D-5L Crosswalk values could be obtained. Respondents in Bermuda were recruited locally. A team of Trinidad-based interviewers with prior EQ-5D-3L valuation experience conducted valuation interviews on-line using the EQ-VT protocol. Respondents completed composite time-trade off (cTTO) and discrete choice experiment (DCE) tasks. A hybrid model that included both the cTTO and DCE data was estimated. An EQ-5D-5L crosswalk value set was then created from the EQ-5D-3L index values. Coefficients in the resulting crosswalk model were compared with those of crosswalk and valuation studies from other countries. The valuation tasks were completed by a near-representative sample of 366 adult Bermuda citizens. Half of the respondents reported being in state 11111. The lowest EQ VAS and EQ-5D-3L index values were 20 and -0.120 respectively. The hybrid model produced all logically consistent and statistically significant coefficients that in turn produced index values that were very similar to those obtained in a preliminary model (MAD of 0.027). The on-line EQ-VT valuation study was successfully conducted in Bermuda and the values therein can now be used for economic analysis in Bermuda. The Bermuda values differed considerably from those of the other countries against which they were compared. Challenges were encountered with recruitment for an on-line survey in a small population.

Instructor presence in instructional videos in higher education: three field experiments in university courses

AbstractIn formal educational settings, such as online university lectures, instructional videos often consist of PowerPoint slides accompanied by a video or audio explanation from the instructor. It has been assumed that the social cues provided by the instructor’s video may facilitate affective processes and affect learning outcomes. Research on instructor presence in instructional videos has focused primarily on laboratory and online studies that are not embedded in the courses in which learners are enrolled. Therefore, we present three field studies examining instructor presence in instructional videos embedded in higher education courses to strengthen external validity (exam-relevant topic, &gt; 30 min long, personally known instructor). The results of these studies show positive effects of a visible instructor compared to no visible instructor on some affective measures: social presence in Study 1 (n = 18, d = .85) and well-being in Study 3 (n = 38, d = 1.01), but not on others (well-being in Studies 1 &amp; 2 (n = 53); motivation in Studies 1–3, social presence in Studies 2 &amp; 3). They also show no effects on extraneous processing or learning outcomes (Studies 1–3). Thus, no general effect of instructor presence can be shown for instructional videos embedded in university courses in higher education, but there are also no detrimental effects. This leads to implications for future research, teaching, and design practice.

The impact of cultural and institutional race-related stress on mental health outcomes among ethnic/racially minoritized young adults: Ethnic identity as a protective factor.

Racism is multidimensional with three main domains: individual, cultural, and institutional. Much of the research linking racism/race-related stress to negative health outcomes have focused on race-related stress based on full-scale scores or within the individual domain of racism. Far less research has examined the cultural and institutional domains. Thus, the present study examined whether (a) there is a direct positive effect of cultural and institutional race-related stress on anxiety and depressive symptoms among a sample of ethnic/racially minoritized (ERM) young adults and whether (b) ethnic identity affirmation, belongingness, and commitment (EI-ABC), which has been identified as a protective factor of racism, buffers the effect of cultural and institutional race-related stress on symptoms of anxiety and depression. A total of 515 ERM young adults (58.5% females, Mage = 23.94, SD = 5.86) completed an online study examining stress and health outcomes among ERM young adults. A series of multiple regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between race-related stress and anxiety and depressive symptoms and the moderating role of EI-ABC. Cultural and institutional race-related stress were found to significantly predict symptoms of depression and anxiety. Further, EI-ABC significantly buffered the effect of cultural (but not institutional) race-related stress on anxiety symptoms. Interventions for cultural race-related stress among ERMs that target anxiety symptoms should include building high EI-ABC. Additional research should identify factors that may alleviate symptoms of anxiety or depression associated with experiencing cultural and institutional race-related stress among ERM young adults. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

“He’s used drugs - he’s biased! He’s not a drug user - what would he know!”: A cross-sectional, online study of drug researchers’ experiential knowledge of drug use and disclosure

IntroductionDespite the recognized value of experiential knowledge, drug use and disclosure of drug use within the drug research community is rarely discussed or studied. MethodsWe distributed a cross-sectional online survey using targeted recruitment. Researchers provided information on drug use, disclosure of use (or abstinence) professionally, and their impact via write-in text boxes. We used the general inductive approach to analyze the data. ResultsOf the sample (n=669, 43 countries), 52 % were cisgender women, 89 % had post-graduate education, and 79 % worked in academia. Most (86 %) reported lifetime drug use and 47 % past 3-month use. Among 557 researchers who used drugs, 59 % disclosed their use to institutional colleagues, 59 % to colleagues outside their institution, 25 % to research participants, and 11 % in their research/scholarship. Themes included frequency; context; meaning of drug use disclosure personally, professionally, and socially; and how drug use experience and disclosure informs research. Respondents connected their concerns about disclosure in research with issues of social identity, professional risk, and the role of stigma related to lived experience. Some respondents felt that such concerns reinforce a vacuum, noting that the inability to disclose drug use limits research questions and the knowledge base overall. DiscussionOur findings support the dichotomy of thought surrounding the lived experience of drug use: “[They’ve] used drugs- [they’re] biased!” and “[They’re] not a drug user-what would [they] know!” Our findings provide an opportunity to reflect upon our positionality and the impact researchers’ own drug use may have on the field.

Mapping olfactory cues for wayfinding – a theoretical approach and an empirical study

ABSTRACT Nowadays, navigation systems are widely used to find the shortest path between a starting point and a destination. In order to guide the user these systems rely on visual information. However, consider, e.g. visually impaired or elderly people. They may not be able to navigate using only visual information. Additionally, sometimes there is no visual information (i.e. visual landmark) available. In such a case olfactory information could be a helpful route guidance. To identify possible olfactory cues, we performed two online studies as well as a focus-group interview and identified 13 different smell classes usable for navigation and wayfinding. Based on our results, we gathered data for these classes in an urban environment. We collected 201 smells and mapped their values for the properties temporary, intensity, and notes. We underline the findings of previous studies that the majority of odours in an urban area are gastronomy and waste-related odours. We find a number of smells that have daily or seasonal dependencies and conclude that the temporary property should be captured in more detail in future studies. We also discuss additional properties of smells and smell mapping that should be considered in future work.

Are we afraid of the woods? – An investigation of the implicit and explicit fear reactions to forests

The beneficial effects of nature exposure have been repeatedly documented and encourage frequent and regular contact with nature and especially highlight forests. However, in human history, forests have also been associated with negative emotions such as fear and were seen as dangerous environments. While existing literature could demonstrate that natural environments can evoke fear, the focus was on the explicit perception. Given that research has shown the significance of additional implicit processes in fear-related behaviour, we aim to explore the presence of an implicit fear response to forests. Therefore, in an online study, we investigated the explicit and implicit fear reactions to forests by a Northern German sample of N = 256. Using three explicit measurements, we investigated fear and danger perception on a semantic and visual level of the stimulus category "forest" compared to the human-made urban green space "park" and the urban setting "house". Additionally, we assessed the unconscious response tendencies towards the forest within three implicit tasks: Subliminal Priming Procedure (SPP), Affect Misattribution Procedure (AMP) and Approach-Avoidance Task (AAT). Within the analyzed sample, the subliminally presented word forest evoked a stronger positive valence response compared to park (SPP). In contrast to houses, the forest showed a stronger approach and weaker avoidance tendency (AAT). At the same time, both the three explicit and one implicit measurement (AMP) showed a stronger fear perception of forests compared to parks or houses. Considering the increasingly utilised beneficial effects of nature in interventions, these findings should be acknowledged when implementing nature exposure in interventions and treatments.