Personal Characteristics Research Articles

How ‘dark’ are Latino: Implications for nascent entrepreneurship

Nascent entrepreneurs, individuals in the initial stages of establishing new business ventures, play a crucial role in both the economy and society. By focusing on personality and workplace dynamics this study analyzes the antecedents of individual's intention to embark on entrepreneurship by using survey data from 1497 employees across nine Latin American countries including Argentina, Peru, Mexico, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Cuba, and Brazil. Our cross-cultural results reveal that a higher presence of all three components of Dark Triad traits—Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism—significantly enhances an employee's inclination toward entrepreneurship. Additionally, workers who have higher scores in these three traits perceive themselves as being ostracized or marginalized in the workplace due to their personality characteristics. This perception, in turn, makes them more interested in seeking alternative paths, such as starting their own business. Interestingly, males generally scored higher on Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism compared to females. However, in Cuba, females scored higher than males on all three traits. Geographically, Chilean employees had the highest scores for Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism, while Peruvian employees had the lowest scores for Machiavellianism and narcissism. Cubans scored the lowest in terms of psychopathy. These findings highlight the complex relationship between personality traits and workplace dynamics in influencing entrepreneurial intentions, offering valuable insights into the motivations driving entrepreneurial pursuits.

Do personality profiles contribute to patterns of physical activity and sedentary behavior in adulthood? A prospective cohort study

BackgroundDespite the observed associations of personality traits with levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behavior (SB), studies exploring whether the personality profiles differ in terms of the pattern of accumulation of physical behavior are lacking. The aim of this study was to identify adults’ personality profiles and to characterize and investigate how these profiles differ in physical behavior.MethodsThe study utilized the longitudinal data of the participants of the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development (n = 141–307). Information on the five-factor model of personality, including the traits of neuroticism, extraversion, conscientiousness, openness, and agreeableness, was collected at ages 33, 42, 50, and 61 years, and used to create latent personality profiles. Physical behavior, operationalized as the amount and accumulation of MVPA and SB bouts, was captured using a triaxial accelerometer worn during waking hours at age 61 years. The differences in the behavior between the personality profiles were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test.ResultsFive personality profiles were identified: resilient (20.2%), brittle (14.0%), overcontrolled (9.8%), undercontrolled (15.3%), and ordinary (40.7%). Although there were no statistically significant differences between the personality profiles in the time spent in MVPA relative to SB (MVPA per hour of daily SB), individuals with resilient (low in neuroticism and high in other traits) and ordinary (average in each trait) profiles had MVPA-to-SB ratios of 0.12 (7 min) and those with a brittle (high in neuroticism and low in extraversion) profile had a ratio of 0.09 (5.5 min). The individuals in the resilient group exhibited a longer usual MVPA bout duration than those in the overcontrolled (low in extraversion, openness, and agreeableness) (8 min vs. 2 min) and undercontrolled (high in openness and low in conscientiousness) groups (8 min vs. 3 min). They also exhibited a longer usual SB bout duration than those in the ordinary group (29 min vs. 23 min).ConclusionsThe resilient group displayed the most prolonged MVPA and SB bout patterns. The results suggest that personality characteristics may contribute to how MVPA and SB are accumulated.

Personal and Workplace Characteristics as Predictors of Intent-To-Stay Among Registered Nurses: An Exploratory Quantitative Multicentre Study.

This study aims to describe and examine the factors associated with registered nurses' intent-to-stay and subsequently identify predictors of nurses' intent-to-stay. A quantitative, cross-sectional correlational design was used. A convenience sample of 270 registered nurses completed the questionnaire and was included in this study. Descriptive statistics were used to present the sociodemographic characteristics and scores of outcome measures. Pearson's correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression with backward selection were conducted to examine how nurses' characteristics and workplace factors influence nurses' intent-to-stay. The mean age of the participants was 29.2 years. The mean scores for the outcomes were intent-to-stay (mean = 2.96), resilience (mean = 3.34), occupational self-efficacy (mean = 4.34), sleep quality (mean = 9.73) and workplace environment scores (mean = 3.15). The correlation analysis showed that resilience, occupational self-efficacy, self-realisation and workload were positively correlated to intent-to-stay while sleep quality was negatively correlated to intent-to-stay. Multiple linear regression analysis found occupational self-efficacy, sleep quality, workload, nervousness, nurses' designation and specialisation status to be significant factors associated with intent-to-stay. Intent-to-stay is a complex and multidimensional construct influenced by a variety of personal and workplace factors. Hospital administrators should endeavour to develop measures to improve occupational self-efficacy, workload, nervousness and push for specialisation training to bolster nurses' intent-to-stay. Against an everchanging healthcare landscape following the COVID-19 pandemic, the findings of this study contribute to a deeper understanding of the factors of registered nurses' intent-to-stay. The findings of this study alluded to the importance of professional development and workload as factors that can influence registered nurses' intent-to-stay. Hospital administrators can prioritise workforce retention policies by introducing strategies such as opportunities for upskilling, flexible working hours and streamlining work processes to promote nurses' intent-to-stay. No patient or public contribution.

Insights into psychological characteristics of persons (not) agreeing to use an e-coach-application to reduce elevated Internet Use Disorder tendencies

The present work aims to shed light on the question of whether certain psychological characteristics go along with choosing an e-coach offer to support healthy Internet use when reporting elevated Internet Use Disorder (IUD) tendencies. Data were from a large-scale stepped care approach study to treat persons with varying degrees of IUD tendencies. Recruitment for advertising the download of a smartphone app included social media, videos by influencers, paid ads, TV, radio, newspapers, workshops, and vocational schools. We contrasted a final sample of 184 declining, 907 agreeing, and 216 agreeing but not providing follow-up details needed to use such an e-coach, as well as 995 who did not explicitly decline or agree to participate (but refrained from using the e-coach). Participants were compared on several study variables, including sociodemographics, mental health, fear of missing out, personality, perceived stress, and IUD tendencies. Interestingly, we observed only two significant findings when contrasting the aforementioned groups using ANOVA. First, the group not agreeing to use the e-coach was associated with the lowest IUD tendencies and highest conscientiousness scores. Second, agreeing to use the e-coach was associated with older age. Further significant differences could be observed, but in general the accompanying effect sizes were very mild. In sum, the present study findings support the idea that greater subjective burden of IUD might result in more willingness to seek e-help, but also the personality trait of conscientiousness and a person’s age might play a role here.

Fostering Entrepreneurial Intentions in a Non-Skills-Focused Education System

This article aims to identify the factors that influence the entrepreneurial intentions of young students when the formal education system does not focus on skills. The authors conducted research based on the theory of Planned Behaviour and the concept of entrepreneurial intentions. The research was carried out in three different schools: an urban public school, a rural public school, and an urban private school. The authors studied entrepreneurial intentions among students in the oldest grades from selected schools. The sample selection was purposive, and all students from these schools participated in the study. The authors used statistical analysis, including a log-linear model, to identify significant predictors of entrepreneurial intentions. The study showed that personal characteristics and family support are critical factors in shaping entrepreneurial attitudes among students from different types of schools. The authors suggest that addressing the mismatch between the education system and the needs of students and the labor market requires institutional and curricular changes and a reorientation of educational policy. Otherwise, personality traits and the support of significant others, such as family and friends, will continue to determine students’ development and future careers.

Characteristics of Individuals Admitted to Vascular Surgery Service for a Major Lower Limb Amputation From 2017 to 2021 With Present on Admission Pressure Injuries.

The purpose of this study was to describe characteristics of persons admitted from 2017 to 2021 with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) who required a below knee amputation (BKA) or above knee amputation (AKA), including present on admission pressure injuries (POA-PIs). Descriptive, cross-sectional retrospective research design. The sample comprised 196 patients who underwent a total of 258 major lower limb amputations. A majority (65.9 %n=170) underwent BKAs and 88 (34.1 %) underwent AKAs. Coronary artery disease was present in 107 (54.6 %) and 143 (73.0%) had diabetes mellitus. The study site was a 670-bed level 1 trauma center in the Southeastern United States. A retrospective chart review of patients undergoing major lower limb amputations using CPT codes 27880 BKA, and 27590 AKA was completed. Variables extracted included age, sex, race, and comorbid conditions such as smoking, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, end stage renal disease requiring dialysis, and POA-PI. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, and means) were used to describe the sample. There were 25 (12.8%) individuals with POA-PI compared with 171 (87.2%) who did not have POA-PI. None of the reviewed significantly differed when patients with or without POA-PI were compared. Age was closest to statistical significance (P=.052). In addition, analysis revealed that 73% (n=143) of individuals had diabetes mellitus in addition to having PAD. Approximately 13% of a group of patients with PAD had POA-PI when admitted to hospital for major limb amputation. Analysis of multiple factors found that none significantly differed between patients with or without POA-PI. Age came nearest to statistical significance and we hypothesize that older age may increase the risk for POA-PI; additional research in samples with greater power to detect this effect are needed. Findings also indicate that diabetes mellitus is a common risk factor for major lower limb amputation. It is important to educate staff/patients/caregivers on the importance of PI prevention especially in the elderly vascular population who are at risk for undergoing major lower limb amputations.

Creative space and scientific trajectory of academician V.N. Chernigovsky – first academic secretary of the department of physiology of the USSR Academy of Sciences

The article analyzes the prerequisites and conditions for choosing Academician V.N. Chernigovsky, academician-secretary of the Department of Physiology of the USSR Academy of Sciences, created in 1963. For this purpose, the scientific potential and creative success, career growth and individual qualities of Academician V.N. Chernigovsky within the framework of the methodological approach of “protected space” were considered. He was characterized by a high level of achievement motivation, he had high efficiency, and was characterized by thoroughness and accuracy in carrying out scientific work. V.N. Chernigovsky successfully developed a new direction in the field of visceral physiology and made a significant contribution to the idea of interoception. He worked hard, achieved results step by step, which added up, enhancing their combined effect and creating the basis for his recognition and career advancement. V.N. Chernigovsky had significant administrative experience in leading two leading physiological institutes. Creative space of academician V.N. Chernigovsky, his scientific trajectory and personal characteristics brought him to the forefront as a candidate for the position of Academician-Secretary of the new Department of Physiology of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Election of Academician V.N. Chernigovsky’s appointment to the position of academic secretary was not an accident, a game of chance or luck. This was the result of his intensive scientific and organizational work, which were predetermined by his personal qualities.

Inclusive measure development: amplifying the voices of adolescents and young adults with spina bifida in a new measure of benefit-finding and growth

Abstract Objective Benefit-finding and growth is an important process across a range of medical populations. However, it has been understudied in the context of lifelong chronic conditions, such as spina bifida (SB). This study aimed to develop a new measure of benefit-finding and growth for youth with SB, confirm its factor structure, and examine its psychometric properties. Method To generate items for the new measure, 20 adolescents and young adults with SB completed qualitative interviews regarding their experience of living with SB. Interviews were coded for benefits. Questionnaire items were generated from these benefits, and an expert panel refined the wording of these items. The resultant 31-item measure was shared with six of the 20 participants for feedback and then piloted among 251 youth with SB. The factor structure of the measure was confirmed and reliability and convergent validity were assessed. Results Both a one- and four-factor structure were supported. The four factors include: Life Perspectives and Priorities, Personal Characteristics and Traits, Connections and Opportunities, and Problem Solving. Higher total and factor scores represent greater benefit-finding and growth. The measure demonstrated excellent internal consistency (α = 0.95). The new measure also showed significant positive correlations with optimism, positive affect, and life satisfaction. Conclusions This study produced a measure of benefit-finding and growth for youth with SB. Clinically, information about what youth with SB perceive to be their areas of strength and growth from their condition provides crucial insight into which factors to enhance in this population.

Socio-economic Characteristics of Farmers Practicing Rice-wheat Cropping System (RWCS) in Haryana, India: A Comparative Analysis

The Rice-Wheat Cropping System (RWCS) is a cornerstone of India's food security, particularly in the states of Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh. However, the sustainability of RWCS is increasingly threatened by issues such as soil degradation, groundwater depletion, and climate vulnerabilities, exacerbated by the resource-intensive practices introduced during the green revolution. The study was conducted during 2023-24 using an ex-post facto research design. Multistage sampling by simple random sampling method was used to derive sample for the study and the data was collected through personal interview. This study focuses on the socio-economic profile of small and large farmers practicing RWCS in Haryana, a critical region for this cropping system. By comparing personal, economic, social, and behavioral characteristics between these two groups, the research highlights the disparities in access to resources, extension services, and agricultural technologies. These differences have significant implications for the adoption of sustainable farming practices. The study underscores the importance of targeted interventions especially for small farmers and effective extension services to bridge these gaps, thereby enhancing the sustainability and profitability of the RWCS in Haryana. Understanding the socio-economic characteristics of small and large farmers is crucial for policymakers aiming to ensure the long-term viability of this vital agricultural system.

Factors influencing farmer willingness to plant forage triticale in winter fallow fields in Northern China: An example from central Shanxi Province

AbstractBackgroundUsing winter fallow fields for plant forage is important to ensure food security. Forage triticale (× Triticosecale) has higher yields than other available forage crops and can be planted widely in winter fallow fields. Recently, the planted area of forage triticale in Shanxi Province, China, has exceeded 3500 ha; however, problems such as low farmer willingness to plant (WTP) winter forage still remain.MethodsA total of 219 farmers were surveyed in Taiyuan, Lvliang, and Jinzhong. We analyzed the factors influencing farmer WTP forage triticale, focusing on personal, family, land, and cognition characteristics. We used a binary logistic regression model to quantify the influence of various factors on farmer behavior and conducted a robustness check and heterogeneity analysis.Results“Age” was negatively correlated with farmer WTP—farmers 50 years of age and older showed less WTP. “Land lease situation” was also negatively correlated with WTP. Factors that positively correlated with WTP were “land areas,” “raising of livestock,” “size of labor force,” and “development prospect.”ConclusionsMany farmers are over 50 years of age, land lessors, and have low WTP winter forage. Farmers who raise livestock and have large labor forces, huge land areas, and good cultivation prospects have a high WTP. This study identifies the factors influencing farmers' WTP to assist in the development of the forage triticale industry in the study region, improving land resource utilization and efficiency. The findings are likely to have wider relevance and application.

The effect of individual differences on Pavlovian conditioning in specific Internet-use disorders

The I-PACE model suggests that Internet-use disorders result from the interplay of individual vulnerabilities and cognitive and affective processes. As in substance use disorders, Pavlovian conditioning processes are attributed a key role. However, and despite progress in identifying individual vulnerabilities, factors influencing appetitive conditioning remain poorly understood. We therefore conducted a Pavlovian conditioning experiment in which individuals with risky as well as non-problematic use of either gaming or buying-shopping applications learned to associate different abstract stimuli with either gaming or buying-shopping. Regression analyses were used to identify individual characteristics influencing awareness of the experimental contingencies, speed of acquisition of awareness and the magnitude of the conditioned emotional responses regarding pleasantness and arousal ratings of the stimuli. Results demonstrated successful Pavlovian conditioning and an attentional bias towards reward-predicting cues. Awareness of the experimental contingencies was linked solely to cognitive abilities, while the speed of acquisition of awareness and the magnitude of conditioned responses was influenced by specific personality characteristics, experiences of compensation from using the application and severity of problematic use. Importantly, certain characteristics specifically predicted the magnitude of the conditioned response towards gaming, while others specifically predicted the response towards buying-shopping, highlighting differing vulnerabilities. These findings underscore the importance of targeted interventions and prevention strategies tailored to these specific vulnerability factors. Further implications and limitations are discussed.

The Connection of Archival Science with Graphology and Criminology Studies

Graphology is a branch of science used to try to determine a person’s individual characteristics and details about that person based on a person’s handwriting. It was first started by the French clergyman-archaeologist Jean-Hippolyte Michon in 1871 and its use area has expanded in Europe over time. The science of graphology is a useful method that can also be used to evaluate people’s emotional development, give people career advice for the future, and even provide psychological analysis. For example, it is known that many international company managers today use the science of graphology to evaluate the personal characteristics of job applicants during or after the interview stage. However, there are also criticisms that the science of graphology cannot always produce clear results. To put it more clearly, in the science of evidence (criminology), a broad consensus on the validity of graphology studies has not been reached. Based on this point, the benefits and shortcomings of graphology were analyzed in the study and evaluations were made about the place and importance of graphology in archival science. In addition, the impact of graphology science on archiving science has also been evaluated by focusing on the connection between criminology science. The study, which focuses on the contribution of graphology science to archiving and information and document management sciences in particular, was completed by making various suggestions to support future academic studies.

Predicting metabolite response to dietary intervention using deep learning.

Due to highly personalized biological and lifestyle characteristics, different individuals may have different metabolite responses to specific foods and nutrients. In particular, the gut microbiota, a collection of trillions of microorganisms living in the gastrointestinal tract, is highly personalized and plays a key role in the metabolite responses to foods and nutrients. Accurately predicting metabolite responses to dietary interventions based on individuals' gut microbial compositions holds great promise for precision nutrition. Existing prediction methods are typically limited to traditional machine learning models. Deep learning methods dedicated to such tasks are still lacking. Here we develop a method McMLP (Metabolite response predictor using coupled Multilayer Perceptrons) to fill in this gap. We provide clear evidence that McMLP outperforms existing methods on both synthetic data generated by the microbial consumer-resource model and real data obtained from six dietary intervention studies. Furthermore, we perform sensitivity analysis of McMLP to infer the tripartite food-microbe-metabolite interactions, which are then validated using the ground-truth (or literature evidence) for synthetic (or real) data, respectively. The presented tool has the potential to inform the design of microbiota-based personalized dietary strategies to achieve precision nutrition.

A Patient-Centered Perspective on Changes in Personal Characteristics After Deep Brain Stimulation

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) results in improvements in motor function and quality of life in patients with Parkinson disease (PD), which might impact a patient's perception of valued personal characteristics. Prior studies investigating whether DBS causes unwanted changes to oneself or one's personality have methodological limitations that should be addressed. To determine whether DBS is associated with changes in characteristics that patients with PD identify as personally meaningful. This cohort study assessed changes in visual analog scale (VAS) ratings reflecting the extent to which patients with PD manifested individually identified personal characteristics before and 6 and 12 months after DBS at a large academic medical center from February 21, 2018, to December 9, 2021. The VAS findings were tailored to reflect the top 3 individually identified personal characteristics the patient most feared losing. The VASs were scored from 0 to 10, with 0 representing the least and 10 the most extreme manifestation of the trait. Change scores were examined at the individual level. Content analysis was used to code the qualitative data. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed from January 12, 2019 (initial qualitative coding), to December 15, 2023. Deep brain stimulation. The primary outcome variable was the mean VAS score for the top 3 personal characteristics. The secondary outcome was the incidence of meaningful changes on the patients' top 3 characteristics at the individual level. Fifty-two of 54 dyads of patients with PD and their care partners (96.3%) were recruited from a consecutive series approved for DBS (36 patients [69.2%] were male and 45 care partners [86.5%] were female; mean [SD] age of patients, 61.98 [8.55] years). Two patients and 1 care partner were lost to follow-up. Increases in the mean VAS score (indicative of greater manifestation of [ie, positive changes in] specific characteristics) were apparent following DBS for ratings of both the patients (Wald χ2 = 16.104; P < .001) and care partners (Wald χ2 = 6.746; P < .001) over time. The slopes of the changes for both the patient and care partners were correlated, indicating agreement in observed changes over time. The individual level analyses indicated that scores for most patients and care partners remained the same or increased. In this cohort study, participants reported greater (more positive) manifestations of individually identified, valued characteristics after DBS. These findings may be relevant to informing decision-making for patients with advanced PD who are considering DBS.

Predicting the impact of integrated audio-visual environments on perceived restorative benefits across different park types: A field study based on seven parks in Hangzhou, China

The human perception of environments is a complex mechanism, influenced not only by visual and auditory stimuli and their perceptual outcomes, but also by personal characteristics, site types, and other factors that affect people's restorative experiences. However, there is little research that treats it as a complete systemic phenomenon to reveal its integrated impact. We surveyed 1161 visitors in seven urban parks in Hangzhou, China, and collected information on audio-visual stimuli. Using structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis, we initially examined the comprehensive impact of acoustic factors, non-acoustic factors, and individual characteristic variables on perceived restorativeness. Subsequently, we studied the effects of different park types on the constructed multivariate comprehensive model. The results confirm that the presence of different types of sound sources within landscape features can impact the auditory affective quality dimension, which in turn affects visitors' perceived restorative experiences. In addition, the reported mediating pathways revealed that visual elements related to nature, by providing high-quality visual landscapes, enhance the pleasantness of soundscapes and yield greater restorative benefits in park environments. A new finding of the study was that, although the eventfulness of the soundscape negatively affects perceived restorativeness, the presence of high-quality visual landscapes in the environment can compensate for this deficiency. Further multi-group analysis results show that landscape features and visual perceptual quality indirectly influence perceived restorativeness through the auditory affective quality dimension, resulting in varied correlations across two types of park. Moreover, the pleasantness of soundscapes consistently has a significant effect on perceived restorativeness in both types of parks; however, in parks oriented towards activity, the eventfulness dimension of soundscapes does not significantly affect perceived restorativeness. Lastly, the influence of landscape features on perceived restorativeness, mediated by types of sound sources, is both direct and indirect, leading to diverse correlations across different park environments. These detailed findings and guidelines for audio-visual interaction design will aid in the planning and development of urban soundscapes.

The effect of cumulative exposure with unhealthy lifestyles on the H-type hypertension among Chinese adults: a community-based, propensity-score-matched, and case-control study.

To assess whether cumulative exposure of unhealthy lifestyles is associated with HTH in Chinese adults and to explore the combination of unhealthy lifestyles. This study combined a community-based cross-sectional study with a 1:1 matched case-control study using propensity scores among adults in six randomly selected districts from Hunan Province, China. We recruited 5,258 people, of whom 4,012 met the criteria. Lifestyles and personal characteristics were collected by a questionnaire. Lifestyle score was calculated using cigarette smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, inactive exercise, unhealthy diet and abnormal BMI. HTH was defined as having a diagnosis of essential hypertension with Hcy ≥ 15 umol/L. Logistic regression models and multivariate analyses were used to explore the associations. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) and attributable risk proportion (ARP) for the association of HTH with lifestyle score. The dose-response relationship was evaluated using restricted cubic splines method. Of the 4,012 adults, 793 had HTH, with a population prevalence of 19.8%. In the propensity-score-matched case-control study, 1,228 (614 cases and 614 controls) were included, and those with at least four unhealthy lifestyle factors had a higher risk of HTH than those with 0 unhealthy lifestyle factor (adjusted OR = 2.60, 95%CI:1.42-4.78), with an ARP of the cumulative exposure of unhealthy lifestyle was 28.23% (95% CI: 6.34-37.86%). For three unhealthy lifestyles group, the combination of heavy alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet and BMI ≥24 Kg/m2 was most associated with HTH (OR = 7.49, 95%CI: 1.12-50.08). For four unhealthy lifestyles group, the combination of smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet and BMI ≥24 Kg/m2 had the greatest correlation with HTH (OR = 3.75, 95%CI: 1.24-7.38). Notably, there was a monotonically increasing curve (J-shaped) relationship between unhealthy lifestyles and the risk of HTH (p = 0.014). Our findings suggest that there was a significant cumulative exposure effect of unhealthy lifestyles on the risk of HTH, with the largest effect combination being heavy alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet and BMI ≥24 Kg/m2. Targeted interventions that reducing heavy alcohol consumption, quitting smoking, promoting physical activity and a healthy diet, and keep a normal BMI could substantially reduce the burden of HTH.

Decomposing Variation in Vocabulary and Listening Comprehension Task Performance in Spanish and English Into Person, Ecological, and Assessment Differences for Spanish-English Bilingual Children in the United States.

We investigated the contributions of person, ecological, and assessment characteristics to one's performance on vocabulary and listening comprehension tasks in English and Spanish. Person characteristics included English learner status, ecological characteristics included instructional program enrollment (bilingual vs. English immersion) and poverty status, and assessment characteristics included the language of assessment (Spanish vs. English) and linguistic grain size (vocabulary vs. listening comprehension). Data were from 208 Spanish-English emergent bilingual children in Grade 1 in the United States and were analyzed using explanatory item response models. Substantial variance in the tasks across both languages was attributable to the random effects of assessment/item (74%) and person (26%). English learner status was a significant student predictor of language performance, and the instructional program was a significant ecological predictor of language performance. Regarding assessment characteristics, both the language of assessment and linguistic grain size explained the variance in performance. There were no differences in performance on English assessments between children in the Spanish-English bilingual program and children in the English immersion program. However, on the Spanish tasks, children in the bilingual program outperformed their peers in the English immersion program. These findings highlight the importance of considering not only person/child characteristics but also ecological and assessment characteristics for Spanish-English bilingual children's performance on oral language tasks. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.26972749.

Loneliness, office space arrangement and mental well-being of Gen Z PR professionals. Falling into the trap of an agile office?

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to assess how the well-being and loneliness of public relations and communication professionals are impacted by the post-pandemic characteristics of the work environment: flexible work schemes, non-territorial office arrangements and video communication technologies. It was hypothesised that the post-pandemic workplace landscape poses several new challenges to the practice of PR – an industry which invariably relies on working with other people and demands a good level of social resilience. Loneliness and well-being both depend on the experience of having good and efficient social relationships, but the pandemic has directly and indirectly led to their deterioration.Design/methodology/approachThe project employed a correlational design and used an online survey system to collect responses from Gen Z professionals employed in the public relations and communications industry in the UK and the US via the Prolific platform. Demographical and workplace-related characteristics were assessed to investigate links with loneliness (measured using a three-item scale adopted from Russell et al., 1980 in Hughes, 2004) and well-being (using a short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale scale). Causal relationships between data were tested using regression analysis for continuous variables and analysis of covariance for categorical factors. Bootstrapping was used to test mediated relationships that explain loneliness, job satisfaction and the well-being of Gen Z PR professionals.FindingsSeveral types of flexible working schemes, defined as the ability to work from home on any number of weeks, showed an impact on loneliness and job satisfaction but not on well-being. However, all remaining aspects of the post-pandemic office did manifest as important predictors. In the sample, 30% of Gen Z PR professionals showed signs of mild to clinical levels of depression, and the best protection from this state was the presence of a significant other. Lower levels of loneliness were related to non-territorial office arrangements and job satisfaction. The use of hot desks and open-plan arrangements led to a significantly lower level of job satisfaction than a traditional, cellular office. Both excessive online meetings and face-to-face only interactions led to marginally lower levels of loneliness and job satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsThe present research is limited in several aspects. Firstly, while the project evaluated loneliness, job satisfaction and mental well-being (with each of these elements including a component of the requirement for building effective relationships), the quality of relationships built by PR professionals was not measured. Secondly, the project focused only on post-pandemic aspects of the workplace and did not cover other important components of job satisfaction. Lastly, the measure of online meetings was declarative rather than behavioural, and greater control of the number of online meetings held would be required to show more reliable links between variables.Practical implicationsThis study calls for proposing recommendations for employers to develop organisational-level measures and programmes to counteract loneliness. While traditionally intimate relationships of employees were not a direct focus of HR programmes, employers should develop elements of organisational culture that would support employees in building effective intimate relationships. Separately from this, despite immediate financial benefits, employers should avoid using open-space and hot desk policies, as they contribute negatively to job satisfaction (and indirectly to well-being). The sample of UK and US professionals was chosen for analysis because in these countries employers have more capacity to introduce changes to tangible characteristics of the workplace and work culture, which may positively impact the well-being of their employees.Social implicationsIt is expected that both employers and employees will revisit their approach to post-pandemic financial and logistic challenges related to the workplace. A lower level of job satisfaction and well-being is linked to the lack of assigned office space, but the ability to work exclusively from home leads to loneliness. Employees – when offered this possibility – should work in offices they are provided. Employers must appreciate the negative link between open and hot-desking policies and job satisfaction and well-being of their employees.Originality/valueThis study is the first to examine the post-pandemic workplace and personal characteristics of public relations and communications professionals in the UK and US and show how they impact job satisfaction and well-being. The study shows that 30% of employed in the PR industry are at risk of depression or anxiety. The connecting factor between personal and work-related characteristics that explains this problem is loneliness.

Work readiness of student nurses voluntarily supporting NHS during COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed methods investigation into students’ experiences

Background: Transition from education to the workforce has been recognised as difficult and linked to ‘reality shock.’ Due to the unprecedented circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, many student nurses opted in for NHS emergency placements and prematurely transitioned to the workplace, which calls for an in-depth investigation of the work readiness and transition experiences of this cohort. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate self-perceived work readiness, the effectiveness of support provided by the universities and the NHS as well as explore the experiences of student nurses who responded to the COVID-19 crisis to understand the impact of this early transition to the clinical workforce. Design: A mixed methods study was conducted. It included two stages: (1) an online survey consisting of a work readiness questionnaire and close- and open-ended questions about received support; and (2) online semi-structured interviews that were thematically analysed. Methods: Participants were nursing students from Scottish universities who took on emergency NHS placements. Thirty-three (30 females and 3 males) participants completed the survey and 8 of them (all female) participated in semi-structured interviews. The Work Readiness Scale for graduate nurses along with questions about the support received were completed in the first stage of the study. Results: Organisational acumen was perceived by participants as higher than social intelligence, work competence and personal work characteristics. Three superordinate themes emerged: (1) participants expressed appreciation of and need for coordination of support from the university and the NHS as a key factor in easing into their role; (2) they indicated the sense of obligation as the key driver for taking up this placement; (3) placement was seen as an opportunity to understand their role and develop their professional identity. Conclusions: The findings found the importance of support from the clinical placement and academic teams to help with the integration and application of theory into practice.

Creativity and collaborative performance of artists and STEM professionals

This study examines the relationship between creativity and performance in collaborations between artists and STEM professionals. It investigates the antecedent factors of the creativity of artists and STEM professionals and elaborates on the performance of temporal and imperfect organizational creativity. A survey was administered to 969 Korean artists and STEM professionals, of which data on 131 respondents with experience of art and STEM collaboration were used for the empirical analysis by applying a structural equation model. The results show that an individual's intrinsic motivation, and creative personality characteristic positively influence creativity collaborative performance. Intrinsic motivation and creative personality characteristics positively influenced collaborative performance by the mediation of creativity. Our study contributes to the literature by deepening our understanding of creativity and collaboration between artists and STEM professionals, particularly in temporary and imperfect organizational creativity, which has not been addressed in existing discussions of creativity. This confirms that artists and STEM professionals have common antecedent factors of creativity, and that the coexistence of scientific and artistic creativity has a positive impact on collaborative performance.