Personal Context Research Articles

The relationship between creativity and language as measured by linguistic maturity and text production

Creativity is the result of several converging elements, including cultural, environmental, and social factors. The context in which people live their lives not only affects their creativity; it also affects how they acquire and use language. This study shows how a person's context and linguistic development, as measured by linguistic maturity, affects their creativity. 249 students aged between 13 and 15, participated in the study by completing an online test measuring their linguistic maturity and creativity. This study used Guilford's (1967) Alternative Uses Test following the Consensual Assessment Technique. Regression models revealed a positive and significant influences of linguistic maturity on creativity. Greater semantic memory networks allow for more efficient searches, thus enabling creativity. Therefore, greater semantic richness leads to greater linguistic maturity, resulting in increased creativity. Our findings confirm a relationship between language skills and creativity (i.e., linguistic maturity and text production) at a deeper level than previously studied. This is relevant for both curriculum development and instructional design. In this sense, tools as ChatGPT that produce text from millions of documents, push the student to be mediator of all this linguistic richness. Furthermore, measuring linguistic maturity and text production provides another means to measure creativity, transcendent, considering that having proper approaches to measure creativity is a challenge.

Professional identity formation of medical students in relation to older persons’ healthcare: exploring the views of older persons living in the Netherlands – a qualitative study

ObjectivesGiven the growing population of older persons, medical students need to develop an appropriate professional identity to comply with older persons’ healthcare needs. In this study, we explored the needs...

Caracterización de tareas sobre inecuaciones en libros de textos escolares en educación primaria

[Objective] This study characterized mathematical inequation tasks in Chilean primary school textbooks for 4th and 5th graders (9 and 10 year olds). [Methodology] A qualitative descriptive study was conducted considering the following six categories: algebraic practices involved, syntactic structure of the expressions, meaning of the concept of inequation, resolution strategies, level of cognitive demand, and context. The sample is comprised of 206 tasks from math textbooks. [Results] The characterised tasks have few practices leading to algebraic thinking, and it is the alphanumeric symbolic representation the one that predominantly stands out within these practices. The structure of the expressions shows little variety for generalising and reasoning, the latter having repercussions on the resolution strategies, which are not progressively addressed in order to improve their comprehension. The proposed tasks present different meanings of inequation. Regarding the cognitive demand, most of the tasks consist of connected and unconnected procedures. Finally, the most frequent contexts are mathematical, while the ones with the least presence are personal, social, and occupational contexts. [Conclusions] It is concluded that improving task design is necessary. The proposed categories are a tool to visualise which elements are taken into consideration and to improve inequation tasks.

Мнемотехники для запоминания иноязычной лексики в процессе самостоятельной работы студентов по созданию ассоциативных карт в неязыковом вузе

The research aims to substantiate the potential use of mnemonic techniques for memorizing foreign language vocabulary during independent work on creating association maps in a general English course by non-language university students. The paper examines three groups of mnemonic techniques: visual, audiovisual, and auditory, and provides examples of association maps that include visual images, definitions or examples of the use of lexical units in context, as well as associative chains related to students’ personal experiences or contexts of their lives. The scientific novelty of the work lies in clarifying the advantages of using association maps as a means of teaching foreign language vocabulary from the perspective of students who participated in the preparation of these maps during independent work. The research findings indicate that students display a positive attitude towards the use of association maps for memorizing foreign language vocabulary. Students highlight the following advantages of such maps: 1) the time spent on their creation has an impact on deep memorization; 2) students can successfully recall and apply vocabulary during the final control task; 3) they perceive the work on producing maps as a creative task. The research also shows that it is important for students to organize additional practice with association maps for systematic repetition of lexical units in order to preserve them in long-term memory.

Putting ethics of care into public relations: Toward a multi-level agency model

This paper examines how ethics of care (also known as care ethics) can be applied to public relations, drawing insights from a two-stage empirical study. The first stage explores industry best practices from award-winning campaigns, followed by elite interviews with leading practitioners to understand how care ethics can be infused into various organisational, personal, and professional contexts. The paper examines contested connections between care ethics and Aristotelian virtue ethics, building on early work by Virginia Held and others, to develop a multi-level agency model of enacting care ethics. This fuses an array of concepts: caring-about, caring-for, self-care, habitus, and the lateral integration of care as a form of ‘caring citizenship’. In turn, this fusion advances ethics of care as a shared practice between caregivers and care-receivers, shifting its focus from essentially within the private to the public sphere, locating public relations in this process.

Insights into critical urban pedestrian dynamics: an observational study spotlighting a small sample of blind pedestrians and electric vehicles

Observational studies, whether conducted on-site or through simulation, are practical options for investigating and comprehending pedestrian behaviour and validating the findings of similar studies that have already taken place on the same subject. Although they present difficulties in demographic characterisation and personal context, observation represents the adoption of actual behaviour, highlighting the different scenarios, contexts and characteristics of the environment and infrastructure in urban areas. However, with the growth in simulators, surveys, and data protection issues in Europe, field observation is less considered, and several studies have been left aside. Based on observation, this study answers behavioural and demographic questions, namely age and gender, using the data of six pedestrian crossings in Coimbra, Portugal. This experience occurred on different days of the week (the week before lockdown), registering blind (and non-blind) pedestrians' behaviour facing the electric vehicle in 6 crosswalks, 30 min in each crosswalk, morning or afternoon, with favourable weather conditions outside peak hours In total 180 (30*6) minutes were filmed and evaluated. The relationships between responsibility (when one pedestrian is guided by another) and group action in decision-making and crossing behaviour were also investigated. Another relevant aspect studied was the relationship between pedestrians and electric vehicles in different contexts. During the research, an electric vehicle was inserted in the observational experience, circulating in the streets to observe the pedestrians' reaction to the absence of noise. In this context, blind pedestrians were invited to perform crossings in these areas and identify the presence of the electric vehicle, to identify some differences in the behaviour of blind pedestrians and non-blind pedestrians. The results indicate that blind pedestrians tend to be more cautious than non-blind pedestrians, that younger and elderly pedestrians tend to have more dangerous and less calculated behaviours than other road users and that the differences are more perceptible in age than gender. It should be noted that when in a group, especially adolescents, they commit more traffic errors. Furthermore, regarding the absence of noise associated with the electric vehicle, in moments of pedestrian distraction, if the driver is not attentive, there is an increase in the risk of accidents.

How users make online privacy decisions in work and personal contexts of use

With the rising usage of contactless work options since COVID-19, users increasingly share their personal data in digital tools at work. Using an experimental online vignette study (N = 93), we examined users’ willingness to use a video conferencing tool, while systematically varying the context of use (personal vs. low trustworthiness work vs. high trustworthiness work) and the type of information shared (low vs. medium vs. high sensitivity). We also assessed users’ perceived responsibility in work and personal contexts of use and their self-assessed digital competence. Our results highlight employer trustworthiness as an important factor in the willingness to use a third-party video conferencing tool, with increased willingness to use these tools in work contexts of use with high trustworthiness compared to those with low trustworthiness. This effect seems to be reduced when the data to be shared is of high sensitivity, compared to medium and low sensitivity data. Furthermore, despite reduced responsibility for data protection in work compared to personal contexts of use, the willingness to use a video conferencing tool did not decrease between trustworthy work and personal contexts of use. We discuss our findings and their methodological implications for future research and derive implications for privacy decisions at work.

A mobile health intervention for emerging adults with regular cannabis use: A micro-randomized pilot trial design protocol

BackgroundEmerging adult (EA) cannabis use is associated with increased risk for health consequences. Just-in-time adaptive interventions (JITAIs) provide potential for preventing the escalation and consequences of cannabis use. Powered by mobile devices, JITAIs use decision rules that take the person's state and context as input, and output a recommended intervention (e.g., alternative activities, coping strategies). The mHealth literature on JITAIs is nascent, with additional research needed to identify what intervention content to deliver when and to whom. MethodsHerein we describe the protocol for a pilot study testing the feasibility and acceptability of a micro-randomized trial for optimizing MiWaves mobile intervention app for EAs (ages 18–25; target N = 120) with regular cannabis use (≥3 times per week). Micro-randomizations will be determined by a reinforcement learning algorithm that continually learns and improves the decision rules as participants experience the intervention. MiWaves will prompt participants to complete an in-app twice-daily survey over 30 days and participants will be micro-randomized twice daily to either: no message or a message [1 of 6 types varying in length (short, long) and interaction type (acknowledge message, acknowledge message + click additional resources, acknowledge message + fill in the blank/select an option)]. Participants recruited via social media will download the MiWaves app, and complete screening, baseline, weekly, post-intervention, and 2-month follow-up assessments. Primary outcomes include feasibility and acceptability, with additional exploratory behavioral outcomes. ConclusionThis study represents a critical first step in developing an effective mHealth intervention for reducing cannabis use and associated harms in EAs.

Understanding model power in social AI

AbstractGiven the widespread integration of Social AI like ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, and MyAI, in personal and professional contexts, it is crucial to understand their effects on information and knowledge processing, and individual autonomy. This paper builds on Bråten’s concept of model power, applying it to Social AI to offer a new perspective on the interaction dynamics between humans and AI. By reviewing recent user studies, we examine whether and how models of the world reflected in Social AI may disproportionately impact human-AI interactions, potentially leading to model monopolies where Social AI impacts human beliefs, behaviour and homogenize the worldviews of its users. The concept of model power provides a framework for critically evaluating the impact and influence that Social AI has on communication and meaning-making, thereby informing the development of future systems to support more balanced and meaningful human-AI interactions.

Sensory and consumer science: A complex, expanding, and interdisciplinary field of science

This paper proposes an updated, contemporary definition of Sensory and Consumer Science. We do so based on survey results from 221 professionals, meaning that the definition represents more than our personal views. Specifically, the proposed definition is: “Sensory and Consumer Science is an interdisciplinary field that encompasses sensory-only research and consumer-centric studies, focusing both on responses to specific products and consumer behaviour more generally. While the field is primarily centred on food, it also extends to non-food items. Researchers employ both quantitative and qualitative methods to conduct their studies. Sensory and Consumer professionals engage in both basic academic research and applied commercial research, operating within an increasingly global and multicultural context.” All aspects of this definition were endorsed by a majority of the professionals participating in the surveys, and some aspects were nearly universally accepted. A longer version of the definition is also proposed, which helps to explain/elaborate on the different elements. We urge further discussion and refinement of the short and long definitions. This may lead to further variants that are narrower/broader in scope depending on personal and professional preferences and context.

Forming and Transforming: Critical Reflection in The University Education of Professionals

Objective: In universities, a key challenge is to integrate practical work knowledge with theoretical knowledge to adapt to the changing demands of the labor market and society. In this context, the objective is to explore how the integration of theory and practice in master's programs focused on formative professions can facilitate transformative learning, enabling students to develop critical and reflective competencies applicable in both professional and personal contexts. Theoretical Framework: The research is grounded in Habermas's theory of communicative action, transformative learning, and training-action-research approaches, addressing concepts such as critical reflexivity, self-formation, and the integration of practical and theoretical experiences. Method: A qualitative methodology with an action-research design, termed training-action-research, was adopted. Twenty-five students from a master's program in education participated. Data collection involved participant observation and practice analysis, focusing on critical reflection and rational dialogue about work and training experiences. Results and Discussion: The alternation between theory and practice facilitated the development of reflective and critical competencies in the students. The study highlights implications, identified relationships, discrepancies, and limitations. Research Implications: The results can enhance teacher training, promote continuous professional development, and implement reflective and critical practices in educational and professional settings. Originality/Value: The study presents an innovative approach to professional university education, emphasizing critical reflexivity and transformative self-formation, with potential impacts on teacher training and professional practice.

Citizens’ perspectives on healthy weight approaches in low SEP neighborhoods: a qualitative study from a systems perspective

BackgroundThe physical and the social environment are important predictors of healthy weight, especially in low socioeconomic position (SEP) neighborhoods. Many Dutch municipalities have implemented a healthy weight approach (HWA). Yet, there is room for improvement. This system science study examined what influences the utilization of HWA facilities and activities, and what aspects can help to achieve a desired systems change (also called leverage point themes (LPTs)) in the HWA system as perceived by citizens living in low SEP neighborhoods.MethodAll research phases were performed with four citizens co-researchers. Forty-seven citizens living in low SEP neighborhoods were semi-structurally interviewed about the neighborhood HWA facilities and municipal HWA activities. A rapid coding qualitative analysis approach was applied per topic. The topics were citizens’ healthy living description, personal circumstances, and satisfaction with foot and cycle paths, sports facilities, playgrounds, green spaces, museums and theaters, community centers, churches, healthcare, school, food supplies, contact with neighborhood, unfamiliar and/or unused activities, familiar and used activities, unavailable but desired (lacking) activities, and reaching citizens.ResultsThe utilization of HWA facilities and activities was influenced by the overarching themes of social cohesion, familiarity, reaching citizens, maintenance, safety, physical accessibility, financial accessibility, social accessibility, fit with personal context, and fit with the neighborhood’s specific needs. Different overarching themes stood out across different facilities and activities. LPTs indicated the overarching themes needed in combination with one another for a specific activity or facility to increase utilization. For example, the LPT regarding foot and cycle paths was “accessible, safe, and maintained foot and cycle paths”. The LPTs regarding familiar and used activities were “customized activities; information provision (e.g., about possibilities to join without paying); social contact, meeting others, and everyone feels included”.ConclusionConducting inclusive qualitative research from a systems perspective among citizens living in low SEP neighborhoods has contributed valuable insights into their needs. This enables practical implementation of HWAs by providing a deeper understanding of the LPTs within the HWA system. LPTs can help HWA stakeholders to further develop current HWAs toward systems approaches. Future research could study the leverage points that may contribute to LPT implementation.

A mixed Methods Study of Multilevel Factors Influencing Sexual Risk-Taking Behaviors Among Adolescent Girls in Uganda

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to two-thirds of people living with HIV globally. Adolescent girls and young women are twice as likely to be living with HIV compared to young men. Sexual risk-taking behaviors put adolescent girls at risk for adverse health outcomes, including HIV/AIDS. In this study, we conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews to explore multi-level factors that influence decisions to engage in sexual risk-taking among 58 school-going adolescent girls in Uganda. Both protective and risk factors cut across personal, proximal, and distal contexts. At the personal level, future goals and fear of negative health outcomes were identified as the most common protective factors. Positive family relations and peers were cited most frequently as protective factors at the proximal level. At the distal level, poverty was the most common risk factor. Relatedly, families’ ability to provide for adolescent girls’ needs was a protective factor. Study results point to the need for multilevel combination interventions to reduce sexual risk-taking among adolescent girls in Uganda.

Does classroom matter in bilingual students’ Chinese language achievement? A multilevel analysis of the compositional effect and person–context interactions.

Does classroom matter in bilingual students’ Chinese language achievement? A multilevel analysis of the compositional effect and person–context interactions.

William James's experience of presenting The Varieties of Religious Experience: His Gifford performance in historical context.

William James delivered the prestigious Gifford Lectures at the University of Edinburgh in 1901 and 1902, and his 20 lectures were published as The Varieties of Religious Experience. While the book is a classic in the psychology of religion, little to no attention has been given to the immediate context of James's lectures or his state of mind and perspectives during his delivery of each. This study aimed to understand James's 20 Gifford Lectures as separable performances and to uncover his experience of delivering each. We placed in conversation two first-hand accounts of the lectures-The Scotsman newspaper reports and James's correspondence. A word-count methodology was used to compare the newspaper reports among themselves. The results showed that the separate reports by James and The Scotsman were strongly correlated. For instance, both James and The Scotsman reported that the 1901 lectures were better received than the 1902 lectures. Further, both confirm that James and his audience engaged each other in a complicated dance involving competing expectations and worldviews. The results demonstrate that viewing the lectures as performance events experienced by James within personal and societal historical contexts clarifies our understanding of James, each of his 20 lectures, and the book that enshrined them. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Why do teachers not change while the national curriculum repeatedly changes?: The ‘Hidden’ resistance of teachers in the centralized system of education in South Korea

In the highly centralized education system, national curriculum revisions are significant because they fundamentally change the direction and nature of schooling across the country. However, any new reform will inevitably be met by opposition and resistance from various stakeholders. While the notion of increased autonomy and empowerment is predicated on teachers’ participation, in practice, teachers are often unwilling to accept or even oppose curriculum changes. Using South Korea's recent national curriculum revision in 2022 as reference, this study draws attention to the fact that despite the revision of the national curriculum, teachers’ curriculum implementation has not changed as much as expected, and even show antipathy or resistance. Resistance in this context does not mean simple opposition but rather a phenomenon that involves and intervenes in the interpretive process of new policies, and the politics of the society that surrounds individuals and schools. I argue that Korean primary and secondary teachers’ reactions to the new national curriculum reflect complex orientations towards the curriculum and resistance to its revision, shaped by personal, organizational, and sociocultural contexts. With implications of the analysis for understanding teachers’ responses to national curriculum, I conclude that we need more pay attention to the dilemma as an ambivalent emotion teachers experience requires us to consider the dynamics when the national curriculum is implemented.

Cassandra and A Room of One's Own: A common cry of frustration.

In this manuscript, we explore the connections between Florence Nightingale's Cassandra and Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own while taking the authors' personal and social contexts into account. We conduct a detailed textual analysis from a feminist perspective. Cassandra and A Room of One's Own exhibit singular textual commonalities, such as evidence of trauma, the integration of myth and fiction as literary devices aimed at facilitating the author's access to various social spheres, the use of interpellations to impact the audience, and an argument for education as a path by which privileged women can enter the public realm. Both authors' personal wounds and intellectual frustrations influenced their work, thus making their writing very powerful.

Exploring Legal and Technical Challenges of Deep Fakes in India

The rapid advancement of deep fake technology has introduced significant challenges in the realms of data security, privacy, and intellectual property rights. Deep fakes, which involve the creation of highly realistic but manipulated digital content using artificial intelligence, have been misused for various malicious purposes, including political manipulation, identity theft, and defamation. This article examines the current state of deep fake regulation in India, highlighting the inadequacies of existing laws and the urgent need for specific legislation to address these issues. Despite the presence of broader laws under the Information Technology Act and the Indian Penal Code, there is a conspicuous absence of precise legal frameworks targeting the unique threats posed by deep fakes. Through an interdisciplinary approach that integrates legal analysis and technical insights, this study evaluates the effectiveness of current detection technologies and explores their limitations. The article also provides case studies illustrating the misuse of deep fakes in political and personal contexts, underscoring the real-world impact of this technology. In conclusion, the study advocates for comprehensive legal reforms and enhanced technological measures to mitigate the risks associated with deep fakes. By proposing targeted amendments to existing laws and recommending the development of advanced detection tools, this research aims to contribute to a more robust and effective regulatory environment for deep fakes in India.

Review of the Knowledge, Barriers, and Facilitators of HPV Vaccination among Latino Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers in the United States.

One subgroup of Latinos whose healthcare needs must be more thoroughly addressed is the roughly three million farmworkers pursuing seasonal agricultural work within the United States (U.S.). Latino migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFW) face compounded political, social, and personal contexts that complicate healthcare access. Although the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine prevents HPV infections and cancers, uptake among Hispanic adolescents remains suboptimal. Therefore, it is important to understand Latino MSFW's HPV knowledge, as well as barriers to and facilitators of vaccination so culturally appropriate measures can bolster vaccination. An integrative review was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science using key search terms. Results were evaluated for compatibility with inclusion/exclusion criteria, and selected articles were coded and evaluated via thematic analysis. Six studies of various designs were ultimately included in the review. While some Latino MSFW have baseline knowledge about HPV and the vaccine, knowledge gaps remain. Participants expressed curiosity about how the vaccine works, contents, side effects, dosing, recommended age, and information about prevented diseases. Although additional education and MSFW's receptiveness to provider's recommendations were cited as major facilitators, many barriers also need addressed. Providers must leverage MSFW's existing knowledge, provide education, and facilitate vaccination to protect farmworker families from HPV and related cancers. It must become standard practice for providers to recommend the HPV vaccine to MSFW, who are receptive to this conversation. Increasing vaccination can decrease the disproportionate burden of HPV-related cancers on patients and facilitate access to healthcare services.

Philosophy and biography

AbstractDoes the biography of a philosopher have any relevance to assessing their philosophy? After considering and rejecting three distinct treatments of this question, a different answer is articulated here. Distinguishing between the content and approach of a philosophical text, this article argues that biography is relevant to assessing the approach of the text in three ways: in its socio‐historical context, its philosophical context, and its personal context in the life of the philosopher. Such a strategy offers new ways of comparing very different texts and assessing them in terms of the aims of the philosopher writing them.