Experience Research Articles

Attitudes toward Medically Assisted Dying Among the General Public in Slovenia.

The aim of this study was to explore public attitudes toward medically assisted dying, focusing on the role of socio-demographic factors, mental health conditions, and personal experiences. Data were collected via an online panel in Slovenia, which consisted of 567 participants (53.1% men) aged 18years and older. The majority of respondents supported medically assisted dying for terminally ill individuals (76.4%) and expressed willingness to support a loved one's decision (72.8%). The analysis indicated that psychosocial factors and personal experiences predict attitudes toward medically assisted dying. In particular, women, individuals with poorer physical and psychological health and individuals in better environmental conditions were more likely to have positive attitudes. In contrast, individuals who had experienced the loss of a loved one were more likely to oppose it. These findings suggest the need for further research to deepen understanding of the factors that predict attitudes toward medically assisted dying.

ФУНКЦІЙНИЙ ПОТЕНЦІАЛ АНГЛІЙСЬКИХ КОГНІТИВНИХ ДІЄСЛІВ У НАРАТИВІ (НА МАТЕРІАЛІ ТВОРІВ М. ЕТВУД)

The paper identifi es and systematically substantiates the peculiarities of the functioning of English cognitive verbs in the literary discourse. The material of the study is the cognitive verbs in the novels of the famous contemporary Canadian postmodernist writer Margaret Atwood. The research is theoretically framed by the works on lexical and functional semantics of (cognitive) verbs (K. Aijmer, D. Biber, M. A. K. Halliday, A. Fetzer, I Dilai, etc.), as well as by the works on narratology (I. Bekhta, G. Freytag, etc.). The study’s methodological framework is a comprehensive application of the corpus analysis of empirical textual data using the psychometric software LIWC, discourse analysis, and M. A. K. Halliday’s metafunctional analysis. Based on the classifi cation of linguistic metafunctions proposed by M. A. K. Halliday, the cognitive verbs in the narrative mainly perform the ideational metafunction, which lies in construing human experience. The ideational linguistic metafunction of the cognitive verbs realized in the works refl ects the internalized structures of the narrator’s and characters’ consciousness and appeals to the reader’s active mental cooperation. Thus, English cognitive verbs in the narrative act as explicit markers of the internalization of speech. They are represented by the corresponding mental processes which alternate in the narrative as a linear sequence of processes with diff erent intensity. It has been revealed that the distribution of the cognitive verbs in the novels is mostly uneven, although refl ects a certain pattern associated with the canonical principles of the structural organization of the narrative. According to the narrative arc (Boyd et al., 2020), the cognitive verbs become most frequent in the middle and closer to the end of the narrative as explicit markers of cognitive tension – the third (main) stage of narrative progression. Cognitive tension refl ects the peak of psychological tension due to the need to resolve the confl ict and constitutes the climax of the narrative. At this stage, characters are actively engaged in confl ict resolution making numerous mental efforts. In addition to the ideational metafunction, some cognitive verbs, in particular those which serve as discourse markers, such as I think, I believe, perform the interpersonal metafunction. As a rule, they are found in the direct speech (dialogues) and aim to construct a common mental experience, cooperation with the interlocutor (and the reader) based on intersubjectivity. LIWC helped to inventory, quantify, and follow the distribution of the cognitive verbs in seven novels by M. Atwood. Deviations in the frequencies and distribution are perceived as indicators of the author’s idiostyle and genre peculiarities. Thus, the realization of the functional potential of the cognitive verbs and the peculiarities of their distribution in the narrative canvas have been identifi ed and substantiated. Key words: cognitive verbs, narrative, function, metafunction, M. Atwood.

Predicting emotion regulation strategies from aspects of the social context in everyday life

Emotion regulation has traditionally been conceptualized as an intrapersonal phenomenon with a focus on individuals’ personal experiences (e.g., feelings) and behaviors. However, a relational perspective on emotions underscores that emotion regulation occurs predominantly in the context of social interactions. Close relationships play an important role in emotion regulation in social interactions, particularly during emerging adulthood when individuals spend more time outside the family home. However, few studies have examined predictors of the use of different emotion regulation strategies in everyday life. Using Ecological Momentary Assessment, we first examined concurrent associations between social contexts (closeness to interaction partner and pleasantness of interaction) and use of emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression). Second, we used lagged models to explore potential bidirectional associations between aspects of the social context and emotion regulation strategy use. We collected EMA data four times per day for two weeks, resulting in 3,158 momentary assessments. Better quality of social interactions was associated with both less suppression and less reappraisal at the same moment, but not at subsequent moments. Interestingly, we found that reappraisal at one moment predicted more pleasant interactions and closeness at the next moment. Our findings underscore the importance of understanding both social contexts and emotion regulation on momentary levels. This study holds implications for understanding social context and emotion regulation in the everyday lives of emerging adults.

Practical tips for starting a successful national postgraduate course

Background Few start national courses, and those that do usually do it once. The aim of this paper is to outline an approach to conduct a successful national postgraduate course. Methods The practical tips were derived from personal experience. Results The 12 tips identified are: define learning needs and curriculum, create a functioning structure, recruit a committed faculty, obtain legitimacy, promote your course, try out the concept, establish administrative support, use modern techniques and accessories, create course-related social activities, keep all on board, collect ongoing evaluation, and stay in control. Conclusion It is hoped that these tips will make it easier for others to take the decisive first step in the exciting task of starting a national course; that is: ‘to know the road ahead - ask those coming back’.

Abortion, Child Loss and Science Fiction

This creative non-fiction piece came from work done as part of the Visceral Bodies Symposium at Kingston University London, May 2023. The piece tells the story of an abortion, undertaken in response to foetal anomaly, and how science fiction and horror narratives offered succour throughout the experience. The piece aims to raise issues about the role that disclosing personal experiences can have in informing academic practice. 

Examining personality psychology to unpack the peer review system: Towards a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable psychological science

Peer review serves to evaluate the scientific validity and quality of research by other researchers within the same field. Psychology, like many other disciplines, uses peer review to determine whether researchers’ work is published, where it is published, and in what form. However, the peer review system is imperfect, often perpetuating harm, exclusion, and inequities. We believe these problems hinder psychology from becoming a truly representative and valid science. In this paper, we uncover the historical roots of the peer review system in psychology and describe how these roots persist today. Then, using personality psychology as an exemplar, we leverage a social justice lens to: (1) document key contemporary problems in the peer review system; (2) identify global challenges in peer review; and (3) provide recommendations and guiding questions that might help the field become more equitable, diverse, just, and inclusive. To do so, we draw upon three sources of information: our personal experiences, qualitative and quantitative data from 104 self-identifying personality psychologists, and the prior literature. Ultimately, the goal of this work is to give voice to those who have been harmed in peer review, and to inform how we might reimagine peer review in personality psychology and beyond.

The interactive effect of integral and incidental emotions on creative metaphor performance

Prior research on the relationship between emotion and creativity has mostly focused on the influence of incidental emotions on creative performance. The present study aimed to explore how incidental and integral emotions interact to influence the generation of creative metaphors from the perspective of the affect priming theory. In the study, we applied video clips to induce participants’ positive or negative incidental emotions while selecting metaphors that ask participants to describe personal emotional experiences with positive or negative valence to manipulate integral emotions. Participants generated several metaphors immediately after watching the video clips. The study found that participants who watched happy (sad) videos generated the most creative metaphors when expressing positive (negative) emotional experiences, which suggests that integral and incidental emotions interact to influence the generation of creative metaphors through the emotion congruency effect. The results are further discussed from the perspective of affect priming theory.

Cognitive Map of Perceptions of Social Networks as a Means of Justice in Sexual Offenses

The decision to share deeply personal experiences of sexual violence publicly is complex and multifaceted. This study provides valuable insights into this phenomenon. Interviews conducted with fifteen victims of sexual assault in Israel provide insights into the decision-making pathways of victims. The existing literature on sexual victims of sexual assault in Israel offers insights into their decision-making pathways but often lacks integration between theoretical concepts and practical outcomes. This article contributes to this field by proposing a detailed cognitive map that illuminates the specific decisions made by victims in choosing where to disclose their assault. The cognitive map presented in this study provides a comprehensive view of victims’ decision-making pathways. This study is part of a larger research project that involves interviewing communication consultants and analyzing posts from the social network platform Instagram to better understand the perceptions and behaviors of sexual assault victims. The interviews brought up four main themes: the existence of communicative justice and its importance as an arena for achieving justice; social media is critical for achieving justice, sometimes even more than the institutional arena; procedural justice is more important than outcome justice; voice is a leading principle in procedural justice principles.

Unlocking Blended Emotions and Underlying Drivers: A Deep Dive into COVID-19 Vaccination Insights on Twitter Across Digital and Physical Realms in New York, Using ChatGPT

The conclusions drawn from commonly used topic modeling and sentiment analysis of COVID-19 vaccination discussions on social media often hinge on researchers’ interpretation. These methods inadequately capture the nuanced real-world human emotions and struggle with identifying sarcasm and handling mixed sentiments. This study uses OpenAI API and its Large Language Models (LLM) to analyze tweets to further the discussion on improving vaccination literacy and fostering public trust. We employed LLM to uncover underlying topics associated with non-polarized sentiments to understand public concerns and factors eroding public confidence in vaccination. In addition, the city and regional level analysis provides a more detailed breakdown of spatial differences in the physical realm. Our results showed a blend of positive sentiments toward COVID-19 vaccination in New York State, with an underlying sense of concern. Our topic analysis reveals that social media platforms, which facilitate personal experience sharing, can influence both vaccination acceptance and hesitancy in positive and negative ways. Our method was able to better capture the nuanced emotions of real-world individuals. This approach is less subjective and more consistent than traditional models as it employs ChatGPT’s extensive pre-trained databases instead of relying on individual researchers’ judgments.

Studying the current situation of screening, providing assistance, and monitoring elementary school students with learning disabilities in Thailand

This article examines the current situation of screening, providing assistance, and monitoring elementary school students with learning disabilities in Thailand. This research applies a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to study existential ontology by gaining an understanding of the personal experience individuals undergo. 70 Thai Language teachers, special education teachers, guidance counsellors, and school administrators were surveyed. Then, the researchers conducted a focus group involving 10 participants, including teachers, school administrators, and education specialists. Teachers’ responses to the questionnaire and questions in the focus group were analyzed using a selective or highlighting approach. Each researcher analyzed the responses independently. The researchers then discussed the produced codes, categories, and subcategories in several meetings and exchanged their coding results. After there was consensus, every category and every subcategory were closely examined to look for any overlaps. The results of the analysis are presented in three topics: screening, providing assistance and monitoring. There are two themes, strengths and weaknesses, in each topic. The strengths of the screening topic include basic student assistance, systematic workflow, and teachers’ expertise. The weaknesses of the screening topic include limited teacher numbers, teachers lacking expertise, and inappropriate screening timing. In the providing assistance topic, the sub-themes for strengths include student development, teachers’ expertise in providing student assistance, and making teachers aware of students' actual problems. The sub-themes for weaknesses include teachers lacking tools for assisting students, low-quality tools for providing student assistance, and teachers lacking expertise. Lastly, in the monitoring topic, the strengths include teachers continuously receiving students' information, fostering collaboration in caring for and assisting students, and producing reliable system-generated progress reports. The weaknesses of monitoring include teachers lacking knowledge, lacking tools for monitoring students' progress, and the student progress monitoring system lacking quality.

Social Norms And Norm Elicitation In Behavioral Economics

Classical economic models assume individuals make rational decisions, but behavioral economics seeks to refine these models by considering cognitive limitations. A vital aspect of this refinement is the role of social norms—unwritten rules and commonly accepted behaviors within communities. Research indicates that social norms significantly influence decisions related to giving, tax compliance, cooperation, saving, and recycling. Game theory highlights the interconnectedness of individual choices, showing that people are more likely to adhere to social norms when they believe others will do the same. It also explains how norms counterbalance in communities, where deviations from expected behavior can result in social sanctions or reputational damage. Understanding how individuals perceive and respond to these norms is crucial. Personal experiences and moral values shape individual perceptions of social norms, leading to their diversity. Norm elicitation, a research method, explores how people interpret social norms and adjust their behaviors accordingly. The norm elicitation method enables researchers to understand individuals' attitudes toward social norms and to predict norm-based behaviors by allowing social norms to be measured separately from behavior in behavioral economics. This study aims to elucidate the concepts of social norms and norm elicitation, exploring their significance in behavioral economics.

Psychological Effects of Orthodontic Treatment in Adults: A Mixed-Methods Study

ABSTRACT Background: Orthodontic treatment is often pursued to improve dental aesthetics and function, but its psychological effects on adult patients are not well-documented. Materials and Methods: This mixed-methods study involved 150 adult participants undergoing orthodontic treatment. Quantitative data were collected using the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) questionnaire and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) before treatment, mid-treatment, and posttreatment. Qualitative data were gathered through semistructured interviews with 30 participants, selected via purposive sampling, to explore their personal experiences and perceptions of the treatment process. Quantitative data were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to assess changes over time, while thematic analysis was conducted on qualitative data to identify common themes. Results: Quantitative analysis revealed significant improvements in OHIP-14 scores (P < 0.001), indicating enhanced oral health-related quality of life posttreatment. Anxiety levels, as measured by STAI, decreased significantly from baseline to posttreatment (P < 0.01). Qualitative interviews highlighted themes of increased self-esteem, improved social interactions, and initial discomfort during the adaptation phase of treatment. Participants reported a heightened awareness of oral health and a positive shift in self-image. Conclusion: Orthodontic treatment in adults leads to significant psychological benefits, including reduced anxiety and improved quality of life.

Unity in Diverse Society of Malaysia

Objective: This article aims to use historical institutionalism to examine how the Malay Bumiputera Muslims identity was constructed and analyse people’s responses to related government policies. Theoretical Framework: The role of religion in constructing an identity for Malay Bumiputera (son of the soil) Muslims, who form the majority of the population, is a topic of debate among Malaysians. Since independence in 1957, the supreme law of Malaysia, the Federal Constitution, has pronounced Islam as the official religion but other religious ideologies are allowed to be practiced. Apart from the race riots of 1969, Malaysians have been living in a harmonious and peaceful multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious society; where each ethnicity promotes its own culture, while also respecting other diversities and cherishing differences to promote unity. This study applies the HI framework to examine the identity construction of Malay Bumiputera Muslims and also assess people’s responses to related government policies. Method: For empirical data analysis, the authors employ qualitative method through historical analysis based on authentic sources available in libraries as well as interviews with key informants in order to collect data from their personal opinion and experience. In other words, this comprehensive study has used mixed methods beginning with documentary analysis and using qualitative interviews to support the documentary analysis to achieve our objectives. Results and Discussion: The government has taken many steps to promote stability and racial harmony. Still, there are hurdles such as economic disparities among ethnicities, education based on vernacular languages, and others. On top of that, there are vast differences in community identity construction between the Malay Peninsula and the Borneo states, Sabah and Sarawak. To some extent, however, this historical setting has shaped Malaysian politics to be primarily centred upon the Malay and Bumiputera racial-hegemony context. This political setting cannot be avoided, but other ethnics are also permitted to form parties to represent their communities. Conclusion: To conclude, this identity construction has been a way to provide unity in diversity in the multi-racial society which is politically and socioeconomically constructed.

Perinatal Depression and Breastfeeding Outcomes: A Systematic Review from South Asian Countries

Background: Breastfeeding is very beneficial to both mothers and infants. However, perinatal depression, encompassing both antenatal and postnatal depression, can significantly impact breastfeeding. Prior research suggests a link between postpartum depression and breastfeeding difficulties. This systematic review focuses on the duration of breastfeeding, the duration of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), initiation, as well as the early cessation of breastfeeding among mothers in South Asian countries with unique sociocultural practices and mental health experiences. Methodology: The searched databases were PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, ProQuest PsycINFO, EBSCOhost CINAHL, and Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (gray literature) for relevant records till February 2024. Studies conducted in South Asian countries with cross-sectional, cohort, or case–control designs were included, and all interventional studies, qualitative studies, case reports, and case series were excluded. The review examined breastfeeding duration among mothers with perinatal depression. Two reviewers independently screened and selected studies, extracted data, and used the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale for quality assessment. Results: This systematic review identified 109 records, of which 14 were eligible. Ten studies were cross-sectional and 4 were cohort studies. It involved 11,944 perinatal women, with sample sizes ranging from 100 to 8189 participants. Conclusion: Perinatal depression was associated with shorter breastfeeding duration, especially EBF and early cessation of all breastfeeding. However, any association between perinatal depression and the initiation of breastfeeding was unclear. Overall, supporting mothers suffering from perinatal depression is crucial for successful breastfeeding practice. Certain limitations of the review were data heterogeneity, risk of recall bias in breastfeeding practices, and different data collection time points. Future research could study the various sociocultural and economic factors and biological mechanisms in breastfeeding and maternal depression.

Barriers, attitudes and perceptions to physical activity among pregnant women in Ibadan, Nigeria and the associated factors: a mixed method study.

Physical activity has several health benefits during pregnancy. However, it remains low among pregnant women because of various barriers. This study assessed the attitude, perception, barriers to physical activity during pregnancy and the associated factors. We conducted a cross-sectional study using a sequential explanatory mixed method among 465 pregnant women attending antenatal care from four healthcare facilities in Ibadan, Nigeria. Data was collected using a pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire, and we conducted four focus group discussions. Using the Barriers to Physical Activity during Pregnancy Scale questionnaire, we assessed the barriers based on the socioecological theory. The explanatory variables included sociodemographic characteristics, obstetric factors, past obstetric history and physical activity-related issues. Data were analysed using univariate and bivariatemethods (independent T-tests and ANOVA), and multiple linear regression was at 5% significance. We applied thematic content analysis to qualitative data. The mean age of the participants was 29.22 + 5.01years. The mean ± SD of the total physical activity barrier score (PABS) was 85.35 ± 22.82. The PABS for the subscales were intrapersonal barriers (34.46 ± 8.79), non-pregnancy intrapersonal barriers (14.47 ± 5.67), and interpersonal barriers (11.67 ± 4.25), environmental, political and organisational barriers (24.766 ± 8.82). The significant relationships between the total score of physical activity barriers and religion (p < 0.030), education (p < 0.000), complaints in pregnancy (p < 0.043), antenatal admission in the hospital (p < 0.004), physical activity advice (p < 0.018), pre-pregnancy physical activity (p < 0.000). Factors associated with physical activity barrier score were maternal education: adjusted β: -15.26, 95% CI: -27.83; -2.69; p = 0.017, antenatal admission adjusted β: 12.20, 95% CI 3.74; 20.67, p = 0.005 pre-pregnancy physical activity: adjusted β: -12.27, 95% CI -1.6.5; -7.99, p = 0.001. Significant themes that emerged in the perception of pregnant women towards physical activity are understanding physical activity, personal experience of physical activity, barriers experienced by pregnant women, the role of support, perceived benefits, and information from health care workers. Our study showed that pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Ibadan, Nigeria, face various barriers to physical activity during pregnancy. Using the socioecological framework, the most commonly reported barriers by our respondents were intrapersonal andenvironmental barriers. Sociodemographic characteristics, pre-pregnancy physical activity, and antenatal admission were significant factors associated with the total barrier scores of respondents. Healthcare professionals should be trained in promoting physical activity during pregnancy. Tailored interventions are necessary to promote physical activity among pregnant women in Nigeria, including the training of health workers.

Infographic text as a tool for organizing Russian-language educational discourse

Importance. The significance of the subject matter arises from the potential for organizing effec tive foreign language communication based on contemporary methods of educational materials’ visual representation, one of which is infographic – a relevant, authentic material that presents in formation in a concise and comprehensible form, integrating verbal and non-verbal elements.Materials and Methods. The following methods are used: analysis of academic research on the infographic text application in teaching foreign languages and practical experience generalization with the use of such materials in Russian as a foreign language. The research materials included academic papers that provided methodological justification for the infographics use as well as infographic materials available online and personal experience gained from utilizing infographic texts within the educational process.Results and Discussion. Based on the material analysis results on the topic, it is concluded that there is a significant potential for using infographic text with supporting structures in Russian as a foreign language teaching. In this regard, the theoretical knowledge necessary for a teacher to or ganize productive speech activity in a foreign language is described: the main stages of organizing work with infographics, the requirements for the of infographics content are listed.Conclusions. Infographic texts are valuable methodological material in teaching foreign lan guages, around which a foreign language educational discourse is built. Methodically, the tradi tional pre-text, pre-text and post-text tasks for working with the educational text should be orga nized competently. Here, support structures are important, which stimulate speech activity, con tributing to the effective work organization on the oral and written speech production based on a given algorithm.

Urban cultural insurgencies: the fight for the Brazilian city

Based on the study of 24 urban insurgencies, in seven Brazilian metropolises, we discuss their principles, contextualization and results. Following a historical review of Brazilian urban practices and policies highlighting alternate hopes and deep disenchantments, we describe the methodology and present the case study. The conclusions are: there are still no signs of the replication of such experiences in more extensive practices; they suggest a preference for working detached from official governmental structures; they follow global commitments and aspirations in virtual and very informal consortiums but rather act locally and independently; they are most commonly found on the periphery and in abandoned downtown areas; they avoid hierarchical structures, advocate for minority causes, propose affirmative actions and rely on social media for their organization. In general, their impacts are restricted but suggest a pragmatism with feasible emergency solutions. The article's tone, also shaped by the authors' personal experiences, is quite positive and even suggests a possible urban utopia.

How Workplaces Should Design Lactation Rooms: A Wishlist Informed by Clinical Practice, Maternal Health Research, and Personal Experience as a Breastfeeding Mom

How Workplaces Should Design Lactation Rooms: A Wishlist Informed by Clinical Practice, Maternal Health Research, and Personal Experience as a Breastfeeding Mom

Decoding soundscape stimuli and their impact on ASMR studies

This paper focuses on extracting and understanding the acoustical features embedded in the soundscape used in ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) studies. To this aim, a dataset of the most common sound effects employed in ASMR studies is gathered, containing whispering stimuli but also sound effects such as tapping and scratching. Further, a comparative analytical survey is performed based on various acoustical features and two-dimensional representations in the form of mel spectrogram. A special interest is in whispering sounds uttered in different languages. That is why whispering sounds are compared in the language context, and the characteristics of speaking and whispering are investigated within languages. The results of the 2D analyses are shown in the form of similarity measures, such as Normalized Root Mean Squared Error (NRMSE), PSNR (peak signal-to-noise ratio), and SSIM (structural similarity index measure). The summary is produced, showing that the analytical aspect of the inherently experiential nature of ASMR is highly affected by the subjective, personal experience, so the evidence behind triggering certain brain waves cannot be unambiguous.

Drivers of Chinese public attitudes towards agri-food applications based on synthetic biology: the results of qualitative exploratory research

Synthetic biology (SB) has attracted global interest in recent years due to its potential not only to produce various potentially beneficial applications including within the agri-food sector but also to cause multiple risks. However, public attitudes towards SB food have been infrequently investigated. The focus of this research relates to how Chinese participants respond to different SB agri-food applications, and whether these responses differ from responses to GM foods. Seven categories of factors that shaped participants’ attitudes towards SB agri-food applications were identified based on six focus groups in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities. These were: 1) perceived benefit, risk and ethical issues associated with specific SB applications, 2) affect/emotions evoked by SB applications, 3) attitudes associated with SB in general, 4) features or traits of applications, 5) personal experience and values, 6) social context, and 7) information to which individuals are exposed. Whilst some participants ‘made sense’ of SB based on existing attitudes towards GM, participants’ attitudes towards SB were less crystallised, resulting in more changes of attitudes towards SB applications after group discussions compared with GM applications. Perceptions of ethical issues associated with SB using synthetic genes also differed from those associated with GM which uses genes from other organisms. The results indicate that it is necessary to establish a more effective mechanism to engage interested stakeholders, including consumers, and co-develop socially acceptable SB agri-food products. It is also important to consider the combined influence of multiple factors in specific cultural or socio-economic contexts when developing targeted communication strategies.