Personal Pursuit Research Articles

Analysis on the Enlightenment Effect of Sesame Street on Children's Personality Exploration and Self-identity

Abstract: In recent years, with the progress of social economy and the development of education, children's mental health has increasingly become the focus of attention. As an important medium of children's education, TV programs are very popular with children, and have a profound significance in the shaping of children's health. American television program Sesame Street as a popular children's program, from the plot content, role setting, theme selection, present form, etc., conforms to the preschool childrens acceptance preferences, and successfully utilizes the medium for the key period of childrens mental development, accurately grasps the mental health characteristics of preschool childrens love of imitation. The program plays a good enlightening role in guiding children to discover their own personality and construct the self identity. The concept of "personality exploration and self-identity" is related to "self". In the pursuit of personality and self-positioning, children are guided to establish self-awareness, cultivate self-management ability and self-respect feelings. This paper mainly analyzes the enlightenment effect of Sesame Street on children's personality exploration and self-identity. The program promotes children to establish confidence, form self-identity, constitute the supporting conditions of mental health, for children to lay a solid foundation, and promote the formation of children's mental health and sound personality. At the same time, as a successful TV program that is deeply loved by children and has the significance of health education, it provides examples and references for creating more high-quality children's TV programs.

Navigating Uncharted Waters: A Mixed Studies Systematic Review of Elective Female Fertility Preservation for Women.

This study aimed to review studies exploring the experiences and perceptions of healthcare students and providers regarding their personal choices for elective female fertility preservation and their recommendations of the same to patients. Employing Pluye and Hong's convergent qualitative synthesis approach, a mixed-studies review was conducted. The appraisal of studies was performed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool and data analysis utilised Thomas and Harden's thematic synthesis approach. Six electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus and Web of Science) were searched from their inception till November 2023. About 24 studies were reviewed, uncovering four major themes: varied personal perspectives, knowledge gaps and role ambiguities, perceived temporal and financial constraints and apprehensions related to fear and stigma. This review underscored the challenges faced by healthcare professionals and students in their personal pursuit of elective fertility preservation. Addressing these challenges demands the implementation of fertility navigators, culturally and religiously sensitive public health campaigns and staff training. Moreover, standardised guidelines, transparent cost and process reporting, evidence-based education, counselling on risks and success rates and governmental support in the form of subsidies can mitigate barriers, enhance cost-effectiveness and promote equitable access to care. Collaboration among stakeholders is imperative to ensure equitable access and maintain quality care in elective female fertility preservation. This mixed studies review followed the reporting guidelines in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. No Patient or Public Contribution. This review has been registered on the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) database (CRD42023395406).

Michael Polanyi's personalist epistemology

Uniquely among personalist philosophers Michael Polanyi was an internationally recognised scientist, and so able to tackle scientist reductionism and objectivism on their chosen ground of natural science, by showing that it requires throughout the personal participation, commitment and judgement, often tacit, of the scientist, as does all our knowing and action. For this he formulated his central conception of the essentially tacit integration of subsidiary details from which we attend and use as clues to apprehend the ‘comprehensive entities’ and to perform the "complex actions" to which we focally attend. Thus he restored the scientist to his science and the person to the world in which he lives. Science is a deeply personal pursuit, as are all disciplines, and reductionism and objectivism, to the extent that they are actually practised, would destroy and civilisation with it.

Self-Identity Through an Existential Lens in Hesse’s Siddhartha

This paper explores Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha through an existential lens, analyzing the protagonist’s journey as a profound quest for self-identity and authentic living. By rejecting conventional paths such as asceticism, materialism, and even the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhartha embodies the existential struggle to define oneself through personal experience and individual choice. The novel delves into existential themes such as the rejection of conformity, the burden of freedom, the transformative power of suffering, and the fluid nature of self-identity. Siddhartha’s repeated encounters with suffering serve as catalysts for self-realization, illustrating that identity is not a fixed state but a dynamic process shaped by lived experiences. The river, as a central metaphor, symbolizes the interconnectedness and continuous flow of life, reinforcing the existential notion that true wisdom lies in embracing the totality of one’s journey. This analysis highlights Siddhartha as a profound reflection on the human condition, emphasizing that the search for self-identity is an endless and deeply personal pursuit, characterized by moments of clarity, despair, and ultimately, acceptance.

Empowering women in academia: navigating institutional dynamics, gender roles, and personal pursuits among female researchers in Norwegian higher education

ABSTRACT Numerous studies have documented the widespread marginalization of female scholars throughout their professional journeys in various societies. It has been noted that women in academia are not given the same opportunities as men when it comes to advancement into professorship, leadership roles, productivity in research, and salary. The personal pursuits and willingness of female researchers, including how they self-activated to negotiate with structural empowerment factors, have been largely ignored in literature. This article uses empowerment as an analytical lens to look at how career advancement and recognition of female researchers have been influenced by a mix of structural and individual factors. Empowerment is a motivating process that places power at the centre of its conception and results in increased competence, self-efficacy, self-confidence, self-esteem, and wellbeing. Therefore, empowerment is interpreted as cooperative and agreed-upon efforts by empowered agents to improve the career prospects of female researchers. This study explores the ways in which female researchers are empowered or disempowered as they advance in their careers, negotiating institutional policies and practices, gender roles, important relationships, and personal pursuits. Drawing upon interview data, this study intends to spark additional discussions and theoretical considerations on the intersections of gender, career advancement, and empowerment in higher education. It also asks for more culturally aware policy adjustments to empower female researchers inside the institution.

Amplifying Their Voice: Inclusive Healthcare Provider Perspectives to Improve Advancement, Resilience, and Retention.

Addressing the issues of workplace advancement, resilience, and retention within medicine is crucial for creating a culture of equity, respect, and inclusivity especially towards women and nonbinary (WNB) providers including advanced practice providers (APPs), most notably those from marginalized groups. This also directly impacts healthcare quality, patient outcomes, and overall patient and employee satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to amplify the voices on challenges faced by WNB providers within a pediatric academic healthcare organization,to rank workplace interventions addressing advancement, resilience, and retention highlighting urgency towards addressing these issues, and, lastly, to provide suggestions on how to improve inclusivity. Participants were self-identified WNB providers employed by a pediatric healthcare organization and its affiliated medical university. An eligibility screener was completed by 150 qualified respondents, and 40 WNBs actually participated in study interviews. Interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide to rank interventions targeted at improving equity, with time allotted for interviewees to discuss their personal lives and how individual circumstances impacted their professional experiences. WNB providers called for efficient workflows and reducing uncompensated job demands. Support for family responsibilities, flexible financial/compensation models, and improved job resources all were endorsed similarly. Participants ranked direct supervisor and leader support substantially lower than other interventions. Conclusions:Career mentorship and academic support for WNB individuals are recognized interventions for advancement and retention but were not ranked as top priorities. Respondents focused on personal supports as they relate to family, job resources, and flexible compensation models. Future studies should focus on implementing realistic expectations and structures that support whole lives including professional ambitions, time with family, personal pursuits, and self-care.

Identification of the Core Characteristics of Vulnerable/Hypersensitive Narcissism and its Association with the Dark Triad in a Large International Sample: A Network Analysis Study.

The current paper aimed to investigate the network structure and centrality indexes of hypersensitive narcissism using the hypersensitive Narcissism Scale (HSN). Additionally, we aimed to explore its relationships with dark triad personality aspects. A globally diverse sample of "53,981" participants (47.9% non-United States responders) completed the HSN and Dark Triad Dirty Dozen scale (DTD). We estimated the network structure across genders to determine the core characteristics of hypersensitive narcissism. Additionally, bridge and central nodes (characteristics) were identified. All analyses were performed using R-Studio programming software. The network comparison test indicated significant differences in the network structures between males and females (Network-Invariance: 0.0489, P < 0.01; Global Strength Invariance: 0.101, P < 0.01). In the network of HSN for male participants, characteristics with the highest strength centrality were "Highly affected by criticism" (HSN.2, strength = 1.08) and "Self-absorbed in personal pursuits" (HSN.8, strength = 1.28). For female participants, "Self-absorbed in personal pursuits" (HSN.8, strength = 1.32) and "privately annoyed by others' needs" (HSN.10, strength = 1.21) were the highest central characteristics. The assessment of bridge strength indicated that nodes HSN.2 (Highly sensitive to criticism), scoring 0.42, and DTD.1 (Tendency to manipulate for gain, a component of Machiavellianism), scoring 0.428, showed the highest bridge strength values. The current study identified core characteristics of hypersensitive narcissism and its correlation with dark triad personality, revealing gender-specific patterns and bridging symptoms between the two constructs. These findings showed that focusing on these core characteristics may be advantageous in treating individuals exhibiting elevated levels of narcissism.

Sociability across Eastern-Western cultures: Is it the same underlying construct?

In this study, we examined cross-cultural differences in sociability, a core personality facet of the higher order extraversion trait, which has been reported at lower levels in Eastern versus Western cultures several decades ago. Up until now, however, East-West cultural comparisons on the Western-defined construct of sociability have been limited, despite the extensive research published on extraversion indicating that this personality dimension is globally relevant across cultures. Following current practices, we first assessed for measurement invariance (MI) on the Cheek and Buss sociability scale between Chinese (n = 816, 47.2% male, M = 18.51 years, SD = 1.26 years) and Canadian (n = 995, 30.8% male, M = 19.62 years, SD = 1.25 years) young adult samples to ensure any comparisons would be valid and meaningful. Results from a multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (exact invariance) showed that there was measurement non-invariance at the scalar level in the sociability construct across country and country by sex, and the newer alignment method (approximate invariance) confirmed these results, suggesting that mean level comparisons of sociability were biased and noninformative. Our findings indicated that although a few of the higher-level personality dimensions such as extraversion are considered universal, the facets underlying their meaning, like sociability, are not as clearly delineated between cultures. Alongside the present-day pursuit of understanding personality across cultures through an indigenous measurement lens in tandem with the notion of universality, researchers should also consider narrowing their focus onto lower-level facets, each of which is likely to be uniquely embedded into a cultural context.

A systematic review of factors influencing the childbearing intentions of college students in developed and developing countries

This paper provides in-depth knowledge regarding the fundamental factors influencing college students’ childbearing intentions. We used PubMed, ProQuest Dissertations, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, Scopus, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure to search for relevant articles published between January 1946 and April 2023. Among these, we incorporated 51 studies conducted in 20 countries into a quantitative synthesis. The results indicated that there were differences between developed and developing countries in terms of the factors influencing college students’ childbearing intentions. The primary factors affecting childbearing intentions in developed countries were fertility knowledge, personal pursuits, and partner relationships. However, the influencing factors in developing countries were more complex: Financial pressures and personal pursuits deterred college students from their aspirations to have children, and these challenges delayed their intended reproductive age. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Writing anxiety among prospective nonlanguage teachers: A quantitative study of a nonmetropolitan state university

This research focuses on exploring the aftermath and diverse impacts of writing anxiety experienced by prospective nonlanguage teachers. The study primarily delves into the levels and types of writing anxiety that disrupt the academic performance and personal pursuits of future educators. The participants in this study encompassed 165 students pursuing majors unrelated to language, such as Bachelor of Secondary Education Major in Mathematics (BSED Math), Bachelor of Culture and Arts Education (BCAED), and Bachelor of Special Needs Education (BSNED). To ensure accurate data collection, the study employed assessment tools, namely, the Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory (SLWAI) and the Causes of Writing Anxiety Inventory (CWAI), both exhibiting high-reliability scores of .757 and .936, respectively. Employing one-way ANOVA, the collected data were subjected to statistical analysis. The findings of the study indicated that the participants consistently experienced heightened anxiety levels in writing. The investigation also revealed that among the various types of writing-related anxiety, cognitive anxiety emerged as the most prominent, followed by somatic anxiety and avoidance behavior. Furthermore, the study identified time constraints and the pressure to achieve perfection as the two most prevalent causes of writing anxiety among the participants. The conclusions drawn from these findings are extensively discussed within the study, shedding light on the implications for both educators and students in a nonmetropolitan state university.

The Spirit of Happiness: The Universal Manifestation of Life

Happiness is the manifestation of positive contemplation and consciousness. It is a way of demonstrating positive thinking and intuition. The spirit of happiness is a collaboration of life contentment, positive effect, and high thinking in the subjective nature. The study delves into the sources of happiness globally, revealing mental health, physical wellbeing, living conditions, behaviors, personal safety, and life expectancy. The feeling of life has the most delighted meaning, leading to the divine inspiration of happiness. The objective of the paper is to state the spirit of happiness, encompassing feelings of contentment, positive vibes, and supportive life. The paper covers the World Happiness Report since 2012 when it was started, its background, factors, reports, and findings. The emancipation of happiness is multifaceted, covering positive emotions and cognitive feelings. Social connection, natural attitude, fiscal support, socio-culture, pragmatic sign, and mental healing are key terms, creating a vibrant evolution of happiness, and leading to the contentment of consciousness and self-awareness. Happiness is not only a personal pursuit but also a societal measure of progress, manifesting emotional intelligence, individualism, idealism, and perfectionism.

MZ세대의 소셜미디어 이용 동기가 헤어관리에 미치는 영향

This study attempted to investigate the influence of motives to use social media on hair care against Gen MZ who have recently emerged as a powerful force in the national economy. For this, an online questionnaire survey was performed against adult men and women in their 18-41 living in Gwangju Metropolitan City from September 20 to October 20, 2022, using NAVER Forms. Among a total of 320 questionnaires distributed, 308 copies excluding 12 poorly answered ones were used for final analysis. The collected data were analyzed by frequency analysis, exploratory factor analysis, Cronbach’s alpha and linear regression analysis, using SPSS 21.0, and the results found the followings: First, the motives to use social media were divided into 4 categories: social motivation, hedonic motivation, self-expression motivation, information-functional motivation. In addition, hair care was classified into hair-interpersonal orientation, pursuit of hair personality, hair consistency and hair conformity. Second, the motives for social media use had a statistically significant influence on hair care (p&lt;.05, p&lt;.01, p&lt;.001). The above results confirm that motives for using social media affect hair care as MZers’ interest in the utilization of social media and hair care is rapidly growing. These days, they tend to express and appeal themselves more actively, using social media. This study also found that such tendency is reflected on their hair care. The study results show that there should be more active marketing and advertisement strategies against Generation MZ who have great purchasing power in beauty industry.

The Reform of Ceremonial Music and the Construction of New Music in the Huizong Period of the Song Dynasty

The Song Dynasty attached great importance to the performance of ceremonial music, and the Northern Song Dynasty experienced six large-scale music discussions. Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty was a renowned artistic emperor with a unique aesthetic outlook on music. His personal aesthetic led to the sixth reform of the Northern Song Dynasty’s ceremonial music, which created the Dasheng music with the personal element of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty. After the formation of music, Yuefu was created. Dasheng Fu and Dasheng music can be said to be the pinnacle of Song Huizong’s personal pursuit. He attempted to fulfill his political ideals by playing Dasheng music. It can be said that the sixth reform of the Northern Song Dynasty was a selfperformance by Song Huizong.

From passion to profit: unveiling the strengths of proactive mindset, perseverance, excellence and education in the entrepreneurial success of MSMEs

PurposeThe study investigates the linkage between personality traits and firm performance. It examines the role of the pursuit of excellence, perseverance, a proactive mindset and formal education in determining the entrepreneurial success of MSMEs.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 432 MSME entrepreneurs using a structured questionnaire from India's two major industrial towns to analyze the impact of personality traits on firm performance. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to assess the direct and indirect relationships with the help of mediation analysis.FindingsThe findings assert that personality traits improve firm performance and determine the success of MSMEs. The results reveal that the need for achievement, a proactive mindset and the pursuit of excellence are crucial to firm performance. In addition, formal education mediates between perseverance and the pursuit of excellence personality attributes on the one side and firm performance on the other.Research limitations/implicationsThe research has various theoretical and practical implications for entrepreneurs, financial institutions and policymakers. The results could be productively used to nurture the entrepreneurial ecosystem in India.Originality/valueAlthough research on personality traits as a driver of firm performance is growing, the pursuit of excellence, perseverance and proactive mindset attributes as enablers of firm performance have not garnered much attention. The study presents a precise conceptual model by integrating the aforementioned dimensions in the backdrop of an emerging market.

Seeing the human behind the research: Strengthening emerging African disability researchers.

A pre-conference workshop that investigated the experiences and needs of PhD candidates and early career researchers in disability studies in Africa was held as part of the proceedings of the African Network for Evidence to Action in Disability (AfriNEAD) 7th Conference in November 2023. To determine how the existing structures in AfriINEAD can be leveraged to support emerging African disability researchers. This article documents this event and summarises the key findings from the discussions that took place. The workshop included presentations from leading scholars in health professions education, panel discussions with PhD candidates and early career researchers, and small group discussions on what is needed to support emerging researchers. Disability studies was positioned by participants as not only an academic exercise but also a deeply personal pursuit, requiring introspection and conscientisation, with which they felt they needed support. There are also specific ethical concerns related to doing research work with persons with disabilities, which need to be prioritised in postgraduate education in disability studies. The needs identified by participants are summarised as: (1) mentorship, (2) networking, and (3) funding. We suggest that the development of African disability scholars and scholarship requires an African ethical approach, which prioritises humanity, community and reciprocity. African disability studies scholars are well-placed to disrupt ableism in academic, medical and social spheres, as well as hierarchies within academia, which limit development, mutual growth and respect.

Impact of work life balance in mental health

The study may enhance your mental health by keeping a healthy work-life balance by establishing clear priorities, setting realistic plans and routines, and learning time management skills. To achieve work-life harmony, you must do more than simply pare down your to-do list. The benefits of a well-balanced schedule are not limited to people who have a lot of work to do; in fact, the better mental health that comes from a work-life balance may lead to improved productivity.If you want to keep a good work-life balance, you need to know what that looks like for you, given your unique set of circumstances. Many individuals underestimate the significance of work-life balance because they have erroneous or no perceptions of what it may or should look like.WORK-LIFE BALANCEWork-life balance seems to be the capacity of a person to meet their family and work obligations, as well as other commitments and activities undertaken outside of work hours and during their leisure time. In order to maintain a healthy work-life balance, you don't have to divide time equally between work and personal pursuits. An individual's capacity to retain happiness in both their personal and professional lives while also managing their time and efforts efficiently is known as ‘work-life balance.’

Investigating university students’ digital citizenship development through the lens of digital literacy practice: A Translingual and transemiotizing perspective

This qualitative study has investigated how a group of bilingual university students in Hong Kong understand digital citizenship and construct it through digital literacy practices in social media. Drawing on interview data and examples of digital activity shared by the students, we adopt the theories of digital literacies and translanguaging and transsemiotizing to reveal how they construct digital citizenship through an complex interplay between several factors, most prominently (1) a variety of digitally mediated social, cultural and educational practices the students engage in, (2) their agency of deploying diverse linguistic and semiotic recourses to achieve varied communicative effects in different settings and (3) their personal pursuits of intellectual and professional development and social engagement in a digitalized and globalized society. We then discuss how the findings can enrich our understanding of digital citizenship and its relationship with digital literacies in a multilingual and multicultural context such as Hong Kong. The implications for digital citizenship education are also discussed.

Organizations Should Maintain Employee’s Work-Life Balance

The scope of the current study is to determine the challenges of employees in between work-life and personal life balance. Organizations should prioritize and maintain employees’ work-life balance. Work-life balance refers to the equilibrium between an employee's work responsibilities and their personal life, including family, hobbies, and personal well-being. When employees have a healthy work-life balance, they experience less stress and improve their working skills to achieve the targets, and this well-being leads to improved mental and physical health as well as work productivity. This descriptive research approach surveyed by 67 responses as simple random technique, provides a significant result toward organizations that they should maintain employee’s work-life balance. The research finds that organizations that prioritize work-life balance are more likely to attract and retain top talent. By the managing time, regular assessment and adjustment in work-life balance initiatives, organizations can enhance their employer brand and improve employee retention rates. Work-life balance allows employees to have time for personal pursuits and interests outside of work which can contribute to their creativity and innovation. When employees have a healthy work-life balance, they are more likely to have positive relationships with their colleagues and supervisors. Improved relationships can lead to better teamwork, collaboration, and a more positive work environment.

Engaging Undergraduate Students in Research

A primary goal of undergraduate education is to provide a comprehensive and diverse educational experience to prepare and promote student success in their professional and personal pursuits. Increased academic success and program connectivity have been demonstrated when undergraduate students are engaged in research early in their degree programs. Despite the known benefits of undergraduates engaging in research, there are challenges associated with conducting undergraduate research programs. Reported barriers include the lack of student knowledge about research methods, lack of preparedness, and lack of student identification and understanding of their specific interests which may not facilitate research ideas and affinity to conduct research. Additional challenges are related to the lack of faculty resources (e.g., time, specific equipment, research space, etc.), the ability to train and supervise undergraduates who may have very limited or no research experience and those students who are true beginners lacking foundational skills. Moreover, involving, engaging, and supporting underrepresented students (e.g., first-generation college students, females, ethnic minorities) in undergraduate research experiences can require different approaches for mentors to be effective. The “Engaging Undergraduate Students in Research” workshop was organized by the Vice Presidents of the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) Research and Education Divisions at the ASHS 2022 Annual Conference in Chicago, IL, USA. The workshop featured three speakers who described their experiences engaging undergraduate students in research. After each speaker provided comments for ≈5 minutes, the workshop attendees self-selected into three breakout groups with the speakers for roundtable discussions related to engaging students in research through coursework, engaging students via formal research projects, and engaging underrepresented students in research. After the breakout group discussions, a summary was given by each group, and whole group discussions and comments were facilitated. This is a summary of the information discussed and shared during the workshop, along with information that can assist faculty with developing and implementing undergraduate research experiences.

The passion of aging: The representation of localism in spiritual eldercare of Naxi in Lijiang

As concepts of place, locality, and localism have been abundantly discussed separately but seldom juxtaposed, the close examination of the divergence and complementarity among Place, Locality, and Localism will be the theoretical and methodological basis for the current research. In this article, I argue that diverse self-organized group activities of Lijiang Naxi elders in southwest China are prospered by the orchestration of their local identity, ethnic identity and the personal pursuit of aesthetic of skills. All these forms of belonging based on localism are constructed within the local sphere, facilitating a passionate and positive eldercare pattern in the small city. By juxtaposing the concepts of locality and localism in the local context, the creative agency and spirituality of the elders in Lijiang alternatively serve as a possible lens to seek elders’ positive involvement and delicate positionality in local cultural dynamics.