Quality Of Social Interactions Research Articles

Does Your Smartphone “Know” Your Social Life? A Methodological Comparison of Day Reconstruction, Experience Sampling, and Mobile Sensing

Mobile sensing is a promising method that allows researchers to directly observe human social behavior in daily life using people’s mobile phones. To date, limited knowledge exists on how well mobile sensing can assess the quantity and quality of social interactions. We therefore examined the agreement among experience sampling, day reconstruction, and mobile sensing in the assessment of multiple aspects of daily social interactions (i.e., face-to-face interactions, calls, and text messages) and the possible unique access to social interactions that each method has. Over 2 days, 320 smartphone users (51% female, age range = 18–80, M = 39.53 years) answered up to 20 experience-sampling questionnaires about their social behavior and reconstructed their days in a daily diary. Meanwhile, face-to-face and smartphone-mediated social interactions were assessed with mobile sensing. The results showed some agreement between measurements of face-to-face interactions and high agreement between measurements of smartphone-mediated interactions. Still, a large number of social interactions were captured by only one of the methods, and the quality of social interactions is still difficult to capture with mobile sensing. We discuss limitations and the unique benefits of day reconstruction, experience sampling, and mobile sensing for assessing social behavior in daily life.

Care provider interaction and psychological well-being of persons living with dementia in long-term care: a longitudinal observational study

BackgroundAlthough social interaction is important for dementia care and well-being of persons living with dementia, a limited number of studies have reported. This study aimed to examine whether the presence, type, and quality of social interaction is associated with psychological well-being among residents with dementia.MethodsThis study analyzed 258 videos of 30 participants living with dementia. Social interaction was assessed by quality, type, and presence of interaction. Psychological well-being was measured by positive and negative emotional expressions. A mixed model was used for data analysis since these repeatedly measured observation data were nested within subjects.ResultsPositive and neutral interactions were significantly associated with positive emotional expressions after controlling covariates, while negative interaction was significantly associated with negative emotional expressions. There was no significant relationship found between interaction presence or type and emotional expressions.ConclusionsThis study showed interaction quality is essential to promote psychological well-being in persons living with dementia regardless of presence or type of interaction. This study highlights the importance of positive care provider interactions in dementia care. Additionally, institutional efforts to create an environment to reduce negative interactions appears essential to improve the psychological well-being of persons living with dementia.Trial registrationThe study was reviewed and approved by the Yonsei University Institutional Review Board on October 16, 2020 (ref no: Y-2020-0158).

The Effect Of Phubbing In Group Learning

The purpose of this study is to look at the effect of phubbing in group learning. Phubbing, the behavior of ignoring those around them while using electronic devices, has become increasingly popular in today's digital world. The goal of group learning can be achieved by group members working together in the learning process. The quality of social interaction between group members and the success of learning can be negatively affected by the presence of phubbing in group learning environments. The library research technique used in this research literature review to collect and examine data related to the influence of phubbing in group learning. The findings of this study are expected to provide an overview of how phubbing affects the efficiency of group learning and provide a basis for reducing the adverse impact of phubbing on group learning.

The Mediating Role of Social Participation in Motoric Cognitive Risk and its Relation to Depression and Loneliness in Older Adults.

Motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR) reduces the quality of life, independence, and social interaction in older adults. Social participation is a potentially modifiable factor that benefits cognitive and mental health. This study explored the mediating roles of social participation between MCR and depression and between MCR and loneliness. We performed a secondary analysis of data from the 2015-2016 National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project. Slow gait speed and cognitive decline were used to assess MCR. Mediation analysis was applied to two models, both of which used MCR as an exposure and social participation as a mediator. The outcomes were depression and loneliness for each model, respectively. Among 1,697 older adults, 196 (11.6%) had MCR. The mediating role of social participation was statistically significant in both models. The indirect effect (β=0.267, p=0.001) of MCR on depression through social participation comprised 11.97% of the total effect (β=2.231, p<0.001). The indirect effect (β=0.098, p=0.001) of MCR on loneliness through social participation was 19.48% of the total effect (β=0.503, p<0.001). Interventions to increase social participation may reduce depression and loneliness of older adults with MCR.

Assessment of Quality of Life Studies of Renal Failure patients in different cities of Punjab, Pakistan

Aim: To determine the quality of life (QOL) of renal failure patients on maintenance hemodialysis on the basis of their baseline characteristics in Lahore, Pakistan. Study design: A cross sectional study was carried out with two hundred and ten patients selected randomly from dialysis centers in General, Mayo and Jinnah hospitals, Lahore Pakistan, to measure and analyze the QOL of hemodialysis patients by pre-validated KDQOL-SFTM version 1.3 in English language. Methodology: Interviews of the patients were performed to collect data. SF-36 items mean and standard deviation were performed to analyze data on the basis of gender and age groups. Results: Among the eleven scales targeting End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), only the "Effects of Kidney Disease" scale demonstrates a greater impact on males than females. However, three scales including Symptom/Problem list, Quality of Social Interaction, and Dialysis Staff Encouragement show suboptimal results in young patients. Similarly, two of the seven health-related outcome scales, Physical Functioning and Energy Fatigue, exhibit poor outcomes in young patients. Conclusion: Major cause of their kidney disease was hypertension and diabetes. Overall, less number of prescribed medications, decreased hospitalization and reduced hospital visits are the factors showing overall better quality of life.This study helps us understand the impacts of kidney disease on different genders and age groups, guiding the development of personalized care plans. Keywords: Quality of life (QOL), End stage renal disease ESRD, hemodialysis, KDQOL-SFTM version 1.3

Effects of Wearing Face Masks to Prevent Infectious Diseases On Children's and Adolescents' Well-Being and Behavior: An Interview Study

To investigate the effects of wearing masks in terms of well-being, behavior and psychosocial development on children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Expert interviews were conducted with educators (n=2), teachers from primary and secondary education (n=9), adolescent student representatives (n=5) as well as paediatricians from primary care (n=3) and the public health service (n=1), transcribed and subjected to thematic analysis using MAXQDA 2020. The most frequently reported short- and medium-term direct effects of mask-wearing were primarily in terms of limited communication due to a reduction in hearing and facial expressions. These restrictions in communication had consequences for social interaction and teaching quality. It is assumed that there will be effects on language development and social-emotional development in the future. A reported increase in psychosomatic complaints as well as anxiety, depression and eating disorders was attributed more to the conglomerate of distancing interventions than to just wearing of masks. Vulnerable groups were children with developmental difficulties, those with German as a foreign language, younger children, and shy and quiet children and adolescents. While the consequences of mask-wearing for children and adolescents can be described quite well for different aspects of communication and interaction, effects on aspects of psychosocial development cannot be clearly identified yet. Recommendations are made primarily for dealing with the limitations in the school setting.

СОЦІАЛЬНИЙ КОНТАКТ, ЯК СКЛАДОВА ГРОМАДСЬКОГО ПРОСТОРУ МІСТА

This article examines social contact as an important component of public space in cities. The author emphasizes the physical parameters of space that influence the possibility and quality of social interactions. Street networks and sidewalk accessibility contribute to encounters and communication in densely populated areas, while large open spaces without buildings may reduce the number of social contacts. Space design, such as the presence of public squares and parks, can increase social encounters and make the space more diverse. Building planning with eye-level windows for passersby can also promote interaction between people inside the building and pedestrians. To ensure an equal quantity and quality of social contact in the public space of a city, it is necessary to understand the forms of social interaction and their impact on the comfort of the urban environment. Formal, informal, and technical levels of interaction among people in society are distinguished. The article discusses social contact in physical public space, architectural environments, and the interaction between individuals and spatial elements. The classification of forms of social contact includes direct, involuntary, visual, navigational, and acoustic contacts, depending on the distance between participants. The presence of quality social contact in public space affects safety, health, social support, cultural environment, and the overall atmosphere of a city. Public spaces with open areas located at the intersection of different environments can become platforms for a healthy cultural and educational environment in a city. Ensuring social contact in public space is of great importance for the development of cities and improving the quality of the city life. When designing urban environments, it is essential to consider not only the physical parameters of space but also the aspects of social contact. It is important to design spaces that promote encounters, communication, and interaction among people.

Supporting Persons With Dementia: Perspectives From Certified Nurse's Assistants.

Many persons with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias (ADRD) receive care from paid staff in residential communities. The most common staff in these communities are certified nursing assistants (CNAs). Although CNAs have a high number of interactions with residents, and thus the possibility of engaging in social interactions, evidence suggests that they provide limited social support to persons with ADRD. Little is known about the attitudes of CNAs toward providing social support to persons with ADRD and their perception of components of quality social interactions with these individuals. We conducted a thematic analysis of semistructured interviews with 11 CNAs (91% female participants, mean age 23.6) to understand their perceptions about providing social support to persons with ADRD and the components of effective social interactions. Our results show that CNAs consider providing social support to be an important part of their role as CNAs. Additionally, participants emphasized the interplay of verbal communication, nonverbal communication, and internal beliefs and attitudes toward persons with ADRD in creating effective social interactions. Participants highlighted multiple barriers to providing residents with social support, including lack of time, lack of training, and the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. We offer implications for expanding training for CNAs working with persons with dementia and improving policy based on our results.

Exploring social stages of play through eye to I© intervention model.

The study explores the role of the Eye to I© intervention model in facilitating advancement through social stages of play in which skills contribute to the quality of social interaction and communication in children with autism. Data were collected on 11 participants, ages of 2-6years, formally diagnosed with autism, receiving Eye to I© Social Communication therapy at Potentials Therapy Center, New Delhi, India. Eye to I© is developed in-house at Potentials and is further discussed in the paper. All participants attended a form of group intervention. A mixed-method design included quantitative measures administered pre and post intervention (Communication DEALL Developmental Checklist, Communication Matrix) and video coding of Social Communication sessions. Qualitative measures were semi-structured parent interviews conducted at the end of intervention. Thematic analysis and quantitative statistical analysis results show that by the end of the Eye to I© intervention period children engaged in social stages of play of greater developmental complexity and showed increased scores in assessments of social skills as well as generalization of skills. This suggests that skill acquisition necessary to directly support two diagnostic criteria areas of autism as per DSM-V; i.e., communication and social interaction occurred during the period of intervention.

Exploring Social Capital Level in Regions with Large and Increasing Wealth Inequality: Lesson from Seoul, South Korea.

While wealth inequality is increasing worldwide, social interaction quality among communities is simultaneously decreasing. Although inequality is primarily correlated with the income gap, inequality is also significantly associated with the housing price gap, especially in South Korea. This study explores the correlation between housing price inequality and social interaction levels in Seoul. For this analysis, the housing price Gini coefficient was utilized through the housing transaction price, and social interaction was measured using the Korea Housing Survey. The results of this study indicate that the social interaction level was low in regions with large housing price inequality. Moreover, the social interaction level was low in regions where housing price inequality increased for 10years. Furthermore, the negative correlation between housing price inequality and social interaction was significant only in the lower-asset class. The fact that inequality negatively influences social interactions only in the low-asset class is another aspect of inequality.

Emotion recognition accuracy only weakly predicts empathic accuracy in a standard paradigm and in real life interactions.

The relationship between decoding ability (Emotion recognition accuracy, ERA) for negative and positive emotion expressions from only video, only audio and audio-video stimuli and the skill to understand peoples' unspoken thoughts and feelings (Empathic accuracy, EA) was tested. Participants (N = 101) from three groups (helping professionals with and without therapy training as well as non-helping professionals) saw or heard recordings of narrations of a negative event by four different persons. Based on either audio-video or audio-only recordings, the participants indicated for given time points what they thought the narrator was feeling and thinking while speaking about the event. A Bayesian regression model regressing group and ERA scores on EA scores was showing weak support only for the EA scores for ratings of unspoken feelings from audio only recordings. In a subsample, the quality of self-experienced social interactions in everyday life was assessed with a diary. The analysis of ERA and EA scores in relation to diary scores did not indicate much correspondence. The results are discussed in terms of relations between skills in decoding emotions using different test paradigms and contextual factors.

Supporting students’ mental health and social emotional learning through community engagement and collaboration

ABSTRACT Background There is a recognised need internationally to reduce depression and anxiety among adolescents. As a population particularly sensitive to the amount and quality of social interaction, challenges for young people became magnified during COVID-19, particularly for students from under-represented and marginalised communities across the globe. Purpose This paper reports on a study conducted in Washington State, USA, that sought, via an alliance with students, parents, educators and community leaders, to gain insight into students’ lived experiences during the pandemic. It aimed to better comprehend how experiences affected social emotional learning and use this understanding to explore ways of reducing students’ mental health concerns. Method We created a diverse consortium, drawn from six schools. It comprised 13 students, predominantly students of colour, across the age range 11–18 years. Also participating were five other stakeholders: parents, educators and community leaders. The consortium’s involvement in five online discussion sessions led to the collection of rich data, as participants shared perspectives on pandemic experiences and learning. Additionally, we administered a survey about group collaboration. Data were analysed thematically. Findings The formation of the consortium represented a significant outcome in itself, providing a meaningful way of gaining understanding of the mental health and social emotional concerns of the students, their families and the other collaborators. Another outcome was the opportunity for students and parents to be at the same table and voice concerns about remote learning, sharing views on how changes affected students’ learning and mental health. Conclusion The consortium allowed for all voices to be heard. This research highlights the need for more attention and resources to be directed towards students of colour, not only across schools within the research setting but also elsewhere internationally. The connection of students with educators, parents and community stakeholders, by means of a consortium, can build a foundation through which the mental health needs of students in school may be addressed in future research.

Saudi Children's and Their Parents' Perception of a Digitally Modified Photograph Model of Different Smiles with Different Anterior Teeth Alignments and Dental Appearances.

Since there is a lack of data on dentofacial esthetic perception in Saudi Arabia, the present research was conducted to study children's and their parent's perceptions of smiles with different dental alignments and dental appearances. In addition, we aimed to determine whether facial attractiveness or dental esthetic dominates the overall esthetic perception. Finally, we aimed to investigate the influence of gender on the judgment of a dental smile. Six digitally altered photographs and two dynamic videos of smiling faces of boys and girls with different dental alignments and appearances were shown to 183 children and their parents in malls in Saudi Arabia's Qassim Province. Following the parent's acceptance of the interview, the child was interviewed first, followed by the parent. Their responses were measured using a smile perception questionnaire (SPQ) for children aged 8-10 years. Data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The results demonstrated that whole-face smiles of both boys and girls with different poor dentofacial esthetics had a significantly lower rating score than lower third-face smiles scores among children and their parents (p ≤ 0.05). Except for a few views, there were no significant differences between children's and their parents' dentofacial esthetic judgments. Moreover, the answers to the smile perception questionnaire 8-10 for the smiling face dynamic videos of boys and girls were not significantly different. Children agreed with their parents in judging the smiles of different dentofacial esthetic perceptions. Overall, esthetics was more influenced by facial esthetics than dental esthetics. Background attractiveness and sexual characteristics do not affect smile perception. The smile is considered one of the major determinants of how the overall esthetic of children will appear. Thus, the comprehensive diagnosis involving the analysis of malocclusion and poor dental appearance psychological effect can be used for patient care improvement. Consequently, dental treatment to improve the dental smile will enhance the children's quality of life and social interaction.

Verbal and Non-Verbal Social Skills of Primary School Students

Social skills are a factor that determines an individual's quality of social interactions with their surrounding. A high development level of social skills contributes to self-respect and self-esteem, which has a positive impact on human relations and, consequently, on the possibility of self-affirmation in different areas of life. The results of research that had to examine verbal and non-verbal social skills of primary school students are presented in this research paper. The research sample number was 506 students from six primary schools located in the city of Tuzla. Taking the sex of students as a variable into consideration, there were 225 girls and 281 boys, aged 11- 14. Regarding the research instruments, the Inventory of social skills (Roggio and Throckmorton 1986) was applied, and it comprised two areas: emotional-nonverbal, which reflects non-verbal social skills, and socio-verbal, the sub-scales of which measure verbal social skills. During the data processing, descriptive statistics were utilized, and the obtained indicators lead to a conclusion that primary school students show average results on both verbal and non-verbal domains of the Inventory of social skills. In the context of non-verbal social skills, students had the highest results on the Scale of sensitivity to emotions whereas, in the area of verbal social skills, the students had the highest results on the Scale of social sensitivity. These results enable insight into current conditions regarding the social skills of primary school students and since they are based on students' self-evaluation, they can serve as a basis for further research which should encompass the teachers' and parents' assessment.

Social environment and moment-to-moment variation in self-construal among Latinx emerging adults: An ecological momentary assessment approach

Self-construal involves how one thinks of themselves in relations to others, including how much one thinks of themselves as separate from others (independent) or connected (interdependent). Researchers have typically assumed these self-perceptions are stable. However, given self-construal’s basis in the perceptions of others and the self, it is highly likely that self-construal can vary in different social environments. Thus, the goals of the present study were to examine (1) whether independent and interdependent self-construal fluctuates within-person among Latinx emerging adults from day-to-day and moment-to-moment, and (2) how individuals’ social environment is concurrently associated with fluctuations in self-construal. Using ecological momentary assessment (EMA), Latinx emerging adults (N = 191) reported on their independent and interdependent self-construal, as well as aspects of their social environment (occurrence of social interaction, interaction partner, quality of social interaction, and closeness of relationship) twice a day for 14 days, for up to 4058 observations in total. Using multilevel modeling to partition the variance in self-construal at the moment, day, and person level, we found substantial moment-to-moment variation. Further analyses indicated that aspects of the social environment were consistently associated with interdependent, but not independent, self-construal. The findings highlight the need to re-conceptualize changes in self-construal as a function of the social environment, and the need to measure aspects of culture, including self-construal, using ecologically valid measures that allow for more dynamic and sensitive assessments.

Effects of Parent-Child Sandplay Therapy for preschool children with autism spectrum disorder and their mothers: A randomized controlled trial

PurposeTo evaluate the effects of the Parent-Child Sandplay Therapy (PCST) Program on autism behaviors, social responsiveness and sleep quality among preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and their mothers' parenting stress. Design and methodsA prospective, randomized controlled, parallel-group trial was employed. Fifty-two child-mother dyads were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 26) or a control group (n = 26) from February 2017 to February 2019. The intervention group was treated with a 20-week PCST Program plus an Applied Behavior Analysis-based program (ABA-based program), whereas the control group received only the ABA-based program. Outcome measures included the Autism Behavior Checklist total scores, Social Responsiveness Scale scores, Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire scores, and Parenting Stress Index-Short Form scores, measured at baseline, post-intervention (20 weeks after baseline) and follow-up assessments (32 weeks after baseline). ResultsFinally, 43 dyads completed the study. The linear mixed model analysis resulted in a significant group*time interaction effect of ABC score (Est = 2.027, t = 3.277; p < 0.01), SRS score (Est = 3.377, t = 6.095; p < 0.01), PSI-SF score (Est = 3.873, t = 4.253, p < 0.01), and CSHQ score (Est = 3.158, t = 6.485; p < 0.05). ConclusionOur findings suggested that the PCST Program could potentially improve social interaction and sleep quality of preschool children with ASD while decreasing parenting stress. Practice implicationsThe PCST Program was found to be a feasible and a promising treatment for children with mild-to-moderate ASD as well as for their parents. It was a nurse-led program, which could be integrated into the usual nursing care of children with autism spectrum disorder in special education schools.Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trials Registry, ChiCTR2100047699.

The importance of high quality real-life social interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has brought about dramatic restrictions to real-life social interactions and a shift towards more online social encounters. Positive social interactions have been highlighted as an important protective factor, with previous studies suggesting an involvement of the amygdala in the relationship between social embeddedness and well-being. The present study investigated the effect of the quality of real-life and online social interactions on mood, and explored whether this association is affected by an individual’s amygdala activity. Sixty-two participants of a longitudinal study took part in a one-week ecological momentary assessment (EMA) during the first lockdown, reporting their momentary well-being and their engagement in real-life and online social interactions eight times per day (N ~ 3000 observations). Amygdala activity was assessed before the pandemic during an emotion-processing task. Mixed models were calculated to estimate the association between social interactions and well-being, including two-way interactions to test for the moderating effect of amygdala activity. We found a positive relationship between real-life interactions and momentary well-being. In contrast, online interactions had no effect on well-being. Moreover, positive real-life social interactions augmented this social affective benefit, especially in individuals with higher amygdala being more sensitive to the interaction quality. Our findings demonstrate a mood-lifting effect of positive real-life social interactions during the pandemic, which was dependent on amygdala activity before the pandemic. As no corresponding effect was found between online social interactions and well-being, it can be concluded that increased online social interactions may not compensate for the absence of real-life social interactions.

Sustainable Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Adults as Supported by the vINCI Technology.

The vINCI technology represents an innovative instrument developed specifically but not exclusively for older adults by technology researchers together with a medical team specialized in geriatrics and gerontology. It was designed to be independently and effortlessly used by older adults in the comfort and safety of their own environment. It is a modular and flexible platform that can integrate a large array of various sensors and can easily adapt to specific healthcare needs. The pilot study tested sensors and standardized instruments capable of evaluating several care-related parameters and of generating personalized feedback for the user dedicated to optimizing physical activity level, social interaction, and health-related quality of life. Moreover, the system was able to detect and signal events and health-related aspects that would require medical assistance. This paper presents how the innovative vINCI technology improves quality of life in older adults. This is evidenced by the results obtained following the clinical validation of the vINCI technology by older adults admitted to the Ana Aslan National Institute of Gerontology and Geriatrics (NIGG) in Bucharest.

Documentation of Old Urban Areas for Regeneration Ideas in the Future, Khanaqa Neighborhood as Case Study

Globally, as the inhabitants of urban areas continueto grow, considerable pressure is placed on resources, necessitating the immediate need for effectiveimprovements to theinfrastructure in the area, particularly in terms of shelter, clean water, andwaste. The builtenvironment is asignificant component of urban life. Controlling urban zonesis thus one ofthe21st century's importantchallengesin urbandevelopment, Erbil city is not far from this challenge. Erbil is one of the old cities in Iraq that consists of many old urban areas which inyears they will lose the ability to maintain their physical structure. Accordingly documenting old neighborhoods of Erbil city could play a staminal role in helping future regeneration works. The study conducts a documentation process that preparesa set of layered maps of the existing situation of the Khanaqahneighborhood that help in regeneration works within the area in the future. Khanaqa neighborhood is one of the oldest bad-conditioned areas in Erbil city. Thisarea did notreceive any maintenance or renovation works besides its obvious problems such asCrowding problems because it’s inside the central business district, traffic problemsbecause of the development of the city, lack of car parking, there is no consideration for pedestrian, the lake of greenery, and the exhausted situation of the neighborhood are main problems. The aim of the study is to describe all the problems that faced the neighborhood to be a ready document for oncoming renovation works. The research demonstrates a descriptive methodology to explain the weak and strongpoints of the area through observationofthe condition of the buildings, streets,and facilities in the neighborhood and comparingthem with the standards. The research finds that the area needs to have a comprehensive renovation process to retain its cultural and historical valuesfrom deteriorationand on the other hand to enrich the quality of commercial activities and social interactions in the area.

Quality Conversation Can Increase Daily Well-Being

The associations among the frequency and quality of social interactions and in-the-moment and global well-being have been well-documented. Fewer studies explore whether the content of social interactions is associated with well-being using experimental methods. Drawing from the communicate bond belong theory, seven candidate communication episodes and behaviors were identified. In three studies, participants ( NStudy 1 = 347, NStudy 2 = 310, NStudy 3 = 250) were randomly assigned to engage in one of these communication episodes or behaviors and then completed end-of-day measures of well-being. Compared to participants in the control groups, participants engaging in candidate behaviors experienced increased well-being. MANCOVA results from all studies suggest the frequency of engaging in candidate behaviors was associated with increased well-being. A mini-meta-analysis found a weighted average effect size of d = 0.255. Results suggest that engaging in as little as one communication behavior with one friend in a day can improve daily well-being.