Social Interaction Technologies Research Articles

Hospitalized older adults' experiences of virtual reality-based group exercise therapy with cycle ergometers: An early feasibility study

Sedentary behavior among hospitalized older adults is a well-described challenge that can increase the risk of loss of function and mortality. Therefore, it is important to encourage physical activity (PA) during hospitalization. Exertion Games (exergames) have repeatedly been suggested as a tool to encourage and sustain motivation in rehabilitation programs. This article presents early findings from a convergent parallel mixed methods study that explored whether social presence and PA could be combined through the novel use of immersive virtual reality technology in a feasible group exercise constellation. Inpatients (n=10, 50% female, 80.3±8.2 years) were invited to participate in a bi-weekly VR group session. Most participants (62%) responded that it was a good experience to a large/great extent, which they would like to use repeatedly (76%). The technology was easy for untrained healthcare professionals and had minimal adverse events for the participants. However, a major finding illustrates that the enclosing immersiveness of the headset hindered conversation during exercise sessions. The exclusion of sight likely had a negative effect on forming relations between the participants, which conversely caused the participants to experience a lack of cohesion and relatedness with the other participants. VR-mediated group therapy may be a promising solution to existing physiotherapy practices since it may incorporate basic psychological needs. However, to optimize for social interaction, future systems will need to afford a higher degree of social presence, e.g., through avatar embodiment in a shared virtual environment, to support older adults' autonomous motivation for PA through social interaction and novel technologies.

The Effect of Chatbots and AI on The Self-Efficacy, Self-Esteem, Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking of Students

This article delves into the multifaceted impacts of chatbots and AI in educational settings. It explores how these technologies, increasingly integrated into learning environments, influence key psychological aspects and cognitive skills among students. The review highlights the potential of chatbots in enhancing academic processes, offering personalized learning experiences, and serving as bridges to educational resources. However, it also raises concerns about the ethical use of such technologies. Focusing on psychological aspects, the article reviews literature suggesting that frequent and satisfying interactions with chatbots can enhance students' self-efficacy and engagement. Studies indicate that chatbots might improve self-efficacy in experimental settings and have indirect effects on health-related self-efficacy. In terms of self-esteem and self-confidence, the research presents mixed findings. While chatbots can positively affect body image and self-esteem among certain demographics, over-reliance on these technologies for social interaction or validation might negatively impact real human connections and individual confidence. The article also examines the impact of chatbots on problem-solving skills. Some studies suggest that AI chatbots can enhance problem-solving abilities, especially when integrated into educational systems. However, there is a risk that reliance on chatbots could limit users' exploration of alternative problem-solving strategies. Critical thinking is another area reviewed, with studies presenting diverse results. While some research indicates a positive influence of chatbots on critical thinking, others suggest limitations or context-dependent effects. The article concludes that while AI and chatbots offer transformative potential for enhancing student learning and engagement, their impact is complex and multifaceted. Future advancements in chatbot technology should aim to enhance their positive impact on users' psychological well-being and cognitive development, balancing the need for independent thinking and adaptability to complex problems.

Identification of Big Five Personality on Twitter Users using the AdaBoost Method

Social media is one of the lifestyles in the modern era that uses web-based technology for social interaction. As one of the most popular social media platforms, Twitter allows users to express themselves through tweets that can show their personality. The Big Five theory states that a person’s personality is divided into five dimensions: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Several methods have been used to conduct user personality research based on activity on social media. The AdaBoost method is used in this study to identify the personality of Twitter users using sentiment, emotion, social, PCA, and POS-tag features. There are two test scenarios in this study. The first is testing the AdaBoost model with all features, and the second is testing the AdaBoost model with a combination of three features. The research indicates that the data preprocessing method can affect the model. The results showed that the AdaBoost model with all the features and without the stemming process had the highest accuracy value of 53.57%.

Understanding perspectives of older adults on the role of technology in the wider context of their social relationships

AbstractTechnological interventions are increasingly popular methods of targeting and preventing loneliness in older adults. Research has identified various factors that influence the willingness and propensity of older adults to integrate technology into their social lives and the ways in which this may enhance their social connectedness. Given prevalence rates and negative outcomes associated with loneliness for this population, further research is warranted to clarify the mechanisms through which technological interventions may decrease loneliness. This study aimed to better understand the perspectives of older adults on the role of technology in their social relationships in later life. Four focus groups were conducted with 27 older adults, aged 65–80 years. Transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis, and results were validated via written participant feedback. Participants reported technology as one of many tools used to maintain their social relationships. Their choice to use technology for social interaction was influenced by their estimation of effort required, likely quality of the interaction, and the privacy and security provided. These factors were the same as those that influenced decisions to use other methods (e.g. face-to-face meetings). Based on the results, we recommend that loneliness interventions should be technology-agnostic and multifaceted, providing a wide range of tools that recognise the technological competencies of older adults and supporting different interaction types to meet the preferences of the individual.

THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF PREPARATION OF FUTURE SOCIAL WORKERS AND PSYCHOLOGISTS TO WORK WITH STUDENTS HAVING FUNCTIONAL HEALTH LIMITATIONS

The article presents the results of a study on the formation of professional competencies of future social workers and psychologists to work with students with functional health limitations. The aim of the study was to analyze the theoretical and methodological approaches in the training of social workers, psychologists and development, justification of organizational and content of training, determining the criteria and indicators of readiness of future social workers and psychologists to work with students with functional health limitations in higher education. The main research methods were to determine a group of theoretical methods (retrospective-comparative, systematization, synthesis, generalization, abstraction, theoretical modeling) and empirical (pedagogical experiment, expert questioning and evaluation, psychological and pedagogical observation, conversation, testing, questionnaires, interviews), as well as methods of mathematical statistics. The essence of the main criteria of readiness of future social workers and psychologists to work with students with functional limitations are following: information-cognitive, technological-procedural, organizational-integration, psychological-personal and readiness indicators. Thus, the indicators of information and cognitive criteria we have identified: the possession of basic knowledge of adaptation, socialization, integration of students with functional health limitations. Indicators of technological and procedural criteria determine: the use of computer information, Internet technology, social pedagogical interactive technologies, and also technologies of creation of barrier-free space of higher educational institutios. Organizational and integration criteria - readiness for professional social activity in the higher educational institutios; volunteer activity; scientific, academic socio-pedagogical mobility of future social workers. Psychological and personal criteria – the formation of emotional stability, positive life orientation and leadership qualities of the future social worker. The obtained data of the formative experiment confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed system of professional and pedagogical training of future social workers and psychologists to work with students with functional health limitations in higher education. Keywords: socialization, integration, adaptation, professional training, functional limitations.

The use of technology for social interaction by people with dementia: A scoping review.

People with dementia (PwD) are at risk of experiencing loneliness, which is associated with physical and mental health difficulties [1]. Technology is a possible tool to increase social connection and reduce loneliness. This scoping review aims to examine the current evidence regarding the use of technology to reduce loneliness in PwD. A scoping review was carried out. Medline, PsychINFO, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane database, NHS Evidence, Trials register, Open Grey, ACM Digital Library and IEEE Xplore were searched in April 2021. A sensitive search strategy was constructed using combinations of free text and thesaurus terms to retrieve articles about dementia, technology and social-interaction. Pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria were used. Paper quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) and results reported according to PRISMA guidelines [2,3]. 73 papers were identified publishing the results of 69 studies. Technological interventions included robots, tablets/computers and other forms of technology. Methodologies were varied and limited synthesis was possible. There is some evidence that technology is a beneficial intervention to reduce loneliness. Important considerations include personalisation and the context of the intervention. The current evidence is limited and variable; future research is warranted including studies with specific loneliness outcome measures, studies focusing on PwD living alone, and technology as part of intervention programmes.

Individual and Interpersonal Factors Affecting Dietary Intake of Community-Dwelling Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

As older adults are at higher risk for severe illness and mortality from SARS-CoV-2 infection, social distancing has been a primary means of mitigating risk. However, this lifestyle change may impact eating habits and food choices. The aim of this study was to explore individual and interpersonal factors affecting the eating behaviors and dietary intake of community-dwelling older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Qualitative data were analyzed using a deductive content analysis approach to identify themes. Southeastern United States. Twenty-three men and women, 60 years of age and older (mean age 71.9 ± 7.7, 22% male) completed both the interview and questionnaire. Themes that emerged at the individual level included changes in eating habits and foods eaten, with most participants reporting healthier food choices during the pandemic. Participants also reported more frequent cooking, improved cooking skills, and cooking as a form of stress relief. Although some older adults described increased snacking and consumption of "comfort foods", others noted no influence of mood on food choices. At the interpersonal level, an increased use of technology for social interaction and the importance of social support were identified as influencing factors. Findings provide insight on how to help older adults maintain good nutrition amidst lifestyle changes imposed by social distancing. Nutrition educators may capitalize on positive behavior changes that occurred during the pandemic such as increased cooking and increased use of technology for social interaction.

Screen-based behaviour in children is more than meets the eye.

Increased screen time (ST) in children is quickly becoming a public health concern as children are now reliant on technology for social interaction and educational development. The eye-health community has paid considerable attention to this in the recent literature, documenting it as digital eye strain. Continual close eye work and a lack of outdoor play contribute to digital eye strain and today’s myopia epidemic. This is a cause for concern for public health stakeholders insofar as it leads to sedentary, screen-based behaviour (SSB) in children. This results in a lack of physical activity and impacts both their bodies and their mental health. The potentially harmful effects of prolonged screen exposure on developing brains and bodies are likely to be unique and significant as physiological growth changes intersect with exponentially expanding e-platforms. While embracing the benefits of a highly digitalised world, we need to simultaneously mitigate the potential risks they pose to the health of growing children.

Perceived Proficiency with Technology and Online Learning Expectations of Students in the Graduate Program of One State University in the Philippines

COVID-19 has imposed changes to the educational system shifting from conventional classroom setting to online learning. Assessing students’ proficiency with technology and expectations for online learning are vital for their success. Hence, this study explores the perceived proficiency with technology and online learning expectations of graduate students employing descriptive-correlational design. The study utilized survey questionnaires to examine their proficiency with technology and expectations for online instructor, course content, social interaction and course navigation. The findings suggest that the graduate students are proficient with technology. Likewise, the data gathered revealed that students have a very high expectations for online instructor, course content and social interaction. In addition, there is a moderately high expectation as to course navigation. Moreover, a significant relationship exists between proficiency with technology and online expectations of graduate students. Bridging the gap between students’ expectations and the actual experiences offered to them play a crucial role in ensuring that teaching and learning outcomes are achieved. Intensive understanding and awareness of their expectations could aid higher educational institutions in planning, designing and modifying online courses that responds to students’ needs. It is recommended that the sources of expectations be further explored.

Smartphone use among young drivers: Applying an extended Theory of Planned Behaviour to predict young drivers’ intention and engagement in concealed responding

Young drivers, aged 17–25 years, are more likely than other age groups to access social interactive technologies (e.g., Snapchat, Facebook) on their smartphones while driving. Many of these young drivers do so in a concealed manner, thereby diverting their eyes from the road for extended periods and increasing their crash risk. In accordance with previous research, an extended Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) was applied in this survey study to investigate psychosocial predictors of young drivers’ intention, and behaviour, of responding to social interactive technology on a smartphone in a concealed manner. Participants (N = 154) resided in Australia, were aged 17–25 years, owned a provisional or an open licence, and owned a smartphone. Participants completed two online surveys administered 1-week apart. The first survey measured intention and assessed the TPB standard constructs of attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control, as well as the additional constructs of anticipated action regret, anticipated inaction regret, and problematic mobile phone usage. The first survey also assessed whether there were any differences in the salient beliefs (elicited in a previous study) about smartphone use between high and low intenders to engage in this behaviour. The second survey measured engagement in the behaviour of responding in a concealed manner in the previous week. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed the standard TPB accounted for 69% of variance in intention, and a further 4% was accounted for by the extended constructs. In the final model, all variables, except anticipated inaction regret, were significant predictors of intention. Intention was the only significant predictor of behaviour. A series of MANOVAs found significant differences in the salient belief items between high and low intenders (e.g., high intenders were more likely to believe that friends/peers and other drivers would approve of them engaging in this behaviour). These key findings can be used as focal points for public education messages to persuade young drivers to reduce the frequency of their smartphone use, which is vital to improve road safety for all users.

Editorial: When service technologies and human experiences intersect

PurposeThis paper aims to identify future research opportunities that address human–technology service interactions.Design/methodology/approachThis editorial is based on the author’s personal reflections and conceptualizations of ideas from past previous research and theory.FindingsThe authors identify three opportunities for further research on technology and humanity: service technology and social interaction and service technology and societal prosperity.Research limitations/implicationsService researchers need to realize that topics such as technology, robots, artificial intelligence are not mutually exclusive from topics that seek to improve the human condition, such as transformative service research. We encourage service researchers to explore how digital technologies in service domains impacts consumers, communities, and even, global humanity.Practical implicationsResearchers have guidance on areas in which pioneering theoretical and methodological opportunities abound.Originality/valueThis editorial offers new perspectives on technology and humanity considering the effect of the global pandemic.

КАЛИФОРНИЙСКАЯ АКАДЕМИЯ НАУК КАК ЯРКИЙ ПРИМЕР АМЕРИКАНСКОГО МУЗЕЙНОГО ОПЫТА: ИСТОРИЯ И СОВРЕМЕННОСТЬ

The article is dedicated to one of the largest museum centers of natural history in the world - the California Academy of Sciences (San Francisco, USA), which is, since its founding in 1853, both a research and scientific and educational organization. The California Academy of Sciences, in its current version, presents a prime example of the development of basic museum’s concepts in USA: guardianship, corporate museum, museum communication, achieving the goals of sustainable development of society, the involvement in science the population on the basis of the system “STEM-education” (Science, Technology, Engineering Mathematics). The article analyzes the history and modern activities of the museum in terms of exhibition features, scientific and educational practice. Architectural, artistic and engineering solutions, features of internal infrastructure, themes, content and design of the exhibition complex reflect the stated national mission to "explore, explain and sustain"), in accordance with the implementation of the declared environmental concept of sustainable development (fighting global climate warming, the development of technologies of energy conservation, cleanliness and waste of production, etc.). On the basis of our own museum observations, analysis of literary data, we can conclude that museums as social institutions and interactive technologies used in the educational process are most suitable for the task of introducing the widest range of citizens to science and culture. The example of the California Academy of Sciences provides important guidelines for the development of museums in our country.

Training public speaking with virtual social interactions: effectiveness of real-time feedback and delayed feedback

Social signal processing and virtual social interaction technologies have allowed the creation of social skills training applications, and initial studies have shown that such solutions can lead to positive training outcomes and could complement traditional teaching methods by providing cheap, accessible, safe tools for training social skills. However, these studies evaluated social skills training systems as a whole and it is unclear to what extent which components contributed to positive outcomes. In this paper, we describe an experimental study where we compared the relative efficacy of real-time interactive feedback and after-action feedback in the context of a public speaking training application. We observed that both components provide benefits to the overall training: the real-time interactive feedback made the experience more immersive and improved participants’ motivation in using the system, while the after-action feedback led to positive training outcomes when it contained personalized feedback elements. Taken in combination, these results confirm that both social signal processing technologies and virtual social interactions are both contributing to social skills training systems’ efficiency. Additionally, we observed that several individual factors, here the subjects’ initial level of public speaking anxiety, personality and tendency to immersion significantly influenced the training experience. This finding suggests that social skills training systems could benefit from being tailored to participants’ particular individual circumstances.

New Opportunities for Healthcare Driven by Smart Technology

Taiwan officially entered the era of negative population growth in 2020, with the number of births falling below the number of deaths. Taiwan society is facing the severe problems of low birthrate and aging population, which will exacerbate the social gap in medical resources. Fortunately, rapid progress in developing smart technologies (Button et al., 2014) should bring new opportunities for healthcare. Therefore, the focus of and approach to healthcare should be adjusted (While & Dewsbury, 2011). On the one hand, applying smart technology in medical / nursing staff education offers myriad opportunities for improvement (Car et al., 2019), including using virtual reality in training, using mobile technology tools in education, and using Internet of Things technology to assist medical/nursing staff in the clinical-care process. Moreover, smart education technology will play an important, auxiliary role in the healthcare field in terms of mobile applications, robot practice, simulation experience, digital medicine, and telemedicine and influence the future of medical/nursing health care education (Bajpai et al., 2019). On the other hand, using smart technology to promote healthcare through various innovative healthcare design activities will help develop older-adult-friendly technology products, systems, services, and even living environments (Wang et al., 2015). These include remote home care systems, smart homes, rehabilitation systems, environment-assisted living, intelligent mobile assistance systems, communication platforms and social networks, accompanying robots, and interactive entertainment technology, among others. Smart technology will provide family members and professional medical staffs with more-convenient and efficient healthcare support, maximize the effectiveness of healthcare resources, and drive the development of related industries (Insel, 2017). The title of this column is interdisciplinary applications of healthcare and technology: education, research, and practice. In using smart technology to support healthcare, key research and practical issues will be how to apply related innovations to promote medical education, combine clinical research, and effectively integrate smart technology into healthcare.

Perceptual breakdown during a global pandemic: introducing phenomenological insights for digital mental health purposes

Online therapy sessions and other forms of digital mental health services (DMH) have seen a sharp spike in new users since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Having little access to their social networks and support systems, people have had to turn to digital tools and spaces to cope with their experiences of anxiety and loss. With no clear end to the pandemic in sight, many of us are likely to remain reliant upon DMH for the foreseeable future. As such, it is important to articulate some of the specific ways in which the pandemic is affecting our self and world-relation, such that we can identify how DMH services are best able to accommodate some of the newly emerging needs of their users. In this paper I will identify a specific type of loss brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and present it as an important concept for DMH. I refer to this loss as loss of perceptual world-familiarity. Loss of perceptual world-familiarity entails a breakdown in the ongoing effortless responsiveness to our perceptual environment that characterizes much of our everyday lives. To cash this out I will turn to insights from the phenomenological tradition. Initially, my project is descriptive. I aim to bring out how loss of perceptual world-familiarity is a distinctive form of loss that is deeply pervasive yet easily overlooked—hence the relevance of explicating it for DMH purposes. But I will also venture into the space of the normative, offering some reasons for seeing perceptual world-familiarity as a component of well-being. I conclude the paper with a discussion of how loss of perceptual world-familiarity affects the therapeutic setting now that most if not all therapeutic interactions have transitioned to online spaces and I explore the potential to augment these spaces with social interaction technologies. Throughout, my discussion aims to do justice to the reality that perceptual world-familiarity is not an evenly distributed phenomenon, that factors like disability, gender and race affect its robustness, and that this ought to be reckoned with when seeking to incorporate the phenomenon into or mitigate it through DMH services.

РАЗВИТИЕ СТРАТЕГИЧЕСКОГО МЕНЕДЖМЕНТА В КРАСНОДАРСКОМ КРАЕ НА УРОВНЕ МУНИЦИПАЛИТЕТОВ

In the Krasnodar Territory, a great deal of work is being done to determine the prospects and directions of the development. The strategy of socio-economic develop-ment of the Krasnodar region until 2030 has determined the vector for development of the municipalities. Based on the analysis, the article concludes that the qualita-tive changes in the processes of strategizing in the Krasnodar region at the municipal level have begun. About 40 % of municipalities in the Krasnodar territory have carried out or are currently carrying out activities to develop strategies until 2030, but there are also some, which are not carrying out any work (or that is not noticeable in any way, which, we believe, is equiva-lent). Some districts are currently implementing the es-tablishment of cooperation in economic areas in order to develop common solutions. The author comes to a conclusion that municipalities have started using plan-ning based on the use of social interaction technology, i.e. competitions, sessions, seminars, public hearings and roundtables are held at all stages of strategic plan-ning, as well as the use of CDEP (Coordination, Devel-opment, Expertise and Promotion) technology, experts and specialists are being involved. The analysis showed that municipalities have problems in notifying and promoting strategic planning processes, thus some recommendations are given.

Gender differences in the effectiveness of public education messages aimed at smartphone use among young drivers

Objective: The main aim of this survey study was to evaluate the relative persuasiveness of three newly developed and piloted public education messages aimed at monitoring/reading social interactive technology on a smartphone among young male and female drivers. In accordance with the Step Approach to Message Design and Testing, the messages were evaluated on a number of outcome measures and also explored the influence of self-reported involvement in the target behavior.Methods: Participants (N = 152; 105 F) were aged 17 to 25 years (Mage = 20.14 years, SD = 2.35) and were randomly allocated to either an intervention (one of the three messages) or control (no message) condition. The messages in the intervention group were assessed on acceptance (i.e., behavioral intention and message effectiveness), rejection, and the third person effect (TPE) differential score (i.e., the message is perceived to be more effective for others than for themselves).Results: Hierarchical regression analyses found that, compared to males, females reported: a) lower intention to monitor/read social interactive technology on a smartphone while driving, b) lower rejection; and, c) lower TPE likelihood, irrespective of message.Conclusions: These findings suggest that young male drivers and young female drivers require different message content to be effective and support the importance of including multiple outcome measures to explain the messages’ persuasive effects.

Predicting the monitoring/reading of communications on a smartphone among young drivers using an extended theory of planned behaviour

Australian drivers aged 17–25 years are overrepresented in road crashes, with many crashes resulting from smartphone use. The current study, based on a prospective design and an extended TPB framework, predicted young drivers’ intentions to, and actual behaviour of, monitoring/reading social interactive technology via a smartphone while driving. An online survey at Time 1 (N = 167) assessed the TPB constructs of attitude, subjective norm and perceived behaviour control (PBC), and the additional factors of habit, mindfulness and cognitive capture. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that the TPB constructs accounted for 76.4% in the variance of young drivers’ intentions. The extended model, which included habit, mindfulness and cognitive capture accounted for a significant 79% of the variance in intention, and these additional factors explained a significant amount of variance over and above the TPB constructs. The Time 2 survey (N = 95) assessed actual behaviour in relation to smartphone use in the one-week period between the Time 1 and 2 surveys. Results from a multiple regression analysis of Time 2 found that, as expected, intention was a significant predictor of the behaviour of monitoring/reading a smartphone while driving. The results support the TPB for predicting intention and actual behaviour in relation to monitoring/reading a smartphone while driving. The theoretical and practical implications of the current study are discussed as well as recommendations for future research.

Guest editorial: special issue on social media and interactive technologies

Guest editorial: special issue on social media and interactive technologies

Rejecting, reframing, and reintroducing: trans people's strategic engagement with the medicalisation of gender dysphoria.

This article uses ethnographic methods to explore how transgender people engage the medicalisation of transgender experience in a U.S. context under the purview of the American Psychiatric Association. Building on sociological literature related to medicalisation, this paper argues that the lived experience of medicalisation is a non-linear, complex process whereby individual engagement with medical authority is both empowering and constraining in the lives of trans people. Inductive qualitative analysis of 158hours of participant observation and 33 in-depth interviews with members of a transgender community organisation revealed that transgender individuals (i) reject a medical frame for gender dysphoria, (ii) embrace and stress the importance of gender-affirming medical technologies for individual identity development and social interaction and (iii) strategically reintroduce medical logics and embrace medical authority in order to facilitate medical and social recognition, validation and acceptance.