scholarly journals A comparison of ‘pruning’ during multi-step planning in depressed and healthy individuals

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Paul Faulkner ◽  
Quentin J. M. Huys ◽  
Daniel Renz ◽  
Neir Eshel ◽  
Stephen Pilling ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Trees ◽  
Task Performance ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Healthy Individuals ◽  
Treatment Resistant ◽  
The World ◽  
Healthy Participants

Abstract Background Real-life decisions are often complex because they involve making sequential choices that constrain future options. We have previously shown that to render such multi-step decisions manageable, people ‘prune’ (i.e. selectively disregard) branches of decision trees that contain negative outcomes. We have theorized that sub-optimal pruning contributes to depression by promoting an oversampling of branches that result in unsavoury outcomes, which results in a negatively-biased valuation of the world. However, no study has tested this theory in depressed individuals. Methods Thirty unmedicated depressed and 31 healthy participants were administered a sequential reinforcement-based decision-making task to determine pruning behaviours, and completed measures of depression and anxiety. Computational, Bayesian and frequentist analyses examined group differences in task performance and relationships between pruning and depressive symptoms. Results Consistent with prior findings, participants robustly pruned branches of decision trees that began with large losses, regardless of the potential utility of those branches. However, there was no group difference in pruning behaviours. Further, there was no relationship between pruning and levels of depression/anxiety. Conclusions We found no evidence that sub-optimal pruning is evident in depression. Future research could determine whether maladaptive pruning behaviours are observable in specific sub-groups of depressed patients (e.g. in treatment-resistant individuals), or whether misuse of other heuristics may contribute to depression.

scholarly journals A Comparison of ‘Pruning’ During Multi-Step Planning in Depressed and Healthy Individuals

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Faulkner ◽  
Quentin J.M. Huys ◽  
Daniel Renz ◽  
Neir Eshel ◽  
Stephen Pilling ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Trees ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Healthy Individuals ◽  
Treatment Resistant ◽  
Healthy Participants

AbstractBackgroundReal-life decisions are often complex because they involve making sequential choices that constrain future options. We have previously shown that to render such multi-step decisions manageable, people “prune” (i.e. selectively disregard) branches of decision trees that contain negative outcomes. We have theorized that sub-optimal pruning contributes to depression by promoting an oversampling of branches that result in unsavoury outcomes, which results in a negatively-biased valuation of the world. However, no study has tested this theory in depressed individuals.MethodsThirty unmedicated depressed and 31 healthy participants were administered a sequential reinforcement-based decision-making task to determine pruning behaviours, and completed measures of depression and anxiety. Computational, Bayesian and frequentist analyses examined group differences in task performance and relationships between pruning and depressive symptoms.ResultsConsistent with prior findings, participants robustly pruned branches of decision trees that began with large losses, regardless of the potential utility of those branches. However, there was no group difference in pruning behaviours. Further, there was no relationship between pruning and levels of depression/anxiety.LimitationsThe relatively small sample size limited the examination of individual differences. The use of other heuristics that are used to render complex decisions feasible, such as memoization and fragmentation, were not examined.ConclusionsWe found no evidence that sub-optimal pruning is evident in depression. Future research could determine whether maladaptive pruning behaviours are observable in specific sub-groups of depressed patients (e.g. in treatment-resistant individuals), or whether misuse of other heuristics may contribute to depression.

scholarly journals Accounting in Islamic Perspective: A Timely Opportunity, a Timely Challenge

IIUC Studies ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 187-214
Author(s):  
Alim Al Ayub Ahmed Arif Billah ◽  
Md Alidul Islam
Keyword(s):  
Real Life ◽  
Growth Potential ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
International Consortium ◽  
Islamic Perspective ◽  
The World ◽  
Made In

Accounting from Islamic Perspectives (AIP) is an emerging field. Recent years have attracted scholars from around the world who have contributed their thoughts about how accounting can be seen from the Islamic lens. However, the efforts so far are rather fragmented and without a clear agenda for future research. This paper presents a review of the literary achievements made in the field and the areas of current focus. Although the field carries a huge growth potential, the author argues that there are several challenges and problems that the proponents of AIP will face as the field develops further. This paper outlines these problems and challenges and makes suggestions to surmount the potential pitfalls. It is argued herein that, in order to develop AIP as a formal discipline and integrate it within real-life business practices, the research efforts need to be more organized through an international consortium of researchers. A brief proposal for such consortium is included here. Finally, recommendations are made for potential research directions in which future research on AIP can be pursued.IIUC Studies Vol.9 December 2012: 187-214

scholarly journals THE POST-PANDEMIC CHALLENGE: DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSNATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMME IN VIETNAM

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-95
Author(s):  
Nam Phuong Phung ◽  
Huynh Nguyen Bui
Keyword(s):  
Education Programme ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Transnational Education ◽  
High Quality Education ◽  
Research Orientation ◽  
The World ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Challenging Situation ◽  
To Receive

The world is facing a severe pandemic that has made millions of students who are experiencing depression and anxiety with their study abroad search for alternatives. One possible solution lies in transnational education programmes that provide high-quality education for students who would like to receive a foreign qualification without leaving their hometown. Transnational education, albeit quite popular all over the world, has been much less known in Vietnam. Therefore, this paper aims to provide a better understanding of transnational education programmes and suggests further research possibilities for the development of transnational education in Vietnam in the post-pandemic period of COVID-19. In theory, this study proposes future research orientation of development trends of transnational education programmes in Vietnam before and after the pandemic. In practice, the research provides measures to be taken for high-rank managers of transnational education providers regarding how to deal with this challenging situation.

Skin Conductance and Subjective Arousal in Anxiety, Depression, and Comorbidity

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 145-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laina E. Rosebrock ◽  
Denada Hoxha ◽  
Catherine Norris ◽  
John T. Cacioppo ◽  
Jackie K. Gollan
Keyword(s):  
Skin Conductance ◽  
Comparison Group ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Autonomic Arousal ◽  
Emotional Picture ◽  
Self Reports ◽  
Picture Viewing ◽  
Anxiety Depression ◽  
Subjective Arousal ◽  
Healthy Participants

Abstract. Skin conductance (SC), an autonomic arousal measure of the sympathetic nervous system, is a sensitive and useful index of physiological arousal. However, SC data does not always align with self-reports of arousal. SC, self-reported arousal, and their association, known as emotion coherence, may be altered with the presence of major psychiatric illness. This study investigated group differences on SC reactivity and self-reported arousal while viewing positive, negative, neutral, and threat images between participants diagnosed with major depression with and without anxiety disorders relative to a healthy comparison group. Additionally, the strength and direction of association between SC reactivity and arousal ratings (emotion coherence) was examined within groups. Unmedicated participants were recruited via online and paper advertisements around Chicago and categorized into one of four groups (Depressed: n = 35, Anxious: n = 44, Comorbid: n = 38, Healthy: n = 29). SC and affect ratings were collected during and after a standardized emotional picture viewing task. SC reactivity was significantly higher during threat images, regardless of group. During threat image presentation, increased SC reactivity occurred during the last few seconds before picture offset; for all other stimulus types, SC reactivity decreased significantly after picture offset. Anxious and comorbid participants rated emotional images as more arousing than healthy participants; there were no observed differences in arousal ratings between depressed and healthy participants. Heightened reactivity in anxiety may manifest in arousal ratings without corresponding increased SC reactivity to emotional images. Results do not suggest underlying altered psychophysiology in this sample of depressed or anxious participants.

Relative Importance of Leader Influences for Subordinates’ Proactive Behaviors, Prosocial Behaviors, and Task Performance

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 70-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan S. Chiaburu ◽  
Troy A. Smith ◽  
Jiexin Wang ◽  
Ryan D. Zimmerman
Keyword(s):  
Task Performance ◽  
Transformational Change ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Contingent Reward ◽  
Work Effectiveness ◽  
Leader Influence ◽  
Member Exchange ◽  
Proactive Behaviors ◽  
Reported Data ◽  
Transactional Leader

We meta-analytically examine the relationships between three forms of leader influence, contingent reward (transactional), leader-member exchange (LMX; relational), and transformational (change-oriented) on subordinates’ proactive behaviors. Using non-self-reported data from a combined sample of more than 9,000 employees, we confirm positive relationships between leader influences and employee proactive outcomes. We examine the extent to which one leadership influence is stronger than the others in promoting subordinate proactivity. By combining our new meta-analytic data with existing meta-analytic correlations, we further investigate the extent to which various leadership predictors are differentially related to proactive and prosocial contextual performance, and to task performance. For all outcomes, there are only minimal differences between the contingent reward, LMX, and transformational leadership predictors. Using our results, we propose future research directions for the relationship between leader influences and subordinate work effectiveness.

Exploring Citizenship: Unit 4 My Heritage

EDIS ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 (5) ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
John Rutledge ◽  
Joy C. Jordan ◽  
Dale W. Pracht
Keyword(s):  
Youth Development ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Development Program ◽  
The Real ◽  
Volunteer Leaders ◽  
Youth Development Program ◽  
Major Revision ◽  
The World ◽  
Individual Needs

 The 4-H Citizenship Project offers the opportunity to help 4-H members relate all of their 4-H projects and experiences to the world around them. The 4-H Citizenship manuals will serve as a guide for 4-H Citizenship experiences. To be truly meaningful to the real-life needs and interests of your group, the contribution of volunteer leaders is essential. Each person, neighborhood, and community has individual needs that you can help your group identify. This 14-page major revision of Unit IV covers the heritage project. Written by John Rutledge, Joy C. Jordan, and Dale Pracht and published by the UF/IFAS Extension 4-H Youth Development program. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/4h019

Depressive Traits and Theory of Mind in Healthy Individuals: A Mediation Study

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas James Rowark
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Executive Control ◽  
Statistical Power ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Clinical Sample ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Healthy Individuals ◽  
Prepotent Response

Depression has been associated with poor social cognitive functioning, including impaired performance on measures of theory of mind. However, the association between depression and theory of mind performance has been removed when controlling for differences in executive functioning, which is also impacted by depression. Among these executive functions, inhibition of prepotent response has been demonstrated as enabling success on theory of mind tests. In the context of these findings, the current investigation tested whether a relationship could be found between depressive traits and theory of mind in a non-clinical sample, and whether this relationship was mediated by differences in executive control of inhibition. Theory of mind was assessed in 31 healthy individuals using an audio-presented false-belief reasoning task, which also tested baseline performance in non-mental-state reasoning. Inhibition of prepotent response was assessed with interference measures on a Stroop colour-word task, and depressive traits were self-reported through the second version of the Beck Depression Inventory. Mediation analysis revealed that executive control of inhibition did not significantly mediate an indirect effect of depressive traits on theory of mind. It was interpreted that relationships previously found between major depression, executive and social-cognitive functions do not generalise beyond clinical boundaries. However, these findings are discussed in terms of the small sample size, limiting statistical power, and several methodological limitations. Future research should assess the relationship between depressive traits and theory of mind using alternative measures of mental representation, or include a neurocognitive battery assessing executive functions other than inhibition.

Developing Management from Islamic Perspectives (MIP) as a Formal Academic Discipline

2009 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-69
Author(s):  
Shamas-Ur-Rehman Toor
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Academic Discipline ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Growth Potential ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
International Consortium ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
Scholarly Attention

Management from Islamic Perspectives (MIP) is an emerging field that has begun to attract scholarly attention. However, the research undertaken so far has been rather fragmented and lack a clear agenda. This paper presents a literature review of the field and the areas of current focus. Although the field has a huge growth potential, I argue that it faces several challenges and problems as it develops further. I outline these potential pitfalls, suggest how to develop MIP as a formal discipline, and explain how to integrate it within real-life business practices. The article closes with a call for research to be conducted in a more organized fashion through an international consortium of researchers as well as recommendations for future research directions.

ANALYSIS OF THE COMPETITIVE ACTIVITIES OF THE WORLD STRONGEST BELT WRESTLERS

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-45
Author(s):  
Mariya Sedunova ◽  
Liliya Konovalova
Keyword(s):  
Female Athletes ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
World Championship ◽  
Left Handed ◽  
Competitive Activity ◽  
The World ◽  
The Right ◽  
Competitive Activities ◽  
Distinguishing Features

International potential and consequent greater competition in belt wrestling increase the significance of assessing quantitative and qualitative indicators of competitive activity of the strongest wrestlers in the world. It is important to identify the sport development trends and to search for effective ways and tools for achievement of the sport excellence. Purpose: to reveal the features of efficient competitive activities of the world leading wrestlers on the basis of analysis of group differences in technical and tactical excellence indicators. Materials and methods of research. We analyzed videos of 285 events with participation of 197 wrestlers competing at the Belt Wrestling World Championship 2019 in Kazan. We registered the following indicators of competitive activity: the total and average number of fighting techniques, including techniques executed to the right and to the left side within 4 minutes of combat; number and types of technical actions of competition winners among men and women. Research results and discussion. The paper focuses on the comparative analysis of technical and tactical skills of men and women, the winners of the Belt Wrestling World Championship. The research revealed distinguishing features of the winner’s technical toolkit including the diversity of technical and tactical actions, a balance in the knowledge of the right and left-handed techniques. At the same time, the analysis of technical and tactical actions in women wrestling shows the backlog of female athletes in these components of technical fitness.

Dropout from an internet-delivered CBT Intervention for Adults with Depression and Anxiety: A Qualitative Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate Lawler ◽  
Caroline Earley ◽  
Ladislav Timulak ◽  
Angel Enrique ◽  
Derek Richards
Keyword(s):  
Online Communication ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Routine Care ◽  
Drop Out ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Dropping Out ◽  
Completion Rates ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Lower Treatment ◽  
Perceived Change

BACKGROUND Treatment dropout continues to be reported from iCBT interventions and lower completion rates are generally associated with lower treatment effect sizes. However, evidence is emerging to suggest that completion of a pre-defined number of modules is not always necessary for clinical benefit nor considerate of the needs of each individual patient. OBJECTIVE The study aimed to carry out a qualitative analysis of patients’ experiences of an iCBT intervention in a routine care setting in order to achieve a deeper insight into the phenomenon of dropout. METHODS Fifteen purposively sampled participants (8 female) from a larger parent RCT were interviewed via telephone using a semi-structured interview schedule that was developed from the existing literature and research on dropout in iCBT. Data was analysed using the descriptive-interpretive approach. RESULTS The experience of treatment leading to dropout can be understood in terms of ten domains: Relationship to Technology, Motivation to Start, Background Knowledge and Attitudes towards iCBT, Perceived Change in Motivation, Usage of the Programme, Changes due to the Intervention, Engagement with Content, Experience Interacting with the Supporter, Experience of Online Communication and Termination of the Supported Period. CONCLUSIONS Patients who drop out of treatment can be distinguished in terms of their change in motivation: those who felt ready to leave treatment early and those who had negative reasons for dropping out. These two groups of participants have different treatment experiences, revealing potential attributes and non-attributes of dropout. The reported between group differences should be examined further to consider those attributes that are strongly descriptive of the experience and regarded with less importance those that have become loosely affiliated.

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