scholarly journals Training Challenges for Effectively Implementing a Technology Clinical Trial: A Snapshot From PRISM 2.0

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 308-308
Author(s):  
Tracy Mitzner ◽  
Kara Cohen ◽  
Jerad Moxley ◽  
Wendy Rogers
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Intervention Studies ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Computer Control ◽  
Cognitive Engagement ◽  
Tablet Computer ◽  
Technology Intervention ◽  
Training Success ◽  
Drop Outs

Abstract Technology interventions can only be adequately assessed for efficacy if participants are adequately trained to use the technology. Only then can an evaluation be made about whether the technology intervention affects the outcome of interest. In the PRISM study, our goal was to teach inexperienced older adults to use either a tablet computer (control) or the PRISM 2.0 system. In this presentation we will discuss the training processes we used for both groups (e.g., segmenting sessions, providing homework, observations), to enable us to evaluate the relative benefits of PRISM for social connectedness. We will describe the training challenges and the need for assessors to be able to troubleshoot technology issues. We will evaluate individual differences in training success and drop-outs to provide insights for other technology intervention studies. Understanding these individual differences can provide guidance for the deployment of new technologies that may benefit health, social interaction, or cognitive engagement.

scholarly journals Social environment influences the relationship between genotype and gene expression in wild baboons

2013 ◽  
Vol 368 (1618) ◽  
pp. 20120345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel E. Runcie ◽  
Ralph T. Wiedmann ◽  
Elizabeth A. Archie ◽  
Jeanne Altmann ◽  
Gregory A. Wray ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Group Size ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Dominance Rank ◽  
Social Stressors ◽  
The Social ◽  
Wild Baboons

Variation in the social environment can have profound effects on survival and reproduction in wild social mammals. However, we know little about the degree to which these effects are influenced by genetic differences among individuals, and conversely, the degree to which social environmental variation mediates genetic reaction norms. To better understand these relationships, we investigated the potential for dominance rank, social connectedness and group size to modify the effects of genetic variation on gene expression in the wild baboons of the Amboseli basin. We found evidence for a number of gene–environment interactions (GEIs) associated with variation in the social environment, encompassing social environments experienced in adulthood as well as persistent effects of early life social environment. Social connectedness, maternal dominance rank and group size all interacted with genotype to influence gene expression in at least one sex, and either in early life or in adulthood. These results suggest that social and behavioural variation, akin to other factors such as age and sex, can impact the genotype–phenotype relationship. We conclude that GEIs mediated by the social environment are important in the evolution and maintenance of individual differences in wild social mammals, including individual differences in responses to social stressors.

scholarly journals Analyzing Individual Differences in Intervention-Related Changes

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 251524592097917
Author(s):  
Tanja Könen ◽  
Julia Karbach
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
Educational Psychology ◽  
Intervention Studies ◽  
Regression To The Mean ◽  
Short Introduction ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Occupational Psychology ◽  
Average Group ◽  
The Mean

Intervention studies can be expensive and time-consuming, which is why it is important to extract as much knowledge as possible. We discuss benefits and limitations of analyzing individual differences in intervention studies in addition to traditional analyses of average group effects. First, we present a short introduction to latent change modeling and measurement invariance in the context of intervention studies. Then, we give an overview on options for analyzing individual differences in intervention-related changes with a focus on how substantive information can be distinguished from methodological artifacts (e.g., regression to the mean). The main topics are benefits and limitations of predicting changes with baseline data and of analyzing correlated change. Both approaches can offer descriptive correlational information about individuals in interventions, which can inform future variations of experimental conditions. Applications increasingly emerge in the literature—from clinical, developmental, and educational psychology to occupational psychology—and demonstrate their potential across all of psychology.

scholarly journals Personalized Education to Increase Interest

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 449-454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rolf Reber ◽  
Elizabeth A. Canning ◽  
Judith M. Harackiewicz
Keyword(s):  
Subject Matter ◽  
Intervention Studies ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Situational Interest ◽  
School Education ◽  
Practice Research ◽  
Individual Interest ◽  
Learning Materials ◽  
School Practice ◽  
Personalized Education

A long-standing ideal of school education has been to connect instruction to a student’s life outside school in order to render subject matter interesting. New technologies enable instructors to personalize learning materials to increase situational interest. After distinguishing three main methods to personalize education (context personalization, choice, and active personalization), we review recent intervention studies designed to increase situational interest, which is necessary for the emergence of individual interest. Across all three kinds of interventions, some studies point to the possibility of increasing interest for students low in initial interest. Despite progress in developing personalized interventions for school practice, research on the theoretical mechanisms behind the success of the interventions has just begun.

New Technologies in Personalized Decision Support to Enhance Patient Choice

2012 ◽  
pp. 220-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nananda F. Col
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Decision Support ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Prediction Models ◽  
Decision Aids ◽  
Behavioral Risk ◽  
Decision Support Tools ◽  
Support Tools ◽  
Average Patient

Medical decisions are difficult when there are two or more reasonable options and each option has good and bad features that different people may value differently because of differences in health, risk factors, preferences, or values. Personalized decision support tools are being developed in many areas, but two particularly promising areas are patient decision aids and Risk Prediction Models (RPMs). These personalized decision support tools can help patients and/or providers make better decisions about preventing, managing, or treating disease, taking into consideration specific aspects of an individual patient that distinguish them from an ’average’ patient or the population at large. Decision aids tend to focus on individual differences in preferences and values, whereas RPM’s focus on individual differences in clinical, biological, and behavioral risk factors. There are tremendous opportunities with both approaches, and both have been shown to be able to improve clinical judgment and decision making. Decision support tools are needed that provide personalized service that addresses important individual differences in biology, values, and preferences, and that targets the provider-patient dyad.

scholarly journals Functional Connectivity under Anticipation of Shock: Correlates of Trait Anxious Affect versus Induced Anxiety

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (9) ◽  
pp. 1840-1853 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janine Bijsterbosch ◽  
Stephen Smith ◽  
Sonia J. Bishop
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Intervention Studies ◽  
Cognitive Intervention ◽  
Anterior Insula ◽  
Negative Events ◽  
Aversive Stimuli ◽  
Latent Dimension ◽  
Complementary Mechanism ◽  
Threat Of Shock

Sustained anxiety about potential future negative events is an important feature of anxiety disorders. In this study, we used a novel anticipation of shock paradigm to investigate individual differences in functional connectivity during prolonged threat of shock. We examined the correlates of between-participant differences in trait anxious affect and induced anxiety, where the latter reflects changes in self-reported anxiety resulting from the shock manipulation. Dissociable effects of trait anxious affect and induced anxiety were observed. Participants with high scores on a latent dimension of anxious affect showed less increase in ventromedial pFC–amygdala connectivity between periods of safety and shock anticipation. Meanwhile, lower levels of induced anxiety were linked to greater augmentation of dorsolateral pFC–anterior insula connectivity during shock anticipation. These findings suggest that ventromedial pFC–amygdala and dorsolateral pFC–insula networks might both contribute to regulation of sustained fear responses, with their recruitment varying independently across participants. The former might reflect an evolutionarily old mechanism for reducing fear or anxiety, whereas the latter might reflect a complementary mechanism by which cognitive control can be implemented to diminish fear responses generated due to anticipation of aversive stimuli or events. These two circuits might provide complementary, alternate targets for exploration in future pharmacological and cognitive intervention studies.

The psychological benefits of music-evoked nostalgia

2021 ◽  
pp. 030573562110646
Author(s):  
Constantine Sedikides ◽  
Joost Leunissen ◽  
Tim Wildschut
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Psychological Benefits ◽  
Social Domain ◽  
Physiological Functions ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
The Social

We provide a narrative review of the nascent literature on the psychological benefits of music-evoked nostalgia. Music is a prevalent and influential source of nostalgia. Music-evoked nostalgia confers approach-oriented psychological benefits in the social domain (by fostering social connectedness), self-oriented domain (by raising self-esteem, instilling a sense of youthfulness, elevating optimism, and enhancing inspiration), and existential domain (by strengthening meaning in life and augmenting self-continuity). Music-evoked nostalgia also confers psychological benefits indirectly. For example, it elevates optimisms by fostering sequentially social connectedness and self-esteem. Also, by fostering social connectedness, it enhances inspiration, strengthens meaning in life, and augments self-continuity. Furthermore, music-evoked nostalgia serves to buffer individuals against discomforting states, such as sadness. We conclude by discussing music-evoked nostalgia in people with dementia, contemplating the role of individual differences and context, considering the possibility that music-evoked nostalgia serves physiological functions, and asking whether familiarity with the music is necessary for the evocation of nostalgia and its ensuing benefits.

scholarly journals Intergenerational connections through technology: Insights from the Technology Use in Later Life multi-site study

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 928-929
Author(s):  
Shannon Freeman ◽  
Hannah R Marston ◽  
Charles Musselwhite ◽  
Janna Olynick ◽  
Rebecca Genoe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Intergenerational Relationships ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Intergenerational Connections

Abstract With enhanced challenges to maintain social connections especially during times of social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for technology solutions grow. Technologies have become interwoven into the daily lives for many older adults. The Technology Use in Later Life (TILL) study investigated how the perceptions and use of technology both can foster new and leverage existing intergenerational relationships. Through a mixed methods study engaging older adults aged 70 years of age and greater across rural and urban sites in Canada and the UK (N=37), participants described how the interconnection between technology and intergenerational relationships was an integral component to social connectedness with others. Through a qualitative descriptive approach, it was noted that older adults leveraged intergenerational relationships with family and friends to adjust to new technologies and to remain connected to adult children and grandchildren especially when there is high geographic separation between them. Especially during times of COVID-19, younger family members can play an important role to introduce and teach older adults how to use, technologies such as digital devices, computers, and social networking sites. Participants emphasized the benefits of intergenerational connections to adopt and use technology in later life noting flexibility and willingness to overcome barriers to technology adoption and remain connected across the generations. The adoption and uptake of technologies may continue as viable options during times of social distancing to support older persons to remain independent, age in place, in both age-friendly cities and across rural geographies during and post COVID-19.

scholarly journals If you’re happy and you know it: Neural correlates of self-evaluated psychological health and well-being

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle Cosme ◽  
Arian Mobasser ◽  
Garrett Ross ◽  
Jennifer H Pfeifer
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Psychological Functioning ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Good Life ◽  
Subjective Evaluation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
The Good Life ◽  
Health And Well Being

What does it mean to be well? Prior research suggests that it’s more than just the absence of illness or disease; a complete picture of psychological health is also defined in terms of the “good life,” or well-being. Amid continued debate as to what constitutes the good life, one point of relative agreement is that a person’s psychological health is contingent on their own subjective evaluation. The goal of the current study was to further our understanding of psychological functioning by investigating the neural correlates of self-evaluated psychological health and well-being. A sample of 113 incoming college freshmen completed an fMRI task in which they evaluated words and phrases related to three constructs associated with psychological health–well-being, ill-being, and social connectedness–in terms of self-descriptiveness and perceived malleability. Behaviorally, well-being and social connectedness items were more likely to be endorsed as self-descriptive than ill-being items, and social items were perceived to be more malleable. Neurally, self-evaluation was associated with increased activity in the default mode network, consistent with preregistered hypotheses. We observed strong spatial overlap in neural representations among constructs, though patterns of activity in a priori regions of interest–pgACC, vmPFC, and VS–exhibited low similarity among constructs. Furthermore, we found that these neural predictors explained additional variance in trial-level evaluations of psychological health, but not in individual differences in psychological health when aggregating across trials. Specifically, multilevel logistic regression revealed that greater vmPFC activity increased the likelihood of endorsing items as self-descriptive, but only for ill-being items. Exploratory specification curve analyses suggested that closer examination of these neural correlates using multivariate approaches may provide additional insight into individual differences in psychological health.

Individual Differences in Arithmetical Abilities

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Dowker
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Intervention Studies ◽  
Functional Independence ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Imaging Studies ◽  
Typically Developing Children ◽  
Mathematical Difficulties ◽  
Predictive Relationships ◽  
Many Sources

This chapter discusses individual differences in arithmetic. It deals relatively briefly with the findings about the general large extent of such differences in both children and adults. It then discusses findings that indicate that it is inadequate to speak of arithmetical ability as a single characteristic. Rather, it is made up of many components, which may correlate, but also show significant functional independence. Discrepancies between any two such components, in both directions, can be frequently observed. There is evidence for this from many sources, including studies of patients with acquired dyscalculia, brain imaging studies, cross-cultural studies, and studies of both typically developing children and those with mathematical difficulties. The chapter then discusses questions about when such between- and within-individual differences begin, and whether numerical ability is componential from infancy or starts as a single ability and then differentiates. There is certainly evidence that it is already componential in preschoolers. The need for more longitudinal and intervention studies is emphasized, if we are to understand whether differences in specific components are consistent over time, and whether specific components at an early age have specific predictive relationships to specific components found later on.

scholarly journals Whole Grains and Phenolic Acids: A Review on Bioactivity, Functionality, Health Benefits and Bioavailability

Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lavinia Florina Călinoiu ◽  
Dan Cristian Vodnar
Keyword(s):  
Phenolic Acids ◽  
Intervention Studies ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Whole Grains ◽  
Health Claims ◽  
World Health ◽  
Human Intervention ◽  
Whole Grain ◽  
Bioactive Components

Cereal grains represent one of the major sources of human food and nowadays, their production has increased to fulfill the needs of the world’s population. Among whole grains, wheat is the most popular and contributes significantly to the human diet. Whole grains possess great nutritional and bioactive properties due to their fractions, bran and germ, that comprise unique health-promoting bioactive components. The evidence of health benefits in human intervention studies, as well as a World Health Organization report for 2012–2016, supports the dietary consumption of whole grains and whole-grain foods. The inverse correlation between whole grain consumption and the reduced risk of chronic diseases and metabolic syndromes was underlined by several epidemiological studies. This article focuses on the bioactive components of whole grains and their fractions, namely phenolic acids, starting from their chemical structure, bioactivity and bioavailability. According to the conclusive evaluation of the human intervention studies conducted using cereal bran and whole grains intake, the assumption that the bioactive compounds determine health outcomes is illustrated. In the last part of the work, the functional potential and the health claims related to whole grains and bran intake are discussed, as well as new technologies and strategies to enhance their health potential by an increased bioavailability.

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