scholarly journals The impact of virtual reality meditation on college students’ exam performance

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Regina Kaplan-Rakowski ◽  
Karen R. Johnson ◽  
Tomasz Wojdynski
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Exam Performance ◽  
Test Analysis ◽  
Beneficial Impact ◽  
Anxiety Levels ◽  
Exam Anxiety ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

AbstractAdvocates of meditation claim that it can improve various aspects of life, including health, attention, thinking, and learning. The purpose of this empirical, quantitative, between-subject study was twofold. First, it compared the effectiveness of meditation delivered through virtual reality versus video, as measured by students’ test scores. Second, the study provided insights on the use of meditation, whether via virtual reality or video, as a way to positively affect well-being. T-test analysis showed virtual reality meditation to be significantly more beneficial than video meditation. Students reported that meditation techniques delivered using either medium to be helpful in decreasing their pre-exam anxiety. This study has practical implications and offers evidence on the beneficial impact of VR meditation on students’ exam performance and anxiety levels.

When I am old I shall wear purple: a qualitative study of the effect of group poetry sessions on the well-being of older adults

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 195-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Seymour ◽  
Michael Murray
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Assisted Living ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Poetry Reading ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose There is increasing evidence that participation in various art forms can be beneficial for health and well-being. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of participating in a poetry reading group on a group of older residents of an assisted living facility. Design/methodology/approach Six poetry sessions, each on a different theme, were conducted with a group of volunteer participants. These sessions, those of pre- and post-study focus groups and interviews with the group facilitator and staff contact were audio-recorded. The transcripts of the recordings were then subjected to a thematic analysis. Findings Overall the participants were enthused by the opportunity to participate in the project and the benefits were confirmed by the support staff. In addition, reading poetry on particular themes promoted different types of discussion. Research limitations/implications The number of participants in this study was small and the study was conducted over a short period of time. Practical implications This paper confirms the impact of poetry reading for older people. The challenge is to explore this impact in more detail and over community as well as residential settings. Originality/value This paper is the first empirical report on the value of poetry reading for older people.

Perceived stress and psychological well-being of working mothers during COVID-19: a mediated moderated roles of teleworking and resilience

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vartika Kapoor ◽  
Jaya Yadav ◽  
Lata Bajpai ◽  
Shalini Srivastava
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Working Mothers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Inverse Association ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe present study examines the mediating role of teleworking and the moderating role of resilience in explaining the relationship between perceived stress and psychological well-being of working mothers in India. Conservation of resource theory (COR) is taken to support the present study.Design/methodology/approachThe data of 326 respondents has been collected from working mothers in various sectors of Delhi NCR region of India. Confirmatory factor analysis was used for construct validity, and SPSS Macro Process (Hayes) was used for testing the hypotheses.FindingsThe results of the study found an inverse association between perceived stress and psychological well-being. Teleworking acted as a partial mediator and resilience proved to be a significant moderator for teleworking-well-being relationship.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is based at Delhi NCR of India, and future studies may be based on a diverse population within the country to generalize the findings in different cultural and industrial contexts. The present work is based only on the psychological well-being of the working mothers, it can be extended to study the organizational stress for both the genders and other demographic variables.Practical implicationsThe study extends the research on perceived stress and teleworking by empirically testing the association between perceived stress and psychological well-being in the presence of teleworking as a mediating variable. The findings suggest some practical implications for HR managers and OD Practitioners. The organizations must develop a plan to support working mothers by providing flexible working hours and arranging online stress management programs for them.Originality/valueAlthough teleworking is studied previously, there is a scarcity of research examining the impact of teleworking on psychological well-being of working mothers in Asian context. It would help in understanding the process that how teleworking has been stressful for working mothers and also deliberate the role of resilience in the relationship between teleworking and psychological well-being due to perceived stress, as it seems a ray of hope in new normal work situations.

scholarly journals A Personalised Emotion-Based Model for Relaxation in Virtual Reality

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (17) ◽  
pp. 6124
Author(s):  
Joris Heyse ◽  
Maria Torres Vega ◽  
Thomas De Jonge ◽  
Femke De Backere ◽  
Filip De Turck
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Emotional State ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Relaxation Therapy ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Emotion Model ◽  
Relaxation Exercises ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Reducing Stress ◽  
Personalised Therapy

One of the most frequent health problems is stress. It has been linked to negative effects on employee well-being in many occupations, and it is considered responsible for many physical and psychological problems. Traditional in-person relaxation therapy has proven to be effective in reducing stress. However, it has some drawbacks such as high cost, required infrastructure and the need for qualified trainers. Relaxation therapy in Virtual Reality (VR) tries to solve these problems. However, one aspect has received little attention, that is personalised therapy. Indeed, while many studies show the need for patient-tailored relaxation exercises, little existing work focuses on personalised VR content. One reason for this is the complexity of recognising emotions, which is required for emotion-based adaptive VR. In this work, a method for adapting VR content to the emotional state of the user is presented. This model has been applied in a VR relaxation therapy application, which adapts to the user’s emotional state utilising a heuristic optimiser. Simulations have proven the performance and usability of the emotion model. Additionally, this paper explores the impact of the order in which adaptations are performed on the effectiveness of the relaxation experience.

scholarly journals The Impact of a Complement-Based Assortment Organization on Purchases

2019 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 459-478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panagiotis Sarantopoulos ◽  
Aristeidis Theotokis ◽  
Katerina Pramatari ◽  
Anne L. Roggeveen
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Physical Characteristics ◽  
Lab Experiment ◽  
Product Categories ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

This article examines whether and why organizing product categories according to the consumption goal they serve (i.e., complement-based assortment organization) may increase purchases compared with organizing product categories according to their attributes or physical characteristics (i.e., substitute-based assortment organization). Across two field experiments, a virtual reality experiment, and a lab experiment, the authors show that a complement-based assortment organization, compared with a substitute-based assortment organization, leads to increased numbers of purchases and increased expenditures. Ease of visualization of the consumption process mediates the results. The impact of the complement-based organization on purchases is more pronounced for less involved consumers and for consumers with a less specific shopping goal. These findings have both theoretical and practical implications.

Theorising the impact of COVID-19 on the fraud victimisation of older persons

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cassandra Cross
Keyword(s):  
Social Isolation ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Current Response ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fraud Risk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand how COVID-19 may alter the vulnerability levels of older persons, and how this may change their potential for fraud victimisation. This is particularly focused on the government’s use of isolation, restrictions on activity and physical distancing to combat the virus. Design/methodology/approach In the absence of statistics, this paper examines what is currently known about older persons and fraud, as well as the recent knowledge of COVID-19-related fraud. On this basis, the paper hypothesises the conceivable changes to vulnerability that potentially expose older persons to fraud. Findings This paper argues that COVID-19 has not seen “new” fraudulent approaches, rather offenders have used COVID-19 as a context to their existing schemes. Further, the current response to COVID-19 can substantially increase the number of older persons experiencing levels of vulnerability, and therefore increase their fraud risk. Research limitations/implications The current paper applies existing knowledge into the current circumstances of COVID-19 and lays the foundations for empirical work to be conducted in this area. Practical implications This paper provides an impetus to target the well-being and connectivity of older persons, (regardless of the COVID-19 context), to reduce their vulnerability to fraud victimisation. Social implications This paper highlights the importance of connectivity for older persons, and the need to focus on overcoming social isolation and loneliness. Originality/value This paper is the first to hypothesise the effects of COVID-19 and its associated government responses to the overall vulnerability of older persons, with a focus on the potential for fraud victimisation.

scholarly journals Do Child Tax Benefits Affect the Well-being of Children? Evidence from Canadian Child Benefit Expansions

2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 175-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Milligan ◽  
Mark Stabile
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Family Type ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Child Benefits ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Child Benefit

We exploit changes in child benefits in Canada to study the impact of family income on child and family well-being. Using variation in child benefits across province, time, and family type, we study outcomes spanning test scores, mental health, physical health, and deprivation measures. The findings suggest that child benefit programs had significant positive effects on test scores, maternal health, and mental health, among other measures. We find strong and interesting differences in the effects of benefits by child sex: benefits have stronger effects on educational outcomes and physical health for boys, and on mental health outcomes for girls. (JEL I12, I31, I38, J13)

The well-being and productivity link: a significant opportunity for research-into-practice

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 289-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill Miller
Keyword(s):  
National Level ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Economic Policies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Implementation Gap ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practice Implementation ◽  
Productivity Gains ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Level Of Analysis

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to position well-being as a necessary component of the productivity debate and highlights the need for a deeper understanding of the nature of such a link. It first considers productivity at the national level in order to show how this affects both the climate and the economic policies within which organisations operate. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents an overview of current research and practice in the area. It treats the organisation as the primary level of analysis, and before highlights some of the apparent challenges in conceptualising well-being. Findings The importance of well-being is rising up national and employer agendas. Organisations need people to perform at their best in a sustainable way. The paper argues that an organisation with well-being at its core will reap productivity gains. It supports the view in the literature that improvements at national level can only be made on the back of sophisticated strategies across numerous organisations. However, for this to happen shared actions and understanding of these challenges has first to be created and acted upon across institutions and organisations. There are notable costs of poor well-being to productivity, and identifiable benefits of promoting and supporting employee well-being for productivity. Practical implications There is a clear practice implementation gap. Some organisations are embracing the opportunities to invest in their staff, but those who make employee well-being a business priority and a fundamental part of how the organisation operates are in the minority. There is also an ongoing challenge of measuring the impact of well-being programmes which can inform ROI assessments and enable organisations to demonstrate the business benefits of employee well-being. Originality/value There remain many unanswered questions about both the nature of the link between well-being and productivity and the economic impact of an association. This paper sparks further interest in expanding the understanding of the well-being and productivity link or peripheral issues.

scholarly journals Keep Calm and Carry On: The Relations Between Narrative Coherence, Trauma, Social Support, Psychological Well-Being, and Cortisol Responses

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauranne Vanaken ◽  
Tom Smeets ◽  
Patricia Bijttebier ◽  
Dirk Hermans
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Turning Point ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Traumatic Event ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Narrative Coherence ◽  
Anxiety Levels ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Thematic Coherence

In order to explain trauma resilience, previous research has been investigating possible risk and protective factors, both on an individual and a contextual level. In this experimental study, we examined narrative coherence and social support in relation to trauma resilience. Participants were asked to write about a turning point memory, after which they did the Maastricht Acute Stress Test, our lab analog of a traumatic event. Following, half of the participants received social support, whereas the other half did not. Afterwards, all participants wrote a narrative on the traumatic event. Moment-to-moment fluctuations in psychological and physiological well-being throughout the experiment were investigated with state anxiety questionnaires and cortisol measures. Results showed that narratives of traumatic experiences were less coherent than narratives of turning point memories. However, contrary to our predictions, coherence, and, in particular, thematic coherence, related positively to anxiety levels. Possibly, particular types of thematic coherence are a non-adaptive form of coping, which reflect unfinished attempts at meaning-making and are more similar to continuous rumination than to arriving at a resolution. Furthermore, coherence at baseline could not buffer against the impact of trauma on anxiety levels in this study. Contrary to our hypotheses, social support did not have the intended beneficial effects on coherence, neither on well-being. Multiple explanations as to why our support manipulation remained ineffective are suggested. Remarkably, lower cortisol levels at baseline and after writing about the turning point memory predicted higher coherence in the trauma narratives. This may suggest that the ability to remain calm in difficult situations does relate to the ability to cope adaptively with future difficult experiences. Clinical and social implications of the present findings are discussed, and future research recommendations on the relations between narrative coherence, social support, and trauma resilience are addressed.

Hope and Stress Resilience

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony D. Ong ◽  
Taylor Standiford ◽  
Saarang Deshpande
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Functioning ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Phenomenological Experience ◽  
Direct Association ◽  
Beneficial Impact ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Clinical Populations

A sizeable literature has implicated hopelessness in the phenomenological experience of various mood disorders, vulnerability to psychopathology, and overall poor psychological functioning. By contrast, how hope contributes to resilience and well-being has been understudied. This systematic review integrates findings from cross-sectional, longitudinal, ambulatory, and experimental studies that investigate the impact of hope and well-being outcomes in both healthy and clinical populations. Although the literature is not without theoretical gaps and methodological inconsistencies, the pattern of findings suggests that aggregate or trait measures of hope provide the most consistent evidence of a direct association between hope and well-being in healthy and clinical populations. More limited empirical data exists on the protective effects of hope. The chapter concludes that more rigorous and theoretically informed research is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn about the possible beneficial impact of hope on well-being.

scholarly journals Outcomes of Visual Self-Expression in Virtual Reality on Psychosocial Well-Being With the Inclusion of a Fragrance Stimulus: A Pilot Mixed-Methods Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Girija Kaimal ◽  
Katrina Carroll-Haskins ◽  
Arun Ramakrishnan ◽  
Susan Magsamen ◽  
Asli Arslanbek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Art Making ◽  
Creative Agency ◽  
The Impact

AimsIn this pilot mixed-methods study, we examined the participants experiences of engaging in virtual drawing tasks and the impact of an olfactory stimulus (calming fragrance blend) on outcomes of affect, stress, self-efficacy, anxiety, creative agency, and well-being (satisfaction with life).MethodsThis study used a parallel mixed-methods, simple block randomization design. The study participants included 24 healthy adults aged 18 to 54 years, including 18 women and six men. The participants completed two 1-h immersive virtual art making sessions and were randomly assigned to receive either a fragrance or a non-fragrance condition for the first session. Quantitative (standardized self-report measures) and qualitative (open-ended survey responses and virtual artwork) datasets were collected concurrently and integrated during data analysis.ResultsThe quantitative results indicated that the fragrance condition demonstrated a significant reduction in negative affect (e.g., feeling hostile, jittery, upset, distressed, etc.), namely, reduced feelings of negativity when compared to the non-fragrance condition. A trend toward improvement in self-efficacy was also seen in the fragrance condition. No significant changes were found for fragrance or non-fragrance conditions for positive affect, anxiety, and creative agency. The qualitative findings included five themes related to art making experiences in virtual reality in both conditions: fun and joy; novelty of virtual media, experimentation, and play; relaxation and calm; learning curve; and physical discomfort and disorientation. Four themes were identified for virtual art content and visual qualities: nature imagery, references to memories and personal symbols, fantasy and play within imagery, and depiction of everyday objects.ConclusionsOverall, the participants reported positive responses to the novel virtual art making experiences which were further heightened by the inclusion of the fragrance stimulus for negative affect. These preliminary findings need to be replicated with larger sample sizes to confirm the outcomes and the trends that were seen in this pilot study. Further research is recommended to examine the differences between experiences of virtual and traditional art media and to examine different olfactory stimuli promoting focus and concentration.

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