scholarly journals Ace Diary: An Online Counseling App With Monitoring of Self-Development Tasks

2021 ◽  
pp. 280-287
Author(s):  
Dhara Alim Cendekia ◽  
Riskiyana Prihatiningsih ◽  
Azhar Ahmad Smaradigna ◽  
Kelik Desta Rahmanto ◽  
Stefano Scippa ◽  
...  

There has been a recent rise in online counseling applications in response to the increased need for counseling during this pandemic. Unfortunately, the concept of online counseling apps in Indonesia is still premature because the apps just connect counselee and counselor via chat or call. These apps cannot monitor the self-development tasks that the counselors gives to the counselee, even though this is a requirement of the counseling process. The researchers in this study used M. Asimov’s model to design a new mobile app. The features to monitor self-development tasks divide into yearly, monthly and weekly planning. The information system categorizes into time and fourth quadrants of time. It is hoped that the counselee can use this to manage their activities based on the importance level to help achieve their goals. Keywords: Mobile apps, online counseling, self-development tasks monitoring, four quadrants of time

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikita B Rajani ◽  
Nikolaos Mastellos ◽  
Filippos T Filippidis

BACKGROUND Both the number of smokers making quit attempts and the number of smokers successfully quitting has been falling over the past years. Past studies have shown that smokers with high self-efficacy and motivation to quit have an increased likelihood of quitting and staying quit. Consequently, further research on strategies which can improve the self-efficacy and motivation of smokers seeking to quit could lead to substantially higher cessation rates. Some studies have found that gamification can positively impact cognitive components of behavioural change, including self-efficacy and motivation. However, the impact of gamification in the context of smoking cessation and mobile health has been sparsely investigated. OBJECTIVE The study aims to examine the association between perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and frequency of use of gamification features embedded in smoking cessation apps on the self-efficacy and motivation to quit of smokers. METHODS Participants were assigned to use one of two mobile apps for a duration of four weeks. Online questionnaires were provided to participants before app usage, two weeks after and four weeks after they started using the app. Gamification was quantitatively operationalized based on Cugelman’s gamification framework and concepts from the technology acceptance model. Mean values of perceived frequency, ease of use and usefulness of gamification features were calculated at mid-study and end-study. Two linear regression models were performed to investigate the impact of gamification on self-efficacy and motivation to quit. RESULTS 116 participants completed the study. Mean self-efficacy increased from 37.38 to 42.47 points and motivation to quit increased from 5.94 to 6.32 points after app usage. “Goal setting” was perceived to be the most useful gamification feature whilst “sharing” was perceived to be the least useful. Participants self-reported that they used the progress dashboards the most often whilst the sharing feature the least often. Average perceived frequency of gamification features was statistically significantly associated with change in self-efficacy (β=3.35, 95% CI: 0.31 to 6.40) and change in motivation to quit (β=0.54, 95% CI: 0.15 to 0.94) between baseline and end-study. CONCLUSIONS Gamification embedded into mobile apps can have positive effects on the self-efficacy and motivation to quit of smokers. The findings of the study can provide important insights for tobacco control policy makers, mobile app developers and smokers seeking to quit.


1970 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 202-214
Author(s):  
Олена Савченко

У статті розглядається рефлексивна компетентність як інтегративне особистісне утворення, що формується в ході набуття суб’єктом рефлексивного досвіду при застосуванні різних форм рефлексивної активності, спрямованих на розв’язання визначених рефлексивних задач. У структурі рефлексивної компетентності оцінно-мотиваційний компонент виконує наступні функції: оцінку форм рефлексивної активності та її результатів, прогнозування можливих змін у процесі розв’язування проблемно-конфліктних ситуацій, визначення пріоритетних завдань подальшого розвитку себе як суб’єкта рефлексивної активності. На когнітивному рівні функціонує система критеріїв оцінювання власних форм рефлексивної активності, яка характеризується ступенем когнітивної складності, що відображає рівень диференціації та інтеграції системи. Функціонування оцінно-мотиваційного компонента на метакогнітивному рівні забезпечує система здібностей до прогнозування власної активності. Особистісний рівень представлений системою життєвих задач на саморозвиток, які стимулюють суб’єкта докладати зусилля щодо розвитку в себе певних якостей, формування певних вмінь та знань. Розрізненість елементів компонента є індикатором незавершеності процесу формування його внутрішньої структури, низький рівень інтеграції окремих складових не дозволяє системі ефективно компенсувати недорозвинені елементи. Найбільшу вагу у внутрішній структурі оцінно-мотиваційного компонента має показник сформованості системи здібностей до прогнозування власної активності, що підтверджує системотвірну функцію структур метакогнітивного рівня. In the article the reflective competence is seen as an integrative personal formation which develops in the process of acquiring of the reflective experience, when the subject is using various forms of the reflective activity for the solving of specific reflective tasks. In the structure of the reflective competence the value-motivational component performs such functions: an evaluation of forms of the reflective activity and its results, a prediction of the possible changes in the process of solving of the problem-conflict situations, a determining of the priorities for further development of himself as a subject of the reflective activity. The system of the criteria of an evaluating of the reflective activity`s forms functions on the cognitive level of the reflective competence. The level of the cognitive complexity is the basic feature of this system. The predictive abilities` system, that allows to form the expectations of the activity`s results, presents the value-motivational component on the metacognitive level. The system of the life tasks for the self-development, which stimulates the subject to make efforts to develop his own qualities, to form specific skills and knowledge, functions on the personal level. The fragmentation of the elements is an indicator of the incompleteness of the formation of the internal structure of the value-motivational component. The low level of integration of the separate elements does not allow effectively to compensate the functioning of the unformed elements of the system. The index of the formation of the abilities to predict his own activity has the greatest meaning in the internal structure of the value-motivational component. These data confirm the hypothesis about the system-forming function of the metacognitive structures that unite other structures. Thus the development of the predictive abilities will promote the increase of the abilities to the prediction of the others` behavior. An adequate assessment of other people significantly reduces the inconsistency of his own expectations and estimations of others. The development of the predictive abilities creates favorable conditions for the formation of the life tasks for the self-development to increase their value in the system of other tasks


Author(s):  
Shankar Chaudhary

Despite being in nascent stage m-commerce is gaining momentum in India. The explosive growth of smart-phone users has made India much loved business destination for whole world. Indian internet user is becoming the second largest in the world next to China surpassing US, which throws open plenty of e-commerce opportunities, not only for Indian players, offshore players as well. Mobile commerce is likely to overtake e-commerce in the next few years, spurred by the continued uptrend in online shopping and increasing use of mobile apps.The optimism comes from the fact that people accessing the Internet through their mobiles had jumped 33 per cent in 2014 to 173 million and is expected to grow 21 per cent year-on-year till 2019 to touch 457 million. e-Commerce brands are eyeing on the mobile app segment by developing user-friendly and secure mobile apps offering a risk-free and easy shopping experience to its users. Budget 4G smart phones coupled with affordable plans, can very well drive 4G growth in India.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fazwa M. Fadzilah ◽  
Noreen Izza Arshad ◽  
Izuddin Zainal-Abidin ◽  
Hui Min Low ◽  
Ahmad Kamil Mahmood ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Mobile applications (apps) that offer a variety of techniques to improve stuttering have been flourishing in the digital marketplace. In evidence-based clinical practice, speech therapists will recommend audio-enriched mobile apps to individuals with stuttering problems based on empirical research evidence. Unfortunately, many stuttering mobile apps available in the market are developed without a substantial research base. Hence, speech therapists necessitate a guideline which they could use to assess the quality of a stuttering mobile app before recommending the app to stutterers. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to develop a rubric for assessing the quality of the stuttering mobile app in assisting speech therapists to make informed recommendations METHODS The rubric was initially developed based on a set of criteria reviewed from the literature. Online surveys and focused group discussion were then conducted for results verification. RESULTS The outcome of this study is a rubric designed with four categories and 18-evaluative dimensions tailored to analyze the quality of stuttering mobile apps. The stuttering mobile app assessment rubric presented in the serve multiple purposes, including an evaluation instrument, providing guidelines for developing stuttering mobile apps and for creating a standard form that can be shared with professionals to facilitate a collective effort. CONCLUSIONS This rubric also offers a guidance to steer drive the future development of stuttering mobile apps that are evidence-based, and theoretically grounded


Author(s):  
Jason Hanna

This chapter critically examines two of John Stuart Mill’s consequentialist objections to paternalism: that paternalistic authority is likely to be misapplied or abused and that intervention in the self-regarding sphere threatens individuality and self-development. It is argued here that both objections can be resisted. Concerns about misapplication and abuse pose no challenge to intervention that is likely to succeed in achieving its benevolent aims, and attempts to avoid this problem by construing Mill’s arguments in rule-consequentialist terms are unconvincing. Concerns about Millian individuality or self-development leave considerable room for justified paternalism, both because individuality is not the only component of well-being and because paternalistic intervention can sometimes promote individuality. Mill’s arguments may show that there ought to be some institutional constraints on the government’s ability to intervene in the self-regarding sphere, but defenders of paternalism can happily accept this result.


2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beth K Jaworski ◽  
Katherine Taylor ◽  
Kelly M Ramsey ◽  
Adrienne J Heinz ◽  
Sarah Steinmetz ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Although the pandemic has not led to a uniform increase of mental health concerns among older adults, there is evidence to suggest that some older veterans did experience an exacerbation of pre-existing mental health conditions, and that mental health difficulties were associated with a lack of social support and increasing numbers of pandemic-related stressors. Mobile mental health apps are scalable, may be a helpful resource for managing stress during the pandemic and beyond, and could potentially provide services that are not accessible due to the pandemic. However, overall comfort with mobile devices and factors influencing the uptake and usage of mobile apps during the pandemic among older veterans are not well known. COVID Coach is a free, evidence-informed mobile app designed for pandemic-related stress. Public usage data have been evaluated, but its uptake and usage among older veterans has not been explored. OBJECTIVE The purpose of the current study was to characterize smartphone ownership rates among U.S. veterans, identify veteran characteristics associated with downloading and use of COVID Coach, and characterize key content usage within the app. METHODS Data were analyzed from the 2019-2020 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study (NHRVS), which surveyed a nationally representative, prospective cohort of 3,078 U.S. military veterans before and one year into the pandemic. The NHRVS sample was drawn from KnowledgePanel®, a research panel of more than 50,000 households maintained by Ipsos, Inc. Median time to complete the survey was nearly 32 minutes. The research version of COVID Coach was offered to all veterans who completed the peri-pandemic follow-up assessment on a mobile device (n = 814; weighted 34.2% of total sample). App usage data from all respondents who downloaded the app (n = 34; weighted 3.3% of the mobile completers sample) were collected between November 14, 2020 and November 7, 2021. RESULTS We found that most U.S. veterans own smartphones and veterans with higher education, greater number of adverse childhood experiences, higher extraversion, and greater severity of pandemic-related PTSD symptoms were more likely to download COVID Coach. Although uptake and usage of COVID Coach was relatively low (3.3% of eligible participants, n = 34), 50% of the participants returned to the app for more than one day of use. The interactive tools for managing stress were used most frequently. CONCLUSIONS Although the coronavirus pandemic has increased the need for and creation of digital mental health tools, these resources may require tailoring for older veteran populations. Future research is needed to better understand how to optimize digital mental health tools, such as apps, to ensure uptake and usage among older adults, particularly those who have experienced traumas across the lifespan.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document