scholarly journals Effect of Face Masks on Interpersonal Communication During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nour Mheidly ◽  
Mohamad Y. Fares ◽  
Hussein Zalzale ◽  
Jawad Fares
Keyword(s):  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Interpersonal Communication ◽  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Protective Measures ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Face

Interpersonal communication has been severely affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Protective measures, such as social distancing and face masks, are essential to mitigate efforts against the virus, but pose challenges on daily face-to-face communication. Face masks, particularly, muffle sounds and cover facial expressions that ease comprehension during live communication. Here, we explore the role of facial expressions in communication and we highlight how the face mask can hinder interpersonal connection. In addition, we offer coping strategies and skills that can ease communication with face masks as we navigate the current and any future pandemic.

scholarly journals COVID-19 and Face Mask Use: A St. Kitts Case Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (T1) ◽  
pp. 346-352
Author(s):  
Yulia Kungurova ◽  
Ritha Mera ◽  
Evelyn Brewster ◽  
Khalil Ali ◽  
Adegbenro O.J. Fakoya
Keyword(s):  
Public Education ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Protective Measures ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Viral Spread ◽  
Surgical Masks ◽  
Different Types ◽  
The Face

BACKGROUND: Mask wearing in the COVID-19 pandemic was previously hypothesized as a protective symbol that decreases compliance with other measures such as face touching and social distancing. However, the face mask is now central to the prevention of viral spread. AIM: In this paper, we looked at the shift of guidelines regarding mask use and the mask-wearing adherence habits of the Kittitian population at the onset of the pandemic. METHODS: In this study, we observed 468 individuals, each for 5 min, for the different types of face masks used and their adherence to the Center for Disease Control guidelines for the use of this personal protective equipment. We did the observation at three different locations at Basseterre, St. Kitts, from the 21st to April 30, 2020. RESULTS: We noted that 49.31% had medical-grade masks (N95 and surgical), 36.11% had improvised masks, and 14.74% had no facial covering. About 34% of persons with masks were not correctly covering their nose or mouth and 16.45% were touching their face with their hands. Wearing any face-covering appears to lead to more face touching than no covering at 18.25% versus 5.8%. The highest proportion of errors was seen in wearers of surgical masks, leaving the mouth/ nose uncovered at 12.08% of all errors. CONCLUSION: We recommend for public education and political efforts to increase adherence to mask use in conjunction with other protective measures such as social distancing and hand washing for curbing the COVID-19 transmission in St. Kitts and Nevis.

scholarly journals Examining the interplay between face mask usage, asymptomatic transmission, and social distancing on the spread of COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Catching ◽  
Sara Capponi ◽  
Ming Te Yeh ◽  
Simone Bianco ◽  
Raul Andino
Keyword(s):  
Social Distance ◽  
Large Fraction ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Virus Transmission ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Viral Spread ◽  
The Face ◽  
Asymptomatic Individuals ◽  
High Virus

AbstractCOVID-19’s high virus transmission rates have caused a pandemic that is exacerbated by the high rates of asymptomatic and presymptomatic infections. These factors suggest that face masks and social distance could be paramount in containing the pandemic. We examined the efficacy of each measure and the combination of both measures using an agent-based model within a closed space that approximated real-life interactions. By explicitly considering different fractions of asymptomatic individuals, as well as a realistic hypothesis of face masks protection during inhaling and exhaling, our simulations demonstrate that a synergistic use of face masks and social distancing is the most effective intervention to curb the infection spread. To control the pandemic, our models suggest that high adherence to social distance is necessary to curb the spread of the disease, and that wearing face masks provides optimal protection even if only a small portion of the population comply with social distance. Finally, the face mask effectiveness in curbing the viral spread is not reduced if a large fraction of population is asymptomatic. Our findings have important implications for policies that dictate the reopening of social gatherings.

scholarly journals The Role of Self-Talk in Predicting Death Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Coping Strategies in the Face of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esmaeil Sadri Damirchi ◽  
Arezoo Mojarrad ◽  
Saeed Pireinaladin ◽  
Andrej M M Grjibovski
Keyword(s):  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Coping Style ◽  
Death Anxiety ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Self Talk ◽  
The Face ◽  
And Coping

Objective: Nowadays, the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19) is one of the most stressful resources that has led to the rise of different levels of psychological crisis. In addition to the countries affected by the COVID-19, such as China, European and American countries, Iran has appeared as one of the most affected countries with high infected cases and deaths. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the role of self-talk in predicting death anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and coping strategies in the face of COVID-19. Method: This descriptive and correlational study was conducted on 354 adults living in Ardabil, Iran, who were selected using cluster sampling from 21 January to 19 March 2020. Self-Talk questionnaires, Coping Strategies, Death Anxiety, and Obsessive-Compulsive questionnaires were used for data collection. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression were used for data analysis. Results: The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between self-talk and problem-centered coping style. Also, significant negative relationships were found between self-talk and emotional coping style, death anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Furthermore, based on the results of the regression test, self-talk predicted problem-centered style, emotional-coping style, death anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Conclusion: The results of this study emphasize the need for psychological crisis intervention during the COVID-19 outbreak. Also, this study provides an important step in shifting attention to self-talk skills from sport psychology fields toward clinical psychology, especially about the mental impacts of COVID-19.

scholarly journals The Spiral of Positive Feedback: Go-Along Interviews About Adolescents’ Perceptions of and Reactions to Alcohol Posts on Social Media

2021 ◽  
pp. 002204262110414
Author(s):  
Robyn Vanherle ◽  
Kathleen Beullens ◽  
Hanneke Hendriks
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Interpersonal Communication ◽  
Negative Feedback ◽  
Positive Feedback ◽  
Online Chat ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Online Environments

Go-along interviews among adolescents ( N = 26, M age = 16.31, SD = .83) were conducted to examine how adolescents interpret alcohol posts in terms of appropriateness and how this, in turn, plays a role in adolescents’ reactions toward alcohol posts on public and private social media entries. The findings of this study, first, indicate that alcohol posts were classified as appropriate or inappropriate based on the amount of alcohol and the displayed behavior in the post. Second, most posts, including inappropriate ones, received positive or no feedback. Moreover, adolescents deliberately seemed to withhold negative feedback out of fear of being misjudged by peers. Still, negative reactions were expressed more quickly in safer off- and online environments (i.e., face-to-face conversation and online chat messages) because they were visible to close friends only. This is important in view of prevention as it unravels the interesting role of private environments in stimulating negative interpersonal communication.

GOING OUT NORMALLY DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC: INSIGHTS ABOUT THE LACK OF ADHESION TO SOCIAL DISTANCING

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Mateus Joaquim ◽  
André Luiz Braule Pinto ◽  
Rafaela Ferreira Guatimosim ◽  
Jonas Jardim de Paula ◽  
Alexandre Luiz de Oliveira Serpa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Emotional Stability ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Protective Behaviors ◽  
Protective Measures ◽  
Psychopathological Symptoms ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Big Five Model ◽  
Second Wave

The population's adhesion to measures to ensure social distancing represents a great management challenge. Evidence has shown that social distancing is effective. However, it is challenging to separate government measures from social distancing driven by personal initiatives. Theory: It is possible that the output of protective behaviors, such as adherence to protective measures and staying in social isolation, is influenced by individual characteristics, such as personality traits or symptoms of mental distress of anxiogenic nature. We hypothesized that individuals with more expressive symptoms of fear or anxiety would have a more protective behavioral tendency in terms of risk exposure, leaving less home during the pandemic. In contrast, individuals with greater emotional stability, as they feel more secure and with a lower perception of risk, could go out more often.Material and Methods: A total of 2709 individuals from all regions of Brazil participated in the study (mean age = 42 years; 2134 women). Correlation analysis was performed to investigate the relationships between personality traits according to the big five model and Psychopathological Symptoms (BSI). Then investigate how people that go out usually differ from people that stay at home, in both symptoms and personality traits. Finally, to investigate the predictors for going out usually, we use multiple regression analysis, using gender, marital status, level of education, and personality traits. Results: During the second wave of COVID-19 in Brazil, individuals with higher emotional stability tended to leave home more than those with more expressive levels of anxiogenic dysregulation. These results reinforce the role of both personality traits and psychopathological symptoms in prophylactic behavior during COVID-19 pandemics.

ENDOGENOUS SOCIAL DISTANCING AND CONTAINMENT POLICIES IN SOCIAL NETWORKS

2021 ◽  
Vol 257 ◽  
pp. 101-117
Author(s):  
Fabrizio Adriani ◽  
Dan Ladley
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Network Formation ◽  
Crowding Out ◽  
Policy Intervention ◽  
Negative Externalities ◽  
Formation Theory ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Underlying Network

Can smart containment policies crowd out private efforts at social distancing? We analyse this question from the perspective of network formation theory. We focus in particular on the role of externalities in social distancing choices. We also look at how these choices are affected by factors such as the agents’ risk perception, the speed of the policy intervention, the structure of the underlying network and the presence of strategic complementarities. We argue that crowding out is a problem when the probability that an outbreak may spread undetected is relatively high (either because testing is too infrequent or because tests are highly inaccurate). This is also the case where the choice of relaxing social distancing generates the largest negative externalities. Simulations on a real-world network suggest that crowding out is more likely to occur when, in the absence of interventions, face-to-face contacts are perceived to carry relatively high risk.

The Auditory Kuleshov Effect: Multisensory Integration in Movie Editing

Perception ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (5) ◽  
pp. 624-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas M. Baranowski ◽  
H. Hecht
Keyword(s):  
Facial Expression ◽  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Multisensory Integration ◽  
Interaction Effect ◽  
Neutral Face ◽  
The Face ◽  
Sad Music ◽  
Ambiguous Situations

Almost a hundred years ago, the Russian filmmaker Lev Kuleshov conducted his now famous editing experiment in which different objects were added to a given film scene featuring a neutral face. It is said that the audience interpreted the unchanged facial expression as a function of the added object (e.g., an added soup made the face express hunger). This interaction effect has been dubbed “Kuleshov effect.” In the current study, we explored the role of sound in the evaluation of facial expressions in films. Thirty participants watched different clips of faces that were intercut with neutral scenes, featuring either happy music, sad music, or no music at all. This was crossed with the facial expressions of happy, sad, or neutral. We found that the music significantly influenced participants’ emotional judgments of facial expression. Thus, the intersensory effects of music are more specific than previously thought. They alter the evaluation of film scenes and can give meaning to ambiguous situations.

scholarly journals Structure of the MICU1–MICU2 heterodimer provides insights into the gatekeeping threshold shift

IUCrJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 355-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jongseo Park ◽  
Youngjin Lee ◽  
Taein Park ◽  
Jung Youn Kang ◽  
Sang A Mun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Calcium Uptake ◽  
Mitochondrial Calcium ◽  
Salt Bridges ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Calcium Uniporter ◽  
Molecular Action ◽  
The Face ◽  
Mitochondrial Calcium Uptake ◽  
Apo State

Mitochondrial calcium uptake proteins 1 and 2 (MICU1 and MICU2) mediate mitochondrial Ca2+ influx via the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU). Its molecular action for Ca2+ uptake is tightly controlled by the MICU1–MICU2 heterodimer, which comprises Ca2+ sensing proteins which act as gatekeepers at low [Ca2+] or facilitators at high [Ca2+]. However, the mechanism underlying the regulation of the Ca2+ gatekeeping threshold for mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake through the MCU by the MICU1–MICU2 heterodimer remains unclear. In this study, we determined the crystal structure of the apo form of the human MICU1–MICU2 heterodimer that functions as the MCU gatekeeper. MICU1 and MICU2 assemble in the face-to-face heterodimer with salt bridges and methionine knobs stabilizing the heterodimer in an apo state. Structural analysis suggests how the heterodimer sets a higher Ca2+ threshold than the MICU1 homodimer. The structure of the heterodimer in the apo state provides a framework for understanding the gatekeeping role of the MICU1–MICU2 heterodimer.

scholarly journals FACE-TO-FACE VERSUS THREADED DISCUSSIONS: THE ROLE OF TIME AND HIGHER-ORDER THINKING

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrina A. Meyer
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Higher Order Thinking ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Course Evaluations ◽  
Threaded Discussions ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Experience Of Time ◽  
The Face

This study compares the experiences of students in face-to-face (in class) discussions with threaded discussions and also evaluates the threaded discussions for evidence of higher-order thinking. Students were enrolled in graduate-level classes that used both modes (face-to-face and online) for course-related discussions; their end-of-course evaluations of both experiences were grouped for analysis and themes constructed based on their comments. Themes included the “expansion of time,” “experience of time,” “quality of the discussion,” “needs of the student,” and “faculty expertise.” While there are advantages to holding discussions in either setting, students most frequently noted that using threaded discussions increased the amount of time they spent on class objectives and that they appreciated the extra time for reflection on course issues. The face-to-face format also had value as a result of its immediacy and energy, and some students found one mode a better “fit” with their preferred learning mode. The analysisof higher-order thinking was based on a content analysis of the threaded discussions only. Each posting was coded as one of the four cognitive-processing categories described by Garrison and colleagues: 18% were triggering questions, 51% were exploration, 22% were integration, and 7% resolution. A fifth category – social – was appropriate for 3% of the responses and only 12% of the postings included a writing error. This framework provides some support for the assertion that higher-order thinking can and does occur in online discussions; strategies for increasing the number of responses in the integration and resolution categories are discussed.

scholarly journals Leaving peace for war: An exploratory study of Swiss men’s trajectories toward engagement in Arab conflicts

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Ajil
Keyword(s):  
Political Violence ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Arab World ◽  
Conflict Zones ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Face ◽  
Violent Action ◽  
Methodological Considerations ◽  
Depth Interviews

While the issue of foreign fighting has been very present in Swiss public discourse in recent years, little is known about the actual trajectories of young men who engage in this particular form of political violence. Based primarily on face-to-face in-depth interviews with four Swiss male nationals who travelled to conflict zones in the Arab World, the present analysis offers insights into the first phases of violent engagement, by investigating elements related to grievance formation such as collective memory and moral shocks, and elements facilitating violent action, such as legal cynicism. Further, the role of combat masculinity, a set of values providing guidance on behaviours and attitudes to be adopted in the face of injustice, is explored. Methodological considerations and some implications for policymaking are discussed.

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