scholarly journals User Experience Evaluation of Voice Interfaces: A Preliminary Study of Games for Seniors and the Elderly

Proceedings ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 65
Author(s):  
Solano ◽  
López ◽  
Guerrero ◽  
Quesada
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
User Experience ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Cognitive Activity ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Wizard Of Oz ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Positive Results

Maintaining high cognitive activity is vital for the mental health of seniors. Taking part in leisure activities is an exciting and gratifying way to accomplish this, with video games having several advantages for this use. The present study is a work in progress to develop different digital games with natural voice interfaces that can be easily and pleasantly used by older adults to stimulate their cognitive needs. A Wizard of Oz with two different games was developed to evaluate the user experience perceived when using such applications. Positive results enhance the notion that using digital games powered by natural voice interfaces may appeal to the elderly, while stimulating their cognitive processes, thus fortifying their mental health.

scholarly journals Can the Development of Religious and Cultural Tourism Build a Sustainable and Friendly Life and Leisure Environment for the Elderly and Promote Physical and Mental Health?

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (22) ◽  
pp. 11989
Author(s):  
Hsiao-Hsien Lin ◽  
Ko-Hsin Chang ◽  
Chih-Hung Tseng ◽  
Yueh-Shiu Lee ◽  
Chih-Hsiang Hung
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Public Transportation ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Cultural Tourism ◽  
Service Center ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Local Construction

From the perspective of satisfaction, physical and mental health, and re-travel, this study explored whether the development of religious and cultural tourism could construct a sustainable and friendly life and leisure environment for the elderly to promote physical and mental health. This research adopted a mixed method, collected 700 questionnaires, used SPSS 22.0 statistical software, and analyzed basic statistics, t-test, and PPMCC test. Then, the researchers conducted semi-structured interviews, collected the opinions of six interviewees, and finally analyzed with multiple checks Law discussion. The results found that people of different genders and stakeholders had different opinions about DIY activities on leisure satisfaction, featured itineraries, relaxation areas, signs and instructions, community association and service center services, historical landmarks, and public transportation. They found people’s life satisfaction in physical and mental health was increased, their headaches or pressures on the top of their heads were relieved, backache problems were reduced, and they were no longer anxious and lost tempers. They had a greater willingness to revisit some places and share experiences. This study found significant differences among these topics (p < 0.01). Women, residents, and tourists had different opinions. In addition, although the natural environment landscape and feelings have the greatest influence, the better the physical and mental health was improved, the better the willingness to travel. However, the more perfect the local construction and development, the less favorable to attract people to engage in leisure activities or tourism consumption.

The effects of normal aging on humor appreciation

2003 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 855-863 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prathiba Shammi ◽  
Donald T. Stuss
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Coping Mechanism ◽  
Humor Appreciation ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Frontal Lesions ◽  
Better Than

AbstractThe importance of humor in healthy aging is being recognized. We compared elderly and young participants on their comprehension and appreciation of, and reaction to, verbal and nonverbal humor tests. Cognitive processes—working memory, cognitive flexibility, verbal abstraction, and visual scanning—were studied in relation to humor. Results indicated a relative deficit in the elderly in the cognitive comprehension of humor—selecting punch lines to jokes and in a cartoon array test. Measures of cognitive function correlated with humor comprehension. In contrast to this deficit in comprehension, the elderly showed intact affective appreciation and emotional reactiveness. Because of the hypothesis of frontal lobe degeneration as a basis for changes with aging, we compared the elderly to patients with focal frontal lesions. In this comparison, the elderly were significantly better than the patients in their comprehension of humor. They also displayed intact appreciation of humor compared to patients with frontal lesions. This preliminary study suggests that preserved affective responsiveness may underlie the success in using humor as a coping mechanism in the elderly. (JINS, 2003, 9, 855–863.)

scholarly journals The Impact of Leisure Activities on Older Adults’ Cognitive Function, Physical Function, and Mental Health

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Sala ◽  
Daniela Jopp ◽  
Fernand Gobet ◽  
Madoka Ogawa ◽  
Yukie Masui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Physical Function ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
The Impact

Engagement in leisure activities has been claimed to be highly beneficial in the elderly. Practicing such activities is supposed to help older adults to preserve cognitive function, physical function, and mental health, and thus to contribute to successful aging. We built an SEM model analyzing the impact of leisure activities on these constructs in a large sample of Japanese older adults (N = 809; age range 72-74). The model exhibited an excellent fit (CFI = 1), and engaging in leisure activities was positively associated with all the three successful aging indicators.These findings corroborate previous research carried out in Western countries and extend its validity to the population of Eastern older adults. Albeit correlational in nature, these results suggest that active engagement in leisure activities can help older adults to maintain cognitive, physical, and mental health. Future research will clarify whether there is a causal relationship between engagement in leisure activities and successful aging.

Effects of a Group Program to Increase Cognitive Performance Through Cognitively Stimulating Leisure Activities in Healthy Older Subjects

GeroPsych ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentina A. Tesky ◽  
Christian Thiel ◽  
Winfried Banzer ◽  
Johannes Pantel
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Cognitive Stimulation ◽  
Group Program ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Older Subjects

To investigate the effects of leisure activities on cognitive performance of healthy older subjects, an innovative intervention program was developed. Frequent participation in cognitively stimulating activities (i.e., reading, playing chess, or playing music) is associated with reduced risk of dementia. AKTIVA (active cognitive stimulation – prevention in the elderly) is an intervention program designed to enhance cognitive stimulation in everyday life by increasing cognitive stimulating leisure activities. The present study determines the effects of AKTIVA on cognitive function, mood and attitude toward aging in a sample of older participants from the general population. Several measurement instruments were used including the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-Cog), the Trail-Making Test (TMT), and the Memory Complaint Questionnaire (MAC-Q). Initially, the sample consisted of 307 older persons (170 female, 72 ± 7 years). The intervention was evaluated with a randomized, controlled pre-post follow-up design. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: AKTIVA intervention (n = 126), AKTIVA intervention plus nutrition and exercise counseling (n = 84), no-intervention control group (n = 97). The AKTIVA intervention consisted of 8 weekly sessions and two booster sessions after a break of 4 months. Participation in the group program resulted in positive effects on cognitive function and attitude toward aging for subassembly groups. Older persons (≥ 75 years) showed enhanced speed of information processing (by TMT Version A) (F = 4.17*, p < .05); younger participants (< 75 years) showed an improvement in subjective memory decline (by MAC-Q) (F = 2.55*, p < .05). Additionally, AKTIVA enhanced the frequency of activities for leisure activities for subassembly groups. The results of this study suggest that the AKTIVA program can be used to increase cognitively stimulating leisure activities in the elderly. Further research is necessary to identify the long-term effects of this intervention particularly with respect to the prevention of dementia.

Designing preclinical perceptibility measures to evaluate topical vaginal gel formulations relating user sensory perceptions and experiences to formulation properties

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lungwani Muungo
Keyword(s):  
User Experience ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Paradigm Shift ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Biomedical Prevention ◽  
Product Effectiveness ◽  
Willingness To Use ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Gel Formulations

The effectiveness of any biomedical prevention technology relies on both biological efficacy and behavioraladherence. Microbicide trials have been hampered by low adherence, limiting the ability to draw meaningfulconclusions about product effectiveness. Central to this problem may be an inadequate conceptualization of howproduct properties themselves impact user experience and adherence. Our goal is to expand the current microbicidedevelopment framework to include product ‘‘perceptibility,’’ the objective measurement of user sensoryperceptions (i.e., sensations) and experiences of formulation performance during use. For vaginal gels, a setof biophysical properties, including rheological properties and measures of spreading and retention, may criticallyimpact user experiences. Project LINK sought to characterize the user experience in this regard, and tovalidate measures of user sensory perceptions and experiences (USPEs) using four prototype topical vaginal gelformulations designed for pericoital use. Perceptibility scales captured a range of USPEs during the productapplication process (five scales), ambulation after product insertion (six scales), and during sexual activity (eightscales). Comparative statistical analyses provided empirical support for hypothesized relationships between gelproperties, spreading performance, and the user experience. Project LINK provides preliminary evidence for theutility of evaluating USPEs, introducing a paradigm shift in the field of microbicide formulation design. Wepropose that these user sensory perceptions and experiences initiate cognitive processes in users resulting inproduct choice and willingness-to-use. By understanding the impact of USPEs on that process, formulationdevelopment can optimize both drug delivery and adherence.

Web-based interventions aimed at improving the mental health effects of home caregivers for dementia: Meta-analysis (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Feng ◽  
Yinan Zhao ◽  
Mingyue Hu ◽  
Hengyu Hu ◽  
Hui Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Average Score ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Negative Results ◽  
Cochrane Database ◽  
The Web

BACKGROUND Dementia is one of the major cause of disability and dependency among the elderly worldwide, and there are general psychological distresses among caregivers in dementia, such as depression and anxiety symptoms. The physical and mental health of the caregiver is a prerequisite and a promise to help the elderly stay alive and promote health. Web-based interventions can provide for a more convenient and efficient support and education, OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of internet-based interventions on mental health outcomes of family caregivers with dementia, and exploring which components of the web-based interventions play an important role.which are likely to reduce caregivers’ negative outcomes associated with care. METHODS A comprehensive literature search was conducted on PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane Database and CINAHL by using relevant terms such as web-based and caregiver as keywords, covering all studies published before June 2018. Two reviewers independently reviewed all published abstracts, according to the established inclusion and exclusion criteria ，we extracted the information about participants, interventions and results, respectively, and reviewed the quality of articles on the methods of randomized trials using the approach recommended by the Cochrane Handbook for systematic review for intervention. RESULTS A total of 815 caregivers participated in 6 articles, and 4 of the studies use depression as an outcome, according to the research after different interventions based on network after the intervention, depression scores average drop of 0.23 (95%CI -0.38 to -0.07, p<0.01), 2 studies show caregivers anxiety symptoms, the average score for anxiety dropped by 0.32 points (95% CI -0.50 to -0.14, p< 0.01), but in terms of coping, pain and stress, the web-based interventions have shown a poor effect. On the whole, the addition of professional psychological support on the basis of education can improve mental health of carers. CONCLUSIONS Internet-based interventions were generally effective in reducing anxiety and depression in dementia carers, although negative results were found in some studies. But in terms of burden and stress, further research is needed.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document