Perceptions Underlying Addictive Technology Use Patterns: Insights for Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy

Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is considered the ‘gold standard’ in the treatment of addictive disorders related to excessive technology use. However, the cognitive components of problematic internet use are not yet well-known. The aim of the present study was to explore the cognitive components, that according to problematic users, can lead to potential internet addiction. A total of 854 European adults completed an online survey using a mixed-methods design. Internet problems and attachment styles were assessed, prevalence rates estimated, correlations, chi-squared automatic interaction detection, and content analysis were performed. Self-reported addictions to social networking, internet, and gaming had a prevalence between 1.2% (gaming) to 2.7% (social networking). Self-perception of the addiction problem and preoccupied attachment style were discriminative factors for internet addiction. In an analysis of qualitative responses from self-identified compulsive internet users, a sense of not belonging and feeling of disconnection during life events were perceived as causes for internet addiction. The development depended on a cycle of mixed feelings associated with negative thoughts, compensated by a positive online identity. The severity of this behaviour pattern produced significant impairment in various areas of the participants’ functioning, suggesting a possible addiction problem. It is suggested that health professionals administering CBT should target unhealthy preoccupations and monitor mixed feelings and thoughts related to internet use to support coping with cognitive distortions.

Acceptance of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) among radiologists in Saudi Arabia

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), in the new age of technological progress, provide huge benefits to every area of employment, ranging from IT to health care. To assess the knowledge of, attitude towards, and in-practice use of artificial intelligence and machine learning among radiology residents and faculty radiologists. A web-based questionnaire was distributed via Google Drive to 55 radiologists in the central region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire comprised two sections: three questions regarding demographics and three questions regarding the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of AI and ML in radiology. A total of 55 respondents (100%) completed the survey. The majority of respondents claimed familiarity with AI and ML (61.8%). Most radiologists (54.5%) expressed mixed feelings regarding the benefits of AI and ML applications in radiology. Regarding usability, a mixed response was received: 49.1% supported its usability and 45.5% were uncertain of the usability of AI and ML in radiology. Several studies have been conducted which have suggested the usability of AI and ML and their incorporation into the radiology department. The majority of radiologists in Saudi Arabia support the use of AI and ML. Further investigation into the usability of these tools is needed.

Global or Adapted Advertising? Consumer Evaluation of Advertising Activity of Foreign Enterprises on the Polish Market

Intensification of globalization processes in the contemporary world entails consequences for all areas of socio-economic life. The latter concerns also advertising, which is particularly sensitive to the developments occurring in the global environment. Expansion into foreign markets presents enterprises with the dilemma of how to advertise their products and services. The specific question which appears in this context is whether to use standardized or adapted advertising. The attitude of the audience on the target market is of key importance. The present article also focuses on the impact of globalization on the recipients’ perception of the advertising activity of foreign companies operating in the Polish market. Assessment of the degree of acceptance of foreign enterprises’ standardized advertising activities on the Polish market, their attractiveness and impact on competitiveness, from the perspective of Polish consumers. The basis for the study are the findings of a survey conducted in 2019 and 2020 on a sample of Polish consumers aged 15+ selected using the quota method. The subject of the research were opinions on advertising activities used on the Polish market by foreign companies, taking into account the differentiation into global and adapted advertising. The respondents assessed the level of attractiveness and acceptance of activities related to advertising standardization procedures. The results of the research indicate that Polish consumers perceive the globalization of advertising and have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, they appreciate the attractiveness of standardized advertisements, on the other, they assess their effectiveness as worse. However, the respondents also point out that they have a positive impact on the competitiveness of foreign companies. The perception of standardized advertising is generally not dependent on demographic characteristics. There is only a slight direct effect of age on the perception of attractiveness and effectiveness of standardized and adapted advertising.

Editorial – Fulfilling the purpose of a rich, productive, and successful 2021. And preparing for an as much as possible, definitely “true normal” 2022

Dear readers, students, fellow scholars, welcome to this tenth instalment of Mutual Images Journal, which we have titled “Aesthetic journeys and media pilgrimages in the contexts of pop culture and the creative industries from and to East Asia”, trying to subsume in it the variety of themes the volume hosts. Audaces fortuna iuvat The Latin adage of this introduction states: “good luck helps the daring ones”. We think this is what happened to us and Mutual Images, both the journal and the association as a whole. We had left 2020 with more than just the proverbial mixed feelings: we were all uncertain and confused about what would and could happen in 2021. We won’t give you a summary of the many facets of what 2020 has been for the world, because each of you knows that all too well. But for MIRA, at least, 2021 was a moment of rally and refocus on what we hold dear: research, publishing, and the careful organisation of workshops and similar events. We rolled up our sleeves as so many people around the world did, and, in our microcosm of transcultural research in the humanities, media, cultural sociology, and area studies — whether supported by universities or independently run — we brought home two very nice workshops and a summer school. One workshop was held in Italy and Spain in November 2020 and the other in Japan in January 2021, although, for obvious reasons, both were technically conducted mainly online; and the summer school took place on-site in China, in June 2021. The two workshops saw [...]

Editorial – Fulfilling the purpose of a rich, productive, and successful 2021. And preparing for an as much as possible, definitely “true normal” 2022

Dear readers, students, fellow scholars, welcome to this tenth instalment of Mutual Images Journal, which we have titled “Aesthetic journeys and media pilgrimages in the contexts of pop culture and the creative industries from and to East Asia”, trying to subsume in it the variety of themes the volume hosts. Audaces fortuna iuvat The Latin adage of this introduction states: “good luck helps the daring ones”. We think this is what happened to us and Mutual Images, both the journal and the association as a whole. We had left 2020 with more than just the proverbial mixed feelings: we were all uncertain and confused about what would and could happen in 2021. We won’t give you a summary of the many facets of what 2020 has been for the world, because each of you knows that all too well. But for MIRA, at least, 2021 was a moment of rally and refocus on what we hold dear: research, publishing, and the careful organisation of workshops and similar events. We rolled up our sleeves as so many people around the world did, and, in our microcosm of transcultural research in the humanities, media, cultural sociology, and area studies — whether supported by universities or independently run — we brought home two very nice workshops and a summer school. One workshop was held in Italy and Spain in November 2020 and the other in Japan in January 2021, although, for obvious reasons, both were technically conducted mainly online; and the summer school took place on-site in China, in June 2021. The two workshops saw [...]

Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions of the Relevance of Teacher Professional Ethics in Contemporary Lesotho

Previous research suggests that new teachers have more negative ethical perceptions than their senior counterparts. However, there is limited research on teachers’ perceptions regarding the relevance of professional ethics in the contemporary world. Hence this study sought to explore the extent to which pre-service teachers in Lesotho consider professional ethics to be relevant. A qualitative approach was adopted and Kohlberg’s (1987) moral development theory was used as the theoretical framework for the study. Data were generated with the use of both semi-structured and focus-group interviews. Forty-six (n 46) final-year Bachelor of Education (BEd) students were purposively selected to take part in this study. Sixteen (16) were interviewed individually, while 30 were interviewed in three focus-groups of ten participants each. The findings are that the participating pre-service teachers had mixed feelings about the relevance of professional ethics of teachers. Some emphasised the importance of a teachers’ code of ethics while others indicated that some of the regulations were outdated. The position taken in this paper is that teacher professional ethics are timeless. These are meant to protect the interests of different stakeholders in education as well as the image of the teaching profession.

Engaging L2 Learners in Information-gap Tasks: How Task Type and Topic Familiarity Affect Learner Engagement

This study examines four learner engagement dimensions (behavioural, cognitive, emotional and social) in pedagogical task performance and provides insights into the effects of two task types (information-seeking and direction-giving) and topic familiarity on learner engagement in a semester-long English course. A total of 28 foreign language learners engaged in eight interactive tasks, and all played the roles of both information-receiver and information-provider alternately under familiar and unfamiliar conditions. Seven measures of engagement and an open-ended questionnaire were employed to understand the learners’ engagement in the tasks and their emotional responses to them. The results revealed that the information-providers produced more words and also spent more time on information-seeking tasks wherein they would exchange information than on direction-giving ones that required them to ask for and provide instructions or directions. This was the case for topics they were unfamiliar with; however, when they were faced with familiar topics, they produced significantly more words, spent more time, and spoke more elaboratively in direction-giving tasks. The information-seeking tasks elicited positive emotions, but the direction-giving tasks yielded mixed feelings, attaching positive emotions to familiar tasks but negative ones to unfamiliar tasks. The pedagogical implications of these findings are discussed.

Regulating social media in Nigeria: A quantitative perception study

The advent of social networks as Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, among others, has revolutionized communications. The power of social media messages rests on its ability to instantly and simultaneously reach a wide, diverse audience, and transforming social life. While the public has overtime become accustomed to the regulation of conventional media like the Radio, TV and Print establishments by government regulatory agencies, the idea of regulating social media, a space which many users consider to be the major avenue to air their views, is one that has generated mixed feelings. This study seeks to understand the perception of everyday Nigerian social media users towards government's attempt to regulation social media, amidst the recently proposed Social Media Regulation Bill by the Nigerian lawmakers. The respondents randomly selected for this study were the University of Abuja students and the researcher adopted the survey research design to collect information from the population through questionnaires. The findings indicated that despite respondents' awareness of the possible demerits of an unregulated social media, majority of them (54%) kick against the idea of social media regulation, while a substantial (46%) support the move on the provision that it is not politicized. The study therefore recommends transparency and openness on the part of government officials for better cooperation by the public. Keywords: Media regulation, Social media regulation, Free speech, Social media bill.

Remote versus on-site proctored exam: comparing student results in a cross-sectional study

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected assessment practices in medical education necessitating distancing from the traditional classroom. However, safeguarding academic integrity is of particular importance for high-stakes medical exams. We utilised remote proctoring to administer safely and reliably a proficiency-test for admission to the Advanced Master of General Practice (AMGP). We compared exam results of the remote proctored exam group to those of the on-site proctored exam group. Methods A cross-sectional design was adopted with candidates applying for admission to the AMGP. We developed and applied a proctoring software operating on three levels to register suspicious events: recording actions, analysing behaviour, and live supervision. We performed a Mann-Whitney U test to compare exam results from the remote proctored to the on-site proctored group. To get more insight into candidates’ perceptions about proctoring, a post-test questionnaire was administered. An exploratory factor analysis was performed to explore quantitative data, while qualitative data were thematically analysed. Results In total, 472 (79%) candidates took the proficiency-test using the proctoring software, while 121 (20%) were on-site with live supervision. The results indicated that the proctoring type does not influence exam results. Out of 472 candidates, 304 filled in the post-test questionnaire. Two factors were extracted from the analysis and identified as candidates’ appreciation of proctoring and as emotional distress because of proctoring. Four themes were identified in the thematic analysis providing more insight on candidates’ emotional well-being. Conclusions A comparison of exam results revealed that remote proctoring could be a viable solution for administering high-stakes medical exams. With regards to candidates’ educational experience, remote proctoring was met with mixed feelings. Potential privacy issues and increased test anxiety should be taken into consideration when choosing a proctoring protocol. Future research should explore generalizability of these results utilising other proctoring systems in medical education and in other educational settings.