Individual’s perceivable range and the notion of unexpectedness

Unexpectedness is a person’s subjective perceptions of a certain event but not entirely the objective existence of the event itself. The unexpected moment happens when a person subjectively expects it not to happen as it does or when a person first perceives novel information to which they have no reference in mind. Therefore, there can be two circumstances: 1) unexpectedness from within the perceivable range, and 2) unexpectedness from beyond the perceivable range.

Physical measurements and patients’ perception of excess skin on arms and thighs before and after bariatric surgery

Background Bariatric surgery is an effective weight loss method for patients with obesity. One side effect of bariatric surgery is uncomfortable excess skin. Much remains to be learned about physical measurements and patients’ subjective perceptions of it. Here, we investigated the pre- to post-bariatric changes in patients’ perception and physical measurements of the skin on the arms and thighs, in order to find possible subgroups especially affected by post-operative excess skin and to identify predicting factors. Methods One hundred forty-seven patients eligible for bariatric surgery completed the Sahlgrenska Excess Skin Questionnaire (SESQ) and underwent measurements of their skin before and 18 months after the procedure. Results Although most physical measurements decreased post-operatively, many patients reported increased discomfort. We identified one subgroup particularly prone to report excess skin on the arms post-operatively: women with high discomfort from excess skin on the arms and high body mass index (BMI), pre-operatively. Ptosis of the excess skin seems to be a feasible measurement for predicting post-operative discomfort. For every centimetre of ptosis pre-operatively, patients had 1.37- and 1.31-fold higher odds of achieving a score for post-operative discomfort from excess skin on the upper arms and thighs, respectively, of ≥ 6 (on a 0–10 scale). Conclusions We identified a subgroup especially affected by discomforting excess skin on arms and thighs after weight loss. Furthermore, we suggest a pre-operative pro-operative ptosis measuring to predict post-operative discomfort level. The result of this study further increases the knowledge of excess skin and should be useful in further improving patient education. Level of Evidence: Level III, risk / prognostic study.

From success to unrest: the social impacts of tourism in Barcelona

Purpose This study aims to examine the main factors and the related impacts that have caused a negative shift in the social perception of tourism among residents of Barcelona. Namely, it contextualises the recent evolution of the impacts and the social perception of tourism among the city’s residents; analyses the relationship between the social perception of tourism and different tourist, real estate, demographic and economic factors; and lastly, it identifies the social impacts that majorly influence the negative perception among residents in every neighbourhood. Design/methodology/approach This study applies quantitative and qualitative techniques to a selection of five neighbourhoods of Barcelona. First, the character of the neighbourhoods was analysed, and external statistical information was later provided to understand the state and evolution of the factors that shape perceptions of tourism. Secondly, representatives of the community movements were interviewed in-depth. This consecutive qualitative approach enabled the comprehension of how these factors shape the residents’ perception. Findings The results showed that residents generally shared similar perceptions despite variations among neighbourhoods. Perceived negative effects included not only the most direct consequences of tourism such as anti-social behaviour and congestion of public spaces but also indirect ones such as population displacement and the weakening of social structures. Originality/value This study’s innovation lies in linking objective statistical data that describe the reality of a tourist neighbourhood (housing prices, number of available beds, family income, etc.), to the subjective perceptions of its residents. Thus, it is possible to identify the perceived impacts of tourism (which have an impact on the local population’s satisfaction), and relate these to the true evolution of tourism variables in the neighbourhood. This contrasted reading between perception and reality is important for future initiatives for the regulation of tourism in the city.

Ingestion of Carbohydrate Solutions and Mouth Rinse on Mood and Perceptual Responses during Exercise in Triathletes

Triathlons are endurance events that include swimming, running, and cycling. Triathletes need to eat optimally during training and competitions to maximize their potential for success. The presence of carbohydrates in the mouth could activate regions in the brain to enhance athletic performance in exercise. Methods: This study examined the effects of glucose and mouthwash in ten male triathletes (age: 26.0 ± 8.7 years, height: 173.6 ± 10.4 cm, BMI 22.0 ± 1.7 kg/m2). The four oral test solutions included (A) Rinse with placebo, (B) Water + gel with placebo, (C) Rinse with 15% CH concentration, and (D) Water + gel with 15% CH concentration (25 g gel in 165 mL water). The Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE), Sensation Scale (FS), Felt Arousal Scale (FAS), Profile of Mood States (POMS), blood glucose, sprints, and dietary habits were assessed in each subject. All preceded ingestion of the oral-based test solution during workouts. Results: RPE showed no significant differences for subjective perceptions. The same was observed for FS and sprints. FAS scores increased over time (p = 0.039) in all groups. POMS score increased significantly in group D (p = 0.041). There was no effect of time on plasma glucose levels (p = 0.737). As for correlations, positive correlations were observed between sprint and FAS variables (p = 0.011). Conclusions: It appears that CH intake correlates positively with mood, but in all other variables, there are no differences depending on the product.

Filling Gaps in the Nomological Networks for Dominance and Affiliation by Examining Self-Informant Agreement on Momentary Interpersonal Behavior

Interpersonal functioning involves an interplay of subjective perceptions and overt behavior. This study examines agreement between self and informant reports of behavior measured naturalistically to investigate the associations between observable behavior, self-perceptions, and others’ perceptions and to enrich the nomological networks for the domains of dominance and affiliation. We studied a sample of romantic couples (N=193) who rated their own and their partner’s interpersonal behavior during a 21-day ambulatory assessment (AA) protocol. We used a multitrait-multimethod-multirater correlation matrix including self- and informant-reported averages and variability of dominance and affiliation measured by AA and cross-sectional self-reports of dominance, affiliation, and interpersonal distress. There was no self-informant agreement on dominance measured by AA, but there was moderate agreement on affiliation averages and variability. Only AA self-reports of average dominance and affiliation, not informant reports, converged with analogous cross-sectional self-reports. Both self and informant reports of dominance and affiliation variability correlated with self-reported interpersonal distress. Results suggest that the internal versus external experiences of dominance and affiliation differ and that these differences have important implications in everyday interpersonal functioning. Our findings also show that self-perceptions of variability in dominance and affiliation, others’ perceptions of variability, and actual behavioral variability relate to interpersonal problems.

Ergonomics of anatomical bra models for breastfeeding: a contribution of nursing

ABSTRACT Objectives: to analyze the ergonomics of two models of breastfeeding bras. Methods: descriptive study carried out with 152 infants in a Brazilian university hospital. The prototypes were separated into two groups (A and B). To compare the two bra models, the Odds Ratio (OR) was used as a measure of the strength of the association. In subjective perceptions, the Modified Borg Scale, and the chi-square test of independence (χ2) were used. To compare the two prototypes, the Z test and logistic regression analysis were performed. A significance level of 5% was considered. Results: the bra in group B was more suitable for ergonomics of physical and psycho-aesthetic comfort than the bra in group A (p < 0.0001), according to the logistic regression tests. Conclusions: modeling B was ergonomically adequate, with usability and evaluation criteria centered on breastfeeding women.

What Happens When Robots Punish? Evaluating Human Task Performance During Robot-Initiated Punishment

This article examines how people respond to robot-administered verbal and physical punishments. Human participants were tasked with sorting colored chips under time pressure and were punished by a robot when they made mistakes, such as inaccurate sorting or sorting too slowly. Participants were either punished verbally by being told to stop sorting for a fixed time, or physically, by restraining their ability to sort with an in-house crafted robotic exoskeleton. Either a human experimenter or the robot exoskeleton administered punishments, with participant task performance and subjective perceptions of their interaction with the robot recorded. The results indicate that participants made more mistakes on the task when under the threat of robot-administered punishment. Participants also tended to comply with robot-administered punishments at a lesser rate than human-administered punishments, which suggests that humans may not afford a robot the social authority to administer punishments. This study also contributes to our understanding of compliance with a robot and whether people accept a robot’s authority to punish. The results may influence the design of robots placed in authoritative roles and promote discussion of the ethical ramifications of robot-administered punishment.

Making Intangibles Tangible: Identifying Manifestations of Cultural Ecosystem Services in a Cultural Landscape

The assessment of cultural ecosystem services (CES) has proved challenging due to their intangible, non-material and invisible characteristics. A number of methods for evaluating CES have been developed, which depend mostly on subjective perceptions and behavior. An objective direction for considering CES is proposed based on the assumption that making use of CES leaves visible manifestations in the physical landscape and human society. The approach developed in this paper attempts to follow this direction by identifying a large amount of manifestations that reflect a wider range of CES types. This approach is applied to a case study of the Weser River in Germany, showing that the local people along the river have benefited from multiple CES of the Weser and created various manifestations of those CES. In the future researches, the identification and documentation of manifestations can be used to map the delivery of CES, to develop indicator systems for CES, to assess heritage value and identity, to indicate spatially explicit preferences on ecosystem characteristics and visual aesthetic qualities, to estimate the economic value of educational and inspirational service, to investigate sense of place, as well as to make better informed landscape management and nature protection.

Redistributive preferences: Why actual income is ultimately more important than perceived income

An emerging consensus claims that ‘subjective’ (mis)perceptions of income inequality better explain redistributive preferences than actual ‘objective’ conditions. In this article, we critically re-assess this view. We compare perceived and actual income positions as predictors for preferences for redistribution. We argue that perceived income is partly endogenous to actual income and its effect on preferences conditional on ideology. Using an original survey experiment from Switzerland, we show that the predictive power of perceived income is lower compared to actual income. Perceived income is only associated with redistribution preferences among centre-right respondents, but not among left-wing respondents. Furthermore, providing respondents with corrective information about their true position in the income hierarchy has no effect on redistribution preferences. These findings go against the new consensus about the superior explanatory power of subjective perceptions of income inequality. We argue instead that absolute objective conditions should be at the centre of explaining redistributive preferences.

Subjective perceptions of students and teachers to environmental noise in public schools

Formal education takes place in the classroom, where learning involves intensive verbal communication between teachers and students. Therefore, classrooms must offer the necessary conditions for good teaching and learning activities, especially teacher-student communication. It is in this context that the importance of classroom acoustics is highlighted. Therefore, this work aimed to evaluate the acoustic quality in two classrooms. To this end, the perception of teachers and students about the noise inside and outside the classroom was investigated through questionnaires. Then, the background noise levels and the reverberation time values ​​inside the classrooms were evaluated in situ. These results were compared with the assessment of the subjective perception of the questionnaires. The levels of background noise found in classrooms were above what NBR 10152 recommends. The subjective assessment showed that students and teachers perceive the noise in classrooms and consider them bothersome. According to the teachers, noise is a factor that negatively affects teaching. In conclusion, the results obtained in this work show the lack of acoustic comfort in classrooms and highlight the need for interventions.