Relationships between self-reported bicycling injuries and perceived risk of cyclists in Queensland, Australia

The focus of governments on increasing active travel has motivated renewed interest in cycling safety. Bicyclists are up to 20 times more likely to be involved in serious injury crashes than drivers so understanding the relationship among factors in bicyclist crash risk is critically important for identifying effective policy tools, for informing bicycle infrastructure investments, and for identifying high risk bicycling contexts. This study aims to better understand the complex relationships between bicyclist self reported injuries resulting from crashes (e.g. hitting a car) and non-crashes (e.g. spraining an ankle) and perceived risk of cycling as a function of cyclist exposure, rider conspicuity, riding environment, rider risk aversion, and rider ability. Self reported data from 2,500 Queensland cyclists are used to estimate a series of seemingly unrelated regressions to examine the relationships among factors. The major findings suggest that perceived risk does not appear to influence injury rates, nor do injury rates influence perceived risks of cycling. Riders who perceive cycling as risky tend not to be commuters, do not engage in group riding, tend to always wear mandatory helmets and front lights, and lower their perception of risk by increasing days per week of riding and by increasing riding proportion on bicycle paths. Riders who always wear helmets have lower crash injury risk. Increasing the number of days per week riding tends to decrease both crash injury and non crash injury risk (e.g. a sprain). Further work is needed to replicate some of the findings in this study.

The effect of overnight sleep deprivation after competitive rugby league matches on postmatch physiological and perceptual recovery

PURPOSE: This study examined the effects of overnight sleep deprivation on recovery following competitive rugby league matches. METHODS: Eleven male, amateur rugby league players performed two competitive matches, followed by either a normal night's sleep (~8h; CONT) or a sleep deprived night (~0h; SDEP) in a randomised fashion. Testing was conducted the morning of the match, and immediately post-match, 2h post and the next morning (16h post-match). Measures included counter-movement jump (CMJ) distance, knee extensor maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), voluntary activation (VA), venous blood creatine kinase (CK) and C-reactive protein (CRP), perceived muscle soreness and a word-colour recognition cognitive function test. Percent change between post- and 16h post-match was reported to determine the effect of the intervention the next morning. RESULTS: Large effects indicated a greater post- to 16h post-match percentage decline in CMJ distance following SDEP compared to CONT (P=0.10-0.16; d=0.95-1.05). Similarly, the percentage decline in incongruent word-colour reaction times were increased in SDEP trials (P=0.007; d=1.75). Measures of MVC did not differ between conditions (P=0.40-0.75; d=0.13-0.33), though trends for larger percentage decline in VA were detected in SDEP (P=0.19; d=0.84). Further, large effects indicated higher CK and CRP responses 16h post-match during SDEP compared to CONT (P=0.11-0.87; d=0.80-0.88). CONCLUSIONS: Sleep deprivation negatively affected recovery following a rugby league match, specifically impairing CMJ distance and cognitive function. Practitioners should promote adequate post-match sleep patterns or adjust training demands the next day to accommodate the altered physical and cognitive state following sleep deprivation.

Character in the workplace : self directedness mediates harm avoidance in the prediction of job performance

The purpose of this study was to test a model of the relationship between temperament, character and job performance, in order to better understand the cause of stable individual differences in job performance. Personality was conceptualized in terms of Cloninger, Svrakic and Przybeck’s (1993) theoretical framework of personality. It was expected that Self Directedness (character) would mediate Harm Avoidance and Persistence (temperament) in the prediction of job performance. In order to test the hypotheses, a sample of 94 employee/supervisor pairs was recruited from several organizations across Australia. Participants completed a number of questionnaires online, regarding their personality traits (completed by employees) and Job Performance (completed by Supervisors). Consistent with the hypothesis, Self Directedness was found to be a moderate, direct predictor of job performance. Also consistent with the hypothesis, Self Directedness mediated Harm Avoidance in the prediction of job performance. Results show that character (Self Directedness) is important in the prediction of job performance, and also suggests that fearful, avoidant individuals are less likely to perform well in the workplace, based on their low level of character development.

Analysis of the design-construction supply chain in the thermal performance of sub-tropical and tropical housing

Background: In sub-tropical and tropical Queensland, a legacy of poor housing design,minimal building regulations with few compliance measures, an absence of post-construction performance evaluation and various social and market factors has led to a high and growing penetration of, and reliance on, air conditioners to provide thermal comfort for occupants. The pervasive reliance on air conditioners has arguably impacted on building forms, changed cultural expectations of comfort and social practices for achieving comfort, and may have resulted in a loss of skills in designing and constructing high performance building envelopes. Aim: The aim of this paper is to report on initial outcomes of a project that sought to determine how the predicted building thermal performance of twenty-five houses in subtropical and tropical Queensland compared with objective performance measures and comfort performance as perceived by occupants. The purpose of the project was to shed light on the role of various supply chain agents in the realisation of thermal performance outcomes. Methodology: The case study methodology embraced a socio-technical approach incorporating building science and sociology. Building simulation was used to model thermal performance under controlled comfort assumptions and adaptive comfort conditions. Actual indoor climate conditions were measured by temperature and relative humidity sensors placed throughout each house, whilst occupants’ expectations of thermal comfort and their self-reported behaviours were gathered through semi-structured interviews and periodic comfort surveys. Thermal imaging and air infiltration tests, along with building design documents, were analysed to evaluate the influence of various supply chain agents on the actual performance outcomes. Results: The results clearly show that in the housing supply chain – from designer to constructor to occupant – there is limited understanding from each agent of their role in contributing to, or inhibiting, occupants’ comfort.

Self-reported likelihood of speeding : the effects of attitudes, personality, and perceived legitimacy of enforcement

The positive relationship between speed and crash risk and severity is robust and well-established. While excessive speeding is typically regarded by the public as a common contributing factor in road crashes, speeding remains a common traffic infringement and an arguably socially acceptable behaviour, particularly at low levels over the speed limit. This suggests that other factors potentially contribute to this disparity between crash perceptions and actual behaviours. Previous work has described associations between perceptions of the legitimacy of speed enforcement, attitudes, and how they relate to the likelihood of speeding. This study sought to more closely examine the nature of the relationships between these variables. In total, 293 Queensland drivers participated in a study that examined how demographics, personality variables, attitudes, and perceptions of the legitimacy of enforcement contributed to drivers’ self-reported likelihood of speeding. Results suggested that positive attitudes towards speeding had the greatest impact on likelihood of speeding behaviours. Being younger and higher levels of the personality trait of extraversion were also associated with greater levels of self-reported likelihood of speeding. Attitudes were found to mediate the relationship between perceived legitimacy of speed enforcement and self-reported likelihood of speeding. A subgroup analysis of participants with positive and negative attitudes towards speeding revealed that a differential set of variables were predictive of self-reported likelihood of speeding for the two subgroups. This highlights the potential importance of attitudes in understanding the influence of perceptions of legitimacy of speed enforcement on speeding behaviour, and the need for targeted rather than a ‘one size fits all’ approach to changing attitudes and ultimately behaviour. The findings of the current study help to further understand why some drivers continue to speed.

Effect of recovery modality on 4-hour repeated treadmill running performance and changes in physiological variables

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of three different recovery modalities - active (ACT), passive (PAS) and contrast temperature water immersion (CTW) - on the performance of repeated treadmill running, lactate concentration and pH. Fourteen males performed two pairs of treadmill runs to exhaustion at 120% and 90% of peak running speed (PRS) over a 4-hour period. ACT, PAS or CTW was performed for 15-min after the first pair of treadmill runs. ACT consisted of running at 40% PRS, PAS consisted of standing stationary and CTW consisted of alternating between 60-s cold (10°C) and 120-s hot (42°C) water immersion. Run times were converted to time to cover set distance using critical power. Type of recovery modality did not have a significant effect on change in time to cover 400 m (Mean±SD; ACT 2.7±3.6 s, PAS 2.9±4.2 s, CTW 4.2±6.9 s), 1000 m (ACT 2.2±4.0 s, PAS 4.8±8.6 s, CTW 2.1±7.2 s) or 5000 m (ACT 1.4±29.0 s, PAS 16.7±58.5 s, CTW 11.7±33.0 s). Post exercise blood lactate concentration was lower in ACT and CTW compared with PAS. Participants reported an increased perception of recovery in the CTW compared with ACT and PAS. Blood pH was not significantly influenced by recovery modality. Data suggest both ACT and CTW reduce lactate accumulation after high intensity running, but high intensity treadmill running performance is returned to baseline 4-hours after the initial exercise bout regardless of the recovery strategy employed.

Performance government : activating and regulating the self-governing capacities of teachers and school leaders

This article analyses ‘performance government’ as an emergent form of rule in advanced liberal democracies. It discloses how teachers and school leaders in Australia are being governed by the practices of performance government which centre on the recently established Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) and are given direction by two major strategies implicit within the exercise of this form of power: activation and regulation. Through an ‘analytics of government’ of these practices, the article unravels the new configurations of corporatized expert and academic knowledge—and their attendant methods of application—by which the self-governing capacities of teachers and school leaders are being activated and regulated in ways that seek to optimize the performance of these professionals. The article concludes by outlining some of the dangers of performance government for the professional freedom of educators and school leaders.

Enhancing sense of recovery and self-reflectivity in people with schizophrenia : a pilot study of Metacognitive Narrative Psychotherapy

Objective This study investigated the effectiveness of an innovative, manualized psychotherapy aimed at enhancing recovery and self-experience in people with schizophrenia, Metacognitive Narrative Psychotherapy. Design Treatment effects were assessed using a mixed methodology. Data were quantitatively assessed using a single sample, pre- and post-therapy design and qualitatively assessed using a case-study methodology. Methods Eleven patients diagnosed with schizophrenia received Metacognitive Narrative Psychotherapy over the course of 11 to 26 months. Therapists were seven supervised postgraduate psychology students. On average patients attended 49 sessions over the course of therapy. Patients completed interview-based and self-report measures for general and treatment-specific outcomes at pre-, mid-, and post-treatment. Results Quantitative analyses showed that patients significantly improved on the general outcome of subjective recovery, as well as the treatment-specific outcome of self-reflectivity, with medium to large effect sizes. Case-study evidence also showed improvements for some patients in symptom severity, and narrative coherence and complexity. Conclusions These results are consistent with previous case-study evidence and suggest that this manualized version of Metacognitive Narrative Psychotherapy produces general and approach-specific improvements for people with schizophrenia. Replication is needed to ascertain its effectiveness with a larger sample size and within a controlled design.

Self-reflection as an intervention to influence achievement goal orientations and intrinsic motivation

In the context of physical activity, intrinsic motivation refers to the inherent satisfaction associated with participation in the activity. Interest-enjoyment, perceived competence, and effort have been identified as three underlying components of intrinsic motivation. Achievement goal theory stipulates that achievement goals guide our beliefs and behavior. The two main achievement goal orientations identified in the sport and physical activity literature are task and ego orientations. A person with a strong task orientation defines success in self-referenced terms, as improving one’s own performance or mastering new skills. Someone with a strong ego orientation defines success normatively, as being better than others. The majority of research suggests that having a strong task orientation is a good thing, whether with regard to motivationally adaptive responses, sources of sport confidence, students’ satisfaction with learning, or the use of cognitive and self-regulatory strategies. Although the literature supporting the potential benefits of having a strong task orientation is vast, considerably less research has tested interventions designed to strengthen task orientations and intrinsic motivation. A climate that emphasises individual mastery has resulted in increased interest-enjoyment and perceived competence, whereas an emphasis on competition and comparison with others has resulted in a decrease in interest-enjoyment and an increase in tension-pressure. One possible intervention is the use of structured self-reflection. Using self-reflection sheets that cause respondents to focus on specific elements of technique or skills, and rate one’s own performance, should theoretically promote a task focus. Hanrahan suggested that engaging in self-reflection may enhance intrinsic motivation. Perceived competence could be positively affected, as self-analysis and self-monitoring have been found to positively influence the acquisition of physical skills. The purpose of this study was to determine if the use of structured self-reflection in community dance classes would influence achievement goal orientations or levels of intrinsic motivation.

Perceived needs for supported self-management of type 2 diabetes : a qualitative investigation of the potential for a web-based intervention

The estimated one million Australians with type 2 diabetes face significant risks of morbidity and premature mortality. Inadequate diabetes self-management is associated with poor glycaemic control, which is further impaired by comorbid dysphoria. Regular access to ongoing self-management and psychological support is limited, especially in rural and regional locations. Web-based interventions can provide complementary support to patients’ usual care. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with two samples that comprised (a) 13 people with type 2 diabetes and (b) 12 general practitioners (GPs). Interviews explored enablers and barriers to self-care, emotional challenges, needs for support, and potential web-based programme components. Patients were asked about the potential utility of a web-based support programme, and GPs were asked about likely circumstances of patient referral to it. Thematic analysis was used to summarise responses. Most perceived facilitators and barriers to self-management were similar across the groups. Both groups highlighted the centrality of dietary self-management, valued shared decision-making with health professionals, and endorsed the idea of web-based support. Some emotional issues commonly identified by patients varied to those perceived by GPs, resulting in different attributions for impaired self-care. A web-based programme that supported self-management and psychological/emotional needs appears likely to hold promise in yielding high acceptability and perceived utility.

Palliative care knowledge, attitudes and perceived self-competence of nurses working in Vietnam

AIM: To explore palliative care knowledge, attitudes and perceived self-competence of nurses working in oncology settings in Hanoi, Vietnam. METHOD: The study employed a cross-sectional descriptive survey design. The self-administered questionnaires consisted of three validated instruments: the Expertise and Insight Test for Palliative Care, the Attitude Toward Care of the Dying Scale B and the Palliative Care Nursing Self Competence Scale. The sample consisted of 251 nurses caring for cancer patients in three oncology hospitals in Vietnam. RESULTS: The responses identified low scores in nurses' palliative care knowledge related to pain and other symptom management and psychological and spiritual aspects. Nurses' responses reflected discomfort in communicating about death and establishing therapeutic relationship with oncology patients who require palliative care. Additionally, nurses reported low scores in perceived self-competence when providing pain management and addressing social and spiritual domains of palliative care. The findings also revealed that nurses who had higher palliative care knowledge scores demonstrated attitudes which were more positive and expressed greater perceived self-competence. CONCLUSION: Nurses working in oncology wards need more education to develop their knowledge and skills of palliative care, especially in the areas of pain management, psychological and spiritual care, and communication

Recreational needs and service performance expectations

The theoretical contribution of this study lies with its focus on subjective experiencing, that is, the emotional convergence between feeling states, and perceptions of servicescapes and holiday activities. An empirical study models the impact of recreational needs on the perceived importance of destination attributes and intentions to participate in activities. A sample of prospective tourists was asked to indicate how important they considered servicescape elements to be in their general holiday planning. They were also asked to report on their emotional state (orientation) as a proxy for their needs for recreation, and to state their intention and likely involvement with holiday activities. Results suggest that those with high recreational needs (self-reflexive and inward-looking) regard elements of tourism servicescapes as significantly more important than those without (who are outward-looking and energetic), as well as show significant variations in their inclinations to be active and explorative at destinations. Rather, those with higher recreational needs as measured by combinations of lack of energy, self-confidence, and physiological well-being look for creature comfort, coziness, and familiarity, in other words, for things they already know and have experienced before. Subjective experiencing and service performance evaluations are thereby suggested to be influenced by emotional states. These states may also impact tourists' recognition of destination uniqueness as a major component of a destination's competitive advantage that cannot easily be copied. As a consequence, it may be worth reconsidering the role of recreation in tourism service design. Turning an inwardlooking focus bent on recreation to an outward-looking one interested in discovery would enable more tourists to more fully experience the destination before they leave.

Recovery from first-episode psychosis and recovering self: A qualitative study

Objective The objective of this study was to explore the subjective factors associated with the experience of first-episode psychosis (FEP) and the very first stages of recovery to develop our understanding of this process and improve treatment outcomes. Method Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis was used to explore the experiences of 20 young people who had recently experienced FEP. Results Two broad superordinate themes captured essential thematic trends in the data: experiences of self-estrangement and self-consolidation. The concept of dialogical self was used to understand the effect of psychosis on self and the process of resuming familiar social positions to facilitate recovery. The concept of making meaning after traumatic events was also applied to the narratives of personal growth that participants formed. Those who reported subjective improvements in recovery were more likely to have developed a meaningful interpretation of their psychosis, strengthened relationships with others, and forged a stronger sense of self. Conclusions and Implications for Practice The experience of self-consolidation was strongly associated with the person’s resumption of familiar social roles and their ability to make meaning from their experience in a way that promoted personal growth. Although these processes are known to be part of personal recovery, this study highlights their importance in the very early stages of recovery immediately after the experience of FEP.

The impact of a self-development coaching programme on medical and dental students’ psychological health and academic performance: A randomised controlled trial

Background Psychological distress is well-documented worldwide among medical and dental students. Few studies have assessed the impact of self-development coaching programs on the students’ psychological health. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of a self-development coaching programme on the psychological health and academic performance of preclinical medical and dental students at Umm Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia. Methods Four-hundred and twenty-two participants (n = 422, 20–22 years) fulfilled the study requirements and were invited into a parallel-randomised controlled trial that was partially blinded. Participants were stratified by faculty, gender, and academic year, and then randomised. A total of 156 students participated in the intervention group (IG) and 163 students participated in the control group (CG). The IG received the selfdevelopment programme, involving skills and strategies aimed to improve students’ psychological health and academic performance, through a two-day workshop. Meanwhile, the CG attended an active placebo programme focussing on theoretical information that was delivered through a five-hour workshop. Both programmes were conducted by the same presenter during Week 1 of the second semester of the 2012–2013 academic year. Data were gathered immediately before (T1), one week after (T2) and five weeks (T3) after the intervention. Psychological health was measured using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), the General Self-Efficacy (GSE), and the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). Academic performance was measured using students’ academic weighted grades (WG). Student cognitive and emotional perceptions of the intervention were measured using the Credibility/Expectancy Questionnaire (CEQ). Results Data from 317 students, who completed the follow ups, were analysed across the three time periods (IG, n = 155; CG, n = 162). The baseline variables and demographic data of the IG and CG were not significantly different. The IG showed short-term significant reductions in depression and anxiety in compared to CG from T1 to T2. The short-term changes in stress, GSE and SWLS of the IG were not significantly different from those of the CG. While both groups showed a significant change on most of the psychological variables from T1 to T3, no significant differences were found between the groups in this period. In addition, no significant difference was found in WG between the IG and CG after the intervention. No harms relevant to the intervention were reported. Conclusion The investigated self-development coaching programme showed only a short-term improvement on depression and anxiety compared with an active control. There was no effect of the intervention on academic performance.

The effect of a self-development coaching program on the psychological health and the academic performance among medical and dental students in Saudi Arabia

Observational studies have shown that medical and dental students have poor psychological health worldwide; however, few interventional studies have been used to test approaches to help students. This thesis used a randomised control trial study design to evaluate the effect of a self-development coaching program on psychological health and the academic performance among medical and dental students in Saudi Arabia. The outcomes indicated that these medical and dental students in Saudi Arabia experienced high levels of depression, anxiety and stress, and that the self-development coaching program was a promising intervention to improve students' psychological health.