Social sensing for psychology: Automated interpersonal behavior assessment

In this article, we show how the use of state-of-the-art methods in computer science based on machine perception and learning allows the unobtrusive capture and automated analysis of interpersonal behavior in real time (social sensing). Given the high ecological validity of the behavioral sensing, the ease of behavioral-cue extraction for large groups over long observation periods in the field, the possibility of investigating completely new research questions, and the ability to provide people with immediate feedback on behavior, social sensing will fundamentally impact psychology.

The vertical dimension of social relations and accurate interpersonal perception: A meta-analysis (Publishd online: 24 Oct. 2014)

There is little consensus regarding how verticality (social power, dominance, and status) is related to accurate interpersonal perception. The relation could be either positive or negative, and there could be many causal processes at play. The present article discusses the theoretical possibilities and presents a meta-analysis of this question. In studies using a standard test of interpersonal accuracy, higher socioeconomic status (SES) predicted higher accuracy defined as accurate inference about the meanings of cues; also, higher experimentally manipulated vertical position predicted higher accuracy defined as accurate recall of others' words. In addition, although personality dominance did not predict accurate inference overall, the type of personality dominance did, such that empathic/responsible dominance had a positive relation and egoistic/aggressive dominance had a negative relation to accuracy. In studies involving live interaction, higher experimentally manipulated vertical position produced lower accuracy defined as accurate inference about cues; however, methodological problems place this result in doubt.

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-Fin) among Finnish children and adolescents

Objective: The psychometric properties of The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-Fin), a Finnish version of a brief screening instrument were studied. Emotional and behavioural problems of 7- to 15-year-olds measured by the SDQ were reported, as well as the occurrence of self-reported eating disturbance symptoms and alcohol use among adolescents. Methods and samples: The cross-sectional school survey included 25 items of the SDQ-Fin, items about eating disturbance, alchol use and child psychiatric help-seeking. The study consists of three community samples: 1. The SDQ-Fin parent (n = 703) and teacher (n = 376) versions of 7 – 12 –year-olds, and self-report versions (n = 528) of 11 – 16 years-olds were obtained, and 2. the parent (n = 81) and self-report versions of 15-16 –year olds (n = 129) were obtained in Laitila and Pyhäranta. 3. The self-report versions of 13 – 16 – year-olds (n = 1458) in Salo and Rovaniemi were obtained. Results: The psychometric properties of the SDQ-Fin were for the most part comparable with the other European SDQ research results. The internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.71 in all informants’ reports) and inter-rater reliability (between the pairs of reports r = 0.38 - 0.44) were adequate. The concurrent validity (r = 0.75 between the SDQ and the CBCL total scores; r = 0.71 between the SDQ and the YSR total scores) was sufficient. Factor analysis of the SDQ self-report generally confirmed the postulated structure for girls and boys, except for the conduct problems scale of boys, which was fused with emotional symptoms and with hyperactivity. The response rates, means and cut-off points of the SDQ self-report scores were similar to those found, e.g. in Norway and in Britain. A high level of psychological problems, especially emotional and conduct problems and hyperactivity-inattention, were associated with high level of eating disturbance symptoms and alcohol use. Conclusion: The results showed that the psychometric properties of the SDQ-Fin are adequate and provide additional confirmation of the usefulness of the SDQ-Fin for, e.g. screening, epidemiological research and clinical purposes.

La síndrome de Burnout en els treballadors socials a Catalunya

Aquest treball de fi de grau constitueix una proposta d’investigació sobre el fenomen del burnout o síndrome d’esgotament professional que pateixen molts treballadors socials. Concretament, es pretenen analitzar els factors causants d’aquesta síndrome així com les seves conseqüències en termes estructurals i organitzatius, de qualitat en l’atenció a les persones i personals per part dels professionals del treball social. La necessitat i interès d'abordar el tema es deu a les evidències científiques, realitzades en d’altres països, que confirmen que l'exposició als factors de risc psicosocials afecten la salut del professional i a tota l'organització. Més encara en un moment de crisi econòmica en la qual els treballadors socials han d’atendre a una major quantitat d’usuaris amb diversitat de dificultats i en situacions més complexes. En el nostre país, la investigació sobre la síndrome del burnout en l’àmbit dels treballadors socials és pràcticament inexistent, raó per la qual es fa més necessari potenciar recerques que es focalitzin en aquesta realitat.Aquest document és el resultat d’un treball continuat que comprèn tant la cerca i lectura de la bibliografia existent i rellevant sobre el fenomen del esgotament professional, com una primera fase exploratòria per contrastar el marc teòric amb la realitat catalana, concretament la de la comarca del Gironès. Posteriorment, i a partir dels resultats obtinguts, es presenta el disseny d’una investigació que ha de cobrir tot l’àmbit català. En aquest cas, s’ha optat per fer una recerca amb una metodologia qualitativa (entrevistes i grups de discussió), ja que l’objectiu és copsar les vivències, percepcions i opinions dels treballadors socials sobre les causes del burnout i les seves conseqüències. Els resultats d'aquesta investigació són considerats una oportunitat per identificar àrees de millora en l'organització de la feina i altres aspectes rellevants com el disseny del lloc de treball, les relacions interpersonals i a nivell personal

La influència dels jocs cooperatius en la millora de les relacions interpersonals i la cohesió d'un grup

Actualment la tasca que desenvolupa l’escola és procurar que tots els infants es desenvolupin integralment, independentment de les característiques. En aquest marc sorgeix l’escola inclusiva, la qual ha d’estar preparada per atendre a tots i fer que aprenguin alumnes diferents al màxim de les seves possibilitats. Perquè això sigui real, l’escola ha de buscar noves maneres per a què els alumnes puguin aprendre no tan sols contingut sinó també valors, habilitats socials, cognitives, lingüístiques, entre moltes altres. Es per aquest motiu que la recerca vol portar a la pràctica i comprovar si mitjançant una eina lúdica, com són els jocs cooperatius, es milloren algunes habilitats socials i la cohesió d’un grup classe, en el qual també es té en compte la integració social d’una nena diagnosticada amb Trastorns Generalitzats del Desenvolupament (TGD) i, concretament, presenta trets autistes. Aquesta activitat educativa proporciona contextos nous on interactuar i desenvolupar bones pautes de relació per a tots així com també afavoreix la cohesió de grup, les relacions interpersonals i la integració d’infants amb dificultats en la interacció social.

A comparative study of difficulties in accounting preparation and judgement in agriculture using fair value and historical cost accounting for biological assets valuation

This paper presents empirical research comparing the accounting difficulties that arise from the use of two valuation methods for biological assets, fair value (FV) and historical cost (HC) accounting, in the agricultural sector. It also compares how reliable each valuation method is in the decision-making process of agents within the sector. By conducting an experiment with students, farmers, and accountants operating in the agricultural sector, we find that they have more difficulties, make larger miscalculations and make poorer judgements with HC accounting than with FV accounting. In-depth interviews uncover flawed accounting practices in the agricultural sector in Spain in order to meet HC accounting requirements. Given the complexities of cost calculation for biological assets and the predominance of small family business units in advanced Western countries, the study concludes that accounting can be more easily applied in the agricultural sector under FV than HC accounting, and that HC conveys a less accurate grasp of the real situation of a farm.

Identifying first graders at risk of reading and writing difficulties : creating a group-based screening tool in kiswahili in Tanzania

Early identification of beginning readers at risk of developing reading and writing difficulties plays an important role in the prevention and provision of appropriate intervention. In Tanzania, as in other countries, there are children in schools who are at risk of developing reading and writing difficulties. Many of these children complete school without being identified and without proper and relevant support. The main language in Tanzania is Kiswahili, a transparent language. Contextually relevant, reliable and valid instruments of identification are needed in Tanzanian schools. This study aimed at the construction and validation of a group-based screening instrument in the Kiswahili language for identifying beginning readers at risk of reading and writing difficulties. In studying the function of the test there was special interest in analyzing the explanatory power of certain contextual factors related to the home and school. Halfway through grade one, 337 children from four purposively selected primary schools in Morogoro municipality were screened with a group test consisting of 7 subscales measuring phonological awareness, word and letter knowledge and spelling. A questionnaire about background factors and the home and school environments related to literacy was also used. The schools were chosen based on performance status (i.e. high, good, average and low performing schools) in order to include variation. For validation, 64 children were chosen from the original sample to take an individual test measuring nonsense word reading, word reading, actual text reading, one-minute reading and writing. School marks from grade one and a follow-up test half way through grade two were also used for validation. The correlations between the results from the group test and the three measures used for validation were very high (.83-.95). Content validity of the group test was established by using items drawn from authorized text books for reading in grade one. Construct validity was analyzed through item analysis and principal component analysis. The difficulty level of most items in both the group test and the follow-up test was good. The items also discriminated well. Principal component analysis revealed one powerful latent dimension (initial literacy factor), accounting for 93% of the variance. This implies that it could be possible to use any set of the subtests of the group test for screening and prediction. The K-Means cluster analysis revealed four clusters: at-risk children, strugglers, readers and good readers. The main concern in this study was with the groups of at-risk children (24%) and strugglers (22%), who need the most assistance. The predictive validity of the group test was analyzed by correlating the measures from the two school years and by cross tabulating grade one and grade two clusters. All the correlations were positive and very high, and 94% of the at-risk children in grade two were already identified in the group test in grade one. The explanatory power of some of the home and school factors was very strong. The number of books at home accounted for 38% of the variance in reading and writing ability measured by the group test. Parents´ reading ability and the support children received at home for schoolwork were also influential factors. Among the studied school factors school attendance had the strongest explanatory power, accounting for 21% of the variance in reading and writing ability. Having been in nursery school was also of importance. Based on the findings in the study a short version of the group test was created. It is suggested for use in the screening processes in grade one aiming at identifying children at risk of reading and writing difficulties in the Tanzanian context. Suggestions for further research as well as for actions for improving the literacy skills of Tanzanian children are presented.

The effectiveness of short-term literacy skills intervention on children at risk of reading and writing difficulties in Tanzania : a study of grade one children with dynamic assessment approach

The aim of the study was to create and evaluate an intervention programme for Tanzanian children from a low-income area who are at risk of reading and writing difficulties. The learning difficulties, including reading and writing difficulties, are likely to be behind many of the common school problems in Tanzania, but they are not well understood, and research is needed. The design of the study included an identification and intervention phase with follow-up. A group based dynamic assessment approach was used in identifying children at risk of difficulties in reading and writing. The same approach was used in the intervention. The study was a randomized experiment with one experimental and two control groups. For the experimental and the control groups, a total of 96 (46 girls and 50 boys) children from grade one were screened out of 301 children from two schools in a low income urban area of Dar-es-Salaam. One third of the children, the experimental group, participated in an intensive training programme in literacy skills for five weeks, six hours per week, aimed at promoting reading and writing ability, while the children in the control groups had a mathematics and art programme. Follow-up was performed five months after the intervention. The intervention programme and the tests were based on the Zambian BASAT (Basic Skill Assessment Tool, Ketonen & Mulenga, 2003), but the content was drawn from the Kiswahili school curriculum in Tanzania. The main components of the training and testing programme were the same, only differing in content. The training process was different from traditional training in Tanzanian schools in that principles of teaching and training in dynamic assessment were followed. Feedback was the cornerstone of the training and the focus was on supporting the children in exploring knowledge and strategies in performing the tasks. The experimental group improved significantly more (p = .000) than the control groups during the intervention from pre-test to follow-up (repeated measures ANOVA). No differences between the control groups were noticed. The effect was significant on all the measures: phonological awareness, reading skills, writing skills and overall literacy skills. A transfer effect on school marks in Kiswahili and English was found. Following a discussion of the results, suggestions for further research and adaptation of the programme are presented.

Nurse-led interpersonal counselling for depressive symptoms in patients with myocardial infarction

The broad interest of this intervention study is in two worldwide remarkable diseases, myocardial infarction and depression. The purpose of the 18-month follow-up study was to evaluate the outcomes of interpersonal counselling implemented by a psychiatric nurse, and to examine the recovery experienced by the patients after myocardial infarction. The interpersonal counseling consisted of a short-term (max 6 sessions) depression-focused intervention modified for myocardial infarction patients. The main principle of interpersonal counselling is that depressive symptoms relate to interpersonal relations. The measured outcomes of the intervention consisted of changes in depressive symptoms and distress, health-related quality of life and the use of health care services. The data consisted of 103 patients with acute myocardial infarction and with sufficient knowledge of Finnish language, and they were randomized into intervention group (n=51) and control group (n=52) with standard care. Depressive symptoms were measured using Beck Depression Inventory, and distress using Symptom Checklist-25. The instrument to measure health-related quality of life was EuroQol-5 Dimensions. All instruments were used at three measurements: in hospital, at 6 months and at 18 months after hospital discharge. The Use of Health Care Services questionnaire was used during the 6- and 18-month period after hospital discharge. In addition, satisfaction with the intervention and with information received from the health-care professional was evaluated during the follow-up. To examine recovery, the patients kept diaries during a 6-month period and they were interviewed at 18 months after myocardial infarction. The number of patients with depressive symptoms decreased significantly more in the intervention group compared with the control group during 18 months of follow-up. Distress decreased significantly more among patients under 60 years in the intervention group than in the control group, but the difference was not significant between the groups. No differences in the changes of health-related quality of life were found between the groups during follow-up. However, in the group of patients under 60 years, the improvement of health-related quality of life in the intervention was significantly better in the intervention group compared with the control group during the follow-up. During the follow-up period, there was even a decline in the use of somatic specialized health care services in the intervention group and among intervention patients who had no other long-term disease. Considering recovery experienced by the patients, main categories including many supporting and inhibiting factors and subcategories were identified: clinical and physical, psychological, social, functional and professional category. No differences between the groups were found in satisfaction with information received from the professionals. The brief and easy-to-learn intervention, with which the patients were satisfied, seems to decrease depressive symptoms after myocardial infarction. Interpersonal counselling seems to be beneficial especially with younger patients. These results justify adopting depression screening and interpersonal counselling as part of routine care after myocardial infarction. The first stage evaluation of the use of health care services is interesting, and calls for more studies. From the perspective of individual patients, recovery after myocardial infarction seems to consist of many supporting and inhibiting factors. This is something that is important to take into account in developing nursing practice. The results indicate a need for further studies in outcomes of interpersonal counselling and recovery experienced by the patients after myocardial infarction. In addition, the results encourage widening the research perspective to nursing administration and educational level.

Interpersonal understanding and theory of mind

En populär idé inom dagens filosofiska och psykologiska forskning om interpersonlig förståelse, är idén att vi använder en kognitiv funktion (eller metod) för att förstå andra människor, en så kallad ”theory of mind” funktion. Denna idé förekommer inom ett brett vetenskapligt fält så som inom evolutionspsykologi, inom teorier om barns utveckling, inom teorier om autism, samt inom emotionsfilosofi och moralfilosofi. Avsikten i denna studie är att se närmare på vissa inflytelserika filosofiska och psykologiska teorier om interpersonlig förståelse, teorier som också har en stark koppling till empirisk forskning. I arbetet hävdar Gustafsson att teorierna ifråga avspeglar vissa klassiska, filosofiskt problematiska, antaganden. Dessa antaganden präglar teorierna ifråga samt påverkar hur de empiriska undersökningarna byggs upp och hur resultat tolkas.

High frequencies of plexiform neurofibromas, mental retardation, learning difficulties, and scoliosis in Brazilian patients with neurofibromatosis type 1

A clinical study of Brazilian patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) was performed in a multidisciplinary Neurofibromatosis Program called CEPAN (Center of Research and Service in Neurofibromatosis). Among 55 patients (60% females, 40% males) who met the NIH criteria for the diagnosis of NF1, 98% had more than six café-au-lait patches, 94.5% had axillary freckling, 45% had inguinal freckling, and 87.5% had Lisch nodules. Cutaneous neurofibromas were observed in 96%, and 40% presented plexiform neurofibromas. A positive family history of NF1 was found in 60%, and mental retardation occurred in 35%. Some degree of scoliosis was noted in 49%, 51% had macrocephaly, 40% had short stature, 76% had learning difficulties, and 2% had optic gliomas. Unexpectedly high frequencies of plexiform neurofibromas, mental retardation, learning difficulties, and scoliosis were observed, probably reflecting the detailed clinical analysis methods adopted by the Neurofibromatosis Program. These same patients were screened for mutations in the GAP-related domain/GRD (exons 20-27a) by single-strand conformation polymorphism. Four different mutations (Q1189X, 3525-3526delAA, E1356G, c.4111-1G>A) and four polymorphisms (c.3315-27G>A, V1146I, V1317A, c.4514+11C>G) were identified. These data were recently published.

Cytogenetic studies of Brazilian pediatric myelodysplastic syndrome cases: challenges and difficulties in a large and emerging country

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) are rare hematopoietic stem cell diseases affecting children. Cytogenetics plays an important role in the diagnosis of these diseases. We report here the experience of the Cytogenetic Subcommittee of the Brazilian Cooperative Group on Pediatric Myelodysplastic Syndromes (BCG-MDS-PED). We analyzed 168 cytogenetic studies performed in 23 different cytogenetic centers; 84 of these studies were performed in patients with confirmed MDS (primary MDS, secondary MDS, JMML, and acute myeloid leukemia/MDS+Down syndrome). Clonal abnormalities were found in 36.9% of the MDS cases and cytogenetic studies were important for the detection of constitutional diseases and for differential diagnosis with other myeloid neoplasms. These data show the importance of the Cooperative Group for continuing education in order to avoid a late or wrong diagnosis.