Generalization in an evidence accumulation task

https://2023.ccneuro.org/proceedings/0000314.pdfPublished versio

Successful tips to apply regarding telehealth occupational therapy: START OT

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most occupational therapists used telehealth technology to provide services, and many continue to do so. From a parent’s perspective, sitting with their child in front of the computer or any electronic device can be challenging. The lack of support and direction for parents/guardians/care partners of children with disabilities during telehealth occupational therapy (OT) sessions can create feelings of frustration and a sense of loss of control. These individuals may lack experience with hands-on therapeutic techniques or the education and training necessary to assist their child in successfully engaging in telehealth OT sessions. Successful Tips to Apply Regarding Telehealth Occupational Therapy (START OT) is an educational resource manual targeted toward increasing a parent/guardian/care partner’s confidence, competence, and perceived self-efficacy to work collaboratively with their child in the home environment. Some concepts that will be included in the START OT manual are telehealth orientation, suggestions on ways to set up the home environment with visual graphics, ideas on using household objects and furniture for fine and gross motor activities, and sensory strategies to improve attention and engagement

The effects of head posturing on the voice and listeners' perception of masculinity

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of head position on unfamiliar listeners’ perception of vocal masculinity. METHOD: Twelve cisgender women were recruited as speaking participants in this study. Participants were recorded reciting two voiced sentences at eight time points with varying head positions including baseline, flexed, and extended. Voice samples were cropped and fundamental frequency (fo) was resynthesized to control for any changes in fo across conditions. Twelve cisgender adults were recruited as listening participants. Listeners were presented with 144 paired comparisons of speaker samples and were prompted to select the sample that sounded more masculine in each presented pairing. Ratings of masculinity were analyzed using Thurstone’s law of comparative judgment. A repeated measures one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to assess the effect of head positioning and repetition, followed by Dunnett’s post hoc tests for significant factors. RESULTS: The ANOVA showed a statistically significant effect of head position on listener perceptions of masculinity. Dunnett’s post hoc tests revealed a statistically significant effect of the flexed position and no statistically significant effect of the extended compared to the neutral condition. CONCLUSION: Speakers’ voices in the flexed head position were perceived as most masculine by unfamiliar listeners. Overall, the results of this study support the use of head posture manipulation to achieve increased vocal masculinity, which adds to the limited research related to voice masculinization strategies for those seeking gender-affirming voice care

Empowering children with post-traumatic stress disorder through horse connection in occupational therapy

Childhood trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a growing mental health concern in pediatric occupational therapy (OT). More than two thirds of children report at least one traumatic event by age sixteen. Of the children with at least one reportable trauma, an estimated 3-–15% of girls and 14-–43% of boys will go onto develop PTSD. The consequences of undiagnosed and/or untreated pediatric PTSD include negative long-term health implications through adulthood that negatively impact quality of life. Negative implications may include depression, anxiety, substance abuse, high-risk sexual behavior, chronic diseases, and even suicide. Children with PTSD experience chronic stress responses that inhibits their willingness and interest to socialize, process social information, and develop relational skills towards others while performing daily activities. A two-part solution is discussed in this dissertation that includes educating occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) about the benefits of incorporating equines for children with trauma and PTSD and review of a proposed program evaluation study. The proposed program evaluation study will help contribute to provider knowledge and research gaps of how horses impact pediatric social skills and their mental health. This dissertation will also discuss a plan for program implementation, evaluation, funding, and dissemination

50 years ago in T J P

Accepted manuscrip

The interests of autistic women: more wide-ranging and intellectually-oriented than you knew

Othe

Opportunities and challenges from using animal videos in reinforcement learning for navigation

N00014-19-1-2571 - Department of Defense/ONRAccepted manuscrip

How men’s responses to gender-atypical jobs entrench occupational segregation

Scholarship on occupational gender segregation has almost exclusively focused on women’s experiences (e.g., as targets of discrimination in masculine domains), yet understanding factors that perpetuate men’s underrepresentation in traditionally feminine occupations is equally important. In my dissertation, I examine a consequential dynamic early in the job search process in which individuals come to learn that an occupation that fits them is perceived as stereotypically feminine versus masculine. Specifically, I develop and test the prediction that the perceived femininity or masculinity of occupations will exert a stronger impact on men’s (versus women’s) interest in them, such that men will be less interested in gender-atypical occupations than women. Across six studies (N = 4,914), I consistently observed robust evidence for this prediction among diverse samples, including high school students, unemployed job seekers, US adults, and undergraduates, and using experimental and archival methods. I observed this asymmetry after controlling for alternative accounts related to economic factors (e.g., expected salary), suggesting that they alone cannot fully explain men’s lack of interest in feminine occupations, as previously discussed in the literature. Further, I consistently observed that men, compared to women, show heightened sensitivity to gender-based occupational status, and men’s greater sensitivity to gender-based occupational segregation explains men’s (versus women’s) reduced interest in gender-atypical occupations. Notably, an intervention aimed at addressing men’s sensitivity to gender-based occupational status effectively increased their interest in a traditionally feminine occupation. Though past scholarship suggests that increasing pay is key to stoking men’s interest in feminine occupations, this research suggests that targeting men’s sensitivity to gender-based occupational status may be an underappreciated pathway to reducing gender segregation

Octopus-inspired inflatable soft arms for underwater manipulation

Stackable balloon actuators (SBAs) present a compelling new actuator for healthcare and scientific exploration applications. The ability of these multi degree-of-freedom actuators to perform large deformations and conform to the shape of objects make them a valuable choice for grasping and manipulation tasks. This work explores how the design of the SBA can be manipulated through a bio-inspired lens to exploit the features of an octopus arm. It begins by manipulating the design of the SBAs, taking inspiration from the octopus arm morphology to explore different layer geometries, variable layer sizes to generate a tapered profile, embedding different materials to improve force output, and stacking individually actuated SBAs in series to produce a more dexterous assembly. These design manipulations are then characterized individually and as components of multi-arm systems to determine their performance in grasping and object manipulation tasks.2027-05-31T00:00:00

Modeling and simulations of 2D nano-mechanical resonators

Nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) play an important role in advancing high-precision sensing and high-speed computational applications due to their exceptional sensitivity and reduced size. This thesis explores the dynamic behaviors and vibrational properties of NEMS, focusing on coupled systems of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) membrane and silicon nitride (SiNx) drumhead, and the effects of gas pressure on an MoS2 membrane resonator. Employing finite element simulations alongside theoretical modeling, the study thoroughly analyzes the coupling dynamics between MoS2 and SiNx resonators and investigates the vibrational responses of MoS2 membranes under pressure. Key achievements include the identification of vibrational modes, calculation of coupling constants, and comprehensive understanding of pressurized MoS2 membrane resonator behavior. These insights pave the way for enhancing NEMS applications in sensitive detection and resonant frequency modulation, significantly contributing to the field of nanotechnology and the development of advanced NEMS devices