INTROVERSION VERSUS EXTROVERSION IN DPT STUDENTS’ BURNOUT PREVALENCE

The purpose of this non-experimental study was to determine if Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) student personality type, introverts versus extroverts, and student selfreported burnout levels were different and whether DPT students reported burnout during program completion. The participant sample consisted of 54 DPT students enrolled in a flex program at one private DPT program in Northern Florida were surveyed using the MBTI and MBI-SS (G) to determine personality type and whether students felt burnout while completing the program. The results of the study revealed non-statistically significant findings for the levels of burnout reported for both students identified as introvert and extrovert. However, interestingly, the study results did reveal that students identified as introverts reported higher levels of cynicism, while students identified as extroverts reported higher levels of emotional exhaustion and professional efficacy. The study results lay the foundation for additional studies to review whether full-time DPT students report burnout levels consistent with flex program DPT students and whether there are differences in burnout levels reported between introvert versus extrovert personality types

Emotion regulation profiles and academic stress in Physiotherapy students

[Resumen] El objetivo de este estudio es identificar los diferentes perfiles de regulación emocional presentes en una muestra de estudiantes universitarios y analizar si entre los perfiles identificados existen diferencias en la percepción de estresores académicos y en las respuestas psicofisiológicas de estrés. Participaron 504 estudiantes de fisioterapia de diferentes universidades españolas, el 74% de sexo femenino y con una edad promedio de 21.06 ± 3.74 años a los que se les administró la Escala de Dificultades en la Regulación Emocional (DERS) y el Cuestionario de Estrés Académico (escala de estresores [ECEA] y escala de respuesta [RCEA]). El análisis de conglomerados identificó tres perfiles de regulación: alta regulación emocional, baja regulación emocional y baja regulación emocional con alta atención. Se obtuvieron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre los diferentes perfiles tanto para la percepción de estresores como para las respuestas psicofisiológicas de estrés. Los estudiantes con un perfil de alta regulación emocional percibieron en menor medida el entorno académico como amenazante y experimentaron con menor frecuencia manifestaciones psicofisiológicas de estrés. Los estudiantes con perfiles de baja regulación y baja regulación con alta atención emocional mostraron resultados similares, a excepción de las alteraciones del sueño. En conclusión, los estudiantes de fisioterapia con elevadas puntuaciones en control y aceptación de sus estados emocionales perciben las circunstancias académicas de forma más adaptativa y experimentan menores respuestas de estrés.[Abstract] A study was designed with the aim of identifying different profiles of emotional regulation in a sample of university students, and analysing the differences among the identified profiles in relation to stressors perception and psychophysiological stress responses. The participants were 504 Spanish physiotherapy students (74% women), with a mean age of 21.06 ± 3.74 years old, which answered the Difficulty Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and the Academic Stress Questionnaire (stressors scale [ECEA] and response scale [RCEA]). Based on Cluster analysis, three emotional regulation profiles were identified: students with high emotional regulation profile, students with low emotional regulation profile and students with low emotional regulation but high scores in emotional attention profile. The results indicated statistically significant differences between the emotional regulation profiles in stress appraisals and psychophysiological responses. Succinctly, students with high emotional regulation profile perceived academic environment as less threatening and showed lesser scores in stress responses. Students with low emotional regulation profile and low emo- tional regulation but high emotional attention profile showed similar scores, with the exception of sleep disorders. Briefly, physiotherapy students who had higher scores on emotional control and acceptance, perceived the academic setting in a more adaptive way and reported fewer stress responses

The role of experience, perceived match importance, and anxiety on cortisol response in an official esports competition

The aim of the present study was to analyse the neuroendocrine stress response, psychological anxiety response, and perceived match importance (PMI) between expert and non-expert control gamers in an official competitive context. We analyzed, in 25 expert esports players and 20 control participants, modifications in their somatic anxiety, cognitive anxiety, self-confidence, PMI, and cortisol in a League of Legends competition. We found how expert esports players presented higher cortisol concentrations (Z = 155.5; p = 0.03; Cohen’s d = −0.66), cognitive anxiety (Z = 99.5; p = 0.001), and PMI (Z = 50.5; p < 0.001) before the competition than non-experts participants. We found a greater statistical weight in the cognitive variables than in the physiological ones. The results obtained suggest that real competitive context and player’s expertise were factors associated with an anticipatory stress response. The PMI proved to be a differentiating variable between both groups, highlighting the necessity to include subjective variables that contrast objective measurements

The Role of Anxiety, Coping Strategies, and Emotional Intelligence on General Perceived Self-Efficacy in University Students

The main objective of the present research is to analyze the relationship of levels of self-efficacy and anxiety, coping strategies, and emotional intelligence in Spanish university students. This study has a cross-sectional design. The sample was composed of 258 university students recruited from three academic areas. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate regression analyses were performed. Significant bivariate analysis showed a significant inverse correlation between self-efficacy and state anxiety (r = −0.340) and trait anxiety (r = −0.466). In addition, a direct correlation was found between self-efficacy and the coping strategies of problem-solving (r = 0.312), emotional expression (r = 0.133), cognitive restructuring (r = 0.195), social withdrawal (r = 0.103), and coping with a situation (r = 0.303), as well as with the emotional intelligence dimensions of emotional clarity (r = 0.397) and repair mood (r = 0.347). Multivariate regression analysis showed that trait anxiety, problem-solving, emotional expression, social withdrawal, and emotional clarity were significantly related to the dependent variable, predicting 39% of total variance on levels of general perceived self-efficacy. In conclusion, this paper contributes to a better understanding of the related factors to general perceived self-efficacy in undergraduate students

Cervico-mandibular muscle activity in females with chronic cervical pain a descriptive, cross-sectional, correctional study

Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references.Chronic musculoskeletal conditions of the spine and periphery are a burden both internationally and in South Africa. There is a socio-economic burden as a consequence of the severity, duration and recurrence of chronic cervical musculoskeletal conditions among information technology and sedentary office workers. However, the precise mechanisms behind chronic cervical disorders remain unclear. It is theorised that the pathophysiological mechanisms in chronic cervical musculoskeletal conditions share a similar theoretical framework to chronic pain itself. The biopsychosocial model of chronic pain accepts the dynamic nature of pain. This model accepts the dual biological and psychosocial components that enhance the experience and maintenance of chronic pain, through central sensitisation. There appears to be a neurophysiological, biomechanical and psychological link between the cervical area and the temporomandibular area. Although numerous studies have implied that individuals with temporomandibular disorders have concurrent cervical dysfunction, there is currently no evidence that individuals with cervical dysfunction exhibit altered muscle activity in the masseter and cervical erector spinae muscles or report teeth clenching habits. Consequently, identification of factors that may contribute to chronic cervical musculoskeletal conditions, stemming from the temporomandibular area, may potentially be lost. The aim of the present study was to explore the activity levels of the cervicomandibular muscles in females with chronic cervical musculoskeletal conditions, who showed no symptoms of temporomandibular disorders. This study had a descriptive cross-sectional correlational design with single-blinding. The telephonic screening process was followed by the signing of informed consent forms. Validated questionnaires were used for categorisation and comparison of the socio-demographic and biopsychosocial profiles of the pain group (n = 20) and the no pain group (n = 22). The screening, informed consent and questionnaires were completed by an assistant. The first of five questionnaires, the adapted Research Diagnostic Criteria History questionnaire, was used as an instrument for exclusion of temporomandibular disorders and the recording of a daytime parafunctional teeth clenching habit. The remaining four questionnaires, listed as the Neck Disability Index, the Computer Usage Questionnaire, the Brief Pain Inventory, and the EuroQol-5D were used for determining levels of cervical disability for categorisation and comparison between groups, as well as for determining levels of pain-related disability, occupational and sporting activity, and health related quality of life

Smart Biofeedback

Smart biofeedback is receiving attention because of the widespread availability of advanced technologies and smart devices that are used in effective collection, analysis, and feedback of physiologic data. Researchers and practitioners have been working on various aspects of smart biofeedback methodologies and applications by using wireless communications, the Internet of Things (IoT), wearables, biomedical sensors, artificial intelligence, big data analytics, clinical virtual reality, smartphones, and apps, among others. The current paradigm shift in information and communication technologies (ICT) has been propelling the rapid pace of innovation in smart biofeedback. This book addresses five important topics of the perspectives and applications in smart biofeedback: brain networks, neuromeditation, psychophysiological psychotherapy, physiotherapy, and privacy, security, and integrity of data

Eye quietness and quiet eye in expert and novice golf performance: an electrooculographic analysis

Quiet eye (QE) is the final ocular fixation on the target of an action (e.g., the ball in golf putting). Camerabased eye-tracking studies have consistently found longer QE durations in experts than novices; however, mechanisms underlying QE are not known. To offer a new perspective we examined the feasibility of measuring the QE using electrooculography (EOG) and developed an index to assess ocular activity across time: eye quietness (EQ). Ten expert and ten novice golfers putted 60 balls to a 2.4 m distant hole. Horizontal EOG (2ms resolution) was recorded from two electrodes placed on the outer sides of the eyes. QE duration was measured using a EOG voltage threshold and comprised the sum of the pre-movement and post-movement initiation components. EQ was computed as the standard deviation of the EOG in 0.5 s bins from –4 to +2 s, relative to backswing initiation: lower values indicate less movement of the eyes, hence greater quietness. Finally, we measured club-ball address and swing durations. T-tests showed that total QE did not differ between groups (p = .31); however, experts had marginally shorter pre-movement QE (p = .08) and longer post-movement QE (p < .001) than novices. A group × time ANOVA revealed that experts had less EQ before backswing initiation and greater EQ after backswing initiation (p = .002). QE durations were inversely correlated with EQ from –1.5 to 1 s (rs = –.48 - –.90, ps = .03 - .001). Experts had longer swing durations than novices (p = .01) and, importantly, swing durations correlated positively with post-movement QE (r = .52, p = .02) and negatively with EQ from 0.5 to 1s (r = –.63, p = .003). This study demonstrates the feasibility of measuring ocular activity using EOG and validates EQ as an index of ocular activity. Its findings challenge the dominant perspective on QE and provide new evidence that expert-novice differences in ocular activity may reflect differences in the kinematics of how experts and novices execute skills