An exploratory investigation into the potential of mobile virtual reality for the treatment of paruresis – a social anxiety disorder

This paper describes the initial exploratory phase of developing a VR intervention designed to alleviate the problems people with Paruresis experience when they need to utilise public toilet facilities. The first phase of the study produced a virtual environment, based upon a public toilet, which would run on the widely available Gear VR or Oculus Go HMD. The purpose of this prototype was to facilitate an informed discussion with a focus group of Paruresis patients, to obtain preliminary conclusions on whether they were interested in such an intervention and whether it offered potential to help alleviate the condition. In partnership with the UK Paruresis Trust the software was reviewed by both potential users and domain specialists. Results showed that the majority of participants reported a stress response to the stimulus of the virtual public toilet, indicating that it could be effective as a platform for graduated exposure therapy. Focus group feedback, and input from domain experts, was utilised as part of a participatory design methodology to guide the priorities for a second phase of development. The exploratory study concluded that this approach offers great potential as a future treatment for people with Paruresis

Crítica teórica y práctica a la Teoría de la Facilitación Social

La teoría de la facilitación social es una de las más paradigmáticas de la psicología social porque representa el carácter científico y experimentalista de la disciplina; sin embargo, en este artículo creemos demostrar que dicha teoría recurre a muestras sesgadas de población para validar sus hipótesis: las tareas investigadas son prácticas o productivas omitiendo otras más humanas y cotidianas como dialogar u orinar. La teoría de la facilitación social, lejos de alcanzar la objetividad, refleja la ideología de la psicología social americana porque ignora funciones humanas básicas y comunidades estigmatizados como tartamudos y paruréticos.Social facilitation theory is one of the most paradigmatic examples of social psychology, understood as an experimental science. However, in this paper we intend to demonstrate that the research that allegedly supports it suffers from a number of defects. It uses biased population samples, and the tasks it sets its experimental subjects are limited to the practical or productive, ignoring the broader range of everyday activities such as conversing or, indeed, urinating. Social facilitation theory, far from being objective, is a microcosm of American social psychology ideology insofar as it ignores basic human functions, and fails to include stigmatized communities such as stutterers and people with bladder problems

Crítica teórica y práctica a la Teoría de la Facilitación Social

Social facilitation theory is one of the most paradigmatic examples of social psychology, understood as an experimental science. However, in this paper we intend to demonstrate that the research that allegedly supports it suffers from a number of defects. It uses biased population samples, and the tasks it sets its experimental subjects are limited to the practical or productive, ignoring the broader range of everyday activities such as conversing or, indeed, urinating. Social facilitation theory, far from being objective, is a microcosm of American social psychology ideology insofar as it ignores basic human functions, and fails to include stigmatized communities such as stutterers and people with bladder problems

Scan-Negative Cauda Equina Syndrome A Prospective Cohort Study

Objective: To describe clinical features relevant to diagnosis, mechanism, and etiology in patients with “scan-negative” cauda equina syndrome (CES). Methods: We carried out a prospective study of consecutive patients presenting with the clinical features of CES to a regional neurosurgery center comprising semi-structured interview and questionnaires investigating presenting symptoms, neurologic examination, psychiatric and functional disorder comorbidity, bladder/bowel/sexual function, distress, and disability. Results: A total of 198 patients presented consecutively over 28 months. A total of 47 were diagnosed with scan-positive CES (mean age 48 years, 43% female). A total of 76 mixed category patients had nerve root compression/displacement without CES compression (mean age 46 years, 71% female) and 61 patients had scan-negative CES (mean age 40 years, 77% female). An alternative neurologic cause of CES emerged in 14/198 patients during admission and 4/151 patients with mean duration 25 months follow-up. Patients with scan-negative CES had more positive clinical signs of a functional neurologic disorder (11% scan-positive CES vs 34% mixed and 68% scan-negative, p < 0.0001), were more likely to describe their current back pain as worst ever (41% vs 46% and 70%, p = 0.005), and were more likely to have symptoms of a panic attack at onset (37% vs 57% and 70%, p = 0.001). Patients with scan-positive CES were more likely to have reduced/absent bilateral ankle jerks (78% vs 30% and 12%, p < 0.0001). There was no significant difference between groups in the frequency of reduced anal tone and urinary retention. Conclusion: The first well-phenotyped, prospective study of scan-negative CES supports a model in which acute pain, medication, and mechanisms overlapping with functional neurologic disorders may be relevant

Tackling ageing continence through theory, tools & technology (TACT3)

This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final published article is available from the link below. Copyright @ 2012 Common Ground.After dementia, nothing is more feared by older people than the loss of continence. It is often the reason many people enter care facilities and can contribute to the breakdown of caring relationships. This paper reports on a three-year research project funded by the UK New Dynamics of Aging programme, which has explored three key issues in the predicament of maintaining continence from the “user’s” perspective. Firstly, understanding how continence services operated by the UK National Health Service can be improved to offer cost effective benefits that encourage people to report this sometimes embarrassing condition with confidence. Secondly, working directly with the US Simon Foundation, the project has developed user-requested, assistive devices that target the most embarrassing aspects of the condition, namely issues of personal odor control and urine leakage from continence pads. Lastly, understanding the challenges of managing continence in daily living outside of the home, with particular reference to accessing publicly accessible toilet facilities. The paper will highlight the research that has provided the basis for innovative design solutions.ESRC, EPSRC, BBSRC, MRC, and AHRC

A cultura humana e necessidades ecossistémicas como fundamentação da inovação no design de casas de banho

ABSTRACT: Proposed paper is a part of the ongoing PhD research in design with focus on the research of existing environmental and social requirements for the sustainable innovation within urban sanita_on, focused on toilet design. Main questions of the research are aiming the Portuguese environment, where we are characterizing aspects of water and sanita_on through the five dimensions - culture, technology, government, economy, and environment. In this paper the main objective is to determine systemic characteristics of the socio-cultural dimension of water and sanitation, which will be later incorporated in writien final guidelines – directives raised from the research results which shall serve as operational knowledge for the ones involved in the implementation of the sustainable toilet innovation. The paper as well serves as theoretical orientation for the practical applications of the research.O trabalho proposto faz parte da pesquisa de doutorado em andamento em design, com foco na pesquisa de requisitos ambientais e sociais existentes para a inovação sustentável no saneamento urbano, focada no design de banheiros. As principais questões da pesquisa estão voltadas para o ambiente português, onde caracterizamos aspectos de água e saneamento através das cinco dimensões - cultura, tecnologia, governo, economia e meio ambiente. Neste artigo, o objetivo principal é determinar características sistêmicas da dimensão sociocultural da água e saneamento, que serão incorporadas posteriormente às diretrizes finais escritas - diretrizes levantadas a partir dos resultados da pesquisa que servirão como conhecimento operacional para os envolvidos na implementação da inovação sustentável do banheiro. O artigo também serve como orientação teórica para as aplicações práticas da pesquisa.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Tackling Ageing Continence through Theory, Tools & Technology

Originally presented at ‘Aging and Society: An Interdisciplinary Conference’, University of California, Berkeley (2011), this article was double-blind peer reviewed, receiving scores of 96% and 73%. It outlines the interdisciplinary research of the cross-Research-Council-funded New Dynamics of Ageing Tackling Ageing Continence through Theory Tools & Technology (TACT3) project (2008–12), which brought together designers, social scientists, bio-engineers, chemists and care-management services to understand the challenges faced by an ageing population in the management of continence. Bichard’s Work Package, ‘Challenging Environmental Barriers to Continence’, explored the need for public toilet provision as essential for quality of life, health and well-being. It developed a life-course methodology that considered ageing from birth through to advanced age (0–101 years), and involved inclusive design research with members of the public and providers of facilities to assess public expectations and provider limitations in service provision. As co-investigator on TACT3, this research built on Bichard’s previous work for the VivaCity2020 consortium (Bichard REF Output 2). Whereas the VivaCity2020 work focused on architectural barriers in toilet provision, the TACT3 project examined the problem in service provision, and how, through inclusive design research, service-design solutions might be explored and implemented. Bichard’s contribution to the TACT3 project produced The Great British Public Toilet Map (http://greatbritishpublictoiletmap.rca.ac.uk/), a public participation website that provides information and locations of public toilets, encouraging members of the public to contact relevant local authorities that have not released information in the format of Open Data. Secondary analysis of TACT3 data for references to issues of personal safety and community initiative in toilet provision was used for the ESRC-funded Robust Accessible Toilets (RATs) project (2011) and produced Publicly Accessible Toilets: An Inclusive Design Guide (2011). Related published conference papers include those in ‘Cumulus 2010’ (China) and ‘Include 2011’ (UK)