1,317 research outputs found

    Use and Abuse of Digital Devices: Influencing Factors of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychology

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    The impact of technology on human life is significant, touching various aspects such as communication, economy, education, medicine, industry, and even ecosystems [...]

    An exploration into the use of social media technology in adolescents who school refuse.

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    Despite school refusal being a widely researched area; outcomes for young people affected by school refusal remain poor and the voice of the child continues to remain absent from the evidence base (Baker & Bishop, 2015). Due to the research on school refusal focusing mainly on treatment (Elliot & Place, 2019), there is little information which explores the impact of school refusal behaviour. Research often fails to address the externalised social factors which may be reinforcing the school refusal behaviour. Social Media Technology (SMT) now plays a large part of life, with the majority of people using some form of SMT (Battisby, 2018). It is still unclear what effect this is having on people’s mental health with conflicting research often found (Twenge et al, 2018; Heffer et al, 2019). Research often discovers SMT links with mental health (Twenge et al, 2018) and socialising (Beyens et al, 2016). These links are also, often, observed within the Anxiety Based School Refusal (ABSR) literature (Csoti, 2003; Havik et al, 2015), one might assume that SMT can impact on the ABSR experience; there is currently no research which explores this further. This research aimed to provide an insight into the experience of Anxiety Based School Refusal (ABSR) for the young people and how those involved viewed SMT during this time. Four participants were interviewed in total via a semi-structured interview process; all pupil participants attended an anxious and phobic specialist school provision for those who were not attending mainstream education. Data was analysed using the process of Interpretative Phonological Analysis (Smith, Flower and Larkin, 2009), four super-ordinate themes were identified: the experience of school; the self as a person; social connection and impacts of SMT use. Implications for educational psychologists and professionals are considered alongside possible future directions for further study

    Ageing with Smartphones in Ireland

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    There are not many books about how people get younger. It doesn’t happen very often. But Ageing with Smartphones in Ireland documents a radical change in the experience of ageing. Based on two ethnographies, one within Dublin and the other from the Dublin region, the book shows that people, rather than seeing themselves as old, focus on crafting a new life in retirement. Our research participants apply new ideals of sustainability both to themselves and to their environment. They go for long walks, play bridge, do yoga, and keep as healthy as possible. As part of Ireland’s mainstream middle class, they may have more time than the young to embrace green ideals and more money to move to energy-efficient homes, throw out household detritus and protect their environment. The smartphone has become integral to this new trajectory. For some it is an intimidating burden linked to being on the wrong side of a new digital divide. But for most, however, it has brought back the extended family and old friends, and helped resolve intergenerational conflicts though facilitating new forms of grandparenting. It has also become central to health issues, whether by Googling information or looking after frail parents. The smartphone enables this sense of getting younger as people download the music of their youth and develop new interests. This is a book about acknowledging late middle age in contemporary Ireland. How do older people in Ireland experience life today? Praise for Ageing with Smartphones in Ireland 'An innovative and thorough description and analysis of how one small piece of technology has changed the way Irish people live their lives.' Tom Inglis, Professor Emeritus of Sociology in University College Dublin ; 'An innovative and thorough description and analysis of how one small piece of technology has changed the way Irish people live their lives.' Tom Inglis, Professor Emeritus of Sociology in University College Dubli

    Ageing with Smartphones in Ireland: When life becomes craft

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    There are not many books about how people get younger. It doesn’t happen very often. But Ageing with Smartphones in Ireland documents a radical change in the experience of ageing. Based on two ethnographies, one within Dublin and the other from the Dublin region, the book shows that people, rather than seeing themselves as old, focus on crafting a new life in retirement. Our research participants apply new ideals of sustainability both to themselves and to their environment. They go for long walks, play bridge, do yoga and keep as healthy as possible. As part of Ireland’s mainstream middle class, they may have more time than the young to embrace green ideals and more money to move to energy-efficient homes, throw out household detritus and protect their environment. The smartphone has become integral to this new trajectory. For some it is an intimidating burden linked to being on the wrong side of a new digital divide. But for most, however, it has brought back the extended family and old friends, and helped resolve intergenerational conflicts though facilitating new forms of grandparenting. It has also become central to health issues, whether by Googling information or looking after frail parents. The smartphone enables this sense of getting younger as people download the music of their youth and develop new interests. This is a book about acknowledging late middle age in contemporary Ireland. How do older people in Ireland experience life today

    A multi-modal investigation of reward-based mechanisms underlying excessive and problematic social networking site use

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    The use of social networking sites (SNSs) has become a universally popular activity, but there also exists widespread concerns regarding the harmful consequences associated with SNS overuse, including the potential for addiction. Nonetheless, the extent to which a ‘SNS addiction’ represents a valid psychiatric disorder is still controversially discussed in the scientific literature. The present thesis sought to better understand excessive and problematic SNS use behaviours by assessing the underlying reward-based mechanisms using a range of measurement modalities (i.e., self-report, implicit behavioural, psychophysiological, and neural). Chapter two demonstrated the utility of reward-related motives in predicting problematic SNS use behaviours, with motives related to social reward (e.g., obtaining ‘likes’) being the strongest predictor of more harmful use. Chapter three assessed explicit and implicit motivational responses to SNS stimuli but found no clear evidence of altered explicit cue reactivity or automatic action tendencies in more problematic SNS users. Chapter four tracked changes in affective and motivational responses during a week of restricted SNS use, however findings revealed no substantial impact on mood or cravings in both regular and problematic users. Chapter five investigated the effect of brief periods of SNS use and subsequent use cessation on heart rate and skin conductance. While SNS use and cessation were associated with distinct physiological changes, these effects were experienced ubiquitously and could not differentiate problematic users from regular users. Chapter 6 systematically reviewed the MRI literature for evidence of neural abnormalities associated with SNS use. Some neural similarities with substance use addictions were identified, but existing research was scarce and findings across studies were largely inconsistent. Taken together, we did not find convincing evidence of a distinct cognitive, behavioural, or physiological profile in problematic SNS users. Therefore, the present thesis argues that conceptualising excessive or problematic SNS use as a new behavioural addiction would be premature. It is clear that SNS use is a highly rewarding and engaging activity that can be overused with negative effects, but equating this behaviour to conditions such as alcohol, cocaine, and heroin disorders risks trivialising the field of addiction research

    Technology-facilitated intimate partner violence in Italy: the role of education in preventing abusive behaviours in intimate relationships

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    openThis thesis develops around the phenomenon of technology-facilitated intimate partner violence, by offering a theoretical, conceptual, and contextual framework to better understand its prevalence, impact, causes, and consequences, with a specific focus on Italy. Technology-facilitated intimate partner violence (TFIPV) is a specific form of intimate partner violence perpetrated within the context of dating or an intimate relationship by current or former partners through the use of ICT means. Although TFIPV research has been increasing and developing in recent years, not much is known about the scope and magnitude of this issue, especially due to its nature that transcends temporal and geographical boundaries. After a general introduction and analysis of the phenomenon, firstly by placing it within the broader framework of online GBV, the second part of this research will focus specifically on the Italian national context. A literature review of some already existing Italian studies will be presented, to show the state-of-art of research on the issue. Finally, the third part will reflect on the role of education in preventing TFIPV, particularly by presenting some prevention programs, as well as a number of interviews with experts in the field, to stress the need to educate people, especially young people, on what constitutes a healthy and respectful relationship and what betrays a dysfunctional, problematic and toxic one.This thesis develops around the phenomenon of technology-facilitated intimate partner violence, by offering a theoretical, conceptual, and contextual framework to better understand its prevalence, impact, causes, and consequences, with a specific focus on Italy. Technology-facilitated intimate partner violence (TFIPV) is a specific form of intimate partner violence perpetrated within the context of dating or an intimate relationship by current or former partners through the use of ICT means. Although TFIPV research has been increasing and developing in recent years, not much is known about the scope and magnitude of this issue, especially due to its nature that transcends temporal and geographical boundaries. After a general introduction and analysis of the phenomenon, firstly by placing it within the broader framework of online GBV, the second part of this research will focus specifically on the Italian national context. A literature review of some already existing Italian studies will be presented, to show the state-of-art of research on the issue. Finally, the third part will reflect on the role of education in preventing TFIPV, particularly by presenting some prevention programs, as well as a number of interviews with experts in the field, to stress the need to educate people, especially young people, on what constitutes a healthy and respectful relationship and what betrays a dysfunctional, problematic and toxic one

    Animal Emotions

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    Animal Emotions: How They Drive Human Behavior gives a concise overview of ancient mammalian emotions deeply rooted in the human brain. Jaak Panksepp, a world-renowned neuroscientist, dedicated his life career to the study of mammalian emotions and he carved out seven distinct emotional systems he called seeking, lust, care, and play (positive emotions), and fear, anger, and sadness (negative emotions), all exerting a tremendous influence on human behavior.Christian Montag, a neuroscientist and psychologist, and a long-time collaborator of Jaak Panksepp, revisits together with Kenneth L. Davis, one of Jaak’s PhD students, Panksepp’s theories and provides the reader with new insights into the nature of emotions and their role as survival tools, both for animals and for humans. They also raise new questions about the background of the research field Jaak Panksepp coined "Affective Neuroscience." How are personality and psychopathology linked to animal emotions? Do animals feel the same way as we do? What are our emotional needs in a digital society, and what is key to a happy life

    Women's Mental Health

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    Clinical psychology based on gender medicine is a core topic of this Special Issue. In general, consideration of women’s mental health is limited; however, it is important to consider subjective wellbeing factors connected with cultural, environmental, epigenetic and personality aspects. Many factors, such as the roles assigned to women nowadays in social and work contexts, can act as predisposing conditions in the etiology of the psychopathological frame, particularly affective disorders. Furthermore, in the developmental life of a woman, important risk factors can be highlighted, such as the vulnerability to psychological distress in women and couples. In particular, the topic addresses the individual maternal requirements for successful transition to healthy motherhood and innovative programs based on gender medicine in the life cycle considering student and elderly experiences. The connection of psychological vulnerability to the environment and repercussions for relationships have been studied in connection with the COVID-19 lockdown, induced changes in women’s psychological distress and research regarding sexual arousal, self-image and mental wellbeing. Psychological and emotional forms of violence in couples, such as IPV, is another point highlighting new trend of assessments (i.e., Intimate Partner Violence EAPA-P) and ad hoc treatment in emotional regulation and resilience. Psychological support for women is central to the prevention of psychopathology, especially in relation to subthreshold traits; finally, the topic offers an overview of ad hoc treatments in clinical contexts

    Cyberbullying: a resource for parents of elementary school-aged children

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    In recent years, the digital revolution, and, in particular, the widespread use of devices with internet access, has enabled a new form of bullying to emerge. The typical age at which youth begin using internet-enabled technology and social media continues to trend downward. Consequently, elementary school-aged children are increasingly subjected to cyberbullying. Therefore, this clinical resource is a text-based pamphlet for parents with elementary-aged children that will serve as an educational tool regarding cyberbullying prevention strategies. The development of the pamphlet included an initial literature review of the literature, gathered through searches from online academic databases, including Psychinfo, PsychArticles, and Google Scholar. Additionally, several websites and assortment of books were reviewed to identify a representative list of parent resources related to cyberbullying. The pamphlet provides empirically supported information about cyberbullying as well as prevention strategies parents can utilize with their children. The target audience for this pamphlet are parents and guardians of elementary school-aged children between the ages of 5 and 10. The following content areas were included in the pamphlet: (a) What is Cyberbullying? (e.g., Cyberbullying definition, types of Cyberbullying, Cyberbully roles, adverse impacts for victims, (b) Prevention strategies (some of which will be illustrated through vignettes), (c) Recognizing/Detecting Cyberbullying (e.g., warning signs, how to talk to your child about cyberbullying and encourage disclosure, (d) What to do next? (e.g., how to intervene at school and/or with the parents of the cyberbully), (e) Resources (e.g., websites, apps, books and community programs focused on cyberbullying). A formal evaluation of the completed text-based pamphlet is beyond the scope of this project
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