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

The Use of digital games to enhance the physical exercise activity of the elderly : a case of Finland

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), population ageing is a global phenomenon, which brings both challenges and opportunities for society. The current longer expected lifespan can create opportunities for the elderly to contribute in many ways to their families and communities. However, it greatly depends on their quality of life, which is affected by many factors, including physical and functional health, social well-being, and cognitive abilities. The WHO (2012) states that physical health is one of the indicators for the elderly’s quality of life, and it declines with increasing age. Participation in regular physical exercises can help the elderly improve their physical and mental health, and this has been aided by the use of modern technologies to promote the elderly’s physical and functional health. Of these latest technologies, digital games have shown promise to improve and enhance the elderly’s physical activities through fun and engaging gameplay. The literature highlights that some commercial games in the market (e.g. Microsoft Kinect- Sports and Nintendo Wii Sports games) have the potential to improve the elderly’s physical health such as gait, balance, and fall prevention. However, researchers argue that these commercial games are not designed specifically for the elderly and their physical exercise activities. They state that most commercial games are not user-friendly for the elderly whose functional and physical abilities are limited due to their advanced years. The literature points out that more studies need to be undertaken to understand the usability and usefulness of digital games for physical exercise activities so that game designers can create elderly-friendly digital games in the future. In Finland, the government has been focusing on promoting healthy ageing and increasing home care services for the elderly. In recent years, Finnish researchers have used digital games to promote older Finns’ healthy and active ageing. The existing literature, whilst showing the potential of digital games for elderly Finns’ physical health, also acknowledges further research is needed particularly in the context of Finland. Thus, in this study, we aimed at investigating digital games to specifically assess their applications for older Finns’ physical activities, focusing on the quality of users’ experiences, and their reported ease of use and perceived usefulness. We used the mixed methods approach, which applies both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The study design included four stages: requirements gathering, analysis and design, prototyping, and evaluation. Firstly, we conducted pre-studies to elicit users’ requirements. This was followed by the analysis of the resulting data to identify trends and patterns, which fuelled ideas in the brainstorming game design and development phases. The final product was a digital game-based physical exercise called the Skiing Game. We then evaluated the Skiing Game in Finland with 21 elderly Finns (M=7, F=14, Average Age =76). By using questionnaires, observation, and interviews, we investigated user experiences, focusing on the game’s usability, and usefulness for enhancing the physical activity and wellbeing of the elderly. We also conducted a comparative test of the Skiing Game in Japan with 24 elderly Japanese participants (M=12, F=12, Average Age = 72) to further understand non-Finnish elderly users’ experiences. The findings from the usability study of the Skiing Game in Finland demonstrated that elderly Finns had a positive experience in the gameplay, and their motivation was noticeably high. It also confirmed that elderly Finns have a genuine interest in digital game-based exercises and strong intentions to play digital games as a form of physical exercise in the future. Although prior to the study most of them had negative views and misconceptions about digital games, after the gameplay their attitudes were decidedly positive. They acknowledged that whilst playing digital games could be an alternative way of exercising for them their use would primarily be when they don’t have access to their usual non-digital physical exercise. The Japanese usability of the Skiing Game showed that the elderly Japanese people also had positive user experiences in playing digital games, and also intend to use them in the future. Similarly, after playing the game they reported that their attitudes towards digital games become positive, and indicated playing digital games could be an alternative way of exercising. Although the comparison of the two studies suggests that the elderly Finns had relatively more positive experiences whilst playing the Skiing Game, compared to their Japanese counterparts, in general, both groups had a positive experience in the gameplay and showed interest in digital games as an alternative exercise. Based on the usability lessons learned from these two studies, recommendations for practitioners and designers regarding improvements in game design and development are made in this report. Implementing these modifications into future designs and further development of digital games for the elderly will improve their commercial viability and user uptake. The findings from this study can provide valuable insights, particularly for Finnish policymakers and healthcare practitioners who are keen to introduce digital games into the aged-care sector in Finland. The studies have also provided valuable insights into the optimal methods for introducing Finnish digital games to international markets, in particular, digital games tailored specifically for the physical exercise needs and motivations of the elderly. By taking into consideration the limitations of the study, we provide our future studies and further improvements of the game to be conducted

Unmet goals of tracking: within-track heterogeneity of students' expectations for

Educational systems are often characterized by some form(s) of ability grouping, like tracking. Although substantial variation in the implementation of these practices exists, it is always the aim to improve teaching efficiency by creating homogeneous groups of students in terms of capabilities and performances as well as expected pathways. If students’ expected pathways (university, graduate school, or working) are in line with the goals of tracking, one might presume that these expectations are rather homogeneous within tracks and heterogeneous between tracks. In Flanders (the northern region of Belgium), the educational system consists of four tracks. Many students start out in the most prestigious, academic track. If they fail to gain the necessary credentials, they move to the less esteemed technical and vocational tracks. Therefore, the educational system has been called a 'cascade system'. We presume that this cascade system creates homogeneous expectations in the academic track, though heterogeneous expectations in the technical and vocational tracks. We use data from the International Study of City Youth (ISCY), gathered during the 2013-2014 school year from 2354 pupils of the tenth grade across 30 secondary schools in the city of Ghent, Flanders. Preliminary results suggest that the technical and vocational tracks show more heterogeneity in student’s expectations than the academic track. If tracking does not fulfill the desired goals in some tracks, tracking practices should be questioned as tracking occurs along social and ethnic lines, causing social inequality

The contribution of education and learning for older adults’ well-being: Proceedings of the 9th Conference of the ESREA network “Research on Education and Learning of Older Adults”

This e-book contains full length papers of contributions presented at the 9th Conference of the ESREA network “Research on education and learning of older adults” held in the University of the Algarve between 11 and 13th of October, 2018. Given the growing importance of well-being for reserchers, policy makers, social worker and adult educators, namely in old age, the organization selected the following theme for the 2018 conference: “The contributions of education and learning for older adults’ well-being”. Participants were invited to submit proposals on one of four topics: (1) theoretical approaches on older adults’ well-being, quality of life and related concepts; (2) well-being and policy/social policy; (3) analysing the older adults’ well-being, in all its dimensions and through different methodological approaches; and, (4) educational and learning experiences: contributions to the well-being of older adults

A Study of Quality of Life Issues in Community-Dwelling Elders

In the year 2000, there were approximately 35 million people in the United States who were 65 years of age or older, a ten-fold increase since 1900. The growth of this population has presented opportunities and challenges to American society. Health care needs, physical changes of aging, and the allocation of health care resources are several of the issues that need to be addressed (Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics, 2000). Quality of life measurement tools have been used to assess the health and social needs of aging people both in the United States and internationally since their conception in the 1960s. (Andreson, Rothenberg, Panzer, Katz, & McDermott, 1998; Johnson, 1998; Katz et al, 1963; Porter, 1995). Data collected from these tools have been used to measure quality of life, to allocate health resources for elderly individuals, and to define aggregate health policy to meet the needs of elderly Americans (O\u27Connor, 1993). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the congruence between themes used in quantitative quality of life instruments and the concepts of quality of life as perceived by elderly community residents. Using an interview format, data were gathered from a convenience sample of community-dwelling residents aged 65 years of age and older. Data gathered in face-to-face interviews with subjects were transcribed, and researcher field notes were used to augment the verbal data. The study population was obtained from a condominium complex in Northern San Diego County, California. The researcher identified twelve subjects; all interviews were complete and utilized as data for this study. The themes identified in the participant interviews were compared to the themes of several quality of life tools, including the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), the LEIPAD, and the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form (SF-36). The LEIPAD tool was found to be the most inclusive of the lived experiences of the subjects. The BRFSS instrument had thematic relevance, but was found to have administrative disadvantages. The SF-36 tool was found to be inconsistent with themes identified by participants and not appropriate as an assessment tool for QOL in a geriatric population

Critical Commentary. The psychology of laughter prescription: contributions to the research literature on laughter and humour.

A growing body of evidence, highlighting multiple benefits of laughter for health and wellbeing, has resulted in physician calls for laughter prescription. As a pragmatist, I was inspired to explore how these foundations could be converted into action. Here I present and critique my six-year laughter and humour research journey. My purpose is to substantiate the potential of laughter prescription with evidence-based, theoretical, and practical insight. Central to my research is the one-minute Laughie (Laugh Intentionally Everyday) laughter prescription. Here I introduce this original contribution, contextualise laughter prescription, and present my first- and second-wave research. The latter, inspired by my critical literature review (Chapter 3), includes the Laugh-Health and Laugh-Thrive models. My critical commentary covers theoretical and applied research, reviews, commentaries, case studies, and citizen science research, motivated by the independent use of the Laughie in the “Laughie Challenge Australia”. My third-wave research, currently underway, includes the book ‘The Positive Psychology of Laughter and Humour.’ Pragmatic autoethnography, an approach I conceived, allows me to convey findings, experiences, and recommendations in accordance with my research paradigm. My five research contributions, include the development of a feasible laughter prescription modality; the demonstration that laughter and humour differ in nature, impact, and outcome and thus merit treatment as co-equals; pioneering research in solitary laughter; prototypal citizen science research; and a range of original ancillary methodologies. I am the first to have engaged deeply with theoretical and applied laughter prescription. My contributions raise the profile of laughter prescription and demonstrate why we should consider to “laugh for a reason”. They also highlight the need to address conflational, measurement, mindset, and modality challenges within laughter prescription research, and value the hitherto dismissed topic of solitary laughter. Overall, I hope my research will encourage insight into laughter prescription, and its exploration, expert usage and practic

Prevention and Management of Frailty

It is important to prevent and manage the frailty of the elderly because their muscle strength and physical activity decrease in old age, making them prone to falling, depression, and social isolation. In the end, they need to be admitted to a hospital or a nursing home. When successful aging fails and motor ability declines due to illness, malnutrition, or reduced activity, frailty eventually occurs. Once frailty occurs, people with frailty do not have the power to exercise or the power to move. The functions of the heart and muscles are deteriorated more rapidly when they are not used. Consequently, frailty goes through a vicious cycle. As one’s physical fitness is deteriorated, the person has less power to exercise, poorer cognitive functions, and inferior nutrition intake. Consequently, the whole body of the person deteriorates. Therefore, in addition to observational studies to identify risk factors for preventing aging, various intervention studies have been conducted to develop exercise programs and apply them to communities, hospitals, and nursing homes for helping the elderly maintain healthy lives. Until now, most aging studies have focused on physical frailty. However, social frailty and cognitive frailty affect senile health negatively just as much as physical frailty. Nevertheless, little is known about social frailty and cognitive frailty. This special issue includes original experimental studies, reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analysis studies on the prevention of senescence (physical senescence, cognitive senescence, social senescence), high-risk group detection, differentiation, and intervention

Thinking About Dementia

Bringing together essays by nineteen respected scholars, this volume approaches dementia from a variety of angles, exploring its historical, psychological, and philosophical implications. The authors employ a cross-cultural perspective that is based on ethnographic fieldwork and focuses on questions of age, mind, voice, self, loss, temporality, memory, and affect. Taken together, the essays make four important and interrelated contributions to our understanding of the mental status of the elderly. First, cross-cultural data show that the aging process, while biologically influenced, is also culturally constructed. Second, ethnographic reports raise questions about the diagnostic criteria used for defining the elderly as demented. Third, case studies show how a diagnosis affects a patient's treatment in both clinical and familial settings. Finally, the collection highlights the gap that separates current biological understandings of aging from its cultural meanings