‘Diversity’ ‘Widening Participation’ and ‘Inclusion’ in Higher Education: An International study.

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.This article emphasises the complex and critical realities of 'Diversity' and 'Widening Participation' (WP); policy, discourse and practice in higher education, as 'understood' and experienced by undergraduate students of education. Building upon previous work which engaged with questions of hegemony in education, this paper develops the argument that 'under-represented' voices need to take centre stage- and that HEIs should critically consider why and how they positon 'under-represented' student groups (Gibson, 2006; 2015). The article draws on an international study involving 373 undergraduate students of 'Education' and 8 academics in six universities; one in Cyprus, one in New Zealand, two in the UK and two in the USA. This paper tells a story of tension, division and exclusion for students who have, through WP discourse, been defined as 'non-traditional' and thus positioned by their University as 'diverse'. It argues that, at an international level, the HE sector needs to be more responsive and proactive in engaging with their key stakeholders, their students. Our study, which made use of questionnaire and focus groups (FG), suggests this is particularly the case when it comes to critical aspects of the student experience, specifically institutional labelling and student exclusion from university discussions on what is and what is not 'inclusive education practice'.This work was supported by the Higher Education Academy under grant number GEN 57

Neuromuscular efficiency in fibromyalgia is improved by hyperbaric oxygen therapy : looking inside muscles by means of surface electromyography

Objectives. Neuromuscular efficiency (NME) is impaired in fibromyalgia (FM). Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a medical treatment using 100% of oxygen through an oxygen mask. HBOT in FM induces changes in cortical excitability and a secondary reduction in pain and muscle fatigue. However, there are still no direct data indicating changes in muscle fatigue. The aim of this study was to assess whether the reduction in muscle fatigue so far attributed to a central effect of HBOT can be directly detected by means of non-invasive sEMG as a change in NME. Methods. The study was an observational longitudinal study on changes in NME induced by 20 sessions of HBOT at 2.4 atmosphere, in 22 patients with FM (3M; 19F) (age 49.8\ub19.5; height 164.7\ub17.5; weight 63.8\ub112.7). sEMG was recorded in single differential configuration from the biceps brachii muscle during the 30-second fatiguing contractions using linear arrays of eight adhesive electrodes. Results. Evaluations made before and immediately after the first session showed that maximal strength did not change (T0 49\ub120 N, T1 49\ub119 N, p=0.792), thus suggesting that HBOT did not induce muscle fatigue or potentiation. After 20 sessions of HBOT, NME increased from 1.6\ub11.1 to 2.1\ub10.8 (p=0.050), whereas maximal strength, EMG amplitude and muscle fibre CV did not change. Conclusions. HBOT did not improve muscle strength or change muscle fibre content, but improved the ability of the central motor command to generate the same effort (MVC) with fewer recruited fibres. Our sEMG findings underlined a modified central mechanism related to fibre type recruitment order, thus suggesting that muscle fatigue is not primarily a muscular problem, as also demonstrated by other authors with different methods

The psychology and policy of overcoming economic inequality

Data and materials’ availability: All data are publicly available for the survey data used (https://osf.io/njd62/) and from the UN Gender Inequality Index (https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/documentation-and-downloads). Financial transaction data were provided through an agreement with Columbia Business School.Recent arguments claim that behavioral science has focused – to its detriment – on the individual over the system when construing behavioral interventions. In this commentary, we argue that tackling economic inequality using both framings in tandem is invaluable. By studying individuals who have overcome inequality, “positive deviants,” and the system limitations they navigate, we offer potentially greater policy solutions.This research was supported in part by the National Science Foundation (no. 2218595) and by Undergraduate Global Engagement at Columbia University. Additional support was provided to individual researchers from the Columbia University Office of the Provost, Masaryk University Centre for International Cooperation, and the Benjamin A. Gilman International Fund from the United States Department of State

The persistence of cognitive biases in financial decisions across economic groups

Data availability: All data will be posted open access via https://psyarxiv.com/mrxy6/ and in interactive form via https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/kai.ruggeri. We will post these only once an accepted version of all analyses is possible to avoid confusion based on version control.While economic inequality continues to rise within countries, efforts to address it have been largely ineffective, particularly those involving behavioral approaches. It is often implied but not tested that choice patterns among low-income individuals may be a factor impeding behavioral interventions aimed at improving upward economic mobility. To test this, we assessed rates of ten cognitive biases across nearly 5000 participants from 27 countries. Our analyses were primarily focused on 1458 individuals that were either low-income adults or individuals who grew up in disadvantaged households but had above-average financial well-being as adults, known as positive deviants. Using discrete and complex models, we find evidence of no differences within or between groups or countries. We therefore conclude that choices impeded by cognitive biases alone cannot explain why some individuals do not experience upward economic mobility. Policies must combine both behavioral and structural interventions to improve financial well-being across populations.This research was supported in part by the National Science Foundation (#2218595) and by Undergraduate Global Engagement at Columbia University. Additional support was provided to individual researchers from the Columbia University Office of the Provost, Masaryk University Centre for International Cooperation, and the Benjamin A. Gilman International Fund from the United States Department of State. This research was funded in part, by the UKRI [MR/N013468/1]