Loss of containment: Experimental validation of initially subcooled two phase critical flow models

International audienceA new setup allows us to experiment initially subcooled two-phase critical flows with five different fluids: water, R11, methanol ethyl acetate and butane. We verify that good estimates of the mass flow rate can be derived from the extended HEM for all of the fluids in high subcooling conditions (within ± 20% accuracy). In low subcooling conditions, a satisfactory agreement (± 30% accuracy) with the DEM or HEM predictions is found. This means that the main phenomena involved seem to be correctly taken into account

Narcissists are not more egocentric: evidence from a performance-based perspective-taking measure

Abstract Narcissists are typically described as egocentric, meaning they behave and think without considering what others might think or feel, which led authors to claim that narcissists’ interpersonal difficulties stem from reduced perspective-taking abilities; a claim supported by self-reported measures of perspective taking. This study examined perspective-taking performance via a visual perspective-taking task along with the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI; Raskin & Terry, 1988) and the Narcisistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire (NARQ; Back et al., 2013). The task was designed to measure the ability to handle conflicting viewpoints and the attentional priority given to the egocentric perspective (i.e., self-centered) versus the altercentric perspective (i.e., another person’s). We found (N=99) and replicated (N=149) that individuals scoring high on narcissism were not more egocentric than individuals scoring low on narcissism; they actually prioritized less their egocentric viewpoint. The narcissists’ higher perspective-taking performance is interpreted and tested in terms of social competency through leadership, social comparisons to get ahead of others, and a deep need of others to self-regulate. When assessing social skills in relation to narcissism, it is essential to use performed-based measures rather than solely rely on self-reports

Narcissists are not more egocentric: evidence from a performance-based perspective-taking measure

Narcissists are typically described as egocentric, meaning they behave and think without considering what others might think or feel, which led authors to claim that narcissists’ interpersonal difficulties stem from reduced perspective-taking abilities; a claim supported by self-reported measures of perspective taking. This study examined perspective-taking performance via a visual perspective-taking task along with the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI; Raskin & Terry, 1988) and the Narcisistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire (NARQ; Back et al., 2013). The task was designed to measure the ability to handle conflicting viewpoints and the attentional priority given to the egocentric perspective (i.e., self-centered) versus the altercentric perspective (i.e., another person’s). We found (N=99) and replicated (N=149) that individuals scoring high on narcissism were not more egocentric than individuals scoring low on narcissism; they actually prioritized less their egocentric viewpoint. The narcissists’ higher perspective-taking performance is interpreted and tested in terms of social competency through leadership, social comparisons to get ahead of others, and a deep need of others to self-regulate. When assessing social skills in relation to narcissism, it is essential to use performed-based measures rather than solely rely on self-reports

Sociodemographic, Cognitive, and Emotional Determinants of Two Health Behaviors during SARS-CoV-2 Outbreak: An Online Study among French- Speaking Belgian Responders during the Spring Lockdown

To contain the SARS-CoV-2 infection rate, health authorities have encouraged the population to enhance protective behaviors such as physical distancing and handwashing. Behavioral sciences emphasize the role of socio-cognitive determinants to explain health behaviors, while largely ignoring emotional factors. In a large online study (N > 4000), we investigated the role of sociodemographic, cognitive, emotional, and social factors that can facilitate or hinder handwashing and limitation of social contacts. Data were collected from March 18 until April 19, 2020, which corresponds to the spring lockdown and the first peak of the pandemic in Belgium. Logistic regressions showed that socio-demographic factors (gender, age, level of education) and the dimensions of the Theory of Planned Behavior (intentions, attitudes, perceived control and subjective norms) had a strong impact on health behaviors, but that emotional factors explained an additional part of the variance. Being attentive/determined and frightened/anxious were related to a higher frequency of handwashing, along with a high level of health anxiety. In contrast, being enthusiastic/happy was related to lower adherence to limiting social contacts. Our results suggest that the type of predictors and the direction of associations depend on the type of health behavior considered. The role of specific emotional factors in addition to more classical predictors is discussed. The study offers new perspectives regarding the factors that are associated with the adherence to behaviors recommended to adopt when faced with a pandemic

The Theory of Planned Behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: A comparison of health behaviors between Belgian and French residents

The COVID-19 pandemic presents a global crisis and authorities have encouraged the population to promote preventive health behaviors to slow the spread of the virus. While the literature on psychological factors influencing health behaviors during the COVID-19 is flourishing, there is a lack of cross-national research focusing on multiple health behaviors. The present study overcomes this limitation and affords a validation of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as a conceptual framework for explaining the adoption of handwashing and limitation of social contacts, two health behaviors that highly differ in their nature. Specifically, we compare TPB model on these two protective behaviors among people living in Belgium (N = 3744) and France (N = 1060) during the COVID-19 sanitary crisis. Data were collected from March 18 until April 19, 2020, which corresponds to the spring lockdown and the first peak of the pandemic in these countries. Results indicated that more positive attitudes, greater social norms, increased perceived control and higher intentions were related to higher adherence to handwashing and limitation of social contacts, for both Belgian and French residents. Ultimately, we argued that the TPB model tends to manifest similarly across countries in explaining health behaviors, when comparing handwashing and limitation of social contacts among individuals living in different national contexts

Predicting health behaviors across Belgium and France during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic

The objective of the current research was to investigate how a series of psychological factors may underlie two COVID-19 health behaviors, and how a contextual factor (country of residence) could shape their influence. Cross-sectional results from the first pandemic wave (NBelgium = 4878, NFrance = 1071) showed that handwashing and social contact limitation are predicted by a unique set of psychological variables that holds across Belgium and France, despite their distinct lockdown-policies strictness. In practice, policy-makers could leverage on these unique predictors and fine-tune their strategies accordingly to promote adherence to each measure while generalizing it across similar nations

A cross-national and longitudinal analysis of handwashing and its predictors during the COVID-19 pandemic in France and Belgium

Background: Using a longitudinal design, we investigate how the adherence to handwashing and its underlying socio-psychological predictors evolved over time during the COVID-19 pandemic and under distinct circumstances (e.g. when the crisis was more acute or chronic). Method: We collected data (N = 753) in Belgium and France at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic when the crisis was at its peak (April 2020), and almost a year later (February 2021), when the outbreak was more manageable. Results: Regression models suggest that the compliance with handwashing and its pattern of underlying predictors remained remarkably stable over time despite the variations in contextual factors such as the severity of the health crisis and the stringency of health measures. As such, the findings also highlight the robustness of the models that predict it, namely the Theory of Planned Behavior. The intentions to perform the behavior, the perceived control over it, and being part of the (para)medical field were among the strongest predictors. Conclusions: In practice, the stability of the underlying factors suggests a set of action levers that can be used in communication campaigns aimed at fostering its adherence throughout the pandemic

Predicting health behaviors across Belgium and France during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic

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Predicting health behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study.

We investigated the social, emotional, and cognitive predictors of adherence to four health behaviors (handwashing, mask wearing, social contact limitations, and physical distancing) during one critical phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. We collected data (N = 5803, mean age = 53; 57% women) in Belgium at five time points between April and July 2021, a time during which infections evolved from high (third wave of the pandemic) to low numbers of COVID-19 cases. The results show that the social, emotional, and cognitive predictors achieved high levels of explained variance (R2 > .60). In particular, the central components of behavioral change (attitudes, intentions, control, habits, norms, and risk) were the strongest and most consistent predictors of health behaviors over time. Likewise, autonomous motivation and empathetic emotions (e.g., attentive, compassionate) had a positive impact on health behavior adherence, whereas it was the opposite for lively emotions (e.g., active, enthusiastic). These results offer policymakers actionable insights into the most potent and stable factors associated with health behaviors, equipping them with effective strategies to curtail the spread of future infectious diseases