The social psychology of spatiality and crowding

This thesis applies self-categorization theory (SCT) to the behavioural and experiential dimensions of spatiality and crowding. A literature review in Chapter 2 will highlight the study of ‘personal space’ as a dominant theoretical approach to understanding variable crowding experiences. Several problems with the conceptualisation of ‘personal space’ will be discussed and in Chapter 3, SCT will be introduced as a theoretical framework, which can explain spatiality and crowding in terms of identity and group-level processes. Chapter 4 investigates the impact of group relations on spatiality. In study 1, participants in minimal groups sought closer proximity to an in-group member than to an out-group member. Study 2 used national categories as the basis for identification. Although non-significant, the findings mirrored those of study 1. Additionally, the relationship between perceived difference and physical distance was moderated by the group context of the interaction. Chapter 5 investigates the impact of group context and interaction distance on participants’ subjective experience. The hypothesised effect of these two independent variables on participants’ experience was not supported. However, participants in studies 3 and 4 expressed a desire for closer proximity to in-group members than to out-group members. Chapter 6 investigates the effect of visualised crowding on subjective affect. In study 5, participants who visualised an in-group crowd reported higher positive affect and lower negative affect than those who visualised an out-group crowd. In study 6, the relationship between imagined ‘crowding’ and affect was mediated by social identification. The relationship between physicality, social identity and ‘collective joy’ was quantified in a field study (study 7), which also provided suggestive evidence of physical synchrony increasing social identification. A laboratory study (study 8) supported the suggestion that synchronised movement can increase social identification, thus leading to a more positive experience of close proximity. These finding are discussed in terms of a two-way embodiment model of social identity processes in crowds

Visually Mining the Datacube using a Pixel-Oriented Technique

International audienceThis paper introduces a new technique easing the navigation and interactive exploration of huge multidimensional datasets. Following the pixel-oriented paradigm, the key ingredients enabling the interactive navigation of extreme volumes of data rely on a set of functions bijectively mapping data elements to screen pixels. The use of the mapping from data elements to pixels constrain the computational complexity for the rendering process to be linear with respect to the number of rendered pixels on the screen as opposed to the dataset size. Our method furthermore allows the implementation of usual information visualization techniques such as zoom and pan, anamorphosis and texturing. As a proof-of-concept, we show how our technique can be adapted to interactively explore the Datacube, turning our approach into an efficient system for visual datamining. We report experiments conducted on a Datacube containing 50 millions of items. To our knowledge, our technique outperforms all existing ones and push the scalability limit close to the billion of elements. Supporting all basic navigation techniques, and being moreover flexible makes it easily reusable for a large number of applications

Visually Mining the Datacube using a Pixel-Oriented Technique

International audienceThis paper introduces a new technique easing the navigation and interactive exploration of huge multidimensional datasets. Following the pixel-oriented paradigm, the key ingredients enabling the interactive navigation of extreme volumes of data rely on a set of functions bijectively mapping data elements to screen pixels. The use of the mapping from data elements to pixels constrain the computational complexity for the rendering process to be linear with respect to the number of rendered pixels on the screen as opposed to the dataset size. Our method furthermore allows the implementation of usual information visualization techniques such as zoom and pan, anamorphosis and texturing. As a proof-of-concept, we show how our technique can be adapted to interactively explore the Datacube, turning our approach into an efficient system for visual datamining. We report experiments conducted on a Datacube containing 50 millions of items. To our knowledge, our technique outperforms all existing ones and push the scalability limit close to the billion of elements. Supporting all basic navigation techniques, and being moreover flexible makes it easily reusable for a large number of applications

The Impact of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) on Training and Practice in Clinical Psychology

This is a pre-publication version of the following article: Pieter W. Nel, David Novelli & Lizette Nolte, 'The impact of problem-based learning on training and practice in clinical psychology', Clinical Psychology Forum, Number 294, June 2017, available online at: https://shop.bps.org.uk/publications/publication-by-series/clinical-psychology-forum/clinical-psychology-forum-no-294-june-2017.html. Published by the British Psychological Society.This study investigated the impact of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) on the training and professional practice of clinical psychologists, using a mixed method design. The findings suggest that PBL is experienced by trainees as an effective method of learning in clinical psychology.Peer reviewe

A Social Identity Understanding of Depression: Implications for Onset, Maintenance and Recovery

The literature on depression is dominated by theories which focus on individualistic variables, including biological differences, personality, and individual cognition. Whilst the importance of social variables for depression risk and recovery has also been recognised, there has been a notable absence of a unifying theory explaining, how, when, and why they might impact on depression. In recent years, the Social Identity Approach (SIA) – a theoretical framework with roots in social psychology – has been used to provide a new understanding of the role of group processes in depression. The aim of this thesis was to add to a growing body of evidence in support of the SIA to depression by replicating previous findings using a sample, who on average, scored high on a measure of depression symptomology, and by identifying additional mediators of the relationship between social identity processes and depression. Specifically, it was theorised that optimism – a personality variable associated with depression, but traditionally conceptualised as a fixed trait – would vary along with group memberships and mediate the effect of social identity processes on depression. Participants who had experienced depression (N = 288) completed an online survey. It was found that in support of previous research, an increase in group involvement predicted lower depression scores. However, this relationship was mediated by increased optimism. Similarly, identifying more strongly with a specific group predicted depression indirectly through an increase in perceived social support, and increased optimism. For a sub-sample of participants with experience of psychological therapy (N = 135), the negative association between a good therapeutic alliance and depression was serially mediated by increased identification with the therapist, internalisation of the therapist identity between sessions, and increased optimism. The extent to which the therapist was perceived as prototypical of therapists in general also indirectly reduced depression via increased identification with the therapist category, and increased optimism. These findings are discussed in relation to the further development of the social identity approach to depression, with consideration of their implications for onset, maintenance and recovery

Psychosocial care for persons affected by emergencies and major incidents: a Delphi study to determine the needs of professional first responders for education, training and support

Background The role of ambulance clinicians in providing psychosocial care in major incidents and emergencies is recognised in recent Department of Health guidance. The study described in this paper identified NHS professional first responders’ needs for education about survivors’ psychosocial responses, training in psychosocial skills, and continuing support. Method Ambulance staff participated in an online Delphi questionnaire, comprising 74 items (Round 1) on 7-point Likert scales. Second-round and third-round participants each received feedback based on the previous round, and responded to modified versions of the original items and to new items for clarification. Results One hundred and two participants took part in Round 1; 47 statements (64%) achieved consensus. In Round 2, 72 people from Round 1 participated; 15 out of 39 statements (38%) achieved consensus. In Round 3, 49 people from Round 2 participated; 15 out of 27 statements (59%) achieved consensus. Overall, there was consensus in the following areas: ‘psychosocial needs of patients’ (consensus in 34/37 items); ‘possible sources of stress in your work’ (8/9); ‘impacts of distress in your work’ (7/10); ‘meeting your own emotional needs’ (4/5); ‘support within your organisation’ (2/5); ‘needs for training in psychosocial skills for patients’ (15/15); ‘my needs for psychosocial training and support’ (5/6). Conclusions Ambulance clinicians recognise their own education needs and the importance of their being offered psychosocial training and support. The authors recommend that, in order to meet patients’ psychosocial needs effectively, ambulance clinicians are provided with education and training in a number of skills and their own psychosocial support should be enhanced

Elevated left and reduced right orbitomedial prefrontal fractional anisotropy in adults with bipolar disorder revealed by tract-based spatial statistics

Context - Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies in adults with bipolar disorder (BD) indicate altered white matter (WM) in the orbitomedial prefrontal cortex (OMPFC), potentially underlying abnormal prefrontal corticolimbic connectivity and mood dysregulation in BD. Objective - To use tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) to examine WM skeleton (ie, the most compact whole-brain WM) in subjects with BD vs healthy control subjects. Design - Cross-sectional, case-control, whole-brain DTI using TBSS. Setting - University research institute. Participants - Fifty-six individuals, 31 having a DSM-IV diagnosis of BD type I (mean age, 35.9 years [age range, 24-52 years]) and 25 controls (mean age, 29.5 years [age range, 19-52 years]). Main Outcome Measures - Fractional anisotropy (FA) longitudinal and radial diffusivities in subjects with BD vs controls (covarying for age) and their relationships with clinical and demographic variables. Results - Subjects with BD vs controls had significantly greater FA (t > 3.0, P = .05 corrected) in the left uncinate fasciculus (reduced radial diffusivity distally and increased longitudinal diffusivity centrally), left optic radiation (increased longitudinal diffusivity), and right anterothalamic radiation (no significant diffusivity change). Subjects with BD vs controls had significantly reduced FA (t > 3.0, P = .05 corrected) in the right uncinate fasciculus (greater radial diffusivity). Among subjects with BD, significant negative correlations (P < .01) were found between age and FA in bilateral uncinate fasciculi and in the right anterothalamic radiation, as well as between medication load and FA in the left optic radiation. Decreased FA (P < .01) was observed in the left optic radiation and in the right anterothalamic radiation among subjects with BD taking vs those not taking mood stabilizers, as well as in the left optic radiation among depressed vs remitted subjects with BD. Subjects having BD with vs without lifetime alcohol or other drug abuse had significantly decreased FA in the left uncinate fasciculus. Conclusions - To our knowledge, this is the first study to use TBSS to examine WM in subjects with BD. Subjects with BD vs controls showed greater WM FA in the left OMPFC that diminished with age and with alcohol or other drug abuse, as well as reduced WM FA in the right OMPFC. Mood stabilizers and depressed episode reduced WM FA in left-sided sensory visual processing regions among subjects with BD. Abnormal right vs left asymmetry in FA in OMPFC WM among subjects with BD, likely reflecting increased proportions of left-sided longitudinally aligned and right-sided obliquely aligned myelinated fibers, may represent a biologic mechanism for mood dysregulation in BD

Outcomes for human immunodeficiency virus-1-infected infants in the United kingdom and Republic of Ireland in the era of effective antiretroviral therapy.

BACKGROUND: There are few data about disease progression and response to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in vertically HIV-infected infants in the era of effective therapy. DESIGN: Cohort study. METHODS: We examined progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and death over calendar time for infants reported to the National Study of HIV in Pregnancy and Childhood in the United Kingdom/Ireland. The use of ART and CD4 and HIV-1 RNA responses were assessed in a subset in the Collaborative HIV Pediatric Study. RESULTS: Among 481 infants, mortality was lower in those born after 1997 (HR 0.30; P < 0.001), with no significant change in progression to AIDS. Of 174 infants born since 1997 in the Collaborative HIV Pediatric Study, 41 (24%) were followed from birth, 77 (44%) presented pre-AIDS and 56 (32%) presented with AIDS. Of 125 (72%) children on 3- or 4-drug ART by the age of 2 years, 59% had HIV-1 RNA <400 at 12 months; median CD4 percentage increased from 24% to 35%. Among 41 infants followed from birth, 12 progressed to AIDS (5 while ART naive) and 3 died; 1 of 10 infants initiating ART before 3 months of age progressed clinically. CONCLUSION: Mortality in HIV-infected infants is significantly lower in the era of effective ART, but symptomatic disease rates remain high. Infrequent clinic attendance and poor compliance with cotrimoxazole prophylaxis and/or ART in infants born to diagnosed HIV-infected women and late presentation of infants identified after birth appear to be major contributors. Poor virologic response to ART during infancy is of concern because of increased likelihood of early development of resistance