Development of the Web Users Self-Efficacy scale (WUSE)

The aim of this research was to develop a scale that could evaluate an individuals confidence in using the Internet. Web-based resources are becoming increasingly important within higher education and it is therefore vital that students and staff feel confident and competent in the access, provision, and utilisation of these resources. The scale developed here represents an extension of previous research (Cassidy & Eachus, 2002) that developed a measure of self-efficacy in the context of computer use. An iterative approach was used in the development of the Web User Self-Efficacy scale (WUSE) and the participants were recruited from the student body of a large University in the North West of the United Kingdom, and globally via a web site set up for this purpose. Initial findings suggest that the scale has acceptable standards of reliability and validity though work is continuing to refine the scale and improve the psychometric properties of the tool

Creating and validating self-efficacy scales for students

Purpose: student radiographers must possess certain abilities to progress in their training; these can be assessed in various ways. Bandura’s social cognitive theory identifies self-efficacy as a key psychological construct with regard to how people adapt to environments where new skills are developed. Use of this construct is common in health care literature but little has been noted within radiographic literature. The authors sought to develop a self-efficacy scale for student radiographers. Method: the scale was developed following a standard format. An initial pool of 80 items was generated and psychometric analysis was used to reduce this to 68 items. Radiography students drawn from 7 universities were participants (N=198) in validating the scale. Results: the psychometric properties of the scale were examined using analysis of variance (ANOVA), factor analysis and item analysis. ANOVA demonstrated an acceptable level of known group validity: first-year, second-year, and third-year students all scored significantly differently (P=.035) from one another. Factor analysis identified the most significant factor as confidence in image appraisal. The scale was refined using item and factor analysis to produce the final 25-item scale. Conclusion This is the first published domain-specific self-efficacy scale validated specifically for student radiographers. In its current format it may have pedagogical utility. The authors currently are extending the work to add to the scale’s validity and embedding it into student training to assess its predictive value

Weather Communication on Twitter: Identifying Popular Content and Optimal Warning Format Via Case Studies and a Survey Analysis

The use of Twitter as a channel for weather information inspires a deeper analysis of key information nodes during episodes of high impact weather, especially local meteorologists. To optimize communication on the channel, it is important to understand what kinds of messages produce exposure and attention among users—which translates to knowledge that could improve the reach of a warning. Literature identifies two key models that well describe the cognitive processing of tweets and warnings. The Protective Action Decision Model (PADM) describes risk perception and the factors that enable or disable one from acting on a warning. Particularly through environmental and social cues, the first steps of the PADM could be aided or impeded by a tweet. The Extended Parallel Process Model (EEPM) describes the components of an effective warning message. Even in a tweet, ignoring one or both of the two critical components of a warning—threat and efficacy—could inhibit a user from taking the correct protective action, if any at all. Through two case studies of tweets during high impact weather events in southeast Louisiana, messages containing photos and videos are most likely to appear in Twitter timelines and therefore generate the greatest exposure. Similarly, followers of a local meteorologist Twitter account will be most likely to retweet and therefore pay attention to messages containing photos and videos. The case studies also revealed that, particularly with warnings, tweets containing equal levels of threat and efficacy, as well as some personalizing factor such as a map or geographic indicator generate more retweets and therefore attention. In a subsequent survey, case study results were not duplicated via self-reported interests from respondents. An example photo was less popular and an example warning with minimal actionable information was most popular. The survey also revealed that Louisianans prefer websites and Facebook to receive weather information, while mobile phone apps and Twitter scored lower preferences

Triggering and measuring social inhibitory response in humans immersed in interactions with virtual humans

The aim of the proposed study is to determine if a virtual human can evoke a measurable inhibitory response to anti-social stimuli within the prefrontal cortex. Justification, protocol and demonstrator are described here. The work follows a previous study demonstrating that neural inhibitory responses can be measured within an immersive virtual reality display. We have adopted the approach of combining functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) and virtual reality head-mounted display. Haemodynamic changes will be measured in healthy participants and subsequently, subjects with mental deficits, as both engage in interactions that seek to evoke a response that would normally be inhibited. Disinhibition is an aspect of social response exaggerated by several deficits of mind, including dementia, autism and Tourette’s syndrome. This research could improve tools for understanding, diagnosis and treatment of such condition

Within- and between-session prefrontal cortex response to virtual reality exposure therapy for acrophobia

Exposure Therapy (ET) has demonstrated its efficacy in the treatment of phobias, anxiety and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), however, it suffers a high drop-out rate because of too low or too high patient engagement in treatment. Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) is comparably effective regarding symptom reduction and offers an alternative tool to facilitate engagement for avoidant participants. Neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that both ET and VRET normalize brain activity within a fear circuit. However, previous studies have employed brain imaging technology which restricts people’s movement and hides their body, surroundings and therapist from view. This is at odds with the way engagement is typically controlled. We used a novel combination of neural imaging and VR technology—Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) and Immersive Projection Technology (IPT), to avoid these limitations. Although there are a few studies that have investigated the effect of VRET on a brain function after the treatment, the present study utilized technologies which promote ecological validity to measure brain changes after VRET treatment. Furthermore, there are no studies that have measured brain activity within VRET session. In this study brain activity within the prefrontal cortex (PFC) was measured during three consecutive exposure sessions. N = 13 acrophobic volunteers were asked to walk on a virtual plank with a 6 m drop below. Changes in oxygenated (HbO) hemoglobin concentrations in the PFC were measured in three blocks using fNIRS. Consistent with previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies, the analysis showed decreased activity in the DLPFC and MPFC during first exposure. The activity increased toward normal across three sessions. The study demonstrates potential efficacy of a method for measuring within-session neural response to virtual stimuli that could be replicated within clinics and research institutes, with equipment better suited to an ET session and at fraction of the cost, when compared to fMRI. This has application in widening access to, and increasing ecological validity of, immersive neuroimaging across understanding, diagnosis, assessment and treatment of, a range of mental disorders such as phobia, anxiety and PTSD or addictions

Comparison of zooplankton communities in Oklahoma: Implications for paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) management and restoration

American paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) are large riverine planktivores whose populations have declined significantly over the last century. These declines are largely due to overharvest from commercial fishing and habitat alterations resulting from dam construction. Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service have stocked paddlefish in reservoirs throughout the state with varying degrees of success. ODWC is currently evaluating Tenkiller Lake as a future paddlefish restoration site. To assess barriers to successful paddlefish recovery efforts, we evaluated prey (zooplankton) availability in seven reservoirs and their nine major river tributaries across a gradient of paddlefish population status in Oklahoma. We quantified zooplankton abundance, size (carapace length) and community structure, in addition to water quality samples for analysis of total phosphorus (nutrients) and chlorophyll a (primary productivity). Zooplankton were collected from rivers using a plankton pump in spring to coincide with paddlefish spawning activities and early growth of juvenile fish. We collected zooplankton from reservoirs in summer with vertical tows using a Wisconsin plankton net. Rivers flowing into Texoma (failed) and Eufaula (under evaluation) had lower water clarity and generally higher abundance of large zooplankton compared to rivers with naturally reproducing paddlefish populations (self-sustaining). However, in summer, reservoirs that have self-sustaining paddlefish populations had higher abundances of all zooplankton and large zooplankton (copepods and cladocerans) than reservoirs that have failed to establish a reproducing population. Additionally, self-sustaining paddlefish populations tended to occur in reservoirs with a higher proportion of large zooplankton. These reservoirs had higher total phosphorus compared to reservoirs without. More intensive sampling is needed in rivers to assess the effect of variable flow on zooplankton. Considering zooplankton as a lone metric for success, Tenkiller appears unlikely to succeed due to low overall abundance of zooplankton, low proportion of large taxa, and lower overall productivity. However, food availability is not the only metric of success and paddlefish establishment is influenced by spawning habitat, reproduction, and recruitment. Future studies should assess the effect of turbidity on juvenile paddlefish feeding efficiency. Additionally, a bioenergetics modeling approach could be used to understanding paddlefish carrying capacity and more complex species interactions