Online dating and problematic use: a systematic review

Despite the constant growth in the use of online dating sites and mobile dating applications, research examining potential problematic use of online dating has remained scarce. Previous research has obviated problematic use of online dating in favour of users’ personality correlates and scams through online dating services. A systematic review was carried out using PsycINFO and Web of Science databases to gather previous findings that address potential problematic use of online dating by (i) identifying use and motivations, (ii) assessing users’ personality correlates, (iii) outlining negative correlates of use, (iv) examining sexual and impulsive behaviour, (v) exploring substance use and behavioural addictions in relation to online dating, and (vi) examining problematic use of online dating, resulting in 43 studies. Findings suggest that personality correlates such as neuroticism, sociability, sensation-seeking, and sexual permissiveness are related to greater use of online dating services. Sex-search and self-esteem enhancement are predictors of problematic use of online dating. Previous research coincides with online dating risks (e.g. fear of deception) and objectification tendency due to online dating services (sites and apps) design. Observations regarding methodological weaknesses and future research implications are included

Assessing Internet addiction using the parsimonious Internet addiction components model - a preliminary study [forthcoming]

Internet usage has grown exponentially over the last decade. Research indicates that excessive Internet use can lead to symptoms associated with addiction. To date, assessment of potential Internet addiction has varied regarding populations studied and instruments used, making reliable prevalence estimations difficult. To overcome the present problems a preliminary study was conducted testing a parsimonious Internet addiction components model based on Griffiths’ addiction components (2005), including salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict, and relapse. Two validated measures of Internet addiction were used (Compulsive Internet Use Scale [CIUS], Meerkerk et al., 2009, and Assessment for Internet and Computer Game Addiction Scale [AICA-S], Beutel et al., 2010) in two independent samples (ns = 3,105 and 2,257). The fit of the model was analysed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Results indicate that the Internet addiction components model fits the data in both samples well. The two sample/two instrument approach provides converging evidence concerning the degree to which the components model can organize the self-reported behavioural components of Internet addiction. Recommendations for future research include a more detailed assessment of tolerance as addiction component

Dating app use and wellbeing: an application-based pilot study employing ecological momentary assessment and objective measures of use

Smartphones are part of individuals' daily lifestyles, as are smartphone applications such as dating apps. Previous evidence suggests that high engagement in dating applications can be detrimental to some users' wellbeing. However, much of the published research has relied on cross-sectional studies and self-report measures. Therefore, the present study aims to overcome the limitations of subjective measures in cross-sectional designs by investigating for the first time the relationship between dating app users' wellbeing (self-esteem, craving and mood) and objective measures of their use during a one-week period. To do this, the present study employed a newly developed application, DiaryMood and utilized ecological momentary assessment (EMA), as it measured subjects' mood, self-esteem and craving three times per day and the time spent using the dating apps per day during one week. A convenience sample of 22 online dating app users participated in the present study. Findings from a three-level multilevel analysis indicated that increased time spent on dating apps predicted craving among dating app users and that notifications led to an improved mood and higher self-esteem. The results are discussed in relation to previous online dating studies. In sum, the present study sets a precedent for the use of EMA within the scope of online dating research, which may promote further studies adopting this methodology

Populações de plantas e estratégias de manejo de irrigação na cultura da soja.

Este trabalho teve por objetivo verificar o efeito do manejo da irrigação e da população de plantas sobre o rendimento de grãos em soja semeada após a época recomenda. O experimento foi conduzido de janeiro a maio de 2005 na Universidade Federal de Santa Maria. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi blocos ao acaso com parcelas subdivididas e quatro repetições. Nas parcelas principais foram distribuídos três manejos de irrigação: 1) não-irrigado; 2) irrigado todo o ciclo; e 3) irrigado nos períodos críticos. Nas subparcelas foram distribuídas duas populações de plantas (250.000 e 400.000 plantas ha-1). Para as plantas irrigadas todo o ciclo ou somente nos períodos críticos, o rendimento de grãos não diferiu entre as populações testadas. O rendimento de grãos das plantas não-irrigadas teve um incremento de 21% com o aumento da população de plantas para 400.000 plantas ha-1

Impact of parents' technology use on 18- to 24-month-old infants' adaptive behaviors

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between adaptive behaviors of 18- to 24-month-old infants and their parents' use of technology. For this purpose, a survey research method was used. The sample consisted of 116 people who are 58 volunteering married couples with 18- to 24-month-old infants and were registered in family health centers in Turkey's Eastern Anatolia Region. Comparison analyses were conducted between parents’ demographic variables (i.e., education background) and their use of technology (i.e., Internet, smartphone) and adaptive behaviors of their 18- to 24-month-old infants. Adaptive behaviors of infants were measured with ABAS-3 (Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, Third Edition) and the profiles of parents using technology were measured with a survey developed by the researchers. The results showed that parents' use of technology had an impact on adaptive behaviors of 18- to 24-month-old infants. Infants of mothers who did not engage in any Internet activity have higher adaptive behavior scores. The infants of mothers who engaged in activities such as games, videos, and music on the Internet together with their 18- to 24-month-old infants had low scores on adaptive behaviors in terms of concept, self-management, leisure, and communication. According to the findings, various suggestions are presented for parents, researchers, and practitioners

Short Communication: Performance of steers fed on pasture receiving different seeding rates of vetch in an integrated crop-livestock system

Aim of study: To evaluate the performance of beef calves fed black oat and Italian ryegrass pasture seeded with several different seeding rates (SR) of common vetch in a crop-livestock integrated system.Area of study: The experiment was carried out in Dois Vizinhos city, Paraná, Brazil.Material and methods: An area of 8.3 ha was used, which was divided into 11 paddocks, 0.75 ha each. Nellore calves (n = 22), 7 ± 2 months old and with initial body weight of 134 ± 27 kg were used for the tests. The experimental design was completely randomised. Vetch (Vicia sativa L., ‘Amethyst’) SR treatments included 0, 15, 30, and 45 kg ha-1, in a mixture with black oat (Avena strigosa Schreb. ‘IPR 61’ and Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) pastures.Main results: There was no effect of SR on pasture productivity parameters. The increase in vetch seed in the seed mixture resulted in an increase in crude protein and neutral detergent fibre, but decreased in vitro digestibility of vetch. However, these changes did not affect the nutritional value of the pasture. Vetch SR of 30 kg ha-1 or higher allowed greater share of the legume in the pasture, thereby enhancing greater individual animal performanceResearch highlights: Vetch SR of 30 kg ha-1 or higher allowed greater share of the legume in the pasture, thereby enhancing greater individual animal performance

Simulating the High Energy Gamma-ray sky seen by the GLAST Large Area Telescope

This paper presents the simulation of the GLAST high energy gamma-ray telescope. The simulation package, written in C++, is based on the Geant4 toolkit, and it is integrated into a general framework used to process events. A detailed simulation of the electronic signals inside Silicon detectors has been provided and it is used for the particle tracking, which is handled by a dedicated software. A unique repository for the geometrical description of the detector has been realized using the XML language and a C++ library to access this information has been designed and implemented. A new event display based on the HepRep protocol was implemented. The full simulation was used to simulate a full week of GLAST high energy gamma-ray observations. This paper outlines the contribution developed by the Italian GLAST software group.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, to be published in the Proceedings of the 6th International Symposium ''Frontiers of Fundamental and Computational Physics'' (FFP6), Udine (Italy), Sep. 26-29, 200

Gamma Ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) Balloon Flight Data Handling Overview

The GLAST Balloon Flight Engineering Model (BFEM) represents one of 16 towers that constitute the Large Area Telescope (LAT), a high-energy (>20 MeV) gamma-ray pair-production telescope being built by an international partnership of astrophysicists and particle physicists for a satellite launch in 2006. The prototype tower consists of a Pb/Si pair-conversion tracker (TKR), a CsI hodoscopic calorimeter (CAL), an anti-coincidence detector (ACD) and an autonomous data acquisition system (DAQ). The self-triggering capabilities and performance of the detector elements have been previously characterized using positron, photon and hadron beams. External target scintillators were placed above the instrument to act as sources of hadronic showers. This paper provides a comprehensive description of the BFEM data-reduction process, from receipt of the flight data from telemetry through event reconstruction and background rejection cuts. The goals of the ground analysis presented here are to verify the functioning of the instrument and to validate the reconstruction software and the background-rejection scheme.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, to be published in IEEE Transacations on Nuclear Science, August 200