Home Range and Provisioning Use of Semi-Free-Ranging Ringtailed Lemurs (Lemur Catta)

The ringtailed lemur (Lemur catta) population on St. Catherines Island (SCI) may serve as a model system for reintroduction. Free-ranging troops of ringtailed lemurs have been managed on SCI since 1985 and are monitored and provisioned daily. There has been no assessment of the effects of provisioning or seasonal dependence on provisioning to date. Ringtailed lemur troop home ranges and use of provisions were quantified to examine seasonal patterns and changes in relation to habitat quality of the home range. Activity, ranging behavior, and provisioning use were monitored for one year. Habitat assessment of forage species was conducted through stratified random sampling in each home range. There was significant variation among troops in the amount of provisions consumed and significant variation in amount of provisions consumed across seasons. Home ranges varied in size significantly among troops but not across seasons. Choice of natural forage varied across seasons. There was no relationship between habitat quality and home range size or use of provisions. These data suggest that provisioning ringtailed lemurs on St. Catherines Island does not appear to inhibit natural foraging and ranging behavior. This study provides useful information for managing, reintroducing or translocating troops of ringtailed lemurs

Virtual Reality Sailing Simulation: Perspectives from Individuals with Physical Disabilities

Sailing is shown to have a positive outcome on an individual's quality of life including physically, socially, mentally and/or emotionally. Virtual reality sailing simulators (VRSS) are shown to have better outcomes of the transition from sailing on land to sailing on water (Recio, et al., 2013). Virtual reality to reality sailing can be particularly beneficial for people with physical disabilities (Autry & Anderson, 2021). However, research is lacking on the therapeutic use of sailing, more specifically from the participants’ point of view. Therefore, a research question that guided this study included: What perceptions will participants with physical disabilities have after completing an adapted virtual reality sailing simulation (VRSS) program and its contribution to their quality of life? Seven adult individuals who had spinal cord injuries, spina bifida or cerebral palsy were recruited from a local non-profit agency that focuses on active participation with those with physical disabilities. Each completed the 11 sessions in a VRSS program. Participants were then interviewed to collect qualitative data of their experience. The qualitative data were analyzed using Tesch’s 8 step coding process as proposed by Creswell and Creswell (2018). Three themes were found in this study including learning, enjoyment and using the simulation as rehabilitation. Learning often presented some joy and distraction to participants’ lives as well as enhancing their knowledge. The simulation also provided rehabilitation for some participants in terms of physical benefits. A discussion of this study will focus on how virtual reality can be vital to provide more leisure opportunities to individuals with physical disabilities

Exploring traumas in the development of talent: What are they, what do they do, and what do they require?

It has recently been argued that performers benefit from trauma (i.e., memorable challenges) during development. To deepen knowledge in this area, we explored perceived traumas in the development of twenty senior-international performers with a multi-methods, temporal-based design. Results showed perceived traumas were primarily sports-based, recognized from onset of investment, associated with immediately negative but ultimately positive impact, and negotiated through skills that were brought to, rather than generated by, these experiences. The findings provide an interesting contrast to messages in other early trauma-focused research and promote focus on the process and mechanisms of responding to and recovering from traumatic experiences

News Stories of Intimate Partner Violence: An Experimental Examination of Participant Sex, Perpetrator Sex, and Violence Severity on Seriousness, Sympathy, and Punishment Preferences

This study experimentally examines the effects of participant sex, perpetrator sex, and severity of violence on perceptions of intimate partner violence (IPV) seriousness, sympathy toward the victim, and punishment preferences for the perpetrator. Participants (N = 449) were randomly assigned to a condition, exposed to a composite news story, and then completed a survey. Ratings of seriousness of IPV for stories with male perpetrators were significantly higher than ratings of seriousness for stories with female perpetrators. Men had significantly higher sympathy for female victims in any condition than for male victims in the weak or strong severity of violence conditions. Men’s sympathy for male victims in the fatal severity of violence condition did not differ from their sympathy for female victims. Women had the least sympathy for female victims in the weak severity condition and men in the weak or strong severity conditions. Women reported significantly higher sympathy for female victims in the strong and fatal severity of violence conditions. Women’s ratings of sympathy for male victims in the fatal severity of violence condition were statistically indistinguishable from any other group. Participants reported stronger punishment preferences for male perpetrators and this effect was magnified among men. Theoretical implications are presented with attention provided to practical considerations about support for public health services

The Global Care Ecosystems of 3D Printed Assistive Devices

The popularity of 3D printed assistive technology has led to the emergence of new ecosystems of care, where multiple stakeholders (makers, clinicians, and recipients with disabilities) work toward creating new upper limb prosthetic devices. However, despite the increasing growth, we currently know little about the differences between these care ecosystems. Medical regulations and the prevailing culture have greatly impacted how ecosystems are structured and stakeholders work together, including whether clinicians and makers collaborate. To better understand these care ecosystems, we interviewed a range of stakeholders from multiple countries, including Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, France, India, Mexico, and the U.S. Our broad analysis allowed us to uncover different working examples of how multiple stakeholders collaborate within these care ecosystems and the main challenges they face. Through our study, we were able to uncover that the ecosystems with multi-stakeholder collaborations exist (something prior work had not seen), and these ecosystems showed increased success and impact. We also identified some of the key follow-up practices to reduce device abandonment. Of particular importance are to have ecosystems put in place follow up practices that integrate formal agreements and compensations for participation (which do not need to be just monetary). We identified that these features helped to ensure multi-stakeholder involvement and ecosystem sustainability. We finished the paper with socio-technical recommendations to create vibrant care ecosystems that include multiple stakeholders in the production of 3D printed assistive devices

Challenge and Growth on the Talent Development Pathway

As successful elite athletes develop they are likely to encounter and overcome various challenges. It has recently been argued that performers benefit from challenges and even need them during development (c.f. Collins & MacNamara, 2012). The aim of this thesis was to have a greater understanding of the role of challenge and the potential beneficial impact on a performers’ development. To deepen knowledge in this area, Chapter 4 explored perceived traumas (i.e. memorable challenges) in the development of twenty senior-international performers with a multi-methods, temporal-based design. Results showed perceived traumas were primarily sports-based, recognized from onset of investment, associated with immediately negative but ultimately positive impact, and negotiated through skills that were brought to, rather than generated by, these experiences. The findings provide an interesting contrast to messages in other early trauma-focused research and promote focus on the process and mechanisms of responding to and recovering from traumatic experiences. In line with previous research, a range of skills were identified to facilitate performers’ negotiation of trauma. Despite a range of psychological skills identified in research as typically being utilised to cope with and grow from such trauma how these skills helped them cope with challenge was yet to be explored. Accordingly, Chapter 5 explored the role of psych-behavioural skills in negotiating developmental trauma through semi-structured interviews. It was subsequently found that psycho-behavioural skills supported a sense of perspective, control, and confidence, all of which contributed to a predominantly constructive rather than illusory growth process. In this way, these findings further our understanding of skills-based development and how they not only support growth. Notably, this Chapter indicates a link between use of psycho-behavioural skills and constructive growth. Building on these findings, Chapter 6 considers a current gap in literature to date of retrospective investigations, by providing a more ecologically valid examination of how performers experienced and managed challenge. Accordingly, Chapter 6 longitudinally tracked 6 elite performers as they experienced challenge on their development pathway. This investigation identified performers’ responses to challenge and associated stages of growth. Additionally, mechanisms which enabled growth and key factors of the role of the psychologist where recognised. This investigation provides key applied implications for practitioners supporting performers to facilitate growth and empower the performer to take the lead- supportive rather than directive. Overall, as outlined in Chapter 7, this thesis provides a unique and in-depth study of the role of trauma/challenge in the development of talent. Critically, it provides distinct applied recommendations to support performers’ development and equip them, with the relevant honed skills required to reach their performance potential

A needs assessment for programming for adult undergraduate students at Rowan University

This needs assessment is evaluating if Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ, has a need for student services oriented toward adult (aged 25 or older) undergraduate students. Adult undergraduate students are a population that has been consistently growing in the United States, and research shows that this population has specific needs and characteristics. This assessment is comparing demographic data of its student population for the past 20 years, plus the national trends. A search of the Rowan University website returned limited results for student services for adult student service. An electronic survey was administered to its current adult student population, evaluating their knowledge of and satisfaction with student services. Interviews were conducted with staff from student services departments indicated in the student surveys as not meeting these students\u27 needs