Londýnská věž, recenze metody

Londýnská věž (Tower of London; dále ve zkratce ToL) je třídimenzionální performační neverbální zkouškou exekutivních funkcí (přesněji plánování nebo řešení problémů). Test je určen pro dospělé od 18 let věku až do stáří. Česká verze ToL je dlouho očekávaným standardizovaným nástrojem s vcelku adekvátními českými normami, který je velice jednoduše administrovatelný, zabere málo času a jež má kvalitně zpracované testové materiály. Nepochybnou výhodou ToL je také jeho dostupnost. Jisté pochybnosti mohou vzbuzovat analýzy reliability metody, ale nízká reliabilita je u testů exekutivních funkcí očekávatelná. Validita metody se pro užití v rámci odlišení poruch plánování od normy jeví adekvátní. Přes mírné nedostatky můžeme ToL doporučit s jistou opatrností k užívání odborníky.Tower of London (ToL) is a three-dimensional performance non-verbal test of executive functions (more precisely planning or problem solving). The test is intended for adult persons from 18 years of age to old age. The Czech version of ToL is a long-awaited standardized tool with relatively adequate Czech norms. It is easily administered, with a relatively short administration duration and with high-quality test materials. An indisputable advantage of the test is its availableness. One matter of concern is its reliability, but low reliability can be anticipated for tests of executive functions. Validity of the method seems to be adequate for assessment of planning disorders. Despite certain limitations we can recommend ToL (with a certain caution) for usage by professionals

The Influence of High Sugar Intake on Cognitive Functions and Body Composition of University Students

Volné cukry se podílejí na výživové hodnotě stravy a přispívají k vyváženému příjmu energie. Dle údajů WHO je doporučený příjem cukrů u dospělého člověka s normálním BMI 25 g/den. Euromonitor International ale uvádí, že množství cukrů konzumovaných v České republice dosahuje 71,6 g/den. Nadměrný příjem cukru může zvýšit výskyt civilizačních chorob a může mít vliv na kognitivní schopnosti. Cílem této studie bylo stanovit dopady vysokého příjmu cukru na hmotnost, tělesné složení (s využitím metody BIA – přístroj Bodystat 1500MDD) a schopnost učit se u vysokoškolských studentů (N=107) rozdělených do dvou skupin. Zatímco členové experimentální skupiny byli instruováni, aby dodržovali dietu bez cukru, u kontrolní skupiny žádná konkrétní dieta stanovena nebyla. Pomocí testu LGT-3 a bioimpendance pak byly měřeny různé proměnné. Měření probíhalo jak na začátku experimentu, tak po uplynutí jednoho měsíce (experiment dokončilo 33 účastníků). Mezi experimentální a kontrolní skupinou nebyly po ukončení experimentu zjištěny signifikantní rozdíly ani v tělesném složení, ani v kognitivních schopnostech. Nelze tedy říci, že by snížení příjmu cukru mělo vliv na tělesné složení či kognitivní funkce. Nakonec byla stanovena určitá doporučení, co se adekvátního příjmu cukru u experimentální skupiny týče.Free sugars contribute to the overall energy density of diets and may promote a positive energy balance. According to WHO, the recommended sugar intake is 25 grams per day for an adult of normal BMI. According to Euromonitor International, the amount of sugar consumed per day in the Czech Republic is 71.6 grams. Excessive sugar intake can increase the risk of NCDs and various studies investigating the high sugar intake agree that sugar consumption could have an impact on the cognitive abilities of the person. The present study was aimed to determine the effects of high sugar intake on the body weight, body composition (using the BIA method - Bodystat 1500MDD), and learning abilities on a sample of university students (N=107) assigned into two groups. While the experimental group was instructed to stick to a sugar free diet, the control group had no specific diet prescribed. Selected variables were measured, by LGT-3 test and bioimpedance measurement, at the beginning of the experiment and after one month (33 participants completed the experiment). No significant differences in body composition or cognitive functions were found between the experimental and control groups after the experiment. Therefore we cannot conclude that reduction in sugar consumption has an impact on body composition or cognitive functions. Finally, a number of recommendations were formulated to encourage an adequate intake of sugar for the experimental sample

Představení projektu GAČR: Identifikace bariér v procesu komunikace prostorových sociálně-demografických informací

Příspěvek byl podpořen projektem GAČR – 23-06187S – Identifikace bariér v procesu komunikace prostorových sociálně-demografických informac

COVIDiSTRESS Global Survey dataset on psychological and behavioural consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak

This N = 173,426 social science dataset was collected through the collaborative COVIDiSTRESS Global Survey - an open science effort to improve understanding of the human experiences of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic between 30th March and 30th May, 2020. The dataset allows a cross-cultural study of psychological and behavioural responses to the Coronavirus pandemic and associated government measures like cancellation of public functions and stay at home orders implemented in many countries. The dataset contains demographic background variables as well as measures of Asian Disease Problem, perceived stress (PSS-10), availability of social provisions (SPS-10), trust in various authorities, trust in governmental measures to contain the virus (OECD trust), personality traits (BFF-15), information behaviours, agreement with the level of government intervention, and compliance with preventive measures, along with a rich pool of exploratory variables and written experiences. A global consortium from 39 countries and regions worked together to build and translate a survey with variables of shared interests, and recruited participants in 47 languages and dialects. Raw plus cleaned data and dynamic visualizations are available.Measurement(s) psychological measurement center dot anxiety-related behavior trait center dot Stress center dot response to center dot Isolation center dot loneliness measurement center dot Emotional Distress Technology Type(s) Survey Factor Type(s) geographic location center dot language center dot age of participant center dot responses to the Coronavirus pandemic Sample Characteristic - Organism Homo sapiens Sample Characteristic - Location global Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data:Peer reviewe

Stress and worry in the 2020 coronavirus pandemic : relationships to trust and compliance with preventive measures across 48 countries in the COVIDiSTRESS global survey

The COVIDiSTRESS global survey collects data on early human responses to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic from 173 429 respondents in 48 countries. The open science study was co-designed by an international consortium of researchers to investigate how psychological responses differ across countries and cultures, and how this has impacted behaviour, coping and trust in government efforts to slow the spread of the virus. Starting in March 2020, COVIDiSTRESS leveraged the convenience of unpaid online recruitment to generate public data. The objective of the present analysis is to understand relationships between psychological responses in the early months of global coronavirus restrictions and help understand how different government measures succeed or fail in changing public behaviour. There were variations between and within countries. Although Western Europeans registered as more concerned over COVID-19, more stressed, and having slightly more trust in the governments' efforts, there was no clear geographical pattern in compliance with behavioural measures. Detailed plots illustrating between-countries differences are provided. Using both traditional and Bayesian analyses, we found that individuals who worried about getting sick worked harder to protect themselves and others. However, concern about the coronavirus itself did not account for all of the variances in experienced stress during the early months of COVID-19 restrictions. More alarmingly, such stress was associated with less compliance. Further, those most concerned over the coronavirus trusted in government measures primarily where policies were strict. While concern over a disease is a source of mental distress, other factors including strictness of protective measures, social support and personal lockdown conditions must also be taken into consideration to fully appreciate the psychological impact of COVID-19 and to understand why some people fail to follow behavioural guidelines intended to protect themselves and others from infection. The Stage 1 manuscript associated with this submission received in-principle acceptance (IPA) on 18 May 2020. Following IPA, the accepted Stage 1 version of the manuscript was preregistered on the Open Science Framework at https://osf.io/g2t3b. This preregistration was performed prior to data analysis.Peer reviewe

Predictors of Enhancing Human Physical Attractiveness: Data from 93 Countries

People across the world and throughout history have gone to great lengths to enhance their physical appearance. Evolutionary psychologists and ethologists have largely attempted to explain this phenomenon via mating preferences and strategies. Here, we test one of the most popular evolutionary hypotheses for beauty-enhancing behaviors, drawn from mating market and parasite stress perspectives, in a large cross-cultural sample. We also test hypotheses drawn from other influential and non-mutually exclusive theoretical frameworks, from biosocial role theory to a cultural media perspective. Survey data from 93,158 human participants across 93 countries provide evidence that behaviors such as applying makeup or using other cosmetics, hair grooming, clothing style, caring for body hygiene, and exercising or following a specific diet for the specific purpose of improving ones physical attractiveness, are universal. Indeed, 99% of participants reported spending \u3e10 min a day performing beauty-enhancing behaviors. The results largely support evolutionary hypotheses: more time was spent enhancing beauty by women (almost 4 h a day, on average) than by men (3.6 h a day), by the youngest participants (and contrary to predictions, also the oldest), by those with a relatively more severe history of infectious diseases, and by participants currently dating compared to those in established relationships. The strongest predictor of attractiveness-enhancing behaviors was social media usage. Other predictors, in order of effect size, included adhering to traditional gender roles, residing in countries with less gender equality, considering oneself as highly attractive or, conversely, highly unattractive, TV watching time, higher socioeconomic status, right-wing political beliefs, a lower level of education, and personal individualistic attitudes. This study provides novel insight into universal beauty-enhancing behaviors by unifying evolutionary theory with several other complementary perspectives

Cross-cultural differences in visual perception

According to recent cross-cultural studies there exist culturally based differences between visual perception and the related cognitive processes (attention, memory). According to current research, East Asians and Westerners percieve and think about the world in very different ways. Westerners are inclined to attend to some focal object (a salient object within a perception field that is relatively big in size, fast moving, colourful) focusing on and analyzing its attributes. East Asians on the other hand are more likely to attend to a broad perceptual field, noticing relationships and changes. In this paper we want to describe the recent findings in the field and propose some directions for future research

Cultural dimension of individualism and collectivism and its perceptual and cognitive correlates in cross-cultural research

This paper reviews the current findings on the dimension of individualism/collectivism, which might be a useful tool for the comparison of different cultures and for the investigation of the effect of culture as a psychological concept on individual mental processes. The validity and reliability of the concept of the dimension of individualism/collectivism is discussed. The related theory of analytic and holistic thinking is introduced within a framework of extensive comparative research in the field of cross-cultural psychology. Several interesting research designs on cross-cultural differences in cognition and perception are described. The empirical part contains a short report of research conducted on a sample (N=92) of Czech and Czech Vietnamese university students using a scale of horizontal and vertical individualism/collectivism (Bartoš, 2010). The results do not fully support the traditional view of individualistic Europeans and collectivistic Asians