16 research outputs found
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Effects of Chronic and Situational Accessibility on Inattentional Blindness
Inattentional Blindness (IB) refers to the phenomenon that people often fail to notice unexpected, yet obvious, events when they are focused on another task. The consequences of IB can be deadly when it contributes to attentional error in high-risk situations. In this research, four studies investigated strategies for increasing noticing of unexpected events, specifically through enhancing the chronic and situational accessibility of those events. Studies 1 – 3 explored the degree to which priming unexpected events increased the likelihood that they would be noticed. Study 4 employed different types of warning to situationally increase attention to the unexpected. In addition, all four studies manipulated chronic accessibility of the unexpected event and examined the relationship between increased chronic and situational accessibility.
The results of the four studies indicate that events that are more chronically accessible are significantly more likely to be noticed than events that are not chronically accessible. Explicitly warning individuals that something unexpected was to appear also increased the likelihood that it would be noticed, whereas more subtle warnings were ineffective. Finally, the priming techniques used in this research generally did not increase noticing of unexpected events. The implication of these findings are discussed in the context of how they might apply to reducing attentional error in health care settings
Evaluation of the current knowledge limitations in breast cancer research: a gap analysis
BACKGROUND
A gap analysis was conducted to determine which areas of breast cancer research, if targeted by researchers and funding bodies, could produce the greatest impact on patients.
METHODS
Fifty-six Breast Cancer Campaign grant holders and prominent UK breast cancer researchers participated in a gap analysis of current breast cancer research. Before, during and following the meeting, groups in seven key research areas participated in cycles of presentation, literature review and discussion. Summary papers were prepared by each group and collated into this position paper highlighting the research gaps, with recommendations for action.
RESULTS
Gaps were identified in all seven themes. General barriers to progress were lack of financial and practical resources, and poor collaboration between disciplines. Critical gaps in each theme included: (1) genetics (knowledge of genetic changes, their effects and interactions); (2) initiation of breast cancer (how developmental signalling pathways cause ductal elongation and branching at the cellular level and influence stem cell dynamics, and how their disruption initiates tumour formation); (3) progression of breast cancer (deciphering the intracellular and extracellular regulators of early progression, tumour growth, angiogenesis and metastasis); (4) therapies and targets (understanding who develops advanced disease); (5) disease markers (incorporating intelligent trial design into all studies to ensure new treatments are tested in patient groups stratified using biomarkers); (6) prevention (strategies to prevent oestrogen-receptor negative tumours and the long-term effects of chemoprevention for oestrogen-receptor positive tumours); (7) psychosocial aspects of cancer (the use of appropriate psychosocial interventions, and the personal impact of all stages of the disease among patients from a range of ethnic and demographic backgrounds).
CONCLUSION
Through recommendations to address these gaps with future research, the long-term benefits to patients will include: better estimation of risk in families with breast cancer and strategies to reduce risk; better prediction of drug response and patient prognosis; improved tailoring of treatments to patient subgroups and development of new therapeutic approaches; earlier initiation of treatment; more effective use of resources for screening populations; and an enhanced experience for people with or at risk of breast cancer and their families. The challenge to funding bodies and researchers in all disciplines is to focus on these gaps and to drive advances in knowledge into improvements in patient care