Does document relevance affect the searcher's perception 0f time?

Time plays an essential role in multiple areas of Information Retrieval (IR) studies such as search evaluation, user behavior analysis, temporal search result ranking and query understanding. Especially, in search evaluation studies, time is usually adopted as a measure to quantify users' efforts in search processes. Psychological studies have reported that the time perception of human beings can be affected by many stimuli, such as attention and motivation, which are closely related to many cognitive factors in search. Considering the fact that users' search experiences are affected by their subjective feelings of time, rather than the objective time measured by timing devices, it is necessary to look into the different factors that have impacts on search users' perception of time. In this work, we make a first step towards revealing the time perception mechanism of search users with the following contributions: (1) We establish an experimental research framework to measure the subjective perception of time while reading documents in search scenario, which originates from but is also different from traditional time perception measurements in psychological studies. (2) With the framework, we show that while users are reading result documents, document relevance has small yet visible effect on search users' perception of time. By further examining the impact of other factors, we demonstrate that the effect on relevant documents can also be influenced by individuals and tasks. (3) We conduct a preliminary experiment in which the difference between perceived time and dwell time is taken into consideration in a search evaluation task. We found that the revised framework achieved a better correlation with users' satisfaction feedbacks. This work may help us better understand the time perception mechanism of search users and provide insights in how to better incorporate time factor in search evaluation studies

Motor timing and covariation with time perception: investigating the role of handedness

Time is a fundamental dimension of our behavior and enables us to guide our actions and to experience time such as predicting collisions or listening to music. In this study, we investigate the regulation and covariation of motor timing and time perception functions in left- and right-handers who are characterized by distinct brain processing mechanisms for cognitive-motor control. To this purpose, we use a combination of tasks that assess the timed responses during movements and the perception of time intervals. The results showed a positive association across left- and right-handers between movement-driven timing and perceived interval duration when adopting a preferred tempo, suggesting cross-domain coupling between both abilities when an intrinsic timescale is present. Handedness guided motor timing during externally-driven conditions that required cognitive intervention, which specifies the relevance of action expertise for the performance of timed-based motor activities. Overall, our results reveal that individual variation across domain-general and domain-specific levels of organization plays a steering role in how one predicts, perceives and experiences time, which accordingly impacts on cognition and behavior

Effectiveness of a web-based treatment program using intensive therapeutic support for female patients with bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and eating disorders not otherwise specified: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial

Background: Disordered eating behavior and body dissatisfaction affect a large proportion of the Dutch population and account for severe psychological, physical and social morbidity. Yet, the threshold for seeking professional care is still high. In the Netherlands, only 7.5% of patients with bulimia nervosa and 33% of patients with anorexia nervosa are treated within the mental health care system. Easily accessible and low-threshold interventions, therefore, are needed urgently. The internet has great potential to offer such interventions. The aim of this study is to determine whether a web-based treatment program for patients with eating disorders can improve eating disorder psychopathology among female patients with bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and eating disorders not otherwise specified. Methods/design: This randomized controlled trial will compare the outcomes of an experimental treatment group to a waiting list control group. In the web-based treatment program, participants will communicate personally and asynchronously with their therapists exclusively via the internet. The first part of the program will focus on analyzing eating attitudes and behaviors. In the second part of the program participants will learn how to change their attitudes and behaviors. Participants assigned to the waiting list control group will receive no-reply email messages once every two weeks during the waiting period of 15 weeks, after which they can start the program. The primary outcome measure is an improvement in eating disorder psychopathology as determined by the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes include improvements in body image, physical and mental health, body weight, self-esteem, quality of life, and social contacts. In addition, the participants’ motivation for treatment and their acceptability of the program and the therapeutic alliance will be measured. The study will follow the recommendations in the CONSORT statement relating to designing and reporting on RCTs. Discussion: This study protocol presents the design of a RCT for evaluating the effectiveness of a web-based treatment program using intensive therapeutic support for female patients with bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and eating disorders not otherwise specified

Can you tell the difference? comparing face-to-face versus computer-based interventions. The "Eliza" effect in psychotherapy

Objectives: Most studies comparing face-to-face to computer-based interventions focused on their overall efficacy, neglecting to explore the difference between common and specific factors that compose such interventions. Our study is exploratory, designed to focus on these basic therapeutic factors by comparing the performance of an internet-based software which simulates therapeutic interventions with a trained human therapist. Method: Two client-therapist interactions, one with a real therapist and one with a computer agent (the "Eliza program"), were both rated by 138 real-life professionals by use of a survey. The survey tapped into aspects relating to both performance and the quality of the therapeutic relationship. Results and conclusions: The perceived difference between the "Eliza" program and the human therapist seemed to lie in the quality of the performances, and not in some intrinsic features of either of the two. The evaluators predominantly found the human therapist to perform better on all the dimensions taken into account. Interestingly enough, what seemed to have a selective impact was the form of therapy they declared to practice. In this regard, the therapists that considered themselves CBT practitioners discriminated more clearly the internet-based program from the trained human therapist on dimensions related to specific factors (e.g., correct approach of the problem) and the overall performance, but not on dimensions related to common factors (e.g., empathy)

Can you tell the difference? comparing face-to-face versus computer-based interventions. The "Eliza" effect in psychotherapy

Objectives: Most studies comparing face-to-face to computer-based interventions focused on their overall efficacy, neglecting to explore the difference between common and specific factors that compose such interventions. Our study is exploratory, designed to focus on these basic therapeutic factors by comparing the performance of an internet-based software which simulates therapeutic interventions with a trained human therapist. Method: Two client-therapist interactions, one with a real therapist and one with a computer agent (the "Eliza program"), were both rated by 138 real-life professionals by use of a survey. The survey tapped into aspects relating to both performance and the quality of the therapeutic relationship. Results and conclusions: The perceived difference between the "Eliza" program and the human therapist seemed to lie in the quality of the performances, and not in some intrinsic features of either of the two. The evaluators predominantly found the human therapist to perform better on all the dimensions taken into account. Interestingly enough, what seemed to have a selective impact was the form of therapy they declared to practice. In this regard, the therapists that considered themselves CBT practitioners discriminated more clearly the internet-based program from the trained human therapist on dimensions related to specific factors (e.g., correct approach of the problem) and the overall performance, but not on dimensions related to common factors (e.g., empathy)

Behavior science in the evolving world of digital health: considerations on anticipated opportunities and challenges.

Digital health promises to increase intervention reach and effectiveness for a range of behavioral health outcomes. Behavioral scientists have a unique opportunity to infuse their expertise in all phases of a digital health intervention, from design to implementation. The aim of this study was to assess behavioral scientists\u27 interests and needs with respect to digital health endeavors, as well as gather expert insight into the role of behavioral science in the evolution of digital health. The study used a two-phased approach: (a) a survey of behavioral scientists\u27 current needs and interests with respect to digital health endeavors (n = 346); (b) a series of interviews with digital health stakeholders for their expert insight on the evolution of the health field (n = 15). In terms of current needs and interests, the large majority of surveyed behavioral scientists (77%) already participate in digital health projects, and from those who have not done so yet, the majority (65%) reported intending to do so in the future. In terms of the expected evolution of the digital health field, interviewed stakeholders anticipated a number of changes, from overall landscape changes through evolving models of reimbursement to more significant oversight and regulations. These findings provide a timely insight into behavioral scientists\u27 current needs, barriers, and attitudes toward the use of technology in health care and public health. Results might also highlight the areas where behavioral scientists can leverage their expertise to both enhance digital health\u27s potential to improve health, as well as to prevent the potential unintended consequences that can emerge from scaling the use of technology in health care