The Evaluation of Employment Policies for Older Adults in the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia

Adults aged 65 and above comprise the fastest growing sector of the world’s population. In the context of increasing numbers of older adults, employment policies have become a prominent issue. Governments recognize the importance of increasing participation in working age population and providing them with equal workplace opportunities. Yet, it appears that policies raising employment rates of older adults have become a slogan that governments use for election purposes, but the reality is different. In the groundbreaking report “Working Better with Age: Poland‘ prepared by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia belong to a group of countries where the increase in the employment rate of older adults is well below the OECD average. The objective of our critical review is to evaluate current employment policies for older adults, including but not limited to healthy work conditions, age management strategies, employment services for older workers, and strategies implemented to prevent the age discrimination, in these three countries. This article also discusses the reasons for the reduction in the employment of older adults, the current barriers in employing older adults that require governments’ attention, and suggests solutions for creating an age-friendly labor market that can effectively make use of older adults’ competencies. Employment rates for people of different ages are significantly affected by government policies with regard to higher education, pensions, and retirement age

Prisoners of Care: The Experience of Loneliness among Caregivers of Individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease

Adjusting to an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis is a complex process. Caregivers tend to experience feelings of loneliness and isolation, which in turn may have adverse effects on their well-being. Although the detrimental effects of caregiving on psychological and physical health are well documented, more research is needed to give a comprehensive portrait of the caregiving experience, especially in the areas of aloneness and social isolation. Loneliness remains a neglected aspect of the caregiving experience. Results from this study offer important insights into the caregiving experience for psychologists and other healthcare professionals.Więźniowie opieki: doświadczenie samotności pośród opiekunów osób cierpiących na chorobę AlzheimeraPrzystosowanie się do choroby Alzheimera jest złożonym procesem. Opiekunowie doświadczają samotności i izolacji, co może niekorzystnie wpływać na ich samopoczucie. Mimo iż negatywny wpływ, jaki może wywrzeć sprawowanie opieki na zdrowie psychiczne i fizyczne, został potwierdzony w wielu badaniach, nie udało się jeszcze uzyskać kompleksowego portretu opiekuna i jego doświadczeń, zwłaszcza jeśli chodzi o doświadczenie samotności i izolacji społecznej. Samotność pozostaje zaniedbanym aspektem doświadczenia opiekuńczego. Wyniki tego badania oferują ważne informacje na temat doświadczenia w opiece zarówno dla psychologów, jak i innych osób zaangażowanych w pomoc osobom starszym

Psychological diversity of young judo adepts on the example of girls and boys

Aim: To verify if young judo adepts show any signs of psychological diversity in case of sex, as any possible differences can be a valuable material for coaches who work with young boys and girls who start their career in sport. Material and methods: The group of 30 young boys who practice judo in Bydgoszcz and in smaller towns around and the group of 26 young girls who also practice judo in Bydgoszcz and in smaller towns around were tested. The, so called, ‘Brown Test’ by prof. W. Starosta of The Sport Way Academy was used. Results: There were important differences observed among two measured variables. Conclusion: The Brown Psychological Test differs in some cases researched persons because of sex and shows some psychological reserve area

Comparative analysis of the level of aggression between the women practicing judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu

Aim: Comparison of the level of aggression between the women practicing judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu against the average aggression level among Polish women. Materials and methods: A group of 30 women practicing judo and a group of 27 women practicing jiu-jitsu were tested by using a questionnaire to show the aggression level- ‘Aggression questionnaire’ by Buss, Amity Institute with Polish adaptations. Results: The total decreasing in the aggression level was observed among the group of women practicing judo and partial among women practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Conclusion: A longstanding practice of Brazilian jiu-jitsu by women results in decreasing of aggression level, what can be later used during planning therapeutic schemes

Supporting Unity developers with an AI-powered asset : insights from an exploratory user study on multiplayer game development

W odpowiedzi na rosnące wymagania dotyczące zaawansowanych narzędzi wspomagających rozwój gier, niniejszy artykuł przedstawia fazę eksploracyjną projektu badawczego kierowanego zasadami projektowania zorientowanego na użytkownika (UCD). Faza ta jest poświęcona konceptualizacji i wstępnej ocenie narzędzia wzbogaconego o AI, nazwanego MUN (Metaverse Unity Networking). Projekt został zainicjowany poprzez szczegółowe badanie potrzeb i preferencji użytkowników, a w badaniu zastosowano metodologie badań jakościowych, w tym osiem szczegółowych wywiadów i dyskusję w grupie fokusowej z trzema deweloperami. Rozwój algorytmów w ramach tego projektu prowadzi do ustanowienia silnika rekomendacji mającego na celu udoskonalenie procesu wyboru metod i strategii programowania dla rozwoju gier wieloosobowych. Ponadto, narzędzie zawiera mechanizmy wykrywania i korekcji błędów w kodzie źródłowym. Po serii iteracyjnych testów (obejmujących trzy iteracje z udziałem łącznie 40 użytkowników), narzędzie zostało poddane końcowej ocenie użyteczności z udziałem 32 deweloperów. Niniejszy dokument skupia się na początkowej fazie projektu, szczegółowo opisując główne wnioski dotyczące potrzeb i oczekiwań użytkowników zidentyfikowane podczas tego etapu eksploracyjnego.In response to the increasing requirements for advanced tools that facilitate game development, this paper presents the exploratory phase of a research project guided by User-Centered Design (UCD) principles. This phase is dedicated to the conceptualization and preliminary assessment of an AI-enhanced utility, termed MUN (Metaverse Unity Networking). Initiated through a detailed investigation of user needs and preferences, the study employs qualitative research methodologies, including eight in-depth interviews and a focus group discussion with three developers. The development of algorithms for this project leads to the establishment of a recommendation engine aimed at refining the selection process of programming methods and strategies for multiplayer game development. Furthermore, it incorporates mechanisms for the detection and correction of errors within the source code. Subsequent to a sequence of iterative tests (comprising three iterations with a collective participation of 40 users), the utility was subjected to a final usability evaluation involving 32 developers. This document focuses on the initial phase of the project, detailing the primary findings related to user needs and expectations as identified during this exploratory stage