Eye contact and trust online:The effect of profile pictures on Airbnb booking

This study investigates uncertainty and trust in peer-to-peer (P2P) e-commerce in the shared economy of Airbnb. On P2P marketplaces individuals do business with each other based on the concept of sharing. This type of business may cause a feeling of risk and uncertainty. Hence, trust fulfils a key element in the transactions. On the Airbnb platform profile pictures of the renter are included to diminish consumers’ feelings of uncertainty. An experiment was performed with two accommodation offers that differed in eye contact (eye contact vs. no eye contact) on the profile picture. In total 319 participants took part in the experiment, 157 Dutch and 162 French. The results revealed that a profile picture with eye contact brought along more trust than without eye contact. Further, a higher level of trust leaded to a higher booking intention. Although the French were more uncertainty avoidant than the Dutch, no moderation effect was found for uncertainty avoidance on booking intention

The impact of group music therapy for individuals with eating disorders

Η παρούσα μελέτη μικτής μεθόδου διερεύνησε τον αντίκτυπο της ομαδικής μουσικοθεραπείας σε άτομα πουνοσηλεύονται λόγω διατροφικών διαταραχών. Στη μελέτη συμμετείχαν 21 άτομα ηλικίας από 16 έως 58ετών. Μελετήθηκε η ζώσα εμπειρία τους στη μουσικοθεραπεία, συμπεριλαμβανομένης της επίδρασης τηςμουσικής στη διάθεση και την συναισθηματική ρύθμιση. Τα δεδομένα, τα οποία συγκεντρώθηκαν με χρήση τηςκλίμακας “PANAS” (Positive and Negative Affect Scale) (Watson et al., 1988), και των υποκλιμάκων τηςκλίμακας "DERS" (Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale) (Gratz & Roemer, 2004), και του ερωτηματολογίου"ERQ" (Emotion Regulation Questionnaire) (Gross & John, 2003), κατέδειξαν μείωση αρνητικών συναισθημάτωντων συμμετεχόντων καθώς και μία αύξηση της ικανότητας για έκφραση των συναισθημάτων τους μετά τησυμμετοχή τους στη μουσικοθεραπεία. Τα δεδομένα που συγκεντρώθηκαν από ηχογραφήσεις και μεταγραφέςτων μουσικοθεραπευτικών συνεδριών και των ομάδων εστίασης [focus groups], προτείνουν ότι, μέσω τηςκοινής μουσικής δημιουργίας και εκτέλεσης, οι συμμετέχοντες ανακάλυψαν την ικανότητα της μουσικής νααναπαριστά ποικίλες πτυχές του εαυτού τους και της πορείας της ανάρρωσής τους, τη δυνατότητα τηςμουσικής να τους βοηθήσει να εξωτερικεύσουν, να διαφοροποιήσουν και να ασχοληθούν με τα συναισθήματάτους, και την ευχέρεια της μουσικής να προάγει κοινωνικούς δεσμούς.This mixed-methods study examined the impact of group music therapy upon individuals receiving inpatient treatment for eating disorders. There was a total of 21 participants ranging between the ages of 16 and 58. Participants’ lived experiences of music therapy, including music’s effects on mood and emotion regulation, were explored. Data collected through the “PANAS” (Positive and Negative Affect Scale) (Watson et al., 1988), and subscales of the “DERS” (Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale) (Gratz & Roemer, 2004), and “ERQ” (Emotion Regulation Questionnaire) (Gross & John, 2003), demonstrated that participants experienced a decrease in negative affect, as well as an increased ability to express emotion after participating in music therapy. Data collected through audio recordings and transcriptions of music therapy and focus group sessions suggested that, through creating and playing music together, participants discovered music’s ability to represent various aspects of themselves and their recovery journeys, music’s potential to support them to externalise, shift, and stay with emotions, and music’s capacity to foster social connection

Medical student assessments-frequency of radiological images used : a national study

Assessments are a key part of life for medical students at University. We know there is variation in these assessments across Universities. The aims of this study were to expatiate summative assessments in Scottish Medical Schools and to examine how frequently radiological images feature in them. All Scottish medical schools were invited to participate in the study. Data on objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs; 5 years) and written assessments (3 years) were retrospectively collected for each university and results were collated. Each University was randomly assigned a letter from A to E and anonymised for data presentation. 10,534 multiple choice questions (MCQ) and 1083 OSCE stations were included in this study. There was wide variation in the number, type and timing of assessments across Scottish medical schools. There were highly significant differences in the number of OSCE stations and the number of MCQs set over the study period ( <0.0001). Radiological images were used on average 0.6 times (range 0-1.1) in each OSCE examination and 2.4 times (range 0.1-3.7) for written assessments. In this detailed study, we demonstrated significant differences in medical student assessments across Scottish Universities. Given the importance of Radiology in modern medicine, the frequency and differences in which radiological images were used in assessments across Universities should be addressed. This is the first national longitudinal study to quantify the role of radiological images in summative Medical Student Assessments. Great variability exists in the extent and how (clinical versus written assessments) radiological images are used to assess Scottish medical students. Radiological images are used infrequently in clinical assessments, but are present in every written assessment. These findings could help inform medical schools and academic radiologists as they prepare medical students for the imminent unified medical licensing examination, where Clinical Imaging is a subject with one of the highest number of associated conditions examinable. [Abstract copyright: © 2020 The Authors. Published by the British Institute of Radiology.]Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

E-Zigaretten - Hilfe oder Verführer? Eine Dilemmasituation bewerten

Vorgestellt wird ein Unterrichtsentwurf für Schülerinnen und Schüler der Jahrgangsstufe 10-12. Anhand einer Dilemmasituation zu E-Zigaretten soll die Bewertungskompetenz gefördert und die Jugendlichen gegenüber dem Thema sensibilisiert werden

Exploring the association between moral injury and posttraumatic stress symptoms among Canadian public safety personnel.

Public safety personnel (PSP), such as police officers, firefighters, correctional workers, and paramedics, routinely face work stressors that increase their risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PSP may additionally face moral transgressions in the workplace (e.g., witnessing human suffering, working within broken systems), heightening the risk of moral injury (MI) in this population. Research among military personnel and health care workers shows an association between MI and PTSD; however, less is known about the association between these constructs among PSP. Canadian PSP completed an online survey between June 2022 and June 2023, including a demographic questionnaire and measures of PTSD, MI, dissociation, depression, anxiety, stress, and childhood adversity. Latent variable structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to ascertain the impact of a latent MI construct (i.e., shame, trust violation, functional impairment) on a latent PTSD construct (i.e., intrusions, avoidance, negative alterations in cognition and mood, hyperreactivity, depersonalization, derealization). Sex, age, depression, anxiety, stress, and childhood adversity were included as covariates. A total of 314 PSP were included in the data analysis. A latent variable SEM regressing PTSD onto MI and including covariates accounted for 83.7% of the variance in PTSD. MI was the strongest predictor compared to all covariates and was significantly associated with PTSD symptoms, β =&nbsp;.506, p &lt;&nbsp;.001, above and beyond the impacts of sex, age, depression, anxiety, stress, and childhood adversity. These findings are consistent with research among military members and health care providers and highlight the importance of further exploring MI among PSP

Development and effectiveness evaluation of an interactive e-learning environment to enhance digital health literacy in cancer patients: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundThe Internet allows cancer patients to access information about their disease at any time. However, the quality of online information varies widely and is often inaccurate or does not provide all the details patients need to make informed decisions. Additionally, patients’ often limited ability to find and evaluate cancer-related online information can lead to misinformation.ObjectiveAn interactive e-learning environment to promote digital health literacy will be developed and evaluated for effectiveness.Primary hypothesisCancer patients who use the e-learning environment (IG1.1–IG1.3) or the content of the environment as a non-interactive PDF file (IG2) will show greater improvement in their digital health literacy from baseline to 8 weeks after baseline compared to patients who receive no such intervention, but are referred to a standard information brochure.MethodsThe hypothesis will be tested in a stratified randomized controlled superiority trial with five parallel groups and the primary endpoint of digital health literacy. In an e-learning environment, patients will learn strategies to use when searching for reliable cancer-related online information. During development, a prototype will be refined through focus groups and tested for usability by experts and patients. 660 cancer patients will be recruited using convenience sampling and randomly assigned in a 3:1:1 ratio to IG1.1-IG1.3 (three variants of the environment), IG2, or the control group. Two thirds of the 660 participants will be recruited through the German Cancer Information Service (CIS) and one third through non-CIS routes. Allocation will follow stratified randomization, accounting for recruitment route (CIS vs. non-CIS) and cancer type (breast cancer vs. other cancers), with variable block length. The primary outcome, digital health literacy, will be measured at baseline, 2 weeks, and 8 weeks after baseline.ConclusionIf the results support the primary hypothesis, then the e-learning environment could empower patients to retrieve more reliable information about their disease. Concerns about the generalizability of the results, since a disproportionate number of inquiries to the CIS come from breast cancer patients, are addressed by a proportionally stratified randomization strategy and diversified recruitment routes