A Data-driven Statistical Approach to Customer Behaviour Analysis and Modelling in Online Freemium Games

The video games industry is one of the most attractive and lucrative segments in the entertainment and digital media, with big business of more than $150 billion worldwide. A popular approach in this industry is the online freemium model, wherein the game is downloadable free of cost, while advanced and bonus content have optional charges. Monetisation is through micro payments by customers and the focus is on maintaining average revenue per user and lifetime value of players. The overall aim of this research is to develop suitable data-driven methods to gain insight about customer behaviour in online freemium games, with a view to providing recommendations for successful business in this industry.Three important aspects of user behaviour are modelled in this research - engagement, time until defection, and number of micro transactions made. A multiple logistic regression using penalised likelihood approach is found to be most suitable for modelling and demonstrates good fit and accuracy for assigning observations to engaged and non-engaged categories. Cox’s proportional hazards model is adopted to analyse time to defection, and a negative binomial zero-inflated model results in the best fit to the data on micro payments. Cluster analysis techniques are used to classify the wide variety of customers based on their gameplay styles, and social network models are developed to identify prominent ‘actors’ based on social interactions. Some of the significant predictors of engagement and monetisation are amount of premium in-game currency, success in missions and competency in virtual fights, and quantity of virtual resources used in the game.This research offers extensive insight into what drives the reputation, virality and commercial viability of freemium games. In particular it helps to fill a gap in understanding the behaviour of online game players by demonstrating the effectiveness of applying a data analytic approach. It gives more insight into the determinants of player behaviour than relying on observational studies or those based on survey research. Additionally, it refines statistical models and demonstrates their implementation in R to new and complex data types representing online customer behaviours

Prevalence of neurodevelopmental differences and autism in Scottish primary schools 2018–2022

From Wiley via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: received 2023-06-30, accepted 2023-10-30, epub 2023-11-27Article version: VoRPublication status: PublishedFunder: The City of Edinburgh CouncilFunder: National Health Service LothianFunder: Scottish Government; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100012095Donald Maciver - ORCID: 0000-0002-6173-429X https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6173-429XMarion Rutherford - ORCID: 0000-0002-2283-6736 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2283-6736Anusua Singh Roy - ORCID: 0000-0002-5483-8832 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5483-8832This study investigated the prevalence of neurodevelopmental needs among children in primary schools in Scotland. Two groups were identified: autistic learners and a larger group of learners who had neurodevelopmental differences. These differences encompassed any need for additional support in various domains, including communication, interaction, emotional regulation, coordination, movement, and cognition. A two‐phase process was employed, drawing on data from a cross‐sectional study followed by a secondary analysis of a population census. In the first phase, a random sample of 688 children with additional support needs from 22 schools participated. Demographics, support characteristics, and neurodevelopmental needs were identified. Results revealed that 76.89% of children with additional support needs exhibited a need type consistent with a neurodevelopmental difference. In the second phase, data from the Scottish Government Annual Pupil Census, covering all state‐provided primary school children between 2018 and 2022, were analyzed. Modeling was conducted using data from the first phase to estimate prevalence of neurodevelopmental differences. Data on autism were directly extracted from the census. Analysis revealed an increase in the prevalence of neurodevelopmental differences and autism. The prevalence of autism rose by 31.98%, with 2.60% of primary school children identified as autistic in 2022. Similarly, the prevalence of neurodevelopmental differences increased by 10.57%, with 16.22% of primary school children exhibiting such differences in 2022. Across 32 localities, regional variations in prevalence were observed. These findings show the substantial number of neurodivergent children within Scottish primary schools and emphasize the need for a neurodevelopmentally informed approach to inclusive education.aheadofprintaheadofprin

Adolescent psychosocial factors and participation in education and employment in young adulthood: A systematic review and meta-analyses

Susan Prior - ORCID 0000-0003-3069-6961 http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3069-6961Sumeyra Tayfur - ORCID: 0000-0002-5151-850X https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5151-850XAdolescence is a critical period for successful transition into adulthood. This systematic review of empirical longitudinal evidence investigated the associations between adolescent psychosocial factors and education and employment status in young adulthood. Five electronic databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, ASSIA and ERIC) were searched. Meta-analysis was conducted by using odds ratios (OR) as our common effect size; a narrative synthesis of results was also completed. Of the 8970 references screened, 14 articles were included and mapped into seven domains, namely, behavioral problems, peer problems, substance use, prosocial skills, self-evaluations, aspirations and physical activity. The results showed that behavioral problems (overall OR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.26–1.74) and peer problems (overall ORadj: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.02–1.57) were significantly associated with being out of education, employment and training (NEET) as young adults. Prosocial skills did not present a significant association (overall OR: 1.03; 95% CI: 0.92–1.15). Other domains were narratively synthesized. The role of substance use was less clear. Only a few studies were available for self-evaluations, aspirations and physical activity domains. Implications for research and practice are discussed.This study was funded by Lothian National Health Service, and Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, Scotland through a PhD bursary.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2021.10040434pubpu

The level of formal support received by people with severe mental illness living in supported accommodation and participation: A systematic review

Akkara Lionel Jose - ORCID: 0000-0003-0064-7106 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0064-7106Replaced AM deposited on 2021-01-26 with version without highlighting - 2021-02-02.Aim: The review aimed to identify and explore the association of level of support received by people with severe mental illness in supported accommodation and participation.Method: The authors conducted a systematic search in MEDLINE, PsychINFO, PsychARTICLES, CINAHL Plus and ASSIA. Searches were restricted to articles published in English and participants aged 18 years and over with severe mental illness. Articles were included based on level of support received in mental health supported accommodation, classified according to the Simple Taxonomy for Supported Accommodation, and three factors of participation: social participation, daily living functioning and personal empowerment. Studies of in-patient settings and nursing homes were excluded. The review protocol is registered on PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42019161808).Results: Six articles were included in the review from USA, Australia, Sweden and Taiwan. Factors of participation for people living in accommodation with moderate support and accommodation with high support were explored. Data indicated an association between level of support and participation showing that people living in accommodation with moderate support had increased participation compared to people living in accommodation with high support.Conclusion: This review identified an association between level of formal support and participation. People with SMI living in accommodation with medium support participated in more community occupations, more activities and had a higher level of personal empowerment than people living in accommodation with high support.https://doi.org/10.1177/002076402098857667pubpub

Psychometric evaluation of the Making it CLEAR questionnaire, a resilience measure for older adults

Lucy Whitehall - ORCID: 0000-0002-1090-2767 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1090-2767Sylwia Górska - ORCID: 0000-0002-6947-3362 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6947-3362AM replaced with VoR 2021-10-06Background and Objectives: Previous efforts to develop a resilience measure for older adults have largely failed to consider the environmental influences on their resilience, and have primarily concentrated on the resilience of community dwelling older adults. Our objective was to validate a new multidimensional measure of resilience, the Making it CLEAR (MiC) questionnaire, for use with older adults at the point of discharge from hospital.Research Design and Methods: This study tested the structure, validity and reliability of the MiC questionnaire. The questionnaire consists of 34 items, which assess the ‘individual determinants of resilience’ (IDoR) and the ‘environmental determinants of resilience’ (EDoR) across two subscales. 416 adults aged from 66 to 102 years participated. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), item analysis, and linear regression were undertaken.Results: The IDoR subscale contained six factors which were labelled ‘self-efficacy’, ‘values’, ‘interpersonal skills’, ‘life orientation’, ‘self-care ability’ and ‘process skills’. The EDoR subscale contained five factors related to ‘person-environment fit’, ‘friends’, ‘material assets’, ‘habits’ and ‘family’. Both subscales demonstrated acceptable convergent validity and internal consistency, while individual items showed acceptable levels of discrimination and difficulty.Discussion and Implications: The study provides evidence supporting the validity and quality of the MiC questionnaire. The results suggest that the MiC questionnaire could be used to identify the resilience needs of older adults at the point of hospital discharge. However, future research should identify which items of the MiC questionnaire are associated with hospital readmission, in order to develop an easily applicable screening tool for clinical practice.This work was supported by a PhD scholarship from Queen Margaret University and NHS Lothian.https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igab0305pubpub

A systematic review and correlational meta-analysis of factors associated with resilience of normally aging, community-living older adults

Sylwia Górska - ORCID: 0000-0002-6947-3362 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6947-3362Anusua Singh Roy - ORCID: 0000-0002-5483-8832 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5483-8832Lucy Whitehall - ORCID: 0000-0002-1090-2767 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1090-2767Linda Irvine Fitzpatrick - ORCID: 0000-0002-9599-8015 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9599-8015Kirsty Forsyth - ORCID: 0000-0002-6732-1699 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6732-1699Background and objectives: Global policy emphasizes the need to promote healthy aging through supporting inclusivity, safety, and functional independence. Research indicates that efforts to enhance resilience can contribute to meeting these objectives. We employed meta-analytical approach to examine evidence on resilience in community-living older adults.Research Design and Methods: We searched electronic databases until 13 January 2020 for observational studies investigating factors associated with resilience in this population. Articles had to provide quantitative data based on standardized assessment and include samples where mean participants’ age and lower 95% confidence interval was >55 years. We included 49 studies reported in 43 articles and completed 38 independent meta-analysis, 27 for personal and 11 for contextual factors associated with resilience.Results: A range of personal and contextual factors were significantly associated with resilience, with effects sizes predominantly small to moderate (0.1<r˂0.49). Factors reflecting psychological and physical wellbeing and access to / quality of social support were associated with higher resilience. Factors indicative of poorer psychological wellbeing and social challenges were associated with lower resilience. Longitudinal evidence was limited. The level of between study heterogeneity was substantial to considerable. Where relevant analysis was possible, the identified publication bias was also considerable.Discussion and Implications: The quality of the available evidence, as well as issues related to measurement of resilience, indicate the need for further work relative to its conceptualization and assessment. The presented findings have important clinical implications, particularly within the context of the COVID-19 impact on resilience in older adults.This work was jointly supported by National Health Service (NHS) Lothian and Queen Margaret University Edinburgh.https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnab110aheadofprintaheadofprin

Associations between adolescent psychosocial factors and disengagement from education and employment in young adulthood among individuals with common mental health problems

Sumeyra Nur Tayfur - ORCID: 0000-0002-5151-850X https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5151-850XTransition to adulthood can be a challenging developmental task for adolescents with common mental health problems and is linked to adverse outcomes such as ‘not in education, employment or training’ (NEET). This study investigated longitudinal associations between adolescent psychosocial factors (e.g., self-esteem, aspirations, bullying, physical activity) and later NEET status among individuals with common mental health problems (i.e., depression and anxiety). A secondary data analysis of the Next Steps cohort study was completed using waves 2 and 8. Psychosocial factors, mental health, and background characteristics were captured when participants were aged 15–16 years (wave 2) while still in compulsory education. The 12-item General Health Questionnaire was used to identify adolescents with common mental health problems. The study population consisted of 2224 participants (females 66.8%) of which 1473 (66.2%) were aged 15 years and 751 (33.8%) were aged 16 years in wave 2. The outcome was NEET status at ages 25–26 years (wave 8). The results showed that after adjusting for background characteristics, adolescent self-esteem, locus of control, bullying, physical activity, job aspirations, and attitudes to school predicted NEET status. Educational aspirations, substance use, and behavioural problems were not significantly associated with NEET status. These findings provide new insights into the role of adolescent psychosocial factors in the context of education and employment outcomes for youth at risk and highlight the necessity of targeted mental health support to improve life chances.This study was funded by Lothian National Health Service, and Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, Scotland through a Ph.D. bursary.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-022-01592-7pubpu

Quality of life outcomes for people with serious mental illness living in supported accommodation: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Michele Harrison - ORCID 0000-0001-6088-2998 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6088-2998Replaced AM with VoR 2020-05-25Purpose: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of Quality of Life (QoL) outcomes for people with serious mental illness living in three types of supported accommodation.Method: Studies were identified that described QoL outcomes for people with serious mental illness living in supported accommodation in 6 electronic databases. We applied a random-effects model to derive the meta-analytic results.Results: 13 studies from 7 countries were included, with 3276 participants receiving; high support (457), supported housing (1576) and floating outreach (1243). QoL outcomes related to wellbeing, living conditions and social functioning were compared between different supported accommodation types. Living condition outcomes were better for people living in supported housing ( = -0.31; CI = [-0.47; -0.16]) and floating outreach ( = -0.95; CI = [-1.30; -0.61]) compared to high support accommodation, with a medium effect size for living condition outcomes between supported housing and floating outreach ( = -0.40; CI = [-0.82; 0.03]), indicating that living conditions are better for people living in floating outreach. Social functioning outcomes were significant for people living in supported housing compared to high support ( = -0.37; CI = [-0.65; -0.09]), with wellbeing outcomes not significant between the three types of supported accommodation.Conclusion: There is evidence that satisfaction with living conditions differs across supported accommodation types. The results suggest there is a need to focus on improving social functioning and wellbeing outcomes for people with serious mental illness across supported accommodation types.https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-020-01885-x55pubpu