Catastrophizing mediates the relationship between the personal belief in a just world and pain outcomes among chronic pain support group attendees

Health-related research suggests the belief in a just world can act as a personal resource that protects against the adverse effects of pain and illness. However, currently, little is known about how this belief, particularly in relation to one’s own life, might influence pain. Consistent with the suggestions of previous research, the present study undertook a secondary data analysis to investigate pain catastrophizing as a mediator of the relationship between the personal just world belief and chronic pain outcomes in a sample of chronic pain support group attendees. Partially supporting the hypotheses, catastrophizing was negatively correlated with the personal just world belief and mediated the relationship between this belief and pain and disability, but not distress. Suggestions for future research and intervention development are made

Smart textile pressure sensor matrices - investigation of sensor characteristics for use in the surgical environment

This paper presents research on flat textile pressure sensor characteristics that are advantageous for use in the surgical environment. Eight, 4 by 4 textile pressure matrices were subjected to sensor error testing to evaluate the sensor output differences on foam vs. no foam. The pressure matrices were tested using a compression tester while monitoring the voltage output. The errors analysed included the span, sensitivity, and nonlinearity. The findings show that for use in the surgical environment, prototypes two and three demonstrate better performances in the tests on foam, and both prototypes exhibit properties that are more suited for the surgical environment and warrant further prototype development

Changes in Health Perceptions after Exposure to Human Suffering: Using Discrete Emotions to Understand Underlying Processes

Background: The aim of this study was to examine whether exposure to human suffering is associated with negative changes in perceptions about personal health. We further examined the relation of possible health perception changes, to changes in five discrete emotions (i.e., fear, guilt, hostility/anger, and joviality), as a guide to understand the processes underlying health perception changes, provided that each emotion conveys information regarding triggering conditions. Methodology/Findings: An experimental group (N = 47) was exposed to images of human affliction, whereas a control group (N = 47) was exposed to relaxing images. Participants in the experimental group reported more health anxiety and health value, as well as lower health-related optimism and internal health locus of control, in comparison to participants exposed to relaxing images. They also reported more fear, guilt, hostility and sadness, as well as less joviality. Changes in each health perception were related to changes in particular emotions. Conclusion: These findings imply that health perceptions are shaped in a constant dialogue with the representations about the broader world. Furthermore, it seems that the core of health perception changes lies in the acceptance that personal well-being is subject to several potential threats, as well as that people cannot fully control many of the factors the determine their own well-being

Tracing digital transformation in educational organizations

This chapter describes the quantitative approaches for assessing various aspects of digital transformation from the joint research and development project #ko.vernetzt. In an application-oriented case study approach, the operationalization of a maturity model of digital transformation for educational organizations (MMEO) and the design and implementation of a multi-perspective evaluation concept are outlined. While the MMEO provides a state perspective on the digital transformation of an educational organization and its employees, the evaluation concept aims at tracing developments of media-related professional competencies. MMEO has been implemented in a study with N = 222 participants, while N = 59 learners were subject to the evaluation polls. The results provide the necessary evidence for implementing and continuously improving a qualification program in the regarded research context. However, the methodology can also be transferred to other organizations in the education sector and beyond

Dictator Games: A Meta Study

Over the last 25 years, more than a hundred dictator game experiments have been published. This meta study summarizes the evidence. Exploiting the fact that most experiments had to fix parameters they did not intend to test, the meta study explores a rich set of control variables for multivariate analysis. It shows that Tobit models (assuming that dictators would even want to take money) and hurdle models (assuming that the decision to give a positive amount is separate from the choice of amount, conditional on giving) outperform mere meta-regression and OLS

Belief in a just world and well-being of bullies, victims, and defenders: a study with Portuguese and Indian students

Previous findings characterize the belief in a just world (BJW) as a valuable resource for maintaining positive well-being and assimilating injustice. The present cross-sectional study applies just world research to school bullying and tested the hypotheses that the personal BJW is positively correlated with subjective well-being, here particularly school distress. In this paper the generalizability of this association is tested in victims, bullies, and defenders, and across gender and also two countries with different cultures, Portugal and India. We will test if BJW can best be interpreted as a personal resource (main effect) or a buffer (moderator) for the distress of victims, bullies and defenders of the victims. The participants were 465 school students (Portuguese sample: 187 students aged between 12 and 18 years; Indian sample: 278 Indian students aged between 14 and 17 years). Overall, the results of the study supported the personal resource hypothesis. The stronger the adolescents' endorsements of the BJW the less they felt distressed at school, and this was true independent of their bullying behavior and within both sexes and across both samples, although boys, bullies, and Portuguese adolescents experienced more distress and defenders experienced less distress at school