Can intrinsic and extrinsic metacognitive cues shield against distraction in problem solving?

We investigated the capacity for two different forms of metacognitive cue to shield against auditory distraction in problem solving with Compound Remote Associates Tasks (CRATs). Experiment 1 demonstrated that an intrinsic metacognitive cue in the form of processing disfluency (manipulated using an easy-to-read vs. difficult-to-read font) could increase focal task engagement so as to mitigate the detrimental impact of distraction on solution rates for CRATs. Experiment 2 showed that an extrinsic metacognitive cue that took the form of an incentive for good task performance (i.e., 80% or better CRAT solutions) could likewise eliminate the negative impact of distraction on CRAT solution rates. Overall, these findings support the view that both intrinsic and extrinsic metacognitive cues have remarkably similar effects. This suggests that metacognitive cues operate via a common underlying mechanism whereby a participant applies increased focal attention to the primary task so as to ensure more steadfast task engagement that is not so easily diverted by task-irrelevant stimuli

Embedding Employability in Non-vocational Undergraduate Courses: A Reflection on Practice Across the Institute of Health and Society at the University of Worcester

Employability can be defined simply as the character or quality of being employable (Hillage & Pollard, 1998). For students, undertaking a higher education degree is largely framed in terms of becoming more employable (McCowan, 2015) and, as a result, preferring courses that enable them to develop transferrable knowledge and skills which will increase their competitiveness in the labour market (Gosling, 2009). The concept of employability therefore continues to be highly relevant in a higher education context, for both students in work and those seeking work (McQuaid & Lindsay, 2005). Indeed, universities have an important responsibility to ensure their undergraduate courses have relevance to the employment market (Pothigai Selvan, 2013). The range of skills students develop in higher education is diverse, depending on their course and experience of work during study. Critical thinking, problem solving, research and analytical skills, interpersonal awareness, communication, self-reflection, time management, team working, and autonomy are key examples of skills developed during university and are highly attractive to a wide range of employers (Reddy, Lantz & Hulme, 2013). Given the importance of employability to students and prospective employers alike, it is imperative that careful consideration is given as to how to effectively embed employability across undergraduate courses. In light of this, this article aims to explore the ways in which employability is currently integrated across non-vocational disciplines within the Institute of Health and Society at University of Worcester, with a focus on key examples of practice drawn from Applied Criminology, Applied Health and Social Sciences and Psychology

A Case Study of Career Success: Male Employees in Two Public Sector, Female-Dominated Occupations

Patterns have been identified in the careers literature that suggest there has been a change from traditional to contemporary careers over time (Sullivan & Baruch, 2009). More recent research has seen definitions of career success being shaped to acknowledge the variety of career paths that now exist. Recent definitions therefore, often refer to the achievement of desirable work-related outcomes at any point in an individual’s work experiences over time (Arthur, Khapova & Wilderom, 2005), as opposed to achievements that are associated with the end of an individual’s career. However, it is argued that occupational context continues to play an important role in defining careers and subsequent career success. Despite this, literature on gender and careers continues to advocate key differences in the success of males and females, regardless of occupational context. Predictors of male career success include objective indicators such as salary, promotions and hierarchical position; whereas subjective criteria, such as helping others and maintaining a work-life balance are thought to be more important to females (McDonald, Brown & Bradley, 2005; Ng et al, 2005). In contrast, many studies have focused on gender-segregated occupations and indicate that women experience discrimination and disadvantage in relation to success in male-dominated environments (Dann, 1995; Demaiter & Adams, 2009). However, despite a small body of research that documents mixed experiences of males in female-dominated occupations, career success of males in this context is yet to be explored. This thesis therefore aimed to address the gap in the current knowledge by conducting an in-depth exploration of male definitions of career success in one professional and one non-professional female-dominated occupation. A qualitative methodology was adopted in response to calls from the career success literature to utilise this approach to uncover personal meanings of success. First, a series of semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of male primary school teachers (n=15) and university administrators (n=19) to explore personal definitions of success, motivations for entry and experience of working in a female- xi dominated environment. Findings suggest that male definitions of success related to complex themes of personal, professional, social and life success, in contrast to objective and subjective categories in the existing literature. It was apparent that success was considered to be a fluid concept that could be achieved on a continuous basis in line with occupational and organisational influence. The second phase of the case study evaluated career interventions available to males in primary schools and universities in relation to personal definitions of success. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with an opportunity sample of representatives from male’s employing organisations, including n=4 members of Senior Leadership Teams from primary schools and n=9 managers and personnel staff from universities. Themes that emerged suggested individual and organisational definitions of career success were conflicting at times. Specifically, career interventions did not always complement the achievement of success. Rather, males referred to the benefits of informal organisational mechanisms to support their achievement of success, such as communication, socialising and information sharing, which organisations did not appear to be aware of. Overall, the case study provides a critique of the literature on generic predictors of male success by reconceptualising definitions to include themes of personal, professional, social and life success. Implications of the key findings are discussed and avenues for future research and applications to practice are considered

Analysis of Pungency Sensation Effects from an Oral Processing, Sensorial and Emotions Detection Perspective-Case Study with Grilled Pork Meat

The present study analyzes pungency stimuli during mastication and after swallowing through three perspectives: oral processing, sensory perception and emotion detection. Results may be used by food scientists in understanding different effects that occur while consuming pungent food. Pungency is an interesting sensory stimulus analyzed from different perspectives, in particular the underpinning mechanisms of its sensation and perception. In this study, grilled pork meat coated with three types of hot sauces were investigated regarding its main food oral processing characteristics and evaluated using time-intensity and temporal dominance of pungency sensations methods analyzing the pungency descriptors and intensities. Besides these methods, facial expressions obtained from video capturing were subject to emotion detection. Mastication parameters showed a slight, but not statistically significant, trend of an increased number of chews and consumption time associated with pungency intensity, while saliva incorporation indicated an increasing trend depending on the pungency intensity, especially after 25 strokes and before swallowing. Both time intensity and temporal dominance of pungency sensations showed that the complexity of understanding these sensations is in relation to intensity and type. Finally, the use of emotion detection software in analyzing the faces of panelists during mastication confirmed the increase in non-neutral emotions associated with the increase in pungency intensity

Embedding Employability in Non-vocational Undergraduate Courses: A Reflection on Practice Across the Institute of Health and Society at the University of Worcester

Employability can be defined simply as the character or quality of being employable (Hillage & Pollard, 1998). For students, undertaking a higher education degree is largely framed in terms of becoming more employable (McCowan, 2015) and, as a result, preferring courses that enable them to develop transferrable knowledge and skills which will increase their competitiveness in the labour market (Gosling, 2009). The concept of employability therefore continues to be highly relevant in a higher education context, for both students in work and those seeking work (McQuaid & Lindsay, 2005). Indeed, universities have an important responsibility to ensure their undergraduate courses have relevance to the employment market (Pothigai Selvan, 2013). The range of skills students develop in higher education is diverse, depending on their course and experience of work during study. Critical thinking, problem solving, research and analytical skills, interpersonal awareness, communication, self-reflection, time management, team working, and autonomy are key examples of skills developed during university and are highly attractive to a wide range of employers (Reddy, Lantz & Hulme, 2013). Given the importance of employability to students and prospective employers alike, it is imperative that careful consideration is given as to how to effectively embed employability across undergraduate courses. In light of this, this article aims to explore the ways in which employability is currently integrated across non-vocational disciplines within the Institute of Health and Society at University of Worcester, with a focus on key examples of practice drawn from Applied Criminology, Applied Health and Social Sciences and Psychology