Experience Sampling

Experience Sampling refers to the repeated sampling of momentary experiences in the individual’s natural environment. Methodological advantages include the minimization of retrospective response biases and the maximization of the validity of the assessment. Conceptual benefits include the provision of insights into shortterm processes and into the daily-life contexts of the phenomena under study. Making use of the benefits of Experience Sampling while taking its methodological challenges into consideration allows addressing important research questions in the social and behavioral sciences with much precision and clarity. Despite this, Experience Sampling information is still rare in the data infrastructure that is publicly available to researchers. This stands in contrast to a current thriving of the methodology in research producing datasets that are not publicly available, as is the case in many psychological investigations. Following a discussion of the benefits and challenges of Experience Sampling, this report outlines its potential uses in social science and economic research and characterizes the status quo of Experience Sampling applications in currently available datasets, focusing primarily on household surveys conducted after 2001. Recommendations are given on how an intensified use of Experience Sampling in large-scale data collections can be facilitated in the future.Experience Sampling in the social and behavioural sciences

The receptive function of hypothalamic and brainstem centres to hormonal and nutrient signals affecting energy balance

The hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) and the area postrema (AP) represent targets for hormonal and metabolic signals involved in energy homoeostasis, e.g. glucose, amylin, insulin, leptin, peptide YY (PYY), glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and ghrelin. Orexigenic neuropeptide Y expressing ARC neurons are activated by food deprivation and inhibited by feeding in a nutrient-dependent manner. PYY and leptin also reverse or prevent fasting-induced activation of the ARC. Interestingly, hypothalamic responses to fasting are blunted in different models of obesity (e.g. diet-induced obesity (DIO) or late-onset obesity). The AP also responds to feeding-related signals. The pancreatic hormone amylin acts via the AP to control energy intake. Amylin-sensitive AP neurons are also glucose-responsive. Furthermore, diet-derived protein attenuates amylin responsiveness suggesting a modulation of AP sensitivity by macronutrient supply. This review gives an overview of the receptive function of the ARC and the AP to hormonal and nutritional stimuli involved in the control of energy balance and the possible implications in the context of obesity. Collectively, there is consistency between the neurophysiological actions of these stimuli and their effects on energy homoeostasis under experimental conditions. However, surprisingly little progress has been made in the development of effective pharmacological approaches against obesity. A promising way to improve effectiveness involves combination treatments (e.g. amylin/leptin agonists). Hormonal alterations (e.g. GLP-1 and PYY) are also considered to mediate body weight loss observed in obese patients receiving bariatric surgery. The effects of hormonal and nutritional signals and their interactions might hold the potential to develop poly-mechanistic therapeutic strategies against obesit

Term-minator, il WWW come vocabolario vivo

L'uso efficiente dei motori di ricerca per Internet e delle risorse on-line è una delle abilità fondamentali oggi richieste a terminologi, traduttori e mediatori linguistici. Questo articolo, dopo una sintetica panoramica sulle tipologie, le modalità d’uso e l’evoluzione degli strumenti di ricerca per Internet, presenta il portale di ricerca Term-minator1, sviluppato tenendo conto di tali esigenze ed evoluzioni. Termminator è uno strumento di ricerca avanzata per terminologi, traduttori, redattori e linguisti che amplia le potenzialità dei motori di ricerca, proponendo filtri di ricerca automatizzati con stringhe che combinando in modo mirato gli operatori e le parole chiave indirizza la ricerca a pagine, fonti informative, strumenti terminologici, portali ecc., utili per scopi traduttivi o di ricerca terminologica. Vengono illustrate la struttura, la funzionalità, le possibilità offerte e mostrati alcuni esempi

Experience sampling

"Experience Sampling refers to the repeated sampling of momentary experiences in the individual's natural environment. Methodological advantages include the minimization of retrospective response biases and the maximization of the validity of the assessment. Conceptual benefits include the provision of insights into short-term processes and into the daily-life contexts of the phenomena under study. Making use of the benefits of Experience Sampling while taking its methodological challenges into consideration allows addressing important research questions in the social and behavioral sciences with much precision and clarity. Despite this, Experience Sampling information is still rare in the data infrastructure that is publicly available to researchers. This stands in contrast to a current thriving of the methodology in research producing datasets that are not publicly available, as is the case in many psychological investigations. Following a discussion of the benefits and challenges of Experience Sampling, this report outlines its potential uses in social science and economic research and characterizes the status quo of Experience Sampling applications in currently available datasets, focusing primarily on household surveys conducted after 2001. Recommendations are given on how an intensified use of Experience Sampling in large-scale data collections can be facilitated in the future." (author's abstract

Measuring Time Use in Surveys: How Valid Are Time Use Questions in Surveys? Concordance of Survey and Experience Sampling Measures

Since it is still unclear to what extent time allocation retrospectively reported in questionnaires, reflects people's actual behavior, examining the accuracy of responses to time use survey questions is of crucial importance. We analyze the congruence of time use information assessed through retrospective questionnaires and through experience sampling methodology. The sample comprised 433 individuals ranging in age from 14 to 86 years. Participants completed standard survey questions on time allocation. In addition, a mobile-phone based experience sampling technology was used over a period of three weeks to obtain snapshots of, on average, 54 momentary activities in which participants participated while pursuing their normal daily routines. Experience sampling assessments were scheduled six times a day over at least nine days, including workdays, Saturdays, andSundays. Results indicate that the congruence between time allocation assessed with survey questions (i.e. in SOEP) and time allocation assessed with experience sampling methodology depends on the characteristics of the respective activities. Associations between standard survey questions and experience sampling methods are quite substantial for long-lasting and externally structured activities, such as paid work on workdays. Incontrast, associations between survey and experience sampling methods are somewhat weaker, though highly statistically significant, for less externally structured, short-term and infrequent activities, such as errands, housework, and leisure. These moderate and relatively small correlations may indicate either an error-prone estimation of the prevalence of shortterm and infrequent activities by experience sampling or respondents' overrating of sporadic and short activities in survey questions. We conclude that activities with a long duration, such as paid work, can be measured in a satisfactory manner using short survey questions. Futureresearch is necessary to elucidate which method (experience sampling method or survey questions) delivers more reliable and valid measures for shortterm and sporadic activities.Day Reconstruction Methods (DRM) should be included in this future methodological research.Survey methods, experience sampling method, validity, time use, market work, housework, leisure, German Socio-Economic Panel Study, MMAA, SOEP

User and Provider Perspectives on Improving Mental Healthcare for Syrian Refugee Women in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Introduction: Refugees have higher risk of developing mental illness like anxiety, depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as they flee from violence. Women refugees may have unique mental healthcare needs due to their vulnerability to gender-based violence and abuse during flight from war. The research question of this study was what the health system can do better to address the mental healthcare needs of refugee women in Winnipeg. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 9 Syrian refugee women and 6 service providers/decision makers. The interviews were analyzed using qualitative inductive analysis and coded for themes based on recurring issues. Results: Limited understanding of mental health and illness among refugees, stigma, and the need for culturally competent care were noted by the service providers. System navigation, language, unemployment and safety of family members left behind in Syria were the main concerns of the refugee women. While there are many programs available for refugee women in Winnipeg, lack of collaboration and coordination among providers was identified. Conclusions: This study recommends that service providers use resources developed by UNHCR and Canadian physicians in providing culturally competent care, decision makers take leadership roles in implementing better collaboration among agencies, employers be open in hiring refugees and everyone in the society ensures that the refugee women feel welcomed and included