Search results for: athletes' psychological preparation
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 3606

Search results for: athletes' psychological preparation

3126 Study of Polish and Ukrainian Volunteers Helping War Refugees. Psychological and Motivational Conditions of Coping with Stress of Volunteer Activity

Authors: Agata Chudzicka-Czupała, Nadiya Hapon, Liudmyla Karamushka, Marta żywiołek-Szeja

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Objectives: The study is about the determinants of coping with stress connected with volunteer activity for Russo-Ukrainian war 2022 refugees. We examined the mental health reactions, chosen psychological traits, and motivational functions of volunteers working in Poland and Ukraine in relation to their coping with stress styles. The study was financed with funds from the Foundation for Polish Science in the framework of the FOR UKRAINE Programme. Material and Method: The study was conducted in 2022. The study was a quantitative, questionnaire-based survey. Data was collected through an online survey. The volunteers were asked to assess their propensity to use different styles of coping with stress connected with their activity for Russo-Ukrainian war refugees using The Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory (Brief-COPE) questionnaire. Depression, anxiety, and stress were measured using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress (DASS)-21 item scale. Chosen psychological traits, psychological capital and hardiness, were assessed by The Psychological Capital Questionnaire and The Norwegian Revised Scale of Hardiness (DRS-15R). Then The Volunteer Function Inventory (VFI) was used. The significance of differences between the variable means of the samples was tested by the Student's t-test. We used multivariate linear regression to identify factors associated with coping with stress styles separately for each national sample. Results: The sample consisted of 720 volunteers helping war refugees (in Poland, 435 people, and 285 in Ukraine). The results of the regression analysis indicate variables that are significant predictors of the propensity to use particular styles of coping with stress (problem-focused style, emotion-focused style and avoidant coping). These include levels of depression and stress, individual psychological characteristics and motivational functions, different for Polish and Ukrainians. Ukrainian volunteers are significantly more likely to use all three coping with stress styles than Polish ones. The results also prove significant differences in the severity of anxiety, stress and depression, the selected psychological traits and motivational functions studied, which led volunteers to participate in activities for war refugees. Conclusions: The results show that depression and stress severity, as well as psychological capital and hardiness, and motivational factors are connected with coping with stress behavior. The results indicate the need for increased attention to the well-being of volunteers acting under stressful conditions. They also prove the necessity of guiding the selection of people for specific types of volu

Keywords: anxiety, coping with stress styles, depression, hardiness, mental health, motivational functions, psychological capital, resilience, stress, war, volunteer, civil society

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3125 Propane Dehydrogenation with Better Stability by a Modified Pt-Based Catalyst

Authors: Napat Hataivichian

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The effect of transition metal doping on Pt/Al2O3 catalyst used in propane dehydrogenation reaction at 500˚C was studied. The preparation methods investigated were sequential impregnation (Pt followed by the 2nd metal or the 2nd metal followed by Pt) and co-impregnation. The metal contents of these catalysts were fixed as the weight ratio of Pt per the 2nd metal of around 0.075. These catalysts were characterized by N2-physisorption, TPR, CO-chemisorption and NH3-TPD. It was found that the impregnated 2nd metal had an effect upon reducibility of Pt due to its interaction with transition metal-containing structure. This was in agreement with the CO-chemisorption result that the presence of Pt metal, which is a result from Pt species reduction, was decreased. The total acidity of bimetallic catalysts is decreased but the strong acidity is slightly increased. It was found that the stability of bimetallic catalysts prepared by co-impregnation and sequential impregnation where the 2nd metal was impregnated before Pt were better than that of monometallic catalyst (undoped Pt one) due to the forming of Pt sites located on the transition metal-oxide modified surface. Among all preparation methods, the sequential impregnation method- having Pt impregnated before the 2nd metal gave the worst stability because this catalyst lacked the modified Pt sites and some fraction of Pt sites was covered by the 2nd metal.

Keywords: alumina, dehydrogenation, platinum, transition metal

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3124 Design of Built-Spaces and Enhanced Psychological Wellbeing by Limiting Effect of SBS: An Analytical Study across Students in Indian Universities

Authors: Sadaf H. Khan, Jyoti Kumar

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Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is a situation in which inhabitants of a building develop illness symptoms or get infected with a chronic disease as a result of the building in which they reside or work. Certain symptoms tend to get more severe as an individual spends more time in the building; however, they generally improve with time or even disappear when they leave that space. Though ‘Design of Built-Spaces’ is a crucial factor in regulating these symptoms but it still needs to be identified further as to what specific design features of a ‘Built-Space’ trigger sick building syndrome (SBS). Much of the research work present to date is focused on the physiological or physical sickness caused due to inappropriate built-space design. In this paper, the psychological aspects of sick building syndrome (SBS) will be investigated across the adult population, more specifically graduate students in India trying to settle in back to their previous physical work environments, i.e., campus, classrooms, hostels, after a very long hold which lasted more than a year due to lockdowns during Covid-19 crisis all over the world. The study will follow an analytical approach and the data will be collected through self-reported online surveys. The purpose of this study is to enquire causal agents, diagnosable symptoms and remedial design of built spaces which can enhance the productive level of built environments and better facilitate the inhabitants by improving their psychological wellbeing, which is the most uprising concern. The fact that SBS symptoms can be studied only within the initial few weeks as an occupant starts interacting with a built-environment and leaves as the occupant leaves that space or zone, the post-lockdown incoming of students back to their respective campuses provides an opportunity to clearly draw multiple conclusions of the relationship that exist between the Design of Built-Spaces and Psychological Sickness Syndrome associated with it. The study will be one of a kind approach for understanding and formulating methods to improve psychological wellbeing within a built-setting by better identifying factors associated with these psychological symptoms, including anxiety, mental fatigue, reduced attention span and reduced memory span as refined symptoms of SBS discussed in 1987 by Molhave within his study.

Keywords: built-environment psychology, built-space design, healthcare architecture, psychological wellbeing

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3123 Desire as Psychological Case against Nihilism and a Clear Mechanism as Evidence for Moral Realism

Authors: Paul Pistone

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Nihilism claims that there are no actual intrinsic goods. Desire, however, directly contradicts this claim. To desire, something is more than to be motivated to bring about the desired ends. It is more than to take pleasure in it, seeming that one has obtained her desired end. Desire is, further, more than believing that something is good. Desire is the perception that something is good for the self. In this paper, it is argued that desire is an agent-relative value seeming. This implies that there are intrinsic values. It will be argued that: (1) there are intrinsic values related to life and flourishing, (2) that it is metaphysically impossible that there are no intrinsic values, (3) that desire is our psychological mechanism which enables us to perceive a state of affairs or event as an agent-relative good, and (4) while we can be wrong about the large scale object of desire (i.e., the instrumental desire) we cannot be wrong about what is at the root of our desire (i.e., the intrinsic desire). The method of this paper will be to examine the claims of nihilism and moral realism in recent literature, present a case for moral realism, discuss a few theories of desire, connect moral realism to an evaluative perceptual model of desire, and conclude that not only is this the best theory of desire but that this psychological faculty offers a clear counterexample to nihilism.

Keywords: desire, moral realism, nihilism, perception

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3122 Psychological Sense of School Membership and Coping Ability as Predictors of Multidimensional Life Satisfaction among School Children

Authors: Mary Banke Iyabo Omoniyi

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Children in the developing countries have complex social, economic, political and environmental contexts that create a wide range of challenges for school children to surmount as they journey through school from childhood to adolescent. Many of these children have little or no personal resources and social support to confront these challenges. This study employed a descriptive research design of survey type to investigate the psychological sense of school membership and coping skills as they relate to the multidimensional life satisfaction of the school children. The sample consists of 835 school children with the age range of 7-11 years who were randomly selected from twenty schools in Ondo state, Nigeria. The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire consisting of 4 sections A, B, C and D. Section A contained items on the children’s bio-data (Age, School, father’s and mother’s educational qualifications), section B is the Multidimensional Children Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (MCLSQ) with a 20 item Likert type scale. The response format range from Never= 1 to Almost always =4. The (MCLSQ) was designed to provide profile of children satisfaction with important domains of (school, family and friends). Section C is the Psychological Sense of School Membership Questionnaire (PSSMQ) with 18 items having response format ranging from Not at true=1 to completely true=5. While section D is the Self-Report Coping Questionnaire (SRCQ) which has 16 items with response ranging from Never =1 to Always=5. The instrument has a test-retest reliability coefficient of r = 0.87 while the sectional reliabilities for MCLSQ, PSSMQ and SRCQ are 0.86, 0.92 and 0.89 respectively. The results indicated that self-report coping skill was significantly correlated with multidimensional life satisfaction (r=592;p<0.05). However, the correlation between multidimensional life satisfaction and psychological sense of school membership was not significant (r=0.038;p>0.05). The regression analysis indicated that the contribution of mother’s education and father’s education to psychological sense of school member of the children were 0.923, Adjusted R2 is 0.440 and 0.730 and Adjusted R2 is 0.446. The results also indicate that contribution of gender to psychological sense of school for male and female has R= 0.782, Adjusted R2 = 0.478 and R = 0.998, Adjusted R2 i= 0.932 respectively. In conclusion, mother’s education qualification was found to contribute more to children psychological sense of membership and multidimensional life satisfaction than father’s. The girl child was also found to have more sense of belonging to the school setting than boy child. The counselling implications and recommendations among others were geared towards positive emotional gender sensitivity with regards to the male folk. Education stakeholders are also encouraged to make the school environment more conducive and gender friendly.

Keywords: multidimensional life satisfaction, psychological sense of school, coping skills, counselling implications

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3121 Psychological Wellbeing, Lifestyle, and Negative and Positive Effects among Adults

Authors: Rahat Zaman

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The present study was conducted to investigate psychological well-being and positive and negative affect among adults. The sample comprised 221 adults; the sample was collected from all over Pakistan. Psychological well-being was measured with the help of the psychological well-being scale developed by Ryff and Keyes (1995). Lifestyle was measured with the help of the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile Scale developed by Walker et al. (1995). Positive and negative effects were measured by PANAS, developed by Watson, Clark, and Tellegen (1998). To check the properties of scale, the alpha reliability coefficient was calculated. To test the hypotheses of the research, correlation, independent sample t-rest, and ANOVA were computed. It was hypothesized that there would be a positive relationship between psychological well-being and lifestyles and positive affect. The results show that psychological well-being, lifestyle, and positive affect are positively related. This also supports our hypothesis. The research also searched for relationships in the study variables according to the demographics of the sample. The respondents varied according to their dominant affect levels with respect to their psychological well-being and lifestyles. The research found significant differences for the genders in life appreciation, nutrition, and negative affect. Single and married individuals differed significantly on autonomy, environmental mastery, life appreciation, nutrition, and stress management. Individuals showed significant differences with respect to their living situation, joint and nuclear family members showed significant differences in personal growth, autonomy, health responsibilities, social support, physical activities, and stress management. The sample showed significant differences in environmental mastery, personal growth, purpose in life, life appreciation, health responsibilities, physical activities, stress management, and negative affect when divided in socioeconomic status. Age-wise analysis showed significant differences in autonomy, personal growth, purpose in life, life appreciation, nutrition, and stress management. Provincially significant differences were found in life appreciation, nutrition, social support, physical activities, and stress management, and both positive and negative effects were experienced. Implications of the results are discussed.

Keywords: wellbeing, healthy lifestyle, self acceptance, positive

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3120 Enhanced Photocatalytic H₂ Production from H₂S on Metal Modified Cds-Zns Semiconductors

Authors: Maali-Amel Mersel, Lajos Fodor, Otto Horvath

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Photocatalytic H₂ production by H₂S decomposition is regarded to be an environmentally friendly process to produce carbon-free energy through direct solar energy conversion. For this purpose, sulphide-based materials, as photocatalysts, were widely used due to their excellent solar spectrum responses and high photocatalytic activity. The loading of proper co-catalysts that are based on cheap and earth-abundant materials on those semiconductors was shown to play an important role in the improvement of their efficiency. In this research, CdS-ZnS composite was studied because of its controllable band gap and excellent performance for H₂ evolution under visible light irradiation. The effects of the modification of this photocatalyst with different types of materials and the influence of the preparation parameters on its H₂ production activity were investigated. The CdS-ZnS composite with an enhanced photocatalytic activity for H₂ production was synthesized from ammine complexes. Two types of modification were used: compounds of Ni-group metals (NiS, PdS, and Pt) were applied as co-catalyst on the surface of CdS-ZnS semiconductor, while NiS, MnS, CoS, Ag₂S, and CuS were used as a dopant in the bulk of the catalyst. It was found that 0.1% of noble metals didn’t remarkably influence the photocatalytic activity, while the modification with 0.5% of NiS was shown to be more efficient in the bulk than on the surface. The modification with other types of metals results in a decrease of the rate of H₂ production, while the co-doping seems to be more promising. The preparation parameters (such as the amount of ammonia to form the ammine complexes, the order of the preparation steps together with the hydrothermal treatment) were also found to highly influence the rate of H₂ production. SEM, EDS and DRS analyses were made to reveal the structure of the most efficient photocatalysts. Moreover, the detection of the conduction band electron on the surface of the catalyst was also investigated. The excellent photoactivity of the CdS-ZnS catalysts with and without modification encourages further investigations to enhance the hydrogen generation by optimization of the reaction conditions.

Keywords: H₂S, photoactivity, photocatalytic H₂ production, CdS-ZnS

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3119 Effect of the Nature of the Precursor on the Performance of Cu-Mn Catalysts for CO and VOCs Oxidation

Authors: Elitsa Kolentsova, Dimitar Dimitrov, Krasimir Ivanov

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The catalytic oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde is an important industrial process in which the waste gas in addition to CO contains methanol and dimethyl ether (DME). Evaluation of the possibility of removing the harmful components from the exhaust gasses needs a more complex investigation. Our previous work indicates that supported Cu-Mn oxide catalysts are promising for effective deep oxidation of these compounds. This work relates to the catalyst, comprising copper-manganese spinel, coated on carrier γ-Al₂O₃. The effect of preparation conditions on the active component composition and activity behavior of the catalysts is discussed. Different organometallic compounds on the base of four natural amino acids (Glycine, Alanine, Valine, Leucine) as precursors were used for the preparation of catalysts with Cu/Mn molar ratio 1:5. X-Ray and TEM analysis were performed on the catalyst’s bulk, and surface composition and the specific surface area was determined by BET method. The results obtained show that the activity of the catalysts increase up to 40% although there are some specific features, depending on the nature of the amino acid and the oxidized compound.

Keywords: Cu-Mn/γ-Al₂O₃, CO and VOCs oxidation, heterogeneous catalysis, amino acids

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3118 A Novel Alginate/Tea Waste Complex for Restoration and Conservation of Historical Textiles Using Immobilized Enzymes

Authors: Mohamed E. Hassan

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Through numerous chemical linkages, historical textiles in burial contexts or in museums are exposed to many different forms of stains and filth. The cleaning procedure must be carried out carefully without causing any irreparable harm, and sediments must be removed without damaging the surface's original material. Science and technology continue to develop novel methods for cleaning historical textiles and artistic surfaces biologically (using enzymes). Lipase and α-amylase were immobilized on nanoparticles of alginate/tea waste nanoparticle complex and used in historical textile cleaning. The preparation of nanoparticles, activation, and enzyme immobilization were characterized. Optimization of loading times and units of the two enzymes was done. It was found that the optimum time and units of amylase were 3 hours and 30 U, respectively. While the optimum time and units of lipase were 2.5 hours and 20 U, respectively, FT-IR and TGA instruments were used in proving the preparation of nanoparticles and the immobilization process. SEM was used to examine the fibres before and after treatment. In conclusion, a new carrier was prepared from alginate/Tea waste and optimized to be used in the restoration and conservation of historical textiles using immobilized lipase and α-amylase.

Keywords: alginate/tea waste, nanoparticles, immobilized enzymes, historical textiles

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3117 Effect of Psychological Stress to the Mucosal IL-6 and Helicobacter pylori Activity in Functional Dyspepsia and Myocytes

Authors: Eryati Darwin, Arina Widya Murni, Adnil Edwin Nurdin

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Background: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a highly prevalent and heterogeneous disorder. Most patients with FD complain of symptoms related to the intake of meals. Psychological stress may promote peptic ulcer and had an effect on ulcers associated Hp, and may also trigger worsen symptoms in inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal. Cells in mucosal gastric stimulate the production of several cytokines, which might associated with Helicobacter pylori infection. The cascade of biological events leading to stress-induced FD remains poorly understood. Aim of Study: To determine the prion-flammatory cytokine IL-6, and Helicobacter pylori activity on mucosal gastric of FD and their association with psychological stress. Methods: The subjects of this study were dyspeptic patients who visited M. Djamil General Hospital and in two Community Health Centers in Padang. On the basis of the stress index scale to identify psychological stress by using Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS 42), subjects were divided into two groups of 20 each, stress groups and non-stress groups. All diagnoses were confirmed by review of cortisol and esophagogastroduodenoscopy reports. Gastric biopsy samples and peripheral blood were taken during diagnostic procedures. Immunohistochemistry methods were used to determine the expression of IL-6 and Hp in gastric mucosal. The data were statistically analyzed by univariate and bivariate analysis. All procedures of this study were approved by Research Ethics Committee of Medical Faculty Andalas University. Results: In this study, we enrolled 40 FD patients (26 woman and 14 men) in range between 35-56 years old. Cortisol level of blood FD patients as parameter of stress hormone which taken in the morning was significantly higher in stress group than non-stress group. The expression of IL-6 in gastric mucosa was significantly higher in stress group in compared to non-stress group (p<0,05). Helicobacter pylori activity in gastric mucosal in stress group were significantly higher than non-stress group. Conclusion: The present study showed that psychological stress can induce gastric mucosal inflammation and increase of Helicobacter pylori activity.

Keywords: functional dyspepsia, Helicobacter pylori, interleukin-6, psychological stress

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3116 Multi-Objective Optimization of Assembly Manufacturing Factory Setups

Authors: Andreas Lind, Aitor Iriondo Pascual, Dan Hogberg, Lars Hanson

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Factory setup lifecycles are most often described and prepared in CAD environments; the preparation is based on experience and inputs from several cross-disciplinary processes. Early in the factory setup preparation, a so-called block layout is created. The intention is to describe a high-level view of the intended factory setup and to claim area reservations and allocations. Factory areas are then blocked, i.e., targeted to be used for specific intended resources and processes, later redefined with detailed factory setup layouts. Each detailed layout is based on the block layout and inputs from cross-disciplinary preparation processes, such as manufacturing sequence, productivity, workers’ workplace requirements, and resource setup preparation. However, this activity is often not carried out with all variables considered simultaneously, which might entail a risk of sub-optimizing the detailed layout based on manual decisions. Therefore, this work aims to realize a digital method for assembly manufacturing layout planning where productivity, area utilization, and ergonomics can be considered simultaneously in a cross-disciplinary manner. The purpose of the digital method is to support engineers in finding optimized designs of detailed layouts for assembly manufacturing factories, thereby facilitating better decisions regarding setups of future factories. Input datasets are company-specific descriptions of required dimensions for specific area reservations, such as defined dimensions of a worker’s workplace, material façades, aisles, and the sequence to realize the product assembly manufacturing process. To test and iteratively develop the digital method, a demonstrator has been developed with an adaptation of existing software that simulates and proposes optimized designs of detailed layouts. Since the method is to consider productivity, ergonomics, area utilization, and constraints from the automatically generated block layout, a multi-objective optimization approach is utilized. In the demonstrator, the input data are sent to the simulation software industrial path solutions (IPS). Based on the input and Lua scripts, the IPS software generates a block layout in compliance with the company’s defined dimensions of area reservations. Communication is then established between the IPS and the software EPP (Ergonomics in Productivity Platform), including intended resource descriptions, assembly manufacturing process, and manikin (digital human) resources. Using multi-objective optimization approaches, the EPP software then calculates layout proposals that are sent iteratively and simulated and rendered in IPS, following the rules and regulations defined in the block layout as well as productivity and ergonomics constraints and objectives. The software demonstrator is promising. The software can handle several parameters to optimize the detailed layout simultaneously and can put forward several proposals. It can optimize multiple parameters or weight the parameters to fine-tune the optimal result of the detailed layout. The intention of the demonstrator is to make the preparation between cross-disciplinary silos transparent and achieve a common preparation of the assembly manufacturing factory setup, thereby facilitating better decisions.

Keywords: factory setup, multi-objective, optimization, simulation

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3115 Intervention Guide for Holistic Needs and Coping Strategies of Cancer Patients

Authors: Arvin Baes

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This study was conducted to assess the holistic needs of cancer patients in terms of physiological, psychological, social, and spiritual needs and to determine how they respond through coping. It was conducted from January-April 2018 from various hospitals in Laguna, with 20 respondents. It utilized a survey descriptive type of research, a checklist type of questionnaire, and purposive sampling in selecting the respondents. It was found out that in terms of physiological needs, fatigue is the most common symptoms they experienced. In terms of psychological, social, and spiritual needs, most of the patients experienced a significant concern. Meanwhile, in coping, religion dominates among the 14 strategies followed by Use of Emotional Support and Positive Reframing, and Substance Use obtained the lowest response. Most of the respondents were female, and its significant relationship in terms of Positive Reframing agrees significantly. In coping and civil status, Positive Reframing and Humor are significant among married respondents. In coping and stage of cancer, 'Positive Reframing' and 'Humor' are significant with the stage of cancer. In coping and treatment modalities, Active Coping, Use of Emotional Support, and Religion are significantly related to patients’ treatment modalities. There is also a significant relationship between Active Coping and Physiological Needs, Religion and Psychological Needs, and Self-blaming and Psychological, Social, and Spiritual Needs. Thus, it is concluded that holistic needs and coping are essential to each other to meet the wholeness of cancer patients. A formulated care intervention program would be beneficial among this group of patients.

Keywords: coping strategies, cancer, cancer patients, holistic needs

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3114 A Measurement and Motor Control System for Free Throw Shots in Basketball Using Gyroscope Sensor

Authors: Niloofar Zebarjad

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This research aims at finding a tool to provide basketball players with real-time audio feedback on their shooting form in free throw shots. Free throws played a pivotal role in taking the lead in fierce competitions. The major problem in performing an accurate free throw seems to be improper training. Since the arm movement during the free throw shot is complex, the coach or the athlete might miss the movement details during practice. Hence, there is a necessity to create a system that measures arm movements' critical characteristics and control for improper kinematics. The proposed setup in this study quantifies arm kinematics and provides real-time feedback as an audio signal consisting of a gyroscope sensor. Spatial shoulder angle data are transmitted in a mobile application in real-time and can be saved and processed for statistical and analysis purposes. The proposed system is easy to use, inexpensive, portable, and real-time applicable. Objectives: This research aims to modify and control the free throw using audio feedback and determine if and to what extent the new setup reduces errors in arm formations during throws and finally assesses the successful throw rate. Methods: One group of elite basketball athletes and two novice athletes (control and study group) participated in this study. Each group contains 5 participants being studied in three separate sessions over a week. Results: Empirical results showed enhancements in the free throw shooting style, shot pocket (SP), and locked position (LP). The mean values of shoulder angle were controlled on 25° and 45° for SP and LP, respectively, recommended by valid FIBA references. Conclusion: Throughout the experiments, the system helped correct and control the shoulder angles toward the targeted pattern of shot pocket (SP) and locked position (LP). According to the desired results for arm motion, adding another sensor to measure and control the elbow angle is recommended.

Keywords: audio-feedback, basketball, free-throw, locked-position, motor-control, shot-pocket

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3113 Students’ Perception of Their M-Learning Readiness

Authors: Sulaiman Almutairy, Trevor Davies, Yota Dimitriadi

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This paper presents study investigating how to understand better the psychological readiness for mobile learning (m-learning) among Saudi students, while also evaluating m-learning in Saudi Arabia-a topic that has not yet received adequate attention from researchers. Data was acquired through a questionnaire administered to 131 Saudi students at UK universities, in July 2013. The study confirmed that students are confident using mobile devices in their daily lives and that they would welcome more opportunities for mobile learning. The findings indicated that Saudi higher education students are highly familiar with, and are psychologically ready for, m-learning.

Keywords: m-learning, mobile technologies, psychological readiness, higher education

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3112 Trauma inside and Out: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study of Family, Community and Psychological Wellbeing amongst Pediatric Victims of Interpersonal Violence

Authors: Mary Bernardin, Margie Batek, Joseph Moen, David Schnadower

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Background: Exposure to violence not only has negative psychological impact on children but is a risk factor for children becoming recurrent victims of violence. However, little is known regarding the degree to which child victims of violence are exposed to trauma at home and in their community, or its association with specific psychological diagnoses. Objective: The aims of this study were to perform in-depth characterizations of family, community and psychological wellness amongst pediatric victims of interpersonal violence. Methods: As standard of care at the Saint Louis Children’s Hospital pediatric emergency department (ED), social workers perform in-depth interviews with all children presenting due to violent interpersonal encounters. In this retrospective cross-sectional study, we collected data from social work interviews on family structure, exposure to violence in the community and the home, as well as history of psychological diagnoses amongst children ages 8-19 years who presented to the ED for injuries related to interpersonal violence from 2014-2017. Results: A total of 407 patients presenting to the ED for an interpersonal violent encounter were analyzed. The average age of studied youths was 14.7 years (SD 2.5). Youths were 97.5% African American ethnicity and 66.6% male. 67.8% described their home having a nonnuclear family structure, 50% of which reported living with a single mother. Of the 21% who reported having incarcerated family members, 56.3% reported their father being incarcerated, 15% reported their mother being incarcerated, and 12.5% reported multiple family members being incarcerated. 11.3% reported witnessing domestic violence in their home. 12.8% of youths reported some form of child abuse. The type of child abuse was not specified in 29.3% of cases, but physical abuse (32.8%) followed by sexual abuse (22.4%) were the most commonly reported. 14.5% had history of placement in foster care and/or adoption. 64% reported having witnessed violence in their community. 30.2% reported having lost friends or family due to violence, and of those, 26.4% reported the loss of a cousin, 18.9% the loss of a friend, 16% the loss of their father, and 12.3% the loss of their brother due to violence. Of the 22.4% youths with psychiatric diagnose(s), 48.4% had multiple diagnoses, the most common of which were ADD/ADHD (62.6%), followed by depression (31.9%), bipolar disorder (27.5%) and anxiety (15.4%). Conclusions: A remarkable proportion of children presenting to EDs due to interpersonal violence have a history of exposure to instability and violence in their homes and communities. Additionally, psychological diagnoses are frequent among pediatric victims of violence. More research is needed to better understand the association between trauma exposure, psychological health and violent victimization amongst children.

Keywords: community violence, emergency department, pediatric interpersonal violence, pediatric trauma, psychological effects of trauma

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3111 The Effect of Theory of Mind Training on Adolescents with Low Social Cognition and Eudaimonic Well-Being

Authors: Leema Jacob

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The concept of psychological well-being is complex and has familiar use not only in psychology but also in the area of lifespan development. Eudaimonic well-being is finding a purpose and meaning in life, and this depends on both the individual and society, especially during adolescence; the social-cognitive environment can be decisive. The social environment of adolescents, including family, school, and friends, is recognized as an essential context for successful human life. The development of mature social relationships is also undoubtedly important. Theory of Mind is an emerging domain in cognitive neuroscience that involves the ability to attribute mental states to oneself and others. ToM skills training constitutes a new aspect of the adolescent’s social development, including four domains: cognitive ToM, affective ToM, and an inter-intra-personal understanding of social norms. Still, little effort has been made to promote this training as a modality to foster their psychological well-being. This study aims to use the eudaimonic approach to evaluate psychological well-being with a quasi-experimental research design (pre-post-test). The major objective of the study was to identify the effect of ToM skills training on the eudaimonic well-being of adolescents with low social cognition. The data was analyzed to find their effect size from a sample of 74 adolescents from India between 17 and 19 years old. The result revealed that ToM skills training has a positive outcome on the well-being of adolescents post-training. The results are discussed based on the effect of ToM skills training on psychological well-being during adolescence, as well as on the importance of focusing on mental health as a developmental asset that can potentially influence mental well-being in the future.

Keywords: ToM training, adolescents, eudaimonic well-being, social cognition

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3110 Pre-Operative Psychological Factors Significantly Add to the Predictability of Chronic Narcotic Use: A Two Year Prospective Study

Authors: Dana El-Mughayyar, Neil Manson, Erin Bigney, Eden Richardson, Dean Tripp, Edward Abraham

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Use of narcotics to treat pain has increased over the past two decades and is a contributing factor to the current public health crisis. Understanding the pre-operative risks of chronic narcotic use may be aided through investigation of psychological measures. The objective of the reported study is to determine predictors of narcotic use two years post-surgery in a thoracolumbar spine surgery population, including an array of psychological factors. A prospective observational study of 191 consecutively enrolled adult patients having undergone thoracolumbar spine surgery is presented. Baseline measures of interest included the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, Multidimensional Scale for Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ-8), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Numeric Rating Scales for back and leg pain (NRS-B/L), SF-12’s Mental Component Summary (MCS), narcotic use and demographic variables. The post-operative measure of interest is narcotic use at 2-year follow-up. Narcotic use is collapsed into binary categories of use and no use. Descriptive statistics are run. Chi Square analysis is used for categorical variables and an ANOVA for continuous variables. Significant variables are built into a hierarchical logistic regression to determine predictors of post-operative narcotic use. Significance is set at α < 0.05. Results: A total of 27.23% of the sample were using narcotics two years after surgery. The regression model included ODI, NRS-Leg, time with condition, chief complaint, pre-operative drug use, gender, MCS, PCS subscale helplessness, and CPAQ subscale pain willingness and was significant χ² (13, N=191)= 54.99; p = .000. The model accounted for 39.6% of the variance in narcotic use and correctly predicted in 79.7% of cases. Psychological variables accounted for 9.6% of the variance over and above the other predictors. Conclusions: Managing chronic narcotic usage is central to the patient’s overall health and quality of life. Psychological factors in the preoperative period are significant predictors of narcotic use 2 years post-operatively. The psychological variables are malleable, potentially allowing surgeons to direct their patients to preventative resources prior to surgery.

Keywords: narcotics, psychological factors, quality of life, spine surgery

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3109 Magnetorheological Elastomer Composites Obtained by Extrusion

Authors: M. Masłowski, M. Zaborski

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Magnetorheological elastomer composites based on micro- and nano-sized magnetite, gamma iron oxide and carbonyl iron powder in ethylene-octene rubber are reported and studied. The method of preparation process influenced the specific properties of MREs (isotropy/anisotropy). The use of extrusion method instead of traditional preparation processes (two-roll mill, mixer) of composites is presented. Micro and nan-sized magnetites as well as gamma iron oxide and carbonyl iron powder were found to be an active fillers improving the mechanical properties of elastomers. They also changed magnetic properties of composites. Application of extrusion process also influenced the mechanical properties of composites and the dispersion of magnetic fillers. Dynamic-mechanical analysis (DMA) indicates the presence of strongly developed secondary structure in vulcanizates. Scanning electron microscopy images (SEM) show that the dispersion improvement had significant effect on the composites properties. Studies investigated by vibration sample magnetometer (VSM) proved that all composites exhibit good magnetic properties.

Keywords: extrusion, magnetic fillers, magnetorheological elastomers, mechanical properties

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3108 Empowering Leadership and Constructive Voice: A Sequential Mediation Analysis

Authors: Umamaheswara Rao Jada, Susmita Mukhopadhyay

Abstract:

In the present highly complex, dynamic and interdependent organizational environment, employees' ideas, opinions and suggestions which is technically referred to as ‘constructive employee voice’ is increasingly being recognized and valued. Literature has consistently demonstrated the relevance of leadership in employee voicing behavior, however the new form of leadership, ‘empowering leadership’ has not been given much attention. The study, therefore, devotes itself to the effort to explore the impact of this new form of leadership on employee voice behavior and the interplay with leader member exchange (LMX) and psychological safety as mediators in the same. The study utilizes structural equation modeling for analyzing the data collected from 310 Indian service industry employees through the questionnaire developed for the study. The findings of the study demonstrate the significant impact of empowering form of leadership on employees’ constructive voice behavior. Additionally, supporting results were observed for the mediating impact of leader member exchange (LMX) and psychological safety between empowering leadership and employees’ constructive voice behavior. The results of this study provide insights into the intervening mechanisms by linking leaders’ empowering behavior with employees’ constructive voice, while also highlighting the potential importance of LMX relationship in organizations and psychological safety in the context of constructive voice behavior. The study brings forth the relevance of the new form of leadership, ‘empowering leadership’ for fostering the better exchange of ideas, opinions, and suggestions between leaders and followers which tend to benefit the organization, providing empirical evidence of the sequential mediation of LMX and psychological safety. The piece of work is assumed to benefit the leaders in organizations by providing them the basis for adopting empowering form of leadership in light of results displayed.

Keywords: constructive voice, empowering leadership, leader member exchange (LMX), psychological safety, sequential mediation, structural equation modeling

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3107 Sexual Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Psychological Performance and Openness to Experience

Authors: Alireza Monzavi Chaleshtari, Mahnaz Aliakbari Dehkordi, Amin Asadi Hieh, Majid Kazemnezhad

Abstract:

This research was conducted with the aim of determining the effectiveness of sexual cognitive behavioral therapy on psychological performance and openness to experience in women. The type of research was experimental in the form of pre-test-post-test. The statistical population of this research was made up of all working and married women with membership in the researcher's Instagram social network who had problems in marital-sexual relationships (N=900). From the statistical community, which includes working and married women who are members of the researcher's Instagram social network who have problems in marital-sexual relationships, there are 30 people including two groups (15 people in the experimental group and 15 people in the control group) as available sampling and selected randomly. They were placed in two experimental and control groups. The anxiety, stress, and depression scale (DASS) and the Costa and McCree personality questionnaire were used to collect data, and the cognitive behavioral therapy protocol of Dr. Mehrnaz Ali Akbari was used for the treatment sessions. To analyze the data, the covariance test was used in the SPSS22 software environment. The results showed that sexual cognitive behavioral therapy has a positive and significant effect on psychological performance and openness to experience in women. Conclusion: It can be concluded that interventions such as cognitive-behavioral sex can be used to treat marital problems.

Keywords: sexual cognitive behavioral therapy, psychological function, openness to experience, women

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3106 Generative Behaviors and Psychological Well-Being in Mexican Elders

Authors: Ana L. Gonzalez-Celis, Edgardo Ruiz-Carrillo, Karina Reyes-Jarquin, Margarita Chavez-Becerra

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Since recent decades, the aging has been viewed from a more positive perspective, where is not only about losses and damage, but also about being on a stage where you can enjoy life and live with well-being and quality of life. The challenge to feel better is to find those resources that seniors have. For that reason, psychological well-being has shown interest in the study of the affect and life satisfaction (hedonic well-being), while from a more recent tradition, focus on the development of capabilities and the personal growth, considering both as the main indicators of the quality of life. A resource that can be used in the later age is generativity, which refers to the ability of older people to develop and grow through activities that contribute with the improvement of the context in which they live and participate. In this way the generative interest is understood as a favourable attitude that contribute to the common benefit while strengthening and enriching the social institutions, to ensure continuity between generations and social development. On the other hand, generative behavior, differentiating from generative interest, is the expression of that attitude reflected in activities that make a social contribution and a benefit for generations to come. Hence the purpose of the research was to test if there is an association between the generative behaviour type and the psychological well-being with their dimensions. For this reason 188 Mexican adults from 60 to 94 years old (M = 69.78), 67% women, 33% men, completed two instruments: The Ryff’s Well-Being Scales to measure psychological well-being with 39 items with two dimensions (Hedonic and Eudaimonic well-being), and the Loyola’s Generative Behaviors Scale, grouped in five categories: Knowledge transmitted to the next generation, things to be remember, creativity, be productive, contribution to the community, and responsibility of other people. In addition, the socio-demographic data sheet was tested, and self-reported health status. The results indicated that the psychological well-being and its dimensions were significantly associated with the presence of generative behavior, where the level of well-being was higher when the frequency of some generative behaviour excelled; finding that the behavior with greater psychological well-being (M = 81.04, SD = 8.18) was "things to be remembered"; while with greater hedonic well-being (M = 73.39, SD = 12.19) was the behavior "responsibility of other people"; and with greater Eudaimonic well-being (M = 84.61, SD = 6.63), was the behavior "things to be remembered”. The most important findings highlight the importance of generative behaviors in adulthood, finding empirical evidence that the generativity in the last stage of life is associated with well-being. However, by finding differences in the types of generative behaviors at the level of well-being, is proposed the idea that generativity is not situated as an isolated construct, but needs other contextualized and related constructs that can simultaneously operate at different levels, taking into account the relationship between the environment and the individual, encompassing both the social and psychological dimension.

Keywords: eudaimonic well-being, generativity, hedonic well-being, Mexican elders, psychological well-being

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3105 Creating a Senior-Friendly Workplaces: With Respect to Empowerment

Authors: Liu Yi Hui, Lin Yu Fang, Chiu Fan Yun

Abstract:

In preparation for the coming super-aged society in Taiwan, the Ministry of Labor announced the Middle-aged and Elderly Employment Promotion Act in 2019, dedicating a chapter to expressly prohibiting age discrimination. This study aimed to enhance understanding of workplace ageism by collecting data through in-depth interviews. The findings can be summarized as follows: 1. Elderly employment in Taiwan and its three underlying motivations: Mainly in economic, social, and psychological needs. Economically, elders opt to continue working beyond the traditional retirement age because of financial shocks, a lack of financial planning, and being the breadwinner of the family. Socially and psychologically, they continue working to have a more diversified retirement life and find a new purpose in life. 2. Ageism on the re-employment of elders: On the ground, senior workers may face the age-based stereotype that their work performance is inferior and a broader social environment that is ostensibly friendly but essentially hostile. 3. Possible ways to facilitate elderly employment in terms of empowerment: By developing and empowering seniors with new skills or abilities for re-employment and strengthening their problem-solving skills in the face of new things through training programs, we can not only build the confidence and substantial abilities of senior workers in the workplace but also flip the social stereotype about age.

Keywords: senior-friendly workplaces, elderly employment, empowerment, ageism

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3104 Assessment of Efficiency of Underwater Undulatory Swimming Strategies Using a Two-Dimensional CFD Method

Authors: Dorian Audot, Isobel Margaret Thompson, Dominic Hudson, Joseph Banks, Martin Warner

Abstract:

In competitive swimming, after dives and turns, athletes perform underwater undulatory swimming (UUS), copying marine mammals’ method of locomotion. The body, performing this wave-like motion, accelerates the fluid downstream in its vicinity, generating propulsion with minimal resistance. Through this technique, swimmers can maintain greater speeds than surface swimming and take advantage of the overspeed granted by the dive (or push-off). Almost all previous work has considered UUS when performed at maximum effort. Critical parameters to maximize UUS speed are frequently discussed; however, this does not apply to most races. In only 3 out of the 16 individual competitive swimming events are athletes likely to attempt to perform UUS with the greatest speed, without thinking of the cost of locomotion. In the other cases, athletes will want to control the speed of their underwater swimming, attempting to maximise speed whilst considering energy expenditure appropriate to the duration of the event. Hence, there is a need to understand how swimmers adapt their underwater strategies to optimize the speed within the allocated energetic cost. This paper develops a consistent methodology that enables different sets of UUS kinematics to be investigated. These may have different propulsive efficiencies and force generation mechanisms (e.g.: force distribution along with the body and force magnitude). The developed methodology, therefore, needs to: (i) provide an understanding of the UUS propulsive mechanisms at different speeds, (ii) investigate the key performance parameters when UUS is not performed solely for maximizing speed; (iii) consistently determine the propulsive efficiency of a UUS technique. The methodology is separated into two distinct parts: kinematic data acquisition and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. For the kinematic acquisition, the position of several joints along the body and their sequencing were either obtained by video digitization or by underwater motion capture (Qualisys system). During data acquisition, the swimmers were asked to perform UUS at a constant depth in a prone position (facing the bottom of the pool) at different speeds: maximum effort, 100m pace, 200m pace and 400m pace. The kinematic data were input to a CFD algorithm employing a two-dimensional Large Eddy Simulation (LES). The algorithm adopted was specifically developed in order to perform quick unsteady simulations of deforming bodies and is therefore suitable for swimmers performing UUS. Despite its approximations, the algorithm is applied such that simulations are performed with the inflow velocity updated at every time step. It also enables calculations of the resistive forces (total and applied to each segment) and the power input of the modeled swimmer. Validation of the methodology is achieved by comparing the data obtained from the computations with the original data (e.g.: sustained swimming speed). This method is applied to the different kinematic datasets and provides data on swimmers’ natural responses to pacing instructions. The results show how kinematics affect force generation mechanisms and hence how the propulsive efficiency of UUS varies for different race strategies.

Keywords: CFD, efficiency, human swimming, hydrodynamics, underwater undulatory swimming

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3103 Grandparent's Psychologically Control, Parent's Well-Being and the Coparenting Practice among Vietnamese Families

Authors: Nam-Phuong T. Hoang, Divna Haslam, Matthew Sanders

Abstract:

Parenting psychological control (PPC) is a parenting manner of which intrusive tactics such as guilt induction, shaming or love withdrawal is adopted to manipulate the child's behavior, emotion and beliefs. PPC has been widely reported to be associated with both psychological dysfunction and low self-esteem in adolescents. Highly demanding and restrictive parenting was also found to related to high rate of risk behaviors, depression, anxiety and anti-social behaviors in adults who co-live with their parents. In many cultures like that of Asia, adults keep on co-live with their parents even after having their own families, and this is not an uncommon practice. Due to the culture obligation of family relationship and the filial piety, children are expected to stay with their parents to taking care of them when they get older, and the parents are also expected to co-live with their children in order to support them with grandchild care. As one become a grandparent, however, it does not means one stop being the parent to their own child. The effect of PPC if exist thus might continue to interfere one’s relationship with their adult children and also their adult child’s parenting. This study was designed to examine that effect of PPC on adults’ life as parents. Data was collected from 501 Vietnamese parents whose children between the age of 2 to 12 and having their parent living with them or taking care of the grandchild on daily basic. Findings show that grandparent psychological control (GPPC) is significantly associated with parent’s harsh parenting, parent’s well-being, and parent-grandparent coparenting relationship. Significantly, GPPC is the strongest predictor for the coparenting conflict between parent and grandparent.

Keywords: parenting psychological control, grandparent, coparenting, well-being

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3102 Multimedia Design in Tactical Play Learning and Acquisition for Elite Gaelic Football Practitioners

Authors: Michael McMahon

Abstract:

The use of media (video/animation/graphics) has long been used by athletes, coaches, and sports scientists to analyse and improve performance in technical skills and team tactics. Sports educators are increasingly open to the use of technology to support coach and learner development. However, an overreliance is a concern., This paper is part of a larger Ph.D. study looking into these new challenges for Sports Educators. Most notably, how to exploit the deep-learning potential of Digital Media among expert learners, how to instruct sports educators to create effective media content that fosters deep learning, and finally, how to make the process manageable and cost-effective. Central to the study is Richard Mayers Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning. Mayers Multimedia Learning Theory proposes twelve principles that shape the design and organization of multimedia presentations to improve learning and reduce cognitive load. For example, the Prior Knowledge principle suggests and highlights different learning outcomes for Novice and Non-Novice learners, respectively. Little research, however, is available to support this principle in modified domains (e.g., sports tactics and strategy). As a foundation for further research, this paper compares and contrasts a range of contemporary multimedia sports coaching content and assesses how they perform as learning tools for Strategic and Tactical Play Acquisition among elite sports practitioners. The stress tests applied are guided by Mayers's twelve Multimedia Learning Principles. The focus is on the elite athletes and whether current coaching digital media content does foster improved sports learning among this cohort. The sport of Gaelic Football was selected as it has high strategic and tactical play content, a wide range of Practitioner skill levels (Novice to Elite), and also a significant volume of Multimedia Coaching Content available for analysis. It is hoped the resulting data will help identify and inform the future instructional content design and delivery for Sports Practitioners and help promote best design practices optimal for different levels of expertise.

Keywords: multimedia learning, e-learning, design for learning, ICT

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3101 Employee Commitment as a Means of Revitalising the Hospitality Industry post-Covid: Considering the Impact of Psychological Contract and Psychological Capital

Authors: Desere Kokt

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Hospitality establishments worldwide are bearing the brunt of the effects of Covid-19. As the hospitality industry is looking to recover, emphasis is placed on rejuvenating the industry. This is especially pertinent for economic development in areas of high unemployment, such as the Free State province of South Africa. The province is not a main tourist area and thus depends on the influx of tourists. The province has great scenic beauty with many accommodation establishments that provide job opportunities to the local population. The two main economic hubs of the Free State province namely Bloemfontein and Clarens, were the focus of the investigation. The emphasis was on graded accommodation establishments as they must adhere to the quality principles of the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA) to obtain star grading. The hospitality industry is known for being labour intensive, and employees need to be available to cater for the needs of paying customers. This is referred to as ‘emotional labour’ and implies that employees need to manage their feelings and emotions as part of performing their jobs. The focus of this study was thus on psychological factors related to working in the hospitality industry – specifically psychological contract and psychological capital and its impact on the commitment of employees in graded accommodation establishments. Employee commitment can be explained as a psychological state that binds the individual to the organisation and involves a set of psychological relationships that include affective (emotions), normative (perceived obligation) and continuance (staying with the organisation) dimensions. Psychological contract refers to the reciprocal beliefs and expectations between the employer and the employee and consists of transactional and rational contracts. Transactional contracts are associated with the economic exchange, and contractional issues related to the employment contract and rational contracts relate to the social exchange between the employee and the organisation. Psychological capital refers to an individual’s positive psychology state of development that is characterised by self-efficiency (having confidence in doing one’s job), optimism (being positive and persevering towards achieving one’s goals), hope (expectations for goals to succeed) and resilience (bouncing back to attain success when beset by problems and adversity). The study employed a quantitative research approach, and a structured questionnaire was used to gather data from respondents. The study was conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic, which hampered the data gathering efforts of the researchers. Many accommodation establishments were either closed or temporarily closed, which meant that data gathering was an intensive and laborious process. The main researcher travelled to the various establishments to collect the data. Nine hospitality establishments participated in the study, and around 150 employees were targeted for data collection. Ninety-two (92) questionnaires were completed, which represents a response rate of 61%. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, and partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was applied to examine the relationship between the variables.

Keywords: employee commitment, hospitality industry, psychological contract, psychological capital

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3100 Effect of Preparation Temperature on Producing Graphene Oxide by Chemical Oxidation Approach

Authors: Rashad Al-Gaashani, Muataz A. Atieh

Abstract:

In this study, the effect of preparation temperature, namely room temperature (RT), 40, 60, and 85°C, on producing of high-quality graphene oxide (GO) has been investigated. GO samples have been prepared by chemical oxidation of graphite via a safe improved chemical technique using a blend of two deferent acids: sulphuric acid (H₂SO₄) and phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄) with volume ratio 4:1, respectively. potassium permanganate (KMnO₄) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) were applied as oxidizing agents. In this work, sodium nitrate (NaNO₃) was excluded, so the emission of hazardous explosive gases such as NO₂ and N₂O₂ was shunned. Ice and oil baths were used to carefully control the temperature. Several characterization instruments including X-Ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, electron dispersive spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV-vis spectroscopy were used to study and compare the synthesized samples. The results indicated that GO can be prepared at RT with graphite oxide, and the purity of GO increased with rising of the solvent temperature. Optical properties of GO samples were studied using UV-vis absorption spectra.

Keywords: chemical method, graphite, graphene oxide, optical properties

Procedia PDF Downloads 141
3099 A Model Outlining Feelings vs. Emotions and Why Distinction is Critical

Authors: Brendan Mooney

Abstract:

Context: Feelings and emotions are commonly misunderstood and the terms often used interchangeably, leading to potential negative impacts on individuals' mental well-being and relationships. The distinction between these two fundamentally different experiences of human life is crucial for effective psychological practice and communication. Research Aim: The aim of this study is to outline the disparities between feelings and emotions, emphasising the significance of this differentiation in psychological practice to enhance clients' observation, decision-making, problem-solving, and communication skills. Methodology: This research utilises a conceptual model developed by the author in 2017 based on clinical experience, client observations, and feedback. The model serves to guide effective clinical practice by providing clear definitions and understanding of feelings versus emotions. Case study examples were utilised to support the efficacy of the model. Findings: The study highlights that recognising and expressing feelings rather than emotions is more empowering and conducive to resolving unresolved issues, thereby fostering better psychological well-being and interpersonal relationships. Theoretical Importance: This research underscores the importance of clarifying fundamental definitions related to feelings and emotions in enhancing psychological interventions and preventing various relationship conflicts and individual issues. Data Collection and Analysis Procedures: Data was collected through the author's clinical experience and interactions with clients, informing the development of the Feeling Emotions Mental (FEM) model. Analysis involved synthesising observations and feedback to elucidate the distinctions between feelings and emotions. Questions Addressed: What are the disparities between feelings and emotions? How does the confusion between these two fundamentally different experiences of human life impact individuals' mental well-being and relationships? Why is it essential to differentiate between feelings and emotions in psychological practice? Conclusion: The study advocates for a clear understanding of feelings versus emotions to support clients in addressing unresolved issues and improving their overall psychological functioning and communication skills, thereby preventing potential conflicts and relationship challenges.

Keywords: couples, mental, misinformation, misunderstanding, relationships

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3098 Activating Psychological Resources of DUI (Drivers under the Influence of Alcohol) Using the Traffic Psychology Intervention (IFT Course), Germany

Authors: Parichehr Sharifi, Konrad Reschke, Hans-Liudger Dienel

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Psychological intervention generally targets changes in attitudes and behavior. Working with DUIs is part of traffic psychologists’ work. The primary goal of this field is to reduce the probability of re-conspicuous of the delinquent driver. One of these measurements in Germany is IFT courses for DUI s. The IFT course was designed by the Institute for Therapy Research. Participants are drivers who have fallen several times or once with a blood alcohol concentration of 1.6 per mill and who have completed a medical-psychological assessment (MPU) with the result of the course recommendation. The course covers four sessions of 3.5 hours each (1 hour / 60 m) and in a period of 3 to 4 weeks in the group discussion. This work analyzes interventions for the rehabilitation of DUI (Drunk Drivers offenders) offenders in groups under the aspect of activating psychological resources. From the aspect of sustainability, they should also have long-term consequences for the maintenance of unproblematic driving behavior in terms of the activation of resources. It is also addressing a selected consistency-theory-based intervention effect, activating psychological resources. So far, this has only been considered in the psychotherapeutic field but never in the field of traffic psychology. The methodology of this survey is one qualitative and three quantitative. In four sub-studies, it will be examined which measurements can determine the resources and how traffic psychological interventions can strengthen resources. The results of the studies have the following implications for traffic psychology research and practice: (1) In the field of traffic psychology intervention for the restoration of driving fitness, it can be stated that aspects of resource activation in this work have been investigated for the first time by qualitative and quantitative methods. (2) The resource activation could be confirmed based on the determined results as an effective factor of traffic psychological intervention. (3) Two sub-studies show a range of resources and resource activation options that must be given greater emphasis in traffic psychology interventions: - Social resource activation - improvement of the life skills of participants - Reactivation of existing social support options - Re-experiencing self-esteem, self-assurance, and acceptance of traffic-related behaviors. (4) In revising the IFT-§70 course, as well as other courses on recreating aptitude for DUI, new traffic-specific resource-enabling interventions against alcohol abuse should be developed to further enhance the courses through motivational, cognitive, and behavioral effects of resource activation, Resource-activating interventions can not only be integrated into behavioral group interventions but can also be applied in psychodynamic, psychodynamic (individual psychological) and other contexts of individual traffic psychology. The results are indicative but clearly show that personal resources can be strengthened through traffic psychology interventions. In the research, practice, training, and further education of traffic psychology, the aspect of primary resource activation (Grawe, 1999), therefore, always deserves the greatest attention for the rehabilitation of DUIs and Traffic safety.

Keywords: traffic safety, psychological resources, activating of resources, intervention programs for alcohol offenders, empowerment

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3097 NiAl-Layered Double Hydroxide: Preparation, Characterization and Applications in Photo-Catalysis and Hydrogen Storage

Authors: Ahmed Farghali, Heba Amar, Mohamed Khedr

Abstract:

NiAl-Layered Double Hydroxide (NiAl-LDH), one of anionic functional layered materials, has been prepared by a simple co-precipitation process. X-ray diffraction patterns confirm the formation of the desired compounds of NiAl hydroxide single phase and the crystallite size was found to be about 4.6 nm. The morphology of the prepared samples was investigated using scanning electron microscopy and the layered structure was appeared under the transmission electron microscope. The thermal stability and the function groups of NiAl-LDH were investigated using thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) respectively. NiAl-LDH was investigated as a photo-catalyst for the degradation of some toxic dyes such as toluidine blue and bromopyrogallol red. It shows good catalytic efficiency in visible light and even in dark. For the first time NiAl-LDH was used for hydrogen storage application. NiAl-LDH samples were exposed to 20 bar applied hydrogen pressure at room temperature, 100 and -193 oC. NiAl-LDH samples appear to have feasible hydrogen storage capacity. It was capable to adsorb 0.1wt% at room temperature, 0.15 wt% at 100oC and storage capacity reached 0.3 wt% at -193 oC.

Keywords: NiAl-LDH, preparation, characterization, photo-catalysis, hydrogen storage

Procedia PDF Downloads 287