Relations Among Mindfulness,Achievement-Related Self-Regulation,and Achievement Emotions

Mindfulness has been hypothesized to directly facilitate well-being, and to indirectly do so by enhancing self-regulated functioning. No prior research has examined these relationships in the domain of academic achievement. The current study tested relationships among mindfulness, achievement-related self-regulation (e.g., delay-of-gratification, help-seeking, and self-control) and achievement emotions among a sample of 290 undergraduate students. Results revealed that indices of mindfulness, achievement-related self-regulation, and achievement emotions were significantly inter-correlated. And, results supported the hypothesis that the prediction of achievement emotions by mindfulness was mediated by greater self-regulation over achievement. Results are considered in light of recent evidence for associations among mindfulness, self-regulation, and well-being in other domains of functioning; with respect to theoretical and practical implications; and with respect to the possible fruitfulness of research bridging self-regulation as a character strength and achievement-related functioning.     

Academic procrastination: The pattern and correlates of behavioural postponement

Using a series of computer-based assignments, we examined whether students’ submission patterns revealed a hyperbolic pattern of temporal discounting, such that few assignments are submitted far ahead of the deadline and submission of assignments accelerates at an increasing rate as the deadline becomes imminent. We further examined whether variables related to self-regulation – namely, self-reported procrastination, implementation intentions, say-do correspondence, and perceived academic control – correlated with behavioural postponement. Results revealed strong behavioural evidence of temporal discounting, especially among those who identified themselves as procrastinators. Among the self-regulation measures, only say-do correspondence consistently correlated with procrastination.     

Self‐esteem as a monitor of fundamental psychological need satisfaction

Researchers have long theorized about the function of self‐esteem. Theories such as sociometer, terror management, and self‐determination have each received substantial empirical support, but all purport a different function of self‐esteem. Despite each theory's persuasiveness, they are sometimes at odds, and there remains no clear consensus regarding the function of self‐esteem. In the present paper, we propose the notion that self‐esteem monitors the meeting of multiple fundamental psychological needs, a theory we call the Need‐Satisfaction Framework of self‐esteem. We outline existing empirical support for our theory in the context of three well‐documented fundamental needs: belonging, self‐determination (i.e.,autonomy and competence), and meaning. Across all three needs, we review converging evidence supporting two hypotheses for self‐esteem's need‐monitoring function: (1) threats to needs lower self‐esteem and (2) high self‐esteem buffers defensive responses to need threats. We expand on established theoretical and empirical work in the domain of self‐esteem and also discuss testable future hypotheses.     

Games for health conference 2004: issues, trends, and needs unique to games for health.

The first-ever Games for Health Conference (Madison, WI, September 16-17, 2004) identified issues, trends, and needs unique to games for healthcare. More than 130 doctors, educators, therapists, and game makers gathered to share experiences particular to the health industry, health practitioners, and patient treatment. Co-sponsored by Games for Health, Project of the Serious Games Initiative, the Academic ADL Co-Lab, and the Federation of American Scientists, the conference highlighted applications for direct patient care and therapy, as well as health education, policy, and management ideas. This paper presents key concepts from the conference's panel discussions and summarizes successful projects demonstrated at the conference that can serve as models for the field.     

Speech perception in rats: use of duration and rise time cues in labeling of affricate/fricative sounds

The voiceless affricate/fricative contrast has played an important role in developing auditory theories of speech perception. This type of theory draws some of its support from experimental data on animals. However, nothing is known about differential responding of affricate/fricative continua by animals. In the current study, the ability of hooded rats to "label" an affricate/fricative continuum was tested. Transfer (without retraining) to analogous nonspeech continua was also tested. The nonspeech continua were chosen so that if transfer occurred, it would indicate whether the animals had learned to use rise time or duration cues to differentiate affricates from fricatives. The data from 9 of 10 rats indicated that rats can discriminate between these cues and do so in a similar manner to human subjects. The data from 9 of 10 rats also demonstrated that the rise time of the stimulus was the basis of the discrimination; the remaining rat appeared to use duration.     

Uncertainty and risk during the COVID-19 pandemic: A latent profile analysis

In the present study, we examine how subgroups of people are characterized by different profiles of uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, susceptibility, and recovery. Participants (N = 199) were U.S. residents recruited online for a longitudinal study during the summer of 2020. We first, identified groups using latent profile analysis (LPA) and then examined whether these profiles predicted differences in COVID-related risky and preventative behaviors. LPA identified five distinct profiles of people representing a combination of low and high uncertainty and low, moderate, and high risk perceptions. Results revealed that latent-profile group membership predicted intention to interact with others outside of the household, intention to engage in non-essential shopping, intention to attend an in-person religious gathering, intention to wear a mask in public, and self-reported physical distancing in the past week. Profile membership did not predict intentions to: dine out, go to the nail/hair salon, go to the gym, nor physically distance from others in the future, nor did it predict handwashing in the past week.