The production of false recognition and the associated state of consciousness following encoding in a naturalistic context in aging

Using virtual reality, we implemented a naturalistic variant of the DRM paradigm in young and older adults to evaluate false recall and false recognition. We distinguished false recognition related to the highest semantic association (the critical lures), semantic similarity (i.e. items that belong to the same semantic category), and perceptual similarity (i.e. items that are similar, but not identical in terms of shape or color). The data revealed that younger adults recalled and recognized more correct elements than older adults did while the older adults intruded more critical items than younger adults. Both age groups produced false recognition related to the critical items, followed by perceptually and then semantically related items. False recognitions were highly recollective as they were mainly associated with a sense of remembering, even more so in older adults than in young adults. The decline of executive functions and working memory predicted age-related increases in false memories.     

People's positions regarding social security's health insurance programs: The case of Romania

BackgroundIn Romania, the passage from a culture in which healthcare were freely available to a culture in which people must contribute financially, at least in part, has generated controversies among the population. We examined and mapped the views of people living in Romania regarding social security's health insurance programs.MethodsA convenience sample of 271 adults aged 18–80 who lived in big cities in Romania or in the rural areas around these cities were presented with realistic vignettes that depicted a health insurance program and asked to rate its goodness. The vignettes were created by combining orthogonally the levels of five factors: amount of employers’ contribution to the program, amount of workers’ contribution, extent of coverage of ordinary medical and dental care, extent of coverage of chronic or severe illness, and identity of health insurance recipients.ResultsFive qualitatively different positions were found. They were called Private insurance (8%), Health insurance only for contributors (14%), Health insurance for contributors and for everyone with severe or chronic illness (12%), Health insurance for everyone (29%), and Any insurance program is better than nothing (37%).ConclusionOverall, most participants (78%) favored a health insurance program that would protect all citizens in case of severe or chronic illness or injury, and 66% favored the protection of all citizens in all cases.     

The role of attitudes in perceptions of bicycle facilities: A latent-class regression approach

While many professionals support bicycling for transportation to reduce traffic congestion and improve public health, many potential cyclists see the risks from traffic injuries as a major barrier. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of bicycle facilities on perceptions of bikeability, and how these perceptions vary among different groups. Data comes from surveys (N = 2157) deployed in ten study neighborhoods as part of two research projects. Respondents were asked to rate a series of images of hypothetical roadways in terms of perceived comfort, perceived safety, and willingness to try bicycling. Latent-class regression was used to model these responses, with bicycle facility type and roadway characteristics as explanatory variables and sociodemographics and attitudinal factors (car preference, bike enjoyment, risk tolerance, and anti-exercise) as covariates for class membership. A recurring theme among the presented solutions is the emergence of two pro-bicycle classes - risk-embracing and risk-cautious - together with a pro-car class. Results indicate that the impact of protected bicycle facilities on perceptions are much higher for the pro-bike/risk-cautious group. The major implication of these findings is that there likely exists a sizeable segment of the population that, although perhaps just as interested in bicycling as the typical pro-bicycle class, is more cautious in their perceptions of comfort and safety. Those belonging to this subgroup generally view minimal facilities as much more unsafe and uncomfortable than their risk-accepting counterparts, but have comparable perceptions regarding high-quality protected bicycle facilities.     

Investigating what makes people walk or cycle using a socio-ecological approach in seven European cities

Large efforts and investments have been made into public transport, walking, and cycling in cities around Europe. Yet, cars remain the most ubiquitous mode of travel in urban areas. Often, research into the barriers facing active travel evaluates only one part of the problem, such as a person’s surrounding environment (the macro level), socially embedded practices that define the activity (meso level), or a person’s own beliefs and sense of identity (micro level). However, barriers and enablers to active travel exist on multiple levels, and interventions to increase walking and/or cycling are less likely to work when implemented in isolation. Hence, a multilevel socio-ecological model is developed to demonstrate and test the importance of assessing these barriers together, and identify interrelationships among them. Using the Physical Activity Through Sustainable Transportation Approaches (PASTA) dataset on the travel behaviour of people in seven different European cities, this paper identifies the constructs that correlate with active travel most. Within PASTA, psychosocial constructs influence the decision to take a trip by bicycle or walk more than built environment variables. In addition, trip purpose and the meso level influence the importance of built environment and attitudinal variables in explaining active travel. These relationships do not vary significantly between cities. This research further supports the use of multi-faceted interventions to increase walking and cycling, rather than focussing on a single policy.     

Speech pathology student clinician attitudes and beliefs towards people who stutter: A mixed-method pilot study

PurposeStuttering is a disorder of fluency that extends beyond its physical nature and has social, emotional and vocational impacts. Research shows that individuals often exhibit negative attitudes towards people who stutter; however, there is limited research on the attitudes and beliefs of speech pathology students towards people who stutter in Australia. Existing research is predominantly quantitative; whereas this mixed-method study placed an emphasis on the qualitative component. The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes and beliefs of final year Australian speech pathology students towards people who stutter.MethodsThis mixed-method study applied the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes – Stuttering (POSHA-S) and semi-structured interviews to gather data from final year speech pathology students from a major university in Australia.Principal resultsThe overall qualitative findings identified that final year Australian speech pathology students exhibit positive attitudes towards people who stutter. The results also illustrated the role of education in influencing attitudes of students as well as increasing their confidence to work with people who stutter.Major conclusionThis research revealed that Australian final year speech pathology students exhibit positive attitudes towards people who stutter. They displayed an understanding that people who stutter may have acquired traits such as shyness as a response to their personal situation and environment, rather than those traits being endemic to them. Results also suggested that education can play a role in creating confident student clinicians in their transition to practice, and positively influence their attitudes and beliefs.     

Facilitators,barriers and needs in the use of adaptive driving strategies to enhance older drivers’ mobility: Importance of openness,perceptions, knowledge and support

This study aimed to explore facilitators, barriers and needs for the use of adaptive driving strategies (i.e., means used to adjust driving for diminished abilities) which can optimize the community mobility of older drivers. An exploratory qualitative clinical research design was conducted with 11 older drivers, 7 relatives and 14 driving professionals. Five focus group discussions were audio recorded, transcribed and analyzed. Facilitators for the use of adaptive driving strategies were: being a woman; perceiving dangers; recognizing the usefulness of strategies and abilities as diminished; having disabilities or discomfort when driving; experiencing complex driving situations; receiving help of relatives and services of professionals; and having other transportation options. Barriers were: not knowing strategies; being proud; lack of self-criticism; unwillingness of relatives and physicians to intervene; having costs to the use of adaptive strategies; recognizing driving as important; perceiving the complexity of using other transportation options; and lack of proximity to facilities and services. To foster the use of adaptive strategies, TV, radio, newspapers and information sessions need increasing older drivers’ awareness about the age-related changes, the community resources, and the strategies themselves, including their importance in safe driving. Furthermore, to support older drivers in changing their driving habits and using adaptive strategies, results demonstrated that it is important to involve their relatives and professionals. While promoting safe driving and the prevention of collisions and injuries on the road, knowledge about facilitators, barriers and needs for the use of adaptive driving strategies could ultimately allow seniors to optimize their community mobility.     

The effects of thematic relations on picture naming abilities across the lifespan

A picture–word interference paradigm tracked patterns of activation during picture naming in 87 individuals (age range 17–80 years old). Distractor words were presented at stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs) of ?200, ?100, and 0 ms bearing a has a-, location, or no relationship to the picture. Analyses of group naming reaction times revealed significant facilitation effects for both semantic relation types for all age groups. Analyses of temporal patterns of activation revealed significant effects primarily at SOAs of ?200 and ?100 ms. These findings provide evidence that both thematic relations are particularly salient in how semantic knowledge is organized, and that the patterns of effects from these semantic relations remain the same as one ages.     

You'll change more than I will: Adults’ predictions about their own and others’ future preferences

It has been argued that adults underestimate the extent to which their preferences will change over time. We sought to determine whether such mispredictions are the result of a difficulty imagining that one's own current and future preferences may differ or whether it also characterizes our predictions about the future preferences of others. We used a perspective-taking task in which we asked young people how much they liked stereotypically young-person items (e.g., Top 40 music, adventure vacations) and stereotypically old-person items (e.g., jazz, playing bridge) now, and how much they would like them in the distant future (i.e., when they are 70 years old). Participants also made these same predictions for a generic same-age, same-sex peer. In a third condition, participants predicted how much a generic older (i.e., age 70) same-sex adult would like items from both categories today. Participants predicted less change between their own current and future preferences than between the current and future preferences of a peer. However, participants estimated that, compared to a current older adult today, their peer would like stereotypically young items more in the future and stereotypically old items less. The fact that peers’ distant-future estimated preferences were different from the ones they made for “current” older adults suggests that even though underestimation of change of preferences over time is attenuated when thinking about others, a bias still exists.     

Attitudes of learner drivers toward safety at level crossings: Do they change after a 360° video-based educational intervention?

In light of the growing number of level crossing accidents and the limited prevention programmes, this study examined relationships among attitudes toward traffic rules, impulsiveness, and behavioural intentions at level crossings. It explored the behavioural effects of an educational programme newly developed within the framework of the Croatian national safety project “Implementation of measures to improve the safety of the most vulnerable traffic participants at level crossings“. The programme aimed to change risky attitudes and behavioural intentions of learner drivers at level crossings. It consists of a safety lecture accompanied by pictures, videos and the exposition to a 3D virtual reality film shot at a real level crossing, which allows the participant to experience, from the driver’s perspective, safe and risky crossings. The programme was implemented in 11 driving schools. First, 285 participants (62.8% men) answered a questionnaire measuring safety attitudes toward traffic and impulsiveness, then they attended a lecture and participated in the virtual reality experience. Finally, they answered a questionnaire measuring planned future behaviour at level crossings. The results showed that attitudes toward level crossing risk significantly predicted intended driving behaviour at level crossings. Furthermore, the 360° video-based educational intervention altered the relationships connecting attitudes toward level crossings and risky driving behaviour at level crossings. The practical implications of these results are discussed.