Effectiveness of a Hearing Conservation and Vocal Hygiene Program for Kindergarten Children

Abstract

Noise-induced hearing loss and disorders of the voice are two potentially preventable communication disorders. This study sought to determine if young children's knowledge regarding potentially abusive hearing and voice behaviors can be changed through education. An interactive educational program-“Ears for Listening, Voice for Speaking” (ELVS)-was presented to 66 kindergarten students. A questionnaire, testing the students' knowledge regarding anatomy, abusive behaviors, and conservation practices, was administered pre- and post-ELVS participation. A statistically significant increase was found in the students' knowledge post-ELVS participation. Scores on the voice questions were lower than hearing, and, although the difference was not statistically significant, girls scored higher than boys, both pre- and post-ELVS participation. This study highlights the importance of early intervention through education in preventing noise-induced hearing loss and voice disorders.     

Patients’ intention to speak up for health care providers’ hand hygiene in inpatient diabetic foot wound treatment: a cross-sectional survey in diabetes outpatient centres in Lower Saxony,Germany*

Hand hygiene in wound care by health care providers (HCPs) is a key principle in treating hospitalized patients with diabetic foot infections. This study aimed to estimate the extent to which patients with type-2-diabetes (T2D) intend to speak up for HCPs’ hand hygiene during inpatient foot treatment, test whether this motivation increases given the hospital would invite patients to speak up, and identify associations with socio-demographics, knowledge of hand hygiene requirements, and diabetes-related factors. A questionnaire-survey was conducted in eight diabetes outpatient centres in Lower Saxony/Germany. Intentions to speak up (without and with institutional encouragement) and knowledge about hand hygiene during foot-care were assessed. Analyses of variance were conducted, partly as repeated measures-models with intention-items as within-subject factor. N = 473 patients participated (response = 77.4%). N = 177 (41%) strongly intended to speak up. Institutional encouragement was associated with an increased rate of strong (54% vs. 41%; p < .001) and higher mean intention (M = 3.9 vs. 3.4 with vs. without encouragement [5-point-scales]; F(1, 434)?=?41.5, p < .001). In patients without diabetic foot syndrome, this effect was limited to those with at least medium school education (F(2, 292)?=?4.4, p = .013) and knowledge on HCPs’ hand hygiene (F(2, 294)?=?3.1, p = .047). In conclusion, a majority of T2D-patients in diabetes outpatient centres intend to speak for HCPs’ hand hygiene in inpatient foot treatment, and are receptive to institutional encouragement. However, this presupposes at least medium education and knowledge about hand hygiene, emphasizing that patient empowerment begins with knowledge.     

Factors influencing the decision to engage in alcohol-impaired driving among Arab-Israeli youths

Alcohol-Impaired Driving (AID) is rarely studied among Arab communities. As contacts between Arab and Western cultures grow, alcohol consumption and safety-related issues are emerging as a major public health concern. This paper examines factors influencing the decision to engage in AID in a sample of young Arab-Israeli bar patrons (n = 300, age 17–34), including both Muslims (n = 77) and Christians (n = 176); alcohol is prohibited for the former, but is normative for the latter. Studies of AID often use agent-oriented models, most notably the theory of planned behavior (TPB). The current study complements this tradition using the structure-oriented Social-Cultural (SC) model. Over 70% of participants reported engaging in AID after consuming 3–4 portions of alcohol. The TPB model proved to have significant explanatory power while most cultural factors, including religion, failed to gain statistical significance. The latter finding is counter-intuitive given the different status of alcohol in the cultures investigated. The TPB variable Personal Behavioral Control (PBC) and a specific sub-component of the subjective norms variable emerged as providing the greatest contribution to the model. The results support the robustness of TPB and demonstrate that beyond identifying idiosyncratic patterns structure-based models can be useful in refuting pre-conceived conceptions. Thus, both approaches should be utilized to inform policymaking. Governmental authorities, particularly in Israel, must consider the neglected issue of AID among Arab communities, including both Christians and Muslims.     

The effects of familiarity on thought--action fusion

The present study examined whether beliefs about the importance of thoughts (i.e., thought–action fusion; TAF) are related to the target subject of the negative thought. One hundred and seven undergraduate students were randomly assigned to imagine either a beloved relative or a stranger being diagnosed with cancer and provided in vivo ratings of anxiety, likelihood, moral wrongness, urge to neutralize, and how upsetting the event would be if it occurred. Results indicated that thinking of a relative being diagnosed with cancer provoked more distress, urges to neutralize, and higher estimates of likelihood, as well greater use of mental neutralizing behaviors, compared to thinking of a stranger. Contrary to our prediction, the groups did not differ in their ratings of the moral wrongness. These findings broadly support the assertion that the more personally significant a negative intrusive thought, the more it will provoke distress and urges to neutralize. Results are discussed in terms of the cognitive model of obsessions and clinical implications are addressed.     

INTRINSIC AESTHETIC VALUE REVISTED

Abstract: Every sentient organism needs constantly to re‐assess its environment in order to adjust to any changes in it and to ascertain which aspects are, or become, salient for its current purposes. Such adaptation is of basic evolutionary importance, but for human beings it can be difficult to achieve in the face of radical novelty or when different frames of reference are in conflict. Art by virtue of its integrated structure presents examples of how a partial unification of experience may be envisaged. Art thus helps to meet our constant need for orientation and re‐orientation, though its operation in this respect is invariably outside consciousness. So art can be said to have intrinsic value only within a strictly subjective, phenomenological perspective; more broadly considered from a third‐person viewpoint, the value of art is instrumental. Questions then arise concerning our motivation for seeking or producing art, about the relation of art to other cultural activities, and about the role of pleasure in connection with aesthetic experience; these are briefly discussed.     

Information quality in personality judgment: The value of personal disclosure

We examined the relative quality of different types of information and its effects on accuracy in personality judgment. Three hundred and forty-four unacquainted undergraduates participated in a small group round-robin rating scheme. In one condition, participants were asked to disclose three things that were very important to them in life. In a second condition, participants were asked to disclose three distinctive personal facts: things that differentiated them from others. We found that (a) people believed values information was more personality-relevant than facts information and (b) although there was no clear advantage for one condition over the other in terms of generalized accuracy, there were some differences across conditions for specific traits. Implications for the study of information quality in personality judgment are discussed.     

Chinese undergraduates' preferences for altruistic traits in mate selection and personal advertisement: Evidence from Q‐sort technique

Human's preferences for altruistic mates have been confirmed by many researchers. Under the deep influence of Confucianism that authorised more parental control over offspring's mate selection, Chinese people's mating strategies and mate preferences may be different from what the evolutionary psychologists have suggested. This study used the Q‐sort technique to assess the roles of altruistic traits in mate selection and personal advertisement. A total of 200 university students participated in the Q‐sort procedures and were asked to sort 50 traits (among which altruistic traits were mixed) according to their importance when choosing (or advertising to) a long‐term (LT) or a short‐term (ST) mate. Our findings were quite different from prior studies. When Chinese participants chose a mate or advertised themselves to a potential mate, kin altruism was considered to be the most important trait; altruistic traits were more preferred by males than by females and females tended to advertise themselves as more altruistic; preferences for altruistic traits showed no difference between LT and ST mate selections (or between personal advertisement to a LT and a ST mate).     

Gender differences in personal values of national and local Italian politicians,activists and voters

Theorists of politics of presence postulate that women elected to political office would still hold values similar to ordinary women and therefore represent them better than male politicians. Gender differences in personal values, which underline and give coherence to core political values, have been found among voters: males score higher on self‐enhancement values (power and achievement) and females higher on self‐transcendence values (universalism and benevolence). Our study aims to explore if gender differences in personal values are still present among activists, local and national politicians. We administer a shortened version of the Portrait Values Questionnaire to 233 Italian national politicians (46% females), 425 local politicians (56% females), 626 political activists (44% females), and 3249 ordinary citizens (49% females). Our results confirm only partially politics of presence theory: females at all levels of political involvement score higher in self‐transcendent values that emphasise concern for the welfare of others, but no significant gender differences emerge for self‐enhancement, which favour the pursuit of self‐interest. Our findings support ethical struggles for more balanced gender representation: a higher proportion of women in politics could strengthen the political representation of self‐transcendence values.     

Personality attributes that predict cadet performance at West Point

Using data from the United States Military Academy at West Point (N = 1102 and N = 1049) from two successive years, we examined psychological measures of cadets and the correlations of those measures with consequential outcomes such as cadet performance and leadership potential. We examined four broad intelligences, two of which were thing-focused (spatial and mathematical) and two people-focused (verbal and personal intelligences) and their predictions to thing- and people-centered courses (e.g., chemistry versus psychology). We found support for a thing-people differential in reasoning. The broad intelligences and the Big Five personality traits also predicted academic and other performance criteria at consequential levels.     

Distressed yet empathically sensitive: Preschoolers’ responses to infant crying

Using a simulated long bout of progressively intense infant crying, this study demonstrated that preschoolers responded with infant-oriented empathic concern and helping actions despite evidence of self-focused distress. Preschoolers’ helping actions were predicted by the interaction between empathic concern and cognitive inquiry.