User acceptance of automated shuttles in Berlin-Schöneberg: A questionnaire study

Automated shuttles are now in a prototyping phase in several research projects. However, there is still a paucity of knowledge on the acceptance of these shuttles. This paper presents the results of a questionnaire study among individuals (n = 384) who physically experienced an automated shuttle on an office campus in Berlin-Schöneberg. The findings indicate that the respondents were positive towards automated shuttles and could envision their use as feeders to public transport systems, in both urban and rural areas. The respondents were less satisfied with the effectiveness of the shuttle compared to their existing form of travel, the speed of the shuttle, and the space for luggage. A principal component analysis resulted in the retention of three components: (1) intention to use, (2) shuttle and service characteristics, and (3) shuttle effectiveness compared to existing transport. Older respondents expressed a higher intention to use, but found the shuttle less effective than their existing travel. We argue that automated shuttles are a valued concept, but speed and efficiency have to improve, in order for automated shuttles to become viable on a wide scale. Future research should use more objective measures and establish long-term effects in larger, more representative samples.     

In Defense of “Denial”: Difficulty Knowing When Beliefs Are Unrealistic and Whether Unrealistic Beliefs Are Bad

Bioethicists often draw sharp distinctions between hope and states like denial, self-deception, and unrealistic optimism. But what, exactly, is the difference between hope and its more suspect cousins? One common way of drawing the distinction focuses on accuracy of belief about the desired outcome: Hope, though perhaps sometimes misplaced, does not involve inaccuracy in the way that these other states do. Because inaccurate beliefs are thought to compromise informed decision making, bioethicists have considered these states to be ones where intervention is needed either to correct the person’s mental state or to persuade the person to behave differently, or even to deny the person certain options (e.g., another round of chemotherapy). In this article, we argue that it is difficult to determine whether a patient is really in denial, self-deceived, or unrealistically optimistic. Moreover, even when we are confident that beliefs are unrealistic, they are not always as harmful as critics contend. As a result, we need to be more permissive in our approach to patients who we believe are unrealistically optimistic, in denial, or self-deceived—that is, unless patients significantly misunderstand their situation and thus make decisions that are clearly bad for them (especially in light of their own values and goals), we should not intervene by trying to change their mental states or persuade them to behave differently, or by paternalistically denying them certain options (e.g., a risky procedure).     

Disrupting the trans-versus-Catholic dichotomy: An example from a Canadian elementary school policy

ABSTRACT

Background: Mainstream media is increasingly reporting on the relationships between Catholic and trans identities in parochial schools, particularly with regard to gendered washroom use. With greater numbers of trans youth coming out at younger ages, significant educational policy changes are being considered around how Catholic schools can or should include trans youth.

Method: This study applies trans and queer theologies to Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) in investigating the Wilson case, which was the first known instance of a Catholic school including some affirming policy provisions for trans youth. The authors additionally collected and coded 12 news articles from a variety of platforms to discern and discuss the theological arguments in the public square against more fulsome trans student inclusion in Catholic schools.

Results: The authors found two related theological arguments against full inclusion, namely the notion that (1) Gender is God-given and therefore cannot be chosen or changed, and (2) That transgressive bodies are not sacred parts of the divine gender plan.

Conclusion: Trans theology allowed the authors to disrupt both of the theological claims advanced by the Catholic educators quoted in the Wilson case. This created rich, imaginative space in which to reconsider the relationships between Catholic and trans identities, namely by not arranging them in a binary. Significance for policy-making in parochial schools is discussed.     

政策执行偏差严重程度对公众地方政府责任判断的影响机制

为探讨地方政府政策执行偏差严重程度对公众地方政府责任判断的影响机制。采用问卷法对728名社会公众进行调查,结果显示：（1）公众地方政府有意性判断和公众地方政府可控归因中介了政策执行偏差严重程度与公众地方政府责任判断之间的关系。（2）政策执行偏差严重程度还通过公众地方政府有意性判断→公众地方政府可控归因的中介链作用于公众地方政府道德责任判断。并对研究的实践启示进行了讨论。     

Psychosocial aspects of successful ageing and resilience: critique,integration and implications / Aspectos psicológicos del envejecimiento exitoso y la resiliencia: crítica,integración e implicaciones

Abstract

As the number of older adults increases worldwide, it is becoming increasingly important to find effective ways of fostering better ageing trajectories. The models used to shape this process inform research, policy and practice and impact older adults themselves. Two important ageing models are successful ageing (SA) and resilience (RES). Aligning the conceptual framework in research contexts with those of older adults’ perspectives is an integral component of driving forward the research agenda in a manner that has the greatest potential to benefit older adults. Studies conducted with laypersons indicate that psychosocial components are important components of successful ageing models; therefore, it is imperative that these non-biomedical components are incorporated. There are many similarities between SA and RES models, but an important distinguishing feature is the incorporation of adversity into conceptualizations of resilience. SA models suggest high levels of functioning as a requirement for ageing successfully, regardless of the circumstances the individual experiences; resilience models take into account the level of adversity being experienced by the individual. Individuals can demonstrate RES by having a more positive outcome than would be expected given their level of adversity. The incorporation of psychosocial constructs into SA models and the integration of SA and RES paradigms has important implications for research and for older adults themselves. Through the promotion of models of ageing that include psychosocial components and elements of adversity, greater generalizability to a broader population is possible with enhanced potential for research derived from these efforts to more positively influence individuals’ trajectories of ageing.     

A Systematic Scoping Review of the Choice Architecture Movement: Toward Understanding When and Why Nudges Work

In this paper, we provide a domain‐general scoping review of the nudge movement by reviewing 422 choice architecture interventions in 156 empirical studies. We report the distribution of the studies across countries, years, domains, subdomains of applicability, intervention types, and the moderators associated with each intervention category to review the current state of the nudge movement. Furthermore, we highlight certain characteristics of the studies and experimental and reporting practices that can hinder the accumulation of evidence in the field. Specifically, we found that 74% of the studies were mainly motivated to assess the effectiveness of the interventions in one specific setting, while only 24% of the studies focused on the exploration of moderators or underlying processes. We also observed that only 7% of the studies applied power analysis, 2% used guidelines aiming to improve the quality of reporting, no study in our database was preregistered, and the used intervention nomenclatures were non‐exhaustive and often have overlapping categories. Building on our current observations and proposed solutions from other fields, we provide directly applicable recommendations for future research to support the evidence accumulation on why and when nudges work. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

大学生自尊与网络过激行为的关系:社交焦虑和双自我意识的作用

本研究探讨了自尊与网络过激行为的关系,以391名大学生为被试,采用问卷法考察了社交焦虑在自尊与网络过激行为关系中的中介作用,以及该过程是否受到公我意识、私我意识水平的调节。结果发现：（1）在控制了性别、年龄后,自尊对网络过激行为具有负向预测作用;（2）社交焦虑在自尊和网络过激行为间起部分中介作用;（3）公我意识调节自尊对网络过激行为的直接作用。相对于公我意识水平高的大学生,直接效应对公我意识水平低的大学生更显著;（4）自尊对社交焦虑的作用还受到个体私我意识的调节,相对于私我意识水平低的大学生,间接效应对于私我意识水平高的大学生更显著。     

CROSSING THE DIVIDE: LESSONS FROM DEVELOPING WIND ENERGY IN POST‐FACT AMERICA

The income and careers that come with building wind turbines have become a lifeline for many factory towns and farming communities. Generating electricity from the wind puts increasingly cheap power on the grid, saving consumers billions a year. And it is one of the biggest, fastest, cheapest ways to reduce carbon pollution, reducing the threat of climate change. Yet as wind farms have rapidly spread to forty‐one states, their developers must make their case anew with each community that hosts them. Facts matter, but so do empathy, honoring deep connections to neighbors and landscape, and developing mutual respect. Successful wind farm developers listen first for shared values and speak with inclusive language, to communicate with potential opponents across divides of misunderstanding and motivate local residents to adapt to and benefit from change.     

Changes in schemas of patients with severe borderline personality disorder: The Oulu BPD study

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a relatively common and severe psychiatric disorder that can impair quality of life in many ways. The aim of this study was to determine whether a combined treatment model for BPD patients, utilising major principles from schema‐focused therapy (SFT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), could be more effective in relieving early maladaptive schemas of BPD patients, compared to treatment as usual (TAU). This study is a part of the Oulu BPD study conducted at mental health care services run by Oulu city social and health care services. The study is a multisite, randomized controlled trial conducted over a one year period, involving two groups of patients with severe BPD: (1) Community Treatment By Experts (CTBE) patients (n = 18) receiving the combined treatment model, and 2) TAU patients (n = 27). The patients' schemas were assessed using the Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ‐L3a) before and after one year of treatment. The results reveal that CTBE patients who attended the combined treatment model showed a statistically significant reduction in eight out of 18 early maladaptive schemas, while patients receiving treatment as usual did not demonstrate any significant changes in schemas. The cognitive therapeutic treatment model can be applied for clinical use in public mental health settings using existing professionals, and appears to produce positive changes in patients with BPD.     

Generational Conversion? The Role of Religiosity in the Politics of Evangelicals

The political environment for evangelical Protestants has changed substantially since the Christian Right reached its apex, as a more issue and ideologically diffuse political environment has emerged. The present study tests two different theoretical perspectives on whether these contextual changes may have altered Millennial evangelicals’ political perspectives vis‐à‐vis those of previous generations of evangelicals. On the one hand, theoretical perspectives related to differential political socialization processes across generations would lead to expectations of generational change among evangelicals. On the other hand, theoretical perspectives related to social identity theory would suggest far less change across generations. Using Pew's 2007 U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, we test these expectations by comparing the relationships between religiosity and political attitudes across three generations of evangelicals. Ordered probit and logistic regression models estimate the impact of religiosity on various political attitudes. These models reveal that Millennial evangelical religiosity continues to be strongly related to Republican Party identification and opposition toward abortion, which is largely consistent with the social identity perspective. Generational change is most evident in a variety of nonsocial issues in which religiosity is associated with less conservatism among Millennials. Additional analysis using the 2012 Religion and Politics Survey with a smaller sample of Millennial evangelicals confirms these results.