The impact of construal level on happiness,hope, optimism,life satisfaction,and love of life: A longitudinal and experimental study

This study sought to identify the impact of the construal level of people's perception on selected positive psychology factors: happiness, hope, optimism, satisfaction with life, and love of life. The experimental design of the study was based on pre–post measures for four groups, including three experimental groups and one control group. The sample consisted of students from the University of Kuwait studying in several colleges (276 participants: 65 males and 211 females). The study posited that using two construal levels of people's perception concurrently (low/high) would result in a greater impact on the selected positive psychology factors compared with using one construal level and that the smallest impact would occur in a control group. The greatest impact was observed on happiness when applying both construal levels (high/low group), while the smallest impact was found in the control group. The results showed no significant differences for the positive factors regarding the demographic variables except for gender in the case of happiness, in which men felt happier than women. It could be concluded that using high-level and low-level construals increase the opportunity for positive psychology factors like happiness, hope, and optimism.     

Étude des comportements-problèmes de 148 adultes atteints de troubles du spectre autistiques institutionnalisés

Objectives

We studied adults with autism spectrum disorder living in a specialized residential care home (n = 148). The participants’ behavioral problems were assessed using the French-language Scale for the Observation of Behavioral Problems in Adults with Autism (Échelle Pour l’Observation des Comportements-problèmes d’Adultes avec Autisme, EPOCAA; Recordon-Gaboriaud & Granier-Deferre). The study's main objectives were to (i) replicate the data from the EPOCAA reference group in a new sample of institutionalized adults, and (ii) study the impact of intellectual disability and medication on the EPOCAA scale. Our first hypothesis was that the severity of intellectual impairment would be associated with a greater likelihood of major behavioural problems. Our second hypothesis was that treatment (or the absence of treatment) with psychotropic and/or anti-epileptic medications would interact with the behavioural problems evaluated on the EPOCAA.

Education Level,Occupational Classification,and Perceptions of Differences for Blacks in the United States

A random sample of 1,276 U.S. adults were surveyed about their perceptions of differences for Blacks in the United States based on discrimination, ability to learn, opportunities for education, and willpower. Those with little education and extensive education were more aware of discrimination for Blacks. Higher levels of education as well as professional and managerial work increased awareness that Blacks have the same ability to learn as Whites and that Blacks lack equitable opportunities for an education. Those with less education and those employed in technical and manual labor were the most likely to say Blacks lacked willpower.     

Neutrosophic data formation using Gaussian filter based costas coding for wireless communication systems

Outstanding advantages of OFDM helps high data rate communication systems such as Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) and mobile worldwide interoperability for microwave access (mobile Wi-MAX). But, OFDM system grieves from grave issue of high PAPR. In OFDM system data output is superposition of multiple sub-carriers and leads to big data. In this case some instantaneous power output might increase greatly and become far higher than the mean power of system. In order to make Neutrosophic data for less PAPR criteria, Gaussian filter based Costas coding is proposed. This paper also proposes feeding the Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexed signal (OFDM) into a phase accumulator to obtain frequency modulation, with the aim of reducing the peak to average power ratio (PAPR). For associated radar with modulated waveform mentioned here can be used to enhance the performance. It is widely used to analyze the variation of the output waveform further, the implementation results using MATLAB show that the ratio of average power to peak power is reducing considerably in comparing with the conventional method. Consequently; the signal can assume to fade in a frequency selective channel without an equalizer.     

Affective components in training to ride safely using a moped simulator

The aim of the present research was to compare different methods of training for safe moped use, especially focusing on physiological reactions during risky experiences. By recording skin conductance response (SCR), we investigated whether training that requires active riding behavior in different risky situations through the use of the Honda Riding Training (HRT) simulator leads to different physiological reactivity, which, in turn, might lead to better learning outcomes. Results indicated that participants who rode actively through the HRT showed higher percentages of SCRs than participants who simply observed risky road scenes to spot hazards. SCR percentage was higher in scenes with no accident. Overall, SCR amplitude was greater when accidents occurred than in scenes with no accidents. Implications for the effectiveness of inexperienced riders training with riding simulators were also discussed.     

A mixed‐method approach to sense of coherence,health behaviors,self‐efficacy and optimism: Towards the operationalization of positive health attitudes

Posadzki, P., Stockl, A., Musonda, P. & Tsouroufli, M. (2010). A mixed‐method approach to sense of coherence, health behaviors, self‐efficacy and optimism: Towards the operationalization of positive health attitudes. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 51, 246–252. This study discusses the results of a cross‐sectional survey of healthy college students in Poland. More specifically, it describes, explores, and explains the relationships between psychological variables/models such as health behaviors (HB), sense of coherence (SOC), level of optimism (LOO), and self‐efficacy (SE) among college students. These separate constructs have also been used to operationalize a positive health attitude (PHA) as a novel construct. The social survey was carried out at three higher education institutions in Poland in January 2006. The random sample of 455 undergraduate students was taken from five different faculties: Physiotherapy, Physical Education, Tourism and Recreation, English Philology and Polish Philology. Four reliable and validated research tools were used to collect the data: Juczynsky’s Health Behaviour Inventory (HBI); Antonovsky’s Sense of Coherence Questionnaire (SOC‐29); Schwarzer & Jerusalem’s Generalized Self‐Efficacy Scale (GSES); and Seligman’s Scale (SS). The results indicate statistically significant differences (p < 0.001) between these four variables: for example, the healthier health behaviors the stronger the sense of coherence, level of optimism and self‐efficacy. It was also demonstrated that LOO, SOC, SE, and HB correlate with one another. Finally, these variables create an explicit empirical‐theoretical pattern. All the research results from REGWQ tests, Pearson’s correlation coefficient and cluster analysis suggest the existence of conceptual similarities between these four variables and/or the existence of some broader scientific construct such as PHA. However, this needs to be examined further. These results could be a good indicator for future research among different faculties or age groups.