Home robotic devices for older adults: Opportunities and concerns

an article by Inbal Deutsch, Hadas Erel, Michal Paz and Oren Zuckerman (Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya, Israel) and Guy  Hoffman (Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA) published in Computers in Human Behavior Volume 98 (September 2019)

Highlights

• Older adults' attitudes and emotional reactions toward robotic devices were evaluated.
• Specific robot features related to appearance, behavior and function affect acceptance..
• Older adults' user needs should be addressed in the robot's design.
• Concrete design guidelines for robotic devices targeting older adults are suggested.

Abstract

Robotic devices for older adults are becoming a reality.

New robots are being introduced for the growing subpopulation of healthy older adults, with an emphasis on supporting the positive aspects of aging.

In order to inform the design and implementation of such robots, the relevant needs and concerns of this population should be studied, mapped, and translated into recommendations. We present a qualitative study of thirty cognitively-intact older adults, evaluating their attitudes and emotional reactions towards different types of home robotic devices.

Interview analysis of participants reactions to videos of six devices uncovered four user needs that can be threatened by the introduction of home robots:

• the need for independence,
• the need for control,
• the fear of being replaced, and
• the need for authenticity.

Furthermore, results reveal that cognitively-intact older adults are willing to adopt robotic devices into their homes, contingent upon their preferences and concerns being addressed. We provide recommendations regarding how researchers and designers of home robots can better address the user needs of healthy older adults by leveraging aspects of the robot's function, speech, appearance, size, proactivity, and mobility.

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Spiraling downward: The reciprocal relation between attitude toward political behavioral targeting and privacy concerns

an article by Tom Dobber, Damian Trilling, Natali Helberger and Claes de Vreese (University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands) published in New Media & Society Volume 21 Issue 6 (June 2019)

Abstract

Tailored political messages are increasingly prevalent in election time, but we know little about how people perceive such data-driven and potentially privacy-infringing techniques.

This article examines how demographics relate to privacy concerns and attitudes toward “political behavioral targeting” (PBT), how privacy concerns and attitudes toward PBT relate over time, and explore their relation with autonomy, electoral deliberation, and chilling effects.

Using a three-wave panel study, administered in the Netherlands (N = 879), we examine a potential reciprocal relation between attitude toward PBT and privacy concerns, which may form a negative reinforcing spiral dynamic over time. This dynamic could result in undesirable behavior of the voter from a democratic viewpoint (e.g. chilling effects).

We find that demographics fall short in explaining privacy concerns.

More importantly, we find evidence for a reinforcing spiral dynamic and, by doing so, contribute to the discussion about the threats and promises of PBT to society.

Full text (PDF 20pp)

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Everyone is biased, including you: the play designed by neuroscientists

an article by Nic Fleming published in the Guardian

We all cling to beliefs despite the evidence. Immersive theatre experience The Justice Syndicate aims to show why


Justice Syndicate jury members debrief in Dundee Sheriff court after reaching their verdict. Photograph: Drew Farrell

“It’s her word against his,” says a middle-aged male juror in thick-rimmed glasses. “Someone of his experience wouldn’t do something so risky.” A woman to my right says the defendant is probably guilty, but maybe not beyond reasonable doubt. “But why would she lie?” asks another female juror.

Eleven strangers and I are discussing whether renowned children’s surgeon Simon Huxtable tried to rape Sally Hodges, the mother of a former patient. She says he tried to kiss her and then force himself on her. Huxtable says Hodges made up the allegation after he spurned her advances. Mobile phone records show he was at her home for 26 minutes but he told police he was there for only 10. His browsing history reveals he has an interest in rape porn.

Continue reading believe me it is worth it.

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Shifting Societal Attitudes: Examining the Effects of Perspective Taking on Attitudes toward and Derogation of the Poor

an article by Jessica Louise Wiese (St Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Canada) and Colleen Loomis and Terry Mitchell (Balsillie School of International Affairs, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada; Wilfred Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada) published in Journal of Poverty Volume 23 Issue 1 (2019)

Abstract

People tend to hold negative attitudes about and derogate those in poverty to varying degrees, often relying on individualistic explanations of poverty that largely ignore systemic sources.

This study (N = 208) examined a perspective-taking strategy that could be used to reduce distancing behaviors and negative attitudes toward the poor. Perspective takers distanced less and reported fewer negative attitudes than others.

An additional finding was that men (n = 57) were more likely to derogate/distance than women, showed greater agreement with personal deficiency explanations for poverty, and reported stronger stereotypic attitudes toward people who are impoverished.

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Cultural divides and digital inequalities: attitudes shaping Internet and social media divides

an article by William H Dutton and Bianca C Reisdorf (Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA) published in Information, Communication & Society Volume 22 Issue 1 (January 2019)

Abstract

Researchers on digital divides have identified demographic and attitudinal factors associated with inequalities in access, skills, and patterns of Internet use, primarily around age, income, and education. While the attitudes and values of Internet users and non-users have been studied over the years, they have rarely been used to identify broader ‘cultures of the Internet’ and their role in shaping digital divides.

This paper builds on research in Britain, which focused on patterns of attitudes underpinning Internet cultures, to explore the degree that similar or distinctive cultures have developed in the USA, and whether and how they are useful in explaining digital divides.

This study utilizes original data drawn from a telephone survey of residents across the State of Michigan that adapted survey items and methods from the Oxford Internet Survey of Britain.

Based on these survey responses, the paper identifies and describes the cultures of the Internet among Michigan residents, as an exploratory case of the US as a whole, and shows how these cultures shape digital divides in Internet access and social media use. The robustness and explanatory power of these explorations of Internet cultures argue for further research on the United States and for comparative research with other nations.

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An East–West comparison of healthcare evaluations in Europe: Do institutions matter?

an article by Tamara Popic (Institute for Social and Political Sciences, University of Lisbon, Portugal) and Simone M. Schneider (Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy, Germany) published in Journal of European Social Policy Volume 28 Issue 5 (December 2018)

Abstract

Differences in welfare attitudes of Eastern and Western Europeans have often been explained in terms of legacies of communism.

In this article, we explore evaluations of healthcare systems across European countries and argue that East–West differences in these evaluations are explained by differences in the current institutional design of healthcare systems in the two regions.

The empirical analysis is based on the fourth round of the European Social Survey, applying multilevel and multilevel mediation analysis. Our results support the institutional explanation. Regional differences in healthcare evaluations are explained by institutional characteristics of the healthcare system, that is, lower financial resources, higher out-of-pocket payments, and lower supply of primary healthcare services in Eastern compared to Western European countries.

We conclude that specific aspects of the current institutional design of healthcare systems are crucial for understanding East–West differences in healthcare evaluations and encourage research to further explore the relevance of institutions for differences in welfare state attitudes across socio-political contexts.

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Is my fear of missing out (FOMO) causing fatigue? Advertising, social media fatigue, and the implications for consumers and brands

an article by Laura Frances Bright (Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, USA) and Kelty Logan (University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado, USA) published in Internet Research Volume 28 Issue 5 (2018)

Abstract

Purpose
Social media usage has become ubiquitous in our society – consumers are spending upwards of 20 percent of their media time on social sites interacting with friends, family and brands (Adler, 2016) and all of this usage is driving fatigue. The purpose of this paper is to examine how advertising factors such as attitude and intrusiveness impact social media fatigue as well as two consumer behavior factors, fear of missing out (FOMO) and privacy.

Design/methodology/approach
A 190-item questionnaire was developed and administered to an opt-in subject pool recruited for web-based research (i.e. online panel). A representative sample of 750 US social media users was recruited for the survey of which 518 respondents were valid and usable.

Findings
Results indicate that FOMO has the greatest impact on social media fatigue, not advertising factors as predicted. In addition, privacy concerns continue to plague consumers and should be monitored by advertisers.

Research limitations/implications
With regard to limitation, the survey contained a variety of self-reported measures that can tend to be under-reported, especially when it comes to social media usage as evidenced in a recent study (Adler, 2016).

Originality/value
This research undertook an investigation of consumer perceptions of social media advertising and how those relate to social media fatigue and psychological factors such as privacy and FOMO. In looking at these constructs, a clearer picture of how consumer perceptions of advertising impact levels of social media fatigue has emerged. In addition, the results provide a better understanding of FOMO, a psychological factor that significantly contributes to social media fatigue.

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Communism, religion, and unhappiness

a column by Simeon Djankov and Elena Nikolova for VOX: CEPR’s Policy Portal

While the existing scholarship has explained long-run institutional development across countries with a variety of different factors, the literature remains largely silent on the role of religion.

Using survey data, this column shows that deep-rooted theological differences between Orthodoxy, and Catholicism and Protestantism affect life satisfaction and other attitudes and values in large parts of Europe today.

Although totalitarian governments suppressed religious activities, they preserved those aspects of Orthodoxy – such as tradition and communitarianism – which were helpful for advancing the communist doctrine.

Continue reading

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Why Do Bystanders of Bullying Help or Not? A Multidimensional Model

an article by Tiziana Pozzoli and Gianluca Gini (University of Padua, Padova, Italy) published in The Journal of Early Adolescence Volume 33 Number 3 (April 2013)

Abstract

The authors employed Latanè and Darley’s model about bystanders’ behaviour to explain children’s active defending and passive bystanding behaviour in school bullying.

The three central steps of the model were operationalised by measuring provictim attitudes, personal responsibility for intervention, and coping strategies.

Moreover, the role of perceived expectations from parents and peers was investigated. A total of 759 children and 995 early adolescents participated. The findings from structural equation modelling (SEM) confirmed the hypothesised relationships and the impact of perceived peer and parent pressure on nearly all the study variables.

The model was confirmed for both age groups, with only a few differences in the paths’ magnitudes, and the model demonstrated the importance of considering both strictly individual characteristics and contextual variables. These results substantially expand previous findings and have potential interest for both researchers and educators.

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Promoting positive attitudes towards disabled people: …

definition of, rationale and prospects for anti-disablist education

an article by Angharad E. Beckett and Lisa Buckner (School of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Leeds, UK) published in British Journal of Sociology of Education Volume 33 Issue 6 (November 2012)

Abstract

This article outlines the findings of an Economic and Social Research Council-funded study exploring the role of English state primary schools in promoting positive attitudes towards disabled people.

Data emerging from a survey of schools and interviews with teachers are presented. The article considers progress made by schools against particular aspects of the Disability Equality Duty 2006.

The project was underpinned by a working model of anti-disablist education resulting from a ‘conversation’ between various models of anti-oppressive education and disability politics. It explores the rationale for a ‘courageous’ form of anti-disablist education, definition of this, schools’ engagement in this type of practice and challenges to promoting such an ideal.

Hazel’s comment:
If we can’t get it right in the primary schools what hope is there for it being right with older children or adults?

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The impacts of demographic change: Young workers, older workers and the consequences for education, skills and employment

an article by John Goodwin and Henrietta O’Connor (Centre for Labour Market Studies, University of Leicester) published in Education + Training volume 54 Issue 7 (2012)

Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to introduce the key themes in the area of the impact of demographic change on young workers and older workers in relation to education, skills and employment, as discussed in the papers included in this section. The authors have also drawn upon data from their project “From Young Workers to Older Workers” as a context for the papers.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper draws out the main themes from the papers contained within this section and presents original data from interviews with 97 older workers who were interviewed at two points in time – labour market entry and labour market exit.
Findings
The selection of papers in this section is outlined, as well as offering some findings from the authors’ research on older workers.
Originality/value
The papers in this section, including this paper, offer an overview of some of the key debates in relation to the impact of demographic change on both young workers and older workers.

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Global citizens: Who are they?

an article by Lorna Bourke, Philip Bamber and Minna Lyons (Liverpool Hope University, UK) published in Education, Citizenship and Social Justice Volume 7 Number 2 (July 2012)

Abstract

A growing desire to instigate global citizenship programmes in higher education has led to the development of optional structured opportunities for students to engage in prosocial activities. One of the challenges facing such programmes is to demonstrate and plan for the personal growth of those students.

This article reports the dispositional, prosocial and attitudinal characteristics; knowledge and skills; and perceptions of social justice that students who undertake these activities bring to their initial participation.

The findings indicate, that in comparison to a control group, the students differ significantly in a number of important ways (for example, conscientiousness, extraversion, openness; Machiavellianism, prosocial behaviour; self-esteem; skills relating to social action and tolerance and understanding and their concern regarding social problems).

However, consideration should be given to the ways in which those students can be developed within a framework for social justice. Further, recruitment procedures for citizenship programmes in general should encourage the participation of a more diverse group of students than currently appears to be the case.

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The role of aspirations, attitudes and behaviour in closing the educational attainment gap

a Roundup paper by Charlotte Carter-Wall and Grahame Whitfield published by JRF (Joseph Rowntree Foundation)

Which interventions have actually improved educational outcomes?

Evidence supports interventions focused on parental involvement in children’s education to improve outcomes, rolling out and closely monitoring these.

There is strong interest in aspirations because it is assumed that raising them will increase educational achievement, as well as contribute to greater equity and the UK’s economic competitiveness. Low aspirations among young people and their families in disadvantaged areas are often thought to explain their poor education levels and jobs.

This Roundup asks if children’s and parents’ attitudes, aspirations and behaviours (AABs) for education really do affect attainment; and whether interventions focused on these can reduce the attainment gap. Summarising key messages from research in JRF's Education and Poverty programme, it found that:

• It was not possible to establish a clear causal relationship between AABs and children’s educational outcomes, particularly due to the quality of evidence, which offers limited support for the impact of most interventions.
• Evidence supports interventions focused on parental involvement in children’s education to improve outcomes. The immediate focus should be on rolling out and closely monitoring these.
• There is mixed evidence on the impact of interventions focused on extra-curricular activities, mentoring, children’s self-belief and motivation. Further development of such interventions should be trialled alongside evaluations of effectiveness.
• There is little evidence of impact for interventions focused on things like addressing children’s general attitudes to education or the amount of paid work children do during term time.

Summary report (PDF 19pp)

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