Sources of Power: How People Make Decisions

With the advent of instant mobile messaging applications, traditional SMS is in danger of loosing it's reign as the king of mobile messaging. Applications like WhatsApp allow mobile users to send real-time text messages to individuals or groups of friends at no cost. While there is a vast body of research on traditional text messaging practices, little is understood about how and why people have adopted and appropriated instant mobile messaging applications. The goal of this work is to provide a deeper understanding of the motives and perceptions of a popular mobile messaging application called WhatsApp and to learn more about what this service offers above and beyond traditional SMS. To this end, we present insights from two studies an interview study and a large-scale survey highlighting that while WhatsApp offers benefits such as cost, sense of community and immediacy, SMS is still considered a more reliable, privacy preserving technology for mobile communication.

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What's up with whatsapp?: comparing mobile instant messaging behaviors with traditional SMS

O ne of the few research texts authored by those with occupational therapy expertise, this book offers a vast amount of information to the beginning researcher or to professionals interested in reviewing studies with a more critical eye. The book proceeus in a logical fashion beginning with the philosophy of research. The how-to's of designing a study and collecting data are presented, and the final chapters deal with analysis and interpretation of data. In Pan I, the authors define research as a form of knowledge that is \"logical, understandable, confirmable and useful\" (p. 5). DePoy and Gitlin also point out that research provides the scientific evidence necessary to generate a professional body of knowledge. The naturalistic approach to research, designed to uncover phenomena via inductive reasoning, is presented in a positive light. The reader becomes aware of the basic theoretical differences between this approach and the somewhat less controversial experimental approach and is given examples of each. The authors discuss that, although these approaches vary in theory, they may be combined to proVide an integrated approach to research. In Part II, the specifics of structuring research projects are addressed. Which framework (experimental, naturalistic, or a combination) is used depends on the question the researcher wants to answer. The authors also discuss the importance and mechanics of performing a thorough literature review and methods to categorize research designs. The remainder of Pan II is devored to further explanation of the naturalistic and experimental approaches. Examples to illustrate the continuum of designs in each of these approaches are given and several methods 1O combine these designs are proposed. In Part Ill, DePoy and Gitlin delve into selection of appropriate populations and sample sizes. They talk aboLlt nor only what population to include, but also what population to exclude to provide the most stable foundation for a research project. Data-gathering techniques are examined in depth for borh the naturalistic and experimental designs, and several methods for performing statistical analysis are presented. Analysis techniques for naturalistic methodologies are included also. Some basic tips for metamorphosing the information proVided from data analysis into a written text that is clear and concise are outlined in the remaining chapters. The authors also make the pOint that information gleaned from research, no matter how relevant, is nor of use to the profession unless it is disseminated to others. In the last chapter, the authors share their personal research experiences. The reader is left with some perceptions of performing research in a practice-oriented profession. The entry-level researcher, or the clinician wishing to upgrade his knowledge of what constitutes a strong study, will find this book of great interest. The authors have tackled a rather esoreric subject and tied it into a clinician's frame of reference. This text was also written to be included in research curriculums. The Student will find all of the necessary teaching information, as well as examples of the theories presented. Some interesting features of this text include its logical organization. Each chapter contains a summary of the information presented so that the reader can review at a glance. Several of the chapters that present the steps necessary to carry out a study have mental exercises the reader can perform to tesl his knowledge. A wonderful gJossary, bibliography, and thorough index make this an appropriate reference book for the clinician. Theories, strategies, and methodologies are presented with tables and illustrations that are clear to those nor familiar with basic research ideas. One area that could be strengthened is the authors' use of clinical examples. The examples provided in the text are sometimes vague and difficult for the reader to relate to the tenets they are used to reinforce. In addition, many examples appear to be drawn from the authors' social work experience, rather than from their occupational therapy expertise. The book does, however, contain several pertinent references to studies encompassing the occupational therapy range. Several of these studies were also done by the authors, lending further credence to their opinions. For the most part, the authors present the information in an easily understandable style. The beginning of the text, with its explanations of the theory of research and the philosophies of several approaches, may be difficult reading for some. But overall, this text does what it was written to do: give the reader interested in research a thorough background in theory and methodology. The authors seek to demystify the research process for those in the health and human services fields, and the reader is left with a sense that research is not JUSt for those with specialized training, but that direct patient care proViders also can possess the necessary skills and knowledge to make a significant contribution to their profession's body of knowledge. Joanne Merante Baird, MA. OTRIL

Introduction to research.

Although interruptions are daily occurring events for most working people, little research has been done on the impacts of interruptions on workers and their performance. This study examines the e Vects of interruptions on task performance and its regulation, as well as on workers’ psychological and psychophysiological state. Two parallel experiments were carried out in the Netherlands and in Russia, using a common conceptual framework and overlapping designs. Employees with relevant work experience carried out realistic text editing tasks in a simulated o Yce environment, while the frequency and complexity of interruptions were experimentally manipulated. It was hypothesized that interruptions: (i) would cause a deterioration of performance; (ii) evoke strategies to partially compensate for this deterioration; (iii) aVect subjects’ emotions and well-being negatively; and (iv) raise the level of eVort and activation. It was also hypothesized that greater frequency and complexity of interruptions would enhance the expected e Vects. The hypotheses are only partially cone rmed. The results show that, contrary to what was expected, interruptions cause people to perform the main task faster while maintaining the level of quality. Participants develop strategies enabling them to deal e Vectively with the interruptions, while actually over-compensating the potential performance decline. Interruptions do have a negative impact on emotion and well-being, and lead to an increase of e Vort expenditure, although not to an increase in activation. Thus the improved performance is achieved at the expense of higher psychological costs. Greater complexity evoked more favourable responses among the Dutch participants and more unfavourable ones among the Russian participants. These diVerences are interpreted in terms of the participants’ professional background. The research demonstrates that the e Vects of interruptions reach beyond the execution of additional tasks and the change of work strategies. Interruptions appear to have an after-e Vect, ine uencing the workers’ subsequent readiness to perform. Detailed analysis of the activity in the interruption interval, focusing on

Temporal factors in mental work: effects on interrupted activities

Introduction matters: Manipulating trust in automation and reliance in automated driving.

In 2017, Academic Emergency Medicine convened a consensus conference entitled, "Catalyzing System Change through Health Care Simulation: Systems, Competency, and Outcomes." This article, a product of the breakout session on "understanding complex interactions through systems modeling," explores the role that computer simulation modeling can and should play in research and development of emergency care delivery systems. This article discusses areas central to the use of computer simulation modeling in emergency care research. The four central approaches to computer simulation modeling are described (Monte Carlo simulation, system dynamics modeling, discrete-event simulation, and agent-based simulation), along with problems amenable to their use and relevant examples to emergency care. Also discussed is an introduction to available software modeling platforms and how to explore their use for research, along with a research agenda for computer simulation modeling. Through this article, our goal is to enhance adoption of computer simulation, a set of methods that hold great promise in addressing emergency care organization and design challenges.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/acem.13272

Understanding Emergency Care Delivery Through Computer Simulation Modeling.

Purpose Maintaining physical activity is a key component of successful aging and has benefits for both physical and cognitive functioning in the older adult population. One promising method for engaging in physical activity is through exergames, which are video games designed to promote exercise. Exergames have the potential to be used by a wide range of people, including older adults, in a variety of settings, such as at home, in community living environments, or senior centers. However, exergames have not been designed for older adults (e.g., with respect to their attitudes, needs). Thus, older adults may not adopt these systems if they perceive them as not useful or relevant to them. Method Twenty older adults (aged 60-79) interacted with two exergames, and were then interviewed about their perceptions of the system's ease of use and usefulness, as well as their general attitudes towards the system. Results Participants identified the potential for exergames' usefulness for various goals, such as to increase their physical activity. However, they also reported negative attitudes concerning the system, including perceiving barriers to system use. Overall, participants said they would use the system in the future and recommend it to other people at their age for improving health, despite these use challenges. Conclusion The older adults were open to adopting exergames, which could provide opportunities to increase physical activity. Given the participants' overall positive perceptions of the usefulness of exergames, designers must address the perceived challenges of using these systems. Understanding barriers and facilitators for older adults' use of exergames can guide design, training, and adoption of these systems.

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Understanding older adults' perceptions of and attitudes towards exergames

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Understanding multiple task coordination in a complex healthcare environment

Multiple task coordination involves scheduling tasks, completing tasks, and integrating tasks into a workflow. Task scheduling can influence outcomes of safety, satisfaction, and efficiency when co...

Modeling task scheduling in complex healthcare environments: Identifying relevant factors

Many online applications promise to unlock the power of collaborative work by connecting people from around the world. Finding an app that is appropriate for a task and easy to use, however, can be difficult. In this study, we evaluated 20 popular apps according to the basic work functions they accomplish (e.g., sharing files) and their adherence to the classic usability standards outlined by Nielsen and Molich. The results can help teams find apps that perform functions that are necessary for their tasks and ensure that the selected app is the best option for the team’s productivity.

Laura H. Barg-Walkow

Papers

Understanding Emergency Care Delivery Through Computer Simulation Modeling.

Understanding older adults' perceptions of and attitudes towards exergames

Understanding multiple task coordination in a complex healthcare environment

Modeling task scheduling in complex healthcare environments: Identifying relevant factors

Online Collaboration Applications Evaluated Based on Ease of Use