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JMIR Aging Oct 2023With the increase in the older adult population, sensor-based care solutions that can monitor the deviations in physical, emotional, and physiological activities in...
BACKGROUND
With the increase in the older adult population, sensor-based care solutions that can monitor the deviations in physical, emotional, and physiological activities in real-time from a distance are demanded for prolonging the stay of community-dwelling older adults with cognitive impairment. To effectively develop and implement these care solutions, it is important to understand the current experiences, future expectations, perceived usefulness (PU), and communication needs of the informal caregivers of older adults with cognitive impairment regarding such solutions.
OBJECTIVE
This comprehensive study with informal caregivers of older adults with cognitive impairment aims to (1) highlight current experiences with (if any) and future expectations from general sensor-based care solutions, (2) explore PU specifically toward unobtrusive sensing solutions (USSs), (3) determine the information communication (IC) needs and requirements for communicating the information obtained through USSs in different care scenarios (fall, nocturnal unrest, agitation, and normal daily life), and (4) elicit the design features for designing the interaction platform in accordance with the persuasive system design (PSD) model.
METHODS
A multimethod research approach encompassing a survey (N=464) and in-depth interviews (10/464, 2.2%) with informal caregivers of older adults with cognitive impairment was used. The insights into past experiences with and future expectations from the sensor-based care solutions were obtained through inductive thematic analysis of the interviews. A convergent mixed methods approach was used to explore PU and gather the IC needs from USSs by using scenario-specific questions in both survey and interviews. Finally, the design features were elicited by using the PSD model on the obtained IC needs and requirements.
RESULTS
Informal caregivers expect care infrastructure to consider centralized and empathetic care approaches. Specifically, sensor-based care solutions should be adaptable to care needs, demonstrate trust and reliability, and ensure privacy and safety. Most informal caregivers found USSs to be useful for emergencies (mean 4.09, SD 0.04) rather than for monitoring normal daily life activities (mean 3.50, SD 0.04). Moreover, they display variations in information needs including mode, content, time, and stakeholders involved based on the care scenario at hand. Finally, PSD features, namely, reduction, tailoring, personalization, reminders, suggestions, trustworthiness, and social learning, were identified for various care scenarios.
CONCLUSIONS
From the obtained results, it can be concluded that the care scenario at hand drives PU and IC design needs and requirements toward USSs. Therefore, future technology developers are recommended to develop technology that can be easily adapted to diverse care scenarios, whereas designers of such sensor-driven platforms are encouraged to go beyond tailoring and strive for strong personalization while maintaining the privacy of the users.
PubMed: 37878353
DOI: 10.2196/49319 -
Health Expectations : An International... Aug 2023Peer-to-peer communication approaches have been previously described as the 'power of personal referral'. Rather than relying on official channels of information,...
OBJECTIVES
Peer-to-peer communication approaches have been previously described as the 'power of personal referral'. Rather than relying on official channels of information, peer-to-peer communication may have a role in supporting changes in understanding and possibly behaviours. However, in emergency or pandemic situations, there is currently limited understanding of whether community members feel comfortable speaking about their vaccine experiences or advocating to others. This study explored the perceptions of COVID-19 vaccinated and unvaccinated Australian adults regarding their preferences and opinions about peer-peer communication and other vaccine communication strategies.
STUDY DESIGN
Qualitative interview research.
METHODS
In-depth interviews were conducted in September 2021 with 41 members of the Australian community. Thirty-three participants self-identified as being vaccinated against COVID-19, while the remainder were not vaccinated at the time or did not intend on receiving a COVID vaccine.
RESULTS
Amongst those who were vaccinated, participants spoke about being willing to promote the vaccine and correct misinformation and felt empowered following their vaccination. They highlighted the importance of peer-to-peer communication and community messaging, expressing the need for both strategies in an immunisation promotional campaign, with a slight emphasis on the persuasive power of communication between family and friends. However, those who were unvaccinated tended to dismiss the role of community messaging, commenting on a desire not to be like one of the many who listened to the advice of others.
CONCLUSION
During emergency situations, governments and other relevant community organisations should consider harnessing peer-to-peer communication amongst motivated individuals as a health communication intervention. However further work is needed to understand the support that this constituent-involving strategy requires.
PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION
Participants were invited to participate through a series of online promotional pathways including emails and social media posts. Those who completed the expression of interest and met the study criteria were contacted and sent the full study participant information documentation. A time for a 30 min semi-structured interview was set and provided with a $50 gift voucher at the conclusion.
Topics: Humans; Adult; COVID-19 Vaccines; COVID-19; Australia; Vaccines; Health Communication
PubMed: 37132297
DOI: 10.1111/hex.13751 -
JMIR MHealth and UHealth Nov 2023Informal caregivers are vital in caring for their family and friends at home who may have illnesses or disabilities. In particular, the demands for caregiving can be...
BACKGROUND
Informal caregivers are vital in caring for their family and friends at home who may have illnesses or disabilities. In particular, the demands for caregiving can be even more challenging for those with limited resources, support systems, and language barriers, such as immigrant informal caregivers. They face complex challenges in providing care for their relatives. These challenges can be related to sociocultural diversity, language barriers, and health care system navigation. Acknowledging the global context of the increasing number of immigrants is essential in designing inclusive mobile health apps.
OBJECTIVE
This study aims to investigate the needs of immigrant informal caregivers in Sweden and discuss the application of the Persuasive System Design Model (PSDM) to develop an e-coaching prototype. By addressing the unique challenges faced by immigrant informal caregivers, this study will contribute to the development of more effective and inclusive mobile health apps.
METHODS
The participants were considered immigrants and included in the study if they and their parents were born outside of Sweden. Through various channels, such as the National Association of Relatives, rehabilitation departments at municipalities, and immigrant groups, we recruited 13 immigrant informal caregivers. These immigrant informal caregivers were primarily women aged 18 to 40 years. Most participants belonged to the Middle Eastern region whereas some were from North Africa. However, all of them spoke Arabic. We used semistructured interviews to gather data from the participants in Arabic, which were translated into English. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis and discussed in relation to the extended PSDM. The needs of the caregivers were compared with the description of persuasive design principles, and a design principle was chosen based on the match. The PSDM was extended if the need description did not match any principles. Several brainstorming and prototyping sessions were conducted to design the mobile e-coaching app.
RESULTS
Immigrant informal caregivers have various needs in their caregiving role. They reported a need for training on the illness and future caregiving needs, assistance with understanding the Swedish language and culture, and help with accessing internet-based information and services. They also required recognition and appreciation for their efforts, additional informal support, and easy access to health care services, which can be important for their mental health. The PSDM was adapted to the informal caregiving context by adding "facilitating conditions" and "verbal encouragement" as additional persuasive design principles. This study also presents the subsequent mobile e-coaching app for immigrant informal caregivers in Sweden.
CONCLUSIONS
This study revealed important immigrant informal caregivers' needs based on which design suggestions for a mobile e-coaching app were presented. We also proposed an adapted PSDM, for the informal caregiving context. The adapted PSDM can be further used to design digital interventions for caregiving.
Topics: Female; Humans; Caregivers; Emigrants and Immigrants; Mentoring; Mobile Applications; Persuasive Communication; Male; Adolescent; Young Adult; Adult
PubMed: 37943598
DOI: 10.2196/50038 -
Journal of Empirical Research on Human... Oct 2023The social and ethical implications of large-scale biobank donor recruitment campaigns have remained understudied. We use two recent campaigns of the population-based...
The social and ethical implications of large-scale biobank donor recruitment campaigns have remained understudied. We use two recent campaigns of the population-based genetic biobank in Estonia as an example to demonstrate how campaign spokespersons try to persuade potential donors by appealing to (1) gaining self-knowledge, (2) gaining control over one's health, (3) fear of illness, (4) contributing to healthcare, (5) contributing to science, and (6) contributing to one's country. While these campaigns succeeded in recruiting 15 percent of the country's adult population as donors, we explain how the use of some of these appeals may (a) create unrealistic expectations regarding the benefits donors could receive and (b) conceal the risks regarding health data. The study lays a necessary groundwork for future empirical research on the ethics of biobank recruitment campaigns.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Biological Specimen Banks; Persuasive Communication; Fear; Tissue Donors
PubMed: 37337739
DOI: 10.1177/15562646231181028 -
Journal of the American Medical... Jun 2024The main objectives of this research are (1) to uniquely design assistive behaviors for socially assistive robots using the principles of persuasion from behavioral...
OBJECTIVES
The main objectives of this research are (1) to uniquely design assistive behaviors for socially assistive robots using the principles of persuasion from behavioral psychology, and (2) to investigate caregivers' perspectives and opinions on the use of these behaviors to engage and motivate older adults in cognitive activities.
DESIGN
We developed 10 unique robot persuasive assistive behavior strategies for the social robot Pepper using both verbal and nonverbal communication modes. Robot verbal behaviors were designed using Cialdini's principles of persuasion; nonverbal behaviors included expansive movements of the body. Care providers' perceptions of the quality, strength, and persuasiveness of these robot persuasive behaviors were assessed based on the Perceived Argument Strength Likert scale.
SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS
Eighteen formal and informal care providers caring for older adults including those living with mild cognitive impairments participated.
METHODS
An online survey was designed consisting of short videos of the Pepper robot displaying each behavior. After viewing each video, care providers completed the Perceived Argument Strength Likert scale to evaluate 6 attributes for each behavior. They also provided comments.
RESULTS
Results show robot assistive behaviors using praise with emotion, along with emotion with commitment were the most positively rated by care providers. Qualitative responses indicate robot body language and speech quality were influencing factors in how a person perceives assistance in human-robot interactions.
CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS
Our findings provide new insights into incorporating persuasive strategies into the design of assistive social robot behaviors with the aim of engaging and motivating older adults in an activity. The majority of care providers rated the robot persuasive behaviors positively. In designing a persuasive socially assistive robot for older adults, it is beneficial to display a combination of persuasive strategies, such as praise and commitment with emotion, to address individual users' needs and cognitive levels.
PubMed: 38880121
DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2024.105084 -
Frontiers in Sociology 2023Evidence concerning the proliferation of propaganda on social media has renewed scientific interest in persuasive communication practices, resulting in a thriving yet... (Review)
Review
Evidence concerning the proliferation of propaganda on social media has renewed scientific interest in persuasive communication practices, resulting in a thriving yet quite disconnected scholarship. This fragmentation poses a significant challenge, as the absence of a structured and comprehensive organization of this extensive literature hampers the interpretation of findings, thus jeopardizing the understanding of online propaganda functioning. To address this fragmentation, I propose a systematization approach that involves utilizing Druckman's Generalizing Persuasion Framework as a unified interpretative tool to organize this scholarly work. By means of this approach, it is possible to systematically identify the various strands within the field, detect their respective shortcomings, and formulate new strategies to bridge these research strands and advance our knowledge of how online propaganda operates. I conclude by arguing that these strategies should involve the sociocultural perspectives offered by cognitive and cultural sociology, as these provide important insights and research tools to disentangle and evaluate the role played by supra-individual factors in the production, distribution, consumption, and evaluation of online propaganda.
PubMed: 37497101
DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2023.1170447 -
Cancer Epidemiology Oct 2023Cancer prevention is the most efficient and cost-effective strategy in cancer control. One prevention strategy is giving credible, clear, and evidence-based...
Latin America and the Caribbean Code Against Cancer 1st edition: Formative research on the comprehension and persuasiveness of the recommendations by the general population.
BACKGROUND
Cancer prevention is the most efficient and cost-effective strategy in cancer control. One prevention strategy is giving credible, clear, and evidence-based recommendations to the individual; however, it is key that these messages are accepted and understood properly by the public. This study aimed to pilot the draft recommendations developed as part of the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Code Against Cancer 1st edition, in terms of comprehension and persuasion of each message.
METHODS
A mixed method two-wave study, in which two versions of the messages were presented to the general population in five LAC countries. We used an ad-hoc questionnaire and interviews that followed the cognitive-pretesting methodology.
RESULTS
Findings suggest that the messages were generally well understood, especially in Spanish speaking countries, and that the messages were generally more understandable than persuasive. We adapted and revised the recommendations based on the findings of the first Wave and held a second iteration in the Spanish speaking countries. We observed a better understanding of most messages in Wave 2.
CONCLUSION
The LAC Code Against Cancer is a valuable tool of well understood messages for the public, with concrete actions everyone can take to prevent cancer. Further research should assess particularities of the region for further efficient dissemination of these important health messages, identify key messages for certain population groups and future interventions that strengthen health literacy in rural and less educated populations to increase behavior change.
Topics: Humans; Latin America; Persuasive Communication; Population Groups; Comprehension; Caribbean Region; Neoplasms
PubMed: 37852727
DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2023.102456 -
Discourse & Society Nov 2023Experimental studies have shown that narratives can be effective persuasive tools in addressing vaccine hesitancy, including regarding the vaccine against the human...
Experimental studies have shown that narratives can be effective persuasive tools in addressing vaccine hesitancy, including regarding the vaccine against the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is transmitted via sexual contact and can cause cervical cancer. This paper presents an analysis of a thread from the online parenting forum Mumsnet Talk where an initially undecided Original Poster is persuaded to vaccinate their child against HPV by a respondent's narrative of cervical cancer that they describe as difficult to share. This paper considers this particular narrative alongside all other narratives that precede the decision announced on the Mumsnet thread. It shows how producing pro-vaccination narratives about HPV involves challenges regarding 'tellability' - what makes the events in a narrative reportable or worth telling. We suggest that this has implications for the context-dependent nature of tellability, the role of parenting forums in vaccination-related discussions, and narrative-based communication about vaccinations more generally.
PubMed: 37842205
DOI: 10.1177/09579265231181075 -
Heliyon Nov 2023The abstract which complements proposals, articles, and dissertations, is a remarkable convention in scientific studies since it creates access for readers and authors...
The abstract which complements proposals, articles, and dissertations, is a remarkable convention in scientific studies since it creates access for readers and authors to read or publish studies or articles. Research abstracts (RA) function as the gateway to view an article, journals' selection for contributions, and for conferences to accept or reject articles (Lores, 2004) In this study, we aimed to investigate the preferences of writers in 160 PhD dissertation abstracts, encompassing both male and female native and non-native authors, across various fields of study, both in the hard and soft sciences. Our primary objective was to discern the writers' inclinations towards utilizing specific linguistic resources, as proposed by Martin and White's Appraisal theory (2005), to convey their positions and engage with the perspectives articulated by their peers. The analysis of the data, conducted using statistical methods, unveiled a pervasive utilization of appraisal resources by the writers, enabling them to articulate their viewpoints, prospects, perceptions, and evaluations concerning diverse subjects. Among these resources, Attitude resources stood out prominently, constituting a substantial 84% of the total Appraisal resources employed in all the abstracts. Graduation resources held an intermediate position, while Engagement resources were the least utilized. Within the realm of Attitude subcategories, Appreciation resources emerged as the most prevalent. Remarkably, female authors specializing in the soft sciences displayed a higher degree of proficiency in the use of these resources, surpassing their counterparts in other categories. This finding suggests that female writers in the soft sciences possess exceptional interpersonal communication skills, making them particularly persuasive and inspirational. The implications of this study extend to the domains of language teaching and learning, material development, and syllabus design. It sheds light on how writers employ linguistic resources to convey their positions effectively, offering valuable insights for educational practices and curriculum enhancement.
PubMed: 38027711
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22074 -
Revista Espanola de Salud Publica Sep 2023Health communication aims to modify attitudes and behaviors, which is why it uses, among others, persuasive strategies and the use of cognitive biases. Both elements...
OBJECTIVE
Health communication aims to modify attitudes and behaviors, which is why it uses, among others, persuasive strategies and the use of cognitive biases. Both elements have been investigated in previous studies, however, no research precedents have been found that evaluate government messages from both perspectives at the same time. The objective of this research was to analyze the type of information related to the COVID-19 vaccination that was distributed on the official page of the Government of Spain, evaluating its persuasive capacity and the use of cognitive biases as tools against vaccination reluctance.
METHODS
The information from the official page on vaccination of COVID-19 of the Government of Spain was analysed, taking into account both its structure and the content of the information. Special attention was paid to the communication strategy developed to develop pro-vaccine messages.
RESULTS
First, the information coming from the Government was presented in a concise, clear and simple way on a well-structured webpage. Second, the content shared revolved around certain recurring themes such as the benefits and the vaccination process. Third, the content had a highly scientific nature and was supported by arguments to overthrow cognitive biases against vaccination. Lastly, the communication strategy was based on content that were more informative (rational) than persuasive (emotional).
CONCLUSIONS
Knowing the techniques of persuasion and the implication of cognitive biases, especially in the area of vaccination, will help guide communication strategies in Public Health.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19 Vaccines; Spain; COVID-19; Public Health; Communication; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 37921433
DOI: No ID Found