Digital Commons Network^™

Comparing User Experiences Of Teleportation, Slide-Walk, And Walk-In-Place Locomotion Across Two Virtual Reality Games, Shane L. Rogers, Brett Ryder, Stephen Palmisano

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Virtual reality (VR) locomotion methods differ substantially in their implications for usability, presence, and comfort. Although previous research has compared a range of locomotion techniques, relatively little attention has been given to whether locomotion experiences generalise across different VR experiences. The present study compared user experiences of three locomotion methods (teleportation, slide-walk, and walk-in-place) across two VR applications (Nature Treks VR, an exploration-focused environment, and Ancient Dungeon VR, an action-oriented game). Sixty-three participants were recruited, with analyses based on the forty-five participants who completed all study conditions. During each 10-min condition (comprising a 2-min familiarisation period followed by an 8-min …

Migrant Background Youth And Hazardous Drinking: Drinking To Fit Into Australian Society?, Caroline Ng Tseung-Wong, Justine Dandy, Amanda M. George

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: In this study, we proposed that migrant youth might have acculturation reasons to drink alcohol and explored the role of acculturative gap conflict and perceived drinking culture in predicting hazardous drinking. We examined proximal acculturation reasons for drinking in terms of drinking to fit into Australian culture and drinking to cope with parental/community expectations.

Methods: We conducted an online survey with 470 participants (age range 18–25 years). Data from those who reported having tried alcohol (n = 383; 65% female, 71% born in Australia) were analysed. We grouped participants under those who came from similar alcohol consumption environments to …

Vicarious Trauma: The Psychological Impact On Counsellors And Psychotherapists Working With Survivors Of Sexual Abuse., Deborah Down, Alison Bacon

School of Psychology

Background: Vicarious trauma (VT), the psychological distress that occurs from exposure to the trauma of others, is prevalent among therapists, but has not previously been explored in those working specifically with survivors of sexual trauma. This qualitative study explores counsellors‘ and psychotherapists‘ experiences of VT when working with survivors of sexual abuse. Method: Semi-structured interviews uncovered complex emotional and psychological impacts, highlighting how exposure to traumatic sexual abuse narratives can affect counsellors‘ and psychotherapists‘ wellbeing, and professional and personal identity. A reflexive thematic analysis was conducted. Results: Four key themes were identified. (1) The Impact of VT reveals the emotional …

Discomfort Avoidance And Desire For Normality Are Decision-Making Drivers Of Footwear Choice In Underserved Communities At Risk Of Diabetic Foot Ulcer, Krithika Anil, Neeraj Sharma, Sonal Patel, Jess Bailey, Catherine Smith, Sally Abey, Kayce Allcock, Richard Collings, Joanne Paton

School of Health Professions

BackgroundDiabetes-related foot ulceration (DFU) is a serious complication that can lead to lower limb amputation or death. Custom-made footwear is a key preventative strategy, yet adherence to use is often low. The factors influencing decision-making for footwear use remain unclear, particularly among underserved groups such as people from low socioeconomic and South Asian backgrounds. This study aimed to identify the psychological mechanisms underlying footwear choice and adherence in people with diabetes from low socioeconomic and South Asian populations.MethodsThis study used a qualitative approach conducted in two parts. Part 1 explored footwear-related experiences using one-to-one interviews informed by the COM-B model …

Exploring Factors Affecting The Use Of Blended Diets For Children And Young People In Health, Education And Social Care Settings In The Uk: The Protocol For A Realist Mixed Methods Study, Gemma Phillips, Jane Coad, Mary Hickson, Joseph C. Manning

School of Health Professions

Background Enteral tube feeding provides supplementary or alternative nutrition for individuals who cannot meet their nutritional needs orally and remains essential for a number of children and young people with complex health needs. Commercial formula remains standard practice in the UK, although increasing numbers of children and their families are choosing a blended diet and reporting significant physical and social benefits. However, support for families in using blended diets varies across health, education and social settings in the UK. Aim To explore factors affecting the use of blended diets in health, education and social care settings. Methods This sequential mixed …

Development And Psychometric Validation Of The Multidimensional Measure Of Purpose In Life Ii (Mmop-Ii), Louis Fang, Alfred Allan, Joanne M. Dickson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose in life is a central motivational construct that has a profound influence on wellbeing. However, existing measures lack the breadth and precision needed to accurately capture this complex construct. In the present study, we aimed to develop a new measure rooted in a holistic, systems-based theoretical framework of purpose in life: the 18-item Multidimensional Measure of Purpose in Life II (MMOP-II). In Study 1, our confirmatory factor analyses in a sample of 303 university students (female = 82.5.%, white = 78.5%) supported a strong five-factor higher-order model fit, outperforming the three-factor and unidimensional alternatives. The Study 2 results replicated …

Selecting Force Plate Tests And Metrics To Complement Physical Preparation Strategies Prior To Commencing Strenuous Military Training Courses, Peter Ladlow, Nicholas J. Ripley, Damjana V. Cabarkapa, Dimitrije Cabarkapa, Dale W. Chapman, Mary Claire Geneau, G. Gregory Haff, Lachlan P. James, Paul Jones, Jason P. Lake, Christopher J. Sole, Anthony Turner, Marina De Vecchis, Natalie Masters, Charles Coussens, Robyn Holton, Russell J. Coppack, Colin Suffield, Paul Comfort

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: The aim of this study was to seek opinion (via an online survey) and gain consensus of which force plate tests and metrics may be considered by military operating/training staff to better screen physical performance characteristics prior to military personnel attending a physically arduous military training course.

Methods: Ten responders with known experience and/or expertise in using force plate technology for the measurement of force production characteristics completed the survey. Responders were asked to select the most important force plate test and metrics to complement a pre-course physical performance battery to assess physical readiness, musculoskeletal injury risk and likelihood …

Synergies And Collisions: Character Strengths As A Language To Compose And Comprehend Wellbeing While Preparing To Become A Teacher, Narelle Lemon, Carli Sanbrook, Rikki James, Marnie Harris, Tammy Green, Rozita Dass, Beverly Adkin, Gail Berman

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study examines how pre-service teachers use character strengths language to understand and support their wellbeing during professional experience. The project responds to the persistent challenge of teacher stress and early burnout by reframing placement as a context for developing wellbeing capability rather than merely demonstrating competency. Guided by strengths-based pedagogy, the study investigates how strengths are combined, moderated, and occasionally brought into tension as pre-service teachers navigate the demands of learning to teach. A qualitative design was employed, drawing on reflective narratives from 1,066 pre-service teachers across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Thematic analysis explored how participants articulated strengths synergies, …

Towards Equivalence Of Care: Integrating Custodial Settings Into Alcohol And Other Drug Strategies In Australia, Thileepan Naren, Jocelyn Chan, Sarah Pellicano, Michael Curtis, Shelley Walker, Jocelyn Jones, Jarrah Duckett, Alexander Campbell, Stuart A. Kinner

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences, Protective And Compensatory Experiences, And Parenting Attitudes Among Fathers, Kylie Schmidt

Dissertations

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are defined as potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood particularly between the ages of 0 and 17 years that negatively influence long-term health, relational functioning, and parenting practices (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2026; Felitti et al., 1998; Merrick et al., 2019). Conversely, protective and compensatory experiences (PACEs) have emerged as protective factors that foster resilience and possibly buffer against the adverse outcomes of ACEs (Narayan et al., 2018). As the existing research has greatly focused on mothers, little is known about how men’s early life experiences shape their parenting attitudes, particularly during the …

Examining The Impact Of Social Support On Academic Self-Efficacy In Black Doctoral Students In Psychology, Asia A. Hall

Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between perceived social support and academic self-efficacy, or academic confidence, among Black doctoral students in psychology programs at predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Grounded in self-efficacy theory, the study was designed to explore whether perceived social support was associated with and predictive of students’ academic confidence. A quantitative, cross-sectional design was used, and data were collected using adapted versions of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and the Academic Self-Efficacy (ASE) scale. The sample consisted of 60 Black doctoral students enrolled in psychology programs at PWIs across the United States. Descriptive statistics indicated the …

Offline And Thriving: Understanding The Professional And Personal Lives Of Non-Social Media Users In A Digitally Dominant Era, Bhargava Mantena

Dissertations

Existing research has treated voluntary social media abstinence as the absence of users rather than as a condition worth study. This mixed-methods study examined its psychological and occupational correlates. Adults aged 21 to 65 reporting abstinence from all major platforms for six months or more completed three validated instruments measuring mental well-being, work engagement, and perceived social isolation; a purposive subsample of 12 took part in semi-structured interviews. The analysis set comprised 120 participants, below the 128 indicated by the a priori power analysis. Research Question 1 could not be tested as approved, because no active-user comparison group was recruited; …

Curiosity In Tourism: A Review And Future Directions, Sten Langmann, Pieter Jan Bezemer, Eerang Park, Sangkyun Kim

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Curiosity increasingly attracts attention in tourism research. However, the field remains conceptually fragmented around what curiosity is and how it works, often pointing to related yet different understandings of the concept. Drawing on an in-depth analysis of 61 peer-reviewed articles, we aim to build a more coherent agenda for future research by answering two core questions: how has curiosity been conceptualised and studied in tourism research, and what gaps and directions emerge from the literature? The analysis reveals that curiosity has been studied in four primary ways in tourism research: an innate motivational driver, a situational mediating state, an outcome …

Is The Crisis Over? Fostering Innovative Work Behavior In Response To The Constant Pressure Of Resource-Deficiency For Street Level Bureaucrats: The Impact Of Psychosocial Safety Climate, Teamwork, And Work Engagement, Yvonne Brunetto, Matthew Xerri, Geremy Farr-Wharton

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

There is conflicting evidence about the pathways Street Level Bureaucrats’ (SLBs’) use to engage Innovative Work Behavior (IWB). This study uses Street Level Bureaucrat (SLB) and Conservation of Resources (COR) to examine the extent to which SLBs’ work engagement and/or burnout mediates the relationship between Psychosocial Safety Climate (PSC) and teamwork, and IWB. The methods comprised a sample of 259 healthcare SLBs (doctors, nurses, allied health) collected at two times, and analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results show that the variance of PSC and teamwork explained a third of engagement, and engagement-burnout mediated the impact of PSC and teamwork …

Rank, Degrading Treatment, And The Italy-Albania Agreement, Jamal Barnes, Obed Adonteng-Kissi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In November 2023, Italy signed a five-year agreement with Albania to transfer asylum seekers intercepted in international waters by Italian vessels to Italian-run detention centres in Albania for asylum processing and deportation. The agreement has been controversial and raises several human rights issues. This article examines these human rights concerns and argues that the agreement is degrading by design. Analysing policy documents, legal cases, speeches, international human rights and refugee law, and philosophical and legal scholarship on the concept of degrading treatment, this article argues that the cumulative effect of subjecting people to unnecessary suffering, discrimination, and dehumanisation creates a …

Neutrosophic Sets And Systems, Vol. 101, 2026, Proceedings Of The International Conference On Artificial Intelligence, Indeterminacy, And Education, University O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile, Florentin Smarandache, Maikel Yelandi Leyva Vazquez

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

Think Twice Before You Sign! An Experiment On A Cautionary Function Of Contractual Formalities, Monika Leszczynska

Faculty Scholarship

Contractual formalities, such as handwritten signatures, have long been viewed as serving a cautionary function that protects individuals from entering ill-considered agreements. With the rise of digital contracting, it is uncertain whether online forms of assent can play the same role. In an incentivized laboratory experiment, four modes of contract confirmation were compared: clicking “OK,” typing one’s name, entering a PIN code (analogous to a qualified e-signature), and handwritten signing. The study examined how these methods affect choices between smaller–sooner and larger–later rewards. Results show that participants were more impulsive when confirming by clicking “OK” or typing their name than …

“I Really Like Being On The Floor, Because I Spend All The Time In My Chair”: Children With Disabilities’ Experiences Of Physical Activity In School, Katherine Gulliver, Rachel Knight Lozano, Kathrin Paal

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

Children with multiple disabilities often encounter significant barriers to participating in physical activity, impacting not only their physical health but also their overall experience in school. This study places the voices of four children at the centre of their own research, exploring their lived experiences of participating in physical activity in school. Using Clark’s (2017) Mosaic approach, this child-centred participatory study shows how children take part and engage with physical activity as part of their school day. Using videos and photography, child-led tours and ethically sensitive conversations with researchers, children shared a range of opportunities for enjoyment, exploration and interactions …

How Conditions Within Immigration Removal Centres In The United Kingdom Affect The Mental Wellbeing Of Detainees: A Scoping Review, Niamh Gallagher, Tristan Price, Matthew Griggs

Peninsula Medical School

BackgroundImmigration Removal Centres (IRCs) are used to detain people for immigration control by the UK government. This scoping review aims to examine the experiences of detainees within UK IRCs, specifically how conditions within them, including the regime, affect their mental wellbeing.MethodsThe Joanna Briggs Institute guideline for scoping reviews was followed. Six bibliographic databases and additional grey literature sources were searched for quantitative and qualitative evidence. Descriptive analyses and quality assessments were conducted.ResultsFifteen research studies and nine pieces of grey literature were included, comprising a total of 1353 participants and 11 IRCs. The majority of data was qualitative in methodology and …

Project-Based Learning And Mathematical Competencies In Primary Education: A Neutrosophic Cognitive Map Reading Of A Critical Integrative Review, Uriostegui Adan Yurithzi Majogani

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

Developing mathematical competencies in primary school is essential for interacting with the environment. Faced with the limitations of traditional direct instruction, project-based learning (PBL) has emerged as an active alternative. This study analyzes, through a critical integrative review of ten reference studies (2016-2026), whether PBL determines the development of basic mathematical competencies in primary school students, and formalizes the resulting conceptual system as a neutrosophic cognitive map (NCM) with eight concepts and nine causal connections classified as positive, negative, or indeterminate. The static analysis of the map identifies PBL as the most central concept and makes explicit that the direct …

Taxi Geometry And Euclidean Geometry: Congruence And Similarity Of Triangles, Jose Carlos Pinto Leivas, Osvaldo Jesus Rojas Velazquez, Diana Carolina Perez Duarte, Randy Zabaleta Mesino

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

This article presents an instrument that describes the experience implemented with students of a graduate programme in the courses of Analytic Geometry and Linear Algebra. The purpose of the instrument, as a didactic resource, was to analyse how the connections between the classical cases of congruence and similarity of triangles in Euclidean Geometry and in Taxi Geometry can be explored. The metric analysis of the productions shows that the three classical congruence criteria - SSS, SAS and ASA - cease to hold under the taxicab metric, and that equilaterality does not imply equiangularity in that geometry. In addition, a neutrosophic …

How Certain Is An Institutional Research Profile? Three Undeclared Decisions, And A Neutrosophic Reading Of What They Cost, Alexis Matheu Perez, Bastian Gutierrez

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

Institutional bibliometric profiles report Lotka's exponent, a Bradford core and a Price ratio as if they were properties of the institution. They are properties of the institution together with three decisions that the reporting almost never states: which source defines the corpus, which document types are compared, and which population of authors the laws are fitted on. This article measures what each decision is worth, using Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins (UBO, Santiago, Chile) as the case and Universidad Bolivariana del Ecuador as a control. Since the resulting uncertainty is not sampling error, we give it a place to be reported: a …

Parental Involvement In An Indonesian Islamic Kindergarten: An Instrumental Case Study Of Mothers’ Voices, Somariah Fitriani, Yessy Yanita Sari, Irdalisa Irdalisa, Hamidah Mohamad

The Qualitative Report

Parental involvement plays a critical role in children’s cognitive, effective, and psychomotor development; however, limited research has explored mothers’ perceptions of parenting and practices of parental involvement and parenting styles. This instrumental case study employed semi-structured interviews with 23 mothers in an Indonesian Islamic kindergarten to explore their understandings, experiences, and beliefs regarding parental involvement. It also aims to identify different kinds of parenting styles. The study revealed three themes, indicating that parenting and parental involvement are understood as an educating process, an interaction process between parents and children, and a mechanism for supporting children’s development. The findings indicate that …

Parents' Views On Family Care At A Neonatal Intensive Care Unit — A Qualitative Study, Linea Grothe Larsen, Suzanne Forsyth Herling, Sanne Allermann Beck, Anne Brødsgaard, Jos M. Latour, Rikke Louise Stenkjaer

School of Nursing and Midwifery

PurposeThe current study aims to explore parents' views on family care at a neonatal intensive care unit.MethodsWe conducted a qualitative exploratory study with a descriptive approach based on open-ended written narrative responses from the Danish version of EMpowerment of PArents in The Intensive Care—Neonatology questionnaire. The study was conducted at a Danish level IV NICU working with family-centred care and family integrated care. The data was analysed using inductive content analysis by Graneheim and Lundman. The Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist was followed.Main FindingsIn total, 311/727 parents responded to the distributed questionnaire. Of those, 210 responded to the open-ended …

Real-World Testing Of An Artificial Intelligence Conversational Agent As An Early Intervention And Support Tool In The Mental Health Referral Care Pathway: A Mixed-Methods Study, Rohit Shankar, Edward Meinert, Madison Milne-Ives, Emma Taylor, B Inkster, Alina Paik, Ananya Ananthakrishnan, Martin Orr, Ceire Costelloe

Peninsula Medical School

Background: The incidence of mental health concerns is growing, and demand for support is exceeding service capacity.Digital tools can provide additional support but risk causing harm if not delivered safely.Aims: We aimed to establish real-world evidence of the impact of an artificial intelligence-based mental healthconversational agent (Wysa) on depression and anxiety in patients waiting for Talking Therapies treatment.Methods: A mixed-methods randomized controlled trial was conducted with patients referred to Talking Therapies inthe Central and Northwest London NHS Foundation Trust. The primary outcome was change in depression severityover 12weeks between groups; secondary outcomes included anxiety severity, quality of life, safety, engagement, …

Social Prescribing For People In Vulnerable Situations In Europe: Protocol For A Process Evaluation Of An Rct In Eight Countries, Kerryn Husk, Elizabeth Gilmour, Stephanie Tierney, Debra Westlake, Anuschka Arni, Hendrik Napierala, Farhad Rezvani, Marius Dierks, Wolfram J. Herrmann

Peninsula Medical School

Objective Social prescribing is a pathway that connects individuals to non-clinical services. It supports and addresses social needs, such as those related to loneliness, housing instability and mental health. Social Prescribing Europe (SP-EU), a European Union funded project, seeks to co-create an adaptation of the social prescribing pathway based on the needs of the following target groups: LGBTIQ+ people, refugees and first-generation immigrants, older people living alone. This adapted social prescribing pathway will be tested in a pragmatic randomised controlled trial (RCT) in ten hubs, covering eight countries, across Europe. The aim of this process evaluation is to explore the …

The Influence Of Childhood Experiential History On U.S. Vice President Jd Vance’S Personality, Amelia Brower, Aubrey Immelman

Psychology Faculty Publications

This paper presents the results of a developmental causal analysis of the adult personality of U.S. vice president JD Vance, from the conceptual perspective of personologist Theodore Millon.

Psychodiagnostically relevant data relating to Vance’s personality were collected from biographical sources and media reports and synthesized into a personality profile using the Millon Inventory of Diagnostic Criteria (MIDC), which yields 34 normal and maladaptive personality classifications congruent with DSM-III-R, DSM-IV, and DSM-5-TR.

The findings of the personality assessment were previously reported in a separate paper. Vance’s primary personality patterns were found to be Dominant/controlling and Ambitious/confident, supplemented by …

Investigating How Personal Values Shape Tourism Experiences: A Case Study Of The Irish National Stud And Gardens, Amy Monahan, Ann T. Conway

International Journal of Tour Guiding and Visitor Attraction Research

This Paper explores the relationship between personal values and tourism experiences  that are  satisfying. A case study of the Irish National Stud and Gardens was undertaken in order to explore this concept. Interviews were conducted to investigate how qualities of the attraction appealed to the visitors’ personal values, thereby enhancing the overall visitor experience. A set of personal values were identified which were specific to the destination. The research demonstrated how an understanding of personal values can assist attractions with various aspects of their operations, with context specific recommendations provided at the end. This approach was taken was taken to …

Exploring The Backgrounds, Experiences, Motivations, And Development Of School-Based Wheelchair Sport Coaches, Deborah Shapiro, Scott Douglas, Jp Barfield, Laurie A. Malone

Journal of Coach Development

Coaching in adapted sport is a complex and demanding practice that requires both specialized technical expertise and a deep understanding of disability. This study explored the motivations, backgrounds, and developmental pathways of interscholastic school-based wheelchair sport coaches. We examined how coaches are introduced to wheelchair sport coaching, their initial and ongoing development, and their perspectives on effective coaching and training practices. A total of 17 coaches (10 men, 7 women) with 1 to 17 years of experience in wheelchair sports coaching from 7 interscholastic wheelchair sports teams participated in one 60-minute mini focus group discussion and responded to a set …

Ukrainian Theology, War, And Human Transformation: Reflections On The International Conference ‘Transfiguration: Tradition And Eschatology, Vladyslav Fulmes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

On June 11, 2026, the Volyn Orthodox Theological Academy (Lutsk, Ukraine) hosted the international theological conference “Transfiguration: Tradition and Eschatology”, bringing together scholars, clergy, philosophers, chaplains, psychologists, and researchers from several countries. This report examines the conference’s principal theological and interdisciplinary themes, including deification, eschatology, ecclesiology, ecological responsibility, pastoral care, military and medical chaplaincy, digital technologies, and the Church’s response to war and post-war reconstruction.