Engaging with animal-assisted interventions (AAIs): exploring the experiences of young people with ASD/ADHD diagnoses

Animal-assisted Interventions (AAIs) have been used as therapeutic interventions aimed at improving psychological well-being, often for young people with mental health and educational difficulties. This qualitative study explored how three students (male and female), aged 12–15 and with ASD and/or ADHD diagnoses experienced AAI at an alternative education provision. Semi-structured interviews with each participant were conducted and analysed using constructivist thematic analysis. Three themes and four sub-themes were identified. The themes were: (1) Self-esteem, with sub-themes motivation and reward, and self-awareness, (2) Emotional benefits with strategy building, and support and (3) Identification. Participants valued AAI as a positive intervention which aided their psychological well-being. Findings emphasise the effectiveness of AAIs for young people with neurodevelopmental disorders in both a therapeutic and an educational context.     

地方政府实施全民健身计划的注意力配置研究

基于政府注意力配置理论,以31份地方政府《全民健身实施计划(2016-2020年)》为研究样本,采用内容分析法,并借助Nvivo12软件进行文本处理和定量分析,描述地方政府实施全民健身计划的注意力配置情况和特征。指出,地方政府注意力配置在与中央政府整体保持一致基础上,侧重于“加强普及指导”和“强化保障实施”2个领域。地方政府注意力配置还存在配置结构不够优化、配置缺乏责任主体、未充分考虑约束条件等问题。建议地方政府从实施跨期动态策略,优化注意力配置结构;明确责权划分,强化责任考核;立足本地实际,加强总结评估3个方面优化注意力配置。     

媒体关注度对企业债务成本的影响——基于环境信息披露水平的“遮掩效应”研究

文章以2015-2019年我国A股重污染行业上市公司为主要调查样本,分析了媒体关注度对债务成本的影响,以及环境信息披露水平作为中介变量的中介效应。调查分析发现:媒体关注度与债务成本高度负相关,环境信息披露水平在其中产生了"遮掩效应",也就是说,环境信息披露水平实际上抑制了媒体关注度对债务成本的负向影响。进一步调查发现:财务性环境信息披露水平的"遮掩效应"比非财务性环境信息披露水平的"遮掩效应"更显著;比起非国有企业,国有企业的媒体关注度对债务成本的负向影响更明显,环境信息披露水平的"遮掩效应"也更显著。     

服务国家重大战略需求,争夺论文全球首发权——以《中国航空学报(英文版)》为例

为服务国家重大战略需求,争夺论文全球首发权,《中国航空学报(英文版)》进行了一系列创新的探索,包括创办Fast Track新栏目、快速出版专刊/专栏及为重磅约稿论文开辟绿色通道,并采取全媒体联动宣传,及时推送优质原创性论文,增加社会关注度.前期的快速审稿加上后期及时广泛的宣传,不仅提升了期刊的学术影响力,也形成了良性循...     

Does speed-reading training work,and if so,why? Effects of speed-reading training and metacognitive training on reading speed,comprehension and eye movements

Background

Commercial speed-reading training programs are typically marketed with the promise to dramatically increase reading speed without impairing comprehension. From the perspective of reading psychology, it seems quite unlikely that speed-reading training can indeed have such effects. However, research on the effectiveness of modern speed-reading training programs on reading performance in typical readers is sparse. The present study had two goals. First, we sought to extend prior research on speed-reading by assessing the effects of a speed-reading application on reading performance in a pre-training and post-training design with a control group. Second, we aimed to identify the mechanism underlying speed-reading training programs.

Methods

We assessed reading speed, comprehension and eye movements of 30 German-speaking undergraduates (M_age = 22.77 years, SD_age = 3.41 years) before and after they received a commercial, app-based speed-reading training, a metacognitive training or no training.

Results

Results revealed higher reading speed in the speed-reading condition and metacognitive condition compared with the control condition, although not to the extent claimed in the application. Eye-movement data indicated that the increase in reading speed was due to fewer and shorter fixations in measures reflecting late but not early lexical processing. No differences in comprehension performance were observed between the three conditions.

Conclusions

We discuss our findings in support of the idea that the increase in reading speed was not caused by a change in basic characteristics of participants' reading behaviour, but rather by an increase in their awareness of their own reading process. Further research is needed to investigate whether the observed effects are maintained over time.