Difficulty and self-efficacy: An exploratory study

Serious games are becoming increasingly popular due to their association with increased learning outcomes when compared to traditional self-regulated learning activities. However, the majority of research examining the outcomes of serious games has focused almost exclusively on learning outcomes. This has resulted in a lack of research examining why these types of games result in increased positive outcomes, such as engagement or performance. This study seeks to address this gap in existing research by examining the relationship between game difficulty and participants’ engagement, performance and self-efficacy in a Pacman style maze navigation game. This required the use of hidden difficulty variations which participants were randomly assigned. Participants engaged with the game over a 5-days practice period. Results from this study suggest that difficulty plays a considerable role in influencing participants’ self-efficacy for the task. Self-efficacy has been consistently linked to positive outcomes such as increased engagement and performance. This highlights the importance of difficulty as a game design factor as well as providing an insight into the manner in which serious games could be further refined in order to increase user’s self-efficacy and associated positive outcomes. Implications for future serious games and self-efficacy research are discussed.     

Learning executive function skills by playing focused video games

The objective of the present study was to determine whether it is possible to design a video game that could help students improve their executive function skill of shifting between competing tasks and the conditions under which playing the game would lead to improvements on cognitive tests of shifting. College students played a custom video game, Alien Game, which required the executive function skill of shifting between competing tasks. When students played for 2 h over 4 sessions they developed significantly better performance on cognitive shifting tests compared to a control group that played a different game (d = 0.62), but not when they played for 1 h over 2 sessions. Students who played Alien Game at a high level of challenge (i.e., reaching a high level in the game) developed significantly better performance on cognitive shifting tests compared to controls when they played for 2 h (Experiment 1, d = 1.44), but not when they played for 1 h (Experiment 2). Experiment 3 replicated the results of Experiment 1 using an inactive control group, showing that playing Alien Game for 2 h resulted in significant improvements in shifting skills (d = 0.78). Results show the effectiveness of playing a custom-made game that focuses on a specific executive function skill for sufficient time at an appropriate level of challenge. Results support the specific transfer of general skills theory, in which practice of a cognitive skill in a game context transferred to performance on the same skill in a non-game context.     

济南市举办第十一届全运会经济及社会效应研究

本文在分析第十一届全运会对济南社会经济发展影响作用的基础上，着重对全运会经济及社会效应进行了理论探讨，认为全运会效应具有很强的正负影响效果。全运会正效应具体表现为经济效应、社会效应、环境效应；负效应表现为虹吸效应、低谷效应和风险效应。应充分利用全运会的正效应，规避负效应。进而提出：为实现全运会经济社会效应最大化，应调整政府在全运会承办中的职能，推行全运会市场化运作；并给出实施第十一届全运会市场化运作的具体建议措施。     

Measurement precision of body composition variables in elite wheelchair athletes,using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry

The purpose of this study was to assess the reproducibility of body composition measurements by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in 12 elite male wheelchair basketball players (age 31 ± 7 years, BMI 21 ± 2 kg/m² and onset of disability 25 ± 9 years). Two whole body scans were performed on each participant in the supine position on the same day, using Lunar Prodigy Advance DXA (GE Lunar, Madison, WI, USA). Participants dismounted from the scanning table and were repositioned in-between the first and second scan. Whole body coefficient of variation (CV) values for bone mineral content (BMC), fat mass (FM) and soft tissue lean mass (LTM) were all <2.0%. With the exclusion of arm FM (CV = 7.8%), CV values ranged from 0.1 to 3.7% for all total body and segmental measurements of BMC, FM and LTM. The least significant change that can be attributed to the effect of treatment intervention in an individual is 1.0 kg, 1.1 kg, 0.12 kg for FM, LTM, and BMC, respectively. This information can be used to determine meaningful changes in body composition when assessed using the same methods longitudinally. Whilst there may be challenges in the correct positioning of an individual with disability that can introduce greater measurement error, DXA is a highly reproducible technique in the estimation of total and regional body composition of elite wheelchair basketball athletes.     

析运动员赛前排泄频繁的成因

运动员赛前排泄频繁，主要特征是小便次数明显增多和不停的出汗，这种反应，实际上是心理诱导的作用，视为应激性排泄频繁。通过应激学说的论证原理如何加强赛前心理训练的原则和方法，可以缓解和消除赛前紧张和焦虑的应激刺激，使运动员水平得到充分的发挥。     

本体性游戏与幼儿元认知发展的研究

元认知在个体的发展中起着重要的作用。在不同的个体身上,元认知有成熟与次成熟之别,整体与局部之分。幼儿具有局部的次成熟的元认知。在本体性游戏的影响下,幼儿的元认知将获得较快的发展。     

师范毕业生教育游戏认知情况调研

教育游戏的应用与发展很大程度上依赖一线教师对教育游戏的理解,因此了解即将成为一线教师的师范毕业生对教育游戏的认知状况与期望有助于把握教育游戏应用的现状以及未来的发展趋向．该文通过对南京晓庄学院302名不同专业的师范毕业生的抽样调查,分析讨论了师范毕业生对教育游戏的概念认知、功能认知以及期望．通过调查发现：师范毕业生对教育游戏的概念认知程度偏低,不同专业的师范毕业生对教育游戏的概念认知情况存在较大差异;师范毕业生对教育游戏的教育功能持肯定态度;师范毕业生对教育游戏的课堂教学应用持怀疑态度;师范毕业生对于一款“好”教育游戏产品的期望主要表现在教育游戏的趣味性和教育性方面．     

非对称双头房地产市场投资决策的期权博弈分析

在同时考虑成本和需求均非对称的条件下研究建立房地产投资决策的期权博弈评价模型,并利用matlab软件对相关主要因素作比较静态分析及经济含义说明,拓展了期权博弈评价方法在房地产投资决策领域的应用,也进一步完善了房地产投资决策的期权博弈评价理论体系.     

运动员赛前心理焦虑与调控

阐述了运动焦虑产生的原因、分类及对运动成绩的影响 ;运动员赛前焦虑的特点 ;并对运动员赛前焦虑的调控进行了多方面的分析 .     

Integrated MSS effects: An empirical health care investigation

Since accurate decisions are required for effective management, much research has focused on information systems that support decision making. Recently, this research has engendered frameworks, such as the management support system (MSS), that are designed to provide comprehensive and integrated support for the decision making process. Few, if any, studies have empirically measured the effects of these frameworks on decision making. This article offers empirical evidence on MSS effectiveness. It overviews the decision making process, presents an MSS for supporting the process, and assesses the influences of the MSS on the process and outcomes of health care decision making. The paper also examines the implications of the analyses for information systems research and health care practice.