BackgroundIt can be very challenging for practitioners to talk with autistic children, especially when the conversation calls for self-regulation. Self-regulation is inextricably linked to awareness of oneself and others in social contexts. Encouraging the need for autonomy could help increase self-awareness and awareness of others in social events, which in turn could strengthen self-regulation. However, little is known about how autonomy influences competence in reasoning about self and others when regarding social events in which autistic children participate. This study explores the reasoning of self-other awareness on a microlevel timescale using ipsative, dynamic approaches to autism. The central question in this study is: to what extent can autonomy-provided scaffolding (APS) elicit high levels of reasoning about self-others in social events (RSS) over time?MethodWe used video-taped interaction data from three sessions between one autistic child and a practitioner, contextualized by a set of animated DSM-5-based items of social events on which the child was asked to reflect. Interaction variables were the child's level of RSS and the practitioner's level of APS. We coded the real-time interaction.ResultsFirst, when exploring the dynamics of the microdata, we found contingency over time within sessions. Second, over the sessions, the practitioner showed a stable high level of APS, whereas the child's level of RSS increased. Third, a coupling effect between the level of APS and RSS was found within and over sessions. Salient is that the child and practitioner increasingly adapted to each other over the three sessions, and over time, high-level APS of the practitioner elicited higher levels of RSS of the child.DiscussionBecause the child showed a significant improvement in RSS over time, our research question provides a promising perspective. Contrary to what one might expect in autism, APS supported the performance of the child in reasoning about self-others in social situations. These outcomes underline the importance of giving voice to autistic children. The results may encourage researchers to develop strategies and tools that can help give a voice to children, to gain more insight into the child's reasoning. This may further develop self-other awareness and self-regulation in the social events of autistic children.
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Sexual interest in children is an important factor contributing to sexual (re)offending against children. The current state of research makes it difficult to conclude if people with pedophilia are overly interested in children, or have lower interest in adults, or both. This is relevant knowledge in treatment for preventing sexual (re)offenses against children. This study aimed to systematically analyze sexual interest in both children and adults in samples of men with pedophilia and comparison groups. A total of 55 studies (N = 8465) were included in four meta-analyses and a systematic review. Most included studies considered people who had sexually offended against children (PSOC; nPSOC = 5213). Results indicated that PSOC with pedophilia did not have a clear sexual preference for either children or adults. Compared to comparison groups, they had more absolute sexual interest in children and lower sexual interest in adults. We conclude that the lack of sexual interest in adults may be a relevant factor in PSOC with pedophilia. More studies are needed to disentangle sexual interest in children from sexual interest in adults, while using carefully matched comparison groups and appropriate research designs.
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Measuring values in sociological research sometimes involves the use of ranking data. A disadvantage of a ranking assignment is that the order in which the items are presented might influence the choice preferences of respondents regardless of the content being measured. The standard procedure to rule out such effects is to randomize the order of items across respondents. However, implementing this design may be impractical and the biasing impact of a response order effect cannot be evaluated. We use a latent choice factor (LCF) model that allows statistically controlling for response order effects. Furthermore, the model adequately deals with the known issue of ipsativity of ranking data. Applying this model to a Dutch survey on work values, we show that a primacy effect accounts for response order bias in item preferences. Our findings demonstrate the usefulness of the LCF model in modeling ranking data while taking into account particular response biases.
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Background: Patient involvement in interprofessional education (IPE) is a new approach in fostering person-centeredness and collaborative competencies in undergraduate students. We developed the Patient As a Person (PAP-)module to facilitate students in learning from experts by experience (EBEs) living with chronic conditions, in an interprofessional setting. This study aimed to explore the experiences of undergraduate students, EBEs and facilitators with the PAP-module and formulate recommendations on the design and organization of patient involvement in IPE. Methods: We collected data from students, EBEs and facilitators, through eight semi-structured focus group interviews and two individual interviews (N = 51). The interviews took place at Maastricht University, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences and Regional Training Center Leeuwenborgh. Conventional content analysis revealed key themes. Results: Students reported that learning from EBEs in an interprofessional setting yielded a more comprehensive approach and made them empathize with EBEs. Facilitators found it challenging to address multiple demands from students from different backgrounds and diverse EBEs. EBEs were motivated to improve the personcentredness of health care and welcomed a renewed sense of purpose. Conclusions: This study yielded six recommendations: (a) students from various disciplines visit an EBE to foster a comprehensive approach, (b) groups of at least two students visit EBEs, (c) students may need aftercare for which facilitators should be receptive, (d) EBEs need clear instruction on their roles, (e) multiple EBEs in one session create diversity in perspectives and (f) training programmes and peer-to-peer sessions for facilitators help them to interact with diverse students and EBEs.
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This paper examines the network governance approach of the Dutch Urban Envoy in the context of multilevel governance in the European Union. This paper aims to answer the research question on how the scope of network governance can explore the performance of the Dutch Urban Envoy. By analyzing network characteristics, such as legitimacy, actor-level properties, and network-level properties, this paper seeks to provide a nuanced understanding of the performance of the Dutch Urban Envoy. Drawing on previous research, this paper identifies the applicability and limitations of assessing network characteristics in understanding advocacy processes. The paper successfully visualizes the networks of the Dutch Urban Envoy and explores their roles and mandates, contributing to determining the added value of their position. However, the network governance approach has limitations in explaining the tangible successes and challenges of the Dutch Urban Envoy that cannot be directly attributed to their overall performance.
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Population ageing has been a focus of research since the 1960s (Michael et al. 2006), and it has become a domain of international discussions, debates and research throughout a myriad of disciplines including housing, urban planning and real estate (Buffel and Phillipson 2016, van Bronswijk 2015, Kort 2017). Kazak et al. (2017) described how the ageing population has a profound impact on the real estate market, which is transforming in terms of availability of retirement accommodation for older people including accessibility, adaptability, and the availability of single-floor dwellings. Older people usually have a strong connection with the environment they understand and know well (van Hoof et al. 2016), enabling them to spend the latter years of their life in a familiar setting, which, in turn, influences their self-confidence, independence and the potential to successfully age in place. Older people are encouraged to continue living in their homes a familiar environment to them, instead of moving to an institutional care facility, and this is referred to as “ageing-in-place” (van Hoof 2010). This can be supported by creating a functional and spatial structure of cities that are friendly to older people (van Hoof et al. 2018, van Hoof and Kazak 2018). In the domain of environmental design, a series of home modifications can be identified. The most frequently encountered measures in and around the home are adaptations to improve the accessibility of the home (i.e., removal of barriers such as thresholds, installation of stair lifts in multi-storey homes, and the replacement of bath tubs by walk-in showers,). Separately from these expensive measures and adaptations, simple handgrips can improve the accessibility, safety and mobility of older people (van Hoof et al. 2010, van Hoof et al. 2013). A further concern that should be considered within the living environment is the lack of storage space for wheeled walkers and mobility scooters (including a place to charge batteries) whilst living in an apartment block with limited space to manoeuvre on corridors (Kazak et al. 2017). However, with increasing demands for care, it is not always possible to remain living in one’s own home and moving into a residential or nursing facility is the only remaining option; whereby, specialist and/or nursing care can be accessed and provided in these living environments (van Hoof et al. 2009). Policy principles within long-term care aim to provide a home from home environment for their residents (Moise et al. 2004). Several specialised housing models have been developed in order to facilitate this person-centred care approach, as more traditional institutional settings often do not match with the new holistic and therapeutic goals (Verbeek 2017). Radical alterations have been made in comparison with traditional nursing homes, implementing changes in the organisational, physical and social environment of settings (Verbeek et al. 2009, van Hoof et al. 2009). For example, smaller groups of older people (six to seven persons) form a household, with nursing staff having integrated tasks, including assistance with activities of daily living, preparing meals, organising activities and doing household chores together with residents. Daily life is mainly determined by residents and nursing staff, and the physical environment resembles an archetypal house. With this distinct increase and popular notion of the role real estate plays in ageing-in-place and living well in old age, there is also a shifting focus regarding participation, activation, and helping each other. Home modifications and the home environment itself have a profound influence on the care provided and received at home. In short, the fewer barriers there are at home, the easier and less onerous responsibilities placed on the family carer(s) (Duijnstee 1992). Family carers themselves need such environmental interventions that support care, and a sense of community and belonging. Enabling one to age-in-place and to successfully age requires more than a simple occupational therapeutic approach of environmental interventions. It requires innovative new housing encompassing suitable technology arrangements that can facilitate and enable older adults to live comfortably into old age, preferably with others and offer family members (i.e., children, grandchildren and spouse). Furthermore, interconnecting technology into such environments can offer family members the option and opportunity to monitor their loved one remotely whilst all actors know there are additional safety barriers in place. This chapter discusses and provides innovative examples from a Dutch social housing association and their practices, which illustrates a new approach to environmental design that focuses more on building new communities in conjunction with the building itself, as opposed to the occupational therapeutic approaches and environmental support. First, we take a closer look at why we care for each other, which is the basis of the participation society, in which we must look after people who are near to us. This should ideally be at the basis of new housing arrangements -in which people are stimulated to meet, engage, survey and care- that social housing associations are developing, retrofitting and developing.
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