Artificial Intelligence Lab, Department of MIS, University of Arizona / Research has shown that most usersâ online information searches are suboptimal. Query optimization based on a relevance feedback or genetic algorithm using dynamic query contexts can help casual users search the Internet. These algorithms can draw on implicit user feedback based on the surrounding links and text in a search engine result set to expand user queries with a variable number of keywords in two manners. Positive expansion adds terms to a userâ s keywords with a Boolean â and,â negative expansion adds terms to the userâ s keywords with a Boolean â not.â Each algorithm was examined for three user groups, high, middle, and low achievers, who were classified according to their overall performance. The interactions of users with different levels of expertise with different expansion types or algorithms were evaluated. The genetic algorithm with negative expansion tripled recall and doubled precision for low achievers, but high achievers displayed an opposed trend and seemed to be hindered in this condition. The effect of other conditions was less substantial.

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No description available.

In the literature on adults, there is an abundance of studies in which there are clear gender differences in the overt expression of vulnerability. Significantly more females than males have been found to express vulnerability. Similar findings have been reported in the adolescence literature, indicating that these gender differences begin much earlier than adulthood. However, the age at which these gender differences occur is not known because few studies have investigated these behaviors in early or middle childhood. The primary focus of this study was to determine if there are gender differences in young children's help-seeking behavior and at what age these differences emerge. The type of help children sought and the orientation of their statements were also examined. Sixty-four preschoolers and kindergarteners from lower and upper-middle socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds were engaged by 1 male or 1 female researcher on 4 non-sex-typed tasks. Key variables that were examined were the number of requests for help, latency to request help, types of request, and types of orientation. The results of this study revealed that, between 3 and 6 years of age, girls sought help more often and more rapidly than boys. Children from lower SES backgrounds sought significantly more help than children from upper-middle SES backgrounds. Similarly, preschoolers sought help more often and more rapidly than kindergarteners. Females made significantly more direct requests whereas males made significantly more references of having difficulty with the tasks. Furthermore, preschoolers made significantly more statements that were oriented to the experimenter and task. Lastly, the results revealed clear gender differences that emerge as early as 3 years of age. These findings are important because help-seeking behavior is related to achievement (Lee, 1997; Ryan, Patrick, & Shim, 2005). Therefore, training boys who are avoidant help-seekers to seek appropriate help as well as training psychologists, teachers, and parents to identify those who are avoidant help seekers may help children increase their academic performance and experience success in school.

This study explored the experiences of street-involved youth who have received mental health services for symptoms of methamphetamine-induced psychosis. Specifically, the study investigated what factors were perceived by participants to promote and hinder access to mental health services. The researcher interviewed nine street youth at Covenant House, a Vancouver agency serving street-involved youth. Interview data and the researcher's field notes were coded and analyzed within a grounded theory paradigm. Youth discussed formal and informal sources of help and routes to both. Two distinct perspectives to treatment were identified: an addictions perspective and a concurrent disorders perspective. Respondents outlined the typical pathway into methamphetamine use and described barriers and supports for accessing services while undergoing drug-induced psychosis. Significant factors that encouraged access to services were positive relationships with helpers, strong peer supports, and the use of involuntary services when necessary. Identified barriers included fear of being stigmatized, lack of problem awareness, and systemic barriers. The current research proposed a model of access to mental health services that positions outreach and frontline workers as key figures to mediating street youth's access to appropriate services.

The purpose of this study was to explore the decision-making process of Indo-Canadian women in seeking counselling help. Little research regarding help-seeking behaviours and attitudes of minority groups has been done in the area of counselling psychology. Even less attention has been given to the Indo-Canadian community. The aim of this study was to contribute to existing research through a contextual understanding of the influences on an Indo-Canadian woman whe/n faced with the decision to pursue counselling help. It was further intended to provide mental health services with information on ways of encouraging this cultural group to utilize the available help resources. This study used narrative and multiple case study methodology. Seven Indo-Canadian women, all having previously used mental health services, were interviewed. Interviews were then transcribed, and 'straightened' into individual narratives based on the unique story of each participant. Factors of hindrance and facilitation with regard to help-seeking were extracted from the narratives and then analyzed for commonalities. The transcripts and narratives were validated by an external examiner to ensure freedom from distortion and bias. Five of the seven stories along with the factors of hindrance and facilitation were further validated by the respective participants. In addition, an abstract story was constructed from the individual accounts. Findings extended the research through the identification of facilitating factors in the decision-making process of Indo-Canadian women in seeking counselling.

Self-compassion refers to one’s kind, mindful, and self-referential response to the perception of one’s painful experiences and has been linked to a number of positive aspects of psychological well-being (Neff, 2003a, 2003b). Despite this, thus far, there has been very little research examining how this concept relates to various aspects of social relationships. The current study investigates whether levels of reported self-compassion are related to rejection sensitivity and excessive reassurance seeking from others. Furthermore, aspects of recalled parenting are examined to determine whether those who recalled their parents as unsupportive of their negative displays of emotion also demonstrated low self-compassion, a relationship proposed to be mediated by perceived mattering and experiential avoidance. Questionnaires measuring these constructs were administered online to 241 undergraduate students. Parental validation of negative displays of emotion was found to lead to increased self-compassion, a relationship which was mediated by experiential avoidance and perceived mattering. Parental invalidation was not related to self-compassion. In turn, increased mattering and self-compassion led to lower rejection sensitivity, whereas increased experiential avoidances led to excessive reassurance seeking. Further research in this area is needed in order to experimentally assess the cause and effect relationships between parenting, self-compassion, rejection sensitivity, and reassurance seeking. / Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council: Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Master’s Scholarship

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Although research has shown that mental health interventions are effective, many people who are afflicted with a mental disorder or emotional distress do not seek services (e.g., Wang et al., 2005). Perceived stigma, the belief that an individual will be devalued and discriminated against for seeking psychological assistance, is a barrier to seeking mental health services, as some people avoid these services in order to avoid the associated stigma. Another barrier to mental health service utilization is mental health literacy, which refers to how well-versed people are in information regarding mental illness and treatment (Jorm et al., 1997). Low levels of mental health literacy may inhibit people from seeking help as they may not recognize their need for services and may not be aware that effective services are available. The first of two studies examined a social influence intervention aimed at reducing perceived stigma and increasing intentions to seek counselling. One hundred and sixty-six undergraduate students watched videos of ingroup or outgroup speakers discussing their non-stigmatizing experience with therapy or speakers discussing a control topic. No significant differences were found between the groups after the intervention. The second study investigated an educational intervention aimed at improving mental health knowledge and increasing intentions to seek counselling. One hundred and fifty-five undergraduate participants listened to either a control lecture or a lecture about mental illness and treatment with or without a testimonial by the lecturer about her positive experience with therapy. The participants who listened to the lecture and testimonial had higher relevant mental health knowledge and intentions to seek counselling compared to the control condition. No differences were found between the education only and control conditions on intentions to seek counselling. The main finding of this project was that a combination of social influence and educational approaches has the most potential of improving intentions to seek mental health services, as each of these components does not appear to be effective independently.