Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Delaware, 2009. / Principal faculty advisor: Robert F. Simons, Dept. of Psychology. Includes bibliographical references.

Introduktion: Det är vanligt förekommande med oro i samband med operationer. Vissa riskfaktorer finnskonstaterade, så som brist på information och kvinnligt kön. Anestesisjuksköterskan har en viktig uppgift i attbemöta och identifiera oro i samband med operation, och minskade nivåer av preoperativ oro bidrar till kortareåterhämtningstid och ett minskat lidande. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka faktorer som kan påverka preoperativ oro hos patienter som skagenomgå elektiv kirurgi. Metod: En kvantitativ retrospektiv tvärsnittsstudie genomfördes. Data samlades in genom en webbaserad enkätbestående av demografiska frågor, en skattningsskala för preoperativ oro samt en öppen fråga. Kvantitativ dataanalyserades med SPSS, medan data från den öppna frågan analyserades med manifest innehållsanalys. Totaltanalyserades 111 enkäter. Resultat:Resultatet visar att det inte fanns ett samband mellan ålder och preoperativ oro, samt att kvinnor kände meroro än män inför anestesin. Personer med hög utbildning skattade sig som mer oroliga än personer med lågutbildning, och personer som skattade sig som oroliga sedan tidigare, skattade sig också som mer oroliga införanestesi och kirurgi än andra. Slutsats: Informationsbehovet preoperativt är stort. Personer som är oroliga till vardags löper risk att uppleva höganivåer av oro preoperativt. Vidare forskning krävs för att utveckla en metod som kan identifiera oroliga individer.Genom att identifiera dessa preoperativt kan detta fungera som en prediktor för personer som riskerar att upplevamer preoperativ oro. Denna undersökning kan konstatera att det finns en vinst i att belysa faktorer som kan påverkaden preoperativa upplevelsen då verksamheten kan nyttja informationen till att motverka preoperativ oro.

Provision of information has been used as a strategy to relive travel-related anxiety. This study is motivated by the successful attempts for reducing the anxiety. Although, passengers' anxiety about using public transport (PT) has already been discussed, the London Underground passengers' anxiety has rarely been a target of investigation in the academic literature. Anxiety associated with the Underground use is reported to be greater than other PT modes. Although the existing studies discussing PT passengers' anxiety have attempted to provide solutions for anxiety reduction, few endeavours have been made to offer them based on the investigated causality between determinants of anxiety and its arousal. Thus, this study fills the gap by identifying antecedents, and verifying their effects on anxiety about the Underground use. This, in turn, furnishes theoretical grounds for designing content of information with an aim to relieve the anxiety in the circumstance that little data exists, which can be utilised for developing information for the purpose. To achieve the goal, two sets of phases have been engaged. First, a questionnaire (N=81) was conducted to identify anxiety triggers. The results revealed that they were other people's anti-social behaviour, overcrowding, noise, and late-night travel. An expert group interview was carried out to investigate what efforts are made to support passengers in the anxiety inducing situations. Second, examination was performed to understand about the passengers' anxiety based on theoretical knowledge about anxiety, and to determine its antecedents. A research model was formulated including six factors, perceived invulnerability, perceived physical ability, trust in other passengers (informal social control), confidence in the authorities, safety knowledge, and perceived uncontrollability. The effects were assessed through structural equation modelling, using questionnaire data (N=269). The results uncovered that perceived invulnerability, perceived physical ability, and confidence in the authorities have negative indirect effects on anxiety through perceived uncontrollability, and safety knowledge has a negative direct effect on anxiety. The confirmed anxiety buffering effects of the factors will be suggested to be used for developing content of information to help relieve the arousal. The study contributes to knowledge by identifying the determinants of the passengers' anxiety, and testing their effects on anxiety, and to produce theoretical support to create service information environment which helps relieve the anxiety.

Yes / Objectives: The objectives of this study ware to translate and validate the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale into Nigerian Hausa Language to be used in assessing Hausa speaking surgical patients’ preoperative anxiety before undergoing elective surgery. Methods: Forward and backward translation method was adopted to translate APAIS into Hausa Language so as to produce a Hausa version of the scale (APAIS-H). The Hausa version was tested on thirty patients scheduled for elective surgery at Federal Medical Centre, Nguru-Yobe State, Nigeria. The authors performed factor analysis, internal consistency and correlated the translated Hausa version with Spielberger’s State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-State). Findings: The translated Hausa version of the scale produced high internal consistency for the two subscales (Cronbach’s alpha 0.82 for anxiety related to surgery subscale and 0.71 for information desire subscale respectively). APAIS-H correlated well with Spielberger's state Trait Anxiety Inventory STAI-state with a correlation coefficient of (r = 0.81), Conclusion: APAIS-H has been found to be valid and reliable instrument to be used in the assessment of preoperative anxiety in Hausa speaking patients scheduled to undergo surgical operation.

網路、智慧型手機普及後，國內媒體環境近年驟變，過去稱霸社會主要輿論導向的老字號報紙力求轉型，全力在網路上發展即時新聞，企圖迎合網路時代越來越多變的閱聽人樣貌。傳統媒體彷彿罹患即時新聞焦慮症，將即時新聞作為轉型的第一步。 　　這是一個傳統媒體轉型的戰國時代，報紙、電視無不改變經營策略，新媒體的出現，看似帶來更多自由、多元、開放的選擇，打破過去由傳統媒體壟斷的資訊，卻因資訊爆炸，同時產生了更多資訊焦慮。焦慮對新聞界而言，不僅是有史以來最大的一場洪水，更像這個時代特有的流行病，面對不確定的未來，感到焦慮的不只是媒體本身，還包括閱聽人。 　　本文聚焦於報紙記者在面臨轉型的過程中所產生的即時新聞焦慮，並呼應現代人在資訊爆炸時代中所面臨的資訊焦慮，進一步探討未來可能的解決之道，並預想未來透過海量資料分析及群眾力量所發展出來的智慧，有機會運用在新聞上，將過量的重複資訊透過篩選加以刪除，找到新的新聞表現形態，讓新聞能更加貼近事件真實，讓資訊的出現不再只是加法，而是增加減法機制，朝更正確的方向邁進。 　　劇本背景設定在2016年，傳統媒體面對新媒體的到來仍在找尋轉型方式，故事主角由傳統報紙記者試圖揭發一起台鐵連續弊案，探討傳統新聞定義、資訊蒐集方式，與過去大不相同的可能性，記者在數位匯流時代的工作方式轉變以及即時新聞焦慮症，進一步呼應整個社會對於資訊不確定性的焦慮，並預言新聞未來的可能發展類型。以劇本為表現方式，意在期盼對於新媒體的未來發展，在媒體型態不斷革命的今天，能有更多的想像及展現空間，找到更多的可能。 / As the network, smart phones and other mobile devices are booming in recent year, there are dramatic changes in domestic mass media. In attempt to cater to increasingly diverse audiences in the Internet era, old-branded newspapers, dominating the main public opinion in the past, is developing real-time news on the Internet thoroughly. Those traditional mass media corporations seem to suffer from anxiety disorders of real-time news competition, and consequently conclude that real-time news should be the first step for them to transform. In this war of transforming traditional media, newspaper companies and broadcasting television all have to change their strategies. It has seemed to bring more free, pluralistic, and open-minded choices since brand new media emerging. In spite of breaking through the way of getting information, information explosion has turned people into deep anxiety for getting it. Anxiety is regarded as an epidemic, partucularly in this era. Facing uncertain future, it does not only make media anxious, but also the audience. This article emphasizes on journalists who felt anxious about real-time news while they encountered the transformation of media. Meanwhile, it describes information anxiety among modern people. This article further figures out possible solutions, and assumes the mechanism of news in the future. It includes two traits, the big data analysis and crowdsourcing intelligence, as for the mechanism of news. The more appropriate form of news can be developed not only on the way of accumulating information, but also the screening of removing repeated information. Thus, we could be much closer to reality. Presented via the form of a script writing and based on a story in the year of 2016, the script describes that traditional media is struggling to figure out a way toward successful transformation, while facing the confrontation of the new media. The main character of the story, a newspaper journalist, tried to uncover a scandal of Taiwan Railway Administration. By following the journalist's work, this article discusses about definition of traditional news, the way of collecting information, and the differences how journallists are working in the digital convergence era, reflecting the entire society's anxiety toward uncertainties of information. This article also tries to predict possible development of news in the future by storytelling. In this continuing evolution of media nowadays, we hope that society can embrace more imagination and possibilities.

Background: Direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests are tests sold directly to consumers, normally without the involvement of healthcare professionals, which aim to provide consumers with their relative genetic risk for various complex diseases. Providers claim that this information will enable and encourage consumers to improve their health behaviour in order to reduce their likelihood of contracting diseases for which they are at an increased genetic risk. However, there are many criticisms and concerns about DTC genetic tests in the literature. Two common concerns are the lack of positive effects, and possible negative effects, that the information generated by the tests may have on consumers health behaviour and health anxiety, and the identified poor quality of information provision on the websites of providers of DTC genetic tests. Although the literature contains some research in these areas it is noticeably limited and occasionally contradictory. Aim and Methods: The aim of the research was to investigate the informational aspects of direct-to-consumer genetic tests, including the provision of information by the companies, consumers information needs and information-seeking behaviour and the effect of the information generated by the tests on health behaviour and health anxiety. The research consisted of three studies: a survey of 275 consumers and potential consumers of DTC genetic tests, in-depth email interviews with 36 consumers of DTC genetic tests and a content analysis of the information provided on all identified providers websites. Results: Positive or neutral changes in health behaviour were identified in a large minority of respondents who had been exposed to genetic risk information, along with the mechanisms by which the information prompted or contributed to change. A minority reported a change in health anxiety, mainly but not exclusively a decrease, with mechanisms again identified. Consumers reported a wide variety of information needs, the most common of which were information to do with the coverage and accuracy of the tests. The provision of information on providers websites varied considerably, both between and within providers, but was generally poor. However, most consumers used other sources alongside these websites, the most common of which was blogs. Conclusions: The results suggest that concerns about possible negative effects of the information generated by the tests are unfounded and that a large minority of consumers have improved health behaviour and decreased health anxiety after purchase. The results also suggest that concern about information provision on providers websites is justified; although this is mitigated by consumers general use of other sources alongside the websites, it is likely that a substantial number of consumers do not have access to enough information to give fully informed consent to the test.