ORCID Profile
0000-0002-2438-6425
Current Organisation
Nottingham Trent University
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Publisher: JMIR Publications Inc.
Date: 31-08-2022
Abstract: he COVID-19 pandemic impacted older adults' social connections and increased loneliness, but also led to increased technology adoption, providing new opportunities to develop technology interventions to meet their social needs. Existing off the shelf social connection platforms do not contain facilities designed to break the cognitive cycle of loneliness, and loneliness interventions implemented without due process could cause detriments to wellbeing. There is also lack of digital technology designed with older adults. e set out to iteratively design a user-centred smartphone app that could address older adult needs for social connection. The research questions were: how could our prototype smartphone app be used in mitigating loneliness and increasing a sense of social connectedness? What were emergent concerns resulting from use? In what ways could it be improved to better meet user needs? e used technology probes to elicit older adults' reflection on the concept of using the app in two studies: Concept focus groups (N=33) and Concept interviews (N=10), and then conducted a prototype trial with one week of use and follow up interviews (N=12). thematic analysis was conducted to explore the experience and emergent challenges of our app through the design process. This led to the development of four themes occurring in all three qualitative datasets: 1) Reflection on a digital social map is reassuring, 2) App features encourage socialising, 3) Risk of compounding loneliness, and 4) Feeling more control with mutual, socially beneficial activities. martphone apps have the potential to increase older people’s awareness of the richness of their social connections, which may support loneliness reduction. Our qualitative approach to app design enabled the inclusion of older adults' experiences in the technology design. With that, we conclude that our older adults most desired functionalities that can support mutual activities and maintaining or finding new connections, rather than sharing of emotional state. They were wary of the app being used to replace preferred in-person social interactions, and they raised concerns about making the user aware of a lack of connections or support in their social network, unless they are offered specific means of addressing their needs. Further user-centred design work is needed to enhance the app to support mutual activities and socialising. Our study illustrates the continued importance of user-centred design work to ensure that digital interventions are designed for populations like older adults.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2022
Publisher: JMIR Publications Inc.
Date: 27-01-2023
DOI: 10.2196/42172
Abstract: Loneliness is a significant well-being issue that affects older adults. Existing, commonly used social connection platforms do not contain facilities to break the cognitive cycle of loneliness, and loneliness interventions implemented without due processes could have detrimental effects on well-being. There is also a lack of digital technology designed with older adults. We aimed to iteratively design a user-centered smartphone app that can address loneliness in older adults. The aim of this study was to investigate the loneliness-related psychological processes that our conceptual smartphone app promotes. We also identified the emergent needs and concerns that older adults raised regarding the potential benefits and detriments of the app. We used technology probes to elicit older adults’ reflections on the concept of using the app in 2 studies as follows: concept focus groups (n=33) and concept interviews (n=10). We then conducted a prototype trial with 1 week of use and follow-up interviews (n=12). Thematic analysis explored the experiences and emergent challenges of our app through the design process. This led to the development of 4 themes as follows occurring in all 3 qualitative data sets: reflection on a digital social map is reassuring app features encourage socializing the risk of compounding loneliness and in iduals feel more control with mutual, socially beneficial activities. Smartphone apps have the potential to increase older adults’ awareness of the richness of their social connections, which may support loneliness reduction. Our qualitative approach to app design enabled the inclusion of older adults’ experiences in technology design. Thus, we conclude that the older adults in our study most desired functionalities that can support mutual activities and maintain or find new connections rather than enable them to share an emotional state. They were wary of the app replacing their preferred in-person social interaction. Participants also raised concerns about making the user aware of the lack of support in their social network and wanted specific means of addressing their needs. Further user-centered design work could identify how the app can support mutual activities and socializing.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 31-10-2020
DOI: 10.1111/JOSI.12398
Abstract: Compared to the impressive amount of research on consequences of intergroup contact, relatively little work has been devoted to predictors of intergroup contact. Although opportunities for intergroup contact are constantly growing in modern erse societies, these contact opportunities are not necessarily exploited. In the present review article, we describe current research on predictors of intergroup contact and drivers of contact seeking on a micro‐, meso‐, and macro‐level. We provide an overview of predictors, while focusing on recent research that is especially relevant for designing interventions and planning social policies aiming at increasing contact between different groups in varied societies. On the micro‐level, we discuss relational self‐expansion motives and confidence in contact as predictors of intergroup contact. On the meso‐level, we focus on the role of intragroup processes and historical intergroup conflicts in facilitating contact. On the macro‐level, we reflect on changing societal norms as a potential tool to increase the frequency intergroup contact. By focusing on the applied value of research findings, discussing erse predictors, and applying a multilevel approach, we also address recent criticisms of the intergroup contact literature and demonstrate the generative nature of contemporary research in this area.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 18-07-2023
DOI: 10.1002/CASP.2724
Abstract: Loneliness is a pernicious problem in older adulthood, associated with physical decline and isolation from valued social groups. However, the long‐term evolving experiences of ageing, identity and loneliness have yet to be elucidated. We use a Qualitative Longitudinal Research interview approach with nine vulnerable older adults (Age mean = 79.4 years), in which five participants were interviewed twice between 2019 and 2020, and four participants were interviewed at three‐time points from 2019 to 2021. This study aims to understand the unfolding experiences of ageing, social identity and loneliness during a prolonged period of social isolation during the Coronavirus pandemic. A theoretically guided thematic analysis highlights that participants initially experience ‘Categorisation as Vulnerable and Loss of Agency’ and ‘Shrinking Social Worlds’, leading to ‘Undermining of Reciprocal Support’ and ‘Fears of Persistent Loneliness’. Findings suggest that interventions to ameliorate loneliness among older adults would benefit from addressing age‐based stereotypes and emphasising the value of reciprocal contributions that older adults can make to their networks, as well as scaffolding and enhancing social identification with new groups. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement .
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-05-2021
DOI: 10.1111/BJHP.12536
Abstract: Belonging to groups can significantly affect people’s health and well‐being for the better (‘the social cure’) or worse (‘the social curse’). Encouraging people to join groups is a central component of the Social Prescribing movement however, not everyone who might benefit from Social Prescribing aspires to participating in groups. This study aims to identify what barriers are preventing people from experiencing the associated health and well‐being benefits of group belonging. Semi‐structured interviews analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Participants were 11 white British people (aged 48‐86), 1 male and 10 female, recruited by a charity partner of a Social Prescribing project. The themes derived from the interviews are as follows: (1) ‘The dread, the fear of being in a group’: When groups do not meet needs (2) ‘I can remember as quite a young child backing out of things’: Accumulative barriers over the lifetime, and (3) ‘I’m singing away and feeling terribly miserable’: the challenges of fitting in with others in groups. The themes reflect how people can feel deterred from social interaction, which interferes with their ability to derive a sense of belonging or shared identity associated with the ‘social cure’. A key challenge for Social Prescribing is to meet the social needs of people disinclined to join groups groups can be detrimental to health and well‐being if there are barriers to integration. Alternative ways of structuring groups or activities may be more effective and can still avail of the belonging and identity associated with ‘the social cure’.
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
No related grants have been discovered for Clifford Stevenson.