Successful Gamification of Cybersecurity Training.

The behavioral aspect of cybersecurity has gained more attention in recent years. By their actions, people can improve the security of their devices and organizations, but also hinder the successful implementation of security in these areas. As awareness campaigns where information is merely distributed are not effective, we designed a cybersecurity serious game applicable for cybersecurity training. The effectiveness of this game was experimentally tested against a noncybersecurity game that did or did not contain cybersecurity information, through measures of the theory of planned behavior. Results showed that the cybersecurity game resulted in higher self-reported scores on attitudes, perceived behavioral control, intentions, and behavior compared with both noncybersecurity games. For subjective norms, we only found an effect in the comparison between the cybersecurity game and the noncybersecurity game without additional information.

Assortative mating and digit ratio (2D:4D): A pre-registered empirical study and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: It has been hypothesised that the ratio of length between the second and fourth fingers (2D:4D), commonly employed as an indicator of foetal sex hormone exposure, may be positively correlated between heterosexual partners. AIMS: As previous evidence has been conflicting, our study aimed to determine whether intra-couple correlations exist for digit ratio variables, and if so, to estimate the size and direction of these effects. STUDY DESIGN: We present a preregistered (osf.io/6jg8p) correlational study and quantitative meta-analysis of the available literature, and attempted to locate further published and unpublished data (i.e. 'grey literature') by contacting n = 248 researchers in the 2D:4D and related fields. SUBJECTS: n = 58 heterosexual dating couples from the UK took part in our empirical study, and the meta-analysis included data from k = 11 samples. OUTCOME MEASURES: We measured digit ratio for the right hand (R2D:4D), left hand (L2D:4D), and average of both hands (M2D:4D), as well as the right-left-difference (D[R-L]). RESULTS: We found no evidence of significant positive intra-couple correlations in our own data, but a significant (positive) meta-analytic effect size estimate emerged for R2D:4D (r = 0.072, p = 0.014). The meta-analytic effects for L2D:4D (r = 0.043, p = 0.303), M2D:4D (r = 0.070, p = 0.225), and D[R-L] (r = 0.028, p = 0.649) were all in the same direction but not statistically significant. However, if the sample from Klimek et al. (2014, 2016) were omitted, meta-analysis would also yield a significant positive correlation for M2D:4D (r = 0.128, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Although our findings are based on a fairly small range of studies, which themselves provide a relatively small sample of participants, they do imply the intriguing possibility of small effects of positive assortment in relation to characteristics associated with the prenatal hormonal environment.

Physically active lessons in schools and their impact on physical activity, educational, health and cognition outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This review provides the first meta-analysis of the impact of physically active lessons on lesson-time and overall physical activity (PA), as well as health, cognition and educational outcomes. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled studies. Six meta-analyses pooled effects on lesson-time PA, overall PA, in-class educational and overall educational outcomes, cognition and health outcomes. Meta-analyses were conducted using the metafor package in R. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane tool for risk of bias. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, ERIC and Web of Science, grey literature and reference lists were searched in December 2017 and April 2019. STUDIES ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Physically active lessons compared with a control group in a randomised or non-randomised design, within single component interventions in general school populations. RESULTS: 42 studies (39 in preschool or elementary school settings, 27 randomised controlled trials) were eligible to be included in the systematic review and 37 of them were included across the six meta-analyses (n=12 663). Physically active lessons were found to produce large, significant increases in lesson-time PA (d=2.33; 95% CI 1.42 to 3.25: k=16) and small, increases on overall PA (d=0.32; 95% CI 0.18 to 0.46: k=8), large, improvement in lesson-time educational outcomes (d=0.81; 95% CI 0.47 to 1.14: k=7) and a small improvement in overall educational outcomes (d=0.36; 95% CI 0.09 to 0.63: k=25). No effects were seen on cognitive (k=3) or health outcomes (k=3). 25/42 studies had high risk of bias in at least two domains. CONCLUSION: In elementary and preschool settings, when physically active lessons were added into the curriculum they had positive impact on both physical activity and educational outcomes. These findings support policy initiatives encouraging the incorporation of physically active lessons into teaching in elementary and preschool setting. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42017076933.

A content analysis of thinspiration, fitspiration, and bonespiration imagery on social media.

BACKGROUND: On social media, images such as thinspiration, fitspiration, and bonespiration, are shared to inspire certain body ideals. Previous research has demonstrated that exposure to these groups of content is associated with increased body dissatisfaction and decreased self-esteem. It is therefore important that the bodies featured within these groups of content are more fully understood so that effective interventions and preventative measures can be informed, developed, and implemented. METHOD: A content analysis was conducted on a sample of body-focussed images with the hashtags thinspiration, fitspiration, and bonespiration from three social media platforms. RESULTS: The analyses showed that thinspiration and bonespiration content contained more thin and objectified bodies, compared to fitspiration which featured a greater prevalence of muscles and muscular bodies. In addition, bonespiration content contained more bone protrusions and fewer muscles than thinspiration content. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest fitspiration may be a less unhealthy type of content; however, a subgroup of imagery was identified which idealised the extremely thin body type and as such this content should also be approached with caution. Future research should utilise qualitative methods to further develop understandings of the body ideals that are constructed within these groups of content and the motivations behind posting this content.