On the associations between videoconference fatigue, burnout and depression including personality associations

Working memory and the need for explainable AI - Scenarios from healthcare, social media and insurance

Explainable AI (XAI) is discussed as an important feature of AI systems that is required for professional, ethical and commercial reasons. XAI is particularly needed in AI systems that remain relatively closed, i.e. black box, on how to make decisions whether for complexity or commercial sensitivity. Still, many factors play an important role on whether people perceive a need for XAI. The personal relevance of the AI system might play a role, but also individual differences in personality traits or cognitive functions. In order to test these assumptions, 215 participants (129 female) underwent an online experiment testing their objective working memory capacity and completed the Intellect facet of the Big Five Personality traits (as a proxy for self-assessed cognitive capacity). Further, all participants were presented three AI systems scenarios of relatively different degrees of (personal) relevance and, hence, personal investment: skin cancer detection (i), the personalization of social media feeds (ii), and the amount to pay for a car insurance (iii). We observed that people reported a higher need for XAI in scenarios where they were more personally invested (health, payment for insurance > social media); for signficant differences between these scenarios see the result section. Interestingly, working memory capacity was not associated with XAI needs across the three domains, but self-reported Intellect showed a mild positive association with need for an AI explanation in the context of the insurance story. The present study represents a first attempt to investigate objective working memory capacity in the context of need for XAI. Beyond that, the study indicates that personal investment is crucial for determining the need for XAI.

Association of types of on-screen content with mental health problems among Chinese adolescents

Excessive screen time was associated with mental health problems, yet whether the associations differ by screen content types remain unknown. Here, we conducted a cross-sectional study of adolescents from 156 junior and high school to investigate the association of types of on-screen content with mental health problems in China. The exposure variable was screen exposure, measured by the self-reported questionnaire. Symptoms of depression and anxiety were assessed by Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 (GAD-7), respectively. Suicide-related behavior was adapted from the Centers for Disease Control's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance. Generalized linear models and network analysis were performed. Of the 15,194 adolescents included in the final analysis, 8,019 were males and mean (SD) age was 14.50 (1.68) years. 34.6% of adolescents had an average screen time of ≥ 4 h/day on weekends. The most frequently used screen contents (≥ 4 h/d) were electronic games (9.1%), followed by short video (6.6%). Learning online had strong associations with depression (OR = 2.03, 95%CI: 1.29-3.11, P = 0.002) and anxiety (OR = 2.05, 95%CI: 1.24-3.27, P = 0.004) symptoms. The associations between on-screen content and mental health varied. The strongest edges linked to screen content types were edge between "Electronic games" and "Anhedonia" in the network model. "Control worry" was the most central nodes, followed by "Irritable" and "Worry A Lot". Findings suggested that both screen time and different types of screen content were associated with mental health problems among adolescents. Limiting screen exposure and developing effective interventions to improve mental health should be a priority.

Describing Zoom exhaustion and fatigue in nursing students at a university in South Africa

Background

Online platforms have gained considerable support from students and lecturers post COVID-19, however they are associated with student exhaustion and fatigue.

Aim

To determine Zoom exhaustion and fatigue in nursing students at a selected university in South Africa.

Methods

A quantitative cross - sectional study was conducted in KwaZulu-Natal to collect data from 146 nursing students registered at the selected university for the 4-year Bachelor of Nursing programme. The Zoom Exhaustion and Fatigue Scale collected data on responses to domains of general fatigue, visual fatigue, social fatigue, motivational fatigue, and emotional fatigue. The data were analysed using the International Business Machines, Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 26.0. Descriptive statistics were calculated for demographics, a total score was calculated and mean scores and 95% confidence intervals for the different domains were calculated. Mann Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis Independent Tests were calculated to determine associations between demographics and Zoom usage.

Results

The overall Zoom exhaustion and fatigue score was 46.71 (s.d. = 10.50). The motivational fatigue construct had the highest mean score of 3.29 (s.d. = 0.83), followed by general (3.18 s.d. = 0.81), social (3.11, s.d. = 0.88), emotional (3.06, s.d. = 0.99) and visual fatigue (2.92, s.d. = 0.94).

Conclusion

The study concluded that while the overall mean score indicated moderate levels of Zoom exhaustion and fatigue among respondents, majority of the respondents scored high levels (> 48) of Zoom fatigue. Students reported higher levels of motivational fatigue compared to the other 4 constructs.

Zoom fatigue related to online learning among medical students in Thailand: Prevalence, predictors, and association with depression

Background

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the learning pattern of medical students shifted from onsite to online. This transition may contribute to what has been called "Zoom fatigue." This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of Zoom fatigue related to online learning, identify associated factors of Zoom fatigue, and explore its correlation with depression among medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted among 1st to 6th-year Thai medical students. The online survey was administered using a demographic and health behavior questionnaire, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the Thai version of the Zoom Exhaustion & Fatigue Scale (ZEF-T).

Results

Among the 386 participating students, 221 (57%) were female, with a mean age of 20.6 years. The prevalence of high Zoom fatigue was 9.6%. In the multivariable regression analysis, a lower academic year and a higher number of online learning sessions were significant predictors of Zoom fatigue (p < 0.001), while regular exercise emerged as a protective factor (p = 0.009). The prevalence of depressive disorder was 61.9%, and a significant correlation was found between having a depressive disorder and experiencing Zoom fatigue (p = 0.004).

Conclusion

Zoom fatigue among medical students was correlated with depression. Consequently, medical students experiencing Zoom fatigue should undergo further assessment for depression. It is crucial to closely monitor medical students in lower academic years with a high number of online sessions for signs of Zoom fatigue. Additionally, implementing strategies, such as reducing the frequency of online sessions and promoting regular exercise, may help alleviate the symptoms.

Insights on associations between the frequency of use of diverse social media products and social networks use disorder tendencies from a German speaking sample

OBJECTIVE

In the present work we investigate how individual differences in at least occasionally using distinct social media platforms is linked to social networks use disorder (SNUD) tendencies. A final sample of n = 2200 participants filled in the AICA-C-9 measure to get insights into individual differences in overuse of social media and participants also indicated which platforms they used at least once a month.

RESULTS

The analysis revealed a robust positive association between number of at least occasionally used social media apps and SNUD tendencies (r = .44, p < .001). Further, platforms differed in terms of their "addictive potential", if one takes associations between frequency of distinct platforms use and SNUD tendencies as a proxy for this (and of course the actual descriptive statistics of the SNUD scale for the (non-)frequent user groups of the different platforms). In this regard, at least occasionally using some platforms (here Tumblr, Twitter and TikTok) was associated with highest SNUD tendencies. Moreover, largest differences in terms of effect sizes between the occasional and non-occasional user groups regarding SNUD scores could be observed for Instagram, WhatsApp, and TikTok. The present work bases on data from a larger project investigating associations between SNUD and tobacco use disorder.

Does Self-View Mode Generate More Videoconferencing Fatigue in Women than Men? An Experiment Using EEG Signals

The ability to see or hide one's own image is a typical feature of videoconferencing platforms. Previous research, informed primarily by self-reported data, has suggested that enabling self-view mode is associated with videoconferencing fatigue, particularly for women. Our goal in this study is to test this assumption by gathering neurophysiological evidence. We conducted an experiment using electroencephalography (EEG) with 32 volunteers (16 men and 16 women), who each participated in a live video meeting with the self-view mode both on and off. Our findings confirm the effects of self-view on fatigue, with significantly greater alpha activity when self-view was on than when it was off. Alpha activity did not change significantly across a 20-minute session, and was not significantly different for men or women. Thus, our study does not replicate previous findings that women experience greater videoconferencing fatigue because of the increased self-awareness generated when viewing themselves on a screen. We discuss why our EEG findings may diverge from prior self-reported studies.

Personality and teachers' burnout stress: exploring the digital competence as personal job resource in allied health institutions

Introduction

Job burnout has severe consequences for teachers and students. This study aimed to measure the direct effects of personality traits on job burnout-stress syndrome among allied health educators. Furthermore, teachers' digital competence was evaluated as a personal job resource for mitigating the negative impact of burnout.

Methods

This study examined direct relationships between work-related stress syndrome and personality traits, namely, extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness to experience. Data was collected from 334 allied health institution teachers through a self-reported questionnaire. Linear regression analysis was used to test for direct effects. Moderating effects were evaluated using Andrew F Hays PROCESS macro v2.16.3.

Results

All five personality traits had a significant negative relationship to burnout and teachers' digital competence moderated the relationship between personality traits and burnout. This study's findings provide evidence, that personality is significantly related to job burnout among allied health educators.

Conclusion

These empirical findings conclude that personality traits are related to burnout in the non-Western culture of Pakistan. Furthermore, teachers' digital competence acts as a personal job resource and potential moderator in the current digital working environment. Therefore, future teachers should enrich their digital competencies for improved performance, and advanced digital competency courses should be included in their curriculum.

Videoconference fatigue from a neurophysiological perspective: experimental evidence based on electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiography (ECG)

In the recent past, many organizations and people have substituted face-to-face meetings with videoconferences. Among others, tools like Zoom, Teams, and Webex have become the "new normal" of human social interaction in many domains (e.g., business, education). However, this radical adoption and extensive use of videoconferencing tools also has a dark side, referred to as videoconference fatigue (VCF). To date only self-report evidence has shown that VCF is a serious issue. However, based on self-reports alone it is hardly possible to provide a comprehensive understanding of a cognitive phenomenon like VCF. Against this background, we examined VCF also from a neurophysiological perspective. Specifically, we collected and analyzed electroencephalography (continuous and event-related) and electrocardiography (heart rate and heart rate variability) data to investigate whether VCF can also be proven on a neurophysiological level. We conducted a laboratory experiment based on a within-subjects design (N = 35). The study context was a university lecture, which was given in a face-to-face and videoconferencing format. In essence, the neurophysiological data-together with questionnaire data that we also collected-show that 50 min videoconferencing, if compared to a face-to-face condition, results in changes in the human nervous system which, based on existing literature, can undoubtedly be interpreted as fatigue. Thus, individuals and organizations must not ignore the fatigue potential of videoconferencing. A major implication of our study is that videoconferencing should be considered as a possible complement to face-to-face interaction, but not as a substitute.

Creating work-life balance among physicians in the age of digitalization: the role of self-consciousness and communication - a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Besides the positive effects of using digital health solutions, digitalization can affect the healthcare worker burnout. The ability to coordinate different aspects of life (WLB) also plays a significant role in the development of burnout among medical workers. The aim of our study is to show, through qualitative interviews, the impact of digitalization on work-life balance in Hungarian physicians.

METHODS

62 semi-structured interviews were conducted between October 2021 and June 2022, of which, a total of 31 interviews were used for the analysis, which were all related to the theme of work-life balance. Purposive sampling and inductive thematic approach were used to collect and analyse the data and identify patterns of the themes.

RESULTS

Based on this analysis, 5 main themes emerged: (1) the use of digital health tools, (2) Impact of digital tools on everyday work, (3) Work-life balance, (4) Setting and maintaining work-life boundaries, (5) Potential solutions. With the spread of digital communication, most of the respondents feel that their working hours increased even at the expense of their private life. The majority considers constant availability as a serious problem, however, several physicians indicated that as a result of a learning curve, they are able to change and set the necessary boundaries. Respondents were divided on whether or not they were successful in setting and maintaining boundaries. The 2 most important factors of establishing WLB in a digital age are self-consciousness and communication. However, these skills are not self-evident: the responses also show that in many cases there is a need for external support, but also for health professionals to actively reflect from time to time on their role as healers and their relationship with technology.

CONCLUSION

Basic principles and tools for establishing successful digital work-life balance in healthcare should be involved in the training curriculum of future physicians and healthcare professionals, while institutions should elaborate specific policies to include digital work-life balance in the institutional setting, as part of the preventive measures against burnout.

Investigating autistic traits, social phobia, fear of COVID-19, and internet use disorder variables in the context of videoconference fatigue

In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many individuals turned to synchronous online video communication technologies as a substitute for real-world face-to-face interactions. Evidence indicates that some users of such technologies show symptoms of exhaustion and fatigue during and after videoconferences (VCs) – this phenomenon is referred to as Videoconference Fatigue (VC fatigue). Research characterizing the possible vulnerability factors for VC fatigue is still scarce and considered to be in its early stage. Contributing to closing this gap in the existing literature is the motivation for the present study. Survey data was collected from 311 German-speaking participants to explore the relationships of VC fatigue with several psychological factors including autistic traits, social phobia, Fear of COVID-19, tendencies towards Internet Use Disorders (IUD tendencies), and Fear of Missing Out (FoMO, trait and state variables). Results showed that VC fatigue was significantly positively correlated with all of these psychological factors except state-FoMO, and corss-sectional mediation analyses provided further evidence for the positive association between autistic traits and VC fatigue. Specifically, the relationship between autistic traits and VC fatigue was mediated by Fear of COVID-19 and IUD tendencies rather than social phobia, with the latter being a preregistered hypothesis. This study adds to the literature by revealing several possible vulnerability factors associated with VC fatigue. In essence, the present work sheds light on the complex association between autistic traits and VC fatigue. We discuss the implications of our study as well as its limitations and potential avenues for future research.

[Videoconference Fatigue Coping Strategies]

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed people's professional and private lives globally and has led to an increasing use of digital technologies, especially video conferencing systems (e.g. Zoom, Webex, Teams, Skype). Despite the possible advantages of these systems (e.g. savings in emissions by avoiding travelling), a negative phenomenon has been reported in science and practice: Videoconference Fatigue (VCF) (often synonymously referred to as Zoom Fatigue). This term describes the exhaustion and fatigue that results from the use of videoconferencing systems. In this article we report on an analysis of the academic literature, the aim of which is to document the current state of research on coping strategies. The analysis of coping strategies helps to better understand the phenomenon of VCF and to prevent or reduce fatigue and exhaustion. Furthermore, the results reported here are a basis for future work. Specifically, as of May 2022, we have identified 48 scientific articles on VCF, 37 of which also deal with coping strategies. We divide these strategies into organizational (e.g. taking breaks during and between meetings), personal (e.g. avoiding multitasking) and technological (e.g. use of the "together mode" in Teams). An important finding of our analysis is that with the exception of one paper, the effectiveness of the coping strategies has not yet been empirically examined and thus proven. This opens up enormous future research potential.