Development and testing of culturally adapted road hazard communication designs.

This study was conducted to assess comprehension of existing road hazard communication designs (RHCDs) in relation to culturally adapted designs among commercial vehicle drivers using a two-part study. In study 1, nine participants were recruited and their comprehension of 20 existing RHCDs was tested. Results of the analysis revealed that only 50% of the designs met the acceptance criterion of 67% set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Culturally adapted symbols were then developed for the 10 symbols which failed to meet the ISO acceptance criterion through a longitudinal focus group discussion involving the nine participants. In study 2, 226 commercial vehicle drivers were drawn from four bus terminals. Results of a paired-samples t test showed that comprehension of the culturally adapted designs was significantly better than comprehension of their equivalent existing designs. The findings are discussed in the context of extant literature and practice.

Self-Forgiveness Among Incarcerated Individuals in Ghana: Relations With Shame- and Guilt-Proneness.

Research on the forgiveness of self has largely focused on less severe, more common types of offenses among samples within developed westernized nations. In this brief report of a study within a developing nation in Africa, applications of self-forgiveness are extended to incarcerated people. The sample comprised N = 310 males (83.87%) and females (16.13%) who were incarcerated in a medium-security Ghanaian prison (Mage = 39.35, SDage = 13.28). Participants completed measures of self-forgiveness, shame-proneness, and guilt-proneness. Prison records were examined for criminal history details. We hypothesized that self-forgiveness would correlate negatively with shame-proneness and positively with guilt-proneness. We tentatively hypothesized that this association would be moderated by offense type. Self-forgiveness correlated with both shame- and guilt-proneness in the hypothesized direction. However, neither association was moderated by type of offense. The findings offer further evidence on the salience of self-conscious emotions in forgiving oneself, particularly among incarcerated offender populations. We discuss the implications of the findings for enhancing offender rehabilitation initiatives.

Towards a Model of Valued Human Cognitive Abilities: An African Perspective Based on a Systematic Review.

Studies that investigate cognitive ability in African children and estimate the general cognitive abilities of African adults tend to work with existing models of intelligence. However, African philosophy and empirical studies in cross-cultural psychology have demonstrated that conceptualizations of human cognitive ability vary with location. This paper begins with the assumption that the existing Anglo-American models of cognitive abilities are valuable but limited in their capacity to account for the various conceptualizations of valued cognitive abilities in different human societies. On the basis of this assumption, I employ extant empirical evidence generated through ethnographic studies across Africa to formulate what an African model of valued human cognitive ability ought to be. The output of this formulation has been so christened a model of valued cognitive ability in order to draw attention to the fact that models of cognitive abilities have currency and values in each human society. This value allocation is expected to influence which elements of cognitive ability each human society will promote and develop. In addition, implications for theory, research and praxes are discussed.

Hematological changes and nitric oxide levels accompanying high-dose artemether-lumefantrine administration in male guinea pigs: Effect of unsweetened natural cocoa powder.

BACKGROUND: Unsweetened natural cocoa powder (UNCP), prepared after removal of the cocoa butter, is a common beverage in Ghana. It possesses antimalarial prophylactic property and has a beneficial effect on blood components. AIM: The aim of this study was to determine whether regular dietary supplement of UNCP mitigates high-dose (HD) artemether-lumefantrine (A-L)-induced hematological disorders and to determine the effect on nitric oxide (NO) levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adult male guinea pigs (300 g - 350 g) were randomly divided into 5 groups of 6 guinea pigs each. Among the 5 groups, 3 groups were treated with UNCP (300, 900, and 1500 mg/kg body weight) for 14 days. A-L (75 mg/kg) was administered from the 12th to 14th day. One of the remaining 2 groups received distilled water only, i.e., vehicle control group (VCG) while the other received 75 mg/kg A-L only, i.e., negative control group (NCG). Blood samples from all groups were obtained by cardiac puncture (day 15) followed by hematological and NO analysis. RESULTS: A-L reduced white blood cells (WBC) by 31.87%, lymphocyte count by 45.99%, hemoglobin by 11.72%, hematocrit by 18.56%, and platelet count by 33.08% in the NCG. Administration of various doses of UNCP increased WBC and lymphocyte count (P > 0.05) compared to the NCG. UNCP and A-L combination caused an increase in NO levels when compared to the VCG. CONCLUSION: Regular consumption of UNCP by guinea pigs increases plasma NO and restores some hematological disorders induced by a 3-day HD A-L administration.