Dr Mark Scase

Job: Associate Professor

Faculty: Health and Life Sciences

School/department: School of Applied Social Sciences

Research group(s): Psychology

Address: De Montfort, University, The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH.

T: +44 (0)116 257 7811

E: mscase@dmu.ac.uk

W: https://www.dmu.ac.uk/markscase

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Personal profile

Mark's interests include:

Vision
Visual dysfunction
Colour vision
Motion perception
Technology and how people interact with it
Functional imaging of the human visual system
The visual interpretation of graphical displays
Psychological wellbeing

Research group affiliations

Psychology

Publications and outputs

Pink Pearl
dc.title: Pink Pearl dc.contributor.author: Scase, M. O.; Rai, Roshan; Farrington, J.; Burr, J.
The effectiveness of an interactive audio-tactile map for the process of cognitive mapping and recall among people with visual impairments
dc.title: The effectiveness of an interactive audio-tactile map for the process of cognitive mapping and recall among people with visual impairments dc.contributor.author: Griffin, Edward; Picinali, Lorenzo; Scase, M. O. dc.description.abstract: Background: People with visual impairments can experience numerous challenges navigating unfamiliar environments. Systems that operate as prenavigation tools can assist such individuals. This mixed-methods study examined the effectiveness of an interactive audio-tactile map tool on the process of cognitive mapping and recall, among people who were blind or had visual impairments. The tool was developed with the involvement of visually impaired individuals who additionally provided further feedback throughout this research. Methods: A mixed-methods experimental design was employed. Fourteen participants were allocated to either an experimental group who were exposed to an audiotactile map, or a control group exposed to a verbally annotated tactile map. After five minutes’ exposure, multiple-choice questions examined participants’ recall of the spatial and navigational content. Subsequent semi-structured interviews were conducted to examine their views surrounding the study and the product. Results: The experimental condition had significantly better overall recall than the control group and higher average scores in all four areas examined by the questions. The interviews suggested that the interactive component offered individuals the freedom to learn the map in several ways and did not restrict them to a sequential and linear approach to learning. Conclusion: Assistive technology can reduce challenges faced by people with visual impairments, and the flexible learning approach offered by the audio-tactile map may be of particular value. Future researchers and assistive technology developers may wish to explore this further. dc.description: open access article
Fearing Compassion Impacts Psychological Well-being but has no Effect on Physiological Indicators.
dc.title: Fearing Compassion Impacts Psychological Well-being but has no Effect on Physiological Indicators. dc.contributor.author: Gill, Jasmin; Scase, M. O. dc.description.abstract: Fearing Compassion Impacts Psychological Well-being but has no Effect on Physiological Indicators. Objective: Fears of compassion are feelings of threat towards receiving and giving kindness. This study examined the fears towards compassion on physiological responses during compassionate exercises. It has been argued that such fears are a barrier to a relaxation system normally reducing physiological activity but there has been no empirical evidence to support this. Exercises have been developed to increase compassion by activating a physiological soothing system, however if fears to compassion block the effectiveness of compassion then new methods may need to be developed to increase self-compassion. Participants and Methods: A non-clinical sample of sixty participants took part in two compassionate exercises. Heart rate and skin conductance were recorded during these exercises to indicate physiological activity. Social safeness, self-criticism and symptoms of depression were also assessed via the Fears of Compassion Scale, the Forms of Self-Criticism/Self-Reassuring Scale, the Social Safeness Scale and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS). Results: Multivariate analysis indicated there was no effect between high and low fears of compassion on both heart rate and skin conductance. However, social safeness and symptoms of mental illness were significantly affected by fears of compassion from psychological indicators of well-being, (F(3,56)= 5.721, p<.01, Wilks Lambda = .765, partial n2=.235). Independent analysis found differences in social safeness (F(1,58)= 14.46, p<.01, partial n2=.20) and DASS (F(1,58)= 6.53, p<.05, partial n2= .101). Social safeness was higher in the low fears of compassion group, 46.87 (SD= 6.06), whilst DASS was greater in the high fears group, 23.34 (SD=12.91). Conclusions: The findings did not support that fears are a barrier towards building compassion suggesting that compassionate exercises can be effective for both higher and lower fears of compassion. These results support a dynamic relationship between social safeness and fears towards compassion. The implications are that fears do not prevent activation of the self-soothing system but have an effect on social safeness and abnormal behaviour development.
Development of and adherence to a gamified environment promoting health and wellbeing in older people with mild cognitive impairment
dc.title: Development of and adherence to a gamified environment promoting health and wellbeing in older people with mild cognitive impairment dc.contributor.author: Scase, M. O.; Marandure, B. N. dc.description.abstract: Overview and aims: This project aimed to promote active aging by delivering tasks via a tablet computer to participants aged 65-80 with mild cognitive impairment. The aims were to develop an age-appropriate gamified environment and to assess application adherence through an intervention. Methods: The gamified environment was developed through a series of three iterative user-centered focus groups. Adherence was assessed by the time spent engaging with applications over 47 days supplemented with participant interviews. There were two groups of participants: one of 11 people living in a retirement village (1 male; mean age=75.4, SD=5.14; mean MoCA=26.0, SD=2.28) and the other of 13 people living separately across a city (1 male; mean age=74.9, SD=3.68; mean MoCA=24.4, SD=1.19). Results: There was a significant difference in the mean number of sessions for retirement village participants (mean=29.1, SD=14.8) and those living separately (mean=8.8, SD=7.5), adjusted t(14.3)=4.1, p=0.001 with retirement village participants engaging in three times the number of game sessions compared to the other group possibly because of different between group social arrangements. Interview thematic analysis at follow-up revealed that participants enjoyed the social aspects of the project, liked computer games and engaging in them made them feel better. Discussion and Conclusions: An age-appropriate user-designed gamified environment can help older people with mild cognitive impairment engage in computer-based applications and can impact them positively. However, social and community factors influence adherence in a longer-term intervention.
Eudaimonic Pathways of Activating Compassion Reduce Vulnerabilities to Paranoia
dc.title: Eudaimonic Pathways of Activating Compassion Reduce Vulnerabilities to Paranoia dc.contributor.author: Scase, M. O.; Gill, J. K. dc.description.abstract: This study aimed to identify if compassion benefits paranoia and, if so what type of compassion. Following a series of different compassionate exercises in 104 participants it was found that mindfulness approaches were the most significant in reducing paranoia suggesting a new approach for psychological problems characterised by paranoia.
Pre-Navigation via Interactive Audio Tactile Maps to Promote the Wellbeing of Visually Impaired People
dc.title: Pre-Navigation via Interactive Audio Tactile Maps to Promote the Wellbeing of Visually Impaired People dc.contributor.author: Scase, M. O.; Griffin, Edward; Picinali, L. dc.description.abstract: Background: Pre-navigational tools can assist visually impaired people when navigating unfamiliar environments. Assistive technology products (eg tactile maps or auditory simulations) can stimulate cognitive mapping processes to provide navigational assistance in these people. Objectives: We compared how well blind and visually impaired people could learn a map presented via a tablet computer auditory tactile map (ATM) in contrast to a conventional tactile map accompanied by a text description objectives. Methods: Performance was assessed with a multiple choice test that quizzed participants on orientation and spatial awareness. Semi-structured interviews explored participant experiences and preferences. Results: A statistically significant difference was found between the conditions with participants using the ATM performing much better than those who used a conventional tactile map and text description. Participants preferred the flexibility of learning of the ATM. Conclusion: This computer-based ATM provided an effective, easy to use and cost-effective way of enabling blind and partially sighted people learn a cognitive map and enhance their wellbeing. dc.description: open access article
Using every day client and advocate clinical interviews to gather outcome measurements – a mixed methods framework
dc.title: Using every day client and advocate clinical interviews to gather outcome measurements – a mixed methods framework dc.contributor.author: Bixley, Morag; Williamson, I.; Scase, M. O. dc.description.abstract: Abstract introduction Aphasia is a multimodality language difficulty experienced by people who have a left sided stroke. Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) who work with People with Aphasia (PWA) often provide word finding therapy because word finding difficulties (wfd) are one of the most debilitating effects of aphasic language loss. The majority of published word finding research uses mixed therapy techniques in which PWA practise accessing, using and combining sounds and words. This therapy trial is one of only three case studies that describe PWA receiving therapy that is purely semantic. Semantic therapy is particularly relevant to people with severe aphasia. This is because the evidence base underpinning language therapy for PWA supports therapy for people who can talk: very little research addresses the problems of those who have very limited access to output. This case study was designed to add to the evidence base that supports language therapy for people with severe aphasia who have no access to propositional speech. Abstract Method This paper reports on a single therapy trial conducted within a cohort of ten individual semantic therapy trails. Research design incorporated best practise recommendations for therapy studies (Brady et al, 2012, Tate et al, 2008 and Moher et al 2001). In the first six weeks of this single therapy trial, P participated in six therapy sessions of semantic therapy with word finding (SAT with). In a further six weeks of therapy P was provided with semantic therapy without word finding (SAT without). Results and conclusions Descriptive and statistical analysis of the impact of therapy suggested that P’s word finding skills improved after both types of semantic therapy. The effects of therapy generalised and were permanent. There was some suggestion that SAT with therapy was more successful that SAT without therapy, but this difference may have been attributable to an order effect. This abstract provides single clinical case evidence to support impairment based semantic therapy for people with severe aphasia.
End-user frustrations and failures in digital technology: exploring the role of Fear of Missing Out, Internet addiction and personality
dc.title: End-user frustrations and failures in digital technology: exploring the role of Fear of Missing Out, Internet addiction and personality dc.contributor.author: Hadlington, L. J.; Scase, M. O. dc.description.abstract: The present study aimed to explore the potential relationship between individual differences in responses to failures with digital technology. In total, 630 participants (50% male) aged between 18e68 years (M ¼ 41.41, SD ¼ 14.18) completed an online questionnaire. This included a self-report, response to failures in digital technology scale, a measure of Fear of Missing Out, Internet addiction, and the BIG-5 personality traits. Fear of Missing Out, Internet addiction, extraversion, and neuroticism all served as significant positive predictors for maladaptive responses to failures in digital technology. Agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness acted as significant negative predictors for maladaptive responses to failures in digital technology. The responses to failures in digital technology scale presented good internal reliability, with items loading onto four key factors, these being; ‘maladaptive responses’, ‘adaptive responses’, ‘external support and venting frustrations’, and ‘anger and resignation’. The findings are discussed in the context of the end user experience, particularly where individual differences are seen to influence the level of frustration arising from a failure. The findings are also seen as a potential route for reducing the negative impact of failures in digital technology, particularly in the context of organisational productivity and responses to malicious cyberattacks. dc.description: open access article
Fearing Compassion Has No Effect on Physiological Indicators Despite Changes in Psychological Well-Being
dc.title: Fearing Compassion Has No Effect on Physiological Indicators Despite Changes in Psychological Well-Being dc.contributor.author: Gill, J. K.; Scase, M. O. dc.description.abstract: Objectives: Research has not yet understood whether fears of compassion prevent effectiveness of compassionate interventions on physical and psychological well-being. This study anticipated higher fears of compassion would lead to greater physiological responses, higher self-criticism and psychological distress whilst reducing social safeness. Design: Independent groups of high and low fears of compassion were allocated using a median split during data collation. Galvanic skin response (GSR) and pulse were the dependent physical variables, and social safeness, self-criticism and psychological symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress were the psychological dependent variables. Method: 60 undergraduate students aged 18-43 were sampled from De Montfort University. A median split resulted in 31 participants in the high fears group and 29 in the low fears group. All participants were asked to read information sheets and sign two consent forms. Participants then completed the Fears of Compassion Scale, the Forms of Self-Criticism/Self-Reassuring Scale, the Social Safeness Scale and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS). Two compassionate exercises were then administered using audio headsets whilst pulse and GSR were measured using AD instruments. Finally, participants were debriefed, thanked for their time and informed they could withdraw their data up to three days after the experiment. Results: Despite, a non-significant finding on physiological indicators, a significant result was found on psychological indicators of well-being, (F(3,56)= 5.721, p<.01, Wilks Lambda = .765, partial n2= .235). Independent analysis found differences in social safeness (F(1,58)= 14.46, p<.01, partial n2= .20) and DASS (F(1,58)= 6.53, p<.05, partial n2= .101). Social safeness was higher in the low fears of compassion group, 46.87 (SD= 6.06), whilst DASS was greater in the high fears group, 23.34 (SD= 12.91). Conclusions: These findings suggested despite psychological effects from fearing compassion, fears do not have any impact on physical soothing. This suggested compassionate exercises remain effective for reducing physiological factors of distress for those with higher fears of compassion but may hinder improvement in psychological distress.
User Reactions to Failures and Frustrations within Cyber Environments – Systematic Coding of Previous Work (URM Coding)
dc.title: User Reactions to Failures and Frustrations within Cyber Environments – Systematic Coding of Previous Work (URM Coding) dc.contributor.author: Scase, M. O.; Hadlington, L. J.; Rai, Roshan

View a full listing of Mark Scase‘s publications and outputs.

Research interests/expertise

Human visual perception.
How people interact with technology
Visual dysfunction
Inherited and acquired visual disorders
Colour vision
Motion perception
Face perception
Functional imaging (fMRI)
Psychological experimental methods (psychophysics)

Areas of teaching

Vision
Biological psychology
Cognitive Neuropsychology
Approaches to the study of well-being

Qualifications

PhD, MA

Courses taught

BSc Psychology
MSc Psychological Wellbeing

Membership of external committees

Membership of professional associations and societies

Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology 1989
Associate member of the College of Optometrists 1993
Member of the British Psychological Society 1994
Chartered Psychologist 1994
Member of the Applied Vision Association 1994
Member of the International Colour Vision Society 1994
Member of the Experimental Psychology Society 1994
Member of the Vision Sciences Society 2001
Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society 2006
Member of the Association for Psychological Science 2008
Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy 2017

Conference attendance

On the psychological processes of decision making in displays of electromagnetic data, 2011, Progress in Electromagnetic Research, Marrakesh, Scase, M O, Shafiullah, M and Duffy, A P. Paper

A case of developmental prosopagnosia. 2008, Applied Vision Association, Manchester University, Hill, L and Scase, M O. Poster.

Removal of individual features from famous faces: The development of a novel test. 2008, Vision Sciences Society, Naples, F L, Hill, L and Scase, M O. Poster.

The application of podcasting to the enhancement of learning in psychology students. 2008, Higher Education Academy, Bath Spa University, Scase, M O. Paper.

Consultancy work

Defence Science and Technology Laboratory

Vision and visual dysfunction, experimental psychology.

Worked with: Pocklington Trust, RNIB

Current research students

Donato, L., PT, 1st supervisor

Ahmed Omarjee, N., FT, 1st supervisor

Taylor, S., PT, 2nd supervisor

Bixley, M., PT, 2nd supervisor

Externally funded research grants information

€2939997 DOREMI Decrease of cognitive decline, malnutrition and sedentariness by elderly empowerment in lifestyle management and social inclusion. EU FP7 project with €215,840 coming to DMU. 2013 (with H Istance, DMU)
£20434 Users’ Reactions to Failures and Frustrations Within Cyber Environments. DSTL. 2013 (with J. Hall and A. Attrill, DMU)
£33499 Cognitive and Behavioural Concepts of Cyber Activities: Information Processing of Online Content. DSTL. 2012 (with L. Hadlington and A. Attrill, DMU)
£29400 Review of evidence on evaluation of effectiveness of models and interventions to promote primary and secondary eye health care. RNIB. 2010 (with M Johnson, DMU)

Internally funded research project information

£19194 Acquisition of Eye tracking equipment for computer science and psychology collaboration. 1/11/2013 to 31/8/2014 (with H. Istance and S. Vickers) CI RCIF2
£24420 Virtual Reality Multi-functional Framework for the Evaluation, Validation and Customisation of Assistive Technologies – Proof of Concept. 7/1/2013 to 31/8/2013 (with L. Picinali) CI RCIF2How useful is podcasting as a tool for elearning within applied social sciences? 2007-2008 (TQEF fund). £868
An examination factors affecting the accuracy of identifications from police identification parades. 2008 (with E Noon, DMU) HEIF, £7308

Professional esteem indicators

Journal of Vision
Perception