bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the development of Chinese Painting: death and breakthrough
Authors: Weiran Lin
Published: March 2024

This article traces and compares the three debates about Chinese painting, which changed the development landscape of the field in the last century. The article will also show that, only when Chinese painting is firmly rooted in the rules and theories of traditional Chinese artistic culture with unique trajectory of its development, can it truly have spiritual unity with the tradition, and maintain its own identity under the impact of foreign culture.
On the cause of translation errors: in the aspect of sociolinguistics
Authors: Junling Gu
Published: March 2024

The reasons for incorrect translation are comprehensive and multidimensional. They are not only directly related to the translator's lack of linguistic abilities, but also to the worldview. The study of social factors causing translation problems is closely related to sociolinguistics. The reasons for the incorrect translation can be traced from the point of view of sociolinguistics. The social “language of variants”, the functional and the language of variants of the character's personality make it difficult to translate and increase the likelihood of mistakes.
Sampul Jurnal MG
Authors: BMKG JMG
Published: March 2024

Sampul jurnal Vol. 11 No. 2 Tahun 2010
Calibration Indonesian-Numerical Weather Prediction using Geostatistical Output Perturbation
Authors: Sutikno Sutikno , Cahyoko Fajar Dwi , Putra Fernaldy Wananda , Makmur Erwin Eka Syahputra , Hanggoro Wido , Taufik Muhamad Rifki , Aza Vestiana
Published: March 2024

Indonesian-Numerical Weather Prediction (INA-NWP) is a numerical-based weather forecast method that has been developed by the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency. However, the forecast is still unable to produce accurate weather forecasts. Geostatistical Output Perturbation (GOP) is a weather forecast method derived from only one deterministic output. GOP takes into consideration the spatial correlation among multiple locations simultaneously. GOP is capable to identify spatial dependency patterns that are associated with error models. This study aims to obtain calibrated forecasts for daily maximum and minimum temperature variables using GOP at 10 meteorological stations in Surabaya and surrounding areas. The stages in performing temperature forecasts using GOP are obtaining regression coefficient estimators, then calculating empirical semivariograms and estimating spatial parameters. Based on several weather forecast indicators, such as RMSE and CRPS, GOP is better than INA-NWP in terms of precision and accuracy.
Clearly (not) identifiable – The recognisability of gambling content marketing
Authors: Rossi Raffaello , Nairn Agnes
Published: March 2024

Social media marketing is evolving rapidly, with content marketing emerging as a prominent technique. Itblurs the lines between content and advertising and aims to foster enduring positive relationships between brand and consumer. For gambling products, approximately 40-50% of social media ads are content marketing. International advertising codes stipulate that advertising must be obviously identifiably as such. To date, however, no one has investigated whether content marketing is identifiable – particularly to children and young adults who are vulnerable to gambling harms. Our online experiment with over 650 participants aged 11-78 investigate whether consumers of all or any age are, indeed, able to recognise content marketing as advertising. The results are striking. Firstly, children and young persons show significantly lower recognition rates for social media ads, compared to adults. Secondly, irrespective of age, content marketing is universally challenging to identify compared to conventional ads. This holds true for both gambling and insurance ads. Levels for gambling content marketing hover around chance levels for children and young persons, while only slightly above for adults. These findings underscore the deficiencies in current advertising regulations. The authors recommend a ban on gambling content marketing. They also recommend the expansions of advertising literacy education in schools and the integration of (gambling) advertising literacy skills into third sector gambling education programmes. These measures would enhance consumer protection in the ever-evolving landscape of social media marketing.
Frequency-selective suppression of essential tremor via transcutaneous spinal cord electrical stimulation
Authors: Valdunciel Alejandro Pascual , Pereda Jaime Ibanez , Rocchi Lorenzo , Song Joy , Rothwell John , Bhatia Kailash P. , Farina Dario , Latorre Anna
Published: March 2024

Background. Essential tremor is a common and debilitating condition, yet current treatments often fail to provide satisfactory relief. Transcutaneous spinal cord electrical stimulation has emerged as a potential non-invasive neuromodulation technique capable of disrupting the oscillatory activity underlying tremors. Objectives. This study aimed to investigate the potential of transcutaneous spinal cord electrical stimulation to suppress essential tremor in a frequency-dependent manner.Methods. Eighteen essential tremor patients completed the study. The experiment consisted of 60 s postural tremor recording, during 5 conditions: no stimulation, transcutaneous spinal cord electrical stimulation at tremor frequency, transcutaneous spinal cord electrical stimulation at 1 Hz, transcutaneous spinal cord electrical stimulation at 21 Hz and trapezius stimulation (serving as a control). Tremor frequency and amplitude were analysed and compared across the conditions. Results. We found tremor amplitude reduction at tremor frequency stimulation, during the entire trial but significant only during the second half of the stimulation. This result was reinforced by the observation that the same stimulation resulted in the highest number of responders. Transcutaneous spinal cord electrical stimulation at 1 Hz showed a trend toward decreased tremor amplitude in the latter half of stimulation, though this trend did not reach statistical significance. Stimulation at 21 Hz did not produce any significant alterations in tremor, while trapezius stimulation exacerbated it. Notably, during tremor frequency stimulation, a subgroup of responders exhibited consistent synchronization between tremor phase and delivered stimulation, indicating tremor entrainment.Conclusions. Cervical transcutaneous spinal cord electrical stimulation holds promise for alleviating postural tremor in essential tremor patients when delivered at the subject’s tremor frequency. The observed changes in tremor amplitude likely result from the modulation of spinal cord circuits by transcutaneous spinal cord electrical stimulation, which disrupts the oscillatory drive to muscles by affecting afferent pathways or spinal reflexes. However, the possibility of an interplay between spinal and supraspinal centres cannot be discounted.
‘Understand More What We Do’: A Review of Children’s Perspectives of Play in Education
Authors: O'Keeffe Christina , McNally Sinead
Published: March 2024

Background: Play is an essential part of children’s lives yet remains notoriously difficult to define. Understanding children’s perceptions of play is crucial in order to improve the measurement of play across studies and support the development of new hypotheses on play and learning. Aims: This review sought to (1) map research that has examined children’s conceptualisations of play, (2) identify methods used to elicit children’s perspectives, (3) summarise findings, (4) identify gaps within existing literature, and (5) make recommendations for future research. Methods: A scoping review methodology was used in consultation with 49 children (23 male; 26 female) aged 5 to 11 years in primary schools in Ireland. Data from the literature were extracted and summarised, and findings were thematically synthesised. Data from the child consultations were thematically analysed. Results: 42 peer-reviewed studies met the inclusion criteria. These varied widely in study characteristics, research questions and methods. Overall, children identified play as social and fun with affective qualities. Autonomy and agency was viewed as integral to play, which also often involved the outdoors, toys, games and physical activity. Finally, children viewed play as creative, as something that could co-occur with learning, and that often had adult involvement. Children with disabilities were largely under-represented in the literature. Conclusions: The findings of this review have significant implications for play policy which has primarily been framed by adults’ conceptualisations of play. Conducted in consultation with children, this review reveals a keen appreciation by children of play as valuable, nuanced and complex.
Are all Polls Equal? Analyzing the Polls of the US2020 election, a new Perspective
Authors: Durand Claire
Published: March 2024

At the dawn of the 2024 American presidential campaign, it is not pointless to reassess what happened during the 2020 campaign. In that election, the polls have been the least accurate since 1996, with a notable disparity in results depending on the poll's mode of administration and sampling frame or source. Based on their methodology, the 222 national-level campaign polls were categorized as mixed-mode (16%), single-mode quasi-random polls (25%), and web opt-in polls (59%). Using local regression and multilevel analysis, the study revealed differences in campaign trends across categories. All the polls using random or quasi-random sampling indicated an initial rise in voting intention for Joe Biden followed by a decline until election day, while web opt-in polls showed his support as stable. Notably, mixed-mode polls provided an almost perfect election forecast. The poll estimates of the last ten days support these findings, showing higher accuracy within the mixed-mode and single-mode quasi-random polls compared to web opt-in polls.The study suggests that different modes and sources capture varying segments of the population, leading to more accurate polling. The results stress the need for academia, media, and pollsters to closely monitor the methodological diversification introduced in the 2020 election.
Kompilasi Sistem Pendidikan Antar Benua
Authors: Gunawan Hendri , Hastuti Pebri , Januardi  , Pramika Depi , Kurniawan Chandra , Sihaloho Fahmi Ashari S. , arifin syamsul , Maram Ahmad Nabilul
Published: March 2024

Buku ini kami dedikasikan teruntuk salah satu penulis yaitu Almarhum Bapak Chandra Kurniawan yang wafat 14 Februari 2023 lalu. Terima kasih telah memberikan contoh dan tauladan yang baik kepada kita semua. Kami semua berharap melalui buku ini akan menjadi salah satu ladang amal yang tidak pernah putus untuk beliau sekaligus sebagai media kami untuk mengenang bagaimana kegigihan beliau dalam menuntut ilmu.“Tuntutlah ilmu hingga ke negeri Cina”, merupakan kata bijak yang sering kita dengar tentang pentingnya pendidikan. Ungkapan ini memberikan gambaran pada kita tentang tidak adanya batasan dalam mencari ilmu bahkan hingga ke negeri jauh sekalipun. Karena itulah, berbagai sistem pendidikan dirancang untuk memberikan pengalaman belajar yang berkesan bagi peserta didiknya. Berbagai sistem pendidikan terbaik terdapat di berbagai negara yang berada di penjuru dunia. Buku ini memberikan para pembaca gambaran bagaimana sistem pendidikan di beberapa negara di berbagai belahan benua. Melalui buku ini pembaca akan mendapatkan tambahasan wawasan yang luas mengenai berbagai sistem pendidikan di negara-negara yang ada di Benua Asia, Eropa, Afrika, Amerika dan Australia. Informasi mengenai sistem pendidikan di setiap negara yang telah dibahas diperoleh dari laman resmi Kementerian Pendidikan masing-masing dan juga melalui wawancara langsung dari para pelaku di dunia pendidikan. Buku ini juga dapat dijadikan sebagai sarana dalam membuat kebijakan terkait sistem pendidikan di Indonesia, sehingga akan lebih maju di masa mendatang
From Fishing Village to Atomic Town and present: A grounded theory study
Authors: Derrer-Merk Elfriede , Jain Lakshay , Noori-kalkhoran Omid , Taylor Richard , Drury Mike , Strain Trevor , Merk Bruno
Published: March 2024

Thurso/Caithness in the United Kingdom has gone through a lot of changes and transitions in the last decades. The decision to build a nuclear reactor test facility in the 1950’s in Dounreay/Caithness UK, as well as the current phase of decommissioning impacted not only the technology development but also the social fabric of the community and individuals within it. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of people impacted by the nuclear project at Dounreay. The results will form the basis for the discussion about locating of future experimental or development facilities, possibly at historic sites. A qualitative approach using constructivist grounded theory has been employed in this study. Purposeful snowball sampling from March 2023 till November 2023 through gatekeepers, media and social media was used. 19 participants including 10 women and 9 men in the age range 36-71 took part. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysis was undertaken using iterative, inductive, and constant comparison methods. Participants fondly recalled the hey-day when the Dounreay site was built and the population increased rapidly. They shared memories of how the town of Thurso/Caithness was thriving then which had a huge impact on individuals' opportunities to receive a very good education, earn a good salary, indirect benefits beyond the nuclear project, and a cosmopolitan sense of community. However, the changes over time and the process of decommissioning had more complex implications on individuals as well as for the community. The work opportunities are still favourable. However, this study also highlights new challenges such as decaying infrastructure, a lack of hope of prosperity, and a feeling of being forgotten. This unique study highlights how a politically driven project impacts a community fundamentally. We identified two themes: mostly positive nostalgic view and Changes and Challenges for the community.
Where the lines are drawn: English language proficiency tests in international student admissions at U.S. research-intensive universities
Authors: Coney Nicholas , Isbell Daniel Richard
Published: March 2024

Over one million international students are enrolled in higher education institutions in the U.S. To be admitted into one of these degree-granting institutions, many of these students must demonstrate sufficient English language proficiency (ELP) – often with a test score. Previous research on ELP tests has shed light on how scores correlate with academic success and how institutions make decisions about minimum required scores, but the extent to which U.S. institutions vary in their use of ELP tests in international admissions is not well understood. In this study, we examine ELP test policies across all U.S. research-intensive, doctoral-granting-degree institutions (Carnegie R1) for (a) general undergraduate admissions, (b) general graduate admissions, and (c) graduate admissions in three specific fields (applied linguistics, computer science, and business administration). Results show that 32 different ELP tests were being used for admissions. The most commonly accepted ELP tests were TOEFL iBT, IELTS Academic, Duolingo English Test, and Pearson Test of English Academic. A wide range of unconditional and conditional cut scores was found across institutions. Subscore requirements were not included in many admissions policies. Finally, institutions requiring higher TOEFL iBT cut scores tended to be more prestigious, selective, had larger proportions of enrolled international students and higher six-year graduation rate for international undergraduates.
Sequestration-based feedbacks in gene expression systems
Authors: Dey Supravat , Vargas Cesar , Singh Abhyudai
Published: March 2024

Expressed Transcription Factors (TFs) not only bind to sites at target promoters but also to decoy sites scattered across the genome. Binding to such “decoys" sequesters TFs critically impacting the response time and stochasticity (noise) in TF and target gene expression level. When the TF is a stable molecule, whose concentration is diluted by cellular growth, our results show that for fixed mean concentration levels, such decoy bindings can both enhance or suppress random fluctuations in TF levels depending on the source of noise (i.e., intrinsic vs. extrinsic noise) and the strength of binding (i.e., weak vs. strong decoys). We implement negative autoregulation where free (unbound) TF molecules inhibit their synthesis. Our analytical results corroborated by numerical simulations reveal that sequestration accen- tuates the effects of feedback in the sense that noise attenuation by negative feedback is higher with sequestration than in the absence of feedback. We next consider an alternative form of feedback where the TF increases the production of its own decoys, and such feedback architectures are frequently seen in endogenous gene regulation involving microRNA-TF circuits and in controlling cellular stress responses. For these feedback circuits where decoy numbers are dynamically regulated by the TF, we identify limits of noise suppression, and in many cases, these limits occur at intermediate TF-decoy binding affinities.
Prosody and head gestures as markers of information status in French as a native and foreign language
Authors: Baills Florence , Baumann Stefan
Published: March 2024

Prosody and gesture are known as two possible cues to express information structure in a native language. Applying this potentially multimodal form-meaning relation to a foreign language may be difficult for learners. The present study investigates how native speakers and language learners use prosodic prominence and head gestures to distinguish distinct levels of givenness. Twenty-five Catalan learners of French and 19 French native speakers were video recorded during a short narrative task. The recordings were annotated in terms of information status, pitch accents, perceived prominence, and head gesture types. Results show that as a multimodal cue, head gestures merely support pitch accents, which were the most common markers of information status. Furthermore, both native and non-native French speakers perceived new and accessible information as more prominent than given information and more frequently marked the former with pitch accents alone or with a combination of pitch accents and head gestures. Somewhat surprisingly, this outcome resembles the distribution in West Germanic languages. Nevertheless, we found a slightly more differentiated use of accent types in native French, whereas Catalan learners of French made less clear distinctions between information status levels, for example by marking given information by accents to a larger extent.
The Effects of Learning-Related and Peer-Related School Experiences on Adolescent Wellbeing: A Longitudinal Structural Equation Model
Authors: Khanna Devi , Black Louise , Panayiotou Margarita , Humphrey Neil , Demkowicz Ola
Published: March 2024

The school environment contains a variety of factors understood to be linked to adolescent wellbeing. However, there is limited research on how adolescents’ simultaneous experiences of these distinct factors predict their later subjective wellbeing. This paper uses longitudinal structural equation modelling (N = 25,149, T1 and T2 one year apart) to test the effects of learning-related school experiences (happiness with attainment; careers education; staff-student relationships), and peer-related school experiences (school belonging; friendships and social support; physical and relational bullying victimisation) on later wellbeing. Of the variables considered, staff-student relationships were not significantly associated with wellbeing, while a sense of belonging to school showed the strongest association. Future research exploring these relationships should further consider the design of school belonging interventions; the addition of further academic and social school experiences in wellbeing analyses; and, the directionality of these relationships.
Anodal high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation over the left (but not right) parietal cortex facilitates mental arithmetic
Authors: Hartmann Matthias , Dumureau Magali
Published: March 2024

Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) allow investigating the causal involvement of specific brain areas in mental arithmetic. In this study, we utilized for the first time the enhanced spatial precision of high-definition (HD)-tDCS to study the functional involvement of the left and right intra-parietal sulcus (IPS) in mental arithmetic. A total of 25 participants underwent anodal left IPS, right IPS, and sham stimulation in separate sessions in counterbalanced order while solving single- and multi-step addition and subtraction problems. We found that left but not right IPS stimulation (vs. sham) improved performance across all types of problems. Notably, the observed improvements in arithmetic performance were specific to arithmetic processing, as IPS stimulation had no enhancing effect on performance in a control n-back task. These results provide further evidence supporting the functional involvement of the left IPS in arithmetic problem-solving across a wide range of problem types, and for the use of NIBS for cognitive enhancements.
Hard data on hard drugs? - Assessing illicit drug loads in sewers
Authors: Rieckermann Jörg
Published: March 2024

The monitoring of illicit drugs in wastewater is an appealing idea within an emerging field. Objective, evidence-based data on drug-use can be obtained from urban drainage systems in real-time and without the limitations of population surveys. While current analytical techniques are sensitive enough to quantify arrays of substances in wastewater, current models to assess community consumption figures from substance loads are too simplistic and neglect relevant influence factors, such as sewer transport and transformation. In a case study of community cocaine use, observed substance loads show significant hourly variations, which demonstrates the need to consider the effect of short-time variations in the assessment of community drug use. Although the results from an integrated stochastic model are in general agreement with population surveys, further work is needed regarding the conceptualisation of drug use epidemiology, sewer processes and parameter estimation procedures.
Prenatal stress, epigenetically-assessed glucocorticoid exposure at birth, and child psychiatric symptoms: A prospective, multi-cohort study
Authors: Creasey Nicole , Schuurmans Isabel , Tsotsi Stella , Defina Serena , Baltramonaityte Vilte , Felix Janine F. , Neumann Alexander , Page Christian , Tollenaar Marieke , Bekkhus Mona , Walton Esther , Cecil Charlotte
Published: March 2024

Background. Recent work suggests that a DNA methylation can be used as a proxy of fetal glucocorticoid exposure (MPS-GC),showing associations with maternal psychopathology during pregnancy and length of child psychiatric treatment. However, it is unknown whether the MPS-GC may act as a marker for broader prenatal stress and whether the it partially mediates associations of prenatal stress with child internalizing and externalizing symptoms.Methods. Using harmonized data from three prospective birth cohorts (Npooled = 6086), we examined whether a cumulative measure of prenatal stress, and its individual stress domains, associate with the MPS-GC in cord blood at birth. Next, we examined (i) whether the MPS-GC at birth associates with child psychiatric symptoms, (ii) whether this association is moderated by postnatal stress, and (iii) whether the effect of prenatal stress on child psychiatric symptoms is partially mediated by the MPS-GC at birth.Results. Our meta-analysis revealed no significant associations between the MPS-GC at birth and prenatal stress or the individual stress domains. Moreover, the MPS-GC did not significantly associate with later child internalizing or externalizing symptoms, and there were no moderating effects of postnatal stress. Additionally, while prenatal stress significantly associated with child psychiatric symptoms, we found no partial mediation via the MPS-GC at birth.Conclusions. We did not find support that the MPS-GC in cord blood reliably proxies prenatal stress, associates with child psychiatric risk, or partially mediates the associations between prenatal stress and psychiatric risk.
Romantic Love and Sexual Frequency: Challenging Beliefs (now published: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0092623X.2024.2394670)
Authors: Bode Adam , Kowal Marta , Aghedu Fabio Cannas , Kavanagh Phillip Sean
Published: March 2024

Common conceptions of romantic love suggest that romantic love is associated with increased sexual activity with more frequent sex in the earlier stages of a romantic relationship. To our knowledge, no studies have investigated individual-level factors and sexual frequency using a validated measure of romantic love. This study tested a number of hypotheses about the factors associated with sexual frequency among 720 sexually active young adults experiencing romantic love from the Romantic Love Survey 2022. We hypothesized that relationship duration, the intensity of romantic love and obsessive thinking about a loved one, commitment, and elevated mood would be associated with sexual frequency. Using hierarchical linear regression, controlling for known covariates, we found no significant associations between any of our variables of interest and the frequency of sexual activity. The findings are surprising and highlight how little is currently known about sexual activity and sexual desire among individuals experiencing romantic love.
Research report: A link between sertraline treatment and susceptibility to (mis)information.
Authors: Piksa Michał , Noworyta Karolina , Piasecki Jan , Gundersen Aleksander B. , Kunst Jonas R. , Morzy Mikołaj , Ryguła Rafał
Published: March 2024

Recent research revealed that several psycho-cognitive processes, such as insensitivity to positive and negative feedback, cognitive rigidity, pessimistic judgment bias, and anxiety, are involved in susceptibility to fake news. All of these processes have been previously associated with depressive disorder and are sensitive to serotoninergic manipulations. In the current study, a link between chronic treatment with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) sertraline and susceptibility to true and fake news was examined. Herein, a sample of 1162 participants was recruited via Prolific Academic for an online study. Half of the sample reported taking sertraline (Zoloft) for at least eight weeks (sertraline group), and the other half confirmed not taking any psychiatric medication (control group). The sertraline group was further divided according to their daily dosage (50, 100, 150, and 200 mg/day). All participants completed a susceptibility to misinformation scale wherein they were asked to determine the veracity of the presented true and fake news and their willingness to behaviorally engage with the news. The results were compared between the sertraline groups and the control group. The results showed that sertraline groups did not differ significantly in the assessment of the truthfulness of information or the ability to discern the truth. However, those taking sertraline appeared to have a significantly increased likelihood of behavioral engagement with the information, and this effect was observed for both true and fake news.The research presented here represents the initial endeavor to comprehend the neurochemical foundation of susceptibility to misinformation. The association between sertraline treatment and increased behavioral engagement with information observed in this study can be explained in the light of previous studies showing positive correlations between 5-HT system activity and inclination to engage in social behaviors. It can also be attributed to the anxiolytic effects of sertraline treatment, which mitigate the fear of social judgment. The heightened behavioral engagement with information in people taking sertraline may, as part of a general phenomenon, also shape their interaction with fake news. Future longitudinal studies should reveal the specificity and exact causal nature of these interactions.
Learning to discriminate the eye-of-origin during continuous flash suppression
Authors: Sarı İzel D. , Recht Samuel , Lunghi Claudia
Published: March 2024

Helmholtz asked whether one could discriminate which eye is the origin of one’s perception merely based on the retinal signals. Studies to date showed that participants’ ability to tell the eye-of-origin most likely depends on contextual cues. Nevertheless, it has been shown that exogenous attention can enhance performance for monocularly presented stimuli. We questioned whether adults can be trained to discriminate the eye-of-origin of their perceptions and if this ability depends on the strength of the monocular channels. We used attentional feed-forward training to improve the subject’s eye of origin discrimination performance with voluntary attention. During training, participants received a binocular cue to inform them of the eye of origin of an upcoming target. Using continuous flash suppression, we also measured the signal strength of the monocular targets to see any possible modulations related to the cues. We collected confidence ratings from the participants about their eye-of-origin judgments to study in further detail whether metacognition has access to this information. Our results show that, even though voluntary attention did not alter the strength of the monocular channels, eye-of-origin discrimination performance improved following the training. A similar pattern was observed for confidence. The results from the feedforward attentional training and the increase in subjective confidence point towards a high-level decisional mechanism being responsible for the eye-of-origin judgment. We propose that this high-level process is informed by subtle sensory cues such as the differences in luminance or contrast in the two monocular channels.
Me or We? Action-Outcome Learning in Synchronous Joint Action
Authors: Marschner Maximilian , Dignath David , Knoblich Günther
Published: March 2024

Goal-directed behaviour requires mental representations that encode instrumental relationships between actions and their outcomes. The present study investigated how people acquire representations of joint actions where co-actors perform synchronized action contributions to produce joint outcomes in the environment. Adapting an experimental procedure to assess individual action-outcome learning, we tested whether co-acting individuals link jointly produced action outcomes to individual-level features of their own action contributions or to group-level features of their joint action contributions instead. In a learning phase, pairs of participants produced musical chords by synchronizing individual key press responses. In a subsequent test phase, the previously produced chords were presented as imperative stimuli requiring forced-choice responses by both pair members. Stimulus-response mappings were systematically manipulated to be either compatible or incompatible with the individual and joint action-outcome mappings of the preceding learning phase. Only joint but not individual compatibility was found to modulate participants’ performance in the test phase. Yet, opposite to predictions of associative accounts of action-outcome learning, jointly incompatible mappings between learning and test phase resulted in better performance. We discuss a possible explanation of this finding proposing that pairs’ group-level learning experience modulated how participants encoded ambiguous task instructions in the test phase. Our findings inform current debates on the mechanistic nature of action-outcome learning and provide novel evidence that planning and control of joint actions is supported by dedicated mental representations encoding group-level features of joint actions.
Representation of Others' Beliefs
Authors: Qin Jingmin , Wu Haiyan
Published: March 2024

This chapter delves into the diverse aspects in which individuals make inferences about the beliefs and values held by others. By reviewing the psychological factors underlying representing the beliefs of others, as well as the individual differences for both the individuals being represented and those undertaking the representation, this chapter sheds light on the intricate nature of representation of other’s belief. Furthermore, it discusses the ways and considerations involved in updating these beliefs (such as observation, active interaction, and Bayesian inference) and offers suggestions for future research.
Schiztoypy, Pseudo-Profound Bullshit, and the expression of Science Scepticism
Authors: Randell Jordan , Satchell Liam , Keating Stewart , Bannister Francesca Olivia , French Isla
Published: March 2024

The current study investigated how individual differences in schizotypy and the endorsement of pseudo-profound bullshit predict scepticism of scientific research reported in the media. In two samples (N= 330, and N= 320) we used a planned missing design, where participants were presented with three of nine media summaries reporting on a piece of scientific research. Participants were asked to report if they were sceptical about each story and the reasons why they were sceptical (or not). They also completed the Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences (OLIFE-B) measuring schizotypy and the Pseudo-profound bullshit scale (PPBS), measuring the endorsement of statements that sound profound but are meaningless. In our preregistered analysis, we found no evidence to suggest that the OLIFE-B or PPBS predict variance in decisions about scepticism. We did find evidence that high scorers on the Unusual Experiences subscale of the OLIFE-B and scores on the PPBS predicted a willingness to change behaviour in response to the stories presented. In the open responses low scores in Unusual Experiences predicted a theme of needing more information before judging scepticism. Our findings highlighted the diverse ways in which participants express scepticism or not and future work should consider how reasoning offers insight to scepticism forming processes.
Cascades, Leaps, and Strawmen: How Explanations Evolve
Authors: Kedrick Kara , Zollman Kevin , DeDeo Simon
Published: March 2024

Explanations are social, and when people try to explain something, they usually seek input from others. We present a simple theory of how people use the explanations they encounter as both aids to sense-making and clues to the broader landscape of possible explanations. The computational challenge of coming up with novel explanations draws people to imitate appealing ones (information cascades); this draw increases as less appealing alternatives become more distant (the ``strawman'' effect). Conversely, pairs of divergent high-quality explanations can lead to merging and syncretism, and pairs of low-quality explanations to long-leap exploration. We then use a transmission-chain experiment to test, and confirm, these predictions, although, intriguingly, we find little evidence that the imitation that good explanations can trigger actually leads to better outcomes. Our work provides new insight into how collective exploration can be promoted, or stalled, both by what has been found, and by implicit information about what is yet to be discovered.
Digital questionnaire response time (DQRT): a ubiquitous and low-cost digital assay of cognitive status
Authors: Teckentrup Vanessa , Rosická Anna Marie , Donegan Kelly Rose , Gallagher Eoghan , Hanlon Anna , Gillan Claire
Published: March 2024

Digital survey tools have all but replaced paper and pen in the psychological sciences and consequently new forms of potentially useful research paradata are now routinely gathered. A particularly common byproduct of research are questionnaire timestamps, which some have suggested can be used as a measure of cognitive function. In this paper, we conducted a comprehensive validation of this measure, which we call the ‘digital questionnaire response time’ or ‘DQRT’. Using data from N=2979 users of a smartphone app, we examined how best to quantify DQRT, characterized its cognitive, clinical, and demographic correlates, established its psychometric properties, and highlighted substantial, but addressable, potential confounds inherent in the measure. We conclude that DQRT has important limitations, but on the whole can serve as a valid and reliable index of cognitive processing speed that can be gathered at unprecedented scale, unobtrusively, and repeatedly, during a variety of real-world digital behaviors.
How Red Is a Ladybeetle? Examining People’s Notions of Biological Variability
Authors: Leon-Villagra Pablo , Mathiaparanam Olympia N. , Rosengren Karl S. , Buchsbaum Daphna
Published: March 2024

People often display essentialist biases, which can lead them to underestimate within-species variability. This bias is especially pronounced when traits are described as advantageous for survival. However, it is unclear whether this bias is limited to the specified trait or encompasses complex trait interactions. We used Markov Chain Monte Carlo with People (MCMCp) to analyze people’s representations of biological variability, using ladybeetles as a model species. Participants either received contextual information about the benefits of ladybeetle color for survival, or survival-irrelevant information. Overall, participants held consistent beliefs about ladybeetle features, but those with survival-relevant context produced lighter and larger ladybeetles; this difference was consistent with survey responses. However, we found no significant interaction between MCMCp variability and essentialism scores, given our context manipulation. We discuss potential explanations for these results and highlight advantages of MCMCp for assessing biological variability, particularly when studying the development of essentialist biases.
Visualization Process of Perceptual Features in Language Comprehension: A Bidirectional Comparison of Chinese-English and English- Chinese Bilinguals
Authors: 林楷哲  , 盧安如  , chiu bryandon , Chen Sau-Chin
Published: March 2024

Comprehending words, through the theoretical perspectives of mental simulation, is thought to entail the visualization process in which human minds employ visual perceptual features to simulate individual perceptual experiences. This visualization process theoretically extracts and combines multiple perceptual features simultaneously into a simulated entity. However, experimental studies to date support only single-feature visualization processes. Thus, there exists a theoretical gap how human minds visualize words representing multiple perceptual features. Bocanegra et al. (2022) adapted the dual-feature visualization task from Potter and Faulconer (1979) that focused on color and shape as perceptual features only, to test the hypothesis of feature conjunction. This hypothesis predicted a dual-feature benefit - dual-feature word cues facilitated responses to visual targets compared to single-feature word cues - but this response benefit was only replicable under conditions of sequential presentation. Bocanegra et al. concluded that the visualization process is inherently a serial feature conjunction process. However, our pilot study using Chinese word cues detected a dual-feature advantage even under simultaneous presentation. Given that compound words constitute over 70% of Chinese lexical knowledge, it is plausible to hypothesize that comprehending Chinese words involves an immediate feature conjunction process during visualization. With a balanced evaluation of visualization processes between Chinese and English, we will enroll English-Chinese and Chinese-English bilinguals to administer Chinese and English visualization tasks in random sequence. If English and Chinese hinge on distinct feature conjunction processes, it can be predicted that the lexical knowledge of a language determines the conditions under which dual-feature benefits can be detected.
Causal inference: principles unifying experimental and observational accounts
Authors: Waldorp Lourens , Schutzeichel Franziska , de Jong Peter J.
Published: March 2024

Causal reasoning is closely related to interventions. We believe that if A causes B, then a change in A leads to a change in the probability distribution of B. This in- terventionist view of causality is natural to many, in particular to social scientists, because it is close to the standard paradigm of experimentation. This has led some to believe that the only meaningful way to obtain any causal claim is by experimen- tation. Here we suggest that causal claims can also be obtained from observational data, although with more limitations than with experimental data. We claim this by showing that the interventionist view of causality is on equal footing with searching for causal claims in observational data (causal evidence view of causality) in terms of the criteria to assess whether there is a causal relation. The limitations of obtaining causal claims from observational data result in more uncertainty, especially because of possible confounders; this uncertainty is made explicit in results from such causal discovery. We illustrate the possibilities and limitations with observational data in an empirical example on eating disorder symptomatology.
The “depraved killers” penalty: A commentary on the August 2023 UK sentencing changes to individuals charged with sexually motivated or sadistic murders.
Authors: Hammond Courtney , Thatcher Ashleigh , Fido Dean
Published: March 2024

British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, recently amended ‘whole life order’ sentence in response to sexually-motivated or sadistic homicide offences (Gov.uk, 2023). Effectively, this condemns the recipient to the remainder of their life in incarceration and renders rehabilitative interventions redundant. Through this commentary, we explore the following points in line with existing literature: (a) public knowledge of the criminal justice system and those who have committed homicide offences, (b) the manner of defining and convicting sexually-motivated and sadistic murders, and (c) current access to rehabilitation intervention programmes. We close by recommending future research initiatives to deliver forensic-specific education for the general public as well as qualitative studies into the discourse around retribution to enable a conjunction between public concern and academic underpinning. Wider implications concerning public understandings, convictions, rehabilitations, and politics are discussed.
Active inference and speech motor control: a review and theory
Authors: Bradshaw Abigail , Press Clare , Davis Matthew H.
Published: March 2024

Active inference is a domain-general theory of brain functioning which reconceptualizes the perception-action interface in terms of a common process of minimization of sensory prediction errors (Adams et al., 2013; Friston et al., 2010). Such accounts have been extensively applied to the control of manual action guided by visual sensory feedback; however, they have received relatively little attention in speech motor control. We present here the first detailed application of an active inference framework to auditorily-guided speech production. We compare the architecture of active inference models to existing computational models of speech motor control, and describe an active inference account of how compensation and adaptation result from perturbations of auditory feedback. We highlight several unique aspects of active inference, as well as emerging hypotheses for future empirical work. In particular, active inference accounts emphasise a role for proprioception in speech motor learning, and offer the potential to model the effects of other voices on speech production in phenomena such as phonetic convergence.
A Mathematical Model of Psychology and Religion
Authors: Devetak Igor
Published: March 2024

More than three centuries ago, Isaac Newton laid the foundations of physics by discovering that the language of Nature is mathematics. Could it be that non-physical phenomena pertaining to the domain of psychology or even religion are also based on mathematical principles? In this work we propose a mathematical model that captures the essential features of the great spiritual traditions of the world in their full diversity. The model simultaneously establishes a solid theoretical foundation for psychology, providing continuity between ordinary psychological experience and spiritual realization. The proposed model borrows generously from several branches of mathematical physics, including quantum information theory and fluid dynamics. Whereas in physics the connection between experiment and theory is fairly straightforward, relating one's psychological experience to mathematical Reality is more of an art form and requires intelligence capable of interpreting metaphor. Thanks to centuries of investment in both arts and sciences, our understanding of human life and its purpose can now be brought to a new level.
Cannabis cue-reactivity in cannabis use disorder: Diverging evidence across distinct cannabis cultures
Authors: Kroon Emese , Kuhns Lauren , Cousijn Janna , Filbey Francesca
Published: March 2024

Background: Cannabis policies and attitudes play a role in the development and presentation of cannabis use disorder (CUD). Given this, it is essential to examine how these factors are related to biomarkers of addiction. The current study examined cross-cultural differences in cannabis attitudes, cannabis cue-reactivity in the brain and its associations with cannabis use measures and cannabis attitudes in 54 cannabis users in the Netherlands (NL-CUD) and 51 cannabis users in Texas, USA compared to non-using controls (N=50, NL-CON; N=33, TX-CON). Methods: Using a tactile cue-reactivity paradigm in a 3T MRI scanner, cannabis cue-reactivity was isolated in the brain. Results: While the CUD group overall was more positive and less negative about cannabis and reported higher craving, the TX-CUD group reported significantly more positive and less negative attitudes and less craving than the NL-CUD group. Cannabis cue-reactivity was observed in the CUD group in clusters including the precuneus, lateral occipital cortex, frontal medial cortex, nucleus accumbens, and thalamus. In the TX-CUD group, a positive association was observed between symptom severity and cue-induced craving and cannabis cue-reactivity in precuneus and occipital cortex clusters, while a negative association was observed in the NL-CUD group. In these clusters, individuals with more positive attitudes exhibited a positive association between craving and cue-reactivity and those with less positive attitudes exhibited a negative association. No associations with quantity of use were observed. Conclusions: This study provides preliminary evidence of diverging relationships between cannabis cue-reactivity in the brain and cue-induced craving across distinct cannabis use environments.