bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Almost periodic solutions for Clifford-valued stochastic shunting inhibitory cellular neural networks with mixed delays
Authors: Shao Qi , Li Yongkun
Published: April 2024

We adopted a non decomposition method to study the existence and stability of Stepanov almost periodic solutions in the distribution sense of stochastic shunting inhibitory cellular neural networks (SICNNs) with mixed time delays. Due to the lack of linear structure in the set composed of Stepanov almost periodic stochastic processes in the distribution sense. Due to the lack of linear structure in the set composed of distributed Stepanov periodic stochastic processes, it poses difficulties for the existence of Stepanov almost periodic solutions in the distribution sense of SICNNs. To overcome this difficulty, we first proved that the network under consideration has a unique solution in a space composed of $ \mathcal{L}^p $ bounded and $ \mathcal{L}^p $ uniformly continuous stochastic processes. Then, using stochastic analysis, inequality techniques, and the definition of Stepanov almost periodic stochastic processes in the distribution sense, we proved that this solution is also a Stepanov almost periodic solution in the distribution sense. Moreover, the result of the global exponential stability of this almost periodic solution is given. It is worth noting that even if the network under consideration degenerated into a real-valued network, our results are novel. Finally, we provided a numerical example to validate our theoretical findings.
»Nam bolj diši domači kruh od tuje pogače?« Vpliv lokalnosti kandidatur na izide volitev v Državni zbor 2022
Authors: Tiran Jernej
Published: April 2024

V prispevku smo na primeru volitev v Državni zbor 2022 analizirali razmestitev krajev bivanja poslanskih kandidatov ter pri tem ugotavljali, koliko kandidatur je lokalnih in koliko te vplivajo na izide volitev. Raziskava je temeljila na geokodiranju 1471 naslovov stalnega prebivališča, prostorskem opredeljevanju lokalnosti kandidatur ter statističnih testih za odvisne in neodvisne vzorce. Ugotovili smo, da največ poslanskih kandidatov prihaja iz urbanih središč, kar je nekoliko več glede na siceršnjo razporeditev prebivalstva. Slabi dve tretjini (65,6 %) sta kandidirali v lokalnem okraju, če lokalnost opredelimo na ravni statistične regije, pa je takšnih kandidatov 83,2 %. Ugotovili smo tudi, da so lokalni kandidati dosegli nekoliko boljše izide od nelokalnih, kar je malce bolj izrazito na podeželju. Raziskava ovrednoti ta spoznanja tudi z vidika uvedbe t. i. domicilnega načela v volilni zakonodaji.

»Do we prefer homemade bread to foreign cake?« The impact of local candidacies on the outcome of the 2022 Slovenian parliamentary elections

This paper analyses the distribution of the parliamentary candidates’ places of residence of the 2022 Slovenian parliamentary elections to determine the share of local candidacies and the extent to which they affected the election results. The study encompasses the geocoding of 1,471 residential addresses, the spatial identification of local candidacies, and statistical tests for dependent and independent samples. We found that most parliamentary candidates come from urban centers which is above average relative to the spatial distribution of the population. Around two thirds (65.6%) lived in the local constituency in which they ran, and 83.2% lived in the respective region. We also found that local candidates perform somewhat better than non-local candidates, which is more pronounced in rural areas. The study also evaluates these phenomena in light of the introduction of the »domicile« requirement in the electoral legislation.
Gorska območja Furlanije - Julijske krajine med socialno in gospodarsko izključenostjo ter novimi poselitvenimi modeli. Ali gre za inverzijo trenda?
Authors: Džajić Uršič Erika , Čede Peter , Steinicke Ernst , Jelen Igor
Published: April 2024

Namen članka je pokazati, da novi migracijski pojavi izboljšujejo videz in družbenoekonomski položaj v gorskih območjih Furlanije - Julijske krajine. Na tem območju so vasi skoraj pol stoletja (od 50. let 20. stoletja) trpele zaradi dolgotrajnega upadanja prebivalstva, pešanja gospodarske dejavnosti, slabšanja infrastrukture, upadanja storitev in socialne izolacije. Zapuščene vasi so poimenovane tudi »vasi duhov«. Trenutno se trend obrača, o čemer priča pričujoča raziskava, ki temelji na preučitvi trenutnega stanja, analizi uradnih statističnih podatkov ter primarnih podatkih na podlagi intervjujev. Rezultati kažejo, da priseljenci prinašajo inovacije tako v kmetijstvu in turizmu kot tudi na umetniškem in kulturnem področju ter igrajo ključno vlogo pri prenovi obstoječih objektov, ponovni uporabi zemljišč in vzpostavljanju ustvarjalne dinamike. Njihove dejavnosti vse bolj omogočajo regeneracijo in vzdrževanje alpskih kulturnih pokrajin, posledično pa nastajajo nove družbene in agrarne strukture z novimi načini kmetovanja. Proces regeneracije lahko služi kot primer dobre prakse za druga delno zapuščena naselja v gorskih območjih.

The mountainous areas of Friuli-Venezia Giulia between social and economic exclusion and new settlement models. Is it a trend inversion?

This article aims to demonstrate that migration phenomena improve the appearance and socio-economic position in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia mountain areas. In this area, mountain villages have been suffering from a long-term decline in population, economic activity, deteriorating infrastructure, decreasing services, and social isolation for almost half a century (since the 1950s). These depopulated villages are also referred to as »ghost villages«. However, the trend is now reversing, as evidenced by this research. The study is based on an analysis of the current situation, official statistical data, and primary data from interviews conducted in the area. The results show that newcomers bring innovations in agriculture, tourism, arts, and culture and play a key role in renovating existing structures, reusing land, and establishing a creative dynamic. Their activities increasingly enable the regeneration and maintenance of alpine cultural landscapes, resulting in the emergence of new social and agricultural structures with novel farming practices. The processes of regeneration may serve as a good practice example for other partially abandoned settlements in mountain areas.
In search of indigenous speakers of the Slovenian language in Austria: The Bad Radkersburg corner and Burgenland
Authors: Pipan Primož
Published: April 2024

The paper examines two Austrian border areas with Slovenia – the Bad Radkersburg corner in the Austrian federal province of Styria and the southernmost part of the Austrian federal province of Burgenland. It is dedicated to the search for indigenous speakers of the organic idioms of the Slovenian language. The aim of the research is to record local speech that was not researched when collecting dialect material for the Slovenian Linguistic Atlas. The paper sheds light on some of the lesser-known geographical and historical reasons for the disappearance of Slovene in the area and highlights the difficulties in finding speakers and outlines the attitudes towards Slovene in the area.

Iskanje avtohtonih govorcev slovenskega jezika v Avstriji: Radgonski kot in Gradiščanska

Prispevek preučuje dve avstrijski obmejni območji s Slovenijo – Radgonski kot v avstrijski zvezni deželi Štajerski ter najjužnejši del avstrijske zvezne dežele Gradiščanske. Posveča se iskanju avtohtonih govorcev organskih idiomov slovenskega jezika. Cilj raziskave je zapisati krajevne govore, ki so bili med zbiranjem narečnega gradiva za Slovenski lingvistični atlas neraziskani. Prispevek osvetli nekatere manj znane geografske in zgodovinske razloge za izginjanje slovenščine na tem območju ter izpostavlja težave pri iskanju govorcev in oriše odnos do slovenščine na obravnavanem območju.
(De)Constructing Multiculturalism: A Discourse Analysis of Immigration and Refugee System in Canadian Media
Authors: Chuong Kim , Safdat Saba
Published: April 2024

A succession of policy changes to the immigration and refugee system has been made in Canada in recent years by the Conservative federal government. Since most people’s understandings about immigration issues come from exposure to the news, the media have an important role in producing and reproducing prevalent public opinions to support and legitimize, or criticize, social and political actions. The present study examines how the immigration and refugee policy changes have been represented in mainstream print media and provides an important interface between recent political decision-making and society with regard to immigration issues. In our analysis, we demonstrate that there is a construction of the existing system as facing crisis due to rampant frauds to legitimize the implementation of more restrictive “get-tough” policies as pragmatic and commonsensical interventions. On the other hand, there is a privileging of framing immigration as being necessary for society, albeit in economic rather than sociocultural terms. In the media, social categorizations of immigrants into “good” and “bad,” and refugee claimants into “genuine” and “bogus,” are deployed to support the policy changes for a market-driven immigration system while restricting the admission of refugees and family-class immigrants, who are often portrayed as a burden on public resources.
Cognitive Interview as an Effective Method in Cross-Cultural Research: A Study of Organizational Leaders in Sweden and India
Authors: Urmi Urmi , Allard Karin , Härenstam Annika , Poussette Anders
Published: April 2024

This research attempts to demonstrate the effectiveness of cognitive interview (CI) techniques in the process of finalizing the survey instrument by establishing the conceptual equivalence of ethical values among managers from Sweden and India, from four different sectors namely, Corporate, Health, Education and Information Technology. CI was helpful in identifying items, which were difficult to answer or to understand, and with improper response categories. The results provided substantive insight into the cultural influence in the understanding of various values in the organizations. The paper highlights the types and applications of CI in different fields of the study of human behavior.
Self-Blaming and Other-Blaming Moral Emotions Are Complementary: Two Studies in Turkish Culture
Authors: Sunar Diane , Tosun Özlem , Tokuş Tuğçe
Published: April 2024

The present paper reports results of empirical investigation for a model that posits a complementary relationship between self-blaming and other-blaming emotions and suggests that distinctive relationships between them depend on the relational context and associated moral codes. Relevant findings of two studies in Turkish culture that examined different aspects of the model are presented. The first study provided partial support for the relationship between shame- and guilt-proneness and relational model preferences. The findings of the second study revealed strong support for the complementary relationship (1) between shame related to rejection or exclusion and disgust in contexts that represented the communal sharing relational model / divinity moral code; (2) between shame related to status loss and contempt in contexts that represented the authority ranking relational model / community moral code and (3) between guilt and anger in contexts representing equality matching or market pricing relational model / autonomy moral codes. Overall, these findings in Turkish culture provided initial empirical evidence for the connections between moral emotions, moral codes and relational models.
A Critical Analysis of Acculturation, Sociocultural Pressures, Body Image, and Disordered Eating among Asian Immigrants in Australia, Canada, and the United States
Authors: Watroba Lexa , Eckley Jayne , Atioky Arlette
Published: April 2024

Asian immigrants are an emerging ethnic minority in the United States, Australia, and Canada. Previous literature has examined how immigration to Western countries and the sociocultural pressures associated with a new host country, particularly the United States, impacts Asian immigrants’ body image and dietary regimen. However, there has been less of a focus on the level of acculturation of Asian immigrants in Canada and Australia and its relationship with body image dissatisfaction, disordered eating, and sociocultural pressures. The paucity of cross-cultural analysis and the inconclusive knowledge of how acculturation and sociocultural pressures may serve as predictors of poor body image and disordered eating warrant further investigation. An overview of Asian immigrants’ acculturation experiences and an in-depth analysis of existing literature with regard to acculturation, body image, sociocultural pressures, and disordered eating are provided.
Subjective Well-being from the Perspective of Self-Compassion in Adolescents
Authors: Reginasart Annisa , Gusniarti Uly
Published: April 2024

The aims of this study was to determine the relationship between self-compassion and subjective well-being in adolescents. The proposed hypothesis is that higher self-compassion correlates with higher subjective well-being. Boy and girl adolescent students (ages14 to 20 years old) were the subject of research as students. Data are collected using the scale on terms of the scale -compassion theory suggested by Neff (2012) and subjective well-being adapted from Diener (1984). Data were analyzed with the using Pearson Product-Moment analysis. Results showed that self-compassion is positively correlated with subjective well-being with the value of (r =0.487; p = 0.000 [p < 0.01]). Additional analysis was also presented to compare the primary study variables with the variables gender, grade, and age group. There was no difference in self-compassion or subjective well-being with respect to gender (p = 0.125; [p > 0.05]) and grade (subjective well-being with respect to gender p = 0.969, self-compassion with respect to gender: p = 0.153 [p > 0.05]). Regarding age, study participants younger than 17 years of age do not show a correlation with subjective well-being.
Why do Cultural Differences So Often Trump Cross-Cultural Invariance?
Authors: Poortinga Ype
Published: April 2024

In this roundtable discussion I will advocate balancing psychological invariance and cultural variation. There are large and evident differences between the behavior repertoires of human groups. Cross-cultural researchers have endeavored to explain such differences in terms of broad and inclusive sociocultural dimensions, styles and traits. Among other contributions to this roundtable, I will argue that psychological patterning of cross-cultural differences is much less coherent than our literature tends to suggest. Admittedly, this is a serious challenge; if correct, it implies that cross-cultural psychology tends to engage in cultural stereotyping.
The Effects of Free Will Beliefs in Japan: Disbelief in Free Will Impairs Overriding Impulsive Decisions
Authors: Watanabe Takumi , Sakurai Ryosuke , Karasawa Kaori
Published: April 2024

The present research aims at testing the effects of disbelief in free will on overriding impulsive decisions in Japan. Past research conducted in Western countries has found that induced disbelief in free will can weaken motivation of self-control. In the present research, the authors tested the generalizability of the findings in a study involving Japanese students. Results show that participants whose belief in free will was challenged reported less likelihood and desirability of overriding the impulsive decision. These findings suggest that some basic assumptions of the effects of disbelief in free will could be generalized across cultures.
How Do Acts of Penance Influence Intergroup Forgiveness?
Authors: Penczek-Zapala Marta
Published: April 2024

In the current paper the problems of penance and remorse in intergroup relations, as well as their influence on forgiveness are investigated. We argue that repent can be expressed in multiple ways, which vary in their effectiveness, because of differences in evaluation of their genuineness. Results obtained in an experimental study conducted among 271 Polish students suggest that indeed act of penance alone has no direct influence on willingness to forgive. On the other hand, genuineness of the outgroup conciliatory actions and remorse facilitates forgiveness. Also, it is shown that acts of penance, as well as outgroup remorse may break a negative relationship between magnitude of ingroup harm and intergroup forgiveness.
The “Recursive Cosmosis” Model: South African Women in Higher Education Finding Strength and Resilience
Authors: Mayer Claude-Helene , Surtee Sabie
Published: April 2024

This study investigates how the concepts sense of coherence and spirituality are inter-related and contribute to the health and wellbeing of 13 women working in South African higher education institutions. Drawing from Antonovsky’s work on salutogenesis data are analyzed in terms of three sub-components, namely, manageability, comprehensibility, and meaningfulness. Interview data on manageability point to an action component where the pursuit of work-life balance is uniquely experienced by women, not only as a challenge, but is also actively pursued as a strength resource. On comprehensibility, the data captured women’s attitudes in terms of being realistic and understanding of others and of the work context. The data show that women rely most on meaningfulness as a coping resource wheather they are speaking of their life orientation (SOC) or their spiritual orientation. Spirituality in this study is connected foremost to transpersonality. A connection between women’s spirituality and their sense of coherence, is made by positing that combined, they serve as a coping and wellbeing resource in the work place. A “recursive cosmosis model” is then offered to illustrate the key salutogenic and spiritual strength resources used by women leaders in this study.
Predictors of Support for Democratic Reform: Role of Intergroup Friendship, Perception of Discrimination and Identification
Authors: Tanrıverdi Büşra , Divleli Ayşe , Çelebi Elif
Published: April 2024

In Turkey, recent debate is whether to include the word “Kurd” in the constitution or to replace the word “Turk” with “Turkiyeli” (who holds Turkish citizenship). These changes symbolically challenge the close correspondence between Turkish ethnicity and nationality. Granting some rights to the Kurdish minority, including recognition of their ethno-political identity in the constitution, is critical for democratic reforms and sustainable reconciliation following the peace agreement in March 2013. The question is “How much of the Turkish population supports these constitutional changes?” Research has proposed that having relationship with out-group individuals positively influences an individual’s perceptions of others. Therefore, the current study investigates the role of intergroup friendship, perception of discrimination, and identification (ethnic, national) in predicting support for democratic reforms through constitutional change. 380 college students (68.2% women, 31.3% men) who identified themselves as Turkish, participated in the study. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to predict support for democratic reform. The main effects of intergroup friendship, perception of discrimination and identification (ethnic, national) were entered. All predictors had significant independent effects except ethnic identity. Results were discussed in terms of intergroup relations.
Culture + Behaviour + Comparison = Cross-Cultural Psychology
Authors: Berry John
Published: April 2024

For many years I have advocated the view that cross-cultural psychology should have the following characteristics: it begins with an ethnographic search to select those settings that may provide the cultural and ecological contexts that are theoretically-relevant to the development of the particular behaviour of interest; this is followed by advancing hypotheses that link the context to the behaviour; then fieldwork is undertaken to further examine these cultural attributes, and to carry out the assessment of the behaviour of individuals. These activities are carried out across contexts for three reasons: (i) in order to gain sufficient variation in the cultural and behavioural information to allow the examination of their co-variation (ie. to assess the hypothesis); (ii) to search for universals in the structure of behaviours; and (iii) to allow the possible discovery of universals in culture- behaviour relationships. In my view, cross-cultural psychology is cultural first, then psychological, and then comparative.
Culture in Psychology: Then and Now
Authors: Greenfield Patricia
Published: April 2024

My “then” is the first IACCP (International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology) meeting in Hong Kong, 1972, which I attended. I take the “now” mainly from the 2014 IACCP meeting in Reims and a little from our 2013 IACCP regional meeting in Los Angeles. In general, I will speak of changes that have been very important and positive for the field. IACCP has both driven and responded to these changes.
Cultural Perspectives on Ingroups versus Outgroups and Shame Experiences
Authors: Lin Bai , Ng Bee
Published: April 2024

The concept of self varies across cultures: in some cultures, individuals tend to see themselves as interdependent on others, and clear distinction is made between in-groups and out-groups because in-group members are seen as part of the “BIG SELF”. In other cultures individuals see themselves as independent and autonomous and have a less salient boundary between in-groups and out-groups. Little empirical work has been done on how such different cultural perspectives on in-groups, versus out-groups, shape emotional experiences. Although emotions are always internally experienced, these experiences often involve interpersonal and social interactions, and therefore how we think of ourselves in relation to others might influence our emotional reactions to interpersonal problems. The current study examines how such cultural differences based on the ‘in-groups versus out-groups’ distinction influences the attribution of shame experiences between Mainland Chinese and Americans. We examined self-reported descriptions and ratings of shame experiences. Results showed that Mainland Chinese and Americans differ in their attribution of shame antecedents: Mainland Chinese are less inclined to attribute the shame antecedents to close others, and they are more reluctant to ascribe negative traits/qualities to close others; no such bias towards in-groups is seen among Americans in the ascription of disagreeable acts or traits. The methodological implications of the current research are also discussed.
Who is Responsible for the Conflict? The Role of Identification and Perception of Discrimination
Authors: Balkaş Zeynep , Yanık Zeynep , Çelebi Elif
Published: April 2024

This study examines whether identification (ethnic and national) and perception of discrimination between minority and majority members are related to attributions of responsibility in the context of the prolonged Kurdish conflict in Turkey. Understanding attributions of responsibility for the conflict are important because they can exacerbate or hinder conflict. The two ethnic groups, Turks and Kurds, hold different views of the conflict in which they are involved. We identify four primary parties in the current context of conflict: the Turkish state, the PKK, Kurdish citizens, and foreign states. The official state discourse holds that the PKK and the Kurds are responsible for the conflict. A shared national identification might reduce in-group conflict but also might result in minority group members adopting the official state discourse. Ethnic identity might operate differently for the different groups. Furthermore, perception of discrimination might be related to endorsing alternative explanations for the conflict, different from the state discourse. Kurds are the largest ethnic minority group in Turkey but have been denied ethnic, political, and cultural rights until recently. They have also been the targets of a long-standing assimilation policy aimed to create a nation state based on Turkish ethno-cultural identity. The Turkish Republic’s founding ideology has historically denied the existence of the Kurdish ethnic minority group (currently around 18% of the population). For this study, we used a nationally representative data set of 10,386 participants; of the participants, 76% self-identified as Turkish and 13.4% as Kurdish. We conducted multiple regression analyses to predict how the two groups differed in their ethnic and national identification and perception of discrimination in predicting four different sources of conflict. Results were discussed in terms of social identity theory and conflict resolution approaches.
Validity and Reliability of the Aydin-Flow Coping with Stress Scale (AFCSS) on Multiple Samples in the United States
Authors: Aydın Kâmile , Sandarg Eric
Published: April 2024

The Aydin-Flow Coping with Stress Scale (AFCSS) based on flow theory was developed on United States college students and consists of multiple samples (N=203). The scale contains five subscales: Self-Assurance, Removal of Obstacles, Setting New Goals, Focus on the World/Active Contact with the Social Environment, and Unselfconscious/Unselfish, according to the previous study in the exploratory factor analysis. The model was reproduced well in a confirmatory factor analysis. Trait anxiety (STAI-T) was related to coping dimensions. Unselfconscious was related to Escape, Distancing, Self Control, Positive Reappraisal, Confronting, Accepting Responsibility, Seeking Social Support, and Planful Problem Solving of Ways of Coping Questionnaire-Revised. Self Assurance was related to Escape, Positive Reappraisal, and Planful Problem Solving. Setting New Goals was related to Self Control, Positive Reappraisal, Seeking Social Support, and Planful Problem Solving. Focus on the World was related to Escape, Positive Reappraisal, and Planful Problem Solving. Removal of Obstacles was related to Escape, Distancing, Self Control, Positive Reappraisal, Confronting, and Planful Problem Solving.
Reasons for the Deteriorating Relationship between the Local People of Mumbai and the Bihari Migrants
Authors: Verma Jyoti
Published: April 2024

The paper deals with the ‘reasons’ behind the deteriorating relationship between the Bihari migrants and the local people of Mumbai from a larger project on the topic. The main sample comprised of 307 people (152 Bihari migrants and 155 local people of Mumbai). Additionally, 50 respondents participated into 8 focus group discussions and 17 were interviewed. Both the qualitative and quantitative methods were used for data collection. Two similar, but not identical versions of the main questionnaire were developed, one for each group whose Part III addressed the ‘reasons’ issue. Qualitative data were generated with the help of an open-ended question, focus group discussions and interviews. Content analysis of the qualitative data helped arrive at some thematic reason categories namely, reduced employment options for the locals; negative attributes of Bihari people; pressure on the basics amenities of the city; politics and political leaders, ethnocentric orientation of the migrants and culture pollution, etc. The forced choice answers against the given reasons presented very high percentage of endorsements and needs to be examined with caution.
Growing Awareness of Cultural Aspects of Psychology as a Resource for Managing Progressive Social Change
Authors: Serpell Robert
Published: April 2024

I suggest that CCP’s early preoccupation with direct comparison between culturally-contrastive groups has been overtaken in importance by a number of trends in developmental and applied psychology. Some Western theorists now acknowledge reflexively that their interpretation of psychological variables is itself informed by a particular cultural system of meanings. A growing number of non-Western theorists have proposed alternative cultural psychologies. Mainstream developmental psychology has incorporated culture as an essential dimension of the field, leading to increasingly systemic theories. Cultural sensitivity is widely perceived as essential for the design and interpretation of psychological assessment. The IACCP has contributed to these trends by fostering inter-cultural communication among psychologists working in many different cultural contexts around the world. Collectively, they are in a position to impress on the next generation of planners and policy-makers the importance of culture in the formulation of strategies for managing progressive social change.
Representing Human Cultural and Biological Diversity in Neuropsychiatry: Why and How
Authors: Crafa Daina , Nagel Saskia
Published: April 2024

Over the past decade, findings from cultural neuroscience have demonstrated that functional neural processes vary significantly across populations. These findings add a new dimension to the well-established literature describing cultural differences in human behavior. Although these findings are informative for understanding complex relationships between social and neurobiological processes, they also have significant implications for psychiatric research. Neuropsychiatry already co-considers the relationship between brain and social world; however, its research findings notoriously underrepresent diverse cultural, ethnic, and gender groups. Considering that psychiatric patients across cultures exhibit different behavioral presentations and symptom distributions, they may exhibit equally different functional neural processes as well. Increasing representation of diverse patient groups in neuropsychiatric research would allow potential differences to be investigated and understood. Although cross-cultural comparisons may be the most direct means of accomplishing this goal, such studies must be carefully constructed to avoid reinforcing stigmas or stereotypes when working with sensitive patient populations. For example, hypotheses and inclusion criteria must avoid reliance on stereotypes or conflation of geographic boundaries with cultural boundaries. These pitfalls point to deeper problems with current approaches to culture-brain research, which lack operational definitions of ‘culture’ more generally. After outlining these issues, solutions to these methodological problems will be presented and an operational definition of culture for neuropsychiatry will be proposed.
Outgroup Attitudes as a Function of East Asian Religiousness: Marked by High or Low Prejudice?
Authors: Clobert Magali , Saroglou Vassilis , Hwang Kwang-Kuo , Soong Wen-Li
Published: April 2024

Research on religion and prejudice has mostly been limited to Western Christian participants and beliefs. Evidence, overall, favors the idea of a religion-prejudice link. Does this also hold for East Asian religions, usually perceived as tolerant, and cultures, characterized by holistic thinking and tolerance of contradictions? We review here four recent studies and provide meta-analytic estimation of the East Asian interreligious prejudice. East Asian religiosity was associated with low explicit prejudice against religious outgroups in general (Study 1; adults from Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan) and three specific religious outgroups, i.e. Christians, Jews, and Muslims, but not atheists (Study 2; Taiwanese students), and low implicit prejudice against ethnic (Africans) and religious (Muslims) outgroups (Study 3; Taiwanese students). The mean effect size of the East Asian religious (low) prejudice was r = -.21. Moreover, Westerners from a Christian background primed with Buddhist pictures showed higher prosociality and, those valuing universalism, lower ethnic prejudice compared to the control, no pictures, condition (Study 4). Thus, the general idea that religion promotes prejudice lacks cross-cultural sensitivity: East Asian religion seems to be followed by low prejudice with regard to many, though not all, kinds of outgroups.
Revised Sources of Guidance Measures: Six Events and Demographic Controls
Authors: Peterson Mark , Barreto Taís , Smith Peter
Published: April 2024

In this paper, we update the country-level scores of sources of guidance reported in Peterson and Smith (2008) across 61 countries and based on 7,982 respondents. These scores represent aggregate tendencies of the use of specific sources of guidance in a country and provide an alternative to value-based cultural measures. Based on role and cognition theories, sources include how roles, rules and norms influence decision making in six frequent organizational events that managers encounter. Scores are controlled for demographic effects of respondents’ age and gender, as well as for organizational characteristics, namely ownership, department and organizational types. We also provide correlations between the sources of guidance scores and Hofstede’s, GLOBE’s, and Schwartz’s dimension scores.
The Relationship between Servant Leadership, Affective Commitment: Organizational Citizenship Behavior and Team Effectiveness
Authors: Mahembe B , Engerbrecht A , Dannhauser Z
Published: April 2024

The goal of the study was to conduct an analysis of the relationships between servant leadership, affective team commitment, OCB and team effectiveness in the South African school system. A non-probability sample made up of 288 school teachers was drawn from 38 schools in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Item analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were used to analyse the data. Positive relationships were found between servant leadership and team effectiveness; servant leadership and affective team commitment, affective team commitment and team effectiveness, servant leadership and OCB; affective team commitment and OCB; and OCB and team effectiveness.
Developmental Aspects of Self-Regulation in Germany and Chile: Links among Maternal Warmth, Children’s Self-Regulation, and Social Competence
Authors: Weis Mirjam , Trommsdorff Gisela , Heikamp Tobias , Redondo Jesus , Muñoz Lorena
Published: April 2024

The present study investigated relations among maternal warmth, children’s self-regulation (i.e., behavior and emotion regulation), and prosocial behavior. The assumed relations were studied in Germany and Chile, two socialization contexts differing in socio-economic and cultural factors. The sample consisted of 76 German and 167 Chilean fourth graders, their mothers, and teachers. Maternal warmth was rated by mothers with the Parenting Practice Questionnaire (PPQ). Children reported the use of emotion regulation strategies on the Questionnaire for the Measurement of Stress and Coping in Children and Adolescents (SSKJ 3-8). Mothers’ and teachers’ ratings on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) were used to measure children’s behavior regulation and prosocial behavior. Regression analyses revealed positive relations of maternal warmth to children’s problem-oriented emotion regulation and of behavior regulation to prosocial behavior in Germany and in Chile. Moreover, mediation analyses revealed indirect positive effects of self-regulation on the relations between maternal warmth and prosocial behavior. These indirect effects occurred for different aspects of self-regulation in Germany (i.e., behavior regulation) and in Chile (i.e., problem-oriented emotion regulation). Results are discussed from a cultural informed developmental perspective.
The Racism, Acceptance, and Cultural-Ethnocentrism Scale (RACES): Measuring Racism in Australia
Authors: Grigg Kaine , Manderson Lenore
Published: April 2024

No existing scale has been designed for, and validated in, the Australian context which can objectively evaluate the levels of general racist attitudes in Australian individuals or groups. Existing Australian measures of racist attitudes focus on single groups or have not been validated across the lifespan. Without suitable instruments, racism reduction programs implemented in Australia cannot be appropriately evaluated and so cannot be judged to be making a meaningful difference to the attitudes of the participants. To address the need for a general measure of racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious acceptance, an Australian scale was developed and validated for use with children, adolescents, and adults. The Racism, Acceptance, and Cultural-Ethnocentrism Scale (RACES) is a 34-item self-report instrument measuring explicit racist attitudes, consisting of three interdependent subscales (Accepting Attitudes – 12 items; Racist Attitudes – 8 items; Ethnocentric Attitudes – 4 items) and a 10-item measure of social desirability. The current chapter summarises the mixed methods approach to the development and evaluation of the novel scale, and reports on the reliability and validity data for children, adolescents, and adults from diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds around Australia. The results of examinations of psychometric properties, including latent structure, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and predictive validity, are discussed. Utilised analytical techniques include qualitative thematic analysis of interviews and focus groups, unidimensional and multidimensional Rasch (Item Response Theory) analyses, and various Classical Test Theory analyses.
Intercultural Competences and Self-Identity as Key Factors to Adaptation
Authors: Carmona Carmen , Van der Zee Karen , Van Oudenhoven Jan , Hernaiz-Agreda Nerea
Published: April 2024

Students increasingly cross borders to study in a foreign country and live a full experience abroad. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship among intercultural personality, self-identity orientation, and outcomes of cultural adaptation among international students. According to the multicultural personality questionnaire, five key dimensions lead to intercultural adaptation success: cultural empathy, open-mindedness, emotional stability, social initiative, and flexibility. In addition, another relevant factor is that individuals frame situations differently depending on how they construe or represent themselves in a specific context. Thus, we consider three related identity orientations (i.e., personal, relational, and collective identity) to understand how international students feel toward and interact with others in the host culture. The results show that for international students to successfully adapt to a “host” culture, open-mindedness, social initiative, and relational identity are key factors in life satisfaction and in having more contact with the host (i.e., Dutch) and international students. However, international students with a more personal identity orientation have more contact with Dutch students, and those with a more collective identity orientation with co-nationals. In conclusion, specific intercultural competences and identity orientations may help students feel more satisfied and interact with different groups as ways to achieve international cultural adaptation.
Culture Display Rules of Smiling and Personal Well-being: Mutually Reinforcing or Compensatory Phenomena? Polish - Canadian Comparisons
Authors: Hekiert Daniela , Safdar Saba , Boski Pawel , Krys Kuba , Lewis J
Published: April 2024

Cultures vary in terms of emotional display rules, which include the expression of satisfaction and dissatisfaction. In Poland there is a norm of negativity, deriving from a culture of complaining (Wojciszke & Baryła, 2005), whereas in Canada, there is a tendency to express happiness (Safdar, Friedlmeier, Matsumoto, Yoo, Kwantes, Kakai, & Shigemasu, E., 2009). In the present research project, norms and values regarding smiling in public situations, norms regarding the affirmation of life and complaining, as well as individual measures of optimism (LOT-R) and well-being (SWLS) were measured among Poles and Canadians. The results showed that the cultural display rules endorsed by Canadian students affirmed smiling and positivity in social life more than those for Polish students. Contrary to expectations, optimism and the level of satisfaction with their own lives were significantly higher among Poles than Canadians. This may indicate a compensatory mechanism between normative displays and subjective experience. Other potential interpretations are also considered.
Determinants of Social Prejudice and Factors Influencing Perception of Immigrant Groups in Georgia
Authors: Despotashvili Medea
Published: April 2024

Outgroup perception and prejudice as well as researched social cognition processes, still provide new perspectives of analysis. Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) and Right Wing Authoritarianism (RWA) constructs are proved to moderate prejudice formation. Our research aimed to look at these processes in specifically Georgian context. We duplicated experimental procedure offered by Duckitt and Sibley (2009), to look at the relationship between prejudice formation and RWA / SDO in different experimental conditions. Our data enabled to analyze this relationship in terms of overall social processes, where challenges facing particular groups of people (like generation in our case) can make certain qualities of outgroup more prominent in prejudice formation.
Why Employee Turnover? The influence of Chinese Management and Organizational Justice
Authors: Kao Feng-Hsia , Huang Min-Ping , Cheng Bor-Shiuan
Published: April 2024

Employee turnover is an important topic in organizational behavior research. Understanding how to address turnover in Chinese organizations is also a practice problem. The aim of this paper is to explore the impact of paternalistic leadership (authoritarianism, benevolence, and morality) on employee turnover and examine the moderating effect of organizational justice (distributive justice, interactional justice, and procedural justice). Data were collected from 207 supervisor and subordinate dyads of 51 stores in a Chinese food and beverage company. Paternalistic leadership and organizational justice were initially collected from subordinates. After six months, employee turnover was collected from supervisors. The results indicate that benevolent and moral leadership were both negatively related to employee turnover. Authoritarianism failed to predict employee turnover. Furthermore, the relationship between authoritarianism and employee turnover is moderated by distributive justice and procedural justice. Finally, the theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
The Impact of Bone Pain Crises on Platelet Parameters in Sample of Iraqi Sickle Cell Anemia Patients
Authors: Al-Saidi Dahlia N.
Published: April 2024

BACKGROUND:

Volume indices and count of platelets through sickle cell anemia (SCA) steady state are modified by chronic hemolysis, red blood cell sickling, and vaso-occlusion induced by this structural hemoglobinopathy. The bone pain crises additionally change these parameters. The recognition of the modification in platelet indices has a significant impact on understanding the pathogenesis and outcome of sickle cell disease patients.

OBJECTIVES:

This study objective is to compare volume indices and count of platelets of SCA patients in steady and through bone pain crisis states.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

This is a retrospective cohort study that included 82 SCA patients who received care between October 2022 and October 2023 at the Hereditary Blood Disease Center, Basra, Iraq Written consent was obtained from all the participants and legal guardians. The criteria of inclusion involved SCA patients of 13 years old and older who presented to the center at the period of the stdy. They had their platelet count and volume indices measured during the crises of bone pain and in the steady state later on. Platelet count, platelet distribution width (PDW), plateletcrit (PCT), mean platelet volume (MPV), and platelet-large cell ratio (P-LCR) were measured by the automatic analyzer.

RESULTS:

Through bone pain crises as well as steady state, patients had a normal mean platelet count in comparison to the reference values of non-SCA population. It was found that MPV, PDW, PCT, and P-LCR were different in a significant way between the steady and bone pain crisis states, with P ≤ 0.001 with the mean values of 9.69 ± 1.25 versus 11.09 ± 0.99 for MPV, 13.27 ± 0.46 versus 15.78 ± 0.65 for PDW, 0.31 ± 0.03 versus 0.36 ± 0.01 for PCT, and 0.16 ± 0.01 versus 0.18 ± 0 for P-LCR, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS:

Through the steady state as well as bone pain crisis, the platelet count of SCA patients showed a normal value according to the range of reference for the normal population with no SCA. The P-LCR, MPV, PCT, and PDW were different significantly between SCA two clinical states as they became higher through the state of bone pain crises. This finding reflects the increment in the activation of platelets and the existence of large platelets in circulation at the time of vaso-occlusive crises.
Dual exceptional collections on Lagrangian Grassmannians
Authors: Fonarev Anton Vyacheslavovich
Published: April 2024

We construct graded left dual exceptional collections to the exceptional collections generating the Kuznetsov-Polishchuk blocks on Lagrangian Grassmannians. As an application, we find explicit resolutions for some natural irreducible equivariant vector bundles.
Bibliography: 13 titles.
Application and management of continuous glucose monitoring in diabetic kidney disease
Authors: Zhang Xin-Miao , Shen Quan-Quan
Published: April 2024

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a common complication of diabetes mellitus that contributes to the risk of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). Wide glycemic var-iations, such as hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, are broadly found in diabetic patients with DKD and especially ESKD, as a result of impaired renal metabolism. It is essential to monitor glycemia for effective management of DKD. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) has long been considered as the gold standard for monitoring glycemia for > 3 months. However, assessment of HbA1c has some bias as it is susceptible to factors such as anemia and liver or kidney dysfunction. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has provided new insights on glycemic assessment and management. CGM directly measures glucose level in interstitial fluid, reports real-time or retrospective glucose concentration, and provides multiple glycemic metrics. It avoids the pitfalls of HbA1c in some contexts, and may serve as a precise alternative to estimation of mean glucose and glycemic variability. Emerging studies have demonstrated the merits of CGM for precise monitoring, which allows fine-tuning of glycemic management in diabetic patients. Therefore, CGM technology has the potential for better glycemic monitoring in DKD patients. More research is needed to explore its application and management in different stages of DKD, including hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis and kidney transplantation.