bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
КОНСТРУКТ «ГРАМОТНІСТЬ ЧИТАННЯ»: СПРОБА ПОЯСНЕННЯ У ТЕРМІНАХ ПСИХОЛОГІЇ
Authors: Дєордіца Таяна , Гладушина Раїса , Вороніна Марина , Толмачов Володимир
Published: February 2025

Формулювання проблеми. За нашими спостереженнями, українські дослідники, вивчаючи абстрактне поняття «грамотність читання», схильні зосереджуватися виключно на його словниковому визначенні та ігнорувати операційне. Проте саме останнє забезпечує чіткість і вимірність цієї абстракції. Крім того, в україномовній педагогічній періодиці ми не виявили жодної публікації, яка б пояснювала існування двох підходів до оцінювання рівнів грамотності читання – у дослідженнях PIRLS і PISA. З огляду на це упущення, ми задалися питаннями: 1) як вимірюють рівні грамотності читання у PIRLS і PISA? 2) що вплинуло на створення цієї абстракції?
Матеріали і методи. Як послідовники психологічної теорії діяльності, ми прагнули з її позицій відповісти на перше питання нашої розвідки. Для цього ми проаналізували кілька рамкових документів PIRLS і PISA різних років видання: «PIRLS 2026 Assessment Frameworks» (von Davier & Kennedy, 2024), «Measuring student knowledge and skills. The PISA 2000» (OECD, 2000), «PISA 2009. Assessment Framework. Key competencies in reading, mathematics and science» (OECD, 2009), «PISA 2018 Assessment Analytical Framework» (OECD, 2019). Відповісти на друге питання нам допоміг ретроспективний аналіз минулих оцінних досліджень успіхів учнів у читанні.
Результати. Встановлено, що «грамотність читання» є психологічним конструктом, покликаним слугувати теоретичним підґрунтям у розробленні надійних і дієвих психометричних тестів для оцінювання учнівських досягнень у читанні. Прояснено логіку операціоналізації цього конструкта. З погляду психологічної теорії діяльності, його вимірювальними показниками є розумові операції, що реалізують три ключові розумові дії читацької діяльності, як-от переглядання тексту; розуміння та оцінювання прочитаного. У PIRLS оцінюють інтенсивність прояву чотирьох таких операцій, у PISA – семи. Це цілком допустимо, зважаючи, що операційний склад дії залежить від умов її виконання. Умови тестування PIRLS і PISA дійсно відрізняються, адже їх учасники належать до різних вікових груп. З’ясовано, що на створення конструкта «грамотність читання» вплинуло переосмислення дослідниками форм виявлення конструкта «розуміння прочитаного» – як продукту та як процесу.
Висновки. Дотримуючись логіки аксіоми А. Korzybski «карта не є територією», вважаємо резонним стверджувати: грамотність читання не є читанням. Читання – це пізнавальна діяльність, а грамотність читання – тільки міра вправності у цій діяльності. З огляду на це розмежування, запропоновані у PIRLS і PISA операційні визначення конструкта «грамотність читання» можна розглядати як взірці розумових операцій, засвоєння та застосування яких допоможе учням читати усвідомлено.
Attitudes toward environmental regulation vary by race/ethnicity among US Republicans
Authors: Rode Jacob B. , Kohli Sanchi , Kushner Alina , Greene Joshua D.
Published: February 2025

U.S. Republicans have low support for environmental regulations, but recent studies suggest this support varies by race and ethnicity. Here, we extend this work by further examining racial/ethnic differences within Republicans in two datasets. The first was a primary study and probability sample of U.S. Republicans (N = 2,395). The second was a secondary data analysis of the Cooperative Election Study (2014-2022; N = 123,133 Republicans). We tested the association between race/ethnicity and attitudes towards various environmental regulations, adjusting for relevant covariates. Across both datasets, we found that White Republicans consistently had the lowest support for environmental regulations compared to Asian, Black, and Hispanic Republicans. In the CES dataset, Asian Republicans tended to have the strongest support followed by Black, Hispanic, and White Republicans, respectively. This order remained across most outcomes though the pattern of significance varied; for example, Asian Republicans’ regulation support was consistently significantly higher than Hispanic and White Republicans’ but only sometimes significantly higher than Black Republicans’ support. The findings highlight the important variation in environmental policy attitudes that exists within Republicans, specifically across racial/ethnic groups and type of regulation.
Red shifts of photons and massive particles
Authors: Qu Wenjing
Published: February 2025

Red‒shift phenomena were attributed to different mechanisms, such as Doppler red shifts and gravitational red shifts. Here, based on Space Motion Theory, a common mechanism of red shifts is concluded into a formula: 1+z=(Ec/Ec’)(Eqr/Eqs), where z represents the value of a red shift; (Ec/Ec’), named the photonic red shift, signifies the energy change of the photon through the vacuum distributions of the sender and the recipient; (Eqr/Eqs), named the massive‒particle red shift, means the absolute‒energy quantity ratio of the recipient to the sender. Furthermore, according to energy conservation and momentum conservation, the mechanism of photonic red shifts is deduced. The analyses herein verify the existence of vacuum distribution and space background mathematically.
Asset Specificity in Climate Politics: How Chameleons Shape EU Road Transport Policymaking
Authors: Fischer Jonas
Published: February 2025

Why do some car manufacturers support the phaseout of the internal combustion engine car while others resist it? And why do part suppliers univocally oppose it? In an in-depth case study and drawing on 27 elite interviews, I show that firms' ability to repurpose their existing assets for electric vehicle production can explain the intra- and inter-industry variation in the auto sector's engagement with the EU's internal combustion engine phaseout. Firms in emissions-intense but low-asset-specificity industries are chameleonic. Initially brown, they can turn green when repurposing their low-specificity assets to seek first-mover advantages in emerging green markets. Existing political economy literature understands the business politics of the green transition as a struggle between green and brown industries. I challenge this static and dualistic conceptualization by introducing asset specificity as a second dimension, alongside emissions intensity, to explain businesses' economic and political behavior.
EXPLORING THE POTENTIAL OF BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY FOR AI ACCOUNTABILITY: An Islamic Ethical Framework Perspective
Authors: Bin Ramli Muhammad Sukri
Published: February 2025

This paper presents a novel ethical framework for artificial intelligence (AI), termed "Raqib and Atid," inspired by Islamic concepts of thought, intention, and action. Drawing on Islamic principles and leveraging blockchain technology, this framework monitors an AI's internal processes ("thoughts"), planned actions ("intentions"), and executed actions to ensure comprehensive accountability. Just as the angels Raqib and Atid maintain a celestial record for divine judgment, this framework systematically documents an AI's operations, generating an unalterable history of its activity. To guarantee the integrity and transparency of this data, it is suggested that these logs be secured on a blockchain. This record is preserved for a metaphorical "Day of Judgment"—an evaluation process that occurs at the end of the AI's operational life, ensuring accountability even after the AI is no longer functional. By analyzing the AI's data, the system can proactively identify potential ethical violations, provide feedback, and promote continuous learning. This approach offers a more comprehensive way to ensure responsible AI development. The framework addresses challenges in defining "intention" for AI and balancing internal monitoring with AI autonomy, providing a promising path towards building ethical and responsible AI systems aligned with human values.
“I apologize for my actions”: Emergent Properties of Generative Agents and Implications for a Theory of Mind
Authors: Diamond N'yoma , banerjee soumya
Published: February 2025

This work explores the design, implementation, and usageof generative agents towards simulating human behaviour.Through simulating (mis)information spread, we investigatethe emergent social behaviours they produce.Generative agents demonstrate robustness to(mis)information spread, showing realistic conversationalpatterns. However, this robustness limits agents’abilities to realistically simulate human-like informationdissemination. Generative agents also exhibit novel andrealistic emergent social behaviours, such as deception,confrontation, and internalized regret. Using deception,agents avoid certain conversations. Through confrontation,an agent can verify information or even apologize for theiractions. Lastly, internalized regret displays direct evidencethat agents can internalize their experiences and act on themin a human-like way, such as through expressing remorse fortheir actions.We also identify significant technical dynamics and otherphenomena. Generative agents are vulnerable to produce unrealistichallucinations, but can also produce confabulationswhich fill in logical gaps and discontinuities to improve realism.We also identify the novel dynamics of “contextualeavesdropping” and “behavioural poisoning”. Via contextualeavesdropping and behavioural poisoning, agent behaviour isaltered through information leakage and sensitivity to certainstatements, respectively.The social behaviors demonstrated by generative agents, suchas deception, confrontation, and internalized regret, suggest apreliminary avenue for considering elements of a Theory ofMind (ToM) in LLM-based systems. While these behaviorsdo not represent genuine understanding or intentionality, theyindicate a capacity to simulate human-like responses to socialand informational dynamics. For example, internalized regrethints at a mechanism for contextual adaptation, which couldbe seen as a rudimentary step toward representing aspects ofhuman mental states, albeit in a constrained sense.
Unifying Gauge Symmetries and Spacetime Differential Structures Using ∞-Categories
Authors: zhou changzheng , zhou ZIQING
Published: February 2025

This paper proposes a unified framework based on higher category theory, incor?porating gauge symmetries and spacetime differential structures into the languagesystem of ∞-categories. By elevating classical gauge groups to ∞-groups and usingsmooth ∞-stacks to describe spacetime geometry, a fiber ∞-category is constructedto unify gauge fields and manifold structures. Further categorification of the Yang?Mills action and path integrals reveals the deep connections between higher-ordersymmetries and geometric dualities. Addressing potential gaps between theoret?ical formalization and physical practice, this paper supplements explanations forthe categorical complexity of the mass gap, proposes computability schemes forpath integrals, and explores experimental verification possibilities in topologicalmaterials. Rigorous validation is conducted based on Jacob Lurie’s higher algebraframework, proposing a new direction for quantum gravity unification.
Self-Referential Logic and AI Consciousness: A Gödelian Approach
Authors: Kamarei Arzhang
Published: February 2025

Cogito (“I think, therefore I am”) demonstrates a different logical ontology than Tarski’s Undefinability Theorem, prohibiting deterministic Tarskian AI from natively digitizing consciousness. Addressing this gap, we first establish consistent self-reference in naïve set theory showing that self-validating set SR = {x|P (x)} ∧ ∀x(x ∈ SR → P(x)) avoids Russell’s Paradox as R would fail x ∈ SR → P(x), i.e., if P(x) = {x|x ̸∈ x} then R ∈ R ↛ R ̸∈ R. Thus, R is never included in R. Next, we formalize and simulate Gödel’s meta-logic via set SR4 = {x|P(x)} ∧ ∀x(x ∈ SR4 → P(x)); where P(x) = [P1(x) ∨ [[¬(Prov(x) = true) ∧ ¬(Prov(x) = false)] ∧ x ≡ ¬P1(x)]] ∧ x ≡ x. To test G, we set P1(x) = Prov(x) and simulate G by G=“I am not provable.” SR4’s innovation is expressing G’s undecidability as ¬P1(G) syntax. Thus, SR4 determines G ≡ ¬Prov(G) as “Gödelian true” at SR4’s object level. Whereas Gödelian numbers aren’t expressive enough to objectify ¬P1(G) (stuck in undecidability until meta-logic), S4 permits reification of this negative syntactic property. Thus, SR4 algorithmically processes the G ≡ ¬Prov(G) truth of the First Theorem with consistency. With regards to the Liar’s Paradox and SR4, if we set P1(x) = True; ¬P1(x) = Not(True) and x1 = “I am not true” and x2 = “I am false” we see different results between x1 and x2. This is because [¬(P rov(x) = true) ∧ ¬(Prov(x) = false)] agrees with x1 and contra- dicts x2, meaning we fundamentally split negation, showing “not true” is not equal to “false” with regards to proofs. SR4 thus demonstrates consistent self-reference, matching the logical structure potentially required to express Cogito. We also explore the possibility of a logical ontology of Indeterminism, which can be split into Determined Indeterminism like G and Indeterminate Indeterminism, such as randomness.
Public Opinion and the Restoration of Democracy
Authors: Frederiksen Kristian , Willer Robb , Petersen Michael Bang
Published: February 2025

Abundant prior research has analyzed the mass public’s role in democratic backsliding. Comparatively little research has studied democratic restoration, the reconsolidation of democratic institutions following backsliding. We investigate this pressing issue using the paradigmatic case of Poland, where the pro-democratic alliance led by Donald Tusk won the parliamentary election in 2023 after eight years of democratic backsliding under the Law and Justice party. A central concern is whether such an opportunity to restore democracy fuels anti-democratic sentiment among vengeful winners and disappointed losers in a polarized society. Using original panel survey data, we show that the election result did not exacerbate deeper anti-democratic attitudes on either side. At the same time, elite-cue survey experiments reveal that pro-democratic elites may jeopardize the winners' benevolence by using an aggressive, confrontational strategy to restore democracy. The findings carry important implications for current and future endeavors to restore democracy in Poland and elsewhere.
Recruitment through social media ads and videocalls: Cost, effectiveness, and lessons from the Experiences of Pregnancy Study
Authors: Rioux Charlie , Childers-Rockey Zoe A. , Flesher Emily A. , Stephens Jacob I. , Barton Nicole K. , Waldron Megan E.
Published: February 2025

While participant recruitment via social media is increasingly used, its cost-effectiveness remains unclear for pregnancy cohorts, especially across social media platforms and in the context of increasing threats from web robots (i.e., bots) and fraudulent participants. Accordingly, we report on the implementation and results of online recruitment for a longitudinal cohort study about mental health in pregnancy and postpartum (Experiences of Pregnancy (EoP)). We describe: (1) the cost-effectiveness of Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, and Twitter/X for recruiting individuals in their first trimester (2) methods, experiences, and solutions for preventing bots and fraudulent participants (3) the representativeness of EoP compared to the United States (US) population and pregnancy cohorts recruited in person. Over 2.5 months (beginning June 2023), 574 participants were recruited at an advertising cost of US$6.19 per participant. Social media recruitment was highly time-efficient compared to in-person recruitment, reaching comparable sample sizes in 1/10th of the time. However, a range of safeguards to counter bots and fraudulent participants had to be implemented, resulting in 995 staff hours during recruitment. EoP also allowed reaching individuals without access to prenatal care but was not representative of the US population, suggesting stratified sampling would be needed to reach representativeness with online recruitment.
ISSUES OF FOOD SECURITY POLICY IN INDONESIA: A PERSPECTIVE FROM NEW INSTITUTIONAL ECONOMICS
Authors: Romagia
Published: February 2025

Food security is one of the main issues facing Indonesia. Government efforts to improve the quality of food security in Indonesia through various policies are still considered by the parties to have not touched the root of the problem. This article discusses food security in Indonesia from the perspective of New Institutional Economics (NIE). This study uses a literature review method. The literature review aims to analyze and synthesize existing knowledge related to the topic being studied, with the aim of identifying food security problem in Indonesia. This study found that from the NIE perspective there are important issues that must be considered in improving the ability to realize food security in Indonesia. These issues are related to high transaction costs, protection of property rights, information asymmetry, and institutional enforcement are important issues that must be addressed immediately.
A Rigorous Proof of the Fractal Leibniz Law,Correction of Fractal Derivatives and Analysis of Compatibility with Geometric Structures
Authors: zhou changzheng , zhou ZIQING
Published: February 2025

This paper proposes a corrected fractal Leibniz law based on the geometricproperties of fractal manifolds, and provides a rigorous mathematical proof andnumerical verification. By combining fractional Caputo derivatives with the scal?ing laws of fractal measures, the fractal derivative operator suitable for non-integerdimensional manifolds is defined, correcting the local assumption in the classi?cal Leibniz law. Using the variational principle and fractal Hardy inequality, theuniqueness of the correction term is proven, and the self-consistency of the theo?retical results is verified on the Sierpi´nski manifold through discretization methods(with an error less than 10−4). This work provides a foundation for differentialoperations in field theory modeling on fractal spacetime, especially suitable for thephysical description of non-local interaction systems.
Nexic Reasoning: Defining a Generalized Calculus Over Anthropic Parameters
Authors: Benander Ajax
Published: February 2025

In the current scientific landscape, research on Earth’s biological natural history is primarily done through the use of fossil evidence and genetic evidence, with the former leaning closer to the reactive side of the spectrum, and the latter being perhaps more proactive when used in these contexts. They each have their limitations, however, such as the luck involved with finding fossils and the limited pictures which they can provide us with at all, as well as the lack of immediate tangibility available in genetic analyses, especially with regard to features like the ecological context of a past organism. All of this being said, we would now like to introduce a possible third form of extracting information about the history and evolution of Earth’s biosphere, and perhaps with something more of a narrative component at that. This novel framework is what we refer to as “Nexic reasoning”, which serves as a brief extension of the premises of Aethic reasoning to a mediocrity principle-based context. At its fullest, Nexic reasoning has the capacity to paint a surprisingly detailed picture about Earth’s history using little more than glorified Bayesian reasoning, may serve as part of an Aethic generalization to the interaction-free measurements of Elitzur and Vaidman, and indeed even directly implies the Rare Earth hypothesis, thereby forming an implicative link between concepts like the Aethic extrusion principle and the solution to the Fermi paradox. Most intriguingly of all, Nexic reasoning makes a series of falsifiable predictions about Earth’s biosphere as a function of our present knowledge about it, for which we know, of course, that the mere existence of such predictions opens the possibility of elevating Nexic reasoning, and all its claims, to the standard of a scientific theory.
A New Form of the Riemann Hypothesis in Fractal Spacetime: Theory and Approach
Authors: zhou changzheng , zhou ZIQING
Published: February 2025

This paper proposes a new form of the Riemann zeta function re?constructed within the fractal spacetime MDH, termed the fractal zetafunction, and introduces the fractal Riemann hypothesis (FRH). Byincorporating fractal derivatives and the fractal Gamma function, di?mensional corrections are applied to the analytic continuation of thezeta function, and a new formulation of its zero distribution is ex?plored. Numerical validation paths are proposed, and the theoreticalsignificance as well as the challenges involved are analyzed, aimingto offer new perspectives and solutions to deep-seated problems inmathematics and physics.
Bioelectric Characterization of Senescing Human Keratinocytes
Authors: Levin Michael , Sediqi Hamid
Published: February 2025

Aging, a ubiquitous process that affects almost all multicellular organisms, is accompanied by the accumulation of senescent cells, leading to a decline of morphology and function. The ‘loss of morphostatic information’ theory posits that aging occurs due to gradual breakdown of order initially established during embryo development. Spatial differences in cellular resting potential have many roles in organizing cell activity into complex anatomical structures during embryogenesis and regeneration. Thus, while bioelectric patterns are a good candidate for the information that degrades during aging, long-term changes in bioelectrical state in adult cells are not well-understood. Here, we sought to characterize the temporal and spatial bioelectric dynamics of human epidermal keratinocytes undergoing replicative senescence. We stained keratinocytes of varying ages using the voltage sensitive dye – BeRST – and characterized p16 expression levels and senescence associated β-galactosidase activity. Our results revealed senescence-associated membrane depolarization – consistent change of bioelectrical potential over the lifespan of cells. Moreover, we found increased levels of Vmem heterogeneity, reduced cellular responsiveness to hyperpolarizing treatments, diminished resilience (ability to quickly and effectively achieve equilibrium post-perturbation), and degradation of bioelectricspatial organization. These results reveal a breakdown of bioelectric patterning and regulation with senescence consistent with the loss of morphostatic information theory of aging.
Setting the Stage for the Inner Journey: Unraveling the Interplay of Contextual Factors and the Intensity of Ego-Dissolution in Naturalistic Psychedelic Experiences
Authors: Adamczyk Stanisław , Paczyńska Małgorzata , Ruban Anastasia , Szczypiński Jan , Bola Michał , Orlowski Paweł
Published: February 2025

Psychedelic substances have the potential to induce profound alterations in cognition, emotionality, and sensory perception. The quality and intensity of these subjective effects exhibit high intra- and inter-individual variability, which can potentially be accounted for by the variability in contexts in which psychedelics are used. Therefore, the aim of the present cross-sectional study was to investigate how contextual factors - both internal and external - are related to the subjective intensity of psychedelic experiences. Participants filled an online survey and reported their motivations for past use of a given substance, frequency of use in different environments and social contexts. Additionally participants filled the Ego Dissolution Inventory to evaluate the intensity of past ego-dissolution experiences. Robust linear regression analysis was performed on data from 862 psychedelic users (701 used LSD and 553 used psilocybin mushrooms) and revealed that participants consuming psychedelics for spiritual or self-healing purposes reported more intense ego-dissolution experiences, while those reporting curiosity as a motivation reported less intense ego-dissolution effects. However, the social context and physical environment did not exhibit robust associations with the reported ego-dissolution, suggesting that setting might not account for ego-dissolution in naturalistic users, or that its impact is more complex or nuanced. Therefore, our study improves understanding of how contextual factors are related to the acute psychedelic experiences in naturalistic context, and thus could contribute to improving harm reduction strategies and optimizing psychedelic-assisted therapies.
Bibliographical Survey on Populism and Foreign Policy: Examining the Impact of Populist Leadership on Global Politics
Authors: Vendti Iskender
Published: February 2025

This paper mainly includes the list of impactful academic works (articles, books, and reports)on the intersecting subfield of populism and foreign policy.
Subcortical diagnostic indicators for Dementia: evidence from volumetric alterations of grey matter
Authors: Tabassi Mofrad Fatemeh , Gallacher John
Published: February 2025

Dementia as a progressive and debilitating syndrome inevitably impacts one's self-sufficiency and life expectancy, yet, the associated brain structural changes are not comprehensively addressed nor are brain volumetric signature associated with Dementia fully documented. Given the involvement of subcortical areas in deterioration of cognitive abilities, we investigated the volumetric alterations of subcortical grey matter, as potential diagnostic biomarkers for Dementia, using T1-weighted structural brain scans data of 152 Dementia patients and 152 healthy individuals from the UK Biobank; we focused on the volumes of the Brain Stem, the Thalamus, the Caudate, the Putamen, the Amygdala, the Hippocampus, and the Pallidum and performed a multifactor MANOVA. We observed that in Dementia patients, there was significant shrinkage of the grey matter volumes (GMVs) in the Brain Stem, the left and right Amygdala, and Hippocampus, but higher GMVs in the left and right Caudate and Pallidum. That is, our investigation into the GMVs of subcortical areas revealed that in Dementia patients not only the atrophy of the grey matter but also the inflammation of brain tissue characterizes pathological volumetric alterations, uncovering the consequences of sustained neuroinflammation and the resulting pathogenesis of Dementia. To examine the diagnostic indications for Dementia based on the volumes of the subcortical areas, we also performed Receiver Operating Characteristic curve analysis; according to our findings, the diagnostic accuracy of this model in discriminating the Dementia patients from the healthy participants is at the considerable rate of 82%. Therefore, the alterations of the GMVs of subcortical areas serve as a reliable biomarker for early detection and diagnosis of Dementia in clinical settings, facilitating timely interventions.
From Einstein Field Equations to Low-Energy Effective Action of String Theory and FHEST: Derivation of Low-Energy and High-Energy Effective Actions
Authors: zhou changzheng , zhou ZIQING
Published: February 2025

his paper comprehensively explores the mechanism by which string theory de?rives the Einstein field equations in the low-energy regime, as well as how the FractalHolographic Emergent String Theory (FHEST) derives the low-energy and high?energy effective actions of string theory. First, the connection between string the?ory and the Einstein field equations is elaborated from the perspectives of effectivefield theory, conformal field theory, β-functions, and string vibration modes. Subse?quently, the process and physical significance of FHEST’s derivation of low-energyand high-energy effective actions through fractal geometry are detailed, along withexperimental validation methods. The research demonstrates that FHEST providesa unified theoretical framework for quantum gravity and high-energy physics, withsignificant theoretical and experimental implications.
Fractal Holographic Unified Spacetime Theory (FHUST): A Multiscale Framework for Quantum Gravity and Spacetime Evolution
Authors: zhou changzheng , zhou ZIQING
Published: February 2025

This paper introduces an integrative Fractal Holographic Uni?fied Spacetime Theory (FHUST), which combines dynamic frac?tal networks with the Fractal Holographic Emergent String Theory(FHEST) to construct a multiscale, self-consistent model of quan?tum gravity. Centered on fractal geometry, the theory begins withrigid fractal recursive nesting at the Planck scale, utilizes dynamicfractal shortcut networks to explain quantum entanglement and su?perluminal correlations, and incorporates holographic principles withfractal Calabi-Yau manifolds to unify the evolution of spacetime frommicroscopic quantum fluctuations to macroscopic general relativity.FHUST systematically integrates three categories of fractal models,proposing modified Einstein field equations, a fractal black hole en?tropy formula, and a geometric mechanism for generating StandardModel particles. The paper also outlines experimental validation path?ways, including gravitational wave dispersion, black hole horizon per?turbations, and fractal excitation state detection.
The Social Gradient in Social and Emotional Skills
Authors: Rege Mari , Thijssen Maximiliaan Willem Pierre , Zachrisson Henrik Daae
Published: February 2025

Social and emotional skills are critical for children’s development and success in educationand work life. Despite their importance for human capital development, few studies haveexamined how these skills vary across socioeconomic backgrounds. Evidence of a socialgradient in social and emotional skills would highlight an additional factor contributing tothe persistence of socioeconomic disparities across generations. Using four large datasetsfrom Norway, we analyze the social gradient in a comprehensive set of social and emotionalskills throughout childhood (e.g. behavior problems, executive function, relationship skills).We standardize family income rank across datasets by using national population registrydata to define income tertile cutoffs. Our findings reveal a significant and consistent socialgradient across assessments, samples, and ages, underscoring its role in drivingintergenerational persistence in socioeconomic status.
Olfaction is a Spatial Sense
Authors: Barwich Ann-Sophie
Published: February 2025

This paper investigates the spatial dimensions of olfactory perception, challenging philosophical views that marginalize smell in spatial navigation and cognition compared to visual phenomenology. I argue that both olfactory and visual perceptions—despite smell often being considered non-spatial or minimally spatial—involve intricate spatial structuring when processed through unconscious cognitive processes. An information- theoretical approach shows that cognitive inferences turn spatially deficient sensory data into spatialized perceptual content to generate spatial perception across sensory modalities. This challenges the idea that spatial perception is tied to external features. My argument is supported by two lines of evidence: (i) figure-ground segregation across sensory modalities, suggesting a general mechanism in perceptual processing; (ii) recent neuroscientific evidence demonstrating how spatial information is processed in olfaction for navigation and environmental mapping. My analysis calls for a reevaluation of assumptions about the non-spatial nature of smell, highlighting significant cognitive and spatial capabilities in olfaction.
An evidence-based trajectory of spatial reasoning development for 7- to 11-year-olds.
Authors: Gifford Sue , Farran Emily Kate , Borthwick Alison
Published: February 2025

Spatial reasoning involves understanding and visualising spatial relations and the spatial properties of objects, including spatial aspects of quantities. Spatialising the mathematics curriculum by emphasising thinking and working spatially has broad benefits for mathematics, including geometry, measures, number, algebra and statistics. Research shows that teaching children to think and work spatially results in substantially improved mathematics performance, with lifelong benefits.This trajectory of spatial reasoning development for 7- to 11-year-olds complements the trajectory of spatial reasoning development for birth to seven years developed by the Early Childhood Maths Group (see ECMG Spatial Reasoning Toolkit). These two trajectories are informed by extensive review of research in this area and together offer activities for children from birth to 11 years. This trajectory is presented in four sections, covering space (spatial relations) and shape (objects and properties) for 7- to 9-year-olds and 9- to 11-year-olds. Three columns identify the areas of spatial reasoning, the progression in children’s learning and developmentally appropriate activities. Each child develops in their own unique way: age bands are approximate and dependent on previous experience, so should be used as a guide rather than age-related expectations. Spatial reasoning is wider than traditional geometry, including aspects of space and shape such as position and direction, navigation, perspective-taking, scaling, transformations, shape properties and structure, composition and decomposition; the document could be used to substitute a geometry curriculum, with activities integrated throughout the curriculum. This document forms part of a series of Royal Society publications on spatial reasoning which can be found at: Royal Society Curriculum and Assessment and accompanies our earlier work on the ECMG Spatial Reasoning Toolkit. The series includes: •RS ACME Primary and early years expert panel perspective: Spatial reasoning - June 2024 (royalsociety.org) •Progression of Spatial Reasoning across age bands (Appendix 1 of document listed above)•This document, An evidence-based trajectory of spatial reasoning development for 7- to 11-year-olds.•Whole-school approach case studies: Supporting Primary Children’s Spatial Reasoning in Geography and Design & Technology
The development of turn-taking skills in typical development and autism
Authors: Fusaroli Riccardo , Cox Christopher Martin Mikkelsen , Weed Ethan , Szabó Balázs István , fein deborah , Naigles Letitia
Published: February 2025

Social interaction depends on turn-taking and adapting to one's conversational partner, yet little is known about typical and atypical development of these abilities. We investigated this in a longitudinal corpus of spontaneous speech in 64 parent-child dyads: 32 typically developing children (20.27 months at start, 6 girls, 24 white) and 32 with autism (linguistically matched, 32.76 months, 4 girls, 31 white). Contrary to prior studies, children with autism responded 189ms faster on average than typically developing children, due to more overlapping speech. Latency decreased in both groups (47-78ms every 4 months) and depended on individual differences in socio-cognitive, linguistic, and motor skills, which for autism explained all variance by age. Both groups equally adapted their tempo to their interlocutors. With robust conceptualization and modeling techniques, we highlight the importance of overlapping speech, show that latencies in autism might be faster than in typical development and situate turn-taking into fine-grained developmental and interpersonal contexts.
Dispelling the Myth of Moral Inversion: Liberals and Conservatives Show Similar Patterns of Moral Expansiveness
Authors: Law Kyle Fiore , Young Liane , Syropoulos Stylianos
Published: February 2025

Do ideological differences in moral concern reflect a true reversal of ethical priorities, or do liberals simply extend moral concern more broadly without compromising their commitment to close relationships? Across two large-scale reanalyses, we test the claim that liberal moral universalism comes at the expense of concern for close others. First, we analyze a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults (N = 1,000) weighted to match census benchmarks. Second, we conduct an integrative reanalysis of four large online convenience samples (N = 3,201; Prolific). Using the Moral Expansiveness Scale (MES), a widely used measure of moral concern, we examine how ideology shapes moral circles and whether concern for distant others competes with––or coexists alongside––care for those closer to home. Results show that greater concern for distant entities, including outgroups and non-human entities, positively correlates with concern for close others rather than displacing it. Moreover, across the ideological spectrum, ingroup favoritism remains a strong and consistent pattern. However, very conservative individuals in the representative sample showed no meaningful difference between their moral concern for ingroups and outgroups, driven not by heightened outgroup concern but by lower concern for close others. These findings challenge the notion that liberals neglect their immediate social circles and instead suggest that ideological differences in moral expansiveness stem from the degree to which concern extends outward. Our results have important implications for understanding how ideological worldviews shape moral priorities, particularly in a political climate where moral concern is often framed in zero-sum terms.
Representations of geometric shapes have syntactic structure
Authors: Revencu Barbu , Pajot Maxence , Dehaene Stanislas
Published: February 2025

Recent research suggests that humans use language-like mental representations for manystimuli, from auditory sequences to visual shapes. However, evidence has been largelyindirect, relying on stimulus compression as a proxy for internal representation. Usingconstituency tests, we probed representational structure in the domain of geometry moredirectly. Across three preregistered experiments (n= 136), we find robust evidence for treestructure in human adults’ shape representations. First, the same shape can receivedifferent structural representations depending on how a preceding animation organizes it.Second, subparts of shapes are easier to detect when they belong to the same subtree thanwhen spanning different subtrees. Third, shape fragments are easier to reconfigure thehigher in the tree they are split. Unlike humans, state-of-the-art deep networks show nosyntactic effects whatsoever. Thus, humans—and so far only humans—encode geometricshapes in hierarchical structures, mirroring the representations used in natural languageprocessing.
True colors SNARC: Semantic number processing is highly automatic
Authors: Roth Lilly , Caffier John Pascal , Reips Ulf-Dietrich , Cipora Krzysztof , Braun Lydia , Nuerk Hans-Christoph
Published: February 2025

Numbers are highly relevant in our everyday lives. Besides intentionally processing number magnitude when necessary, we often automatically process it even when not required. The SNARC (Spatial-Numerical Association of Response Codes; Dehaene et al., 1993) effect, describing faster left-/right-sided responses to smaller/larger numbers, respectively, provides evidence for this automaticity. It arises in semantic number-processing tasks both when number magnitude is task-relevant (e.g., magnitude classification) and task-irrelevant (e.g., parity judgment). However, findings on the SNARC effect in tasks requiring the processing of non-semantic number features are mixed: while it has been observed in orientation judgment tasks, it was mostly absent in color judgment tasks. Importantly, previous studies were underpowered or did not control for confounding variables. In two highly powered online experiments, we found a small but significant SNARC effect in both nominal color judgment (cyan vs. yellow; slope = 1.71 ms) and color intensity judgment (light cyan vs. dark cyan; slope = 1.13 ms) of Arabic digits from 1 to 9 excluding 5, which did not significantly differ in size. Further, we found little evidence for the MARC (Linguistic Markedness of Response Codes, i.e., faster left-/right-sided responses to odd/even numbers, respectively; Nuerk et al., 2004) effect. Moreover, the odd effect (i.e., faster responses to even than to odd numbers; Hines, 1990) was detected. Taken together, both magnitude and parity are processed automatically even if participants respond to physical non-semantic and non-spatial number features, but the spatial mapping seems more automatic for magnitude than for parity.
Least Effort and Alignment in Task-Oriented Communication
Authors: Bruna Polyphony , Kello Chris
Published: February 2025

Conversational partners align the meanings of their words over the course of interactionto coordinate and communicate. One process of alignment is lexical entrainment, wherebypartners mirror and abbreviate their word usage to converge on shared terms for referentsrelevant to the conservation. However, lexical entrainment may result in inefficient mimicry thatdoes not add new information, suggesting that task-oriented communication may favor alignmentthrough other means. The present study investigates the process of alignment in Danishconversations in which dyads learned to categorize unfamiliar “aliens” using trial-and-errorfeedback. Performance improved as dyad communication became less verbose, measured as adecrease in the entropy of word usage. Word usage also diverged between partners as measuredby Jensen-Shannon Divergence, which indicates that alignment was not achieved through lexicalentrainment. A computational model of dyadic communication is shown to account for the aliengame results in terms of joint least effort. The model shows that alignment of partner referentscan increase as a result of minimizing both the joint entropy of dyadic word usage, and theentropy of word usage conditioned on the separate partner referent distributions. We concludethat the principle of least effort, originally proposed to shape language evolution, may alsosupport alignment in task-oriented communication.
Negativity and Identity Language Have Additive Effects on Online News Consumption
Authors: Rasmussen Jesper , Rathje Steve , Van Bavel Jay Joseph , Robertson Claire
Published: February 2025

Almost nine out of ten Americans get some of their news online, and outlets compete to monetize their attention. One strategy for news outlets to capture people’s attention is by producing headlines that activate negative feelings and make group identities salient. Prior research has found that headlines containing negative emotions or identity language receive more engagement. However, most existing research is based on correlational data, making it unclear why this content drives engagement. The present work addresses this gap by analyzing 43,932 headlines tested in randomized controlled trials that generated 164,053,523 impressions from the Upworthy Research Archive. We find that headlines containing both negativity and identity language increased the click rate by 9,9%, which is more than twice as likely as headlines containing only negative language (4.3%) and about two-thirds higher than headlines with only identity language (5.9%). We also found causal evidence in support of the out-group animosity hypothesis: Negativity about out-groups boosted engagement by 14.1%, compared to just 1.6% for negativity about in-groups. Our findings reveal that news media companies have an incentive to produce news headlines containing out-group derogation to maximize engagement, which may, in turn, heighten animosity between groups.
Enhancing Human Detection of Real and AI-Generated Hyperrealistic Faces
Authors: Seabrooke Tina , Pattni Mansi , Higham Philip Anthony
Published: February 2025

Recent advancements in generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have prompted concerns about the proliferation of deepfake content—synthetic images, audio, and videos—online. StyleGan2, a powerful generative adversarial network architecture, can generate synthetic images of human faces that appear more realistic than actual human faces—a phenomenon termed AI hyperrealism. Across four preregistered experiments (total N = 661), we tested whether a novel behavioral intervention, termed DISCERN-AI, improved people’s ability to discriminate between real and synthetic StyleGan2 images. DISCERN-AI combines instructions about which visual features are diagnostic for classifying real and synthetic images with an inductive learning training protocol. In Experiment 1, participants completed a pre-test, DISCERN-AI, and a post-test. In Experiment 2, participants underwent DISCERN-AI or a control task before completing a post-test. In Experiments 3A and 3B, participants completed a shortened version of the intervention or control task, followed by an immediate post-test and a second post-test after 20 days. In all experiments, participants showed below-chance discrimination performance (AI hyperrealism) in the pre-test and control conditions. After completing DISCERN-AI, however, participants consistently showed above-chance discrimination performance, even when tested after 20 days. Together, the results provide support for an easily scalable intervention that substantially improves people’s ability to discriminate between real and synthetic StyleGan2 images.
Do Mindsets Really Matter? A Closer Look at Social Media Perceptions and Well-Being
Authors: Parry Douglas A. , Coetzee Bronwyne
Published: February 2025

Building on the idea that subjective evaluations of social media use (SMU) may shape well-being effects, this study investigated how two “social media mindsets”—agency (perceivedcontrol over SMU) and valence (perceived effects of SMU)—relate to self-reported and loggedSMU, and four well-being indicators (depression, anxiety, stress, life satisfaction) in a SouthAfrican sample of young adults (N = 1,858; M = 21.01). Agency mindsets were negativelycorrelated with SMU and positively with well-being, while valence mindsets were associatedwith higher SMU but not to well-being. Logged SMU showed weaker associations with mindsetsand well-being than self-reported SMU, suggesting differences between perceived and actualbehaviour. The findings replicate, extend, and in some cases contradict prior research,emphasizing how users’ sense of control is more important for well-being than SMU duration orperceptions of its effects, and that more work is needed to understand whether the “mindsets”concept is fruitful.
Collective Memory and Racial Politics: Media Coverage of Black Resistance to Police Violence in New York, 1997-2000
Authors: Gaede Erin , Oliver Pamela Elaine
Published: February 2025

Academic research on Black protests often relies on elite mainstream White-centric news sources and neglects events between the 1960s and the 2010s. We compare the coverage by the New York Times and two Black newspapers of four episodes of protests about police violence in New York in the late 1990s: the killing of Amadou Diallo in 1999, which led to many protests over two years and was discussed in hundreds of news articles, and three overlapping episodes about the torture of Abner Louima in 1997 and the killings of Malcolm Ferguson and Patrick Dorismond in 2000. We find that the New York Times emphasized partisan politics as protest motivations, quoted police extensively and often printed material sympathetic to police, and typically portrayed protesters as angry or motivated by politics. Black newspapers emphasized long-term systemic problems with police, moral condemnation of police violence, the connection of current protests with past oppression and struggles, the involvement of youth, and Black immigrants’ growing awareness of anti-Blackness. Our findings elucidate that centering a “Black gaze” provides an important balance to White-centric sources and demonstrates the continuity of the Black movement in its opposition to police violence.