Search results for: psychological and sociological approach

Authors: Natalia Efremova, Sergey Tarasenko

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We propose a novel neural network architecture for visual saliency detections, which utilizes neuro physiologically plausible mechanisms for extraction of salient regions. The model has been significantly inspired by recent findings from neuro physiology and aimed to simulate the bottom-up processes of human selective attention. Two types of features were analyzed: color and direction of maximum variance. The mechanism we employ for processing those features is PCA, implemented by means of normalized Hebbian learning and the waves of spikes. To evaluate performance of our model we have conducted psychological experiment. Comparison of simulation results with those of experiment indicates good performance of our model.

Keywords: neural network models, visual saliency detection, normalized Hebbian learning, Oja's rule, psychological experiment

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Authors: Najma Najam, Rukhsana Kausar, Rabia Hussain Kanwal, Saira Batool, Anum Javed

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In Pakistan, elderly population though increasing but it has been neglected by the researchers and policy makers which resulted in compromised quality of life of the ageing population. Two regions, Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) were selected for comparison as Lahore and Multan (Punjab) are highly urbanized, large cities whereas Gilgit and Skardu are remote and mountain bounded valleys in GB. This study focuses on psychological and emotional functioning of elderly and a series of measures translated and adapted in Urdu language was used to assess quality of life, psychological and mental well-being, actual and perceived social support, attachment patterns, forgiveness, affects, geriatric depression, and emotional disturbance patterns (depression, anxiety, and stress) in elderly. A gender-equated sample of 201 elderly participants, 93 from GB (60 from Gilgit, 33 from Skardu) and 108 from Punjab (61 from Lahore, 47 from Multan) with over 60 years age was collected from the multiethnic community of Punjab and GB through purposive convenient sampling technique. Findings revealed that elderly from Multan have better psychological and emotional functioning, higher levels of social support, tendency to forgive, better mental wellbeing and quality of life and lower levels of stress, anxiety, depression, negative affect and attachment avoidance and anxiety related to partner as compared to the elderly from Lahore. Furthermore, both elderly male of Gilgit & Skardu have adequate mental well-being including subjective well-being and psychological functioning which showed positive aspects of mental health but elderly female are more attached to their home and neighbourhood which shows their social and environmental mastery. Gilgiti elderly male reported more degree of positive affect such as enthusiasm, active, alertness, excitement and strong whereas among elderly from Skardu shows more negative affect i.e. aversive mood states, irritability, hostility, and general distress. The need of psychosocial therapy and family counseling for the elderly in urban areas has been identified, which can facilitate in reducing or preventing the depressive and stressful tendencies. The findings are expected to have implications for improving quality of life of the elderly, designing interventions, support system and rehabilitation services to help them. However, findings may attract attention of policy makers and researchers as currently this is the most neglected population in Pakistan.

Keywords: psychological, emotional, aging, elderly, quality of life

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Authors: Farzane Yusef Ghanbari

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A sociological analysis on the ancient poetry of Vis and Ramin reveals important points about the political, cultural, and social conditions of the Iranian ancient history. The reciprocal relationship between the effect and structure of society helps the understanding and interpretation of the work. Therefore, informed by the Goldman genetic structuralism and through a glance at social epistemology, this study attempts to explain the role of spell in shaping the social knowledge of ancient people. The results suggest that due to the lack of a central government, and secularism in politics and freedom of speech and opinion, such romantic stories as Vis and Ramin, with a focal female character, has emerged.

Keywords: persian literature, Vis and Ramin, sociology, developmental structuralism

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Authors: Ben Main Piotr Ozieranski

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State government spending on pharmaceuticals stands at 1 trillion USD globally, promoting criticism of the pharmaceutical industry's monetization of drug efficacy, product cost overvaluation, and health injustice. This paper elucidates the mechanisms behind a state-institutional response to this problem through the sociological lens of the strategic relational approach to state power. To do so, 30 expert interviews, legal and policy documents are drawn on to explain how state elites in New Zealand have successfully contested a 30-year “pharmaceutical spending containment policy”. Proceeding from Jessop's notion of strategic “selectivity”, encompassing analyses of the enabling features of state actors' ability to harness state structures, a theoretical explanation is advanced. First, a strategic context is described that consists of dynamics around pharmaceutical dealmaking between the state bureaucracy, pharmaceutical pricing strategies (and their effects), and the industry. Centrally, the pricing strategy of "bundling" -deals for packages of drugs that combine older and newer patented products- reflect how state managers have instigated an “incentivization game” that is played by state and industry actors, including HTA professionals, over pharmaceutical products (both current and in development). Second, a protective context is described that is comprised of successive legislative-judicial responses to the strategic context and characterized by the regulation and the societalisation of commercial law. Third, within the policy, the achievement of increased pharmaceutical coverage (pharmaceutical “mix”) alongside contained spending is conceptualized as a state defence of a "social profit". As such, in contrast to scholarly expectations that political and economic cultures of neo-liberalism drive pharmaceutical policy-making processes, New Zealand's state elites' approach is shown to be antipathetic to neo-liberals within an overall capitalist economy. The paper contributes an analysis of state pricing strategies and how they are embedded in state regulatory structures. Additionally, through an analysis of the interconnections of state power and pharmaceutical value Abrahams's neo-liberal corporate bias model for pharmaceutical policy analysis is problematised.

Keywords: pharmaceutical governance, pharmaceutical bureaucracy, pricing strategies, state power, value theory

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Authors: Rashmi Tyagi, Savita Vermani

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Violence against women is the result of long-standing power imbalance between men and women and thus seriously compromises the well-being, productivity and contribution of one half the population. The costs incurred to the family especially children and society at large in terms of physical, psychological, social and financial losses are huge. The communities’ native to the state of Haryana in India is primarily patriarchal, burdened with age old regressive mindset under the socio-cultural and religious structures which discriminates against women. Therefore it was important to bring to light the issues affecting women in this region. Therefore this study focused on studying the consequences of crime on victim women and their families. Two hundred women were randomly selected and out of those one hundred twenty, who were affected with some kind of violence were interviewed. Data was collected and statistically analyzed for physical, psychological, inter-family and societal consequences of violence on these women. Women reported physical injuries, gynecological problems, unwanted pregnancies, frigidity, phobia and sexual dysfunction. 58.9% women felt decreased work efficiency. Psychological problems encountered were anxiety, isolation, depression, suicidal tendencies. 66.7% respondents suffered from anxiety followed by 65.0% faced depression symptoms. At family levels, 40.0% respondents felt the atmosphere was unsuitable for children while 39.2% reported lack of interaction. The societal consequences reported were breakdown of interaction with friends and family (44.2%) and resulting humiliation and demeaning remarks from others (38.3%). The impact of violence on women had an adverse effect on children. 36.7% children felt responsible for abuse and powerless to stop it, 29.2% reported living with fear. Concerted efforts are required to curb violence against women in Haryana.

Keywords: impact of violence against women on children, patriarchal society, physical psychological and societal consequences, violence against women

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Authors: Yiyan Wu

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In the past several decades, the market transition in China has brought in not only more opportunities for women in the labor market but also more attention to gender inequality in workplace. Although some pieces of literature have mentioned gender inequality and segregation at workplace in China, the paper looks into the variations of gender inequality and segregation: working women have little feeling about 'hierarchical inequalities', which define the status and position of women at the workplace. However, at the same time, they unconsciously reinforced 'horizontal inequalities', which creates gender segregation across occupations and job titles. Using qualitative interviews with women employers and employees of various occupations and job titles in Eastern and Southern China, this paper finds evidence that working women's understandings of the division of labor based on the characteristics and expectations of women and men are not as a result of rationality and efficiency, but instead, are the products of gendered stereotypes and traditions. However, holding positive views of gender equality at workplace, working women are not aware of the existence and influence of such gendered stereotypes and traditions. By distinguishing the concepts of 'horizontal inequality' and 'hierarchical inequality' with a cultural sociological approach, this paper contributes to the understanding of gender inequality and segregation in contemporary Chinese society. Moreover, this paper explains the logic behind the paradox in which gender inequality and segregation at workplace persist while women are feeling equal.

Keywords: gender equality, segregation, hierarchical inequality, horizontal inequality, China

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Authors: Himansu, Bedanga Talukdar

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The aim of present study is to investigate the prevalence of various health outcomes and quality of life and analyzes the moderating role of social capital on health outcomes (i.e., self-rated good health (SRH), depression, functional health and quality of life) among elderly in India. Using WHO Study on Global AGEing and adults health (SAGE) data, with sample of 6559 elderly between 50 and above (Mage=61.81, SD=9.00) age were selected for analysis. Multivariate analysis accessed the prevalence of SRH, depression, functional limitation and quality of life among older adults. Logistic regression evaluates the effect of social capital along with other co-founders on SRH, depression, and functional limitation, whereas linear regression evaluates the effect of social capital with other co-founders on quality of life (QoL) among elderly. Empirical results reveal that (74%) of respondents were married, (70%) having low social action, (46%) medium sociability, (45%) low trust-solidarity, (58%) high safety, (65%) medium civic engagement and 37% reported medium psychological resources. The multivariate analysis, explains (SRH) is associated with age, female, having education, higher social action great trust, safety and greater psychological resources. Depression among elderly is greatly related to age, sex, education and higher wealth, higher sociability, having psychological resources. QoL is negatively associated with age, sex, being Muslim, whereas positive associated with higher education, currently married, civic engagement, having wealth, social action, trust and solidarity, safeness, and strong psychological resources.

Keywords: depressive symptom, functional limitation, older adults, quality of life, self rated health, social capital

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Authors: B. Gechbaia, K. Goletiani, G. Gabedava, N. Mikeltadze

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At this stage, Georgia is a country which is actively involved in the European integration process, for which the primary priority is effective integration in the European education system. The modern Georgian higher education system is the process of establishing a new sociocultural reality, whose main priorities are determined by the Quality System as a continuous cycle of planning, implementation, checking and acting. Obviously, in this situation, the issue of management of education institutions comes out in the foreground, since the proper planning and implementation of personnel management processes is one of the main determinants of the company's performance. At the same time, one of the most important factors is the psychological comfort of the personnel, ensuring their protection and efficiency of stress management policy. The purpose of this research is to determine how intensely the relationship is between the psychological comfort of the personnel and the efficiency of the quality system in the institution as the quality assurance mechanisms of educational institutions affect the stability of personnel, prevention and management of the stressful situation. The research was carried out within the framework of the Internal Grant Project «The Role of Organizational Culture in the Process of Settlement of Management of Stress and Conflict, Georgian Reality and European Experience » of the Batumi Navigation Teaching University, based on the analysis of the survey results of target groups. The small-scale research conducted by us has revealed that the introduction of quality assurance system and its active implementation increased the quality of management of Georgian educational institutions, increased the level of universal engagement in internal and external processes and as a result, it has improved the quality of education as well as social and psychological comfort indicators of the society.

Keywords: quality assurance, effective management, stability of personnel, psychological comfort, stress management

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Authors: Chiara Cosentino, Carlo Pruneti, Carla Merisio, Domenico Sgromo

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Introduction – Psychoneuroimmunology as approach clearly showed how psychological features can influence health through specific physiological pathways linked to the stress reaction. This can be true also in cancer, in its latter conceptualization seen as a chronic disease. Therefore, it is still not clear how the psychological features can combine with a physiological specific path, for a better adjustment to cancer. The aim of this study is identifying how in Italian survivors, perceived social support, body image, coping and quality of life correlate with or influence Heart Rate Variability (HRV), the physiological parameter that can mirror a condition of chronic stress or a good relaxing capability. Method - The study had an exploratory transversal design. The final sample was made of 38 ovarian cancer survivors aged from 29 to 80 (M= 56,08; SD=12,76) following a program for Ovarian Cancer at the Oncological Clinic, University Hospital of Parma, Italy. Participants were asked to fill: Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS); Derridford Appearance Scale-59 (DAS-59); Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC); Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC). For each participant was recorded Short-Term HRV (5 minutes) using emWavePro. Results– Data showed many interesting correlations within the psychological features. EORTC scores have a significant correlation with DAS-59 (r =-.327 p <.05), MSPSS (r =.411 p<.05), and MAC scores, in particular with the strategy Fatalism (r =.364 p<.05). A good social support improves HRV (F(1,33)= 4.27 p<.05). Perceiving themselves as effective in their environment, preserving a good role functioning (EORTC), positively affects HRV (F(1,33)=9.810 p<.001). Women admitting concerns towards body image seem prone to emotive disclosure, reducing emotional distress and improving HRV (β=.453); emotional avoidance worsens HRV (β=-.391). Discussion and conclusion - Results showed a strong relationship between body image and Quality of Life. These data suggest that higher concerns on body image, in particular, the negative self-concept linked to appearance, was linked to the worst functioning in everyday life. The relation between the negative self-concept and a reduction in emotional functioning is understandable in terms of possible distress deriving from the perception of body appearance. The relationship between a high perceived social support and a better functioning in everyday life was also confirmed. In this sample fatalism, was associated with a better physical, role and emotional functioning. In these women, the presence of a good support may activate the physiological Social Engagement System improving their HRV. Perceiving themselves effective in their environment, preserving a good role functioning, also positively affects HRV, probably following the same physiological pathway. A higher presence of concerns about appearance contributes to a higher HRV. Probably women admitting more body concerns are prone to a better emotive disclosure. This could reduce emotional distress improving HRV and global health. This study reached preliminary demonstration of an ‘Integrated Model of Defense’ in these cancer survivors. In these model, psychological features interact building a better quality of life and a condition of psychological well-being that is associated and influence HRV, then the physiological condition.

Keywords: cancer survivors, heart rate variability, ovarian cancer, psychophysiological adjustment

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Authors: T. Northcut, A. Rai, N. Perkins

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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a serious impact on academia in general and social work education in particular, changing permanently the way in which we approach educating students. The new reality of the pandemic coupled with the much-needed focus on racism across the country inspired and required educators to get creative with their teaching styles in order to disrupt the power imbalance in the classroom and attend to the multiple layers of needs of diverse students in precarious sociological and economic circumstances. This paper highlights research examining educators with distinctive positionalities and approaches to classroom instruction who use feminist and antiracist pedagogies while adapting to online teaching during the pandemic. Despite being feminist scholars, whose ideologies developed during different waves of feminism, our commitment to having student-led classrooms, liberation, and equity of all, and striving for social change, unified our feminist teaching pedagogies as well as provided interpersonal support. Methodology: Following a narrative qualitative inquiry methodology, the five authors of this paper came together to discuss our pedagogical styles and underlying values using Zoom in a series of six conversations. Narrative inquiry is an appropriate method to use when researchers are bound by common stories or personal experiences. The use of feminist pedagogy in the classroom before and during the pandemic guided the discussions. After six sessions, we reached the point of data saturation. All data from the dialogic process was recorded and transcribed. We used in vivo, narrative, and descriptive coding for the data analytic process. Results: Analysis of the data revealed several themes, which included (1) the influence of our positionalities as an intersection of race, sexual orientation, gender, and years of teaching experience in the classroom, (2) the meaning and variations between different liberatory pedagogical approaches, (3) the tensions between these approaches and institutional policies and practices, (4) the role of self-reflection in everyday teaching, (5) the distinctions between theory and practice and its utility for students, and (6) the challenges of applying a feminist-centered pedagogical approach during the pandemic while utilizing an online platform. As a collective, we discussed several challenges that limited the use of our feminist pedagogical approaches due to instruction through Zoom.

Keywords: feminist, pedagogy, COVID, zoom

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Authors: Barbara Rebecca Mutonyi, Chukwuemeka Echebiri, Terje Slåtten, Gudbrand Lien

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The concept of affective commitment to change has been scarcely explored among employees in the higher education literature. The present study addresses this knowledge gap in the literature by examining how various psychological factors, such as psychological empowerment (PsyEmp), and psychological capital (PsyCap), promotes affective commitment to change. As affective commitment to change has been identified by previous studies as an important aspect to implementation behavior, the study examines the correlation of affective commitment to change on employee innovative behavior (EIB) in higher education. The study proposes mediation relationship between PsyEmp, PsyCap, and affective commitment to change. 250 employees in higher education in Norway were sampled for this study. The study employed online survey for data collection, utilizing Stata software to perform Partial least square equation modeling to test the proposed hypotheses of the study. Through bootstrapping, the study was able to test for mediating effects. Findings of the study shows a strong direct relationship between the leadership factor PsyEmp on the individual factor PsyCap ( = 0.453). In addition, the findings of the study reveal that both PsyEmp and PsyCap are related to affective commitment to change ( = 0.28 and  = 0.249, respectively). In total, PsyEmp and PsyCap explains about 10% of the variance in the concept of affective commitment to change. Further, the direct effect of effective commitment to change and EIB is also supported ( = 0.183). The three factors, PsyEmp, PsyCap, and affective commitment to change, explains nearly 40% (R2 = 0.39) of the variance found in EIB. The relationship between PsyEmp, PsyCap, and affective commitment to change are mediated through the individual factor PsyCap. In order to effectively promote affective commitment to change among higher education employees, higher education managers should focus on both the leadership factor, PsyEmp, as well as the individual factor, PsyCap, of their employees. In this regard, higher education managers should strengthen employees EIB through providing autonomy, creating a safe environment that encourages innovation thinking and action, and providing employees in higher education opportunities to be involved in changes occurring at work. This contributes to strengthening employees´ affective commitment to change, that further improves their EIB in their work roles as higher education employees. As such, the results of this study implicate the ambidextrous nature of the concepts of affective commitment to change and EIB that should be considered in future studies of innovation in higher education research.

Keywords: affective commitment to change, psychological capital, innovative behavior, psychological empowerment, higher education

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Authors: Dian Hartiningsih, Miranda Diponegoro, Evita Eddie Singgih

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In facing the 21st century, children need to be prepared in reaching their optimum development level which encompasses all aspect of growth and to achieve the learning goals which include not only knowledge and skill, but also disposition and feeling. Teachers as the forefront of education need to be equipped with the understanding and skill of a learning method which can prepare the children to face this 21st century challenge. Project approach is an approach which utilizes active learning which is beneficial for the children. Subject to this research are kindergarten teachers at Dwi Matra Kindergarten and Kirana Preschool. This research is a quantitative research using before and after study design. The result suggest that through preliminary training program on learning with project approach, the kindergarten teachers ability to explain project approach including understanding, benefit and stages of project approach have increased significantly, the teachers ability to design learning with project approach have also improved significantly. The result of learning design that the teachers had made shows a remarkable result for the first stage of the project approach; however the second and third design result was not as optimal. Challenges faced in the research will be elaborated further in the research discussion.

Keywords: project approach, teacher training, learning method, kindergarten

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Authors: Sofiene Amara, Mohamed Ali Bahri, Sabri Gaied Chortane

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The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of personal goal setting on psychological parameters (cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety, and self-confidence) and the 50m freestyle performance. 30 young swimmers participated in this investigation, and was divided into three groups, the first group (G1, n = 10, 14 ± 0.7 years old) was prepared for the competition without a fixed target (method 1), the second group (G2, n = 10, 14 ± 0.9 years old) was oriented towards a vague goal 'Do your best' (method 2), while the third group (G3, n = 10, 14 ± 0, 5 years old) was invited to answer a goal that is difficult to reach according to a goal-setting interval (GST) (method 3). According to the statistical data of the present investigation, the cognitive and somatic anxiety scores in G1 and G3 were higher than in G2 (G1-G2, G3-G2: cognitive anxiety, P = 0.000, somatic anxiety: P = 0.000 respectively). On the other hand, the self-confidence score was lower in G1 compared with the other two groups (G1-G2, G3-G2: P = 0.02, P = 0.03 respectively). Our assessment also shows that the 50m freestyle time performance was improved better by method 3 (pre and post-Test: P = 0.006, -2.5sec, 7.83%), than by method 2 (pre and Post-Test: P = 0.03; -1sec; 3.24%), while, performance remained unchanged in G1 (P > 0.05). To conclude, the setting of a difficult goal by GST is more effective to improve the chronometric performance in the 50m freestyle, but at the same time increased the values ​​of the cognitive and somatic anxiety. For this, the mental trainers and the staff technical, invited to develop models of mental preparation associated with this method of setting a goal to help swimmers on the psychological level.

Keywords: cognitive anxiety, goal setting, performance of swimming freestyle, self-confidence, somatic anxiety

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Authors: Silvia Gagliardi, Orlaith Rice

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This article provides a qualitative evaluation of 'Gaisce - The President's Award' for youth in Irish prisons. Building on previous research on Gaisce, this article makes space for marginalized voices to provide their own feedback on the program they participate in while in custody. Both strengths and limitations in undertaking a positive youth development program in prison are identified and examined. More research with vulnerable and marginalized participants, such as youth in prison, is recommended as a way to further improve youth development programs and thus enhance the opportunities for self-development and psychological wellbeing for youth, including in custodial settings.

Keywords: Gaisce, president's award, youth development program, youth in custody, hope, psychological wellbeing, Ireland, qualitative research, covid-19

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Authors: Elena G. Diryugina, Maria A. Dovger, Maria V. Lunkina, Alexandra A. Ianchenko

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The personality development and well-being of children have become important focuses of school education and indicators of its quality. The studies show that academic success depends more on personality and motivation than on intelligence and giftedness. Those personality resources that help a person to maintain well-being both here and now and in the future constitute their personality potential. The development of schoolchildrens' personality potential can help them meet the challenges of the modern world and achieve new educational goals. At the same time, it is noted that the pedagogical factor is one of the most significant in relation to schoolchildrens' success and well-being. What is important for teachers to develop in order to make their students feel more competent and maintain well-being? As part of the Developmental Environment Programme of the Charitable Foundation ‘Investment in the Future’, a longitudinal study of the personality potential and well-being of educators and schoolchildren was conducted from 2018 to 2023. More than 2,500 teachers and over 4,000 students from Russia took part. It was found that behind a teacher's communication style, an important construct that influences the motivation of schoolchildren and the satisfaction of their basic psychological needs, is the personal potential of that teacher. Their personality potential correlates with the social-emotional development of schoolchildren in junior grades. A teacher's communication style with adolescents contributes to their academic motivation, self-esteem and satisfaction with life and learning. In addition, child well-being cannot be promoted in isolation from attention to the psychological well-being of teachers. Their social well-being and engagement are higher when they are included in professional learning communities. The results will be helpful for both positive education researchers and practitioners to identify an approach to child personality development and well-being that is achieved primarily through the personality development and well-being of school staff members and mostly teachers.

Keywords: Personality development, personality potential, schoolchildren, teaching style, well-being

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Authors: Shirko Ahmadi, Ahmad Fallahi, Marco C. Uchida, Gustavo L. Gutierrez

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The aims of the present study are to assess and compare the health habits and quality of life (QoL) of Iranian amateur athletes in different sports. A total of 120 male amateur athletes between 17 and 31 years, engaged in 16 kinds of sports which include team (n=44), individual (n=40) and combat sports (n=36) from sports clubs in the west cities of Iran; and also those not involved in any competition in the past. Additionally, this is a cross-sectional, descriptive observational study, which the subjects completed the WHOQOL-brief questionnaire to evaluate QoL. The questionnaire is composed of 26 questions in four domains (physical health, psychological, social and environmental domains), that was applied in the Persian language. Information on the frequency and duration of training sessions were also collected. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to verify normal distribution, followed by the chi-squared test for proportions and simple analysis of variance for comparisons between groups of sports. Pearson’s correlation was used to assess the relationships between the variables analyzed. According to the findings, those from individual sports obtained highest points in the all domains of QoL; physical domains (87.1 ± 8.1 point), psychological domains (87.6 ± 9.6 point), social domains (89.7 ± 9.2 point), environmental domains (75.5± 10.7 point) and overall QoL score (84.9 ± 9.4 point). Generally, social domains were the highest QoL index (84.3 ± 7.2 points), and environmental domains were the lowest QoL index (68.1 ± 10.8 points), in all of the sports. No correlations were found between QoL domains and time engaged in the sport (r = 0.01; p = 0.93), number of weekly training sessions (r = 0.09; p = 0.37) and session duration (r = -0.06; p= 0.58). Comparison of QoL results with those of the general population revealed higher levels in the physical and psychological components of amateur athletes. In the present study, engaging in sports was associated with higher QoL levels in amateur athletes, particularly in the physical and psychological domains. Moreover, correlations were found between the overall score and domains of QoL.

Keywords: amateur, domains, Iranian, quality of life

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Authors: Ewenam Gbormittah

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Because of the effects of the pandemic, companies are focusing on the future of work arrangements for their employees. This includes adapting to a remote or hybrid working model. It is important that employers provide those working remotely or in a hybrid mode a rewarding onboarding experience and opportunities for interaction. Although, Information & Communication Technologies (ICT) have transformed the ways organisations manage employees over the years, there is still a need for a platform where organisations can adjust their onboarding to suit the social and interactive aspects of their employees, to facilitate successful integration. This study aimed to explore this matter by investigating whether Virtual Reality (VR) technology contributes to new employees integration into the organisation during their job-onboarding (JOB) process. The research questions are as follows: (1) To what extent does VR have an impact on employees successful integration into the organisation, and (2) How does VR help elements of new employees Psychological Contract (PC) during the course of interactions. An exploratory case study approach, which consisted of a semi-structured interview was conducted on 20 employees, split from two different case organisations. The results of the data were analysed according to each case, and then a cross-case comparison was provided. The results have generated 8 themes, presenting in excess of 7 sub-themes for CS1 and presented 7 themes, in excess of 7 sub-themes for CS2. The cross-case analysis has revealed that VR does have the potential to support employees integration into the organisation. However, the effects were shown to be stronger for employees in CS2, compared to employees in CS1. The results highlight practical implications for onboarding psychology and strategic talent solutions within recruitment. Such strategy this research particularly outlines, involves providing insights on how to manage the PC of employees from the recruitment stage to creating successful employment relationships.

Keywords: job-onboarding, psychological contract, virtual reality, case study one, case study two

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Authors: Yu-Fong Lin

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The main purpose of this study is to explore the impact of different lighting arrangements that create different visual environments in a 3C retail store on the perception, psychology, and shopping tendencies of consumers of different genders. In recent years, the ‘emotional shopping’ model has been widely accepted in the consumer market; in addition to the emotional meaning and value of a product, the in-store ‘shopping atmosphere’ has also been increasingly regarded as significant. The lighting serves as an important environmental stimulus that influences the atmosphere of a store. Altering the lighting can change the color, the shape, and the atmosphere of a space. A successful retail lighting design can not only attract consumers’ attention and generate their interest in various goods, but it can also affect consumers’ shopping approach, behavior, and desires. 3C electronic products have become mainstream in the current consumer market. Consumers of different genders may demonstrate different behaviors and preferences within a 3C store environment. This study tests the impact of a combination of lighting contrasts and color temperatures in a 3C retail store on the visual perception and psychological reactions of consumers of different genders. The research design employs an experimental method to collect data from subjects and then uses statistical analysis adhering to a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design to identify the influences of different lighting environments. This study utilizes virtual reality technology as the primary method by which to create four virtual store lighting environments. The four lighting conditions are as follows: high contrast/cool tone, high contrast/warm tone, low contrast/cool tone, and low contrast/warm tone. Differences in the virtual lighting and the environment are used to test subjects’ visual perceptions, emotional reactions, store satisfaction, approach-avoidance intentions, and spatial atmosphere preferences. The findings of our preliminary test indicate that female subjects have a higher pleasure response than male subjects in a 3C retail store. Based on the findings of our preliminary test, the researchers modified the contents of the questionnaires and the virtual 3C retail environment with different lighting conditions in order to conduct the final experiment. The results will provide information about the effects of retail lighting on the environmental psychology and the psychological reactions of consumers of different genders in a 3C retail store lighting environment. These results will enable useful practical guidelines about creating 3C retail store lighting and atmosphere for retailers and interior designers to be established.

Keywords: 3C retail store, environmental stimuli, lighting, virtual reality

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Authors: Judita Konečná, Dagmar Halo, Martin Matoulek

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Background: Personality pathology does not have to be a contraindication nor an obstacle in obesity treatment, or eventually, surgical treatment. Detection of specific maladaptive personality traits can help us understand the manner of behavior leading to obesity as well as to address the treatment better. Objective: Using The Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) in combination with clinical interviews with the goal of gaining a psychological evaluation to set the treatment procedure. Data was collected from more than 400 patients to detect differences in constellations of maladaptive personality traits based on BMI, DM2 and gender. Conclusions: Besides the fact that a psychological evaluation can help address the treatment better, analyses showed that it is also useful to detect specific groups of patients. Implications for clinical practice are discussed, as well as recommendations for group education programs based on quantitative research.

Keywords: bariatric surgery, obesity, personality traits, PID-5, treatment

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Authors: R. Granger-Ellis, R. B. Speaker, Jr., P. J. Austin

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This research study examined more than 340 gifted and talented students enrolled in various gifted and talented programs in a large southeastern United States metropolitan area (creative arts, urban charters, suburban public schools) for socio-affective psychological development and whether a particular curriculum encouraged developmental growth. This study focused on students receiving distinctive gifted and talented curricula (creative arts, arts-integrated, and academic acceleration) and analyzed for (1) socio-affective development levels and (2) whether a particular curriculum encouraged developmental growth. Research questions guiding the study: (1) How do academically and artistically gifted 10th and 11th grade students perform on psychological scales of social and emotional intelligence? (2) Do adolescents receiving distinctive gifted and talented curriculum differ in their socio-affective developmental profiles? Students’ performances on psychometric scales were compared over time and by curriculum type. Over the first semester of the academic year, participants took pre- and post-tests assessing socio-affective intelligence (BarOn EQ-I: YV). Differences in growth on these psychological scales (individuals and programs) were examined. Program artifacts provided insight for curriculum correlation.

Keywords: gifted and talented curriculum, social and emotional development, moral development, socio-affective curriculum

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Authors: Beatriz Garcia-Juan, Ana B. Escrig-Tena, Vicente Roca-Puig

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The aim of this article is to conduct a theoretical and empirical study in order to examine how the goal orientation (GO) of public employees affects the relationship between the structural and psychological empowerment that they experience at their workplaces. In doing so, we follow structural empowerment (SE) and psychological empowerment (PE) conceptualizations, and relate them to the public administration framework. Moreover, we review arguments from GO theories, and previous related contributions. Empowerment has emerged as an important issue in the public sector organization setting in the wake of mainstream New Public Management (NPM), the new orientation in the public sector that aims to provide a better service for citizens. It is closely linked to the drive to improve organizational effectiveness through the wise use of human resources. Nevertheless, it is necessary to combine structural (managerial) and psychological (individual) approaches in an integrative study of empowerment. SE refers to a set of initiatives that aim the transference of power from managerial positions to the rest of employees. PE is defined as psychological state of competence, self-determination, impact, and meaning that an employee feels at work. Linking these two perspectives will lead to arrive at a broader understanding of the empowerment process. Specifically in the public sector, empirical contributions on this relationship are therefore important, particularly as empowerment is a very useful tool with which to face the challenges of the new public context. There is also a need to examine the moderating variables involved in this relationship, as well as to extend research on work motivation in public management. It is proposed the study of the effect of individual orientations, such as GO. GO concept refers to the individual disposition toward developing or confirming one’s capacity in achievement situations. Employees’ GO may be a key factor at work and in workforce selection processes, since it explains the differences in personal work interests, and in receptiveness to and interpretations of professional development activities. SE practices could affect PE feelings in different ways, depending on employees’ GO, since they perceive and respond differently to such practices, which is likely to yield distinct PE results. The model is tested on a sample of 521 Spanish local authority employees. Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to test the research hypotheses using SPSS 22 computer software. The results do not confirm the direct link between SE and PE, but show that learning goal orientation has considerable moderating power in this relationship, and its interaction with SE affects employees’ PE levels. Therefore, the combination of SE practices and employees’ high levels of LGO are important factors for creating psychologically empowered staff in public organizations.

Keywords: goal orientation, moderating effect, psychological empowerment, structural empowerment

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Authors: Barkaoui Asma

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In our article, we use the economic approach of measuring advertising effectiveness to show the margin of advertising spread gained through digital communication. For economists, profit maximization depends on determining the optimal advertising budget. For this, they use the theories of the marginalist current to determine when the maximum level of benefits is reached. Using the economic approach we show the significant return on investment for advertisers. We then discuss the risks of perception of advertising pressure by consumers.

Keywords: digital advertising, economic approach, effectiveness, pressure

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Authors: Samig Ibayev

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This research addresses the problem of illegal child abuse content on the Twitter platform bypassing filtering systems and appearing before users from a social-anthropological perspective. Although the wide access opportunities provided by social media platforms to their users are beneficial in many ways, it is seen that they contain gaps that pave the way for the spread of harmful and illegal content. The aim of the study is to examine the inadequacies of the current content filtering mechanisms of the Twitter platform, to understand the psychological effects of young users unintentionally encountering such content and the social dimensions of this situation. The research was conducted with a qualitative approach and was conducted using digital ethnography, content analysis and user experiences on the Twitter platform. Digital ethnography was used to observe the frequency of child abuse content on the platform and how these contents were presented. The content analysis method was used to reveal the gaps in Twitter's current filtering mechanisms. In addition, detailed information was collected on the extent of psychological effects and how the perception of trust in social media changed through interviews with young users exposed to such content. The main contributions of the research are to highlight the weaknesses in the content moderation and filtering mechanisms of social media platforms, to reveal the negative effects of illegal content on users, and to offer suggestions for preventing the spread of such content. As a result, it is suggested that platforms such as Twitter should improve their content filtering policies in order to increase user security and fulfill their social responsibilities. This research aims to create significant awareness about social media content management and ethical responsibilities on digital platforms.

Keywords: Twitter, child exploitation, content filtering, digital ethnography, social anthropology

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Authors: Chen-Yu Chien, Shiow-Fang Shieh

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Tattoos are the most intimate form of body art. Unlike other art forms, tattoos emphasize breaking through tradition, innovation, and creativity. The designs created by tattoo artists are often regarded as true works of art. In recent years, there has been a notable increase in athletes with tattoos, thereby amplifying the beliefs and psychological expressions conveyed by tattoos on athletes compared to the past. The primary objectives of this study are 1. to explore and understand the presence and significance of tattoos for athletes and 2. to examine the impact of tattoos on athletes' performance. This study employs a semi-structured, in-depth interview method utilizing purposive sampling. The participants are athletes who have engaged in regular exercise for more than three years and have tattoos. A total of 10 athletes were interviewed, including 9 males and 1 female, aged between 24 and 43 years, each with different sports specializations. The sample was collected using snowball sampling. Results and Discussion: 1. For athletes, tattoos are not merely body decorations but serve to reinforce their inner beliefs, thereby enhancing their athletic performance. 2. Tattoos have a positive impact on the appearance of athletes. 3. The influence of tattoos on athletic performance extends beyond physical appearance, serving as a psychological motivation and support. 4. Individuals with tattoos tend to be more outgoing and extroverted, with higher impulsivity and adventurousness in their athletic endeavors. Conclusion: I. For athletes, tattoos not only have a positive impact on their appearance but also strengthen their internal beliefs. II. Athletes with tattoos exhibit not only greater extroversion and openness but also heightened impulsivity and adventurousness in their athletic performance.

Keywords: tattoo, athletes, athletic performance, psychological impact, body art

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Authors: Imen Elleuch, Wael Ouarda, Gargouri Bilel

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We proposes in this paper a Deep Learning based approach to classify text in order to enrich an Arabic ontology based on the objects classes of Gaston Gross. Those object classes are defined by taking into account the syntactic and semantic features of the treated language. Thus, our proposed approach is a hybrid one. In fact, it is based on the one hand on the object classes that represents a knowledge based-approach on classification of text and in the other hand it uses the deep learning approach that use the word embedding-based-approach to classify text. We have applied our proposed approach on a corpus constructed from an Arabic dictionary. The obtained semantic classification of text will enrich the Arabic objects classes ontology. In fact, new classes can be added to the ontology or an expansion of the features that characterizes each object class can be updated. The obtained results are compared to a similar work that treats the same object with a classical linguistic approach for the semantic classification of text. This comparison highlight our hybrid proposed approach that can be ameliorated by broaden the dataset used in the deep learning process.

Keywords: deep-learning approach, object-classes, semantic classification, Arabic

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Authors: Siti Rodliyah, Andrik Purwasito, Bani Sudardi, Abdullah Wakit

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This study employs sociological-ethnographic basic method and the cultural studies paradigm as the approach in understanding the habitus within the customary marriage of the East Nusa Tenggara society who require belis as a bride-price. The conceptual basis underlying the application of habitus theory and symbolic power in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) society refers to the Bourdieu’s framework. This study is a result of participatory observation on habitus of a marital system using belis observed by the NTT society as a cognitive structure which connects individuals to the social activities of the customary marriage and makes it unquestionable habits. Knowledge of the social world under the pretext of prosperity for the recipients (family) of a bride-price can be a political instrument for the sustainability of power relations. The ritual-mythical system in the society has never been fully present as a neutral habit. The habitus reflected in the marital relationship among the NTT society enables the men to obtain and exercise their power relations. The sustainability of power relations can be seen from the representation of the social status of a girl and the properties attached to her. This is what gave birth to a symbolic rule, in which the social rules about bride-price or belis eventually will serve the interests of those who occupy a dominant position in the social structure, namely the rich men.

Keywords: belis, habitus, East Nusa Tenggara, marital system, power, symbolic

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Authors: Nadia Ben Youssef, Aicha Bouzid

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Gradient estimation is one of the most fundamental tasks in the field of image processing in general, and more particularly for color images since that the research in color image gradient remains limited. The widely used gradient method is Di Zenzo’s gradient operator, which is based on the measure of squared local contrast of color images. The proposed gradient mechanism, presented in this paper, is based on the principle of the Di Zenzo’s approach using quaternion representation. This edge detector is compared to a marginal approach based on multiscale product of wavelet transform and another vector approach based on quaternion convolution and vector gradient approach. The experimental results indicate that the proposed color gradient operator outperforms marginal approach, however, it is less efficient then the second vector approach.

Keywords: gradient, edge detection, color image, quaternion

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Authors: Uhde Serenay Sunay, Alev Yalçınkaya

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Emotional abuse is one of the most challenging forms of violence to define, and many individuals often unknowingly experience emotional abuse. Existing literature has found that individuals who have experienced psychological abuse tend to suffer from depression, low self-esteem, a decreased sense of autonomy, fear, and an increased risk of suicide. Current research indicates that physical abuse in romantic relationships is often accompanied by emotional abuse, supporting the idea that identifying emotional abuse is an essential factor in romantic relationships. On the other hand, studies on emotional abuse between partners in romantic relationships are limited. This study investigated attitudes towards emotional abuse among Turkish university students. Gender differences were investigated.Additionally, the study examined whether the degree of emotional abuse was related to attitudes towards emotional abuse. A total of 243 university students participated in the research, with 156 female and 87 male participants. Participants' attitudes toward emotional abuse were measured using the Turkish adaptation of Follingstad Psychological Aggression Scale and hypothetical scenarios created by the researchers. The results revealed that attitudes of women and men vary significantly in attack looks/sexuality, fidelity, gender roles, and jealousy subscales of Follingstad Psychological Aggression Scale. Furthermore, attitudes towards moderate-level and severe-level emotional abuse exhibit statistically significant variability by gender, while attitudes towards mild-level emotional abuse do not.

Keywords: emotional abuse, gender differences, Turkish culture, university students

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Authors: Azadeh Yaraghchi, Reza Bagherian Sararoodi, Niknaz Salehi Moghadam, Mohammad Hossein Mandegar, Adis Kraskian Mujembari, Omid Rezaei

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Background: Quality of life is one of the most important consequences of disease in psychosomatic disorders. Many psychological factors are considered in predicting quality of life in patients with coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). The present study was aimed to determine the relationship between perceived social support and quality of life in patients with coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Methods: The population included 82 patients who had undergone CABG from October 2014 to May 2015 in four different hospitals in Tehran. The patients were evaluated with Multi-dimension scale of perceived social support (MSPSS) and after three months follow up were evaluated by Short-Form quality of life questionnaire (SF-36). The obtained data were analyzed through Pearson correlation test and multiple variable regression models. Findings: A relationship between perceived social support and quality of life in patients with CABG was observed (r=0.374, p<0.01). The results showed that 22.4% of variation in quality of life is predicted by perceived social support components (p<0.01, R2 =0.224). Conclusion: Based on the results, perceived social support is one of the predictors of quality of life in patients with coronary artery bypass graft. Accordingly, these results can be useful in conceiving proactive policies, detecting high risk patients and planning for psychological interventions.

Keywords: coronary artery bypass graft, perceived social support, psychological factors, quality of life

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Authors: Syue-Wen Lin

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Objective: This article explores the nursing experience of an 84-year-old male lung cancer patient who underwent a thoracoscopic right lower lobectomy and treatment. The patient has multiple medical histories, including hypertension and diabetes. The nursing process involved cancer treatment, postoperative pain management, as well as wound care and healing. Methods: The nursing period is from February 10 to February 17, 2024. During the nursing process, pain management strategies are implemented, including morphine drugs and non-drug methods, and music therapy, essential oil massage, and extended reception time are used to make patients feel physically and mentally comfortable so as to reduce postoperative pain and encourage active participation in rehabilitation. Strict sterile wound dressing procedures and advanced wound care techniques are used to promote wound healing and prevent infection. Due to septic shock, dialysis is used to relieve worsening symptoms. Taking into account the patient's cancer status, the nursing team provides comprehensive cancer care based on the patient's physical and psychological needs. Given the complexity of the patient's condition, including advanced cancer, palliative care is also incorporated throughout the care process to relieve discomfort and provide psychological support. Results: Through comprehensive health assessment, the nursing team fully understood the patient's condition and developed a personalized care plan based on the patient's condition. The interprofessional critical care team provides respiratory therapy and lung expansion exercises to reduce muscle loss while addressing the patient's psychological status, pain management, and vital sign stabilization needs, resulting in a comprehensive approach to care. Lung expansion exercises and the use of a high-frequency chest wall oscillation vest successfully improved sputum drainage and facilitated weaning from mechanical ventilation. In addition, helping patients stabilize their vital signs and the integration of cancer care, pain management, wound care and palliative care helps the patient be fully supported throughout the recovery process, ultimately improving his quality of life. Conclusion: Lung cancer and septic shock present significant challenges to patients, and the nursing team not only provides critical care but also addresses the unique needs of patients through comprehensive infection control, cancer care, pain management, wound care, and palliative care interventions. These measures effectively improve patients' quality of life, promote recovery, and provide compassionate palliative care for terminally ill patients. Nursing staff work closely with family members to develop a comprehensive care plan to ensure that patients receive high-quality medical care as well as psychological support and a comfortable recovery environment.

Keywords: septic shock, lung cancer, palliative care, nursing experience

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