African Buffalo and the Human Societies in Africa: Social Values and Interaction Outcomes

Purpose of the study: The development of digital technology has brought about significant changes in the patterns of social interaction and learning outcomes of children, including in developing countries such as Nigeria. This study aims to investigate the impact of new media use on the social interaction and learning outcomes of children aged 8–12 years in Nigeria. Methodology: Using a mixed-method approach with a sequential explanatory design, data were collected from 220 respondents through questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Main Findings: The results showed that the majority of children use digital media, such as mobile phones and computers, not only for entertainment but also as a means of learning and social communication. A total of 59.6% of respondents had a good level of media use, while 64.6% demonstrated good social interaction, and 62.3% achieved positive learning outcomes. Regression analysis showed that new media use contributed 64.3% to the variation in children's social interaction and learning outcomes. This study confirms that with proper supervision and direction, digital media can be an effective tool to support children's social and academic development. Novelty/Originality of this study: These findings have important implications for education policy and the active role of parents and teachers in assisting children's use of digital media.

Social cognition, social skill, and social motivation have been extensively researched and characterized as atypical in autistic people, with the assumption that each mechanistically contributes to the broader social interaction difficulties that diagnostically define the condition. Despite this assumption, research has not directly assessed whether or how these three social domains contribute to actual real-world social interaction outcomes for autistic people. The current study administered standardized measures of social cognition, social skill, and social motivation to 67 autistic and 58 non-autistic (NA) adults and assessed whether performance on these measures, both individually and relationally between dyadic partners, predicted outcomes for autistic and NA adults interacting with unfamiliar autistic and NA partners in a 5 minute unstructured “get to know you” conversation. Consistent with previous research, autistic adults scored lower than NA adults on the three social domains and were evaluated less favorably by their conversation partners. However, links between autistic adults' performance on the three social domains and their social interaction outcomes were minimal and, contrary to prediction, only the social abilities of NA adults predicted some interaction outcomes within mixed diagnostic dyads. Collectively, results suggest that reduced performance by autistic adults on standardized measures of social cognition, social skill, and social motivation do not correspond in clear and predictable ways with their real-world social interaction outcomes. They also highlight the need for the development and validation of more ecological assessments of autistic social abilities and the consideration of relational dynamics, not just individual characteristics, when assessing social disability in autism.

Moderation Effects of Daily Behavior on Associations Between Symptoms and Social Participation Outcomes After Burn Injury: A 6-Month Digital Phenotyping Study

Traditional gamified interventions and serious games have been widely employed by therapists and researchers working with people with autism spectrum disorder. Recent studies have also indicated a trend towards technology-based gamification for training behavioral and social skills in autistic people. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of these gamified interventions in enhancing social interaction and communication outcomes among autistic people remains unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis of existing gamified interventions focused on people with autism spectrum disorder aimed to provide an overview of commonly used gamification elements and features for enhancing their social interaction and communication outcomes. A total of 11 bibliographic databases were systematically searched from inception to April 2024. Experimental studies, including but not limited to randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies (e.g., non-randomized studies, pre-post studies), and pilot studies. Medical Subject Heading terms, keywords, and free words such as 'ASD', 'gamification', and 'social interaction and communication' were used for the search. The extracted data were subjected to a narrative synthesis, and the study outcomes were subjected to a meta-analysis. Gamified elements were classified based on the most widely adopted gamification elements for learning purposes. Twenty studies involving 349 participants were eligible. Of 297 participants included for descriptive synthesis, 246 (82.8%) were male, with a mean age at study entry of 11.55years. Children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder were the most common target populations (k=19, 95%), followed by the general adult population (k=1, 5%). Two main themes related to the application of gamification interventions emerged from the included studies: the augmentation of engagement in the intervention and the amplification of the desired interventional outcomes. Commonly used gamification elements included feedback (k=10, 50%), rewards (k=10, 50%), custom learning (k=9, 45%), monitoring (k=9, 45%), and personalization (k=8, 40%). Four of the included studies applied 5-7 elements in their interventions. Five studies were included in the meta-analysis, showing a positive overall effect of gamified interventions on social interaction and communication (pooled standardized mean difference: 0.46; 95% CI 0.08, 0.85; I2 0%). This study offers a comprehensive review of gamification elements and gamified interventions currently used in social interaction and communication skills among people with autism spectrum disorder. The potential benefits of included studies targeting social interaction and communication skills highlight the need for further in-depth investigation in this group. Future randomized controlled trials with more comprehensive development and trials that apply game-related design are suggested.

Social Information Signaling by Neurons in Primate Striatum

A cross-sectional exploration of smoking status and social interaction in a large population-based Australian cohort

Social interaction difficulties are a defining feature of autism. Historically, research has concentrated on comparing the social behaviors of autistic and neurotypical individuals in cross-neurotype dyads, often attributing challenges in communication to autistic social deficits. However, recent studies on interactions between two autistic individuals provide new insights, suggesting that some social difficulties may at least partially arise from mutual misunderstandings. This narrative review analyzes 25 studies on autistic, mixed, and neurotypical interactions, highlighting consistent differences (e.g., reduced mutual gaze and backchanneling in autistic interactions) and similarities between autistic and neurotypical social interactions (e.g., turn-taking), as well as measurements yielding mixed results (e.g., social motor synchrony). We discuss the variability in social behaviors, interaction outcomes, and study designs in the literature and interpret the existing findings in the light of individual deficits and relational difficulties. We emphasize the need for future research to consider both same- and mixed-neurotype interactions and to include perspectives from neurotypical as well as autistic individuals to enhance our understanding of social interaction in autism.

Can we live within environmental limits and still reduce poverty? Degrowth or decoupling?

PurposeThe social housing sector is under increasing pressure to do more with less and provide value for money as part of the UK Government’s public debt reduction strategy. This study aims to explore the current practices towards unlocking social value in the housing sector through the adoption of the Social Value Act 2012. The Social Value Act seeks to ensure that public sector procurement deliver added value in terms of social, economic and environmental outcomes.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts quantitative research methodology through a survey with 100 housing professionals charged with the delivery of social value outcomes in the social housing sector in England.FindingsThe results of the study reveal that there is a low level of understanding of the Social Value Act 2012 among the professionals in the social housing sector. Once again, most organisations in the social housing sector do not have social value strategies or policies and rarely consider social value outcomes during procurement. However, employment skills and training and crime and antisocial behaviour reduction are the most social value priority outcomes/needs identified with organisations currently promoting social value in the social housing sector.Social implicationsThe issue of social value has importance towards the wider society, and the study provides an insight into current practices towards the realisation of social value outcomes in the housing sector.Originality/valueThe Social Value Act 2012 came into force in January 2013, and little has been written on the impact of the Act on the social housing sector in England. This study identifies current practices in the social housing sector towards the delivery of social value outcomes in the day-to-day business operations.

The need for investment in health and well-being to achieve sustainable development and inclusive economic growth is stronger than ever in the face of multiple adversities. Making the case for investing in public health is essential. The social, economic and environmental value of public health programmes has to be embedded in every organisational balance sheet in order to progress national and international commitments; and to enable sustainable policy and action for the benefit of people, communities and societies. The WHO Collaborating Centre on Investment for Health and Well-being at Public Health Wales has developed a programme of work to assess the (social)return on investment of services and interventions. This involves looking at specific health and well-being outcomes, and estimating the wider social, economic and environmental value of the organisation and its various health protection and health improvement programmes. Specific health economics methods used will be Social/Return on Investment and Social/Cost-Benefit Analysis. The programme will generate an ’extended balance sheet’, including estimates of health and well-being outcomes and monetarising the social and environmental value. This will result in establishing the holistic economic value of Public Health Wales. Specific outputs are: a comprehensive costing model to capture input; outcome and impact maps; capturing the value of public health programmes in terms of health and well-being, as well as social, economic and environmental outcomes. Finally, a generalised framework for other similar organisations will be developed. This innovative programme aims to measure the social, economic and environmental value of Public Health Wales as a national public health institute. The developed framework can be used by other organisations across Europe to inform and guide their efforts to capture the wider social value, involve key stakeholders from the outset and achieve sustainable financing in the long run. Key messages Making the case for investing in public health by illustrating its social, economic and environmental value is vital. Social Return on Investment is an innovative and useful method to estimate the wider value of public health interventions.

BackgroundTobacco smoking remains a public health problem among adolescents in the United States. While Web-based interventions for smoking prevention have been successful at the individual level, there is still an urgent need to understand their engagement capabilities and their effects at the social level. In the current study, we aimed to (1) learn about adolescents’ subjective experience with a Web-based program called a smoking prevention interactive experience (ASPIRE), (2) obtain suggestions for improvement in ASPIRE content, (3) identify psychological outcomes of ASPIRE, and (4) explore outcomes of social interaction.Materials and methodsAfter a randomized controlled trial with 110 adolescents, 20 adolescent users of ASPIRE, aged 11–18, were randomly selected to participate in one-on-one interviews at four after-school programs in Houston, Texas. Interviews involved questions concerning adolescents’ experience with the intervention. Qualitative data were coded and analyzed using a constant comparison approach for the generation of themes.ResultsDescribing their experience with ASPIRE, participants expressed comfort in material that is tailored to their demographic and preferred interactive activities over entertaining videos. Presenting suggestions for improvement, participants mainly reported the need to include gaming features into ASPIRE. Presenting psychological outcomes, they expressed emotional engagement in the program, shifts in attitudes and beliefs, and unwillingness to smoke. Finally, as outcomes of social interaction, participants reported engagement with others in discussions about tobacco and their need to hold smokers accountable for their actions.ConclusionsAdolescents’ reports moved from their individual experience with ASPIRE to their active interactions with family members and friends and their attempt to persuade others to quit smoking. Future Web-based programs for adolescents may be designed with tailoring and game play in mind, in order to provide mobilization skills and foster social interactions against smoking.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a cognitive developmental condition characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and interaction, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior. The global prevalence of ASD is estimated at approximately 1% in the general population, with higher rates observed in specific demographic groups. Individuals with ASD often experience challenges in interpreting social cues, initiating interactions, and participating in group settings, which can impede their academic and social development. This study examines how Augmented Reality (AR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based interventions can complement or improve the social communication skills and behavioral patterns of individuals with ASD. A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted, focusing on peer-reviewed studies published between 2019 and 2024, to assess the efficacy and practicality of these technologies in educational environments. The analysis covers engagement of visual boards, smartphones, tablets, and AR glasses, which are increasingly integrated into pedagogical strategies to enhance the learning experiences of students with ASD. The results demonstrate that AI-enhanced AR-based interventions significantly outperformed traditional teaching methods, with notable improvements in social interaction (70% vs. 50%), emotional recognition (60% vs. 40%), engagement (80% vs. 55%), communication skills (75% vs. 45%), and behavioral outcomes (65% vs. 50%). These technologies appear to support the development of social skills by providing interactive, personalized, and visually enriched learning environments. The outcomes of this research highlight the potential of AI-enhanced AR to complement traditional teaching methods, offering valuable insights for educators, therapists, and policymakers seeking practical approaches to support learners with ASD. Further empirical research is recommended to validate these findings across diverse educational settings

This investigation involved the longitudinal assessment of 30 mother-preterm and 40 mother-full-term dyads from birth to 2 years of age. Measures of maternal attitudes, maternal perception of the infant, and parental functioning were obtained at 1 and 8 months of infant age. Mother-infant interactions were observed at 4, 8, 12, and 24 months. Infant cognitive, motor, and language development was assessed at 4, 12, and 24 months. Results indicated that by age 2 years, no group differences were apparent on any child development, mother-child interaction, or maternal attitudinal measures; the lone exception was that preterms were significantly poorer in motor skills. This similarity in functioning at age 2 years was in marked contrast to earlier findings of major group differences at 12 months. Correlational and regression analyses indicated that the developmental and social interaction outcomes were predicted by different factors in the two groups; moreover, whereas 40%-60% of the variance in preterm infants' social and cognitive outcomes could be accounted for, only 15%-30% was accounted for in the full-term group. These results are discussed in terms of compensatory mechanisms that may characterize the parenting of high-risk infants, and of the applicability of transactional models of development.

Seeing mixed emotions: Alexithymia, emotion perception bias, and quality in dyadic interactions

Recent advances in information technologies have provided firms unprecedented ability to manage online social interactions among their customers. Despite their growing popularity and importance, there are very few studies that have examined the optimal design choices for a firm seeking to maximize returns from firm-mediated social interactions. Our study seeks to examine whether and how a firm can enhance effectiveness of online social interactions, by simply varying the message shared by referrers with their social connections. More specifically, in this study we focus on two key pieces of information contained in the messages -- information about sender's purchase status prior to referral, and information about the existence of referral rewards -- and their impacts on the recipient's purchase decision. We design and conduct a randomized field experiment testing the effectiveness of different versions of firm-mediated messages in creating social contagion, in collaboration with an online daily deal platform. Our preliminary findings suggest that information about sender's purchase leads to more purchases by recipients. The findings of the study will add to our understanding of the effect of different messages on social interaction outcomes, and provide guidelines for optimal design of messages at aggregate level as well as the individual level.