Close Acquaintances Research Articles

A Phenomenological Study of Students’ Problem-Solving Skills : A View from Cultural Background

This research aims to analyze students' problem-solving skills from the perspective of their cultural background. This research used a qualitative approach with a phenomenological method. Data were collected through interviews and verification of cultural background from identity cards, and analyzed following Moustaka's method. The research findings revealed that students had three main ways of approaching problem-solving. Firstly, university students chose solutions influenced by the cultural practices they embrace. Secondly, university students selected solutions with assistance from close acquaintances while adhering to societal norms. Lastly, university students emphasized the importance of resolving issues thoroughly.

Examining the onset and cessation patterns of active smoking among college students: an interpretative analysis

Smoking is a prevalent global issue, with a significant risk factor for various non-communicable diseases necessitating prolonged, costly, and potentially devastating medical treatments. In addition, infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, COVID-19, and pneumonia in toddlers are often associated with active and passive smoking habits. The correlation is evident across diverse demographics, encompassing individuals of varying ages, professions, and genders. Therefore, this research aimed to explore and describe behavior of active smokers among campus members at various universities, focusing on the initiation, cessation, and influencing factors associated with smoking.A qualitative research design was used with a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, where information was provided by five active smoker informants.These individuals started smoking as teenagers, and the fluctuating patterns were influenced by health concerns or a perceived lack of significance attributed to smoking. However, the periods of abstinence were only temporary due to the pervasive influence of social and environmental factors. The initiation of smoking commonly started from the influence of close acquaintances, such as family members. Meanwhile, the process of quitting encountered numerous obstacles, primarily from potent social factors outweighing personal intentions.The implementation of smoking cessation strategies posed challenges due to the profound impacts of addiction, requiring unwavering determination, comprehensive plans, and diligent efforts.

Social participation and mental well-being: Does purpose in life mediate the association among older adults?

Objectives We investigated the association of social participation with mental well-being among older people and whether purpose in life mediates the potential association. Method Cross-sectional (n = 1014) and longitudinal (n = 660, four-year follow-up) data comprised of three age cohorts (75, 80, and 85 years) of community-dwelling people. Life satisfaction was measured with the Satisfaction with Life Scale, depressive symptoms with the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and purpose in life with the Scales of Psychological Well-Being purpose in life subscale. Social participation was assessed with questions concerning the frequency of meeting close friends and acquaintances, and volunteering. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results Higher social participation was associated with higher life satisfaction and fewer depressive symptoms both cross-sectionally and after a four-year follow-up. Higher purpose in life mediated the associations of more social participation with higher life satisfaction and fewer depressive symptoms cross-sectionally. In the longitudinal data, the mediation effect was not observed. Conclusion Older people with frequent social participation who had a sense of purpose in their lives will likely have higher mental well-being than those with less social participation. Enabling and supporting them to conduct purposeful actions in social contexts may help maintain their mental well-being.

Characterising People who inject drugs, and association with HIV infection: A Situation Analysis in Kampala city, Uganda.

Uganda has implemented targeted interventions to address the rising burden of injection drug use, yet barriers persist in reaching persons who inject drugs (PWID). This study describes the characteristics of people who inject drugs, physical and mental health states, and associated risk behaviors, to inform the designing of programs that are tailored to client's needs and preferences. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between August and December 2023 at selected hotspots in Kampala, interviewing 499 PWID aged ≥18 years. Data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire administered by peer educators and Uganda Harm Reduction Network (UHRN) counselors. Measurements included socio-demographics, injecting drug use and sexual risk behaviors, and medical history. HIV serostatus was dtermined by self-report and testing for participants who had no recent history of testing and consented to be tested. Binary logistic regression was used to establish the relationship between HIV infection and risky drug- and sexual behaviors of PWID. Participants were predominantly Ugandan (95.2%), male (73.2%), unmarried (55.9%), unemployed (81.8%), with higher levels of education and varying ages. Mental disorders were prevalent, with 48.7% reporting at least one underlying condition, including depression (30.8%) and anxiety (9.6%). Physical health issues were also noted, with reported cases of fever (32.9%), cough (32.5%), malaria (22%) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (15%).Regarding drug use patterns, the majority (82.6%) were introduced to drugs by close acquaintances, with 70.9% categorized as people who inject drugs. HIV prevalence among injecting drug users was 3.7%, with higher rates among females (8.4%) and non-Ugandans (16.7%). Being female and experiencing difficulty accessing sterile injection materials were associated with HIV-positive status, highlighting the complex interplay between socio-demographic factors, risk behaviors, and HIV infection among individuals with injecting drug use Disorder in Uganda. Our study provides a comprehensive insight into the socio-demographic, mental, physical health, and HIV risk behavoir of PWID in Kampala, Uganda. The findings indicate significant vulnerabilities to injecting drug use, mental disorders, and high-risk behaviors that predispose this population to HIV infection. Despite a low HIV prevalence compared to previous estimates, the interplay between drug use, risky injecting practices, and sexual behaviors suggests an urgent need for targeted interventions to address these intertwined challenges.

Eating alone or together: Exploring university students’ eating patterns before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Commensality with close friends and acquaintances increases opportunities for social connectedness, creates a sense of belonging, and may reduce the risks of isolation among students. The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown disrupted daily routines and relationships. This put an increased number of university students at risk of emotional and social loneliness. Little research has focused on commensal eating practices and loneliness among university students before or during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK or elsewhere. This study explored these themes using one-to-one interviews with 13 undergraduate and postgraduate students at a university in England. A hybrid approach to thematic analysis of deductive and inductive reasoning was adopted which is data-driven but informed a priori by the research questions. Emergent findings include (1) pre-COVID-19 eating practices: meal-skipping, varying lunch-time rituals, and dinner as the most important meal regarding content and commensality; (2) Eating practices during COVID-19 lockdown: healthier eating patterns, limited opportunities for commensality, increased feelings of loneliness, and increased reliance on digital media. The COVID-19 lockdown was an opportunity for students to transform erratic eating into more regular eating practices and patterns and to cook more homemade meals. Many students were alone during dinner time and expressed increased feelings of loneliness leading to increased reliance on digital media and virtual commensality to socially interact with close family and friends whilst enjoying the meal.

Experiences of Women Living with Cervical Cancer: A Study in the Tamale Metropolis

Background: Cervical cancer cases are increasing globally, including in Ghana. Nevertheless, despite the increasing prevalence of this ailment among women, there has been a dearth of extensive research conducted on the subject. Research conducted in several countries has shown that individuals who have survived cervical cancer face numerous difficulties, including socioeconomic, medical, and psychological issues. This study aims to investigate the experiences of women in this particular group, with a focus on the psychological, socio-economic, and hurdles encountered when seeking care.
 Methodology: The study employed an exploratory descriptive qualitative design. The research was carried out in the Tamale Metropolis, with a specific focus on women who have received a diagnosis of the condition and are now receiving treatment at the Tamale Teaching Hospital. Participants for the study were recruited using purposive sampling. Participants were interviewed face-to-face using a semi-structured interview guide. The interviews recorded on tape were transcribed exactly as spoken and subsequently evaluated manually using the content analysis method. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the results.
 Findings: The results indicate that women residing in the Tamale Metropolis who have cervical cancer encounter a disturbance in their social lives, as shown by their unsatisfactory interactions with others. While certain close relatives, acquaintances, and colleagues offer support, others are left behind at times of necessity.
 Recommendations: Policymakers and the government should implement measures to cover the expenses associated with cervical cancer treatment, similar to how it is done for other diseases through the NHIS. Women diagnosed with cervical cancer should undergo counseling to alleviate the psychological distress they experience.

People follow emotion display rules when choosing emoticons on social media

ABSTRACT This study examined whether people use emoticons on Facebook in the same way they display emotions via facial expressions in face-to-face interaction. In an online experimental study (N = 124), participants completed the “Emoticon Display Rules on Facebook” (EDRF) scale adapted from the Display Rule Assessment Inventory (DRAI). People tend to use more positive emoticons in public settings, and more negative ones in private settings. They also use more and more intense emoticons with close friends and acquaintances than strangers. This study provides further support for the positivity bias on Facebook and shows that emoticons are simply used to express emotions in the same ways as in face-to-face interactions.

Characters in V. Shalamov’s sketch ‘Aleksandr Konstantinovich Voronsky’ and their fate traced in the archive of the literary critic F. Levin

The article is devoted to detailed analysis of V. Shalamov’s sketch ‘Aleksandr Konstantinovich Voronsky’ and Voronsky’s own book In Search of Living and Dead Water [Za zhivoy i myortvoy vodoy] (1970). This book owes its publication to the literary critic F. Levin. Levchenko’s article follows the fates of Voronsky, Levin, and Shalamov, as well as their close friends and acquaintances who fell victims to the 1930s’ Great Terror and whose names were for years expunged from the history of Soviet literature. Their destinies appear to be closely connected: arrested and executed in 1937, Voronsky was Shalamov’s ideal of a Marxist, writer, and human being; Shalamov met the late writer’s daughter in Kolyma. Galina Voronskaya devoted her life to the study and preservation of her father’s archive. Shalamov completed a sketch story about Voronsky’s literary career in 1958. Its publication, as well as the printing of Voronsky’s autobiographical novellas, took place thanks to F. Levin’s enthusiastic cooperation. In 2019, the book was published in a version that conforms to the author’s original concept and that Voronskaya, Shalamov, and Levin wished to see published in the Soviet Union some fifty years before.

자녀와 함께 거주하지 않는 노인의 삶의 질 영향 요인 - 제8차 전국 고령화연구조사 복합표본 분석 -

The goal was to pinpoint factors affecting the quality of life in older adults not living with their children,
 using 2020 Aging Research Panel Survey data. Demographic characteristics, child relationship
 characteristics, daily difficulties, and health-related behavior variables were were constructed based on
 Stuifbergen et al.'s conceptual model of health promotion and quality of life. Multiple sample hierarchical
 regression analysis, with categorical variables controlled as dummy variables, identified influencing factors
 on quality of life. The results highlighted that regular exercise (at least once a week) and social interaction
 with close acquaintances significantly impacted quality of life, even after controlling for demographic
 characteristics, child relationship characteristics, and daily challenges. This underscores the need for policy
 and service development to promote exercise and build social connections among older adults not living
 with their children. Additionally, the study recommends health-promotion programs tailored for elderly
 individuals with activity limitations due to health conditions, considering their child relationships.

Malaysian Stereotypes on Adolescents Involved in Delinquency: Acquaintances vs Close Friends

There are several stereotypes on adolescents involved in delinquency (e.g., dislike academic studies, lazy, aggressive, rebellious). Looking into this point, literature regarding the factors contributing to delinquent behaviours in adolescents involved in delinquency indicates that parental neglect, peer pressure, low trust in teachers, lack of self-esteem, attention-seeking and risk-taking might be possible stereotypes upon adolescents involved in delinquency. This study proposes that close friends and acquaintances of delinquent adolescents might have different perspectives in terms of stereotyping adolescents involved in delinquency. With that, this study examined the differences in stereotypes on adolescents involved in delinquency, considering the factors established by literature regarding delinquent behaviors. The study aims to investigate the perspectives on this topic between close friends to delinquent adolescents (versus acquaintances) in the Malaysian context. 160 participants (Malaysian close friends versus acquaintances) were recruited to complete an online survey. Independent sample t-test was conducted to analyse the collected data. Findings show that acquaintances to delinquent adolescents have significant higher stereotypes on the factors peer pressure and risk-taking in the Malaysian context. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings were discussed.

Leonico Tomeo’s Marginalia: Manuscript and Print in Sixteenth-Century Veneto

Abstract This article centres on a connection between the manuscript reading marks of the Italian humanist Niccolò Leonico Tomeo (Venice 1456-Padua 1531), in the form of curved branches with sprouting leaves, and printed marginal notes found in early editions of his works printed in Venice and Paris. Known generally as a Greek scholar of Aristotle active at the University of Padua, Leonico had also an important role in contemporary intellectual and political debate, especially in relation to his many close English acquaintances. This article examines the occurrences of these unique marginal annotations in manuscript and print, and connects Leonico’s printed works to the printing and intellectual environment in Padua and Venice.

Using information of relationship closeness in the comprehension of Chinese ironic criticism: Evidence from behavioral experiments

This study investigated whether native Chinese speakers’ comprehension of ironic criticism is constrained by relationship closeness in two experiments. In Experiment One, participants read conversations in which speakers were close or distant in relationships and made ironic or literal remarks, and then rated the degree of sarcasm, humor, and the appropriateness of each conversation. In Experiment Two, another group of participants read those conversations and answered questions by pressing the keyboard at their own pace. Ironic criticism made by close acquaintances was less sarcastic as well as more humorous and appropriate than that made by distant ones. Besides, close relationships facilitated the processing of the target sentences of ironies, and ironic target sentences were processed at a slower pace than literal ones only in the distant-relationship condition. To conclude, relationship closeness influences the comprehension of Chinese ironic criticism both in terms of its pragmatic dimensions and the costs in reading.

전문 낚시인의 낚시경험에 관한 현상학적 연구

Objectives The purpose of this study is to grasp the experience, thoughts, emotions, and attitudes experienced by professional anglers from the perspective of professional anglers, and to understand and theorize social interactions and problem solving methods.
 Methods A qualitative study based on a phenomenological methods was conducted for a period of two months, from March 12th to May 13th, 2022, involving six professional anglers living in B city. interviews were conducted suing a semi-structured interview guide, with the participants’ consent, 1-2 times, averaging about 95 minutes each. The collected data were analyzed by the descriptive phenomenological research method proposed by Colaizzi(1978) to derive a collection of themes and themes.
 Results As a result of the study, a collection of 12 meaningful statements was drawn from the participants, and 5 topics were categorized into ‘addictive’, ‘pride’, ‘overconsumption’, ‘desire to compete’ and ‘realism’. As I experienced fishing at the recommendation of close acquaintances, I was fascinated by fishing and spent much of my life with fishing. In the process, too much time and financial investment in fishing led to conflict between husband and wife or to live a life of credit delinquent. There were cases of living the life of a professional angler, such as developing fishing tools using experience as a professional in connection with a livelihood, or operating a broadcast program using experience. Due to marriage and the birth of children, some anglers experienced a sense of reality considering alternatives to keep a realistic livelihood and continuous fishing life in parallel.
 Conclusions Through the life experiences of these professional anglers, I was able to look at the introductory fishing experience, the experience of conflict with people around me due to fishing, the process of problem solving, the search for compromise due to starting a family, and the process of finding a life as a professional. These results are meaningful as basic data that enable rich discussions on the lives of professional anglers.

The influence of online multiplayer games on social capital and interdependent well-being in Japan

This study examines the effects of online game behaviors and players' characteristics on social capital and sense of belonging generated in multiplayer online games, and then on interdependent well-being. Hypotheses testing was performed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling based on an online survey conducted in 2021 (n = 383). Communication with close persons, acquaintances, and strangers all impact bridging social capital and bonding social capital, respectively, with the effect of communication with strangers being the strongest. Both extroversion and materialism positively impact bridging social capital and bonding social capital, while the impact of demographic variables is not found. Moreover, communication with close persons, strangers, bridging social capital, bonding social capital, and materialism positively impact belonging. Finally, belonging positively impacts interdependent well-being, and bridging social capital positively impacts interdependent well-being through belonging. This study shows the importance of interaction with strangers, and those players could develop broader and deeper social relationships in online games. Moreover, this study is the first to examine players' communication with players across different relationship types to clarify the social effects of in-game behaviors on interdependent well-being.

Perceived Seriousness Of Wrongdoing And Peer Reporting Intention: The Moderating Role Of Wrongdoer’s Status

Main Purpose - This study intends to evaluate the moderating effect of wrongdoer status (close friends or acquaintances) on the link between perceived wrongdoing seriousness and intention to report academic misconductMethod - This research used a 1x2 experimental design between subjects. One hundred eleven participants from three universities were involved in the experiments. Participants were selected using a method of purposive sampling. However, only 106 responses can be analyzed using SMART PLS 4 due to insufficient responses from some participants.Main Findings - The findings indicate that students are more likely to report academic misconduct when they consider it to be more severe. However, if the perpetrator is a close friend, the likelihood of a student reporting academic misconduct is significantly reduced.Theory and Practical Implications – This study has consequences for how colleges respond when students report their friends for academic dishonesty. Students fear that if they report the inappropriate activity of their close friends, they would be left by their friends. Educating students and faculty members on the need of recognizing and reporting academic dishonesty could contribute to the creation of an ethical university culture.Novelty – Prior research has often been descriptive and qualitative, meanwhile, this study applies path analysis to provide empirical evidence specifically in the Indonesian context about the impact of friendship on students' willingness to report academic misconduct.

Protection and Awareness Against Child Abuse

In Pakistan, child abuse has risen alarmingly, i.e., 30% of cases from 2020-2021 statistics.1 WHOcomprehensively drafts the definition as, "Child abuse or maltreatment constitutes all forms of physical and oremotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, or commercial or other exploitation,resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development or dignity in the context of arelationship or responsibilities, trust or power." There is an urgent need to address these issues in the prevention,psychotherapeutic treatment and rehabilitation of such victims and suffering. On the contrary, there will be ascary consequence. According to WHO, about 1 billion old children (2-17 years) across the globe are subjectedto physical, sexual, or emotional harm by their caregivers or strangers Violence or abuse does not haveboundaries of country, religion, class, or gender.2 At the same time, the related stigma keeps it underreported.Every year, around 500 million children suffer from abuse. In the USA, more than 3 million cases are reported,causing 2000 deaths and 18000 permanent disabilities, the victim results every year. The count for sexuallymolested girls is 1 in 4, and for boys, it is 1 in 7.3 In New Delhi, Child abuse is 8 in 10 kids, whereas boys (7 in10 kids) are more vulnerable than girls (6.5 in 10 kids).4 The percentage of sexual abuse in India is 52% onlyadmitted patients annually, whereas statistics for unreported and other molestation are unknown.5 In Sri Lanka,more than 40000 children were involved in prostitution, where children are used by paedophile sex tourists.6In an unofficial report, every year , somewhat 15-20% of children are sexually abused in Pakistan. According toan NGO, there is a rise of 2 to 10 reported cases of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) per day in the upcoming year,whereas the actual numbers would be much higher because CSA is culturally veiled. They documented that bothgenders were equally victimized, although 0-5 years of CSA victims were mostly boys. The perpetratorsincluded close family ties and acquaintances, marking an increase in per year cases reported. Out of a total 3852number of CSA cases, 2211 (51%) were from Punjab. A total number of 92 cases were reported murder after theassault.7According to the latest study, the amygdala in the brain shrinks with repeated trauma, resulting in delayedlearning abilities and deficient memory.8 Depression, isolation, and delinquency are a few more to enumerate.There are physical, behavioural and emotional indicators of abuse that a physician must be able to identify,address and refer to a psychologist for professional treatment. The prevention measures of awareness, trainingfor parenting, character building of parents and psychological treatment can prevent and decrease a victim’ssuffering. The only way to prevent CSA is to educate and spread awareness against this act on two levels. One iseducating parents and teachers, and the other is making the child aware of the good and bad touch. In this regard,the P AAC group has worked. They have prepared useful brochures to protect the child from encountering theissue. The whole structure of society needs renovation, and the best renovation is building attributes based on thepsychological training present in the seerah of the Prophet (SAW) and his companions.

How do people think about the impressions they make on others? The attitudes and substance of metaperceptions.

This research aims to further our understanding of the processes of metaperception formation and meta-accuracy by introducing the positivity-specificity model to metaperception, which can be used to disentangle two components of trait metaperceptions: metapositivity (attitudes) and trait-specificity (substance). In two North American samples (Sample 1, N = 547; Sample 2, N = 553), we used the positivity-specificity model to investigate five important aspects of metaperceptions, namely the extent to which (a) metaperceptions reflect metapositivity versus trait-specificity, (b) metapositivity reflects attitudes about the self, (c) the effects of metapositivity and trait-specificity vary across traits and acquaintances, (d) metapositivity helps or hurts meta-accuracy, and (e) metapositivity and trait-specificity are accurate independent of self-perceptions. Overall, participants' ideas about how they were seen included attitudes and substance, but the relative contribution of each depended on the trait being judged and on how well they knew an acquaintance. Participants' ideas about how positively they were seen were related to how positively they saw themselves to varying degrees depending on how much they knew and liked their acquaintances. Participants were also accurate about how positively they were seen and about how they were seen on a given trait, independent of positivity and, with close acquaintances, independent of self-perceptions. The current work demonstrates how the positivity-specificity model can be used to investigate how people think about and have insight into the impressions they make on others. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

A SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY OF CYBERCRIMES AGAINST WOMEN IN INDIA: DECIPHERING THE CAUSES AND EVALUATING THE IMPACT ON THE VICTIMS

The growing use of the internet has provided a conducive platform for miscreants to engage in the misuse of information and communication technology (ICT). It has resulted in a potential threat to individuals in terms of cybercrimes. In general, cybercrimes are increasing at a rapid pace in India. The most vulnerable group targeted in cybercrimes in India has been women and girls. Using purposive sampling method for the selection of sample, this study focuses on cybercrimes against women in India and their impact on the victims. Awareness about cybercrimes is minimal. Historically, women have been subjected to various kinds and forms of discrimination and crimes, the newest being cybercrimes. Results exhibit that computer literacy is higher among males than females, which is a factor in women being more vulnerable to cybercrimes. The suppression of cybercrimes affects the victim psychologically through depression, fear, anxiety, and withdrawal from cyberspace. To overcome these kinds of effects, victims often share the situation they have faced with friends, close acquaintances, and family members.

Determining the degree of information security in social networks depending on the profile of connections between subscribers

Even before the emergence of social networks, it was found out what influence the people around him have on a person. At the same time, it was determined that very often the most useful for a person is not the close environment of the subject (strong ties), but people with whom the subject communicates "on the surface" (weak ties). Based on these conclusions, the question arises about the role of unfamiliar people in the life of an individual. People who are not part of a narrow cluster of close friends and acquaintances reveal useful information to the individual - information that the individual does not possess, due to the fact that with weak ties the subject of communication has fewer general contacts. At the same time, another problem arises - the problem of information security, which can be accessed by completely unknown people who are not part of the subject's close environment. To develop a methodology for assessing the security of information in social networks, a solution to the protection system in social networks was found, taking into account the effect of a specific parameter - the strength of connections between subscribers, to conduct a visual analysis of the system's behavior. In contrast to the classical approach, a linear mathematical model was created, the stationary position of the system was found, and the equation of a harmonic oscillator with decaying amplitude was obtained. The natural oscillation frequency, period and damping coefficient of the protection system are determined. It was concluded that, based on the conditions of the ratio of dissipation and the natural frequency of fluctuations of the quantity, the decay of the latter to a certain value is carried out periodically, with a decaying amplitude, or according to an exponentially decaying law. As a result of studies of the linear model of protection based on differential equations, it was established that the social network protection systems are non-linear. The need for further research of the non-linear model of the information protection system in social networks for the purpose of calculating the security of information, taking into account the type of connections between subscribers, has been determined.

The Attitude of Young Adults to Others in Culturally Diverse Environments

The subject matter discussed in the article comprises the issues related to social relations, in particular with making life choices by young adults: the decisions related to the choice of friends, the choice of a life partner or a consent to the marriage of the child with a person of a different religion or nationality. The research with the use of the survey method was conducted among students from the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia, living in culturally diverse areas. The surveyed students show an open attitude towards Others in terms of religion. The results of the study confirmed the earlier tendency to choose close acquaintances and friends, regardless of their religious denomination. Students are a little less willing to choose a life partner and are aware of the difficulties encountered by mixed marriages.