Collective Perception Research Articles

The Past Is Not What It Used to Be: Contemporary Myths, Cold War Nostalgia and Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Bases

This article delves into the contemporary social perception of the three abandoned Soviet Cold War tactical nuclear bases in Poland, focusing on often overlooked phenomena in archaeological studies such as the contemporary myths (folk tales, contemporary legends, modern folklore, etc.) and nostalgia that have emerged around these sites. While contemporary myths and nostalgia are distinct phenomena with different outcomes, they share a common feature: a mythologized approach to the past. Established historical and archaeological narratives, derived from detailed studies, often coexist with alternative versions of the past inspired by folk imagination. This article aims to highlight their cultural value as an integral part of local identity, actively shaping the perception of material heritage. Contemporary myths offer insight into another layer of collective perception of the past, while nostalgia delves into the emotional aspects of human existence, coping with transience and searching for meaning.

Internet usage time and trust in doctors: evidence from China

BackgroundThe growth of internet use has greatly impacted many societal sectors, including healthcare. However, current evidence about the relationship between internet usage time and public trust on doctors is insufficient.ObjectiveTo examine the relationship between the time spent on the internet and the level of trust in doctors, and explore its mechanism.MethodsMultiple regression models are employed, utilizing a sample of 19,193 observations from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) in 2020. First, we regress the relative trust in doctors compared to trust in strangers on internet usage time. Subsample results across distinct population groups are explored. Second, we examine the mechanism of using the internet as an information channel through the mediation method, and further investigate the role of the internet as a communication platform by analyzing the moderation effects of socializing activity as well as social media engagement.ResultsWe find a significant negative relationship between increased internet usage time and trust in doctors. This correlation remains robust across different model specifications and variable measurements. The negative correlation is more pronounced among population groups who are elderly, male, married, with low educational levels, insured and residing in urban areas. The role of the internet as a source of information is validated as a mechanism producing the negative influence. The role of the internet as a communication platform tends to mitigate the negative consequences of internet usage, as engaging in online socializing activity can have a positive moderation effect. However, for social media engagement, its overall effect on trust in doctors is negative, potentially due to social media’s dual function as a communication platform and an information source.ConclusionsAlthough individual-focused literature tends to demonstrate a positive impact of the internet on trust in doctors in China, our study, which focuses on the general public, reveals contrasting results. Our findings imply that the primary manner in which internet usage, encompassing social media usage, influences public trust in doctors is by molding a collective perception of them. Consequently, the medical community may need to take a more proactive approach in expanding online communication channels for interacting with patients and the wider public.

Soundscapy: A python package for soundscape assessment and analysis

Soundscape questionnaires are widely used to gather subjective information about people's perceptions and attitudes towards their acoustic environment. Despite the widespread adoption of ISO/TS 12913-3 guidelines for analyzing soundscape survey data, there are still several interpretations and challenges in application. To enable the easy, accessible, and consistent analysis of soundscape data, an open-source python package called Soundscapy has been developed. This package implements a visualization approach for soundscape data analysis using a probabilistic method that depicts the collective perception of a soundscape as a distribution of responses within the circumplex. In addition, functions for psychoacoustic and acoustic analysis of binaural data are included, with a focus on consistent and optimized processing of multiple recordings. This conference paper outlines the important features of Soundscapy, explains its basic functioning, lists its current capabilities, and gives recommendations for its best use. Finally, the future development of Soundscapy is proposed, including the integration of predictive soundscape models for use in automated assessment and design.

Exploring corporate reputation and crisis communication

AbstractCorporate reputation, the collective perception of company attractiveness towards stakeholders, impacts business outcomes, while effective communication strategies play a critical role in shaping and maintaining the reputation. The role of communication is highlighted during crises, crisis communication being a strategic approach to managing and mitigating the impact of unexpected or adverse events on the reputation, operations, and stakeholders. These concepts are deeply interrelated with interactive marketing. This study explores the dynamics of corporate reputation and crisis communication during a recent global crisis by combining a literature review, opinion mining, and classification analysis. This is because stakeholders rely on various information sources and engage in online discussions, which can impact the reputation, and pose new challenges. The opinion mining analysis draws from the media communication of selected stock-listed companies during a crisis. The key findings shed light on the dynamics of corporate reputation and crisis communication and the impacts on interactive marketing. Critical components of crisis communication are identified to include monitoring, tactics of responding, and response management. Linkages between these, crisis communication theories, and corporate reputation are synthesised. Indications are provided on how the crisis can affect the corporate reputation and the significance of the speed of preventive communication measures.

Muslim youth collective amnesia of US government-inflicted violence against Muslims in the War on Terror

Evidence suggests that incidents of US government-inflicted violence against Muslims are absent from the post-9/11 generation of Muslims’ collective memory. To examine and confirm this collective amnesia, young Muslim American adults were nationally surveyed and interviewed on their knowledge of the Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib detention centers. In total, 100 survey responses were collected and 5 interviews were conducted to examine the extent and formation of the Muslim American youth’s collective perception of Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib. While nearly all participants displayed awareness of the 9/11 attacks, a significant number of them were unaware of Guantanamo Bay, and most of them were unaware of Abu Ghraib. This study reveals a potential generational gap in the collective memory of Muslim Americans, the individual-level perception of post-9/11 violence against Muslims amongst young Muslim Americans, and new topics for future directions as outlined in the conclusion. It also argues that the absence of Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib from young Muslims’ collective memory of the War on Terror (WOT) creates an image of Muslims being the perpetrators of violence and never victims, making it impossible for young Muslims to break out of the dominant frame of memory of 9/11 and its aftermath.

You don’t understand me! But, I do! Awareness of cross-generational differences in collective remembering of national historic events

ABSTRACT Collective memories refer to a group’s shared representation of the past, which are slow to change over time. In this study, representative samples of American and German Younger Adults (YAs) and Older Adults (OAs) rated the emotional valence of 12 national historic events. Critically, both age groups were also asked to take on the perspective of the other: OAs imagined how YAs feel, whereas YAs imagined how OAs feel about the same events today. The results replicated previous findings that OAs and YAs hold differing opinions on numerous events. Both age groups successfully recognised these different collective perceptions between generations to some extent. Yet, OAs were more accurate in the perspective-taking task, with YAs consistently underestimating the intensity of OAs’ emotional valence. Self-reported perspective-taking strategies suggest that OAs relied more on stereotypes and considered education, while knowledge from specific people was universally used to rate the other age group’s perspective.

Testing an Organizational Implementation Process Model Related to Teachers' Implementation-Related Attitudes and Behaviors: a Multilevel Mediation Analysis.

The effectiveness of school-based universal prevention programs is frequently diminished due to low-quality implementation. Organizational factors support high-quality implementation because of their broad influence across implementers. Conceptually, implementation leadership (i.e., behaviors that prioritize, reward, and support evidence-based practice [EBP] implementation) works to embed a favorable implementation climate (i.e., implementers' collective perceptions that their organization prioritizes, rewards, and support EBP implementation) leading to improved implementation citizenship behavior and attitudes toward EBP. This organizational implementation process model has some empirical support but has not been tested in a multilevel framework or related to hypothesized attitudinal and behavioral outcomes. The sample included 319 teachers across 39 US public elementary schools; all were implementing Schoolwide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. Multilevel mediation (level 1 = teacher, level 2 = school) was used to test the indirect association of implementation leadership on implementation-related attitudes and behaviors via implementation climate across two time points (fall and spring). At the school level, the organizational implementation process model was validated related to implementation citizenship behavior, but not attitudes toward EBP. At the teacher level, the process model was validated related to both outcomes, and there was a significant direct effect of implementation leadership on attitudes toward EBP. Developing strong leaders for implementation seems key to achieving high-quality EBP implementation. Implications for schools, principal training, and research are discussed.

THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES ON EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE: A CASE OF SELECTED RETAIL OUTLETS IN MBOMBELA, SOUTH AFRICA

A quantitative approach was adopted for the study. The study population consisted of four hundred retail employees, 200 research instruments were administered and 102 useable ones were retrieved. Analysis was done by using Multiple Regression and Pearson Correlation. It was revealed that the Time of Introduction has a positive effect on the perceived Relevance of New Technology and Fairness of Performance Appraisal (F = 49.647 with a P value of P<.001 and R2 = 501). Pearson Moment Correlation, the result showed that the TI had a significant relationship with the Attitude of Employees. Employees’ Collective Perception of New Technology positively correlated with its perceived relevance and Ease of Use. The relevancy of new technology was linked to its perceived EU, the TI, and the ECP and attitudes. EU positively correlated with collective perceptions, perceived relevancy, and employees' attitudes. FPA was positively associated with the timing of technology introduction, perceived relevance of new technology, and employees' attitudes. Employee attitudes displayed positive, significant relationships (p < 0.0001) with all variables of the study. To further enhance employee performance upon introducing new technology, organizations should design training and development programmes grounded in cognitive psychology that focus on enhancing employees' cognitive abilities, crucial for successful technology adoption. Organizations should involve employees in the decision-making process regarding the introduction of new technologies.

Can whistleblowing reshape public organizations? Examining the consequences of whistleblowing on procedural justice and perceived organizational performance

There has been a significant increase in whistleblowing research in public administration. However, less is known about what happens to public organizations after a whistle is blown. Based on insights from whistleblowing consequence studies and theories of procedural justice, we examine the effects of whistleblowing outcomes on public organizations. The purpose is to discover how whistleblowing claims handled by a neutral resolution mechanism—the U.S. Office of Special Council—reshape public employees’ justice perceptions and perceived organizational performance that are connected to organizational change. The dynamic panel findings from a decade (2009-2020) indicate that whistleblowing alters the collective perceptions either in a positive or negative manner. Therefore, this study claims that management plays an important role in dealing with whistleblowers. Moreover, this study discusses implications for advancing our understanding of whistleblowing in the public sector as well as developing policies to translate employee voices into organizational resources.

A multi-actor perspective of humanised midwifery care excellence: An exploratory survey

Humanised midwifery care is a fundamental human right and need. This exploratory online survey presents a collective perception of meaningful standards of humanised midwifery care for excellent daily practice obtained from an international multi-actor group of maternity service users and providers. After performing a literature review, 137 key elements of humanised midwifery were extracted, listed, and rephrased into criteria. The criteria were distributed, and participants added 38 criteria. The perceived level of humanised midwifery performance was scored from 1 (low/substandard) to 10 (excellent). The 9–10 scores benchmarked humanised midwifery care excellence. 312 care professionals benchmarked 42 criteria, and 277 pregnant and postpartum women benchmarked 23 criteria showing a 30 % overlap. A total set of 50 criteria emerged, promoting humanised midwifery excellence. The benchmarking criteria suggest a shared conceptual thinking of person-centeredness and meaningfulness and provide a practical paradigm for the provision and receipt of humanised midwifery care.

The Relationship Between Teachers' Collective Efficacy and Organizational Identity Perceptions Examining the Relationship

The Relationship Between Teachers' Collective Efficacy and Organizational Identity Perceptions Examining the Relationship

S-LDM: Server local dynamic map for 5G-based centralized enhanced collective perception

The automotive field is undergoing significant technological advances, which includes making the next generation of autonomous vehicles smarter, greener and safer through vehicular networks, which are often referred to as Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communications. Together with V2X, centralized maneuver management services for autonomous vehicles are increasingly gaining importance, as, thanks to their complete view over the road, they can optimally manage even the most complex maneuvers targeting L4 driving and beyond. These services face the challenge of strictly requiring a high reliability and low latency, which are tackled with the deployment at orchestrated Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) platforms. In order to properly manage safety-critical maneuvers, these services need to receive a large amount of data from vehicles, even though the useful subset of data is often related to a specific context on the road (e.g., to specific road users or geographical areas). Decoding and post-processing a large amount of raw messages, which are then for the most part filtered, increases the load on safety-critical services, which should instead focus on meeting the deadlines for the actual control and management operations. On this basis, we present an innovative open-source, 5G & MEC enabled service, called Server Local Dynamic Map (S-LDM). The S-LDM is a service that collects information about vehicles and other non-connected road objects using standard-compliant messages. Its primary purpose is to create a centralized dynamic map of the road that can be shared efficiently with other services managing L4 automation, when needed. By doing so, the S-LDM enables these services to widely and precisely understand the current situation of sections of the road, offloading them from the need of quickly processing a large number of messages. After a detailed description of the service architecture, we validate it through extensive laboratory and pilot trials, involving the MEC platforms and production 5G networks of three major European network operations and two Stellantis vehicles equipped with V2X On-Board Units (OBUs). We show how it can efficiently handle high update rates and process each messages in less than few tenths of microseconds. We also provide a complete scalability analysis with details on deployment options, providing insights on where new instances should be created in practical 5G-based V2X scenarios.

The Dark Side of Safety: A Call for a More Thorough Consideration of Racism and Collective Power Motivations in the Social Psychology of Firearms.

This paper situates current social psychological research on the symbolic use of firearms (e.g., as a source of personal safety) in broader historical context to motivate a more thorough consideration of collective power motives. Historically, firearms have been used to dominate racial outgroup members (e.g., White Americans use of firearms and firearm laws to dispossess indigenous people of land or control free and enslaved Black people) or, at times, attempt to resist group-based oppression (e.g., Black Americans use of firearms to struggle against White Jim Crow terrorism). Given most gun owners report self-protection as their primary reason for firearm ownership and yet anti-Black attitudes are still a consistently important predictor of firearm ownership among dominant group members (e.g., White Americans), this paper examines how guns may function as a perceived source of personal safety and collective power. I center the persistent role of White supremacy and anti-Blackness in original U.S. firearm psychology and policy to illuminate the interrelatedness of personal safety and collective power perceptions, and how perceived threats to in-group power may motivate the use of guns and policies that selectively regulate gun access to mitigate associated safety concerns. Seeking to nudge social psychology to more thoroughly examine firearms' potential function as a symbolic source of collective power, I end by discussing how considering collective power can help us better understand how historically dominant and historically marginalized groups view firearms today while also illuminating some barriers to the pursuit of gun safety for all.

On modeling collective risk perception via opinion dynamics

Modeling the collective response to an emergency is a problem of paramount importance in social science and risk management. Here, we leverage the social psychology literature to develop a mathematical model tailored to such a real-world problem, grounded in the opinion dynamics theory. In our model, a network of individuals revise their risk perception by processing information broadcast by the institution and shared by peers, and accounts for heterogeneity in terms of individuals’ trust in institutions, peers, and in their own risk sensitivity. Through a rigorous analysis of the model, we establish that the temporal average opinions of the individuals converge to a steady state and, under some assumptions, we are able to analytically characterize such a steady state, shedding light on how the individuals’ heterogeneous risk sensitivity shapes the collective response. Numerical results and simulations are provided to illustrate and corroborate our findings.

An essay on the dimensions of generative dance

ABSTRACT In this essay, we discuss the relevance of generative principles to map the concept of generative dance, in the sense of Complexus. Through a rhizome's structure, we reveal the intrinsic singular dynamics of generative dance. Therefore, we ask the reader to break away from predefined dance concepts and approach a dance created by generative principles. We idealise a generative dance, where the choreographer acts as a System Creator, determining how performers relate to each other. The performer, in turn, acts according to a compositional process based on the action of ‘Outrar-se’ [Becoming another], being together and flow. In a panoramic view, we move forward with assumptions that shape and interrelate the sharing of individual actions according to a collective perception. Furthermore, we explore the qualities that foster synergistic and structural equilibrium and discuss the physical practice of composing the collective ‘We’ through joint action and synergy, for participation in Togetherness.

Homophily in opinion networks affects collective risk perception in heterogeneous populations

Understanding how to accurately inform the population about the risks of disasters is key for the well-functioning of our societies. Risk communication is also an essential feature of the disaster cycle, fundamentally contributing to preparedness but also to management. Here, we use an agent-based model (ABM) to investigate such an important problem. Specifically, we study the emergent behavior of a population of individuals who revise their opinion on therisk of a certain event, based on information received from an institution, processed through individual sensitivity, and discussed with peers. Such a complex process may include several biases, e.g., due to heterogeneous risk perception across the population, and homophily, i.e., tendency of individuals to interact with like-minded people.Our ABM, which encapsulates these crucial features, allows us to perform a campaign of numerical simulations towards gaining mathematically-grounded insights into their impact on the emergent behavior of the population and, ultimately, on how accurately institutional information is received and processed by a population. Such insights can be useful to design empirical studies to test them and, in case of empirical support, to use them to design recommendations for policy decision makers.

'You just eyeball it': Parent and nursery staff perceptions and influences on child portion size: A reflexive thematic analysis.

Background: Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health epidemics of the 21st century. Observational studies report that increases in portion size (PS) have occurred in parallel with levels of obesity. Increased PSs of high-energy-dense foods can promote overeating, and without compensatory behaviours, can contribute to childhood obesity. Caregivers make decisions about PSs for children in the home and nursery environment, thus are gatekeepers to child food intake. Understanding caregiver PS decisions can aid in the best practice of PS provision to young children. The aim of this study was to explore parent and nursery staff influences on child PS selection and their suggestions for useful tools/strategies in PS decisions. Methods: A qualitative design was employed using focus group discussions (FGDs) with parents and nursery staff of children aged 3-5 years. FGDs were employed given their ability to generate rich data, as well as permit the exploration of collective perceptions, attitudes, behaviours and experiences. Data were analysed using an inductive, semantic approach to reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Four FGDs were conducted: two with parents (n = 13), two with nursery staff (n = 17). Four overarching themes were derived: (i) awareness of PS guidelines; (ii) control over PS; (iii) social influences on children's eating behaviours; (iv) child-specific, social and external factors influencing parent and nursery staff PS decisions. Additionally, participants discussed tools/strategies they believe would be useful in PS decisions. Conclusion: Data from the themes suggest that caregiver control, social, child-specific and external factors are more influential than PS guidelines in both parent and nursery staff PS decisions for young children aged 3-5 years. These findings can inform future childhood obesity prevention initiatives focussed on improving parent and nursery staff provision/use of age-appropriate PSs.

A Natural Language Processing-Based Classification and Mode-Based Ranking of Musculoskeletal Disorder Risk Factors

This research explores the intricate landscape of Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) risk factors, employing a novel fusion of Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques and mode-based ranking methodologies. Enhancing knowledge of MSD risk factors, their classification, and their relative severity is the main goal of enabling more focused preventative and treatment efforts. The study benchmarks eight NLP models, integrating pre-trained transformers, cosine similarity, and various distance metrics to categorize risk factors into personal, biomechanical, workplace, psychological, and organizational classes. Key findings reveal that the Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) model with cosine similarity attains an overall accuracy of 28%, while the sentence transformer, coupled with Euclidean, Bray–Curtis, and Minkowski distances, achieves a flawless accuracy score of 100%. Using a 10-fold cross-validation strategy and performing rigorous statistical paired t-tests and Cohen’s d tests (with a 5% significance level assumed), the study provides the results with greater validity. To determine the severity hierarchy of MSD risk variables, the research uses survey data and a mode-based ranking technique parallel to the classification efforts. Intriguingly, the rankings align precisely with the previous literature, reaffirming the consistency and reliability of the approach. “Working posture” emerges as the most severe risk factor, emphasizing the critical role of proper posture in preventing MSD. The collective perceptions of survey participants underscore the significance of factors like “Job insecurity”, “Effort reward imbalance”, and “Poor employee facility” in contributing to MSD risks. The convergence of rankings provides actionable insights for organizations aiming to reduce the prevalence of MSD. The study concludes with implications for targeted interventions, recommendations for improving workplace conditions, and avenues for future research. This holistic approach, integrating NLP and mode-based ranking, contributes to a more sophisticated comprehension of MSD risk factors and opens the door for more effective strategies in occupational health.

Modeling and evaluation of cooperative Vulnerable Road User protection schemes in realistic C-ITS environments

Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs) comprising pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists are more susceptible to road traffic accidents and fatalities than other road users. Improving safety for vulnerable road users is a priority for many cities and governments, and various measures are being taken to reduce the risk of accidents and increase road safety. Advanced Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) that facilitate Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication encompass Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P) schemes. To address the issues and decrease the number of VRU fatalities, efficient VRU protection solutions can be seamlessly incorporated into evolving C-ITS services. This paper introduces a novel implementation and integration of VRU protection models into the Artery/OMNeT++ V2X-simulation framework as a promising solution for further wide-scale evolution in enhancing the safety of vulnerable road users. VRUs can transmit messages about their existence using the VRU Awareness Message (VAM) messaging protocol. This paper presents a performance evaluation of cooperative VRU protection scenarios with VAM protocol and deployment. Simulation results will be given for pedestrian protection models with VRU detection using sensors, collective perception, and active, VAM-based VRU Awareness message transmission.

Glorified Image, Gloomy Life: Diversified Perceptions and The Transformation in nature of Migration in Bangladeshi Villages

Migration refers to the movement of people from their origin to another place for diversified reasons. The glorified image and good life expectations are a matter of discussion whenever it comes to migration but the gloomy sides, transforming perceptions in this migration issue, are still in the shade in Bangladeshi Villages. This article examined the nature of migration and prevailing multiple perceptions and the transformation in these perceptions over decades in Shakhail, Uladab, And Mirkutiya villages located in Tangail District, Dhaka, Bangladesh. This article addresses migration and growth, how the young perceive "bidesh" and how family economic progress affects migration patterns. It is also concerned with the process of materiality determining status. Psychological breakdown, seclusion, and separation are also discussed in this article with relevant case studies. I have Identified various perceptions, which are the collective perceptions of different people from these village communities. In addition, I have tried to predict the future of these villages with the help of Lee's push-pull theory with relevant narrative analysis.