Current Theoretical Assumptions Research Articles

What if Hitler had won WWII and met Kennedy in 1964? Perception and evaluation of counterfactual historical fiction.

This study investigates the cognitive processing and perception of counterfactual historical fiction and its effects on readers' receptivity to fascism, superstitious beliefs, and satisfaction with the present state of politics. Counterfactual historical fiction presents alternative realities where history diverges from the official historiography, such as in Robert Harris' novel Fatherland, which depicts a counterfactual world where Hitler won WWII. It was hypothesized that reading this genre incurs additional cognitive costs and is perceived with less realism and more aesthetic appreciation compared to historical fiction. Seventy-four subjects were divided into two groups and presented with two versions of paragraphs from Fatherland. An experimental group read the original version, describing a counterfactual reality where Hitler is still alive in 1964 (counterfactual historical fiction). A control group read a manipulated version, where events are made plausible by being backdated to 1941 (historical fiction). The study employed a triangulation of methods, utilizing online eye tracking and self-report questionnaires with 7-point Likert scale measurements. The results indicate that counterfactual historical fiction is associated with increased cognitive demands at the first point of divergence, i.e., the first linguistic cue indicating counterfactuality. This genre also induced less perceived realism of history (factuality) and more surprise. Both versions of the text impacted readers by decreasing agreement with fascism, reducing superstitious beliefs, and enhancing their positive evaluation of the current political situation. The study reveals the cognitive processing of counterfactual historical fiction, highlighting the need for revising current theoretical assumptions. Additionally, the positive impact on readers' attitudes and beliefs may underscore literature's potential role in fostering critical thinking, pro-social behavior, and satisfaction. Further research is suggested for subsequent empirical validation.

Principles and dilemmas of disinformation (deception) on selected historical examples

The study presented here attempts to draw a synoptical comparison of the modern principles of operational camouflage through military deception. The research problem adopted encompasses the practical employment of disinformation and deception in an appropriate and inappropriate manner. The first part of the article contains an attempt to briefly present the current theoretical assumptions related to operational deception, including disinformation. The second part is dedicated to an arbitrarily selected examples from the history of the 20th-century warfare. The third part comprises conclusions and references of the theoretical assumptions to selected examples of armed struggle. The article contains two fundamental conclusions. The first one is the possibility of gaining an advantage at every operational level, especially at the tactical level, through employment of deception. The second one states that success is determined by a concept of operation which is recognizable by the opposing side, using the so-called Magruder’s principle and Jones’s dilemma.

Drinker Identity Development: Shame, Pride, and a Thirst to Belong

Identity theorists assume that individuals intentionally construct and maintain a culturally valued sense of self. Although this logic makes sense for positive identities—doctor, parent, or scientist—it becomes questionable when applied to the construction of negative, or stigmatized, identities, such as that of a drinker. By interviewing 16 members of a metropolitan recovery community, I focus on how marginalized identities form seemingly absent of intention. In doing so, I show how stress and negative messaging from guardians, peers, and community members produce persistent painful emotions that restrict access to culturally valued identity pathways and steer individuals toward spaces of consumption. Through each lost socially valued role, the drinker identity becomes more salient, achieving more importance in daily life and becoming central to individuals’ lived experiences. That is, the drinker role becomes a primary source of positive affect and belongingness when these essential ingredients of social life are unobtainable elsewhere. More broadly, I challenge current theoretical assumptions that dominated intervention strategies and recovery policy for decades and offer considerations for policy and intervention programs.

The contribution of developmental psychology in the teaching and learning process

Pedagogical action is essential in the search for theoretical foundations and practical knowledge of knowledge and needs to be a permanent accomplishment in the work of the educator, so that he can resize his performance in an attempt to improve the teaching-learning process, contributing to the development of the human being. From this perspective, this article was based on the guiding question: what theoretical assumptions about Developmental Psychology applied to the teaching and learning process are in force in the literature? With this, the objective was to present an introductory and synthetic approach of the current theoretical assumptions in Development Psychology regarding the teaching and learning process. Therefore, this article used bibliographic research as a methodology, through which it was observed that, in view of the support that has been given to the systemic vision, enriched by dialectics, there is currently the opportunity to seek for a unifying structure of theoretical perspectives fragmented since the origins of Developmental Psychology, in order to contribute to society, building present, spiritual and ethical citizens.

Localization at Users' Sites is Not Enough: GhanaPostGPS and Power Reticulations in the Postcolony

Purpose: This study re-examines contemporary localization theory to understand the shortcomings of the theory using the case of a state-sponsored postcolonial technology localization project. I call for centering the analysis of the power reticulations in context-specific technology localization.<br/> Method: I engaged in extensive review of existing research on the subject and conducted ethnographic and digital surveys with users and non-users of the technology I studied. This method provided nuanced perspectives on technology localization for a grounded user experience analysis.<br/> Results: Against current theoretical assumptions that support localization in user contexts as the solution to the chasm between developer culture and user culture, I argue that the reticular nature of power and developers' neglect of users' geo-epistemology also create a chasm within localization at users' sites.<br/> Conclusion: We need to examine the complex work of power in user contexts as part of a holistic theory on technology localization in user contexts. Thus, current assumptions must be revised. This revision must insist on the primary role of users' worldings in localization. The context of the postcolony provides a privileged insight into theorizing technology localization and must not be seen only as a "kingdom of ethnography" (Mbembe, 2021, p. 14).

Visual lateralization in artiodactyls: A brief summary of research and new evidence on saiga antelope

ABSTRACT The visual system and lifestyle characteristics make the even-toed ungulates an excellent model for the studies of behavioural lateralization. Recent research has focused on these mammals providing evidence of lateralization in a wide range of behaviours. This provides an opportunity for the collation of the current theoretical assumptions and the existing empirical evidence for visual lateralization in artiodactyls. In the present study, we aim first to gain a fuller picture of hemispheric specializations in saiga antelopes by investigating the lateralization of vigilance and novel object inspection in the wild. Second, we summarized the results of the research into visual lateralization in even-toed ungulates and attempted to assess the applicability of two popular hypotheses about the division of hemispheric roles. The results on saigas show a significant preference for head turns to the right visual field during vigilance which was more robust in individuals in larger groups. When an unfamiliar artificial object was placed in their natural setting, saigas preferentially viewed it predominantly with the right eye. These results, together with the cumulative evidence in artiodactyls, do not follow either the approach—withdrawal or positivity—negativity dichotomous patterns widely used to explain the division of functions between the hemispheres.

Educational Leave as a Time Resource for Participation in Adult Learning and Education (ALE).

The study investigates effects of the implementation of a law authorizing educational leave in Germany on individual participation in adult learning and education (ALE). In 2015, the federal state of Baden-Württemberg introduced the so-called Bildungszeitgesetz, legitimating an exemption for eligible employees of up to 5 days per year with continued payment of salary. Explaining participation in ALE is a central subject of educational research at national and international level. Current theoretical assumptions of rational choice and empirical findings of educational and socio-statistical research suggest that within the general population, individuals’ availability of time affects the decision to participate and therefore lastly determines participation in ALE. However, current academia mainly discusses time as either a prerequisite for learning activities or as an observable outcome of participation and not as an explanatory factor. Furthermore, since recent studies remain on a descriptive level regarding influences of time on participation in ALE, no causal effects of the availability of time on participation are estimated. Hence, our study addresses this research gap by investigating effects of educational policy interventions such as the Bildungszeitgesetz on participation in ALE. Policy interventions are ideally suited to examine the significance of time resources for participation, as the implementation of the Bildungszeitgesetz provides a specific timeframe for employees to participate in ALE outside of their working time. Drawing on data from the German National Educational Panel Study, we employ a difference-in-differences estimation strategy with propensity score matching and instrumental variable to identify the direct causal effect of the implementation of the Bildungszeitgesetz on participation in ALE (N = 709). This combination toward causal inference controls for observed and unobserved baseline differences as well as heterogeneous treatment effects. The results reveal a non-significant but heterogeneous treatment effect of the implementation of the Bildungszeitgesetz on individual participation in ALE. Contrary to our theoretical assumptions derived from rational choice approaches, we cannot confirm the hypothesis that the availability of time resources due to the implementation of the Bildungszeitgesetz causes a positive effect on participation in ALE. Furthermore, the results reveal that the implementation causes decreasing participation rates for younger adults, women and significantly for migrants.

Somber Prospects for Late Merger

I discuss the phrase-structure-theoretic operation of Late Merge proposed in Lebeaux 1991 as it is used in late adjunct merger and wholesale late merger. I show that under current theoretical assumptions about the nature of the Merge and Move operations, Late Merge over-generates in ways that are difficult to overcome. Given that Late Merge is otherwise demonstrably computationally unparsimonious ( Kobele and Michaelis 2012 ), I conclude that it should not be an available operation and suggest Neglect ( Sportiche 2016 ) as an alternative to generate the needed Logical Form representations.

Internet Village Motoman Project in rural Cambodia: bridging the digital divide

PurposeCommunity wireless networking has become a growing trend in both metropolitan and rural areas around the world. However, few studies have sought to understand what motivates people to use community wireless networks and the unintended effects that those technologies have on communities, particularly for rural users. The purpose of this paper is to explore the benefits and usage of an asynchronous wireless internet system in a rural village of Cambodia to examine the issues and challenges in the acceptance of a new technology in a less-developed country.Design/methodology/approachBy employing qualitative methods of in-depth case analysis, the authors revealed various usage motivations and unintended effects of the system.FindingsThe authors identified five reasons that motivated users to use the system: avowed identity, a means to an end, maintaining personal ties, power and influence, and psychological commitment and ownership. The unintended effects of the system included increased number of interactions among actors and other uses of the system, including internet commerce, telemedicine, and e-government.Research limitations/implicationsThis study explores the wireless internet project known as the “Internet Village Motoman Project” that was initiated by a non-governmental organization with funding from private donors, supplemented with matching funds from the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the academic understanding of rural regions of Cambodia and its evidence supports the current theoretical assumptions that user behaviors are not determined only by users’ decisions alone (as proposed by traditional cognitive IS research), but also by users and their social interactions as stated in the four-dimensional social actor framework proposed by Lamb and Kling (2003). The latter provides better explanation of the motivation for internet use in the region. The theoretical contribution of this study is the useful adoption of the actor-network approach in a non-organizational setting. The findings also contribute to the literature on how practical internet engineering can bridge the digital divide. Fulfilling the needs identified in the research and understanding unintended effects of the system will contribute to the successful implementation of new internet projects in other rural areas.

SOME NOTES ON THE SHALLOW STRUCTURE HYPOTHESIS

AbstractSince the Shallow Structure Hypothesis (SSH) was first put forward in 2006, it has inspired a growing body of research on grammatical processing in nonnative (L2) speakers. More than 10 years later, we think it is time for the SSH to be reconsidered in the light of new empirical findings and current theoretical assumptions about human language processing. The purpose of our critical commentary is twofold: to clarify some issues regarding the SSH and to sketch possible ways in which this hypothesis might be refined and improved to better account for L1 and L2 speakers’ performance patterns.

The Network Structure of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Children and Adolescents Exposed to Disasters

To evaluate current theoretical assumptions about the nature of pediatric posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by examining the network structure of PTSD in a sample of youth exposed to disasters and testing for age differences. Network analysis provides the opportunity to identify "central" symptoms that might hold an outsized influence over others and are important targets for research and treatment. The authors hypothesized that particular symptoms would exhibit greater influence over others. They further hypothesized marked differences in symptom networks across children and adolescents. Participants were 786 youth 8 to 13 years old (children) and 14 to 18 years old (adolescents) exposed to Hurricanes Katrina and Gustav who were assessed for PTSD symptoms using the University of California-Los Angeles PTSD Reaction Index for Children. Network models were computed and constructed using the R-package qgraph, which estimates associations between symptoms and forms graphic network models. Consistent with the hypotheses, the symptom network demonstrated meaningful variability across age, particularly in the strength of associations, and the relative importance of individual symptoms to the network as a whole. Results further demonstrated that symptoms cluster together in a manner that adds a unique perspective to current model conceptualizations. Network analysis is a potentially important additional conceptualization of psychopathology with related data analytic techniques. Results suggest that PTSD can be characterized as a web of interactions between symptoms. This work illuminates differences in the PTSD symptom network across development, such as the link between numbness of negative affect and amnesia in children, but not in teens, and how the critical symptoms within that network differ across childhood and adolescence. Network analysis could allow the re-envisioning of the nature of this complex disorder with new avenues for research and clinical practice.

A manifesto for theory in environmental studies and sciences

Environmental studies and sciences (ESS), an inherently practical field, nonetheless demands greater attention to its theoretical assumptions as a necessary step toward continued intellectual and pedagogical development and real-world relevance. This need for theory arises from the status of ESS as an integrative interdiscipline—one practitioners of ESS celebrate, yet with considerably greater challenges in achieving inclusivity and coherence than other interdisciplinary fields face. Three examples are briefly raised here: the definition of environment in ESS, how environmental actors are conceptualized, and the identity of ESS as a problem-oriented field. These three examples are initial priorities requiring better theorization, with many intellectual resources ESS can draw upon to address them. We close by reminding the reader that theories are ideas that take us places, not just idle speculation, and by advocating “theory across the (ESS) curriculum.” In addition to the three examples we cover, we invite the reader to join us in identifying and evaluating other current theoretical assumptions in ESS, in reframing ESS on more robust theoretical grounds, and in integrating this work into the curriculum.

The origin and evolution of dense regions in the ISM, and their role in spectral features

AbstractIn this work we discuss the turbulent evolution of molecular clouds and the formation of dense structures within. Typically, the clumps evolution occurs apart from the secular evolution of the turbulent mother cloud due to its high density and large inertia. Despite of current theoretical assumptions we show, by means of numerical simulations, that the clump lifetimes are greater than previously thought by more than an order of magnitude. The presence of dense and long-lived clumps modifies the spectral line profiles of clouds, which are strongly related to the determination of Larson's relations. We address the main modifications of these if a realistic distribution of dense structures is taken into account.

State and nation in twentieth-century Japan: toward an interpretive framework

This article suggests new directions in theories of Japanese nationalism that go beyond current theoretical assumptions that set ethnic (minzoku) and civic (kokumin) forms of nationalism against each other. Arguing that renewed attention to the concept of the state (kokka) is needed, it then explores influential Japanese ideas about the state, particular those of Kawamura Matasuke and Tanaka Kōtarō, along with other theories that argue that social organizations should be seen primarily as moral communities. This perspective, when incorporated into Tanaka's theory of world law, offers a mechanism for rehabilitating the state and the nation, even ethnic nations, for a global community that is accountable to the moral principles of the universal natural law.

EXPANDING RATIONALITY: THE RELATION BETWEEN EPISTEMIC VIRTUE AND CRITICAL THINKING

Abstract In this essay, Ryan Bevan explores the pedagogical implications of taking virtue epistemology as the philosophical foundation of educational theory rather than following the instrumentalist approach that is currently dominant. According to Bevan, the critical thinking strategies characteristic of instrumentalism generally work to further the vocationalization of educational discourse as well as the cultivation of unreflective moral agents. He contends that critical thinking should be expanded beyond its rationalist criteria to focus on the process of inquiry. Such a virtue epistemology approach, according to Bevan, has the potential to uncover and change fundamental misconceptions that pervade current theoretical assumptions by encouraging learners to engage in a more inclusive inquiry that draws out alternative perspectives. Bevan concludes that citizenship education in particular can benefit greatly from this more expansive theory with concrete pedagogical implications.

Trust in the health system: An analysis and extension of the social theories of Giddens and Luhmann

Social theory provides a lens through which we can analyse the role of trust in health systems. However, the majority of theoretically informed trust literature addresses ‘institutional’ or ‘interpersonal’ trust individually, failing to investigate trust as determined by a ‘web’ of mutually interacting relationships between individuals and social systems. Current theoretical assumptions are also problematic as they fail to recognise the role that social factors (such as socio-economic status, class and age) play in an individual’s willingness to trust. Through the analysis and critique of existing social theories of trust, this paper demonstrates a need for further empirical research into the multidimensionality of trusting relationships, while suggesting new directions for research in public health.

The current theoretical assumptions of the Bobath concept as determined by the members of BBTA

The Bobath concept is a problem-solving approach to the assessment and treatment of individuals following a lesion of the central nervous system that offers therapists a framework for their clinical practice. The aim of this study was to facilitate a group of experts in determining the current theoretical assumptions underpinning the Bobath concept.A four-round Delphi study was used. The expert sample included all 15 members of the British Bobath Tutors Association. Initial statements were identified from the literature with respondents generating additional statements. Level of agreement was determined by using a five-point Likert scale. Level of consensus was set at 80%. Eighty-five statements were rated from the literature along with 115 generated by the group. Ninety-three statements were identified as representing the theoretical underpinning of the Bobath concept. The Bobath experts agreed that therapists need to be aware of the principles of motor learning such as active participation, opportunities for practice and meaningful goals. They emphasized that therapy is an interactive process between individual, therapist, and the environment and aims to promote efficiency of movement to the individual's maximum potential rather than normal movement. Treatment was identified by the experts as having “change of functional outcome” at its center.

Deviance Regulation: A Theory of Action and Identity

The authors propose a behavioral decision theory relevant to the maintenance of desirable identities. The theory, termed deviance regulation theory (DRT), predicts that actions translate into meaningful identities to the extent that they cause the individual to deviate from reference group norms. This straightforward proposition is used to predict the patterning of behavior across a wide array of social contexts. The authors present evidence that predictions generalize across Eastern and Western cultures and to both personal and collective identities. Finally, they show how DRT alters current theoretical assumptions about social motives and social and cultural influence, and they illustrate how it can help explain the structure of both informal and formal social forces.

Goal-Derived Categories: The Role of Personal and Situational Goals in Category Representations

Prior research often emphasized a stimulus‐based or bottom‐up view of product category representations. In contrast, we emphasize a more purposeful, top‐down perspective and examine categories that consumers might construct in the service of salient (i.e., highly accessible) goals. Specifically, we investigate how the point of view imposed by salient consumer goals might affect category representations assessed by participants’ similarity judgments of food products. A key factor in our study is that we examine both individual and situational sources of variability in goal salience. In addition, we also vary the surface‐level, visual resemblance of the stimulus pairs of foods used in the study. The results suggest that personal goals (e.g., health) and situational goals (e.g., convenience) act in conjunction and exert a systematic impact on category representations. Both types of goals, when salient, enhanced the perceived similarity of goal‐appropriate products and reduced the similarity of product pairs when only one product was ideal for the particular goal. The similarity‐enhancing effect was most pronounced when the surface resemblance between the products was low, and the similarity‐diminishing effect was more apparent when surface resemblance was high. Implications are discussed for current theoretical assumptions regarding categorization in consumer research.

The miracle baby: Curriculum change and primary English: An Australian case study

The chequered history of the development of the primary English syllabus in the Australian state of New South Wales, which was released to schools in 1994, suggests that current theoretical assumptions about curriculum change may need further interrogation. Throughout its long period of gestation every 'rule' for successful curriculum development and implementation was either ignored, broken or rendered unattainable due to particular circumstances. T he syllabus gained a degree of notoriety in the Australian context in that it acknowledged a controversial theoretical underpinning- a functional view of language- and was the first syllabus to incorporate national outcomes. T his paper argues that many of the conditions advocated in current educational theory relating to curriculum change are unrealistic in the present political and economic climate and that the politicization of education, the role of the media, as well as subject-specific factors, deserve more attention as significant forces in curriculum change. Change is not made without inconvenience, even from worse to better. Richard Hooker (1594)