Everyday Life Research Articles

Science learning STEM-R approach: A study of students' reflective and critical thinking

This study aimed to i) analyse learning problems in science at boarding schools for junior high school students and ii) determine the effectiveness of science learning in the context of Islamic teachings using the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, -religion (STEM-R) approach to improve reflective and critical thinking skills. The research method applied in this study was a sequential exploratory mixed method. The research design consisted of five stages: i) qualitative data gathering, ii) qualitative data analysis, iii) quantitative data gathering, iv) quantitative data analysis, and v) data interpretation. The subjects of this study were 192 students from boarding schools and were divided into 6 groups. The research results obtained were the school, parents, science teachers and religion teachers’ vision and mission causing students to like or dislike science. An excellent teacher is viewed by students as someone who can make learning enjoyable, exhibit creativity in presenting educational material, possess the ability to motivate, link science and religion, engage in investigative activities, infuse humour, establish connections between science and everyday life, and communicate concepts effectively. Moreover, distinctions in reflective thinking and critical thinking abilities were observed between the experimental group and the control group. Learning that connects science and Islamic religion and examines STEM-R aspects is able to develop students' thinking skills.

Stimulus-elicited involuntary autobiographical memories

The reflexive imagery task (RIT) has been used to investigate stimulus-elicited involuntary mental processes. The task has been successful in eliciting involuntary perceptual experiences, urges, and even higher-order cognitions, but it has never been used to elicit autobiographical memories, even though in everyday life these memories are often activated involuntarily by external stimuli. These memories are different in interesting ways from the kinds of mental representations that have been activated involuntarily in the RIT. The memories have properties which might make them insusceptible to such a form of external influence. Perhaps substantive effects will not arise because the mental representations associated with autobiographical memories are complex, poly-sensory, and rich in terms of content. To investigate this matter, we developed a variant of the RIT in which participants were presented with external stimuli (line drawings of everyday objects) and instructed not to recall any autobiographical memories. We investigated whether the nature of the involuntary memories was influenced by the nature of the stimulus. In two experiments, the involuntary memories were associated to the stimulus on a majority of the trials (∼80%). We discuss theoretical implications of this finding and of identifying the conditions in which such involuntary effects will not arise. The boundary conditions of the RIT effect illuminate the limits of unconscious processing and also the role of conscious processing in nervous function.

Unpacking Technostress: A Systematic Review on its Effects and Mitigation

The exponential growth of technology in everyday life has given rise to technostress, a condition marked by negative psychological and physiological effects. This systematic review synthesizes current research on technostress, examining its global definition, regional variations, impacts, opportunities and mitigation strategies. Drawing on established theories such as the Technostress Model, Job Demands-Resources Model, and Person-Environment Fit Model, the review explores the complex interplay between technology use and stress. The technostress model posits that technostress arises from negative reactions to technology use, fueled by information overload, task demands, and lack of control. The job demands-resource model views technology as either a stressor or a resource, impacting well-being based on organizational context and individual traits, while the person-environment fit model links technostress to capability-demand mismatches. Studies link technostress to anxiety, depression, and physical health problems. The review underscores the importance of tailored interventions, emphasizing organizational support, user-centered design, and individual coping mechanisms in managing technostress, especially in regions with high prevalence rates. In addition to these interventions, the review emphasizes the need for ongoing education and awareness campaigns to promote digital literacy and healthy technology habits. By equipping individuals with the knowledge and skills to navigate the complexities of the digital landscape, these initiatives can empower them to make informed decisions and effectively manage technostress in their daily lives. Highlighting the significance of culturally-tailored interventions, future research aims to refine mitigation strategies and investigate the potential benefits of technology use, ultimately fostering a balanced relationship with technology to minimize drawbacks and maximize advantages.

Higher‐order Behaviours in Bio‐inspired Materials

Bio‐inspired approaches in materials science and systems chemistry are yielding a variety of stimuli‐responsive and dynamic materials that are gradually changing our everyday life. However, the ability to chemically program these materials to exhibit macroscopic higher‐order behaviours such as self‐assembly, contractility, swarming, taxis, chemical communication, or predator‐prey dynamics remains an ongoing challenge. While still in its infancy, the successful fabrication of bio‐inspired materials displaying higher‐order behaviours not only will help bridging the gap between living and non‐living matter, but it will also contribute to the development of advanced materials for potential applications ranging from tissue engineering and biotechnology, to soft robotics and regenerative medicine. Our Mini‐Review will systematically discuss the higher‐order behaviours developed thus far in bio‐inspired systems, namely (i) polymer networks (ii) microbots, (iii) protocells, and (iv) prototissues. For each system it will provide key examples and highlight how the emergent behaviour could be chemically programmed.

Bridging knowledge gap: the contribution of employees’ awareness of AI cyber risks comprehensive program to reducing emerging AI digital threats

Purpose In the modern digital realm, while artificial intelligence (AI) technologies pave the way for unprecedented opportunities, they also give rise to intricate cybersecurity issues, including threats like deepfakes and unanticipated AI-induced risks. This study aims to address the insufficient exploration of AI cybersecurity awareness in the current literature. Design/methodology/approach Using in-depth surveys across varied sectors (N = 150), the authors analyzed the correlation between the absence of AI risk content in organizational cybersecurity awareness programs and its impact on employee awareness. Findings A significant AI-risk knowledge void was observed among users: despite frequent interaction with AI tools, a majority remain unaware of specialized AI threats. A pronounced knowledge difference existed between those that are trained in AI risks and those who are not, more apparent among non-technical personnel and sectors managing sensitive information. Research limitations/implications This study paves the way for thorough research, allowing for refinement of awareness initiatives tailored to distinct industries. Practical implications It is imperative for organizations to emphasize AI risk training, especially among non-technical staff. Industries handling sensitive data should be at the forefront. Social implications Ensuring employees are aware of AI-related threats can lead to a safer digital environment for both organizations and society at large, given the pervasive nature of AI in everyday life. Originality/value Unlike most of the papers about AI risks, the authors do not trust subjective data from second hand papers, but use objective authentic data from the authors’ own up-to-date anonymous survey.

Chronic stress, social support, and symptoms at midlife. Is there a buffering effect?

This study was designed to examine associations among measures of stress, social support, and symptoms at midlife. Specifically, the study examined whether support buffered against the negative effects of stress on severity of symptoms grouped via factor analyses into emotional instability, vaso-somatic symptoms, mood disturbances, and aches and pains. We used cross-sectional data from n = 119 women aged 40-55 in Nagaland, India. Midlife symptoms were measured with the help of questionnaires, and factor analysis was used to identify latent factors. Stress and social support were measured by Perceived Stress Scale and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, respectively. Chronic stress was measured by fingernail cortisol. After adjusting for menopausal status, tobacco use, body mass index, and socioeconomic status, cortisol level was positively associated with emotional instability (p < 0.01), vaso-somatic symptom score (p < 0.05), and total symptoms at midlife (p < 0.05). Familial support was negatively associated with emotional instability (p < 0.05) and total symptoms at midlife (p < 0.05). However, no significant associations were observed with spousal or friend support. Although no significant interactions between stress, social support, and symptoms at midlife were observed, spousal support when stratified as high and low support using the means, perceived stress and vaso-somatic symptoms indicated an interaction. Cortisol level and support from family were independently associated with symptoms at midlife. The study highlights the importance of family ties and support for navigating the stressors of everyday life among women in Nagaland.

Feeling loved in mixed-gender adolescent romantic relationships in the face of daily stress and support: A dyadic diary study.

A profound developmental experience is the emergence of adolescent romantic relationships and first feelings of love. However, the daily nature of feeling loved in adolescents' everyday lives is poorly understood. We investigated how daily stress severity was associated with adolescents' levels of feeling loved and whether romantic partner support moderated these associations. Furthermore, we investigated this for non-interpersonal and interpersonal stressors. N=97 mixed-gender adolescent romantic couples (age M=16.38, SD=1.02) from an ethnically diverse sample (42.2% Hispanic/Latino/a/x, 44.7% White) participated in dyadic diary assessments twice a week for 12 consecutive weeks. Both partners independently completed open-ended questions about a daily stressor, indicating stress severity, perceived partner support, and feeling loved. Daily stressors were coded for non-interpersonal and various types of interpersonal stressors. Results from the dyadic multilevel model showed that days with lower than average support from a romantic partner amplify the adverse effects of stress severity on feeling loved, especially when the partner is involved in the stressor. We discuss the spillover of stress in romantic relationships and the stress-buffering functions of adolescent romantic partner support. Adolescent romantic partners are potentially essential regulators of stress, increasing adolescents' feelings of love. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Romantic love is central in adolescents' lives; we showed that adolescents generally feel loved by romantic partners. Feeling loved fluctuates daily as adolescents feel less loved on stressful days. However, when adolescents perceive their partner as supportive, there is no association between stress and feeling loved. Partner support is protective for feeling loved. The current study provides essential insights into when adolescents and why adolescents feel loved.

Integration of Cloud Computing and Wearable Technology for Enhanced Interactivity

The emergence of wearable computing has revolutionized the way we interact with technology, blurring the lines between the physical and digital worlds. In this research, we explore the dynamic interaction between cloud technology and wearable computing, a synergy that is reshaping the landscape of personal technology and data management. The study delves into how cloud comput-ing provides a powerful platform for wearable devices, enabling enhanced data processing capabili-ties, storage, and ubiquitous access to information. We investigate the various applications of this interaction, ranging from health monitoring to augmented reality, emphasizing the transformative impact on everyday life and various industries. The research also addresses the challenges inherent in this integration, such as data security, privacy concerns, and the need for robust, low-latency communication networks. Through a comprehensive analysis of current trends and future prospects, this study highlights the potential of cloud-assisted wearable technology in creating more personal-ized, efficient, and interconnected experiences. The findings suggest that the convergence of cloud technology and wearable computing not only offers significant benefits in terms of functionality and user experience but also poses critical considerations for data governance and ethical implications in an increasingly connected world.

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The Classification of the Proverbs and Sayings Reflecting Distinctive Features of National Character of the English People Summary The article deals with the classification of the proverbs and sayings reflecting distinctive features of national character of the English people. The proverbs are fixed statements in which simple and popular words are used to reflect the deep truth, and are generalization of experience in everyday life. The proverb is a crystallization of human wisdom, embodied in the language, is declared “a national mirror” or “a lively finding of the language”. The contents of proverbs comprise all aspects of public life. In definite sense, as an important component the proverbs have become an encyclopedia for people to understand their life and regulate their behaviour. They reflect the culture, customs and traditions of people. Key words: The English People, National Character, Distinctive Features, Proverbs, Sayings, Classification

Model of Family and the Propensity to Build Sustainable Savings Attitudes in the Post-COVID World: A Case Study of Poland

This article investigates the role of the model of family and their savings as a support to growth and source of economic sustainability. The central objective of the present article was to determine the impact of the model of a family on the propensity to save money in the population of Poland. As indicated by independence tests, in most studied cases, the model of a family does not have a key role in sustainable consumption and saving behavior. The only exception are the forms of allocation of the saved capital. The study results suggest that households in Poland hold traditional views on the family model and the allocation of their savings. Decisions in everyday life are often reached together with the partner, which may attest to the growing egalitarian tendencies in Polish families. The research shows that the funds saved monthly by households are not planned in advance but constitute a financial surplus after all the expenses have been paid, which is then set aside as a reserve for the future. Partners usually prefer to have separate bank accounts with funds for day-to-day spending. However, the awareness concerning the forms of allocating capital is still poor, which is confirmed by the fact that most of the financial surplus is kept in the current account. The funds saved this way are spent to satisfy current needs, such as holidays or durable goods, and cover expenses in emergencies, which may be particularly important in the context of minimizing the risk of poverty and social exclusion, which should be prevented in line with the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

Everyday Life in the Tropics

Swedish emigration to the US during the second half of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century is well documented by historians and statisticians, but this is not the case with Swedish emigration to Cuba, which is largely unknown. This article introduces the project Everyday Life in the Tropics: The “Forgotten” Swedish Immigrant Colony in Bayate, Cuba and the results of its initial fieldwork at the former colony of Bayate and its surroundings in November 2022. The objective of this work was to initiate documentation of the material remains of the Bayate colony, which flourished from 1905 to 1920 and was finally dissolved in the 1930s, through a survey of the remains of buildings and other structures and investigating the extent and nature of these for future research. It is stressed that the areas inside and outside the nucleus of the colony hold huge potential for further archaeological investigations/excavations, and for studying the social and material aspects of the everyday life of the colonists, through the combination of historical, archaeological, anthropological and botanical evidence. It is also possible to focus on the colonists’ construction of identities due to their cross-cultural interactions with Cuban society, and on how these eventually led to social and material continuity or change.

The Trees Speak for Themselves

Elif Shafak's 2021 novel The Island of Missing Trees describes fictional events that occur on the real island of Cyprus during the war between the Greek and the Turkish inhabitants of the island. This story is told from multiple points of view at various points in time in both Cyprus and London, where the characters move to and live following the events of the war and their families’ disagreements with their relationship. What is unique about Shafak's storytelling is her use of a fig tree as a primary narrator of events. While the use of non-human narrators is not a new strategy, most of these occurrences involve animal speakers rather than plants or objects. In delivering a fiction narrative from the point of view of a fig tree, Elif Shafak's The Island of Missing Trees introduces readers to multispecies encounters by providing an example of how arboreal figures communicate and experience history alongside humans in an anthropocentric world, and further encourages prosocial behavior between human and non-human species. Based on Shafak's novel, theories of attentiveness and slow-violence, and studies on the effect of non-human narrators on readers, including these "non-living" narrators in widely accessible pieces of fiction not only informs audiences of the multispecies encounters that occur in everyday life, but also opens more avenues of multispecies conservation.

Pacemaker Effects on Online Social Rhythms on a Social Network

Abstract The dynamics of coupled oscillators in a network are a significant topic in complex systems science. People with daily social rhythms interact through social networks in everyday life. This can be considered as a coupled oscillator in social networks, which is also true in online society (online social rhythms). Controlling online social rhythms can contribute to healthy daily rhythms and mental health. We consider controlling online social rhythms by introducing periodic forcing (pacemakers). However, theoretical studies predict that pacemaker effects do not spread widely across mutually connected networks such as social networks. We aimed to investigate the characteristics of the online social rhythms with pacemakers on an empirical online social network. Therefore, we conducted an intervention experiment on the online social rhythms of hundreds of players (participants who were pacemakers) using an avatar communication application ($N=416$). We found that the intervention had little effect on neighbors' online social rhythms. This may be because mutual entrainment stabilizes the neighbors' and their friends' rhythms. That is, their online social rhythms were stable despite the disturbances. However, the intervention affected on neighbors' rhythms when a participant and their neighbor shared many friends. This suggests that interventions to densely connected player groups may make their and their friends' rhythms better. We discuss the utilization of these properties to improve healthy online social rhythms.

Weird birds and abandoned places: Pigeons’ role in post-industrial settings

This article examines the role of pigeons (Columba livia domestica) in post-industrial settings and presents a case study of an abandoned pulp mill silo in Meri-Toppila, Oulu, Finland. Pigeons and humans have a long-shared history, during which the former’s role has changed from commodity to “nuisance” species. Using participant observation and perspectives from weirding and queer theory, this study explores the transformation of the human-bird relationship by observing a colony of pigeons at a culturally and historically significant site. In our urban cities, pigeons have found nesting places in attics, on building ledges and in nooks and abandoned structures. Even though we, as humans, avoid these abandoned places, these weird pigeons do not care about our dystopian images and instead thrive in places that we no longer consider valuable. Our everyday life could benefit from interaction with pigeons more than we might believe. Pigeons have become an integral part of our industrial heritage and could have a significant role to play in our daily lives if we were to only give them a chance.

Hidden Behind the Curtains of Inequality in Tehran

In 2018, during a garbology project in Tehran, a bundle of documents was found in a waste container in a middle-class district. The papers included the daily reports of two marketers working in the private healthcare system as well as some documents listing the salaries of private laboratory staff. As most marketers in the private healthcare system in Iran are young females, the documents indicate how the employment policy of the government has impacted the lives and career paths of educated women, so that they now must work long hours under temporary contracts. The documents also reveal some of the mechanisms of the private system, such as arrangements between physicians and private labs, and expose the complications of marketers’ daily living. In this article, the authors examine the documents and garbage bags attributed to single working women, in order to portray the everyday lives of these female marketers.

The Other Side of Language, Literature, and Living: A Call to Hedge the Dying Art

A written document is no longer treated as a piece of literature; rather, readers' needs have surpassed the limits of traditional expectations, beyond the purview of common scrutiny. A piece of writing has become a stale reminder of the time spent; the recurrent images of everyday life and living, the bread and butter of the populace, their anguish and pain, the contours of traditional moorings, nuances and nemesis, rituals and rebuttals clubbed together have become the choice of the present time. The big question, therefore, is to bring in necessary modifications to our notions and approaches towards literature, without which it amounts to infidelity with the readership. The present paper aims to highlight how different elements of behavioural knowledge are intelligibly incorporated in the verses of Ghodanacha and how they influenced the life and living of Kaibartas/Keuts for ages as scriptures of inspiration, encouragement, and discipline. This will connect the art's history, evolution, and current state as it stands at the gateway to its own graveyard.

Committed (dis)honesty: A systematic meta-analytic review of the divergent effects of social commitment to individuals or honesty oaths on dishonest behavior.

People feel committed to other individuals, groups, organizations, or moral norms in many contexts of everyday life. Such social commitment can lead to positive outcomes, such as increased job satisfaction or relationship longevity; yet, there can also be detrimental effects to feeling committed. Recent high-profile cases of fraud or corruption in companies like Enron or Volkswagen are likely influenced by strong commitment to the organization or coworkers. Although social commitment might increase dishonest behavior, there is little systematic knowledge about when and how this may occur. In the present project, we reviewed 20,988 articles, focusing on studies that experimentally manipulated social commitment and measured dishonest behavior. We retained 445 effect sizes from 121 articles featuring a total of 91,683 participants across 33 countries. We found no evidence that social commitment increases or reduces dishonest behavior in general. Nonetheless, we did find evidence that the effect strongly depends on the target of the commitment. Feeling committed to other individuals or groups reduces honest behavior (g = -0.17 [-0.24, -0.11]), whereas feeling committed to honesty norms through honesty oaths or pledges increases honest behavior (g = 0.27 [0.19, 0.36]). The analysis identified several moderating variables and detected some degree of publication bias across effects. Our findings highlight the diverging effects of different forms of social commitment on dishonest behavior and suggest a combination of the different forms of commitment could be a possible means to combat corruption and dishonest behavior in the organizational context. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The endocannabinoid system is involved in the anxiety-like behavior induced by dual-frequency 2.65/0.8 GHz electromagnetic radiation in mice

As wireless communication devices gain popularity, concerns about the potential risks of environmental exposure to complex frequency electromagnetic radiation (EMR) on mental health have become a public health issue. Historically, EMR research has predominantly focused on single- frequency electromagnetic waves, neglecting the study of multi-frequency electromagnetic waves, which more accurately represent everyday life. To address these concerns, our study compared the emotional effects of single-frequency and dual-frequency EMR while exploring potential molecular mechanisms and intervention targets. Our results revealed that single-frequency EMR at 2.65 or 0.8 GHz did not induce anxiety-like behavior in mice. However, exposure to dual-frequency EMR at 2.65/0.8 GHz significantly led to anxiety-like behavior in mice. Further analysis of mouse sera revealed substantial increases in corticosterone and corticotrophin releasing hormone levels following exposure to 2.65/0.8 GHz EMR. Transcriptome sequencing indicated a significant decrease in the expression of Cnr1, encoding cannabinoid receptor 1 Type (CB1R), in the cerebral. This finding was consistently verified through western blot analysis, revealing a substantial reduction in CB1R content. Additionally, a significant decrease in the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol was observed in the cerebral cortex. Remarkably, administering the cannabinoid receptor agonist Win55-212-2 significantly alleviated the anxiety-like behavior, and the cannabinoid receptor antagonist AM251 effectively counteracted the anti-anxiety effects of Win55-212-2. In summary, our research confirmed that dual-frequency EMR is more likely to induce anxiety-like behavior in mice than single-frequency EMR, with implications for the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and the endocannabinoid system. Furthermore, our findings suggest that Win55-212-2 may represent a novel avenue for researching and developing anti-EMR drugs.

Comparing Executive Functions in Children and Adolescents with Autism and ADHD—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Two neurodevelopmental conditions, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), have been associated with executive function (EF) impairment but the specificity of their impairments is still controversial. The present meta-analysis aimed to identify the differences in EF profiles of ASD, ADHD, and ASD+ADHD in relation to a control group of individuals with typical development (TD) and to understand whether the EF performance could change depending upon the type of measure used to assess EF (performance test vs. questionnaires). Results from 36 eligible studies revealed that ADHD and ASD showed more difficulties than the TD group in tests and, particularly, in questionnaires. No significant differences in the EF profile emerged between ASD and ADHD when assessed through neuropsychological tests (d = 0.02), while significant differences emerged when assessed through questionnaires, with ADHD having higher ratings than ASD (d = −0.34). An EF questionnaire and neuropsychological test may catch two different constructs of EF, with the former being more predictive of everyday life EF impairments. The comparison between the double diagnosis group (ADHD+ASD) and the clinical groups pointed out that the former has a more similar EF profile to the ADHD-alone one and that it shows more difficulties than ASD-alone.

Demystifying the Chinese local state: Planning and contesting urban growth at Hexi New Town, Nanjing

Taking note of the limitations of previously dominant political economy perspectives on China’s urban transformation, and inspired by recent works calling for “beyond-growth” and “micro-level” studies of the Chinese state, as well as ethnographic approaches to the state, this paper aims to explore the often-untold everyday politics of decision-making processes in China’s state-led urban development. Using an urban design project at Hexi New Town in Nanjing, China, as an empirical lens, the article makes three main contributions. Firstly, it reveals how the Chinese local state is constitutive of and lived through intense negotiations and contestations over urban visions, subjectivities, and rules of practices in everyday life. Secondly, building upon existing ethnographic approaches to the state, which focus primarily on state-society dynamics, this paper develops a framework to re-conceptualize the power topology within the Chinese local state as a field of relational modalities (ruling power relations (re)enacted in everyday practices) and relational embeddedness (situated positionalities and subjectivities of state actors). Thirdly, it further shows how the power modalities (the interplay of political-economy power vs technical-power, territorial power vs trans-territorial power) of the Chinese local state are constantly reworked, sometimes re-enacted, sometimes challenged, through both formal and tacit rules in the state’s everyday life. As such, the article provides a new set of entry points to open the black-box of the Chinese local state and to explore the relational nature and an ethnographic perspective of the local state and urban politics in China and beyond.