Social Experience Research Articles

Infralimbic Cortex and Behavioral Responses to Mild Stress after Repeated Social Stress Exposure

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is an emotional impairment that can have debilitating consequences for afflicted individuals. Social stress, including isolation or alienation, may be an important factor that contributes to MDD. In two experiments, repeated social defeat was utilized in rodents to induce social stress, modeling the social stressors that are thought to contribute to MDD in humans. Behavioral analyses revealed that dominance and submissive behaviors in the social defeat sessions were quite stable across repeated sessions. Accordingly, there appeared to be little variability between the rats in their social stress experience. This validates the model and allows for the study to draw inferences concerning the impacts of the stress experience from means testing of behavioral and physiological outcomes. The second experiment evaluated the impacts of repeated social defeat on cortical responses to the mild stress of a novel environment. RNAscope was utilized evaluate expression of c-Fos, GAD65, and VGluT1 mRNA in the infralimbic cortex. mRNA for c-Fos was labeled to identify which neurons were active in the infralimbic cortex. This was combined with labels for vGluT1 and GAD65 mRNAs to evaluate if those neurons were excitatory (glutamatergic) or inhibitory (GABAergic). The socially stressed rats exhibited increased mRNA expression for GAD65 in the infralimbic cortex. This suggests increased stress-induced biosynthesis of GABA in inhibitory neurons of the infralimbic cortex.

Pupil dilation responds to the intrinsic social characteristics of affective touch

Affective Touch is characterized by both emotional and arousing dimensions that rely on specific features of a gentle human caress. In this study, we investigated whether and how both the nature of the touching effector (Human hand vs. Artificial hand) and touch type (Dynamic vs. Static) influenced the participants’ pupil dilation and their subjective experience during tactile stimulation. We observed that when participants received a dynamic touch, their pupil dilation increased more when the touch was produced by a human compared to an artificial hand. This discrimination was not present for static touch. Also, dynamic touch given by a human hand invoked a supralinear enhancement of pupil dilation indicating that the combination of these two features induced a stronger autonomic activation than the summed effects of each separately. Moreover, this specific type of touch was perceived as the most pleasant compared to all other tactile stimulations. Overall, our results suggest that pupil dilation could reflect the pleasant experience of human-to-human tactile interactions, supporting the notion that the autonomic nervous system is responsive to the emotional and hedonic aspects associated with Affective Touch as a part of a complex and holistic social experience, rather than solely reacting to its low-level sensory properties.

Recognizing Race: Podcasting to Promote Critical Dialogue and Self-Reflection in Multicultural Psychology

Introduction Courses in multicultural psychology can provide content about power, privilege, healing, and resistance, especially as they pertain to race, while presenting space for students to reflect on their own socialization experiences and the role of race in their lives. Statement of Problem Direct, lecture-based approaches to presenting course content on race and racial identity can impede deep reflection and application of the material to students’ lives and their ability to engage across differences. Literature Review Critical dialogue among classroom peers enables students to use the knowledge gained from classroom content to discuss the complexity of race and racism with nuance and depth. Teaching Implications In this article, we describe Recognizing Race, a podcast assignment that scaffolds students’ self-reflection about their racial identity development while facilitating critical racial dialogues between students. Conclusion The Recognizing Race podcast assignment is one that can be used for undergraduate and graduate-level students in multicultural psychology to apply racial identity concepts to increase cultural self-awareness and promote more compassionate and inclusive interactions with others.

The hippocampal CA2 region discriminates social threat from social safety.

The dorsal cornu ammonis 2 (dCA2) region of the hippocampus enables the discrimination of novel from familiar conspecifics. However, the neural bases for more complex social-spatial episodic memories are unknown. Here we report that the spatial and social contents of an aversive social experience require distinct hippocampal regions. While dorsal CA1 (dCA1) pyramidal neurons mediate the memory of an aversive location, dCA2 pyramidal neurons enable the discrimination of threat-associated (CS+) from safety-associated (CS-) conspecifics in both female and male mice. Silencing dCA2 during encoding or recall trials disrupted social fear discrimination memory, resulting in fear responses toward both the CS+ and CS- mice. Calcium imaging revealed that the aversive experience strengthened and stabilized dCA2 representations of both the CS+ and CS- mice, with the incorporation of an abstract representation of social valence into representations of social identity. Thus, dCA2 contributes to both social novelty detection and the adaptive discrimination of threat-associated from safety-associated individuals during an aversive social episodic experience.

The SEMinal impact of contemporary science: integrated authentic science design and students’ self-efficacy and career aspirations

ABSTRACT Authentic science learning has a significant potential for contributing to students’ self-efficacy (SE) and science career aspirations (SCA) by introducing contemporary science. However, the design of authentic learning remains challenging due to the elusive and subjective nature of experiencing authenticity and the interdisciplinarity and complexity of contemporary science. This study aimed to transform these challenges into opportunities by integrating theoretical frameworks of authentic design with a unique setting, including: (a) authentic pedagogy highlighting social experiences, (b) authentic scientific equipment including hands-on operation of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) situated in a research institute, (c) contemporary science theme (biomineralization). This integrated design was investigated by collecting data from 70 secondary science students on their perceived-authenticity, SE, and SCA using pre–post Likert-type questionnaires. After discovering that authenticity was intensely perceived, we used inferential statistics to examine the relationships between different authentic aspects related to both hard and soft science skills and SE and SCA. We identified a significant connection between students’ experience of acquiring authentic knowledge (i.e. hard skills) and their SCA, as well as between the social experience (i.e. soft skills) and students’ SE. This study contributes to understanding the design and impact of authentic science activities in research institutes.

Analisis Tokoh Kartini dalam Teori Bandura

This research aims to analyze the personality of R.A. Kartini using Albert Bandura's social learning theory, focusing on the concepts of reciprocal determinism, cognition and self-regulation, self-efficacy, self-system, and the stages of learning through behavior. Kartini, a figure who advocated for gender equality and women's education, displayed a strong intrinsic drive despite facing social and cultural barriers. Through Bandura’s theory, this study explores how Kartini’s social environment, internal values, and life experiences influenced her efforts in creating social change. The findings show that Kartini's personality reflects a complex interaction between individual factors, the environment, and behavior, all contributing to her significant achievements in women's rights.

Development and maturation of school principals’ viewpoint of physical education's value to the academic mission

School principals are responsible for leadership toward meeting an academic mission predicated on student achievement in core subjects. Socialization experiences of principals relative to physical education (PE) may impact their perception of PE's academic value. Our purpose was to investigate the development and maturation of school principals’ perspective of the value of PE to their school’s academic mission. Eleven principals completed two in-depth interviews about their perception of PE's value to their school's academic mission. Interviews occurred prior to and following their PE teacher participating in extended professional development. Principals observed and assessed the teaching performance of their current PE teacher on two separate occasions between interviews. Occupational Socialization Theory guided inquiry and analysis. Principals’ positive and negative experiences during K-12 influenced their beliefs about the value of PE to the academic mission and were evident in performance expectations of their respective PE teacher. Professional training had little effect, but instructional leadership interactions with their PE teacher impacted principals’ beliefs about PE's value to the school’s academic mission. Positive changes in principal perceptions about the academic nature of PE were noted over the course of the study. Principal preparation programs offer little guidance in supporting PE. Opportunities to observe and reflect upon best practices with PE teachers may positively alter their beliefs. More guidance on evaluating teachers of specific content areas such as PE is warranted, and PE teachers may offset marginalization by engaging their principal about best practices that align with and support the school’s academic mission.

Sociodemographic Influence on the Management of Orofacial Cleft in Urban and Rural Indonesia.

To explore the social experiences of orofacial cleft patients and contextualize sociodemographic influence on management disparities in rural and urban areas of Indonesia. This study explores patients' lives in two demographical settings in South Sulawesi Province, Makassar and Selayar Islands Regency. It employs ethnography, including open-ended interviews and observations of patients, their neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces. Secondary data from the two regencies and South Sulawesi province are employed to demonstrate demographic disparities in patient care between urban and rural areas. Thematic content analysis was performed according to socio-demographical differences and networks involved in the management. This study engaged a diverse group of participants, including patients, family caregivers, medical team members, and patient peers (n = 40), primarily from middle to low-income families. Parents in both regions had limited knowledge about treatment modalities, which resulted in concerns regarding the safety of surgical procedures and the postponement of mandatory surgeries. In rural areas, patients faced significant financial burdens when referred to Makassar. In contrast to parents in Selayar, parents in Makassar prioritized more social interaction to ensure that their children attended school, college, and work. Patients in both settings reported facing various obstacles at different stages of their lives. Sociodemographic conditions contribute to disparities in treatment, social positioning, and self-perception. Promoting education about the safety of medical and rural surgical procedures is vital. Involving patients in public activities and providing support from family caregivers is paramount to nurturing patients' optimistic outlooks.

Artificial intelligence and adolescents’ socialization: risks of influence

Importance. To date, there is an active introduction of artificial intelligence into all spheres of human activity, leading to significant changes in the factors that influence the socialization of the younger generation. Along with this, smart devices have also begun to act as agents of socialization for modern teenagers, with whom they interact both in educational and extracurricular settings. In this regard, the scientific and pedagogical community is interested in identifying both the positive and negative aspects of AI’s influence on the formation of the social experience of minors. The aim of the study is to examine the features and analyse the risks associated with the artificial intelligence impact on the adolescents’ socialisation.Research Methods. The work is based on a comprehensive review of psychological, pedagogical, legal, sociological, scientific, and technical literature on artificial intelligence the introduction in various fields of human activity, particularly in the education sector. The study is grounded in personal-activity, multi-subject, and environmental perspectives, which allowed for the synthesis and analysis of relevant information, as well as an assessment of the potential risks associated with the artificial intelligence influence on the positive socialization process of school students. Within these frameworks, several research methodologies are employed, including analysis, comparison, generalization, systematization, and structured information organization.Results and Discussion. The main areas of artificial intelligence application in education are: adaptive learning, automated assessment, examination management, personalized learning, customized educational materials creation, consultation and recommendation systems, gaming and virtual reality, extending the range of opportunities for students with special needs, and monitoring student engagement in learning. However, along with the potential benefits of introducing AI technologies into the adolescents’ cognitive development, there are several risks associated with the intelligent devices’ use: a potential decrease in the education quality, challenges with social skills and self-regulation development, value orientation, adaptation, and self-regulatory resources. Additionally, there is a risk of subjectivity loss, the formation of an unrealistic self-image, aggressive behavior, and the development of digital autism and information pseudoliteracy.Conclusion. Based on the analysis, it is revealed that the artificial intelligence influence on modern adolescents can be traced not only in changing the educational process of the school, which is a factor and institution of socialization, but also in the direct interaction between a minor and a smart device. At the same time, this process has both positive and negative aspects, the consideration and correction of which is necessary when introducing artificial intelligence into education and other spheres of human activity and society.

Hungry for nutrition information: Undergraduate students' engagement with nutrition social media nutrition content.

Background: Social media is a fast-changing, normalized way through which youth access health and nutrition information. Yet, social media content that lacks expertise or altruistic motives can negatively impact this vulnerable population through mis- or disinformation. Aim: The aims of this study were to 1) assess how adolescents and young adults engage with nutrition information across social media platforms and account types, and 2) describe their preferences for nutrition social media content. Methods: We conducted an exploratory mixed methods study with 57 undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory public health nutrition course. First, we calculated descriptive statistics on close-ended survey data on social media use and sociodemographic variables. Then, we performed thematic analysis on open-ended survey data regarding social media use, preferences, and experiences. Results: The median age of participants was 20 years old; 70% of participants identified as female and 11% identified as male. We found that TikTok and Instagram were highly preferred by participants for weight loss, wellness, diet promotion, and sports and fitness topics. In general, participants reported wanting personalized content that conveys positive nutrition messages that are supported by credible expertise. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the nutrition community can engage adolescents and young adults by presenting information as image- and video-based content on social media. Social media content related to weight loss, wellness, diet promotion, and sports and fitness topics should establish credibility using visible markers and embrace body positive messaging for maximum uptake.

Amnesia and homework

Introduction: In humans, the phenomenon of temporally graded retrograde amnesia has been described in the clinic and the laboratory for more than 100 years. The memory f\deficit can occur against a background of intact intellectual and perceptual functions. Material and methods: There were analyzed articles from the PubMed database from the last 5 years 2019-2024, mentioning such words as “amnesia”, “homework”. Results: Amnestic syndrome is narrower than once believed in the sense that a number of learning and memory abilities are preserved. The brain system damage in amnesia has only a temporary role in memory. In the 1950 edition of the Encyclopedia of Educational Research H.J. Otto wrote “compulsory homework does not result in sufficiently improved academic accomplishments to justify retention” [1]. Eighteen years later P.R Wildman went a step further, starting that “whenever homework crowds out social experience, outdoor recreation, and creative activities and whenever it usurps time devoted to sleep, it is not meeting the basic needs of children and adolescents” [2]. Conclusion: Thus, as Otto’s remark exemplifies, homework fell out of favor. Homework, it was believed could accelerate knowledge acquisition. Wildman expressed the concern of the time that too much emphasis on school would lead to the neglect of other areas of personal fulfillment. Not all amnesias, results from brain damage. Amnesia may be produced by severe emotional trauma or naturally occurring changes in state or arousal [3-5]. Improves creative activity total quality management as a predictor of artificial intelligence provides competitive marketing, proven and by the role of social networks in reducing stress [6,7], confirming that amnesia has only a temporary role in memory.

Enhancing social interaction in nursing homes through public tabletop displays: A field study of R2S

The prevalence of social isolation among nursing home residents highlights the need for innovative solutions to enhance their social interactions and wellbeing. Despite extensive efforts over recent decades to develop in-room systems or public applications under caregivers’ supervision, there remains a gap in designing public social technologies that can be integrated into residents’ daily lives. Furthermore, the challenges associated with low adoption and the complexities of evaluating such technologies in public care settings have limited our understanding of their impact on residents' social activities and experiences. To address this, our study introduces R2S, a tabletop display system designed to encourage older adults to view, share, and discuss news articles collaboratively in public care environments. A 6-week field trial was conducted in a Dutch care home to investigate the influence on residents’ daily social activities, R2S's utilization, and residents’ perceived user experiences and social emotions. The results reveal that R2S can generally promote daily social interactions among residents, even altering their long-established social habits. Five usage patterns of social technologies within public care environments were identified to provide insights into designing systems in comparable contexts. The participants reported a highly positive user experience with the system. Although their affective social benefits were not significant, they substantially outweighed the affective costs. These findings not only deepen the understanding of how technology can enhance social interaction in public care settings but also provide insights to inform the design and implementation of related technologies in the future.

Does Local Area Social Mobility Affect Political Alienation?

While existing research has considered how individual-level social mobility experiences affect a person’s political outlook, less attention has been paid to how historic levels of social mobility in local areas influence political attitudes and political behaviour. We link individual-level data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study to small area estimates of social class mobility derived from the decennial census. We find that living in a low absolute social mobility area was associated with a higher probability of voting ‘Leave’ in the 2016 UK European Union membership referendum. However, we find no evidence that historical social mobility rates in the local area predict abstention in general elections or attitudinal indicators of political alienation. Given declining rates of upwards mobility, and increasing levels of downwards mobility, our results have important implications for understanding geographies of political discontent.

Admissions pathways and international undergraduates’ academic achievement

ABSTRACT Background There are a number of pathways available for international students to gain admission into universities in English-speaking countries. While many international students for whom English is not their first language succeed academically, there is concern that some do not cope with the demands of university which can affect their retention and academic success. This study considers the effects of different admissions pathways on international undergraduate students’ academic success in one New Zealand university. Purpose Findings from the first phase of this research revealed that international students who entered university with the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) gained at high school in New Zealand performed significantly worse academically than their peers who entered through three other admissions pathways. This study aimed to ascertain whether there were salient features of students’ prior education and undergraduate experiences which contributed to this outcome. Method In-depth interviews were conducted with nine students who entered a university in New Zealand via two admissions pathways: NCEA or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The data generated through these interviews was analysed to enable qualitative comparisons between the two groups. Findings Results suggest that the IELTS group outperformed their NCEA peers due to maturity and prior education in their home countries. While the NCEA students had spent some years at high school in the host country, they did not, in general, demonstrate the same level of academic literacy as their IELTS peers. Conclusion International students’ outcomes appear to differ due to previous educational experiences. Students who enter via NCEA are potentially more likely to need support, as they may still be dealing with language proficiency issues, whereas those who enter via IELTS with prior higher-level education in their home country may be more academically prepared. It is important that institutions promote learning support opportunities for all international students, to ensure they experience a positive social and learning experience, which can ultimately contribute to their retention in learning, and their academic success.

Art-based social work experiences in Portugal

ABSTRACT This article intends to reflect on art-based social work by highlighting the perception and involvement in art experiences of professionals in Portugal. It critically analyses the use of art as a process, method and technique that can be conceptualised as a social change approach. An exploratory survey was conducted among professionals belonging to the National Association. The survey used closed and open-ended questions, focused on professionals’ understanding of intervention and social change through art, artistic methodologies, and experiences in under degree and professional practice. The results show a low level of professional involvement with art, and for those who use art seem to have acquired post-graduate training and experience on this aspect. Art is a social change approach, focused on personal, community and sensitive to cultural/racial issues. Art-based social work focuses on freedom, and its usage in interventions is fostered by having training and professional experience.

Frequent Social Media Use and Experiences with Bullying Victimization, Persistent Feelings of Sadness or Hopelessness, and Suicide Risk Among High School Students - Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2023.

Social media has become a pervasive presence in everyday life, including among youths. In 2023, for the first time, CDC's nationally representative Youth Risk Behavior Survey included an item assessing U.S. high school students' frequency of social media use. Data from this survey were used to estimate the prevalence of frequent social media use (i.e., used social media at least several times a day) among high school students and associations between frequent social media use and experiences with bullying victimization, persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, and suicide risk. All prevalence estimates and measures of association used Taylor series linearization. Prevalence ratios were calculated using logistic regression with predicted marginals. Overall, 77.0% of students reported frequent social media use, with observed differences by sex, sexual identity, and racial and ethnic identity. Frequent social media use was associated with a higher prevalence of bullying victimization at school and electronically, persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, and some suicide risk among students (considering attempting suicide and having made a suicide plan), both overall and in stratified models. This analysis characterizes the potential harms of frequent social media use for adolescent health among a nationally representative sample of U.S. high school students. Findings might support multisectoral efforts to create safer digital environments for youths, including decision-making about social media policies, practices, and protections.

Oxytocin moderates fMRI connectivity and response to implicit threat processing in cocaine use disorder

Stressful social experiences play an important role in increasing vulnerability to substance use, including cocaine. Oxytocin (OXT), known for its anxiolytic properties and involvement in social functioning, has been suggested as a potential therapeutic for cocaine use disorder (CUD). However, limited research has explored OXT’s influence on social stress in CUD, and no study has examined its effects on neural response to subconscious (implicit) social threat cues in this population. To address this gap, the present study administered intranasal OXT (24 IU) or placebo (PBO) to participants with CUD (CUD+, N = 76) or without CUD (CUD-, N = 61) in a randomized parallel design. Participants then completed a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) task involving briefly presented facial fear and anger (i.e., threat) cues, followed by neutral face stimuli. Whole-brain activation and amygdala functional connectivity (using psychophysiological interaction modeling) were examined in response to the facial threat cues. OXT reduced activation in the thalamus and pontine reticular formation in response to fear cues, and in the supplementary motor area for both fear and anger cues, regardless of CUD status. Additionally, under PBO, amygdala-medial prefrontal cortex connectivity to fear stimuli was negative for the CUD+ group, but under OXT, this coupling was positive, similar to the positive coupling observed for the CUD- group under both PBO and OXT administration. The finding of OXT-mediated reversal of amygdala-prefrontal coupling was specific to CUD+ and suggests that OXT alters circuitry related to threat surveillance and implicit emotion regulation in CUD. However, additional research is needed to determine whether these alterations due to OXT have clinical significance in CUD.

Linguistic Hermeneutical Injustice

ABSTRACT Grammatical gender languages mark gender on every noun and agreement target such as adjectives and pronouns. While the norm for personal nouns provides that the term’s grammatical gender corresponds to its referent’s gender, in certain circumstances, a discrepancy arises between the term and its referent’s gender. Taking Italian as a case study, I identify four such circumstances: reference to non-binary people, women and non-binary professionals in traditionally male-dominated fields, generic or unknown individuals and mixed-gender groups. Among these, I distinguish between usage discrepancies, which depend on how speakers (mis)use language, and structural discrepancies, which depend on structural features of the language. The latter is the case for reference to non-binary people as Italian lacks a grammatical gender corresponding to non-binary gender identities. I focus on this case and argue that it conveys a problematic representation of gender, giving rise to a specific instance of hermeneutical injustice: structural discrepancies depend on a gap in collective interpretative resources (namely, the lack of an appropriate grammatical gender) and put non-binary people at an unfair disadvantage in making sense of their social experiences. As I show, the effects of structural discrepancies possess all the hallmarks of hermeneutical injustice.

Early life social conditions and adverse experiences are associated with childhood BMI and perceived overeating.

Early life socioeconomic disadvantage and adverse experiences may lead to overeating, which is in turn associated with increased body mass index (BMI). However, recent evidence indicated that the association between childhood BMI and overeating might be bidirectional. This bidirectionality prompts the need for further investigation of early life predictors of BMI in childhood. To longitudinally assess the directionality of the association between childhood BMI and perceived overeating and to investigate their antecedent early life predictors. The sample included data from 5151 children from the ELSPAC study, collected between 18 months and 11 years of child age. The outcomes were child BMI and mother-reported overeating, assessed at the age of 3, 5, 7 and 11 years. Predictors included maternal BMI, maternal education, single parenthood, financial difficulties and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) reported by parents and paediatricians. The random intercept cross-lagged panel model was applied. The mean child's BMI at age 3 was 15.59 kg/m2 and increased to 17.86 kg/m2 at age 11. The percentage of parent-reported overeating increased in the following period, from about 12% at age 3 to 17% at age 11. The results showed temporal stability in perceived overeating and BMI, with a bidirectional relationship strengthening over time. The child's BMI was associated with maternal BMI. Maternal BMI was positively associated with child-perceived overeating, but a stronger effect was found for ACEs. ACEs mediated the impact of maternal education, financial difficulties and single parenthood on overeating. We observed stable bidirectional associations between BMI and perceived overeating. The results indicated two main pathways: one linked to maternal BMI and early childhood BMI increase followed by perceived overeating and the second associated with ACEs mediating the effect of early childhood social factors on perceived overeating, leading to gradual BMI gain.

Social Workers' Experiences of Working With Support Workers in Services for Adults With Intellectual Disabilities in Hong Kong.

Services for adults with intellectual disabilities in Hong Kong have a hierarchical staffing structure. Professional social workers, who performed as mid-level employees, work with frontline support workers to deliver services to clients. This qualitative study explored social workers' experiences of working with support workers through in-depth interviews with 13 participants. The study revealed that social workers perceived a significant variation between themselves and support workers in terms of working motivation, values and attitudes towards clients with intellectual disabilities. Despite the hierarchical relationships, social workers and support workers share the power of service decision-making. Social workers used firm and gentle approaches to facilitate changes in practices to uphold service values. These findings were compared with Western literature on this topic, indicating similarities and differences. The organisations need to facilitate an effective collaboration between social workers and support workers to enhance the quality of services for adults with intellectual disabilities in Hong Kong.