Explanation Of Behavior Research Articles

Causal Interpretations of Correlational Evidence Regarding Violence.

Inferring causation from correlation can lead to erroneous explanations of violent behavior and the development and implementation of ineffective or even harmful interventions and policies. This article explores the inferences that violence researchers draw from evidence related to violent offending. We invited authors of articles published in violence journals to complete an online survey in which they were asked to identify a factor that may be a cause of violence, cite a study that demonstrates the factor is associated with violence, and provide their inferences from that study. We read each study and coded its research design (description of a sample [n = 9], cross-sectional/retrospective non-experiment [n = 18], single-wave longitudinal non-experiment [n = 10], multi-wave longitudinal non-experiment [n = 0], or randomized experiment [n = 5]) and the appropriate inferences (inter-rater reliability was adequate; κ = 0.73-1.00). Reassuringly, participants (N = 42; 57.1% in United States; 59.5% women) rarely indicated that their identified study demonstrated that their factor was a cause of violence (0.0%-16.7%) when the study was not a randomized experiment. However, many participants failed to acknowledge any plausible alternate interpretations (e.g., reverse causality, third variable) of the results from non-experimental studies (50.0%-88.9%). Moreover, most participants incorrectly selected a causal implication as following from the results of non-experimental studies (77.8%-100%). Our results suggest that even among authors of articles published in peer-review scientific journals on violence, many appear to infer causation from correlation.

“Why did she do that?”: Chinese children's preference for trait‐based explanations of behavior

AbstractThe current study addressed the extent to which Chinese children rely on situational characteristics to reason about the causes of valenced behavior (i.e., positive or negative). Specifically, one hundred fifteen 4‐ to 7‐year‐olds from Hangzhou, China, were asked to attribute a character's behavior toward a peer to either that character's traits (e.g., “nice”) or the situation (e.g., being tired and being happy). Across ages, children made trait attributions for both positive and negative behavior but were least likely to do so when information about the character's emotions was available, particularly in congruent valence conditions. In addition, children made an intentionality judgment about whether the character's behavior was accidental or intentional. Overall, children judged positive behavior as intentional but were unsystematic in their judgments of negative behavior. These findings highlight cross‐cultural similarities in children's personal perception and suggest connections between trait and mental state reasoning that may inform strategies for peer relationships.

K čemu je antropologizace historie?

This contribution aims to review the axiomatic premises of neurophysiology, psychoanalysis and deconstructionism (in their most extreme forms), and to discuss correspondences and differences in the concepts of humanness on which they are based. This discussion will reveal the high degree of similarity in these underlying concepts. Both sociobiology and psychoanalysis in effect negate human free will to a great extent with their explanations of behaviour as the result of a limited repertoire of basic drives or biochemically regulated patterns. Deconstructionism, on the other hand, while seeming to reject this approach, is in fact ultimatey also grounded in psychoanalytical axioms. On this basis, the value of further pursuing these epistemological paths appears questionable. If work is oriented around recognising the limits of the explainable, in the sense of a classic hermeneutic circle, then it would seem more useful to return to more modest goals, which can only be realised within the context of comprehensive historical and cultural contextualisation. The processes in which human patterns of interpretation and action emerge and are transformed can be reduced neither to "unconscious" drives nor to the autonomous perception of the body by a subject, and nor can they be interpreted as mere de-materialised language.

Combined Bending-Torsion and Compression-Bending-Torsion Behaviours of Reinforced Concrete-Filled Thin-Walled Corrugated Steel Tubes

Reinforced concrete-filled thin-walled galvanized corrugated steel tube (RCFCST) is a novel composite member that has application potential in extremely corrosive environments and seismic activity regions. A series of preliminary works have been conducted on its compressive, flexural, shear, and torsional behaviour. However, the combined loading condition is almost inevitable in practice. The correlations between the flexural and torsional behaviour of RCFCSTs are unique due to the special spiral corrugated profile, which is unclear and needs to be addressed. This paper, therefore, presents an experimental investigation of the RCFCST under combined bending-torsion and compression-bending-torsion loads, encompassing the main test variables of torsion-to-bending ratios, torsional directions, and axial compression ratios. The loading set-up and instruments have been introduced in detail. The failure modes, lateral load versus lateral displacement curves, bending moment versus flexural lateral displacement curves, torsion moment versus torsional angle curves, and strain distributions are carefully addressed. The working mechanisms of the RCFCST under combined loads are discussed, with a particular explanation of the dependent behaviour on the torsion-to-bending ratios and torsional directions. The applicability of the existing design methods for the bearing capacity of RCFCST specimens under combined loads is examined carefully, with specific design suggestions proposed.

The Impact Of Stock Price On Investment Decision: Theory & Evidence

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a behavioral explanation of excess stock price volatility relative to present value theory. Design/methodology/approach – The conceptual basis is the impact of effect on investor decisions. The empirical tests involve survey data collected from a sample of semi-professional Investors and investment advisors. Findings – It is suggested that affect causes investors to perceive an inverse ex ante relationship Between risk perceptions and expected returns. Thus, new good or bad information has an amplified effect on stock valuations. In addition, investors tend to extrapolate recent short-term market movements into the future. Practical implications – The primary implications are that ex ante perceptions of risk and return Vary inversely and that affect has a strong influence on valuation. This means that simple statistical Measures of risk are unlikely to fully capture risk perceptions and that market volatility can be Expected to be greater than a simple present value model would imply. Originality/value – This paper is unique as to the conclusion that risk and return perceptions vary Inversely ex ante and that affect can amplify stock price volatility

Implementation of An Optical Gauss Meter Based on Ferrite and Hematite Ferrofluids

Three compositions Ni0.5Fe2.5O4, Ni0.7Fe2.3O4, and Fe2O3 were prepared by the co-precipitation method and checked by XDR, SEM, and VSM. The nanoparticles show a good match with the XRD standards. The particle sizes were 25, 32, and 18nm for the above compositions, respectively. The first composition showed the highest magnetization saturation. Suspensions containing the mentioned nanoparticles were prepared with two carrier fluids, distilled water, and dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO). A transmission to ultraviolet-visible light was tested and showed good transparency of more than 60 % in the red light region. The transparency to 623nm laser light under different magnetic fields of the six suspensions was tested. A simple device was fabricated to perform this test. The water suspension in water Ni0.5Fe2.5O4 has a larger variation in the transmitted power. The suspension of hematite shows no sensible change in the transmitted power. The magnetic properties of the nanoparticles and the dispersion property of the carrier fluid were behind the explanation of the suspension behaviors under the influence of the magnetic field.

On the Origin of Enantioselectivity in Chiral Zeolite Asymmetric Catalyst GTM-3: Host-Guest Transfer of Chirality.

Knowledge of how extra-large-pore chiral zeolite asymmetric catalysts based on the -ITV framework imprint their chirality during a catalytic reaction is crucial in order to spread the scope for the catalytic enantioselective production of chiral compounds of interest. In this work, we have carried out a combined experimental and computational study on the catalytic activity of antipode GTM-3 catalysts during the ring-opening of trans-stilbene oxide with 1-butanol. Identification of the enantiomers of all the chiral species unraveled a surprising catalytic behavior: these chiral catalysts promote the transformation of one enantiomer of trans-stilbene oxide in the corresponding unlike product (with inversion of configuration of the attacked C) via an SN2 mechanism, and at the same time, the transformation of the other enantiomer of trans-stilbene oxide via an SN1-like mechanism into the like (with retention of configuration) and secondary products (diphenylacetaldehyde via Meinwald rearrangement and derived products). A computational study based on DFT + D methods suggested a potential explanation for this catalytic behavior, associated with a different orientation of trans-stilbene oxide enantiomers bound on the Ge(T7) positions in d4r units, which is stabilized by the development of intraframework H-bonds between the interrupted T7OH adjacent positions characteristic of this framework. Calculations suggest that each enantiomer of trans-stilbene oxide follows a different reaction pathway, one favoring the SN2 route by addition of butanol from the opposite side to form unlike-products, while the different orientation of the antipode enantiomer disfavors such SN2 route mainly by steric repulsions and at the same time favors the reaction toward the SN1 mechanism to give like- and secondary-products. Our study suggests that the strong enantioselectivity of GTM-3 catalysts for this reaction is associated with the particular orientation adopted by the chiral reactants within the chiral nanospace provided by the -ITV framework, similarly to what occurs with enzymes, and such preferential orientation is directly controlled by the asymmetric cavities where the reaction takes place, by the particular features of the Ge active sites in adjacent interrupted positions and by the presence of several framework OH groups in the nearby nanospace that interact with guest species. The experimental observations and the reaction mechanism proposed suggest that GTM-3 catalysts prepared from the (1S,2S) enantiomer of the N,N-ethyl-methyl-pseudoephedrinium organic agent should be enriched in the P4332 enantiomorphic space group of the -ITV framework and GTM-3 prepared from the (1R,2R) enantiomer in the antipode P4132. Interestingly, resolution of the absolute configuration of GTM-3 materials from 3D-electron diffraction data has been accomplished and confirms such an assignment, giving an average 82% enantio-enrichment in the corresponding chiral polymorph. Structure-solution of the location of the chiral structure-directing agents indicates that the transfer of chirality from the molecular component to the zeolite polymorph is governed by the development of strong H-bonds between the molecular hydroxyl group and the interrupted T(7)OH framework positions.

When Diapers are Erotic: Investigation of 197 People with Adult-Baby-Syndrome (Autonepophilia)

Goal: Autonepophilia is a behaviour of adults in which people behave like toddlers. They wear diapers, suck on pacifiers and love it to be cared for from other people. Often an erotic component is involved and urinating into the diaper is connected with sexual arousal. Currently only a small number of studies exist about the AB/DL-syndrome (adult baby / diaper lovers). This study aimed to characterize causes in the development and typical behaviours of affected persons. Method: Data were collected in social networks and online communities for adult baby / diaper lovers. A sample of 184 male and 13 female participants with AB/DL behaviour was recruited and compared with a not-affected control group (158 male and 13 female). Primarily a questionnaire was used, which was developed to collect data about this syndrome by the authors. In addition the elements of the „Giessen-Test-II“ (GT-II, Beckmann et al.) and the „Need Inventory of Sensation Seeking“ (NISS, Hamelstein et al.) were used. Results: Data support a psychodynamic, behavioural and biopsychological explanation for AB/DL behaviour. Predisposing factors were the absence of a secure attachment object, lower stimulation in the anal stage, associations between infant care and first sexual arousal, enuresis and testosterone deficiency. The main motive was the reduction of stress and tensions. In contrast to the short excitement, in a long term practicing of AB/DL led to strong feelings of humiliation and shame. Moreover, AB/DL affected individuals had fewer, shorter and poorer-qualities of partnerships compared to the control group. No significant differences were found with respect to the expression of docility or sensation seeking. Conclusion: The study shows evidence of a psychodynamic explanation for the Adult Baby Syndrome. The absence of a safe attachment object and understimulation in the anal phase of development were identified as possible predisposing factors. In combination with the fact, that AB/DL sufferers more often come from divorced and adoptive families, it can be assumed that the origin of this behaviour is in the external circumstances of childhood and youth.

Showcasing the Variety of Biosocial and Evolutionary Approaches in Sociology: Introduction to the Special Issue

This introduction to the special issue explores the increasing integration of biosocial and evolutionary approaches within sociology, highlighting the diverse ways in which these perspectives are incorporated into sociological research. In the past, sociology had reservations against or even rejected biological and evolutionary explanations of human behavior and often viewed them with skepticism. However, recent developments have seen a resurgence of interest in these approaches, leading to the emergence of interdisciplinary subfields such as biosociology, evolutionary sociology, neurosociology, and sociogenomics. This introduction provides a historical overview of biological and evolutionary thinking with regard to human behavior and sociality, tracing its roots from Darwinian theory to its contemporary applications within sociology. We discuss the conceptual and methodological differences between these approaches and offer an overview of key contributions that illustrate their relevance to core sociological topics. The articles in this special issue—which we summarize in this introduction—exemplify the variety of work being done at the intersection of sociology and the bio- and evolutionary sciences, from theoretical explorations to empirical studies. By presenting this range of interdisciplinary research, we aim to invite a broader sociological audience to engage with these perspectives, contributing to the development of a more comprehensive understanding of human behavior that sheds the dualism between nature and nurture—long overcome outside of sociology—for a consolidated effort to examine how nature and nurture are intertwined in multiple and complex ways.

Partners in crime: Integrating forensic psychotherapy into criminological discourse

This article advocates for the integration of forensic psychotherapy into criminology to deepen our understanding of criminal behaviour, particularly serious youth violence. Despite historical interest in psychoanalytic explanations for criminal behaviour, the exploration of unconscious motivations has been marginalised. Our article emphasises the need to consider both inner psyche and external social factors by drawing on contemporary theorising in the field of psychosocial criminology and forensic psychotherapy. By presenting the case study of Rob, a young person with a history of violence, we highlight the role of forensic psychotherapy in better understanding the motivations behind an individual's violent behaviour. By adopting a case study approach, we highlight the limitations of solely attributing offending behaviour to structural inequalities. This article therefore calls for a broader consideration of forensic psychotherapeutic modalities in criminological thinking to offer more comprehensive explanations for serious youth violence. This shift towards a more holistic understanding holds promise for more effective prevention and rehabilitation strategies in the field of youth justice.

Vacancy-driven resistive switching behavior based on wafer-scale MoSe2 artificial synapses

Recently, researches have revealed that synaptic transistors based on two-dimensional materials (2DMs) have substantial advantages and potential for modeling neural synapses. However, the mechanism of artificial synaptic device with 2DMs as conducting channels remains to be further clarified. Here, high-quality wafer-scale MoSe2 nanosheets were achieved by ALD-CVD process, where further 23 × 23 × 4 synaptic arrays were fabricated in situ. Notably, the outstanding MoSe2 synaptic device exhibits an on/off ratio of 3.6 × 107 with hysteresis ratio of 6.8k and simulates crucial biological synaptic behaviors such as paired pulse facilitation and excitatory postsynaptic currents. The mechanism of Se vacancy induction and horizontal diffusion driven is revealed based on high-resolution transmission electron microscopy characterization with first-principles calculations, which suggests a possible mechanistic explanation for the resistive switching behavior of 2DMs transistors. Artificial synaptic devices with 2DMs based on the working mechanism of vacancy diffusion are capable of satisfying the needs of complex neural network applications.

The Toll of Exclusion on Immigrants’ Health across the Life Course: Research Advances and Future Directions

Health is an integral feature of immigration, providing not only insight into population health but also a critical lens into immigrant integration and the power structure in receiving countries. The goal of this article is to chart the trajectory of scholarship on immigrants’ health, focusing on the formative shift away from dominant individualistic perspectives focused on cultural and behavioral explanations toward a profoundly structural understanding of immigrants’ health. Focusing primarily on the US context, we synthesize theoretical and empirical advances in structural perspectives of immigrants’ health. We anchor these advances in the concept of exclusion, detailing how it undergirds structuralist perspectives of immigrants’ health. We review common ways in which exclusion has been measured in the empirical literature on immigrants’ health and highlight recent evidence linking exposure to exclusion to immigrants’ health outcomes across the life course. We conclude by discussing key directions and challenges for future research.

Explanation, formal models, and rational choice

Formal theorists use a unified collection of models to generate intentional and causal explanations of political behavior. I explicate this claim and argue that disagreements about the role of unification and intentionality are at the root of persistent friction between theorists and empiricists. A debate around pathologies of rational choice theory is used to illustrate the argument.

Bringing agency back in: neighbourhood countries' perceptions of their hegemonic power relation with the EU and Russia

ABSTRACT Russia's current war against Ukraine takes place in the wider context of geopolitical competition in the region. The EU and Russia promoted integration projects that have, in fact, become conflicting for the “in-between” countries. Existing scholarship put forward power-based explanations for these countries' behaviour that ignored their agency. This paper brings agency back in by developing a conceptual framework that highlights the relational nature of hegemony and that includes the perceptions of the small state in the analysis of power. To illustrate the applicability of this framework, two neighbourhood countries' (Moldova and Armenia) power relations with the EU and Russia are analysed. The focus is on how the structural aspects were acted out and shaped by the two aspiring regional hegemons to understand how small state actors perceived EU and Russian hegemonic power. The findings show the different expressions the phenomenon of hegemonic power can take in practice and how these were perceived in Moldova and Armenia.

Vida nômade, fugindo do saber sobre si para encontrar o mundo: Um estudo de caso no existencialismo

The case study described here explores the clinical understanding developed in an internship in a clinic-school, between August 2021 and December 2022, when the university still maintained social distancing. Through online consultations, adapted from the existentialist approach, the case of a woman with complaints of anxiety, depression and a history of suicide attempts, living a nomadic life, living in a van with her husband, both musicians, who performed in several cities as a form of survival, is discussed. The condition of online consultations, which began in the Covid-19 pandemic, made it possible for the patient to undergo psychotherapy, however, the conditions were precarious, due to lack of private space for sessions and difficulties in accessing the internet, requiring strengthening the therapeutic alliance and clinical management to overcome challenges. Among the initial complaints, the patient identified herself as "the daughter of a narcissistic mother," a conclusion she reached after reading a self-help book and which provided her with an explanation for behaviors she could not understand in herself. Existentialism rejects any determinism, understanding that the subject is a constant totalization in progress and never encloses itself in a tendency, pathology or a priori vocation. The case illustrates the complexity of family relationships and how identification with labels can both help and limit the psychotherapeutic process. The existentialist approach provided a mediation to question these fixed identities and opening a resignification of their history and new existential possibilities, taking into account their choices and project of being.

Continuous and discrete proportion elicit different cognitive strategies

Despite proportional information being ubiquitous, there is not a standard account of proportional reasoning. Part of the difficulty is that there are several apparent contradictions: in some contexts, proportion is easy and privileged, while in others it is difficult and ignored. One possibility is that although we see similarities across tasks requiring proportional reasoning, people approach them with different strategies. We test this hypothesis by implementing strategies computationally and quantitatively comparing them with Bayesian tools, using data from continuous (e.g., pie chart) and discrete (e.g., dots) stimuli and preschoolers, 2nd and 5th graders, and adults. Overall, people's comparisons of highly regular and continuous proportion are better fit by proportion strategy models, but comparisons of discrete proportion are better fit by a numerator comparison model. These systematic differences in strategies suggest that there is not a single, simple explanation for behavior in terms of success or failure, but rather a variety of possible strategies that may be chosen in different contexts.

Understanding the effect of Prandtl number on momentum and scalar mixing rates in neutral and stably stratified flows using gradient field dynamics

Recently, direct numerical simulations (DNS) of stably stratified turbulence have shown that as the Prandtl number ( $Pr$ ) is increased from 1 to 7, the mean turbulent potential energy dissipation rate (TPE-DR) drops dramatically, while the mean turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate (TKE-DR) increases significantly. Through an analysis of the equations governing the fluctuating velocity and density gradients we provide a mechanistic explanation for this surprising behaviour and test the predictions using DNS. We show that the mean density gradient gives rise to a mechanism that opposes the production of fluctuating density gradients, and this is connected to the emergence of ramp cliffs. The same term appears in the velocity gradient equation but with the opposite sign, and is the contribution from buoyancy. This term is ultimately the reason why the TPE-DR reduces while the TKE-DR increases with increasing $Pr$ . Our analysis also predicts that the effects of buoyancy on the smallest scales of the flow become stronger as $Pr$ is increased, and this is confirmed by our DNS data. A consequence of this is that the standard buoyancy Reynolds number does not correctly estimate the impact of buoyancy at the smallest scales when $Pr$ deviates from 1, and we derive a suitable alternative parameter. Finally, an analysis of the filtered gradient equations reveals that the mean density gradient term changes sign at sufficiently large scales, such that buoyancy acts as a source for velocity gradients at small scales, but as a sink at large scales.

Violence against women, innate preferences and financial inclusion

We examine the impact of intimate partner violence (IPV) on the decision of low-income women to enter formal financial markets by opening a bank account. Additionally, we investigate potential behavioral explanations for the connection between IPV and account-opening decisions. In laboratory experiments conducted in rural Bangladesh, we find that victims of IPV tend to be more risk tolerant and impatient compared to others. When given the option to open a bank account without fees, women who experienced IPV in the past 12 months are less likely to do so than those who did not experience such violence. A path analysis reveals that differences in risk tolerance and impatience mediate the relationship between IPV exposure and financial exclusion. Essentially, our findings indicate that exposure to IPV increases risk tolerance and impatience in women, which in turn discourages them from opening a savings account.

(Invited) 1. Chalcogen-Substituted PC61/71BX Derivatives in Perovskite Solar Cells

Taking into account the outstanding electronic and physical properties of fullerenes, novel functionalized fullerenes are synthesized, with adapted structures aimed at improving the efficiency and stability of inverted PSC architectures.By means of [2+1] cycloadditions, chalcogen-substituted fullerene C60 and C70 derivatives were successfully synthesized using tosylhydrazone derivatives containing thiophene, selenophene, and furan. These derivatives were based on the chemical structures of PC71BM and PC61BM, resulting in the preparation of PC71BX: T70, S70, and F70, and PC61BX: T60, S60 and F60. The chemical structure of the synthesized mono-adducts PC61/71BM was confirmed through 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, MALDI-TOF mass spectroscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry.Inverted PSCs were fabricated employing the synthesized chalcogen-substituted PC61/71BM as dopant-free ETLs. In the current presentation we will comment on the data obtained in this photovoltaic study and the explanation for the different behaviour of these PC61BX and PC71BX materials. Figure 1

The Voltage-Based Implementation of the Tunneling Mechanism in Aging Models for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have become one of the most crucial power sources for electronics and electric vehicles due to high energy density, long cycle life, environmental friendliness, etc. Precise explanation and prediction of the aging behavior of LIBs is quickly becoming a hotspot. A solid electrolyte interface (SEI) growth is regarded as the dominant factor of capacity losses in LIBs. However, the previous SEI growth and aging models were based on energy levels. That means the energy barrier related to the Fermi level of SEI and electrode was used as the input parameter. It is not straightforward to implement, especially for industrial applications. Furthermore, the state-of-charge (SoC) and the energy barrier were usually assumed to be constant during (dis)charging, contradicting common sense and affecting the calculations' accuracy.The present work proposes and experimentally validates an advanced voltage-based aging model. The voltage of the anode electrode is adopted as an input parameter in this model. It is easier to introduce dependence of aging on the voltage/SoC of the electrode with this model. It is found that deep delithiation of the anodes and lower SoC of LIBs will mitigate electron tunneling, lower SEI growth, and reduce calendar aging. Commonly used anode materials, such as graphite, Li4Ti5O12, and blended Si/C, are presented as interesting cases to investigate the effects of different electrode materials on the tunneling current profiles during (dis)charging for the first time. The model is instructive and can predict aging in LIBs with various electrode materials. This model and related analyses are beneficial for further optimizing LIB's electronic and electrode properties and as interesting limiting cases for testing battery modeling software.