Explanatory Theory Research Articles

Toward Consilience on Indirect Reciprocity: Strategic Communication Theory and Findings from Social Psychology, Sociology, and Anthropology

ABSTRACT This article pursues interdisciplinary synthesis and consilience regarding the concept of indirect reciprocity and its relevance to strategic communication theory. Identified and named by evolutionary biologists, indirect reciprocity in its simplest form is a resource-acquisition process initiated when one entity benefits another entity without the prospect or expectation of direct return. This action enhances the reputation of the initial entity and leads to reciprocal beneficence from other entities that have observed or learned of the original action. Research in evolutionary biology and economics has shown that reputation-driven indirect reciprocity can lead to enduring resource-exchange relationships. Indirect reciprocity thus has implications for such basics of strategic communication as reputation management, resource acquisition, and corporate social responsibility. This study seeks to expand knowledge, within strategic communication, of the whys and hows of indirect reciprocity by examining and synthesizing relevant research from the disciplines of social psychology, sociology, and anthropology. Its contributions to consilience regarding indirect reciprocity include explanatory theories such as social exchange theory and costly signaling theory and such practical workings as second-order, third-order, and extended indirect reciprocity.

The Stopping Power of Sources

AbstractThe article analyzes arguments, made by John J. Mearsheimer and others, that the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 was largely caused by Western policy. It finds that these arguments rely on a partially false and incomplete reading of history. To do so, the article identifies a range of premises that are both foundational to Mearsheimer’s claims and based on implied or explicit historical interpretations. This includes the varying policies of Ukraine toward NATO and the EU as well as the changing Russian perceptions thereof; the political upheavals in Ukraine in early 2014 that were immediately succeeded by the annexation of Crimea and the war in Donbass; and the supposed absence of Russian ‘imperialism’ toward Ukraine prior to 2014. Finding that these interpretations do not hold up in light of relevant and available data, the article qualifies and contextualizes the validity of Mearsheimer’s arguments, points to superior ones, and highlights the need for case-specific expertise when using explanatory theory to make sense of politically salient ongoing events.

Economic Implication of Crude Oil Theft in Nigeria

This study is carried out against the backdrop of oil theft as a threat to the economy and security of Nigeria. The study relied on existing literature on the problem and also draws from the Resource Curse Theory. The importance of crude oil to the economic development of Nigeria is also stressed. The reasons why crude oil should be sustained also form the epicentre of our discussion. The threat of the nefarious act on the security of the country is one of the main thrust of this work. The Dutch disease is identified as an economic explanation of the resource curse theory and this is used to explain the economic implication of oil theft in the Niger Delta of Nigeria. The paper posited that the implications on sustainable economic development include; reduced revenue, increased unemployment and diversification of the economy. Other implications include sustainable conflict, possession of arms, curb social development and displacement of persons. To fight the illicit practice of oil theft, it is recommended that transparency and accountability should be adhered to while security operatives should be re-oriented on the ethics of their job and there should be close relationship among government, oil producing communities and multinational corporations.

Machine Learning for Forecasting Promotions

Employee promotion is an important aspect of an employee's career growth and job satisfaction. Organizations need to ensure that the promotion process is fair and unbiased. However, the promotion process can be complicated, and many factors need to be considered before deciding on a promotion. The use of data analytics and machine learning algorithms has become increasingly popular in recent years, and organizations can leverage these tools to predict employee promotion. In this paper, we present a web-based application for employee promotion prediction that uses the Naive Bayes algorithm. Our application uses data from employees and trains a Naive Bayes algorithm to predict employee promotion. We use Spyder Python libraries for data analysis and machine learning and a dB SQLite database for login and data storage. [1] You can refer paper no 1 in the reference for more theory explanation regarding this project. Keywords: [classification, machine Learning, Prediction, Confusion matrix, Naive bayes algorithm, attributes].

Unpacking ecosystem dynamics in the construction industry: The transition toward circular construction ecosystems

The transition towards a circular economy within the construction industry continues to be a formidable challenge. One reason why the construction industry is not at the forefront of circularity is due to the complexity of ecosystem-level organizational forms. In the construction industry, the product-based organizational form characterizes an ecosystem structure with multilateral interdependencies among firms seems to be a more compatible approach towards circularity. Nevertheless, little research has been conducted into how the inter-organizational arrangements and interdependencies of actors within a product-based structure affect the orchestration and alignment between different firms during the implementation of new circular practices in the construction industry. Using an explanatory multi-grounded theory approach, this study investigates how product-based organizational forms affect partner alignment in construction ecosystems compared to project-based organizational forms during the implementation of new practices within the wider transition towards circularity. Based on a multiple-case study involving seven ecosystems, it is suggested that there is a positive connection between a construction ecosystem implementing a product-based approach and the extent of partner alignment being performed by the lead firms as well as a stronger iterative use of orchestration mechanisms to achieve partner alignment. The findings are relevant for both business ecosystems and sustainability scholars.

Research on Practical Teaching Method and Effect Based on the Integration of Online and Offline Patterns: Take the Course, Reliability and Risk Analysis on Electronic Products, as the Case

The traditional teaching pattern in the classroom has no longer adapted to the needs of education and teaching under the current new situation, the utilization of online and offline integration mode is the trend of the future. To improve the teaching quality and learning effect, the teaching method combining theory and practice is adopted and the theoretical method explanation and virtual simulation analysis are combined organically by introducing the online and offline mixed teaching mode. In this paper, the teaching method called “offline theory explanation, online practice simulation, flipped class discussion” and the teaching evaluation method of “whole process and diversification” are constructed. The teaching was carried out from four aspects: preliminary preparation, online theoretical explanation, offline practical operation and online discussion, which effectively alleviated the contradiction of theoretical teaching content, tense practice site, single assessment method and so on, and achieved a good teaching effect.

Modeling land susceptibility to wind erosion hazards using LASSO regression and graph convolutional networks

Predicting land susceptibility to wind erosion is necessary to mitigate the negative impacts of erosion on soil fertility, ecosystems, and human health. This study is the first attempt to model wind erosion hazards through the application of a novel approach, the graph convolutional networks (GCNs), as deep learning models with Monte Carlo dropout. This approach is applied to Semnan Province in arid central Iran, an area vulnerable to dust storms and climate change. We mapped 15 potential factors controlling wind erosion, including climatic variables, soil characteristics, lithology, vegetation cover, land use, and a digital elevation model (DEM), and then applied the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression to discriminate the most important factors. We constructed a predictive model by randomly selecting 70% and 30% of the pixels, as training and validation datasets, respectively, focusing on locations with severe wind erosion on the inventory map. The current LASSO regression identified eight out of the 15 features (four soil property categories, vegetation cover, land use, wind speed, and evaporation) as the most important factors controlling wind erosion in Semnan Province. These factors were adopted into the GCN model, which estimated that 15.5%, 19.8%, 33.2%, and 31.4% of the total area is characterized by low, moderate, high, and very high susceptibility to wind erosion, respectively. The area under curve (AUC) and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) of game theory were applied to assess the performance and interpretability of GCN output, respectively. The AUC values for training and validation datasets were estimated at 97.2% and 97.25%, respectively, indicating excellent model prediction. SHAP values ranged between −0.3 and 0.4, while SHAP analyses revealed that the coarse clastic component, vegetation cover, and land use were the most effective features of the GCN output. Our results suggest that this novel suite of methods is highly recommended for future spatial prediction of wind erosion hazards in other arid environments around the globe.

Implementing a supervision model in community children's mental health: Experiences of supervisors and practitioners.

Supervision of staff in the helping professions is valued and considered important for effective service delivery, with expert consensus that the delivery of high-quality supervision strengthens the social service workforce. The demands of publicly funded settings provide compelling rationale for supervision to protect marginalized clients, while ensuring staff are supported in delivering quality services. As conceptual frameworks, models of supervision are one way to strengthen supervision through intentionally incorporating theory, best practices, and research. Theoretically grounded and integrative, the Stop Now and Plan (SNAP) clinical supervision model incorporates best practices, guidelines, and techniques informed by explanatory and practice theories, and research. This article presents a qualitative study exploring the experiences of supervisors and supervisees in children's mental health settings implementing this model of supervision for an evidence-based intervention. Reflexive thematic analysis was conducted using qualitative data collected from participant interviews (N = 20) directly following the completion of a 6-month implementation of the SNAP model of clinical supervision. Identified themes demonstrate the value of a structured model of supervision in supporting practitioner confidence, accountability, and professional development, while allowing supervisors to meet their responsibilities to their team and their organizations. The challenges associated with implementing a supervision model within publicly funded settings are highlighted, with suggestions for over coming these challenges provided. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

A Simplified Ocean Physics? Revisiting Abyssal Recipes

Abstract Simplified descriptions of the ocean are useful both for formulating explanatory theories and for conveying meaningful global attributes. Here, using a 26-yr average of a global state estimate from ECCO, the basis for Munk’s “abyssal recipes” is evaluated on a global scale between 1000- and 3000-m depth. The two specific hydrographic stations he used prove untypical, with potential temperature and salinity more generally displaying different vertical scale heights, and thus differing in one-dimensional (in the vertical) values of mixing coefficients and/or vertical velocities. The simplest explanation is that the circulation is fully three-dimensional with temperature and salinity fields not describable with a one-dimensional steady balance. In contrast, the potential density and buoyancy are quantitatively describable through a one-dimensional exponential balance, and which calls for an explanation in terms of turbulent mixing processes.

Functional disorders - new proposals for definition, psychosomatics, somatization.

Functional Disorders are common medical problems both in primary and in secondary health care. The mechanisms that cause symptoms such as primary pain, fatigue, dizziness are still unknown. Various classifications, including ICD-10 or DSM-5, describe these conditions differently, and new proposals are being developed e.g. in ICD-11, RDoC. Many controversies are evoked by lack of unequivocal explanatory theory. The early psychoanalytical concept has been modified by other explanations, such as immunological abnormalities, dysfunction of vegetative system and HPA axis, central sensitization, diverted processes of perception or predictive processes within cognitive homeostasis dysregulation. Insufficient scientific evidence makes therapies unsuccessful and justifies further study. Psychotherapy, pharmacology and complementary medicine are supplemented by new experimental methods of treatment connected with progress in neuroscience. The recently developed non-invasive Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and - neurofeedback (EEG-NF), based on EEG registration, are undergoing tests. Applying complex mathematical algorithms to localized bioelectrical signal sources makes it possible to modulate and reshape connections of neuronal networks within specific cortex areas. This article presents the current state of knowledge concerning functional disorders, highlighting the ways in which different definitions of FD have an impact on approaches to treatment.

Investigating Trauma Symptomology as a Mediator of the Relationships Between Childhood Maltreatment and Sexual and Non-Sexual Delinquency.

Maltreatment is a risk factor for both sexual and non-sexual delinquency. Little is known about how specific forms of maltreatment relate to the distinct offending outcomes. Though trauma symptoms have been associated with maltreatment and delinquency, the intervening role of trauma symptoms in pathways from maltreatment to offending is not well understood. The goal of the current study was to test social learning and general strain theory explanations for sexual and non-sexual delinquency in adolescence, exploring trauma symptoms as a mediator between the four major types of maltreatment and offending outcomes. Data were collected via surveys of 136 incarcerated youth at seven residential treatment and community corrections facilities in a Midwestern state. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to establish a measurement model, and structural equation modeling was employed to test direct and indirect pathways from maltreatment to offending. Individual forms of maltreatment had differential relationships with offending outcomes, with neglect having a significant association with non-sexual delinquency, and sexual abuse having a significant direct relationship with sexual delinquency. Trauma symptomology did not mediate these relationships. Future research should explore developmentally appropriate proxies for measuring childhood trauma. Practice and policy should consider the role of maltreatment victimization history in the inception of delinquency behaviors, prioritizing therapeutic alternatives to detention and incarceration.

Social Determinants of Health: Implications for Voice Disorders and Their Treatment

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and related conditions, such as discrimination, are social determinants of health (SDOHs). Critical race theory (CRT) is a lens through which to understand SDOHs in a way that may impact our clinical care. When prolonged or chronic, SDOHs might cause toxic stress and trauma, which, in turn, adversely affect health and are shown to be relevant for some voice disorders. The goals of this tutorial are to (a) review the literature on SDOHs that potentially contribute to disparities; (b) discuss explanatory models and theories that describe how psychosocial factors influence health; (c) relate the foregoing information to voice disorders, highlighting functional voice disorders (FVDs) as a particular case in point; and (d) describe how trauma-informed care can improve patient outcomes and advance health equity for vulnerable populations. This tutorial concludes with a call for heightened awareness of the role that SDOHs such as structural and individual discrimination may play in voice disorders, and a call for research into SDOHs, traumatic stress, and health disparities in this patient population. A call is also made for more universal practice of trauma-informed care in the clinical voice domain.

Darwinian Bases of Religious Meaning: Interactionism, General Interpretive Theories, and 6E Cognitive Science

Abstract Interactionism holds that explanatory and interpretive projects are mutually enriching. If so, then the evolutionary and cognitive science of religions’ explanatory theories should aid interpretive projects concerning religious meaning. Although interpretive accounts typically focus on the local and the particular, interpreters over the past century have construed Freud and Marx as offering general interpretive theories. So, precedent for general interpretive theorizing exists. 4E cognitive science, which champions how cognition is embedded in natural and cultural settings, extended into external structures, enacted via motor routines, and embodied via representations rooted in human bodily form, has encouraged interpretive researchers. Theories of embodied cognition especially have embraced a sweeping view of meaning that attends to the emotions’ role and to their evolutionary origins. That inspires a 6E cognitive science that attends to the emotional and evolved dimensions of cognition too and opens up the possibility of general interpretive theories of broadly Darwinian character. Evolved cognitive systems qualify as maturationally natural cognition, which exhibits a distinctive constellation of features. The by-product theory holds that religious representations’ engagement of maturationally natural cognition fosters religions’ success. Representations with some minimal violation of intuitive expectations concerning some ontological category grab attention, stick in memory, and preserve the many automatic inferences accompanying the category. The empirical evidence for this and other elaborations of the by-product view suggests that it discloses dynamics of evolved cognition and associated emotions that tend to guide the pursuit of religious meanings systematically toward well-worn grooves in the semantic landscape.

The Multilevel Engagement Theory

The purpose of this article is to present the multilevel engagement theory to conduct research studies and explain real-life situations. The multilevel engagement theory considers culture and diversity as central aspects along with the multilevel influences and sociocultural and historical contexts for understanding complex relationships and functioning among individuals, groups, and families in societies around the world. A critical review and assessment of the contemporary theories were conducted which uncovered important gaps and helped the author to demonstrate the contribution of the multilevel engagement theory in the relevant fields of study. Then, the author discussed the principles, assumptions, concepts, and propositions of the multilevel engagement theory. The use, application, and operationalization of the multilevel engagement theory in empirical research were also described with specific examples. The author also provided specific and testable hypotheses and qualitative themes for additional clarity and explanation of the multilevel engagement theory. The multilevel engagement theory offers researchers a comprehensive theoretical framework and a unique lens for studying family relationships and functioning in contextualized and inclusive manners. The implications and limitations are discussed.

Understanding examinees’ item responses through cognitive modeling of response accuracy and response times

Understanding the cognitive processes, skills and strategies that examinees use in testing is important for construct validity and score interpretability. Although response processes evidence has long been included as an important aspect of validity (i.e., Standards for Educational and Psychological Tests, 1999), relevant studies are often lacking, especially in large scale educational and psychological testing. An important method for studying response processes involves explanatory mathematical modeling of item responses and item response times from variables that represent sources of cognitive complexity. For many item types, examinees may differ in strategies applied to responding to items. Mixture class item response theory models can identify latent classes of examinees with different processes, skills and strategies based on their pattern of item responses. This study will illustrate the use of response times in conjunction with explanatory item response theory models and mixture models, to provide information relevant to test validity and, hence, to score interpretations.

Impact of word properties on list learning: An explanatory item analysis.

A variety of factors affect list learning performance and relatively few studies have examined the impact of word selection on these tests. This study examines the effect of both language and memory processing of individual words on list learning. Item-response data from 1,219 participants, Mage = 74.41 (SD = 7.13), Medu = 13.30 (SD = 2.72), in the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol were used. A Bayesian generalized (non)linear multilevel modeling framework was used to specify the measurement and explanatory item-response theory models. Explanatory effects on items due to learning over trials, serial position of words, and six word properties obtained through the English Lexicon Project were modeled. A two parameter logistic (2PL) model with trial-specific learning effects produced the best measurement fit. Evidence of the serial position effect on word learning was observed. Robust positive effects on word learning were observed for body-object integration while robust negative effects were observed for word frequency, concreteness, and semantic diversity. A weak negative effect of average age of acquisition and a weak positive effect for the number of phonemes in the word were also observed. Results demonstrate that list learning performance depends on factors beyond the repetition of words. Identification of item factors that predict learning could extend to a range of test development problems including translation, form equating, item revision, and item bias. In data harmonization efforts, these methods can also be used to help link tests via shared item features and testing of whether these features are equally explanatory across samples. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Literature Review on Theories of International Trade and Policies Behind Modern World Trade

Purpose The essay aims to critically examine different theories proposed in the literature on international trade. Design/methodology/approach The essay is based on theoretical literature on the theories of international trade and working policies behind modern world trade globally. Findings The essay starts with traditional theories of international trade and an account of the mercantilist pattern of trade is provided, and comments are made on the use of simplified models in the classical theories. Significant focus is laid on the new trade theory and the use of strategic trade policies by advanced countries. A helpful supplement is provided regarding the role of FDI and technology in trade. A further effect of trade on growth is also analyzed. Theories of the 21st century are discussed with a call for models that can incorporate income inequality, political strategies, and other real-world factors. Research limitations/ implications The essay deals with only theoretical literature on international trade theories and policies. Findings and interpretation are subject to the theoretical development of international trade. Originality/ value The essay provided a critical explanation of international trade theories and tried to explain the paradigm shift in the theoretical framework of international trade.

Withdrawal: Explaining the concept of moral resilience among intensive care unit nurses.

There are many studies that indicate moral distress is a widespread problem in health care systems. However, some nurses are able to moderate moral distress and show competence and resilience in morally tense situations. The aim of this study is to explain the concept of moral resilience using the experiences of nurses working in intensive care units. This is a qualitative study with a content analysis approach guided by the method of Elo and Kyngäs in 2008 and based on the theoretical framework of Defilippis et al. in 2020. The study sample included all nurses working in intensive care units, who were selected by purposeful sampling. Data were collected through 17 in-depth, individual, and semi-structured interviews with 17 nurses. Elo and Kyngäs method was used to analyze the data. Data management was also performed by MAXQDA software version 20. This project was approved by the Ethics Committee of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. All ethical guidelines in research were followed. The results of present study support the theory of Defilippis et al., while adding another category to it. Four categories of awareness and self-awareness, harmonious connection, improvement of moral agency, and moral well-being were extracted from the data. Explanatory theory resulted from the study of Defilippis et al. can be used as a guide to cultivate and improve moral resilience skills in nurses working in intensive care units. Nurturing and improving individual capacities such as self-awareness, self-efficacy, and self-confidence in nurses to maintain and promote morality and also establishing a harmonious connection between the treatment team members help to foster moral resilience in the intensive care unit nurses. Acquiring the moral resilience skills can lead to positive consequences, while preventing the negative consequences of moral distress.

Evaluating causal psychological models: A study of language theories of autism using a large sample.

We used a large convenience sample (n = 22,223) from the Simons Powering Autism Research (SPARK) dataset to evaluate causal, explanatory theories of core autism symptoms. In particular, the data-items collected supported the testing of theories that posited altered language abilities as cause of social withdrawal, as well as alternative theories that competed with these language theories. Our results using this large dataset converge with the evolution of the field in the decades since these theories were first proposed, namely supporting primary social withdrawal (in some cases of autism) as a cause of altered language development, rather than vice versa. To accomplish the above empiric goals, we used a highly theory-constrained approach, one which differs from current data-driven modeling trends but is coherent with a very recent resurgence in theory-driven psychology. In addition to careful explication and formalization of theoretical accounts, we propose three principles for future work of this type: specification, quantification, and integration. Specification refers to constraining models with pre-existing data, from both outside and within autism research, with more elaborate models and more veridical measures, and with longitudinal data collection. Quantification refers to using continuous measures of both psychological causes and effects, as well as weighted graphs. This approach avoids "universality and uniqueness" tests that hold that a single cognitive difference could be responsible for a heterogeneous and complex behavioral phenotype. Integration of multiple explanatory paths within a single model helps the field examine for multiple contributors to a single behavioral feature or to multiple behavioral features. It also allows integration of explanatory theories across multiple current-day diagnoses and as well as typical development.

The Mechanism of Interaction of Natural Physical Factors and the Integral Organism Forms the Basis of the General Theory of Physiotherapy

Optimal combination of drug therapy and physical factors increases the efficacy of treatment and medical rehabilitation of patients. It is regrettable that the search for methods to improve the individual dosing of the applied energies with an approach to the cellular level of dynamicity (constant correction of parameters of the applied physical factors during the whole period of the treatment) and comprehensive (in the presence of several diseases) treatment are clearly insufficient for the present time. Perhaps such a search is difficult due to the current lack of a general theory of physiotherapy and imperfect classification of physical factors. Thus, it became necessary to develop principles and methods for a comprehensive study of the effects produced by the physical methods in a clinical setting, and the requirements for testing new devices for physiotherapy sharply increased. The author of this doctrine was an outstanding scientist Vladimir Sergeyevich Ulashchik. In his opinion, the creation of a general theory of physiotherapy is one of the promising tasks of the scientific physiotherapy. It is known that since the end of the XIX century, the principles of nervism and reflex theory have been the theoretical basis of domestic physiotherapy. Influence of humoral and endocrine changes was further added to the reflex theory of the mechanism of the therapeutic effect of the external environment (natural and preformed physical factors), but still with the leading principle of nervism. It should be noted that there have always been doubts about the exhaustive explanation of the reflex theory of all causes and consequences of the interaction of external physical factors with the human body.