Free Association Research Articles

Exploring young consumer's understanding of local food through proximity and social representations

The ever-changing nature of consumers' understanding of local food highlights the need for in-depth research. This study explores how Gen-Z consumers define, perceive and experience local food. Through the analysis, we extend the existing conceptualization of local food by differentiating three aspects of proximity: geographical, value, and relational proximity. We contribute novel insights into the differentiation of proximity to the established understanding for this specific consumer group. Methodologically, we use a free association game played with Gen-Z consumers in Hungary. Theoretical frameworks, including social representation, central core and proximity theories, are used to uncover implicit knowledge about local food. The results reveal a consumer understanding that associates health, freshness, taste, quality and trustworthiness as the central core of the local food concept. Surprisingly, value and relational proximity gain importance, while geographical proximity takes a peripheral role. This study facilitates a re-evaluation of the local food concept in light of evolving consumer understanding, while also establishing a link between proximity theories and social representation theory. The findings provide practical implications that distinguish different aspects of proximity that are relevant to farmers and policy makers in light of evolving consumer understandings.

Age-Related Diversification and Specialization in the Mental Lexicon: Comparing Aggregate and Individual-Level Network Approaches.

The mental lexicon changes across the lifespan. Prior work, aggregating data among individuals of similar ages, found that the aging lexicon, represented as a network of free associations, becomes more sparse with age: degree and clustering coefficient decrease and average shortest path length increases. However, because this work is based on aggregated data, it remains to be seen whether or not individuals show a similar pattern of age-related lexical change. Here, we demonstrate how an individual-level approach can be used to reveal differences that vary systematically with age. We also directly compare this approach with an aggregate-level approach, to show how these approaches differ. Our individual-level approach follows the logic of many past approaches by comparing individual data as they are situated within population-level data. To do this, we produce a conglomerate network from population-level data and then identify how data from individuals of different ages are situated within that network. Though we find most qualitative patterns are preserved, individuals produce associates that have a higher clustering coefficient in the conglomerate network as they age. Alongside a reduction in degree, this suggests more specialized but clustered knowledge with age. Older individuals also reveal a pattern of increasing distance among the associates they produce in response to a single cue, indicating a more diverse range of associations. We demonstrate these results for three different languages: English, Spanish, and Dutch, which all show the same qualitative patterns of differences between aggregate and individual network approaches. These results reveal how individual-level approaches can be taken with aggregate data and demonstrate new insights into understanding the aginglexicon.

Psychoanalytic Observations Near the End of Life

ABSTRACT Using psychoanalytic free association, introspection, self-analysis, and his more than 50 years of experience as an adult and child psychoanalyst, the author explores the limited psychoanalytic literature on the individual analyst’s personal reactions to death and dying. Then he describes his experiences of loss of function, diminished psychoanalytic identity, and his personal attitudes toward death and an afterlife.

The Role of Character Education and Religious Values in Prevention of Sexual Violence

Discussion on national character has been included in the legal regulation, that every Indonesian society is expected to be an individual who understands morals and is accustomed to doing good things in life. Developments in the era of globalization are increasingly massive, ultimately having an impact on the elimination of national character. In the end, several problems arise due to the shift in national character, one of which is the occurrence of free association which has an impact on sexual harassment. This study uses a library research method by utilizing secondary data as reference material. In an effort to prevent sexual harassment, character education and the application of religious values for an individual are very important. Because these two things can ultimately lead an individual to maintain association; manners; politeness; and norms taught in religious values.

Poking holes in things: a view from the museum

ABSTRACT This paper is not intended as a conventional research report, but rather as an experimental ‘think piece’ that attempts to situate African beads in relation to alternative geographical, temporal and theoretical frames. Throughout the history of archaeology, museums have (re)assembled artefacts to create new contexts for them by establishing new associations and juxtapositions with other artefacts. In pursuing a similar approach, this paper attempts to constitute a ‘view from the museum’ rather than from any particular disciplinary field. Museum practice promises an alternative model of speculative ‘free association’ where artefactual form enables sometimes seemingly unlikely connections to be made. The paper’s intention is to highlight the theoretical richness with which beads can be approached as artefacts. In pursuing this agenda, it builds on David Graeber’s important work synthesising and advancing anthropological theories of economic, political and cultural value. A central aim of Graeber’s project was to put coins back in their place as rather peculiar denominators of value. Beads, with their considerably deeper history and wider geographical distribution, offer an alternative starting point from which to address questions of value in human lives.

Social Representations of the War in Italy during the Russia/Ukraine Conflict

Social representations of the war, anchored in historical experience and cultural values, play a motivational role in justifying collective behavior. Following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the research delves into the meanings associated with war through a social representation approach. Employing Doise’s sociodynamic approach, researchers identify the semantic field linked with war and analyze its organizing principles, revealing the variability of representations. In total, 313 Italian participants (female = 241, 75.4%; age range = 18–74) completed a questionnaire featuring a free association task with the word “war”, providing demographic and political and religious orientation data. Lexical correspondence analysis, utilizing Spad-t software, highlights three polarized themes: the emotional dimension aroused by war, media-conveyed imagery, and the underlying causes of conflict. The social anchoring analysis projects variables such as gender and political orientation onto a factorial plane. Finally, cluster analysis dissects psychological anchoring, identifying four distinct groups characterized by their descriptions of war: effects, reasons, emotions, and images. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Development and validation of the ethnic trust scale in China.

Considerable research has shown that ethnic trust reflects the existence of friendly relations among all ethnic groups and ethnic individuals, and can help in resolving ethnic conflicts and contradictions, promoting exchanges among various ethnic groups, which is highly relevant to social stability. This research, including three studies, aimed to explore the conceptual structure of ethnic trust in China, and develop and validate a measurement of the ethnic trust scale. In the first study, we used free association and in-depth interview methodology, applied cluster analysis, multidimensional scaling analysis, and grounded theory to construct the theoretical framework of Chinese people's ethnic trust concept. In the second study, we constructed an initial inventory based on the concept dimensions of ethnic trust established in the first study. We screened items by item analysis and extracted common factors using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), thus determining a total of 48 items in the two subscales (interpersonal-oriented ethnic trust subscale and the intergroup-oriented subscale), which consisted of two dimensions including particular trust and universal trust. In the third study, we used first-and second-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to test the scale's construct validity. The results indicated a good fit between the two-factor model and the data. And the ethnic trust scale showed very good internal consistency (Cronbach alpha >0.89) and test-retest reliability >0.70. Based on our results, have formed a ethnic trust scale by keeping 48 items, which can beused to measure the levels of interpersonal-oriented and group-oriented ethnic trust within the Chinese cultural context.

An Analysis of the Short Story How to Grow Bananas by Chinese Author Xu Yigua

The purpose of the paper is to offer an example of reader-response analysis based on free associations, as well as on the visual suggestions of various elements to bring about allusive language into the process of interpretation, together with strong emotional associations in the case of short stories from Asian cultures. Indirect communication, which is specific on an everyday life basis in Asian cultures, rely on a similar mechanism, of decoding intent in an everyday life context of communication, in a way reminding of understanding a literary work. The case in point will be the short story How to Grow Bananas by contemporary Chinese author Xu Yigua, and the way in which visual language works together with indirect communication culture to bring about readers’ understanding and interpretation, as well as striking their attention through unusual details.

The emergence of international police cooperation in Europe with the creation of the TREVI group

The article examines the roots of international police cooperation in Europe, dating back to the creation of the TREVI Group in the 1970s. The format of the Group is considered and the reasons for its placement outside the format of the European Communities are explained. The centralization and formalization of international police cooperation in Europe, which was observed with the creation of the TREVI Group, is considered. The powers of the TREVI Group to fight terrorism are being investigated. It is emphasized that the granting of such powers to the Group was the result of a response to the threats faced by European states in the 1970s. The debate on the format of the group, which arose among European states, primarily between the United Kingdom, France and Germany, is considered. Germany’s proposals to create a centralized structure and the United Kingdom’s and France’s proposals to create an informal political association are under consideration. It is emphasized that the format of the Group reflects the asymmetric impact of security threats in different countries, which led to the unevenness of the preferences of the states during its formation. The Group’s chosen format reflected the «common denominator» of these political influences. Along with the existence of a common desire to develop international police cooperation, EU member states differed in their vision of the format of such cooperation. It is emphasized that the final format of the TREVI Group reflected the complex structural interdependencies in security issues between the member states of the European Communities and the politicization of security issues in domestic and international discourses. It is emphasized that the negotiations on the creation of the TREVI Group took place in conditions of strong internal politicization of the issue of combating terrorism, which shaped the preferences of states at the EU level. At the same time, the inability of states to agree on a formal structure led to the formation of the TREVI Group primarily as a platform for discussion and cooperation between participating states and an informal body promoting practical cooperation. It is concluded that the Trevi Group has become a relatively free political association, independent of the bodies of the European Communities.

DYNAMICS OF THE STRUCTURE OF SOCIAL REPRESENTATIONS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE CONTEXT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

The aim of the research is to study the dynamics of the structure of social representations of artificial intelligence (AI) among non-professionals. 258 students of different faculties aged from 18 to 24 took part in this study. The study took place in two stages: 1) November 2021, 2) March 2022. To identify the structure of the social perception of AI, the Vergès method was used based on the material of free associations. At the second stage, the level of respondents’ concern about the events of recent weeks in the economic and political spheres was additionally monitored. It was found that elements related to expectations of AI capabilities have strengthened the central core of the representation. Words with a connotation of danger appear in the periphery elements. Probably it is caused by both the activities of communication agents and the context of disturbing social changes. Against this background, it is important to enrich the knowledge of AI among ordinary people in order to form an adequate level of trust and distrust of recommendations based on it.

Co-creating innovative and accepted legume-based dishes for school canteens with adolescents in a low socioeconomic area

The promotion of sustainable diets, that valorise and give stage to plant-based foods, is beneficial for both human and environmental health. Adolescence is crucial to support healthy and sustainable eating. Despite this, adolescents remain an understudied group, especially those with a lower economic status. This study aimed to develop innovative, sustainable and healthy legume-based dishes for school canteens through co-creation with adolescents in a low socioeconomic status area with high immigration rate.Nineteen adolescents and four chefs participated in iterative sessions of focus group discussions using a combination of methods (Jobs-To-Be-Done, free association tasks, SCAMPER (Substitute-Combine-Adapt-Modify-Purpose-Eliminate-Rearrange) technique) to identify ideas of new legume-based dishes. Subsequently, 91 adolescents rated their willingness-to-try 28 dish concepts based on these ideas. Six concepts were selected and translated into prototypes that underwent further evaluation by 138 adolescents who assessed their liking, sensory and emotional responses.Results showed that all dishes were well-received, with lower acceptance among high-neophobic adolescents, yet none of the selected dishes were rejected. Exploring individual differences in liking identified two clusters with different hedonic patterns. Emotional characterization of dishes showed those that elicit positive emotional responses high in arousal and novelty in all adolescents, independently from food neophobia, increasing their likelihood of acceptance.The study shows that co-creation with adolescents, in combination with understanding individual differences, are promising strategies to develop innovative, healthy and well-received legume-based dishes for school canteens.

The hidden and the seen: Art as an intersubjective medium

ABSTRACT This paper explores the intersection of art and psychoanalysis, specifically the various ways in which the introduction of works of art into treatment can open pathways of intersubjective exploration and understanding of the patient’s unconscious processes that may have been otherwise hidden. Similar to the function of dreams and free association in psychoanalysis, a patient’s connection and identification with specific works of art may illuminate aspects of their unconscious organizing activity, or simply reiterate and re-confirm already-discovered dynamics of their internal world. Art in this context acts as an intersubjective medium through which associations from both the analyst and the analysand reflect one another and reveal deeper interpretations. This topic is explored by way of a clinical vignette in which the patient’s love for a particular painting opens up associations for both the patient and the analyst, areas of exploration that lead into deeper realms of the patient’s internalized relational world and his exhibitionism. Although the patient in this vignette has had significant experience with psychoanalysis, elusive areas of unconsciousness remain. His associations to his favorite painting by the Renaissance painter Giorgione and the analyst’s own associations to the painting help to illuminate hidden sectors of the patient’s unconscious processes, including how his developmental longing for admiration is in direct contradiction to his felt need to remain hidden, and how this conflict expresses itself in his exhibitionism.

Efektivitas Penerapan Model Pembelajaran Problem-Based Learning dalam Pendidikan Agama Islam Siswa SMAN 10 Batanghari

This study evaluates the effectiveness of implementing the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method in Islamic Religious Education (PAI) teaching for 10th-grade students at SMAN 10 Batanghari. The primary goal of this research is to enhance students' understanding, engagement, and collaboration skills through a more interactive and contextual approach. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participatory observations, and document analysis, and analyzed using thematic analysis techniques. The results indicate that the application of the PBL method positively impacts students' understanding of PAI material, particularly on the topic "Avoiding Free Association to Protect Human Dignity and Honor." Furthermore, this method also increases student engagement and motivation, as well as strengthens their collaboration and communication skills. However, the study also identifies several challenges, including students' difficulties in time management and independent information-seeking, as well as limited access to technology and resources. These findings suggest that to maximize the effectiveness of PBL, additional teacher training and adequate resource provision are required. This research makes a significant contribution to the development of more effective and relevant PAI teaching strategies that meet current students' needs.

A case study on neurotic anxiety: A new application of free association

This article primarily focuses on the analysis of a subject exhibiting neurotic anxiety, interpreting the client’s clinical symptoms, underlying causes, and self-intervention methods. Subsequently, the article introduces the 'fictionalized' free association technique and utilizes it to analyze the client's unconscious conflicts and motivations. It is hoped that this article will contribute to the ongoing development of free association within the field of psychoanalysis.

Family model diabetes self-management education and support in faith-based organizations in the Republic of the Marshall Islands: A study protocol

IntroductionThe Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) is an independent nation and a member of the United States (US) Affiliated Pacific Islands through a Compact of Free Association. Health disparities in the RMI are striking, with high rates of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The International Diabetes Federation has documented age-adjusted prevalence of T2DM at 23.0 %, compared to the US (13.2 %) and globally (9.8 %). T2DM has a devastating impact on patients and their families. MethodsThe purpose of this article is to present the study protocol for the fully powered two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial using a wait-list control to evaluate the effectiveness of a Family Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (Family DSMES) program when delivered in a group setting by community health workers (CHWs) in faith-based organizations (FBOs) in the RMI. The study used a community engaged approach, and the study protocol includes adaptations based on the results of our one-arm pilot study. SummaryThis study will provide new and innovative information on the effectiveness of Family DSMES delivered in a group setting by CHWs in FBOs in the RMI. The knowledge gained from this research will inform DSMES interventions conducted with Marshallese and other Pacific Islander communities, as well as DSMES interventions conducted in other low-resource countries.

Understanding of ‘person-centred care’ in an oncology ICU: Associative group analysis

PurposeTo describe how healthcare professionals, patients, and their significant others understand the concept of ‘person-centred care’ in an oncology ICU. MethodsThis study followed the associative group analysis (AGA) method, a quali-quantitative research approach.The population included healthcare professionals, their patients, and significant others in a four-bed oncology adult intensive care unit. Whole population sampling (n = 22) allowed all healthcare professionals to participate. Maximum variation purposive sampling was used to identify patients and their significant others (n = 22). Data were collected during either face-to-face or telephonic individual interviews. Free associations were weighted using a validated weighting system. Words with similar meanings were then grouped into themes. The themes were then deductively grouped according to the domains of the Person-centred Practice Framework. ResultsParticipants had a limited understanding of person-centred care and could only identify six of the 23 constructs of the Person-centred Practice Framework. Healthcare professionals embraced the idea of person-centred care, but their understanding of the concept remains vague. Person-centred care remains conceptual in this oncology intensive care unit because the interpretation and operationalisation of the concept are misaligned at various health service levels. ConclusionOrganisations should invest in work-based learning to enable staff to understand the concept of person-centred care. Healthcare workers also need to self-evaluate how they work and be able to adjust their working style to be more person-centred.

Unveiling the Biography of Sigmund Freud With Pediatric Dentistry Insights.

Born in Freiberg, Moravia (now the Czech Republic), Austrian psychiatrist Sigmund Freud was the forerunner of psychoanalysis, a ground-breaking approach to understanding the human mind. Originally studying neurology at the University of Vienna, Freud soon became fascinated with the psychological origins of mental illness.He developed theories on repression, the unconscious mind, and the significance of dreams because he saw dreams as windows into hidden conflicts and impulses. Freud developed the theory and asserted that unconscious impulses, especially those related to sexuality, have a major impact on human conduct. Dream analysis and free association were among his innovative methods that helped modern psychotherapy come to pass. Though they were attacked and divisive, Freud's theories had a major impact on humanities, psychology, and psychiatry. His studies on the human mind challenged conventional wisdom and offered innovative insights into mental health. Freud's writings continue to inspire research and debate; his effect on popular and scholarly opinion attests to his ongoing legacy.

A Psychoanalytic Perspective on the Practice of Fictionalized Free Association

This study explores the innovative application of 'fictionalized' free association within the framework of psychoanalysis, with a particular focus on its effectiveness in revealing unconscious conflicts and alleviating neurotic anxiety. By analyzing a case involving the practical use of 'fictionalized' free association, this research aims to deepen the understanding of this technique and its potential applications in clinical practice.

Perceptions of cheese authenticity: A comparative analysis of value chain actors in Mexico

Authenticity, an ever-evolving concept, has become crucial in the context of the industrialization of food and the growing problem of food fraud. This exploratory study focuses on understanding how cheese authenticity is perceived by value chain actors in Mexico, taking into account their experiences and perspectives. Two online questionnaires were used, one aimed at consumers and the other at producers and promoters. A total of 1223 consumers, 69 producers and 26 promoters participated. The free word association (FWA) technique was used to capture the participants' unconscious perceptions. The results showed significant differences in perceived authenticity between the different actors. For consumers, authenticity was related to their own quality standards and to the influence of external international factors. For the producers and promoters, on the other hand, the authenticity of the cheese is based on the implicit characteristics resulting from the rural environment in which it is produced. These results suggest that the differences in the perception of authenticity between actors are the result of the influence of the environment, experiences and the particular conditions they experience due to their position in the value chain. The study suggests that understanding these differences can help small cheese producers differentiate themselves in the marketplace and focus their efforts on more effective strategies. It also shows the importance of taking into account the perceptions of the different actors in the value chain in order to effectively combat food fraud and promote authenticity in the Mexican cheese industry.

Psychological Resilience Following Disasters: A Study of Adolescents and Their Caregivers

Resilience, the process of successful adaptation to adverse circumstances, is traditionally studied as an individual characteristic. However, more recent multisystem perspectives underline the interrelatedness of systems, within and outside of the individual, in shaping coping and adaptation processes. This challenges the assumption that pathways to resilience are the same across the world, given the diversity in people’s contexts globally. In light of the preponderance of resilience research being conducted in higher-income countries, this study taps pathways to resilience in survivors of the 2018 earthquake-tsunami-liquefaction disaster in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Guided by a social representations approach and using a novel free association technique, forty caregiver-adolescent dyads (N = 80) who survived the disaster were interviewed regarding their subjective experiences of coping and adaptation. Thematic analysis of their narratives demonstrated that survivors focused on mutual support, religious beliefs and intrapersonal psychological resources of seeking strength and calmness as routes for fostering psychological recovery. The results foreground group-specific aspects of such resilience: differences between caregivers and adolescents highlight how social roles and life stage shape resilience-related beliefs and practices. Moreover, the form their resilience takes is underpinned by sociocultural values of reciprocity and social cohesion. Thus, this paper points to similarities in resilience processes across contexts, but also to differences shaped by societal roles, developmental stage and cultural values.