Genuine Relationship Research Articles

Relationships, mental well-being and performance outcomes in B2B work environments

Purpose Feeling connected and engaged at work plays a critical role in the mental well-being of employees. Creating an environment where employees experience positive emotions, feel cared for, and have opportunities for meaningful interactions is essential for fostering healthy relationships within the organization. This study aims to demonstrate that positivity resonance, or high-quality interpersonal connections, can be created in business-to-business (B2B) marketing working environments to help firms nurture relationships with salespeople. Design/methodology/approach A framework is developed that demonstrates how positivity resonance contributes to the mental well-being of B2B marketing employees and performance outcomes. Interviews are conducted with B2B professionals as an exploratory assessment. Insight garnered from the interviews and prior literature provide the basis for the development of a model. The model is tested using structural equation modeling with data from 277 B2B sales professionals. Findings Results indicate that when positivity resonance is cultivated in work environments, it is associated with an increase in positive emotional experiences. Results also demonstrate that positive emotions and positivity resonance support flourishing mental health. Positivity resonance and positive emotions are also positively related to work engagement and performance. Finally, results confirm that flourishing mental health is positively associated with work performance. Originality/value This research introduces positivity resonance to the B2B marketing literature. It leverages positivity resonance in B2B environments to depict how genuine relationship building can occur. Such relationship building is key in promoting mental well-being and creating a more engaged, productive workforce.

Belonging involves mutuality, agency, and acceptance: An ethnographic exploration of belonging with adults labelled with intellectual disability.

An experience of belonging is commonly absent in the lives of adults labelled with intellectual disability, negatively impacting health, well-being, and quality of life. This ethnographic study, informed by critical disability and feminist relational theory, explored the belonging experiences of five adults labelled with intellectual disability in a Canadian city. Using participatory methods, the research identified mutuality, agency, and acceptance as key factors shaping their experiences. Findings emphasize the role of genuine relationships, the connection between agency and belonging, and the need to continue to build community capacity to embrace diversity. Findings call for further research exploring the relationship between belonging, mutuality, agency, and acceptance as one step towards collectively supporting the social inclusion of people labelled with intellectual disability. This work demonstrates how spaces, places, and relationships of belonging identified by people labelled with intellectual disability have generative potential - acting as promising examples of the conditions that enable belonging to flourish.

From bites to bytes: understanding how and why individual malaria risk varies using artificial intelligence and causal inference

With an estimated 263 million cases recorded worldwide in 2023, malaria remains a major global health challenge, particularly in tropical regions with limited healthcare access. Beyond its health impact, malaria disrupts education, economic development, and social equality. While traditional research has focused on biological factors underlying human-mosquito interactions, growing evidence highlights the complex interplay of environmental, behavioral, and socioeconomic factors, alongside mobility and both human and parasite genetics, in shaping transmission dynamics, recurrence patterns, and control effectiveness. This work shows how integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Causal Inference can advance malaria research by identifying context-specific risk factors, uncovering causal mechanisms, and informing more effective, targeted interventions. Drawing on the Mâncio Lima cohort, a longitudinal, multimodal study of malaria risk in Brazil’s main urban hotspot, and related studies in the Amazon, we highlight how rigorous, data-driven approaches can address the substantial variability in malaria risk across individuals and communities. AI-driven methods facilitate the integration of diverse high-dimensional datasets to uncover intricate patterns and improve individual risk stratification. Federated learning enables collaborative analysis across regions while preserving data privacy. Meanwhile, causal discovery and effect identification tools further strengthen these approaches by distinguishing genuine causal relationships from spurious associations. Together, these approaches offer a principled, scalable, and privacy-preserving framework that enables researchers to move beyond predictive modeling toward actionable causal insights. This shift supports precision public health strategies tailored to vulnerable populations, fostering more equitable and sustainable malaria control and contributing to the reduction of the global malaria burden.

How Were Patient Safety Incidents Responded to, Investigated, and Learned From Within the English National Health Service Before the Implementation of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework? A Rapid Review.

To understand how National Health Service organizations routinely responded to, investigated, and learned from patient safety incidents in England before the implementation of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework, and to identify associated success criteria and barriers. We followed rapid review methodology and searched 2 electronic databases. We aimed to identify and synthesize literature regarding patient safety incident response, investigation, and learning within the English National Health Service, before the implementation of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework. Nineteen articles were included. A narrative synthesis generated 4 concepts: (1) a multifaceted reporting culture, (2) investigation processes, (3) the landscape of support and involvement, and (4) opportunities to learn. Barriers to incident reporting included time, task characteristics, a culture of blame, and lack of feedback. Root cause analysis was cited as the most common investigation method. Studies outlined points of support and involvement for patients and families, the importance of supporting and involving patients and families, and acknowledged contributions from patients and families may be overlooked currently. For health care staff, the need for timely and personalized support soon after an incident was emphasized. Studies underlined the limitations of current approaches to learning and improvement. These findings lend support to the challenges associated with health care systems' infrastructures and strategies for responding to and learning from patient safety incidents. These challenges centre on 2 interrelated issues: the investigative challenges of rigorously conducting systems analysis and learning-oriented improvement; and the relational challenges of supporting genuine relationships of care, open and honest communication, and supportive engagement after patient safety incidents.

Practices and Challenges of Online Love-seeking Among Deaf or Hard of Hearing People: A Case Study in China

People who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) in China are increasingly exploring online platforms to connect with potential partners. This research explores the online dating experiences of DHH communities in China, an area that has not been extensively researched. We interviewed sixteen participants who have varying levels of hearing ability and love-seeking statuses to understand how they manage their identities and communicate with potential partners online. We find that DHH individuals made great efforts to navigate the rich modality features to seek love online. Participants used both algorithm-based dating apps and community-based platforms like forums and WeChat to facilitate initial encounters through text-based functions that minimized the need for auditory interaction, thus fostering a more equitable starting point. Community-based platforms were found to facilitate more in-depth communication and excelled in fostering trust and authenticity, providing a more secure environment for genuine relationships. Design recommendations are proposed to enhance the accessibility and inclusiveness of online dating platforms for DHH individuals in China. This research sheds light on the benefits and challenges of online dating for DHH individuals in China and provides guidance for platform developers and researchers to enhance user experience in this area.

Abstract 994: Advancing health equity and reducing disparities in prostate cancer in Black men: iCCaRE

Abstract In the US and globally, Black men experience the highest prostate cancer burden among all racial and ethnic groups, underscoring the urgent need for research to guide the development and implementation of culturally tailored strategies aimed at reducing disparities and improving outcomes. In response, the Inclusive Cancer Care Research Equity (iCCaRE) Consortium was created to advance health equity and reduce disparities in prostate cancer. Importantly, a Survivorship Care Plan (SCP) is recommended to educate and empower patients, enabling them to be better informed about their cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship care recommendations. To date, there is no SCP targeted to Black prostate cancer survivors (CaPS) who have the greatest disparities with the poorest survivorship outcomes (ACS F&F; AACR HD Report; Fullwood, 2024). Therefore, we aimed to develop a SCP tailored for Black men. Addressing the unique needs of Black men require a genuine bidirectional relationship between scientist and the community rooted in community engaged research (CER). The SCP was first informed by the literature (Bonner, 2024) and the ASCO template (canceradvocacy.org). With input from the iCCaRE leadership and the Partnership Engagement Services (PES) Core, the Whole Person SCP better responds to the informational, clinical and quality of life needs of Black Prostate Cancer survivors. Based on CER, we included 22 diverse, Black CaPs to further guide and tailor the iCCaRE. Our findings indicate that the iCCaRE Survivorship Care Plan (SCP) enhanced the ASCO template by incorporating and expanding several unique domains, including family history, care team contacts, follow-up and surveillance, symptoms, quality of life, survivor concerns, major comorbidities, health advisories, and culturally relevant resources, creating a comprehensive, whole-person SCP tailored specifically for Black men. It is crucial to continue to improve support for clinical research and advocate for Black men and their communities to reduce prostate cancer burden. Prostate cancer also needs to include incidence, mortality, and disparities for Black men to raise awareness of scarcely studied field of Black men and prostate cancer survivorship. Citation Format: Kimlin Tam Ashing, Timethia Bonner, Ewan K. Cobran, Folakemi Odedina, Aj Merriweather, Ernie Kaninjing, Floyd Willis, Cassandra Moore, Joanne Oliver, Fornati Bedell, John McCall. Advancing health equity and reducing disparities in prostate cancer in Black men: iCCaRE [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 994.

Шестов и Гегель: опыт познания истины

L. Shestov and G.W.F. Hegel were concerned with the problem of truth and knowledge. The genuine dialectical relationship between necessity and freedom, according to Hegel, is expressed in the return of the absolute to itself as a realized unity of itself and its own other. As a result, the hidden power of absolute truth erodes the limitations of particular definitions, forcing one to pass over into another and return to itself in a new, truer form. While Hegel thought of the history of philosophy as a series of necessary stages in the advancement of truth and knowledge, Shestov was sceptical of the claims about the necessity and possibility of absolute knowledge. The purpose of our research is to demonstrate the specific features of the philosophical interpretation of Hegel’s ideas in the works of religious existentialist Shestov, as well as to generalize Shestov’s understanding of the principles of correlating the categories of faith and reason when dealing with the problem of truth through the interpretation of Hegel’s philosophy. This approach seems acceptable, since the two thinkers differ significantly in their understanding of the process of searching for truth, which found expression in their views on the very course of the historical-philosophical process. Shestov believed that a study of the history of philosophy allows us to grow and develop through a free and committed attitude towards truth and knowledge. For him, such a commitment is a criterion by which we can judge whether we have a genuine experience of knowing the truth. For Hegel, our experience in pursuing the truth is not a product of the history of philosophy, but a process underlying the history of philosophy. Therefore, the experience of truth, a self-reflection on the contradictions, is an experience of a continuous process of moving away from the familiar towards something new, where knowledge appears as an endless process of liberating thought from the burden of non-existence, a revival of the miracle of thinking as the creation of the impossible.

Oombarl Oombarl Joorrinygor-Slowly Slowly Moving Forward: Reflections From a Cross-Cultural Team Working Together on the See, Treat, Prevent (SToP) Trial in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia.

Reflexivity is crucial for researchers and health professionals working within Aboriginal health. Reflexivity provides a tool for non-Aboriginal researchers to contribute to the broader intention of reframing historical academic positivist paradigms into Indigenous research methodologies (IRM) to privilege Aboriginal voices in knowledge construction and decision-making. This practice requires researchers to transition from safe and familiar research environments into unfamiliar and uncomfortable spaces. This uncomfortable space is often referred to as the 'third space'-the 'in-between' space that can be turbulent and difficult to navigate. However, it is also a productive space where new collaborations are created, and ideas can emerge. This manuscript provides reflections from a cross-cultural team working on a transdisciplinary healthy skin program-the See, Treat, Prevent (SToP) Trial in Aboriginal communities in the Kimberley region of Western Australia (WA). Cultural mentors guided our team to work in an Oombarl Oombarl (steady steady) way to navigate the cultural interface between familiar biomedical elements and unknown health promotion activities. Our third space was the intangible space in-between the S, T and P of the SToP Trial. Narratives were collected through semi-structured interviews and yarning sessions. All participants provided written consent for audio recording; in one instance, consent was provided to record graphically. A thematic analysis aligning with the question guide was conducted. Reflections include team members' experiences of learning the Oombarl Oombarl way, individually and collectively. Initially, most team members revealed it was challenging to work in an Oombarl Oombarl way, having to move out of the safe, familiar research environment into the unknown community-led health promotion space. This in-between space became our third space-the uncomfortable space where we relinquished 'control' of research agendas and learnt to work to the rhythm of Aboriginal communities in WA's Kimberley region. Reflexivity is necessary when working in a cross-cultural context. In Aboriginal homeland communities situated in remote settings, researchers benefit from being 'on the ground' to enable trust and genuine relationships to be developed. Visits on Country provide a rich experiential learning experience and a space for story sharing and yarning. Cultural guidance and two-way learning partnerships with cultural mentors assist non-Aboriginal researchers in understanding and adhering to cultural protocols and community processes. Allowing sufficient time to build relationships and flexible timelines are important considerations when developing research grants and protocols. SO WHAT?: Our findings demonstrate the importance of building genuine relationships and yarning on Country with Aboriginal communities to build health promotion knowledge together. Making meaning of health literacy can only evolve through two-way learning partnerships where Aboriginal people guide the process. Our research reveals a novel approach to developing meaningful health promotion initiatives and resources on Country that centralise local Aboriginal language, artwork and community context.

Common Method Bias in Social and Behavioral Research: Strategic Solutions for Quantitative Research in the Doctoral Research

This paper addresses the critical issue of common method bias (CMB) in social and behavioral research, emphasizing its impact on the validity and reliability of quantitative studies, particularly in the context of doctoral-level research. CMB arises when data collection methods in doctoral research, such as self-report surveys, artificially inflate or deflate relationships between variables, leading to distorted findings. This can result in misleading conclusions, such as overstating the link between job satisfaction and employee performance, which may have serious implications for both academic research and policymaking. The paper offers a comprehensive overview of the sources and effects of CMB, along with strategies to detect, prevent, and control it. It highlights key statistical techniques, including Harman’s single-factor test, marker variable approaches, and latent variable modeling, to minimize bias during data analysis. Additionally, it outlines best practices for study design, such as temporal separation, varying measurement methods, and ensuring data collection anonymity, to reduce CMB from the outset. By implementing these strategies, researchers can enhance the validity and generalizability of their findings, ensuring that results reflect genuine relationships rather than artifacts of the research process. Received: 7 September 2024 | Revised: 31 October 2024 | Accepted: 23 Januray 2025 Conflicts of Interest The author declares that he has no conflicts of interest to this work. Data Availability Statement Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study. Author Contribution Statement Mohammad Rashed Hasan Polas: Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Validation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Resources, Data curation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing, Visualization, Supervision, Project administration.

Can ChatGPT Be Addictive? A Call to Examine the Shift from Support to Dependence in AI Conversational Large Language Models

The rapid rise of ChatGPT has introduced a transformative tool that enhances productivity, communication, and task automation across industries. However, concerns are emerging regarding the addictive potential of AI large language models. This paper explores how ChatGPT fosters dependency through key features such as personalised responses, emotional validation, and continuous engagement. By offering instant gratification and adaptive dialogue, ChatGPT may blur the line between AI and human interaction, creating pseudosocial bonds that can replace genuine human relationships. Additionally, its ability to streamline decision-making and boost productivity may lead to over-reliance, reducing users' critical thinking skills and contributing to compulsive usage patterns. These behavioural tendencies align with known features of addiction, such as increased tolerance and conflict with daily life priorities. This viewpoint paper highlights the need for further research into the psychological and social impacts of prolonged interaction with AI tools like ChatGPT.

"Just Treat Me Delicately": A Qualitative Exploration of What Works to Engage Australian Men in Health Care Encounters.

There is growing consensus for upskilling the health care workforce on gender-responsive strategies to more effectively connect and respond to men during health care encounters. To inform health practitioner education, the primary aim of this study was to gain insights from a diverse sample of men in Australia on their experiences and expectations when engaging with health care practitioners. Thirty-two men (18-70 years, median 33) participated in eight online focus group discussions. A combined deductive and inductive thematic analysis was undertaken to reconcile their expectations with prior published approaches for practitioners to engage men in care and identify new themes. Participants desired a genuine relationship, signaled by upfront and informal communication, active listening, and enquiry. In structuring treatment, participants sought transparency and respect for autonomy. Regarding the therapeutic alliance, avoiding gender stereotyping and empathetic, sensitive, and holistic care were valued by men. These expectations for how practitioners engage with men in care were reflected in their advice for health practitioner student training and aligned with approaches published previously. Participant insights were synthesized into four outcomes, for men, of successful engagement: legitimize the relationship to build trust, create a safe space to facilitate disclosure, empower men, and assess and treat the whole man through a biopsychosocial lens. In conclusion, men seek authentic connection and a caring style that allows them to legitimize and forge an ongoing relationship with their practitioner. These outcomes of successful engagement are key to developing consumer-informed health practitioner education and competencies on gender-responsive health care for men.

What Do Women (With Serious Knee Injury) Want to Know About Knee Health? Identifying Research Priorities With a Consumer Advisory Group.

OBJECTIVES: To (1) establish a women's knee health consumer advisory group (CAG) via an evidence-informed process and (2) identify the CAG's research priorities to inform future projects. DESIGN: Mixed-methods priority-setting study. METHODS: The CAG was established, grounded in a participatory action research approach and using the Patient Engagement in Research Framework, to inform a 4-phase process: (1) understand, (2) plan, (3) undertake, and (4) evaluate. We identified the CAG's priorities for knee health research via a mixed-methods approach using the nominal group technique (NGT). We adopted a constructivist epistemology, using reflexive thematic analysis to construct codes and themes inductively. RESULTS: Six women (mean age of 35 years) joined the CAG, generating, reviewing, and discussing 70 ideas during NGT phases 1 to 3. We constructed 14 codes, grouped into 3 key themes: (1) best practice management and support for serious knee injury and rehabilitation, (2) social and gendered factors; and (3) physical, psychological, and personal factors. Voting and ranking (NGT phases 3-6) revealed the CAG's highest priority for future research was "Knowledge of, and access to specialised knee rehabilitation and practitioners." CONCLUSION: Establishing a CAG was an achievable and novel approach to identifying consumer priorities to enhance women's knee health outcomes. Women wanted improved access to information and best-practice care via genuine therapeutic relationships with practitioners who understand the gendered-social rehabilitation environment. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2025;55(2):1-14. Epub 15 January 2025. doi:10.2519/jospt.2025.12869.

Supporting indigenous stewardship of water: reflections on a decade of water quality research in the Tully River basin adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

ABSTRACT Water quality monitoring programs (WQMPs) are an important means for assessing water quality, particularly in river basins where agricultural intensification and development pressures raise concerns in freshwater and adjacent marine environments. WQMPs, if supported by scientists, Indigenous peoples, and local communities, and if based on the knowledge needs of all rights holders and stakeholders, can provide crucial actions to protect water resources and values. This paper presents a decade of water quality research in the Tully River basin, adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Identification of knowledge issues raised by Indigenous peoples during development of the Tully Water Quality Improvement Plan (WQIP) in 2008 highlighted needs for a targeted local WQMP in this basin. Subsequent development and successful implementation of a community-agreed and Indigenous-led pilot WQMP in 2012 paved the way for further Indigenous-led research in the Tully and neighboring river basins identified as containing pollutants of concern. WQMPs can successfully be led by Indigenous peoples based on collaborative partnerships to provide an evidence base for freshwater management. Recent WQMPs and other Indigenous-led research in this basin and surrounding catchments suggest genuine and respectful relationships, developed and maintained over time, can support Indigenous stewardship of water. However, they also indicate the important role of locally embedded and trusted organizations, such as Indigenous corporations and community-based not-for-profit environmental management organizations, in supporting these collaborations to produce better outcomes for people and Country.

Parents’ Experiences of Accessing Support for Adversities that Impact Their Parenting: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Evidence

Adversities during childhood such as experiences of neglect, parental mental illness, substance use, financial stress, unstable housing and racism/discrimination have cumulative and harmful lifelong impacts. Early identification, intervention and support for parents, families and communities experiencing adversity can enhance their capacity to provide environments where children can thrive and reach their full potential. However, parents experience many barriers to seeking support including experiences of judgement, blame and discrimination when accessing services. This systematic review of qualitative evidence aimed to explore parents’ experiences of interactions with health, welfare and educational professionals when accessing support for adversities that impact parental capacity and children’s health, development or wellbeing in the early years (0–5 years). In doing so, we specifically aimed to explore elements of professionals’ interactions that parents viewed either positively or negatively to inform future policy, practice, education and research. After the screening process, 16 studies were included in the synthesis. Key findings highlighted that although health and welfare services should be promoting parental capacity to raise thriving children, parents frequently experienced professionals who were unwilling to listen, disrespectful and restricted parents’ participation. Furthermore, parents felt the complexity of their lives was not acknowledged and felt blamed for broader socioeconomic circumstances and intergenerational patterns of marginalisation. Conversely, positive experiences came from professionals who engaged in genuine relationships that provided emotional and practical supports that empowered parents to change. These findings highlight the need for change across all levels of service delivery, inclusive of individual professionals through to the systems and policies underpinning the structure and provision of services for parents and families. Further work is needed to explore how to implement and sustain effective change across multiple sectors to inform consistent, empathetic and therapeutic approaches to supporting parents, so children can grow and thrive within their own families and communities.

Authentic Leadership, Personal Characteristics, and Church Growth in Embu County, Kenya

Authentic leaders adapt their leadership styles to resonate authentically with their followers, emphasizing the importance of genuine relationships. At the intersection of authentic leadership is the role of personal characteristics, which is often pertinent in the church where leaders must navigate diverse congregational dynamics. This research aimed to establish whether personal characteristics moderates the perceived effects of authentic leadership on church growth in Embu County, Kenya. The denominations included Deliverance Churches, Restoration End Time Churches, Triumph Churches, Full Gospel Church of Kenya, Winners Chapel, and Great Gospel Visioners. The research was anchored on authentic leadership theory. Correlational research design was utilized. A total of 35 Pentecostal churches in Embu County were selected. A purposive sample of 387 respondents participated in the study. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed using moderated regression technique. Results demonstrated that authentic leadership significantly influenced church growth (R²=.740, p<.01). Only the main effect of age on church growth was statistically significant (B = -0.032, p = .019). However, none of the personal characteristics significantly moderated the effect of authentic leadership on church growth. The absence of a moderating effect from personal characteristics suggests that authentic leadership transcends demographic differences. The study affirms the relevance of authentic leadership theory by demonstrating its significant influence on church growth, regardless of personal uniqueness. The findings suggest that authentic leadership, with its focus on genuine relationships and empowerment, remains a key driver of organizational success, transcending demographic variables in the context of church growth in Kenya.

Unlearning Love: Defying Colonial Knowledge in Bell Hooks's All About Love: New Visions

This paper is a critical reading of bell hooks's All About Love: New Visions. It explores the concept of Love, which she defines in various aspects of people’s life, going beyond the established idea or definition of love. She also challenges conventional ideas of Love and the ways people practice it, giving or taking it. The traditional understanding of Love reinforces norms that restrict how people feel, express, or define Love. This research investigates the colonial roots that influence contemporary definitions of Love and specifically examines how colonial ideologies have shaped relationships, gender roles, and social expectations. Employing a qualitative approach, this study draws on theoretical frameworks, including Maldonado-Torres' concept of ‘On the Coloniality of Being,’ Tuck and Yang's notion of “Decolonization is Not a Metaphor,” and Aurora Levins Morales' concept of "the Historian as Curandera" to analyze colonial knowledge embedded within modern interpretations of Love. Hence, the research shows that redefining the concept of Love actively confronts colonial ideologies by promoting a decolonized and restorative view of Love, which encourages more inclusive and genuine relationships. In conclusion, this study suggests that unlearning colonial interpretations of Love pave the way for more inclusive and holistic approaches to Love and societal norms.

Sorority through the screen: weaving networks of care between women through Facebook groups

This study analyzes the dynamics of interaction, emotional bonds and acts of sisterhood within a Facebook group of women who post their concerns and situations that require support from other women to establish possible solutions. The objective is to investigate how these women establish and maintain relationships based on trust and empathy in a digital environment, where anonymity becomes a key tool to promote a safe and supportive space. Through digital ethnography, we investigate the recurring themes that users share, how affective relationships develop within the group, and the impact of anonymity on the search for counseling. We also examine the community care strategies that promote sisterhood and protect participants, exploring how these practices influence the establishment of bonds and collective solutions to common social problems.The results reveal that anonymity allows for greater emotional openness, facilitating the development of deep and genuine affective relationships. Practices of sorority are manifested in empathy and mutual support, and are strengthened through community care strategies that guarantee an environment of respect and safety. However, challenges are also identified, such as conflict management and the need to maintain trust in an environment where anonymity is used.

Use of Social Media in the Lived Experiences of Sto. Niño de Cebu Devotees

In recent years, social media has become a vital tool for communication and engagement among Catholic devotees. Devotion and evangelization in the context of social media require a genuine personal relationship with Christ that inspires and guides every devotee in their online interactions. By sharing authentic faith experiences and messages rooted in love and truth, social media becomes a powerful tool for spreading the Gospel and deepening connections within the digital community. This study explores the real-life encounters of Sto. Niño de Cebu devotees with social media platforms through a phenomenological research design. It aims to identify and describe the significance of these experiences by employing phenomenology to uncover the essence of reality through the participants’ narratives. The study involved five Sto. Niño devotees who were interviewed utilizing self-made questions and storytelling; the in-depth interviews were conducted face-to-face and via video conferencing while adhering to ethical standards and ensuring voluntary participation. Data analysis followed Moustakas’ phenomenological method, which included self-reflective narratives, thematic reflection, and symbolic representation to provide textural and structural descriptions of the participants’ core experiences. The findings illustrate how social media has become integral to the devotees’ lives, enhancing their spiritual connection, faith, family and community interactions, evangelization efforts, and access to information and education, thereby shaping their personal lives and religious practices.

Is Bruxism an Influential Factor on Mandibular Condyle Morphology?

Objectives: The objective of this study is to assess condyle morphology through panoramic radiographs and investigate the impact of variables such as bruxism, age, gender, education level, chewing habits, and income level on the morphology of the condyle. Methods: Condyle morphology was assessed across four categories (bird's beak, diagonal diamond, crooked fingers, and oval) in panoramic radiographs featuring 200 patients in this study. Bruxism, age, gender, education level, chewing habits, and income level were classified based on the responses provided in the questionnaires by the individuals in the study. Results: Among the 100 bruxist patients, 3 exhibited awake, 41 displayed sleep, and 56 manifested both awake and sleep bruxism. Significant differences were observed in the morphology of the left condyle (p < .05). In the 26-40 age group, there was an increase in the appearance of bird's beak, diagonal diamond, and crooked fingers, while the oval condyle's appearance decreased (p < .05). Males showed a greater prevalence of bird beak appearance (p < .05). A rise in education level correlated with increased occurrences of bird beak, diagonal diamond, and crooked finger appearances (p < .05). In the presence of bruxism, there was a statistically higher prevalence of bird's beak and diagonal diamond-shaped condyles (p < .05). Conclusion: The outcomes of this study on condyle morphology are influenced by bruxism, age, gender, and education level. Individuals experiencing both awake and sleep bruxism exhibit a more pronounced impact on condyle morphology. To ascertain a genuine causal relationship, prospective cohort studies are imperative.

Ethical Imperatives in Influencer Marketing: Navigating Transparency, Authenticity, and Consumer Trust

This paper explores the ethical considerations in influencer marketing, a rapidly growing field that leverages social media personalities to drive consumer engagement and brand awareness. The analysis highlights key ethical challenges such as transparency, authenticity, consumer exploitation, and regulatory compliance. It emphasizes the importance of clear disclosure of paid partnerships, fostering genuine relationships between influencers and their audiences, and avoiding manipulative practices. The paper discusses the impact of ethical lapses on consumer trust and brand perception, underscoring the need for brands, influencers, and regulators to adopt best practices and maintain ethical standards. It also presents case studies, explores existing regulatory frameworks, and proposes strategies for elevating ethical conduct within the industry. The study concludes with recommendations for enhanced collaboration, self-regulation, and compliance to foster trust and integrity in influencer marketing.