Choice Of Group Research Articles

The emergence of collective knowledge and cumulative culture in animals, humans and machines.

The emergence of collective knowledge and cumulative culture in animals, humans and machines.

Kurdish–Iraqi state conflict (de‐)escalation following the independence referendum

AbstractMoral hazard theory assumes that the responsibility to protect (R2P) raises expectations of third‐party intervention, thus creating a perverse motivation for vulnerable groups to act aggressively and incite a situation where foreign intervention becomes necessary to preserve their own safety. The promise of external intervention encourages vulnerable groups to rebel against their parent states under the assumption that intervention increases the likelihood of success and lowers the expected cost. Alan Kuperman describes moral hazard theory as the taking of risks that may inadvertently derive from trying to protect from risk, with unwanted results. This paper asks, if there are divisions, conflicts, or a security dilemma arising between factional leaders within a vulnerable group, how does that affect the decisions of the group with regard to taking risks? Taking the case of the PUK’s decision not to fight Iraqi armed forces and thereby prevent conflict escalation following the 2017 independence referendum, this paper argues that divisions between factional leaders affect a group's choice to take risks, reducing its likelihood. Consequently, conditions are less likely to reach the point of existential danger where outside intervention becomes necessary.

Focus on Infertility—Women’s Experiences of Using Social Media: A Qualitative Study

Background: Social media have slotted firmly into the mechanics of daily life, affecting people’s everyday interactions, and working life. Access to the Internet has changed the way people search for information, manage health and illness, and how they relate to each other. Persons affected by infertility are likely to search the Internet to obtain infertility-related information and social support. However, evidence is needed regarding the way in which the target group uses the Internet in infertility-related issues. The aim of the study is to describe infertile women’s experiences of using social media focusing on infertility. Methods: This study is based on qualitative semi-structured telephone interviews with seven women. The interviews were conducted between May 2020 and November 2020 and were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Collected data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Two themes were constructed from the data: Invaluable venue and Opportunity of choice. The women used social media focusing on infertility to support each other, to find infertility-related information and for fellowship and solidarity. Usage of social media forums was a part of everyday life and different forums were used, depending upon where the women were in the treatment process. Further, decisions about choice of group were based on which age groups were targeted and geographical location. Conclusion: Infertility is one of the most stressful events in life and is associated with a rollercoaster of emotions. The use of social media focusing on infertility was experienced as positive, providing valuable information, support, eliminating loneliness and being a breathing space. Different forums were used depending on where the women were in the treatment process.

Peace, Terrorism, or Civil Conflict? Understanding the Decision of an Opposition Group

When do opposition groups decide to mount a terrorism campaign and when do they enter an open civil conflict against the ruling government? This paper models an opposition group's choice between peace, terrorism, and open conflict. Terrorism emerges if executive constraints are intermediate and rents are sizeable. Open conflict is predicted to emerge under poor executive constraints. Analyzing country-level panel data firmly supports these hypotheses, even when relying on within-country variation only in a fixed-effects framework.In particular, both the incidence of terrorism and the likelihood of terrorism onset increase under intermediate executive constraints (following an inverted U-shape) and if large rents are available from natural resources, oil, or foreign development assistance. A one-standard-deviation increase in rents raises casualties by approximately 15 percentage points. Related to civil conflict, moving from an authoritarian regime to comprehensive executive constraints is associated with a decrease in the number of battle-related deaths by approximately 74 percentage points. These findings can help us to better understand and anticipate the underlying decision of opposition groups and their choice between peace, a terrorism campaign, and open conflict.

Adversary Group Decision-Making Regarding Choice of Attack Methods: Expecting the Unexpected

Anticipating whether an adversary group will continue to use their usual (“conventional”), expected attack methods is important for military and counterterrorism practitioners tasked with protecting the security of others. Conventional attack methods are by their nature easier to plan and prepare for whilst “innovative” methods may take those responsible for security and counterterrorism by surprise and, as such, may have more impact and more serious consequences. The present study aimed to develop understanding of how, when, and why adversary groups might decide to use conventional attack methods or opt to do something innovative instead. A literature review was conducted and findings were applied to develop a thorough understanding of the decision-making process that underlies an adversary group's choice of attack method. Identified are three stages preceding the execution of an attack: a) “strategic direction”; b) “incubation”; and c) “planning and preparation,” plus “overarching” and “contextual” factors that can influence the process at each stage. It is suggested that it is these factors and how they influence decision-making that result in innovative methods being used to execute an attack, or convention prevailing. Findings can aid practitioners and policy-makers in counterterrorism, security, and law enforcement, to support their understanding, evaluation, and countering of current and future threats.

'I'm not trusted in the kitchen': food environments and food behaviours of young people attending school and college.

Food behaviours are important in the context of health and obesity. The aim was to explore the environments and food behaviours of a sample of young people in the North East of England to further understanding of the relationship between eating behaviours and environmental context. Focus groups were conducted with four groups of young people aged 16-20 years (n = 40; 28 male, 12 female) between November 2006 and June 2007. Analysis was informed by grounded theory methods and was an iterative process of identifying themes across the transcripts. Topics explored included: their main environment, home food responsibility and cooking, food outside of the home, where food was purchased/obtained and where food was eaten and with whom. Emergent themes included: the value for money in food purchases, time convenience, the car as a means of accessing food and health perceptions. The complexities of the food environment were illustrated. This work has highlighted the importance of the home food environment and parents, and indicated the importance of factors such as time and cost in this age group's food choices. The behavioural norms around food behaviours merit further exploration for this population in transition between adolescence and adulthood.

Surveying Act Hunger and Role Accessibility in Training Groups

Managing the choice process for highly valued roles in psychodrama training groups is shared by the trainee, their peers, and the trainers. Access to these roles is essential for those studying to become psychodramatists. This article introduces an experimental sociometric tool designed to examine underlying perceptions held individually that have a collective impact on the students' choice-making process. Data from the Role Accessibility Perception Survey1 reveals to the participants an underlying hierarchy that, over time, may develop into subgroups. The survey results, when discussed, may be used to facilitate role relief for some while suggesting greater access to roles for others less highly chosen in the past. The impact of absences, ride sharing, and less visible norms on an ongoing training group's choice process may also be revealed. The survey is offered as an alternative to J. L. Moreno's sociometric test. A case example is included with participant's names changed.

A Basic Model Explaining Terrorist Group Organizational Structure

Terrorist groups strive to balance efficiency with their need for security. This article examines the factors that affect a group's choice of organizational structure. I classify 254 groups from the Global Terrorism Database into one of four basic structures: market, all-channel, hub-spoke, or bureaucracy. The results of a multinomial logistic regression reveal that as secret organizations, terrorist groups are not just driven by achieving efficiencies in their organization but rather by protecting against infiltration and threats. Internal factors such as target selection, operational pace, ideology, and stated goals shape a group's structure. External environmental factors such as political rights, civil liberties, polity durability, and state wealth also help shape a group's structure.

Evaluating Cultures: The Instrumentalism, Pluralist Perfectionism, and Particularism of John Gray

In this article, Matthew Johnson examines the possibility of using elements of John Gray's work to advance a means of evaluating cultures, in order to inform the development of pluralist perfectionist forms of public policy and, in particular, educational programs. Johnson engages critically with elements of Gray's value pluralism, such as his understanding of the objectivity and universality in human values, needs, and well‐being; determinacy of circumstance; and particularity with regard to the selection of values. These elements support an instrumental account of culture in which a group's choice of values is assessed according to their contribution to well‐being. Johnson then considers the potential conflict between pluralism and perfectionism in the development of education systems in heterogeneous societies, highlighting the harms inflicted on the identity, meaning, and security of particular groups by attempts to promote well‐being. Johnson concludes the article with an exploration of possible means of minimizing harm through pragmatic engagement with identity and circumstance.

Dietary Acculturation of Arab Immigrants: In the Greater Toronto Area

We explored the eating habits of Arab immigrants to determine whether they have maintained their traditional diet or have consumed a more Westernized diet since immigrating to Canada. Arab immigrants who had been in Canada for at least eight years and were currently living in the Greater Toronto Area were recruited. A sample of 24 Arab immigrants completed a mailed, self-administered questionnaire, and six participated in a focus group. The focus group discussion was transcribed verbatim and results were recorded. Latent content analysis was used to analyze, code, and categorize emerging themes. Arab immigrants consumed a mixture of both Arabic and Western food and perceived their current diet to be healthier than it was before they immigrated to Canada. Factors that influenced their food choices included increased nutrition health awareness, differences in food preferences and preparation methods, and preservation of dietary practices in the new environment. Our findings will help dietitians who work with Arab immigrants to become more aware of factors that motivate this group's food choices, and to create nutrition programs that are more culturally sensitive.

Voluntary selection of starter feed ingredients offered separately to nursing calves

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether calves exposed to different ingredients would consume solid feed in a similar manner than those offered the same ingredients mixed in a starter concentrate. Thirty-eight Holstein calves (initial live weight 41.0kg and 7 days of age) were randomly assigned to a control (CTR) treatment consisting of a starter feed composed of ground corn (47.2%), soybean meal (20%), oats meal (11%), barley meal (10.1%), soybean hulls (8%), and full fat soybean (1.2%), or to a choice (CH) treatment consisting of 6 ingredients, that composed the starter of CTR calves, offered in separated buckets to each animal. Intake was recorded daily, and calves were weighed twice a week. Samples of fresh feed were taken every week and pooled for subsequent determination of nutrient composition. No differences were observed between treatments on total dry matter intake (DMI), solid feed intake, average daily gain (ADG), and gain to feed ratio. However, animals in the CH group consumed more crude protein (CP; P<0.01) and fat (P<0.01) than CTR calves. On the other hand, CH calves ingested less non-fibrous carbohydrates (NFC; P<0.01) than those in the CTR group. Despite these differences in nutrient intake, there were no differences in total metabolizable energy (ME) intake between CH and CTR animals. However, the CP to ME ratio was greater (P<0.01) in CH (81g of CP/Mcal of ME) than in CTR calves (53g of CP/Mcal of ME). Calves in CH group consumed less (P<0.01) corn and oats meal, and more (P<0.01) full fat soybean than CTR animals. Within the CH group of calves, soybean meal was most (P<0.01) preferred (32.8% of solid feed intake), whereas oats meal (3.5% of solid feed intake) was the least preferred (P<0.01). In terms of total amount consumed, no differences were observed among corn meal, full fat soybean, and barley meal. In conclusion, compared with calves fed a single starter feed, calves that were offered a choice of ingredients selected a diet with greater levels of CP and fat, and lower in NFC. Despite differences in nutrient consumption of the final diet consumed, no differences were observed in total DMI, solid feed intake, ADG, and gain to feed ratio. It is concluded that young calves are unable to select ingredients based on their nutrient requirements.

FRSAD and the Ontology of Subjects of Works

Critics of the Functional Requirements for Subject Authority Data (FRSAD) model have argued that the Functional Requirements for Subject Authority Records (FRSAR) Working Group failed to make explicit the ontological assumptions underlying the model, and/or failed to make explicit the reasoning behind the choices that were made among competing conceptions. In this article, the philosophical assumptions underlying the design of the FRSAD model are identified and precisely described; the full range of alternatives are discussed and evaluated; and the implications of the Working Group's choices among those alternatives are clarified.

An evolutionary analysis of turnout with conformist citizens

We propose an evolutionary analysis of a voting game where citizens have a preference for conformism that adds to the instrumental preference for the electoral outcome. Multiple equilibria arise, and some generate high turnout. Simulations of best response dynamics show that high turnout is asymptotically stable if conformism matters but its likelihood depends on the reference group for conformism: high turnout is more likely when voters care about their own group's choice, as this better overrides the free rider problem of voting games. Comparative statics on the voting cost distribution, and the groups' composition are also done.

Use of audience response systems for summative assessment in large classes

&lt;span&gt;The audience response system - technology that allows immediate compilation and display of a group's multiple choice input - is being shown effective in the classroom both in engaging students and providing real time, formative assessment of comprehension. This paper looks at its further potential as an alternative for summative assessment, replacing conventional examinations and testing as a basis for student grades. After brief discussion as to practical benefits of doing so and a review of ARS - hardware, software, and studies of its impact on learning - we develop and report outcomes of two distinct trials utilising ARS for both formative and summative assessment. Results indicate synergies in combining the two forms of assessment, though student attitudes are found to be particularly sensitive to the instructor's approach to design.&lt;/span&gt;

Obesity: Problem, Solution, or Both?

Since 1982, the Southern California Permanente Medical Group's Positive Choice Weight Loss Program in San Diego has treated more than 30,000 adults, predominantly middle-aged, for obesity—some successfully, some not. This has been an extraordinary experience and provided us with numerous counterintuitive observations. We now are convinced that obesity is widely misunderstood, and we realize that the unusual program we have operated safely and effectively for more than a quarter century is often misunderstood as well. There is growing interest in our program and in using our approach as a model for other Kaiser Permanente (KP) Regions. We therefore share an overview here of our experience with this specific program. Consequently, most referenced works in this report are publications emanating from our program, sometimes contrasting those findings with conventional views on the subject. The Positive Choice Weight Loss Program has two integrated components: Prolonged absolute fasting, with the use of a supplement to support health and to prevent death from such fasting. A lengthy and complex group program to explore the basis of each participant's unconscious compulsive use of food, as well as to explore the hidden benefits of obesity for that individual. Given that the average weight loss of someone completing our 20-week program is 62 lb (28 kg) and that approximately 5000 patients each have lost more than 100 lb (45 kg), we realize we have challenged the belief systems of some who assume either that such weight loss cannot commonly be achieved or that the process of supplemented absolute fasting must be dangerous. In fact, the process has been notably safe, and major improvements in biomedical outcomes have been the norm. This article addresses four basic issues: The safety of properly supplemented prolonged absolute fasting in obesity The observed origins of obesity, and their implications The components of a relevant treatment program Outcomes of the Program.

Physician Cultural Competence and Patient Ratings of the Patient-Physician Relationship

To determine the association of patients' ratings of the patient-physician relationship with physicians' self-reported cultural competence (CC). Physicians completed a survey assessing their CC in three domains: motivation to learn about other cultures (motivation attitudes), awareness of white privilege and acceptance of a racial group's choice to retain distinct customs and values (power assimilation attitudes), and clinical behaviors reflective of CC. Their African-American and white patients completed interviews assessing satisfaction with the medical visit, trust in their physician, perceptions of their physician's respect for them and their participation in care. We conducted regression analyses to explore the associations between CC and patient ratings of the relationship. Patients of physicians reporting more motivation to learn about other cultures were more satisfied (OR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.0-4.4), perceived their physicians were more facilitative (beta = 0.4, p = 0.02) and reported seeking and sharing more information during the medical visit (beta = 0.2, p = 0.03). Physicians' power assimilation attitudes were associated with patients' ratings of physician facilitation (beta = 0.4, p = 0.02). Patients of physicians reporting more frequent CC behaviors were more satisfied (OR = 3.1, 95% CI = 1.4-6.9) and reported seeking and sharing more information (beta = 0.3, p = 0.04). Attitudinal and behavioral components of CC are important to developing higher quality, participative relationships between patients and their physicians.

Experimental evidence for route integration and strategic planning in wild capuchin monkeys

Both in captivity and the wild, primates are found to travel mostly to the nearest available resource, but they may skip over the closest resource and travel to more distant resources, which are often found to be more productive. This study examines the tradeoff between distance and reward in the foraging choices of one group of wild capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella nigritus) using feeding platforms in large-scale foraging experiments conducted over four years. Three feeding sites were arrayed in an oblique triangle, such that once the monkey group had chosen one site to feed, they had a choice between two remaining sites, a close one with less food and the other up to 2.3 times as far away but with more food. Sites were provisioned once per day. The capuchins generally chose the closer feeding site, even when the more distant site offered up to 12 times as much food. The distances to, rewards of, or various profitability measures applied to each alternative site individually did not explain the group's choices in ways consistent with foraging theory or principles of operant psychology. The group's site choices were predicted only by comparing efficiency measures of entire foraging pathways: (1) direct travel to the more rewarding distant site, versus (2) the longer 'detour' through the closer site on the way to the more distant one. The group chose the detour more often when the reward was larger and the added detour distance shorter. They appeared to be more sensitive to the absolute increase in detour distance than to the relative increase compared to the straight route. The qualitative and quantitative results agree with a simple rule: do not use the detour unless the energy gain from extra food outweighs the energy cost of extra travel. These results suggest that members of this group integrate information on spatial location, reward, and perhaps potential food competition in their choice of multi-site foraging routes, with important implications for social foraging.

Why Do Interest Groups Engage the Judiciary? Policy Wishes and Structural Needs*

Objectives. We test two competing explanations in order to answer the question: Why do organized interests choose to engage in advocacy behavior? The first turns on the notion that concerns with policy success are the principal forces affecting a group's choice. To a lesser degree, issues of group maintenance have also been identified as entering into organized interests' decisional calculus.Method. Using survey data supplemented with confidential interviews of organized interests, we systematically examine the power of both accounts to explain the decision of groups to locate their energies in the federal judiciary. Consequently, in the penultimate section of the article, we specify and test a comprehensive model of interest group litigation behavior.Results. In the resulting multivariate analysis, we find that forces associated with both avenues of explanation for interest group advocacy behavior have substantial statistical purchase and empirical traction.Conclusion. Our findings did not show a dominate role for maintenance concerns; however, clearly, a group's assessment of where, and possibly whether, to act is not an easy calculation based on the receptiveness of a venue and the available balance in the bank account. Groups must attend to their members and their competition. Explanations of group advocacy omitting such concerns are inherently flawed.

‘I’ve decided to become a teacher’: Influences on career change

The present study explored reasons behind graduates’ decisions to pursue teaching as a career, in a 1-year pre-service teacher education program at an Australian university, located in Melbourne ( N = 74 ) . A survey collected data about respondents’ reasons for choosing teaching as a career, with open-ended questions eliciting rich qualitative data to elaborate on rating-scale responses. Five factors relating to social status, career fit, prior considerations, financial reward and time for family were identified through factor analyses. Respondents’ ratings were independent of previous level of qualification and having children or not, with little evidence for gender differences. Three distinct clusters of students showed that different combinations of reasons were relevant to each group's choice of teaching as a career, and these reasons were further illustrated and discussed in relation to qualitative data from open-ended survey questions.

The Use of Repair Strategies by Children With and Without Hearing Impairment.

This study examined how students with hearing impairments, having different levels of speech intelligibility, responded to a communication breakdown as compared to students with normal hearing. Participants included 16 students with profound hearing impairment who were assessed as having ageappropriate expressive language (8 with good speech intelligibility and 8 with poor speech intelligibility) and 10 students with normal hearing, ages 11-18 years. The students' task was to describe pictures and to respond to a series of three clarification requests ("Huh?," "What?," and "I didn't understand") presented by the examiner. Repetition was the most frequently used strategy by all groups. However, significant differences emerged in the use of other repair strategies among the three groups. The group's choice of strategies across the three requests also differed significantly. Although the groups evidenced similar levels of age-appropriate expressive language, they appeared to differ in its pragmatic use. It was suggested that strategy training programs should consider the speech intelligibility of the speaker and be tailored according to individual needs.