Individual Competition Research Articles

Multi-objective cooperation search algorithm based on decomposition for complex engineering optimization problems

This study introduces a novel multi-objective cooperation search algorithm based on decomposition (MOCSA/D) to address multi-objective competitive challenges in engineering problem. Inspired by the optimization strategy of single-objective Cooperation Search Algorithm (CSA) and the decomposition framework of MOEA/D, MOCSA/D algorithm randomly generates initial solutions in the optimization space, and then repeatedly executes four search strategies until the end of iteration: Cooperative updating strategy gathers high-quality information to update solutions with balanced distribution. Reflective adjustment strategy expands the exploration range of the population, enabling the acquisition of solutions with strong optimization capabilities. Internal competition strategy selects superior individuals with better performance for subsequent optimization. Density updating strategy improves the competitiveness of optimized individuals within the population, fostering a more diverse solution set. Three numerical experiments (including DTLZ, WFG unconstrained test problems, ZXH_CF constrained test problems and RWMOP real-world multi-objective optimization problems) are tested to further comprehensively evaluate the dominant performance of MOCSA/D. The test results in different problem scenarios show that compared with the existing excellent evolutionary algorithms, MOCSA/D can always obtain a better, stable and uniform distribution of non-dominated solutions, and has higher solving efficiency and optimization quality under different performance evaluation metrics with the increasing difficulty of solving problems. Finally, the proposed algorithm is applied to the multi-objective reservoir engineering optimization problem to verify the feasibility of the decision scheme and the comprehensive benefit optimization of MOCSA/D. Overall, MOCSA/D can simplify the problem optimization difficulty based on decomposition mechanism, and improve the global optimization of population, path diversity and individual competition through different search strategies, which provides an advantageous tool for addressing multi-objective competitive challenges.

Decision Support System for Selecting Casual Daily Workers to Become Permanent Employees Using the Profile Matching Method

Information is the result of processing data from one or more sources, which is then processed to provide value, meaning and benefits. In modern times, the use of technology plays a very important role as a means of information and promotion, especially in the field of websites in delivering information. Technological advances in the field of computers are very helpful in the current decision-making process. One method of decision support systems is profile matching. This method is used to determine the assessment in selecting daily employees to become employees. Profile matching is broadly a process of comparing individual competition in job competition so that the difference in competition (also called gap) can be known, the smaller the gap produced, the greater the weight of the value which means that there is a greater chance for employees to occupy the position. After the calculation using the Profile Matching method, the ranking value that meets the requirements is in the alternative with the name of the worker, namely Bakhtiar with a score of 4.535 and is recommended to become a permanent employee. By applying this method, it is very helpful in determining the selection of casual laborers to become permanent employees.

Technical performance differences in elite Olympic recurve archers

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to identify technical differences in the shot cycle demonstrated by elite Olympic recurve archers in major tournaments. Participants were 30, world-ranked archers (15 men and 15 women) who competed in different World Cup series competitions in 2023. A video notational analysis system was designed, based on the shot cycle, to assess technical differences between the elite archers. For each archer, 18 shots were selected from an analysis of performance in individual or team competitions. Results showed that the execution of shot cycle phases varied among elite archers. Findings also revealed that these variations grouped into two styles of Olympic recurve archery: some displayed a common style and some a more complex style. The two styles were mainly different in movement complexity when raising the bow, loading and bow arm follow-through. In conclusion, the designed notational analysis system in recurve archery can be used by coaches and performance analysts for exploring skill adaptation of young archers in their development pathway. The observed technical differences in actions of the elite archers in this study could justify our re-definition of the ideal performance in this sport, re-directed towards skill adaptations, based on satisfying individual, environmental and task constraints.

Pick your battles: Elite ski-jumpers’ motives affect world cup performance depending on competition type

According to motive disposition theory, athletes high in affiliation motivation should find team contexts more rewarding than individual contexts, and hence perform better in a team than in individual competitions. The opposite is predicted for athletes high in power motivation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to test these hypotheses in an elite sample (here: ski jumping athletes) based on archived worldcup competition data from both individual and team competitions on the one hand, and self-reported and projectively assessed motives on the other hand. Results confirmed that even at the highest levels of professional sports, individual differences in motives show systematic relationships to competition performance. First, the negative impact of athletes' projectively assessed affiliation motive in individual competitions was significantly attenuated in team competitions, indicating that these represent more favourable conditions for athletes high in affiliation. Second, the projectively assessed power motive exhibited an overall negative relationship to performance. In contrast, self-reported achievement and affiliation motives showed a positive relationhip to performance. These findings attest to the role of personality differences in predicting motor performance variability in elite sports.

Population consequences of the competition of variable individuals under various of resource dynamics

Individual-based model of the dynamics of population with non-overlapping generation and explicitly introduced resources which are unequal partitioned between competing individuals is analysed. It is investigated how individual variability in assimilation of different kinds of resources influences population dynamics. Following kinds of resources are considered: unlimited resources with linear or exponential growth and limited resources growing logistically or with seasonal dynamics. When resources are unlimited population dynamics exhibits oscillations of number of individuals and resources which sooner or later end in extinction of the population. An increase of individual variability increases extinction time. Population dynamics is different when resources growth is limited. Number of individuals in the population initially increases until a certain level is reached, then fluctuates around that level. However, still greater individual variability guarantees greater persistence of the population, especially in rich environments.

Analysis on the Training Path of Team Cohesion of Cheerleading Teams in Colleges and Universities

After years of development, college education has undergone significant changes. Most of the training content is to enable students to grow better, enrich the teaching content, strengthen the individual team spirit and competitiveness, which is of great significance for college students to enter the society in the future. Nowadays, cheerleading is an important part of many universities major competitions. By cultivating students team cohesion, students can have better results in the team. This paper analyzes the development history of cheerleading and focuses on the cultivation strategy of cheerleading cohesion. ??Cheerleading is a sport that has been developed in recent years. It is still in the early stage in our country, but it is favored by Chinese people. Now most universities have cheerleading operations as their main large-scale competitions. By cultivating cohesion, students sense of teamwork is improved. Cheerleading is a kind of sports and fitness program, which can not only make you happy, but also shape your physical beauty. Therefore, cheerleading integrates the movements of body cheerleading and bodybuilding cheerleading, which can show the team spirit of youth and vitality. In the training process of colleges and universities, cultivating students cohesion is the most important, which needs everyone to work together to complete. Therefore, in the teaching stage, we need to encourage students to improve their team consciousness.

Using design thinking hands-on learning to improve artificial intelligence application creativity: A study of brainwaves

In an era of rapidly developing artificial intelligence (AI), nurturing AI proficiency and innovation is critical to enhance individual, corporate, and national competitiveness. This study explored the effects of hands-on learning of design thinking (HLDT) on the creative performance and brainwaves of participants involved in an AI task. The study included 67 public university students from two classes who were also pre-service teachers. The experimental group received HLDT, while the comparison group received multimedia lecture-based instruction about DT. We found that HLDT significantly positively affected the novelty, feasibility, and value of the products that were created by the students. The effect on novelty was most substantial. In addition, it significantly positively affected various stages of the creative process, including discovery, definition, ideation, implementation, and refining. The effect on the refining stage was the most pronounced. Finally, it promoted higher levels of meditation during the discovery stage, with individuals feeling more relaxed and exhibiting lower beta and gamma activity. It also encouraged higher levels of attention and meditation during the ideation stage, aiding divergent thinking. Based on these findings, we propose practical teaching recommendations for suitable contexts and key instructional content for HLDT. Additionally, we suggest areas for future research.

Individual Electoral Competitiveness: Undecided voters, complex choice environments and lower turnout

The number of citizens that are undecided in their vote choice has risen in Western democracies. Polling in Britain shows that a significant proportion of the population do not know who they will vote for. Against a backdrop of partisan dealignment and party system fragmentation, there are more parties on the ballot and more citizens ‘free to choose’. Partisanship continues to be important for voting and lacking an identity is a predictor of aggregate voter volatility. A growing literature conceptualises this availability of voters as individual-level electoral competitiveness, stating that undecided citizens are subject to high levels of competition for their vote. I use this framework and apply theory from the decisionmaking literature to offer why these conditions may depress turnout. I construct a measure of undecided voters who are ‘in competition’ and show that this accounts for 40% of the British Election Study Internet Panel respondents. I demonstrate that those who are in competition are less likely to vote. They are more often those without a partisan identity and those who pay less attention to politics, but being in competition is not related to constituency marginality. The results help explain a key determinant of abstention in British elections and suggest low levels of participation may be due to complex choice environments and citizen indecision. However, they provide a positive outlook for pluralistic democracy as voters do deliberate between the party perspectives on offer.

Spatial structure and individual competition characteristics of secondary Mongolian oak mature forests in the mountainous area of eastern Liaoning Province, China.

The community structure of natural mature forests is determined by long-term forest succession, characterized by rational structure, rich biodiversity, and high ecological function. Understanding the spatial structure and formation mechanisms of mature forests is a fundamental prerequisite for forest management. We analyzed four structure parameters, including diameter structure, angular scale, size ratio, and mixture degree, as well as the Hegyi competition index, of secondary Quercus mongolica (Mongolian oak) mature forests in the mountainous area of eastern Liaoning Province. The results showed that Q. mongolica predominated the tree layer. In the sapling layer, Q. mongolica, Tilia amurensis, and Acer pictum were the dominant species. In the seedling layer, Acer pseudosieboldianum, T. amurensis, and A. amurensis dominated, with very few Q. mongolica seedlings. The overall diameter distribution of the stand showed an inverse "J" shape, while the diameter distribution of Q. mongolica, the dominant tree species, followed a normal distribution. The horizontal spatial structure of the stand was generally randomly distributed, with an average angle scale of 0.505, size ratio of 0.219, and mixture degree of 0.670 for Q. mongolica. From the perspective of spatial structure binary distribution, Q. mongolica individuals which had a random distribution exhibited greater growth advantages and higher levels of mixing, in comparison to other distribution types. Randomly distributed dominant and subdominant individuals made up nearly half individuals in the stand, and showed a high degree of mixing with surrounding trees. The stand-level individual tree competition index decreased with increasing diameter classes. When the diameter at breast height exceeded 20 cm, the competition index tended to stabilize (ΔCI<2). The competitive radius of individual Q. mongolica trees was 8 m, with intraspecific competition as the main pressure. Other species experienced competition pressure primarily from interspecific sources. Our results suggested that competition played an important role in shaping the spatial structure of secondary Q. mongolica mature forests.

Future school well-being: a qualitative study on the imagined futures of Finnish youth

ABSTRACT Supporting the well-being of young people is one of a school’s key goals. We examined school well-being from the perspective of young people by asking them what kinds of images they had of school well-being in future schools. Using a qualitative research design to obtain an open and interpretive response, we analysed essays written by Finnish general upper secondary school students (n = 89). With an analysis that utilised Dator’s (2009. ‘Alternative futures at the Manoa School.’ Journal of Futures Studies 14 (2): 1–18) archetypes of future images, Allardt’s (1996. ‘Hyvinvointitutkimus ja elämänpolitiikka’ [Welfare research and life policy]. Janus 4 (3): 224–241) sociological model of well-being, and components of Konu and Rimpelä’s (2002. ‘Well-being in schools: a conceptual model).’ Health Promotion International 17 (1): 79–87. doi:10.1093/heapro/17.1.79) school well-being model, we present a versatile perspective on school well-being via four alternative future images. The students conveyed desirable and threatening factors at both societal and individual levels, revealing tensions in the young people’s views and experiences regarding their acceptance or their criticism of the current neoliberal educational policies, with their emphasis on individual responsibility, efficiency, and competition. This study contributes to the literature on young people’s school well-being by using a future-oriented approach that involved describing alternative futures. This enables us to explore our understanding of social change and to examine possibilities for future directions in schooling.

Cultural Clash: Investigating How Entrepreneural Characteristics and Culture Diffusion affect International Interns’ Competency

The world today is highly interconnected. To address the manpower shortage in Japan and the surplus in Indonesia 30 years ago, both countries developed an internship program, "Ginou Jisshu." During the internship, participants with Indonesian culture-based individual characteristics are exposed to Japanese work culture. This study aimed to investigate how interns' individual characteristics and their assimilation of Japanese work culture improve their competency and competitiveness, considering self-efficacy as a moderating factor. Using a quantitative research method, data from 400 internship alumni across 38 provinces in Indonesia were collected through Google Form questionnaires and analyzed using PLS-SEM. Out of 10 proposed hypotheses, all direct effect hypotheses were accepted, and 3 of the moderation hypotheses were accepted, while 2 were rejected. This study introduces a novel paradigm where any positive effect, regardless of statistical significance, is considered beneficial. It suggests that resolving issues, even minor ones, can amplify positive effects and mitigate negative effects. The findings reveal that individual characteristics and Japanese work culture positively affect competency and competitiveness, and competency further enhances competitiveness. Self-efficacy strengthens the impact of individual characteristics and Japanese work culture on competency, as well as the impact of Japanese work culture and competency on individual competitiveness. However, it weakens the effect of individual characteristics and competency on individual competitiveness.

Women’s Academic Career Trajectory to the Top: Strategies and Ways of Doing Gender

ABSTRACT In recent years, the political approach to gender balance in academia has shifted from “fixing the women” to “fixing the system”. Based on an action research (AR) project aimed at enabling more women to qualify for senior positions in the academic field and conducted at one of Norway’s largest university colleges, this study explores the expectations of the participants during the initial phase of the project regarding what measures and strategies the project should offer. Using method triangulation, I have garnered insights into the priorities of these women, the polarizations that arose, and the consequences of these polarizations—all regarding the differences between the participants in strategic preferences and ways of doing gender. More specifically, this research unpacks conflicting norms of these women concerning factors such as community, support and care versus self-protection, individual competition, and professional goal-orientedness. This study mainly draws on the discourse analysis resources and theoretical contributions of Judith Butler and Michel Foucault.

The Influence of Game-Related Statistics on the Final Results in FIBA Global and Continental Competitions

Sport, particularly in the realm of professional competition, is a domain of human endeavor that is increasingly dependent on the use of analytical statistical information. Consequently, mathematics and statistics are becoming increasingly crucial elements in sports. Although experts recognize the importance of analytics in women’s basketball, the literature addressing this subject remains limited. The objective of this study is to employ quantitative methodologies to discover prevailing patterns in global women’s basketball representation. The entities examined in this article were the games contested during the 2021 Olympic Games, the 2022 World Cup, and the 2023 continental championships. Two regression models were created for the research, using thirteen standard variables observed in the game. The evaluation of the regression model was conducted using the stepwise regression method, incorporating dimensionality reduction based on the outcomes of factor analysis. Among the 14 models that were observed, 13 of them exhibited strong and moderate linkages, while only 1 displayed weak connections and lacked statistical significance. The primary factors that account for the disparity between winning and losing teams in games are primarily associated with shooting accuracy toward the basket. When examining individual championships, the percentage surpassed 50% in all cases except for AfroBasket. However, when considering the overall results, the significance of shooting rose to 86%. The variable representing offensive rebound efficiency had a significant influence on the outcome, being present in all individual competitions, whereas defensive rebound efficiency was only considered in the overall results.

Is it necessary to increase the maize planting density in China?

Increasing the maize planting density is considered a potential approach for increasing the grain yield in China, but there is no consensus regarding its yield-increasing effect and the influence of specific factors. Thus, we established a database (2721 pairs of data from 187 publications) to quantify the effects of increasing the maize planting density on the phenotypic traits and yield, to determine an appropriate maize planting density for each planting area, and to quantify the effects of environmental factors and agricultural imputs on the outcomes of increasing the planting density. We found that increasing the planting density increased the individual competition among maize plants, with negative effects on their growth, but the grain yield increased by 11.18–13.43 % due to the increased population biomass. Using the database, we found large differences in the optimal density and peak grain yield among maize planting areas, and the factors that caused these differences were analyzed based on subgroup analysis. Field management practices significantly influenced the outcomes of increasing the planting density. In particular, higher agricultural inputs (irrigation amount, and nitrogen and phosphorus application rates) enhanced the positive effect of increasing plant density on the optimal plant density and peak grain yield. In addition, the effects of increasing the planting density were significantly influenced by environmental (climate and soil) factors. When the mean annual temperature was 7–14°C and the mean annual precipitation was 400–800 mm, the yield and maximum peak yield were highest in relatively fertile (high total nitrogen, available nitrogen, and soil organic matter contents) and neutral (pH 6–8) soils. Our results highlight the need to increase the current maize planting density and provide a scientific basis for determining reasonable planting densities for different maize growing areas in China.

Impact of Neoliberalism on Language Educational Policies

This article scrutinizes the pervasive influence of neoliberalism on education, language education policies, and language of instruction. Employing a content analysis design informed by established principles of qualitative research, the study explores the juncture of neoliberal ideologies with educational practices. Neoliberalism’s emphasis on deregulation, privatization, and market-driven approaches shapes educational systems globally, with reflective implications for language education. Scholars note the transformation of education into a commodity, driven by the prioritization of economic growth and individual competitiveness. Within this framework, English proficiency emerges as a key determinant of access to economic opportunities, leading to the proliferation of English language teaching institutions. Moreover, neoliberal policies influence language of instruction decisions, with governments adopting market-oriented strategies such as English medium instruction. The article underscores the need for critical examination of neoliberalism’s impact on education, highlighting the tensions between market-driven principles and educational equity. By elucidating the complexities of neoliberalism’s effects on language education, the study contributes to a nuanced understanding of contemporary educational practices and calls for the preservation of inclusive and accessible education for all.

Sources of the European Union's regulatory influence on digital platform firms: Lessons from three Google antitrust cases

AbstractVarious studies have highlighted the considerable regulatory influence of the European Union (EU) on digital platform (DP) firms. However, the role of stakeholders in individual competition cases remains underexplored. To fill this gap, this article draws on the conceptual framework of Market Power Europe and contends that the main sources of the European Commission's influence in this field are not only the EU's market size and regulatory capacity but also relevant market information provided by stakeholders such as consumer groups, business associations, and the target firm's competitors. Market information helps the Commission alleviate the problem of information asymmetry and effectively regulate complex and fast‐moving areas such as DP markets. A close analysis of three Google antitrust cases concluded between 2017 and 2019 provides initial empirical evidence supporting this conclusion. Overall, this study contributes to the literature on EU competition policy and greater understanding of the global political economy in relation to DP firms.

Isolating Others ——Origins, Mechanisms and Evolution

The behavior of isolating others is the alienation of life self-organization of exclusion mechanism. Isolation in modern society has evolved into a daily political game pattern, and isolation, more generally, is a hidden psychological activity. This deep field of social philosophy has yet to be revealed and reflected so far. At the core of isolation is personality denigration, thus indicating the deep origin of the core concept of contemporary social science, “social exclusion”. The group custom of isolating dissidents suppresses the personality and innovation of free individuals and leads to gangs and closed rigidity of the community. Reflecting on and revealing the anti-modernization nature associated with isolation, while simultaneously indicating the institutional and mechanistic construction of China's modernized harmonious society goal. The division of labor and market exchange in modern society contains ethical implications neglected by popular understandings that emphasize individual competition: the differences formed based on functional differentiation and individual liberation in modern society not only stimulate competition, but also create an inherent need for solidarity among individuals in terms of complementary dependence and mutual attraction. The contemporary society centered on information exchange promotes this direction to a universal dependence mechanism. The modern concept of free personality is not individualism but the internal mechanism of collective social cohesion and innovative life. Exclusive isolation and its closed community no longer have the basis of a modern system.

Opularization of Nordic Combined Through the Introduction of New Disciplines in the Program of Various Ranks Competitions.

Topicality. The presented research paper examines and analyzes the regulations for holding Nordic combined competitions at the Olympic and non-Olympic disciplines. The main changes and expansion of sports competition programs, which took place during the last decades and influenced its popularization, have been described. The purpose of the research. Analysis of the dynamics and reasons for the introduction of new disciplines into the program of competitions of various ranks at Nordic combined. Research methods. Analysis and generalization of scientific and methodological literature, theoretical analysis of regulatory documents and documentation of competitive sports activities (detailed analysis of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation`s bulletins) and review of research analytical sources and information from e-resources (search and analysis of historical data). The research results. Based on a detailed analysis of scientific and methodological sources and available Internet sources as well as the new competition rules, it was found that the basis of the Nordic combined competitions is the following disciplines: a) the individual Gundersen competitions (standard normal and large ski jumping hills; 10 km competition in cross-country skiing), the Men's team sprint competition (included into the program of the Winter Olympic Games only for men); b) the mass start (individual competitions), the Women`s individual Gundersen competitions, the Women`s team sprint. This allowed to systematize the peculiarities of competitive activity and highlight the main aspects in the above mentioned disciplines in accordance with the modern rules of the Nordic combined competitions. Findings. Among the reasons for radical changes and innovations into the Nordic combined was a long stagnation and reluctance to make unpopular decisions, which led to a decline, a decrease in popularity and the number of the competition participants. During the 100-year FIS history, the most changes occurred at the end of the 20th – beginning of the 21st century, in particular, the Gundersen method application, the introduction and search for new disciplines, etc.

The Development of Creative Potential as a Condition for the Formation of the Competitiveness of the Future Specialist

Relevance. New requirements for the training of students in higher educational institutions are that acquiring only specialized professional knowledge is no longer sufficient for a future competitive specialist. It is necessary to develop such individual abilities that significantly reveal his individuality and creative potential.Goal of the work. To determine pedagogical conditions that contribute to the development of the creative potential of future specialists as a factor in the formation of their competitiveness.Objectives of the research: Based on the analysis of psychological and pedagogical literature, to find out the essence and content of the basic concepts of the study “personal competitiveness,” creative potential”; to justify the pedagogical conditions for the development of the creative potential of future specialists in the sociocultural space of higher education.Methodology. During the scientific search, the following research methods were used: systemic, analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, generalization, comparison.Results. Based on the analysis of scientific sources, the concept of individual competitiveness is defined as a necessary set of professional and personal qualities that contribute to the possession of competitive advantages in current sociocultural conditions. The pedagogical conditions for the development of creative potential are determined as conditions for the formation of the competitiveness of a future specialist.Conclusions. Preparation for identifying and developing creative potential is possible provided that a creative learning environment is created that stimulates students' creative activity and students' motivation for creative activity.

Shaping individual competitiveness: The role of discipline, parental expectations, and participation in extracurricular activities

PurposeThis research seeks to extend previous research into student discipline and competitiveness, at the macro or national level, to the micro or individual level. The role of factors with the potential to impact individual competitiveness, namely the expectations of the mother and the father, the importance of school discipline played in primary and secondary schools, and past participation in sport and music were examined. Design/methodology/approachData from a sample of current university students and recent graduates representing Western (the United States) and Asian regions (South Korea and China) were analysed using multiple regressions to establish the explanatory power of independent variables in the competitiveness model, including testing for moderation effects of country of birth. ResultsThe study found that personal discipline is significantly associated with individual competitiveness. The importance placed on discipline in primary schools was found to predict individual competitiveness as were parents’ expectations, yet with nuances in terms of maternal and paternal expectations. Surprisingly, neither participation in music nor discipline at secondary school was found to significantly associate with individual competitiveness. At the same time, the study did find moderating effects of country of birth and the number of years students played sport in predicting competitiveness. Originality/valueGuided by the Ecological Systems Theory and the notion of the Pygmalion effect, we develop a framework of factors that shape an individual's competitiveness. The results make several theoretical contributions by establishing new drivers of individual competitiveness, and as such illuminating the importance of discipline during schooling and how parental expectations drive performance. Implications for employers, educational institutions, and parents are outlined and directions for further research are offered.