Intergroup Effects Research Articles

Reliability and validity of facial expression recognition in the screening of generalized anxiety disorder

IntroductionAnxiety disorder is one of the most prevalent mental disorders in China. However, there are obvious subjective factors in the current assessment of anxiety disorders, which may lead to certain diagnostic errors. The identification and diagnosis of anxiety disorders can be further improved if objective biological indicators are added in the assessment process. The current research validates facial expression recognition as a screening tool to assist in detecting generalized anxiety disorder. MethodsBased on the International Affective Picture System, we constructed an aided diagnostic experimental paradigm and recorded their facial expression. The split-half reliability was displayed by the Pearson correlation heatmap. The paradigm, GAD-7 and HAMA scales were administered to 60 generalized anxiety disorder patients and 60 matched healthy controls to evaluate the criterion-related validity. Additionally, we conducted a diagnostic study by using MINI as a gold standard and calculated ROC analysis to examine the screening performance of the facial expressions. ResultsThe heatmap showed very high correlations (r > 0.60, PS < 0.05) along the diagonal of the square heatmap (from the bottom left corner to the top right). The Pearson correlation coefficients between the GAD-7, HAMA and seven facial expressions ranged from −0.35(neutral, P < 0.01) to 0.34(angry, P < 0.01). The intergroup effects of neutral, anger and fear emotions were statistically significant (F = 18.893, P < 0.001; F = 20.535, P < 0.001; F = 9.091, P = 0.003). ROC analysis showed AUC for neutral, angry and scared facial expressions were 0.723, 0.792 and 0.727 respectively. ConclusionThis study constructed a tool for auxiliary screening of GAD patients and provided an objective automatic facial expression recognition method to assist psychological diagnosis.

Fraternizing with the enemy: Intragroup effects of extended contact

Extended contact (i.e., knowledge that an ingroup member has a close relationship with an outgroup member) often improves relations between groups. In the current research, we argue that such contact can also undermine relations within groups. Specifically, we propose a “fraternizing with the enemy” effect in which the fraternizer is viewed negatively by other ingroup members. In five preregistered experiments ( N = 2,035), we tested this effect in the context of political conflict using both real-world (Study 1) and fictitious (Studies 2–5) ingroup and outgroup members. Our results indicated that the fraternizer (vs. nonfraternizer) was viewed as less ideologically aligned with the ingroup, which in turn led to perceptions of this person as ambiguous and disloyal to the ingroup, and thereby elicited negative attitudes toward the fraternizer. We also found that, besides producing these negative effects, fraternizing with the enemy also produced the positive intergroup effects typically elicited by extended contact. We discuss the potential implications of our results for the effectiveness of extended contact in bridging political divides.

TRUST AND SATISFACTION WITH HELP RECEIVED FROM SIGNIFICANT LOVED ONES

Background. Numerous studies have noted the role of trust in building a variety of relationships. In our study, we focused on studying the connection between trust (personalized and generalized) and a person’s perception of the help provided to him in difficult life situations from their loved ones. Research methods. Method of “Critical life situations” by I.V. Kuznetsova, A.L. Sventsitsky; Method of “Trust” L.G. Pochebut, M.I. Kiloshenko, A.L. Sventsitsky, T.V. Kazantseva; Method of “Psychological Well-Being Scale” by K. Rieff, adapted by T.D. Shevelenkova; socio-demographic questionnaire. Processing of the obtained data was carried out in IBM SPSS Statistics Subscription. The following methods of mathematical statistics were used in the study: analysis of primary statistics, Student's t test, multiple analysis of variance (Scheffé test and intergroup effects), correlation and regression analyses. Results. Our study confirms the important positive relationship between trust (both personal and generalized) and the level of satisfaction with assistance. The most requested help (regardless of gender) is the need for moral support. The most significant person is mostly either the mother or the father. An overabundance of help is often associated with the excessive involvement of loved ones in solving situations of interpersonal interactions and providing help without a request. Men with a high level of psychological well-being admit that more often. Conclusion. This study also touched upon such issues as the roles and functions of modern friends, partners (spouses/wives/fiancés and grooms) in the life of a modern young man, in which he can only receive basic help from relying on himself or his parents. This issue will be further discussed in the future.

The effect of hip abductor strengthening exercises on lower limb strength asymmetry and balance in women with multiple sclerosis: A randomized controlled clinical trial

IntroductionPatients with multiple sclerosis tend to use and move their body segments in an unbalanced way, which causes asymmetry of muscle strength, especially in the lower limbs. Among these muscles, the hip abductor muscles play a more important role in stabilizing the pelvis and maintaining balance. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of hip abductors exercises on lower limb strength asymmetry and balance in people with multiple sclerosis. Materials & methodsIn this clinical trial with a pre-test-post-test design, 40 women with multiple sclerosis were purposefully selected and randomly divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group performed hip abductor muscle strengthening exercises for 8 weeks and each session lasted 30 min. The control group did not receive any intervention and continued their daily activities. The strength of knee flexors and extensors, plantar-flexors and ankle dorsi-flexors was measured using a dynamometer. Static and dynamic balance was also evaluated using the stork test and timed get up and go test, respectively. ANCOVA test was used at a significance level of 0.05 to investigate the intergroup effects. ResultsThe results showed a significant decrease in the strength asymmetry of the knee extensor (P = 0.001) and knee flexor (P = 0.001) muscles in the experimental group. However, no significant difference was observed in the asymmetry of the strength of the ankle dorsi-flexor (P = 0.160) and plantar-flexor muscles (P = 0.698). The results also showed a significant improvement in static (P = 0.001) and dynamic balance (P = 0.001) in the experimental group. Discussions & conclusionsStrengthening the hip abductors improves the symmetry of the strength of the knee extensor and flexor muscles. It also improves the balance of people with multiple sclerosis.

Is corporate social responsibility more valuable in disrupted industries?

PurposeThe business world today is witnessing ever-growing disruption. This study highlights corporate social responsibility (CSR) as an effective strategy for firms in disrupted industries to consider in order to differentiate themselves and to increase their chance of survival facing disruption.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, the authors test the hypotheses using a multilevel modeling (MLM) design to capture the group and intergroup effects at the industry level and at the firm level. The empirical analysis is based on a panel sample of 1,193 firms over the 10-year period from 2010 to 2019.FindingsThe empirical analysis indicates that CSR has a positive impact on corporate financial stability and the effect is especially significant for firms in disrupted industries. Further investigation suggests that this positive effect largely runs through traits of the social pillar, such as human rights, employee relations, customer protection, product responsibility and community impact. The results are robust after controlling for other firm-specific characteristics and after addressing endogeneity concerns.Originality/valueThis study examines whether, and through which channel, CSR helps enhance corporate financial stability and mitigate bankruptcy risk in disrupted industries. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first attempt to explore the use of CSR as an effective strategic response to disruption. Further analysis indicates that the social capital built through CSR plays an important role in helping enhance corporate financial stability.

Проблематика присутствия в одной дорожно-транспортной среде различных групп участников движения

&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;The article presents an overview of foreign studies of the road transport environment from the point of view of relations between different groups of its participants: drivers, cyclists, motorcyclists, users of electric scooters. It is shown how these relations are related to ideas about inequality in road traffic, marginality or even illegitimacy of some participants, with the problem of alienation and the emergence of intergroup effects (group favoritism, etc.). The consequence of ideas about groups as &amp;ldquo;road minorities&amp;rdquo; can lead to such percepts as &amp;ldquo;blindness of inattention&amp;rdquo;, affecting safety in this environment, and increased aggression towards &amp;ldquo;others&amp;rdquo;. A number of studies also help to understand the difference in attitudes towards familiar and new road users. Road sharing causes stress not only for those who are classified as vulnerable road traffic rules, but also for motorists. The tolerance of road users towards each other can be increased through the experience of using different vehicles. Such experiences develop reflexivity and, in general, should contribute to improving the safety of movement of different groups in mixed flow conditions.&lt;/p&gt;

The Effect of 8 Weeks of Strength Training on the Ground Reaction Force in Single-leg Landing in Semi-professional Male Basketball Players

Background and Aims Single-leg landing is a difficult task for the lower limbs. This movement is very common in basketball and is one of the main causes of lower limb injuries, especially anterior cruciate ligament injuries. Single-leg landing causes a ground reaction force and torque to the lower limb. By increasing the internal torque and controlling the reaction force at the level of its application, the muscular strength of the lower limb can control the ground reaction force of the surface applied to the limb. This study aims to investigate the effects of 8 weeks of strength training on the ground reaction force in single-leg landing Methods In this study, 20 semi-professional male basketball players were divided into two equal groups of test and control. The samples of both control and test groups were asked to perform three single-leg landings from a 40-cm platform on the force plate. Then, the test group underwent 8 weeks of lower limb strength training, and after the end of the training, the members of the test and control groups were asked to repeat the landing movement. An average of three movements per person was considered. For data analysis, the paired t test was used for intra-group comparison, and the 1-way ANCOVA method was used to compare inter-group effects. Statistical analysis of the study was performed using SPSS software version 20, at a significance level of 0.05 for all tests. Results The results showed that the training program had no significant effects on the ground reaction force in the X direction in both internal and external directions, as well as, in the Y direction in the anterior and posterior directions, both within the group and between the groups. But, the training program had a significant and incremental effect on both within the group (P=0.005) and between the groups (P=0.002) in the Z direction. Conclusion The strength training program lacks enough effect to reduce ground reaction force applied to semi-professional basketball players during a single-leg landing movement.

SUBJECTIVE EVALUATION OF SATISFACTION BY COMMUNICATION

Background. Communication is an essential element of human existence. At the same time, communication can be a goal or a means. The question of satisfaction with communication is often associated with the effectiveness of activities, the achievement of the “necessary” result or satisfaction with life in general. However, the process of communication itself, subjective satisfaction with this process, the quantity of communication and its quality - much less often fall into the focus of scientific attention.&#x0D; The aim of the study was to examine the subjective perception of the available and desired amount of communication of respondents engaged in different professional spheres.&#x0D; Research Methods. In this research respondents were offered a questionnaire to assess various characteristics of communication, such as the amount of communication in general, the distribution of communication by areas (with family, friends, colleagues and clients), the purpose of communication (information exchange, self-expression, experience of emotions, entertainment). This questionnaire is filled out twice - the description of the existing and ideal situation. For our study it is the difference between the actual and the desired that is of interest. As it is this variable, in our opinion, is an indicator of satisfaction with communication. The data were processed using IBM SPSS Statistics Subscription. The following methods of mathematical statistics were used in the study: comparative analysis, Pearson Chi-square, Student’s t-test, multiple analysis of variance (Scheffe test and intergroup effects criterion).&#x0D; Results of the study. As a result of the study, three groups of respondents were identified: those who lack communication, those who overcommunicate, and those who are satisfied with communication. The distribution of the groups showed that there was no relationship between subjective satisfaction with communication and gender, as well as the sphere of activity (“man-human”, “man-technique”), i.e. regardless of the type of activity there were respondents both satisfied with their communication, and experiencing its deficit or overabundance. Communication fatigue is caused by an overabundance of communication with colleagues and clients with a lack of communication in the family. Lack of communication is associated with a lack of opportunity for informal communication in a professional environment and substitution of superficial, shallow communication in a close, family circle.&#x0D; Area of application of the results. The results can be used to work on improving the psychological well-being of the person, through adjusting the quality and quantity of communication in different spheres. The results may be of interest for psychologists, psychotherapists and coaches.

The curse of experiencing and committing violence as a criminal recidivism predictor: A comparison between female forensic psychiatric patients with severe mental disorders and substance use disorder.

Violence occurs frequently in the life of forensic psychiatric patients, both as active aggression and in the form of victimization. Undoubtedly, these incidents shape personality, behavior, and affect the ability to interact adequately socially. Thus, such experiences may influence criminal recidivism and serve as forensic psychiatric/psychological predictors upon hospital discharge. Hence, this study aimed at characterizing two distinct female forensic psychiatric patient populations (nonsubstance use mental disorders [n=110] versus substance use disorder [n=415]) regarding their active and passive violent experiences as well as contextualizing these with their individual crime recidivism rates. The analysis followed a record-based, retrospective approach. While both groups experienced aggression throughout childhood and youth equally often, substance use disorder patients were significantly more often exposed to violence during adulthood. On the other hand, severely mentally ill patients tended to react more often with violence during their hospital confinement. However, regarding their violent recidivism rate, no intergroup effects were observed. Finally, within the addicted group, a violent index crime as well as physical aggression during hospital confinement increased the odds for violent reoffending by approximately 2.4-fold (95% confidence interval 1.3-4.5) and 2.5-fold (95% confidence interval 1.1-5.9), respectively. In summary, these findings underline the importance of active aggression rather than victimization as an influencing factor on resocialization especially in a substance use disorder patient population.

Resting-state functional MRI in multicenter studies on multiple sclerosis: a report on raw data quality and functional connectivity features from the Italian Neuroimaging Network Initiative

The Italian Neuroimaging Network Initiative (INNI) is an expanding repository of brain MRI data from multiple sclerosis (MS) patients recruited at four Italian MRI research sites. We describe the raw data quality of resting-state functional MRI (RS-fMRI) time-series in INNI and the inter-site variability in functional connectivity (FC) features after unified automated data preprocessing. MRI datasets from 489 MS patients and 246 healthy control (HC) subjects were retrieved from the INNI database. Raw data quality metrics included temporal signal-to-noise ratio (tSNR), spatial smoothness (FWHM), framewise displacement (FD), and differential variation in signals (DVARS). Automated preprocessing integrated white-matter lesion segmentation (SAMSEG) into a standard fMRI pipeline (fMRIPrep). FC features were calculated on pre-processed data and harmonized between sites (Combat) prior to assessing general MS-related alterations. Across centers (both groups), median tSNR and FWHM ranged from 47 to 84 and from 2.0 to 2.5, and median FD and DVARS ranged from 0.08 to 0.24 and from 1.06 to 1.22. After preprocessing, only global FC-related features were significantly correlated with FD or DVARS. Across large-scale networks, age/sex/FD-adjusted and harmonized FC features exhibited both inter-site and site-specific inter-group effects. Significant general reductions were obtained for somatomotor and limbic networks in MS patients (vs. HC). The implemented procedures provide technical information on raw data quality and outcome of fully automated preprocessing that might serve as reference in future RS-fMRI studies within INNI. The unified pipeline introduced little bias across sites and appears suitable for multisite FC analyses on harmonized network estimates.

One Hidden Semantic Model Based on Intergroup Effects for E-Commerce.

E-commerce systems often collect data that clearly express user preferences without considering the remaining negative cases, which gives rise to the hidden semantic problem. In this paper, we improve the original hidden semantic model and propose an intergroup effect model that incorporates users' historical browsing behavior, user type, and browsing content; by adopting the weighting and add weighting factors, we can predict users' preferences for different products more accurately and match the candidate products with users' current behaviors, so as to give more reasonable and effective product recommendation results; by adding the group effect model of user group and product group, we can achieve more accurate prediction of user preferences and make the recommendation more reasonable and effective. The research shows that the hidden semantic method based on intergroup effects information is better than other basic methods at a certain identified evaluation stage. In practice, users' purchasing preferences change with time, and using a hidden semantic method based on intergroup effects recommendation can effectively improve the recommendation quality of e-commerce recommendation systems.

Effect of flurbiprofen axetil combined with "Cocktail" therapy on opioid dosage in patients after total knee arthroplasty.

Objectives:To investigate the effect of flurbiprofen axetil combined with “cocktail” therapy on opioid dosage in patients after total knee arthroplasty (TKA).Methods:The clinical data of 200 patients who underwent TKA in Baoding No.1 Central Hospital hospital from March 2019 to March 2021 were collected for retrospective analysis. All 200 patients were divided into two groups according to their intraoperative anesthesia methods: the control group (100 cases) and the experimental group (100 cases). Patients in the control group were treated with “cocktail” therapy intraoperatively, while those in the experimental group were treated with flurbiprofen axetil combined with “cocktail” therapy intraoperatively. The hip pain scores in resting state and motion state were compared between the two groups at different postoperative time points, and postoperative pain relief, adverse reactions, and patient satisfaction with analgesia were statistically analyzed to evaluate the postoperative quality of life of the patients.Results:A statistically significant difference was observed in the intergroup and temporal effects of pain scores in resting state and motion state between the two groups (p<0.05). By comparison at each time point, the pain scores in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group at the time point T1-T6 in resting and motion states, with a statistically significant difference (p<0.05). The frequency and dosage of remedial medication per capita in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group, with a statistical significance (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in the scores of life quality items between the two groups preoperatively (p>0.05), while the scores of each item in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group postoperatively (p<0.05). The satisfaction degree of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group, showing a statistically significant difference (p<0.05).Conclusions:Flurbiprofen axetil combined with “cocktail” therapy is a safe treatment regimen that can improve the quality of life and safety of patients. With such a regimen, postoperative pain of patients undergoing TKA can be effectively relieved, and the use of opioids can be reduced.

Vulnerability to COVID-19, prejudice, and support for economic restrictions towards countries with high level of contamination

Recent research has extensively investigated how the current COVID-19 pandemic can affect intergroup relations. Much less is known about the impact of COVID-19 on economic and trade decisions. Could the intergroup effects of this pandemic shape support for international economic policies? The aim of this study was to examine the support for restrictive economic policies towards countries with very high levels of COVID-19 contamination (China and Italy) during the first lockdown period (March - April 2020). The survey was conducted in Romania (N = 669) and included measures of COVID-19 vulnerability, prejudice, and support for economic restrictive policy (e.g., to reduce international trade; to set higher taxes). Results showed that higher support for restrictive policies toward China was associated with greater perceived vulnerability to COVID-19 and this link was partially mediated by prejudice toward China. In contrast, support for economic restrictive policies toward Italy was greater when perceived vulnerability to COVID-19 was high, but this relationship between variables was not explained by negative attitudes towards Italy. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.

Integrating the bright and dark sides of leadership: An investigation of the intragroup and intergroup effects of leader group prototypicality

Drawing on social identity theory, we present an integrative framework that simultaneously examines the beneficial intragroup effects and detrimental intergroup effects of leader group prototypicality. We use multiphase, multisource, multilevel data to show that leader group prototypicality strengthens group members’ group identification, which, in turn, drives group members to achieve better group performance and to show less engagement in intergroup citizenship behavior. Moreover, relative leader power influences the strength of the relationship between leader group prototypicality and its positive and negative outcomes. Implications for the leadership literature and management practices are discussed.

Dietary guidelines training may improve health promotion practice: Results of a controlled trial in Brazil.

The double burden of malnutrition points to an urgent need to develop strategies to promote healthy diets. Health professionals are key elements for health promotion and must be prepared to deal with these issues in health services. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of an educational intervention based on Brazilian Dietary Guidelines in the practice of multidisciplinary teams working in primary health care. A controlled trial comprising pre- and post-tests was conducted with four multidisciplinary healthcare teams. The intervention group received 16 hours of training on the Brazilian Dietary Guidelines. The professionals' practices were evaluated by direct observation, before and after the intervention, for two months at each timepoint. Data on dietary counselling were collected using a previously validated scale. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used for intragroup comparison at T0 versus T1, and the intergroup effects of the intervention were estimated by generalized linear regression analysis with a 95% confidence interval. The regression with the interaction term between the intervention group and time showed a positive effect of the educational intervention on professionals' practices in the intervention group in the crude and adjusted models (coefficient = 1.36 and p = 0.020). Brazilian Dietary Guidelines application significantly increased in non-nutritionist professionals' practices (p = 0.007) and in activities not related to nutrition (p = 0.028) in the intervention group over time (T1-T0). No significant differences were found in the control group. The intervention proved to be effective in promoting changes in health professionals' practices, demonstrating the strength of the strategy for dissemination of nutrition guidelines in primary health care.

The Effect of Quranic Extracurricular Activities on the Academic Self-efficacy of Female High School Students in Khoy

Background : Quranic extracurricular activities, with the optimal use of the abilities of intelligence, contemplation, and concentration in the verses of the Qur'an, play an important role in all aspects of human life. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Qur'anic extracurricular activities on the academic self-efficacy of female high school students in Khoy city. Methods : This research was applied in terms of purpose and method, and was conducted cross-sectionally in 2018 in Khoy high schools. The statistical population of this study was all-female high school students in Khoy, of which 60 were selected as clusters and were divided into two groups of 30 available. Data were collected through an eight-item self-efficacy study questionnaire Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). Results : The distribution of the high percentage of students' academic self-efficacy by group shows that the Qur'anic extracurricular activities of 23.8% have a greater impact on the academic self-efficacy of female students. The study of intergroup effects also showed that the group factor had a significant effect on academic self-efficacy η 2 p =0.019, Pvalue=0.03, F (1,58) =4.820. Therefore, it can be said that group Qur'anic extracurricular activities have had a great impact on academic self-efficacy in female high school students in Khoy. Conclusions : Differences in the mean and standard deviation in students with Qur'anic extracurricular activities (Mean= 47.03, SD= 4.64) and students without Qur'anic extracurricular activities (Mean= 44.20, SD=5.32) with a value of (t= 2.196) and a degree of freedom (df= 58) at a significant level of 0.03 is significant. The use of Quranic activities to increase academic self-efficacy to make positive changes in students' attitudes promotes the level of culture and improves their performance. Therefore, trying to identify the necessary Qur'anic strategies to improve students' academic self-efficacy has an effective role in their educational, professional, and family future. Keywords : Quranic extracurricular activities, Academic self-efficacy, Students.

Minimal but not meaningless: Seemingly arbitrary category labels can imply more than group membership.

Minimal group paradigms tend to involve contrived group distinctions, such as dot estimation tendencies and aesthetic preferences. Researchers assume that these novel category distinctions lack informational value. Our research tests this notion. Specifically, we used the classic overestimator versus underestimator and Klee versus Kandinsky minimal group paradigms to assess how category labels influence minimal group responses. In Study 1, we show that participants represented ingroup faces more favorably than outgroup faces, but also represented overestimator and underestimator category labels differently. In fact, the category label effect was larger than the intergroup effect, even though participants were told that estimation tendencies were unrelated to other cognitive tendencies or personality traits. In Study 2, we demonstrate that Klee and Kandinsky were also represented differently, but in this case, the intergroup effect was stronger than the category label effect. In Studies 3 and 4, we examined effects of category labels on how participants allocate resources to, evaluate, and ascribe traits to ingroup and outgroup members. We found both category label and intergroup effects when participants were assigned to overestimator and underestimator groups. However, we found only the intergroup effect when participants were assigned to Klee and Kandinsky groups. Together, this work advances but does not upend understanding of minimal group effects. We robustly replicate minimal intergroup bias in mental representations of faces, evaluations, trait inferences, and resource allocations. At the same time, we show that seemingly arbitrary category labels can imply characteristics about groups that may influence responses in intergroup contexts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Do you get us? A multi-experiment, meta-analytic test of the effect of felt understanding in intergroup relations

Felt understanding is a key determinant of positive inter-personal relations, but its role and potential benefits in intergroup relations have been neglected. In the first multi-study, pre-registered test of its intergroup effects, we manipulated intergroup felt understanding (understood vs. misunderstood by an outgroup) in six studies (N = 1195) and meta-analyzed its effects. The results in most intergroup contexts supported the prediction that feeling understood (vs. misunderstood) would lead to more positive intergroup orientations (r = 0.25) and action intentions (r = 0.12). These effects were distinct from the effects of feeling liked by an outgroup, which was also manipulated in each study. An important caveat was that the felt understanding manipulation's effect reversed when the outgroup was stereotypically low in competence, but high in warmth (older adults). Overall, the findings indicate the value of incorporating felt understanding into models of intergroup relations and how those relations can be improved.

Concurrent training after photobiomodulation in patients with knee osteoarthritis

Concurrent training after photobiomodulation in patients with knee osteoarthritis

A factor analysis of residents’ performance in municipal solid waste source-separated collection: A case study of pilot cities in China

ABSTRACT To explore the potential effectiveness of a localized waste recycling system in Chinese cities, several rounds of a municipal solid waste source-separated collection (MSWSC) program were implemented throughout China from 2000 to 2017. In our study, to evaluate the achievements of the MSWSC program, a structured questionnaire survey and face-to-face interviews were conducted in eight representative cities from the MSWSC pilot cities. Influencing factors were examined via a Hierarchical Linear Model (HLM) on both the individual level and the city level. The differences in MSWSC performance among the eight research cities were investigated through a comparative analysis. The results suggested that gender, age, knowledge of MSWSC, satisfaction with sanitation and satisfaction with publicity had significant impacts on MSWSC, and we further found that the city-level factors influenced the relationship between MSWSC performance and the individual-level variables. Differences among the eight research sites indicated that Nanjing and Hangzhou exhibited relatively high achievements in the implementation of MSWSC program, while Yichun and Guiyang showed poor performance. The experiences of these advanced pilot cities suggest that specific containers for designated waste types, widespread public education, and sufficient MSWSC incentives must be provided and publicized to promote municipal solid waste recycling behaviors. Given the unique status of municipal solid waste management in China and its regional heterogeneity, the MSWSC system should be further discussed with regard to local conditions in a wider range of city settings. Implications: This study attempts to discuss the factors affecting performance on municipal solid waste source-separated collection (MSWSC) by considering the nested data of two levels of individual and city from a structured questionnaire survey. Therefore, a Hierarchical Linear Model is established which can analyze the intra-group and inter-group effects of two-level variables. The proposed method can be expanded to other cities to determine the main factors affecting MSWSC or to evaluate the residents’ performance on MSWSC.