Main Methodological Problems Research Articles

ESG-Ratings: Nonparametric Methods of Construction

Many of the largest Russian companies are evaluated by international financial institutions or rating agencies in terms of their influence on ESG factors that take into account environmental issues, interaction with society and corporate governance. Such ratings can have various names, most often referred to as ESG ratings. The inherent subjectivity of the assessments, along with the lack of generally recognized standards and transparency of the methodology, cause concern both from the assessed companies and from investors and regulators. ESG ratings of Russian rating agencies are at an early stage of their development, which is reflected in a small number of evaluated companies. The purpose of the study is to study the main methodological problems in the compilation of ESG ratings identified by the academic and business community with a focus on studying the issue of choosing weights when constructing a summary indicator. The information base of the study is the data published by the rating agency RAEX, which is positioned as the largest agency in the field of non-credit ratings. A comparative analysis of the rating agency’s weight selection methods with nonparametric methods, such as methods of shell analysis, determination of preferences based on similarity with the ideal solution and calculation of the geometric mean is carried out. Based on the results of the study of the initial data of the rating agency, it can be concluded that most companies have low ratings for the environmental component and high ratings for the corporate governance component, while none of the companies has a benchmark rating. The main methodological problem in the selection of weights is the subjective nature of the weights used by the rating agency. Correlation analysis of the studied non-parametric methods showed a high correlation with each other and with the initial ratings of the rating agency, however, at the level of some individual companies, the ratings may differ depending on the chosen method.

Methodological Problems and Strategic Goals of the Work on Creation of the Theory and Technology of New Generation Intelligent Computer Systems

The main methodological problems and strategic goals of work on creating the theory and technology of intelligent computer systems of a new generation are considered. The problems of the current state of work in the field of artificial intelligence and their causes are studied, and the need for a transition to a new generation of intelligent computer systems is substantiated. The basic principles underlying such systems, as well as the corresponding complex technology, are presented. The transition from local automation when solving particular problems to complex automation of various areas of human activity is justified. The concept of an ecosystem of interoperable intelligent computer systems is proposed, which is the basis for complex automation. The architecture of the ecosystem, the directions of its evolution, and the classes of systems included in the ecosystem are considered.

МЕТОДОЛОГІЧНІ АСПЕКТИ ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯ МЕТАКОГНІТИВНОГО КОНТРОЛЮ СТУДЕНТІВ НАЦІОНАЛЬНОЇ БЕЗПЕКИ В КОНТЕКСТІ САМОРЕГУЛЬОВАНОГО НАВЧАННЯ

This article presents an analysis of the main theoretical and methodological foundations for researching metacognitive control among students specializing in National Security within the context of self-regulated learning. It highlights the growing interest in psychological science regarding the problem of self-regulated learning effectiveness and the researchers' desire to develop functioning tools for assessing learning strategies. Based on classical postulates about methodology as a system of principles and methods for organizing and constructing theoretical and practical activities, the article analyzes theoretical models, characteristics, and components of self-regulated learning and the place of metacognitive control within this system. It considers Pintrich's theoretical model of self-regulated learning, which studies self-regulation of learning, particularly metacognitive control, across four spheres: cognitive, motivational-emotional, behavioral, and contextual. The latter distinguishes this model from others, as it includes the contextual area as a subject of self-regulation. Special attention is given to analyzing key elements of metacognitive control – learning strategies that can significantly enhance the chances of successful and effective learning. It is found that learning strategies relate to the effective selection and organization of information, efficient repetition of material with subsequent assimilation, establishing connections between new information and information already stored in memory, understanding, monitoring, and continuously enhancing the meaningfulness of the material. It is noted that an important aspect of the interconnection between learning strategies and metacognitive abilities is the effective management of resources, not necessarily related to cognitive activity – time management, managing the learning environment, group learning, and seeking feedback. The third level of methodology discusses a set of specific techniques and technical research approaches for investigating metacognitive control in students of higher education institutions specializing in “National Security”: LASSI, Weinstein, Schulte, Palmer, 1987. The conclusion is drawn that self-regulated learning (and thus, the ability to apply metacognitive control) characterizes students as actively engaged in the learning process: they maintain their motivation, are aware of their thinking processes, and know how to use a wide range of strategies to achieve desired academic outcomes. The article identifies the main methodological problems associated with the empirical study of the effectiveness of self-regulated learning: using different tools to study cognitive, metacognitive, and motivational aspects of self-regulated learning, which separately does not consider its regulatory nature; the need to increase students' awareness of the characteristics of self-regulated learning and the use of learning strategies for accurate self-reports and self-assessment of these processes; since SRL is a specific, not a general process, differences in research results can be observed depending on the context or situation.

НАПРАВЛЕНИЯ СОВЕРШЕНСТВОВАНИЯ ИННОВАЦИОННОГО РАЗВИТИЯ ОТЕЧЕСТВЕННОЙ ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКОЙ СИСТЕМЫ

The purpose of the article is to systematize the problems and develop recommendations for improving the innovative development of the economic system of the Russian Federation. The main objectives of the article are: clarification of the content of the concept of “innovative development of the economic system”; systematization of the problems of innovative development of the economic system of the Russian Federation; formation of recommendations for improving the innovative development of the economic system of the Russian Federation. Methodology. The methodological basis of the article is the dialectical method of studying trends and problems of innovative development and a systematic approach. In the process of writing the article, such research methods as analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, analysis of normative legal acts and statistical information were used, correlation and regression. Results. We have systematized the main institutional, organizational, financial, analytical and methodological problems of ensuring the effectiveness of innovative development of the modern economy of the Russian Federation. Based on the functional analysis, insufficient efficiency of investments in innovations in the economy of the Russian Federation 2012-2023 was revealed. Recommendations have been developed on the formation of a comprehensive federal program to enhance the innovative development of the Russian Federation (for example, for the period up to 2030), which would include measures to tax incentives for innovatively active companies, administrative impact in terms of enhancing the involvement of domestic banks and insurance organizations in innovative processes, measures to intensify the processes of formation, development and improvement of national, regional and local innovative industrial and other industry clusters, to develop mutually beneficial international transfer of advanced technologies with friendly countries.

«СУБ’ЄКТИВНЕ» ТА «ОБ’ЄКТИВНЕ» ЯК МЕТОДОЛОГІЧНА ПРОБЛЕМА

Today, many concepts from the dictionaries of academic psychology have entered the language of everyday communication. Perhaps the most common are the concepts of «subjective» and «objective». In many textbooks of psychology, «objective» is understood as something that belongs to the object itself, something that does not depend on the subject. The objective is opposed to the subjective-personal. Experimental research in the field of quantum physics questioned the division of the world into an impartial «objective reality» and its «subjective» (not impartial, biased) reflection, which provoked a crisis in this field of knowledge and the methodology of science as a whole. The main methodological problems of psychology are the question of the place of the mental in nature; on the relationship of mental and material phenomena, on the possibilities of human cognition - questions that also arose in the depths of quantum physics and were predetermined by the internal logic of their development. An excursion into quantum physics was necessary, firstly, for a deep understanding that reality is given to us in our sensations, perceptions, ideas and mental constructs (this was evidenced by the so-called «double slit experiment» and its interpretations) and we cannot say anything about reality as it is «in itself»; secondly, the realization that the foundations on which our knowledge is built differ from those in quantum physics. Currently, there is a dichotomy between material (physical) and conceptual reality. Thus, the principle of locality, which professes ordinary consciousness and according to which specific objects occupy a specific place in time and space, contradicts the principle of non-locality, according to which isolated systems do not exist at all and every particle of the universe is in «instantaneous» communication with all other particles. The world is created from the same quantum substance and it is impossible to say that one is the cause of the other. (This statement implies, in particular, a rethinking of the «principle of determinism» which requires the establishment of unambiguous causal relationships). The reality in which we live is not quantum, our language and stereotypes of thinking do not correspond to the nature of the phenomena described by quantum physics. It is about the deep properties of matter. Personally, I got the impression that the deeper you plunge into the world of atomic and subatomic, the more the outlines of the specific, material world familiar to us become blurred and the thinner the line between the physical and conceptual world, between the material and the spiritual becomes. The purpose of this article is to define the concepts of "objective" and "subjective" based on the analysis of achievements in quantum physics in the context of psychology.

FORMS OF GOVERNMENT AND ETHNIC CONFLICTS: THE PROBLEM OF INTERCONNECTION AND ITS SOLUTION IN POLITICAL SCIENCE

Prevention and ethnic conflicts resolution is an urgent task both at the level of theory and political practice. To solve it, institutional measures are used, including the design of a form of government. The purpose of the article is to determine the state of study of the problem of the relationship between forms of government and ethnic conflicts, mainly in contemporary foreign political science. The author proceeds from the idea that the form of government as an institutional structure affects the emergence, flow, and termination of ethnic conflicts, but at the same time it should be considered as one of the variables along with the electoral system and form of government. The article notes the contradictory nature of the theoretical positions of supporters of different approaches - consociationalism centripetalism and power-dividing approach. The most common point of view that a parliamentary system is more suitable for a multi-ethnic society is criticized. The author emphasizes the importance of conscious design of forms of government, aimed at abandoning the "pure" presidential and parliamentary systems and the creation of atypical institutions, which are given some attention in the article. Empirical studies using statistical methods have been carried out in recent years to identify the relationship between forms of government and ethnic conflicts. The author evaluates them and introduces the reader to the results of his own research using correlation and regression analysis. He concludes that the hypothesis about the influence of the form of government on ethnic conflicts requires further empirical testing on a large array of cases over a long period of time. At the end of the article, an analysis is given of the main methodological problems that researchers face when conducting a comparative study of ethnic conflicts and their relationship with political institutions. The author concludes that the problem of the relationship between forms of government and ethnic conflicts has not yet been resolved in political science.

Critical analysis and assessment of prospects of development of a tax for digital services

Objective: to critically analyze the international experience and proposals of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on the international unification of the digital tax and assess the prospects for the development of this sector of the economy, identify bottlenecks and prospects for the introduction of a similar tax in the Russian Federation.Methods: a dialectical approach to the cognition of economic regularities, which allows analyzing their development and functioning in the context of a set of objective factors, which determined the choice of the following research methods: formal-logical, economic analysis of the main trends in the construction and development of digital taxation, internal and external tax control.Results: the article discusses the current problems, foreign experience and prospects for the transition of states to the introduction of a new indirect tax – a tax on digital services. Forecasts of growth of tax revenues from digital business have been confirmed. The authors identify two trends in the international practice of digital tax development. The main methodological problems of the new tax are outlined, including the preservation of the neutrality principle, the single tax burden, the identification of the users’ location, the determination of income sources. The risks of a significant increase in the tax burden for companies and users, complication of transaction reporting systems, etc. are identified. The allocation of a tax on digital services in the Russian Federation as an independent tax is justified. The positive effect for the state and the Russian market of digital services is indicated.Scientific novelty: the paper summarizes the foreign experience of electronic economy taxation, for the first time justifies the need to adapt the national version of the digital tax, taking into account the peculiarity of the modern political and economic situation; despite the Russian support of the OECD directive, the conclusion is made about the need to segment support for the web economy with an alternative in the form of penalties for abuse in this sphere. This approach can be used as a potential opportunity to protect the national digital services market from international competition and pressure.Practical significance: the main provisions and conclusions of the article can be used in scientific, pedagogical and law enforcement activities when considering issues related to the management of the digital economy, ensuring fairness and neutrality of taxation.

Нейрофизиология и мораль: проблема междис­циплинарного исследования

The aim of the paper is to reveal the main methodological problems of neuroethics in the course of its development as an interdisciplinary approach to the study of morality, as well as to propose a critical analysis of the results of cognitive science (neurophysiol­ogy) in the context of moral philosophy. For this purpose, the author analyzes the modern subject field of neuroethical research from the point of view of philosophical ethics and discusses the main conceptions in which the results of neurophysiological studies of the moral decision-making process are summarized. The author describes a general divi­sion of the subject field in terms of “neuroethics No. 1” (a part of bioethics) and “neu­roethics No. 2” (a proclaimed part of moral philosophy). The object of research of this ar­ticle is neuroethics No. 2. It is argued that in neuroethics No. 2 the conceptualization of the moral decision-making process is carried out everywhere in accordance with the scheme of “double processes”: intuitive / quick / associative and discursive / slow / calculation-based. Even if the role of intuition is denied, duality is still preserved. This is so because emotions, as an extra-rational part of the psyche, are considered the basis of a quick decision. It is shown that a non-reflexive borrowing of concepts and concep­tions of moral philosophy is carried out both at the level of formation of the subject of re­search and at the level of method. The qualitatively meaningful meaning of concepts is blurred or substituted. Such a language transition outside the boundaries of the subject area of neurophysiology only simulates the presence of interdisciplinarity. The research remains in the frames of the study of cognitive processes, without their moral component. It is concluded that for the development of neuroethics as an interdisciplinary direction, we need to obtain a synthesis of the meanings developed in the course of cultural devel­opment and of the data on human biological development. Further, in accordance with such a synthetic subject we need to adjust the research method, also we must avoid sub­stituting the concepts of philosophical ethics.

МЕТОДОЛОГИЯ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЯ КУЛЬТУРНОГО СЕГМЕНТА СОЦИАЛЬНОГО СЕКТОРА ЭКОНОМИКИ РЕГИОНА

The main methodological problems of strategic planning of culture as an important segment of the social sector of the economy of the region are considered: determining the place and features of the development of culture as part of the social sector; the possibility of using a project approach in strategic planning of the cultural segment of the social sector of the econome of the region.

Blended learning in teaching language classes: methodological aspects, problems and results

The article is devoted to technologies of blended learning of students of higher educational institutions. The author presents the results of blended learning in the course "Business Communications" during the first term of the 2021-2022 academic year. Based on the statistical data obtained, the main methodological and organizational problems of mastering the theoretical part of the course by students in the format of video lectures, the advantages and disadvantages of the "blended learning" technology are outlined. Special attention is paid to current trends in the field of higher education: consideration of individual abilities, increasing demand for "soft skills", decreasing the importance of academic knowledge, active self-study, requirement of practice-oriented and entertaining content on the part of students, simplification of educational material, need for additional motivation of students, increasing the share of distance education, problems of university infrastructure and others.

Legal framework for exchange control: problems of the current domestic legislation

Aim. The presented study aims to identify methodological problems in the current exchange legislation of the Russian Federation and to substantiate the objective need for the development of a relevant legal framework for domestic exchange control.Tasks. The authors analyze the regulations of the Federal Law No. 173-FZ of December 10, 2003 on exchange regulation and exchange control, which establish the conceptual framework, purpose, and scope of the legal regulator, the principles of exchange control on the basis of the proposed approaches to the consideration of current exchange control principles.Methods. This study uses general scientific methods of cognition in various aspects to substantiate approaches to analyzing the legal principles of exchange control for the purpose of identifying methodological problems in the current exchange legislation of the Russian Federation.Results. Having analyzed the provisions of the Federal Law No. 173-FZ of December 10, 2003 on exchange regulation and exchange control as a special basic legislative instrument for exchange control, the authors identify the main methodological problems of modern domestic exchange control: the immaturity of the conceptual framework, which leads to the uncertain content of its regulations; the declarative nature of regulations establishing the purpose, scope, and principles of exchange control, which is unacceptable for a legal instrument; the lack of proper consistency between provisions establishing the fundamentals of exchange control and norms regulating the implementation of exchange transactions.Conclusions. The lack of a proper conceptual framework for exchange legislation as defined and demanded by legal reality is an obstacle to analyzing the array of regulations that make up the legal exchange regulator, but it also serves as a basis for the formation of methodological problems in the modern domestic exchange legislation.

Information System on Digital Humanities: an experiment of describing the Internet resources of Russian archives

The article contains a description of the results of the inventory of the Internet resources of the Russian archives, carried out in order to create a reference and information system on digital humanities (CISG). The objects that together form the infosphere of this discipline are determined. The problem of detailing the level of resources in their accounting and cataloging is considered. The criteria for selecting specific resources that are interesting to the user are discussed. The structure of the database of the projected system is given. The issues of using languages for indexing information objects are discussed. The quantitative characteristics of the inventory are given. The CG system should ensure increased visibility, citation and reuse of digital humanities objects created in Russia. In this study, the resources of federal archives, state archives of the subjects of the Russian Federation presented on the Internet were studied, as well as departmental archives in a small number, if they have socio-humanitarian content. The management bodies of the archives of the subjects of the Russian Federation were included in the database if they have their own website hosting resources of interest. Archives with dominant technical or natural-scientific content were not included in the study. Also, at this stage, the resources of municipal archives were not considered. The study also identified the main methodological problems of accounting and cataloging of Internet resources that need to be solved.

FINANCIAL SECURITY MANAGEMENT IN ECONOMIC SECURITY SYSTEMS AT DIFFERENT LEVELS OF MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS: METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS

Abstract. The main methodological problems of the organization and implementation of the process of financial security management within the functioning of economic systems of different levels are identified. To meet the methodological needs of financial security management under financial security itself, it is proposed to understand the state of protection of financial interests in various sectors and functional areas of financial activities of the economic system and its main participants from external and internal threats, which ensures the effectiveness of economic relations, related to the implementation of financial guidelines for the development of economic, socio-economic, economic systems. It is established that the classical approach to the structure of the financial security subsystem in the system of economic security at any level of management positions it as a set of factors, the state of which determines the financial capacity of the entity or system to counteract economic risks and threats and their negative financial impact on the system respectively. The elements of financial security at the micro and macro levels are systematized according to such parameters as the financial security system, security entities, information principles, personnel component, management mechanism, resources, tools, instruments. A 16-component model of financial security management is proposed, which provides for the possibility of building a management system on four fundamental parameters: organizational culture, progressive and sustainable development, continuous optimization of the management process and ensuring its systemic nature. The proposed formulas for calculating the level of financial security of the state and the level of financial security of the entity based on the author’s approach to segmenting their system for diagnostic purposes allow to obtain a rapid assessment of the financial security of the economic system, of course. Conceptual bases of the system approach to management of financial security of economic system taking into account object of management, subjects of management, the management mechanism, system of maintenance of process of management, principles of management and an estimation of level of safety are presented. Keywords: financial security, financial security management, risk, threat, economic security, economic system. JEL Classification G21, F29, L41. Formulas: 3; fig.: 3; tabl.: 3; bibl.: 10.

СУЧАСНІ МЕТОДИ ФОРМУВАННЯ ФІНАНСОВОЇ ГРАМОТНОСТІ НАСЕЛЕННЯ УКРАЇНИ

The presented work describes the urgency and necessity of the formation of financial literacy among the population of Ukraine. The importance of financial literacy formation among the youth of the country is substantiated, especially it is necessary for higher education seekers, which are potential carriers and future transmitters of knowledge and skills to the next generation. The essence and significance of financial literacy of a person are analyzed, and its main characteristics and features are described. The analysis of statistical information on the main components of the Financial Literacy Index of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development of the population of Ukraine was conducted based on such factors as age, sex, level of education and place of residence (city or village). It is established that the category of the young population of Ukraine needs knowledge and skills in financial literacy and rational financial behavior the most. The preconditions of the low level of the Financial Literacy Index of the young population of Ukraine are described. The main reasons for financial illiteracy are the lack of information, knowledge and skills on financial literacy acquired in the family and educational institutions. The article justifies the significance and importance of integration of financial literacy in the form of an educational component for applicants in HEIs. The role and place of a teacher in HEIs for the development of financial literacy among students are described. The main conceptual, methodological and practical problems and contradictions of the introduction of financial literacy in the cognitive process of HEI students are presented. The main recommendations and proposals for improving the level of financial literacy of applicants for higher education in Ukraine are given. Current and innovative methods and ways allowing to improve the level of financial literacy of seekers of higher education in modern socio-economic conditions were highlighted.

MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS IN THE TOURISM BUSINESS

In the article the author revealed the essence of marketing communications in the hospitality industry, researched and characterized marketing communication tools that are relevant in the application of improving relations between participants of the tourist market environment. The effective activity of the enterprises of the tourism industry is based on taking into account the satisfaction of the complex of material, social and spiritual needs of consumers, and the use of innovative marketing communication tools. Global conditions of existence and competitive business activity require the use of innovative, effective marketing communication elements, which is covered in this article. The methodological basis for solving the main theoretical and methodological problems was the use of techniques of theoretical generalization, a combination of historical and logical, comparative, and structural-functional approach, and in order to highlight the economic importance of the tourism industry, the methods of information analysis and synthesis, the comparative-legal method, as well as statistical and economic analysis, etc.. The article analyzes the factors that significantly determine the competitiveness of a tourist enterprise on the services market and substantiates the need to use innovative marketing communication tools for effective interaction with consumers in the market tourism environment. The paper highlights and argues, taking into account the challenges facing the tourism business, market requirements, the use of marketing communication elements: advertising; communication with the public; sales promotion and maintaining the company’s image policy. With a professional approach to tourism marketing, you can, using appropriate communication tools, show ways to influence the consumer of tourist services. Therefore, the creation of an effective system of marketing communications in the tourism sphere will allow the formation of a positive image of Ukraine in the market of tourist services, which will lead to investment inflows to the country, reduction of unemployment, etc

Sustainable development of territorial units: MCDM approach with optimal tail selection

In the face of accelerating climate change, economic instability and limited resources, it is essential to find indicators that better measure the sustainable development of territorial units. Despite ambiguous definitions of sustainable development, numerous studies describe quantitative indicators of sustainable development. Main methodological problems include data availability and their use, spatial and time scales, selection of indicators, and their aggregation. Usually, analysts and decision-makers apply well known conventional methods that have numerous limitations. These methods in many cases cause excessive simplification of the real phenomena and relations between their determinants. Moreover, variables describing the development of territorial units (especially the environmental pillar) are often characterized by strong asymmetry or extreme observations. Even a single outlier for a given territorial unit may significantly affect the analysis and the resulting conclusions.The objective of this paper is to present the application potential of a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach with an optimal tail selection to assess the sustainable development of territorial units. The proposed approach is based on the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and different methods of optimal tail selection of variable distribution. The Oja's spatial median and the optimal tail selection methods are used to reduce the impact of strong asymmetry and extreme values of variables. Moreover, the measure of cluster compactness is proposed for the evaluation of the proposed method. The proposed approach was used to assess the sustainable development of municipalities in Poland in 2018. We found that the automated Eye-Ball method and the Guillou and Hall's method enabled correct identification of extreme values of variables describing the economic, social, and environmental development of municipalities. This made it possible to distinguish the types of sustainable development level and its pillars and enabled to provide the statuses of the sustainable development level of the examined municipalities with respect to other municipalities in Poland.

Embodied Conversational Agents for Patients With Dementia: Thematic Literature Analysis

BackgroundAs the world’s population rapidly ages, the number of older adults with cognitive impairment will also increase. Several studies have identified numerous complex needs of people with dementia, which assistive technologies still fail to support. Recent trends have led to an increasing focus on the use of embodied conversational agents (ECAs) as virtual entities able to interact with a person through natural and familiar verbal and nonverbal communication. The use of ECAs could improve the accessibility and acceptance of assistive technologies matching those high-level needs that are not well covered to date.ObjectiveThe aim of this thematic literature analysis was to map current studies in the field of designing ECAs for patients with dementia in order to identify the existing research trend and possible gaps that need to be covered in the near future. The review questions in this study were as follows: (1) what research frameworks are used to study the interaction between patients with dementia and ECAs? (2) what are the findings? and (3) what are the barriers reported in these studies?MethodsSeparate literature searches were conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase databases by using specific umbrella phrases to target the population (patients with dementia) and the technology-based intervention (embodied conversational agent). Studies that met the inclusion criteria were appraised through the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool and then discussed in a thematic analysis.ResultsThe search process identified 115 records from the databases and study references. After duplicates (n=45) were removed, 70 papers remained for the initial screening. A total of 7 studies were finally included in the qualitative synthesis. A thematic analysis of the reviewed studies identified major themes and subthemes: the research frameworks used to gather users’ perspectives on ECAs (theme 1), the insights shared by the 7 studies as well as the value of user involvement in the development phases and the challenge of matching the system functionalities with the users’ needs (theme 2), and the main methodological and technical problems faced by each study team (theme 3).ConclusionsOur thematic literature analysis shows that the field of ECAs is novel and poorly discussed in the scientific community and that more sophisticated study designs and proofs of efficacy of the approach are required. Therefore, by analyzing the main topic of the narrative review, this study underscores the challenge of synchronizing and harmonizing knowledge, efforts, and challenges in the dementia care field and its person-centered paradigm through the user-centered design approach. Enabling strict collaboration between interdisciplinary research networks, medical scientists, technology developers, patients, and their formal and informal caregivers is still a great challenge in the field of technologies for older adults.

Analysis of market forces as the basis for conducting the public procurement procedure to evaluate the effectiveness

The article considers the change in the methodology for conducting public procurement and, as a consequence, a change in the methods for assessing efficiency. The main methodological problems at the moment, development prospects and elimination of current issues are considered. An approach that has found wide application in assessing the investment attractiveness of projects is presented, namely, the analysis of the driving forces of the market and the analysis of competition according to Porter. The chosen topic is one of the most relevant, since the definition of the driving forces of the market and the forces of competition allows more efficient use of the mechanisms for managing the state of its purchases.

Cross-cultural research of coping: Individualization and modernization in Post-Soviet societies

IntroductionThe article is devoted to the main methodological problems of qualitative research in the psychology of culture. Methods of ethnographic (field) observation were borrowed by psychology from social and cultural anthropologists in the first half of the twentieth century, and in modern research practices there is a special ethnographic direction that claims to analyze behavior and lifestyle in various subcultures and communities.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to identify the key cross-cultural difference in coping behavior of respondents from Moscow and Tashkent.MethodsThe methodological basis of the research was the thematic analysis of narratives and free-form interviews. The sample was N = 60 (residents of Russia and Uzbekistan age 17-39).Results The results of thematic analysis of narratives and free-form interviews of respondents from Moscow and Tashkent allow us to conclude that the key cross-cultural difference in coping behavior is the degree of its individualization: representatives of Uzbek culture are focused on receiving support and care from significant Others, and not on independent internal work (unlike Russian respondents). At the same time, they are not satisfied with the traditional prescriptions that come from the family environment, which forces them to coping practices that go beyond the boundaries of normative social (often religious) ideas.ConclusionsThis can be interpreted from the point of view of the process of modernization of Uzbek culture, which is gradually becoming individualistic, and the latter circumstance requires the construction of flexible coping strategies in the situation of social and cultural changes.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Does Free-Market Reform Induce Protest? Selection, Post-Treatment Bias, and Depoliticization

AbstractAcross myriad literatures, it is widely held that expanding economic grievances induce violence, protest, or other forms of backlash. In Latin America, where economic liberalization deepened the downturn of the ‘lost decade’ of the 1980s (and 1990s), reform has been tightly associated with protest and mobilization. At the same time, liberal economic reforms have proven to be remarkably durable, even where long-promised benefits are hard to discern. This article makes the case that economically liberal reforms, despite inducing or deepening severe and sustained economic downturns, have actually undermined political protest. Previous work confirming the conventional wisdom foundered on two main methodological problems. First, selection into economic reform was a consequence of the very economic pain and macroeconomic imbalances it also served to induce. Secondly, because of this, these key (macro)economic characteristics are both pre- and post-treatment. Utilizing a marginal structural model approach to assess the impact of economic liberalization on protest outcomes net of this selection process, and the prior history of treatment, the study finds that painful reform reduces political protest even as it heightens grievances. This depoliticizing dynamic helps to explain the surprising durability of liberal reforms in Latin America.