Negative Societal Consequences Research Articles

Highlighting Opportunities (Versus Outcomes) Increases Support for Economic Redistribution

High levels of economic inequality are associated with numerous negative individual and societal consequences, and people prefer less of it. Opposition to redistributive policies designed to reduce inequality (e.g., taxing the rich to assist the poor), however, remains persistent. In this research, we propose a simple intervention to boost support for such policies. Specifically, we suggest that describing inequality between babies (in rich or poor homes) makes unequal opportunities more salient than describing inequality between adults. Because unequal opportunities are more difficult to rationalize than unequal outcomes, this results in a shift away from individualistic attributions and toward structural attributions for inequality. Critically, structural problems require structural solutions (e.g., redistributive efforts). We test this account across five preregistered studies ( N = 5,800), spanning various presentation modalities (e.g., visual depictions, written descriptions), demographics (e.g., race, gender), inequality-reducing policies (e.g., taxation, food stamps), and a consequential choice underscoring implications for donation behavior.

Perceived Corporate Social Responsibility and Its Effects on Consumer Social Responsibility: A Value-Belief-Norm Perspective

The main purpose of this study is to explore consumer perceived corporate social responsibility (or perceived CSR) and its effects on consumer social responsibility (CnSR) in the food and beverage (F&B) industry in Vietnam. We built on the Value-Belief-Norm Theory to propose a model that explains how perceived CSR induces consumers to perform consumer social responsibility. Using a survey of 460 Vietnamese consumers, we examine the relationships between personal values (altruistic, biospheric, egoistic, conservative and openness to change), perceived CSR, and CnSR. The research results show that perceived CSR does affect CnSR through awareness of negative societal consequences, ascribed responsibility, personal norms, and social norms. Moreover, personal norms tend to significantly shape CnSR. The study provides important theoretical and practical implications by shedding light on how enterprises can improve their CSR efforts to appeal to consumers and promote CnSR.

The Emerging Landscape for Combating Resistance Associated with Energy-Based Therapies via Nanomedicine.

Cancer represents a serious disease with significant implications for public health, imposing substantial economic burden and negative societal consequences. Compared to conventional cancer treatments, such as surgery and chemotherapy, energy-based therapies (ET) based on athermal and thermal ablation provide distinct advantages, including minimally invasive procedures and rapid postoperative recovery. Nevertheless, due to the complex pathophysiology of many solid tumors, the therapeutic effectiveness of ET is often limited. Nanotechnology offers unique opportunities by enabling facile material designs, tunable physicochemical properties, and excellent biocompatibility, thereby further augmenting the outcomes of ET. Numerous nanomaterials have demonstrated the ability to overcome intrinsic therapeutic resistance associated with ET, leading to improved antitumor responses. This comprehensive review systematically summarizes the underlying mechanisms of ET-associated resistance (ETR) and highlights representative applications of nanoplatforms used to mitigate ETR. Overall, this review emphasizes the recent advances in the field and presents a detailed account of novel nanomaterial designs in combating ETR, along with efforts aimed at facilitating their clinical translation.

Why Patients in Uruguay Agree to Take or Refuse to Take Antibiotics? An Inventory of Motives

Objectives: We explored the motives for why patients in Uruguay take or refuse to take antibiotic drugs. Methods: We had 350 adults complete a 60-item questionnaire with statements referring to reasons for which the person had taken antibiotics in the past, and a 70-item questionnaire with reasons for which the person had sometimes refused to take antibiotics. Results: We found a 4-factor structure of motives for taking antibiotics: Appropriate Prescription,Enjoyment (antibiotics as a quick fix allowing someone to go out), Dealing with Daily Life Issues, and Avoiding Negative Consequences (mainly negative societal consequences). We found a 7-factor structure of motives to refuse to take antibiotics: Secondary Gain (through prolonged illness), Bacterial Resistance, Self-defense (the body is able to defend itself), Lack of Trust, Costs, Hostility (not contributing to pharmaceutical companies′ increases in benefits) and Dislike. Scores on these factors were related to participants′ demographics and previous experience with antibiotics. Conclusions: Uruguayan people are generally willing to follow their physician's prescription for antibiotics. Some of the motives for refusing antibiotic therapy may be grounded more on emotional reactions than on scientific arguments.

Inherently unstable? Scaling, mission drift, and the comparative performance of community-based platforms in the sharing economy

Digital platforms have enabled sharing among strangers as a means to satisfy economic needs. This development was expected to allow traditional, community-based sharing to be taken to a much larger scale, providing a mechanism to address a variety of societal and environmental concerns. However, this early optimism seems misguided, as commercial sharing economy platforms are increasingly criticized for their negative societal consequences and ambiguous environmental impact. Testing claims made in the literature, we investigate whether this mission drift in community-based platforms can indeed explain this shift towards an increasingly commercial orientation in the sharing economy. Building on a comprehensive geographical mapping, the quantitative analysis of our granular dataset does not support these claims. Rather, we find that community-based platforms perceive increased scaling potential while avoiding mission drift. By complementing these quantitative findings with an in-depth case study, we explain the underlying mechanisms allowing for this alternative scaling strategy of community-based platforms.

HSD76 Investigating the Impact of Self-Help Groups on Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Retention

Medication for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment (MOUD) has poor adherence and retention. Premature discontinuation from MOUD has significant negative health and societal consequences. Our objective is to develop machine learning and causal models to investigate how variations in treatment type influence treatment discontinuation. The findings of this research help guide evidence-based strategies for improving treatment retention.

The Virtuous Cycle: Social Media Influencers’ Potential for Kindness Contagion

Social media influencers have received significant recognition for their marketing capabilities but are also identified as contributing to several negative societal consequences. This commentary explores social media influencers’ emergent role and associated practices in the spread of kindness to benefit the larger society. Informed by parasocial and construal level theories, we introduce the concept of kindness contagion and conceptualize social media influencers’ kindness contagion cycle. The framework includes six authentic kindness practice forms in which influencers are most likely to reinforce their kindness-embedded relationship (e.g., posts of encouragement to be kind and kindness meditations). By integrating parasocial and construal level theories we go beyond the commonly discussed marketization capabilities for this actor to help generate insights into how a social media influencer can build an intimate, trusting relationship with their followers, to spread kindness among consumers. Practical and theoretical implications are also discussed in addition to future research directions.

Practical fundamental rights impact assessments

Abstract The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation tasks organizations to perform a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) to consider fundamental rights risks of their artificial intelligence (AI) system. However, assessing risks can be challenging, as fundamental rights are often considered abstract in nature. So far, guidance regarding DPIAs has largely focussed on data protection, leaving broader fundamental rights aspects less elaborated. This is problematic because potential negative societal consequences of AI systems may remain unaddressed and damage public trust in organizations using AI. Towards this, we introduce a practical, four-Phased framework, assisting organizations with performing fundamental rights impact assessments. This involves organizations (i) defining the system’s purposes and tasks, and the responsibilities of parties involved in the AI system; (ii) assessing the risks regarding the system’s development; (iii) justifying why the risks of potential infringements on rights are proportionate; and (iv) adopt organizational and/or technical measures mitigating risks identified. We further indicate how regulators might support these processes with practical guidance.

Is cybervetting valuable?

AbstractCybervetting is the widespread practice of employers culling information from social media and/or other internet sources to screen and select job candidates. Research evaluating online screening is still in its infancy; that which exists often assumes that it offers value and utility to employers as long as they can avoid discrimination claims. Given the increasing prevalence of cybervetting, it is extremely important to probe its challenges and limitations. We seek to initiate a discussion about the negative consequences of online screening and how they can be overcome. We draw on previous literature and our own data to assess the implications of cybervetting for three key stakeholders: job candidates, hiring agents, and organizations. We also discuss future actions these stakeholders can take to manage and ameliorate harmful outcomes of cybervetting. We argue that it is the responsibility of the organizations engaged in cybervetting to identify specific goals, develop formal policies and practices, and continuously evaluate outcomes so that negative societal consequences are minimized. Should they fail to do so, professional and industry associations as well as government can and should hold them accountable.

Multiomics, artificial intelligence, and precision medicine in perinatology.

Technological advances in omics evaluation, bioinformatics, and artificial intelligence have made us rethink ways to improve patient outcomes. Collective quantification and characterization of biological data including genomics, epigenomics, metabolomics, and proteomics is now feasible at low cost with rapid turnover. Significant advances in the integration methods of these multiomics data sets by machine learning promise us a holistic view of disease pathogenesis and yield biomarkers for disease diagnosis and prognosis. Using machine learning tools and algorithms, it is possible to integrate multiomics data with clinical information to develop predictive models that identify risk before the condition is clinically apparent, thus facilitating early interventions to improve the health trajectories of the patients. In this review, we intend to update the readers on the recent developments related to the use of artificial intelligence in integrating multiomic and clinical data sets in the field of perinatology, focusing on neonatal intensive care and the opportunities for precision medicine. We intend to briefly discuss the potential negative societal and ethical consequences of using artificial intelligence in healthcare. We are poised for a new era in medicine where computational analysis of biological and clinical data sets will make precision medicine a reality. IMPACT: Biotechnological advances have made multiomic evaluations feasible and integration of multiomics data may provide a holistic view of disease pathophysiology. Artificial Intelligence and machine learning tools are being increasingly used in healthcare for diagnosis, prognostication, and outcome predictions. Leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning tools for integration of multiomics and clinical data will pave the way for precision medicine in perinatology.

IoT Based Coal Mine Tracking and Worker Safety Emergency Alert

Abstract: Due to global warming and climate change, there are now difficult conditions in the coal mining industry. Automation in the field of coal mine-shaft is in fact necessary to reduce costs and boost profitability while also improving product quality, and it will also reduce diggers' efforts. Mining is both necessary for the manufacture of goods, infrastructure, and services that improve people's lives and one of the world's most dangerous trades. The need for coal as a source of energy is always high and significant. However, hundreds of people have died in mining accidents around the world, and working in the earth poses a variety of security and health risks. Underground miners in some nations lack safety and social protection, and in the event of injury, they may be left to fend for themselves. There are also negative societal consequences, such as displacement and lost income. Among all industries, the mining industry has the greatest rate of occupational mortality. Rock falls, a sagging roof, and a sagging pillar are all common causes of workplace deaths. Underground mines provide a lot of case studies. To deal with all of these tragedies, we need to improve communication technology, which will be used to create an intelligent sensing and warning system. For communication within the mines, RF technology has been adopted. So, utilizing a microcontroller-based circuit on worker safety, we suggest a mining tracking and safety system for the mining business. To detect workers moving throughout the mining site, we deploy RF-based circuitry. The main microcontroller was an ARDUINO UNO. The system employs ATMEGA microcontroller-based RF tracker circuitry to transmit and receive data through the usage of an EM-18 RFID reader module and RFID cards. This aids in the tracking of workers' present locations across the entire mining site. The DHT11 sensor is used to determine the current temperature and humidity. The accelerometer sensor is used to determine whether or not a worker has fallen. MQ2 and MQ135 sensors are used in mines to detect dangerous chemicals and smoke and inform workers. A flame sensor detects a fire in a mine and alerts the workers. Furthermore, safety is the most important aspect of every industry. Safety and security are extremely important in the mining business. Each RFID card circuit includes an emergency button to prevent any form of mishap. When this button is touched, an emergency alert appears. This technology can be used to safeguard the safety of mine workers through the usage of IoT

Vulnerability in the Context of Migration: a Critical Overview and a New Conceptual Model

The notion of “vulnerability” occupies a central role in academic literature, policymaking, humanitarian debates, and everyday discourses on migration and asylum. Its popularity has led some academics and practitioners to use “vulnerability” as a self-explanatory condition or phenomenon. However, a common and systematic understanding of the concept is still missing, and the moral and political meaning often ascribed to this notion may have (un)intended detrimental consequences for those migrants deemed vulnerable. Thus, this paper sets out to critically unpack and highlight the complexities hidden behind this notion in order to provide a conceptual analysis of vulnerability in the context of migration. We do so by (1) providing an overview of definitions of vulnerability across different fields of research, (2) identifying common conceptualizations or types of vulnerability and discussing their implications, and (3) highlighting possible negative societal and psychological consequences of its implementation in the context of migration. Finally, we propose (4) a new conceptual model for understanding vulnerability in the context of migration, showing how this notion can become a useful analytical tool in migration research.

The Link Between Fake News Susceptibility and Political Polarization of the Youth in the Philippines

Misinformation, political polarization, its links, and negative societal consequences have long been studied in literature. This study contributes to this field by exploring the relationship of political polarization, using a novel measure that captures political support for President Duterte (representing the administration) against political support for Vice President Robredo (representing the opposition) on a spectrum, and the vulnerability of the Filipino youth to online misinformation through an online survey conducted among college-aged students in various colleges and universities across the Philippines. We find evidence that partisan supporters of President Duterte are more likely to inaccurately identify fake and real news, compared to partisan supporters of the opposition. This is remarkably similar to trends in the United States where Republicans are more vulnerable to misinformation. Other results also highlight possible trends, such as the link between increased self-reported frequency of seeing fake news and decreased likelihood of correctly identifying fake news, and the link between increased trust in news in social media and decreased odds of correctly identifying both real and fake news.

Employers’ views on flexible employment contracts for younger workers: Benefits, downsides and societal outlook

Employers are instrumental in the growth of non-standard employment, which exposes predominantly younger workers to higher levels of insecurity. Using an interdisciplinary theoretical lens, this article identifies which considerations, both positive and negative, underlie employers’ decision making with regard to the use of flexible contracts for younger workers and discusses how employers perceive future implications of an increasingly flexible labour market. Findings are based on interviews with 26 managers, HR professionals and directors working in different sectors of industry in the Netherlands: local government, education, health care, retail, corporate services and transport and logistics. While acknowledging benefits to the use of flexible contracts, interviewed employers also reported downsides to this practice. Using flexible contracts complicates retention of young talent, deters investment in training, negatively affects social morale on the work floor and puts pressure on younger workers. Interviewees did not deem employers primarily responsible for monitoring societal consequences of an increasingly flexible labour market and often did not see the bigger picture of how increased flexibility could have negative societal consequences. The findings suggest that corrective actions will not come from the side of employers.

Weather- and human-related shifts in feeding conditions promote the use of built-up areas by an avian opportunist

Human activities benefit a range of animal species, the resulting presence of which in cities can have negative societal consequences. One example are food subsidies, which buffer natural variation in food availability and allow these species to maintain larger populations. These buffers will likely gain importance under future environmental change whereby natural food sources become decreasingly available. To inform on the current importance of different habitats for a bird reliant on human-made food subsidies (Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus), and its possible population response toward changes in climate and the availability of these subsidies, we characterized population-level short-term responses to variation in drivers of local food availability, both natural (weather related) and anthropogenic (fisheries activity). We expected foraging effort to vary in relation to local wind speed and soil moisture, as well as to the alternation of fisheries activity between weekdays and weekends. Individuals were predicted to adjust their foraging habitat use in response to these environmentally driven variations in effort. To this end, we analyzed GPS tracking data of 45 breeding individuals, between 2013 and 2018, nesting in the Port of Zeebrugge, Belgium. Effort was approximated as the energy expenditure rate per trip, the daily time spent away from the colony and the trip frequency, which were analyzed by means of linear mixed effects models. Habitat use per trip was compared between marine, agricultural fields and built-up areas (cities, industry and cattle farms), in a multinomial logistic model. Marine areas and agricultural fields were most frequently exploited, but all considered stressors (wind, dry conditions and inactivity of fisheries) resulted in a higher use of built-up areas. Stronger winds increased the energetic cost of foraging at sea, and thus diminished the use of marine areas, as also did the inactivity of fisheries in weekends. Dry conditions diminished the use of fields and decreased trip frequency. Built-up areas thus constitute a buffer for the variation in food availability at sea and in agricultural fields. The expected increase in frequency and severity of extreme weather events (storms and drought) under global change, combined with the disappearance of discards, may therefore result in a long-term increase in the use of urban habitats by opportunistic large Gull species.

The Creativity of Conspiracy Theories

AbstractConspiracy theories are narratives, they tell mostly fictional stories. In that sense, conspiracy theories are creative productions similar to other productions involving narratives, such as poems, films, or stories. However, contrary to these productions regularly studied in the field of creativity, conspiracy theories remain unexplored in this field. The present contribution proposes to consider conspiracy narratives as creative products. We discuss the extent to which these narratives meet the criteria of the standard definition of creativity and how their negative individual and societal consequences place conspiracy narratives in the dark side of creativity. We argue that this new perspective on conspiracies may partly change the way we study their construction and their psychological convenience. We finally discuss some theoretical and methodological perspectives linked to this proposition. Overall, this contribution intends to draw the attention of creativity researchers to these real‐world and abundant creative products.

Understanding the importance and timing of panic buying among U.S. Households during the COVID-19 pandemic

The surge in panic buying during the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic led to a temporary shortage of several staples and basic supplies in grocery stores, thus limiting the public’s access to basic needs and exacerbating stress and anxiety. The negative societal consequences of panic buying highlight the importance of understanding and planning for such behavior. This study investigates the main factors that correlate with the perceived importance and timing of panic buying decisions in the US. In doing so, we provide a breakdown of the importance of panic buying across a list of common food and non-food grocery items and show a considerable variation based on product type. We also uncover heterogeneities in the importance and timing of panic buying based on demographic and behavioral characteristics, including residence area, household size, presence of children and elderly in the household, household income, ethnicity, and specific views about COVID-19. Finally, we analyze correlations between the importance of panic buying and various motivations that are believed to underlie this behavior. Results show that the perceived importance of panic buying is most heavily associated with the need for control, belief that it is the smart thing to do, and urge to minimize number of trips to grocery stores.

Enablers and hindrances for longer-term abstinence in opioid dependent individuals receiving treatment with extended-release naltrexone: A Norwegian longitudinal recovery trial (NaltRec study)

Opioid-dependence is a comprehensive, relapsing disorder with negative individual, - family, - and societal consequences. Recovery is difficult to achieve. Research has shown reduced substance use and improved health- and psychosocial factors with extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) treatment. Pharmacological treatment should include psychosocial interventions to improve longer-term recovery. This study explores how voluntary monthly treatment with extended-release naltrexone hydrochloride (Vivitrol®) will influence longer-term recovery, health and psychosocial relationships in opioid-dependent patients. Close relatives’ experiences and societal costs will be assessed. This Norwegian naturalistic, multicenter, open-label study includes 150 opioiddependent patients. Patients are assessed every four weeks for 24 weeks, with 28 weeks optional follow-up treatment-period, and at three, six and 12 months posttreatment. Controls are opioid-dependent patients enrolled in Opioid Maintenance Treatment programs (n = 150). Data on recovery will be collected from participants, close relatives, and community health service providers. Genetic analyses of major signaling pathways and national registries on prescriptions and health care use will be analyzed. Recruitment period is September 2018 to September 2020. The assessment of medical, psychological, relational and societal factors may provide novel in-depth knowledge on the complexity of personal recovery-processes. The results are expected to have impact on priorities in treatment and follow-up for opioid dependent patients.

Crises and entrepreneurial opportunities: Digital social innovation in response to physical distancing

As physical distancing is a core measure of containing the spread of COVID-19, this pandemic is a crisis that has uprooted social interaction. While current research mainly focuses on crises as a challenge for entrepreneurial ventures and potential regulatory response mechanisms, we complement this research by addressing the question of how crises in general—and COVID-19’s physical distancing measures in particular—shape entrepreneurial opportunities for social innovation. Based on two rounds of data collection—desktop research mapping out 95 entrepreneurial activities in Germany and four focus groups—we find first that entrepreneurs are proactive agents in alleviating the negative consequences of the COVID-19 crisis. They do so by creating two types of digital social innovation: digital brokering and digitized services. Second, we note that negative societal consequences of crises can be buffered by shifts in entrepreneurs’ strategic orientation through improvised venturing, rapid pivoting and pro-social product extension. Third, we note variance in the persistence of changes with consequences for entrepreneurial opportunities and social innovation: Whereas some social innovation are rather ephemeral, others might endure and promise long-term impacts. We offer key insights for the literature on crisis, social innovation and hybrid organizing as well as on the implications for entrepreneurship practice and policy.

The dark social capital as an effective way in getting things done: explaining dark sides of social capital in Albania

For almost three decades, social capital has become an important concept (and a variable) that has attracted much attention in the social science literature to explain various social problems and phenomena. In the many debates that have taken place about the role of social capital, conceived at different levels, it should be noted that its value is seen mainly in positive terms, emphasizing the potential benefits that the possession of social capital in itself has for the individual and society as a whole. The negative consequences that “dark” social capital produces on the relationships between people and for the society have been largely ignored in the literature. The focus in this paper will be precisely on the negative societal consequences that the possession of social capital of a certain form, the “dark” one, has on the individuals that make up a particular society. In this study, the role of norms and social structure of society is emphasized as essential for the formation of social capital that individuals within it possess. Social capital understood in this way is seen as reflective of the social structure of society, as it is this structure that generates various forms of social capital. Albania will be the empirical case where the theoretical framework of this study will be applied (in Part III), highlighting the negative impacts that dark social capital has on Albanian society at the expense of breaking its established formal universalistic rules.