Non-normative Behavior Research Articles

Who Supports QAnon? A Case Study in Political Extremism

The QAnon conspiracy theory has garnered increasing attention as more than 80 pro-QAnon congressional candidates vied for nominations in 2020 primary races. The QAnon movement is widely characterized as “far right” and “growing,” but such claims rest on flimsy evidence. Using six public opinion polls from 2018 to 2020, we find that support for QAnon is both meager and stable across time. QAnon also appears to find support among both the political right and left; rather than partisan valence, it is the extremity of political orientations that relates to QAnon support. Finally, we demonstrate that while QAnon supporters are “extreme,” they are not so in the ideological sense. Rather, QAnon support is best explained by conspiratorial worldviews, dark triad personality traits, and a predisposition toward other nonnormative behavior. These findings have implications for the study of conspiracy theories and the spread of misinformation and suggest new directions for research on political extremism.

Queers against Corrective Development

Abstract Corrections in the United States most often describes the institution that holds custody of criminalized people, purportedly to reform or reorient them from nonnormative behaviors through isolation, constraint, and force. This article puts forward a more expansive understanding of corrections, so that its applicability extends outside the prison or the jail and into the society imprisoned by similar logics: ones that “correct” deviance through coercive and violent practices. The author joins a queer critique of corrections with one of gentrification, the practice of displacing low-income and racialized people through deregulation of housing policy and unimpeded capitalist “development” of neighborhoods. Through the prism of corrective development, we can witness disposability politics as the convergence of hyper-carceralism, police killings, and social exclusion of those imagined as undesirable. Simultaneously, the state makes an invitation to the gentrifying bodies—the idealized body and being for development—which are white, abled, corporate, and hetero- or homonormative. The analysis centers the work of Safe OUTside the System (SOS), a lesbian, gay, bisexual, two-spirit, trans, and gender-nonconforming people of color collective in Central Brooklyn using abolitionist, anti-violence community organizing to combat the oppressive matrix utilized by gentrifying bodies.

Children’s judgments of and reasoning about people with disabilities who produce norm violations

People with disabilities may behave in non-normative ways because they cannot act otherwise. This study explored whether U.S. children aged 3.00 to 8.99 years (N = 105) differ in their evaluations of people who commit norm violations when those persons have perceptual or physical disabilities. Across 12 scenarios, children were asked to explain different characters’ non-normative behaviors and to evaluate each character’s naughtiness. Characters were typically developing, had a physical disability, or had a hearing disability. Disabilities were described to participants but were not visually depicted. Across moral and conventional norm violations, children aged 4.5 years and older judged characters with disabilities as less naughty than characters without disabilities, whereas younger children (3 and 4 years) judged all characters as equally naughty. Children’s explanations for characters’ non-normative behaviors (acknowledging characters’ physical/auditory limitations and inferring negative attributes) significantly predicted their naughtiness judgments; this was true for participants across the sampled age range. Thus, preschool children demonstrated flexibility in their moral judgments across a variety of everyday behavioral violations, tempering their negative evaluations of persons who committed non-normative behaviors when those persons had unseen disabilities that could reasonably account for their actions. Parents and teachers may be able to build on these early moral intuitions to foster greater acceptance of persons with disabilities.

Eating Behaviors of Children with Autism-Pilot Study, Part II.

Autism spectrum disorder is characterized by social communication deficit and non-normative behavior. The people with autism often experience troubles with feeding. The purpose of this study was to conduct evaluation of the feeding and eating behaviors among children with autism. Patients and Methods: The study group included 41 high-functioning autistic children. The control group consisted of 34 children without the ASD. The questionnaire was used to assess the nutritional status. Results: The children with ASD fuss during mealtimes more frequently, they require entertaining and diverting their attention, they are fed by parents, and they consume their meals away from the table. The significant difference found in the use of utensils and food selectivity works to the disadvantage of the Study Group. Conclusions: The food selectivity occurs significantly more frequently among children with ASD. The feeding and eating problems should be considered on a wider scale. The cooperation of the multidisciplinary and the parents teams should be proposed in the ASD patients care.

Why dark personalities participate in politics?

Literature provides mixed results concerning how the Dark Triad traits are related to political activities. Within the current paper, we aim to address some of the existing limitations and attempt to solve these ambiguities. We examined the relations of the Dark Triad traits to political participation as well as to normative (e.g., voting) and non-normative (e.g., blocking streets) behaviors. In total, 558 young Polish adults aged between 18 and 25 years old took part in the study twice across a period of eight months. Moreover, in a follow-up study we examined 476 British adults aged between 18 and 75 attempting to replicate obtained results on the one hand, and to presume about motivations underlying political participation on the other. Results revealed that narcissism and psychopathy (but not Machiavellianism) are consistently related to political participation. The current study contributes to the literature through revealing trait-specific motivations explaining the relation between the Dark Triad traits to political participation and political behavior.

24.1 DIAGNOSIS AND MISDIAGNOSIS OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR IN CHILDREN

Problematic sexual behavior (PSB) in children has often been interpreted as a sign of sexual abuse. However, research indicates that some sexual behaviors are an expected and developmentally appropriate part of childhood. Sexual behaviors such as exposing one’s genitals to others, self-stimulation, standing too close to others, and attempting to look at people who are naked are not uncommon. These behaviors are most often noted in children younger than 6 years old, tend to occur more often at home than in school, and decline with age. Problematic or nonnormative behaviors include imitation of adult intercourse, masturbation with an object, insertion of objects into the vagina or rectum, and oral-genital contact. Likewise, the use of coercion in sexual behaviors and behaviors directed toward much younger children are cause for concern. PSB can be associated with a number of mental health diagnoses in childhood, including OCD, bipolar disorders, and developmental disorders associated with intellectual disability and other impulse control disorders. A case example will illustrate the misdiagnosis of sexual behaviors in a young girl with OCD. Normative and inappropriate sexual behavior in children will be reviewed as will the assessment and differential diagnosis of PSB in children. Interactive techniques will be used with the audience to poll opinions about normative vs PSB in children and in which mental health disorders PSB is most prominent. Participants will understand the differential diagnosis of PSB in children and be able to identify behaviors that are often a part of normal development. The audience will have a chance to express their own views of what is normative vs inappropriate sexual behavior in children. Specific red flags for suspicion of sexual abuse will be discussed, providing a foundation for the review of specific evidence-based screening tools to be presented in the next section. Sexual behavior in children is not often discussed and can be easily misunderstood. It is important for clinicians to be able to distinguish developmentally appropriate sexual behavior from PSB. Likewise, specific patterns of PSB can be observed in a variety of mental health disorders. The topic of evidence-based screening tools for sexual abuse will be introduced.

Perception of innovation in tourism with regard to controversial types of travel: A study of Polish consumers

The aim was to determine how tourism innovations, including controversial types of tourism, are perceived by consumers. The hypothesis adopted was that there would be statistically significant correlations between demographic variables, the respondents’ perception of innovations and their propensity to engage in non-normative behaviour during tourism trips. The study was conducted using the CAWI surveying technique by means of an online questionnaire (N = 407). The respondents had noticed significant changes in the tourism industry and the majority were in favour of those innovations. These mainly related to the development of tourist service infrastructure. The study found a statistically significant difference between male and female respondents with more males in favour of introducing controversial tourism offers to the market. Male respondents were also more likely to engage in deviant behaviour.

Driving control based on bilevel optimization and fuzzy logic

Driving control in the car-following (CF) driving behavior has two aspects. First, in what measure an approximation distance is taken as a safe distance guaranteeing the safety of the follower drivers. Second, how to control the follower's vehicle velocities based on the stimulus of the leading vehicle. In this context, to resolve the driving control problem in the CF driving behavior, a bilevel optimization is presented in this paper, based on the behaviors of the follower and leader drivers. Bearing in mind that mathematics has contributed to the imitation of human behaviors, they are now reaching a level of complexity requiring the entry on the scene of a new player, which is artificial intelligence. Thus, in this paper; we used the fuzzy logic theory for modeling a follower driver with a nonnormative behavior. To validate our model, we used a data set from the program of the US Federal Highway Administration. Therefore, according to the experimental results, there is homogeneity between the actual and the simulated travel trajectories in terms of deviation. Besides, the driver's behavior adopted (normative or nonnormative) is reflected in his reactions to the various components of the road.

Louisiana and Southern Identities in True Blood (HBO, 2008-2014)

HBO’s series True Blood (Alan Ball, 2008-2014) explores a storyworld in which vampires have come out of the coffin and live openly among humans, thus confronting hegemonic discourses with figures of otherness. This chapter focuses on the dramatic and political potential of the series’ places. Be they public (Merlotte’s, the Fangtasia) or private (Sookie’s house, Bill’s mansion), they participate in True Blood’s seriality by bringing viewers back to familiar places where identities are played out and subverted. For instance, Merlotte’s, the stereotypical southern diner, is where the stereotypical version of Southernness is confronted to figures of otherness. Its vampire counterpart Fangtasia embraces otherness and non-normative fantasies only to commodify them by integrating them into a capitalist structure. The four recurring places of the series are sites in which normative and non-normative behaviors compete and are contained. As central stages, these places, where most of True Blood’s moments of tension and reconciliation occur, partake in the series’ narrative and political complexity and in a reevaluation of the legacy of Southern history and cultural history.

Gender Differences in the Emotional Response and Subjective Sexual Arousal Toward Non-Consensual Sexual Intercourse: A Pupillometric Study

BackgroundGender differences in sexual response have targeted individuals' emotional appraisal of mainstream erotica. Yet, evidence reveals that men and women commonly endorse non-normative sexual interests, and no evidence has been collected on their emotional responses toward deviant sexual stimuli. AimThis study was aimed at evaluating gender differences in the emotional responses toward non-consensual sexual intercourse, thus revealing individuals' appraisal of non-normative sexual contents. In order to provide an initial background to interpret findings, this study further tested the association between individuals' emotional responses and sexual self-schemas (SSSs). Methods29 men and 45 women (all heterosexual) were voluntarily exposed to audiovisual presentations of non-consensual/physically forced sexual intercourse in a laboratory context. Markers of emotional response were collected by psychophysiological and self-report means. OutcomesPupil activation, namely pupil diameter ratio, during exposure to the video clips was captured with an eye tracker. Positive and negative emotions and subjective sexual arousal toward the clips were also collected. In addition, participants responded to the SSS scale assessing individuals' sexual self-perceptions. ResultsFindings revealed a small degree of gender differences. While men reported significantly more positive emotions toward the clip displaying a woman as recipient to non-consensual sex, no further differences were found. Also, participants revealed an increased pupil diameter ratio only in the first moments of the video clips. SSSs, including themes of aggression and power, were associated with men's emotional responses toward the clips, while no associations were found in women. Clinical TranslationDespite its preliminary nature, the current study provides evidence on the emotional mechanisms underpinning human sexual response, and may eventually translate to conceptualizing models with a focus on non-normative sexual behavior. Strengths & LimitationsTo our best knowledge, this is the first study researching gender specificities in the emotional appraisal of non-consented sex. Current findings may help to understand individuals' deviant sexual interests and establish a framework for future research in this area. However, it is worth noting that lack of previous research prevents the generalization of findings and limits our interpretation of data. ConclusionFindings revealed a small degree of gender differences in the emotional appraisal of non-consensual sexual intercourse, and suggested partial evidence in the relationship between sexual self-perceptions and emotional responses to forced sex.Carvalho J, Rosa PJ. Gender Differences in the Emotional Response and Subjective Sexual Arousal Toward Non-Consensual Sexual Intercourse: A Pupillometric Study. J Sex Med 2020;17:1865–1874.

Looking out for myself: Exploring the relationship between conspiracy mentality, perceived personal risk, and COVID-19 prevention measures.

ObjectivesThis research examined how conspiracy mentality may affect compliance with preventive health measures necessary to fight the COVID‐19 pandemic, and the underlying motivations to comply.Design and MethodWe conducted two cross‐sectional studies (Study 1 N = 762, Study 2 N = 229) on a French population, measuring conspiracy mentality, compliance with preventive health measures, and perceived risks related to COVID‐19. We also measured motivations to comply with preventive measures in Study 2.ResultsWe show that people high in conspiracy mentality are likely to engage in non‐normative prevention behaviours (Study 1), but are less willing to comply with extreme preventive behaviours that are government‐driven (Study 2). However, we demonstrate that a perceived risk to oneself (risk of death) and a motivation to protect oneself can act as a suppressor: Conspiracy mentality is linked with an increase in the perception of risk to oneself, which, in turn, is associated with normative compliance. We also find that perceived risk of death explains the relationship between conspiracy mentality and non‐normative prevention behaviours.ConclusionsOur studies showcase how people high in conspiracy theorizing may (dis)engage with prevention behaviours, but that perceived risk and motivation to protect oneself could increase these individuals’ compliance.

Priors and payoffs in confidence judgments.

Priors and payoffs are known to affect perceptual decision-making, but little is understood about how they influence confidence judgments. For optimal perceptual decision-making, both priors and payoffs should be considered when selecting a response. However, for confidence to reflect the probability of being correct in a perceptual decision, priors should affect confidence but payoffs should not. To experimentally test whether human observers follow this normative behavior for natural confidence judgments, we conducted an orientation-discrimination task with varied priors and payoffs that probed both perceptual and metacognitive decision-making. The placement of discrimination and confidence criteria were examined according to several plausible Signal Detection Theory models. In the normative model, observers use the optimal discrimination criterion (i.e., the criterion that maximizes expected gain) and confidence criteria that shift with the discrimination criterion that maximizes accuracy (i.e., are not affected by payoffs). No observer was consistent with this model, with the majority exhibiting non-normative confidence behavior. One subset of observers ignored both priors and payoffs for confidence, always fixing the confidence criteria around the neutral discrimination criterion. The other group of observers incorrectly incorporated payoffs into their confidence by always shifting their confidence criteria with the same gains-maximizing criterion used for discrimination. Such metacognitive mistakes could have negative consequences outside the laboratory setting, particularly when priors or payoffs are not matched for all the possible decision alternatives.

Adolescent Sexual Development and Peer Groups: Reciprocal Associations and Shared Genetic and Environmental Influences.

Peer groups influence the emergence of sexual behaviors in adolescence, but many details regarding the mechanisms underlying these effects have yet to be described. We examined the phenotypic, genetic, and environmental links between both antisocial and prosocial peer characteristics, and several sexual behaviors from middle childhood to late adolescence (ages 11, 14, and 17years) using a longitudinal twin sample (N = 3762). Antisocial peers predicted greater engagement in both normative (e.g., dating) and non-normative (e.g., early sexual intercourse) sexual behaviors, while prosocial peers were associated with a lower likelihood of engaging in non-normative sexual behaviors. Reciprocal effects were also observed such that early sexual experiences were associated with a more antisocial and less prosocial peer groups later in adolescence. Behavioral genetic models indicated that most of the overlap between peer group characteristics and sexual behavior was due to shared environmental influences. That is, some features of the adolescent environment exert a press toward (or against) antisocial peers and sexual behaviors. Together, the results extend the existing literature by highlighting the ways through which peer affiliations are related to sexual development in adolescence.

The dark side of social movements: social identity, non-conformity, and the lure of conspiracy theories

Social change does not always equal social progress-there is a dark side of social movements. We discuss conspiracy theory beliefs - beliefs that a powerful group of people are secretly working towards a malicious goal - as one contributor to destructive social movements. Research has linked conspiracy theory beliefs to anti-democratic attitudes, prejudice and non-normative political behavior. We propose a framework to understand the motivational processes behind conspiracy theories and associated social identities and collective action. We argue that conspiracy theories comprise at least two components - content and qualities-that appeal to people differently based on their motivations. Social identity motives draw people foremost to contents of conspiracy theories while uniqueness motives draw people to qualities of conspiracy theories.

“My Story Is My Activism!”: (Re-)Definitions of Social Justice Activism Among Collegiate Athlete Activists

Despite the recent re-emergence of the athlete activist into public consciousness, activism among athletes continues to be viewed as nonnormative behavior. Drawing from interviews with 31 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I collegiate athlete activists from across the United States, this study examined contemporary definitions of collegiate athlete activism for advancing social justice efforts. Five different conceptualizations of social justice activism emerged during the interviews: activism as social justice action, mentorship, authenticity, intervention, and public acts of resistance. Findings document changing notions of athlete activism and reveal nuanced forms of situational activism that do not rely on public expressions of resistance but rather are woven carefully into the fabric that makes up the athletes’ everyday lives. For these athletes, the image of an activist is not so much that of one walking in the streets but rather that of one using the social power they have as an athlete to promote strategic change in everyday situations. Limitations, directions for future research, and implications for praxis are discussed.

How developed countries can learn from developing countries to tackle climate change

Climate change and global poverty are the most pressing issues of this century. If insufficiently addressed, climate change will exacerbate poverty and inequality within and across nations. Addressing it requires that people in developed and developing countries adopt new behaviors and technologies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to a changing climate. A major contribution of the 2019 Nobel Laureates consists in providing new tools to advance knowledge on the mechanisms driving the diffusion of non-normative behaviors, by combining social network analysis with field experiments. To inform climate policy, we encourage research that applies this methodological innovation to understand the extent to which diffusion mechanisms may be crucial to accelerate the transition toward greener economies. Scholars working in developed countries have much to learn from recent advances in development economics. We identify fruitful areas for research in the global North.

Principle of gradient rationality: Revisiting stigma and conceptualizing its guiding mechanism

ObjectiveHistorically, much of the stigma research has relied on a language of attributes, using survey methodology for assessment, and the consumers’ perspectives on stigma are also inadequate, hindering an in-depth understanding of social processes related to stigma. Thus, this study aims to understand the social processes guiding experiences of stigma among adults with serious mental illness. MethodsEthnographic methodology was employed to collect data for this study. Methods included interviews and participant observation. Participants included adults with serious mental illness (n = 18) and mental healthcare providers (n = 16), along with policy stakeholders/experts (n = 7). Data analysis was conducted via open and focused coding along with analytic interpretation. ResultsA social process guiding experiences of stigma, termed as the principle of gradient rationality (PoGR), is proposed. Three components to the principle are: 1) categorization via stigma or status symbols, 2) movement within hierarchy via exchange of social capital, and 3) institutionalization of stigma via interactional stigma. Briefly, the principle suggests that, during an interaction, individuals can be placed in a hierarchy of three roles/categories (“unreasonable,” “high-functioning,” or “normal”) based on their measure of non-normative behavior. The lower one's position in the hierarchy, the more likely one is to experience stigma. Findings can help develop stigma measures that are sensitive to the variability of individuals experiencing mental illness and to the variability of stigma experiences on a personal/contextual level. Research in other settings is required to further study the applicability of this principle across contexts.

Pedido de ajuda em vítimas de violência no namoro: Revisão sistemática

Objetivo: Este estudo tem como objetivo sistematizar o conhecimento produzido sobre o pedido de ajuda em adolescentes e jovens adultos que experienciaram violência no namoro, através da identificação e análise dos estudos empíricos realizados neste âmbito. Métodos: Para tal adotámos os procedimentos para a realização de uma revisão sistemática dos estudos centrados nos comportamentos de pedido de ajuda em vítimas de violência no namoro. Resultados: Foram identificados 18 estudos com enfoque nos comportamentos de pedido de ajuda por parte dos/as adolescentes e jovens adultos vítimas de violência no namoro. A grande maioria dos estudos constatou que as vítimas revelam uma preferência pelo recurso a fontes de revelação informais, privilegiando os pares. As vítimas de sexo feminino surgiram como as que demonstraram uma maior tendência para a revelação do abuso íntimo, surgindo ainda como as expectadoras que prestam mais suporte e apoio às vítimas. Foram, ainda, identificadas múltiplas barreiras à revelação da experiência abusiva por parte dos/as participantes (e.g., legitimação da violência, medo de perder o/a parceiro/a, vergonha e autossuficiência para resolver a situação). Conclusões: Consideramos que a investigação neste domínio deverá procurar incluir outras amostras, estudos de continuidade, beneficiando de uma maior uniformização no tipo de instrumentos usados para efetuar a recolha de dados.

Interaction Effects of Child Weight Status and Parental Feeding Practices on Children's Eating Disorder Symptomatology.

(1) Background: Research on parental feeding practices and non-normative eating behavior including loss of control (LOC) eating and eating disorder psychopathology indicated separate associations of these variables with child weight status, especially in early childhood. This study cross-sectionally examined interaction effects of restriction, monitoring, pressure to eat, and children’s weight status on disordered eating in children aged 8–13 years. (2) Methods: A population-based sample of N = 904 children and their mothers completed the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire for Children and the Child Feeding Questionnaire. Child anthropometrics were objectively measured. Hierarchical linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted for cross-sectionally predicting global eating disorder psychopathology and recurrent LOC eating by feeding practices and child weight status for younger (8–10 years) and older (11–13 years) ages. (3) Results: Restriction x Child weight status significantly predicted global eating disorder psychopathology in younger children and recurrent LOC eating in older children. Monitoring x Child weight status significantly predicted eating disorder psychopathology in older children. A higher versus lower child weight status was associated with adverse eating behaviors, particularly in children with mothers reporting high restriction and monitoring. (4) Conclusions: Detrimental associations between higher child weight status and child eating disorder symptomatology held especially true for children whose mothers strongly control child food intake.

“A Genius for Unreality”: Neurodiversity in Elizabeth Bowen's <em>Eva Trout</em>

For decades, critical debate around Elizabeth Bowen's Eva Trout (1968) has focused on the novel's enigmatic heroine. Though Eva is often perceived as flat because of her non-normative behaviors, the novel's portrayal of her neurodivergent sensory relation to the world actually becomes a way for Bowen to gesture to her complex interiority. Taken together, the 1960s anti-psychiatry movement and a twenty-first-century under-standing of neurodiversity offer the possibility of seeing Eva as creative, emotional, and imaginatively connected to the world, rather than as unthinking and detached. Bowen extends the novel's representation of cognitive atypicality to Eva's teacher, Iseult, and thereby calls into question the normativity of apparently neurotypical minds.