Nonconforming Behavior Research Articles

Not Just a Name: The Moderating Effect of Online Identity on Herding

This research examines the role of perceived anonymity in shaping herding behavior in crowdfunding markets. Drawing on theories from social psychology literature, we argue that a lender forms different credibility perceptions toward preceding peers based on their perceived anonymity state; she then uses such perceptions to adjust her herding momentum toward them. Using a unique data set collected from a leading debt-based crowdfunding platform, we classify individuals’ usernames as either anonymous or real-seeming, with the latter referring to a username that seems to reveal one’s legal name. The results show that successors demonstrate weaker herding momentum toward predecessors who are presented with real-seeming usernames than anonymous ones. This finding, which we attribute to a lower extent of perceived credibility derives from a non-conforming behavior, challenges the conventional wisdom that considers anonymity a negative factor for source credibility. We further show that the uncovered positive effect of perceived anonymity on herding is accentuated in the early stage of the fundraising period; nevertheless, we find no such discrepancies between listings that are assigned with high-risk and low-risk credit grades. Our study contributes to the literatures dealing with anonymity and herding in online environments.

Young Children With Gender Nonconforming Behaviors and Preferences.

There is growing awareness and exposure in both the medical community and the lay media about the characteristics and complex needs of individuals who believe that their gender identity does not match their birth sex. Despite research and lay publications about teens with gender dysphoria and those who identify as transgender, little guidance is available regarding young (prepubertal) children with questions about their gender identity. Although many terms are used to describe these children, we have chosen to describe them as "gender nonconforming" (GNC). Primary care and developmental-behavioral pediatric providers are often the first professionals with whom young gender nonconforming children and their families discuss their concerns about their emerging gender identity. It is important, therefore, that pediatric providers be knowledgeable about the dilemmas, conflicts, and choices that are typical of these children and their families to guide them appropriately. In this special article, we present observations, informed by clinical experience, an emerging body of research, and a developmental-behavioral pediatric framework, of the complex needs of prepubertal gender nonconforming children and their families and an approach to their care. The article begins by outlining the cognitive and biological bases for gender identity development, as well as the natural history of gender nonconforming preferences and behaviors. It then sets the context for understanding the care of GNC children as an area in which developmentally sophisticated providers can play a crucial role in support of the complex developmental patterns and need for advocacy in multiple settings among these children.

Childhood Gender Nonconformity and Children’s Past-Life Memories

Objectives: This study examines childhood gender nonconformity (GNC) in conjunction with the phenomenon in which young children describe memories of a purported previous life. Methods: In a case-control study of 469 children reporting past-life memories, we used logistic regression to examine predictors of GNC, measured by documented gender nonconforming behaviors. Results: Children who remembered a life involving a different natal sex were much more likely to exhibit GNC than children who remembered a same-sex life. Conclusions: After exploring potential explanations, we conclude that past-life memories represent a novel factor that may be associated with the development of GNC.

In Defense of the Commons: Young Children Negatively Evaluate and Sanction Free Riders

Human flourishing depends on individuals paying costs to contribute to the common good, but such arrangements are vulnerable to free riding, in which individuals benefit from others’ contributions without paying costs themselves. Systems of tracking and sanctioning free riders can stabilize cooperation, but the origin of such tendencies is not well understood. Here, we provide evidence that children as young as 4 years old negatively evaluate and sanction free riders. Across six studies, we showed that these tendencies are robust, large in magnitude, tuned to intentional rather than unintentional noncontribution, and generally consistent across third- and first-party cases. Further, these effects cannot be accounted for by factors that frequently co-occur with free riding, such as nonconforming behaviors or the costs that free riding imposes on the group. Our findings demonstrate that from early in life, children both hold and enforce a normative expectation that individuals are intrinsically obligated to contribute to the common good.

Deconstructing noncompliance: parental experiences of children’s challenging behaviours in a clinical sample

ABSTRACTPurpose: This study explored the phenomenon of children’s nonconforming behaviours from the perspective of parents who sought clinical services for children’s severe noncompliance. Method: Mothers from 25 families who accessed clinical services were interviewed about their relationship with their children aged 8–13 and their experiences of their children’s challenging behaviours. Results: Mothers distinguished two different types of challenging behaviour: normative resistance and extreme aggression. Mothers described normative resistance as an expected part of children’s developing autonomy and treated resistance with behavioural management strategies. Mothers also described occasions when children displayed emotionally dis-regulated extreme aggression, which were consistent with clinical descriptions of children’s difficult to manage behaviour. Conclusion: Contrary to clinical recommendations mothers used relational strategies to reconnect children with their agency. The distinction between two different child behaviours, and strategies for each challenging behaviours have theoretical and practical implications.

Evaluating the safety impacts of powered two wheelers on a shared roadway in China using automated video analysis

ABSTRACTThe last decade witnessed a rapid growth in the number of powered two wheelers (PTWs) on Chinese roads. PTWs offer a convenient, flexible, and affordable mobility solution. They are also considered as an environment-friendly alternative to automobiles. Despite these advantages, concerns have been raised about the safety impacts of PTWs on China's urban roadways. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the safety impacts of PTWs on a shared roadway in Kunming, China, using automated computer video analysis. The study pursues the following tasks: (1) to perform a comprehensive safety analysis based on the automated traffic conflict techniques, (2) to analyze the nonconforming (NC) travel behaviors of PTWs, (3) to examine the relationship between the detected traffic conflicts and the PTWs travel behaviors, and (4) to study the steering action of PTWs by estimating their movement yaw rate. The automated analysis revealed several findings regarding the PTWs travel behaviors on the shared roadway. The results showed that a considerable number of conflicts with high severity were caused by PTWs on the shared roadway. It was observed that PTWs are likely to engage in NC behaviors while traveling on the shared roadway. Also, more than one half of the NC behavior events resulted in PTW conflicts. On the other hand, the yaw rate analysis showed that not every PTW took swerving maneuvers when involved in a conflict situation. The findings in the article identify the hazardous travel behavior associated with PTWs. Such behavior can have negative safety consequences on roadways shared with more vulnerable road users such as cyclists.

Discovering anomalous frequent patterns from partially ordered event logs

Conformance checking allows organizations to compare process executions recorded by the IT system against a process model representing the normative behavior. Most of the existing techniques, however, are only able to pinpoint where individual process executions deviate from the normative behavior, without considering neither possible correlations among occurred deviations nor their frequency. Moreover, the actual control-flow of the process is not taken into account in the analysis. Neglecting possible parallelisms among process activities can lead to inaccurate diagnostics; it also poses some challenges in interpreting the results, since deviations occurring in parallel behaviors are often instantiated in different sequential behaviors in different traces. In this work, we present an approach to extract anomalous frequent patterns from historical logging data. The extracted patterns can exhibit parallel behaviors and correlate recurrent deviations that have occurred in possibly different portions of the process, thus providing analysts with a valuable aid for investigating nonconforming behaviors. Our approach has been implemented as a plug-in of the ESub tool and evaluated using both synthetic and real-life logs.

The CRI-model: A domain-independent taxonomy for non-conformance between observed and specified behaviour

Anomaly detection is the process of identifying nonconforming behaviour. Many approaches from machine learning to statistical methods exist to detect behaviour that deviate from its norm. These non-conformances of specifications can stem from failures in the system or undocumented changes of the system during its evolution. However, no generic solutions exist for classifying and identifying these non-conformances. In this paper, we present the CRI-Model (Cause, Reaction, Impact), which is a taxonomy based on a study of anomaly types in the literature, an analysis of system outages in major cloud companies and evolution scenarios which describe and implement changes in Cyber-Physical Production Systems. The goal of the taxonomy is to be usable for different objectives like discover gaps in the detection process, determine components most often affected by a particular anomaly type or describe system evolution. While the dimensions of the taxonomy are fixed, the categories can be adapted to different domains. We show and validate the applicability of the taxonomy to distributed cloud systems using a large data set of anomaly reports and cyber-physical production systems by categorizing common changes of an evolution benchmarking plant.

Implementation of Wafer Level Packaging KOZ using SU-8 as Dielectric for the Merging of WL Fan Out to Microfluidic and Biomedical Applications

Abstract Due to its versatility for high density, heterogeneous integration, Wafer Level Fan Out (WLFO) packaging has recently seen a tremendous growth in a broad array of applications, from telecommunications and automotive, to optical and environmental sensing, while addressing the challenges of the next big wave of the Internet of Things (IoT). In this context, WLFO is continuously being challenged to include new families of MEMS/NEMS/MOEMS sensors, low thermal budget devices and biochips with microfluidics for biomedical applications. Recent developments in WLFO technology by NANIUM [1] demonstrated the implementation of a keep-out-zone (KOZ) mechanism intended to 1st) protect sensitive sensor areas during the backend processing of WLFO wafers and 2nd) create open zones on the Re-Distribution Layers (RDL). This way, the KOZ mechanism provides a physical, direct path from the embedded device to the environment. This is a necessary feature for environment sensing (e.g., pressure) or to create optical paths free of dielectric and protected from the harsh chemistry steps of the WLFO process. This paper describes new developments on KOZ, implemented with SU-8 photoresist as a WLFO dielectric, whose application is a novelty in the WLFO platform. The use of SU-8 and the KOZ with it, addresses some gaps of the current WLFO technology towards the integration of chips with bio-sensitive areas and sensors with low thermal budget. Due to its well-known bio-compatibility and inert behavior, SU-8 can be used as a neutral dielectric to be in direct contact to target fluids (e.g., sera, blood). Also, due to its low curing temperature, SU-8 allows a very low temperature WLFO process and thus the embedding of temperature-limited devices that have been outside the WLFO realm, for example, magneto-resistive or magnetic-spin sensor chips, which degrades its performance above 160°C. More interestingly, SU-8 exhibits a particular non-conformal behavior, which creates very smooth surfaces even over the mildly rough mold compound area of a fan-out package. Adding to this, SU-8 is readily available in the market in a wide range of thicknesses, spanning from 0.5 μm to >100 μm, and further allowing multiple spin coatings to build thick layers. Thus, SU-8 can provide smooth and deep enough channels for microfluidic flow over the chip sensing areas and, at the same time, provide the necessary layer thickness discrimination for the KOZ mechanism. Combining these features, the SU-8 layers in WLFO can play the triple role of 1) RDL dielectric insulation, 2) KOZ mechanism and 3) embedded microfluidic channels as part of the RDL. In summary, besides the unprecedented use of SU-8 in WLFO packaging, KOZ implementation on SU-8 provides a true, attainable bridge between WLFO and integrated microfluidic applications, for biosensing and biomedical applications in general. Outlooking the potentialities of such a merge, a Fan-Out package can embed several chips interconnected by RDL lines, as it currently allows, and also connected by microfluidic channel for multi-point, multi-function biosensing, constituting a true Lab-on-Package, cost-effective solution. Instead of building all sensing areas and microfluidic channels over a large silicon (Si) chip, this solution builds the feed-in, feed-out areas of the microfluidic channel over the inexpensive fan-out area, minimizing the sensing chip area, with the consequent front-end cost reduction.

Effects of Non-conformity on Perceived Status and Competence: Examining the Moderating Role of Physical Attractiveness

The present study attempts to examine how people perceive non-conforming behaviour and what do they infer about subjects who demonstrate non-conformity. Interviews were conducted to determine the operational definition and perception about non-conformity. Analysis of the interviews revealed that non-conformity is attributed to not abiding by the rules that have been defined or laid out by an authority in a particular context. Scenario-based experiments were conducted, and the obtained data were analysed to reach a conclusion regarding observers’ perception about non-conforming individuals in a collectivist culture. The results showed that non-conforming behaviour leads to a negative inference about status and competence. Also, we found that the attractiveness of non-conforming individuals does not lessen the negative inferences derived by the observers in a collectivist culture. The findings can be extended to devise several communication and signalling strategies to influence the mass behaviour in a collectivist culture, like India. The study provides us insights about achieving social objectives as well as driving behavioural change in a collectivist context.

Are public and private enforcement complements or substitutes? Evidence from high frequency data

A substantial theoretical literature identifies two general approaches to deterring non-norm conforming behavior: public law enforcement to monitor and punish proscribed behavior, and private (community) enforcement to discourage both illegal and legal norm defying activities. Recent papers highlight the importance of both enforcement approaches but empirical identification of their relative effects has been challenging. Utilizing a novel, event-level database from the National Hockey League, we examine the separate and interactive effects of law enforcement (referees) and community, vigilante justice (fighting) on non-conforming behavior. We find that the timing of events is crucial in determining the effectiveness of the different types of enforcement. Community enforcement is effective only when law enforcement is lacking. Conversely, law enforcement actions are effective both independently and in conjunction with community enforcement.

Experimental evaluation of a novel equivalence class partition testing strategy

In this paper, a complete model-based equivalence class testing strategy recently developed by the authors is experimentally evaluated. This black-box strategy applies to deterministic systems with infinite input domains and finite internal state and output domains. It is complete with respect to a given fault model. This means that conforming behaviours will never be rejected, and all non-conforming behaviours inside a given fault domain will be uncovered. We investigate the question how this strategy performs for systems under test whose behaviours lie outside the fault domain. Furthermore, a strategy extension is presented, that is based on randomised data selection from input equivalence classes. While this extension is still complete with respect to the given fault domain, it also promises a higher test strength when applied against members outside this domain. This is confirmed by an experimental evaluation that compares mutation coverage achieved by the original and the extended strategy with the coverage obtained by random testing. For mutation generation, not only typical software errors, but also critical HW/SW integration errors are considered. The latter can be caused by mismatches between hardware and software design, even in the presence of totally correct software.

Some biographical variables and school behaviour among secondary school students in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State

Non-conforming school behavior seems to be on the increase among adolescents of the violent conflict-endemic Niger Delta region, where majority of homes have been described as the poorest of the poor. The study therefore sought to ascertain the level of influence of some biographical variables on the school behaviour of secondary school students in Nembe L.G.A. of Bayelsa State. The research design was ex-post facto, guided by three hypotheses and data collected using questionnaire, administered on 240 sampled student-respondents. Data analysis was carried out using Independent t-test and the results indicated (1) statistically significant age-based difference (2) no statistically significant gender-based difference, and (3) statistically significant difference in school behaviour based on parental socioeconomic status. Capacity building and economic empowerment of rural parents, especially the mothers, have been strongly recommended, to enable them provide adequately for their children who could then be more scholastically focused and behave responsibly.

Gays, Cross-Dressers, and Emos

Gays, Cross-Dressers, and Emos

Perspectives on Sexual Identity Formation, Identity Practices, and Identity Transitions Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in India.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) remain at high risk for HIV infection. Culturally specific sexual identities, encompassing sexual roles, behavior, and appearance, may shape MSM's experiences of stigmatization and discrimination, and affect their vulnerability to HIV. This multi-site qualitative study (n=363) encompassing 31 focus group discussions (FGDs) and 121 in-depth interviews (IDIs) across 15 sites in India investigated sexual identity formation, identity practices, and transitions and their implications for HIV prevention. IDIs and FGDs were transcribed, translated, and underwent thematic analysis. Our findings document heterogeneous sexual identity formation, with MSM who have more gender nonconforming behaviors or appearance reporting greater family- and community-level disapproval, harassment, violence, and exclusion. Concealing feminine aspects of sexual identities was important in daily life, especially for married MSM. Some participants negotiated their identity practices in accordance with socioeconomic and cultural pressures, including taking on identity characteristics to suit consumer demand in sex work and on extended periods of joining communities of hijras (sometimes called TG or transgender women). Participants also reported that some MSM transition toward more feminine and hijra or transgender women identities, motivated by intersecting desires for feminine gender expression and by social exclusion and economic marginalization. Future studies should collect information on gender nonconformity stigma, and any changes in sexual identity practices or plans for transitions to other identities over time, in relation to HIV risk behaviors and outcomes.

Features of non-conformism in the environment of informal movements

The essence of concept of non-conformism and its application in relation to informal youth movements is revealed. Manifestations of non-conformism among informals are studied. An analysis of conformal and non-conformal behavior of youth subcultures is presented. An attempt to uncover common, unifying elements of the main informal movements is made through the prism of the manifestations of non-conformism. Problems of enable of the youth underground in the process of formation of social thought in the modern era are described

Sissies, Mama's Boys, and Tomboys: Is Children's Gender Nonconformity More Acceptable When Nonconforming Traits Are Positive?

The evaluation of gender nonconformity in children was examined in two studies. In Study 1, 48 young adults evaluated the positivity of culturally popular labels for gender nonconformity, including "tomboy," "sissy," and two new labels generated in a pilot study, "mama's boy" and "brat." The "mama's boy" was described as a boy who has positive feminine traits (gentle and well-mannered) as opposed to the "sissy" who was described as having negative feminine traits (crying and easily frightened). In Study 2, 161 young adults read descriptions of gender-typical and nonconforming children, evaluating them in several domains. The label "mama's boy" was considered negative in Study 1 but an unlabeled positive nonconforming boy was rated as likable and competent in Study 2. However, participants worried about nonconforming boys, saying they would encourage them to behave differently and describing such children with derogatory sexual orientation slurs. "Tomboy" was generally considered a positive label in Study 1. In Study 2, gender nonconforming girls were considered neither likable nor dislikeable, and neither competent nor incompetent, reflecting ambivalence about girls' nonconformity. It may be that we use gender nonconformity labels as indicators of sexual orientation, even in young children. Therefore, even when an individual displays objectively positive traits, the stigma associated with homosexuality taints judgments about their nonconforming behavior.

Attitude Toward Gay Men in an Italian Sample: Masculinity and Sexual Orientation Make a Difference

The present research investigates differences between heterosexuals and gay men in their attitudes toward effeminate and masculine gay men. More specifically, the role of internalized sexual stigma and perceived masculinity were considered to explain emotive reaction toward gay men with gender conforming and non-conforming behaviors. Results showed that effeminate gay men, that is those who enact gender non-conforming behaviors, elicited more negative emotions compared to masculine gay men both in gay and heterosexual respondents with no difference in intensity. Moreover, such negative reactions toward effeminate gay men were more extreme among gay men with high internalized sexual stigma and among heterosexuals with high self-perception of feminine traits. Implications and limitations are discussed.

Depression and Sexual Orientation During Young Adulthood: Diversity Among Sexual Minority Subgroups and the Role of Gender Nonconformity.

Sexual minority individuals are at an elevated risk for depression compared to their heterosexual counterparts, yet less is known about how depression status varies across sexual minority subgroups (i.e., mostly heterosexuals, bisexuals, and lesbians and gay men). Moreover, studies on the role of young adult gender nonconformity in the relation between sexual orientation and depression are scarce and have yielded mixed findings. The current study examined the disparities between sexual minorities and heterosexuals during young adulthood in concurrent depression near the beginning of young adulthood and prospective depression 6 years later, paying attention to the diversity within sexual minority subgroups and the role of gender nonconformity. Drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N = 9421), we found that after accounting for demographics, sampling weight, and sampling design, self-identified mostly heterosexual and bisexual young adults, but not lesbians and gay men, reported significantly higher concurrent depression compared to heterosexuals; moreover, only mostly heterosexual young adults were more depressed than heterosexuals 6 years later. Furthermore, while young adult gender nonconforming behavior was associated with more concurrent depression regardless of sexual orientation, its negative impact on mental health decreased over time. Surprisingly, previous gender nonconformity predicted decreased prospective depression among lesbians and gay men whereas, among heterosexual individuals, increased gender nonconformity was not associated with prospective depression. Together, the results suggested the importance of investigating diversity and the influence of young adult gender nonconformity in future research on the mental health of sexual minorities.

Sexual-orientation disparities in substance use in emerging adults: a function of stress and attachment paradigms.

More lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youths than heterosexuals report substance use. We examined a theoretical model to understand these disparities in lifetime and past-year substance use by means of stress and attachment paradigms, using the longitudinal Growing Up Today Study (GUTS) and Nurses' Health Study II (NHSII). GUTS participants are the children of participants in NHSII; thus, child and maternal data are available. In addition, GUTS contains siblings, allowing for comparisons of LGB and heterosexual siblings. Of 5,647 GUTS youths (M = 20.6 years old in 2005), 1.6% were lesbian/gay (LG), 1.6% bisexual (BI), 9.9% mostly heterosexual (MH), and 86.9% completely heterosexual (CH). After adjusting for sibling clustering in GUTS and covariates, significantly more sexual minorities (LGs, BIs, and MHs) than CHs reported lifetime and past-year smoking, nonmarijuana illicit drug use, and prescription drug misuse. More sexual minorities also reported marijuana use in the past year. The relations between sexual orientation and substance use were moderated by the stress markers: As mother's discomfort with homosexuality increased, more BIs and MHs than CHs used substances. As childhood gender nonconforming behaviors increased, more LGs than CHs used substances. The relations between sexual orientation and substance use were mediated by attachment and maternal affection (percent of effect mediated ranged from 5.6% to 16.8%% for lifetime substance use and 4.9% to 24.5% for past-year use). In addition, sibling comparisons found that sexual minorities reported more substance use, more childhood gender nonconforming behaviors, and less secure attachment than CH siblings; mothers reported less affection for their sexual minority than CH offspring. The findings indicate the importance of stress and attachment paradigms for understanding sexual-orientation disparities in substance use.