Normative Expectations Research Articles

Perceived Normativity of Giving Effort on Low-Stakes Tests: Relations with Examinee Effort and Test Performance

ABSTRACT Because examinees have no personal consequences for their performance in low-stakes testing, some examinees expend minimal effort. Given research in the domain of normative conduct, factors that may be contributing to expended effort include whether the examinee believes effort should be put forth (i.e., personal normative beliefs), how much effort they believe other examinees are putting forth (i.e., empirical expectations), and their perceptions about what other examinees believe regarding giving effort (i.e., normative expectations). In the current study, measures of these beliefs were completed by 1,144 examinees in a low-stakes testing context. All three beliefs related to self-reported effort, response time effort, and test performance in expected ways. Although we advocate for assessing all three beliefs, personal normative beliefs and empirical expectations may have the most utility for explaining examinee disengagement. If these findings are replicated, interventions influencing perceived norms about low-stakes testing hold promise for increasing effort.

“The team members were very tolerant”: social interactional ideologies and power in an intercultural context

Abstract Speakers may resort to different inferences and expectations in intercultural encounters. These expectations are influenced by speakers’ socialization processes in speech communities and networks, as well as by the local interactional demands and power dynamics in the communicative situation. While interactional sociolinguistic studies have unveiled intercultural mismatches in how contextualization asymmetries operate in the here-and-now of interaction, less attention has been given to speakers’ normative expectations of good and bad social encounters, as reflected in retrospective accounts of interactional experiences. This article uses critical discursive psychology to examine social interactional ideologies, as German and Chinese students (home and exchange students, respectively) reflect on their experiences in a virtual intercultural game. As an analytical tool, we use the notion of “interpretative repertoires,” i.e., culturally shared ways to construct generally recognizable versions of objects. Our analysis of reflection reports written by the game players shows repertoires addressing ideal behaviors and ideal group features, which tend to place the German students in a more favorable position than the Chinese students. We discuss how local and historical power dynamics are blended in the repertoires and point to the need to critically engage with the social interactional ideologies that exist – but often go unnoticed – in intercultural settings.

Affordance and ambivalence in South African teenage girls’ digital dating practices

ABSTRACT This study examines how 13–18-year-old black South African teenage girls engage with digital technologies to pursue heterosexual desires and romantic relationships. We employ a new feminist materialist framework to analyse the assemblage of digital heterosexual dating practices and how the socio-cultural and gendered dynamics shape girls’ online experiences. Drawing from interview data using vignettes, photo-elicitation methods and collages, we find that digital spaces enable girls’ autonomy as they make the first move in online dating, subverting passive roles traditionally assigned to them and male-dominated courtship norms (ukushela). However, this process is fraught with contradictions, as girls still confront normative expectations of femininity and online objectification. Moreover, girls’ participation in stalking and monitoring their partners’ online activities reinforces heterosexual gender dynamics and their subordination. Understanding these dynamics is vital for rethinking teenage girls’ experiences in the digital age in the pursuit of expanding girls’ capacities and gender justice work.

Tangentiality as non-conformity: Responses of participants with right hemisphere damage to questions in clinical interactions.

People with right hemisphere damage (PwRHD) are often reported to produce tangential or irrelevant utterances. This may be related to their conversational difficulties, including performance in making relevant responses to questions. Clinical interactions represent a major type of communicative activity that PwRHD frequently attend and where they need to answer questions raised by clinicians. So far very little is known about how PwRHD accomplish question-response sequences in such institutional interactions. To examine question-response sequences between participants with right hemisphere damage (RHD) and clinicians. To investigate how potentially tangential talk of the former that ensues after the clinicians' questions may affect their responses to questions in clinical interactions. To identify problems incurred by those utterances as responses and how clinicians utilize conversational practices to manage them. Drawing on purposive sampling, the study used four recorded interactions between clinicians and participants with RHD as data. The data were transcribed and analysed within the framework of conversation analysis. The study focuses on question-response sequences where participants with RHD produce potentially tangential utterances as responses to questions raised by the clinicians. Tangential utterances produced by participants with RHD occur either as overall non-conforming answers to the questions (i.e., not conforming to the normative expectations for the action type and/or grammatical form of response in the clinical setting), or non-conforming extension after type-conforming answers. The clinicians often orient to the overall non-conforming answers as problematic and utilize a set of practices to pursue adequate responses. The study presents a new approach to understanding tangential talk associated with RHD, framing it as non-conforming answers within question-response sequences. It also describes management practices employed by the clinicians to cope with them. The results add to knowledge about the communication profile of PwRHD, particularly in goal-oriented interactions. They may provide a reference for assessment and intervention for difficulties of PwRHD in accomplishing question-response sequences. The study also suggests that the assessment of conversational behaviours of the clinical group should be placed within wider sequences and specific communicative activities. What is already known on the subject PwRHD are often reported to produce tangential or irrelevant utterances. They also exhibit differences and challenges in complying with rules in conversational interactions. What this study adds to the existing knowledge By using conversation analysis to examine question-response sequences between PwRHD and clinicians, the study investigates how potentially tangential utterances of the former may affect their responses to questions in clinical interactions. It presents a perspective on tangential talk by describing how PwRHD make non-conforming answers to questions. It also describes clinicians' management practices of the phenomenon. This study extends the literature addressing conversational behaviours of PwRHDs in institutional interactions. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? The results add to knowledge about the communication profile of PwRHD, especially in terms of accomplishment of the question-answer sequence type. Difficulties in providing conforming answers to questions should be considered as a potential target in assessment and intervention for conversational difficulties of the clinical group. The study suggests assessment of conversational behaviours of PwRHD should be placed within wider sequences and specific communicative activities.

Affected and Intrinsic Authenticity: Navigating Internalized Gay Ageism on LGBTQ+ Homestay Platforms

ABSTRACTIn our paper, we draw on 14 in‐depth interviews with 11 self‐identified gay men aged 50–74 years who host on LGBTQ+ homestay platforms. We examine how they navigate the interplay of age, gender, and sexuality through claims of authenticity, highlighting how these hosts manage authenticity amid normative expectations and shedding light on identity dynamics for marginalized groups. Our analysis reveals the complexities of authenticity in self‐presentation, highlighting tensions between personal identity and societal, gendered, and age‐related expectations, as well as the perceived gap between inclusivity claims and actual experiences. We also explore the intersection of economic necessity and identity negotiation. We find that older hosts may adjust their presentation to align with beauty norms or market pressures, prioritizing affected authenticity to increase their chances of securing bookings. We distinguish between affected and intrinsic authenticity, showing how hosts adapt their presentation to external demands in specific contexts, while potentially maintaining intrinsic authenticity elsewhere. This framework offers insights for future research on how societal pressures and economic factors influence authenticity claims, exploring the balance between affected and intrinsic authenticity and its implications for individual agency and organizational dynamics.

Interactional Practices and Normative Expectations in EFL Classrooms: A Conversation Analysis Approach to Turn-Taking

This study explores the interactional practices and normative expectations of teachers and students in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom, with a focus on turn-taking and conversational dynamics. Addressing a gap in understanding how institutional norms shape classroom interactions, the research employs Conversation Analysis (CA) as its methodological framework, emphasizing the systematic organization of talk-in-interaction. Data were collected from two recorded classroom sessions, including one conducted at the American Language Center in Rabat, Morocco, and another source from a publicly available YouTube video. The transcriptions, adhering to Jefferson’s (1988) system, were analyzed to uncover patterns of turn-taking, repair initiators, and backchanneling in teacher-student exchanges. The findings reveal that teachers use strategies such as other-initiated self-repair, scaffolding, and missing units to guide student contributions while managing conversational flow. Additionally, students demonstrated clear expectations for feedback, often signaled through transition relevance places. These practices underline the collaborative nature of EFL classroom interactions and the critical role of teachers in fostering language learning. The study highlights the pedagogical value of interactional competence and offers insights for improving teacher training and classroom engagement strategies.

Contextual variation in the effect of unemployment on subjective wellbeing in the United States.

Contextual variation in the effect of unemployment on subjective wellbeing in the United States.

Social norms at crosswalks: Impact on pedestrian-yielding behavior and nudge intervention effectiveness

Social norms at crosswalks: Impact on pedestrian-yielding behavior and nudge intervention effectiveness

Expectancy-disconfirmation and consumer satisfaction: A meta-analysis

Abstract Expectancy-disconfirmation has been the dominant paradigm to explain the formation of consumer satisfaction for over 40 years. Within this paradigm, it is possible for expectations to have opposing effects on consumer satisfaction depending on the underlying psychological processes presupposed. In general, assimilation processes predict positive effects, while contrast processes predict negative effects. A comprehensive assessment of the empirical evidence for these positions is missing. Hence, we provide a meta-analysis of expectancy-disconfirmation research, using 150 records (N = 58,597), to test the direct effects of perceived performance and performance expectations on consumer satisfaction, while also including disconfirmation as a mediator in each path (using meta-analytical path analysis). We found evidence for an overall positive relationship between expectations and consumer satisfaction (r = .29 [0.24, 0.34]) and no evidence supporting contrast effects. Moderator analyses revealed that the positive correlation between performance expectations and consumer satisfaction was significantly stronger for predictive (vs. normative) expectations, for services (vs. goods), and for cross-sectional (vs. longitudinal and experimental) studies. Furthermore, we found an unexpected downward publication bias, which suggests that the true correlation between disconfirmation and consumer satisfaction is higher than the (already high) estimate we found. We discuss how future research can empirically scrutinize popular practitioner views and promote the development of causal explanations, account for non-linear effects, and elucidate the anomalous publication bias found here.

Gender influence on business students’ expectations for sustainability transformations in higher education: a cross-national study

Purpose This study aims to examine how male and female students’ sustainability expectations of Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) differ in various cultural contexts. Design/methodology/approach Based on a sample of 239 business students from the USA and Germany, a mixed qualitative-quantitative research design is employed combining content analysis and Kano analysis to examine gender- and country-different students’ sustainability expectations. Findings Female students across countries have higher sustainability expectations than males. Gender equality and inclusion are more important to female than male students. While male students considered most attributes as indifferent, female students in the US considered many sustainability attributes as one-dimensional, and those in Germany considered production and consumption and equity and inclusion as must-be attributes. Research limitations/implications A larger, more representative sample could provide deeper insights into students’ sustainability expectations. The Kano model may not fully capture the complexity of these expectations due to its reliance on predefined definitions. More comprehensive and dynamic approaches are needed to understand and predict students’ sustainability expectations. Practical implications Grouping HEIs’ sustainability transformation attributes based on students’ basic, performance and excitement needs supports quality and expectation management at HEIs by prioritizing measures and aligning sustainability communication. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to apply Kano analysis to examine and compare students’ future-oriented normative sustainability expectations of their HEIs across different gender groups and countries. It enables more profound and realistic insights into barriers and enablers of HEIs’ sustainability transformations and highlights how unmet expectations can impact stakeholder behavior across different country contexts.

Can We Trust Artificial Intelligence?

In view of the dramatic advancements in the development of artificial intelligence technology in recent years, it has become a commonplace to demand that AI systems be trustworthy. This view presupposes that it is possible to trust AI technology in the first place. The aim of this paper is to challenge this view. In order to do that, it is argued that the philosophy of trust really revolves around the problem of how to square the epistemic and the normative dimensions of trust. Given this double nature of trust it is possible to extract a threefold challenge to the defenders of the possibility of AI trust without presupposing any particular trust theory. They have to show (1) how trust in AI systems is more than mere reliance; (2) how AI systems can become objects of normative expectations; and (3) how the resulting attitude gives human agents reassurance in their interactions with AI systems. In order to demonstrate how difficult this task is, the threefold challenge is then applied to two recent accounts that defend the possibility of trust in AI systems. By way of conclusion it is suggested that instead of trusting AI systems, we should strive to make them reliable.

‘They went for the test together but came back separately’: a constructivist grounded theory perspective on male engagement in antenatal HIV testing in Bamenda, Cameroon

IntroductionMale engagement in HIV testing during pregnancy significantly contributes towards the prevention of maternal seroconversion and paediatric HIV acquisition. Despite this, men especially the male partners of pregnant women have been consistently missing in the HIV prevention cascade. The factors accounting for sub-optimal levels in male engagement intersect but reasons for this are poorly understood. Using the combined perspectives of pregnant women and their partners, this study aims to expand the evidence on the forces that influence prenatal HIV testing behaviours among couples in Bamenda, Cameroon.MethodsThis qualitative study purposively selected pregnant women receiving prenatal care for semi-structured interviews (n = 38); focus group discussion (n = 6) and their male partners (n = 30 for semi-structured interviews and n = 6 for focus group discussion) in Nkwen Baptist Hospital—an urban hospital in Bamenda, Cameroon. Nvivo was used for data management and subsequently we performed a grounded theory analysis through memoing and constant comparisons.ResultsMaternal HIV risk perception was the prominent theme intersecting with couple communication, perceptions on HIV testing outcome, and engagement of male partners by facility staff to influence couple prenatal HIV testing behaviours. Although participants recognised the need for couple HIV testing, individual, interspousal, structural and socio-cultural factors determined uptake of male partner testing. Perceptions on HIV risk were largely inaccurate and strongly gendered. For example, normative expectations on female fidelity were perceived as a buffer against HIV acquisition but this was not the norm regarding male partner behaviour. Also, couple communication was rare or subtle—mostly initiated by women who suspected spousal infidelity. For some men, HIV testing was a conscious decision to confirm fidelity, for others this was challenged by the fear of sero-discordant results and assumptions that maternal test results were a representation of their sero-status.ConclusionMale partner involvement in prenatal HIV testing is largely influenced by gendered perceptions on HIV risk and couple testing outcomes. Given that these perceptions are moderated by spousal communication and the engagement of male partners by health facility staff, we call for gender-transformative interventions and policies that offer education on prenatal HIV risk, support couple communication and spousal disclosure.

Collective Layoffs and Offshoring: A Social Contract Account

Abstract Collective layoffs can occur for many reasons, often related to a firm’s pursuit of greater efficiency and cost reduction, and they tend to trigger negative reactions among the public. Anecdotal evidence suggests that offshoring, one of the most controversial and politicized aspects of globalization, evokes particularly negative reactions. We propose a social contract account of consumer reactions to collective layoffs and demonstrate differential consumer responses to collective layoffs due to offshoring versus other reasons, such as automation. Layoffs due to offshoring are perceived as an especially egregious violation of the normative expectation that firms should support members of their society. Data from nine experimental studies (N = 5,568; seven reported in the main paper and two in the General Discussion), public consumer responses to layoffs in a large online community (N = 29,045), and layoff announcements in the European Union (N = 1,261) show that consumers react more negatively to collective layoffs due to offshoring compared to other reasons. Supporting our social contract account, the negative effect of offshoring is stronger when offshoring affects workers in the consumers’ home (vs. foreign) country, when the firm is domestic (vs. foreign), and when most customers are domestic (vs. foreign).

Conflict, communication, and the ‘good’ parent construct: separated parents’ experiences with Australian schools

ABSTRACT Education research and policy has paid significant attention to parent–school relationships; however, this work almost completely lacks any consideration of diverse family structures. This research confronts an important gap in the educational literature: the extent to which diverse families, in particular separated parents, are both acknowledged and accommodated within the Australian school system. In this study, data were gathered from semi-structured interviews with separated parents residing in Australia. The data revealed that parents’ interactions and communications with their children’s schools were shaped by their perception of their visibility or invisibility in the eyes of the school. Thus, the findings demonstrate that high-quality communication between separated parents and schools through policies and processes that recognise and accommodate diverse family structures can allow separated parents to better manage their relationships with their children’s schools. Without further interrogation of normative expectations of parenting, and without deeper consideration of how school communication needs to change to accommodate family diversity, separated parents, particularly those in high-conflict co-parenting relationships, will continue to express dissatisfaction with their children’s schools.

Some Circumstances Under Which It Is Rational for Human Agents Not to Trust Artificial Agents

In this paper, I argue that there are several different circumstances in which it is rational for human agents not to trust artificial agents (such as ChatGPT). I claim that artificial agents cannot, in principle, be programmed with their own self (nor a simulation of their own self) and, consequently, cannot properly understand the indexicals ‘I’ and ‘me’. It also follows that they cannot take up a first-person point-of-view and that they cannot be conscious. They can understand that agent so-and-so (described in objective indexical-free terms) trusts or is entrusted but cannot know that they are that agent (if they are) and so cannot know that they are trusted or entrusted. Artificial agents cannot know what it means for it to have a normative expectation, nor what it means for it to be responsible for performing certain actions. Artificial agents lack all of the first-person properties that human agents possess, and which are epistemically important to human agents. Because of these limitations, and because artificial agents figure centrally in the trust relation defined in the Buechner–Tavani model of digital trust, there will be several different kinds of circumstances in which it would be rational for human agents not to trust artificial agents. I also examine the problem of moral luck, define a converse problem of moral luck, and argue that although each kind of problem of moral luck does not arise for artificial agents (since they cannot take up a first-person point-of-view), human agents should not trust artificial agents interacting with those human agents in moral luck and converse moral luck circumstances.

Differential Diagnosis of a Pharyngeal Fricative and Therapeutic Monitoring of Velopharyngeal Function Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Speech disorders associated with velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD) are common. Some require surgical management, while others are responsive to speech therapy. This is related to whether the speech error is obligatory (passive) or compensatory (active). Accurate identification of speech errors is necessary to facilitate timely and appropriate intervention. Recent studies have supported the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the assessment process for VPD. The purpose of this study was to utilize MRI to support differential diagnosis and treatment planning in a child presenting with inconsistent nasal air escape, mild hypernasality, and compensatory speech errors. A nonsedated, fully awake, velopharyngeal (VP) MRI protocol was implemented to acquire anatomic data at rest and during phonation. Segmentations and visualization of the tongue, palate, adenoids, and nasopharyngeal airway were completed. Anatomic linear measurements were obtained for VP variables to assess VP function, establish a baseline, and monitor change over time. VP anatomy was successfully visualized on MRI in multiple imaging planes. All anatomic measurements fell within normative expectations. Elevation and retraction of the soft palate occurred against the adenoid pad. A pharyngeal fricative was documented, resulting a small VP gap during speech. In contrast, adequate VP closure was obtained for vowels and other oral consonant sounds. Quantitative assessment and visualization of the anatomy demonstrated adequate VP closure capabilities and a pharyngeal fricative substitution that had not been adequately perceived during routine clinical assessments. This study suggests a promising additive role for VP MRI for enhanced differential diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring in children with VPD and concomitant speech disorders. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.27905451.

On the Unity of Normative and Cognitive Expectations in Science

In this remark to the article by A.Yu. Antonovsky, doubts are expressed about the thesis about the separation of cognitive and normative expectations. It seems controversial to assert that the forms of presentation of scientific results depend on these types of expectations. Using the example of encyclopedic publications that became widespread in different periods of the history of philosophy and science, the epistemological attitudes of rejection of authority, openness and replenishment of knowledge are analyzed. According to the author, the basis of the unity of normative and cognitive expectations in science is the authoritative component of knowledge. Science is a monopoly on authoritative reliable knowledge, distinguishing classes and categories of objects. The author emphasizes that the difference between the forms of presentation of scientific results (for example, a scientific article / encyclopedic article) lies in the goals pursued by the authors, making a choice in favor of one or another format. Keywords: normative expectations, cognitive expectations, encyclopedia, classification, open nature of knowledge, reliable knowledge, authority

Informed choices for some, but not for others: An exploration of Australian midlife women's participation in mammography screening by social class.

Population-level mammography screening for early detection of breast cancer is a secondary prevention measure well-embedded in developed countries, and the implications for women's health are widely researched. From a public health perspective, efforts have focused on why mammography screening rates remain below the 70% screening rate required for effective population-level screening. From a sociological perspective, debates centre on whether 'informed choice' regarding screening exists for all women and the overemphasis on screening benefits, at the cost of not highlighting the potential harms. We dovetail these disciplinary agendas to contextualise the factors that impact mammography screening choices, interpreting screening status through a social class lens. To understand how social class impacts informed choice-making among midlife women (45-64 years), regarding (non) participation in mammography screening. A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. We interviewed 36 Australian midlife women from differing social class groups who were 'screeners' or 'non-screeners'. We conducted a theory-informed thematic analysis and used Bourdieu's relational social class theory to consider how women's access to social, cultural and economic capital influenced their screening identities. We conducted matrix and crosstab queries across themes to identify patterns by social class. We extend the findings from Friedman's study of women's screening perspectives as 'attentional' types utilising the 'sociology of attention'. Our results map to Friedman's four 'attentional' types (default or conscious interventionists, conflicted or conscious sceptics), and we show how social class impacts women's attention to screening and participation. We show for middle-class women screening is a 'given', they align closely with normative screening expectations. Working-class women who screen, do so out of a sense of compliance. Affluent non-screeners make informed choices, while working-class women are more passive in their non-screening choices, being a group that sits outside of Friedman's four attentional types. Current approaches to screening communication and programme delivery can be improved by tailoring approaches to reflect the impacts of social class in shaping women's 'choices'. Subsequently, equitable breast cancer prevention may be afforded, which impacts positively on population-level screening rates.

HOW WELL DO INSTITUTIONALIZED ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT UNPAID CAREGIVERS MATCH THE EXPERIENCES OF HOME CARE CLIENTS?

Abstract Despite efforts to acknowledge diversity among unpaid caregivers, research, advocacy, practice and policy tends to be based in, and to reproduce, normative expectations and assumptions about who provides unpaid care and what this support looks like. The objective of this analysis is to generate unique insights into unpaid caregiving by exploring the situations of older adults receiving publicly funded home care and their experiences of accessing unpaid support. The analysis draws on case study interviews with twelve home care clients, their unpaid caregiver, home care aide and case coordinator, conducted at three points in time, before and after the Covid-19 pandemic (129 interviews). Analysis indicated only one participant had access to a caregiver that aligned with normative conceptualizations. Rather, situations arose in which: a) family members grappled with physical or mental health challenges limiting their participation in care (sometimes meaning the client is themselves a caregiver, or the caregiver is also receiving home care services); b) caregivers facing burnout sought to delimit their participation in care; c) family members’ participation was limited by older adults’ reluctance to accept their help; d) caregivers were largely unavailable, unreliable, or peripheral; or e) client’s unpaid support networks were diffuse without a clearly identifiable ‘caregiver.’ Findings are used to nuance and problematize normative assumptions about caregivers. Discussion highlights the need for research, policy and programs related to unpaid caregiving to better reflect the lived realities of unpaid support for older adults and often overlooked sources of diversity in caregiver circumstances and roles.

Reconciling Work and Skateboarding in Morocco: Exploring Young People’s Lifestyle Entrepreneurship Ventures

In Morocco, skateboarding has become a cultural phenomenon among young people. This study examines how skateboarders (aged 18–32) transition to adulthood, challenging traditional notions of financial stability and family obligations. By prioritizing their passion for skateboarding, they develop innovative entrepreneurial ventures that blur the lines between work and leisure. The study builds upon ethnographic fieldwork within a community of skateboarder entrepreneurs established in a coastal village. It aims to define how Moroccan skateboarders challenge the normative expectations of transition to adulthood and describe how they navigate between skateboarding and work commitments. Additionally, findings highlight how the surge of skateboarding-driven business contributes to the economic and cultural transformation of local territories.