Opposite Belief Research Articles

Moralizing Immigration: Political Framing, Moral Conviction, and Polarization in the United States and Denmark

Morally charged rhetoric is commonplace in political discourse on immigration but scholars have not examined how it affects divisions over the issue among the public. To address this gap, we employ preregistered survey experiments in two countries where anti-immigration rhetoric has been prominent: the United States and Denmark. We demonstrate that exposure to moralized messages leads respondents to place greater moral weight on their existing immigration opinions and become more averse to political leaders and, in the United States, social interaction partners who espouse opposite beliefs. This suggests that political moralization contributes to moral conflict and affective polarization. We find no evidence, however, that moral framing produces attitudinal polarization—that is, more extreme immigration opinions. Our study helps make sense of the heightened intensity of anti-immigrant politics even when attitudes are stable. It also suggests a promising avenue for comparative research on affective polarization by shifting the focus from partisanship to the moralization of existing issue disagreements.

Dichotomous thinking about social groups: Learning about one group can activate opposite beliefs about another group

Across three studies (N = 607), we examined people’s use of a dichotomizing heuristic—the inference that characteristics belonging to one group do not apply to another group—when making judgments about novel social groups. Participants learned information about one group (e.g., “Zuttles like apples”), and then made inferences about another group (e.g., “Do Twiggums like apples or hate apples?”). Study 1 acted as a proof of concept: Eight-year-olds and adults (but not 5-year-olds) assumed that the two groups would have opposite characteristics. Learning about the group as a generic whole versus as specific individuals boosted the use of the heuristic. Study 2 and Study 3 (sample sizes, methods, and analyses pre-registered), examined whether the presence or absence of several factors affected the activation and scope of the dichotomizing heuristic in adults. Whereas learning about or treating the groups as separate was necessary for activating dichotomous thinking, intergroup conflict and featuring only two (versus many) groups was not required. Moreover, the heuristic occurred when participants made both binary and scaled decisions. Once triggered, adults applied this cognitive shortcut widely—not only to benign (e.g., liking apples) and novel characteristics (e.g., liking modies), but also to evaluative traits signaling the morals or virtues of a social group (e.g., meanness or intelligence). Adults did not, however, extend the heuristic to the edges of improbability: They failed to dichotomize when doing so would attribute highly unusual preferences (e.g., disliking having fun). Taken together, these studies indicate the presence of a dichotomizing heuristic with broad implications for how people make social group inferences.

A Qualitative Inquiry to Explore Why Women with Previous Cesarean-Section Do Not Choose Vaginal Birth after Cesarean

Background Aim: Complications of cesarean-section are many times more than vaginal birth increase with repeat it, despite mothers don’t choose vaginal birth after CS. Aim: The aim of the present study is to explain why previous cesarean section mothers not to choose VBAC? Methods: A conventional content analysis performed by 25 participants from previous CS mothers (pregnant/non-pregnant) maternal health care providers through semi-structured individual interviews two focus group sessions in Om-Albanin hospital in Mashhad, Iran. The interviews lasted 30 - 90 minutes their content was recorded, transcribed analyzed using Graneheim & Lundman’s method (2004). Data validity was verified by Lincoln Guba criteria. Results: The main category of loneliness, weakness, in emerged from three subcategories: individual-social perspective, inefficient care psychological of childbirth. Sub-subcategories identified as: First sub-subcategory: opposite beliefs to non-supportive community non-supportive individual-social perspective. second includes: inadequate provision of optimal care , inadequate knowledge awareness , Weakness in decision self-efficacy and Weakness in effective counseling third includes: negative experiences of vaginal birth feeling of danger fear . Conclusion: The mothers are conflict in choosing VBAC in three aspects: social, care system individual dimensions. Comprehensive support including: cultural interventions for vaginal birth, planning a supportive special care system for previous CS mothers, increasing knowledge correcting beliefs will help them in decision self-efficacy. It is proposed planning of these strategies assess their effectiveness.

A Financial Analysis Approach on the Impact of Economic Interdependence on Interstate Conflicts

There is a long-standing debate on whether economic interdependence can have an impact and play a crucial role in diminishing interstate conflict. Two schools of thought advocating two opposite beliefs regarding this debate are Realism and Liberalism. The former suggests that economic interdependence does not necessarily promote peace, whereas the latter trusts that it does. According to Liberalism, there is a direct connection between trade and conflict, in other words, between economic factors and security issues. On the contrary, Realists argue that what applies to the international system also applies to trade policy; hence economic cooperation among states has a limited effect when it comes to national security issues. This study attempts to shed light on this debate, i.e. whether bilateral economic relations can affect interstate conflict. To achieve that it uses a theoretical framework derived from the disciplines of international political economy enhanced with a quantitative-financial analysis that employs a series of econometric models in order to identify macroeconomic variables that have an impact on the interstate conflict. Three dyads of countries that have recorded interstate conflict are employed (India-Pakistan, Russia-Ukraine and Yemen-Saudi Arabia). The defense expenses are used as a proxy of interstate conflict, whereas the imports and the exports from one country to the other are the variables that capture the economic interdependence. Evidence is found that exports have a positive impact on defense expenses. This means that economic interdependence does not necessarily lessen interstate conflict, which can be useful at the hands of policymakers.

The Calculus and Quotients of Social Illiteracy: Equations of Race, Responsibility & Critical-Ethical Literacy in Schools

Should students in public schools learn to think critically about racial (in)justice and social (in)equity? The results of a recent mixed methods survey for educators revealed that a significant number of teachers did not believe they were responsible for helping their students develop the skills to critically analyze and respond to social injustice. Quantitative data showed that most of the educators who responded unfavorably, self-identified as “White” teachers of mostly White students; while most of the White teachers of mostly African American students held the opposite belief. Qualitative data provided some context for the rationales informing the divergent beliefs of these White teachers. Utilizing a combination of grounded theory and coding methods, I explore, illustrate, and analyze the responses of both sets of White teachers in an effort to illuminate and contextualize their articulated beliefs. Then, I interrogate the findings in light of their emergence along racial strata, using insights from scholarship in Critical Whiteness Studies and Critical Literacy/Pedagogy. Then I discuss their implications with reference to Robert Starratt’s “Virtue of Responsibility” and current theories of antiracist education. I conclude with a call for improving the educational experiences and societal outcomes of all students by naming and disrupting social illiteracy, championing critical-ethical literacy and encouraging an antiracist ethos.

Mass Media as the Key Space for Preaching and Defending Christian Personalism

Since the invention of print, the media have been increasingly influencing individual and social awareness. They seem apt to undo, in a relatively short period of time, whatever good the upbringing and authorities of a high moral standard have instilled into a person. However, the media can also support the development of this good in a significant way. They are a powerful tool that everyone has to reckon with, they are a place to exchange all sorts of ideas – from the worst to the best. That is the reason why anyone who wants to proclaim the principle of Christian personalism in society should try to think through how to wisely use them to spread the message. However, this message will inevitably meet with strong opposition from people who have opposite beliefs and from the media they own, as they have made them a fundamental place for the struggle for power and dominion over human consciousness. This article, written on the basis of theoretical considerations, but also the rich media experience of the author, attempts to provide practical advice on these matters. The article explains the common structure of all such opposition that follows the pattern of the very loud media case of Fr. Krzysztof Charamsa (in which the author was himself deeply entangled), Tygodnik Powszechny and Gazeta Wyborcza which supported him. In this way, the article shows the mechanisms of manipulation of contemporary media, but also the remedies available.

Perception of public opinion on global warming and the role of opinion deviance

People tend to perceive their own opinions to be especially prevalent among others, especially among members of their ingroups. This paper proposes that this process operates differently in groups with prominent figures who take public stances on issues (opinion cues) that suggest what group members do or should think when some members of such groups are opinion deviant, meaning that their own opinions differ from their group's opinion cues. Two studies of Democrats', Republicans', and Independents' perceptions of others' views on global warming in two national surveys of probability samples of American adults (N = 804 in 2012, and N = 1000 in 2018) showed that whereas partisans whose own beliefs aligned with the opinion cues of their political party perceived their own beliefs to be more prevalent among members of their own party and perceived the opposite belief to be more prevalent among members of the other party, opinion deviants (e.g., Republicans who believe that global warming has been happening) did not. Furthermore, aligned partisans perceived a larger partisan gap than opinion deviants. This research illuminates a new way in which group membership affects perceptions of public opinion on environmental issues and suggests novel strategies for climate change communication.

Confirmation Bias in Social Networks

I propose a social learning model that investigates how confirmatory bias affects public opinion when agents exchange information over a social network. For that, besides exchanging opinions with friends, individuals observe a public sequence of potentially ambiguous signals and they interpret it according to a rule that accounts for confirmation bias. I first show that, regardless the level of ambiguity and both in the case of a single individual or of a networked society, only two types of opinions might be formed and both are biased. One opinion type, however, is necessarily less biased (more efficient) than the other depending on the state of the world. The size of both biases depends on the ambiguity level and the relative magnitude of the state and confirmatory biases. In this context, long-run learning is not attained even when individuals interpret ambiguity impartially. Finally, since it is not trivial to ascertain analytically the probability of emergence of the efficient consensus when individuals are connected through a social network and have different priors, I use simulations to analyze its determinants. Three main results derived from this exercise are that, in expected terms, i) some network topologies are more conducive to consensus efficiency, ii) some degree of partisanship enhances consensus efficiency even under confirmatory bias and iii) open-mindedness, i.e. when partisans agree to exchange opinions with other partisans with polar opposite beliefs, might harm efficiency in some cases.

JUAN RIVANO: FILÓSOFO LATINOAMERICANO DEL RIESGO

<p>La pretensión central de este artículo es instalar algunos de los planteamientos del filósofo chileno Juan Rivano dentro de las filosofías de la liberación latinoamericanas. Una cuestión relevante para debatir será la afirmación de que la filosofía que se hace en Chile suele estar situada en el contexto latinoamericano, lo cual favorecerá la discusión académica, ya que muchos piensan que esto no es así.</p>

A Financial Analysis Approach on the Promotion of Peace through Economic Interdependence

The question of whether economic interdependence promotes peace is more than ever relevant once and again due to a series of conflicts around the globe. Two schools advocate the two opposite beliefs; these are Realism and Liberalism. The former supports that economic interdependence does not necessarily promote peace, whereas the latter trusts that it does. In our paper, we use a financial analysis—econometric approach to realize that there is evidence that supports that economic interdependence between two states in conflict does not promote peace since it has no significant impact on the configuration of the conflict. Consequently, it does not provide a significant enhancement in the levels of national security.

Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety among 2nd Year Baccalaureate Students in Morocco

This study investigates the causes and manifestations of foreign language speaking anxiety among Moroccan 2nd year baccalaureate students and the strategies that can help reduce it. It aims at examining students’ and teachers’ beliefs regarding the use of information communication technology (ICT henceforth) enhanced speaking activities as a possible strategy that can alleviate foreign language speaking anxiety. To achieve this aim, the study employed a convergent mixed method design in which two questionnaire surveys, focus-group interviews and direct classroom observations were used to collect data from a sample of 212 students and 34 teachers. The results obtained reveal that second year baccalaureate students demonstrate moderate levels of foreign language classroom anxiety (N: 218, Mean: 97.67, S D = 21.519), as measured by the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS), and a high level of speaking anxiety (N=218, Mean= 47.55). Moreover, the study yielded thorough lists of perceived causes of foreign language speaking anxiety and strategies which can help alleviate it. Different speaking anxiety manifestations were also identified. Additionally, this study revealed that teachers and students hold opposite beliefs regarding the use of ICT enhanced activities to reduce FL speaking anxiety..

Teachers’ beliefs about improving transfer of algebraic skills from mathematics into physics in senior pre-university education

ABSTRACTStudents in senior pre-university education encounter difficulties in the application of mathematics into physics. This paper presents the outcome of an explorative qualitative study of teachers’ beliefs about improving the transfer of algebraic skills from mathematics into physics. We interviewed 10 mathematics and 10 physics teachers using a semi-structured questionnaire that was based on an algebraic transfer problem. Almost all teachers acknowledged this transfer problem and considered it to be important. We found a continuum of teachers’ beliefs about aspects influencing transfer, including beliefs on improving this transfer. Together with identified improvement aspects about coherent mathematics education, these may help reduce physics teachers’ frustrations who spend extra time on re-teaching mathematics. Teachers think that transfer does not happen, because students see both subjects as separate disciplines. Contrary to most physics teachers, most mathematics teachers do not feel the need to collaborate with physics teachers. We found two extreme, opposite beliefs about the transfer of algebraic skills into physics. An intermediate group believes that only an integrated approach can solve the transfer problem. Some of the teachers’ beliefs could be organised into a beliefs system. Further research could investigate to which extent such beliefs systems exist and which beliefs these contain.

Judicial tyranny or American justice? How partisan news’ coverage of polarizing Supreme Court decisions differs in framing the nation’s highest court

Abstract The U.S. Supreme Court is isolated from the public, yet dependent on high levels of public support to maintain its legitimacy. Due to its distance, the media has great control over how the nation’s highest court is presented to the public. Partisan news outlets cater their stories to audiences with distinct ideological beliefs, reinforcing them while opposing opposite beliefs. This can lead to partisan polarization, which has previously been exclusive to the political realm. However, recent polls have revealed an existing party gap in the Supreme Court’s level of public support, which implies a politicization of the judiciary branch. When the Supreme Court appears to be just another political institution or simply an extension of the other two governmental branches, its integrity is greatly impaired, and, as a consequence, the public’s confidence in the Justices is likely to deteriorate. This study analyzes Fox News’ and MSNBC’s news coverage of two pollogical stance aligns with the Court’s decision, the Supreme Court is presented as an apolitical institution, whereas it is politicized when the decision is contrary the channel’s partisan stance. This implies that the partisan divide, once only common to the political realm has now reached the judiciary.

Male perspectives on FGM among communities of African heritage in Italy

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the attitudes, knowledge and beliefs regarding female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) of six groups of immigrant men from countries where FGM/C is practiced and to identify their role in the decision-making process of circumcising their daughters.Design/methodology/approach– The study took the form of qualitative action research with seven focus groups of 50 men coming from Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Benin, Egypt and Nigeria, living in Florence, Italy.Findings– Different conceptions, cultures and attitudes about FGM/C exist among men coming from different countries, but also within the same community. The participants expressed positions both in favor and against the maintenance of the practice. There were opposite beliefs about the religious motivations invoked.Research limitations/implications– The study is qualitative and the non-probability sample and the small number of participants are important limitations.Practical implications– The study improves current knowledge on men’s role and attitude in FGM/C and gives important information for the prevention of future activities that could include both men and women of the community.Social implications– The need to involve men in preventive actions against FGM/C has been underlined by the World Health Organization. The involvement of men and leaders of the communities could facilitate cultural changes toward the abandoning of these practices. FGM/C is often considered as a phenomenon concerning only women, who are frequently left alone to face the decision of whether to abandon the ritual.Originality/value– The great advantage of conducting such a study in a country of migration is the presence of different communities, with different cultural views, in the same area.

A subjective evidence model for influence maximization in social networks

This paper introduces the notion of subjective evidence, which fuels a new parallel cascade influence propagation model. The model sheds light on the phenomena of belief reinforcement and viral spread of innovations, rumors, opinions, etc., in social networks. Network actors are assumed to be testing a Bayesian hypothesis, e.g., for making judgment about the superiority of some product(s) or service(s) over others, or (dis)utility of a given program/policy. The model-based influence maximization solutions inform the strategies for market niche selection and protection, and identification of susceptible groups in political campaigning. The NP-Hard problem of influential seed selection is first solved as a mixed-integer program. Second, an efficient Lagrangian Relaxation heuristic with guaranteed bounds is presented. In small, medium and large-scale computational investigations, we analyze: (1) how the success of an influence cascade triggered in a (sub)community, long exposed to an opposite belief, depends on the structural properties of the underlying social network, (2) to what extent growing (increasing the density of) a consumer network within a market niche helps a company protect the niche, (3) given a competitor׳s strength, when a company should counter the competitor on “their turf”, and when and how it should look for limited-time opportunities to maximally profit before eventually surrendering the market.

Attitudinal factors protective against youth smoking: an integrative review.

This review examines recent literature with the purpose of uncovering associations between attitudinal factors and smoking among youth populations. Researchers conducted an integrative review of the literature in late 2012 and early 2013. As inclusion criteria, potential articles were measured against the following statement: "There is valid evidence of (an) attitudinal factor(s) potentially associated with smoking among youth." Researchers employed the salutogenic model as a theoretical framework to analyze search results. The narrative synthesis indicates that primary attitudinal factors protective against smoking among youth include the following: (a) a perception that there is little benefit to smoking, (b) a belief that smoking is likely harmful and addictive in the short term, and (c) a denial that smoking provides stress abatement, makes one look cool or more grown-up, or is common and accepted. Moreover, research signals that youth who smoke often demonstrate essentially the opposite beliefs and attitudes. Findings suggest attitudinal factors play a role in protection against youth smoking. Those youth who assign realistic values to smoking risks and benefits are more equipped to engage in the health-protective behavior of not smoking. Youth, adolescents, and young adults appear vulnerable to inappropriate designation of risk and benefit values of smoking. Theoretical interpretation suggests that bolstering attitudinal factors during youth might counteract immature risk assessment. These findings justify further research related to protective mechanisms against youth smoking and youth-based smoking prevention interventions. The establishment of associations between attitudinal factors and protection against smoking can help determine interventions effective in reducing smoking among youth.

There is insufficient evidence to recommend lens extraction as a treatment for primary open-angle glaucoma: an evidence-based perspective

Cataract extraction in primary open-angle glaucoma has not been thought to provide a clinically useful or predictable decrease in IOP. This concept has now been challenged, with the opposite belief being promulgated: namely, that lens exchange should be considered as treatment for glaucoma. This revelation could bring a significant change in the glaucoma treatment paradigm. There are no randomised controlled trials to guide the role of lens extraction in primary open-angle glaucoma. The available evidence suggests at most a modest reduction in IOP from cataract extraction - greater in the presence of pseudoexfoliation - which is likely to be of marginal benefit, and only in milder forms of open-angle glaucoma. There is currently no evidence of any quality to suggest that lens extraction routinely represents a clinically useful treatment for primary open-angle glaucoma.

PERCEPTIONS OF HEALTH RISK AND SMOKING DECISIONS OF YOUNG PEOPLE

Using the Annenberg Perception of Tobacco Risk Survey 2, this paper finds that perceived risk deters smoking among persons aged 14-22 years who think that it is relatively difficult to quit smoking and that onset of deleterious health effects occurs relatively quickly. Perceived health risk, however, does not affect the smoking status of young people who hold the opposite beliefs. These results are consistent with predictions of rational addiction models and suggest that young people, who view smoking as more addictive and health effects as more immediate, may have greater incentive to consider long-term health effects in their decision to smoke.

How Goals and Beliefs Lead People into and Out of Depression

There is evidence that beliefs (cognitive vulnerabilities) and goals (to prove self-worth) contribute to depression but little consideration of how they work in tandem. Synthesizing research on beliefs and goals leads us to four propositions: (a) People with cognitive vulnerabilities often adopt self-worth goals (seeking to prove self-worth and to avoid proof of worthlessness). People with the opposite beliefs often adopt learning goals. (b) Stressors trigger depression largely because they lead people with self-worth goals to focus narrowly on goals to avoid proof of worthlessness. The same stressors do not lead people with learning goals to become depressed. (c) People with goals to avoid proof of worthlessness adopt defensive self-handicapping behaviors (e.g., effort withdrawal, rumination) when dealing with stressors, because those behaviors serve their goals. The same stressors lead people with learning goals to adopt constructive, problem-solving strategies. (d) A key to alleviating depression is fostering a shift from self-worth goals to learning goals and from the beliefs underlying self-worth goals to the opposite beliefs.

Government Learning in German and British European Policies*

AbstractWhy do some governments change their policies toward European integration while other national positions endure? Governments may change their policies even while the governmental parties remain the same. This article focuses on the explanatory capacities of policy learning, and thereby develops some contra‐intuitive theses concerning the impact of political systems. Under some circumstances even the existence of many veto‐players with opposite belief systems may increase the probability of learning.