Human Phenomena Research Articles

The Integration of Arts-Based Research Methods in Scientific Studies

Arts-based research (ABR) integrates creative and artistic practices into academic research, offering novel methodologies that enrich scientific inquiry. This interdisciplinary approach enables the exploration of complex human experiences, emotions, and phenomena through mediums like visual art, drama, poetry, and music. This paper examines the benefits and challenges of integrating arts-based research into scientific studies, highlighting its capacity to elicit deeper, embodied insights that complement traditional methods. While ABR fosters innovative data collection and engagement, it faces skepticism regarding rigor and validity in the scientific community. This study examines how the collaboration between scientists and artists can bridge these challenges, emphasizing best practices for effective integration. The paper concludes by offering examples of successful arts-based research in scientific contexts and suggests strategies for future implementation. Keywords: Arts-based research, Interdisciplinary research, Artistic methodologies, Scientific inquiry, Creative expression, Data collection.

A faith in science: Gardner Murphy and parapsychology

Historians have noted that many 19th-century founders and members of psychic societies were clergy, or had fathers who were clergy, seeking evidence for the survivalist hypothesis. One such member, psychologist Gardner Murphy, was influenced in childhood both by the Episcopalian faith of his father and the Transcendentalism of his mother's hometown, Concord, Massachusetts. We propose that these religious and philosophical influences, as well as his childhood experiences informed his life's work. They also prompted Gardner Murphy to focus on the survivalist hypothesis and commit to discovering a scientific approach that might yield evidence of paranormal phenomena. Murphy was highly respected for his biosocial theory of personality and his contributions to the discipline of psychology, even while he persisted in studying parapsychology, an area of contention in the relatively new science of psychology. He drew on the potential synergy of world religions and philosophical traditions as a means of understanding human behavior – in each case revealing him as the polymath and ethical humanist for which he is remembered. Like William James, he viewed reported psychic experiences as simply another human phenomenon to be examined using the scientific method. His ability to entwine these interests seems motivated by his religious upbringing and academic training in the sciences.

EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF FOOD INSECURITY AMONG WOMEN AFFECTED BY HIV AND AIDS IN MUFAKOSE SUBURBS IN HARARE, ZIMBABWE

Food insecurity and HIV/AIDS are two intertwined pandemics ravaging Zimbabwe, disproportionately affecting women. The triple challenges such as unemployment, poverty and inequality steeped in unethical leadership and misgovernance exacerbate the preceding twin pandemic of HIV/AIDS and food insecurity in Zimbabwe. To mitigate the abovementioned challenge, the multilateral and the bilateral stakeholders in health and food security introduced the multisectoral governance systems in all the United Nations member countries. Notwithstanding the international, regional and local efforts to mitigate both the impact of HIV/AIDS and food insecurity among the women in Zimbabwe, the effects of these twin pandemics have continued to rise among the women and girls in the country. This study investigates the impact of food insecurity on women living with HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe, shedding light on the complex relationships between poverty, nutrition and health. This qualitative study seeks to understand the complexities of human behaviour, experiences and social phenomena in the Mufakose Urban community of Zimbabwe. Women and girls who live with HIV/AIDS between the ages 15 and 49 residing in this community between 2015 and 2017 under antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment were selected as information sources for this study. Twenty (20) informant interviews were conducted, with guided questions aimed at eliciting responses from participants, focusing on household food security. The study established that women living with HIV and AIDS face a plethora of challenges in terms of food insecurity and antiretroviral therapy. This has led to non-adherence for many of them. Most of the women fail to get adequate food and a consistent supply of ARV. Consequently, the study recommends taking a holistic approach to support women living with HIV and AIDS, both medically and nutritionally, without political or undue interference. The study further suggests exploring ways to enable policymakers and government officials to adopt a factual and non-stereotypical tone in supporting people living with HIV and AIDS in Zimbabwe.

الإرهاب السياسي: دراسة اجتماعية تحليلية

Violence has roots that go deep into antiquity, and its use began with the second generation of humanity, when Cain killed his brother Abel, thus committing the first crime in human history. This prompted thinkers, psychologists, and sociologists to say that violence is an instinct inherent in the human self and associated with human nature in its tendency to control and impose influence and domination. There have been many studies that have dealt with the subject of violence and that have come to addressing the subject of terrorism, and we find many of these studies that have defined it, and we also find that some of these studies and some governments, organizations and political figures intentionally and unintentionally confuse in many cases the phenomenon of terrorism with other human phenomena and problems. Other violent forms, such as national resistance, armed liberation movements, political crime, war, and the crime of genocide. In this analytical study, we will determine when terrorism transforms and acquires a political character? By analyzing political terrorism sociologically. We take into consideration two basic elements of this problem. The first is the subject of the phenomenon of political terrorism, or to whom the violent act of political terrorism occurs, and the second is the goal or objectives of practicing the act of political terrorism.

Quantitative physics-physiology relationship modeling of human emotional response to Shu music.

Music perception is one of the most complex human neurophysiological phenomena invoked by sensory stimuli, which infers an internal representation of the structured events present in a piece of music and then forms long-term echoic memory for the music. An intrinsic relationship between the basic acoustic property (physics) of music and human emotional response (physiology) to the music is suggested, which can be statistically modeled and explained by using a novel notion termed as quantitative physics-physiology relationship (QPPR). Here, we systematically analyzed the complex response profile of people to traditional/ancient music in the Shu area, a geographical concept located in the Southwest China and one of three major origins of the Chinese nation. Chill was utilized as an indicator to characterize the response strength of 18 subjects to an in-house compiled repertoire of 86 music samples, consequently creating a systematic subject-to-sample response (SSTSR) profile consisting of 1,548 (18 × 86) paired chill elements. The multivariate statistical correlation of measured chill values with acoustic features and personal attributes was modeled by using random forest (RF) regression in a supervised manner, which was compared with linear partial least square (PLS) and non-linear support vector machine (SVM). The RF model exhibits possessed strong fitting ability (r F 2 = 0.857), good generalization capability (r P 2 = 0.712), and out-of-bag (OOB) predictability (r O 2 = 0.731) as compared to SVM and, particularly, PLS, suggesting that the RF-based QPPR approach is able to explain and predict the emotional change upon musical arousal. It is imparted that there is an underlying relationship between the acoustic physical property of music and the physiological reaction of the audience listening to the music, in which the rhythm contributes significantly to emotional response relative to timbre and pitch. In addition, individual differences, characterized by personal attributes, is also responsible for the response, in which gender and age are most important.

Intestinal diverticula in a domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

Intestinal diverticula are a well-documented phenomenon in humans, but their occurrence and characteristics in domestic rabbits remain underexplored. While pseudodiverticula have been reported in rabbit species, true diverticula—with all layers from mucosa to serosa—are yet to be described. This case report presents a 3-yearold neutered female rabbit with an unusual presentation of true diverticula in the jejunum, leading to diverticulitis and partial intestinal obstruction.

Spatial prediction of armed conflicts from the perspective of political geography using bivariate frequency ratio method (FR) in East African States

Armed conflicts, as significant human phenomena, profoundly impact populations and reflect a state's capacity to fulfill its responsibilities. These conflicts arise from various causes, necessitating robust predictive models to understand their spatial distribution. This study employs the Bivariate Frequency Ratio (FR) method to spatially predict the occurrence of armed conflicts across the East African States, drawing on 42 political geography-related criteria. The development of the predictive model involved classifying the region into five conflict-prone categories influenced by critical political geography factors. Geospatial datasets, curated in a GIS environment, were sourced from approved online portals. The findings indicate that Burundi exhibits the highest vulnerability to armed conflict, followed closely by Rwanda, Uganda, and Somalia. Ethiopia and South Sudan show a moderate risk, while predictions for Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Mozambique suggest lower likelihoods of conflict. The model's accuracy was validated using the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, demonstrating its effectiveness. Furthermore, the model's applicability extends to other regions, offering a valuable tool for global conflict prediction.

Diversity and similarity of near-death experiences across cultures and history: implications for the survival hypothesis

While accounts of near-death experiences (NDEs) are found around the world and throughout history, descriptions of the phenomenon vary widely. Whether arguing for or against the survival hypothesis, most scholarly and scientific discussions of NDEs are predicated on seeing them as either a universal human phenomenon or as an entirely culturally-constructed one. This article will discuss the implications for the survival hypothesis of historical and cross-cultural NDEs, in all their diversity and similarity. On the scientific level, it will consider how the apparent universality of NDEs can be been enlisted to support both survival and materialist hypotheses. On the metaphysical level, this chapter will explore what kind of afterlife might be philosophically conceivable if we were to accept NDE narratives as reflecting genuine afterlife experiences—particularly given all their diversity.

KTz Neuron in Electromagnetic Radiation with a Novel Flux-Controlled Memristor

In this paper, a novel discrete flux-controlled generalized memristor is proposed to be used in Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) KTz neuron. The introduction of flux-controlled memristor can simulate the behavior changes of the neuron under EMR. The stability of flux-controlled memristor EMR KTz Neuron (EKN) map is discussed, and the fixed point of the system is characterized. With the change of parameters, the complex and rich dynamical characteristics of the EKN map are demonstrated. The firing patterns under different initial values are also investigated, and discharge waveforms similar in general shape and structure to human heart and brain disease phenomena are analyzed. Finally, the hardware implementation is verified on the Digital Signal Processing (DSP) platform. The results show that these findings are of great value for the practical applications of neural networks, with a theoretical basis provided.

The efficiency of Complementary Law No. 101 of 05/04/2000 (Fiscal Responsibility Law) in municipal public bodies

The Fiscal Responsibility Law (LRF) is essential to guarantee the financial health and sustainability of public accounts, contributing to the country's economic and social progress. The efficiency of the LRF can be assessed by considering various positive aspects that contribute to improving transparency, balance and efficiency in financial administration. In this context, the general objective of this work is to provide a comprehensive overview of the efficiency of the LRF in the control and transparency of financial accounts, as well as to understand how this legislation influences the functioning of municipal public bodies. In order to achieve the objective, a bibliographical survey was used, focusing on in-depth understanding of human phenomena, processes and experiences through existing writings. As a result of the research, it can be said that in municipal public bodies, the application of the LRF has a direct impact on budgetary, financial and asset management. It establishes limits for personnel expenses, determines transparency in the disclosure of fiscal information, and requires planning and control of public accounts.

Safety signals reinforce instrumental avoidance in humans.

Safety signals reinforce instrumental avoidance behavior in nonhuman animals. However, there are no conclusive demonstrations of this phenomenon in humans. Using human participants in an avoidance task, Experiments 1-3 and 5 were conducted online to assess the reinforcing properties of safety signals, and Experiment 4 was conducted in the laboratory. Participants were trained with CSs+ and CSs-, and they could avoid an aversive outcome during presentations of the CSs+ by pressing their space bar at a specific time. If successful, the aversive outcome was not presented but instead a safety signal was. Participants were then tested-whilst on extinction-with two new ambiguous test CSs. If participants made an avoidance response, one of the test CSs produced the trained safety signal and the other was a control. In Experiments 1 and 4, the control was followed by no signal. In Experiment 2, the control was followed by a signal that differed in one dimension (color) with the trained safety signal, and in Experiment 3, the control differed in two dimensions (shape and color) from the trained safety signal. Experiment 5 tested the reinforcing properties of the safety signal using a choice procedure and a new response during test. We observed that participants made more avoidance responses to the ambiguous test CSs when followed by the trained signal in Experiments 1, 3, 4, and 5 (but not in Experiment 2). Overall, these results suggest that trained safety signals can reinforce avoidance behavior in humans.

Six types of loves differentially recruit reward and social cognition brain areas.

Feelings of love are among the most significant human phenomena. Love informs the formation and maintenance of pair bonds, parent-offspring attachments, and influences relationships with others and even nature. However, little is known about the neural mechanisms of love beyond romantic and maternal types. Here, we characterize the brain areas involved in love for six different objects: romantic partner, one's children, friends, strangers, pets, and nature. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activity, while we induced feelings of love using short stories. Our results show that neural activity during a feeling of love depends on its object. Interpersonal love recruited social cognition brain areas in the temporoparietal junction and midline structures significantly more than love for pets or nature. In pet owners, love for pets activated these same regions significantly more than in participants without pets. Love in closer affiliative bonds was associated with significantly stronger and more widespread activation in the brain's reward system than love for strangers, pets, or nature. We suggest that the experience of love is shaped by both biological and cultural factors, originating from fundamental neurobiological mechanisms of attachment.

Social and Psychological Trauma of Human Trafficking: Albanian Women Case

Human trafficking is a phenomenon with a long history during the centuries. In Albania country, human trafficking has existed for a long time, even during the communist period. The post-communist period has been ranked as the top period for human trafficking and human slavery. As a result of the phenomena of the collapse of communism after 1990, in Albanian society happened so many changes in the field of government and political system, the opening of boundaries toward all countries of the world or free movement toward all countries, liberalisation of the economy, social and cultural changes etc. Most researchers evaluated this period as a transition period in political, social, economic and cultural. So this situation created a good field for developing human trafficking within Albania. Although the human trafficking phenomenon has been explored in the post-communist society, in the transition period till nowadays have been growing and extended more. The functioning of the government and low security made it possible for the mafia to be stronger in human trafficking too. So, Albania has been a bridge country for human trafficking from Eastern countries toward Greece, Italy, European Countries and other countries of the world. Women and children were and are still primary victims of sex slavery and are included in varying sexual activities like prostitution, stripping, sex tourism, pornography etc. In this paper, we are going to explain human trafficking as a type of modern slavery that is formed as sex trafficking. In this case, we are going to discuss the psychological trauma that sex trafficking affects Albanian women. Are these victims still able to continue their own lives? Do they fill their selves ignored by the society where they are living? What are their psychological traumas caused in their character and does this trauma affect their life? Also, we are going to discuss for social trauma that is caused in Albanian society during the human trafficking have happened in the post-communist period till today. What are the pathologies that human trafficking (in this case sex trafficking) brings to Albanian society and the different social actors? Received: 2 June 2024 / Accepted: 25 July 2024 / Published: 29 July 2024

The effect of the physical education program in improving motor coordination and adaptive behavior for students with mild mental disabilities

Mental disability has become viewed as a natural human phenomenon that requires dealing with it in a very positive manner. The mentally disabled have also become viewed as human individuals who deserve more care and attention in their upbringing and education so that they have the ability to adapt to the demands of life and make their way to life. The limits permitted by their abilities and energies. Hence the importance of research into developing the motor compatibility of the disabled child in order to develop adaptive behavior for them. Physical education programs at an early stage for the mentally disabled are of particular importance because the child begins to search for himself and the world around him through motor wandering and motor experiences, so what he has learned becomes a basis. Knowledge is based on and built upon. The research was conducted on a sample of students from the Raja Institute for Mental Disability in the city of Hilla. They are students with mild mental disabilities who are capable of learning for the academic year 2023-2024. The number of students was (20) students who were divided into two equal groups. An experimental design with two groups (experimental and control) was used to achieve the research objectives. The researcher used motor compatibility tests represented by the test (running, digital circles, crawling), and the adaptive behavior scale prepared by the American Association for Mental Disability and which was developed in Jordan by Al-Kilani. And Al-Batsh (2000). The researcher concluded the following: The proposed physical education program has a positive effect in developing motor coordination and adaptive behavior in children with mild mental disabilities (who are capable of learning). Implementing the proposed program for the mentally disabled in addition to preparing special programs for this group, due to its effective impact on developing both motor and cognitive abilities.

The subject of law as a formall-ydogmatic model of human in legal reality: anthropological and legal analysis

The article is devoted to the study of the subject of law as a formal-dogmatic model of a person in legal reality. The process of the doctrinal formation of the subject-legal model is traced, four methodological transitions in the legal view of the subject of law are distinguished. The importance of an anthropological and legal approach to understanding a person and his behavior in modern legal reality is substantiated. The anthropological and legal approach is based on the idea, that law is inherently human phenomenon, the main goal and value of which is the person himself, and not his subject-legal model. In this regard, it is proposed to recognize the official nature of legal-conceptual design in relation to the teachings of a person in law. Despite the fact that the formal-defense method underlies the legal regulation of social relations and the legal means created with its help are a guarantee for a person as the main legal value, nevertheless, it is a person, and not his legal structure, is a central element of legal reality and legal system. To know the anthropological and legal properties of a person and their use in legal regulation, an additional level of legal representation of legal personality in relation to the formal-defendant is proposed.

Relationship of psychological capital, transformational leadership, and internal communication to work engagement in organizations

Organization A, which represents the country in the oil and gas industry and is tasked with managing oil and gas activities in Indonesia to ensure national energy security, requires employees with high work engagement. This requires enthusiasm, dedication, and perseverance to contribute fully to their work. However, human resource management surveys and several phenomena analyzed show that work engagement in Organization A is low. This research consists of two studies: a research study and an intervention study. This research aims to analyze the relationship between psychological capital (individual internal factors), transformational leadership (individual external factors), and internal communication (organizational factors) on work engagement using a sample of 267 employees of Organization A. Using a quantitative design supported by qualitative data, and found that individual psychological capital, transformational leadership style, and internal communication in the organization significantly predicted work engagement. Among these factors, internal communication predicted work engagement beyond psychological capital and transformational leadership. An intervention study involving 23 participants was designed to determine the effectiveness of an internal communication strategy training program in increasing work engagement. Results from the intervention study showed significant improvements in participants' pre-test and post-test scores, indicating the effectiveness of the program in increasing work engagement.

Efektivitas Metode Muroja'ah dalam Menghafal Al-Qur’an Mahasiswa Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Tarbiyah Madani Yogyakarta

Education is an integral part of life, inseparable from it, and crucial for any nation to cultivate high-quality human resources in terms of intelligence, spirituality, and general capabilities as the future generation of the nation. All divine messages originate from the Qur’an, perpetually urging humans to realize their potential and existence. The Qur’an serves as a reminder (adz-dzikir), emphasizing that serious reflection upon its teachings enables profound realization and remembrance. This study explores the significance of Quranic memorization, highlighting its preservation within the hearts of believers even amidst adversity. It emphasizes the methodology of Muraja’ah (repetition) as essential in maintaining Quranic memorization, underscoring its role in fortifying recollection and understanding. The research employs a qualitative approach based on primary data from observations supplemented by secondary data from literature review, aiming to comprehensively understand and portray human and social phenomena. This study contributes insights into effective strategies for Quranic memorization, crucial in spiritual and educational contexts, advocating for systematic approaches to sustain and enhance memorization efforts among learners.

Implementasi Marketing Mix Di Showroom Desata Used Car Dalam Menyusun Strategi Pemasaran

This research aims to understand the marketing strategy implemented by Desata Used Car Showroom in Gresik, East Java, which uses qualitative methods. The focus of the research is on the meaning and in-depth interpretation of human behavior and social phenomena. The research location is at Showroom Desata Used Car with two main informants: RDC (owner) and AF (inspector and marketing). Primary data was collected through observation and discussion forums, while secondary data was obtained from previous studies. Data analysis was conducted using the Miles and Huberman model which includes data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. The results showed that Desata Used Car has implemented a Marketing Mix strategy consisting of product, price, location, and promotion. The product strategy focuses on diversity to meet changing market interests, while the price strategy is adjusted to the condition of the car units being sold. Although the location of the showroom is not considered important by the owner, marketplace platforms such as OLX play an important role in reaching consumers. Promotion strategies are carried out through social media and marketplaces to increase sales. The conclusion of the study indicates that product and promotion strategies have a significant influence on increasing sales. The recommendation for Desata Used Car is to try a more detailed Marketing Mix strategy, such as 7P or 11P, to optimize their marketing efforts.

The Tree-Clan-Individual Concept in Traditional Khakas Culture (Late 19th to Mid-20th Century)

On the basis of ethnographic, folk, and linguistic materials, most of them newly-introduced, the “tree-clan- individual” concept in the Khakas culture is reconstructed and analyzed. The status and image of the tree in their traditional mythological and ritualistic system is assessed. Notions of man and his environment were related to anthropomorphic reasoning, by which natural objects, such as trees, were endowed with human attributes. In their religious-mythological views the tree was identified with a person, with the crown of the tree being the head, the trunk being the body, branches as being arms, sap as being blood, etc. Trees were believed to be either male or female. In the traditional consciousness, human life scenarios were closely paralleled to those of trees. The vegetative code was used to refer to various psychophysical, mental, and other human phenomena. Social norms included special rules in dealing with trees, used in logging. In essence, a tree had to be dealt with like a humanlike being. In mythological thinking, felling a tree was to some degree tantamount to murder. Souls of specific individuals or groups were likewise associated with trees, so each Khakas seok (clan) had a sacred tree. It was an integral part of the burial rite. The tree, then, was a key element in the ideological structure, having a broad semiotic field.

From Big Data to social governance: a discussion across the "double divide"

The emergence of big data has brought the "double divide" dilemma of urban-rural divide and gray divide to the digital divide problem of the aging of migrant workers. In 2021, Chinese scholar Chen Yunsong published Big Data Vision of Humanities and Social Sciences from a Social Perspective. Based on the quantitative research theory at the individual level, this work observes, displays and analyzes macro social processes and human phenomena through massive data. Based on the gradually aging social structure of rural migrant workers in China, this paper focuses on the viewpoints of big data and social governance in Chapter 4 and Chapter 6 of the book, and conducts an empirical study on the "double divide" problem of mobile phone use of elderly rural migrant workers. The research results show that the differences between the elderly migrant workers in urban and rural areas in the willingness, skills and content of mobile phone use have changed, and mobile phone smart application has catalyzed their information differentiation and social stratification to a certain extent. The country needs to eliminate the negative impact caused by the gap pushed by the mobile phone big data algorithm in a variety of feeding ways, so as to effectively implement social governance measures.