Role In Social Interactions Research Articles

Endocannabinoid function and affective touch perception in trauma and non-trauma-exposed humans

Touch serves an important role in social interactions, as well as regulating our stress response. In particular, C-tactile CT afferent nerve fibres facilitate the pleasant characteristics of touch and are thus thought to serve an important function as a stress buffer. However, individuals with trauma may respond differently to touch. Emerging evidence suggests that the endocannabinoid (eCB) system is involved in both stress processing and social functioning. Thus, the eCB system may influence touch processing. In study one, we looked at preferences for affective touch in individuals with documented childhood trauma (N=52) or no trauma history (N=49). We also assessed variations of the endocannabinoid ligand anandamide (AEA). In a separate study with healthy participants (N=46), we examined whether pharmacological enhancement of AEA had an impact on affective touch processing. In study one, trauma exposure was associated with marginally higher AEA levels. However, we found no significant interactions between affective touch preference and the trauma group. We observed an interaction between affective touch and AEA such that decreased preference for CT-touch was associated with higher levels of AEA. In study two, we similarly found an interaction between preference for CT-optimal touch and AEA, where the high AEA group displayed less preference for affective touch. These findings suggest that both AEA and affective touch may play a role in stress buffering. Further studies using clinical populations or conducted during stress could be informative going forward.

A cooperation experiment with white-handed gibbons (Hylobates lar)

Cooperative behaviors among individuals of numerous species play a crucial role in social interactions. There is a special interest in investigating the occurrence of cooperation among apes because this knowledge could also shed light on evolutionary processes and help us understand the origin and development of cooperation in humans and primates in general. Gibbons are phylogenetically intermediate between the great apes and monkeys, and therefore represent a unique opportunity for comparisons. The aim of the present study was to discover whether or not white-handed gibbons (Hylobates lar) show cooperative behaviors. In order to test for the respective behaviors, the gibbons were presented with a commonly used experimental cooperative rope-pulling task. The gibbons in this study did not exhibit cooperative behaviors during the problem-solving task. However, prior training procedures could not be fully completed, hence this project constitutes only the onset of exploring cooperative behaviors in gibbons. Additional behavioral observations revealed that the gibbons spent significantly more time “out of arm’s reach to everyone”, suggesting that they are less often involved in social interactions, than other, more cooperative primates.

Reproductives signature revealed by protein profiling and behavioral bioassays in termite

Proteins are known to be social interaction signals in many species in the animal kingdom. Common mediators in mammals and aquatic species, they have seldom been identified as such in insects' behaviors. Yet, they could represent an important component to support social signals in social insects, as the numerous physical contacts between individuals would tend to favor the use of contact compounds in their interactions. However, their role in social interactions is largely unexplored: are they rare or simply underestimated? In this preliminary study, we show that, in the termite Reticulitermes flavipes, polar extracts from reproductives trigger body-shaking of workers (a vibratory behavior involved in reproductives recognition) while extracts from workers do not. Molecular profiling of these cuticular extracts using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry reveals higher protein diversity in reproductives than in workers and a sex-specific composition exclusive to reproductives. While the effects observed with extracts are not as strong as with live termites, these results open up the intriguing possibility that social signaling may not be limited to cuticular hydrocarbons or other non-polar, volatile chemicals as classically accepted. Our results suggest that polar compounds, in particular some of the Cuticular Protein Compounds (CPCs) shown here by MALDI to be specific to reproductives, could play a significant role in insect societies. While this study is preliminary and further comprehensive molecular characterization is needed to correlate the body-shaking triggering effects with a given set of polar compounds, this exploratory study opens new perspectives for understanding the role of polar compounds such as proteins in caste discrimination, fertility signaling, or interspecific insect communication.

Spatial and relational peer effects on environmental behavioral imitation

From a behavioral perspective, this study investigates the impacts of spatial and relational peer effects on shaping individual environmental behaviors. Utilizing microdata from 53,590 residents in the Netherlands, this study explores the spatial heterogeneity of environmental behaviors at the municipal level. Regression results reveal the existence of peer effects on environmental behavioral imitation among both spatially and relationally proximate peers. The roles of social interactions and observations in reinforcing peer effects are highlighted. A key contribution of this study is its inclusion of spatial dimension in understanding environmental behavioral imitation, taking into account both spatial and relational proximity.

The social challenges of not eating meat: how social interactions shape the role of meat in everyday food practices

It is widely acknowledged that to tackle global climate change, meat consumption needs to be reduced substantially, especially in wealthy nations, such as Denmark. A number of studies inspired by theories of practice have investigated various aspects of food practices and meat consumption, including their trajectories and material basis. However, the role of social interactions in organising food practitioners’ performances is still somewhat under-investigated. This article seeks to make up for this by showing some of the ways food practices are contingent on social interactions between practitioners. The article investigates how the organisation of the performances of food practitioners are produced and reproduced through social interactions with other practitioners and what this means for the role of meat and animal products. This is done through an analysis of data from 27 interviews with young Danes who have reduced or are in the process of reducing their meat consumption and four network focus groups. The analysis shows how procedures, engagements and understandings tied to meat are established and contested through social interactions. This is used to show how differences in arrangements of social encounters provide very different terms for a construction of a mainly plant-based diet as normal. Finally, in the discussion, I argue that arrangements of social encounters can, in a similar way to material arrangements, induce and prefigure certain types of performances, and I discuss the implications of the results for intervention efforts aimed at reducing meat consumption.

Beyond the visuality of Western architecture. The Chinese home from inward haven to outward representation

This paper aims at discussing the recent evolutions experienced by housing in Contemporary China through the study of the living habits of wealthy families in the fringes of Shanghai and Chongqing. The copycat phenomenon widespread across Chinese cities is one example, on the one hand, of the transformations of social uses of the house which gains a dimension of visibility; and, on the other hand, of an object that so far has been studied only through Western-centred conceptions of visuality and materiality. This research offers a different perspective, one of the inhabitants of neighbourhoods with exotic atmospheres. The analysis of the discourse of the residents as well as their daily practices of space appropriation and home decoration reveals that the house plays a new role in social interactions. As a social mean of representing the status of its occupants, the outside part of the building, its surroundings and some of the interior are assigned a visual dimension destined to the outside viewers and guests of the family, transforming the relationships between the public and private spheres which duality do not match the one of what is visible and what is invisible. Contrariwise to general views about the Western style neighbourhoods, what is offered to the view does not convey a process of westernisation or acculturation of the daily life, but expresses the will for a liberation from certain social constraints experienced in the former place of residency. The Chinese contemporary home is then, among this wealthier part of the population where domestic space is a valuable resource, the place of production of a new urbanity where different forms of sociality and representations coexist.

The Relationship between Empathic Deficits and Risk of Antisocial Personality Disorder

Individuals with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) account for 2-3% of the overall population, jeopardizing society by violating the laws, mistreating others with disregard, and even more severe attacks. Though with abundant research investigating the etiology of ASPD, empathy, as a critical feature of people with ASPD, has been neglected. Empathy, broadly referring to the ability to perceive others’ feelings and thoughts, plays a vital role in social interactions. Lack of empathy might lead to less prosocial functions and reinforce antisocial behaviors. Hence, the present review sorted the previous studies regarding the relationship between empathetic traits and the development of antisocial personality disorder from the aspects of different dimensions of empathy, direct causation, and neural activity. In general, one dimension of empathy—empathetic concern was found related to the formation of ASPD. Prosociality and parental behaviors are indirectly related to ASPD by affecting empathetic abilities. Innate empathy deficit in toddlerhood also accounts for the ASPD. From the neural aspect, activities in the amygdala, anterior insula, and connectivity between the bilateral amygdala and PCC and precuneus are found to correlate with ASPD while processing emotional cues. Though the relationship between empathy and ASPD is determined, future investigation should focus on other empathy dimensions, detailed findings for different levels of CU traits, and better reliability through assessment. In general, this review might contribute to the prevention and intervention of ASPD by attaching more importance to empathetic traits and parental guidance.

The Muscle-Readers, a Historical Sketch

The notion that subtle nonverbal cues play an important role in social interaction is relatively uncontroversial. What the upper bounds of this capacity might be, however—how much and what kind of information can be conveyed through these channels—remains unclear and, at present, under-explored. In the present work, we consider possible answers to the question and ways in which it could be addressed by considering an historical line of investigation known as muscle reading. Spurred by public interest in mentalism and the specific popularity of thought-readers, researchers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries began investigating the possibility that information about our thoughts and inclinations could be “read” from muscle tension, unconscious vocalizations, and other subtle cues. While covering some of the same ground as contemporary research on nonverbal communication, the literature of this era contains many reports that go well beyond this. Feats such as locating a hidden object, guessing the suit of a card, and determining words or names held in another’s mind were said to be achieved in controlled conditions or by academic researchers themselves. In some cases, subtle but telling movements were also said to be captured by early biometric apparatuses. While we believe that such claims should be interpreted with caution, we contend that the reports of these early researchers should not be dismissed merely because of their age and that a better understanding of this literature offers important leads for investigators today.

Impact of Malocclusion on children studying in Government High Schools in Mardan

The facial looks have an impact on self-esteem and emotional well-being, playing an important role in social interactions. Changing in these functions will therefore affect the standard of living of children. Objective: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of malocclusion on psychological well-being on school going children using the OASIS aged between 13-17 years attending government high schools in Mardan District. Methods: This was a Descriptive Cross-Sectional Survey conducted at the government schools of Mardan. It was carried out within a period of six month from December, 2021 till May 2022 after consent from Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Bacha Khan Medical College, Mardan vide No. 39/2021/ERB. The sample was chosen using a random cluster sampling technique with probability related to size. The design effect was taken into account as the cluster sampling approach was applied, and a sample size of 850 was achieved. (600 boys and 250 girl participants were involved respectively from government high schools). Results: A total of 850 subjects were included in the study of which there were 600 (70%) males and 250 (30%) were females. The age range was 13-17 years with a mean age 15 years +1.37 (S.D) years. Conclusions: Angle’s malocclusion was established in 73.1% of the subjects. The least affected psychologically was normal occlusion with (100%) good psychological well-being followed by Angle’s class I malocclusion having good psychological well-being (76.8%).

Dangerous or Goodly Passions: The Role of Emotion in Parliament and Politics

Dangerous or Goodly Passions: The Role of Emotion in Parliament and Politics

Deaf Identity Under Pressure: Experiences of Deaf Persons in Iceland.

Over the past decades, changes in technology and policy have made developing and maintaining identity and community increasingly challenging for Deaf individuals. This is particularly obvious in Iceland, where the Deaf community is threatened in its existence. This paper reports on an empirical study that explores how Deaf individuals experience developing and maintaining a positive identity in various areas, including family life, working life, and social life. The study approaches deaf identities as multifaceted and dynamic, and particular emphasis is placed on the role of social interactions in identity-related processes. Qualitative interviews were conducted among members of the Icelandic Deaf community and analyzed using a phenomenological approach. The results indicate that social interactions within the Deaf community are a key factor in developing and maintaining Deaf identity. However, decreasing numbers in the Deaf community make its members explore other opportunities, and they experience being Deaf in Iceland as an insecure identity.

Ensayo para el rastreo performático de la materia. Discursividad y agencia de lo residual-precario en una práctica artística situada

From the visual arts we are in a position to problematize those figures that, in every social order, are diverted from hegemonic narratives with the purpose of keeping hidden the frac- tures of the prevailing “normality”. In this case, located in the downtown area of the city of Córdoba, Argentina we complexize situations that, due to their permanence and insistence, end up being naturalized and absorbed as part of the local scenario, invisibilized and ejected towards the margins of an existential abyss. With the objective to understand and question how the means of production, the modes of consumption and the logics of work –gears of material culture– impact on the construction of identities and life trajectories, a tracing of precarious and residual materialities is carried out. This practice follows the Latourian approach that understands things as actants –non human entities that play an active role in social interaction– involved in the process, as they are the shuttles that connect points of meaning in the fabric of realities.

Multiclass classification of Ethiopian coffee bean using deep learning

Ethiopia is the homeland of Coffee Arabica. Coffee is the major export commodity and a high-income source of foreign currency for the country. In addition to this, coffee has a great role in social interaction between people and is also a source of income for the coffee-producing farmers. Several types of coffee beans grow in Ethiopia. These beans are distinct from each other in terms of quality, color, shape etc. based on their geographical origins. Classification of these coffee beans are based on growing origin, altitude, bean shape and color, preparation method and others. However, the quality of the coffee beans is determined by visual inspection, which is subjective, laborious, and prone to error. This creates the necessity for the development of an automatic method that is precise, non-destructive and objective. Thus, this research aims to develop a model that classifies coffee beans of six different origins of Ethiopia (Jimma, Limmu, Nekemte, Yirgacheffe, Bebeka, and Sidama) in to nine classes. The dataset for this research is collected from the Ethiopian Coffee Quality Inspection and Auction Center (ecqiac). This research followed design science research (dsr) to investigate the problem. Image processing and the state-of-the-art deep-learning techniques were employed to automatically classify coffee bean images into nine different classes grown in six different regions of Ethiopia. A total of 8646 coffee bean images were collected and 1190 images were added using augmentation to make the total dataset 9836. The model is trained and tested by tuning the hyper-parameters of the cnn algorithm. When 80% of the dataset is used for training, 10% for validation, and the remaining 10% for testing, the proposed model achieved a 99.89% overall classification accuracy with 0.92% generalization log-loss. In conclusion, the result of this research shows that deep learning is an effective technique for classification of Ethiopian coffee beans and can be implemented in the coffee industry.

Learning from others is good, with others is better: the role of social interaction in human acquisition of new knowledge.

Learning in humans is highly embedded in social interaction: since the very early stages of our lives, we form memories and acquire knowledge about the world from and with others. Yet, within cognitive science and neuroscience, human learning is mainly studied in isolation. The focus of past research in learning has been either exclusively on the learner or (less often) on the teacher, with the primary aim of determining developmental trajectories and/or effective teaching techniques. In fact, social interaction has rarely been explicitly taken as a variable of interest, despite being the medium through which learning occurs, especially in development, but also in adulthood. Here, we review behavioural and neuroimaging research on social human learning, specifically focusing on cognitive models of how we acquire semantic knowledge from and with others, and include both developmental as well as adult work. We then identify potential cognitive mechanisms that support social learning, and their neural correlates. The aim is to outline key new directions for experiments investigating how knowledge is acquired in its ecological niche, i.e. socially, within the framework of the two-person neuroscience approach. This article is part of the theme issue 'Concepts in interaction: social engagement and inner experiences'.

Face masks have a limited effect on the feeling of being looked at.

Wearing face masks has been promoted as an effective measure to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Because face masks cover a major part of the face, they have detrimental effects on various aspects of social cognition. Yet, a highly important feature of the face is not occluded by face masks: the eyes. The eyes play an important role in social interactions: knowing where another person is looking is of central importance when interacting with others. Recent research has reported an attentional shift toward the eye region as a consequence of the widespread exposure to face masks. However, no study has yet investigated the influence of face masks on the perception of eye gaze direction. Here we investigated whether face masks have an effect on the feeling of being looked at. Assuming an attentional shift toward the eyes, we might expect more accurate gaze perception in faces wearing face masks. Sixty-five participants decided for a series of realistic avatar faces whether each face was making eye contact or not. Half of the faces wore face masks, the other half did not. For each participant and separately for each condition (mask vs. no mask), we calculated the cone of direct gaze (CoDG), a commonly used measure to quantify the range of gaze angles within which an observer assumes mutual gaze. Contrary to our expectations, results show that mutual gaze is not recognized more accurately in masked faces. Rather, the CoDG was, on average, slightly wider for faces wearing masks compared to faces without masks. Notwithstanding the relatively small effect of face mask, these findings potentially have implications on our social interactions. If we inadvertently feel looked at by an onlooker, we may react inappropriately by reciprocating the alleged approach orientation.

On the Newen’s Person Model Theory

Introduction. Strategies for understanding another person, which play an important role in social interactions, are focused on recognizing the mental states of the person who is under consideration. These various strategies require a general theoretical conceptualization. One of attempts of this kind of conceptualization is carried out by A. Neven's person model theory. This theory is a subject of our investigation and the aim of this study is to critically analyze A. Neven's person model theory and demonstrate its advantages and disadvantages in comparison with other approaches.Methodology and sources. A. Neven's approach is compared with three competing approaches: folk psychology theory, A. Goldman's simulation theory, and S. Gallagher's interaction theory. Conceptual analysis shows that these theories face a number of serious difficulties, which are discussed in article.Results and discussion. Based on our analysis, we conclude that none of these three theories can be accepted as universal. At the same time, A. Newen's person model theory suggests a multiple strategy for understanding another person and seeks to incorporate the merits of other theories. Thus, the main advantage of this approach is that it allows us to consider the process of understanding another person not as a predetermined one, but as a variable dynamic process. Conclusion. This approach allows considering as a person not only an adult, but also a collective of people, as well as artificial intelligence, which has a great importance for the further improvement of moral practices. At the same time, the person model theory is not devoid of weaknesses; however, when overcoming them, it is able to present the most complete mechanism for understanding the personality

The Role of Special Assistant Teachers on Speech Delay Students' Social Interaction in Elementary Schools

This research is motivated by the importance of social interaction that starts early. So that special assistant teachers play a role in improving the social interaction skills of speech delay students. The purpose of this study was to determine the application of the role of the special assistant teacher to the social interaction of speech delay students and the obstacles of the special assistant teacher (GPK) in implementing their duties on the social interaction of speech delay students. The researcher uses a case study qualitative research method. Data collection techniques used are non-participant observation, structured interviews, and documentation. The research subjects are special accompanying teachers and their accompanying speech delay students. The result of the research is that special assistant teachers play a role in social interaction by accompanying students, ensuring student activity and guiding students to be able to socialize by slowly eliminating their egocentric nature. The obstacle for GPK in implementing its duties is that when the ATF is critical, it is difficult to accept suggestions from others. So that it can be said that social interactions arise due to imitation factors and suggestions given by GPK.

Effects of Ambient Illuminance on Explicit and Implicit Altruism: The Mediation Roles of Perceived Anonymity and Satisfaction with Light.

Ambient light plays a key role in social interactions, and the effects of ambient light on explicit altruism have been widely documented. However, whether ambient light affects implicit altruism and the potential mechanisms underlying the effect remain largely unknown. The current study aimed to explore the effects of ambient illuminance on explicit and implicit altruism simultaneously, and to determine the potential mediation role of subjective mood, state self-control perceived anonymity and satisfaction with light. A one-factor (Illuminance: dim (100 lx) vs. bright (1000 lx) at eye level), between-subjects design was employed in the current study, during which seventy-eight undergraduates (52 females, 18-25 years old) were assigned to two groups, with participants in each group undergoing both the dictator game assessing explicit altruism and the implicit association test (IAT) assessing implicit altruism under one of two illuminance conditions. Meanwhile, subjective mood, state self-control, perceived anonymity and satisfaction with light were also assessed with questionnaires at the beginning or/and at the end of the experiment. Results revealed that participants tended to allocate more money in the dictator game and showed a higher state self-control, satisfaction with light and lower perceived anonymity under bright versus dim illuminance condition, whereas the performance in IAT and subjective mood revealed no statistically significant effects of illuminance. The promoting effect of bright illuminance on explicit altruism was partially mediated by perceived anonymity and satisfaction with light, but not by state self-control. These findings suggest that ambient light holds the potential to regulate psychological well-being and thus facilitate prosocial behavior, but such benefits are dependent on the type of task.

The effects of being racially, ethnically, & socioeconomically different from peers

Classroom diversity in observable characteristics has been shown in prior literature to have different effects on the educational and behavioral outcomes of students with observable characteristics that differ from their peers. Given that similarity in observable characteristics plays a critical role in social interactions (homophily), students may experience social costs to being racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically very different from their peers. We test these implications using reduced form regressions on Add Health data, where identification comes from exogenous variation in the demographic composition of grades within a school. Empirical findings suggest that students who are more socioeconomically different from same-gender peers are less happy, feel less socially accepted, and do worse academically, particularly in low diversity environments. However, racially different students put forth more effort by participating in extracurricular activities when diversity is low. High diversity environments generate more nonconformity (e.g., altercations with other students) among racially different students, although academic outcomes improve. The results highlight the complexity and importance of considering group composition when weighing policy initiatives that alter the distribution of student types across high schools.

Trust as the glue of cognitive institutions

ABSTRACT In this paper we consider the importance of trust, in the context of economic institutions, and specifically with respect to questions about market mechanisms and the role of social interactions. We review recent advances in institutional economics closely tied to developments in philosophy of mind and cognitive science, involving extended and enactive cognition. We argue that the analysis of different conceptions of institutional mind extension, in Denzau and North’s shared mental models, Clark’s extended mind, and a more enactive approach that emphasizes the importance of social interaction and personal relationships, can benefit from Kathrine Hawley’s distinction between reliability and trust. Institutional arrangements based solely on the reliability of impersonal mechanisms can lead to a variety of social pathologies and, at the extreme, a form of cognitive atrophy, all of which can undermine the sustainability of institutions. Even if trust comes with risks and some degree of unpredictability, it turns out to be a necessary glue-like ingredient in the constitution of social institutions.