Role Of Social Relationships Research Articles

Significant pathological voice discrimination by computing posterior distribution of balanced accuracy

The ability to speak lucidly plays a key role in social relations. Consequently, the role of the larynx is quite important, and timely diagnosis of laryngeal diseases has proved to be crucial. In this study, a simple computational model for inverse of speech production model is employed to extract the glottal waveform using speech signal. This waveform has useful information about vocal folds performance in terms of providing evidence for distinguishing pathological disorders. Furthermore, obtaining the significance of classification results is important, because it leads to reliable inferences. This study utilizes the sustained vowel sound /a/ and a well-referenced database, namely MEEI. In this work, after extraction of six discriminating features by using appropriate signal modeling and processing methods and upon change of the feature space by using Kernel Principal Component Analysis (KPCA), a classifier consisting of Naïve Bayes and Fisher Linear Discriminant, is exerted on the feature sets. Regarding voice pathology detection, the proposed approach achieved a significant classification balanced accuracy 93.6%±0.03 with p-value <0.01 for normal and abnormal classification using the Beta distribution model for the posterior distribution of the average of the cross-validation results. The proposed features are also compared with some conventional features in this field. The results show significant improved performance for the proposed features in discriminating different types of pathological voices.

Multimorbidity Trajectory Classes as Predicted by Race, Ethnicity, and Social Relationship Quality

Growth mixture modeling was used to classify multimorbidity (≥2 chronic conditions) trajectories over a 10-year period (2006-2016) in the Health and Retirement Study (N = 7,151, mean age = 68.6 years). Race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, non-Hispanic White) and social relationship quality (positive social support and negative social exchanges, such as criticisms) were then used to predict trajectory class membership, controlling for age, sex, education, and wealth. We identified three trajectory classes: initial low levels and rapid accumulation of multimorbidity (increasing: 12.6%), initial high levels and gradual accumulation of multimorbidity (high: 19.5%), and initial low levels and gradual accumulation of multimorbidity (low: 67.9%). Blacks were more than twice as likely to be in the increasing (OR = 2.04, CI[1.29,3.21]) and high (OR = 2.28 CI[1.58,3.206]) multimorbidity groups compared with Whites, but there were no significant differences between Hispanics and Whites for either trajectory class (OR = .84 CI[.47,1.51]and OR = .74 CI[.41,1.34], respectively). Increments in perceived support were associated with significantly lower risk of membership in the increasing (OR = .59, CI[.46,.78]) and high classes (OR = .54 CI[.42,.69]), and increments in negative exchanges were associated with significantly higher risk of membership in the increasing (OR = 1.64 CI[1.19,2.25]) and high classes (OR = 2.22 CI[1.64,3.00]). These results provide important new information for understanding health disparities and the role of social relationships associated with multimorbidity in middle and later life that may aid in identifying those most at risk and suggesting possible interventions for mitigating that risk.

A cup of tea? – The role of social relationships, networks and learning in land managers’ adaptations to policy change

Within international and, more specifically, European policy there is a shift towards managing land for multiple benefits and in the public interest. This necessitates greater collaboration between different actors, often with diverging management objectives, across a landscape. Here we present the findings of a qualitative study exploring the influence of social relationships, networks and associated power on land managers’ decision-making, collaborative management and implementation of policy change across a national park in Scotland. We found that social relationships and networks were key in facilitating transformative change in land management but could also consolidate the status quo of land management practices and thus hamper change. Consequently, we observed a polarisation of management practices across the national park shaped by social relationships and networks; with one trend towards an intensification of traditional land use (grouse shooting), and another one towards landscape restoration and nature-based solutions. Top-down collaborative groups, composed of participants with divergent views and perspectives, and designed to promote policy uptake, had not yet improved mutual understanding or social learning. By contrast, voluntary collaboration between like-minded estates strengthened existing views, resulting in polarisation. Poor relationships and distrust between some actors constrained social learning and collaborative decision-making between land managers with diverging interests. However, personal one-to-one relationships, developed over time, between agency staff and land managers could moderate patterns of polarisation, where land managers were amenable and had the capacity to make changes to management.Our research shows that collaborative arrangements may not be the silver bullet for policy uptake or adaptation to change. We instead suggest that a better understanding of where social relationships and trust need to be built would be more effective. Explicit attention should also be placed on the design of collaborative processes to increase the sense of fairness, balance out power dynamics and facilitate social learning.

FINANCIAL AND SOCIAL CHALLENGES FACING PENSIONERS LIVING ALONE BELOW THE POVERTY LINE DURING THE COVID-19 PERIOD: THE CASE OF GEORGIA

Restrictions, physical distancing and lockdown imposed during Covid-19 are associated with many challenges such as financial shortages and lack of social relationships, which have been particularly damaging for vulnerable groups dependent on others. This research aims to study financial and social challenges faced by one of the vulnerable social groups-pensioners living alone below the poverty line during the covid-19 period in four Georgia municipalities (Bolnisi, Dmanisi, Tianeti and Kaspi) in July-August 2020. The survey was conducted with 475 respondents (confidence level 95, interval 4), but 11 questionnaires were discarded due to technical deficiencies. The analysis was performed on 464 data. The study used available sampling where gender (strata) representation was maintained. 78.6% were female and 21.14% male. Overall, the elderly is a fairly vulnerable group in municipalities and across the country. The biggest problem during the pandemic period was a lack of financial resources. The study participants' primary income source is social assistance and various pensions; Thus, the elderly people are financially dependent on state aid. The elderly have limited social relationships; They rarely interact with neighbors, much less with relatives, and even less with friends. The elderly rarely go to the city or village center either. Limited social networking and activities affect the mental health of the elderly. Such a situation is especially noteworthy in a pandemic. There is a positive correlation between limited access to technologies and lack of financial resources that plays a vital role in social relationships among the elderly; Those elderly who cannot afford access to computer/internet and telephone reported higher isolation levels. Keywords: social isolation, Covid-19, pensioners living alone, under poverty line

Ethnic identity commitment and socioemotional well-being among Latinx-origin college students: The influence of maternal and peer relationships

Purpose: Considerable research has noted the association between ethnic identity commitment, which refers to a positive affirmation, sense of belonging and heightened level of engagement to one’s ethnic group, and indices of well-being, but less is known in terms of factors that can explain this link. Research Design: The current study explored the relationship between ethnic identity commitment and indices of well-being, the mediating role of social relationships, and the moderating roles of gender and immigrant generation status. Study Sample: A sample of 707 Latinx college students (79% female, 21% male, M age = 19.08 years, SD age = 1.17, Range: 17.00–25.00) reported on ethnic identity commitment, maternal and peer relationship quality, self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and anxiety. Results: Results suggested that ethnic identity commitment was positively associated with socioemotional well-being. Although both types of relationships were significant mediators on their own, maternal relationship quality had a greater influence. Furthermore, gender and immigrant generation status were not significant moderators of these indirect effects. Conclusions: Findings indicate that committing to one’s ethnic identity enhances socioemotional well-being. They also demonstrate the complex interplay of social relationships and the enduring influence of maternal relationships during early adulthood. Results support the development of efforts geared toward facilitating ethnic identity commitment as well as leveraging the impact of social relationships in a manner that supports Latinx individuals.

Human-Animal Interaction and Perinatal Mental Health: A Narrative Review of Selected Literature and Call for Research.

There is a paucity of research exploring how relationships with household pets may impact maternal mental health. We are unaware of any study to date that has examined associations between individuals’ relationships with their pets and psychological adjustment in the perinatal period. Using a biobehavioral lens, this paper provides a narrative overview of the literature on perinatal mental health and human–animal interaction (HAI). We focus on the role of social relationships, stress, and stress reduction in relation to perinatal mental health; the role of HAI in perceptions of social support, stressors, and stress reduction; and gaps in empirical knowledge concerning the role of HAI in perinatal mental health. Finally, we integrate contemporary biobehavioral models of perinatal mental health and HAI (i.e., Comprehensive Model of Mental Health during the Perinatal Period and the HAI–HPA Transactional Model) to propose a new conceptual framework that depicts ways in which HAI during the perinatal period may influence maternal and child health and wellbeing. To our knowledge, this is the first paper to consider the role of HAI in biobehavioral responses and mental health during the perinatal period. We conclude with recommendations for future research and improved perinatal care.

The role of social ties in collaborative project networks: A tale of two construction cases

Collaborative project delivery models (CPDMs) are increasing in popularity as infrastructure construction projects become more complex and grow in scale and scope. CPDMs build on high levels of trust, information exchange and formal contractual relations, creating complex relationships between actors in the project network. The literature emphasizes the procurement phase and contractual aspects of CPDMs; however, few studies explicitly focus on the role of social relationships in CPDM projects. Social network theory has recently been introduced in the architecture, engineering and construction industry industry to study relationships between network actors, but the role of social ties within CPDM project networks is still unclear. Through two qualitative case studies, we have analyzed the role of social ties in projects applying a CPDM contract. The empirical evidence of 41 semi-structured interviews and observations points to aspects that affect the development of social ties in CPDMs, such as initial project setup, project identification, perception of actors, resource sharing and shared space, as well as the importance of formal and informal ties for supporting collaborative project practices. The evidence shows how social ties develop into negative or positive bonds affecting the level of collaboration. This study contributes by emphasizing the interplay between project networks using CPDMs and social ties.

ESPOTIFY (An Emotion Based Music Player)

Human emotion plays an essential role in social relationships. Emotions are reflected from verbalization, hand gestures of a body, through outward appearances and facial expressions. Music is an art form that soothes and calms the human brain and body. To analyze the mood of an individual, we first need to examine its emotions. If we detect an individual's emotions, then we can also detect an individual's mood. Taking the above two aspects and blending them, our system deals with detecting the emotion of a person through facial expression and playing music according to the emotion detected that will alleviate the mood or calm the individual and can also get quicker songs according to the emotion, saving time from looking up different songs. Different expressions of the face could be angry, happy, sad, and neutral. Facial emotions can be captured and detected through an inbuilt camera or a webcam. In our project, the Fisherface Algorithm is used for the detection of human emotions. After detecting an individual's emotion, our system will play the music automatically based on the emotion of an individual.

Unamuno on suffering and Frankl's 'will to meaning': a philo-logotherapeutic advice to humankind here and beyond and the role of social relations towards mental fitness.

Humankind is both historically and existentially exposed to various traumatic and disastrous experiences including the COVID-19 pandemic. The Spanish philosopher Miguel de Unamuno argued that part of humans’ consciousness is the awareness of death and suffering. He argued that the latter is an essential feature of existence. Whereas Viktor Frankl’s logotherapy stresses that humans’ primary motivational force is to find meaning in life particularly in the midst of suffering. This paper attempts to enrich Unamuno and Frankl’s contentions on persons’ nature to suffer and discover meaning. Through this construction, the author believes it could help individuals to properly embrace and adapt to the inevitable sufferings of the world and bolsters mental health like in the current pandemic.

The Role of Social Relationships in Learning from Job Rotations

Job rotations help enhance and broaden employees’ knowledge of the organization’s business and, hence, can be useful in succession planning. In this article, we delineate how rotating employees’ social relationships could play an antithetical role, that is, it may foster while, at the same time, may also hinder their learning. Specifically, we argue that developing good relationships with leaders is likely to facilitate rotating employees’ learning from job rotations. Conversely, spending time and effort in cultivating good relationships with team members is likely to undermine learning. Therefore, we recommend that organizations must take necessary actions in helping rotating employees develop and maintain relationships with their leaders than lateral relationships with team members.

Social modulation of ageing: mechanisms, ecology, evolution.

Human life expectancy increases, but the disease-free part of lifespan (healthspan) and the quality of life in old people may not show the same development. The situation poses considerable challenges to healthcare systems and economies, and calls for new strategies to increase healthspan and for sustainable future approaches to elder care. This call has motivated innovative research on the role of social relationships during ageing. Correlative data from clinical surveys indicate that social contact promotes healthy ageing, and it is time to reveal the causal mechanisms through experimental research. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is a prolific model animal, but insects with more developed social behaviour can be equally instrumental for this research. Here, we discuss the role of social contact in ageing, and identify lines of study where diverse insect models can help uncover the mechanisms that are involved. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ageing and sociality: why, when and how does sociality change ageing patterns?'

Health behaviours and beliefs among Malawian adults taking antihypertensive medication and antiretroviral therapy: A qualitative study

ABSTRACT In order to understand HIV-positive Malawian adults’ experiences with hypertension management, we conducted qualitative interviews with 30 hypertensive adults who were also taking antiretroviral therapy. These interviews regarding hypertension management behaviours and beliefs were audio-recorded, transcribed, translated into English, and coded in Atlas.ti. Despite acknowledging the dangers of hypertension and the benefits of medication, many respondents missed their antihypertensive medication. Primary reasons included feeling healthy, health workers’ advice to stop taking medicine when blood pressure normalised, side effects, and using herbs or non-prescription medicines to manage hypertension. Women highlighted difficulties with dietary modifications, and changes in their social relationships. Both men and women spoke about hypertension-related challenges with employment and household economics. These results suggest numerous challenges among adults managing hypertension and HIV in Malawi, and frequent suboptimal adherence to medication. We identified new key themes – the quality of adherence counselling for antihypertensive medication, the effects of hypertension on financial stability, and the role of social relationships in self-care – and encourage further investigation into these topics in low-income, high-burden countries.

Breve historia de las lágrimas y el llanto

Tears and crying are biological phenomena framed in different social and cultural contexts throughout the years. This article is a review of the construction of different conceptions around tears and crying.We explore proposals on the subject from the oldest civilizations, going through the discussion around the origin of tears (heart vs. brain), and the findings with the introduction of anatomical dissection and physiological experimentation.Finally, the evolutionary and psychological positions of crying are exposed, to study its functionality in survival and its role in social relations. The aim of this article is to present, succinctly, what have been the tears and crying through the history.

Experiencing Mental Illness: Suffering, Hope, and Healing.

The experience of mental illness can be painful and isolating for those suffering in silence. Early symptoms frequently are confusing and disorienting for individuals and families, and stigma towards mental illness in societies across the globe contributes to further isolation from sources of support during the healing process. The evocative personal stories from a variety of cultures in this symposium provide a window into universal elements of the experience of mental illness, with the accompanying fear, shame, and stigma. The stories effectively illustrate the tension between personal autonomy and reliance on others, and the importance of trust in self and others in forming and maintaining a core identity. The stories also sensitively highlight the importance of resilience and persistence in the healing process, along with the essential role of social relationships and support from family, friends, and healers in building a stable identity and hope for the future.

Specyfika postaw i zachowań studentów chińskich jako przedstawicieli kultur kolektywnych w perspektywie glottodydaktycznej

Niniejszy artykuł wpisuje się w krąg rozważań na temat wpływu czynników kulturowo zależnych na proces rozwoju społecznego oraz sposoby funkcjonowania w odmiennym kręgu kulturowym. Stanowi także próbę odpowiedzi na pytanie, w jakim stopniu kultura modeluje interakcje w środowisku nauczania i wpływa na tworzenie wypowiedzi w języku obcym. Punktem odniesienia dla norm społecznych typowych dla szeroko pojętej kultury Zachodu są zasady budowania relacji międzyludzkich w społeczeństwach Azji Wschodniej. Przyjęta perspektywa ma charakter interdyscyplinarny – czerpie przede wszystkim z badań prowadzonych w dziedzinie psychologii międzykulturowej oraz nauk społecznych, szukając dla nich zastosowania na gruncie glottodydaktyki polonistycznej. Szerzej omówiony został aspekt roli i struktury relacji międzyludzkich opartych na kolektywizmie lub indywidualizmie, koncentrując się na wyłonieniu czynników istotnych z dydaktycznego punktu widzenia. W artykule wykorzystano metodę obserwacji incydentów krytycznych oraz analizę tekstów studentów chińskich uczących się języka polskiego. Przedstawione opisy dowodzą, że czynniki kulturowe mogą prowadzić do nieporozumień w środowisku nauczania i rzutować na rozwój i ocenę umiejętności językowych. Z tego względu kwestią niezwykle istotną jest poszerzanie własnej wiedzy socjokulturowej przez wykładowców języka polskiego, którzy pracują ze studentami pochodzącymi z kultur kolektywnych.

Social relationships and the rate of cognitive decline among older adults in Lebanon: Differences by gender

AbstractBackgroundCognitive decline is an increasing public health problem with ageing of populations worldwide. Evidence from developed countries is accumulating on the role of social relationship on cognitive decline. No such studies in the Middle East. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of social network and social engagement on cognitive decline and explore differences by gender among older adults in Lebanon.MethodData were derived from the COLDS’ study (Cohort of Older Adults in Lebanon: A Dementia Study). Out of a cohort of 508 older adults, 273 participants did not have cognitive decline at baseline and these constitute the sample of current study. Cognitive decline was estimated using the Arabic version of the IQCODE. The social network dimension consisted of the participant’s marital status and his /her contact with relatives, friends, and neighbors. Social engagement included attending religious meetings, engaging in any community activities, and involvement in any kind of paid work. Simple and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed adjusting for cluster effect. To explore the effect of Gender on the association between exposure variables and cognitive decline, stratification by gender was done at the bivariate and multivariate level. Interaction terms were added to logistic regression models to check for statistical significance of the interaction with gender.ResultAdjusting for age, gender, educational level, depression, difficulties in performing daily activities, and other social factors, only frequent contact with children or other relatives was significantly associated with lower odds of cognitive decline after 3 years of follow‐up (adjusted OR= 0.37, 95 % CI 0.14‐0.97). No evidence of difference by gender was found.ConclusionThe findings highlight the importance of support received from children and close relatives particularly in a country like Lebanon where the social life of elderly is centered on the family, while friends and neighbors play a lesser role. Children and close relatives may influence older people’s health by motivating positive healthy behaviors. Future longitudinal studies should explore in a comprehensive framework how social interactions and cognitive status would change throughout the follow‐up period and the dynamics through which they would influence each other.

Well-Being and Loneliness in Swiss Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Social Relationships.

Background and ObjectivesThe current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and social distancing measures are an extreme stressor that might result in negative emotional experiences and feelings of loneliness. However, it is possible that social relationships might have a protective effect. In the present study, we examine how the COVID-19 pandemic affected older adults’ well-being and loneliness, and the role of structural and functional characteristics of social relationships.Research Design and MethodsWe use data from 99 older adults in Switzerland who participated (a) in a 3-week microlongitudinal study on social relationships and well-being in 2019 and (b) in a weekly online survey during 4 weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown.ResultsOur findings show that the global pandemic had substantial adverse effects on older adults’ emotional well-being and loneliness. In addition, aspects of social relationships were related to loneliness both before and during the pandemic. Only one functional feature of social relationships (satisfaction with communication during the pandemic) buffered adverse effects of the major stressful event.Discussion and ImplicationsAlthough the social distancing measures during COVID-19 presented a major stressor for older adults’ well-being and loneliness, being able to maintain social communication to a satisfactory level during that time reduced this effect. Therefore, enabling older adults to stay in touch with their social circle based on their personal preferences might reduce the impact that any future lockdown might have on their well-being.

”Konstnären”, ”fostraren”, ”tjänstemannen” och ”rebellen”: Musiklärares dramaturgiska framträdanden kring musikundervisning, social rättvisa och demokrati

This article intends to explore how some Swedish music teachers present their teaching in relation to democracy and social justice. Present-day social issues such as socio-economic vulnerability and ever more segregated schools have accentuated the need for critical reflection on social and democratic aspects in all teaching. This also has consequences for music educational practices. During two focus group interviews with Swedish music teachers from both the community school of music and arts and elementary school, the organisation of the teaching practice, as well as the teachers’ respective opportunities and challenges in relation to their specific contextual social and democratic issues are discussed. With the aid of dramaturgical theory and interview analysis it is shown how the teachers’ joint discussions make space for four social roles in relation to those themes: the artist, the fosterer, the civil servant and the rebel. In spite of some similarities in the staging opportunities of the two different music educational contexts, some differences appear in terms of the dramaturgical significance of the respective roles, as well as the force of the connections between them. In both contexts, still a common ambivalence is displayed in the perception of democracy and social justice in relation to the very practical task of teaching music. Following the article’s results in relation to social justice, the music teachers’ opportunities for internal professional control and joint negotiation of their teaching task are discussed. The article thus advocates further reflection on the institutional structures and basic philosophical assumptions that appear to govern perceptions of music teaching, democracy and social justice in music educational practices at large.

Attachment as a framework to facilitate empowerment for people with severe mental illness.

ObjectivesRecovery and empowerment have evolved into key objectives in the treatment and care of people with severe mental illness (SMI), and interest has grown in the role of social relationships in recovery. This study is the first to explore whether attachment styles are related to levels of empowerment, and secondly, whether attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance are associated with lower empowerment levels, independently of quality and frequency of social contact.DesignWe used a cross‐sectional design.MethodsIn a sample of 157 participants with SMI in outpatient care, associations between attachment (Revised Adult Attachment Scale), self‐reported social functioning, and empowerment (Netherlands Empowerment List) were assessed.ResultsAttachment anxiety and attachment avoidance were both associated with lower levels of empowerment. A stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that the prediction of empowerment was significantly improved by adding attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance to quality and frequency of social contact. Attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, and quality of social contact were significant predictors; frequency of social contact was not.ConclusionsAlthough our design does not allow causal conclusions, our results highlight the importance of interpersonal processes and behaviours as routes to improving empowerment for people with SMI. A promising approach might thus consist of securing attachment bonds with significant others so that the self and the other are perceived as reliable resources. Our findings also feature the importance of reciprocity and equality in social relationships. Taken together, our study emphasizes the value of social, contextualized interventions in recovery work for people with SMI.Practitioner points Working towards attachment safety in interpersonal relations may be important in recovery‐oriented treatment and care for people with severe mental illness (SMI).Helping people with SMI to recognize and change how they tend to relate themselves to others may promote engagement and effectiveness of recovery‐oriented treatment and care.Reciprocity and equality in social relationships as vital complements to the more one‐sided nature of ‘standing alongside’ and offering support may be important requisites for empowerment.

How social capital can inform targeting formal social safety net interventions in vulnerable communities in eastern Ethiopia: an ethnographic case study

Safety nets in Ethiopia are targeted and delivered in a context in which informal social capital practices also operate. But the role of social relations is largely overlooked in welfare programming. Understanding how social capital is mobilized and under which condition it enhances or constrains social safety net targeting may inform policy to design sustainable and inclusive welfare programs to improve household resilience. Using an ethnographic case study design, we studied the role of social capital in the implementation of a welfare intervention. Data were collected through observations and interviews with 30 households. Besides, data on household social network characteristics were collected using semi-structured interviews. The result suggested that greater access to social capital by a household enhances the efficiency of safety net targeting and delivery. Positioning the social transfer instruments within the broader sets of community social arrangements can optimize the allocation of scarce safety net resources and improves community relationships.