Social Interaction Research Articles

The use of Language ENvironment Analysis in autism research: A systematic review.

In research, language ability has historically been measured using structured tasks in laboratory settings. In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on the need to instead capture language ability in an individual's natural setting (i.e. through social interaction or in their home). Considering natural language may be particularly important for the autistic population, as an autistic child's language ability can be very different depending on the setting. One common tool for capturing natural language is the LENA recording system, which takes audio recordings over long periods of time and provides estimates of children's and caregivers' speech. The purpose of this systematic review is to summarize the use of LENA in autism research, to highlight the strengths and limitations of the system as identified by researchers, and to provide recommendations for future research and clinical use. We identified 42 autism studies that used LENA in a variety of ways and settings. Most studies used LENA within the guidelines put forth by its creators, and it was most commonly used to understand speech or speech development for autistic children. LENA is a useful tool for clinicians and caregivers to gain some insights into child speech, but those considering using it should be aware of concerns about its accuracy and limitations about the information it provides. In this review, we supplement the official LENA guidelines with specific suggestions for use with the autistic population.

I Care That You Don’t Share: Confidentiality in Student-Robot Interactions

Enabled by technological advances, robot teachers have entered educational service frontlines. Scholars and policymakers suggest that during Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), human teachers should remain “in-the-loop” (i.e., oversee interactions between students and robots). Drawing on impression management theory, we challenge this belief to argue that robot teacher confidentiality (i.e., robot teachers not sharing student interactions with the human teacher) lets students make more use of the technology. To examine this effect and provide deeper insights into multiple mechanisms and boundary conditions, we conduct six field, laboratory and online experiments that use virtual and physical robot teachers (Total N = 2,012). We first show that students indeed make more use of a confidential (vs. nonconfidential) robot teacher (both physical and virtual). In a qualitative study (Study 2), we use structural topic modeling to inductively identify relevant mediators and moderators. Studies 3 through 5 provide support for these, showing two key mediators (i.e., social judgment concern and interaction anxiety) and two moderators (i.e., student prevention focus and teacher benevolence) for the effect of robot teacher confidentiality. Collectively, the present research introduces the concept of service robot confidentiality, illustrating why and how not sharing HRI with a third actor critically impacts educational service encounters.

Politicizing belonging: Community formation at the Late Preclassic Maya hamlet of Dos Ceibas

Abstract People are often assumed to expand existing mechanisms—kinship in particular—to include others when they form communities. These models (con)fuse similarity with sameness, as we argue based on Husserl's concept of empathy. People recognize others without overlooking differences. They form community by negotiating belonging. We ask how individuals materialize community, how they create unity in a political process, and how they employ bordering and bonding social interactions. Our case study is Dos Ceibas, a Late Preclassic (350 b.c. to a.d. 250) Maya hamlet in the Petexbatun region. The North Plaza originated as a residential group—possibly of the hamlet's founder—and was transformed over multiple construction episodes into a public and ceremonial place. By a.d. 250, Dos Ceibas consisted of a small pyramid overlooking a plaza and two likely residential buildings. Its growth pattern sets the North Plaza apart from nearby Group MP16 and magnified internal differences. At the same time, Dos Ceibas's pyramid and plaza were likely communal constructions that project a shared community identity. The comparison with contemporary settlements nearby identifies distinct settlement layouts and suggests localized community identities.

Capturing spontaneous interactivity: a multi-measure approach to analyzing the dynamics of interpersonal coordination in dance improvisation

IntroductionInterpersonal coordination is widely acknowledged as critical to relating with, connecting to, and understanding others, but the underlying mechanisms of this phenomenon are poorly understood. Dance—particularly improvised dance—offers a valuable paradigm for investigating the dynamics of interpersonal coordination due to its inherent ability to connect us. However, conventional approaches to studying coordination often fail to capture the co-creative spontaneity that is intrinsic to such interactions.MethodsThis study combined multiple measures of interpersonal coordination to detect moments of high coordination between two freely improvising dancers. We applied maximum correlation vectors, normalized Symbolic Transfer Entropy (NSTE), and surveys to analyze the time-varying dynamics of similarity in movement speeds, directed influence, and subjective perception of dancers engaged in an improvisation task.ResultsThis multi-measure approach offers a means of capturing the interplay between different dimensions of interpersonal coordination.DiscussionThis approach may be used to understand the underlying mechanisms of co-creative social interactions in improvised dance and other forms of spontaneous interactivity.

"I'm in the Bluesky Tonight": Insights from a year worth of social data.

Pollution of online social spaces caused by rampaging d/misinformation is a growing societal concern. However, recent decisions to reduce access to social media APIs are causing a shortage of publicly available, recent, social media data, thus hindering the advancement of computational social science as a whole. We present a large, high-coverage dataset of social interactions and user-generated content from Bluesky Social to address this pressing issue. The dataset contains the complete post history of over 4M users (81% of all registered accounts), totalling 235M posts. We also make available social data covering follow, comment, repost, and quote interactions. Since Bluesky allows users to create and like feed generators (i.e., content recommendation algorithms), we also release the full output of several popular algorithms available on the platform, along with their timestamped "like" interactions. This dataset allows novel analysis of online behavior and human-machine engagement patterns. Notably, it provides ground-truth data for studying the effects of content exposure and self-selection and performing content virality and diffusion analysis.

Unveiling Layers of Interaction: An Investigation into the Behavioral Transformations of Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder Through Assistive Technology from a Caregiver’s Perspective

This qualitative study explores the impacts of assistive technology (AT) on preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from the perspective of caregivers who observe and experience these behavioral changes firsthand within the home environment. Utilizing a phenomenological research design, the study involved semi-structured interviews with 10 caregivers, including both mothers and grandmothers. The analysis revealed several key themes: enhanced communication, improved social interaction, learning and development, challenges and support needs, and the variety and everyday usefulness of AT. Caregivers reported significant advancements in both verbal and nonverbal communication, increased family and peer interactions, and the development of academic and life skills in their children. However, challenges such as technical difficulties and the need for professional support were also highlighted. The study underscores the potential of AT to significantly improve the quality of life for children with ASD while also emphasizing the importance of robust support systems to optimize AT utilization. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the nuanced impacts of AT on children with ASD, offering valuable insights for future research and intervention strategies. Received: 8 September 2024 / Accepted: 31 October 2024 / Published: 05 November 2024

How offline meetings affect online activities: the case of Wikipedia

As open-source communities and other peer production projects face the challenge of sustaining themselves over time, the role of offline gatherings in fostering community resilience becomes a vital question. This study centres on the potential of offline social interactions as a means to mitigate declines within such communities, using Wikipedia as a case example. Using a comprehensive dataset spanning informal meetups within the German-language Wikipedia community from 2001 to 2020 and combining it with large scale online activity data, this study investigates the relationship between offline gatherings and online contribution behaviour. Results show that attending meetups has a positive effect on contributing towards Wikipedia both in the short and long term. By shedding light on the significance of offline social interactions in bolstering online communities, this study offers valuable insights into potential strategies for sustaining collaborative online environments amidst broader declines and further shows how offline and online activities intertwine.

Spatial Continuum in History: Pier Buildings on the Bosphorus and Golden Horn, Istanbul

Pier buildings along the coastline of Istanbul City, an ancient city surrounded by the sea on three sides, serve not only as vital transportation nodes but also as hubs for cultural and social life. As an embodiment of their respective topography and culture with distinctive characteristics in terms of location and architecture, the historical pier buildings are incorporated into the social, cultural, and historical fabric of the city. It is important to protect and preserve these buildings and develop sustainable tourism policies for sustainable cultural heritage management. Accordingly, the present study investigated 36 pier buildings in Istanbul using a comprehensive map analysis and on-site discovery. The study results suggested that these buildings preserved their authentic identities and spatial continuum, despite several renovations over time. Today, some of the pier buildings in Istanbul have additional functions, including serving as cafes, libraries, and sightseeing spots along with their transportation functions, contributing to the reinforcement of social interaction and social ties. The study results helped suggest key inferences on how these buildings should be preserved and carried into the future in the scope of urban planning.

Developmental encoding of natural sounds in the mouse auditory cortex.

Mice communicate through high-frequency ultrasonic vocalizations, which are crucial for social interactions such as courtship and aggression. Although ultrasonic vocalization representation has been found in adult brain areas along the auditory pathway, including the auditory cortex, no evidence is available on the neuronal representation of ultrasonic vocalizations early in life. Using in vivo two-photon calcium imaging, we analyzed auditory cortex layer 2/3 neuronal responses to USVs, pure tones (4 to 90kHz), and high-frequency modulated sweeps from postnatal day 12 (P12) to P21. We found that ACx neurons are tuned to respond to ultrasonic vocalization syllables as early as P12 to P13, with an increasing number of responsive cells as the mouse age. By P14, while pure tone responses showed a frequency preference, no syllable preference was observed. Additionally, at P14, USVs, pure tones, and modulated sweeps activate clusters of largely nonoverlapping responsive neurons. Finally, we show that while cell correlation decreases with increasing processing of peripheral auditory stimuli, neurons responding to the same stimulus maintain highly correlated spontaneous activity after circuits have attained mature organization, forming neuronal subnetworks sharing similar functional properties.

The impact of social media addiction on state self-esteem; a cross-sectional study in university students from Samborondón, Ecuador

Introduction: The rise of social media has transformed social interactions, becoming essential in the lives of young people. Its excessive use raises concerns about negative repercussions on mental health, especially on self-esteem, which is crucial for psychological well-being and academic success. Methodology: This cross-sectional quantitative study investigated the influence of social media addiction on the state of self-esteem among 521 psychology students, selected by convenience. The Social Media Addiction Scale - Student Form (SMAS-SF) and the State Self-Esteem Scale (SSES) were used. Results: The results indicate that problems arising from social media use (β=-0.42, p<.001) and the obsession with being connected (β=-0.49, p=0.01) are significant predictors of lower state self-esteem, explaining 10% of the variance in state self-esteem. Discussions: Social media addiction has a moderately negative impact on the self-esteem of university students, which has negative implications for well-being. Conclusions: The need for specific interventions to mitigate these effects is highlighted. Further research is recommended to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of such interventions in the long term.

Factors affecting the wellbeing of mid-achieving university students: a case study from China

BackgroundThe study aims to investigate the wellbeing of mid-achieving university students on campus and the factors affecting it. Given that this group represents a large yet often overlooked portion of higher education, the study endeavors to analyze the specific factors affecting their wellbeing to provide insights to foster a more comprehensive and inclusive educational environment.MethodologyThe study adopted a qualitative research method. A total of 30 mid-achieving university students from different departments at Guizhou Medical University in China were interviewed in-depth. The interviews were conducted via the online WeChat platform from 1st March 2024 to 13th September 2024. The semi-structured interviews focused on “moments in campus life that make mid-achieving university students feel happy or joyful.” All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed into text, which was thoroughly coded and analyzed by the researcher using NVIVO 12 software to comprehensively assess the multiple factors that affect the wellbeing of students.ResultsThe wellbeing of mid-achieving university students is affected by a combination of factors, including freedom and autonomy, social interactions, collective activities, campus environment and facilities, and academic achievement.ConclusionEnhancing the autonomy of mid-achieving university students can significantly improve their self-efficacy and overall wellbeing. While social interactions and collective activities provide emotional support, they also present interpersonal challenges. Sufficient recreational spaces and a diverse range of food options on campus can help alleviate students’ stress and increase their satisfaction with campus services. Conversely, policies banning motorized bicycles may negatively affect students’ sense of wellbeing. Theoretically, the study contributes to the literature on student wellbeing in higher education psychology, particularly by offering a deeper understanding of the large but often neglected group of mid-achieving students. Practically, the findings emphasize the importance of creating more supportive and responsive educational environments tailored to the needs of these students, thereby facilitating inclusive campus environments and fully harnessing the learning potential of mid-achieving students. The study also proposes specific improvement strategies, such as optimizing campus facilities, enhancing student autonomy, and bolstering social and academic support systems. These measures are expected to directly improve the daily experiences of mid-achieving students and enhance their overall wellbeing.

Persistence of the Gender Frame: Gender Perceptions of Ambiguous Chinese and Gender-Neutral American Names in the United States

How do people conduct gender classification in ambiguous contexts? A gender framing perspective suggests the pervasiveness and consequences of using gender in novel contexts, but there is a paucity of knowledge about how people assign a gender to ambiguous targets in interpersonal relations. This study fills in this knowledge gap by investigating how U.S. individuals classify the gender of two types of gender-ambiguous names—Chinese names written in English letters and gender-neutral American names. It also examines how respondents’ gender ideologies and racial stereotypes are associated with their perceptions of gender-ambiguous names. An online survey experiment with 795 U.S. individuals finds that respondents predominantly assign a binary gender (versus neutral or unsure) to both Chinese names (40.8 percent men and 37.4 percent women) and gender-neutral American names (41.1 percent men and 19.4 percent women). Multivariate analyses reveal that respondents with traditional gender ideologies associate a gender-binary perception with gender-neutral American names rather than Chinese names. Meanwhile, respondents who endorse the racialized stereotypes that Chinese people are socially cold and/or generally competent are more likely to perceive Chinese names as men’s names. These findings demonstrate that a gender-binary frame persists in ambiguous contexts, and that the classification outcome is conditional on contextual signals and preexisting cultural beliefs. They also deepen understanding of gender neutrality during social interactions and a gendered nature of racialized stereotypes.

Examining the Impact of the Built Environment on Multidimensional Urban Vitality: Using Milk Tea Shops and Coffee Shops as New Indicators of Urban Vitality

Urban vitality is a critical driver of sustainable urban development, significantly contributing to the enhancement of human well-being. A thorough and multidimensional comprehension of urban vitality is essential for shaping future urban planning and policy-making. This study, focused on Chengdu, proposes a framework for assessing various dimensions of UV through the distribution of milk tea and coffee shops. Using random forest and multi-scale geographically weighted regression models, this study investigates the factors influencing urban vitality from both mathematical thresholds and spatial heterogeneity, and develops spatial maps of future vitality to inform targeted urban strategies. The results show that (1) the milk tea index is effective in capturing population vitality, while the coffee index is more closely associated with economic vitality and urban renewal; (2) office buildings (13.46%) and commercial complexes (13.70%) have the most significant impact on both economic and population vitality, while the importance of transportation factors has notably decreased; (3) the influence of these factors demonstrates spatial heterogeneity and nonlinear relationships, with subway station density of 0.5–0.8 stations per kilometer being optimal for stimulating both types of vitality. The minimum threshold for economic vitality in a given unit is a housing price exceeding 6000 RMB/m2; (4) the future vitality map suggests that urban planners should pay greater attention to non-central districts with high development potential. Moreover, spontaneous social interactions and consumer behaviors stimulated by various shops are critical components of urban vitality. In designing the physical environment and urban spatial forms, special attention should be given to enhancing the attractiveness of physical spaces and their capacity to accommodate social interaction.

Detecting Autism from Head Movements using Kinesics.

Head movements play a crucial role in social interactions. The quantification of communicative movements such as nodding, shaking, orienting, and backchanneling is significant in behavioral and mental health research. However, automated localization of such head movements within videos remains challenging in computer vision due to their arbitrary start and end times, durations, and frequencies. In this work, we introduce a novel and efficient coding system for head movements, grounded in Birdwhistell's kinesics theory, to automatically identify basic head motion units such as nodding and shaking. Our approach first defines the smallest unit of head movement, termed kine, based on the anatomical constraints of the neck and head. We then quantify the location, magnitude, and duration of kines within each angular component of head movement. Through defining possible combinations of identified kines, we define a higher-level construct, kineme, which corresponds to basic head motion units such as nodding and shaking. We validate the proposed framework by predicting autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis from video recordings of interacting partners. We show that the multi-scale property of the proposed framework provides a significant advantage, as collapsing behavior across temporal scales reduces performance consistently. Finally, we incorporate another fundamental behavioral modality, namely speech, and show that distinguishing between speaking- and listening-time head movementsments significantly improves ASD classification performance.

Therapeutic Potential of Ocimum basilicum L. Extract in Alleviating Autistic-Like Behaviors Induced by Maternal Separation Stress in Mice: Role of Neuroinflammation and Oxidative Stress.

A confluence of genetic, environmental, and epigenetic factors shapes autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Early-life stressors like MS play a contributing role in this multifaceted neurodevelopmental disorder. This research was to explore the efficacy of Ocimum basilicum L. (O.B.) extract in mitigating behaviors reminiscent of autism prompted by maternal separation (MS) stress in male mice, focusing on its impact on neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. MS mice were treated with O.B. extract at varying dosages (20, 40, and 60 mg/kg) from postnatal days (PND) 51-53 to PND 58-60. Behavioral experiments, including the Morris water maze, three-chamber test, shuttle box, and resident-intruder test, were conducted post-treatment. The method of maternal separation involved separating the pups from their mothers for 3 h daily, from PND 2 to PND 14. Molecular analysis of hippocampal tissue was performed to assess gene expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Hippocampal and serum malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were measured. O.B. extract administration resulted in the amelioration of autistic-like behaviors in MS mice, as evidenced by improved spatial and passive avoidance memories and social interactions, as well as reduced aggression in behavioral tests. O.B. extract attenuated oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, as indicated by decreased MDA and increased TAC levels, as well as downregulation of TLR4, TNF-α, and IL-1β expression in the hippocampus. O.B. extract may offer a novel therapeutic avenue for ASD, potentially mediated through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Genetic Screening Reveals Cone Cell-Specific Factors as Common Genetic Targets Modulating Rival-Induced Prolonged Mating in male Drosophila melanogaster.

Male-male social interactions exert a substantial impact on the transcriptional regulation of genes associated with aggression and mating behavior in male Drosophila melanogaster. Throughout our comprehensive genetic screening of aggression-related genes, we identified that the majority of mutants for these genes are associated with rival-induced and visually-oriented mating behavior, longer-mating-duration (LMD). The majority of mutants with upregulated genes in single-housed males significantly altered LMD behavior but not copulation latency, suggesting a primary regulation of mating duration. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed that LMD-related genes are predominantly co-expressed with male-specific genes like dsx and Cyp6a20 in specific cell populations, especially in cone cells. Functional validation confirmed the roles of these genes in mediating LMD. Expression of LMD genes like Cyp6a20, Cyp4d21, and CrzR was enriched in cone cells, with disruptions in cone cell-specific expression of CrzR and Cyp4d21 leading to disrupted LMD. We also identified a novel gene, CG10026/Macewindu, that reversed LMD when overexpressed in cone cells. These findings underscore the critical role of cone cells as a pivotal site for the expression of genes involved in the regulation of LMD behavior. This study provides valuable insights into the intricate mechanisms underlying complex sexual behaviors in Drosophila.

Practice research in free improvisation

This article focuses on interaction processes during the performance of free improvisation in the jazz idiom, and their correlation to the construction of individual musical identities. In this article, I regard musical identity as an artistic, dynamic and personal process characterized by continual communication, construction and negotiation with the surrounding social and cultural environment. Interaction, just like improvisation, is a fundamental defining element in jazz and free improvisation, playing a crucial role in shaping the musical identity of each musician during their performance. This is presented here as analogous to the moulding of individual identity in our everyday social interactions. This research is based on the author’s active participation in improvisation sessions and interviews with professional jazz musicians based in Lisbon, Portugal. Additionally, it explores how the context of free improvisation, when musical restrictions are minimized, intensifies the focus on the interactive improvisational process. This attribute makes free improvisation an ideal terrain for research on interaction and its relation with musical identity.

RELIGIOUS VOCABULARY OF EVERYDAY LANGUAGE OF THE ORTHODOX BELIEVERS OF UKRAINE

The article attempts to analyze the interaction of the religious language sphere with the Ukrainian language in the context of the religious discourse. Due to the ability of religious discourse to interact with other types of discourse, the speech activity of Orthodox believers is realized within institutional and personal discourses, the latter of which covers the sphere of interpersonal communication in the context of everyday interactions. The objective of the study is to find out the specifics of the functioning of lexical units expressing religious meanings in everyday language of Orthodox believers of Ukraine. The attributive and modus specificity of language of the religious sphere makes it possible to distinguish the language of religion as a representative of the meaning of the existence of religion and the religious language as the embodiment of manifestations of religion in the socio-cultural context. The religious language, which is objectified in the everyday language of Orthodox believers, includes a set of language units and lexical-semantic constructions peculiar to the church-religious sphere. At the same time, the everyday language of believers is characterized by coexistence of lexical units of sacred and national languages, an appeal to the emotional sphere of believers, and the use of verbal and non-verbal means of communication. The everyday language of Orthodox believers includes theological terms, church Slavonicisms, archaisms, historicisms, borrowed words. It also contains the phenomena of polysemy, homonymy, synonymy, antonymy and acts as an additional means of communication in the context of social interactions.

Diagnosis, prevention and management of delirium: spot it, stop it, treat it

SUMMARY Delirium frequently occurs among hospital in-patients, with significant attributable healthcare costs. It is associated with long-term adverse outcomes, including an eightfold increased risk of subsequent dementia. The purpose of this article is to inform clinicians of the best practices for spotting, stopping and treating delirium and provide guidance on common challenging clinical dilemmas. For spotting delirium, suggested screening tools are the 4 ‘A's Test (in general medical settings) and the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU). Prevention is best achieved with multicomponent interventions and targeted strategies focusing on: (a) avoiding iatrogenic causes; (b) brain optimisation by ensuring smooth bodily functioning; (c) maintaining social interactions and normality. Non-pharmacological approaches are the first line for treatment; they largely mirror prevention strategies, but the focus of empirical evidence is on prevention. Although sufficient evidence is lacking for most pharmacological approaches, an antipsychotic at low doses for short durations may be of utility for highly distressing or high-risk situations, particularly in hyperactive delirium, but only as a last resort.

Designing the Virtual Museum with Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Abstract In the 2020 video game Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the player builds the collection of the impressive Animal Crossing Museum (ACM). Exploring the visitor experience of this video game museum’s art wing from the perspective of museum professionals allows for the discovery of inventive ways to deepen connection with museum patrons in the virtual space. The ACM is more successful at engaging visitors than traditional virtual museums. It meets visitor needs by offering an immersive, interactive experience, and depends on direct action from the visitor to expand and grow its collection and space. By taking lessons from the player interaction design of the ACM, virtual museums can be designed to meet the psychological needs of visitors and build long-lasting relationships between the visitor and the institution. From the text, this essay proposes seven lessons for designing virtual museums: start with visitor experience at the center of virtual museum design, allow the visitor to collaborate on the creation of the virtual museum, make the virtual museum a habit with intermittent rewards and increased access over time, build social interaction into the virtual museum, add an avatar, show off curator personality, and address colonial roots of museums.