Social Beliefs Research Articles

Teacher-student relationships: the roles of teachers’ emotional competence, social emotional learning beliefs, and burnout

ABSTRACT Using a questionnaire survey methodology, this study examined associations among elementary school teachers’ perceptions of their emotional competence, positive social emotional learning beliefs, burnout perceptions, and the quality of their relationships with students. Participants were 120 teachers (88 females and 32 males) recruited from 15 Greek schools. Results demonstrated that teachers’ perceptions of their emotional competence and personal achievement were both positively associated with their perceptions of their relationships with their students as close. When teachers reported high levels of emotional exhaustion, commitment to social emotional learning was positively related positively to perceptions of teacher-student closeness. In contrast, when teachers reported high levels of teacher depersonalisation and personal achievement, commitment to social emotional learning was negatively associated with their perceptions of teacher-student closeness. Teachers reported less conflict with students when they reported experiencing high levels of personal achievement. Findings indicate that psychological processes linking various dimensions of teachers’ social-emotional competence to relationship-building between teachers and students in Greek classrooms are similar to those that operate in the U.S. Strategies to support the development of effective training in social emotional competence for teachers and school leaders are discussed.

FEMALE GREEK PHILOSOPHERS OF CLASSICAL ANTIQUITY

In this paper, I discuss an important knowledge gap observed in Greek philosophical research and historiography, which reflects some well-established social circumstances and beliefs: the absence of systematic and extensive research on the theories of ancient Greek female philosophers and their exclusion to some extent from the historical frameworks. This issue shows that nowadays in Greece history is still being misread. It also highlights the need for a new start for research into the contributions of ancient female philosophers, for the historical framework of human intellectual activity of antiquity to be reformed, and for a revision of our cultural and intellectual habitudes. This paper provides a list of ancient Greek women thinkers as a starting point for more in-depth research. I have compiled an extensive list presenting fifty-four women philosophers from classical antiquity, including information about the period and the city they lived in; their field; the philosophical school, community, or academy to which they belong; and other relevant information such as whether their texts have survived.

“One Day You’ll Work for Us”: Exploring the Rituals of Class Privilege and Their Redrawing of Racial Hierarchies in Cape Town Private Schools

ABSTRACT Post-Apartheid South Africa is a unique period in which Black and White people can participate in acts of privilege. Seekings and Nattrass therefore argue that, contemporarily, class has taken over race as the biggest identifier of privilege. This argument has shaped the new racial composition of the once heavily segregated elite schools in the twenty-first century. I argue that while this is true, inequalities exist within the socio-psychological implications of entering these institutions, where Black students are forced to confront their identities and belonging, within predominantly White spaces, in a way that White students are not. My research has observed a form of “disculturation” taking place, as argued by Erving Goffman, which sees an individual stripped of their former identity. Black students are thus made to exist within two worlds: their private and indigenous identity, and their public, White identity adapted to their environment. Importantly, schools are fundamental to the fostering and transmission of social values and beliefs, making them pivotal in the socialisation of certain societal practices. It is for this reason that I argue that in these elite spaces, race still plays a fundamental role in identifying privilege. The question I probe, therefore, is whether we can or should separate the idea of an “elite,” private school from Whiteness. If we cannot, then how can these spaces continue to claim inclusion and diversity, while still being explicitly and implicitly exclusionary?

Between cultures and traditions: a qualitative investigation of sexual and reproductive health experiences of immigrant adolescents in Canada

Immigrant adolescents in Canada face challenges accessing accurate sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and services. Many challenges stem from taboos associated with SRH, cultural and religious restrictions, and social beliefs regarding the unnecessity of SRH education for adolescents. We explored the SRH experiences of immigrant adolescents in the context of their cultural and religious perspectives. We engaged adolescents as collaborators and active participants in the research process. With the support of an Adolescent Advisory Group (AAG) and community partners, we conducted qualitative interviews with immigrant adolescents in Edmonton, Toronto, and Vancouver (n = 58). Through thematic analysis, we identified three broad themes: (1) ‘What’s really happening?’ Experiencing body changes from puberty to adulthood; (2) ‘It’s something that’s shameful’: Encountering myths, misperceptions, and norms about SRH; and (3) ‘I’ll be there for you’: Navigating family and digital resources for support. Our findings highlight the specific SRH challenges faced by immigrant adolescents in Canada, such as differences between cultural values, and communication barriers within families. Dealing with SRH matters is dependent on education, family readiness, and personal values attached to these topics. Programmes must focus on engaging cultural and religious preferences and tailoring interventions to adolescents’ needs.

Social Resilience: A Critical Synopsis of Definitions

Social resilience is a relatively new concept that has recently attracted researchers in the social sciences. In the 21st century, it is becoming significant in sustainability studies in the context of social well-being and its impact on quality of life. Cultural adherence, informal social networking, local knowledge and belief practices, the social value of relationships and community members, and interdependence all contribute to complex, coherent, and holistic social resilience. This article presents a critical synopsis of definitions of social resilience to comprehend the concept and its key characteristics. After selecting the common definitions, I examined them to identify the keywords and verbs used to define social resilience and its key aspects. Almost all definitions relate to social resilience as the ability or capacity to withstand, recover, and maintain. A description of social resilience following these definitions provides an understanding of social resilience as a multifaceted, dynamic, and complex social construct that extends its scope to individual, group, or community dynamics, adaptability, and a variety of other environmental factors. The synthesis of the definitions supports the concept of an ‘agency-oriented’ framework of social resilience and an interdisciplinary approach to studying social experiences and practices during crises, including the interaction with (social, cultural, political, and economic) environmental factors.

Exploring the experiences of female undergraduate nursing students in providing home healthcare to older adults

ABSTRACTBackgroundIn light of the growing ageing population in Saudi Arabia and Saudi nurses’ hesitation to work with the older population, it is important to understand the experiences of nursing students on their clinical placement in home healthcare.MethodsThis study is a descriptive qualitative study based on five focus groups of 3–5 students each. Data were collected from female senior baccalaureate nursing students at a female governmental university in Saudi Arabia, and during their placement in home healthcare. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsFive main themes emerged : struggling with their own family; struggling with cultural and social beliefs; struggling during clinical training; struggling with domestic caregivers; and reflections for the future were considered important impressions in clinical experience.ConclusionThe culture of Saudi Arabian society is an important factor in shaping the training experience of female nursing students either positively or negatively, specifically in the context of home healthcare nursing for older patients. The results of this study show how important it is for students to be prepared for the clinical environment, the nature of the work, and the role of the home healthcare nurse in order to improve their clinical learning.

Age Variation Among US Adults' Social Media Experiences and Beliefs About Who Is Responsible for Reducing Health-Related Falsehoods: Secondary Analysis of a National Survey.

We live in a digital age where social media has become an essential part of people's lives. It is also one of the leading platforms responsible for spreading health-related falsehoods. This study explores who adults of different age groups perceive as responsible for reducing health-related falsehoods on social media. Despite growing concern over older adults' exposure to false health information on social media, little research examines their beliefs on how to address the problem. This study examines how the age of US adults is associated with their reported experiences with health-related falsehoods on social media and their beliefs about who should be tasked with reducing such falsehoods. This study is a secondary analysis of data from the 2022 Health Information National Trends Survey, a nationally representative survey of US adults (18 years and older). Multivariable logistic regressions estimated how a respondent's age was associated with their self-reported social media use, their difficulty to detect health-related falsehoods on social media, their discussion of health information found on social media with medical providers, and their beliefs regarding who should be responsible for reducing health-related falsehoods on social media. Regression estimates were adjusted for respondents' sociodemographic and health characteristics. Daily social media use decreased with respondents' age. Respondents aged 50-64 years (b=0.515, P=.01) and 65-74 years (b=0.697, P=.002) were more likely than respondents aged 18-34 years to report they strongly agree that it is difficult for them to detect health-related falsehoods on social media. Compared to younger adults, older adults (65-74 years: b=0.818, P=.002; 75 years and older: b=1.058, P<.001) were more likely to believe medical providers should be responsible for reducing online falsehoods. In addition to ongoing efforts by social media platforms to detect and remove falsehoods, the findings suggest medical providers should be tasked with discrediting health-related falsehoods on social media for older adults. However, time during the clinical visit is limited. Future research is needed to discover new approaches and tools tailored to older adults to assist with filtering and discrediting health-related falsehoods on social media.

Placebo Effects: Neurological Mechanisms Inducing Physiological, Organic, and Belief Responses—A Prospective Analysis

The placebo effect can induce physiological or clinical neurological and organic responses despite the recipient receiving no active ingredients; these responses are based instead on the recipient’s perceptions. Placebo effects come from the rostral anterior cingulate cortex, pontine nucleus, and cerebellum of the brain; this information provides a better understanding of placebo effects and can also help us understand the mechanism of the modulation of neurotransmitters from the use of psychedelic substances, activity of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, the process of transcranial magnetic stimulation, and deep brain stimulation, as well as aid in developing novel therapies, challenging the validity of controlled clinical trials (RCTs) that the regulatory agencies now appreciate. Education about how placebo effects bring in social, political, and religious beliefs and whether these can be modulated may help reduce global confrontations.

THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF SCIENTIFIC EPISTEMOLOGICAL BELIEFS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CLASSROOM SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT AND ADAPTIVE LEARNING ENGAGEMENT OF SCIENCE STUDENTS

This study explored the potential mediating impact of scientific epistemological beliefs on the correlation between the classroom social environment and adaptive learning in the field of science. The researcher used a quantitative non-experimental approach using a correlational technique. The study was conducted in seven selected public schools in Davao City where senior high school students are present. There were two hundred ninety (290) grade 12 student participants in total. The researcher applied the five Likert Scaling Method wherein the respondents will choose between 1 - 5, 4.20 - 5.00 is very high and 1.00 - 1.79 is very low. Also, ethical procedures were observed. The data that were gathered from the Level of Adaptive Learning Engagement of Science Students showed high levels. In addition, The Correlations between Classroom Social Environment and Scientific Epistemological Beliefs of Science Students, The Correlations between Adaptive Learning Engagement and Classroom Social Environment, and The Correlations between Scientific Epistemological Beliefs of Science Students and Adaptive Learning Engagement also showed positive correlations. Meanwhile, the Level of Classroom Social Environment and Level of Epistemological Beliefs was found to be moderate in level. Therefore, there is a significant effect of the Mediating Effect of Scientific Epistemological Beliefs, but student adaptive learning engagement emerges as a concern to address challenges like low achievement, disinterest, alienation, and high dropout rates.&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/soc/0998/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

The Role of Language in the Effectiveness of Social Advertising

The study aims to analyse and evaluate language's role in shaping social advertising's effectiveness from a linguistic perspective. Methods. The survey method, the method of linguistic analysis and classification of linguistic strategies and techniques, and the Weissman-Ricks Emotional State Inventory (WRESI) were used in the study. The statistical analysis was carried out using the Pearson criterion. The validity of the methods was tested using Cronbach's coefficient. Results. 52% of advertising materials contain emotional words. This result indicates a strong reaction from the audience, which is confirmed by the high Pearson's coefficient (0.83). Words describing the problem were also prevalent in 47% of the advertising materials. They had a high Pearson's coefficient (0.75), which underscores their importance in clearly addressing the problem and strengthening the effectiveness of advertising. The highlighted language means helped to increase the emotional involvement of respondents. Thus, it contributed to the effectiveness of the advertising message. Conclusions. Language plays a crucial role in the effectiveness of social advertising. It conveys information and creates emotional connections with the audience, helping to form and maintain social beliefs and cause changes. This approach increases the effectiveness of social advertising and its impact on society. Prospects. Future research perspectives may include analysing the effect of different language strategies on various audience groups, considering their age categories, social status, cultural characteristics, etc.

Local residents' attitudes toward and contact with international students: a perspective from Montreal, Quebec.

As migrants holding temporary, foreign-resident status in their host communities, international students often experience prejudice and have little meaningful contact with locals. To date, a comprehensive account of international students' experience is lacking, and existing conceptualizations exclude linguistic threat as a potential source of increased prejudice and diminished contact. Therefore, our goal in this study (set in Quebec, Canada) was to explore local residents' attitudes toward and contact with international students in relation to five potential threats experienced by local residents, including cultural differences, competition over resources, intergroup anxiety, stereotypes, with linguistic threat added as a new, previously unexplored variable. We recruited 59 student and non-student local francophone residents as participants and examined their attitudes toward, perceptions of threat from, and the quality and quantity of contact with international students attending English-medium universities. Both student and non-student participants demonstrated positive attitudes toward and low levels of perceived threat from international students, except for linguistic threat. Compared to student participants, non-student participants reported significantly greater linguistic threat from international students and described contact with them that was both less frequent and lower in quality. Regression models accounted for 50-67% of variance in participants' attitudes, with symbolic threat to social values and belief systems emerging as the common significant predictor of attitudes for both groups. Adding linguistic threat did not improve regression models. Finally, only contact quality showed significant relationships with attitudes and perceived threat, where greater contact quality was associated with more favorable attitudes and reduced threat. We discuss implications of intergroup attitudes and contact for language planning and use in multilingual contexts.

Word Choice Affects Social Judgments: Relational Messages Containing Low-Frequency Words Get Low Evaluations.

Prior research found a word complexity effect: Authors who use complex words are less favorably received when writing academic essays, business letters, and other relatively formal communications. The present study tested if word choice affects evaluations of messages between friends (Experiments 1-2) and spoken messages (Experiment 2). Three widespread dimensions of social judgments were studied - namely, persuasiveness, competence, and sincerity. Participants read/heard messages that varied (between-participants) by ordinary versus low-frequency words (sad vs. forlorn). Messages containing low-frequency words (mostly) received lower evaluations. Most importantly, word choice effects in messages between friends were consistently found - for both written and spoken language. Feedback analysis (Experiment 2) revealed that the overuse of "big vocabulary" conflicts with conscious social beliefs regarding ways to communicate, showing that social judgments spring from a combination of conscious social beliefs and the relatively unconscious influence of fluency.

Influence of Knowledge and Cultural Beliefs on Attitudes Toward HPV Vaccination Among Israeli Nurses and Nursing Students: Implications for Vaccine Advocacy.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) poses a significant health burden, yet the vaccine which successfully prevents HPV and its associated cancers remains underutilized. Nurses play a crucial role in patient education and advocacy for HPV vaccination. This study explores how knowledge, along with cultural, religious, and social beliefs, shapes the attitudes of Israeli nurses and nursing students toward the HPV vaccine and their advocacy efforts. A cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2023 to January 2024 using an anonymous online questionnaire distributed via Facebook groups targeting Israeli nurses and nursing students. The questionnaire assessed demographic data, HPV-related knowledge, and attitudes toward HPV vaccination. The study included 458 participants (229 nurses and 229 nursing students). Significant knowledge gaps were found, with 52% of participants incorrectly believing that the vaccine can cure existing infections and 47% mistakenly believing that it is administered in a single dose. Logistic regression revealed that nurses working in community settings were more likely to have positive attitudes toward HPV vaccination (OR = 2.98, 95% CI: 1.84-4.85). Higher levels of HPV-related knowledge (OR = 3.35, 95% CI: 2.10-5.35) and secular or traditional religious affiliations (OR = 2.45, 95% CI: 1.52-3.97) were strongly associated with positive attitudes toward and advocacy for the vaccine. Targeted educational programs addressing knowledge gaps, especially those tailored to Israel's cultural and religious diversity, are crucial for empowering nurses and nursing students as advocates for HPV vaccination. Enhancing their understanding of HPV can increase vaccine uptake, reduce the incidence of HPV-related diseases, and strengthen public health initiatives in Israel.

Barriers and facilitators to antenatal care services utilisation in Somaliland: a qualitative study.

To explore the barriers and facilitators of antenatal care (ANC) utilisation in Somaliland. An exploratory qualitative study design. Various settings were considered for study including maternal and child health clinics, hospitals and community. 74 study participants including 33 pregnant women, 22 healthcare providers, 10 community elders and ten religious leaders were purposively selected. Data was collected via focus group discussion and in-depth interviews in the local Somali language. The data was audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, translated into English and imported into NVivo V.12 software. Thematic framework analysis was used to assess barriers and facilitators of ANC utilisation. Six main themes were identified as barriers of ANC utilisation. These include lack of awareness, long distance and lack of transportation access, economic barriers, lack of social support, beliefs and thoughts and health facility-related factors such as caregivers approach, waiting time and inadequate skill of providers. Proper dissemination of ANC information, adequate spousal support and cheap pricing of services were found to be facilitators of ANC uptake. A strategy that focuses on raising awareness about ANC, making it accessible by reducing the cost-of-service charge, encouraging partner involvement, improving the quality of services and making it customer-friendly will help to overcome the barriers of antenatal utilisation.

Preventive Practices of Hantavirus in a Rural Community in Panama: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Study.

Preventive care practices are a challenge in community care. This study examined hantavirus preventive practices and their relationship with personal and social factors, lifestyle, and cultural beliefs. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design, guided by Leininger's Theory of Culture Care Diversity and Universality, was used in two phases: (a) a cross-sectional relational design (n = 109) and (b) ethnonursing research (n = 30), in an endemic community in Panama. Univariate and bivariate analyses were used to analyze the quantitative data, whereas the Leininger's analysis model was used to analyze the qualitative data. In the quantitative phase, the most frequent preventive practice was household hygiene, and the least frequent was vector control. Two of the eight preventive practices were associated with personal factors and two were associated with social factors. In the qualitative phase, lifestyle, beliefs, and context were found to influence the adoption of hantavirus preventive practices and help explain the quantitative findings. Knowledge and understanding of the social and cultural contexts are essential for hantavirus prevention.

Exposure to information about sexual crimes and its relationship to perceptions of social threats and belief in a just world

Purpose The purpose of the two online experimental studies was to examine how information about threats related to sexual crimes influences personal beliefs regarding social threats (in line with the finite pool of worry concept) and belief in a just world, as proposed by Melvin Lerner. Design/methodology/approach In the first experiment (n = 256), female participants were presented with press information about a sexual crime that occurred at a student concert. Different groups were informed whether the perpetrator was apprehended (or not) and asked to indicate the punishment they thought should be imposed. In the second experiment (n = 251), participants in the experimental group were asked to read texts about various threats that may concern them. Findings In both experiments, the authors measured the perceived risk of being a victim of a sexual crime (and, in Study 1, other threats) as well as belief in just world (at both personal and general levels). Analysis of results has shown that participants’ focus on one threat did not reduce their concerns about other threats. However, belief in just world appears to be negatively associated with the fear of being a victim of a sexual crime. Originality/value The findings concern the relationship between the sense of threat and belief in a just world. In this regard, both of the studies consistently showed that the threats the authors induced did not affect the level of belief in a just world. However, the second experiment revealed that belief in a just world is related to the fear of being raped. Belief in a just world serves as a foundation for good adaptation and functioning. It provides cognitive control, motivates hard work and long-term goal-setting and gives life meaning (e.g. Dalbert, 1999; Dalbert and Sallay, 2004; Sutton and Winnard, 2007). Therefore, a woman’s fear of being a victim of rape has implications that extend beyond this narrowly defined issue.

How reliance on Spanish-language social media predicts beliefs in false political narratives amongst Latinos.

False political narratives are nearly inescapable on social media in the United States. They are a particularly acute problem for Latinos, and especially for those who rely on Spanish-language social media for news and information. Studies have shown that Latinos are vulnerable to misinformation because they rely more heavily on social media and messaging platforms than non-Hispanic whites. Moreover, fact-checking algorithms are not as robust in Spanish as they are in English, and social media platforms put far more effort into combating misinformation on English-language media than Spanish-language media, which compounds the likelihood of being exposed to misinformation. As a result, we expect that Latinos who use Spanish-language social media to be more likely to believe in false political narratives when compared with Latinos who primarily rely on English-language social media for news. To test this expectation, we fielded the largest online survey to date of social media usage and belief in political misinformation of Latinos. Our study, fielded in the months leading up to and following the 2022 midterm elections, examines a variety of false political narratives that were circulating in both Spanish and English on social media. We find that social media reliance for news predicts one's belief in false political stories, and that Latinos who use Spanish-language social media have a higher probability of believing in false political narratives, compared with Latinos using English-language social media.

Hierarchy as a signal of culture and belonging: Exploring why egalitarian ideology predicts aversion to hierarchical organizations

Variation in people's ideological preference for the maintenance of inequality between social groups (i.e., social dominance orientation; SDO) predicts important sociopolitical outcomes, such as endorsement of different social policies, institutions, and belief systems. We argue that SDO may also inform people's engagement with work organizations. Specifically, we propose that SDO may impact attraction to different organizational structures. Across 6 experiments (N = 3034), we find that people with relatively egalitarian values are less attracted to organizations with much (vs. little) managerial hierarchy; this gap in attraction is attenuated for relative anti-egalitarians (Studies 1a-b). These effects are not moderated by whether dominant vs. subordinate group members occupy positions of power in hierarchical arrangements (Study 2a-b) and are driven by signals concerning likelihood of organizational belonging that egalitarians (vs. anti-egalitarians) derive from managerial hierarchy (Studies 3a-b). We discuss implications for social dominance theory and research connecting ideology to organizational attraction.

Hearts and minds: a community-based systems diagram exploring mental health following a cardiac event

Abstract Background/Introduction Following an acute cardiac event, individuals commonly face multiple emotional and mental health challenges. For many people, this change in their mental health will resolve over time. However, one in five will go on to develop major depressive disorder. The development of major depressive disorder is a complex co-morbidity that, if left unchecked, can increase the risk of subsequent cardiac events and mortality. Systems thinking methodology offers a novel approach to investigating factors that contribute to mental health following a cardiovascular event. Purpose This project aims to (1) unravel the complex system influencing mental health after a cardiac event and (2) pinpoint priorities for supporting individuals' mental well-being following a cardiac event. Methods Group model building workshops using Deakin University’s purpose-built STICKE software were conducted over Zoom to explore the interrelationships contributing to mental health following a cardiovascular event. Twelve participants, including consumers (n = 3) and healthcare professionals (n = 9) from across Australia, engaged in two 1.5-hour workshops. Guided by the prompt "Reflect on factors influencing a person’s mental health post-cardiac event", participants worked together to construct a systems diagram. This facilitated exploration, visual mapping, and identification of factors and priority areas influencing mental health post-cardiac event. The diagram was then analysed using the theoretical domains framework. Results The STICKE diagram developed demonstrates the interplay of various factors impacting mental health across the cardiac healthcare journey at both patient and system levels (see Figure 1). Using the theoretical domains framework, eight domains were identified: knowledge, skills of healthcare professionals, environmental context, personal context, emotional response to event and recovery, social influences, behavioural regulation, and beliefs about individual capacity. Knowledge (including health literacy and staff training), environmental context (addressing gaps in care and navigating the system), and social influences (such as social isolation) were domains that were consistently raised in the workshop (see Figure 2). Stakeholders also identified the following key priority areas: highlighting the need for additional support for staff and intervention to increase health literacy and knowledge around mental health. Conclusion(s) Supporting mental health post-cardiac events is a multifaceted challenge requiring a comprehensive community-level intervention, particularly in the initial weeks post-hospitalisation. The insights gained from this study will inform the co-design of an intervention aimed at increasing health literacy and knowledge around mental health following a cardiovascular event.

Navigating the social media landscape: unraveling the intricacies of safety perceptions

The emergence of social media has greatly enriched the channels and sources of information through which individuals interact. However, there remains a lack of empirical research on its actual impact on personal safety. This study employed both Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and network analysis to explored the mechanisms by which social media engagement affects safety perceptions. Additionally, it examined gender differences from both micro-level perspectives (including general trust and perceived social support) and macro-level viewpoints (including personal belief in a just world). The findings revealed that perceived social support, general trust, and personal belief in a just world played a fully mediating role. A multi-group analysis indicated that males were more susceptibility to the influence of social media engagement, with their general trust exhibiting negligible impact on perceived safety. Consequently, this study argues that attention should be given not only how social media affects personal beliefs and safety perceptions, but also its impact on behavioral outcomes.