Belief Theory Research Articles

The relationship between the strength of atheistic and theistic beliefs and risky drug use: a public health issue

The relationship between the strength of atheistic and theistic beliefs and risky drug use: a public health issue

Beliefs as causal mediators in the design of communication interventions: exploring semantic and affective priming in parallel encouragement designs.

The design of communication campaigns to alter health behaviors often begins with the identification of behavioral beliefs assumed to be causal antecedents of behavioral intentions. The assumption beliefs are causal derives from various theories of belief and intention/behavior and from statistical patterns of correlation. In cases of high-risk/cost campaigns, presuming causal order should require additional evidence. One approach is the parallel encouragement design which involves "randomly encouraging" levels of the mediator to establish its causal linkage to the outcome. This study proposes and tests a novel method of randomly encouraging beliefs as the mediator of messages on intention. Results show that semantic priming altered misbeliefs about Natural American Spirit cigarettes which in turn influenced intentions, suggesting its utility as an encouragement method to establish causal mediation of beliefs in message effects models. Results for countercampaign messages and broader theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

The blindfolded traveler’s problem: A search framework for motion planning with contact estimates

We address the problem of robot motion planning under uncertainty where the only observations are through contact with the environment. Such problems are typically solved by planning optimistically assuming unknown space is free, moving along the planned path and re-planning if the robot collides. However this approach can be very inefficient, leading to many unnecessary collisions and unproductive motion. We propose a new formulation, the Blindfolded Traveler’s Problem (BTP), for planning on a graph containing edges with unknown validity, with true validity observed only through attempted traversal by the robot. The solution to a BTP is a policy indicating the next edge to attempt given previous observations and an initial belief. We prove that BTP is NP-complete and show that exact modeling of the belief is intractable, therefore we present several approximation-based policies and beliefs. For the policy we propose graph search with edge weights augmented by the probability of collision. For the belief representation we propose a weighted Mixture of Experts of Collision Hypothesis Sets and a Manifold Particle Filter. Empirical evaluation in simulation and on a real robot arm shows that our proposed approach vastly outperforms several baselines as well as a previous approach that does not employ the BTP framework.

Perceptions of Adherence The Use of Type 2 Anti-Diabetic Drug: Preliminary Study With Health Belief Theory Model

Perceptions of Adherence The Use of Type 2 Anti-Diabetic Drug: Preliminary Study With Health Belief Theory Model

What is rational belief?

AbstractA theory of rational belief should get the cases right. It should also reach its verdicts using the right theoretical assumptions. Leading theories seem to predict the wrong things. With only one exception, they don't accommodate principles that we should use to explain these verdicts. We offer a theory of rational belief that combines an attractive picture of epistemic desirability with plausible principles connecting desirability to rationality.

Religious Belief and the Wisdom of Crowds

In their simplest form, consensus gentium arguments for theism argue that theism is true on the basis that everyone believes that theism is true. While such arguments may have been popular in history, they have all but fallen from grace in the philosophy of religion. In this short paper, we reconsider the neglected topic of consensus gentium arguments, paying particular attention to the value of such arguments when deployed in the defence of theistic belief. We argue that while consensus gentium arguments are unlikely to offer anything close to overwhelming support for theism, their probative value is nevertheless underappreciated, and that they have been unfairly maligned as a consequence.

Ramsey and Keynes revisited

Abstract This paper re-assesses Ramsey’s influence on Keynes. It is argued that the Standard View has restricted attention to the implications for probability theory of Ramsey’s criticisms of Keynes’s concepts of logical probability-relations and non-numerical probabilities. Building on the work of both Coates (1996) and Misak (2016), an Alternative View is proposed in which Ramsey’s influence on Keynes is seen as principally philosophical. Specifically, the Alternative View recognises Ramsey’s adoption of the logical pragmatist philosophy of C. S. Peirce from 1924 onwards with a dispositional theory of belief in which beliefs are treated not only as useful mental habits that can successfully guide future actions but also as able to provide true explanations of observed empirical facts. The textual evidence is examined, particularly Keynes’s biographical essay on Ramsey, which, it is argued, supports the contention that Keynes fully appreciated and was sympathetic to Ramsey’s pragmatism especially the importance of vague knowledge and the need for the development of human logic as the study of reasonable human behaviour.

Agnostics who accept God’s supposed love experience greater well-being

ABSTRACT Contemporary philosophers have routinely claimed that agnostics, who lack belief that God exists, can nonetheless adopt alternative attitudes toward a supposed God that act as substitutes for belief, and may thereby reap benefits associated with theistic belief. This study tested this hypothesis empirically in an online sample of self-identified agnostics (N = 360). Previous findings that anxious attachment to God is negatively related to agnostics’ well-being while secure attachment to God is positively related to agnostics’ well-being were confirmed and extended. Anxious attachment to God predicted unique variance in life satisfaction, depression, and self-esteem in hierarchical regressions, while difference-in-means tests indicated that securely attached agnostics fared better than their insecurely attached counterparts for these variables. Two novel and more direct measures of agnostics’ acceptance or resistance of God’s supposed love also demonstrated significant associations with agnostics’ gratitude, life satisfaction, and self-esteem, even after controlling for God attachment.

Psychological and Behavioral Predictors of Procrastination in Undergraduates

Utilizing previous work in personality theory, implicit theory of intelligence, goal orientation, and self-efficacy theory, we conducted this exploratory study to identify predictors of general procrastination tendencies among undergraduates. We analyzed a sample of 267 undergraduate students from introductory psychology courses at a public rural university. A standard multiple regression analysis using IBM SPSS Statistics was performed on 16 psychological variables and 1 behavioral variable to identify presence of predictive influence on the dependent variable of procrastination as measured by Lay (1986) for college student populations. Regression analysis revealed that the model achieved significance at predicting procrastination in undergraduate students, F(17, 249) = 14.73, p < .001, r2 = .50, adj r2 = .47. The resultant model identified 4 significant predictors and 9 additional significant correlates, 7 of which were significant at p < .01. Positive predictors included growth mindset beliefs (β=. 16, p = .003) and academic entitlement beliefs (β = .12, p = .023). Negative predictors included conscientiousness (β = –.55, p < .001) and college student efficacy beliefs (β=– .17, p = .011). These findings are consistent with previous work and further support the roles and directional influences of conscientiousness, college student efficacy beliefs, and implicit theory of intelligence beliefs on procrastination, and add to the growing literature on academic entitlement beliefs.

Motivacija za učenje

Motivation to learn is associated with academic success, positive attitudes towards school, greater student and teacher satisfaction and better discipline. In developing the concept, motivation has been viewed as a personality trait or state depending on the situation, or as a combination of traits and states. The basic division that theorists have emphasised is the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Since most activities are neither intrinsically nor extrinsically motivated, the idea arises that there is a continuum on which activities are located between fully intrinsically and fully extrinsically motivated, or that intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are considered to be two independent causes with the possibility of simultaneous action. This paper presents the basic theoretical concepts of motivation to learn and practical implications for the teaching process, namely: behaviourist approach to motivation, Maslow's hierarchy of needs, self-determination theory, theory of optimal experience, expectancy-value theories, goal theory, implicit theories of ability, attribution theory, self-efficacy beliefs and self-worth theory as well as the importance of interest in the subject of study. Most theories emphasise the importance of intrinsic motivation, while research and the reality of school systems show that it is sometimes necessary to rely on extrinsic motives and to use reward systems. There are many reasons why students learn. Personal interests, curiosity and the inner need for knowledge are probably the strongest drivers to engage in a particular activity. It is important to nurture and develop curiosity, interests, and the desire to learn as many different areas as possible.

Trans Women, Cis Women, Alien Women, and Robot Women Are Women: They Are All (Simply) Adults Gendered Female

AbstractAlex Byrne contends that women are (simply) adult human females, claiming that this thesis has considerably greater initial appeal than the justified true belief (JTB) theory of knowledge. This article refutes Byrne's thesis in the same way the JTB theory of knowledge is widely thought to have been refuted: through simple counterexamples. Lessons are drawn. One lesson is that women need not be human. A second lesson is that biology and physical phenotypes are both irrelevant to whether someone is a woman, and indeed, female in a gendered sense. A third lesson is that trans women, cis women, alien women, and robot women are all women because to be a woman is to be an adult gendered female. This article does not purport to settle complex normative questions of ethics or justice, including whether the ordinary meaning of woman ought to be retained or changed—though I do note plausible implications for these debates. This article does purport to settle what the ordinary meaning of woman is, and in that regard contribute to important conceptual ground-clearing regarding what constitutes an ameliorative or revisionary definition of woman.

Seemings and Defeat by Disagreement in the Case of Religious Experience

Exploiting the resources of phenomenal conservatism, Harold Netland has offered a “critical-trust” approach to assessing the veridicality of religious experience and to ascertaining its evidential force in relation to Christian theistic belief. I suggest that, if we give seemings carried in religious experience their epistemic due, it may turn out that religious experience is practically universal and that the potential defeat of justification for religious belief by disagreement among purported epistemic peers is itself defeated by the private character of seemings in the religious experiences of believers.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Cervical Cancer Screening Amongst Female Students of a Private University in South-South Nigeria

This study is aimed at assessing the knowledge, attitude and practice of female students towards cervical cancer screening. An institution based descriptive study was conducted in April 2022 at PAMO University Of Medical Sciences Port-Harcourt, Nigeria among female students who were over 18 years of age. Health belief theory guided the study. A questionnaire designed, developed and validated by the researchers was used in collecting data for the study. Out of three hundred students that constituted the population for the study, one hundred and seventy female students was sampled using simple random sampling technique. The results showed that 98% of the respondents had a good knowledge of cervical cancer and screening, with over half of the respondents having a favorable attitude towards cervical cancer screening. However, less than 20% of the respondents had been screened for cervical cancer. Therefore, the health sectors and the university community were recommended to mobilize resources to strengthen the availability and utilization of cervical screening facilities.

Ispitivanje faktora koji doprinose (ne)vakcinisanju adolescenata

The aim of this research was to examine a group of psycho-social predictors that best distinguish vaccinated from non-vaccinated adolescents. In selecting the predictors that were examined, we relied on the results of earlier research as well as on the assumptions of the Health belief theory and the Reasoned action approach about which factors determine a person's decision to vaccinate or not. The rationale for organizing the research is the recorded trend of greater reluctance to receive the vaccine, which has become particularly pronounced in the circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic. We conducted the research on adolescents for the reason that the hesitancy towards the vaccine is most pronounced among them and at the same time the least amount of research has been conducted on them. In order to answer the research question, a cross-sectional survey was organized in which 833 respondents initially participated, so that after sorting the matrix, the sample consisted of 607 respondents (59.2% girls) aged 14 to 28 years (AS=19.00; SD=2.98). Data were collected on respondents' intention to get vaccinated, on their attitudes about the vaccine, on social norms, perceived control, on the level of knowledge about vaccines, conspiratorial beliefs, on trust in science, government and the health system, on fear of the consequences of the vaccine, on the perception of susceptibility to getting sick and the vaccination status of family members and friends. Discriminant analysis was carried out on the data and one significant function was singled out. The results reveal that over two-thirds of the surveyed adolescents have not received a single dose of the vaccine, that on average they have more negative than positive attitudes, that they have very modest knowledge about vaccines, that they significantly believe in conspiracy theories, and that they have low trust in science, government and healthcare system. The variables that best discriminate vaccinated from non-vaccinated adolescents are intention to vaccinate, positive attitudes, subjective norm, as well as knowledge and trust in science. The results favor the Reasoned action approach constructs over the Health belief theory. Overall, the results have practical implications and can serve as a basis for creating promotional campaigns and work programs with adolescents.

Driving Factors for Having the Feeling of Resentment towards God among Muslim Adolescents: Its Phenomena and Solutions

The article aims to study the causes that lead to the development of Misotheism (a sense of resentment or embitterment towards God or theistic belief in general) among Muslim adolescents. Previous studies have tackled the issue from its atheist phenomenon without investigating its causes. Therefore, the study focuses on the phenomenon of resentment and embitterment towards God, its driving factors in initial stages and its evolution into atheism among Muslim teenagers. The research highlights the importance of defending against malicious attempts from the critics of Islam who are engaged in efforts that result in severe harm to the psychology of Muslim youth everywhere. The study uses qualitative methods in which library research, method of analysis and observation are applied. The finding shows that there are three main factors that lead to this phenomenon; namely: psychological, social and cognitive causes. The psychological causes for the rebellious behavior among youth are mainly due to family breakdown. As for the social causes, they are owing to the rigidity of customs and traditions in the name of religion, Islamophobia, social injustice, and the excessive veneration of people and promotion of narcissistic behavior, while the cognitive reasons are embedded in the problem of life challenges, addictions, and social evils. The study also proposes some practical solutions for the issues discussed.

Linguosemiotic Content and Functional Characteristics of Food Rituals (Using the Example of Chinese Grocery Stores)

The article examines the linguosemiotic content and functional characteristics of food rituals, which are a symbolic representation of folk beliefs, tra- ditional knowledge and collective experience relevant to this society. The study of the semiotics of gastronomic culture involves the analysis of factors that have influenced the modern cultural context in which certain gastronyms are endowed with symbolic properties. The article gives a classification of symbols by form and content: 1) according to the degree of complexity: simple (egg, noodles) and complex (Fish Ceremony); 2) according to the level of abstraction: concrete (lotus, round gingerbread) — abstract (dragon, phoenix); 3) according to the form of their expression: graphic (hieroglyphs chun lian 春联, chūnlián) — wishes of happiness, well–being before the New Year and subject (flashlight, seeds); 4) auditory — songs and poems dedicated to the Moon Holiday; 5) gestural — the choice of dishes for the festive table; 6) by origin: natural symbols (bamboo, fish) — artificial (yin and yang). Depending on the functions, the article examines two groups of culinary symbols: mythological (egg — Food of the five virtues) and moral symbols (ducks — happiness). Semiotic studies of gastronomic linguoculture bring us closer to understanding not only the culture of individual peoples, but also the aesthetic universals and psychological constants of humanity.

SPECHT: Self-tuning Plausibility based object detection Enables quantification of Conflict in Heterogeneous multi-scale microscopy.

Identification of small objects in fluorescence microscopy is a non-trivial task burdened by parameter-sensitive algorithms, for which there is a clear need for an approach that adapts dynamically to changing imaging conditions. Here, we introduce an adaptive object detection method that, given a microscopy image and an image level label, uses kurtosis-based matching of the distribution of the image differential to express operator intent in terms of recall or precision. We show how a theoretical upper bound of the statistical distance in feature space enables application of belief theory to obtain statistical support for each detected object, capturing those aspects of the image that support the label, and to what extent. We validate our method on 2 datasets: distinguishing sub-diffraction limit caveolae and scaffold by stimulated emission depletion (STED) super-resolution microscopy; and detecting amyloid-β deposits in confocal microscopy retinal cross-sections of neuropathologically confirmed Alzheimer's disease donor tissue. Our results are consistent with biological ground truth and with previous subcellular object classification results, and add insight into more nuanced class transition dynamics. We illustrate the novel application of belief theory to object detection in heterogeneous microscopy datasets and the quantification of conflict of evidence in a joint belief function. By applying our method successfully to diffraction-limited confocal imaging of tissue sections and super-resolution microscopy of subcellular structures, we demonstrate multi-scale applicability.

The effects of base rate neglect on sequential belief updating and real-world beliefs.

Base-rate neglect is a pervasive bias in judgment that is conceptualized as underweighting of prior information and can have serious consequences in real-world scenarios. This bias is thought to reflect variability in inferential processes but empirical support for a cohesive theory of base-rate neglect with sufficient explanatory power to account for longer-term and real-world beliefs is lacking. A Bayesian formalization of base-rate neglect in the context of sequential belief updating predicts that belief trajectories should exhibit dynamic patterns of dependence on the order in which evidence is presented and its consistency with prior beliefs. To test this, we developed a novel 'urn-and-beads' task that systematically manipulated the order of colored bead sequences and elicited beliefs via an incentive-compatible procedure. Our results in two independent online studies confirmed the predictions of the sequential base-rate neglect model: people exhibited beliefs that are more influenced by recent evidence and by evidence inconsistent with prior beliefs. We further found support for a noisy-sampling inference model whereby base-rate neglect results from rational discounting of noisy internal representations of prior beliefs. Finally, we found that model-derived indices of base-rate neglect-including noisier prior representation-correlated with propensity for unusual beliefs outside the laboratory. Our work supports the relevance of Bayesian accounts of sequential base-rate neglect to real-world beliefs and hints at strategies to minimize deleterious consequences of this pervasive bias.

Optimism, divergence of investors’ opinions, and the long-run underperformance of IPOs

The long-run underperformance of initial public offerings (IPOs) suggests that aftermarket prices are overvalued. According to the theory of heterogeneous beliefs and short-sale constraints, the aftermarket price of IPOs is overvalued; in addition, their performance deteriorates when the mean level of optimism and degree of divergence of investors’ opinions increase. I examine this phenomenon by estimating the mean and divergence of investor opinion distribution by focusing on Japanese auction-method IPOs. According to the results, both optimism and divergence cause the overvaluation of IPO’s first-day market price; however, only the mean level of optimism is statistically significant in explaining post-IPO underperformance.

ALEVISM AND CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF NEWS ITEMS IN TUNCELİ EMEK NEWSPAPER

This study aims to analyse the articles and news on Alevism in Tunceli Emek Newspaper. In the study, news and articles about Alevism published in Tunceli Emek Newspaper between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2020 were classified. The news items were analysed in terms of the subject and distribution of the news, the type of expression, the language of individuals and institutions, Alevi hearths (ocak), the discourses of the mothers and grandfathers (murshid, pīr and guide) who are the representatives of the hearths, and the representation of beliefs in the local press and the importance of these representations in terms of keeping cultural memory alive. It was analysed whether these news items reflect Alevism's cultural heritage and tradition. The extent to which these news items contribute to democracy and social development was also analysed. As a result of the study, the survival of Alevism in Tunceli, its transmission to new generations, the place of rituals and its importance in social communication and the transformations it has undergone today were emphasised. The articles about Alevism and news about Alevis in Tunceli Emek Newspaper, as well as the extent to which Alevi values are represented, were evaluated adopting Teun A. Van Dijk's critical discourse analysis method. Keywords: Alevism, Tunceli, Alevi Belief, Tunceli Emek Newspaper, Hearths.