Tool For Empirical Research Research Articles

From MIsgivings to MIse-en-scène: The role of invariance in personality science

There are increasing vocal concerns about the application of measurement invariance testing arguing that it is overly strict and arbitrary. We argue that invariance is not just a procedural hurdle but a substantive tool that enhances the understanding of psychological constructs across diverse populations and has important implications for both theory testing and theory development. First, we outline the importance of how invariance, in a broad sense, plays a role at all the major steps within a research cycle, involving both theoretical and methodological concerns. Second, we suggest a list of points linked to these invariance concerns that can benefit research reports to improve reliability, validity, and fairness. We see invariance as a crucial part of scientific inquiry and an informative tool for empirical research. We agree with Funder and Gardiner’s point that “Data are data,” but would like to add that invariance inquiries and their implications help making sense of the data and the underlying world.

Enculturation-Acculturation Screening Tools for Empirical Aesthetics Research: a Proof of Principle Study

Abstract Grouping research participants by culture or language proficiency may no longer suffice to investigate cognitive universals and differences cross-culturally, due to the interconnectedness of our multicultural world. Based on immigration psychology research, we provide a ‘proof of principle’ for three culture screening tools. Across five online experiments (total N = 440), we developed (1) The Cultural Traditions Questionnaire (CTQ), (2) the Arts Engagement in Childhood Questionnaire (AECQ), and (3) the Enculturation and Acculturation Quiz (EAQ). While these screening tools are tailored to Iranian and English cultures, the procedures provided here are expandable to other cultures. The screening scores predicted emotional attachment to a culture better than traditional variables used in cross-cultural research (self-ascribed culture group, country of residence during formative years, mother tongue). Continuous measures of enculturation and acculturation are potentially better predictors for downstream variables of interest, due to their finer granularity and capability to capture multifaceted cultural identities.

Trade, Gravity, and Aggregation

Abstract Gravity equations are an important tool in empirical international trade research. We study to what extent sector-level parameters can be recovered from aggregate gravity equations estimated via Poisson pseudo maximum likelihood. We show that in the leading case where trade cost regressors do not vary at the sector level, estimates obtained with aggregate data have a clear interpretation as a weighted average of sectoral elasticities. Otherwise the estimates are biased, but researchers may possibly infer the direction of the bias. We illustrate our results by revisiting Baier and Bergstrand’s (2007) influential study of the effects of free trade agreements.

Psychological peqularities of behaviour of a person with various addictions

The purpose of the article is to carry out a theoretical analysis of scientific sources on the study of psychological characteristics of behaviour of a person with various addictions. Methods. The article uses the methods of theoretical study of scientific literature: analysis, synthesis, abstraction, and generalisation. Results. A review of the theoretical and empirical basis of research on the psychological characteristics of addictive behaviour of individuals suggests that the problem of addictions is relevant, widely represented and studied by scientists in various aspects. There is an increase and thoroughness of scientific research on non-chemical (behavioural) addictions. Among Ukrainian researchers, the predominant topics are the study of psychological features of the formation of addictive behaviour in modern youth, the influence of the family on the formation of addictive behaviour, urge addiction and workaholism, psychological features of food addiction, Internet addiction, etc. Conclusions. The family system is the basis for the development of individual psychological factors of predisposition to addictive behaviour (attachment styles, the level of manifestation of character accentuations, resistance to emotional stress, etc.) Dependence on psychoactive substances is considered a complex and chronic condition. Due to the legalisation of cannabis products in a number of countries, its availability is increasing. Accessibility is one of the negative factors in the development of chemical dependence. The distinction between non-problematic behaviour and behavioural addiction (workaholism, overeating, internet addiction, gambling, etc.) in everyday life is very vague, and negative consequences for a person's health and well-being can be an evidence of addiction. Signs of established addiction (chemical and non-chemical) are: impaired control over behaviour, prioritisation, continuation and escalation of behaviour despite negative consequences. Until recently, the tools for empirical research on addictive behaviour were mainly developed and improved for the study of substance dependence and were used to study all types of addictions, including behavioural ones. At the present level, there are two trends: the use of existing tools for the study of addictions; development and implementation of new methods for chemical (substance dependence) and non-chemical (behavioural) addictions.

Staying attuned, keeping the flow – possibilities and obstacles in teachers’ tactful acting

ABSTRACT The standardised and instrumental view of teaching overshadows the unintentional spontaneous, unpredictable aspects of teaching captured by the notion of pedagogical tact. Pedagogical tact is grounded in teacher-pupil relations involving trust and care. This article illustrates how pedagogical tact can be used as an analytical tool in empirical educational research. The overall aim was to explore how tactful acting manifests itself in teachers’ pedagogical decision-making, and what can facilitate or impede teachers’ tactful acting. The author provides examples from two cases. The first case shows how the teacher balances freedom and constraint in making decisions about grading. The second case demonstrates how a beginning teacher handles a situation involving a student with special needs. The findings show that the conditions for tactful acting are determined by various aspects of the educational practice, such as the teacher’s freedom to make pedagogical decisions and the teacher’s obligations towards the students, principal, and parents.

ChatGPT-powered chatbot as a green evangelist: an innovative path toward sustainable consumerism in E-commerce

ABSTRACT The purpose of the current article is to propose the construction of ChatGPT as a green evangelist (CGGE) and to develop and validate the CGGE scale using two independent studies. Study 1 mainly adopted exploratory factor analysis to test whether the twenty items of the CGGE construct and the eight items of consumer equilibrium can represent these constructs statistically via exploratory factor analysis. Furthermore, through Study 2, this study primarily tested the convergent and discriminant validity of CGGE and consumer equilibrium. Finally, further analysis explains the relationship between CGGE and consumer equilibrium through green purchase intentions at different levels of brand credibility, including high and low levels, using structural equational modeling. Study 1 showed that the initial twenty items of CGGE are appropriately loaded on four factors and the eight items of consumer equilibrium are appropriately loaded on single factors. Study 2 demonstrated that CGGE could significantly predict consumer equilibrium through green purchase intentions at different brand credibility levels. This article contributes to the advancement of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) and research and provides a valuable tool for future empirical research on ChatGPT.

Development and Validation of the "Lying Flat" Tendency Scale for the Youth.

In recent years, "lying flat" has been enthusiastically pursued by young people in China, and it is worth studying its cause and social impact. However, there is still a lack of measurement tools that can scientifically evaluate an individual's tendency for "lying flat." In this study, a 6-item "Lying Flat" Tendency Scale was developed and cross-validated for reliability and validity in different samples from China. The findings demonstrated that the scale showed good internal consistency in three different samples; both exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis supported the single dimension model of the scale, indicating good construct validity; the LFTS total score was negatively correlated with the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, happiness index, and positive emotions, and was positively correlated with negative emotions; simultaneously, the LFTS total score was also significantly positively correlated with the choice of "lying flat" behavior in the simulated situation. These results show that the scale has good validity and reliability, and can be used as a measuring tool for subsequent empirical research. It will help to promote the development of empirical research on the phenomenon of "lying flat", help to understand the causes and consequences of "lying flat" more deeply, and also help to find effective ways to help young people break out of the "lying flat" dilemma.

Simulated Data in Empirical Science

AbstractThis paper provides the first systematic epistemological account of simulated data in empirical science. We focus on the epistemic issues modelers face when they generate simulated data to solve problems with empirical datasets, research tools, or experiments. We argue that for simulated data to count as epistemically reliable, a simulation model does not have to mimic its target. Instead, some models take empirical data as a target, and simulated data may successfully mimic such a target even if the model does not. We show how to distinguish between simulated and empirical data, and we also offer a definition of simulation that can accommodate Monte Carlo models. We shed light on the epistemology of simulated data by providing a taxonomy of four different mimicking relations that differ concerning the nature of the relation or relata. We illustrate mimicking relations with examples from different sciences. Our main claim is that the epistemic evaluation of simulated data should start with recognizing the diversity of mimicking relations rather than presuming that only one relation existed.

Review of EAP Talk

Abstract This technological tool review aims to provide a brief overview of EAP Talk, an artificial intelligence (AI) English speech assessment platform, outlining its various evaluation features, highlighting the advantages of each function, illustrating its potential for academic English teaching and proposing critical evaluations and suggestions for its upgradeable components. More importantly, this review strives to offer a user guide of experimental tools for related empirical research and explores its feasibility for lessening teacher workload and promoting independent learning among students in the age of AI.

Comprehensive economic analysis and assessment of project implementation efficiency

Subject. The article is devoted to comprehensive analysis of projects to improve the effectiveness of their implementation. Objectives. The aim is to develop a comprehensive methodology for evaluating the effectiveness of project implementation in conditions of uncertainty and risk. Methods. The study draws on systems approach, using general scientific research methods, like deduction, classification, systematization, synthesis, analysis, and empirical research tool, i.e. questionnaires. The theoretical basis of the study was the works of Russian scientists in the field of economic analysis. Results. We developed a methodology for complex economic analysis and evaluation of project implementation efficiency. It includes three analytical blocks: project closure risk assessment by life cycle phase, based on integrated indicators obtained under the method of multidimensional comparison; project ranking, using the hierarchical cluster analysis of time, resource and quality limitation indicators as part of the total portfolio of projects; scoring diagnostics of the level of organizational, methodological and functional maturity of project management system, using the proposed system of test indicators. Conclusions. It is necessary to organize analytical support for projects to increase the efficiency of their implementation and maintain the financial stability of an economic entity applying project management. The developed methodology enables evaluation upon project completion and after the end of individual phases, which makes it possible not only to prepare an information base for making operational management decisions, but also to generate data for adjusting the project management strategy in the organization.

Use of Analytical Tools in Empirical Study

The purpose of this article is to study various analytical methods and techniques within the framework of empirical research, which can be used to collect, analyze and interpret data in an accurate and systematic way. Analytical tools for empirical research are various techniques and methods used to collect, analyze, and interpret data systematically and thoroughly. One of the main goals of studying analytical tools is to understand how researchers can use these methods to obtain reliable and valid results. It is also important to understand the correct choice of methodology, hypothesis setting, and forming a holistic picture of the study before applying the empirical practice of knowledge. By forming a construct of correlation of all variables within the framework of building a research philosophy and using properly selected analytical methods, it is possible to develop academic practice to the level of thorough knowledge of the research object. The authors believe that by providing a framework for data collection and analysis, analytical tools help identify patterns and relationships in complex data sets. Learning the analytical tools of empirical research is essential to conducting thorough and effective research.

Successional theories.

Succession is a fundamental concept in ecology because it indicates how species populations, communities, and ecosystems change over time on new substrate or after a disturbance. A mechanistic understanding of succession is needed to predict how ecosystems will respond to land-use change and to design effective ecosystem restoration strategies. Yet, despite a century of conceptual advances a comprehensive successional theory is lacking. Here we provide an overview of 19 successional theories ('models') and their key points, group them based on conceptual similarity, explain conceptual development in successional ideas and provide suggestions how to move forward. Four groups of models can be recognised. The first group (patch & plants) focuses on plants at the patch level and consists of three subgroups that originated in the early 20th century. One subgroup focuses on the processes (dispersal, establishment, and performance) that operate sequentially during succession. Another subgroup emphasises individualistic species responses during succession, and how this is driven by species traits. A last subgroup focuses on how vegetation structure and underlying demographic processes change during succession. A second group of models (ecosystems) provides a more holistic view of succession by considering the ecosystem, its biota, interactions, diversity, and ecosystem structure and processes. The third group (landscape) considers a larger spatial scale and includes the effect of the surrounding landscape matrix on succession as the distance to neighbouring vegetation patches determines the potential for seed dispersal, and the quality of the neighbouring patches determines the abundance and composition of seed sources and biotic dispersal vectors. A fourth group (socio-ecological systems) includes the human component by focusing on socio-ecological systems where management practices have long-lasting legacies on successional pathways and where regrowing vegetations deliver a range of ecosystem services to local and global stakeholders. The four groups of models differ in spatial scale (patch, landscape) or organisational level (plant species, ecosystem, socio-ecological system), increase in scale and scope, and reflect the increasingly broader perspective on succession over time. They coincide approximately with four periods that reflect the prevailing view of succession of that time, although all views still coexist. The four successional views are: succession of plants (from 1910 onwards) where succession was seen through the lens of species replacement; succession of communities and ecosystems (from 1965 onwards) when there was a more holistic view of succession; succession in landscapes (from 2000 onwards) when it was realised that the structure and composition of landscapes strongly impact successional pathways, and increased remote-sensing technology allowed for a better quantification of the landscape context; and succession with people (from 2015 onwards) when it was realised that people and societal drivers have strong effects on successional pathways, that ecosystem processes and services are important for human well-being, and that restoration is most successful when it is done by and for local people. Our review suggests that the hierarchical successional framework of Pickett is the best starting point to move forward as this framework already includes several factors, and because it is flexible, enabling application to different systems. The framework focuses mainly on species replacement and could be improved by focusing on succession occurring at different hierarchical scales (population, community, ecosystem, socio-ecological system), and by integrating it with more recent developments and other successional models: by considering different spatial scales (landscape, region), temporal scales (ecosystem processes occurring over centuries, and evolution), and by taking the effects of the surrounding landscape (landscape integrity and composition, the disperser community) and societal factors (previous and current land-use intensity) into account. Such a new, comprehensive framework could be tested using a combination of empirical research, experiments, process-based modelling and novel tools. Applying the framework to seres across broadscale environmental and disturbance gradients allows a better insight into what successional processes matter and under what conditions.

Memorialising Madiba in South Africa

Hundreds of public places across the world are named in honour of Nelson Mandela. However, there is no consistent level of expectation in terms of what we might learn about this great man when visiting these places. This paper examines an explanatory hypothesis that the process of place naming involving people – and any material representations that then refer to that person – not only offers the opportunity to learn about that person but also impacts one's experience and understanding of place. We refer to these material representations as 'graphic heritage.' We examine two highly contrasting urban places named after Mandela (also known as Madiba by South Africans), namely Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton, Johannesburg, and Nelson Mandela Park in Mamelodi, Pretoria in South Africa. In looking for traces of his values and legacy using graphic heritage, our methodological approach is guided by the design inquiry method of Zeisel, which uses annotated diagrams, observations of physical traces, and photo-documentation of these spaces. We position graphic heritage as an empirical research tool and as a form of critical inquiry that reveals very much (Sandton) and very little (Mamelodi) about the former president and rebel leader. The findings reveal contrasting settings and significantly different levels of access, diverse motivations through the naming acts, and differing levels of attentiveness to the visual-aesthetic considerations shown by those responsible for the two sites.

TEXT SUMMARIZATION AS AN EMPIRICAL LEGAL RESEARCH TOOL

This paper use text summarization techniques as a tool for empirical legal research, creating a summary of the decisions given the phrases predictive power with regards to the decision outcome. A dataset of habeas corpus decisions from various courts in Brazil is used that explicitly cite the COVID pandemic as a reason for requesting the release of the patients. A predictive model is created and through this analysis we propose to find the arguments most correlated with the outcome.

The (un)expected consequences of the teacher's (emotional) labor. Inspirations from politically and critically oriented affect theories

The aim of the article is to describe the teacher’s (emotional) labor and its relationships with the formation of the teacher’s subjectivity. This relationship is especially visible when the relations between the teacher’s emotions and professional work are shown from the perspective of theoretical analyses and research in the field of the affective turn, especially the so-called "affective economies". Based on selected critical and political theories of emotions (i.a. Brian Massumi, Sarah Ahmed, and Teresa Brennan), the teacher’s (emotional) labor is presented here as a tool of auto-(trans)formations and (auto-)reflection and, at the same time, as a place of the affective marginalization of the teacher’s subjectivity and impoverishment of his or her agency. The presented way of conceptualizing emotional labor is a new look at the teacher’s emotions. It provides educational theorists and pedeutologists with analytical tools for empirical research and is also a voice in the discussion, an argument for considering affect in teacher education.

Critical Transitions in Ecosystems and Society. The Contribution of Sociological Systems Theory to the Analysis of Socio-Environmental Transformations.

The theory of critical transitions and the theory of self-referential social systems are two well-established theories in the ecosystem and sociological research respectively. A dialogue between them may offer new insights on the complex articulation of the nature and society nexus in socio-environmental transformations. By means of the conceptual reconstruction of both theories and drawing on relevant literature of social-ecological research, in this article, I argue that systems theory can contribute to the theory of critical transitions with a robust concept of communication that accounts for the relevance of semantics and social structures, the production of communicative locks, and the identification of early warning signals of social-ecological transitions in communication. On the other hand, the theory of critical transitions provides systems theory with both a refined concept of crisis as critical transition and the technical tools for empirical research. The article concludes that the dialogue between the science of ecosystems and the science of society is not an intellectual exercise but a form of increasing the correspondence between social-ecological transitions and our explanations and interventions in this domain.

Scale Construction and Validation of Uses and Gratifications Motivations for Smartphone Use by Tourists: A Multilevel Approach

This study introduces and applies the uses and gratifications theory to travel and tourism, resulting in a classification of U & G motivations (extant items) for this field. Uses and gratifications motivations are important for understanding e-tourist satisfaction. However, a measurement model for examining them has not been developed in the field of travel and tourism. To address this gap, this study develops valid and reliable scales for uses and gratifications motivations for smartphone use by tourists. Multilevel linear modeling (MLM) was used to avoid biases caused by common traits and features within a tourist group and to measure group effects. The scales conceptualized motivations for smartphone use by travelers, i.e., the U & G motivations, as a four-dimensional construct: social interaction, information, entertainment, and convenience. All scales demonstrate the appropriate psychometric properties for evaluating U & G motivations. The scales developed here can serve as an effective tool for future empirical research to better understand the motivations for smartphone use by travelers and to identify the relationships among U & G motivations, attitude, and e-tourist satisfactions in travel and tourism.

Cele mediacji a dobór i stosowanie strategii i technik mediacyjnych przez mediatorów w sporach cywilnych – sprawozdanie z badań (część I)

Studies of understanding and identification of mediation objectives, strategies and techniques and the effectiveness of mediation proceedings are justified from the cognitive and practical perspectives. The aim of this paper is to present the report of an empirical study, devoted to the subject matter mentioned above, conducted by the author as part of the scientific activity financed by the Polish National Science Centre. The paper is complex in nature – it deals with the research, concept and methodological threads. The empirical study was conducted in Poland, with Polish mediators participating in it, providing mediation services mainly in one of the Mediation Centres operating at District Chambers of Legal Advisors, making up the National Network of Legal Advisor Mediation Centres. However, considering the universal and utilitarian nature of the issue in hand, the comparative potential, originality and cognitive value of the study findings may be of interest to both Polish and international scientists and practitioners of mediation as an amicable form of holistic legal dispute management. Given the scope and depth of the issues addressed, the article is divided into three parts. This text (which constitutes part I) presents the subject, scope and objectives of the study and the general research hypotheses, followed by the course of the research and the major methodological assumptions, including the main empirical research tools: a survey questionnaire and an interview scenario.

Сетевое лидерство: к вопросу о механизме политической мобилизации

The article attempts to develop an approach to describing the mechanism of network political mobilization by political leaders. The purpose was achieved through a pilot empirical study. In order to obtain data on the participants, means and methods of political mobilization in the network space the method of questioning was used. The audience of the research is students of universities of large Russian cities in the number of 83 people. Participants of research are selected by a method of purposeful sampling. The objectives of the analysis are also the communication environment of political leaders in the network space, technologies, methods and system of evaluation of interaction in social media. The results of the research confirmed the hypothesis of the deployment process of the phenomenon of network political leadership, identified and described trends in the communications of network leaders. Authors offered a methodology of research of network mobilization process through a prism of parameters of network involvement and online political support. The presence of these elements makes it possible to launch the mechanism of political mobilization in social networks. In the long term, the data obtained and the developed tools for empirical research can be useful in conducting large-scale political research, in particular, studying the phenomenon of political recruiting.

PROBLEMS OF RESEARCH OF SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE AS A PSYCHOLOGICAL PHENOMENON

The article analyzes the features of the study of social intelligence as a phenomenon of psychological science. It is noted that researchers are increasingly interested in the constructs that regulate personality behavior in society; analysis of real human life in specific socio-economic and historical conditions, including the social intelligence of the individual. The interrelation of the problems characterizing modern researches of social intelligence is opened; The main problems of its study are highlighted and analyzed, including insufficient development of existing scientific approaches to the study of social intelligence, difficulties in creating tools for measuring social intelligence, the difficulty of extracting social intelligence from the context of everyday life, the need to consider belonging to specific social groups. . And also in the article the most substantiated concepts of social intelligence are considered, their advantages, disadvantages are shown, the reasons of occurrence at researchers of social intelligence of feeling of a deadlock are analyzed. Particular attention is paid to the limited nature of basic information about social intelligence in the study of schoolchildren and students. It is noted that since the social intelligence of the individual develops in the process of socialization, it is qualitatively different at different stages of ontogenesis. Some perspective directions of research of social intelligence of the person are offered and proved. Social intelligence is defined as a global ability arising from a set of individual, personal, communicative and behavioral traits, including the level of energy security of self-regulation processes: these traits determine the prediction of interpersonal situations, interpretation of information and behavior, readiness for social interaction and decision making. It is noted that another problem in the scientific study of social intelligence is the limited tools for empirical research. One of the directions in obtaining an empirical description of social intelligence without theoretical justification, but with high motivation to go beyond the psychometric method, was the use in one study of several measurement procedures of different types: tests, questionnaires, self-assessments, self-reports and practical tasks. The main claim of the critics before this toolkit was the inadmissibility of the simultaneous use of fundamentally different methods of collecting empirical data. It should be noted that the studies of this group showed contradictory results. Such findings have led researchers to pose the problem of additional measurements aimed at studying the actual behavior of the individual in different situations. It is emphasized that modern researchers are actively using the test of J. Guilford and M. Sullivan "Diagnosis of social intelligence." The severity of the indicators of the four subtests determines the overall level of development of social intelligence of the individual: low, medium, high. Developed social intelligence allows you to communicate with other people, gives the opportunity to solve problems, where the condition for achieving the desired result is to take into account the human factor. Moreover, it allows a person to assess their own strengths and weaknesses, to correlate their actions with the requirements of moral and professional norms that have formed. And it is also a necessary condition for effective interpersonal interaction and successful social adaptation of the individual.