Western Samples Research Articles

Microtextures on quartz grain surfaces in the Bay of Bengal shoreline sediments, Bangladesh: Implications for sediment transport process and depositional environment

SEM and SEM-EDS studies of quartz grains in the shoreline sediments of the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh were carried out to evaluate the mode of origin, paleoclimate, and depositional environment. A total of 38 microtexture types were identified, which were grouped into mechanical (23 features), mechanical/chemical (6 features), and chemical (9 features) origins. The morphology of quartz grains in the shorelines was dominantly sub-angular to sub-rounded in shape, which represents robust energy conditions, short residence time, low weathering, and nearby sediment provenance. The microtextures of mechanical origin such as straight and curved scratches, pits, broken edges, and crescent-shaped features were relatively abundant in the eastern site samples (Section-I) indicating high-energy, fluvial, and beach environments. The abundance of V-shaped marks and smooth surfaces of quartz grains indicate high-velocity storm conditions and/or high-energy impact events. The well-rounded outline, low relief with dish-shaped depressions, mechanically upturned plates, and arcuate steps were also observed on quartz grain surfaces. These features suggest that they were developed during an aeolian process in the beach berm environment. Etching, solution/irregular pits, and differential relief on quartz grains were somewhat elevated in the western site samples (Section-III), reflecting that these microtextures were associated with a subaqueous collision and humid climates in the fluvial and nearshore environments. Quartz grains in all sections represented microtextures of high energetic subaqueous environment as well as wind events. However, the absence of corrosion channels and high density of voids in the quartz grains revealed low degree of weathering.

AGING AND WELL-BEING: TESTING MINDFULNESS AS A MEDIATOR AND RESILIENCE AS A MODERATOR IN A NIGERIAN SAMPLE

Abstract The mediating role of mindfulness on the relationship between age and affect (both positive and negative) has been established in Western samples. However, these associations have not been well considered within additional cultural contexts. The present study examined whether mindfulness mediates the relationship between increased age and both positive (PA) and negative (NA) affect. We also took an exploratory approach to assess the strength and direction of the age-affect relationship as a function of resilience. Participants were 242 (95 women, age range = 18-75 years, Mage = 41.79; SDage = 13.58) adults, affiliated with the University of Nigeria-Nsukka, who completed the Positive and Negative Affect Scale, Brief Resilience Scale, and the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale through Qualtrics. Separate moderated-mediation analyses were conducted for PA and NA. For the PA model, the only significant association was between age and mindfulness, with higher age predicting increased self-reported mindfulness. For the NA model, higher self-reported mindfulness predicted lower levels of NA. When NA was simultaneously regressed on age and mindfulness, the direct effect between age and NA was non-significant, but the indirect effect of age on NA through mindfulness was significant, suggesting that the association between age and negative affect was mediated by mindfulness. Resilience did not provide a significant moderating influence in the PA and NA models. The present findings suggest that older adults may experience diminished levels of negative affect due to an increased capacity for mindfulness. Hence, mindfulness-based interventions may be helpful in improving the well-being of older populations.

Cross-cultural differences in self-reported and behavioural emotional self-awareness between Japan and the UK

ObjectiveHow we express and describe emotion is shaped by sociocultural norms. These sociocultural norms may also affect emotional self-awareness, i.e., how we identify and make sense of our own emotions. Previous studies have found lower emotional self-awareness in East Asian compared to Western samples using self-report measures. However, studies using behavioural methods did not provide clear evidence of reduced emotional self-awareness in East Asian groups. This may be due to different measurement tools capturing different facets of emotional self-awareness.ResultsTo investigate this issue further, we compared the emotional self-awareness of Japanese (n = 29) and United Kingdom (UK) (n = 43) adults using the self-report Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), alongside two behavioural measures – the Emotional Consistency Task (EC-Task) and the Photo Emotion Differentiation Task (PED-Task). Japanese adults showed higher TAS-20 scores than UK participants, indicating greater self-reported difficulties with emotional self-awareness. Japanese participants also had lower EC-Task scores than UK adults, indicating a lower ability to differentiate between levels of emotional intensity. PED-Task performance did not show clear group differences. These findings suggest that cross-cultural differences in emotional self-awareness vary with the task used, because different tasks assess distinct aspects of this ability. Future research should attempt to capture these different aspects of emotional self-awareness.

Does negative performance feedback always lead to negative responses? The role of trust in the leader

AbstractThis study draws from cognitive appraisal theory to examine when and how negative performance feedback could prevent employees from engaging in interpersonal counterproductive workplace behaviour towards the leader. We test the hypotheses using a three‐wave survey and a scenario‐based experiment with Chinese and Western samples, respectively. Our results indicate that negative performance feedback has a negative effect on perceived feedback quality when employees have a lower (vs. higher) level of trust in the leader. In addition, perceived feedback quality is negatively related to employee hostility towards leader and, in turn, interpersonal counterproductive workplace behaviour towards the leader. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Adaptation and validation of the Chinese version of the New Sexual Satisfaction Scale-Short Form in a sample of Chinese women.

Existing research on sexual satisfaction has been carried out primarily in Western samples, lacking insights from less sexually permissive cultures such as China, particularly in the case of heterosexual and sexual minority women. This study aimed to culturally adapt and validate the New Sexual Satisfaction Scale-Short Form (NSSS-S) in a sample of Chinese women with diverse sexual identities. The standard forward-backward translation procedure and cognitive debriefing were conducted to translate the NSSS-S into Mandarin Chinese (NSSS-SC). The psychometric properties of the NSSS-SC were assessed in this cross-sectional survey. The primary outcome measure was the NSSS-S. The World Health Organization Quality of Life-Abbreviated Form, the Positive Sexuality Scale, the Female Sexual Function Index, and a single-item measure of sexual satisfaction were used to test the measure's validity. A total of 336 Chinese women were recruited, with an average age of 26.82years (SD,6.03; range, 18-56). The 1-dimensional model had a good fit to the data and was invariant across 2 sexual identity groups (cisgender heterosexual and sexual minority women) and age. The NSSS-SC had good reliability; no significant floor and ceiling effects were observed. We found moderate to strong correlations between the NSSS-SC scores and the sexual satisfaction, sexual function, positive sexuality, and quality-of-life indicators. On average, cisgender heterosexual women were characterized by higher sexual satisfaction scores when compared with sexual minority women. The NSSS-SC can be used as a reliable and culturally appropriate measure of sexual satisfaction in women of different ages and sexual identities, which could be used in future sex-related surveys. This study is the first to translate the NSSS-S into Chinese and validate the NSSS-SC in a sample of Chinese women with varied sexual identities. However, this study recruited only female participants; future studies should also validate the NSSS-SC in Chinese men. The NSSS-SC is linguistically equivalent to the original scale and has solid psychometric properties, which can be used to assess sexual satisfaction levels in diverse samples of Chinese women.

Integrating population neuroscience and syndemics frameworks to better understand global sex and gender‐based risk in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias

AbstractAging populations in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) are growing more rapidly than those in high income countries (HICs). Thus, globally, the burden of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) profoundly impacts LMICs, with greater burden and risk for late‐life women than men. LMICs are unable to meet diagnostic challenges with underfunded healthcare infrastructure, low numbers of clinicians with training and expertise in ADRD, and a lack of culturally and linguistically sensitive screening assessments. Emerging social and societal factors that are important risk and protective factors for later life ADRD and are differentially experienced by gender/sex are relatively understudied, yet essential in LMICs. Typical samples in neuroscience studies have been small and highly selected. They have been biased toward Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) samples and do not apply well to target populations in LMICs. In addition, levels‐of‐analysis across social/societal and biological determinants of disease are not typically integrated, and social/societal factors such as sociocultural (e.g., culture, religion, gender norms, access to education, discrimination, social aspects of pandemics, disability), political (e.g., governments and policies; migrants and displaced persons; war and conflict; reproductive health, justice, and agency), environmental (e.g., climate change and pollution), and economic factors (e.g., poverty), and their co‐occurrence, have been minimally considered for their role and impact on ADRD. To better understand gender/sex differences in ADRD in LMICs, we review how these social and societal factors may be important to ADRD using an integrated Population Neuroscience and Syndemics framework. Population neuroscience considers the brain in context using multiple levels of analyses, a life course perspective, and tools to enhance internal and external validity, while Syndemics suggest that diseases and social conditions may cluster and interact in populations with syndemic risk factors—sociocultural, political, economic, and environmental factors which promote stress pathways. We lay out a model in which syndemic risk and protective factors contribute to or protect from stress and biological aging and ultimately ADRD risk, both directly and indirectly through physical and mental health conditions. We close with recommendations for future aging and ADRD research based on this integrated Population Neuroscience‐Syndemics of ADRD framework.

Minimal Social Interactions and Life Satisfaction: The Role of Greeting, Thanking, and Conversing

Recent studies have highlighted the subjective well-being benefits of minimal social interactions (i.e., interactions with weak ties and strangers). However, the empirical work to date has primarily focused on minimal social interactions that involve conversations and relied on Western samples. In this research, we examined not only conversations but also momentary interactions (i.e., greeting and thanking) in a large, nationally representative, non-WEIRD sample from Turkey ( N = 3,266). We used an instrumental variable approach to provide evidence for the direction of the association between minimal social interactions and life satisfaction. We also investigated the robustness of this approach by replicating one of our key findings in a very large, English-speaking, convenience sample ( N = 60,141). Across the two samples, we found that having conversations with strangers and weak ties, as well as simply greeting and thanking weak ties, predicted greater life satisfaction.

Quality Control of Thermally Modified Western Hemlock Wood Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and Explainable Machine Learning.

The quality control of thermally modified wood and identifying heat treatment intensity using nondestructive testing methods are critical tasks. This study used near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and machine learning modeling to classify thermally modified wood. NIR spectra were collected from the surfaces of untreated and thermally treated (at 170 °C, 212 °C, and 230 °C) western hemlock samples. An explainable machine learning approach was practiced using a TreeNet gradient boosting machine. No dimensionality reduction was performed to better explain the feature ranking results obtained from the model and provide insight into the critical wavelengths contributing to the performance of classification models. NIR spectra in the ranges of 1100-2500 nm, 1400-2500 nm, and 1700-2500 nm were fed into the TreeNet model, which resulted in classification accuracy values (test data) of 94.35%, 89.29%, and 84.52%, respectively. Feature ranking analysis revealed that when using the range of 1100-2500 nm, the changes in wood color resulted in the highest variation in NIR reflectance amongst treatments. As a result, associated features were given higher importance by TreeNet. Limiting the wavelength range increased the significance of features related to water or wood chemistry; however, these predictive models were not as accurate as the one benefiting from the impact of wood color change on the NIR spectra. The developed framework could be applied to different applications in which NIR spectra are used for wood characterization and quality control to provide improved insights into selected NIR wavelengths when developing a machine learning model.

Substance abuse among mothers in Taiwan: Investigating its prevalence and testing the trauma model

Substance abuse is a serious problem in our society. In particular, household or parental substance abuse could lead to adverse childhood experiences for the affected children. However, little is known about the prevalence of substance abuse among parents, especially in Asian societies. Moreover, although the trauma model of addiction has significant implications for the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, most evidence comes from Western samples. To address these knowledge gaps, we examined the prevalence of substance abuse in a sample of mothers in Taiwan and tested the trauma model of substance abuse. A total of 867 Taiwanese mothers completed standardized self-report assessments in 2023. The screening results indicated that the 12-month prevalence of drug abuse and alcohol abuse was 12.3% and 7.3%, respectively; 15.5% had either or both drug and alcohol abuse. Most types of trauma exposure were associated with drug abuse severity, while interpersonal stress and dissociative symptoms were associated with alcohol abuse severity, even after controlling for a variety of demographic and health variables as well as general psychopathology (i.e., depressive symptoms). The relatively high prevalence of substance abuse among Taiwanese mothers in our sample is concerning, particularly when compared to the rates reported in other Asian samples. We also provide preliminary cross-cultural evidence supporting the self-medication theory and the trauma model of substance abuse in the Asian context. We discuss the potential importance of addressing trauma and stress to prevent substance abuse and call for follow-up studies.

Heightened neural activity and functional connectivity responses to social rejection in female adolescents at risk for depression: Testing the Social Signal Transduction Theory of Depression

BackgroundAlthough social rejection is among the strongest proximal precipitants of major depressive disorder (MDD), little is known about the underlying neurobiological mechanisms and whether neural sensitivity to social rejection may help explain differences in MDD risk. To address this issue, we tested whether neural responses to social threat differed in female adolescents at high vs. low maternal risk for MDD. MethodFemale adolescents with (high-risk; n = 22, Mage = 14.68) and without (low-risk; n = 30, Mage = 15.07) a maternal history of depression were experimentally exposed to negative and neutral social evaluation while undergoing an fMRI scan. Neural responses were assessed by event-related activity and functional connectivity, as well as multivoxel pattern analysis. Activity and functional connectivity analyses focused on a priori-selected regions of interest implicated in self-referential processing and emotion regulation. ResultsCompared to low-risk female adolescents, high-risk female adolescents exhibited greater increases in self-reported depression and social disconnection following social evaluation. Moreover, compared to low-risk female adolescents, high-risk female adolescents exhibited greater amygdala responses to negative social evaluation and a differential pattern of functional connectivity in brain regions related to emotion regulation, self-referential processing, and negative affect. Additionally, these markers of neural threat reactivity were related to depressive symptoms. LimitationsA cross-sectional study design and relatively small, Western sample. ConclusionsThese results suggest that exaggerated neural reactivity to social threat—and an atypical pattern of related functional connectivity—is evident in individuals with a preclinical risk factor for depression. Targeting such responding may thus be a fruitful strategy for preventing depression in at-risk youth.

Empirical challenges from the comparative and developmental literature to the Shared Intentionality Theory - a review of alternative data on recursive mind reading, prosociality, imitation and cumulative culture.

Humans have an irresistible inclination to coordinate actions with others, leading to species-unique forms of cooperation. According to the highly influential Shared Intentionality Theory (SITh), human cooperation is made possible by shared intentionality (SI), typically defined as a suite of socio-cognitive and motivational traits for sharing psychological states with others, thereby enabling individuals to engage in joint action in the mutually aware pursuit of shared goals. SITh theorises that SI evolved as late as 400,000 years ago, when our ancestors (in particular, Homo heidelbergensis) turned to a kind of food procurement that obligatorily required joint coordinated action. SI is, thus, hypothesized to be absent in other extant species, including our closest genetic relatives, the nonhuman great apes ("apes"). According to SITh, ape psychology is exclusively driven by individualistic motivations, as opposed to human psychology which is uniquely driven by altruistic motivations. The evolutionary scenario proposed by SITh builds on a series of findings from socio-cognitive research with apes and human children, and on the assumption that abilities expressed early in human development are human universals, unlikely to have been shaped by socio-cultural influences. Drawing on the primatological and developmental literature, we provide a systematic - albeit selective - review of SITh-inconsistent findings concerning psychological and behavioural traits theorised to be constitutive of SI. The findings we review pertain to all three thematic clusters typically addressed in SITh: (i) recursive mind reading; (ii) prosociality; (iii) imitation and cumulative culture. We conclude that such alternative data undermine two core SITh claims: the late evolutionary emergence of SI and the radical divide between ape and human psychology. We also discuss several conceptual and methodological limitations that currently hamper reliable comparative research on SI, in particular those engendered by Western-centric biases in the social sciences, where an overreliance on Western samples has promoted the formulation of Western-centric conceptualisations, operationalisations and methodologies.

Different cultures, different gateways: culture shapes stratified job descriptions on LinkedIn

ABSTRACT Recruiting process serves as an important gateway context to fuel social disparity. Previous studies on social inequality focused on how independent competence valued in high-status contexts, aligns with dominant American cultural norms, while interdependent competence valued in low-status contexts, clashes with these norms. Scholarstheorised that individuals with higher status have more resources to afford independence than those with lower status. However, the reliance on Western samples may overlook the influence of cultural norms, leading to ineffective inclusive human resource development strategies. To explore how societal culture shapes competence models at different levels of status, we utilised big data analysis methods to examine job descriptions across occupational statuses and cultures. We analysed 150,708 online job descriptions posted in China and the U.S.A. on LinkedIn. Our research findings indicate that in the U.S.A, higher-status jobs place greater more emphasize independent competence, whereas in China, higher-status jobs require candidates to possess more interdependent competence. This suggests that culture, rather than material resources, shapes social stratification in the labour market. We discuss these findings’ implications, including the vital role of job descriptions in facilitating or hindering access to desired opportunities and upward social mobility across cultures and how HRD professionals can intervene in different cultural contexts.

Validation of the English version of the Autism-Spectrum Quotient in an English-speaking Singaporean sample.

The Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) measures the degree of autistic traits in clinical and non-clinical samples and has been validated in various countries and languages. However, the AQ has not been validated in Singapore, an Asian country whose population speaks predominantly English. Although previous validation studies have examined the distribution of scores, internal consistency, test-retest reliability and construct, convergent and discriminant validities in Asian countries using translated versions of the AQ and generally shown a suitable structure of the AQ, other studies testing cultural differences of the AQ have provided inconsistent results about whether differences exist in scores between Western and Asian samples. Additionally, while prior literature has consistently documented sex differences in AQ scores, findings about the relationship between personality traits and friendship quality with autistic traits have been mixed. The aim of the current study was to validate the psychometric properties of the original English AQ in a non-clinical Singaporean sample and compare their mean AQ scores to previous Western samples. In this study, psychometric properties of the original English AQ were assessed in 113 Singaporean adults (47M/66F; Mean age = 37.78; SD = 14.52) with no clinical diagnoses. They completed the AQ, the Friendship Questionnaire (FQ) and the short Big Five Inventory, with a subsample completing the AQ twice within three to six months. Results showed that AQ scores were normally distributed and the AQ had satisfactory internal consistency and test-retest reliability and it demonstrated construct, convergent and discriminant validities. Higher AQ scores were related to lower friendship quality and extraversion and higher neuroticism. The mean AQ scores of the Singaporean sample did not differ to that reported in original British sample. Together, present findings showed the original English AQ to be reliable for measuring the degree of autistic traits in a non-clinical Singaporean sample, producing comparable AQ scores and showing the same relationships to other social and personality measures and the same sex differences as has been reported in English samples. This supports the use of the AQ in Singapore for clinical and research purposes and suggests that the measurement of autistic traits in some Asian cultures is comparable to that reported in Western cultures.

Give Me a Straight Answer: Response Ambiguity Diminishes Likability.

Across nine experiments (eight preregistered) involving Western and Asian samples, we showed that people providing ambiguous (vs. specific) responses to questions in various social scenarios are seen as less likable. This is because, depending on the social context, response ambiguity may be interpreted as a way to conceal the truth and as a sign of social disinterest. Consequently, people reported lower inclination to befriend or date individuals who appeared to provide ambiguous responses. We also identified situations in which response ambiguity does not harm likability, such as when the questions are sensitive and the responder may need to "soften the blow." A final exploratory study showed that response ambiguity also impacts personality perceptions-individuals providing ambiguous responses are judged as less warm, less extraverted, less gullible, and more cautious. We discuss theoretical implications for the language psychology and person perception literatures and practical implications for impression management and formation.

Help-Seeking: A Qualitative Study of Help-Seeking Behaviours of Students in Public Secondary Schools in Northeast Nigeria

Researchers from Western countries have studied how adolescents seek help, displaying that many young people are apathetic towards seeking professional counselling. However, using Western samples to highlight the common help-seeking behaviours (HSBs) of adolescents has significantly created a gap in the literature amongst members of indigenous communities in Northeast Nigeria. The literature is yet to understand the dynamics that help promote the HSBs of learners in public secondary schools in the community. Differently, previous studies have been delimited to learners as samples, thus discounting validations by school counsellors and managers. This study employed the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) technique for twenty-four student samples and in-depth interviews with four teacher-counsellors and four in-school administrators to explore the phenomenon of study in a real-world context. Using NVivo 10 software to analyse participants’ data corpus, the study has generated five emergent themes, namely: (i) Responsibility; (ii) Communalism; (iii) Value and belief norms; (iv) Counselling management in schools, and (v) Multicultural biases. As recommendations, the study suggests the need for counsellors to be multiculturally versatile—be aware of cultural interfaces and implications on counselling relationships as much as build linkages—advocacies, collaborations via the school Parents Teacher Association (PTA) and honour confidentiality in counselling.

A feminist approach to eating disorders in China: a qualitative study

BackgroundAs women continue to be more at risk from eating disorders, gender has often been a focus of concern in transcultural research. Yet feminist, qualitative studies which prioritize the voices of women/girls remain rare within transcultural work suggesting the need for greater interaction between these fields. This article seeks to contribute to the exploration of the applicability of feminist paradigmslargely developed in the West—to experiences of EDs in non-western contexts.MethodsThis article draws on semi-structured interviews with 12 women from urban China with self-reported experience of Bulimia Nervosa (BN) and binge eating disorder (BED) in order to explore the complex ways in which gender may be implicated within eating/body distress from a transcultural point of view. The data is analysed through Reflexive Thematic Analysis.ResultsThe data analysis suggested two broad themes: (1) Chinese versus Western codes for judging female appearance: from surveillance to liberation (2) Discipline, appetite and control: the gendered/cultural meanings of binging and purging. In terms of the first theme, many participants had spent time in the West which was understood as a less regulated context in terms of gendered body surveillance and eating. Complicating existing assumptions about the ‘Westernisation’ thesis, different communication codes and peer interactions across Chinese and Western contexts played a central role in how participants experienced their bodies. In the second theme, binging and purging emerged as a way to manage a number of contradictions surrounding Chinese femininity, including respecting familial food cultures, contradictory discourses on female ‘appetite’, and the need to display a female body which signified cultural imperatives of self-restraint and discipline.ConclusionsThe data emphasises the importance of examining the culturally specific meanings of eating problems and their gendered contexts, whilst there is clearly much that echoes Western feminist work on Western samples. Although limited, the study crucially points to the importance of examining how ED subcategories other than AN can be explored from a transcultural and feminist point of view.

Avoidant Attachment Mediates Cultural Differences in Likelihood to Surrender Pets

ABSTRACT Across two studies, pet owners residing in Western and Eastern countries completed surveys documenting their experiences with a particular pet and their likelihood of surrendering that pet in the future. In study 1, we targeted dog owners from the USA, Pakistan, and Hong Kong (n = 266). In study 2, we targeted both dog and cat owners from the same countries, as well as the UK, Canada, and the Netherlands (n = 236). Results were largely replicated across samples. Participants from Eastern countries indicated a greater likelihood to surrender their preferred pet compared with participants from Western countries. The Eastern and Western samples differed on several variables, including number of concerns and problem behaviors reported for their pets, belief in animal mind, and attachment styles. However, a single factor – avoidant attachment style – significantly mediated the greater likelihood to surrender a pet across both studies. Those from Eastern cultures were more likely to have anxious and avoidant attachment styles compared with those from Western cultures, and the avoidant attachment style was associated with a greater likelihood to surrender a pet. Future studies should investigate possible reasons for cultural differences in attachment style to pets.

Creative Achievement of Eminent Scientists in Tang and Song Dynasties of China: A Historiometric Study

ABSTRACTThe creative achievements of eminent genius in Chinese history are of enormous interest. There is, however, uncertainty about the accurate measurement of eminence and creativity. The most tenable measurement approach is historiometric. Nearly all historiometric research on eminence and creative achievement has involved Western samples. The present investigation used historiometry to test two hypotheses about creative achievement with Eastern samples. These point to developmental adversity (DA) and the “madness‐to‐genius link” thought to facilitate unusual cognitive patterns and thus a creative capacity. Here, historiometric methods were applied to a sample of 55 eminent scientists in the Chinese Tang and Song dynasties. DA and mental illness did not significantly predict Chinese scientists' creative outcomes. Other diversifying experiences, such as religious beliefs, migration, and role model mentors, had a positive relationship with eminence and creative achievement. The Tang and Song dynasties had different religious structures, so religion had a different impact on the creative achievements of scientists. In the Tang Dynasty, religion could positively predict the creative achievements of scientists, while in the Song Dynasty it could not. These findings warrant further research using other eminent creators in Chinese history.

Positive or negative? The effects of scientific inquiry on science achievement via attitudes toward science

AbstractScience education researchers and curriculum documents have advocated scientific inquiry for more than six decades; however, inconsistent findings concerning its effects on students' learning outcomes have been revealed in recent analyses of large‐scale international assessment data (e.g., the Programme for International Student Assessment [PISA]). This has evoked considerable concern given the significant role that inquiry plays in science education. To unpack the complex influence of inquiry on science achievement, this study used the PISA 2015 data from eight Western or East Asian regions to explore the effects of inquiry on students' science achievement and the mediation of attitudes toward science. The results indicated that despite the negative effects that the investigation aspect of inquiry had on science achievement, the explanation aspect of inquiry had positive effects on science achievement for the Western, East Asian, and whole samples. When all of the effects of both the investigation and explanation aspects were integrated, the overall influence of inquiry on students' science achievement was found to be positive for the whole and East Asian samples and slightly negative for the Western sample. This study highlights the necessity of considering different facets of inquiry and different types of effects when investigating the effects of inquiry on science achievement and achieving a better balance between the investigation and explanation processes when implementing inquiry in school classrooms.

The Unified Narcissism Scale-Revised: Expanding Measurement and Understanding of Narcissism Across Cultures.

The study of narcissism has been hindered by conceptual, theoretical, and measurement in-consistencies. In this article, we report two studies that tested a novel unified conceptualization and theoretical approach to narcissism using the Unified Narcissism Scale-Revised. Study 1 revised the recently developed Unified Narcissism Scale to construct a preliminary 40-item measure in a sample of 395 American participants (Mage = 41). We confirmed the five-factor first-order model, the two-factor second-order model, and the one-factor third-order model. Study 2 considered the cross-cultural performance of the revised scale in the Chinese language in China (N = 326, Mage = 25.5 years) and in the English language in Sri Lanka (N = 354 Mage = 28.7 years) and constructed a final 35-item measure. In conducting these studies, we have demonstrated the cross-cultural importance of entitlement and self-esteem to the conceptualization of narcissism and suggest that the negative relationship between narcissism and agreeableness may be culture-specific to Western samples (as evidenced by the absence of this relationship in non-Western samples). In this article, we have constructed a measure of narcissism that has refined our understanding of the construct and created a tool to capture this understanding.