Intelligent interactive measurement and cultivation system of adolescent psychological resilience

Psychological resilience plays a crucial role in helping adolescents cope with adversity and maintain mental well-being. Enhancing resilience is particularly significant for preventing mental health issues. However, traditional methods of fostering psychological resilience often face challenges such as high costs and lengthy timeframes, and there is a lack of scalable, digital, and efficient approaches. To address this gap, this study integrates positive psychology theory with artificial intelligence technologies, including large language models (LLMs), to explore an intelligent system for measuring and cultivating mental resilience in adolescents through human-computer interaction. By combining mental toughness theory, intervention strategies from positive psychology, natural language processing techniques, and human-computer interaction methods, the study investigates the digital mental resilience needs of adolescents. It proposes a new approach to measuring and cultivating resilience based on intelligent dialogue, develops a prototype web-based system, and preliminarily tests the system\u27s effectiveness through user experiments

From abstraction to empiricism : a new paradigm an intercultural education in crisis

In recent years, researchers have made enormous strides in understanding culture and cognitive processes, e.g .: cultural differences in information processing, emotion, motivation, and identity; cognitive biases; empathy and value judgments. By and large, however, these insights have not been incorporated into intercultural education. Instead, intercultural education finds itself in crisis as long-standing approaches have lost credibility. This talk will argue that the empirical insights of cognitive and cultural psychology can help reorient intercultural education away from abstraction and ideology, towards the psychological realities of intercultural experiences. I will discuss research which shows that the beliefs/assumptions of intercultural educators are often at odds with an empirical understanding of cognitive processes. Just as a therapist can help identify cognitive distortions and change how we interact with others, intercultural education can give learners insights into: 1) the influence of culture on our experience of the world, 2) patterns of psychological difference around the world, 3) mental shortcuts (cognitive biases) that lead to intercultural misunderstanding, 4) and, the cognitive processes related to empathy. I will share examples of how this deep culture approach is being developed and applied, and invite participants to discuss the future of intercultural education

江門市「平安通」安老模式成效研究報告

江門市是廣東省老齡化程度較高的城市。江門市政府於2015年通過購買服務，啟動江門市養老助殘平安通項目，該項目運用資訊科技，為有困難的長者群體提供各類服務，以幫助他們居家安老。本次研究旨在瞭解該項目的成效，和探索服務使用長者的感受。 本研究利用深度訪談 (indepth-interview) 的方法，於2024年1月訪問了40名年齡60歲以上的平安通服務使用者，瞭解他們使用平安通服務的原因、情況、感受和建議。 研究發現，長者申請平安通的原因主要是親人和社區人士介紹、求安心、煤氣優惠和覺得平安通服務有用。長者使用的服務種類主要包括：訂購煤氣、維修家電設備、天氣提醒、電話問候、聘請保姆、打掃清潔、預約叫車、預防緊急事故、緊急需要和落樓服務。 研究發現一些長者對平安通設備的使用不熟悉，認為設備不方便攜帶，以及使用有困難。亦有長者表示智慧AI監測裝置作用不大。在平安通服務評價方面，一些長者認為平安通提供的居家安老服務有助於長者居家養老，但另一些則認為提供的服務存在問題，例如轉介服務質量參差不齊，服務缺乏個性化設計。一些長者較少使用平安通服務，主要原因是不想麻煩他人、身體狀況較好而不需要和不瞭解平安通新增服務。長者希望從幾方面改進平安通，包括降低收費、完善資源轉介服務、優化和增加日常協助及居家養老服務，以及改善居家養老環境。 本研究提出幾方面點建議以改善和完善平安通項目：（1）優化平安通設備及手錶服務、（2）宣傳平安通的使用方法及服務、（3）完善長者資訊並定製服務、（4）增加服務站點和擴大服務覆蓋面、（5）降低轉介服務收費並提高質量、（6）改善居家養老環境及建設長者活動場所

The enigmatic effects of telework on work-family conflict: Investigating boundary conditions

Telework has been widely used after the COVID-19 pandemic, making work away from the office possible. Although telework has potential beneficial effects due to the compatibility, it can also interfere with nonwork lives. Indeed, previous studies have showed mixed effects of telework on work-family conflict. To clarify the ambiguity, we conducted two studies on the boundary conditions of the relationship between telework and work-family conflict. In the first study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic (January 2022), we examined environmental characteristics called permeability and flexibility as the moderators, proposed by the work-home border theory, among 219 Korean employees who teleworked at least once a week. In the second study, we added individual differences regarding segmentation preference as the moderator and tested three-way interactions among telework, work-home border characteristics (permeability or flexibility), and segmentation preference in explaining work-family conflict. The data were collected from 310 Korean employees who responded after the COVID-19 pandemic (August 2024). The results demonstrated that the effect of telework could depend on personal characteristics concerning individual preference as well as environmental characteristics concerning the border between work and home

唐宋“哩”“囉”考

唐宋歌曲中的“哩” “囉”等聲原屬彈舌音，發音時彈摇舌部以引聲。上古漢語中的彈舌音在南北朝時期已漸消亡，加之唐代悉曇學非常發達，很可能源自梵文彈舌音。因梵文彈舌音中的四流音於唐代應用並不普遍，故更可能源自彈舌音中的超聲r，超聲r與元音組合即成“哩” “囉”等聲。彈舌音對於其時漢人而言較爲新奇，人們爭相仿傚。初作歌助聲（虚聲、和聲），唐宋以降，歌曲中“哩” “囉”等字漸被用以指代其他物事（如歌曲、唱吟之事、男女合歡之事等），以及用作咒語。彈舌發音較爲困難，“舌强”之人方可爲之，“哩” “囉”等聲傳入漢地後，彈舌屬性或愈漸剥離。 The sounds of “ri” and “ra” in songs of the Tang and Song dynasties were originally tongue-twitching sounds, and when pronouncing them, the tongue was flicked to lead the sound. The tongue-twitching sounds in ancient Chinese gradually disappeared during the Southern and Northern Dynasties. In addition, Siddhamology was very developed in the Tang Dynasty, so it is very likely that they originated from the Sanskrit tongue-twitching sounds. Since the four-flow sounds in Sanskrit were not commonly used in the Tang Dynasty, it is more likely that they originated from the ultrasonic r in the Sanskrit. The ultrasonic r combined with vowels formed sounds such as “ri” and “ra”. The tongue-twisting sound was relatively new to the Han people at that time, and people rushed to imitate it. Initially, it was used to assist sounds in songs (empty sounds and harmonious sounds). Later, words such as “ri ” and “ra” were gradually used to refer to other things (such as songs, singing, sexual intercourse between men and women, etc.), and were used as spells. The tongue-rolling pronunciation is rather difficult and can only be done by people with a “strong tongue”. After the sounds such as “ri” and “ra” were introduced into the Han area, the tongue-rolling property may have gradually been lost

離散與植根──以廖克發的《菠蘿蜜》為例

古往今來，全球人口常有流動，移民、定居早已成普遍現象。華人的離散經驗成就無數當代馬華文藝經典，華人的身份早已被不斷重構。在馬華導演廖克發的視野中，離散華人不再是單一焦點，禁忌歷史中和當代來自各國的離散者被聚集在《菠蘿蜜》，他的人文關懷讓隔代各國的離散者被發現，打破長久以來着重於離散華人的馬華文藝傳統。 談及「離散」，過去有學者提出「離散有其終時」，認為離散者到了異地應該落地生根，擺脫離散。筆者認為廖克發呈現了離散者在離散與反離散之間的遊離狀態，離散者到了異地定居，卻無法融入當地，甚至面臨被驅逐的可能。有見及此，本文將以《菠蘿蜜》的三種離散經驗，探討離散者的鄉愁與植根困難，反思離散者在異地植根的可能性。 本論文首先分析電影中的人物離散的原因，研究廖克發如何將兩代離散者連繫。第三章討論鄉愁和困頓的呈現，分析離散者與原鄉的關係及在異地的生存困境。第四章將先分析離散者如何逃離苦悶，再分析逃離的成效，最後反思離散者在異地植根的可能性

Book launch event : Sustaining landscapes : governance and ecology in Chinese visual culture, 960–1368 CE

Sustaining Landscapes: Governance and Ecology in Chinese Visual Culture, 960–1368 CE examines ecological thought contested amid the rise of the Chinese landscape genre, tracing its intersections with infrastructure governance, natural resource management, and geospatial knowledge.It traces the pre-industrial notion of “sustainability” in policy debates, legal regulations, and arts. Landscape imagery on paintings, maps, as well as massproduced artifacts such as fans and ceramic pillows documented both appropriate and exploitative use of natural resources, and critiqued social inequity and political turmoil. This book breaks new ground by bringing together research on visual and material culture with analysis of politics and ecology.Wang argues that the Chinese landscape genre embodied a holistic approach to negotiating debates on human-nature interdependence and people-state relationships. It joins the increasing literature on ecocriticism and offers alternative perspectives to address contemporary challenges, ranging from environmental crisis to global governance. Photo Gallery:https://gallery.ln.edu.hk/lib/booklaunch-20251121

The malleability of cultural values : overcoming conceptual and methodological challenges

Understanding cultural change remains central to social science research. The growing availability of long-term data has renewed interest in analyzing cultural change, sparking debate over its mechanisms. Most scholars agree that existential insecurity influences value change (scarcity hypothesis), but whether it occurs across generations or also within lifetimes remains debated. Inglehart\u27s socialization hypothesis, now represented by the settled disposition model, argues that values formed in pre-adulthood remain stable, with change occurring mainly through intergenerational replacement and limited individual adaptation (Restrepo Ochoa & Vaisey, 2024; Kiley & Vaisey, 2020; Vaisey & Kiley, 2021). However, Tormos (2019) and Akaliyski & Tormos (forthcoming) challenge this, presenting evidence of substantial within-individual value change in Western societies, favoring the alternative active updating model. Using panel and repeated cross-sectional data combined with diverse modelling strategies, we provide empirical evidence for this alternative perspective. We address key debates in cultural change, including individual vs. societal shifts, the often-misunderstood implications of age, period, and cohort effects, and the importance of triangulating across data sources and country contexts. We advocate for a theory-driven approach that considers both exogenous and endogenous influences on value dynamics, reviewing mechanisms of change and discussing improved modelling strategies for understanding these complex processes

清華簡《五紀》與儒、墨、黃老、陰陽的鬼神思想

清華簡《五紀》由“天之五紀”推出人事的各種制度規範，並爲這些制度規範和人體各部位確立相應的神祇來掌控，鬼神是天道的輔助，《五紀》强調的是人事效法天道，天道和鬼神確保了人間制度規範的合理性和不可違逆。《五紀》中的“鬼”有時與“神”同義，又可用來解釋疾病産生的原因。儒家的鬼神觀與《五紀》差别較大。墨家“天志”和“明鬼”雖表面上與《五紀》鬼神思想有相通之處，但《五紀》中的天和神是自然之天和自然神，使人產生疾病的“鬼”也只是氣,這與墨家作爲宗教的天和鬼有所不同。《五紀》與黃老學都强調人事效法天道、人事不可違逆，也都認爲精氣不足會導致疾病，只是《五紀》將精氣不足視爲“鬼”的思想是黃老學所没有的。陰陽家“舍人事而任鬼神”的思想與《五紀》有根本的差别。《五紀》的成書較早，其鬼神思想近於黃老學，可能是黃老思想的來源之一。 Tsinghua Wuji Manuscript introduces a range of institutional norms for human affairs and establishes corresponding deities to govern these norms as well as different aspects of the human body. The ghosts and gods serve as auxiliaries to the Way of Heaven, while Wuji emphasize that human affairs should adhere to the Way of Heaven. Through their collaboration with the Way of Heaven, gods and ghosts ensure that the institutional norms in the human world are rational and immutable. The term “ghosts” in Wuji is occasionally employed interchangeably with “deities”, which can also serve as an explanatory factor for illnesses. The Confucian understanding of ghosts and gods differs significantly from that of Wuji. Although there is an apparent resemblance between Mohism’s concepts of “the will of Heaven” and “expounding the existence of ghosts” and that of Wuji, the heaven and the gods in Wuji refer to the celestial realm and divine entities found in nature, while the “ghosts” responsible for illnesses are simply qi, which distinguishes them from the celestial beings and spirits of Mohism as a religious belief. Both the Wuji and Huang-Lao School emphasized the importance of following the Way of Heaven and avoiding actions that go against it, while also recognizing that a deficiency in the essential qi can lead to illness. However, the Wuji viewed this deficiency as “ghosts”, which differed from the perspective of the Huang-Lao School. The yin-yang school’s concept of “abandoning human affairs in favor of ghosts and gods” differs fundamentally from the Wuji. It can be observed that the notion of ghosts and gods in the Wuji aligns closely with that of the Huang-Lao Daoism

Unpacking low fertility in East Asia through social media insights

We will explore the intriguing phenomenon of low fertility rates in East Asia, focusing specifically on China, Japan, and South Korea. We will present a novel approach that leverages social media data to analyze online discussions surrounding childbirth and parenting in these countries. Using advanced natural language processing and machine learning techniques, we will conduct thematic and sentiment analyses to uncover the key topics and emotional tones present in these online conversations. Our findings reveal that discussions primarily revolve around the financial burden of raising children, the perceived benefits of having children, and the tension between modem individualistic values and traditional collective values, including gender roles. Notable differences among the three countries exist and regional socioeconomic indicators are connected to those different sentiments towards childbirth and parenthood