262 research outputs found
Opinion Formation in Laggard Societies
We introduce a statistical physics model for opinion dynamics on random
networks where agents adopt the opinion held by the majority of their direct
neighbors only if the fraction of these neighbors exceeds a certain threshold,
p_u. We find a transition from total final consensus to a mixed phase where
opinions coexist amongst the agents. The relevant parameters are the relative
sizes in the initial opinion distribution within the population and the
connectivity of the underlying network. As the order parameter we define the
asymptotic state of opinions. In the phase diagram we find regions of total
consensus and a mixed phase. As the 'laggard parameter' p_u increases the
regions of consensus shrink. In addition we introduce rewiring of the
underlying network during the opinion formation process and discuss the
resulting consequences in the phase diagram.Comment: 5 pages, eps fig
Challenging the other: exploring the role of opponent gender in digital game competition for female players
The present study investigated the effect of opponent gender on the game experience of female players. Concretely, it looked into skill perception and player emotions of women in same-gender and cross-gender game competition. We set up a 2 (male vs. female opponent) x 2 (low vs. high competitive women) x 2 (lost vs. won game) experimental design in which women were instructed to play against a proclaimed male and female competitor. Unknowingly, participants played against an AI, however, which was configured to produce a winning and a losing condition for each opponent by manipulating difficulty. Results indicated that opponent gender only had an effect on perceived stress, which was higher with male opponents. Moreover, players evaluated their own gaming skills as lower when they thought they were playing against men and the skills of presumed male opponents as higher. Importantly our results also showed that the above described pattern for self-perceived skills and perceived opponent skills was modulated by trait competitiveness with a larger effect size for low competitive women. Overall, this study illustrates that gender dynamics affect the play experience of women in cross-gender gaming competition. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed
"Just Going Through the Motions.…": A Qualitative Exploration of Athlete Perceptions of Social Loafing in Training and Competition Contexts - Implications for Team Sport Coaches
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty team sport athletes representing a range of different sports with the aim of investigating their views relating to social loafing in training and competition. General themes investigated and subsequent content analysis highlighted
factors that promote or reduce the extent of social loafing. Determinants of self-loafing were grouped according to three distinct categories: Group processes; Task characteristics and Individual perceptions. Social loafing among others was perceived to be prevalent in both the training and competition scenarios with more examples of social loafing provided in the training situation. The signs of social loafing were grouped according to the
following themes: Cognitive & Emotional, Behavioural, Communication and Player Intuition. Consequences of social loafing were found to be detrimental to the effort and performance of both the individual and the team. Athletes were also able to differentiate between perceived social loafing and the perceived use of ‘strategic rest’ in team sports. Implications for the coaching process are far reaching with the need to develop an effective team culture and to provide training sessions that are interesting, engaging and relevant
Stigma and GPs’ perceptions of dementia
YesObjectives: General practitioners (GPs) are crucial to improving timely diagnosis, but little is reported about how they
perceive dementia, and whether their perceptions display any elements of stigma. The aim of this study was to explore how
GPs’ perceptions of dementia map onto current conceptualizations of stigma and whether GPs feel that stigma affects
timely diagnosis.
Methods: Twenty-three GPs from England were interviewed by telephone. Data were analyzed by means of content
analysis. This involved open coding followed by the application of a coding framework derived from the literature to
explore how and to what extent their perceptions relate to stigma as well as the unique nature of their perceptions.
Results: Three themes emerged from the analysis: (1) ‘making sense of dementia’, (2) ‘relating perceptions of dementia to
oneself’ and (3) ‘considering the consequences of dementia’. GPs’ perceptions of dementia mapped onto current
conceptualizations of stigma. Perceptions about dementia that were linked to their own existential anxiety and to a
perceived similarity between people with dementia and themselves were particularly salient. GPs perceived dementia as a
stigma which was gradually being overcome but that stigma still hindered timely diagnosis. They provided examples of
structural discrimination within the health service, including lack of time for patients and shortcomings in training that
were to the detriment of people with dementia.
Conclusion: Measures to involve GPs in tackling stigma should include training and opportunities to explore how they
perceive dementia, as well as support to address structural discrimination.The study was funded by Alzheimer Europe (Luxembourg) in the form of tuition fees for Dianne Gove for her PhD study
Latina and European American Girls’ Experiences with Academic Sexism and their Self-Concepts in Mathematics and Science During Adolescence
The study investigated Latina and European American adolescent girls’ (N = 345, M = 15.2 years, range = 13 to 18) experiences with academic sexism in mathematics and science (M/S) and their M/S perceived competence and M/S value (liking and importance). M/S academic sexism was based on girls’ reported experiences hearing sexist comments about girls’ abilities in math and science. Older European American adolescents, and both younger and older Latina adolescents, who experienced several instances of academic sexism felt less competent in M/S than girls who experienced less sexism (controlling for M/S grades). In addition, among older girls (regardless of ethnicity), those who experienced several instances of academic sexism valued M/S less than girls who experienced less sexism
Individual and Situational Factors Related to Young Women’s Likelihood of Confronting Sexism in Their Everyday Lives
Factors related to young women’s reported likelihood of confronting sexism were investigated. Participants were 338 U.S. female undergraduates (M = 19 years) attending a California university. They were asked to complete questionnaire measures and to write a personal narrative about an experience with sexism. Approximately half (46%) the women reported confronting the perpetrator. Individual factors (prior experience with sexism, feminist identification, collective action) and situational factors (familiarity and status of perpetrator, type of sexism) were tested as predictors in a logistic regression. Women were less likely to report confronting sexism if (1) they did not identify as feminists, (2) the perpetrator was unfamiliar or high-status/familiar (vs. familiar/equal-status), or (3) the type of sexism involved unwanted sexual attention (vs. sexist comments)
Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Austin: Enhanced oddball memory through differentiation, not isolation
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