GENDER AND AGE DIFFERENCES IN THE TWO-DIMENSION MODEL OF UTILITARIANISM

Although most studies exploring utilitarianism focused on moral dilemmas, a two dimensional model (2 D) was conceptualized by Kahane et al. (2018) in order to assess both positive and negative sides of utilitarianism, namely instrumental harm (IH) and impartial beneficence (IB). Within this theoretical framework, the Oxford Utilitarian Scale (OUS) was used to explore gender and age difference in a sample of Romanian adolescents, for both IH and IB dimensions. Our results revealed an important age effect on both IH and IB, but no significant gender effect, contrary to previous findings. Younger male participants scored higher than the older ones in both utilitarian dimensions. Possible explanations are discussed within Gilligan’s care versus justice theory (1982).DIFERENȚE DE VÂRSTĂ ȘI GEN ÎN MODELUL BIDIMENSIONAL AL UTILITARIANISMULUIDeși majoritatea studiilor care explorează utilitarismul se axează pe dilemele morale, un model bidimensional (2 D) a fost conceptualizat de Kahane et al. (2018), pentru a evalua atât aspectele pozitive, cât și cele negative ale utilitaris­mului, și anume – răul instrumental (IH) și impartialitatea (IB). În acest cadru teoretic, Scala utilitarianistă Oxford (OUS) a fost utilizată pentru a explora diferența de gen și vârstă într-un eșantion de adolescenți români, atât pentru dimensiunile IH, cât și pentru IB. Rezultatele noastre au arătat un efect important al vârstei atât asupra IH, cât și asupra IB, dar nu și un efect semnificativ al genului, contrar constatărilor științifice anterioare. Participanții mai tineri, de gen masculin, au obținut scoruri mai ridicate la ambele dimensiuni ale utilitarianismului, comparativ cu participanții mai în vârstă. Posibile explicații sunt discutate prin prisma teoriei formulate de Gilligan (1982).</p

EXPLORING THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN PERCEIVED STRESS, EMOTIONAL REGULATION, AND SELF-EFFICACY AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

In the current modern and extremely competitive educational environment, the stress experienced by students has become a compelling concern. Academic stress is highly prevalent among university students and it has a significant impact on the overall physical and mental health outcomes. Thus, the primary aim of the current investigation was to examine the relationship between perceived stress, emotional regulation, and self-efficacy among university students. A sample of 153 students aged 18 to 40 (M = 21.28, SD = 3.17, 101 females) completed self-reported scales measuring perceived stress, emotional regulation (i.e. cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression), and self-efficacy. Correlation analyses suggested that students’ stress was negatively related to self-efficacy and cognitive reappraisal. Also, we found that stress was positively related to expressive suppression. Age was not significantly associated with students’ stress. Hierarchical regression analysis suggested that the final regression model (i.e., gender, self-efficacy, and emotion regulation strategies) explained 34.3% of students reported stress. The best predictor of students’ stress was self-efficacy.  We discuss our findings considering their practical implications in tailoring interventions aimed to reduce students’ perceived stres

Modern homophobia among heterosexual Romanian adults: the roles of sexual orientation beliefs, religiosity, perceived social roles, and social media use

The present study aimed to examine some potential predictors of homophobia against lesbians and gay individuals. Our sample comprised 722 heterosexual participants aged 18–74, mostly women (self-reported gender; 224 men and 498 women) with various educational backgrounds (i.e., High School, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degrees). Participants filled in self-reported scales measuring sexual orientation beliefs (incremental vs. entity views), religiosity, social media use, and perceived gender-transcendent social roles. Correlation analyses and multiple regression models were computed separately for men and women. For all participants, homophobia against lesbians (HAL) was negatively associated with participants’ age, religiosity, and gender-transcendent social roles and positively with incremental views about sexuality. However, only in the case of women was HAL positively related to social media use. Next, for both men and women, homophobia against gay individuals (HAG) was negatively related to age, religiosity, and gender-transcendent social roles. However, only in the case of women, HAG was positively related to social media use online and incremental views about sexuality. In the case of men, the most significant predictor of HAL was the perceived gender-transcendent social roles and HAG – perceived gender-linked social roles. For women, perceived gender-linked social roles were the most significant predictor of both HAL and HAG. Results are discussed regarding their use for interventions aimed at reducing homophobia among heterosexual individuals

IMPROVING THE MENTAL HEALTH OF LGBTQ YOUTH: A SHORT NARRATIVE REVIEW OF SPECIFIC INTERVENTIONS

Previous studies concerning LGBTQ individuals’ experiences found significant challenges, including discrimination, prejudice, and violence. Given these experiences, researchers are preoccupied with the examination of the potential adverse effects on the physical and mental health of LGBTQ individuals and the effective strategies to reduce these negative outcomes. In this short narrative review, we discuss some of the specific interventions aimed to improve the mental health of LGBTQ individuals, especially among the youth. More specifically, we discuss the theoretical framework and empirical evidence related to LGBTQ – Affirmative Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy, Creative Writing and Expressive Wiring Therapy, Attachment–based Family Therapy, and LGBTQ Relationally – based Positive Psychology

Do we react differently toward bionic devices vs. cochlear implants and wheelchairs? Possible links with personality traits

The present study explored the attitudes toward individuals with bionic eyes and limbs, cochlear implants, and people with disabilities that imply using a wheelchair. Our sample consisted of 474 Romanian adults aged 18–61 (M = 27.56, SD = 11.80). Participants were randomly divided into five groups. They all filled scales related to personality characteristics, i.e., agreeableness, neuroticism, openness to experience, comprehension/intellectual efficiency, and previous contact with disability. Then, each group was presented with a vignette describing a character (wheelchair/bionic eye/bionic leg/cochlear implant/control group). Finally, they answered questions about their emotions, cognitions, and behaviors related to that context. Overall, our results suggested that higher agreeability, extraversion, openness to experience, intellectual complexity, and lower neuroticism were generally associated with more positive attitudes toward disability. When examining the differences in participants' emotions, cognitions, and behaviors depending on the target's characteristics, our results generally suggested that the most negative reactions were toward the character with a bionic eye. We discuss these findings considering their importance for shaping positive attitudes related to disability, especially related to the future technological advances in bionic devices

The Complex Relationship of Periodontal Disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis

The relationship between periodontitis and systemic diseases is an important part of clinical periodontal research, which has been growing steadily. Even though the etiologies of periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) differ, these pathologies have many common features, both being multifactorial diseases characterized by localized chronic inflammatory reactions, which are fuelled by an analogous set of cytokines (among many, the most prominent being Tumour Necrosis Factor (TNF), Interleukin (IL) 6 and 17), leading to high systemic circulating concentrations of inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP). It was not until the discovery of peptidylarginine deiminase (PAD) mediated citrullination of proteins by Porphyromonas gingivalis that the link between the two diseases was purely speculative. This citrullination initiates a series of events which culminate in the production of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) and, finally, in the clinical manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis. Another common denominator is the bone destruction caused by proinflammatory cytokines secreted by T 17 helper cells (TH17) which is the pathological hallmark of both diseases. Other notable common areas are shared risk factors such as environmental and genetic risk factors. Regarding treatment, neither pathologies have a definitive cure, however, several strategies are employed, some of which are common, such as diet and lifestyle changes, and immunomodulating medication applied locally or systemically

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron is an immune escape variant with an altered cell entry pathway

Vaccines based on the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 are a cornerstone of the public health response to COVID-19. The emergence of hypermutated, increasingly transmissible variants of concern (VOCs) threaten this strategy. Omicron (B.1.1.529), the fifth VOC to be described, harbours multiple amino acid mutations in spike, half of which lie within the receptor-binding domain. Here we demonstrate substantial evasion of neutralization by Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 variants in vitro using sera from individuals vaccinated with ChAdOx1, BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273. These data were mirrored by a substantial reduction in real-world vaccine effectiveness that was partially restored by booster vaccination. The Omicron variants BA.1 and BA.2 did not induce cell syncytia in vitro and favoured a TMPRSS2-independent endosomal entry pathway, these phenotypes mapping to distinct regions of the spike protein. Impaired cell fusion was determined by the receptor-binding domain, while endosomal entry mapped to the S2 domain. Such marked changes in antigenicity and replicative biology may underlie the rapid global spread and altered pathogenicity of the Omicron variant

Children’s Self-Esteem and Attitudes toward Disability, Perceived Competence and Morality: The Indirect Effect of Cognitive Empathy

The present study explored children’s attitudes toward disability and the links with demographic factors (i.e., gender) and personal factors (i.e., empathy, sympathy, self-esteem). Our sample comprised 405 children aged 9 to 11 (M = 9.88, SD = 0.65, 47.4% males). First, we explored the links between self-esteem, empathy (cognitive and affective), and attitudes toward disability. Then, by using three scenarios involving a child in a wheelchair (Group 1), a child with an intellectual disability (Group 2), and a child with visual impairment (Group 3), we investigated the perceived competence and morality of these characters. The results suggested that cognitive empathy mediated the link between self-esteem and attitudes toward disability. Moreover, our data suggested that the character in a wheelchair (Group 1) received the highest scores regarding morality and competence, whereas the character with an intellectual disability (Group 2) received the lowest scores. We discuss the present findings regarding their practical implications for inclusive education strategies