An Empirical Test of the Effects of Political Correctness: Implications for Censorship, Self-Censorship, and Public Deliberation

For over 30 years, scholars, journalists, and politicians have debated the costs and benefits of Political Correctness (PC). Those who support PC claim that it benefits historically disadvantaged groups by protecting them from discrimination and encourages diverse representation. Opponents to PC claim that it inhibits freedom of expression and thus public deliberation. However, despite three decade of debate, PC is under theorized and has received little empirical investigation. In this dissertation, following theorizing by Robinson and Reid (2016a), and research on social identity, self-categorization, and public deliberation, I propose that PC is rooted in identity politics (on the right and left), and should be viewed as a tool to control discourse in intergroup conflict. This dissertation argues that PC is an ideology that (among other things) relies on adherents’ perceptions of protected and perpetrator groups, involves the imposition of social sanctions and censorship, and justifies such actions by appealing to the moral failings of actors whose actions are judged anti-PC (e.g., sexist or racist). Further, individuals who believe that their views and actions may be perceived as anti-PC may be more likely to self-censor to avoid sanctions and being judged as immoral. This may ultimately affect public deliberation due to a decreased tolerance of diverse viewpoints. The relationships between PC, perceptions of victimhood, support for censorship, self-censorship, and public deliberation were tested across three studies. The survey findings from Study 1 indicate that participants’ perceptions of victimhood were predicted by their political ideology, such that the more liberal participants were the more likely they were to perceive victimization among racial, sexual, and religious minorities, and the more conservative participants were, the more likely they were to perceive victimization among Whites, Christians, and males. The same effects of political ideology were observed for support for censorship of political opponents. Study 2 primed participants using either PC code words or a control that did not include code words, and found that the more conservative participants were, the more likely they were to report self-censoring, but only after exposure to a PC prime. Study 3 had participants engage in an online conversation with a confederate under either a PC or non-PC prime. Participants exposed to the PC prime argued with lower levels of integrative complexity (a measure of the extent to which people recognize alternative view points) than those in a non-PC condition, and the more liberal participants were, the less of integrative complexity they exhibited. Taken together, these studies confirm that PC involves competition between liberals and conservatives, that PC norms produce self-censorship among moderates and relatively conservative students, and produce less cognitively complex reasoning about political subjects, particularly among liberals

The development and initial feasibility testing of D-HOMES: a behavioral activation-based intervention for diabetes medication adherence and psychological wellness among people experiencing homelessness

IntroductionCompared to stably housed peers, people experiencing homelessness (PEH) have lower rates of ideal glycemic control, and experience premature morbidity and mortality. High rates of behavioral health comorbidities and trauma add to access barriers driving poor outcomes. Limited evidence guides behavioral approaches to support the needs of PEH with diabetes. Lay coaching models can improve care for low-resource populations with diabetes, yet we found no evidence of programs specifically tailored to the needs of PEH.MethodsWe used a multistep, iterative process following the ORBIT model to develop the Diabetes Homeless Medication Support (D-HOMES) program, a new lifestyle intervention for PEH with type 2 diabetes. We built a community-engaged research team who participated in all of the following steps of treatment development: (1) initial treatment conceptualization drawing from evidence-based programs, (2) qualitative interviews with affected people and multi-disciplinary housing and healthcare providers, and (3) an open trial of D-HOMES to evaluate acceptability (Client Satisfaction Questionnaire, exit interview) and treatment engagement (completion rate of up to 10 offered coaching sessions).ResultsIn step (1), the D-HOMES treatment manual drew from existing behavioral activation and lay health coach programs for diabetes as well as clinical resources from Health Care for the Homeless. Step (2) qualitative interviews (n = 26 patients, n = 21 providers) shaped counseling approaches, language and choices regarding interventionists, tools, and resources. PTSD symptoms were reported in 69% of patients. Step (3) trial participants (N = 10) overall found the program acceptable, however, we saw better program satisfaction and treatment engagement among more stably housed people. We developed adapted treatment materials for the target population and refined recruitment/retention strategies and trial procedures sensitive to prevalent discrimination and racism to better retain people of color and those with less stable housing.DiscussionThe research team has used these findings to inform an NIH-funded randomized control pilot trial. We found synergy between community-engaged research and the ORBIT model of behavioral treatment development to develop a new intervention designed for PEH with type 2 diabetes and address health equity gaps in people who have experienced trauma. We conclude that more work and different approaches are needed to address the needs of participants with the least stable housing

The genetic architecture of the human cerebral cortex

The cerebral cortex underlies our complex cognitive capabilities, yet little is known about the specific genetic loci that influence human cortical structure. To identify genetic variants that affect cortical structure, we conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of brain magnetic resonance imaging data from 51,665 individuals. We analyzed the surface area and average thickness of the whole cortex and 34 regions with known functional specializations. We identified 199 significant loci and found significant enrichment for loci influencing total surface area within regulatory elements that are active during prenatal cortical development, supporting the radial unit hypothesis. Loci that affect regional surface area cluster near genes in Wnt signaling pathways, which influence progenitor expansion and areal identity. Variation in cortical structure is genetically correlated with cognitive function, Parkinson's disease, insomnia, depression, neuroticism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Stroke genetics informs drug discovery and risk prediction across ancestries

Previous genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of stroke — the second leading cause of death worldwide — were conducted predominantly in populations of European ancestry1,2. Here, in cross-ancestry GWAS meta-analyses of 110,182 patients who have had a stroke (five ancestries, 33% non-European) and 1,503,898 control individuals, we identify association signals for stroke and its subtypes at 89 (61 new) independent loci: 60 in primary inverse-variance-weighted analyses and 29 in secondary meta-regression and multitrait analyses. On the basis of internal cross-ancestry validation and an independent follow-up in 89,084 additional cases of stroke (30% non-European) and 1,013,843 control individuals, 87% of the primary stroke risk loci and 60% of the secondary stroke risk loci were replicated (P < 0.05). Effect sizes were highly correlated across ancestries. Cross-ancestry fine-mapping, in silico mutagenesis analysis3, and transcriptome-wide and proteome-wide association analyses revealed putative causal genes (such as SH3PXD2A and FURIN) and variants (such as at GRK5 and NOS3). Using a three-pronged approach4, we provide genetic evidence for putative drug effects, highlighting F11, KLKB1, PROC, GP1BA, LAMC2 and VCAM1 as possible targets, with drugs already under investigation for stroke for F11 and PROC. A polygenic score integrating cross-ancestry and ancestry-specific stroke GWASs with vascular-risk factor GWASs (integrative polygenic scores) strongly predicted ischaemic stroke in populations of European, East Asian and African ancestry5. Stroke genetic risk scores were predictive of ischaemic stroke independent of clinical risk factors in 52,600 clinical-trial participants with cardiometabolic disease. Our results provide insights to inform biology, reveal potential drug targets and derive genetic risk prediction tools across ancestries

sj-docx-1-hpp-10.1177_15248399231221731 – Supplemental material for Disseminating Community-Engaged Research Involving People Experiencing Homelessness and Diabetes Using Participatory Theater

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-hpp-10.1177_15248399231221731 for Disseminating Community-Engaged Research Involving People Experiencing Homelessness and Diabetes Using Participatory Theater by Preethiya Sekar, Maren Ward, Susan Gust, Becky R. Ford, Moncies Franco, Edward Adair, Annette Bryant, Denita Ngwu, Jonathan M. Cole, Lelis Brito, Marcia Barnes, Tahiti Robinson, Ali ‘Cia Anderson-Campbell, Joel Gray, Esther Ouray, Alphonse Carr and Katherine Diaz Vickery in Health Promotion Practice</p