The Great and Widening Divide: Political False Polarization and its Consequences

American politics is becoming increasingly ideologically divided, and this cross-party hostility is reflected in pronounced partisan media outrage. However, while actual ideological polarization has indeed been rising, people estimate an ideological gap as being even larger than reality. We focus on whether part of this cross-party dislike can be explained by illusory perceptions of opposing party attitudes, attitudes the majority of the party members do not actually endorse. This illusory gap is referred to as false polarization; it is an interpersonal bias where a perceiver believes an opponent’s position is much farther away conceptually from where that opponent actually reports their position to be. Over three studies, we explore in which instances false polarization occurs, as well as the downstream consequences of falsely perceiving opposing party attitudes. In Study 1 (N = 1235), we established that liberals and conservatives are likely to over-estimate the prevalence of opposing party attitudes when the partisan issues they are presented with are extreme, rather than mild. Study 2 (N = 816) replicated these patterns, and also revealed that the perception of opponent party agreement with extreme issues correlated with cross-party dislike, and unwillingness to engage (starting political discussions, sharing taxis, etc.). Additionally, the amount of time participants spent watching partisan media (Fox News or MSNBC) positively correlated with the degree of agreement perceived with conservative and liberal issues, respectively. In Study 3 (N = 300), false polarization findings were again replicated, and we found that participants attributed much of their dislike of opposing party members to their perceived (but over-estimated) agreement on extreme issues. As these consequences of false polarization pertain to the desire to interact with opposing party members, they have the potential to undermine the motivation to work towards communication and compromise which are fundamental to the democratic process

The Great and Widening Divide: Political False Polarization and its Consequences

American politics is becoming increasingly ideologically divided, and this cross-party hostility is reflected in pronounced partisan media outrage. However, while actual ideological polarization has indeed been rising, people estimate an ideological gap as being even larger than reality. We focus on whether part of this cross-party dislike can be explained by illusory perceptions of opposing party attitudes, attitudes the majority of the party members do not actually endorse. This illusory gap is referred to as false polarization; it is an interpersonal bias where a perceiver believes an opponent’s position is much farther away conceptually from where that opponent actually reports their position to be. Over three studies, we explore in which instances false polarization occurs, as well as the downstream consequences of falsely perceiving opposing party attitudes. In Study 1 (N = 1235), we established that liberals and conservatives are likely to over-estimate the prevalence of opposing party attitudes when the partisan issues they are presented with are extreme, rather than mild. Study 2 (N = 816) replicated these patterns, and also revealed that the perception of opponent party agreement with extreme issues correlated with cross-party dislike, and unwillingness to engage (starting political discussions, sharing taxis, etc.). Additionally, the amount of time participants spent watching partisan media (Fox News or MSNBC) positively correlated with the degree of agreement perceived with conservative and liberal issues, respectively. In Study 3 (N = 300), false polarization findings were again replicated, and we found that participants attributed much of their dislike of opposing party members to their perceived (but over-estimated) agreement on extreme issues. As these consequences of false polarization pertain to the desire to interact with opposing party members, they have the potential to undermine the motivation to work towards communication and compromise which are fundamental to the democratic process

"I think maybe 10 years seems a bit long." Beliefs and attitudes of women who had never used intrauterine contraception

Aim To explore, in a general practice setting, the concerns, beliefs and attitudes about intrauterine contraception (IUC) reported by women, who had never used the methods. Methods We used a sequential mixed-method (QUAL/quant) approach. A pragmatic, self-selecting sample of 30 women, aged 18–46 years, who had never used IUC), was recruited through seven general practices in South East England. Themes arising from qualitative interviews were used to construct a quantitative survey, completed by a pragmatic sample of 1195 women, aged 18–49 years, attending 32 general practices in the same region, between February and August 2015. Results Qualitative themes were concerns about the long-acting nature of IUC, concerns about body boundaries, and informal knowledge of IUC, especially ‘friend of a friend’ stories. Women were not sure if the devices can be removed before their full 5- or 10-year duration of use, and felt that these timeframes did not fit with their reproductive intentions. Quantitative survey data showed that the most commonly endorsed concerns among never-users were painful fitting (55.8%), unpleasant removal of the device (60.1%), and concern about having a device ’inside me' (60.2%). Conclusions To facilitate fully informed contraceptive choice, information provided to women considering IUC should be tailored to more fully address the concerns expressed by never-users, particularly around the details of insertion and removal, and concerns about the adverse, long-term effects of the device. Women need to be reassured that IUC can be removed and fertility restored at any time following insertion

Native American Cultural Dissonance & Dark Heritage Solutions

This paper argues that public institutions have an obligation to consider the weight of their responsibility to educate and inform the public about all forms of American history and heritage. Moreover, public institutions should embrace controversy, engage discourse and proactively work on exhibiting balanced representations by re-working or removing antiquated and false narratives surrounding Native American history. In this paper, I proffer solutions from case studies, examples, models, and my own perspective as a Native American tribal member, as to what public institutions and curators can do in the future to deal with cultural dissonance and creating awareness of (Native) American heritage and history. The goal of this paper is to present solutions specifically focused on public institutions addressing the dark heritage of the United States while struggling with cultural dissonance when dealing with Native American Tribes.[1] For the purposes of this paper, “cultural dissonance” is referring to a cognitive phenomenon related to an uncomfortable sense of discord, disharmony, confusion or conflict experienced by people in the midst of a change in their cultural environment. These changes are often unexpected, unexplained or not understandable due to various types of cultural dynamics. Cultural dissonance often results from challenging long-held beliefs about a fact or subject. The term “dark heritage” is related to tourism that displays or represents a tragedy, atrocity, crime, death or human suffering. For this paper, this specifically encompasses exhibits, sites, and monuments that remind us of negative events of the past. Finally, “public institutions” include museums, historic sites, and statues. The hope is that the analysis in this paper will assist curators and the public in recognizing that they are not divorced from this issue; and encourage the reader to consider and challenge narratives they’ve been presented their entire lives. Hopefully, public institutions will bring Native People into the folds of American society by representing light and dark Native American heritage equally. Awareness and historical education can help society progress and begin questioning public policies regarding segregation, teachings of inferiority, and inhumane treatment of minorities

Barriers to energy-efficiency implementation: a study of the uptake of energy-efficiency initiatives offered through incentive schemes in South Africa

Energy efficiency has been widely recognised as a powerful tool for improving the energy situation across the globe. Whether by increasing energy security, reducing carbon emissions or alleviating grid strain, proven methods of energyefficiency management can bring about significant savings at a multitude of levels. Although energy-efficiency practices are gaining traction globally, their uptake is still less than optimal, and this is especially true of South Africa. The country is currently facing an energy crisis that brings with it a variety of complex challenges, all which can be assuaged through energy efficiency, if applied to the energy-intensive economy. It is important to understand the South Africa-specific barriers that hinder implementation of energy efficiency. While government has made strong commitments to supporting the uptake of energy-efficiency initiatives, there have been several interruptions and a lack of execution. An abundant amount of topdown research has been conducted to identify the various barriers to implementation; far less research, however, identifies barriers from within these energy-intensive economies. If these barriers could be identified from a more qualitative and participant-centred perspective, the key role-players in the sector might be able to better address energy-efficiency implementation, leading to more widespread benefits and results. To this end, the researcher performed an explanatory investigation, analysing seven energy-intensive companies that had recently participated in a fully funded local incentive scheme called the Private Sector Energy Efficiency Programme (PSEE). The PSEE performed an energy audit on each company, followed up by a report on its findings. The report clearly outlined the company's key energy-savings opportunities, in kilowatt-hours (kWh), Rand and CO2 emissions. It also estimated the costs and payback periods of the projects. Despite these reports indicating significant savings potentials and reasonable payback periods, a lack of uptake still remained. The researcher extracted and analysed the relevant quantitative data from the PSEE reports and conducted one-on-one, semi-structured interviews with the participants to identify and understand the participant-specific barriers to the recommended energy-efficient measures. The researcher also interviewed three coordinators of the PSEE programme, in the hope of identifying any PSEEspecific barriers. The other main party involved in this research was PSEE energy-efficiency ESCO which has been given an alias name ESCO E, who delivered the reports to the participants. The research found that the barriers in place in South Africa resemble those that have been identified at the global level. However, the mixed-methods approach and data sample employed in this study create a very interesting picture about the barriers that exist at the company level. The research found that there were significant saving opportunities available to companies but that, mainly due to a lack of financial support, human-resource capacity and time, there has been little to no implementation of the recommended projects. The available literature and provided global experience, coupled with participants' responses and suggestions, allow the researcher to make relevant recommendations that pertain to the study: • Lower payback periods through further incentives • Accessible funding and subsidies • Ensured continuation, longevity and growth of incentive programmes • Client-specific cost alternatives • Extensive and supported detail around each recommendation • Human resource capacity support to ensure energy management • Required energy seminars and skills training to programme participants • Increased government support and energy efficiency resources; namely an Energy Hub, which will provide a stable platform for energy efficiency • Participant-specific report alignment to encourage uptake and increased trust between incentive host and participant • More stringent government regulated technological standards

Workforce issues in nursing in Queensland: 2001 and 2004

[Abstract]: Aims and objectives: The aim of the study was to identify the factors impacting upon nursing work and to use the results to inform strategic planning of the Queensland Nurses Union. Background: In 2001 and 2004, a study was undertaken to gather data on the level of satisfaction of nurses with their working life. This paper reports the 2004 results on workload, skill mix, remuneration and morale. Where applicable, the results are compared to 2001 data. Methods: A questionnaire was mailed to 3000 Assistants-in-Nursing, Enrolled and Registered Nurses in October 2004. All participants were members of the Queensland Nurses Union. The results are reported in three sectors – public, private and aged care. A total of 1349 nurses responded to the survey, a response rate of 45%. Results: Nurses in the 2004 study believed: their workload was heavy; their skills and experience poorly rewarded; work stress was high; morale was perceived to be poor and, similar to 2001, deteriorating; the skill mix was often inadequate; and the majority of nurses are unable to complete their work in the time available. Nursing morale was found to be associated with autonomy, workplace equipment, workplace safety, teamwork, work stress, the physical demand of nursing work, workload, rewards for skills and experience, career prospects, status of nursing, and remuneration. Conclusion: Overall the findings of the study are consistent with those determined by the 2001 survey. Relevance to clinical practice. The findings of this study indicate the importance of factors such as workplace autonomy, teamwork, the levels of workplace stress, workload and remuneration on nursing morale. The data also indicate that workplace safety and workplace morale are linked. These findings provide information for policy makers and nurse managers on areas that need to be addressed to retain nurses within aged care, acute hospital and community nursing

Nurses worth listening to

[Executive Summary]: In 2001 the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) in conjunction with the Queensland Nurses’ Union (QNU) undertook a study of enrolled and registered nurse and assistant-in-nursing members. In Queensland, registered nurses (RNs) and enrolled nurses (ENs) are qualified to practice nursing and are licensed by the Queensland Nursing Council (QNC), an independent body responsible for the setting and maintaining of nursing standards in the State. Although not licensed by the QNC Assistants in Nursing (AINs) work within a nursing model of care. These workers may also have other titles such as Personal Care Assistants or Carers. Regardless of their title, they work under the direct or indirect supervision of a RN. The study was confined to nurses employed in the public sector (acute hospitals, community health), the private sector (acute hospitals and domicillary nursing) and the aged care sector (government and non-government). In 2004 a similar study was conducted. The major findings of the 2004 study were that nurses believed: • nursing is emotionally challenging and physically demanding • their workload is heavy and that their skills and experience as a professional nurse are poorly rewarded (remunerated or recognised) • work stress is high and morale is perceived to be poor and, similar to 2001, deteriorating • there are insufficient staff in their workplace and that the skill mix is inadequate • the majority of nurses are unable to complete their work to their level of professional satisfaction in the time available. While there were some changes between 2001 and 2004 (some could be seen as improvements, others deteriorations), the overwhelming impression one has, especially from the qualitative data, is of a workforce frustrated and unable to provide safe and quality care to their patients/clients within the time allocated

Understanding the Impact of Chronic Low-Dose, Low Energy, Proton Radiation on Systemic Inflammation and Anxiety-Like Behaviors in Mice

A major component of NASA’s 2018 strategic plan was to send astronauts to and beyond our lunar orbit within the next couple of decades. A risk to mission success is an astronauts’ exposure to galactic cosmic radiation (GCR), a mixture of chronic low dose, high energy, high charge ion particles (HZE). Previous high energy radiation proton studies show lasting inflammation in the eye in humans treated for uveal melanomas. In mice, HZE particles also showed deficits in cardiac physiology, brain electrophysiology, and memory. Of particular interest to long term mission success are low dose, low energy protons due to their high abundance in the space environment. Given the detrimental physiological and cognitive impact on humans and rodents after high energy proton studies and a lack of low energy proton studies on skin and inflammation, knowledge of how inflammation might respond to chronic low dose, low energy proton radiation is warranted. In our experiment, mice were put into a 50mL conical tube; half were irradiated using the Hope College Pelletron accelerator at a low dose (~2 mGy/wk) of protons. After 10 weeks, half the irradiated mice and half the non irradiated mice were euthanized for molecular studies. Levels of inflammatory cytokines like tumor necrosis factor, which are associated with increased depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia were assessed. The other half underwent behavioral tests that looked at stress behaviors. Therefore, the proposed study aimed to test the hypothesis that chronic low dose, low energy proton radiation negatively impacts mental health due to lasting systemic inflammation. Future directions are to examine HZE particles (e.g. Fe, Si, and C) at Brookhaven National Laboratories in Long Island, NY, to compare chronic low energy low dose particles and high energy low dose protons which will help future NASA missions to and beyond lunar orbit