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The present study explored how three professional Australian football coaches learned and understood mental toughness. Participants shared stories regarding mental toughness through semistructured interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to interpret the data. Creative nonfiction was employed to develop a composite story. All participants' voices contributed equally to the narrative, which follows Sam (our composite coach) through three periods in his career: as a junior player, an elite footballer, and, finally, a coach in the professional football environment. Mental toughness was fundamentally determined by the sociocultural environment in which one was immersed. Athletes and coaches were expected to internalize dominant understandings of mental toughness and reinforce ideals and were punished if they deviated from mentally tough standards set up in their clubs. Mental toughness was defined by various values, beliefs, and norms that originated from the sociocultural environment, indicating the importance of context in understanding the roots of being mentally tough. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Displacement has increased continuously over the last 12 years and the number of forcibly displaced persons has reached an unprecedented level. More than half of all forcibly displaced persons are girls or women; yet very little is known about how gender intersects the behavior and welfare of forced displacement. This special issue focuses specifically on the gender dimensions of forced displacement. We make both topical and methodological contributions to knowledge about gender norms, livelihoods, multi-dimensional and income poverty, and gender-based violence and discuss the implications of our findings for future research, policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT This paper identifies and critiques a tendency for public health risk communication to be ‘sneakily’ persuasive. First, I describe how trends in the social and health sciences have facilitated an approach to public health risk communication which focuses on achieving behaviour change directly, rather than informing people's decisions about their health behaviour. I then consider existing discussions of the merits of informing versus persuading in public health communication, which largely endorse persuasive approaches. I suggest such accounts are unsatisfying insofar as their definitions of persuasion often fail to recognise its directional nature and the distorting effect this has on the total picture of the evidence. I re‐characterise persuasion as directional influence aimed at achieving a particular outcome in the recipient and acknowledge that persuasive influence may also be manipulative. I then contrast this with (non‐directional) information provision. I suggest that much persuasive public health risk communication is ‘sneaky’: it appears to be informative, but in fact presents a distorted picture of the evidence (in accordance with my characterisation of persuasion). I argue that such sneakily persuasive public health risk communication is unethical on the basis that it fails to adhere to the norms of cooperative communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Does public support for armed humanitarian intervention depend on the race and religion of those it seeks to save? Social identity theory predicts that people prefer helping strangers with whom they share an identity, but norms of paternalism and cosmopolitanism could moderate such favoritism. We test these propositions via survey experiments administered to a nationally representative sample of Americans that randomized the racial and religious characteristics of foreigners in a hypothetical civil war. The data reveal that Americans, especially Christians, prefer to intervene on behalf of Christians over Muslims. Ingroup affinity rather than outgroup Islamophobia explains this effect. Meanwhile, Americans exhibit less consistent prejudice along racial lines. Finally, while scholars find paternalist norms affect attitudes toward economic assistance, we find no similar effect for military intervention. Cosmopolitan Americans, however, express less identity-based bias. We conclude that people act on their basic socio-psychological instincts, but norms could attenuate these biases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: There is an increasing focus on understanding health disparities among various cultural groups in the United States. The need for heterogeneity in norms and test stimuli across ethnically diverse individuals are being increasingly recognized. However, to date it remains unknown whether and to what extent differences in cognitive norms and tests exist in Asian Indians, a fast-growing population in the U.S. It is essential to understand these differences to improve diagnostic accuracy and provide timely and appropriate clinical care. Method: In this study, we conducted a scoping review of available cognitive tests that were normed, developed, or adapted for Asian Indians living in the U.S. Results: The results suggested a paucity of norms and tests specifically examining cognition in this community. Conclusions: Based on the findings, we provide suggestions for research directions focusing on the development of culturally sensitive neuropsychological tools, normative data representative of this demographic, and interventions addressing healthcare access barriers. Overall, this review provides readers with relevant clinical information to immediately enhance patient care as well as provide actionable items in research to improve the future utility of neuropsychology for Asian Indians in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Italy is the only 'Big Four' European country and 'Quint' North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member ostensibly uninterested in the world's geopolitical and geoeconomic epicentre. However, a number of developments contradict the assumption that Rome overlooks the importance of the Indo-Pacific. By analysing official policies, naval deployments, new partnerships and evolving trajectories, this article reveals that Italy's strategic engagement with the Indo-Pacific is already significant and unfolding under three broad areas: (a) economy ; (b) security ; and (c) norms. It then assesses the benefits and risks of this developing foreign policy, and argues that the former outweigh the latter, a condition which is conducive to the establishment of an official Italian Indo-Pacific strategy. As the first scholarly work on the Italian role in the Indo-Pacific, this research makes a novel contribution to the literature on both Italian foreign policy and the Indo-Pacific security landscape, by investigating a complementary approach to that of existing Indo-Pacific strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Our attention is constantly drawn by messages that propose to us what should (not) be done in a specific place. According to the Evaluative Model of Normative Appeals (EMNA), we perceive them through a process (normative appraisal) that is structured in three dimensions, and assesses the degree to which the proposal (a) comes from an institution that ensures compliance, (b) avoids physical or psychological damage, and (c) affords the performance of the main intended action. We review the theoretical underpinnings related to these three dimensions, create a scale to measure them (Normative Appraisal Scale, NAS), and validate it in two studies. Specifically, 2376 citizens in eight countries completed the NAS regarding the norms of paying taxes and not drinking on the street (Study 1), and 1544 subway users completed it regarding two transport norms (Study 2). The analyses supported the three‐dimensional structure of the NAS. Furthermore, the NAS increased the prediction when included along with other predictors: sociological variables; social axioms and values (Study 1); and descriptive norm, injunctive norm, personal control, and formal sanction (Study 2). We suggest that the NAS is useful to assess the actual perception of specific normative appeals and anticipate their effectiveness in influencing peoples’ decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract\nPLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARYHigher education leaders sometimes transgress norms of political involvement. Despite some norm-violating behaviors, legal consequences are sparse. Some argue that this is based on concerns over taxpayers impugning regulators’ motives as partisan. Public skepticism is warranted, especially as university officials engage in unlawful forms of political activism that can go unenforced. What explains citizens’ tolerance for norm-violating political activities within higher education institutions? Furthermore, what drives citizens to blame some leaders for engaging in legally precarious political behaviors while providing more latitude for others who act similarly? Drawing from research on citizen accountability as well as partisan cue-led attitudes, authors argue that tolerance for political involvement in higher education contexts is explained by an institutional leader’s partisanship and sectoral type, that is, private versus public institution. To test these claims, authors fielded a survey experiment drawing on a Lucid panel. Findings show evidence that a leader’s partisanship and the institution’s sectoral type influence individuals’ acceptance or rejection of a university president’s endorsement of a political candidate, dependent upon the respondent’s partisan characteristics. Findings also confirm the emerging politicization of higher educational spaces, highlighting the implications for understanding public perceptions of higher education leaders’ political involvement and the impact on the sector.College and university presidents may become involved in politics in ways that may not follow the law or fall in line with norms. Often leaders who cross the line are not punished or held accountable, potentially because punishment may look politically biased. While there are times when public doubt is justified, there are also times when college and university leaders push political agendas without consequences. Why do citizens sometimes ignore these transgressions? Why do citizens criticize some college and university leaders for political actions but not others? The answer might have to do with the leaders’ political affiliations and whether a private or public institution is connected to a scandal. To better understand this phenomenon, authors conducted a survey experiment with 1,403 participants. Results showed that citizens’ reactions to a university president supporting a political candidate are influenced by both the leader’s and the participant’s political affiliations as well as whether the institution is private or public. This research supports the idea that politics is becoming more prominent in higher education and that enforcement of laws is a difficult challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Do regional institutions promote more equitable governance in the global South and, in particular, do they enable more gender-equitable governance? We examine these questions in the light of regional governance actions and policies under COVID-19, drawing on evidence from Latin America and Africa. We argue that weak regional gender equality norms contributed to the downgrading of the rights of women and girls in policymaking during COVID-19, within both member states and regional organizations, which resulted in women and girls paying an unnecessarily high price during and after the pandemic. Using interview and documentary data, we show that the existence of gender equality norms led to an initial recognition of the need for gendered protections in COVID-19 policies but that these were side-lined, and the rights and needs of women and girls deprioritized, as the pandemic deepened. We also discuss the gendered costs of deprioritization in terms of preventable everyday harms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We conducted two empirical studies (in a cross-sectional and a longitudinal design) with the aim at establishing normative data (including norms for strategy use [i.e., clustering and switching strategies] and performance over time), and examining the convergent validity, the test–retest reliability (3–4 wks interval) and the changes in performance with practice (1 year interval) of the different verbal fluency (VF) quantitative and qualitative scores in Spanish-speaking children and adolescents. Method: In S1 (n = 620 6- to 15-year-old Spanish-speaking children and adolescents), MANCOVA and Pearson's correlations were employed. In S2 (n = 148 6- to 12-year-old Spanish-speaking children), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), paired t-tests, and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were used. Results: S1 results showed an age effect on all VF measures (quantitative and qualitative). The number of switches/clusters was more related to total word productivity and to executive functions (EF) than the mean cluster size. In S2, a significant increase in phonological VF performance was observed on number of switches and word productivity scores from baseline (Time 1) to repeat testing at Time 2. Practice effects were observed at Time 3 on all measures except for semantic and phonological mean cluster size. Test–retest reliability coefficients at Time 2 for number of clusters and switches, but not for mean cluster size, fell in the moderate range, ranging from ICCs.61 to ICCs.81. Test–retest reliability coefficients for total word productivity were higher (ICCs above.80) and stronger when testing as a unity with CFA methods (ϕ=.94, p <.001). Conclusions: These data may be relevant for informing the neuropsychological assessment of spontaneous cognitive flexibility in children with typical development (TD) and those with developmental or acquired disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The World Health Organization has been involved in male contraceptive development for over 50 years. In line with its functions and mandate, World Health Organization works with diverse stakeholders to support research, develop norms and standards, engage member states, facilitate prequalification, introduction and scale up, measurement, and tracking of contraceptives. World Health Organization has a key role in galvanizing global efforts to ensure universal access to contraception services irrespective of income group. Regarding male contraceptive development, World Health Organization has provided technical leadership, supported early research, created and supported research centers, built research capacity in various countries, and standardized semen analysis procedures. In this paper, a detailed description is provided with examples across the various stages of male contraceptive development. Limited funding to World Health Organization is a key challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the EU's deployment of EU collective power in response to the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Collective power has two dimensions, the 'power to' and the 'power with', which translate into the power to get things done and the power to act in concert. These two dimensions of power are underpinned by a third dimension, discursive power. The analytical framework consists of two bundles of activity, agenda setting and problem recognition (the problem frame) and the development of policy solutions (the action frame). Agreeing a problem frame is a necessary but insufficient requirement for action which requires agreement among the member states on what they are prepared to commit to in terms of policy instruments. The paper concludes that the EU avoided a politics trap during these crises by reaching consensus on both the problem and action frames and were assisted in this by the emergence of three EU polity norms and the mobilisation of institutional capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Norms have been effectively utilized to facilitate smooth interactions among agents. Norms are usually the global data that agents cannot directly access in complex environments; instead, norms can only be indirectly accessed by agents via maintaining their own beliefs about norms. Establishing norms using decentralized interaction-based methods has attracted much attention. However, the current methods overlook Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) environments. In IIoT, there is a prevalent feature called "conflict-blocking", where agents' conflicting action strategies can block an interaction from being completed or even cause danger. To facilitate norm emergence in IIoT, we propose a framework to support agent decisions in conflict-blocking interactions. The framework aids in achieving system scalability by integrating the fusion of agent beliefs about norms. We prove that the proposed framework guarantees norm emergence. We also theoretically and experimentally analyze the time required for norm emergence under the influence of various factors, such as the number of agents. A vehicle movement simulator is also developed to vividly illustrate the process of norm emergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents and defends a new account of reasoning. Reasoning is essentially subject to a constitutive norm, the norm of following sufficient normative reasons. Instead of rule-following, following normative reasons is essential. After clarifying the view, three arguments in its support will be presented. They concern the scope of (correct) reasoning, the value of (correct) reasoning, and the relation between reasoning and treating a consideration as a reason. Two objections – concerning the knowledge norm of belief and cases of improperly treating a consideration as a reason – will be dealt with. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Western Muslim youth engage less in romantic relationships than their non-Muslim peers, an observation usually attributed to chastity norms that oppose Muslim youths’ premarital sexual activity. In this study, I ask whether chastity norms also shape cross-gender interaction beyond romantic relationships and lead to fewer cross-gender friendships among Muslim than non-Muslim youth. To isolate the consequences of chastity norms from institutionalized practices of gender segregation in Muslim religious communities, I study friendship-making in German coeducational schools, which provide ample opportunities for cross-gender friendships. I apply multilevel exponential random graph models to large-scale data on adolescents’ school-based friendship networks, finding cross-gender friendships to be generally infrequent but notably rarer among Muslim than non-Muslim youth. However, this lack of cross-gender friendships is limited to Muslim youth who hold strong chastity norms, while more liberal Muslim youth have as many cross-gender friends as non-Muslims. Among non-Muslims, chastity norms are unrelated to cross-gender friendships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundAimsMethods & ProceduresOutcomes & ResultsConclusionsThe Comprehensive Aphasia Test (CAT), a standardized battery with 34 subtests, has been adapted into eight different languages, with other 11 language adaptations close to being finished. Currently, there are no published CAT adaptations in any Asian languages.Given the paucity of aphasia batteries geared specifically to the Chinese population (Cantonese speakers in Hong Kong, in particular), there is a clinical value in adapting a Cantonese version (i.e., Cant-CAT).Content validity of the translated items in Cant-CAT was conducted. A set of normative data from 72 healthy native Cantonese speakers was established and cut-off scores on each subtest were determined at the lowest fifth percentile of their performances. The influences of age, education, and gender on Cant-CAT performance were also investigated. Thirty-two chronic PWA were recruited and administered the Cant-CAT and Cantonese versions of Oxford Cognitive Screen (HK-OCS), Western Aphasia Battery (CAB), and ASHA-FACS. The psychometric properties, including discriminant validity, aphasia severity indication, content validity, concurrent validity, and reliability, of Cant-CAT were investigated.Cant-CAT was able to discriminate the performance of PWA from healthy individuals in most subtests. Cant-CAT subtests correlated significantly with most corresponding subtests assessing similar domains in the HK-OCS, CAB, and Cantonese FACS. There was also good to excellent intra-, inter-rater, and test-retest reliabilities.Further expansion of this study should involve a larger sample and more diverse PWA types and severities. The final product is believed to benefit clinical assessment of aphasia in Hong Kong and overseas locations with native Cantonese speakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I argue the following: mediation can operate as an arena in which identities are reconstructed while the very occurrence of mediation can trigger and fuel processes of identity reconstruction. More precisely, the norms promoted through mediation can serve to reconstruct the identities of the conflict parties. I will make this claim by examining two contemporary instances of mediation in Syria and Yemen, cases which diverge in the third-party peacemaking approach taken. I investigate these cases by gathering and thematically analyzing an original qualitative dataset comprising 74 semi-structured interviews, 50 press conferences, and 110 official documents. My analysis challenges existing literature concerning the intertwinement of norms, identity, and mediation; contributes to our understanding of how identities in Syria and Yemen were transformed following the revolutions of 2011; and interrogates traditional understandings of the purpose and effects of mediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite not displaying higher overall rates of substance use compared to White Americans, the social consequences of substance use disorders for Black Americans, particularly among Black American men, are more damaging. Furthermore, recent data suggest an uptick in substance use-related deaths among Black Americans, raising serious concerns about a growing health disparity that warrants the need for studies to identify factors associated with prevention. For decades, Black cultural theorists have argued that Afrocentric norms are important buffers against maladaptive behaviors in Black Americans, but the association in the context of substance use is still an emerging area. The present study investigated the associations between Afrocentric norms, Afrocentric self-regard, internalized negative stereotypes, and substance use attitudes and behaviors among Black young adults. Self-report questionnaires were administered to measure internalized negative stereotypes, Afrocentric norms, Afrocentric self-regard, substance use attitudes, and substance use from a sample of Black young adults (N = 619). Favorable attitudes toward substance use were found to be positively associated with internalized negative stereotypes but were inversely associated with Afrocentric norms and Afrocentric self-regard. Similarly, substance use reports within the past 30 days were inversely associated with Afrocentric norms, but the relationship to cannabis use was non-significant. Gender differences between Black men and women were also found. Implications for social work are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies how a continuum of individuals interacting in a binary public goods game can secure cooperation through transmitting and enforcing norms. The evolutionary model consists of three distinct dimensions: behavior, norms, and approval preferences. In line with the indirect approach proposed by Güth and Yaari (1992) , behavior results from utility maximization, while norms and approval preferences evolve over time. The underlying evolutionary processes differ concerning speed and nature. Whereas norms evolve at the cultural level through peer interactions and socialization, approval preferences are (at least partly) biologically inherited and transmitted from parents to their offspring. We find that if cultural and biological reproductive fitnesses are derived from material and social factors, then an interplay of social disapproval mechanisms gives rise to stable equilibria in which positive cooperation levels persist. Moreover, we find stable equilibria characterized by heterogeneous behavior and moral attitudes across individuals. • We propose an evolutionary model with multiple dynamic dimensions. • We endogenize the formation of behavior, norms, and preferences. • Social disapproval enables stable equilibria of norm-driven cooperation. • Different dynamic dimensions introduce ambiguous effects of disapproval mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I argue that not only is metaphysical modal normativism an attractive view but that, as a matter of fact, many of us have, all along, been metaphysical modal normativists of a particular stripe. Namely, we have been the kinds of modal normativists, in the form of counterpart theorists, who are robust realists about possibility simpliciter. Having introduced modal normativism as Thomasson does in Norms and Necessity, I go on to recast it in somewhat different terms. With this re-casting in place we can see that while the view offers a pleasingly deflationary account of metaphysical necessity and possibility it does so only against the backdrop of robust realism about possibility simpliciter. If that is right, then Lewis' counterpart theory turns out to be a potent version of metaphysical modal normativism. So many of us have, all along, been metaphysical modal normativists, and so much the better for it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In his position paper, Calzavarini (2023) argues that recent studies in multisensory research challenge the claim that word meaning is grounded in modality-specific representations. Here we argue that the coherence of the Grounded Cognition model does not require the modality-specificity assumption. In fact, already some "strong" versions of the model had relied on a multimodal view of the sensorimotor cortex that seems consistent with much of the evidence discussed in the paper. Next, we address some possible consequences for empirical research using behavioural methods, particularly for norming studies on word meaning. We conclude by identifying some open issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Establishing normative data for questionnaires is essential for the accurate interpretation of scores, given that these norms can vary according to different subpopulations and treatment contexts. The purpose of this study was to establish norms for the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q) among adults receiving higher levels of care (HLOCs) for the treatment of eating disorders. Participants were 2,283 people receiving treatment at the inpatient, residential, partial hospitalization, or intensive outpatient levels of care. The EDE-Q was completed at admission. Patients with anorexia nervosa—restricting subtype (AN-R) had the lowest EDE-Q Global scores when compared with all other eating disorder diagnoses. When compared with intensive outpatient care, only those in residential treatment had higher EDE-Q Global scores. This study is among the first to describe norms for the EDE-Q in a large sample of adults receiving various HLOCs. Programs utilizing the EDE-Q to assess treatment outcomes can use these findings to aid people in interpreting their scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractOur objective was to establish normative data and reliable change indices (RCI) for the Montreal Cognitive Assessment’s auditory items (MoCA-22). 4,935 cognitively unimpaired participants were administered the MoCA during an in-person visit to an Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (Mage = 67.9, Meducation = 16.2, 65.8% women, 75.9% non-Hispanic-White), with 2,319 unimpaired participants returning for follow-up. Normative values and cutoffs were developed using demographic predictions from ordinary and quantile regression. Test-retest reliability was calculated using Spearman and intraclass correlations. RCI values were calculated using Chelune and colleagues’ (1993) formula. Education, age, and sex were all statistically related to MoCA-22 scores, with education having the strongest relationship. Notably, these relationships were not consistent across MoCA-22 quantiles, with education becoming more important and sex becoming less important for predicting low scores. These models were integrated into a calculator for deriving normative scores for an individual case. Furthermore, there was adequate-to-good test-retest reliability (ϱ = 0.56 95% CI [.54, .59]; ICC = 0.75, 95% CI [.73, .77]) and changes of at least 2-3 points are necessary to identify reliable change at 1-3-year follow-up. These findings add to the literature regarding utility of the MoCA-22 in the cognitive screening of older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractStigma is largely recognized as a harmful practice of social devaluation and discrimination, yet some scholars still advance arguments that stigma also serves an important disincentivizing force toward addictive behaviors. Whilst others counter that stigma is a fundamentally harmful process, a more nuanced call has been made for ‘justified disapproval’ as a beneficial normative force to be separated from addiction stigma. The legitimacy of such a claim requires empirical support which has been lacking thus far. We review evidence in the domains of social norms, stigma, addiction and behavioral sciences as a starting point for an empirically focused evaluation of the possibility of ‘justified disapproval’ as a legitimate positive force. We note that whilst normative influences, emotions and addiction-relevant appraisals affect such behaviors under certain conditions, there are important questions regarding whether these can be harnessed without invoking the known and pervasive effects of stigma. Rather, we propose that efforts to curb addiction-related behaviors via normative influences are likely to fail or backfire. In the absence of empirical evidence to support the use of normative ‘disapproval’ strategies, alternative approaches should be pursued, particularly those which address the broader socio-cultural and structural drivers of addiction problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Normative data on hand and precision grip strengths are essential for evaluating the level of development, the efficacy of rehabilitation, and treatment results. The need for established norms of grip strength in Polish children is one of the problems that Polish physiotherapists and physicians face when treating upper limbs. The aim was to establish normative values of hand and precision grips strengths in Polish children and adolescents aged 3–19. Methods: In the years 2012–2023, a sample of 358 children and adolescents with no history of upper limb injuries or congenital upper extremity defects were randomly chosen from kindergartens, primary schools, middle schools, and high schools. They were living in urban agglomerations and in smaller towns or villages. Hand and precision grips like the pincer, three-point, side, and opposition grip strength were assessed using a hand dynamometer and pinchmeter in standard positions. Results: The strength in all types of examined hand grips increases with chronological age in both genders. The grip strength was higher in the boys' group than in the girls' and it was higher in the right hand than in the left, but the difference was no more greater than 10%. Detailed data with standard deviation were presented in the form of a table, divided by age and sex. Conclusions: Norms for grip strength were provided for Polish children and adolescents aged 3–19, allowing therapists and physicians to compare Polish patients with that of normally developed, healthy children of the same age and sex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genocide and mass violence research is predominantly focused on asymmetric, large-scale, deliberately targeted physical violence over relatively short timespans and involving stable perpetrator and victim groups. Recent attempts, such as Dirk Moses’s, to redefine the field in order to be more inclusive of politically targeted groups, persecuted over longer time-spans within and across states go in the right direction but still fall short I argue. Instead, I propose a capability-based approach, following Amartya Sen, that enables consideration of a far broader range of violence’s consequences such as starvation, systemic malnutrition, excess mortality from disease, and economic deprivation. After outlining the capability approach, I apply it to two case studies: (1) patterns of depopulation under (asymmetric) colonial violence that deprived indigenous communities of the capability to sustain their populations through violence, disease, and famines, a case which is already being scrutinized by genocide researchers; (2) sustained and much less asymmetric violence in the Central African Republic with high mortality, malnutrition, and economic deprivation. In both cases, the toll of physical violence is substantial, but violence’s indirect consequences are far more lethal. I argue, that if we are to take seriously victims’ suffering and loss of lives – a concern that ultimately normatively underwrites atrocity and conflict research – only the capability approach can encompass these cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Identify which NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (NIHTB-CB) subtest(s) best differentiate healthy controls (HC) from those with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and compare the discriminant accuracy between a model using a priori "Norm Adjusted" scores versus "Unadjusted" standard scores with age, sex, race/ethnicity, and education controlled for within the model. Racial differences were also examined. Methods: Participants were Black/African American (B/AA) and White consensus-confirmed (HC = 96; aMCI = 62) adults 60–85 years old that completed the NIHTB-CB for tablet. Discriminant function analysis (DFA) was used in the Total Sample and separately for B/AA (n = 80) and White participants (n = 78). Results: Picture Sequence Memory (an episodic memory task) was the highest loading coefficient across all DFA models. When stratified by race, differences were noted in the pattern of the highest loading coefficients within the DFAs. However, the overall discriminant accuracy of the DFA models in identifying HCs and those with aMCI did not differ significantly by race (B/AA, White) or model/score type (Norm Adjusted versus Unadjusted). Conclusions: Racial differences were noted despite the use of normalized scores or demographic covariates—highlighting the importance of including underrepresented groups in research. While the models were fairly accurate at identifying consensus-confirmed HCs, the models proved less accurate at identifying White participants with an aMCI diagnosis. In clinical settings, further work is needed to optimize computerized batteries and the use of NIHTB-CB norm adjusted scores is recommended. In research settings, demographically corrected scores or within model correction is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turkish policymakers and elites voiced a commitment to a 'humanitarian foreign policy' during the 2000s, signalling Ankara's intent to actively address humanitarian crises both regionally and globally while advocating for a fairer global order. This article critically examines the practical implications of Turkey's post-2000 rhetoric on order and justice based on its claim to adopt a humanitarian foreign policy through the case study of Responsibility to Protect (R2P). It questions the coherence and contradiction of Turkey's humanitarian discourse and actions as well as its proximity to other non-Western rising countries. In this regard, firstly, the study integrates norms literature and the English School's solidarism–pluralism debate. Then, it scrutinises Turkey's stance on R2P cases through an analysis of its discourse and voting behaviour. The findings suggest that Turkey's approach to R2P leans more towards that of a solidarist norm implementer rather than a pluralist norm shaper or norm antipreneur as observed in other rising powers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we aim to describe the societal meaning-making process of peace processes. Peace processes as proposals for societal change toward peace are challenging because they require not only imagining a future but also reconstructing the conflict history and maintaining a sense of continuity in terms of identity. We look at how the diversity of social knowledge and dealing with this diversity in the meaning-making process can influence social change toward peace. In particular, we investigate how different ways of representing the peace process in Turkey define different forms of actions as appropriate or inappropriate. We conducted a critical discourse analysis of 34 articles from five ideologically different newspapers about the three most important events of the peace process. We identified the existence of three different social representations: (a) a political struggle for democratization, (b) a way to develop Turkey, and (c) a process of destruction and deception. The peace process is made familiar by drawing on various identity constructions, cultural resources, and argumentation strategies; political actors introduce new norms about political participation by using these features of the representations and attributing agency, rights, and duties to the people. We interpret how the way the peace process is represented functions to deal with representations of others and to claim support for or resistance to social change toward peace. Public Significance Statement: This article presents an in-depth analysis of the political construction of the peace/resolution process regarding the Turkish–Kurdish conflict in Turkey. It illustrates how political actors introduce new norms about political participation. It emphasizes the importance of examining communication and action strategies in understanding how the diversity of views can foster or hinder debate and dialogue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perceiving supportive peer norms are associated with more frequent and higher quality intergroup contact across a range of contexts. Youth interactions, however, are influenced by a wide range of socializing agents as well as individuals' desire to interact. Exploring both socializing agents and individual-level variables, the present research examines whether perceived peer, school and family interaction norms, and self-expansion are associated with contact quality and quantity in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Across two time points, 312 14- to 17-year-old (M = 14.71, SD = 0.70; 55% male; 66% Protestant, 33% Catholic) from three secondary schools participated. Results indicate that among our participants, perceiving supportive peer norms (not school or family) at Time 1 were associated with more frequent contact at Time 2, while perceived supportive family norms (not peer or school) at Time 1 were associated with greater quality of contact at Time 2. Implications are discussed in relation to the effects of perceived norms and self-expansion on youth intergroup contact in Northern Ireland, as well as opportunities for promoting peace in divided societies. Public Significance Statement: This article explores some of the different factors that influence whether young people in Belfast, Northern Ireland choose to interact with people from the other community and if they do, whether those interactions are good quality or not. Findings show that young people who feel that their peers support them to interact with people from the other community interact more and that young people who feel that their family supports them have good quality interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Michel Foucault's work has immensely enriched the way critical social theorists understand power. Beyond his work on disciplinary normalisation, Foucault's genealogy of the modern state has discussed governmental power as the conduct of conduct of subjects and populations. Foucault reserves his understanding of norms and normalisation for explaining the prescriptive force of disciplinary power. Accordingly, he hardly uses the language of norms to explain how neoliberal policies interfere in social conduct. In this paper, I aim to elucidate what kind of normative intervention neoliberal governmentality encompasses. By mobilising Rahel Jaeggi's understanding of forms of life as ensembles of normatively imbued social practices, I suggest that neoliberal governmentality introduces the rationality of market competition into the problem-solving horizon of social conduct, thereby creating and instituting a "neoliberal form of life". Hence, I argue that neoliberal governmentality is a form of domination that intervenes in ethical norms and social practices that build everyday forms of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

My research challenges and participates in discourses of respectability, focusing on female homoerotic desires, the intertwining of slavery with sexual violence in religion, and the intersection of race, ethnicity, and religion with sexual violence. I argue for the freedom of academic writing to present evidence-based conclusions and personal insights, drawing on contemporary figures like Sudanese anti-slavery activist Mende Nazer. Respecting biblical texts involves differentiating between plausible historical readings and personal ethical views. Misreadings of biblical passages are common, but interpretations such as Rom 1:26–27 condemning same-gender relations or Col 3:22 endorsing slavery are not among them. Early Christian groups rejecting slavery were labeled heretics, prolonging slavery's existence. A hard, critical examination of where things went wrong both within the Bible and beyond may help to prevent future Christians from supporting new forms of slavery. I hope that my feminist intersectional interpretations are compatible with the womanist biblical interpretation and ethics that are central to all future research on these topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rules serve many important functions in society. One such function is to codify, and make public and enforceable, a society's desired prescriptions and proscriptions. This codification means that rules come with predefined punishments administered by third parties. We argue that when we look at how third parties punish rule violations, we see that rules and their punishments often serve dual functions. They support and help to maintain cooperation as it is usually theorized, but they also facilitate the domination of marginalized others. We begin by reviewing literature on rules and third‐party punishment, arguing that a great deal of punishment research has neglected to consider the unique power of codified rules. We also argue that by focusing on codified rules, it becomes clear that the enforcement of such rules via third‐party punishment is often used to exert control, punish retributively, and oppress outgroup members. By challenging idealized theory of rules as facilitators of social harmony, we highlight their role in satisfying personal punishment motives, and facilitating discrimination in a way that is uniquely justifiable to those who enforce them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How strongly embraced within the officer corps is the commitment to supporting and defending the Constitution and to the ethic of nonpartisanship? This article answers that question through a 2019/2020 survey of 1,470 service academy students, including with a list experiment. The results show that cadets engage in what we term "selective endorsement" of norms, whereby they endorse norms as long as they are not in tension with their partisan identities. In particular, the list experiment reveals that when provided an opportunity to obscure their preferences, many cadets supported following civilian orders, even those at odds with democratic traditions—and that partisan dynamics may play a role in determining how they respond. The article has important implications for scholarly research on norm robustness and socialization, as well as practical consequences for civil-military relations in light of ongoing challenges to democracy in the United States today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I examine how the proportionality principle shapes state responses to a cyberattack. I do so by investigating variation in the effects of the principle of proportionality on the state response. The variation accounts for four types of state response. First, if states respond to a first strike in a proportionate manner, they are in compliance with the principle, and attackers are likely to take it as an indication of willingness to honor the principle. Second, states may react to attackers with an excessive response in violation of the principle, which would force attackers to react as or more harshly. Third, states may accidentally make a proportionate response when they in fact seek to impose excessive harm on attackers. Finally, states may generate an excessive response by error when they in fact seek to comply with the principle. Related Articles: Glen, Carol. 2021. "Norm Entrepreneurship in Global Cybersecurity." Politics & Policy 49(5): 1121–45. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12430. Glen, Carol M. 2014. "Internet Governance: Territorializing Cyberspace?" Politics & Policy 42(5): 635–57. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12093/full. Zeng, Jinghan, Tim Stevens, and Yaru Chen. 2017. "China's Solution to Global Cyber Governance: Unpacking the Domestic Discourse of 'Internet Sovereignty.'" Politics & Policy 45(3): 432–64. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12202. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce the concept of "metajudgment" to provide a framework for understanding folk standards people use to navigate everyday decisions. Defined as a set of metatheories and beliefs about different types of judgment, metajudgment serves as the guiding principle behind the selection and application of reasoning strategies in various contexts. We review emerging studies on metajudgment to identify common dimensions, such as intuition versus deliberative reasoning and rationality versus reasonableness. These dimensions are examined across multiple societies. The reviewed findings illuminate an apparent paradox: Universal adaptive challenges produce largely consistent folk standards of judgment across cultures, whereas situational demands drive systematic within-person variability. Metajudgment offers a comprehensive framework for understanding diverse reasoning patterns in individual and cross-cultural contexts, calling for greater attention to the ecologically sensitive study of within-person judgmental variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In just a few decades, the normative world we inhabit is comprehensively different to the one in which S.H. Foulkes lived. As the pace, scope and content of change have transformed society, we have 'greater indeterminacy to decide our movements and identity' (p. 67). Personal identity has been released from many of its traditional moorings. The pervasive influence of contemporary 'psy-sciences' and exponential growth of therapeutic experts is one aspect of these changes. Seemingly, we live with more flux and flow than ever before. Have our theories kept up with theses fundamental changes? This paper offers a critical, post-Foulksean, post-psychoanalytic perspective on the normative world and our practices within it. It begins with history and the importance of locating who we are and what we do within the mutations of long-term change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A missionary religious tradition such as Christianity is distinguished from some other traditions by a commitment to the goal of converting others. However, the very nature of this goal and the norms that govern the successful realization of this goal are not often explored. In this article, I argue that evangelization can be undertaken for several distinct reasons, including epistemic reasons, particularly in cases in which evangelizers are aiming at the multivalent goal of fellowship. I argue that this account illuminates several possible models of mission, that it can provide resources for further evaluation and modeling of evangelical efforts, and that it might signify the need for theologically informed positions in the contemporary meta-epistemological debate about epistemic reasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Methodology Results Discussion Although menstruation is a natural biological process, many people feel embarrassed of their menses and struggle to discuss it. To mitigate menstrual communication stigma, it is necessary to first elucidate communication experiences and perceptions. Thus, we qualitatively explore menstrual communication among cisgender women who menstruate and their family, friends, healthcare providers, and community.In partnership with No More Secrets (NMS), a Philadelphia menstrual health non‐profit, we conducted a community‐based participatory research (CBPR) project in Fall 2020. Cisgender, menstruating individuals ages 18–45 recruited from NMS' catchment in Philadelphia participated in semi‐structured interviews about their menstrual experiences and communication (N = 20). A deductive, theory‐driven approached based on the social‐ecological model was used to analyze the data.Varying emotional responses arose across social‐ecological levels: communication was awkward and simplistic with family; positive and supportive with friends and community members; and uncomfortable and frustrating with healthcare providers. Participants echoed the importance of menstrual communication as a means of sharing information, feeling less alone, and decreasing menstrual stigma.Findings can inform future CBPR workshops that address stigma in familial, healthcare, and community‐based discussions to improve menstrual health and experiences for cisgender girls and women, transgender men, and gender non‐binary individuals who menstruate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence (AI) policy, innovation, and practice are moving ahead in rapid fashion. There is a growing mismatch between technological innovations in AI, which are advancing at a rapid rate, and normative and regulatory frameworks, which are lagging, particularly when it comes to protecting democratic values and human rights principles. National governments and multilateral institutions are attempting to catch up. At least 175 countries, firms and other organizations have produced documents listing ethical principles for AI. These efforts have proceeded in a somewhat fragmented manner, yet there are emerging signs of consolidation as the United States, Europe, and other countries begin to coalesce around shared principles. Europe, in particular, has raced ahead to draft comprehensive legislation, the Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA), to oversee these technologies and systems. What has motivated the European Union to pursue this approach? And how will this effort influence AI norms globally? This paper describes how Europe's AI norm-building process represents an effort to ensure EU priorities are reflected in the AI governance landscape. Europe's approach faces uncertainty. While it is likely that the AIA will meaningfully influence global AI norms, several factors may hinder its global diffusion and adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the production volumes of diesel fuel categorized by environmental safety classes (second, third, fourth, and fifth). The authors analyzed the trends in diesel fuel production volumes in the Russian Federation from 2011 to 2019. They identified mathematical models that effectively describe these trends. A forecast for these indicators was also made for 2024. The calculations suggest that the volume of diesel fuel meeting the fifth environmental safety class is expected to increase by 17.9% compared to 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we will make a brief introduction regarding the elements of novelty and continuity brought by the new Framework-code of University Ethics and Deontology approved by the Government of Romania on April4, 2024 andpublished in Monitorul Oficial on April 9, 2024. There will be made a series of observations regarding the name of the document (framework-code), the objectives of this normative act, its applicability, the constitutive and operational ethical values of the university activity legislated by this Code, as well as regarding the novelty elements that this code brings with regard to Romanian academic ethics. In this presentation, we seek to debate a series of concepts used by the legislator in this Code. We will also briefly present the principles applicable to university ethics and deontology contained in the ethics Framework-Code, insisting on the principle of independence from any moral, scientific, religious, political, economic influence or of any other nature, in the didactic or scientific activity, as well as and on the principle of respecting the rights and freedoms of the members of the university community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cathy Mason (2020) argues – against my position in Phelan (2019) – that significant norm-manipulation is unnecessary for friendship. Instead, she holds that norm manipulation is a, perhaps omnipresent, causal result of the very feature I deny as necessary to friendship: mutual caring or love. Mason's counter-examples allow for further explication of the norm-manipulation view of friendship. However, they do not constitute a compelling challenge to that view, because they do not seem to involve collaborative norm manipulation at all. Instead, they are better described as cases in which people come to be subject to established cultural norms they were not previously subject to, because they voluntarily come to fall under a distinctive relationship relative to one another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) Color-Word-Interference Test (CWIT; AKA Stroop test) is a widely used measure of processing speed and executive function. While test materials and instructions have been translated to Norwegian, only American age-adjusted norms from D-KEFS are available in Norway. We here develop norms in a sample of 1011 Norwegians between 20 and 85 years. We provide indexes for stability over time and assess demographic adjustments applying the D-KEFS norms. Method: Participants were healthy Norwegian adults from Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition (LCBC) (n = 899), the Dementia Disease Initiation (n = 77), and Oslo MCI (n = 35). Using regression-based norming, we estimated linear and non-linear effects of age, education, and sex on the CWIT 1-4 subtests. Stability over time was assessed with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). The normative adjustment of the D-KEFS norms was assessed with linear regression models. Results: Increasing age was associated with slower completion on all CWIT subtests in a non-linear fashion (accelerated lowering of performance with older age). Women performed better on CWIT-1&3. Higher education predicted faster completion time on CWIT-3&4. The original age-adjusted norms from D-KEFS did not adjust for sex or education. Furthermore, we observed significant, albeit small effects of age on all CWIT subtests. ICC analyses indicated moderate to good stability over time. Conclusion: We present demographically adjusted regression-based norms and stability indexes for the D-KEFS CWIT subtests. US D-KEFS norms may be inaccurate for Norwegians with high or low educational attainment, especially women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bølstad and Dinas (2017) propose a model of spatial voting, based on social identity theory, that suggests supporting a candidate/policy on the other side of the ideological spectrum has a disutility that is not accounted for by common spatial models. Unfortunately, the data they use cannot speak directly to whether the disutility arises because individuals perceive their ideology as a social identity. We present the results of an experimental study that measures the norm against crossing the ideological spectrum; tests the cost of doing so, controlling for spatial effects; and demonstrates that this cost increases with the salience and strength of identity norms. By demonstrating the norm mechanism for the disutility of crossing the ideological spectrum, we provide strong support for B&D's model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about military attitudes toward weapons taboos or the durability of nonuse norms in wartime. Chemical weapons are a key case given public revulsion and clear international prohibitions. We explore soldiers' attitudes in a salient setting: the Pacific theater of World War II. We draw on a declassified survey covering a representative sample of enlisted US soldiers in Hawaii in 1944. This unique context, during a total war against an adversary that had employed chemical weapons, represents a hard test for the chemical weapons taboo. Up to 91% of soldiers supported using chemical weapons against Japan, including 24% who favored initiation and 67% who favored retaliatory use. To understand the influence of military instruction, we exploit a novel regimen still used in basic training, which saw some troops exposed to lachrymatory gas. We find exposure to chemical weapons in training reduced support for use. Visceral experiences can mobilize support for weapons taboos in otherwise permissive environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asia's contribution will be decisive for the global effort to mitigate climate change. But Asia lacks a country that could take the lead and inspire the rest of the region to accelerate its climate action. To identify countries that could fulfill such a role, this article takes a two‐step, mixed‐methods approach. First, an index is created to identify some potentially leading countries. Second, the top countries identified by the index are assessed in greater detail qualitatively. The analysis finds that China, Japan, and Singapore are the most plausible candidates to take the lead. By doing so, these countries could potentially inspire their neighbors to step up their own efforts as climate change becomes an increasingly important issue in international affairs. However, to become a leader and influence their peers, they will have to make a conscious choice and dedicated effort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObjectiveMethodsResultsConclusionsThe aim of this study was to create age-stratified norms for the Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM) for Sri Lankan adults.A sample of 610 adults (age: 18–72 years; education: 1–19 years), underwent the 60-item version of the SPM under individual supervision of a test administrator. The sample was stratified into 5-year age bands, and the norms are presented as percentile tables and percentile curves.The age-related changes were more accurately predicted by a curvilinear model (overall R2 = 0.961) than a linear regression model (R2 = 0.639). The SPM norms are presented as age-stratified percentile tables, as well as sex-, age- and education-adjusted multiple regression equations. The highest percentiles in the younger end of the age spectrum showed a ceiling effect. In the context of age-stratified US (1993) and British (1992) norms, older individuals in the Sri Lankan sample scored much lower than their Western counterparts. However, the difference narrowed in the younger age bands, showing no difference among the 18-to-22-year age bands in the three countries.This age-by-country interaction can be partly explained by poorer education in the older individuals in the present sample compared to those in the US and UK standardization samples. SPM norms presented in this paper fill a hiatus in assessment of general intellectual ability in Sri Lankan adults. Given that Sri Lanka improves its educational, socioeconomic and health standards faster than the nations who have already reached higher standards, these norms would require re-standardization in the coming decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study measured the naturally occurring radionuclides (238U, 232Th, and 40K) in sixteen selected soils samples of Irele local government area in Ondo state, southwestern Nigeria using a thallium-doped sodium iodide gamma-ray spectrometry detector. The values of concentration of natural radionuclides in the soils ranged from 16.18–32.16 with a mean value of 27.58 Bq.kg−1, 10.38–24.15 with a mean value of 16.92 Bq.kg−1, and 321.13–528.18 with a mean value of 423.05 Bq.kg−1 for 238U, 232Th, and 40K, respectively. The values of the assessed radiological parameters (absorbed gamma dose rate in air, annual effective dose rate, radium equivalent activity, and the external hazard index) are found to range from 30.81–47.11 with a mean value of 40.60 nGy.h−1, 0.19–0.29 with a mean value of 0.25 mSv.y−1, 62.53–98.25 with a mean value of 84.35 Bq.kg−1 and 0.17–0.27 with a mean value of 0.23, respectively. The obtained values are lower than the recommended world average of 33, 45, and 450 Bq.kg−1 for 238U, 232Th, and 40K published by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation and the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Methods Results Conclusions Suicidal behavior is an important health issue, representing a leading cause of mortality, particularly among young adults. Depression was found to be predictive of suicide risk and predicted by shyness. Consequently, we tested a model wherein shyness leads to depression, which in turn leads to suicide risk. Moreover, we expected gender to moderate the effect of shyness on depression and suicide risk.A convenience sample of 478 first‐year college students (51% women, Age: M = 25.42, SD = 3.61) completed online self‐report questionnaires assessing suicide risk, depression, shyness, and demographic variables.As expected, shyness was significantly correlated with depression (r = 0.40) and suicide risk (r = 0.24), and depression and suicide risk were also correlated with each other (r = 0.57). Depression statistically mediated the relationship between shyness and suicide risk (indirect effect for women = 0.92, SE = 0.16; for men = 0.72, SE = 0.17). Gender did not moderate the mediation effect. However, a direct link between shyness and suicide risk was found only among men (direct effect = 0.52, SE = 0.21).The results suggest that shyness may be a significant factor in the development of depression and suicide risk, potentially serving as a valuable marker for identifying at‐risk individuals. Moreover, clinicians should be aware of these associations, particularly among men, in order to maintain and support mental health as well as reduce suicidality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]