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• Theory of mind tasks induce FC in key social cognition areas. • Machine learning reveals task-induced FC patterns could predict loneliness. • Loneliness links FC in social, default, and somatomotor networks. Loneliness is intricately connected to social cognition, yet the precise brain mechanisms that underscore their relationship need further exploration. The present study employed a theory of mind processing task that engaged participants in assessing the trajectories of geometric shapes while undergoing fMRI scans. The comprehensive data pool encompassed loneliness assessments and brain imaging data from a cohort of 157 participants. Utilizing a machine learning approach, task-induced functional connectivity data was used to forecast individuals' loneliness scores. The findings unveil that specific patterns of task-induced alterations in brain functional connectivity hold a remarkable capability to anticipate loneliness scores. Further dissection of the data disclosed pivotal nodes, including the prefrontal cortex, temporoparietal junction, and amygdala, among other cerebral regions. Furthermore, functional connectivity among the social network, the default mode network, and somatomotor networks emerged as crucial factors in prediction. Brain regions contributed strongly in prediction are involved in a variety of social cognitive processes, including intention inference, empathy, and information integration. The results illuminate the association between brain functional connectivity induced by social cognition and loneliness, which enhance the comprehensive understanding of this complex emotional state and may have implications for its diagnosis and intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many psychiatric disorders and associated psychopathology dimensions are related to social cognitive deficits and reduced general cognitive ability. The current study applied a hierarchical, dimensional approach to better understand associations among psychopathology, social cognition, and general cognitive ability. Data were collected from two samples (n = 653), including psychosis-spectrum patients, their first-degree relatives, and individuals from community sources. Participants completed dimensional psychopathology measures and social cognition tasks (e.g., emotion perception and mentalizing). Data were analyzed using bi-factor exploratory structural equation modeling. Detachment—a psychopathology dimension conceptually linked to social functioning—was associated with worse social cognition, independent of general cognitive ability. Eccentricity and Machiavellianism were associated with better social cognition and general cognitive ability. Findings—and the hierarchical, dimensional approach employed—will be useful in informing future research on and interventions for social dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While research on auditory attention in complex acoustical environment is a thriving field, experimental studies thus far have typically treated participants as passive listeners. The present study—which combined real-time covert loudness manipulations and online probe detection—investigates for the first time to our knowledge, the effects of acoustic salience on auditory attention during live interactions, using musical improvisation as an experimental paradigm. We found that musicians were more likely to pay attention to a given co-performer when this performer was made sounding louder or softer; that such salient effect was not owing to the local variations introduced by our manipulations but rather likely to be driven by the more long-term context; and that improvisers tended to be more strongly and more stably coupled when a musician was made more salient. Our results thus demonstrate that a meaningful change of the acoustical context not only captured attention but also impacted the ongoing musical interaction itself, highlighting the tight relationship between attentional selection and interaction in such social scenarios and opening novel perspectives to address whether similar processes are at play in human linguistic interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various motion cues can lead to the perception of animacy, including (1) simple motion characteristics such as starting to move from rest, (2) motion patterns of interactions like chasing, or (3) the motion of point-lights representing the joints of a moving biological agent. Due to the relevance of dogs in comparative research and considering the large variability within the species, studying animacy perception in dogs can provide unique information about how selection for specific traits and individual-level (social) differences may shape social perception. Despite these advantages, only a few studies have investigated the phenomenon in dogs. In this mini-review, we discuss the current findings about how specific motion dynamics associated with animacy drive dogs' visual attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the Internet has significantly changed the way people live and interact with each other. Interaction is the foundation for building trust and may therefore also be influenced by the Internet. This study aims to examine the impact of Internet use on different dimensions of social trust, focusing on the roles of perceived fairness and social support, using the latest data from the CGSS from China. The results show that Internet use has a significant negative predictive effect on the level of social trust, and the perception of social fairness plays a fully mediating role in this relationship. That is, Internet use can indirectly reduce people's level of social trust by reducing their perception of social fairness. Furthermore, the results indicate that social support can moderate people's perceptions of social fairness and thus mitigate the negative effects of Internet use on social trust. These results suggest that we should raise the profile of the impact of internet use, actively improve people's perceptions of social fairness to increase their level of social trust, and finally, focus on the positive role of social support, which can reduce the negative impact of internet use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in reports upon social-cognition impairments in bipolar disorder. This study aimed to compare the characteristics of social cognition domains in bipolar I (BD I) and II (BD II) based on the findings to date. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted on Web of Science and PubMed from inception to 28 August 2024. Studies with all-age-group of ICD-10, DSM-IV, DSM-IV-TR, or DSM-5 defined BD (I or II) either in a remitted or symptomatic state were included. The risk of bias was measured using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale, and the quality of the sources was evaluated using GRADE criteria. Results of the studies were measured by synthesizing Hedge's g effect sizes through a random effects meta-analytic approach. Results: A total of 20 studies were included, covering three core domains of social cognition (theory of mind (ToM), emotion processing and attributions). There was no significant difference in ToM between BD I and BD II and in emotion processing between non-psychotic patients with BD I and BD II, and history of psychosis negatively predicted performance on emotion processing. Furthermore, BD II performed worse than BD I in attributions, with a low to moderate summary effect size. Conclusions: BD I and BD II performed similarly on ToM and emotional processing, but BD II had more impaired attributions. Future studies are encouraged to control for the influence of clinical features, to use more neuroscientific techniques, and to explore on other domains of social cognition in bipolar subtypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Impairments in social cognition in bipolar disorder (BD) have been extensively described in the last decade but few treatment strategies have been studied to address this issue. This study presents findings from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigating the efficacy of metacognitive training for bipolar disorder (MCT-BD) compared to Treatment as Usual (TAU) among individuals with BD in remission. The aim was to determine whether MCT-BD could improve social cognition and overall functioning in this population. Methods: Participants (N = 56) were recruited via social media and an internal database at the University of São Paulo Medical School. Inclusion criteria included a confirmed BD diagnosis, current state of remission, and the presence of social functioning impairments. Exclusion criteria included any impairments that could hinder neuropsychological testing. Patients were randomly assigned to either MCT-BD or TAU, with assessments conducted at baseline and follow-up. The MCT-BD program consisted of nine sessions. Results: The overall attendance rate across all MCT-BD intervention sessions was 96.6%. The MCT-BD program demonstrated added value in improving social cognition, specifically in emotion recognition reaction time. However, no significant changes were found in theory of mind, psychosocial functioning, or quality of life. Conclusion: This RCT provides preliminary evidence for the efficacy of MCT-BD in improving emotion recognition latency, emphasizing the importance of targeted interventions in social cognition outcomes for individuals with BD. The study’s strengths include high completion rates and comprehensive cognitive assessments. Future studies should explore long-term effects and personalized treatment approaches aiming to improve social-cognitive deficits in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on interoception has revealed the role of heartbeats in shaping our perceptual awareness and embodying a first-person perspective. These heartbeat dynamics exhibit distinct responses to various types of touch. We advanced that those dynamics are directly associated to the brain activity that allows self-other distinction. In our study encompassing self and social touch, we employed a method to quantify the distinct couplings of temporal patterns in cardiac sympathetic and parasympathetic activities with brain connectivity. Our findings revealed that social touch led to an increase in the coupling between frontoparietal networks and parasympathetic/vagal activity, particularly in alpha and gamma bands. Conversely, as social touch progressed, we observed a decrease in the coupling between brain networks and sympathetic dynamics across a broad frequency range. These results show how heartbeat dynamics are intertwined with brain organization and provide fresh evidence on the neurophysiological mechanisms of self-social touch distinction. The study found that social touch boosts covarying patterns of the heart's parasympathetic activity and the connection between the brain's frontoparietal regions, showing how attached are the brain and heart during perception and social interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While social inequality limits the less affluent's ability to support climate action, we develop a theoretical framework that analyzes how disadvantageous inequality aversion diminishes motivation for climate cooperation among the broader population. By clarifying how perceptions of disadvantage or social injustice can harm climate cooperation or produce backlash, we derive tailored countermeasures to enhance climate cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If "theory of mind" is conceived as reasoning in a strict sense, then it can be said to be useful only at certain times; however, this leaves the rest of social cognition hardly comprehensible. If "theory of mind" is used instead to refer to a mentalist ontology and the consequent awareness that we ourselves and the others function on mental states, then we need new approaches that explain the flow of social experience. To illustrate these points, we outline the general conceptual framework that underlies most empirical studies of theory of mind and discuss their pros and cons; then, we discuss the Theory of Mind Assessment Scale, a tool developed to investigate the complexity of theory of mind, which adopts a different perspective and has been successfully tested on numerous populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous peoples have practiced food systems intertwined with the plants, animals, lands, and waters around them for thousands of years. These connections have frequently been severed by colonialism, producing devastating effects on Indigenous health, culture, and sovereignty. In the face of this devastation, the reflourishing of Indigenous food sovereignty constitutes a critical form of resistance. This paper provides a broad review of the academic literature on Indigenous food sovereignty, analyzing themes and case studies. This paper argues that 5 themes (health, law and the state, social perceptions of food, gender, and free trade) reflect helpful entry points for understanding this multidimensional topic. The case studies detail important aspects of food sovereignty, such as data ownership, anticolonial resistance, relationality, and seed saving. First, background on traditional food systems is given, followed by an exploration of food sovereignty, Indigenous food sovereignty, and food security in common literature. Five themes are used to ground Indigenous food sovereignty in key debates and challenges. Using the five case studies, this review aims to give the reader a sense of the inherently political nature of food systems in the experiences of Indigenous peoples by touching on a wide set of illustrative texts, examples, and cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metacognitive training for psychosis (MCT) offers benefits for addressing hallmark deficits/symptoms in schizophrenia spectrum disorders including reductions in cognitive biases and positive/negative symptoms as well as improvements in social cognition and functioning. However, differing results exist regarding the relationship between MCT and neurocognition. A comprehensive understanding of the nature of this relationship would significantly contribute to the existing literature and our understanding of the potential added value of MCT as a cognitive intervention for psychosis. Across eleven electronic databases, 1312 sources were identified, and 14 studies examining MCT and neurocognition in psychosis were included in this review. Measures of estimated effect sizes were calculated with Hedge's g , moderator analyses used Cochrane's Q statistic and significance tests to measure group differences according to control conditions. Twelve studies, 11 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 1 non-RCT, were included in the main meta-analyses, consisting of 673 participants (n MCT = 345, n control = 328). When comparing MCT against control interventions, non-significant differences in estimated effect sizes were observed across all neurocognitive domains when evaluating pre–post changes (g ≤ 0.1, p >.05). Two additional studies corroborated these results in a narrative review. These findings suggest that when compared against control conditions, MCT does not pose a statistically meaningful benefit to neurocognitive performance. General practice/learning effects are likely the main contributor that explains improvement in neurocognitive performance, and not a difference of intervention allocation when considering MCT against the included control comparators. These findings help establish the specificity of the effects of MCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schizophrenia involves substantial social difficulties, yet their nature remains unclear. Although empathy has been considered a promising social cognition construct, inconsistent findings have undermined its usefulness as a stable index for schizophrenia. This may be because previous studies overlooked the interdependency between the emotional and cognitive components of empathy. In this study, we investigated whether empathic disequilibrium, the intrapersonal imbalance between emotional and cognitive empathy, could be a meaningful schizophrenia marker. We conducted an individual-participant data meta-analysis, systematically searching the literature for studies involving participants with schizophrenia who completed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, a validated empathy measure. Using emotional and cognitive empathy to capture empathic disequilibrium and the joint effect of cognitive and emotional empathy, we employed polynomial regression with response surface analysis to predict schizophrenia diagnosis and symptoms. Our analysis comprising ten studies (N = 1,080), revealed a non-linear association with the joint effect of cognitive and emotional empathy, as well as an association with empathic disequilibrium, suggesting emotional empathy overabundance, strongly and consistently predicted schizophrenia diagnosis. Additionally, empathic disequilibrium towards cognitive empathy overabundance was related to greater positive symptoms. The results suggest that empathic disequilibrium provides a stable behavioral marker related to schizophrenia, surpassing the utility of empathy alone. The findings deepen our understanding of schizophrenia phenomenology and can advance clinical and research practices. • Empathic disequilibrium, not empathy, predicted schizophrenia in a meta-analysis. • Schizophrenia diagnosis was related to relative overabundance of emotional empathy. • Consistent results and sensitivity analysis affirmed the robustness of the results. • Positive symptoms were related to relative overabundance of cognitive empathy. • Empathic disequilibrium provides a stable behavioral marker for schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suspicion probes are the traditional tool employed to assess the extent to which participants suspect intentional misdirection or deception within the research context. A primary reason psychologists use deception in research settings is to prevent participants from altering their behavior in light of knowing what is being studied, which could undermine internal validity as well as threaten the generalizability of findings to the real world (i.e., external validity). The present article elucidates a number of challenges with suspicion probes. A definition and framework for conceptualizing the construct of suspicion in research settings are proposed. Following a literature review, an analysis of existing evidence, and new data on the prevalence of using and reporting suspicion probes, we conclude that suspicion is a likely problem in research practice. We provide a decision guide to help researchers navigate the numerous choices involved in addressing potential suspicion and call for a combination of (a) renewed research leading to empirically supported tools and best practices and (b) systemic changes to editorial policies, funding practices, professional standards, and research training that would increase rigor and focus on this aspect of research methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humans now understand the world as multilevel in nature. For example, societies emerge from individuals, and general experiences of life consist of specific aspects and momentary episodes. A critical feature of multilevel phenomena is between-level incongruences. Applied to human positivity, this means that positive higher-level units are not simply composed of positive lower-level units and that what is good for lower-level units may not be good for higher-level units (and vice versa). For example, killjoys may improve societal well-being, personal achievement may require giving up on certain goals, and a happy life may not arise from simply happy moments. In this article, I provide examples (organized by the positive outcome of well-being and performance and by the social, structural, and temporal forms of multilevel phenomena) to show that such between-level incongruences are ubiquitous. Next, I analyze a few mechanisms that may govern the diverse instantiations of between-level incongruences in positivity. Finally, I discuss implications of this perspective, such as why positivity claims should always qualify their level of analysis; how psychological science may benefit from a multilevel, dynamical, and computational perspective; and how to improve human positivity in light of between-level incongruences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abortion can be a very stressful experience for women, and many social and psychological factors can influence this stress. The present study aims to investigate the impact of perceived social support on the marital satisfaction of women who have undergone an abortion. The study also explored whether resilience played a mediating role in this relationship. Data were analyzed from the cross-sectional study. The Perceived Social Support (including Social support, friend support, and other support subscales), ENRICH marital satisfaction, and Connor-Davidson Resilience questionnaire were completed by 150 women who had undergone an abortion and were referred to hospitals and clinics of Jahrom University of Medical Sciences from April 2021 to June 2021. The structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was used to obtain the direct and indirect effects of Perceived Social Support subscales and Resilience on marital satisfaction. The study found that the women who participated had high marital satisfaction and social support scores, while their resilience scores were moderate. The results indicated a positive correlation between social support dimensions and marital satisfaction and resilience. The study also revealed that family support (β = 0.41, p < 0.001), other supports (β = 0.46, p < 0.001), and resilience as a mediating variable (β = 0.15, p < 0.001) had a direct and significant positive impact on marital satisfaction. However, none of the three domains of perceived social support showed any indirect significant relationship with marital satisfaction. The study's findings demonstrate that the perception of social support from family members and other individuals can significantly impact the level of satisfaction in a marriage. Appropriate social support can increase resilience and help couples better cope with the stress associated with abortion. This study suggests that educating families, healthcare providers, and other individuals can help women experiencing this issue by providing them with counseling and support. This can ultimately help women maintain their mental and sexual health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reuben Baron's primary contribution to ecological psychology was in promoting the idea that we perceive other humans and animals in our environment in much the same way as we perceive inanimate objects, namely, by actively detecting information. Here, we explore how this insight can lead to a deeper understanding of real-world behavior. We look specifically at three case studies from the history of commercial aviation disasters. In our analysis we combine Baron's direct social perception strategy with the theoretical principles of the distributed cognition approach to functional group activity. We suggest that these approaches are deeply compatible, and that future work is needed to ground cognitive study of team activities in the analysis of the perceptual information available to the actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Abnormalities in body perception in patients affected by anorexia nervosa have been widely studied, but without explicit reference to their relationship to others and the social processes involved. Yet, there are a several arguments supporting impairments in interpersonal relationships in these patients. Notably, some evidence suggests that self/other distinction (SOD), the ability to distinguish one's own body, actions and mental representations from those of others could be impaired. But research remains scarce in this area. Material and methods: A single-centre, prospective pilot study was conducted to investigate, for the first time, self-recognition and SOD in seven adolescents with anorexia nervosa compared with matched healthy controls (HCs) using the "Alter Ego"TM double mirror paradigm. This innovative device allows the progressive morphing of one's own face to that of another and vice versa between two subjects that interact on opposite sides of the device. Two judgement criteria were used: 1) M1: the threshold at which subjects start to recognize their own face during other-to-self morphing, and 2) M2: the threshold at which subjects start to recognize the other's face during self-to-other morphing. In a second part, SOD was reassessed during five different sensorimotor tasks aimed at increasing body self-consciousness in participants with anorexia nervosa. Results: The results showed that the participants with anorexia nervosa exhibited earlier self-recognition in the other-to-self sequence and delayed other-recognition in the self-to-other sequence. Furthermore, in contrast with that of HCs, the critical threshold for switching between self and other varied with the direction of morphing in anorexia nervosa participants. Finally, when participants with anorexia were seated in a chair with a backrest and footrest strengthening the median axis of their body, the self-recognition threshold (M1) increased significantly, approaching that of controls. Conclusions: Although additional research is needed to replicate the results of this pilot study, it revealed the first behavioural evidence of altered SOD in individuals affected by anorexia nervosa through an embodied, semiecological face-recognition paradigm. The relationships between anomalies in body perception and alterations in interpersonal relationships are discussed within an integrative framework from phenomenology to neuroscience, and new research and therapeutic perspectives are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mexican cartel activity has become increasingly violent, causing civilians to question the government's ability to defend against this social and political threat. Within this context, the current study utilizes an exploratory framework to evaluate cartel portrayal on Twitter. We conducted a thematic analysis of data collected via the NVivo NCapture tool yielding 2,652 tweets spanning multiple countries, seeking to understand the key discourse associated with social perception of cartel activity, as well as the status and operations of Mexico's cartels. Results revealed several areas of focus and varying sentiments based on population demographics, such as location, and type of content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients suffering from delusions of thought insertion (TI) report that external agents of different nature have placed thoughts into their minds. The symptom involves distressing feelings of intromission and exposition, loss of mental privacy, diminished ego boundaries, and a – often neglected – peculiar "physicality". A dominant approach within cognitive sciences characterizes TI as involving alterations in the experience of being the author of certain thoughts. For the advocates of this so-called Standard Approach to TI, the absence of a sense of agency for certain thoughts would lead to their externalization, this explaining the general structure of the clinical reports. In this paper, I problematize the phenomenological picture of everyday thoughts that the standard approach adopts when trying to make sense of TI. I claim that the standard approach neglects two more fundamental aspects of TI, namely the multimodal nature of thinking in psychosis and the deeply social dimension of the phenomenology of delusions in schizophrenia. After this, a broader descriptive phenomenological characterization of TI is provided. Finally, I establish some connections between the characterization of TI developed here and current research in social perception and clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If maximal exposure were the key to success in language learning, then adult learners at the university level would be doomed to fail. Not only are they presumably too old to learn additional languages effectively, but target language (TL) input appears to be insufficient, especially when other languages are allowed in class. Nevertheless, learners were shown to build on knowledge of previously acquired languages, to rely on language learning experience and to develop metalinguistic awareness. This study explores the perceived usefulness of a plurilingual consciousness-raising task that aims at helping learners make and strengthen connections between the TL and other previously acquired languages. Two university-level language courses were targeted: Spanish in Quebec and French in Mexico. Two customized tasks were implemented and recorded in each course throughout the semester. Each task included an input-based (discovery) phase, a reflective (metalinguistic) phase during which participants were asked to make assumptions on underlying patterns and correspondences across languages, and a validation phase where they presented their assumptions until reaching a consensus as a group. While tasks were generally perceived as useful, analyses of post-task questionnaires also revealed mixed feelings regarding its inductive stance. However, the verbal data collected demonstrated that the collaborative and metalinguistic reflective nature of the task permitted learners to find correspondences between languages and to engage in knowledge construction. Moreover, the various reflections collected indicate that learners benefitted from the task as groups engaged in metalinguistic reflections, activated their plurilingual repertoire and were able to create accurate assumptions regarding the targeted structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies have shown that the gaze of others produces a special attentional process, such as the eye contact effect or joint attention. This study investigated the attentional process triggered by various types of gaze stimuli (i.e., human, cat, fish, koala, and robot gaze). A total of 300 university students participated in five experiments. They performed a spatial Stroop task in which five types of gaze stimuli were presented as targets. Participants were asked to judge the direction of the target (left or right) irrespective of its location (left or right). The results showed that the social gaze targets (i.e., human and cat gaze) produced a reversed congruency effect. In contrast to the social gaze targets, the non-social gaze (i.e., fish and robot) target did not produce the reversed congruency effect (Experiments 2, 2B, 3, and 4). These results suggest that attention to the gaze of socially communicable beings (i.e., humans and cats) is responsible for the reversed congruency effect. Our findings support the notion that the theory of mind or social interaction plays an important role in producing specific attentional processes in response to gaze stimuli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collective memories refer to a group's shared representation of the past, which are slow to change over time. In this study, representative samples of American and German Younger Adults (YAs) and Older Adults (OAs) rated the emotional valence of 12 national historic events. Critically, both age groups were also asked to take on the perspective of the other: OAs imagined how YAs feel, whereas YAs imagined how OAs feel about the same events today. The results replicated previous findings that OAs and YAs hold differing opinions on numerous events. Both age groups successfully recognised these different collective perceptions between generations to some extent. Yet, OAs were more accurate in the perspective-taking task, with YAs consistently underestimating the intensity of OAs' emotional valence. Self-reported perspective-taking strategies suggest that OAs relied more on stereotypes and considered education, while knowledge from specific people was universally used to rate the other age group's perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our daily interactions draw on a shared language of what facial expressions mean, but accurate perception of these signals may be subject to the same challenges that characterize visual perception in general. One such challenge is that faces vary in their appearance with the context, partly due to the interaction between environmental lighting and the characteristic geometry of the human face. Here, we examine how asymmetries in lighting across the horizontal and vertical axes of the face influence the perception of facial expressions in human observers. In Experiment 1, we find that faces with neutral expression appear to bear a negatively valenced expression and appear higher in emotional arousal when lit from below—an illusion of facial expression where none really exists. In Experiment 2, we find that faces performing common emotional expressions are more often miscategorized when lit from below compared to when lit from above, specifically for angry and neutral expressions. These data show that changes in facial appearance related to illumination direction can modify visual cues relevant to social communication—and suggest that facial expression recognition in humans is partially adapted to (naturalistic) environments in which light arrives predominately from overhead. Public Significance Statement: The phenomenon that faces can appear sinister or uncanny when lit from below is one that resonates widely, traditionally exploited by children telling a ghost story around the campfire and by film makers when depicting a villain. Here, we investigate systematically how lighting direction contributes to the (apparent) emotional character of the human face. We find that illusory differences in facial expression can be perceived when comparing faces lit from above and below, and that certain facial expressions are less accurately recognized when lit from below. These results speak to the visual processes that underlie our ability to recognize another person's facial expression and the theory that our perceptual system is optimized for environments characterized by a tendency toward overhead lighting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescents experience significant growth in social cognition, including perspective taking and identity formation. Due to the salience of race and ethnicity in the United States, adolescents' ethnic–racial identity (ERI) may have important implications for their sociocognitive development. The present study tested the association between ERI in early adolescence and subsequent longitudinal growth in perspective taking. Participants included 560 adolescents assessed annually over 4 years, beginning in sixth and seventh grade. Adolescents were from a small, rural community in the southeast United States and were from diverse ethnic–racial backgrounds (primarily Latine, Black/African American, and multiracial). Using linear growth curve modeling, we examined whether initial ERI predicted intercepts and slopes of longitudinal growth in perspective taking across adolescence. Results showed that the development of perspective taking differed based on initial ERI. Perspective taking increased significantly for youth with low and average levels of ERI but remained high and stable for youth at high levels of ERI. This study offers important evidence that Latine, Black, and multiracial youth who explore and find more clarity in their sense of ERI earlier in adolescence also show higher initial levels of perspective taking, which remains high across adolescence. Over time, most youth grow in perspective taking and eventually reach similar levels, but youth high in ERI reach these higher levels earlier than their peers, who had less sense of clarity about their ERI early in adolescence. This is one of the first known studies to directly test the association between ERI and perspective taking, utilizing a diverse, longitudinal sample of adolescents. Public Significance Statement: This study examines two important aspects of social cognition during adolescence: ethnic–racial identity and perspective taking. Results show that an earlier sense of ethnic–racial identity relates to higher levels of perspective taking over time. As young people navigate the complexities of a racialized social environment and their own place within, they may also be better able to understand the minds and perspectives of others, which may have important implications for their social development and well-being across adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate factors related to performance in daily activities, mobility, social/cognitive skills, and responsibility of Brazilian children/adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP). Multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were performed. A total of 190 children/adolescents participated. Most participants performed below expected in mobility, which could be explained by age, locomotion ability, and anatomical distribution of motor impairment (R2 = 0.50). Performance in daily activities (R2 = 0.44) and responsibility (R2 = 0.23) were explained by age and locomotion ability. This study contributes to understanding the factors that explain the functioning of children/adolescents with CP in Brazil, a low/middle-income country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

social media are important channels through which potential consumers can obtain information to inform travel decisions. This research examined the influence of tourists' social media self-disclosure depth on information receivers' visit intention. Hypotheses were tested using three experiments. Results revealed that tourists' self-disclosure depth on social media positively affected readers' visit intention directly. Tourists' self-disclosure depth specifically reduced the social distance perception between posters and readers and improved a destination's/hotel's self-expressiveness perception, thereby enhancing readers' visit intention. Spatial distance moderated these effects. These findings offered theoretical and managerial implications for destination managers and website designers to guide tourists' self-disclosure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluating whether someone's behavior is praiseworthy or blameworthy is a fundamental human trait. A seminal study by Hamlin and colleagues in 2007 suggested that the ability to form social evaluations based on third‐party interactions emerges within the first year of life: infants preferred a character who helped, over hindered, another who tried but failed to climb a hill. This sparked a new line of inquiry into the origins of social evaluations; however, replication attempts have yielded mixed results. We present a preregistered, multi‐laboratory, standardized study aimed at replicating infants' preference for Helpers over Hinderers. We intended to (1) provide a precise estimate of the effect size of infants' preference for Helpers over Hinderers, and (2) determine the degree to which preferences are based on social information. Using the ManyBabies framework for big team‐based science, we tested 1018 infants (567 included, 5.5–10.5 months) from 37 labs across five continents. Overall, 49.34% of infants preferred Helpers over Hinderers in the social condition, and 55.85% preferred characters who pushed up, versus down, an inanimate object in the nonsocial condition; neither proportion differed from chance or from each other. This study provides evidence against infants' prosocial preferences in the hill paradigm, suggesting the effect size is weaker, absent, and/or develops later than previously estimated. As the first of its kind, this study serves as a proof‐of‐concept for using active behavioral measures (e.g., manual choice) in large‐scale, multi‐lab projects studying infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical studies on selective teaching and informing indicate that children may vary what they teach depending on whom they are teaching, taking into account how helpful the information is for a given audience. The current meta‐analysis quantifies the effect of selective informing and teaching in 2–7‐year‐olds by examining the relationship between the helpfulness of the information and the frequency of information transmission. Through a systematic search that yielded 1483 results, 28 studies (104 effect sizes, N = 2716) met the inclusion criteria. Using robust variance estimation, we found a medium average effect, Hedges' g = 0.578, 95% CI (0.331, 0.825), suggesting that children selectively share information based on its perceived helpfulness to the listener. Moderator analyses revealed that age and communicative context were significant factors. Children were more informative in their communication when asked to teach compared to other, nonpedagogical prompts. This finding supports and extends natural pedagogy theory—young children not only interpret pedagogical information differently than information acquired through other means, but they are more selective in their informing when teaching. Additionally, we observed a key developmental progression at age 4. Four‐ to 7‐year‐olds, but not 2–3‐year‐olds, selectively shared information that was most helpful for a given learner. This coincides with the development of false‐belief understanding, which undergoes significant development at around age 4. Taken together, the present synthesis suggests that young children actively engage in selective social learning from both sides, that of beneficiaries and benefactors of valuable information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the links among family connections, solitude preferences, perceptions of work (academic and job) competence, and Theory of Mind (ToM) in 73 Canadian adolescents aged 11–18 (M age = 13.1). Previous studies show significant connections among these factors, although little is known about how such associations may relate to one another, especially the role of young people's perceptions. To address these gaps in the literature, this study focused on adolescents' experiences and perceptions of their family relationships, solitude preferences, and competence in the school context and workplace. Participants completed a series of self-report measures, advanced ToM tasks and written explanation for perceived family emotional connections. Results revealed that adolescents with more positive family connections reported higher levels of self-perceived academic and job competence, embraced solitude positively, yet felt less desire to be alone. Girls showed a higher affinity for solitude than boys, and the presence of more siblings reduced the desire for solitude. Those youth who were proficient in ToM skills reported positive family connections and high levels of academic competence. Findings hold implications for future research and education in adolescent's social cognition and social and academic outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moral reasoning and theory of mind (ToM) are two distinct but related aspects of social cognition. While past research has clearly documented serious delays in ToM development for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) both cross-sectionally (e.g. Happe, 1995) and longitudinally (Peterson & Wellman, 2020) much less is known about the timing of ASD children's development of moral reasoning. The present study addresses this knowledge gap with a special focus on three key research questions: (a) Is moral judgement delayed (in parallel with ToM) among children with ASD or is its timing comparable to that of typically-developing (TD) children their age? (b) Do ToM and moral reasoning significantly interconnect with one another among children with ASD? (c) If so, is the pattern of linkages the same as for TD children? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Partisan epistemology – individuals granting greater credibility to co-partisan sources in evaluating information – is often taken to be evidence of directionally motivated reasoning in which concerns about group membership override concerns about accuracy. Against this dominant view, I outline a novel accuracy-based account of this mode of reasoning. According to this account, partisan epistemology stems from the inference that co-partisans are more likely to be right as they have superior epistemic access to the relevant facts and seek to realize the correct values. I argue that this theory fits better with relevant findings than motivated-reasoning theories of partisan epistemology. Finally, I suggest it has adequate explanatory power vis-à-vis patterns of misinformation belief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several behaviors occur in the aftermath of within‐group conflicts. These include spontaneous affiliation toward the victim from an uninvolved third party. When third‐party affiliations reduce the stress of the victim, this behavior has been defined as consolation. Given the absence of previous reports, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the presence of third‐party post‐conflict affiliation when dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) observe their owners arguing. We carried out two studies varying the intensity and the duration of the dispute. Affiliative behaviors toward each of the owners were registered, as well as stress‐related behaviors. Our findings support the existence of third‐party affiliation from dogs toward their owners during and after a conflict between them, evidenced as higher rates of victim‐directed affiliative behaviors in the experimental condition versus the control, in both studies. Moreover, dogs exhibited more stress‐related behaviors in the experimental condition compared to the control, but only in the second study, which suggests these stimuli were experienced as aversive, even though they were not aimed at the dogs. In addition, in the second study dogs displayed aggressor‐directed behaviors that could be interpreted as appeasement. Finally, there was no evidence that the level of the bond between the dog and each owner acts as a modulator of affiliative behavior. Further studies are required to expand our understanding of these abilities of dogs and its effects on the emotional state of the victim. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We found evidence for an indirect association between mothers' social information processing patterns (SIP) and their children's problem behaviors in kindergarten via maternal insightfulness and the child's SIP. • Each step in this process was measured via different reporters: the mother, the child, the teacher, and a blind observer/coder. • We used five diverse assessment methodologies: self-report questionnaires, direct observations, interview, direct assessment, and teacher report. Research on early mother-child relationships have long established the associations between maternal thought processes and their children's thoughts and behaviors; however, the pathways behind this intergenerational transference have not yet been fully clarified. Accordingly, the current study focuses on the potential indirect associations between mothers' social cognition, that is their thinking about social interactions, and children's behavior in preschool through the observed quality of the mother-child relationship and children's social cognition. Specifically, from mothers' negative social information processing (SIP) patterns to children's social and learning behaviors via maternal insightfulness, dyadic mother-child emotional availability, and children's SIP patterns. The sample included 301 preschoolers and their mothers; data were collected via mother and child direct assessments, video-taped interactions, and teacher questionnaires. Results confirmed connections between mothers' SIP and their insightfulness regarding their child's thoughts and behaviors, maternal insightfulness and dyadic emotional availability, insightfulness and children's SIP, and children's aggressive SIP patterns with their learning and social behaviors. A partial pathway was introduced and confirmed whereby maternal SIP predicted children's preschool behaviors via maternal insightfulness and children's SIP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Millions of people from Ukraine have been forced to flee their homes to seek safety, protection, and assistance owing to armed conflict. This study aims to draw a parallel between the meaning and importance of the initial impact of Russian military aggression in February 2022 and the recent plight of Ukrainian refugees on Romania's territory. It is based on the results of a dedicated thematic survey of Ukrainian refugees as part of fieldwork carried out by the authors between March and April 2022 and a survey launched by the United Nations Refugee Agency in Romania between October 2022 and August 2023. The study emphasises the importance of raising awareness and building solidarity and support to counterbalance the effects of the crisis with respect to: (i) refugees in their hometowns and losses incurred; (ii) refugees' needs, help provided, and expectations; (iii) the need to integrate refugees into different fields of daily life; and (iv) a return to Ukraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to understand the relationship between employees' perceptions of corporate social responsibility and employee advocacy behavior through organizational justice. Furthermore, it explores the moderating effect of corporate hypocrisy in the relationship of organizational justice with employee advocacy behavior. Grounded in signaling and cognitive inconsistency theories, the proposed hypotheses were tested on data collected from 360 employees from the hospitality sector. The study followed a time‐lagged approach. In phase 1, the data were collected for demographic variables, corporate social responsibility perceptions, and corporate hypocrisy. In the second phase, data were collected for organizational justice and employee advocacy behavior, using separate survey links. Smart PLS 4.0 was applied to test the relationships proposed in the research model. The study found that employees who positively perceive firms' corporate social responsibility will engage in advocacy behavior. The results suggest a significant mediating effect of procedural justice in the relationship between corporate social responsibility and employee advocacy behavior. However, the mediating effect of distributive justice in this relationship could not be established. Further, the study found evidence that corporate hypocrisy moderates the indirect relationship between corporate social responsibility perceptions and advocacy behavior via procedural justice. Also, to the best of our knowledge, literature has no empirical evidence of the moderating effect of corporate hypocrisy in the indirect association between the perception of corporate social responsibility and employee advocacy behavior via organizational justice. It provides several important implications for advancing theoretical knowledge and practical insights for hospitality industry practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This research investigates how aligning service providers' warmth and competence with the nature of leisure activities (relaxing vs. challenging) influences pleasure and electronic word‐of‐mouth (eWOM) sharing. Through a series of five studies, including secondary data analysis (Study 1), scenario‐based experiments (Studies 2a, 3, 4, and 5), and observation of actual eWOM behavior (Study 2b), we demonstrate that the alignment between service judgments and activity type (i.e., warmth in relaxing activities and competence in challenging activities) enhances positive eWOM sharing, with this effect being mediated by the pleasure derived from the service experience. Our findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of the cognitive and affective antecedents of eWOM. We extend the stereotype content model to the eWOM research, identifying activity type as a novel boundary condition. We recommend that managers tailor their impression management strategies to the type of activity offered. For relaxing activities, emphasize warmth‐related attributes, while for challenging activities, highlight competence‐related attributes—both approaches can enhance customer pleasure and encourage positive eWOM sharing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Hypothesis Social cognitive impairments are central to psychosis, including lower severity psychosis-like experiences (PLEs). Nonetheless, progress has been hindered by social cognition's poorly defined factor structure, as well as limited work examining the specificity of social cognitive impairment to psychosis. The present study examined how PLEs relate to social cognition in the context of other psychopathology dimensions, using a hierarchical factors approach to social cognition. Study Design Online community participants (N  = 1026) completed psychosis, autism, and personality disorder questionnaires, as well as 3 social cognitive tasks that varied in methodology (vignette vs video) and construct (higher- vs lower-level social cognition). Exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were used to model social cognition, with the best models being examined in association with PLEs and psychopathology dimensions. Study Results EFA and CFA supported a hierarchical model of social cognition, with 2 higher-order factors emerging: verbal/vignette task methodology and a multimethod general social cognition factor. These higher-order factors accounted for task-level associations to psychopathology, with relations to positive symptoms (r  = .23) and antagonism (r  = .28). After controlling for other psychopathology, positive symptoms were most clearly related to tasks with verbal methodology (β = −0.34). Conclusions These results suggest that broad social cognitive processes and method effects may account for many previous findings in psychosis and psychopathology research. Additionally, accounting for broad social cognitive impairment may yield insights into more specific social cognitive processes as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurodiversity movement around the world pushes the society to ensure inclusion in all settings in where societal perspectives play the vital roles for effective changes. The aim of this study was to explore the scenario of inclusion of neurodiverse students of Bangladesh. This qualitative study sheds light on social perspectives toward neurodiverse students; as well as their educational opportunity and challenges in formal education. Through purposive sampling, eight parents of neurodiverse students and eight special educators were chosen as the sample of this study. In depth data were collected through interview questionnaire from both groups. Interpretation of data exhibited the misconception, prejudices, and social stigma toward neurodiverse students. Findings of the study also revealed the challenges regarding education of neurodiverse students such as: inadequacy of resources, awareness, teachers training and infrastructure. The study concludes by proposing possible strategies such as: proper policy and curriculum development, capacity building and awareness raising to overcome those challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research explores a phenomenon that we see nearly every day and has implications for how we view people in other nations: Different media outlets may report the same international events either in terms of the nation (e.g., “Russia invades Ukraine”) or in terms of the leader (e.g., “Putin invades Ukraine”). Five studies, conducted during the 2022 Russia-Ukraine Conflict and involving both field and experimental data, find that readers of nation-framed news about the conflict had worse impressions of the people in the associated nation (Russians) than readers of the corresponding leader-framed version. We explain the psychology behind this framing effect and identify its moderators. Our research underscores the importance of responsible media practices in shaping global perceptions.

Background: Deficits in emotion recognition have been shown to be closely related to social-cognitive functioning in schizophrenic. This study aimed to investigate the event-related potential (ERP) characteristics of social perception in schizophrenia patients and to explore the neural mechanisms underlying these abnormal cognitive processes related to social perception. Methods: Participants included 33 schizophrenia patients and 35 healthy controls (HCs). All participants underwent electroencephalogram recording while completing the Emotion Intensity Recognition Task (EIRT). Behavioral data and ERP components were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance. Results: Schizophrenia patients had longer reaction times (RTs) to sad faces compared with disgusted faces, and had lower accuracy than the HCs. Additionally, schizophrenia patients had lower accuracy than the HCs for disgusted faces, surprised faces, angry faces, and fearful faces. Late Positive Potential (LPP) mean amplitudes of the HCs were larger than the schizophrenia patients for sad faces in the frontal lobe and central lobe. For happy faces, the HCs elicited larger LPP mean amplitudes than schizophrenia patients in the frontal lobe and central lobe. For surprised faces, the LPP mean amplitudes were higher in the HCs in the central lobe and parietal lobe than in schizophrenia patients. The HCs exhibited larger LPP mean amplitudes for angry faces in the frontal lobe, central lobe, and parietal lobe than in schizophrenia patients. For fearful faces, the HCs elicited a larger LPP mean amplitude than schizophrenia patients in the frontal lobe, central lobe, and parietal lobe. Conclusions: Schizophrenia patients present impaired social perception, and the observed ERP patterns provide valuable insights into the neural mechanisms underlying the EIRT results, highlighting the differences between HCs and schizophrenia patients. These findings underscore the potential of the EIRT as a biomarker for cognitive and emotional dysregulation in schizophrenia. Clinical Trial Registration: No: ChiCTR2300078149. Registered 29 November, 2023; https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=211510.

Persons with acquired brain injury are often prescribed home programs to extend rehabilitation services and support recovery, however adherence to these recommendations is often low.The purpose of this study was to determine factors that predict differing levels of self-reported adherence.This was a prospective observational study that was completed from June 2022 to December 2023. We recruited persons with acquired brain injury who met specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Before leaving the inpatient rehabilitation hospital, they completed a medical history form, home program description interview, and a modified version of the Self-Efficacy for Exercise Scale. Then, participants completed a weekly survey regarding self-reported home program adherence. At the end of six months, the participants did a closing interview.Seventy-seven participants completed the intake procedures and at least one weekly survey. Several models were developed to determine predictive factors. Higher self-efficacy, fewer reported barriers, and the perception of social support were all predictors of self-reported home program adherence.The predictors identified here can be leveraged by therapists to determine the need for additional support or intervention around home program adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]