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Abstract: A major target of criticism for ethnomethodology has been cognitivism. In its broadest sense this term refers to any account of human behaviour that treats psychological features of agents – including beliefs, attitudes, and interpretations – as factors explaining their behaviour. While much criticism of cognitivism has been directed at neuroscientists and philosophical materialists, the range of targets has been wider than this, even including sociologists such as Herbert Blumer and symbolic interactionists. In this article I outline this criticism of Blumer and assess it. My conclusion is that, despite some misreading, his work does fall into the broad category of cognitivism. However, I question the grounds for the ethnomethodological critique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aims: To evaluate costs, effects and cost‐effectiveness of increased reach of specific smoking cessation interventions in Germany. Design: A Markov‐based state transition return on investment model (EQUIPTMOD) was used to evaluate current smoking cessation interventions as well as two prospective investment scenarios. A health‐care perspective (extended to include out‐of‐pocket payments) with life‐time horizon was considered. A probabilistic analysis was used to assess uncertainty concerning predicted estimates. Setting: Germany. Participants: Cohort of current smoking population (18+ years) in Germany. Interventions: Interventions included group‐based behavioural support, financial incentive programmes and varenicline. For prospective scenario 1 the reach of group‐based behavioral support, financial incentive programme and varenicline was increased by 1% of yearly quit attempts (= 57 915 quit attempts), while prospective scenario 2 represented a higher reach, mirroring the levels observed in England. Measurements: EQUIPTMOD considered reach, intervention cost, number of quitters, quality‐of‐life years (QALYs) gained, cost‐effectiveness and return on investment. Findings: The highest returns through reduction in smoking‐related health‐care costs were seen for the financial incentive programme (€2.71 per €1 invested), followed by that of group‐based behavioural support (€1.63 per €1 invested), compared with no interventions. Varenicline had lower returns (€1.02 per €1 invested) than the other two interventions. At the population level, prospective scenario 1 led to 15 034 QALYs gained and €27 million cost‐savings, compared with current investment. Intervention effects and reach contributed most to the uncertainty around the return‐on‐investment estimates. At a hypothetical willingness‐to‐pay threshold of only €5000, the probability of being cost‐effective is approximately 75% for prospective scenario 1. Conclusions: Increasing the reach of group‐based behavioural support, financial incentives and varenicline for smoking cessation by just 1% of current annual quit attempts provides a strategy to German policymakers that improves the population's health outcomes and that may be considered cost‐effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different types of interest groups use different lobbying strategies. This article presents an investigation of this already well-established hypothesis once more, but additionally proposes that the institutional framework of the country in which interest groups operate also influences their lobbying behaviour. More specifically, it is shown that groups working in the interest of the public are better integrated into the policy-making process when direct democratic instruments, such as referendums, occur regularly (as in Switzerland) than when referendums are the exception (Germany). The article demonstrates that Swiss cause groups - often also referred to as 'public interest groups' in the literature - use a more balanced mixture of insider and outsider strategies than their German peers, but also that this moderating effect cannot be found for specific interest groups, such as industry groups or unions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commentary to: The case for investigating social context in laboratory studies of smoking [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The matrilineal Mosuo of Southwest China have been described as the only human society that lacks fathers and husbands. These claims are based on ethnographic descriptions of normative practices and have typically not employed rigorous tests of quantitative behavioral or demographic data to verify actual practices. Here we challenge these claims, providing quantitative evidence of paternal investment among contemporary Mosuo fathers. We show that co-residence with one's biological father is associated with increased education and lower age at first reproduction, suggesting that incentives to provide paternal care exist among the Mosuo. We examine men's self-reports of fathering activity and women's reports of their partners' fathering activities, including measures of both direct care and monetary investment in their children. Every participant (N = 140) reported paternal involvement in childcare, but factor analysis of fathers' responses revealed that men specialized in either monetary or direct care. We speculate as to what may lie behind differences in caring patterns and conclude by emphasizing that while paternal investment is facultative, it is unlikely to be completely absent even in societies like the Mosuo [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the theme of male aggression and militarism within the albums "Armed Forces" and "Get Happy!!," by the British musician Elvis Costello. The depiction of masculinity within Costello's popular music, including the masculine aversion to domesticity and within his song "My Aim Is True," is discussed.

Oxytocin (OT) is a neuropeptide that is attracting growing attention from researchers interested in human emotional and social behavior. There is indeed increasing evidence that OT has a calming effect and that it facilitates pair-bonding and social interactions. Some of OT's effects are thought to be direct, but it has been suggested that OT also may have indirect effects, mediated by changes in behavior. One potentially relevant behavioral change is an increased propensity for “emotional sharing” as this behavior, like OT, is known to have both calming and bonding effects. In this study, 60 healthy young adult men were randomly assigned to receive either intranasal placebo (PL;n = 30) or oxytocin (OT;n = 30). Participants were then instructed to retrieve a painful memory. Subsequently, OT and placebo participants’ willingness to disclose to another person event-related facts (factual sharing) vs. event-related emotions (emotional sharing) was evaluated. Whereas the two groups were equally willing to disclose event-relatedfacts, oxytocin was found to specifically increase the willingness to share event-relatedemotions. This study provides the first evidence that OT increases people's willingness to share their emotions. Importantly, OT did not make people more talkative (word counts were comparable across the two groups) but instead increased the willingness to share the specific component that is responsible for the calming and bonding effects of social sharing: emotions. Findings suggest that OT may shape the form of social sharing so as to maximize its benefits. This might help explain the calming and bonding effects of OT. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Research to date has revealed that the association between gender, attachment and the quality and functioning of intimate relationships is complex. This study examined the relationship between gender and attachment styles in attitudes to communication with one's partner and in the number of past relationships in a sample of 746 Spanish undergraduates. The Relationship Questionnaire was administered to them to determine the adult attachment style. The results revealed the existence of differences according to the adult attachment style and gender with regard to the two measured variables, and a significant effect of the interaction between gender and attachment. Dismissing men reported the highest average scores in the number of past relationships, with significant differences appearing when they were compared with secure and preoccupied men. However, dismissing women did not differ from the rest of the women with other attachment styles. When men and women with the same attachment styles were compared in this variable, the only significant differences were found between dismissing men and women (with the latter reporting fewer partners). In the case of attitudes to expressing feelings to one's partner, dismissing men reported the most negative attitudes, compared with secure and preoccupied men. Dismissing women, unlike the men, did not differ in their attitudes either from preoccupied or fearful women. Moreover, clear differences were shown between dismissing men and women in these attitudes (more negative in the case of men). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is theoretically grounded in Cultural Historical Activity Theory, which holds that human development is founded within participation in social and cultural practices. In particular, the teaching of literacy is shaped not only by the curriculum as designated by policy makers and the institution in which it is located, but also by the individuals' understanding of what literacy and learning involves and how they act to achieve their goals. The paper explores data from a project that investigated the relationship between classroom talk and the teaching of writing in six early‐years classrooms. Participants' own understandings of teaching and learning need to be taken into account by researchers and policy makers. Cultural Historical Activity Theory has been used to explore the dynamic relationship between activity at societal, institutional and individual levels. It is argued that researchers and policy makers need to take account of the wider socio‐cultural context in planning and evaluating curriculum development initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing evidence for the relevance of human behavioral factors in successful development of new products, processes, and services. The evidence is even clearer when the forces affecting the development and evolution of long-lived, large, and open complex socio-technical systems are examined. Methods that study the architecture of these systems can help scholars and practitioners to better understand, manage, and develop socio-technical systems. We propose an approach and a method to address these needs that is grounded in the theory of systems architecture and builds on the strengths of Object Process Methodology (OPM) and the process for representing Complex Large-scale Interconnected Open Socio-technical (CLIOS) systems. We do so by integrating these methods into the CLIOS-OPM Integrated Method (COIM). COIM is conducive to studying a system's architecture and its evolution, as it is enhanced by a set of qualitative methods for answering questions about the reasons ( why) and process ( how) of change in human-made systems over time. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trust has been identified as a key ingredient to the prosperity of close relationships, organizations, and societies. While research mainly focused on the antecedents and consequences of trust, much less is known about how individuals assess whether there are enough reasons to warrant trustful action. Two experiments explored the how and when of this assessment, suggesting that antecedents may not only be integrated as content information per se (as generally assumed), but in a feeling-based summary form. Specifically, our results show that the ease or difficulty associated with the identification of antecedents to trust may guide trustful behavior. Furthermore, it is shown that such a feeling-based influence is particularly likely to occur in conditions of personal certainty. Together these results extend prior research in the domains of trust and economic games, and further attest to the fundamental role cognitive feelings play in social life. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marital delay, relationship dissolution and churning, and high divorce rates have extended the amount of time individuals in search of romantic relationships spend outside of marital unions. The scope of research on intimate partnering now includes studies of “hooking up,” Internet dating, visiting relationships, cohabitation, marriage following childbirth, and serial partnering, as well as more traditional research on transitions into marriage. Collectively, we know much more about relationship formation and development, but research often remains balkanized among scholars employing different theoretical approaches, methodologies, or disciplinary perspectives. The study of relationship behavior is also segmented into particular life stages, with little attention given to linkages between stages over the life course. Recommendations for future research are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the nature of violence by presenting a micro-sociological theory regarding human aggression. An evaluation of violent behavior through the interpretation of visual evidence gathered by surveillance cameras and cellular phones is examined. The emotions of violence are described as an effective tool for the dissection of violent situations. The emotion of violent situations are characterized by a paradigm of confrontational tension/fear (ct/f) which inhibits most violence form occurring. It is argued that a common cause of incompetent violence is ct/f. The idea that humans are generally not good at violence because it is difficult is examined.

The author discusses the problem of human aggression as addressed in the book "Violence: A Micro-sociological Theory," by Randall Collins, a noted sociologist. It is argued that Collins relies too heavily on anecdotal information to support his sociological arguments concerning violence and presents theories that fail to include quantitative research on the topic. It is suggested that Collins does not include enough discussion on non-violent forms of aggression and ignores social psychological incentives for harming others. The idea that violent action usually requires "forward panic" is unclear and the argument that violence is caused by either the presence of a weak adversary or social support is considered too narrow.

The author discusses the problem of human aggression as addressed in the book "Violence: A Micro-sociological Theory," by Randall Collins, a noted sociologist. How Collins's book advances the scientific understanding of violent human behavior is questioned. The principal strengths of the book include a departure from a criminological perspective of violence, a consideration of violent acts from all structural levels of human behavior, and the formulation of an original theory of violence based on sociological perspective. The book's weak points are described as an unsatisfactory distinction between violence and non-violence in individual situations, a failure to discern predatory from moralistic violence, and the notion that violence is rare because it is "difficult."

The present review examines the neural-behavioral correlates of human social attention, with special regard to the neural mechanisms involved in processing gaze information and the functional impact of gaze direction on the spatial orienting of attention. Our review suggests that there is strong evidence that specific brain systems are preferentially biased toward processing gaze information, yet this specificity is not mirrored by the behavioral data as measured in highly controlled model attention tasks such as the Posner cueing paradigm. In less controlled tasks, however, such as when observers are left free to select what they want to attend, they focus on people and their eyes, consistent with one's intuition and with the neural evidence that eyes are special. We discuss a range of implications of these data, including that much is to be gained by examining brain and behavioral processes to social stimuli as they occur in complex real-world settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Losada observed management teams develop their annual strategic plans in a lab designed for studying team behaviour. Based on these findings he developed a dynamical model of team interaction and introduced the concept of meta learning (ML) which represents the ability of a team to avoid undesirable attractors. This paper analyses the dynamic model in more detail and discusses the relationship between ML and the new concept of systems intelligence (SI) introduced by Saarinen and Hämäläinen. We propose that the ML ability of a team clearly represents a systems intelligent competence. Losada's mathematical model predicts interesting dynamic phenomena in team interaction. However, our analysis shows how the model also produces strange and previously unreported behaviour under certain conditions. Thus, the predictive validity of the model also becomes problematic. It remains unclear whether the model behaviour can be said to be in satisfactory accordance with the observations of team interaction. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article draws on ethnographic data to examine how moral person-hood, emotions, and social relationships are constructed quite differently within two organizations with the similar goal of holistically caring for the dying. The analysis shows how the moral rhetoric and related practices at a mainstream hospice encourage volunteers to esteem a static conception of the self-as-character, whereas the Buddhist approach requires volunteers to engage in a process of transcending a self that is continually being worked on. The analysis points to paradoxes in the hospice conceptions of a "good death " and offers critical reflection on the assumption that Western and Buddhist approaches to hospice care are largely equivalent. Organizational, structural, and phenomenological strands of symbolic interactionist thought are drawn on to interpret these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interactionist approach provides a relevant point of view on human-natural environment relations. This essay draws on an interactionist approach from a Meadian, pragmatic, social constructionist perspective. In the context of grounded distinctions for interpreting "natural environment," this discussion considers instances of human intervention and levels of responses, for example, individual, social, cultural, historical, and Utopian, as variant, even conflicting, reconstructions of the foundational relationship of human-natural environment interaction. Incorporating a pragmatic model derived from Rachel Carson, the work at hand focuses on knowledge and ethical claims, as discourse and action shift from preventing to mitigating and adjusting environmental outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Failing to take into account the impact of the political context on protest has serious empirical and theoretical implications for our understanding of the phenomenon. First, it means that protest is conceptualised in rather general terms, and second, accounts of why people participate are therefore somewhat static, emphasising factors that predispose people to protest over more dynamic factors that stimulate protest. This undermines theoretical explanations of action based on rational choice and privileges more sociological accounts of behaviour. By adopting a novel methodological approach and analysing change over time, this article sheds light on the factors that ‘trigger’ protest. In doing so, it shows that the dynamics of protest can be expressed successfully within a rational choice framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Constructs such as drinking expectancies (beliefs regarding the effects of alcohol) and motives (drinking alcohol to achieve a valued end) have been shown to be associated with various stages of alcohol use behaviors. However, little is known of the extent to which genetic and environmental influences contribute to individual differences in expectancies and motives. Methods Using data from 3656 young adult same-sex female twins, we examined the association between measures of drinking expectancies and motives and drinking behaviors. Using twin models, we estimated the extent to which genetic, shared and non-shared environmental factors influenced individual differences in expectancies and motives and also tested whether the extent of the genetic and environmental contributions on expectancies varied across abstainers and users of alcohol. Results Expectancies predicted initiation of alcohol use. Both motives and expectancies were associated with frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption and drinks-to-intoxication. There was no evidence for heritable influences on expectancies and enhancement motives, with familial similarity for these traits being due to shared environment. Heritable influences on social, coping and conformity motives ranged from 11% to 33%. When expectancies were stratified by alcohol use, significant heritable influences (31–39%) were found for cognitive–behavioral impairment and risk-taking/negative self-perception (RT/NSP) in abstainers only, while environmental influences contributed to familial variance for other measures of expectancies in alcohol users. Conclusions Environmental influences (both familial and individual-specific) shape alcohol expectancies, while heritable influences may predispose to motives for drinking. Individual differences in expectancies are moderated by alcohol use, suggesting that sources of individual differences in expectancies may vary in drinkers versus abstainers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equity theory proposes that individuals compare ratios of their own outcomes and inputs to the ratios of outcomes and inputs of others. According to this theory, if the ratios are unequal, individuals are motivated to take actions that will restore equity. Although equity theory has received considerable attention from organizational scholars, relatively few studies have investigated the cross-cultural applicability of the theory. In this conceptual paper, the value-orientation model of culture is used to identify the ways in which the cultural context may influence how employees conceptualize inputs and outcomes, their selection of referent others, their equity preferences, and their reactions to inequity. The paper also describes potential avenues for future investigations of equity theory in cross-cultural settings. Finally, some practical implications of this work are discussed as well. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed the consensual stereotypes religious students have of the nonreligious. The stereotype's content, subtypes, subtype strengths, and valence were examined using multiple methods derived from the stereotype content literature. Results indicated that the nonreligious stereotype is diverse and that some impressions of nonreligious people may be quite negative. Six subtypes were identified within the principal stereotype. The most unfavorable subtype was related to a perceived disbelief in religion and spirituality. The most favorable subtype was associated with individualism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores theoretical and applied questions that are relevant to social scientists' efforts to understand and confront sexual stigma. A framework is presented for conceptualizing such stigma as a cultural phenomenon with structural and individual manifestations. The latter include enacted stigma and felt stigma, as well as internalized stigma, which encompasses self-stigma among sexual minorities and sexual prejudice among heterosexuals. Insights suggested by the model for reducing sexual prejudice are discussed. At the structural level, the framework highlights processes whereby heterosexism legitimates and perpetuates sexual stigma and the power differentials that it creates. Social and behavioral scientists, roles in working to eliminate heterosexism are discussed, and psychologists' contributions to court cases challenging state sodomy laws are described. It is argued that confronting sexual stigma will not only address an important social problem but will also enrich scientific understanding of human behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interrelationship between nonviolence and rhetoric is examined. While we have studied the world of adversarial relationships, conflict, and difference of belief, rhetorical critics have not done as much to understand the practices of seeking mutual identification, cooperation, and learning how to live with diversity and adversity. Scholars and theorists of nonviolence (and peace and conflict studies) maintain that human beings can reach mutual understanding peacefully, through a process of nonviolent conversion that is accomplished through a wide range of linguistic and symbolic acts. Nonviolent theory shows rhetoricians that language and culture--our ways of creating and perpetuating our reality--can impose minimal aggression while maximizing the potential for peacemaking. Finally, the essay presents practical applications for a better understanding of the connection between rhetorical theory and nonviolence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author presents the differences between first language (L1) and second language (L2) and the writing features and the composing processes of native and nonnative writers. She highlights the distinct and unique article "Toward an Understanding of the Distinct Nature of L2 Writing" by Tony Silva. The author also mentions the several categories in the field of second language acquisition including cognitive differences of learners, motivational components and personality differences.

The article discusses the several mechanisms employed in agitation of a social movement. The author states that agitation can be both a cause and an effect of restlessness and discontent flowing from undesirable manifestations in segments of the social order. He mentions several phases of the mental state which include convergence of perception, softening-up process, and convergence of solutions. Moreover, he emphasizes that an important mechanism used by agitators as a means of transferring identification is called the "enemy-effect."

Commentary to: The case for investigating social context in laboratory studies of smoking [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treatments of race and police violence in the fields of public administration and policy have drawn eclectically from many disciplinary sources in historical, political, and managerial analysis. From an institutional perspective, emphasis has been on how organizational practices, rules, norms, and values, along with role socialization, shape germane behavior. Of particular interest to the authors is the phenomenon of race-related police violence in its systemic but also attitudinal and behavioral manifestations in the policing role. How does an academic or practitioner researcher specify evaluative perspectives applicable to this policy and administrative challenge? There is a prior need for defined analytical and ethical positions drawing closely from public administration and policy sources. This article suggests ways to develop such grounded frameworks, built on these distinctive traditions but also going beyond them, so as to allow for an integrative approach to evaluative analysis and action on this grave and contentious issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]