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This article presents an ethnographic case study of pre-service teachers' transformative learning in a Culture-Writing course at a Chinese university. In recounting three stories with fieldwork data gleaned from moments of students' pre-class discussions, reflective writings, and reports on term-paper projects, this study showcases how a group of student-teachers transformed "the self" through getting to know and/or re-understanding "other(s)." Learning to 'write culture', as their teacher led them to see, is to appreciate the lifeworlds of others and further to destabilise taken-for-granted assumptions, beliefs, and understandings, thereby leading towards transformation. I argue that transformative learning takes place in the process of knowing and rebuilding the self in relationships with other(s). It constitutes moments of critical shift that place the self and identity in a more reflexive, relational, and reversible position within specific socio-cultural contexts. This study contributes to the ongoing discussions on transformative education by illuminating how other(s) play a role in promoting pre-service teachers' transformation in a classroom-based course.

This study investigated whether negative stereotypes are responsible for the effect of ASD knowledge on social distance from individuals with ASD among college students. A sample of 869 neurotypical Chinese college students completed a cross-sectional survey to assess social distance, ASD knowledge, and negative stereotypes. Pearson correlation analysis yielded significant correlations between social distance, ASD knowledge, and negative stereotypes. Multiple mediation analysis showed that negative stereotypes mediated the link between social distance and ASD knowledge. Specifically, greater ASD knowledge predicted reduced social distance through decreased stereotyping related to dangerousness, personal responsibility for the disorder, and discontinuity, but also predicted greater social distance through increased stereotyping related to social inappropriateness. The findings deepen our understanding of the association between ASD knowledge and social distance by revealing the mediating role of negative stereotypes, and provide information that can help improve anti-stigma initiatives in college settings.

In order to explore the development mechanism of construction theory in the field of moral judgment, this study investigated the influence of age and social distance on such moral expectations in positive moral context and negative moral context. In both positive and negative moral contexts, 5-6-year-old children had the highest moral expectations of people who are socially closest to them. In negative moral contexts, 3-4-year-old children had significantly higher moral expectations of people who are socially closest to them, whereas in positive moral contexts, no significant difference was noted in their moral expectations of others for various degrees of social distance. These findings suggest that children have lower moral expectations of strangers and exhibit a preference for familiar person in moral expectations as they grow older. And this preference was first observed in contexts which the child thought that someone close to him or her was less likely to do immoral things in negative moral context than to do moral things in positive moral contexts. In conclusion, our study provides empirical evidence for construction theory in the field of moral judgment, proving that social distance, age and moral context strongly affect children's moral expectations of others.

This paper analyzes a promotional video of the Chinese city of Hangzhou from the perspective of multimodal discourse analysis informed by Systemic Functional Linguistics. By drawing on Visual Grammar as well as frameworks of intersemiotic complementarity, the paper examines how various semiotic resources, namely, the visual, audio and verbal, construe meanings and how they work together to create synergy in the video. It is concluded that the deployment of various modes in this dynamic discourse contribute to constructing city images that are glorious in history, unique in culture, picturesque in landscapes, innovative in spirits, vital in city life, and beautiful in people's hearts. The video also proves to be effective in engaging and aligning the viewers, thus functioning as a vital tool to market the city. It is hoped that this paper will provide a new perspective for semiotic studies of promotional videos in China.

Teacher professional learning plays a critical role in education reform by enabling teachers to refine their professional skills and keep up with changing content knowledge, pedagogy, and trends in schooling. This study examines how and under what conditions principal instructional leadership contributes to teachers' professional learning in mainland China. Data collected from 1194 teachers in 64 primary and middle schools in mainland China were analyzed using structural equation modeling and bootstrapping tests. The research tested a moderated mediation model of instructional leadership effects on teacher professional learning in which teacher self-efficacy was included as the mediator and power distance orientation of teachers as the moderator. The results reaffirmed the partial mediation model, finding significant direct and indirect effects of principal instructional leadership on teacher professional learning. Further model testing found that the individual power distance orientation of teachers acted as a significant moderator of principal instructional leadership effects on both teacher self-efficacy and professional learning. When teachers perceived lower power distance in relations with their principals, the effects of principal instructional leadership were stronger than for counterparts who perceived high power distance. Implications for understanding the contextualized nature of school leadership during an era of cultural change are discussed.

In this article, Miaoyan Yang examines the identity struggles of a group of youth from China's majority ethnic Han group. As children of "in-Tibet cadres," these Han youth were deemed "privileged" in their educational opportunities as compared with both Han students from interior China and ethnic Tibetan minority students from Tibet whose first language was not Chinese. This was because at young ages they could move to economically developed interior cities for their secondary education through a state-run Interior Tibet Class program. While participation in this program ensured these students' placement in China's key universities, the price of the privilege included continual involuntary relocations, long-term separation from their home communities, a sense of insecurity and marginalization, and emotional alienation from their parents. This study engages the theory of the reflexive project of the self by discerning how mobility and politics impact the place-making and life planning of individuals in their identity constructions.

The purpose of this research study was to explore the influence of Confucian-heritage culture on Chinese learners' online learning and engagement in online discussion in U.S. higher education. More specifically, this research studied Chinese learners' perceptions of power distance and its impact on their interactions with instructors and peers in an online setting. This study was conducted at a research university in the southwestern U.S. Twelve undergraduate students from the Confucian-heritage culture, including mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, participated in the study. This study provided evidence that the online setting benefited these Chinese learners' engagement in class discussion, but it may increase the level of anxiety in their participation. Learning, perceived by the Chinese learners, was more instructor-centered. Instructors were viewed by students as authorities, major sources of knowledge, and possessing high power. As a result, when encountering difficulties in learning, the Chinese learners were intimidated to interact with their instructors. Instead, they tended to seek help from peers, particularly those who shared similar cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

In the early 2000s, China's Ministry of Education embarked on a program of school mapping restructure (SMR) that involved closing small rural schools and opening up larger centralized schools in towns and county seats.The stated aim of the policy was to improve educational resources and raise the human capital of rural students. Any progress that may have been achieved along these dimensions comes at a price, namely that many children lost the opportunity to learn in their own village schools. This study aims to understand the impact of SMR on the distance rural children are from schooling, in terms of physical, temporal and social measures. A particular focus rests on differential impact by child and family characteristics including socioeconomic status. The data are drawn from a combination of questionnaires, interviews and document analysis, collected in a rural mountainous area, specifically Xinfeng County in Guangdong Province located in the south of China. The authors analyze these data using geographical information systems, regression and classification tree analysis to estimate increased distance and travel time for students affected by SMR, in the context of an analysis of boarding versus commuting decisions and the choice of transportation mode by economic status. This study finds that, the physical distance increased by an average of about 8.3 miles through SMR, but through the increased tendency to board, the effect on average weekly travel distance was neutral; the average travel time increased by around 75 min for those students affected by SMR; even for children more likely to be boarding, the average increase in weekly travel time was estimated at over 2 h, specifically 130 min; social distance increased also; as students were moved from a tightly-knit community school to a somewhat more anonymous institution, this deterioration affected students who were previously "privileged" in this particular respect, and they are not at a disadvantage relative to their peers at their new school. In addition, the study uncovers nuanced effects of SMR on school travel behavior and calls into question that some behavioral assumptions implicit in the planning process. Policy implications of these findings are discussed, with specific reference to China's current initiative of "balanced development" in the education sector.

This paper explores some complexities of moral learning by referencing personal and professional experiences that shape my moral ecology. Moral learning, like all forms of learning, is not merely accumulative but rather a recursive, adaptive and elaborative process. The multidimensional nature of this phenomenon can be captured by drawing on the language of complexity theory. Using original poetry as a vehicle for distilling thought, and personal experiences of living, learning and teaching inside and outside my home country (in Hawai'i and Abu Dhabi, China, Korea, Iran) to provide context, I explore three interconnected processes that have been important for moral sense-making in my own life. These are: engaging with diversity, active deprovincialisation and confronting personal privilege. In this discussion I will make a distinction between variety and diversity. In sum, I hope to reveal the synergistic, non-linear and aesthetic dimensions of moral learning.

Background: Attribution models have been examined in Western countries. However, little is known about the applicability of the attitude–emotion–behavior model within Chinese culture. This study aimed to examine the association between familiarity, perceived dangerousness, fear, and social distance towards persons with mental illness (PMI) in the Chinese context. Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted from October to November 2022 in mainland China. A total of 1493 college students completed a questionnaire evaluating familiarity, perception of dangerousness, fear, and social distance regarding PMI. Path analysis was employed to validate the model proposed in this study. Results: Participants expressed moderate to high levels of stigma towards PMI. Familiarity was negatively associated with social distance (p < 0.01). Participants who perceived PMI as dangerous were more prone to exhibit a reaction of fear (p < 0.001), consequently leading to social distance (p < 0.01). However, the mediating effect of perceived dangerousness and fear on the relationship between familiarity and social distance was not significant (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The results of this study provide support for Corrigan's attributional model of stigma in the Chinese context. Contact-based interventions for stigma reduction should emphasize multiple elements of contact, including the quality of contact, rather than familiarity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite most COVID-19 infections being asymptomatic, mainland China had a high increase in symptomatic cases at the end of 2022. In this study, we examine China's sudden COVID-19 symptomatic surge using a conceptual SIR-based model. Our model considers the epidemiological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2, particularly variolation, from nonpharmaceutical intervention (facial masking and social distance), demography, and disease mortality in mainland China. The increase in symptomatic proportions in China may be attributable to (1) higher sensitivity and vulnerability during winter and (2) enhanced viral inhalation due to spikes in SARS-CoV-2 infections (high transmissibility). These two reasons could explain China's high symptomatic proportion of COVID-19 in December 2022. Our study, therefore, can serve as a decision-support tool to enhance SARS-CoV-2 prevention and control efforts. Thus, we highlight that facemask-induced variolation could potentially reduces transmissibility rather than severity in infected individuals. However, further investigation is required to understand the variolation effect on disease severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Public stigma towards people who use drugs is widespread and places obstacles in way of their recovery. Previous studies have used different approaches to measure public stigma, resulting in a notable gap in the understanding of the relationship between it and its associated factors. Some studies measure public stigma by assessing stigma perceived by those who use drugs, while others investigate attitudes towards them among the general public. This study aimed to compare perceived and public stigma, and factors related to these two variables. Methods: The study comprised a cross‐sectional survey in China of two samples: males who used drugs (N = 257) and the general public (N = 376). The survey assessed demographic variables, social distance, public stigma and perceived stigma of those who use drugs. The data were analysed using t‐tests and linear regression. Results: Public stigma was significantly higher than perceived stigma. The findings indicated that gender, knowledge of drugs, family relationships with people who use drugs, attributions of drug use and social distance were significantly related to levels of public stigma. Among those who use drugs, perceived stigma was significantly correlated with age, marital status, duration of drug abstinence and social distance. Discussion and Conclusions: Findings indicate that public stigma undermines the recovery of people who use drugs and highlight the importance of interaction between them and the social environment. The study also underscores the necessity of developing policies to enhance their integration into mainstream culture and provide access to social support and life activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2019n-CoV has swept the whole world, people's daily life is affected seriously and the public space system is facing to major challenges. Community public space should be re-evaluated and optimized as people change the way they use it. This research conducted a nationwide questionnaire survey in China, which collected the opinions of residents on community public space from the perspective of epidemic prevention and social needs to select research indicators. The questionnaire data were processed through the frequency analysis method, precedence chart and TOPSIS. We found: (1) under the background of the epidemic, people pay more attention to the satisfaction of leisure activities in community public space and the control of social spacing during activities; (2) the current assessment result of community public space risk of 2019-nCoV exposure is 0.386, which is relatively high; and (3) the exposure risk of the community can be effectively reduced by controlling for the two indicators of social distance and social facility sterilization. When the social distance is 1.8–3 m and the facility sterilization is once a day, the community public space minimizes exposure risk. In view of the above results, this paper selects the Wuhan start-up area of Wuhan, China, as an example for carrying out the optimization design of community public space based on the epidemic and the design the space optimization model for the two indicators of social distance and facility disinfection from both software and hardware aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined when the realistic threat of COVID-19 leads to prejudicial social distancing. American participants reported social distancing preferences from Chinese or Italian people (out-group target) after viewing increasing or decreasing COVID-19 case numbers (threat level) in China or Italy (threat relevance). On the Bogardus Social Distance Scale, there was support for a disease avoidance hypothesis: greater social distancing preferences were expressed under higher than under lower relevant threats. Responses on a bespoke COVID-19 Social Distance Scale, however, supported an a priori prejudice hypothesis: greater social distancing preferences were expressed toward a Chinese than toward an Italian out-group. Moreover, responses on a separate bespoke Modern Social Distance Scale supported a complex prejudice hypothesis: greater social distancing preferences were expressed toward Chinese than toward Italian out-groups under higher than under lower threat, regardless of threat relevance. These findings suggest that the threat of COVID-19 may enable prejudice expression accompanied by the rationale of disease avoidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to examine how implicit distance (cognitive and social) impacts supply chain capabilities, and the roles of information technology (IT) utilization and supply chain flexibility in this process. Design/methodology/approach: The authors designed a conceptual model including the implicit distance, supply chain flexibility, supply chain capability and IT utilization and verified the relationships among variables through a survey that collected data from 104 manufacturing enterprises in China. Findings: The results show that cognitive and social distances positively and negatively affect supply chain flexibility, respectively. Furthermore, IT utilization strengthens the positive effect of cognitive distance and the negative effect of social distance on supply chain flexibility. Additionally, supply chain flexibility has a positive effect on supply chain capability and mediates the effects of cognitive and social distances on supply chain capability. Practical implications: Enterprises should prioritize cooperation with different types of partners with whom the enterprises have established good collaborative working experiences. Moreover, if enterprises cooperate with new partners, enterprises should communicate and handle things face to face instead of frequently utilizing IT. Originality/value: This study links the implicit distance between enterprises with supply chain capability and newly applies social network theory to explain the mechanism. Further, the authors' data confirm the moderating role of IT utilization in this process, supplementing the research on implicit distance. Moreover, this study employs dynamic capability theory to better understand how firms can improve supply chain capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding intercity linkage patterns is of great importance to understanding urbanization. With advancements in transportation, communication technology, and the availability of big data, the "death of distance" concept has gained significant attention. This paper analyzes the asymmetric spatial intercity linkage network in China's economically developed YRDR based on big data derived from Spring Festival (SF) migration. The aim is to explore the determinants of these linkages considering multivariate distance factors. The findings indicate a notable pattern of asymmetry in the intercity linkage network of the YRDR between core and non-core cities. The spatial decay effect of geographic distance on intercity asymmetry linkage is observed. Despite technological advancements, geographic distance remains the most influential and decisive factor in determining intercity asymmetric linkages. While other attribute distances also play a positive role, their effects become complex when controlling for geographic distance. Understanding these attribute distances is essential in comprehending the decay effect. This study contributes to the empirical investigation of the "death of distance" debate and provides a practical analytical framework for analyzing the drivers of intercity linkage patterns. It enhances our understanding of intercity spatial linkages within the context of urbanization in China and offers valuable insights for formulating development policies in the YRDR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior studies commonly argued that inclusive leadership is of considerable benefit to employees but rarely discussed its potential downsides. To address this issue, this study explores why and when inclusive leadership promotes and inhibits employee presenteeism. Based on sample data of 373 employees from three manufacturing enterprises in China, the empirical results show that inclusive leadership may reduce employee presenteeism by enhancing their psychological safety on the one hand and fostering it by promoting their felt obligation on the other hand. In addition, power distance orientation negatively moderates the relationship between inclusive leadership and employee's felt obligation. The study also finds that power distance orientation moderates the indirect effect of felt obligation in the relationship between inclusive leadership and employee presenteeism, such that the indirect effect of felt obligation is significant only when power distance orientation is low. Finally, the theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigated the relationship between cultural distance, classroom silence, and the performance of culturally responsive and inclusive education (CRIE) using a survey of 1051 college students in Shanghai in 2022. We found a significantly positive association between migrant students' cultural distance and their perceived learning gains in class. Students' cultural distance increased their classroom silence as a form of protection but had no significant effect on their classroom silence as a sign of power. The classroom silence as protection decreased students' perceived learning gains. However, classroom silence as power could be used by both local and migrant students as a hold-up strategy to strengthen their influence in class discussions, which could improve their perceived learning gains. Teachers' CRIE played the most important role in migrant students' perceived learning gains, while the effectiveness of CRIE was also actually dependent on the different channels and mechanisms of cultural distance and classroom silence. A cautious identification of classroom silence will improve the effectiveness of CRIE. Suggestions are offered to lighten the practice of educators, administrators, and instructors who face classroom silence from subnational migrant students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding local encounters with large carnivores is important for promoting sustainable coexistence. The use of smartphones and social media in geographically remote areas offers a novel avenue to study human–wildlife encounters from a local perspective. We conducted a content analysis of mobile videos on social media (n = 207) to characterize human encounters with snow leopards, gray wolves, and brown bears on the Tibetan Plateau in China. We also used ethnographic interviews to understand the backgrounds and motivations of videographers. Results show large carnivore encounters are not necessarily conflictual. Over half of encounters are neutral without observable interference between people and predators. The likelihood of a "negative encounter" is significantly associated with the target species, the distance between the videographer and the animal, the level of human influence in the surroundings, and the presence of other animals (i.e., dogs and livestock). Local Tibetan herders document unusual encounters with carnivores using videos for various reasons, but what is deemed unusual is context‐dependent and fluid. Our study demonstrates that social media videos can provide valuable insights into the diversity and complexity of human–wildlife interactions. We encourage conservationists to develop visual participatory programs to better engage local people in conservation knowledge production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 skepticism can be conceptualized as the denial of the seriousness of the illness and the perception that the pandemic is overblown or a hoax. In the current study, we examined the association between COVID-19 skepticism and frequency of engaging in COVID-19 prevention behaviors, political ideology, social norms about distancing, COVID-19 information-seeking behaviors, and COVID-19 conspiracy theories. A survey was administered from May 5th–14th. At that time, there were over 1 million COVID-19 cases in the US. Participants were recruited online through MTurk. The three outcome variables were handwashing, mask wearing, and social distancing. Injunctive and descriptive norms were assessed as well as measures of perceived risk to self and others. There were 683 participants in the analyses. In the multiple logistic regression model, those who were of younger age (aOR = 0.97, p < 0.05), better health (aOR = 0.56, p < 0.01), and more politically conservative (aOR = 1.32, p < 0.01) were more likely to endorse COVID-19 skepticism statements. People who reported higher Skepticism were also less likely to that believe people close to them would die from COVID-19 (aOR = 4.2, p < 0.01), engage in COVID-19 prevention behaviors, including spending time inside to prevent coronavirus (aOR = 0.33, p < 0.01) and frequently wear a mask outside (aOR = 0.44, p < 0.01). Those who were more skeptical about COVID-19 were also more likely to believe the conspiracy theory that China purposefully spread the virus (aOR = 6.38 p < 0.01). COVID-19 Skepticism was strongly associated with reduced engagement in COVID-19 prevention behaviors. These findings bolster the arguments for making these public health recommendations mandatory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Internal migration or cross‐border migration differs from traditional migration. The influence of academic performance on social integration among migration or cross‐border student groups has drawn attention. Method: A survey collected data from cross‐border students in Mainland China. The sample included 616 university students (bachelor's, master's, and doctoral students) coming from Hong Kong studying in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. Results: The moderating effect of cultural distance in the relationship between academic performance and social integration was significantly negative (β = –0.081, p < 0.05). The effect of academic performance on social integration was significantly positive (β =.104, p <.05). Length of time studying in the Mainland, social status, entrance exam score (which might affect the current academic performance), and acquiescence are as the control variable in examining the role of cultural distance in the effect of academic performance on social integration. This result embodies the functionalist theory. Conclusion: The host society is the structural whole requiring the function of social integration, whereas education is the structural component fulfilling the function. When cultural distance is large, the function of education for social integration decreases. The practical implication for enhancing social integration is relieving or bridging the distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the association between lifestyle and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Chinese adults and provide recommendations for increasing vaccination rates.Methods: From August 6, 2021 to August 9, 2021, we recruited 29,925 participants from 31 Chinese provinces via an online questionnaire. We designed a question to assess COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and used 16 items to assess lifestyle by calculating lifestyle scores. Odds ratios (OR) with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were used to estimate the association by using binary logistic regression models.Results: The overall prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy was 8.40 % (95 % CI: 8.09-8.72), and the median lifestyle score was 65.00 (interquartile range: 59.00-71.00). After adjusting for potential confounders, the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy rate decreased significantly with an increase in lifestyle score (P for Trend <0.001). Low COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy rate was associated with lifestyle factors including adequate sleep, never smoking, intermittent drinking, good relationships, working and studying, using hand sanitizer, wearing masks, less gathering activities, and keeping social distance (P < 0.05).Conclusion: Our findings indicate that high lifestyle score is associated with low vaccine hesitancy rate among Chinese. The government should view the smokers (or the drinkers) as the key to further boosting the vaccination rate. In addition, the publicity and education about wearing masks and keeping social distance should be prioritized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research from various national contexts has shown that less privileged parents face various barriers when developing relationships with teachers compared to their more privileged counterparts. Chinese rural citizens have been disadvantaged within the hukou system, where existing studies have shown various and complex inequalities as regards rural parent–teacher relations. Such complexities, this article argues, might contribute to the ongoing discussions on the integration of Bourdieu's and Coleman's approaches to social capital. Informed by Bourdieu's three moments of field analysis, this study presents three core themes as regards Chinese rural parent–teacher relations: physical separation, social distance, and kinship sentiments. Through qualitatively exploring the life stories of a group of Chinese rural students before their entry to elite universities, this article bridges Bourdieu's social reproduction stance and Coleman's productive view in relation to social capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increased social distance is one of the manifestations of social impairment. Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is one of factors associated with increased social distance and social withdrawal. Exercise therapy is an effective means to social impairment. However, whether exercise could reduce social distance in patients with CLBP remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effect of exercise on social distance in middle-aged and elderly patients with CLBP. Methods: The longitudinal intervention recruited 29 middle-aged and elderly patients with CLBP from various communities in Yangpu District, Shanghai, China. The participants received exercise intervention for 8 weeks. The assessments were conducted before and after the intervention, including social distance, pain intensity, unpleasantness of pain, Roland-Morris Questionnaire (RMDQ), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS). Intention to treat analysis was performed. Results: After the 8-week exercise intervention, the social distance of patients with CLBP was shorter than that before intervention and showed significant difference (p < 0.05). The scores of pain intensity, unpleasantness of pain, RMDQ, SAS, and SDS also decreased and were significantly different between pre- and post-intervention (p < 0.05). In addition, the social distance, pain intensity, unpleasantness of pain, RMDQ, SAS, and SDS scores of the moderate CLBP group decreased more after the intervention compared with those of the mild CLBP group. Conclusion: The 8-week exercise intervention cannot only shorten the social distance in middle-aged and elderly patients with CLBP but also relieve pain, disability, and negative emotions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies on the human likeness of service robots have focused mainly on their human-like appearance and used psychological constructs to measure the outcomes of human likeness. Unlike previous studies, this study focused on the human-like behavior of the service robot and used a sociological construct, social distance, to measure the outcome of human likeness. We constructed a conceptual model, with perceived competence and warmth as mediators, based on social-identity theory. The hypotheses were tested through online experiments with 219 participants from China and 180 participants from the US. Similar results emerged for Chinese and American participants in that the high (vs. low) human-like behavior of the service robot caused the participants to have stronger perceptions of competence and warmth, both of which contributed to a smaller social distance between humans and service robots. Perceptions of competence and warmth completely mediated the positive effect of the human-like behavior of the service robot on social distance. Furthermore, Chinese participants showed higher anthropomorphism (perceived human-like behavior) and a stronger perception of warmth and smaller social distance. The perception of competence did not differ across cultures. This study provides suggestions for the human-likeness design of service robots to promote natural interaction between humans and service robots and increase human acceptance of service robots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Optimistic bias refers to the phenomenon that individuals believe bad things are less likely to happen to themselves than to others. However, whether optimistic bias could vary across age and culture is unknown. The present study aims to investigate (a) whether individuals exhibit optimistic bias in the context of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and (b) whether age and culture would moderate such bias. Method 1,051 participants recruited from China, Israel, and the United States took the online survey. Risk perceptions consist of 3 questions: estimating the infected probability of different social distance groups (i.e. self, close others, and nonclose others), the days that it would take for the number of new infections to decrease to zero and the trend of infections in regions of different geographical distances (i.e. local place, other places inside participants' country, and other countries). Participants in China and the United States also reported their personal communal values measured by Schwartz's Value Survey. Results Results from Hierarchical Linear Modeling generally confirmed that (a) all participants exhibited optimistic bias to some extent, and (b) with age, Chinese participants had a higher level of optimistic bias than the Israeli and U.S. participants. Compared to their younger counterparts, older Chinese are more likely to believe that local communities are at lower risk of COVID-19 than other countries. Discussion These findings support the hypothesis that age differences in risk perceptions might be influenced by cultural context. Further analysis indicated that such cultural and age variations in optimistic bias were likely to be driven by age-related increase in internalized cultural values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The distance education model has become the most common educational model used around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic that emerged in China at the end of 2019. In North Cyprus (NC), traditional face-to-face education had been resumed through online channels. The rapid shift to online channels has not only caused distress among students who do not have experience with using in online education systems, but also caused many problems to surface in terms of access to education. This study aims to explore the attitudes and views of higher education students in NC regarding the distance education implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic in the 2020–2021 educational year. In this quantitative study, the survey method was used. A random sampling approach was used for determining the study group, which was formed of 470 volunteer higher education students. According to the analysis of the data collected from the students, it was determined that they received an average score of x̅ =82.52±19.50 points from the overall Attitudes Regarding the Use of Distance Education Environments During the Pandemic (ASRUDEEDP) scale, x̅ =23.03±7.21 from the competence and education sub-dimension, x̅ =26.36±5.81 from the practicality sub-dimension, x̅ =18.20±4.83 points from the efficiency sub-dimension, and x̅ =14.93±4.12 from the satisfaction sub-dimension. It was identified that there were no differences in the scores according to the age group, grade, or Internet use durations (p >0.05) but the scores of male students were observed to be higher than those of female in the sub-dimensions of competence and motivation as well as practicality within the ASRUDEEDP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building on the social distance theory of power, this study proposed the positive and negative mechanisms of power and their impacts on abusive supervision from the competitive perspectives of psychological distance and self-control. The boundary effects of independent self-construal were also analyzed. The hypotheses of this study were tested through questionnaires and an experimental study design. The Study 1 data were collected from 422 supervisors and subordinates from five private enterprises and one state-owned enterprise in Eastern China. Study 2, on the other hand, was conducted through a scenario-based experiment in which 180 part-time master of business administration (MBA) students from a university in Eastern China participated. All data were tested using polynomial regression analysis and a bootstrapping appraisal. The results revealed that (1) the relationship between power and abusive supervision is not significant; (2) psychological distance mediates the relationship between power and abusive supervision, with high power leading to higher psychological distance, which, in turn, strengthens abusive supervision; (3) self-control mediates the relationship between power and abusive supervision, with high power leading to higher self-control, which, in turn, weakens abusive supervision; (4) the mediating effect of psychological distance is stronger, and the mediating effect of self-control is weaker when independent self-construal is high rather than low. At the end of this study, the theoretical and practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates how the endorsements of Internet celebrities (ICs) may drive consumer trust in their marketing campaigns, and subsequently affect impulse buying in relation to luxury fashion brands. Drawing on the framework of persuasion with a particular emphasis on the role of receivers, this study identifies five main characteristics, namely, the popularity of ICs, identification, IC adoration, social distance, and the perceived fit that may contribute to promoting impulse buying. A survey was conducted with 585 followers of IC in China. The findings reveal that trust is an essential factor that affects impulse buying. Identification and perceived fit both significantly contribute to increasing impulse buying through trust. Alternatively, large social distance may impair the relationship between trust and impulse buying. We conclude with implications for marketers that luxury fashion brands should seek cooperation not only with the most popular, but also with the most relevant ICs. An IC with a humble and relatable image can earn consumers' trust and lead to an enhanced endorsement effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outburst of the pandemic COVID-19 in 2019 from the land of China to the entire world has brought a major change in people's living style. The severity of the disease is so much that more than 20 million people are affected by it worldwide. The recommended preventive measure to avoid the spread of this fatal disease is to maintain social distance leading to a significant economic disruption that could submerge the economies globally. However in order to keep the economies moving, the work from culture is adopted globally wherein the employees are connected via the internet and the work continues to happen. This paper aims to discover how people adopt such an attempt in the working culture. Also, the purpose of the paper is to find out its bearing on the employees' working capacity and whether they would like to continue with this arrangement in the future. The research employs primary data collected from 400 employees across various industries who are currently working from home. The research proposes advantages and challenges in working from home with a majority of employees preferring the method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In two studies, we investigated how Hong Kong university students reacted to descriptions of China as multicultural vs. assimilatory, examining effects on emotions, prejudice toward Mainland Chinese, attitudes toward Hong Kong/China culture mixing, and cultural identities. Study 1 compared a multicultural priming condition to a control condition and found that the multiculturalism prime significantly reduced desire to socially distance from Mainland Chinese. Study 2 compared multiculturalism, assimilation, or control primes' effects, and found that the multiculturalism prime, through increased positive emotions, indirectly reduced social distancing from Mainland Chinese and disgust toward culture mixing, and increased Chinese ethnic identity and multicultural identity styles; the assimilation prime had the opposite indirect effects through increasing negative emotions. Results show new evidence of the importance of emotion in how non-immigrant regional groups, who are both minority and majority culture members, react to different diversity models. Multicultural frames increased positive emotions, with downstream positive effects on both intergroup attitudes and integrated identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How ruling elite arrange and maintain their power-sharing is key to our understanding of authoritarian politics. We analyze the dynamics of elite power-sharing in authoritarian regimes using a network framework that embeds actors onto a low-dimensional space. We also introduce a novel dataset tracking appearances of elite Chinese Community Party (CCP) members at political events. Our framework and data allow us to disentangle three key aspects of CCP elite power-sharing: (1) who are in charge, (2) who do I work with, and (3) who are my friends. Using a latent factor network analysis of approximately 10,000 appearance records of over 200 top CCP elites from 2013 to 2017, we empirically assess these three questions by computing elites' total appearances, dyadic coappearances, and their distance in a latent social space. We test how well these three indicators fare at predicting elites' appointments to the leading small groups (LSGs) of the CCP Central Committee and the Central Government, and from that analysis are able to highlight the need to account for the indirect ties elites share. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports on the development of the interpersonal discourse semantic system of involvement based on the analysis of evaluative meanings in 3 different data sets of Chinese digitally mediated communication. It builds on prior work developed within tenor and interpersonal meanings. Within the proposed system, 3 kinds of interpersonal meaning dimensions are posited. The first relates to the relative status between interlocutors and participants within a social hierarchy and is, thus, named social hierarchy. The second relates to the positioning of the person posting and others in relation to how close their relationship is and is, thus, named social distance. The third relates to who is being positioned within the other 2 dimensions and is called involvement type. Within the 3 data sets of digitally mediated Chinese communication (i.e., forum posts, SMS, and chat room messages), we found that the Chinese interlocutors frequently positioned themselves and others in relationships both within a social hierarchy as well as in relationships concerning their relative social distance. Results show there are a number of linguistic realisations of these 3 involvement systems which Chinese interlocutors use to negotiate their relative social positions in digitally mediated communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background : Stigma is often reported to be a barrier to the treatment and rehabilitation of depression. However, little is known about stigma toward people with depression among college students in China. Methods : Using a questionnaire with a case vignette describing depression, a total of 1,056 students from nine colleges/universities in Hunan Province of China were included in this study. The questionnaire addressed the attitudes toward depression and the desire for keeping a distance from depressed individuals. The current study explored the stigma attitudes of college students toward people with depression and the desire for social distancing, as well as the gender (male and female) and major (medical and non-medical) differences. Results : Over half of the respondents agreed that people described in the vignette were "dangerous" (60.7%) and "could snap out of the problem" (58.7%). Compared with female students, males were more likely to agree that "If I had this problem, I would not tell anyone" (7.0 vs. 13.2%, p = 0.001); compared with non-medical students, medical students were more likely to agree that "The problem is a sign of personal weakness" (38.0 vs. 50.0%, p < 0.001). A lot of respondents would be unwilling to "marry into the family of people with depression" (71.1%) or "work closely with them" (45.1%). Compared with male students, females were more unwilling to "work closely with them" (40.3 vs. 47.5%, p = 0.026). Conclusion : This study found that a high proportion of Chinese college students showed stigma toward and desire for social distancing from people with depression, male students and medical major students showed higher stigma in some subscale items toward people with depression. The present results suggest that more anti-stigma interventions should be applied for Chinese college students to help prevent or reduce stigma attitudes toward people with depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the key factors affecting rural settlements distribution is intervillage social connections. However, most of the current studies ignored the effects of social connections on the spatial distribution of rural settlements. This study proposed a multi-objective spatial reconstruction model for rural settlements based on the particle swarm optimization algorithm. The model considers intervillage social connections as one of the reconstruction objectives together with land-use quantity, spatial compactness, land-use suitability and relocation distance. Based on a questionnaire survey, the social connection strength between villages was measured from spatial and nonspatial aspects. The model was calibrated for the Chengui Township of Hubei Province in Central China. Five modeling scenarios for rural settlement reconstruction were designed according to potential development modes used in practice. A comparison of the reconstruction results of the different scenarios was performed to verify the applicability of the model and to analyze the joint interaction of the spatial objectives and social connections during the restructuring of rural settlements. The results indicated that five scenarios were effectively and robustly implemented using the proposed model. Social connections had a direct effect by guiding the restructuring direction of rural settlements. This study advances our understanding of the influence of social connections on rural settlement reconstruction and provides a useful exploratory tool for policymakers and rural planners in formulating reasonable reconstruction plans. • We integrate intervillage social connections into the spatial objectives of rural settlement reconstruction. • Five modeling scenarios are designed for rural settlement reconstruction. • Intervillage social connections have a direct effect by guiding the restructuring direction of rural settlements. • This study advances our understanding of the influence of social connections on rural settlement reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outbreaks can often be encounter in human history. One of the most important consequences of pandemics affecting the world has been human lives lost. Countries and even international organizations try to take lessons and take precautions from some outbreaks. However, since the living standards of countries are different, these measures are not sufficient. The ease of transportation in the world has made the spread of pandemics much easier. One of the most important reasons for the pandemic in China to affect the world quickly is the ease and speed of transportation. Unprecedented measures are being taken to control the rapid spread of the Covid-19 epidemic that started in China and continues in the world. The compliance of people with control measures is influenced by their knowledge, attitudes and practices towards Covid-19. In this study, it is aimed to determine the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of the Turkish society regarding the Covid-19 pandemic that affects the world. For this, data of 796 participants were obtained through online surveys. As a result of the statistical analysis applied to the data, it was seen that the level of knowledge about Covid-19 was high. The Internet is chosen as the most frequently used information source for the pandemic. It is observed that the most affected by the participants is social life, the highest concern is about health, and as a precaution the majority of the participants participated in the measure of keeping their hands clean and paying attention to social distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article builds upon research which analyses the reconstruction of cities in China as an integral part of image-making discourses competing to attract mobile capital. It extends that literature beyond urban places to urbanisation processes, examining the material and linguistic features of networks and discourses of new high-speed rail infrastructure Guangxi, a poorer, rural, multilingual and multiethnic region of the People's Republic of China (China) in which tourism – propelled by high-speed trains – has become a pillar of economic development. It argues that these trains produce symbolically powerful discourses which contribute to cultural urbanisation across Guangxi, emplacing urban norms outside city limits in pursuit of profitable sameness, as tourism does not trade only upon difference. Local multilingualism, specifically, is erased as too different, a barrier to tourists' (and tourism capital's) mobility. Amongst other ramifications, this reproduces social distance and ideologically displaces local languages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus was first recognised in Wuhan province in China at the onset of chinese New year. It was the most infectious disease which spreads fastest and the site of infection is the upper part of the respiratory tract. Novel coronavirus spreads through droplets like coughing, sneezing, handshaking, not maintaining the proper social distancing, fluid discharge from nose, etc. As there is no medication for covid disease, proper preventive measures have to be strictly followed to curb the spread of disease. This review throws insight on the proper preventive measures as recommended by the Centre of the Disease Control and World Health Organisation like frequent hand washing, wearing facemask, not to touch face, cover while sneezing, and proper social distance about 6 feet that would pave way to control the disease globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 is an outbreak caused in China and caused by a new type of coronavirus. Declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization, COVID-19 has caused and continues to have negative effects that leave deep traces throughout the world. The tourism industry is one of the area's most adversely affected by the pandemic. However, the restrictive effects of the outbreak, such as human mobility and interpersonal interaction in nature, mediated the balance of relations between nature and humans. In light of this information, this study aims to discuss the role of COVID-19 in the reconstruction of tourism. Curfews in the pandemic, while transforming people's lifestyles and behavior patterns around the world, it has allowed nature to renew itself. In the pandemic process, the reduction of air, noise and visual pollution in industrial cities and large metropolises, reduction of waste in water, reduction in environmental pollution and physical, social and environmental carrying capacity problems in many destinations have been eliminated. With the reduction of the effects of the pandemic, the foundations of a new normal life are being laid where people will pay attention to their social distance and wear masks. Within this new normal life, there is the possibility of building "new normal tourism" until medical requirements that can cure the outbreak are met. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulating empirical evidence suggests that anger elicited in one situation can influence trust behaviors in another situation. However, the conditions under which anger influences trust are still unclear. The present study addresses this research gap and examines the ways in which anger influences trust. We hypothesized that the social distance to the trustee, and the trusting person's gender would moderate the effect of anger on trust. To test this hypothesis, a study using a 2 (Anger vs. Control) × 2 (Low vs. High social distance) × 2 (Men vs. Women) factorial design was conducted in Germany (N = 215) and in China (N = 310). Results reveal that in both countries men's trust behavior was not influenced by the manipulations (i.e., anger and social distance). The pattern for women, however, differed by country. In Germany, women's trust to a stranger (i.e., high social distance) was increased by anger; while in China, women's trust to someone who they have communicated with (i.e., low social distance) was increased by anger. These results indicate that women's trust levels seem to be more context-sensitive than men's. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Even though methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) is effective and widely recommended, it is widely misunderstood and stigmatized. This study aimed to explore people's attitudes and beliefs toward MMT, and stigmatization of MMT patients in China. Methods: This randomized, vignette-based study enrolled 1,066 household respondents (552 males and 514 females, response rate is 88.83%, 86.00% in vignette 1 and 91.66% in vignette 2) from two communities in China. Respondents initially completed questionnaires on sociodemographic characteristics and their knowledge about methadone and MMT. They were then randomly assigned to vignette 1 (described a patient receiving MMT) or vignette 2 (described a patient receiving amlodipine treatment). The labeling, stereotyping, and social distance toward the individual described in the vignettes were evaluated. Results: In these two vignettes, respondents showed a significantly higher level of stigma and discrimination toward the patient receiving MMT than the patient receiving amlodipine treatment. Approximately 60% of respondents believed that methadone is a type of addictive drug and that participating in MMT is a way to get high. Over 60% of respondents labeled the heroin-dependent patient who is receiving MMT as an addict even though the patient has not used heroin for several years; about 80% of them believed that the patient has undesirable characteristics and expressed a strong desire for social distance. Conclusions: People's misunderstanding of MMT, and stigmatization of MMT patients were very common among populations in the communities in China. To maximize MMT patients benefiting from MMT programs, more efforts are needed to minimize the impact of MMT-related stigma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19, caused by novel coronavirus SARCoV2, is a contagious disease, emerged in the end of December 2019, at Wuhan seafood market, China. This disease is spiraling like a wildfire and rapidly spreading worldwide, overburdening the health system with newly infected cases. As of April 25, 2020, a total of 2,846,536 COVID-19-positive cases and 197,859 total deaths were reported across the globe. This epidemic has exponential growth characteristics in the absence of specific vaccine and treatment for COVID-19. Many countries across the world including India, the USA, China, Italy, and German are implementing the lockdown measures to control the COVID-19 pandemic and to maintain the infection at manageable levels. Keeping the prospectus of future such pandemics, we reviewed; what is lockdown and containment? Does it works? What are the advantages of lockdown and containment in cotrolling the spread of the virus?. The present review answers these questions and tries to spread light on the impact of lockdown. Our review concludes that the implementation of lockdown has forced many countries in flattening the epidemic curve and strengthening the health-care system and improves the environmental quality during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: The novel coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19) caused over 1.7 million confirmed cases and cumulative mortality up to over 110,000 deaths worldwide as of 14 April 2020. A total of 57 Macao citizens were obligated to stay in Hubei province, China, where the highest COVID-19 prevalence was noted in the country and a "lockdown" policy was implemented for outbreak control for more than one month. They were escorted from Wuhan City to Macao via a chartered airplane organized by Macao SAR government and received quarantine for 14 days with none of the individual being diagnosed with COVID-19 by serial RNA tests from the nasopharyngeal specimens and sera antibodies. It was crucial to identify common characteristics among these 57 uninfected individuals. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted to extract information such as behavior, change of habits and preventive measures. Results: A total of 42 effective questionnaires were analyzed after exclusion of 14 infants and children with age under fifteen as ineligible for the survey and missing of one questionnaire, with a response rate of 97.7% (42 out of 43). The proportion of female composed more than 70% of this group of returners. The main reason for visiting Hubei in 88.1% of respondents was to visit relatives. Over 88% of respondents did not participate in high-risk activities due to mobility restriction. All (100%) denied contact with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases. Comparison of personal hygiene habits before and during disease outbreak showed a significant increase in practice including wearing a mask when outdoor (16.7% and 95.2%, P < 0.001) and often wash hands with soap or liquid soap (85.7% and 100%, P = 0.031). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acknowledging the sharp growth of Chinese state‐affiliated multinationals and their strategic asset‐seeking investments abroad, this study investigates the effects of headquarters' home‐country political ties on the multinational‐wide benefits gained from subsidiary knowledge transfer in Chinese multinationals. It also looks at how these effects are mediated by organizational distance and social integration between headquarters and subsidiary. Based on a survey of 177 subsidiaries of 99 Chinese multinationals, we find that headquarters' political ties trigger organizational distance and hinder social integration between headquarters and foreign subsidiaries and these, in turn, hamper the potential benefits that Chinese multinationals derive from subsidiary knowledge transfer. This study identifies new challenges related to political ties and light‐touch integration in gaining benefits from subsidiary knowledge transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There have been few studies on the stigma associated with mental disorders among non-mental health professionals in general hospitals in China. This study seeks to explore mental health-related stigma and the desire for social distance among non-mental health professionals in general hospitals in Hunan Province in China. Methods: The study was carried out with 1123 non-mental health professionals in six general hospitals in Hunan Province by using a questionnaire with a case vignette describing either schizophrenia, depression, or generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Questions were asked about the attitudes of participants and other people towards individuals with mental disorders and the willingness to come into contact with them. Results: The people described in the vignette were considered dangerous by 84.4% of participants for schizophrenia, 72.0% of participants for depression, and 63.1% of participants for GAD. Besides being dangerous, people with schizophrenia were perceived as unpredictable and as the least suitable for voting for as a politician or employing. Around 50% of participants believed the problems described in the vignette were due to personal weakness. Over 70% of the non-mental health professionals were not willing to have the people described in the vignette marry into their family. The participants had gained their mental health-related knowledge mainly through the media, mostly from newspapers. Conclusions: The current study found a significant stigma towards individuals with mental disorders and a desire for social distance from such people among non-mental health professionals in general hospitals in Hunan Province. Anti-stigma interventions should focus on addressing non-mental health professionals' beliefs on dangerousness and unpredictability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]