Search

Specialize? Diversify? Do patients care? The authors investigate the demand-side effects of a hospital's portfolio strategy, which entails decisions about the depth and breadth of its service offerings. Positing that both depth (focus) and breadth (related focus) signal expertise, the authors use both archival and experimental evidence to examine these effects. The archival study is based on Florida's State Inpatient Databases for 2006–2015 and spans all major departments in health care delivery. The empirical analysis exploits plausible exogenous variation from other health care markets and reveals that patient choice is positively influenced by a hospital's depth (focus) and breadth (related focus) of expertise in a department. Complementing the archival evidence, the authors also conducted online experiments to examine the signaling effects of hospital portfolio strategy on patient choice behavior. The results provide support for the idea that hospital portfolio strategy influences patients' perceptions of hospital expertise in focal and related areas and, subsequently, their choice behavior. The authors also highlight potential synergistic effects between focus and related focus and heterogeneity in the effects across departments, payer types, and hospital profit status. These findings underscore the need for managers to adopt a targeted approach to portfolio decisions in health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What motivates consumers to avoid unhealthy behaviors (e.g. consuming sugar, energy drinks, and fast food)? Traditional interventions and lay intuition suggest that to motivate themselves, consumers can consider the negative long-term health consequences of their decisions. Yet, consumers still struggle to avoid unhealthy behaviors. Seven experiments (N  =   4,021) offer a different approach. We find that considering short-term costs of unhealthy behaviors (e.g. irritability or indigestion after eating sugar) better curbs these behaviors than considering long-term costs or no costs. We theorize that short-term costs are more effective at reducing unhealthy behavior because they are more strongly associated with the act of consumption, both in terms of immediate timing and perceived likelihood of costs occurring. As such, short-term costs are better at undermining the reason for consuming unhealthily: anticipated enjoyment of the consumption experience. We test this process by (a) demonstrating mediation via increased association strength and subsequent decreased anticipated enjoyment, (b) manipulating the association strength between consumption and costs (i.e. same cost realized sooner vs. later), and (c) demonstrating moderation via consumers' goal for eating unhealthily. These results identify a powerful but underutilized self-regulation strategy—emphasizing short-term costs of unhealthy consumption—with implications for consumers and marketers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the gap between the theory and practice of person-centered services for adults with intellectual disabilities in the United States. It explores the rhetoric of personalized services—it gives a history of social care, rehearses the logic of person-centered planning and outlines the tension of conflicting disability policies. Then it defines the nature of choice and explains how limited alternatives undermine choice. Next the article describes the reality of restricted service options, summarizing the conclusions of a survey of American families and a meta-review of the effectiveness of person-centered planning. After recapping the contrast between rhetoric and reality, objections to the analysis are addressed. Finally, the article offers solutions for service system transformation. While the thesis pertains to the United States, its lessons are applicable to other nations. Points of interest: In recent years, supports for adults with intellectual disabilities have been shifting from a system based on what is available from service agencies to an approach that is tailored to individual needs and wants. Choice in services requires having multiple options from which to choose. There is a gap between theory and practice in the United States. Laws and regulations require services based on individual needs and wants, yet in many cases this is not reality. Because of many social factors, people with intellectual disabilities are fit into standard service packages rather than having supports matched to their individual needs and wants. Change in multiple social systems is necessary to create personal supports and choice in services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Theories of addiction guide scientific progress, funding priorities, and policy development and ultimately shape how people experiencing or recovering from addiction are perceived and treated. Choice theories of addiction are heterogenous, and different models have divergent implications. This breeds confusion among laypeople, scientists, practitioners, and policymakers and reduces the utility of robust findings that have the potential to reduce the global burden of addiction-associated harms. Objective: Here we differentiate classes of choice models and articulate a novel framing for a class of addiction models, called contextual models, which share as a first principle the influence of the environment and other contextual factors on behavior within discrete choice contexts. Results: These models do not assume that all choice behaviors are voluntary, but instead that both proximal and distal characteristics of the choice environment–and particularly the benefits and costs of both drug use and non-drug alternatives–can influence behavior in ways that are outside of the awareness of the individual. From this perspective, addiction is neither the individual's moral failing nor an internal uncontrollable urge but rather is the result of environmental contingencies that reinforce the behavior. Conclusions: Contextual models have implications for guiding research, practice, and policy, including identification of novel target mechanisms while also improving existing interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Implementation of shared decision‐making in antenatal care has had limited exploration. Objective: To assess what is known about shared decision‐making in antenatal care. Search Strategy: Five databases were searched (1997–2022) limited to English language studies from OECD countries. Data Collection and Analysis: A data collection table was constructed with findings from 32 papers. A narrative synthesis was conducted with subsequent thematic analysis of included papers. Main Results: Four areas of decision‐making were identified with six themes revealing enablers and barriers to shared decision‐making in antenatal care. Conclusion: Implementation of shared decision‐making requires continuity, time and personalisation of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People are inundated with readily accessible entertainment media choices. Recommender systems are frequently utilized to support people's media selection and engagement. The psychological factors that influence people's engagement with recommender systems and entertainment content is an under-explored area. This paper reports the findings of an exploratory study where users' explicit experiences of audiovisual media services (e.g., Netflix, TikTok, YouTube, HBO Max) and their recommender systems were examined through an online survey (n = 339). Thematic analysis, factor analysis, and path analysis were used to evaluate the data. The results indicate that (1) recommender systems influence users' emotions and media use, (2) people prefer personalized compared to generic recommendation lists, (3) the temporal length of recommended content influences people's interest, and (4) perceived utility leads to the endorsement of recommender systems and may influence users' well-being. The findings point to wider psychological implications associated with user awareness of recommender systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose : Aedes aegypti (L.,1762) is a primary vector of arboviral infections like dengue, yellow fever, Zika. Female mosquitoes are influenced by various physical and chemical cues from host when blood feeding, e.g., they find some individuals with certain blood types or certain conditions more attractive than others. This study determined whether Ae. aegypti shows a preference when offered blood from a patient with diabetes mellitus (DM), an endocrine disorder associated with abnormal glucose metabolism, compared to healthy blood from non-DMs. Methods: In the dual feeding experiments, forty newly emerged female mosquitoes were provided with two blood feeding systems with blood from a non-diabetic (healthy) and diabetic patient using artificial feeders. Blood from 12 diabetic and 12 non-diabetic patients was matched by ABO blood type (e.g., diabetic type O blood was compared with non-diabetic type O blood). The number of mosquitoes that landed and fed from each membrane was counted every 2 min for thirty minutes. Results: Ae. aegypti species significantly preferred for blood from non-diabetic individuals (50–65% among the different blood type groups) compared to blood from diabetic individuals. Using multiplex allele-specific PCR it was also determined that, Ae. aegypti significantly preferred the O blood group regardless of blood sugar level compared to others. Conclusion: Ae. aegypti has less preference for diabetic blood to non-diabetics. Regardless people affected with this condition need to take preventive measures to reduce mosquito bites as they tend to have weaker immune systems and can experience more severe cases of dengue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The arrival of “big data” promises new degrees of precision in understanding human behavior. Could it also allow drawing a finer line between “choice” and “circumstances”? In a culture in which individual responsibility continues to be celebrated, this raises questions about new opportunities for institutional design with a stronger focus on individual responsibility. But what is it that can be learned from big data? In this paper I argue that we should not expect a “god’s eye view” on choice versus circumstances from big data. “Responsibility” is a social construct that depends on the logic of different social situations, as well as our epistemic access to certain counterfactuals (e.g., whether an agent “could have acted differently”). It is this epistemic dimension that changes with the arrival of big data. But while this might help overcome some epistemic barriers, it might also create new problems, e.g., because of polluted and hence biased data. This is not just a theoretical problem; it is directly connected to the regulation of insurance. The new developments force us to directly confront questions about mutualist versus solidaristic forms of insurance, and more generally about how much weight to ascribe to individual responsibility, given all we know about unequal background circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increasing calls for authentic assessment in higher education, the reference point for authenticity has been questioned. Typically, researchers define authenticity in relation to purposes of higher education, which are contested. Advancing the notion of educational authenticity rather than professional, societal, disciplinary, or developmental authenticity, we shift the reference point from outcomes to the process of meaningful student engagement. To illuminate features of educational authenticity in assessment, we surveyed students about their most interesting, engaging assessment and analysed 302 explanations why that assignment was so engaging. While many students cited real-world connections, consistent with most authentic assessment literature, more described having choice in some aspect of the assignment. We examined how choice, not typically a defining feature of authentic assessment, and real-world connection mattered to students and promoted meaningful engagement. Understanding and designing for educational authenticity can lead to various, valued outcomes highlighted in existing authentic assessment literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A collaborative approach is critical in inclusive research and should incorporate taking time to build relationships with co-researchers based on trust and shared understanding. Involvement can often be seen as tokenistic and in order to avoid this, it is important to provide opportunities for people to exercise choice throughout the research process. Main body: The current paper outlines learnings from a co-researcher training process for young people with disabilities to identify the ways in which meaningful choice can be facilitated with this group. While conducting training of co-researchers in topics such as research methods, we were continuously led by the group with regards to the directions that the sessions took and promoted problem solving with the group to accommodate the unique needs of all members. The overall aim of a wider project was to develop research capacity in a group of young people with disabilities through co-researcher training and this paper will report on learnings from this work with regards to how we sought to provide opportunities for the co-researchers to exercise choice within research projects. Feedback from the group of young people highlighted the variety of needs and expectations that must be accommodated in such a process and therefore, allowing them to dictate the extent and manner of their engagement is key. Young people with disabilities are a heterogeneous group and therefore, some methodologies and ways of working required adaptation in order to facilitate meaningful choice and engagement for all. Conclusion: Providing meaningful opportunities for demonstrating their choices, in relation to elements of research projects, is a critical component of facilitating a rights-based approach when conducting co-research and requires researchers to cede some level of control over the research process to co-researchers. This can be difficult to achieve in practice and researchers must continuously reflect on their own practice and be willing to change and adapt throughout the process. Plain English summary: It is very important that all members of society can be part of research teams so that researchers can develop projects that will provide good outcomes, however, not all people with disabilities have opportunities to take part in research projects. This project supported a group of young people with disabilities to develop research skills through a set of workshops and this paper describes what the researchers learned from these workshops. This paper will help researchers to understand how best to capture the voices of this population for future research. Young people with disabilities are all different and must be supported to give their opinion in the way that suits them best. Researchers must always think about the ways that they work and change how they work if it is not good for supporting young people with disabilities to work with them on research projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Textbook psychology holds that people usually prefer a certain option over a risky one when options are framed as gains but prefer the opposite when options are framed as losses. However, this pattern can be amplified, eliminated, or reversed depending on whether option descriptions include only positive information (e.g., "200 people will be saved"), only negative information (e.g., "400 people will not be saved"), or both. Previous studies suggest that framing effects arise only when option descriptions are mismatched across frames. Using online and student samples (N s = 906 and 521), we investigated 81 framing-effect variants created from matched and mismatched pairs of 18 option descriptions (nine in each frame). Description valence or gist explained substantial variation in risk preferences (prospect theory does not predict such variation), but a considerable framing effect remained in our balanced design. Risky-choice framing effects appear to be partly—but not completely—the result of mismatched comparisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community colleges provide broad access to a college degree due to their less expensive tuition, greater course time offerings, and more open admission policies compared to four-year universities as reported (Juszkiewicz, 2015). These institutions have great potential to diversify who chooses STEM, such as engineering. Such diverse representation is important, because students from different backgrounds can contribute new perspectives that foster creative and innovative approaches to solving problems. However, approximately 40% of the students who enter community college in the U.S. leave before graduation (Xu & Jaggars, 2011). Harnessing the power of social media to reduce attrition, we tested a pilot intervention in which community college students in engineering courses completed a reflection exercise after watching YouTube videos of former engineering students from similar backgrounds who successfully transferred to a four-year college. Quasi-experimental analyses (N = 537) show that students in the intervention received higher engineering course grades and had greater odds of enrolling in an engineering course in the subsequent term compared to those who were not in the intervention. Additionally, we find support for the hypothesis that the intervention has larger benefits for women. Results suggest that hearing from other students about their engineering experience can be a useful tool for improving community college students' choices and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Levels of food insecurity (FI) and the need for food support have increased dramatically since the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. These crises also enabled substantial innovation in food support provision, including a move away from more traditional food bank models toward social supermarkets (SSM). These are characterized as not-for-profit social enterprises that sell mostly food, at low or symbolic prices to those living near or in poverty. In this article we provide a timely empirical account of SSMs and the experiences and perspectives of their members, focusing on three key themes: access, dignity, and choice. We use a mixed-methods approach based on questionnaires (n = 111) and interviews (n = 25) with SSMs members, engaging with local priorities and perspectives in the active co-creation of the research. Our findings demonstrate that SSM's provision is more inclusive and mindful of the diversity and agency of their members, doing away with pre-conceived ideas of food support recipients as passive citizens. While not a panacea, we argue that SSMs offer an alternative model for providing food support and one that could be replicated broadly or used side-by-side with food banks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability is a relevant and pressing theme in which concepts and tools of cultural systems analysis should be applied to a greater extent. The misalignment of the incentive system for producers and consumers raises the issue of sustainable production and consumption of goods and services. A change of paradigm may be needed for shifting defective practices into better informed choices that are consistent with environmental targets and avoid the overexploitation of our planet's resources. Previous efforts include the 2010 special issue of The Behavior Analyst and the Matrix Project, which advocated a greater involvement of behavior analysts and scientists in sustainability issues. In this conceptual analysis, we continue this effort by analyzing and discussing some of the contingencies underlying: i. manufacturers' drive for offering environmentally friendly goods; ii. consumers' bounded choices; and iii. their interaction in the market for achieving sustainable goals. We provide examples of virtuous and defective practices and relate to the Green Shift in Norway. The potential impact of this work consists of informing and influencing policymakers and advocacy organizations as agents of change. Their work is key to shape producers' and consumers' preferences for implementing sustainable practices and achieving common environmental goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of decision‐making is to select one option and disregard the others. However, deliberation can also create a memory association between the chosen and unchosen options. This study aims to investigate how choice and deliberation affect the memory of postdecision options and the underlying mechanisms. Using event‐related potentials (ERPs), we examined item recognition (Experiment 1) and associative recognition (Experiment 2) following certain and uncertain decisions. In Experiment 1, items that were chosen in certain decisions were remembered better than unchosen items. There was no difference between chosen and unchosen items in uncertain decisions. Moreover, a late recollection‐related LPC (a late positive component) old/new effect was larger for chosen items than unchosen items in certain decisions. The early familiarity‐related FN400 and the late recollection‐related LPC old/new effects were significant for chosen and unchosen items in uncertain decisions. In Experiment 2, there was no difference in performance on associative memory. A FN400 old/new effect (an index of integration) in certain or uncertain decisions was not observed. Although significant LPC old/new effects were found in both certain and uncertain decisions, no difference was found between them. These results propose that decision‐making can enhance item memory performance through two distinct processes: value and elaboration. Elaboration involves focusing on the details within items rather than integrating items into a cohesive whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionMethodFindingsConclusionEvery child deserves the right to life. In Nigeria like other African countries, a high burden of child mortality prevails. Attaining a low-mortality rate of children entails that mothers who are the primary caregivers are in the best position to provide quality healthcare management.With the phenomenological approach in qualitative research, the researchers sourced data using Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and In-Depth Interviews (IDI) from 38 mothers of various categories. The participants were purposively selected from four government and mission health institutions in a semi-urban Nsukka town, Enugu State. Data were analyzed thematically.Results revealed that mothers utilize health institutions including government, mission, private, pharmacies and patent medicine vendors when seeking healthcare for their children. Their inability to recognize potential life-threatening conditions is the leading factor in increasing child mortality. Findings show that because participants were concerned about financial challenges; they were ready to adopt traditional medicine as an alternative to modern medicine. The study showed evidence of unsafe strategies mothers adopt for the health management of their under-five children with common illnesses. Participants indicated little knowledge of social workers’ engagement in health institutions.Healthy living is essential in the protection from illnesses. Since under-five children are vulnerable to illnesses, their mothers should provide them with quality healthcare management. The study recommends that social workers’ engagement with health providers and users in semi-urban societies could help propagate healthcare awareness and strategies in mothers’ choice of health management for under-five children in Nigeria. Overall, adequate health policy consideration should be given to all under-five children in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite their young age, zebrafish larvae have a well-developed visual system and can distinguish between different visual stimuli. First, we investigated if the first visual surroundings the larvae experience during the first days after hatching shape their habitat preference. Indeed, these animals seem to "imprint" on the first surroundings they see and select visual stimuli accordingly at 7 days post fertilization (dpf). In particular, if zebrafish larvae experience a bar background just after hatching, they later on prefer bars over white stimuli, and vice versa. We then used this acquired preference for bars to investigate innate numerical abilities. We wanted to specifically test if the zebrafish larvae show real numerical abilities or if they rely on a lower-level mechanism—i.e. spatial frequency—to discriminate between two different numerosities. When we matched the spatial frequency in stimuli with different numbers of bars, the larvae reliably selected the higher numerosity. A previous study has ruled out that 7 dpf zebrafish larvae use convex hull, cumulative surface area and density to choose between two numerosities. Therefore, our results indicate that zebrafish larvae rely on real numerical abilities rather than other cues, including spatial frequency, when spontaneously comparing two sets with different numbers of bars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issue Addressed Methods Results Conclusions So What? The study addresses the global health concern of sugar overconsumption, particularly focusing on the prevalence of sugar‐sweetened beverage consumption among young people.The study tested three different health promotion campaign concepts, designed to reduce sugar‐sweetened beverage intake and promote water consumption as a healthier alternative. A total of 402 young adults (18–29) were recruited from a university campus and an online panel. Participants were randomly assigned to view one of three campaign images: one advocating for substituting sugar‐sweetened beverages with water, and two exclusively promoting water consumption. These images were assessed through an online survey, which included questions on emotional response, salience, attitudes and intentions towards various beverages.Participants exposed to the campaign emphasising the benefits of water showed a greater intention to increase water consumption and reduce both sugar‐ and non‐sugar‐sweetened beverages compared with the other groups. There were no significant differences observed for the beverage choice task across the campaigns.The findings suggest that messaging focusing on the benefits of water holds promise in encouraging healthier beverage consumption intentions among young adults. The lack of significant differences in the beverage choice task across the campaigns indicates a need for further research to explore long‐term behaviour change effects.By highlighting the benefits of water consumption, campaigns may have the potential to positively influence beverage choices and promote healthier habits. Continued research in this area can provide valuable insights for developing more impactful interventions aimed at reducing sugar‐sweetened beverage consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) are farmed in Australia primarily for their skins and meat. Commercially, they are raised in group pens as hatchlings and grower crocodiles and then moved to unitised (individual) pens for the final finishing stage when they are several years old. They will exhibit aggressive behaviour towards each other in captivity. Unitised pens can prevent animal injury and teeth marks on the skins but may result in other social restrictions. Research into behavioural housing preferences could assist the industry and inform the process of guideline development for optimal crocodile management and welfare. This study assessed the impacts of two housing systems, unitised or group pens, in 20 commercial finishing crocodiles through measuring behavioural profiles of individuals from video recordings, including housing preference when given a choice. Both pens included water and an abovewater shelf, but the crocodiles in unitised pens could also access underneath the shelf. A threat perception test was applied to assess anxiety when housed individually or in groups. However, it was difficult to apply a standardised stimulus to all animals that reliably elicited a behavioural response. Further work would be needed to validate this test for commercial reptiles as the outcomes were not robust. The behavioural observation results showed clear differences in where the crocodiles spent their time across the day and in their activity levels between the pen types. However, interpretation of this variation was confounded by the physical and social differences between the pen types given the inconsistency in shelf access. Behaviours exhibited also differed given there were social opportunities in the group pens where individuals were observed engaged in both aggressive and non-aggressive contact interactions. In the free choice environment, crocodiles spent similar amounts of time in both unitised and group pens, suggesting there were features of both pen types that were attractive to the animals. However, skins were damaged from teeth marks highlighting the physical and economical risks of group housing. Further work could validate behavioural tests to quantify affective state impacts in different housing environments and whether social interactions do provide benefits for improving crocodile welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article attends to the emotional resonances of ‘stuckedness’ and (in)voluntary return as experienced by Nicaraguan migrants stranded in Spain during the COVID-19 pandemic. Feeling both figuratively and literally trapped in a context of cascading lockdowns, border closures, and travel restrictions, many viewed Spain’s Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) programme as offering a choice to ‘freely’ depart Spain – a way to simultaneously leave their distressing circumstances behind while returning to the comfort of ‘home’ and family. Building on recent literature that challenges the basis for participation in such programmes as founded on free, voluntary, and individual decisions, this article contends that, for some, the act of ‘choosing’ to return generates a profound and unexpected emotional response. In the case of a Nicaraguan migrant woman explored in detail here, the execution of said return activates feelings of relief, euphoria, and hope, as well as a renewed sense of self. Nevertheless, her response is temporally and geographically contingent, as returning to Nicaragua via AVRR does not necessarily diminish her desire to remigrate or render her less ‘stuck’. The empirical material that informs this paper was collected through digital ethnography and in-person encounters in both Spain and Nicaragua between 2020 and 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A frequent comment by academic writing tutors is ‘use more citation’, yet this may not be helpful. University students may have difficulty with citation practices for several reasons. Prior to university, students may be encouraged to develop arguments based on personal opinions. At university, the risks of plagiarism are emphasised. Finally, students may be uncertain about challenging ‘expert’ views and how to assert their own voices critically and in ways that are acceptable in the disciplines and genres they are producing. This paper integrates findings from research that reveals the complexity of citation practices which could be presented as an intricate system network that might be practical for research purposes or for teacher education, but is more complicated than most students need. Three sample lessons are presented to show how research findings have been simplified for teaching students about citation. We are therefore able to compare theory that presents many logical possibilities, with research that presents probabilities and findings from specific contexts, with pedagogical practice in sample lessons that condense and often simplify theory and research in order to influence student writing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the ovipositional and olfactory preferences of gravid pod moths in both choice and non-choice settings. In terms of olfactory preferences, pod moth neonates strongly preferred Abutilon indicum under choice conditions, showing nil interest in other hosts. Under non-choice conditions, both neonates and final-instar larvae thrived on A. indicum but refrained from feeding on other hosts or diets, leading to neonate mortality. Remarkably, neonates exhibited an absolute preference for A. indicum seeds, being unable to feed on Abutilon seed diets or green cotton bolls, resulting in starvation-induced mortality. A majority of the final-instar larvae successfully fed, entered pupation and completed their life cycle on A. indicum seeds but the majority entered diapause when exposed to other hosts or diets as compared to A. indicum at a temperature of 21°C, a relative humidity of 60% and a photoperiod of 14:10 hours (light:dark). Cage studies confirmed pod moth's strong preference for A. indicum , allowing for successful larval feeding and adult emergence. However, pod moth failed to establish on cotton green bolls, underscoring their exclusive reliance on A. indicum as a host. These findings illuminate the intricate host preferences and behaviour of pod moth, underscoring the pivotal role of A. indicum in their life cycle, and is helpful for further research to exploit pod moth as an agent for biological control of the weed A. indicum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educators teaching at community-engaged universities can benefit from learning best practices to prepare 21st century citizens. This case study explores why undergraduate students in an online volunteer management course select an organization to complete a community-engaged learning activity. Theory-based teaching strategies integrating the characteristics of quality community-engaged learning are outlined. Qualitative analysis of student reflections resulted in six categories representing student choices including: social connections, exploring interests, positive human connection, organizational engagement, aligning values, and commitment to the cause. The lessons learned can help educators enhance students' learning by nurturing diverse community connections, establishing student-centered course goals, and constructing significant learning strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: Over the past decade, Kelantan has consistently ranked among the top three states in Malaysia for the highest number of registered child marriages, garnering attention in local and international news. However, little is understood about the local factors influencing girls' decisions to marry young. This study aimed to explore these reasons from the perspective of young women involved in child marriages in Kelantan, Malaysia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fourteen women aged 16-30, married before 18, participated in semi-structured, in-depth interviews. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using NVivo® software. Thematic analysis, drawing from phenomenology and socioecological theory, revealed three overlapping themes. RESULTS: Themes emerged were: (1) self-fulfilment, (2) marriage brings security, and (3) avoidance of public ridicule. CONCLUSION: The study underscores societal and familial pressures, alongside low socioeconomic status, and religious factors, as central to child marriage in Malaysia. By amplifying the voices of these women, efforts can focus on preventing the consequences and devising solutions to curb this practice in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the natural world, animals make decisions on an ongoing basis, continuously selecting which action to undertake next. In the lab, however, the neural bases of decision processes have mostly been studied using artificial trial structures. New experimental tools based on the genetic toolkit of model organisms now make it experimentally feasible to monitor and manipulate neural activity in small subsets of neurons during naturalistic behaviors. We thus propose a new approach to investigating decision processes, termed reverse neuroethology. In this approach, experimenters select animal models based on experimental accessibility and then utilize cutting-edge tools such as connectomes and genetically encoded reagents to analyze the flow of information through an animal's nervous system during naturalistic choice behaviors. We describe how the reverse neuroethology strategy has been applied to understand the neural underpinnings of innate, rapid decision making, with a focus on defensive behavioral choices in the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background A collaborative approach is critical in inclusive research and should incorporate taking time to build relationships with co-researchers based on trust and shared understanding. Involvement can often be seen as tokenistic and in order to avoid this, it is important to provide opportunities for people to exercise choice throughout the research process. Main body The current paper outlines learnings from a co-researcher training process for young people with disabilities to identify the ways in which meaningful choice can be facilitated with this group. While conducting training of co-researchers in topics such as research methods, we were continuously led by the group with regards to the directions that the sessions took and promoted problem solving with the group to accommodate the unique needs of all members. The overall aim of a wider project was to develop research capacity in a group of young people with disabilities through co-researcher training and this paper will report on learnings from this work with regards to how we sought to provide opportunities for the co-researchers to exercise choice within research projects. Feedback from the group of young people highlighted the variety of needs and expectations that must be accommodated in such a process and therefore, allowing them to dictate the extent and manner of their engagement is key. Young people with disabilities are a heterogeneous group and therefore, some methodologies and ways of working required adaptation in order to facilitate meaningful choice and engagement for all. Conclusion Providing meaningful opportunities for demonstrating their choices, in relation to elements of research projects, is a critical component of facilitating a rights-based approach when conducting co-research and requires researchers to cede some level of control over the research process to co-researchers. This can be difficult to achieve in practice and researchers must continuously reflect on their own practice and be willing to change and adapt throughout the process.

When consumers select bundles of goods, they may construct those sequentially (e.g. building a bouquet one flower at a time) or make a single choice of a prepackaged bundle (e.g. selecting an already-complete bouquet). Previous research suggested that the sequential construction of bundles encourages variety seeking. The present research revisits this claim and offers a theoretical explanation rooted in combinatorics and norm communication. When constructing a bundle, a consumer chooses among different choice permutations, but when selecting amongst prepackaged bundles, the consumer typically considers unique choice combinations. Because variety is typically overrepresented among permutations compared to combinations, certain consumers (in particular, those with similar attitudes toward items that could compose a bundle) are induced by these different numbers of pathways to variety to display more or less variety-seeking behavior. This is in part explained by the variety norms communicated by different choice architectures, cues most likely to be inferred and used by those who are indifferent between the potential bundle components and thus looking for guidance. Across 5 studies in the main text and 11 in the web appendix , this article tests this account and offers preliminary exploration of newly identified residual effects that the pathways-to-variety account cannot explain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relevance of the proposed research is determined by the reviving the interest of modern literary studies of the figure of Volodymyr Vynnychenko, determining the place of his creativity in the context of European modernism, the ambiguity of assessments of this phenomenon in the context of Ukrainian fine literature. The article examines Volodymyr Vynnychenko’s novels in the discourse of French Existentialism. Attention is focused on outlining the similarities and differences between J.-P. Sartre, A. Camus and V. Vynnychenko’s worldviews and aesthetic views. The origins of the existentialist method in the work of the Ukrainian émigré writer and its inclusion in the discourse of French atheistic of Existentialism are also analysed, and some conclusions of the “Mougins” cycle of Vynnychenko’s works are investigated using summarized prospects for its study in a broad and its European context is also outlined. The authors examine the forms and methods of aesthetic refraction of the basic concepts of existentialism (absurdity, rebellion, freedom, choice, and relationships at the level “I – the Other”). The purpose of the work and the tasks involve analyzing the philosophical and artistic texts of Vynychenko in the discourse of French existentialism, as well as revealing the main philosophical ideas and functions of the novels of the Ukrainian writer, consistent with the creative guidelines of J.-P. Sartre and A. Camus. The set of goals determines the need for the use of hermeneutic (analysis of artistic texts), historical-literary, comparative-typological (posing and solving a number of literary problems in the context of equal national literature, and biographical (using diary entries) research methods. The problem is determining the place of ideology in the context of French existentialism and the “Mougins’” cycle of Vynnychenko’s works, was raised in literary studies as early as the 70s of the last century, in particular by diaspora researchers S. Naumovych and L. Zaleska-Onyshkevych, who tried to show the priority of Vynnychenko’s writing compared to Sartre and Camus. The problem of existentialism as a philosophical direction was considered in the late 1940s among the members of the Artistic Ukrainian Movement, attempting to formulate the concept of “Ukrainian existentialism”. The Ukrainian researcher Ya. Kotets includes diaspora representatives 70 years later in the article “The Formula of Ukrainian Existentialism” (2021). There are several Ukrainian and Soviet writers who produce some existential ideas and elements of existential interpretation of human life, but they should not be called conscious writers-existentialists. Among modern Ukrainian works need to name “Existentialist philosophy. Traditions and perspectives” by S. Raida (2009), as well as the comparative study “Ukrainian version of artistic existentialism: B.I. Antonych, V. Svidzinsky, T. Osmachka in the European context” (2020) by H. Tokman, where is introduced the concept of “artistic existentialism”. The critical optics of the research make it possible to combine the historical and philosophical specificity of the interwar twenty years and the post-war period, on which are built the works of Vynnychenko, Sartre and Camus. It is an attempt to show the originality of the philosophical and aesthetic views of the emigrant Vynnychenko in the paradigm of French existentialism, to demonstrate the similarity of the Ukrainian type of philosophizing (from Skovoroda, Franko, Lesya Ukrainka to Vynnychenko), to analyze his characteristic orientation towards a person who faces the eternal problems of life, death, and evil. Such non-scientific philosophizing gave birth to special genre forms: essay, aphorism, portrait, dialogue, drama, and novel, which can be found in V.Vynnychenko’s literary work. Vynnychenko belongs to those thinkers who went beyond the boundaries of traditional philosophy in order to comprehend the broader meaning of the entire spiritual culture, developing the ideas of A. Schopenhauer, F. Nietzsche, A. Bergson, the theosophical theory of R. Steiner, in their writings. Vynnychenko set himself the goal of revealing prospects for further development to man, to give meaning to its existence, to point it to certain positive values, that is, to overcome the extremes of German and French existentialism and develop a positive philosophical platform.

Although feedback is a widely used intervention for improving performance, it is unclear what characteristics individuals prefer and what is necessary for it to be effective. The purpose of this study was to systematically extend Simonian and Brand (2022) by addressing the limitations of the study and adding a best‐treatment phase. During an acquisition phase, participants received either positive, corrective, or no feedback upon task completion. Nine of 10 participants mastered the task that was associated with corrective feedback, and one participant mastered the task with no feedback. Eight participants completed a preference phase in which they were provided a choice of either positive or corrective feedback when learning to play a novel game. Half of the eight participants showed a preference for corrective feedback, and the remaining participants had mixed preferences. Overall, corrective feedback was more efficacious and more preferred than positive feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Loneliness is a frequent experience among family members engaging in caregiving responsibilities and may vary across racial and ethnic groups. This study aimed to examine (a) the difference in loneliness between non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White caregivers, (b) the associations between loneliness and perceptions of choice and purpose in caregiving, and (c) whether those associations with loneliness differ by caregivers' race. Method: Descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression were conducted in a population-based sample of 1000 caregivers (Black caregivers, n = 199; White caregivers, n = 801) from the 2020 Caregiving in the U.S. Study. The survey design was properly addressed. Key variables included loneliness (level of feeling alone about being a caregiver), choice (whether or not reporting a choice in taking on the caregiver responsibility), sense of purpose (level of purpose/meaning in life from caregiving), and race (Black/White). Models adjusted for caregiving characteristics (e.g., hour of caregiving) and sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., age and education). Results: Black caregivers had lower odds of reporting a higher level vs. a lower level of loneliness than White caregivers (aOR = 0.67, 95%CI = 0.47, 0.96). Reporting having no choice was associated with higher odds of a higher level of loneliness (aOR, 0.77, 95%CI = 0.67, 0.88). Higher sense of purpose scores were associated with lower odds of a higher level of loneliness (aOR = 0.81, 95%CI = 0.71, 0.93). No significant moderation effects of race were found. Conclusion: Black caregivers reported lower loneliness scores than White caregivers. Reporting no choice and lower sense of purpose were associated with higher loneliness in both racial groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article intervenes in the globally polarised terrain of debates on violence and agency in sex work. With a critical eye on how developmentalism governs these debates, the article explores fictive kin relations between women in Sonagachi, a prominent red-light area in Eastern India. Through an analysis of ethnographic observations and life-history interviews among madams and sex workers across three brothel households, this article argues that the configuration of 'family-like' relationships needs to be understood against a backdrop of what 'family' implies for socio-economically marginalised women who sell sex in urban India. Specifically, experiences of choice and coercion within these relationships are predicated on how madams and sex workers respond to kosto, a vernacularised articulation of everyday violence in each other's lives, through jotno or care. Through this, the article sheds light on everyday forms of harm and solidarity between women in a red-light area, challenging institutionalised exceptionalisms of violence within sex work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Choice can be defined in thermodynamical terms, and shown to have a thermodynamic cost: choosing between a binary alternative at temperature T dissipates an energy E ≥ k T ln 2 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One primary goal of laboratory animal welfare science is to provide a comprehensive severity assessment of the experimental and husbandry procedures or conditions these animals experience. The severity, or degree of suffering, of these conditions experienced by animals are typically scored based on anthropocentric assumptions. We propose to (a) assess an animal's subjective experience of condition severity, and (b) not only rank but scale different conditions in relation to one another using choice-based preference testing. The Choice-based Severity Scale (CSS) utilizes animals' relative preferences for different conditions, which are compared by how much reward is needed to outweigh the perceived severity of a given condition. Thus, this animal-centric approach provides a common scale for condition severity based on the animal's perspective. To assess and test the CSS concept, we offered three opportunistically selected male rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) choices between two conditions: performing a cognitive task in a typical neuroscience laboratory setup (laboratory condition) versus the monkey's home environment (cage condition). Our data show a shift in one individual's preference for the cage condition to the laboratory condition when we changed the type of reward provided in the task. Two additional monkeys strongly preferred the cage condition over the laboratory condition, irrespective of reward amount and type. We tested the CSS concept further by showing that monkeys' choices between tasks varying in trial duration can be influenced by the amount of reward provided. Altogether, the CSS concept is built upon laboratory animals' subjective experiences and has the potential to de-anthropomorphize severity assessments, refine experimental protocols, and provide a common framework to assess animal welfare across different domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Planning Education & Research is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Buca Faculty of Education Journal / Buca Egitim Fakültesi Dergisi is the property of Buca Faculty of Education Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)