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Birthday cards are a ceremonial token that may purposefully or unintentionally transmit stereotypes about the ageing process. In the current study, the authors examined 150 age-specific paper birthday cards sold in retail outlets located in a small metropolitan area. Results suggest that a greater proportion of the cards' textual messages represented ageing in a negative manner (66.7%). Further, the negativity of these written messages did not appear to vary as a function of the intended recipient's chronological age or sex. The findings are compared to those of previous studies conducted in this area. As well, limitations and directions for future research are outlined.

Privacy concerns may influence many choices consumers make. However, their expressed concerns are sometimes inconsistent with their information-sharing and privacy-protecting behaviors. Many theories have been proposed to explain the paradoxical gap between privacy attitudes and behaviors. Part of the privacy paradox may be explained with two measures that have received limited consideration: impulsiveness and social desirability bias (SDB). Surveys of US adults in 2015 and 2022 included questions to measure several types of privacy concerns along with impulsive tendencies and SDB (N = 2729). Age, education, gender, race, income, and impulsive tendencies were linked with some privacy concerns. If people with above-average concerns also disclose personal information on impulse, it might explain part of the paradox. Large coefficients on the SDB measure suggest that individuals who adjust their responses to be consistent with social norms may also overstate specific privacy concerns. For these individuals, their high expressed concerns may be inconsistent with their privacy behaviors. When researchers try to explain consumer attitudes or actions that involve privacy, multiple privacy concern dimensions should be considered and demographics, impulsive tendencies, and SDB should be included in the models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper explores how aging bodies of middle-aged women can enable and constrain participation in physical activity. The study is inspired by the process sociology of Norbert Elias and builds on qualitative empirical material from passive observations (N = 57), focus groups (N = 51), and individual follow-up interviews (N = 21) with middle-aged Danish women who participated in a 3-month research project with exercise intervention. The qualitative study found that awareness of bodily aging enabled the taking up of exercise in the intervention. Additionally, taking up regular exercise in midlife can be understood as a highly rationalized leisure-time activity in relation to societal moral norms of self-responsibility for own physiological health. Furthermore, the qualitative material indicates that participation enabled a self-realization among the middle-aged women, as strong and capable bodies counter to the biomedical view of decline in the aging body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coaches play an instrumental role in the experiences of youth sport participants. Though girls participate in youth sport at similar rates as boys, coaching positions continue to be dominated by men. Existing research supports the value of diverse role models, especially for culturally diverse youth, and women coaches of color are especially important in sport given the low participation rates of ethnocultural minorities. Given the importance of diverse role models as sport coaches, this study investigates the experiences of women of color who coach sport at the recreational level. Based on interviews with 14 individuals, and grounded in socioecological theory, our findings describe the experience of research participants at each level (individual, interpersonal, organizational, and sociocultural) with a focus on the entry experience, barriers, and supports. Findings suggest that gendered and racial norms influence experiences across the model, and further lead to practical implications for sport managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine whether subgroups of disability-sport athletes exist on morality- and norm-based doping cognitions and whether these groups differ in anticipated guilt or doping intentions. A survey was completed by 186 athletes (Mage = 37.5 years, 78.0% male, 45.1% wheelchair basketball) assessing norms, doping moral disengagement, anticipated guilt, and intentions to dope. Cluster analysis revealed four distinct subgroups of athletes, including one potentially high-risk subgroup characterized by relatively high scores on doping moral disengagement, subjective norms, and descriptive norms. One-way analysis of variance revealed significantly lower anticipated guilt in two athlete subgroups characterized by relatively higher doping moral disengagement than the other two subgroups. Moreover, the potentially high-risk group had a greater proportion of athletes showing some presence of intention to dope. This study suggests there is a small subgroup of disability-sport athletes at elevated risk of doping who might benefit from targeted antidoping interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brands invest tremendous resources into building engagement with their customers on social media. But considerably less focus is placed on addressing disengagement, when users actively choose to distance themselves from the brand through reduced posting or even unfollowing. The authors find that the same self–brand connections that lead individuals to defensively protect the brand can also lead them to experience shame vicariously when others mention the brand in socially unacceptable ways. Experiencing vicarious shame motivates them to distance themselves from the brand, driving disengagement. Three mixed-method studies show that a socially unacceptable behavior—using profanity while mentioning the brand—leads highly connected consumers to experience vicarious shame, prompting disengagement motivations and ultimately leading to real-world unfollowing behaviors on social media. The authors also show that proactive moderation behaviors by the brand can attenuate these responses. These results provide insight into the process by which self–brand connection interacts with socially unacceptable brand mentions and suggest a limitation to the insulating effects of strong self–brand connections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumers are known to seek out and display conspicuous goods—items that are exclusive and signal wealth and high social standing. Though many factors can drive such conspicuous consumption, the present work looks at an unexplored element: whether consumers find themselves in a dominance versus prestige-based hierarchy. Dominance-based hierarchies encourage consumers to use threatening, assertive, and manipulative behaviors to navigate the hierarchy. In contrast, prestige-based hierarchies encourage consumers to show their talent, skills, and motivation to operate within the hierarchy. The present research reveals how these two main bases of hierarchy shape consumers' consumption of conspicuous goods. Specifically, dominance, relative to prestige hierarchies, is proposed to foster greater social anxiety, which leads people to seek conspicuous goods as a means of psychological security. Consequently, dominance-based hierarchies are more likely to encourage conspicuous consumption relative to prestige-based hierarchies. Multiple experiments, which utilize real employees' behaviors, experimental manipulations of hierarchy, as well as incentivize-compatible decisions, reveal that dominance-based hierarchies, relative to prestige-based hierarchies, increase consumers' preference for conspicuous goods. Moreover, evidence for a psychological mechanism in the form of social anxiety is demonstrated via both mediation and moderation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Only a minority of Americans adequately engage in activities experts recommend to curb preventable diseases, such as the consumption of healthful foods and regular physical exercise. This poses a challenge for policy makers and social marketers alike, given the substantial impact descriptive norms have on behaviors in the health domain. The authors propose a new way to address this challenge by identifying what they call the "uptrend effect." This effect encourages descriptively nonnormative, healthy behaviors through uptrend messaging that makes salient actual increased engagement in those behaviors over time without referencing an objective descriptive norm. Across seven experimental studies, including studies conducted in the field and measuring real behaviors, this research demonstrates that uptrend messaging leads recipients to infer greater descriptive normativity for the target behavior, which subsequently improves engagement. The authors identify theoretically and practically relevant boundary conditions, showing that the uptrend effect is attenuated when the growth in a behavior is driven by a dissimilar group or when the message explicitly states a descriptive norm. They also demonstrate that uptrend messaging outperforms other norm-based approaches. The theory and findings of this research inform scholars, policy makers, and marketers by providing actionable and easy-to-implement techniques to encourage behaviors that improve consumer quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the importance of physical activity (PA) for postpartum women and the need for support and guidance in engaging in PA after childbirth. The authors argue that PA is a human right and that access and education surrounding PA adaptation postpartum should be improved to support mothers' well-being. The article suggests strategies at the policy, community, interpersonal, and individual levels to support postpartum women's PA engagement, emphasizing the need for adequate maternity leave, healthcare guidelines, partnerships with healthcare providers, social support, and self-compassion. The authors conclude that achieving health equity for postpartum women requires input from all levels of society. [Extracted from the article]

Although liminal theory explains transitional periods in consumers' lives – such as preadolescence – the impact of these transitions on emotionally connected actors and the transformations that the latter endure have been largely overlooked. Through a qualitative study of the mothers of preteen girls, we show that liminality spills over and that mothers transform from fully needed to authoritative-friendly moms. During this process, these mothers engage in spilled-over liminal consumption (SOLC), which comprehends concomitantly loosely and creatively crafted rituals and new and re-signified routines. However, amid the process of assuming a new mother's role and helping their daughters' transformation, these mothers unreflectively reinforce traditional gender norms. Based on our findings, we discuss the process of SOLC and how it ends in reproducing gender and class-based stereotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disruptions such as COVID-19—and the subsequent flux they wreak on organizations and society—have become commonplace. In order to advance our understanding of (and adaptation to) future discontinuities and crises, we argue that we require a reconceptualization of how disruption occurs. To do so, we draw on event systems theory; in contrast to previous work viewing disruption as the outcome of a singular event, we focus on how disruption can occur from an event chain—that is, a set of events that are temporally and causally connected. We abductively shape our conceptual arguments by drawing on narratives of past pandemics, reviewing two historical and two fictional texts that (re)create the experiences of those living through the Black Death and subsequent outbreaks of the bubonic plague. Rather than focusing on events themselves, we identify how certain characteristics among events in a chain lead to four microlevel experiences: stagnation, disorientation, polarization, and repudiation. We then proceed to examine how these microlevel reactions culminate into macrolevel transformations of economic, political, and cultural norms. Our event-system perspective on disruption and crises thereby generates insight, not only into understanding the (post-)pandemic world, but also into responses to future discontinuities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific evidence regularly guides policy decisions1, with behavioural science increasingly part of this process2. In April 2020, an influential paper3 proposed 19 policy recommendations (claims) detailing how evidence from behavioural science could contribute to efforts to reduce impacts and end the COVID-19 pandemic. Here we assess 747 pandemic-related research articles that empirically investigated those claims. We report the scale of evidence and whether evidence supports them to indicate applicability for policymaking. Two independent teams, involving 72 reviewers, found evidence for 18 of 19 claims, with both teams finding evidence supporting 16 (89%) of those 18 claims. The strongest evidence supported claims that anticipated culture, polarization and misinformation would be associated with policy effectiveness. Claims suggesting trusted leaders and positive social norms increased adherence to behavioural interventions also had strong empirical support, as did appealing to social consensus or bipartisan agreement. Targeted language in messaging yielded mixed effects and there were no effects for highlighting individual benefits or protecting others. No available evidence existed to assess any distinct differences in effects between using the terms physical distancing and social distancing. Analysis of 463 papers containing data showed generally large samples; 418 involved human participants with a mean of 16,848 (median of 1,699). That statistical power underscored improved suitability of behavioural science research for informing policy decisions. Furthermore, by implementing a standardized approach to evidence selection and synthesis, we amplify broader implications for advancing scientific evidence in policy formulation and prioritization.

Gender role ideology, i.e. beliefs about how genders should behave, is shaped by social learning. Accordingly, if perceptions about the beliefs of others are inaccurate this may impact trajectories of cultural change. Consistent with this premise, recent studies report evidence of a tendency to overestimate peer support for inequitable gender norms, especially among men, and that correcting apparent norm misperception promotes transitions to relatively egalitarian beliefs. However, supporting evidence largely relies on self-report measures vulnerable to social desirability bias. Consequently, observed patterns may reflect researcher measurement error rather than participant misperception. Addressing this shortcoming, we examine mens gender role ideology using both conventional self-reported and a novel wife-reported measure of mens beliefs in an urbanising community in Tanzania. We confirm that participants overestimate peer support for gender inequity. However, the latter measure, which we argue more accurately captures mens true beliefs, implies that this tendency is relatively modest in magnitude and scope. Overestimation was most pronounced among men holding relatively inequitable beliefs, consistent with misperception of peer beliefs reinforcing inequitable norms. Furthermore, older and poorly educated men overestimated peer support for gender inequity the most, suggesting that outdated and limited social information contribute to norm misperception in this context.

The increased prevalence of social media in organizational communication suggests that it is only a matter of time before it is used in sport doping prevention and control. This commentary intends to highlight not only how antidoping organizations and individual athletes are using social media to promote awareness to clean sport competition but also how the relationship between social media and various sport stakeholders may develop in the future. In particular, it focuses on three main areas in the intersection of social media and doping prevention: agenda-setting by antidoping organizations via formal social media campaigns, social norm control by athletes when they post on social media, and social media use by athletes and fans as a form of framing. Prospective research directions, as well as probable future uses of social media in doping enforcement and control, are also discussed, including using social media to monitor athlete whereabouts and to communicate directly with athletes in doping matters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the role of foreign institutional ownership in corporate social responsibility (CSR). Using the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect as a quasi-natural experiment, our difference-in-differences estimation shows that foreign institutional ownership drives firms' CSR corporate social responsibility. Further, the positive effect of foreign institutional ownership on CSR is motivated by foreign institutional investors shifting the stakeholders' logics about social responsibility, not by profit maximization. We also provide evidence that this effect of foreign institutional ownership on CSR is more pronounced among firms with fewer political connections and with non-overconfident CEOs. Overall, our results indicate that foreign institutional investors transmit social norms and shift stakeholders' logics regarding social responsibility and, in turn, propel firms to improve CSR to satisfy their stakeholders' expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are substantial gender gaps in earnings once children are born in many developed countries, despite similar education levels of men and women and accessible childcare facilities. I examine whether gender norms are a driver of women's higher labour market costs of having children using Dutch administrative data. Exploiting large local variation in gender norms in the Netherlands, I compare parents from the Dutch bible belt, where gender norms are on average less egalitarian, with parents from other regions in the Netherlands, where gender norms are more egalitarian. My findings show that having children leads an about 30% larger earnings decrease for women in the bible belt, mainly driven by a larger reduction in working hours. I rule out that differences in pre-child parental characteristics and institutions such as childcare availability explain this result and argue that different gender norms in these two areas likely explain this finding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the natural class of rings where each nilpotent element generates a nilpotent ideal, calling them the strongly 2-primal rings. We derive many basic properties of these rings, analyze their behavior under standard ring constructions and extensions, and taxonomize their relationship to other natural generalizations of commutativity. A slightly stronger condition is to assume that any nilpotent element generates a nilpotent ideal of the same index of nilpotence. We find that the difference between these two properties explains divergent behaviors in direct products, polynomial rings, Morita contexts, and other constructions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inducing behavior change is a missing factor in the face of viral threats. We provide evidence from a natural experiment in 2020 on the effects of containment, closure, and economic policy responses to COVID-19 on change in human mobility behavior in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and worldwide. We also examine how social norms, namely risk taking and patience, and institutional trust, could explain the heterogenous effects of policy responses on behavior change. Our results show that the stringency of containment and closure policies decreased human mobility in MENA and worldwide. Risk-averse populations and populations with low-time preference were more likely to pre act and lower their mobility independent of containment and closure policies. The effectiveness of risk communication in promoting positive mobility change increased by the level of institutional trust. Specifically in MENA, populations were less responsive to the actual disease risk and the public perception of that risk. Familiarity with COVID-19 induced negative behavior change among impatient populations. Economic support policies promoted strong positive mobility change among low-risk and high-time preference populations. Income support seems to be the effective economic policy response in low-income countries and debt relief the effective one in higher-income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionMethodFindingsDiscussionThis qualitative study examined the perceptions and contribution of music to the everyday lives of autistic women. It draws on the neurodiversity paradigm and feminist theories of disability. The first author’s autistic lived experience may have influenced these perspectives, but it also provides a more profound and nuanced understanding of these women’s experiences and culture.A constructivist qualitative paradigm appropriate for research involving sensitive or underexplored populations was implemented. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with nine Israeli autistic women aged 25–55 from various social backgrounds. The data were analyzed according to the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach.Four superordinate themes were developed from the data analysis: music throughout life, music as a facilitator of participation in society, music as an expression of diversity and normalization, autistic masking and the loss of musical identity.The findings suggest that the participants perceived music as highly significant, as it catalyzed self-expression and resilience. Yet, they also revealed challenges stemming from societal norms and the stigma associated with autism that potentially led to identity conflicts and masking behaviors that undermined music’s contribution to their lives. The study highlights the complex interplay between the participants’ musical, autistic and social identities, and further illustrates how music serves as a medium for expressing these intersecting aspects of their identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary discourses on feminism’s role in Australian boys’ lives focus on how feminism might guide strategies that train boys to resist negative or ‘toxic’ performances of masculinity and instead encourage them to strive for a ‘healthy’ or ‘positive’ masculinity. In this article, I question whether training young people to attach themselves to a particular masculinity is aligned with a commitment to queer politics or serves the interests of boys, particularly queer boys or gender-diverse young people. I begin by tracing unsettled contests over masculinity's ontological foundations, including the roles of biology, identification, ‘gendered’ traits, and affective attachments. Through the method of autoethnography, I then explore issues that arise in the logic and implementation of common desires to train boys into ‘healthy’ men. I argue that, drawing on a queer liberation tradition, feminism can be an invitation to solidarity and freedom as well as a ‘way out’ or ‘refuge’ from the regulatory policing of gender norms associated with boyhood. I suggest a detachment or disaffection with masculinity does not have to lead to an identity crisis and can instead be part of a feminist killjoy survival kit [Ahmed, Sara. 2017. Living a Feminist Life. Durham: Duke University Press]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Autistic children can experience challenges in making and maintaining friendships, and middle childhood (ages 6–12) may be particularly challenging as social networks become more complex. However, a large proportion of research into these experiences is based on adult reports or focuses on the experiences of adolescents, meaning that the voices of younger children are absent. Due to the exclusion of younger children from research, we have a limited understanding of their first-hand experiences of their friendships and the support they receive, which has implications for friendship support and wellbeing. This study aimed to amplify the voices of younger autistic children to explore their first-hand experiences of friendships and highlight areas of social support which may be most beneficial to primary-aged autistic children. Methods: This study used novel creative methods to support interviews with 19 autistic primary school-aged children to explore their experiences of friendship. Parent-led interviews and scrapbooks supported the children in discussing the challenges and strengths of their friendships. Results: Children discussed the challenges and strengths of their friendships including the impact of social norms on the need to have friends and their support needs in this area of life. Children also discussed gaps in their current friendships and how they would like to see these filled. It was clear that not all children required or wanted neurotypical-style friendships, with many valuing companionship and gameplay over intimacy. Analysis highlighted the heterogeneity of autistic children's friendships, especially in relation to gender and age, calling for more tailored and individualized support. Conclusion and implications: Results from the current study show that autistic children can and do have successful friendships but that these friendships may differ from those of their non-autistic peers. The study further adds to the existing literature by showing that younger autistic children can be included in research by using differentiated, accessible and creative methods, and that they are able to voice their opinions on matters surrounding support. It also calls for a tailored approach to supporting autistic children in school and speaking with children to give them autonomy over the support they want to receive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Much remains unknown about how complex community-based programmes can successfully achieve long-term impact. More insight is needed to understand the key mechanisms through which these programmes work. Therefore, we conducted an in-depth study in five communities that implemented the Healthy Youth, Healthy Future (JOGG) approach, a Dutch community-based obesity prevention programme. We aimed to identify perceived outcomes and long-term impacts among local stakeholders and explore potential causal pathways and working mechanisms. Methods: We used ripple effects mapping (REM), a qualitative participatory method to map outcomes and identify causal pathways, in five communities. We involved 26 stakeholders, professionals and policy-makers affiliated with the local JOGG approach, spread over eight REM sessions and conducted individual interviews with 24 additional stakeholders. To uncover working mechanisms, we compared outcomes and causal pathways across communities. Results: Over 5–9 years of implementation, participants perceived that JOGG had improved ownership of local stakeholders, health policies, intersectoral collaboration and social norms towards promoting healthy lifestyles. Causal pathways comprised small initial outcomes that created the preconditions to enable the achievement of long-term impact. Although exact JOGG actions varied widely between communities, we identified five common working mechanisms through which the JOGG approach contributed to causal pathways: (1) creating a positive connotation with JOGG, (2) mobilizing stakeholders to participate in the JOGG approach, (3) facilitating projects to promote knowledge and awareness among stakeholders while creating successful experiences with promoting healthy lifestyles, (4) connecting stakeholders, thereby stimulating intersectoral collaboration and (5) sharing stakeholder successes that promote healthy lifestyles, which gradually created a social norm of participation. Conclusions: The JOGG approach seems to work through activating initial stakeholder participation and bolstering the process towards ownership, policy change, and intersectoral collaboration to promote healthy lifestyles. Key working mechanisms can inform further development of JOGG as well as other complex community-based prevention programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) is a widely used performance validity measure that is available in both English and Spanish. The Spanish version, however, has historically lacked normative data from samples that are representative of the U.S. Hispanic/Spanish speaking population.The aim of the current study was to collect normative data on the update TOMM 2 for Hispanic individuals residing in the U.S.Normative data on the TOMM 2 was collected across 9 sites from different regions of the U.S. The total sample consisted of n = 188 cognitively healthy adults aged 18 and over with no current or prior history of neurological or psychiatric disorder. Descriptive analyses were performed on total raw scores.Participants obtained a mean score of 48.15 (SD = 2.81) on trial 1 of the TOMM 2, 49.86 (SD = 0.487) on trial 2, and 49.84 (SD = 0.509) on the recognition trial. Scores are provided for traditional cutoff scores as well as some popular cutoffs reported in the literature. Item level analyses were conducted as well as evaluation of performance based on a variety of demographics.When compared to the English-speaking normative sample used for the original TOMM, this sample demonstrated better performance on the TOMM 2 indicating better cultural appropriateness of the items. This is the first study conducted that provides culturally appropriate descriptive norms for use with Spanish speakers living in the U.S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper extends the literature on structural estimation of social preferences to account for the desire to adhere to social norms and hide one's true intentions via moral wiggle room. We conduct an experiment to test whether accounting for normatively appropriate behavior allows us to distinguish between preference types who care about outcomes versus adhering to social norms and whether the introduction of moral wiggle room undermines the stability of social preference estimates. We find that social preference estimates are remarkably robust to the inclusion of moral wiggle room. However, the representative agent is strongly motivated by norms and failing to account for this motive in our model causes us to overestimate how much agents care about helping those who are worse off. Using finite mixture models to endogenously identify latent preference types, we replicate previous work finding that the majority of subjects can be classified as strong or moderate altruists when normative concerns are not considered. Accounting for the normative appropriateness of decisions when categorizing participants, however, reveals different motives across types: strong altruists are only marginally concerned with norms while the moderate altruists are highly sensitive to them and, once norms are taken into account, don't care at all about the outcomes of others. Our results thus recast the prior findings in a new light. Rather than the two most common types being strong altruists and moderate altruists, we find that they are better described as strong altruists and norm followers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Phone use while driving campaigns are rarely seen by young drivers. • A combined injunctive and descriptive norm message was perceived as most effective. • Peer norms were perceived as more influential than friend norms. • Social norm messaging may be effective in reducing phone use while driving. Introduction: Engagement in hand-held phone use while driving among young drivers is a prevalent concern in society, despite countermeasures to deter the behavior. The social norm approach has been effective in reducing negative behaviors in young adults (e.g., binge drinking, drink driving). However, whether this approach can reduce hand-held phone use while driving in this population has not been thoroughly investigated. Method: The qualitative study explored young drivers' attitudes and opinions on social norm messages designed to reduce hand-held phone use while driving. In addition, young drivers' opinions on current campaigns were explored to provide further insight into the effectiveness of these messages. Thirty young drivers were interviewed and shown six social norm messages. Results : The data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, resulting in five themes and one sub-theme: (1) Road safety messages with minimal impact on hand-held phone use while driving; (2) What constitutes an effective road safety message for hand-held phone use while driving; (3) Comparisons between social norm messages and road safety messages; (4) The potential benefits of combined social norms, (4a) Improving and optimizing the message; and (5) "It's kinda just numbers on a screen": Negative views on social norm messages. Results highlight the diverse opinions towards road safety campaigns and the need to increase exposure to these messages. Further, a combined social norm message was perceived as most effective in reducing engagement in hand-held phone use while driving. Conclusions : The current study provides preliminary evidence that the social norm approach may be effective in reducing hand-held phone use among young drivers. Further, this study highlights the need to maximize exposure to phone use while driving campaigns in this high-risk cohort. Practical Applications : Results support the development of a social norm messaging intervention to reduce young drivers hand-held phone use while driving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• TPB (Theory of Planned Behavior) is used to understand and explain aberrant driving behaviors. • TPB does not cover all aspects of human behaviors. • TPB will be extended by additional constructs to have a more understanding of human behaviors. • Descriptive norms, moral norms and past behavior will improve the predictability of the TPB. Introduction : Despite deployed efforts to establish strict road safety standards, human factors is still the leading cause of road crashes. To identify determinants of driver's behavior, TPB (Theory of Planned Behavior) is widely used as a prominent theory of behavior change. However, the existence of different aberrant driving behaviors (decision errors, recognition errors, violations, and physical condition related errors) and several studies using TPB to understand driving behavior, makes it important to conduct a literature review and a meta -analysis of existing studies to use their results in effective driving behavior change interventions. Method: The selection process provided 125 relevant studies that were published between 1991 and 2022, and that used TPB for the understanding of aberrant driving behavior. Five fundamental research questions were defined to identify information to be discovered from the literature review and from the meta -analysis. Results: In addition to the standard TPB constructs (attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control), past behavior, moral norms, and descriptive norms were used in studies for a more comprehensive understanding of aberrant driving intention. This analysis demonstrated a significant correlation between aberrant driving intentions and past behavior. Also, moral norms construct was correlated with violations and recognition errors, whereas descriptive norms construct was correlated just with recognition errors. Conclusions: The results of this study highlight the strength of TPB in the prediction of aberrant driving intention and its potential effectiveness to guide interventions aimed at changing aberrant driving behaviors. The study contributes to the comprehension of the relevant psychological factors influencing the engagement of drivers in each category of aberrant driving behaviors. Practical Applications : Researchers can use the results of this study to select the relevant psychological factors adapted to their interventions of driving behavior change. The results of the meta -analysis can also be used in the prediction of driver's intentions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past two decades, the literature on norm diffusion in the post-Soviet space has grown dramatically. Increasingly, scholars have stressed the role of geopolitical competition between powerful international actors, notably Russia and the European Union (EU), in achieving and/or resisting liberal-democratic reform in the region. This article contributes to this recent research by adding a corrective to the literature, exploring the agency of local rather than external actors in the contestation of global gender equality norms through the high-value cases of Armenia and Georgia. By uncovering taken-for-granted gendered power dimensions in local norm contestation – a subject barely addressed in the norm diffusion literature – the article offers an explanation for the persistence of non-democratic trends in the post-Soviet space as a whole. Specifically, the article examines populist political masculinities contesting EU gender equality policies and related norms concerning violence against women and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans (LGBT) rights, arguing that in Armenia and Georgia, it is local populist actors, using taken-for-granted patriarchal and heterosexual discourses to reclaim local masculinities and their political legitimacy, who represent a major challenge to gender equality norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The payment of child support is one of the main challenges regarding gender equity and economic justice. Recent figures show that 84% of child support payments decreed by the family courts are not paid, and in nine out of ten cases the plaintiffs are women. This article explores the experiences of nonpayment of child support from a gender perspective. For this purpose, 18 semi-structured interviews were conducted with women in the cities of Antofagasta, Santiago de Chile, and Temuco, as part of a study on women’s economic autonomy in Chile. The findings show that non-payment of child support is closely linked to the persistence of the feminization of reproduction and the absence of co-responsibility in child-rearing and childcare. It is also related to a reluctance to request the payment of child support as a strategy to avoid economic dependence, vulnerability to violence, and institutional revictimization. This evidence suggests that nonpayment of child support constitutes a form of economic violence and that cultural norms and social dynamics with respect to gender are at the root of tensions over co-responsibility in the reproductive sphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background We investigated the impact of Drug–Drug Interactions (DDIs) on virologic control among HIV-positive pregnant women initiating antiretroviral therapy while identifying drivers for Traditional Medicine (TM) use and exploring the nature and extent of TM-related DDIs. Methods Employing a three-pronged approach, we examined DDIs arising from comedication, including TM, in ART. The DolPHIN-2 trial (NCT03249181) randomized 268 HIV-positive pregnant women in Uganda and South Africa to dolutegravir (DTG)-based (135) or efavirenz-based (133) regimens while systematically recording comedications and screening for DDIs. We used Cox regression models to compare time-to-virologic control between participants with and without DDIs. We conducted in-depth interviews and focus group discussions among 37 and 67 women with and without HIV, respectively, to explore reasons for TM use during pregnancy. Additionally, in-vitro and in-vivo studies evaluated the composition and impact of clay-based TM, mumbwa , on DTG plasma exposure. Results The baseline prevalence of DDIs was 67.2%, with TM use prevalent in 34% of participants, with mumbwa being the most frequent (76%, 69/91). There was no difference in virologic response between participants with and without DDIs. Fetal health and cultural norms were among the reasons cited for TM use. Analysis of mumbwa rods confirmed significant amounts of aluminium (8.4%–13.9%) and iron (4%–6%). In Balb-C mice, coadministration of mumbwa led to a reduction in DTG exposure observed in the AUC0-24 (−21%; P  = 0.0271) and C24 (−53%; P  = 0.0028). Conclusions The widespread use of clay-based TM may compromise HIV treatment, necessitating medication screening and counselling to manage DDIs in pregnant women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new efficient nonparametric estimator for Toeplitz covariance matrices is proposed. This estimator is based on a data transformation that translates the problem of Toeplitz covariance matrix estimation to the problem of mean estimation in an approximate Gaussian regression. The resulting Toeplitz covariance matrix estimator is positive definite by construction, fully data driven and computationally very fast. Moreover, this estimator is shown to be minimax optimal under the spectral norm for a large class of Toeplitz matrices. These results are readily extended to estimation of inverses of Toeplitz covariance matrices. Also, an alternative version of the Whittle likelihood for the spectral density based on the discrete cosine transform is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community health workers (CHW) are the backbone of the public health system in developing countries. Little is known about the practice of ethics and professionalism in their work. This study was conducted to explore the experiential wisdom of ethics and professionalism among CHWs in Tamil Nadu. We conducted a qualitative study among 125 CHWs in six districts of Tamil Nadu. We found that the CHWs went beyond the call of their duty to do good to the community. Their conceptualization of autonomy ranged from shared to full paternalistic decision making. The CHWs were sensitive to issues of privacy and confidentiality, but the discussion on these topics were limited. They reflected the societal norms of gender, class, and caste hierarchies in their work. They had to work amidst difficult power struggles and had their own innovative strategies to subvert power. In conclusion, there is a need for framing a code of ethics and professionalism for CHWs and training in ethics and professionalism for them to help them effectively deliberate on ethical issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID‐19 pandemic, healthcare professionals around the world were driven by universal values of solidarity and duty to provide care. However, local societal norms and existing healthcare systems influenced interactions among physicians, and with patients and their families. An exploratory qualitative study design using in‐depth interviews was undertaken with physicians working at two public sector hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan. Using the constant comparison method of data analysis, several key themes were identified highlighting norms of kinship and interdependencies characteristic of collectivistic societies that influenced professional interactions. The role of seniors in the hierarchical society of Pakistan played a major role in provision of care. Physicians reported numerous challenges in dealing with patients and their families amidst public denial fueled due to ill‐formed government policies. This included interruption of funeral rites which undermined public trust. The study provides insights into the local moral world of two healthcare institutions in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moral norms balance the needs of the group versus individuals, and societies across the globe vary in terms of the norms they prioritize. Extant research indicates that people from Western cultures consistently choose to protect (vs. punish) close others who commit crimes. Might this differ in cultural contexts that prioritize the self less? Prior research presents two compelling alternatives. On the one hand, collectivists may feel more intertwined with and tied to those close to them, thus protecting close others more. On the other hand, they may prioritize society over individuals and thus protect close others less. Four studies (N = 2,688) performed in the United States and Japan provide self-report, narrative, and experimental evidence supporting the latter hypothesis. These findings highlight how personal relationships and culture dynamically interact to shape how we think about important moral decisions. Public Significance Statement: Modern civilization is built on rules about how to behave. Yet, in Western cultures, when these rules are violated by people we know and love, people consistently dismiss them. Here, we demonstrate that this propensity to protect close others is powerfully influenced by culture. In four studies, we provide evidence (N = 2,688) that people from Japan—a culture in which individual interests are prioritized less than in the United States—are less likely to protect close others who transgress out of concern for the impact on society. We also demonstrate that this cultural difference disappears when people from Japan are themselves the victims, a scenario in which societal interests are muted and personal interests are focal. This work highlights how personal relationships and culture dynamically interact to shape how we think about important moral decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regular cigarette smoking and cannabis consumption are strongly positively related to each other, yet few studies explore their underlying variation and covariation. We evaluated the genetic and environmental decomposition of variance and covariance of these two traits in twin data from three countries with different social norms and legislation. Data from the Netherlands Twin Register, FinnTwin12/16, and the Minnesota Center for Twin Family Research (total N = 21,617) were analyzed in bivariate threshold models of lifetime regular smoking initiation (RSI) and lifetime cannabis initiation (CI). We ran unstratified models and models stratified by sex and country. Prevalence of RSI was lowest in the Netherlands and prevalence of CI was highest in Minnesota. In the unstratified model, genetic (A) and common environmental factors (C) contributed substantially to the liabilities of RSI (A = 0.47, C = 0.34) and CI (A = 0.28, C = 0.51). The two liabilities were significantly phenotypically (rP = 0.56), genetically (rA = 0.74), and environmentally correlated in the unstratified model (rC = 0.47and rE = 0.48, representing correlations between common and unique environmental factors). The magnitude of phenotypic correlation between liabilities varied by country but not sex (Minnesota rP ~ 0.70, Netherlands rP ~ 0.59, Finland rP ~ 0.45). Comparisons of decomposed correlations could not be reliably tested in the stratified models. The prevalence and association of RSI and CI vary by sex and country. These two behaviors are correlated because there is genetic and environmental overlap between their underlying latent liabilities. There is heterogeneity in the genetic architecture of these traits across country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore their perceptions and attitudes toward condom use and the underlying reasons for the low usage frequency among Chinese older adults. Methods: A qualitative study design utilizing interpretive phenomenological analysis was employed. Data were collected through field observation and face‐to‐face in‐depth interviews among older adults aged 50 years or above and having engaged in sexual activities within the previous year. Results: Three main themes emerged: perceiving unnecessary due to misconceptions and low awareness, interactive stereotypes rooted in sociocultural beliefs, and stigmatized social norms including gender inequity and economic unbalance. Conclusions: Tailored interventions focusing on addressing misconceptions, increasing awareness, and reducing culturally ingrained stereotypes and stigma surrounding condom use are essential to promote condom use among older adults in order to prevent HIV transmission in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to explore the voices of South Asian youth in the United States about gender norms and healthcare decision making. Ten focus group discussions were held with 36 students of South Asian origin at a university on the West Coast of the United States. Thematic analysis was performed on the focus group data. Three main themes emerged from the data: (1) intersectionality of gender with other factors that affect healthcare decision making, (2) impact of gender on health, and (3) coping strategies. Participants reported preferential treatment for boys versus girls, vesting decision-making control among males, worse health among females, and coping strategies. A few responses indicated that power differentials in some families were shifting to a more egalitarian balance between males and females. Aspects such as age, employment, and language barriers intersected with gender to create a complex web of influence on healthcare decision making. The study has implications for social workers to offer culturally responsive support to South Asian youth in the United States, paying attention to the intersectionalities when working with them. Further research is needed to explore the influence of gender on healthcare decision-making processes of South Asian youth in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research about the commercial sex industry rarely examines the women who are the clients purchasing sexual services. Examining how this challenges gender stereotypes through the undoing gender framework reveals how gender norms can be reshaped through contextual changes. Based on 3 years of ethnographic data from a high‐end bar in Tianjin, interviews with 27 female clients and 47 MSWs paint a complex picture of how some women adopted ungendered strategies regarding sexuality. As women take control of their own sexual behavior, they free themselves of some traditional societal expectations about their identity. Primarily motivated by pleasure and control, purchasing sex becomes a means for women to experience empowerment and self‐confidence by breaking with traditional gender norms and expectations. Undoing gender involves expanding gendered repertoires, with women finding empowerment in adopting a masculine model of sexuality. However, social stigma and personal efficacy indicate that gender deconstruction is a gradual process. The research contributes to understanding complex gender dynamics and sexual behaviors within commercial sex transactions, shedding light on societal norms and individual agency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined whether Moral Foundations Theory helps explain Americans' reactions to violations of age-related sexual norms. Attitudes toward sexual relationships between two adolescents, an adolescent and a young adult, and two adults of highly discrepant ages were obtained from a nationally representative sample of 1,117 adults in the United States. The sex of the older person was manipulated in the age-discrepant scenarios. We found that respondents for whom purity was an important value were generally more likely to be bothered by these sexual activities. The reaction to sexual relationships between adolescent girls and young men was an exception. For this type of relationship, the negative reaction was related to the fairness foundation, suggesting that respondents thought the relationship involved exploitation. Reactions to violations of age norms were unrelated to whether respondents had a strong harm foundation, suggesting that their reactions were not motivated by concern that such relationships are harmful to participants. Finally, we found that male respondents were less likely to react negatively to age violations than female respondents, particularly when the sexual relationship involved an adolescent boy and a young woman. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite equivalent qualifications, experience, and degrees, women are underrepresented in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) leadership. Understanding the factors behind this is crucial for addressing the issue. Although recent studies have shed light on the influence of a male-dominated culture, systematic barriers, and unconscious biases in contributing to the underrepresentation of female leaders, there is a scarcity of studies addressing the sociopsychological theories underlying cultural expectations and norms that contribute to the gender gap in the AEC industry. Social psychology introduces the self-presentation theory, proposing that individuals actively shape their self-image and the impressions they convey to others. According to this theory, people strategically choose and present information about themselves to cultivate a positive impression. Hence, this theory posits that individuals belonging to a minority, under the pressure of cultural norms and expectations, align their self-presentation with the anticipated roles assigned to them. Our study employs a data-driven methodology that uses natural language processing to explore the gender self-presentation gap. We analyzed 2,800 publicly available LinkedIn profiles of leaders within the top engineering firms ranked based on gross revenue. Our analysis delves into how these leaders present themselves, sharing their biographies, skills, and capacity on social media platform, and contrasts this self-presentation with how their colleagues evaluate their skills through the recommendation section. The findings reveal a higher similarity, both semantically and textually, between received recommendations and the skills and biographies of female leaders. Female leaders tend to present their skills in a way that aligns with others' expectations more than male counterparts. This study underscores the significance of addressing cultural norm biases as a pivotal step toward achieving increased gender equality within leadership roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the artisanal model of social norms and its ability to accommodate normative disagreement, contestation, and change. It addresses criticisms that the model is overly individualistic and idealized, arguing that it can account for the complexities of social norms and the role of individuals, communities, and institutions in shaping them. The author engages with comments from other scholars, highlighting points of agreement and disagreement. The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of a nuanced understanding of the social world and its connection to our biological nature. [Extracted from the article]

I endorse five central themes of Charlotte Witt's Social Goodness: the pervasiveness and irreducibility of social roles and norms; normative externalism; the artisanal model; a richer social ontology; and the possible critical transformation of social norms from within. I reframe these themes within the biological account of the evolution and development of human ways of life in Joseph Rouse's Social Practices as Biological Niche Construction. Witt's social analysis attends to human bodies as loci of artisanal skills and social salience as gendered, sexed, and raced, but not to bodies as vulnerable, dependent organisms in social environments. A broader, biological conception of normativity shifts from Witt's focus on social roles and norms to the dynamics of social practices as shaping people's developmental environments. This more complex account of social dynamics enriches Witt's conservative account of how practices are transmitted and sustained. It thereby surpasses limitations in her account of how hierarchical social norms can be both obligating and open to critical challenge from within. It does so in three ways: by emphasizing normative conflicts within practices, by shifting from individual know-how to discursive practices as loci of artisanal authority, and by an account of power relations as intertwined with biosocial normativity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In her book Social Goodness, Charlotte Witt gives an account of the normativity of social norms, crucially appealing to (and naming) social role normativity. Social role normativity is a distinctive kind of normativity that follows from social roles. For example, teachers ought to teach and students ought to do their homework. According to Witt's artisanal model of social role normativity, we should make sense of social role normativity by reference to artisanal roles, like being a carpenter. Just as carpenters have skills, techniques, and expertise associated with their craft, social roles have skills, techniques, and expertise associated with them. The artisanal model presents the individual craftsperson, taught by a uniquely qualified expert, as the paradigm. Because of this, I argue that the artisanal model struggles to capture the messiness of the actual world, where expertise is distributed, unstable, and contested. To accommodate the real world, we should move away from Witt's individualistic artisanal model. Instead of focusing on individual artisans, our account of social role normativity should focus on communities and institutions that promote artisanal practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the existence and applicability of social norms in everyday life. It explores the question of why individuals are bound by social norms and why they ought to follow them. The author examines different theories, such as internalism and externalism, to explain the normativity of social norms. The article also discusses the ability of individuals to criticize social norms and proposes an artisanal model of social normativity that explains the existence of critical selves. However, the article points out limitations in the model's ability to explain criticism of whole kinds of activities, criticism by non-experts, criticism in the context of transmission of techniques, and criticism in terms other than excellence. Overall, the article provides valuable insights into the nature and critique of social norms. [Extracted from the article]

A 'vestigial social practice' is a norm, convention, or social behavior that persists even when few endorse it or its original justifying rationale. Begby (2021) explores social explanations for the persistence of prejudice, arguing that even if we all privately disavow a stereotype, we might nevertheless continue acting as if it is true because we believe that others expect us to. Meanwhile the persistence of the practice provides something like implicit testimonial evidence for the prejudice that would justify it, making it rational for members of the next generation to acquire the corresponding prejudiced beliefs. This paper distinguishes between three different types of vestigial social practice in terms of the underlying explanatory mechanisms, and argues that the persistence of prejudicial social stereotypes is most tightly linked not to others' beliefs or expectations, but to the ways that material infrastructure constrains options shapes social outcomes. Given that, the persistence of a practice only provides grounds to infer that most people endorse the corresponding prejudiced belief only if we are in a position to dismiss relevant alternative explanations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current challenges in approaches to understand and shift social norms relate to the absence of a methodology guided by an ethical framework that recognises the power dynamics inherent in social norms research and intervention design. This is particularly the case for social and gender norms related to sexual reproductive health rights, child marriage, harassment in public places, gender-based violence, unpaid care work, and gendered work roles. This article draws on the experiences of social norms research undertaken by Oxfam and partners in Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Bangladesh, and Pakistan that sought to embed a feminist and participatory approach throughout the research cycle. In particular, it draws on lessons learned from a key component of a wider feminist participatory methodology, Oxfam's Social Norms Diagnostic Tool, developed in 2017, adapted and implemented in four different countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]