34028 research outputs found
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Same-different learning of odour stimuli in dogs
No full textThe performance of detection dogs relies on their ability to detect and alert to variations of the stimuli upon which they have been trained. As such, research has tended to focus on understanding the likelihood of generalising beyond a trained stimulus set. However, it remains unclear which stimuli dogs perceive as the ‘same’ or ‘different’ to others. Understanding this perception would allow the creation of appropriate training aids to improve the performance of working dogs. The aim of this study was to establish whether dogs were capable of same-different concept learning with odours and whether they could generalise this learning to a novel stimulus set. Dogs were presented with two odours simultaneously and trained to give one indication behaviour if the samples were the same, and an alternative indication if they were different. Four of the ten dogs tested were able to meet the learning criteria, indicating that they could learn the task with the training stimuli. However, none were able to generalise the concept to a new stimulus set. The failure of the dogs to generalise the same-different learning to novel stimuli suggests that the procedure used, while showing some promise, may not be the best approach to assess how dogs perceive odours in relation to each other.</p
Integration of complementary and alternative medicine in the Indian health system: how the state inadvertently undermines policy implementation
No full textIndia’s AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy) integration policy emphasizes medical pluralism. However, implementation occurs within a complex health system where the state apparatus, through its governance and policy processes, affects health services and outcomes. This study explores how state and policy complexities shape AYUSH integration processes and practitioners’ capacities in primary healthcare. Qualitative research was conducted in an eastern Indian state and involved observations (19 days) and interviews (37) with AYUSH doctors, biomedical doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and administrators. Thematic analysis enabled identification of themes. Statelevel employment rules placed AYUSH doctors on low-paid, short-term rolling contracts, but the effects of this marginalized position were intensified by irregular AYUSH medicine supplies and shared governance between two directorates. Governance of integrative facilities and AYUSH medicine stock-outs shifted practice patterns towards biomedical treatments by AYUSH doctors to keep health services functioning, which increased biomedicine demand and further narrowed the scope of AYUSH in a self-reinforcing cycle. Inter-departmental collaboration between the directorates was fragmented, lacking accountability and prioritization of AYUSH integration activities. Limitations in AYUSH medicines and the absence of promotional campaigns narrowed the scope of AYUSH services and facilitated the ‘biomedicalization’ of AYUSH integration. Local governance bodies offered occasional support, but their involvement was neither formalized nor consistent. Thus, integration processes emerged not from linear policy structures but from feedback mechanisms in which changes in policy priorities at the state and district levels produced disproportionate effects on AYUSH integration, demonstrating a system responsive to resource and information flows. Achieving medical pluralism will require adaptive governance: setting iterative integration targets, establishing cross-directorate collaboration and learning platforms, and increasing the resource independence of AYUSH.</p
Navigating hostility, pursuing hospitality: Conceptualising community engagement among migrant women entrepreneurs in peripheral areas
No full textThis article focuses on migrant women entrepreneurs’ engagement with local communities through creating hospitable spaces and explores how experiences of hospitality/hostility influence entrepreneurial activities and community engagement. Businesses, particularly in the service sector, often function as hubs of social interaction, providing opportunities for migrant entrepreneurs to engage with host communities in ways otherwise not readily available for non-entrepreneurs. These status-based opportunities for social exchange also come with risks and challenges, particularly in more peripheral areas that have traditionally attracted fewer migrants and are often perceived as less hospitable to newcomers. The study draws on twenty-one semi-structured interviews with migrant women entrepreneurs, analysing their approaches to community engagement to understand the constraints they encounter and the strategies they deploy to overcome hostility and create hospitable spaces. The findings are fourfold: (i) entrepreneurship can act as a vehicle for community engagement for migrant women seeking to identify and meet local needs; (ii) community engagement can strengthen migrant women’s business activities through improved access to networks and other resources; (iii) through active community engagement and responding to local needs, migrant women entrepreneurs become (re)makers of social infrastructure; and (iv) experiences of hospitality/hostility mediate migrant women’s entrepreneurial endeavours and community engagement. Conceptualising the ways in which migrant women use entrepreneurial activities to engage with local communities deepens understanding of migrant women’s approaches to overcoming hostility and creating more hospitable places and interactions.</p
Animals Laboring for Humans: Integrating Animal Dignity into I-O Psychology
No full textHernandez et al. (2025), in their focal article have put the spotlight on the role of animals in I-O psychology. It is true that animals are neglected by I-O psychologists, who have traditionally focused on human beings in the workplace, and how they feel, perceive and behave. It is therefore of great importance to extend our reach and research to animals. In this piece, we raise the question how I-O psychology can theorize on animals in the workplace. In so doing, we advocate integrating a dignity perspective on animals (Bal, 2017; Challenger, 2003) into the field to postulate possible research questions and provide answers as to how I-O psychologists can relate to animals in the workplace.</p
Editorial: Tackling Enduring Questions in HRD Research, Education and Practice
No full textThis issue of ADHR (28(1)) includes four contributions that advance contemporary HRD scholarship. In this editorial, we foreground ‘The Shifting Landscape of Employee Experience: Flexibility, Digital Connectivity and Well-being’ (Raksakhwamdee, Pruetipibultham & Crocco, 2025), ‘Mansplaining’: Reflections on Teaching Adults in University Classrooms’ (Bhattarai, Bohonos & Nomeland, 2025), ‘Insights for HRD Education: Educating the Workforce for a More Socially Inclusive Workforce’ (Byrd, 2025) and ‘The Diverse Voices Framework: Re-Imagining HRD Education for Social Justice Beyond the Classroom’ (Scott, Byrd, Collins, Johnson-Bailey &Bohonos, 2025) because they engage directly with enduring questions in the field. Although situated in different contexts, one in organizational work and the remaining three in education and society, these articles position human experience, inclusion, exclusion and identity as central sites of learning and development, rather than as neutral outcomes of well-designed systems. Raksakhwamdee et al. (2025), a regular issue article, is featured alongside Bhattarai et al. (2025), Byrd (2025) and Scott et al. (2025) as contributions to the Special Issue (SI) “HRD Education: The Missing Link in Research and Practice”, which emerged from papers presented at the 2025 Academy of Human Resource Development Conference. The latter three address the longstanding misalignment between academic research and its impact(s) on practice and wider society.In the following sections, we introduce these articles and examine their practical, methodological and theoretical contributions to HRD in general and HRD Education in particular; while reflecting on the questions they raise about experience, development, and alignment between research and practice.</p
ℵ_IPOMDP: Mitigating Deception in a Cognitive Hierarchy with Off-Policy Counterfactual Anomaly Detection
No full textSocial agents with finitely nested opponent models are vulnerable to manipulation by agents with deeper recursive capabilities. This imbalance, rooted in logic and the theory of recursive modelling frameworks, cannot be solved directly. We propose a computational framework called aleph-IPOMDP, which augments the Bayesian inference of model-based RL agents with an anomaly detection algorithm and an out-of-belief policy. Our mechanism allows agents to realize that they are being deceived, even if they cannot understand how, and to deter opponents via a credible threat. We test this framework in both a mixed-motive and a zero-sum game. Our results demonstrate the aleph-mechanism's effectiveness, leading to more equitable outcomes and less exploitation by more sophisticated agents. We discuss implications for AI safety, cybersecurity, cognitive science, and psychiatry.</p
MAP Lenong performance psychosocial support model (Beyond Tradition, Indonesia)
No full textPsychosocial support and character building have been integral to the Beyond Tradition project’s long-term process. Participants in this program engage in collaborative activities, consult psychologists or counsellors to address challenges encountered during the process, provide regular feedback and reflections throughout the training, and participate in various exercises designed for self-discovery and building connections with others. This report outlines the psychosocial support model developed between February 2023 and March 2024.</p
Policy brief: Gira Ingoma – One Drum per Girl project
No full textIn a world where the voices of women and girls are too often silenced or overlooked, The Culture We Want, for the Woman We Want stands as a bold declaration of hope, resilience, and transformation. Produced by the Gira Ingoma – One Drum per Girl project, this powerful book captures the dreams and aspirations of hundreds of girls whose voices are shaping a new narrative for equality in the creative and cultural industries.Through the rhythm of drums, the strength of dance, and the passion of poetry, this collection embodies the spirit of the warrior and the joy of artistic expression. In it, we find not just a record of a year’s work, but a vision for the future—one where gender equality is not just a dream but a reality, woven into the fabric of culture itself.In addition to stunning photographs, poignant excerpts from interviews, and speeches that echo with hope, The Culture We Want, for the Woman We Want offers a policy brief that calls for transformative measures to address the deep-rooted gender inequalities in the arts and culture sectors.</p
Queering the curriculum in risk society: Challenges in LGBTQ+ Inclusive Education in UK School Settings
No full textThis article explores findings from a study about the challenges of delivering LGBTQ+ inclusive curricula in primary and secondary schools. We identify several barriers preventing LGBTQ+ enriched curricula being delivered, including limited school confidence; opposition from the wider school community; and opaque national policies. It is recommended that LGBTQ+ focused national and school-level policies are developed to support inclusive teaching practices, and that teachers and school leaders receive LGBTQ+ educational training to help build knowledge and confidence. In considering our findings, we use the notion of ‘risk society’ (Beck, 1992) to contextualise teachers’ experiences and the challenges of delivering LGBTQ+ inclusive education. Building on Beck’s original work, we argue that ‘risks’ should include behaviours and/or identities socially constructed as a threat to social norms and values. Moreover, we contend that sexually and gender diverse identities are constructed as a ‘risk’ to heteronormative and cisnormative values, via political and media discourse.</p
IoT-Based Automation of Dynamic Demand Response
No full textDynamic demand response (DDR) is the process of shifting power consumption towards periods of lower demand based on real-time energy pricing data. It is a flexibility measure utilised in the decarbonisation of the UK’s power system to reduce peak demand. Dynamic time-of-use (dTOU) tariffs, such as Agile Octopus, incentivise DDR by providing half-hourly electricity prices for each day. Through this incentive, households are offered the opportunity to reduce their energy costs by applying DDR to energy-intensive, deferrable loads. This paper presents an open-source, Internet of Things (IoT)-based system designed to automate DDR and streamline its implementation. The system identifies the period of lowest electricity prices and activates a relay during this period each day. For validation, the system was tested over a one-month experiment, which showed that, in a favourable scenario, it could reduce an appliance’s electricity costs by up to 44%. These results highlighted the system’s potential to deliver substantial energy cost savings, while also encouraging households to participate in flexibility measures that alleviate pressure on the National Grid.</p