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Swipe to Diagnose: The Effects of Social Media on Self-Diagnosis of Mental Health Disorders in College Students
No full textSelf-diagnosis is an increasingly widespread phenomenon as mental health information becomes more available and commonplace through social media. College students often encounter struggles with mental health, and being frequent users of social media may make them more susceptible to seeking out mental health information on social media platforms instead of through professional channels. Through semi-structured interviews, the present study aimed to examine students’ perceptions of online mental health discourse, perceptions towards formal diagnosis and practitioners, and the consequences of self-diagnosis. The thematic analysis found that many students are apprehensive of self-diagnosis because it can be biased, based on incorrect knowledge from social media, and because it can threaten the legitimacy of official diagnoses. Among the smaller subset of students who self-diagnosed, many echoed the concerns their peers posed about self-diagnosis but also felt that learning about oneself in any way is beneficial, even if that comes through self-diagnosis. Lastly, participants discussed that self-diagnosis is acceptable in situations where one does not have access to professional mental health care, meaning the legitimacy of a self-diagnosis is circumstantial. Overall, college students are hesitant to categorize themselves as self-diagnosed and frequently advocate for professional assessment, suggesting that “self-diagnosed” has arisen as a label that students are reactive towards. Students may identify with a certain condition even if they do not see themselves as ‘self-diagnosed,’ and this distinction was apparent among numerous participants as they discussed their mental health experiences and exposure to it on social media. While college students are largely skeptical of self-diagnostic information on social media, this does not mean they do not self-diagnose, and the content may still impact how they view the legitimacy of self-diagnosis
Sex Differences in Sexual Motivation Among U.S. Residents 57–85 Years of Age
Get PDFSexual motivation includes proceptivity (mental or physical pursuit of sexual gratification) and receptivity (openness to having sex initiated by someone else). The roles of these two components are not well understood in older adults past reproductive age. We quantify these components and their associations with sexual activity along with differences in sex, age, partner status, health, reproductive steroids and other demographic variables collected during home interviews for the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project’s nationally representative sample of 3005, 57–85 years old community-dwelling U.S. residents. The majority of older adults had sex and age had only a modest association with their sexual motivation. Proceptive and receptive sexual motivation were independent of each other and each was associated with higher odds of having sex more frequently. Relative to women, men reported higher levels of sexual proceptivity, controlling for demographic and biological variables such as medications, diseases, education, partner status, reproductive steroid levels, and age. Women reported higher sexual receptivity than did men. Although men had higher free salivary testosterone levels, it was associated with higher proceptivity and receptivity within both men and women. DHEA and estradiol were also associated with variations in sexual motivation. Nonetheless, sex differences in each component of sexual motivation remained after controlling for reproductive steroid levels along with demographics and partner status. Having a positive emotional relationship was associated with higher proceptive sexual motivation in women but not in men
YouTube Kids: The Effect of YouTube on Children’s Racial Beliefs
Get PDFTo what extent might YouTube influence children’s beliefs about racial outgroups? Though it is well established that children can learn about group dynamics within their racial world from patterns in their daily environments, the majority of research in this domain has focused on in-person environmental dynamics. The current study examines whether YouTube exposes children to negative outgroup behaviors, potentially affecting their beliefs. In an online questionnaire, dyads of parents and 8-13 year-old children (N = 200 dyads) described children’s daily YouTube usage. We found that time spent on YouTube each week was not associated with increased perception of negative racial patterns on YouTube (B = 0.00, p = .397), nor was time spent on YouTube associated with an increase in prejudice against racial outgroups (B = 0.00, p = .376). However, male participants (t = -2.45, p = .029) and participants with higher parasociality scores (B = 0.81, SE = 0.08, p < .001) displayed greater prejudice. These findings suggest that prejudice is predicted by more than just online exposure to negative racial patterns; children’s identities and preferences may play a larger role
Second Language Speakers' Use and Maintenance of Clear Speech in Natural Conversations
No full textThis study examined whether second language (L2) speakers of English spontaneously modify their speech features, such as F0, F0 range, speech rate, and vowel duration, to enhance intelligibility when interacting with different types of conversation partners. We analyzed natural conversational data that were collected using a Diapix task, in which L2 speakers interacted with native speakers, L2 speakers who shared the same L1, and L2 speakers with different L1 backgrounds. The results showed that L2 speakers exhibited a significantly greater F0 range when speaking to L2 interlocutors with different L1 backgrounds compared to native speakers, suggesting that they have used more exaggerated articulation for listener-oriented purposes. No significant differences were found in other speech features, such as median F0, speech rate, and vowel duration. In addition, L2 speakers’ speech patterns did not change over time. Overall, our findings suggest that L2 speakers exhibit certain features of clear speech in conversation with another non-native speaker who has a different L1 background. We suggest that this may be due to L2 speakers’ unfamiliarity with a foreign accent, leading them to assume that their interlocutor also experiences comprehension difficulties and to hyperarticulate their speech to enhance mutual understanding
Norms in the Global Refugee Regime: Westphalian Origins & the Exclusion of Stateless People
Get PDFThis thesis explores how stateless people are constituted and treated within the global refugee regime. Building upon existing literature on norm reversion and evasion, it argues that the regime was founded in a Westphalian, state-centric model, and that this has excluded stateless people from fully accessing its normative protections. Using the Rohingya as a case study, my research employs a triangulated, qualitative methodology that draws from two complementary sources: secondary interviews with stateless individuals, and documents from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) online archives. The findings reveal marked discrepancies between the lived experiences of stateless people and humanitarian discourse, calling for a reassessment of humanitarian governance that better serves the needs of stateless communities. To conclude, I offer recommendations for further research, and invite scholars to reimagine belonging beyond the norms of Westphalian territoriality that exclude stateless people
A Review of Relationships of Cannabis Legalization With Alcohol Use and Consumption
No full textThe legalization of marijuana, especially recreational cannabis legalization(RCL) has become prevalent in the States. The causation effect of RCL on alcohol use or consumption has aroused public attention widely, and the relevance of the two substances is essential to all aspects of society including economic development, public health issues, and taxation. Therefore, the review summarizes the recent studies’ results and conclusions to reveal the causation effect of recreational marijuana legalization on alcohol use.Online literature Research was performed for articles published in the last five years of English in main datasets. After abstract reviewing and full-text reviewing, 12 studies are included to compare the results in research on the effect
Introducing Gaming Islam
No full textTwo professor-gamers discuss representations of Islam, Muslims, and the Middle East in video games. This video is also available on YouTube. Gaming Islam is: written and presented by Alireza Doostdar and Ghenwa Hayek produced and mographed by elfrzdq filmed by Thomas Maguire with generous support from the Martin Marty Center for the Public of Understanding of Religion at the University of Chicago Divinity School https://martycenter.org/ </p
Assessment of commercially available artificial intelligence software for differentiating hemorrhage from contrast on head CT following thrombolysis for ischemic stroke
Get PDFBackground: In patients who have undergone ischemic stroke therapy, retained iodine-based contrast can resemble acute intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) on standard computed tomography (CT). The purpose of this study is to determine the accuracy of commercially available artificial intelligence software for differentiating hemorrhage from contrast in such cases. Methods: A total of 45 CT scans analyzed by Aidoc software that also included dual-energy iodine subtraction maps from dual energy CT from 23 unique patients (12 male, 11 female, age range 30–99 years, mean age 67.6 years, standard deviation 18.5 years) following recent ischemic stroke therapy were retrospectively reviewed for the presence of hemorrhage versus retained contrast material. Results: The sensitivity and specificity of the model in detecting acute intracranial hemorrhage as opposed to contrast were 51.7 and 50.0%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values were 65.2 and 36.4%, respectively. Conclusion: The current Aidoc software is not optimized for differentiating between acute hemorrhage and retained contrast on CT. This justifies the development of a more robust artificial intelligence model trained to differentiate between ICH and iodine contrast based on both DECT and standard CT images.</p
Erbium-Ion Integration with Silicon Photonics for Quantum Memory Technologies
Get PDFQuantum communication networks rely on quantum memory devices to enable long-distance entanglement distribution. Erbium is a promising candidate for quantum memory due to its telecom C-band optical transition, which allows seamless integration with existing fiber-optic infrastructure. However, challenges such as spin coherence limitations, material integration, and non-radiative decay mechanisms must be addressed to realize practical Er-based quantum memory systems. This dissertation investigates the development of erbium-doped titanium oxide integrated with silicon photonics as a platform for quantum memory. A primary focus is the deposition and characterization of Er-doped thin films using atomic layer deposition (ALD), providing a scalable and CMOS-compatible approach to quantum memory fabrication. The integration of Er-doped materials into photonic crystal cavities enables Purcell enhancement, significantly improving optical readout efficiency. The optical measurements provide essential insights into cavity-ion quantum electrodynamics. In particular, the experiment of isolating single erbium ions establish a crucial foundation for realizing spin-photon interfaces, enabling the integration of quantum memories into CMOS-compatible quantum photonic platforms. This work plays a pivotal role in advancing hybrid quantum system integration, a critical step toward enabling scalable and distributed quantum networks. By developing a fully CMOS-compatible platform, this research not only enhances the feasibility of practical quantum memory technologies but also lays the groundwork for next-generation quantum communication infrastructure, accelerating the realization of global quantum networks. Beyond quantum technologies, this thesis also explores broader advancements in photonics, including a novel dynamic quenching method for single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) and the development of mechanically stable, ultra-thin anti-reflective coatings (ARCs) for displays. Both studies demonstrate technological progress through innovative integration strategies and process development, contributing to the evolution of photonic engineering
Essays on the Economics of Education
Get PDFEducational interventions are often shown to be effective in lab or pilot RCTs, but then subsequently fail to retain their treatment impact when applied at scale. This dissertation consists of three field experiments, each evaluating the impact of an educational intervention. The common thread in each of these is that the interventions I evaluate have at least one element that makes them more feasible to scale relative to similar interventions. In the first chapter, I conduct a large-scale field experiment on learning by teaching. While previous interventions show evidence of “learning by teaching” in lab settings, this study tests the impact in a field setting over an 8-week period. Classrooms are randomly assigned to have students (1) create explanation videos, (2) complete passive practice problems, or (3) placed in a control condition. The explanation treatment improved short-run scores by 0.17 SD and long-run grades by 0.07 SD relative to the practice-problem group. Notably, while both treatment groups improved relative to control, only the explanation treatment improved performance on novel problems, suggesting that explaining concepts enhances one's ability to understand deeply and generalize concepts. In the second chapter, I evaluate the impact of an in-school tutoring program. While schools aim to have both “high dosage” and “small groups”, budget constraints make it infeasible to deliver small group tutoring frequently at scale. In this paper, I test the relative importance of group size (quality) versus tutoring frequency (quantity). Students at a middle school were randomly assigned to either 1) a control condition, or to receive in-school math tutoring 2) twice a week in 2-student groups, or 3) three times a week in 3-student groups. Importantly, the total cost per student is the same in both treatment conditions. I find that the 2-student group tutoring led to a significant improvement in math skills (0.23 SD), whereas the equal-cost, more frequent tutoring in the 3-student groups did not lead to a significant improvement in math skills. In the third chapter, co-authored with Ariel Kalil and Susan Mayer, we evaluate an intervention to increase attendance at preschool parent engagement events. We designed an intervention using a combination of financial incentives and two tools from behavioral economics: loss-framing and reminder messages. The treatment parents were given a loss-framed $25 per event incentive to attend 8 events sponsored by their preschools, as well as weekly text message reminders about the events. Relative to other similar RCTs, our smaller financial incentive is more feasible to implement at scale. We find no extensive margin treatment effect: the intervention did not increase the fraction of parents who attended at least one event. However, we find a 32% intensive margin treatment effect. This tells us that while behavioral tools can help already-involved parents engage more with preschools, they are not enough to reach disengaged parents. This study was recently accepted for publication in Applied Economics