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Online Social Influences and Men's Acceptance of Violence Against Women
Get PDFIn the digital age, social interactions have increasingly moved online. With that, misogyny can largely be found on many social media forums. In this poster presentation, I will provide a systematic review of the literature, exploring the impact of exposure to online misogyny on men's acceptance of sexual violence (SV) and intimate partner violence (IPV), and the potential buffering effect of bystander intervention. Past research on social norms provide a theoretical basis for my work. It has been found that men tend to misperceive social norms, overestimating their peers' support for violence in intimate relationships and underestimating the importance that their peers place on sexual consent. This misperception then negatively influences their own adherence to consensual sexual activity and increases their levels of IPV1. Additionally, research on male peer social support suggests that when men are exposed to peer rape-supportive attitudes, it notably normalizes this misperception and increases their acceptance of SV4,5,6. Research on IPV also suggests that male peer support can act as a mechanism of stress reduction after perpetration of nonsexual woman abuse, further encouraging such violence. In contrast, when men observe a peer challenge violence against women (VAW), it provides them with accurate normative data and counters any misperceptions. This suggests that bystander intervention may be a successful tool for minimizing the negative impact of male peer social support. Moreover, research indicates that hostile sexism significantly predicts men's acceptance of VAW and has also been found to moderate the effect of peer influence on men's acceptance of SV, warranting further exploration. Applying this framework to the virtual world, online spaces provide misogynistic men with an arena to gather and anonymously create counter-cultures that support their harmful views, further normalizing them. Overall, existing literature suggests that exposure to peer anti- or pro-VAW attitudes in live interactions can influence acceptance of SV and IPV among men. However, it is unknown if these phenomena have the same influence when the interactions take place online. My poster presentation will explore this gap in the research. I will provide a systematic review of the literature, provide direction/suggestions for necessary research to address this gap, and discuss the potential implications of this research for the SV and IPV prevention sector. My poster falls into the Research and Theory sub-conference theme
On the Idea of an Investigation into the Foundations of Mathematics or Psychology in Wittgenstein
No full textWittgenstein said of Kierkegaard that he was the “single most profound philosopher of the 19th century”; but what accounts for Wittgenstein’s estimation of Kierkegaard’s work? I argue that Kierkegaard, who was a student of ancient philosophy, synthesized Socratic and Aristotelian concepts into a conception of philosophical inquiry that provided the basis for a Socratic-style engagement with what Kierkegaard calls “the present age.” This allows Kierkegaard to engage Socratically with the present age’s assumptions, but with a kind of categorial sophistication that goes beyond traditional Socratic inquiry. This Kierkegaardian model, I argue, provides the template for what Wittgenstein comes to call “philosophical foundations of X,” where X is some non-philosophical enterprise, such as psychology or mathematics. But didn’t Wittgenstein’s later work constitute a fundamental break with the philosophical tradition altogether? As G. H. von Wright famously remarks, “the author of Philosophical Investigations has no ancestors in philosophy.” In fact, I argue that if a reasonable adjustment is made in the understanding of Wittgenstein’s grammatical investigation, then the Wittgensteinian grammatical investigation can be seen to have more in common with certain Socratic and Aristotelian paradigms in ancient philosophy than we might otherwise assume. At that point, we can appreciate how the work of Søren Kierkegaard represents a significant conceptual and historical transitional link between these two periods. According to Kierkegaard, it is a central Socratic idea that anyone, no matter who they are, always already operates with some philosophical understanding of the things with which they are especially occupied in life. And scientists are no exception to this rule. In fact, scientists can be expected to operate with some formal-causal and ontological-categorial (i.e., philosophical) understanding of their subject, as well as an understanding of how the basic domains and topics that preoccupy them fit into the larger scheme of things: however, in light of the division of labor, scientists will not necessarily be aware of the extent to which they are already committed to a distinctively philosophical understanding of things. Making this philosophical understanding explicit and scrutinizing it may in turn have an impact on the ways in which scientists go on to frame their scientific research. I suggest that in light of the above genealogy of Wittgenstein’s concept of “philosophical foundations of X,” Wittgenstein can be regarded as a descendant of this Socratic tradition of philosophy, in which philosophy is occasioned by a reflection on the philosophical foundations of non-philosophical discourse
Computation Insights into the Amino Acid Activation by Class I TrpRS and GluRS and Class II AspRS
No full textAbstract Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) are an ancient family of enzymes implicated in viral assembly, proliferation of cancer cells, and mitochondrial dysfunction leading to inflammation and ultimately apoptosis. They catalyze the addition of an amino acid to its cognate tRNA in protein biosynthesis via two half-reactions referred to as: (i)activation where the amino acid is reacted with ATP to produce an activated intermediate, and (ii) aminoacylation where the amino acyl moiety from the previous reaction is transferred to the cognate tRNA. AaRSs are divided into two classes, I or II, depending on whether the amino acid's syn- (Class I) or anti-oxygen (Class II) nucleophilically attacks the α-phosphate of ATP to activate the amino acid. Unlike all other Class I aaRSs, however, in TrpRS the anti-oxygen acts as this mechanistically critical nucleophile! Computational chemistry uses computers to model the properties and reactions of chemical systems. Notably, it enables us to, for instance, examine the interactions and reactions molecules at the atomic level. The aim of our present research is to understand why Class I TrpRS behaves like a Class II aaRS. More specifically, the goal is to use the computational molecular dynamics simulations to determine: (i) the structure of TrpRS within the cellular environment, (ii) how TrpRS binds its amino acid (Trp) and ATP substrates, and (iii) the impact of active site mutations on substrate binding. The initial results of these studies have helped to identify features and chemical functional groups within the active site of TrpRS that influence substrate positioning, a key factor in determining the mode and direction of attack of the anti-oxygen of Trp on ATP. This information is essential for understanding the catalytic mechanism of this essential enzyme, and furthermore a key step towards designing targeted drugs
A Study of Rip Current Warning Dissemination Methods
No full textViable, Healthy and Safe CommunitiesRip currents are a global public health concern, which represent a hazard when swimmers become caught and panic or become exhausted when attempting to swim against the current and back to shore, leading to exhaustion. Studying rip currents from a social science perspective allows researchers to have a more comprehensive understanding of beach user risk. Current research highlights the disconnect between delivery and individual processing of rip current warning messages. This interpretation process is affected by social factors such as gender, age, or prior rip knowledge. Furthermore, a beach user may formulate opinions of safe or dangerous swimming conditions based on the actions of their peers. In this study, we will examine how both rip current warnings and the presence of other beach users simultaneously influence an individual's decision to enter the water. A survey was sent to undergraduate students at a regional comprehensive University in Ontario, Canada. Results suggest individuals are unable to identify a rip current and decisions are influenced by the presence of fellow beach-goers. This study analyzes behavioural intentions and does not demonstrate action. Future work will assess the effectiveness of rip current warnings on beach sites and evaluate how beach users physically respond to warnings. Understanding how these variables work together will enable managers and communities to create the most effective warnings possible
USAGE-BASED INSURANCE OR THE IMPLICATIONS OF TAKING BIG BROTHER FOR A RIDE
Get PDFThe use of telematics in the automobile industry has been growing recently to resolve the problem of asymmetric information in the insurance market related to the identification of the type of a driver. This paper aims to study the impact of the introduction of usage-based insurance on the market participants taking into account the privacy costs associated with the installation of such a behaviour-monitoring device. We assume that UBI is offered as part of the contract to the agents and is voluntary to install. Our findings suggest that no matter how highly an agent values her privacy, there will always be some proportion of the low-type agents who register for UBI to receive full coverage at a higher premium. Moreover, the high-types are weakly worse-off with the introduction of UBI as they pay a higher premium for full coverage. The results of our analysis imply that UBI is Pareto-improving if it allows the company to serve a new market, in which the low-types were not being served initially, else it might be welfare decreasing
Achieving Patient Care Excellence with Emotional Intelligence
No full textBackground: The idea of Emotional Intelligence (EI) was first introduced in the 90s, defining it as "the subset of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one's own and others' feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide one's thinking and action." Studies revealed that patient satisfaction is affected by the patient–clinician relationship, and the clinician's happiness positively impacts patient satisfaction with care. Interestingly, the North American healthcare system delivery has not explored the idea extensively. Objective: To foster patient care excellence in the Windsor-Essex region, we would like to evaluate the impact of EI on patient–clinician relationships. Method: We will conduct a mixed-method study where the quantitative component is a case study with clinicians (population) using EI consultation (intervention) to achieve patient satisfaction (outcome). The intervention will be provided for six months. We will use a Likert scale to evaluate patient satisfaction before and after the intervention and interpret data with a t-test. The qualitative component will explore clinicians' perceptions of patient care after receiving the EI consultation grounded in interpretive description theory. Implication: The study will contribute to knowledge generation on EI and its possible impact on patient-clinician relationships. The results from the study will also aid Erie Shores Health Care in achieving patient care excellence
Commercial Banking and Interbank Insurance: The Diamond-Dybvig Model Revisited
Get PDFThe goal of this paper is to investigate the possibility of incorporating interbank insurance among commercial banks. This is done by building upon the Diamond-Dybvig model. We extend the Diamond-Dybvig model in three ways. First we abandon the single intermediary environment by introducing a banking sector that is made up of a continuum of banks of mass 1; we assume that a small proportion (exogenously given) of banks experience runs. Next, we suppose that all banks have access to and invest in interbank insurance. Lastly, it is assumed that when banks withdraw illiquid funds prematurely they must pay a mandatory transaction cost. In a banking system with liquidity shocks we show that, by designing an optimal interbank insurance contract, the possibility of a bank becoming illiquid during a bank run is zero
Temporal organic matter dynamics in anthropogenically-impacted stream ecosystems
No full textStream ecosystems are heavily influenced by the landscapes that surround them. The input of organic matter from terrestrial and aquatic sources sustains stream ecosystems by providing a base energy source for food webs. When landscapes are changed by human activities (e.g., urbanization, agricultural intensification), critical ecosystem functions such as nutrient processing are altered, and the composition of nutrients available. Explorations into these processes provide valuable insights into trophic energy flows and carbon cycling in streams, particularly in the face of climate change. This study seeks to advance knowledge on the ecosystem ecology of human-impacted streams by addressing a critical knowledge gap on organic matter processing rates and carbon dynamics in streams across an anthropogenic disturbance gradient. Situated in the Windsor-Essex region of southwestern Ontario, Canada, the stream ecosystems in this study (n=7) are impacted from both urbanized and agricultural land uses. Using standardized cotton-strip assays to measure carbon processing rates (i.e., decomposition) and fluorometric methods to characterize molecular carbon structure, I characterized monthly shifts to test whether anthropogenic sites behave in a similar way. Results from this work have generated a novel baseline dataset that encompasses temporal drivers of decomposition rates along with molecular carbon characterization across a land-use gradient. In temperate regions such as the Laurentian Great Lakes basin, human impacts on freshwater ecosystem processes are complex and representative of ecosystems globally. Disentangling drivers of variability on ecosystem functions in contemporary contexts is therefore critical to advance understanding of ecosystem ecology on local and global scales and inform effective management and restoration
Exploring Math Education in China and Ontario
Get PDFAs math education is one of the most vital subjects required in school and society in the 21st century (European Commission, 2011), the student’s math competence has the potential to influence the development of economic, political and social policies of their own country (Hanushek, Woessmann, Jamison, & Jamison, 2008). Students’ engagement in math is influenced by many factors. Many studies show that the students’ engagement in math may influenced by parents’ attitude toward math and other studies show that the gender stereotype may influence students’ engagement in math. In this paper, according to the expectancy-value theory, students’ engagement with math are primarily influenced by the expectations from family, school and society. Among these three factors, students’ math engagement is significantly influenced by the school’s effect. However, this is not the only important factor. Parents play a critical role in the pre-education stage in terms of guiding a student’s attitude towards math. Furthermore, the other factors such as gender and social class also influence students’ academic experiences with math, and even their decisions on their future majors. The purpose of this paper is to explore math education broadly in Ontario and China. I will put forward the suggestions that may benefit these two regions so that they could learn from each other and improve student experiences with math