1,721,071 research outputs found
The effect of social norms and the presence of bystanders on altruistic behavior
No full textIn this chapter, prosocial behavior will be analyzed from a social psychology point of view, examining the theoretical contributions of the past ten years and highlighting the various interpretations that have been proposed. Specifically, the focus will be on the analysis of the motivations that characterize a person who behaves altruistically. Theoretical models that will be examined include those that consider the possibility of a genuine altruistic motivation, as well as those that hypothesize that true altruism does not exist. In fact, it will be shown how the motivation behind altruistic behavior has been interpreted differently by social psychologists as being either intrinsically egoistic (the person helping does so to improve his own well being) or truly altruistic (the only objective is to improve the wellbeing of the other person). Considering the vast literature focusing on the behavioral role of emotions, the leitmotif of this chapter consists of the analysis of emotional states that give rise to altruistic behavior. After surveying the classical theories of altruism in the first part of the chapter, the focus will shift towards the well known '‘Bystander Effect’’ - which governs altruistic behavior linked mostly to special situations where a person casually encounters someone in trouble and, as a consequence, decides whether or not to intervene
Intermittent vs continuous levodopa administration in patients with advanced Parkinson disease: a clinical and pharmacokinetic study.
No full textBACKGROUND: Levodopa-related motor complications can be an important source of disability for patients with advanced Parkinson disease. Current evidence suggests that these motor complications are related to the relatively short half-life of levodopa and its potential to induce pulsatile stimulation of striatal dopamine receptors. Motor complications can be diminished with a continuous infusion of levodopa. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the specific pharmacokinetic changes associated with the benefits of levodopa infusion. DESIGN: We performed an open-label study in 6 patients with Parkinson disease who experienced severe motor complications while receiving standard oral formulations of levodopa/carbidopa. Patients were subsequently treated for 6 months with continuous daytime intraintestinal infusions of levodopa methyl ester. Levodopa pharmacokinetic studies were performed at baseline and 6 months in 3 of these patients. RESULTS: Compared with treatment with intermittent doses of a standard oral formulation of levodopa, continuous infusion provided significant improvement in both "off periods" and dyskinesia. Results of plasma pharmacokinetic studies demonstrated that compared with oral administration, continuous levodopa infusion was associated with a significant increase in the levodopa area under the curve and avoided the low plasma trough levels seen with oral drug administration. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that a continuous levodopa infusion is associated with reduced motor complications compared with the standard oral formulation of the drug in patients with advanced PD. Pharmacokinetic studies demonstrate that reduced motor complications are associated with avoiding low plasma levodopa trough levels and are not adversely affected by relatively high plasma levodopa concentrations. We propose that if levodopa/carbidopa could be administered orally in a manner that mirrors the pharmacokinetic pattern of the infusion, it might lead to a similar reduction in motor complications
Power distance in the workplace and its effect on prosocial behavioral intentions
Full text linkPower distance, the extent to which individuals in an organization accept unequal distributions of power, significantly influences workplace dynamics, particularly in shaping individuals' willingness to engage in prosocial behaviors. Previous research suggests that individuals with high levels of power distance tend to exhibit more self-centered behavior, making them less inclined to act charitably. In contrast, individuals with lower levels of power distance are more likely to engage in prosocial actions. This study investigates the effect of power distance on prosocial behavioral intentions in a workplace context and examines the moderating role of prosocial personality traits. A convenience sample of 169 employees from medium-sized enterprises was analyzed. The findings confirmed that participants with lower power distance perceptions exhibited significantly higher prosocial intentions and revealed the moderating role of prosocial personality traits. By examining the interaction between power distance beliefs, prosocial intentions, and prosocial dispositional traits, our study contributes new insights into how both structural beliefs and personality traits jointly shape prosocial intentions in organizational settings, potentially informing strategies to cultivate a supportive and collaborative work environment
Occupational stigma perception and public employees' burnout: A moderated moderation model of work–family conflict and social comparison
No full textBackground: The prevalence of burnout symptoms has become very high among public employees, with occupational stigma perception as an important predictor of burnout. Combining personal and relational factors can effectively exacerbate burnout symptoms. The study explores how work–family conflict and social comparisons orientation (both upward and downward) influence the relationship between occupational stigma perceptions and burnout among Italian public employees, applying Conservation of Resources Theory. Methods: We measured burnout, occupational stigma perception, work–family conflict, and social comparison orientation using cross-sectional, anonymous, self-reported questionnaires filled out by 305 employees. Results: The correlation analysis revealed that burnout positively related to upward comparison, work–family conflict, and occupational stigma perception and negatively related to downward comparison. Linear regression analysis indicated that occupational stigma perception was significantly associated with increased burnout symptoms in public employees. The moderation analysis showed that work–family conflict positively moderated the positive relationship between occupational stigma perception and burnout (β = 0.061, p < .001). Moderated moderation analyses only support the role of upward social comparison as a moderator of the role of work–family conflict (β = 0.040, p < .01). Conclusion: The study theoretically enhances understanding of the links between occupational stigma, work–family conflict, social comparison orientation, and burnout, while highlighting the practically need for organizations to address psychosocial factors to reduce burnout. Organizations that recognize the influence of these factors on employee well-being can implement timely preventive and management strategies to address these challenges
EEG discharges on awakening: A marker of idiopathic generalized epilepsy.
No full textIn a series of 24-hour ambulatory EEG recordings from
1,000 consecutive adult outpatients (44.5% with generalized and 55.5% with
partial epilepsy, one recording per patient), the authors found only 46 (4.6%)
activations of epileptiform discharges on awakening. All recordings came
from patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy, predominantly with juvenile
myoclonic epilepsy and generalized tonic-clonic seizures on awakening. Multiple
spike discharges that develop with an unusually delayed onset after arousal
(more than 10 minutes) might help to discriminate juvenile myoclonic epileps
Violence Against Men and Its Effects Within the Workplace: A Literature Review
Full text linkOver the years, there has been increasing interest in violence against women and its significant effects on victims. However, there has been comparatively little interest regarding violence against men and its effects within the workplace. This is despite the fact that scholarly research has highlighted the frequency of this phenomenon, further exacerbated by the poor functioning of support services, which intensifies distress among male victims. The present review focused on examining publications indexed in bibliographic databases (Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science) from the years 2012–2023 to comprehend the contemporary landscape of academic literature concerning
violence against men, along with its implications within the workplace. A total of 20 studies met inclusion criteria, and all selected papers focused on male victims of violence were included in this review. The results highlight the significant presence of male victims within the context of genderbased violence and harassment, domestic violence, and intimate partner violence. This literature review additionally highlights that social representation and gender stereotypes seem to contribute to the low demand for intervention by victims and the imbalance in their effects on the public and
practitioners. Moreover, the results underscore the intricate and profound repercussions of violence against men within the workplace. This review, offering an overview of existing research in this field, emphasizes the necessity for future research to enhance understanding of quantitative methodologies and to facilitate specialized training for practitioners. Hence, it becomes imperative to actively identify interventions tailored to safeguarding the well-being of male victims of violence
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Psychological Trust Dynamics in Climate Change Adaptation Decision-Making Processes: A Literature Review
Full text linkThere has been a growth in interest among academics and professionals in psychological
trust dynamics during climate change adaptation. This literature review aimed to examine the
research concerning trust dynamics in climate change adaptation from different levels of analysis,
encompassing the different phases of adaptation and considering the importance of trust in climate
change decision-making. The method consisted of systematically reviewing researches on this
topic published in scientific articles, by using appropriate and relevant search keywords (e.g., trust,
community, natural hazard, climate change adaptation, decision-making) in academic databases. A
total of 25 studies met inclusion criteria. All the articles focused on the latter phases of the climate
change adaptation cycle, specifically implementation and monitoring/evaluation, with limited
attention devoted to decision-making related to earlier phases of preparation, assessment of risks, and
identification and selection of adaptation options. The reviews also indicates that psychological trust
is related to different adaptive actions (e.g., adoption of renewable energy technologies), and low- and
high-impact mitigation behaviors (e.g., acceptance of paying taxes for actions that mitigate climate
change). Therefore, this review underscores the significant role of psychological trust dynamics
in shaping individuals’ decision-making processes concerning climate change adaptation, thereby
yielding immediate and direct implications for climate systems. Therefore, it is essential to actively
promote the culture of trust within the context of climate change adaptation
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