PubMed İndeksli Yayınlar Koleksiyonu / PubMed Indexed Publications Collection

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11779/1928

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Determining the Effect of Video Information on the Dental Anxiety Levels of the Endodontic Patients: a Randomised Clinical Trial
(Wiley, 2025) Anatürk, Şule; Dönmez Özkan, Hicran; Saral, İlkim Pınar; Çakar, Tuna
Objective The present study assessed the effectiveness of pretreatment education in the form of Visual Video Information (VVI) on the anxiety levels of patients during endodontic treatment steps. Methods Patients (n = 120) having single-rooted teeth with a single root canal diagnosed with asymptomatic irreversible pulpitis and/or pre-prosthetic root canal treatment were included in this study. After completing anxiety scales and a sociodemographic/dental habits survey, the patients were randomly divided into two groups. Just before the endodontic treatment, VVI was given to the video group patients, while the control group patients received routine information verbally. In both groups, a galvanic skin response (GSR) device was placed on the patients' wrists to record the stress levels during the endodontic treatment process. Anxiety scales and a feedback-satisfaction survey were administered to all patients after the treatment process. Then, statistical analysis was performed (alpha = 0.05). Results This study performed 60 endodontic treatments on 60 patients (30 females and 30 males). Sociodemographic characteristics and dental treatment habits of the patients significantly affected dental anxiety scale scores (p < 0.05). VVI resulted in a significant decrease in the mean scores of anxiety before and after the treatment, but this decrease was not significant between the groups (p > 0.05). Similarly, VVI did not impact the GSR readings between the groups during treatment (p > 0.05). Conclusions The educational VVI is effective for reducing anxiety in patients undergoing endodontic treatment. In addition, the electrodermal activity method is a promising alternative for objectively assessing anxiety levels.
I See Sick People: Beliefs About Sensory Detection of Infectious Disease Are Largely Consistent Across Cultures
(Academic Press Inc., 2025) Ackerman, J.M.; Samore, T.; Fessler, D.M.T.; Kupfer, T.R.; Choi, S.; Merrell, W.N.; Žeželj, I.; Sevi, Barış
Identifying cues to contagious disease is critical for effectively tracking and defending against interpersonal infection threats. People hold lay beliefs about the types of sensory information most relevant for identifying whether others are sick with transmissible illnesses. Are these beliefs universal, or do they vary along cultural and ecological dimensions? Participants in 58 countries (N = 19,217) judged how effective, and how likely they were to use, cues involving each of the five major sensory modalities in an imagined social interaction during a flu outbreak. Belief patterns were strongly consistent across countries (sight > audition > touch > smell > taste), suggesting a largely universal conceptualization of the role of sensory information for interpersonal respiratory disease detection. Results also support a safe senses hypothesis, with perceivers reporting that they would use senses that function at a distance—and thus reduce pathogen transmission risk—more than would be expected given participants’ beliefs as to the efficacy of these senses for disease detection. Where societal variation did emerge, it was captured by a cohesive set of socio-ecological factors, including human development, latitude, pathogen prevalence, and population density. Together, these findings reveal a shared lens through which contagious respiratory disease is assessed, one that prioritizes minimizing risk to perceivers, and may offer leverage for designing interventions to improve public health. © 2025 Elsevier Inc.
A Preliminary Study on the Role of Personal History of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases on Self-Reported Health Across Countries
(W B Saunders Co Ltd, 2025) Pfuhl, Gerit; Prazeres, Filipe; Kowal, Marta; Aavik, Toivo; Abad-Villaverde, Beatriz; Afhami, Reza; Sorokowski, Piotr; Toplu-Demirtaş, Ezgi
Objectives: Infectious diseases are often associated with decline in quality of life. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between personal history of communicable, i.e., infectious and parasitic diseases and self-rated health. Study design: Secondary analysis of a large dataset multi-country observational study. Methods: We used a four-pronged analysis approach to investigate whether personal history of infectious and parasitic diseases is related to self-reported health, measured with a single item. Results: Three of the four analyses found a small positive effect on self-reported health among those reporting a history of pathogen exposure. The meta-analysis found no support but large heterogeneity that was not reduced by two classifications of countries. Conclusion: Personal history of infectious and parasitic diseases does not reduce self-reported health across a global sample.
The Ill Fortune of Attachment Insecurity and Dyadic Distrust in Marital Satisfaction: a Dyadic Perspective in Turkish Couples
(Springernature, 2025) Cetinkaya Yildiz, Evrim; Araci Iyiaydin, Ayseguel; Toplu Demirtas, Ezgi
Objective: The objective of the current study is to explore the actor, partner and mediating effects of dyadic trust in the relationship between insecure romantic attachment and marital satisfaction in a Turkish sample of heterosexual married couples.BackgroundAlthough the vital role of dyadic trust in a romantic relationship has been recognized for many years, the mediating role of dyadic trust in the relationship between insecure attachment and marital satisfaction has not been explored much in previous research.MethodThe sample comprised 174 married couples living in suburban areas in the central Anatolian region of T & uuml;rkiye. Couples were recruited through personal networks and online mailing lists of local governmental institutions. Two Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model analyses were carried out to estimate mediation with dyadic data using MEDYAD.ResultsThe actor effects between insecure romantic attachment and marital satisfaction were found to be mediated by dyadic distrust. Moreover, two partner mediating effects were found significant. Husbands' anxious attachment predicted wives' dyadic distrust, which in turn predicted wives' marital dissatisfaction. Likewise, husbands' anxious attachment also predicted their own dyadic distrust, which in turn predicted their wives' marital dissatisfaction.ConclusionThe findings show that for insecurely attached individuals, dyadic trust has an important role in marital satisfaction and thus should be the central topic in couple counseling.
Global Profiles of Positive Youth Development: a Person-Oriented Analysis Among Emerging Adults Living in 21 Countries
(Springer/Plenum Publishers, 2025) Buenconsejo, Jet Uy; Ferrer-Wreder, Laura; Dimitrova, Radosveta; Pavlova, Iuliia; Bosnar, Ksenija; Bartoluci, Suncica; Altansukh, Suvdanchimeg; Karakulak, Arzu
Although global research on the 5Cs model of Positive Youth Development (PYD; competence, confidence, connection, character, and caring) has expanded in recent years, there is a lack of understanding about distinct and consistent PYD profiles across youth from diverse socio-cultural contexts. To address this gap, this study utilized a person-oriented analytic approach to examine the PYD profiles of 11,481 emerging adults (Mage = 21.77; SDage = 2.74; 68.66% females) from 21 countries in four continents. Results of the multi-group latent profile analysis revealed four consistent profiles of PYD across countries: high/balanced (41%), self-efficacious (28%), socio-emotional (20%), and low/self-centered (11%). Participants' age, gender, educational attainment, and country-level collectivism were also found to be associated with specific profiles. Older and more-educated females from less collectivistic countries were more likely to be in a high/balanced profile, while younger males from more collectivistic countries tend to be in a low/self-centered profile. Older and more-educated males from less collectivistic countries were more likely to be in a self-efficacious profile, while younger and less-educated females from more collectivistic countries tend to be in a socio-emotional profile. Controlling these socio-contextual covariates, the four profiles exhibited distinct relations with adaptive (resilience and contribution) and maladaptive outcomes (anxiety and adverse life experiences) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results highlight the importance of fostering a balanced set of Cs, which include both self-efficacious and socio-emotional qualities, to promote positive adaptation in challenging times across diverse developmental settings.
Detecting Autism From Head Movements Using Kinesics
(Assoc Computing Machinery, 2024) Gokmen, Muhittin; Sariyanidi, Evangelos; Yankowitz, Lisa; Zampella, Casey J.; Schultz, Robert T.; Tunc, Birkan
Head movements play a crucial role in social interactions. The quantification of communicative movements such as nodding, shaking, orienting, and backchanneling is significant in behavioral and mental health research. However, automated localization of such head movements within videos remains challenging in computer vision due to their arbitrary start and end times, durations, and frequencies. In this work, we introduce a novel and efficient coding system for head movements, grounded in Birdwhistell's kinesics theory, to automatically identify basic head motion units such as nodding and shaking. Our approach first defines the smallest unit of head movement, termed kine, based on the anatomical constraints of the neck and head. We then quantify the location, magnitude, and duration of kines within each angular component of head movement. Through defining possible combinations of identified kines, we define a higher-level construct, kineme, which corresponds to basic head motion units such as nodding and shaking. We validate the proposed framework by predicting autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis from video recordings of interacting partners. We show that the multi-scale property of the proposed framework provides a significant advantage, as collapsing behavior across temporal scales reduces performance consistently. Finally, we incorporate another fundamental behavioral modality, namely speech, and show that distinguishing between speaking- and listening-time head movements significantly improves ASD classification performance.
Physicians’ Ethical Concerns About Artificial Intelligence in Medicine: a Qualitative Study: “the Final Decision Should Rest With a Human”
(Frontiers Media SA, 2024) Kahraman, F.; Aktas, A.; Bayrakceken, S.; Çakar, T.; Tarcan, H.S.; Bayram, B.; Ulman, Y.I.
Background/aim: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the capability of computational systems to perform tasks that require human-like cognitive functions, such as reasoning, learning, and decision-making. Unlike human intelligence, AI does not involve sentience or consciousness but focuses on data processing, pattern recognition, and prediction through algorithms and learned experiences. In healthcare including neuroscience, AI is valuable for improving prevention, diagnosis, prognosis, and surveillance. Methods: This qualitative study aimed to investigate the acceptability of AI in Medicine (AIIM) and to elucidate any technical and scientific, as well as social and ethical issues involved. Twenty-five doctors from various specialties were carefully interviewed regarding their views, experience, knowledge, and attitude toward AI in healthcare. Results: Content analysis confirmed the key ethical principles involved: confidentiality, beneficence, and non-maleficence. Honesty was the least invoked principle. A thematic analysis established four salient topic areas, i.e., advantages, risks, restrictions, and precautions. Alongside the advantages, there were many limitations and risks. The study revealed a perceived need for precautions to be embedded in healthcare policies to counter the risks discussed. These precautions need to be multi-dimensional. Conclusion: The authors conclude that AI should be rationally guided, function transparently, and produce impartial results. It should assist human healthcare professionals collaboratively. This kind of AI will permit fairer, more innovative healthcare which benefits patients and society whilst preserving human dignity. It can foster accuracy and precision in medical practice and reduce the workload by assisting physicians during clinical tasks. AIIM that functions transparently and respects the public interest can be an inspiring scientific innovation for humanity. Copyright © 2024 Kahraman, Aktas, Bayrakceken, Çakar, Tarcan, Bayram, Durak and Ulman.
Where Should I Search Next? Messages Embedded in Storybooks Influence Children's Strategic Exploration in Turkey and the United States
(Amer Psychological Assoc, 2024) Vaisarova, Julie; Kiefer, Sarah L.; Sen, Hilal; Todd, Peter M.; Lucca, Kelsey
Despite the vital role of curiosity-driven exploration in learning, our understanding of how to enhance children's curiosity remains limited. Here, we tested whether hearing a strategic curiosity story with curiosity-promoting themes (e.g., strategically approaching uncertainty, adapting flexibly to new information) versus a control story with traditional pedagogical themes (e.g., following rules, learning from others) would influence children's strategic exploration across two cultures. Three- to 6-year-olds from the United States (N = 138) and Turkey (N = 88) were randomly assigned to hear one of these stories over Zoom, before playing a game in which they searched for sea creatures across five fish tanks. All tanks had the same number of hiding spots but varied in the number of creatures they contained. Time was limited and children could not return to prior tanks, pushing them to allocate search effort strategically. Results indicated that across both countries, children in the strategic curiosity condition explored the virtual "aquarium" more broadly; they moved through tanks more rapidly than children in the control condition and were more likely to explore all five tanks before time ran out. Children in the strategic curiosity condition also showed relatively more strategic search, adapting their search based on the likelihood of finding creatures in each tank. While further research is needed to pinpoint which elements of our stories produced differences in search behavior and whether they did so by enhancing or inhibiting children's strategic exploration, storybooks appear to be a promising method for shaping children's exploration across multiple countries.
Cyber Dating Violence Among Youth and Adolescents: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
(Springer/plenum Publishers, 2024) Erbiçer, Eyüp Sabır; Boranlı, Ece Nur; Metin, Ahmet; Erbiçer, Sinem; Şen, Sedat; Toplu Demirtaş, Ezgi; Espelage, Dorothy L.
Studies have shown that there are protective and risk factors related to cyber dating violence. However, the effect size of these factors is unclear. This study aims to clarify the effect size of the associations of protective and risk factors, as well as symptoms of mental health conditions, with cyber dating violence perpetration and victimization. Databases, including PubMed, Web of Science (WoS), ProQuest, Scopus, and EBSCOhost were searched to identify relevant studies. Forty-nine studies were included in the current study. Results revealed statistically significant and medium relationships between cyber dating violence perpetration and some risk factors, including offline dating violence perpetration-related factors (i.e., physical, psychological, sexual, relational, verbal/emotional, and threat) and offline dating violence victimization-related factors (i.e., physical and psychological); and small relationships with other risk factors (i.e., sexual offline dating violence victimization, attachment styles, and jealousy), protective factors (i.e., family support and emotional regulation), and mental health symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety, and alcohol use). There was also statistically significant and robust relationship between cyber dating violence victimization and verbal/emotional offline dating violence victimization (i.e., risk factor); medium relationships with some risk factors, including offline dating violence perpetration-related factors (i.e., psychological and verbal/emotional) and offline dating violence victimization-related factors (i.e., physical, psychological, sexual, relational, and threat); small relationships with other risk factors (i.e., physical offline dating violence perpetration, attachment styles, childhood sexual abuse), protective factors (i.e., family support, emotional regulation, and self-esteem), and mental health symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety, stress, alcohol use, and drug use). The study's results highlight risk and protective factors associated with cyber dating violence and demonstrate its association with mental health symptoms.
Linking Obsessions To Morality: a Cross-Cultural Study Among Turkish and Belgian University Students
(Sage Publications Ltd, 2024) Özcanlı, Fulya; Claes, Laurence; Hermans, Dirk; Mesquita, Batja
The present study examines the links between different types of morality and obsessions in university students from Leuven, Belgium (N = 252) and & Idot;stanbul, Turkey (N = 301) using validated scales for morality and obsessions. Belgium and Turkey were chosen as two exemplar cultural contexts expected, and in the current study found, to differ in the relative levels of individualizing and binding morality. We hypothesized that obsessions involving potential harm (e.g., aggressive obsessions) are cross-culturally associated with individualizing morals, and obsessions indicating impurity (e.g., contamination) are cross-culturally associated with binding morals. Moreover, we expected that cultural differences in the frequency of obsessions could be linked to differences in culturally prevalent moralities. As predicted, contamination obsessions were cross-culturally linked to binding morals. Also, the frequency of contamination obsessions was higher in the Turkish sample compared to the Belgian, which was predicted by higher levels of binding morals in Turkey. Doubts were cross-culturally endorsed at similar rates and were associated with individualizing morals. Aggressive obsessions were relatively more frequent in the Belgian compared to the Turkish sample, however-unexpectedly-these intrusions were not positively linked to either type of morality, neither in Belgium nor in Turkey. Taken together, these findings provide initial support for the role of morality in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), at least for certain types of obsessions (contamination and doubts), as well as suggest that some differences in the moral foundations may play a role in explaining the prevalence of certain obsessions (i.e., contamination).
When the Personal and the Collective Intersects: Memory, Future Thinking, and Perceived Agency During the Covid-19 Pandemic
(American Psychological Association, 2024) Topcu, Meymune Nur; Hirst, William
Do collective crises have an impact on the characteristics of mental time travel for individuals and collectives? The COVID-19 pandemic provides a unique context to address this question due to the intersection it created between the personal and the collective domains. In two studies (N = 273), we examined the valence and perceived agency involved in memory and future thinking for personal and collective domains. The second study also included a longitudinal component with 43 participants completing both studies. In research done prior to the pandemic, a valence-based dissociation between personal and collective events was consistently observed in Western samples. We wanted to see if these patterns changed during different stages of the pandemic. In the first study, participants no longer exhibited the usual positivity bias for the personal future, while in the second study, they did not exhibit the usual negativity bias for the collective future. The second aim of the current article was to assess the agency people attribute to themselves and their nation over events and how that relates to valence. People always attributed more agency to themselves over positive events than negative events in both personal and collective domains. Perceived nation agency, however, was associated with positivity in the collective domain but with negativity in the personal domain. Longitudinal analyses confirmed these patterns. Taken together, these results indicate that a collective crisis that has immediate and profound effects on personal lives can alter the patterns observed for mental time travel, especially for the future.
Developmental Differences in Children and Adults' Enforcement of Explore Versus Exploit Search Strategies in the United States and Turkey
(Wiley, 2024) Kiefer, Sarah L.; Aksu, Ece; Şen, Hilal H.; Lucca, Kelsey
Across development, as children acquire a deeper understanding of their environment, they explore less and take advantage, or "exploit," what they already know. Here, we test whether children also enforce exploration-oriented search behaviors onto others. Specifically, we ask whether children are more likely to encourage a search agent to explore versus exploit their environment, and whether this pattern varies across childhood (between 3 and 6 years). We also ask whether this pattern differs between children and adults, and generalizes across two different sociocultural contexts-Turkey and the United States-that differ on dimensions that might relate to children's decisions about exploration (e.g., curiosity-focused educational practices, attitudes toward uncertainty avoidance). Participants (N = 358) watched an agent search for rewards and were asked at various points whether the agent should "stay" (exploit) in their current location, or "go" (explore) to a new location. At all points in the experiment, children enforced exploration significantly more often than adults. Early in the agent's search, children in the US enforced exploration more often than children in Turkey; later in the search, younger children (from both sociocultural contexts) were more likely to continue enforcing exploration compared to older children. These findings highlight that children are not only highly exploratory themselves, but also enforce exploration onto others-underscoring the central role that exploration plays in driving early cognitive development across diverse sociocultural contexts.Research Highlights The current study examined developmental and cross-cultural differences in children and adults' enforcement of explore-exploit search strategies. Children in the US and Turkey enforced exploration more than adults, who enforced exploitation more often; results were generally consistent across cultures with small differences. Mirroring developmental changes in children's own search behavior; the tendency to enforce exploration decreased between 3- to 6-years of age. Findings underscore the central role of an "exploration mindset" in children's early decision-making-even when exploration has no direct benefits to the child themselves.
The Role of Cumulative Risk and Armed Conflict Exposure in Adolescent Psychological Symptoms in Turkey
(Wiley, 2024) Kara, Buket; Selçuk, Bilge
Exposure to risk factors and adversity may cause immediate, and sometimes prolonged, psychological symptoms in adolescents. Identifying universal and specific risk factors in a particular context and examining their cumulative effects is crucial for understanding the mechanisms underlying psychological symptoms and informing about strategies for intervention. Using concurrent measures, the current study aimed to examine the role of armed conflict experiences and cumulation of other risk factors (e.g., maternal psychological symptoms, socioeconomic indicators) in predicting adolescent psychological symptoms in an underresearched community. The sample included 161 adolescents (54.7% female) aged 11-14 years (M = 12.36, SD = 1.27) and their mothers living in the east of Turkey. The cumulative risk index was calculated by summing the standardized scores of the corresponding factors. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to predict internalizing and externalizing symptoms among adolescents by introducing demographic variables (age, gender) in the first step, armed conflict experiences and cumulative risk in the second step, and their interaction in the final step. Results showed that the levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms were predicted by gender, armed conflict experience and cumulative risk. Being a girl was associated with higher levels of internalizing symptoms and lower levels of externalizing symptoms. Higher levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms were predicted by exposure to armed and cumulative risk. After controlling for other factors, the interaction of armed conflict experience and cumulative risk significantly predicted externalizing, but not internalizing symptoms. These findings suggested that cumulative risk was a stronger predictor of psychological symptoms, and further amplified the strength of the association between armed conflict experiences and externalizing symptoms. These findings can be used in the formulation of intervention strategies and policies to promote psychological well-being in adolescents living in armed conflict zones under multiple risks.
Unheard Voices of Lgb People in Türkiye on Lgb-Specific Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence: a Qualitative Analysis
(Sage Publications inc, 2024) Demirtaş, Ezgi Toplu; Ummak, Esra; Özkan, Hande
Drawing upon in-depth, semistructured interviews with 26 LGB participants, we explored how LGB individuals experience IPV uniquely in Turkiye. Conducting thematic analysis, we generated four themes: (a) invalidation of sexual identity, (b) controlling sexuality and sexual behaviors, (c) disclosure of sexual orientation, and (d) binegativity. The analysis emphasizes LGB-specific power dynamics influencing IPV. A discussion is provided regarding the extent to which these four themes are specific to IPV in LGB relationships. Additionally, recommendations are offered to mental health professionals on tailoring their approaches and promoting advocacy for the needs of LGB IPV survivors.
Examining Factors Influencing Turkish Jewish Attitudes Towards the Armenian Genocide
(Wiley, 2024) Kaymak, Özgür; Nefes, Türkay Salim; Gürpınar, Doğan
The most prominent issue influencing Turkish-Armenian relations is the international recognition of the Armenian genocide. However, there is a notable absence of empirical analyses regarding the perceptions of the genocide among the Turkish population. This study aims to fill this scholarly gap by exploring, for the first time, the perspectives of Turkish Jews. It analyses evidence collected from interviews conducted with 14 Turkish Jews, utilising Stanley Cohen's (2001) theoretical framework, which aids in delineating significant factors by a categorisation of types of acceptance and denial. The findings highlight a diversity of responses linked to political attitudes, which can be broadly categorised into Kayades and Avlaremoz mindsets. They also show that Turkish Jews' views on the Holocaust influence how they perceive the Armenian genocide. Additionally, the results indicate that Cohen's approach is useful in explaining non-denying responses. In conclusion, the study argues that Turkish Jews' perspectives appear to be strongly related to their stance towards the Turkish state and the Holocaust.
Underlining Neighbourhood Perception: a Possible Risk Factor for Dementia That Deserves More Attention
(Oxford Univ Press, 2024) Gutierrez, Angela; Sevi, Barış; Muniz-Terrera, Graciela
This essay highlights the interplay between the neighbourhood structural environment and neighbourhood perceptions on dementia by articulating how an individual's perception of neighbourhood, with respect to their individual differences, may provide key insights to understand the link between the neighbourhood and dementia.
Validation of the Short Version (tls-15) of the Triangular Love Scale (tls-45) Across 37 Languages (oct, 10.1007/S10508-023-02702-7, 2023)
(Springer/plenum Publishers, 2024) Sorokowski, Piotr; Frederick, David A.; Pisanski, Katarzyna; Kowal, Marta; Dinic, Bojana M.; Sternberg, Robert J.; Gjoneska, Biljana; Demirtaş, Ezgi Toplu
[No Abstract Available]
The Coronavirus Anxiety Scale: Cross-National Measurement Invariance and Convergent Validity Evidence
(Psychological assessment, 2024) Abdelrahman, Mohamed; Rudnev, Maksim; Adebayo, Damilola Fisayo; Karakulak, Arzu; Akaliyski, Plamen; Jovanovic, Veljko; Abdul Kadir, Nor Ba'yah
Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) is a widely used measure that captures somatic symptoms of coronavirus-related anxiety. In a large-scale collaboration spanning 60 countries (Ntotal = 21,513), we examined the CAS's measurement invariance and assessed the convergent validity of CAS scores in relation to the fear of COVID-19 (FCV-19S) and the satisfaction with life (SWLS-3) scales. We utilized both conventional exact invariance tests and alignment procedures, with results revealing that the single-factor model fit the data well in almost all countries. Partial scalar invariance was supported in a subset of 56 countries. To ensure the robustness of results, given the unbalanced samples, we employed resampling techniques both with and without replacement and found the results were more stable in larger samples. The alignment procedure demonstrated a high degree of measurement invariance with 9% of the parameters exhibiting noninvariance. We also conducted simulations of alignment using the parameters estimated in the current model. Findings demonstrated reliability of the means but indicated challenges in estimating the latent variances. Strong positive correlations between CAS and FCV-19S estimated with all three different approaches were found in most countries. Correlations of CAS and SWLS-3 were weak and negative but significantly differed from zero in several countries. Overall, the study provided support for the measurement invariance of the CAS and offered evidence of its convergent validity while also highlighting issues with variance estimation.
Unraveling Neural Pathways of Political Engagement: Bridging Neuromarketing and Political Science for Understanding Voter Behavior and Political Leader Perception
(2023) Çakar, Tuna; Filiz, Gözde
Political neuromarketing is an interdisciplinary field that combines marketing, neuroscience, and psychology to understand voter behavior and political leader perception. This interdisciplinary field offers novel techniques to understand complex phenomena such as voter engagement, political leadership, and party branding. This study aims to understand the neural activation patterns of voters when they are exposed to political leaders using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and machine learning methods. We recruited participants and recorded their brain activity using fNIRS when they were exposed to images of different political leaders. This neuroimaging method (fNIRS) reveals brain regions central to brand perception, including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). Machine learning methods were used to predict the participants' perceptions of leaders based on their brain activity. The study has identified the brain regions that are involved in processing political stimuli and making judgments about political leaders. Within this study, the best-performing machine learning model, LightGBM, achieved a highest accuracy score of 0.78, underscoring its efficacy in predicting voters' perceptions of political leaders based on the brain activity of the former. The findings from this study provide new insights into the neural basis of political decision-making and the development of effective political marketing campaigns while bridging neuromarketing, political science and machine learning, in turn enabling predictive insights into voter preferences and behavior
Exploring Attitudes Toward "sugar Relationships" Across 87 Countries: a Global Perspective on Exchanges of Resources for Sex and Companionship
(Springer, 2023) Putz, Adam; Kowal, Marta; Bandi, Szabolcs A; Kocsor, Ferenc; Toplu-Demirtaş, Ezgi; Láng, András; Meskó, Norbert
The current study investigates attitudes toward one form of sex for resources: the so-called sugar relationships, which often involve exchanges of resources for sex and/or companionship. The present study examined associations among attitudes toward sugar relationships and relevant variables (e.g., sex, sociosexuality, gender inequality, parasitic exposure) in 69,924 participants across 87 countries. Two self-report measures of Acceptance of Sugar Relationships (ASR) developed for younger companion providers (ASR-YWMS) and older resource providers (ASR-OMWS) were translated into 37 languages. We tested cross-sex and cross-linguistic construct equivalence, cross-cultural invariance in sex differences, and the importance of the hypothetical predictors of ASR. Both measures showed adequate psychometric properties in all languages (except the Persian version of ASR-YWMS). Results partially supported our hypotheses and were consistent with previous theoretical considerations and empirical evidence on human mating. For example, at the individual level, sociosexual orientation, traditional gender roles, and pathogen prevalence were significant predictors of both ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS. At the country level, gender inequality and parasite stress positively predicted the ASR-YWMS. However, being a woman negatively predicted the ASR-OMWS, but positively predicted the ASR-YWMS. At country-level, ingroup favoritism and parasite stress positively predicted the ASR-OMWS. Furthermore, significant cross-subregional differences were found in the openness to sugar relationships (both ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS scores) across subregions. Finally, significant differences were found between ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS when compared in each subregion. The ASR-YWMS was significantly higher than the ASR-OMWS in all subregions, except for Northern Africa and Western Asia.

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