scholarly journals Uncertainty about the impact of social decisions increases prosocial behavior

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Kappes ◽  
Anne-Marie Nussberger ◽  
Nadira Sophie Faber ◽  
Guy Kahane ◽  
Julian Savulescu ◽  
...  

Uncertainty about how our choices will affect others infuses social life. Past research suggests uncertainty has a negative effect on prosocial behavior by enabling people to adopt self-serving narratives about their actions. We show that uncertainty does not always promote selfishness. We introduce a distinction between two types of uncertainty that have opposite effects on prosocial behavior. Previous work focused on outcome uncertainty: uncertainty about whether or not a decision will lead to a particular outcome. But as soon as people’s decisions might have negative consequences for others, there is also impact uncertainty: uncertainty about how badly others’ well-being will be impacted by the negative outcome. Consistent with past research, we found decreased prosocial behavior under outcome uncertainty. In contrast, prosocial behavior was increased under impact uncertainty in incentivized economic decisions and hypothetical decisions about infectious disease threats. Perceptions of social norms paralleled the behavioral effects. The effect of impact uncertainty on prosocial behavior did not depend on the individuation of others or the mere mention of harm, and was stronger when impact uncertainty was made more salient. Our findings offer insights into communicating uncertainty, especially in contexts where prosocial behavior is paramount, such as responding to infectious disease threats.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Imad T Asmar ◽  
Nimeh Al-Shami ◽  
Areefa A Karsh ◽  
Fuad A AlFayyah ◽  
Ro’a M Dagher ◽  
...  

Abstract Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by a strain of SARS– CoV2. A lot of ministries chose mass lockdown protocol as a way to control the virus spread. One of the lockdown negative consequences is the impact of psychological status which includes a sense of boredom, confusion., psychological stress, anxiety, depression and physical effects. The purpose of this study was to assess and evaluate the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological status for Palestinian adults, and to establish recommendations in order to promote and maintain psychological well-being during this pandemic. A cross-sectional study was conducted among Palestinian adults, 739 participant with mean age 31.76 filled the on-line questionnaire. Around one-third of respondents revealed having many signs of anxiety and around 42% of respondents expressed having many depression signs. Females were significantly more likely to have many depression signs, while health care workers, those who deal directly with confirmed cases of Covid-19 and who assist in providing health care for a diagnosed Covid-19 patient were significantly less likely to have many depression signs compared to others. Regarding the participants’ income, those with increased income were significantly more likely to have almost no signs of depression compared to others. However, COVID-19 pandemic has a negative effect on the mental status, the majority of participants have signs of anxiety and depression


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 760-769
Author(s):  
O. N. Antipina ◽  
◽  
A. D. Krivitskaya ◽  

This paper studies the effects of objective macroeconomic indicators on measures of subjective well-being. This issue is central to the economics of happiness as a modern academic research discipline. The article provides an econometric approach to identifying the impact of changes in macroeconomic indicators on the reported level of happiness. We used models on panel data for 163 countries for the period from 2005 to 2019. The results of modeling showed that GDP per capita has a significant positive effect while unemployment and inflation, a significant negative effect on happiness. Our quantitative results show that unemployment depresses the reported level of happiness more than inflation does. Our research complements a number of macroeconomic studies in the field of public and subjective well-being: it focuses on links between the reported level of happiness and GDP per capita and determines social and economic costs of unemployment and inflation. These studies are of particular importance in the context of digitalization of the economy and the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4-1) ◽  
pp. 180-203
Author(s):  
Elena Stukalenko ◽  

Digital technologies, ubiquitous in our daily life, have radically changed the way we work, communicate, and consume in a short period of time. They affect all components of quality of life: well-being, work, health, education, social connections, environmental quality, the ability to participate and govern civil society, and so on. Digital transformation creates both opportunities and serious risks to the well-being of people. Researchers and statistical agencies around the world are facing a major challenge to develop new tools to analyze the impact of digital transformation on the well-being of the population. The risks are very diverse in nature and it is very difficult to identify the key factor. All researchers conclude that secure digital technologies significantly improve the lives of those who have the skills to use them and pose a serious risk of inequality for society, as they introduce a digital divide between those who have the skills to use them and those who do not. In the article, the author examines the risks created by digital technologies for some components of the quality of life (digital component of the quality of life), which are six main components: the digital quality of the population, providing the population with digital benefits, the labor market in the digital economy, the impact of digitalization on the social sphere, state electronic services for the population and the security of information activities. The study was carried out on the basis of the available statistical base and the results of research by scientists from different countries of the world. The risks of the digital economy cannot be ignored when pursuing state social policy. Attention is paid to government regulation aimed at reducing the negative consequences of digitalization through the prism of national, federal projects and other events.


2022 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 0-0

The impact of the Information and Technology (IT) sector on the countries’ innovation development has been recognized as crucial in prior and recent research studies. Moreover, firms’ innovativeness affects positively countries’ economies. Nevertheless, the global economic crisis of the last decade constituted a significant barrier to the development of country economies and had a negative effect on firms’ performance. Specifically, the negative consequences of the global crisis became harder for Southern Europe Countries. More specifically the Greek economy was suffered by an extended period of crisis with harder consequences than those of other European countries. The main purpose of this study was to examine the financial performance of Greek IT firms in the early years of crisis. Our findings have been relevant to those of previous studies which observed negative effects of the financial recession on firms profitability.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Leybourne ◽  
Tracy Valentine ◽  
Kirsty Binnie ◽  
Anna Taylor ◽  
Alison Jane Karley ◽  
...  

Crops are exposed to myriad abiotic and biotic stressors with negative consequences. Two stressors that are expected to increase under climate change are drought and infestation with herbivorous insects, including important aphid species. Expanding our understanding of the impact drought has on the plant-aphid relationship will become increasingly important under future climate scenarios. Here we use a previously characterised plant-aphid system comprising a susceptible variety of barley, a wild relative of barley with partial-aphid resistance, and the bird cherry-oat aphid to examine the drought-plant-aphid relationship. We show that drought has a negative effect on plant physiology and aphid fitness and provide evidence to suggest that plant resistance influences aphid responses to drought stress, with the expression of aphid detoxification genes increasing under drought when feeding on the susceptible plant but decreasing on the partially-resistant plant. Furthermore, we show that the expression of thionin genes, plant defensive compounds that contribute aphid resistance, increase ten-fold in susceptible plants exposed to drought stress but remain at constant levels in the partially-resistant plant, suggesting they play an important role in modulating aphid populations. This study highlights the role of plant defensive processes in mediating the interactions between the environment, plants, and herbivorous insects.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Merel Visse ◽  
Tineke Abma ◽  
Hetty Van den Oever ◽  
Yvonne Prins ◽  
Vincent Gulmans

Aims and objectives: This paper is a report of a study of experiences of people with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) with their hospital admission. It evaluates how they perceive their treatment and care and the impact on their social life (school or work). Background: In The Netherlands, people with CF are hospitalized in seven CF centers. In general, hospitalization may raise several challenges concerning the patient’s psychosocial well-being, before, during and after the admission. The admission of people with CF is complicated, because of segregated treatment and care that aims to prevent hospital-based cross-infection. Design: This article reports on a qualitative study. Methods: Data were collected during 2009 and 2010. Nineteen people with CF admitted for more than 5 days in one of the seven Dutch CF-centres participated. Results and conclusions: The findings are organized into five contexts with subthemes: Before admission & Arrival (1); Treatment & Care (2); Room & Stay (3); Discharge (4); Social & Societal context (5). The findings show that patients express a need for enhancing the quality of some treatments, like intravenous injections and patients express normative expectations of professionals that directly relate to their psychosocial well-being, e.g. they want to be ‘seen’ and treated as human beings and not solely as patients. They desire segregation policies to be consistent, whilst simultaneously they prefer flexible segregation guidelines. In general, respondents are satisfied with hospital facilities. The study reports on challenges concerning continuation of school and work during the admission. The paper is relevant to every hospital where people are being nursed in isolation.


Author(s):  
Oleksandr Volodmyrovych Lutskevych ◽  

Urgency of the research. Digital technologies are transforming all spheres of social life, and the financial sphere is no exception. In general, such trends cannot but leave an imprint on approaches to managing the financial risk of digital securities. Target setting. Currently, scientific and methodological support for the formation of a mechanism for managing the financial risks of digital securities is in the early stages of development, while the quality of state regulation and supervision of participants in digital securities directly depends on the effectiveness of the current mechanism for managing such risks. Actual scientific researches and issues analysis. Theoretical and applied aspects of the securities market, features of the impact of financial innovations and financial risk management in the field of securities circulation, are researched by V. Bodrov [1], O. M. Kovaleva [2], I. V. Krasnova [3], N. V. Tkachenko [4], Yu. B. Kolupaeva [5] and others. Uninvestigated parts of general matters defining. The methodology of formation the mechanism for managing the financial risks of digital securities needs more precise research. The research objective. Deepening the scientific understanding of the term "financial risk management mechanism for the circulation of digital securities" will ensure to outline ways of increasing the efficiency of this financial instrument usage. The statement of basic materials. This article analyzes the essence of the term "financial risk management mechanism". The construction of the mechanism has been adapted to the specifics of digital securities risk management. Conclusions. The essence of the mechanism of financial risks management of digital securities circulation is improved due to application of a set of methods for identification, quantitative and qualitative analysis, measures to prevent realization and / or reduction of negative consequences of financial risks of digital securities circulation, ways of control over some events.


Temida ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 23-36
Author(s):  
Rajko Macura ◽  
Slavoljub Vujovic ◽  
Djuro Mikic

The emergence and spread of Internet communication has led to changes in social relationships, abuse of the Internet and maladaptive behavior. Among the authors who have studied the impact of these changes there is no consensus, and the results of their research are often contradictory. Some authors conclude that Internet communication strengthens networks of its users, while others believe that such communication leads to reduced participation in real social life. In a number of people, excessive use of the Internet adversely affects the mental health and social life and can lead to obsession at the expense of other aspects of life and creating addiction. The greatest risk of negative impacts of online communication is among children and young people. This paper is meant to indicate, the good sides as well as the negative consequences of excessive and non-functional Internet use


Author(s):  
Carla Moleiro ◽  
Nuno Pinto

<p><br />This paper presents research on the enforcement and impact of the first legal gender recognition legislation in Portugal (Law no.7/2011). The study describes how the administrative process created by the law functioned during its initial 5-year period, and identifies challenges and processes of resistance to this legal innovation. Simultaneously, it seeks to assess the impact of the law on the social and psychological well-being of trans people, including in their access to vital spheres of social life such as education and employment. The research employs a mixed-methods approach and a multi-informant methodology: an online questionnaire was completed by 68 trans and non-binary people, and semi-structured in-depth interviews were carried out with various selected stakeholders: representatives of trans and LGBTIQ+ organisations (n=5), health professionals identified as experts in the topic and as gatekeepers in legal gender recognition processes (n=12), and trans people (n=6). Results show, on the one hand, the significant positive impact that legal gender recognition has on the psychological well-being and social welfare of the participants. On the other hand, results also show several challenges and forms of resistance to the implementation of the law, in particular those challenges resulting from the fact that legal gender recognition depended on a clinical diagnosis and the provision of a clinical report.</p>


2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110358
Author(s):  
Erin C. Schubert

Impacting 1 in 4 children in the United States, childhood exposure to domestic violence predicts myriad negative sequelae. Intervening post exposure is critical to help children and their protective parent heal and avoid long-term negative consequences. Children aged 2-17 and their mothers who were victims of domestic violence participated in a 12-week group program delivered by domestic violence agency staff that provides psychoeducation on the impact of trauma and domestic violence and aims to improve parent and child well-being. The impact of the Child Witness to Domestic Violence (CWDV) program was tested in an intervention group ( n = 69 children, 33 mothers) who participated in CWDV and control group ( n = 80 children, 39 mothers) consisting of children whose mothers received adult-focused domestic violence services but were not enrolled in CWDV or other child-focused services. Multiple regression analyses controlling for child gender, child age, mother’s age, and the outcome of interest at time 1 found that participation in CWDV program significantly predicted better child functioning as indicated by less hyperactivity ( B = –.85, p = .06), fewer negative emotional symptoms ( B = –1.14, p = .01), and fewer total behavioral difficulties ( B = –2.48, p = .02) as well as higher maternal hope ( B = .57, p = .03). These data provide promising evidence of the impact of a brief, replicable group intervention that promotes healing and well-being among children and parents exposed to domestic violence. Limitations include a quasi-experimental design and reliance on maternal report.


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