Factors influencing the update of beliefs regarding controversial political issues

When updating beliefs in light of new information, people preferentially integrate information that is consistent with their prior beliefs and helps them construe a coherent view of the world. Such a selective integration of new information likely contributes to belief polarisation and compromises public discourse. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the factors that underlie biased belief updating. To this end, I conducted three pre-registered experiments covering different controversial political issues (i.e., Experiment 1: climate change, Experiment 2: speed limit on highways, Experiment 3: immigration in relation to violent crime). The main hypothesis was that negative reappraisal of new information (referred to as “cognitive immunisation”) hinders belief updating. Support for this hypothesis was found only in Experiment 2. In all experiments, the magnitude of the prediction error (i.e., the discrepancy between prior beliefs and new information) was strongly related to belief updating. Across experiments, participants’ general attitudes regarding the respective issue influenced the strength of beliefs, but not their update. The present findings provide some indication that the engagement in cognitive immunisation can lead to the maintenance of beliefs despite disconfirming information. However, by far the largest association with belief updating was with the magnitude of the prediction error.

Dysbiosis in Alzheimer’s Disease Might be Triggered by Certain Classes of Antibiotics with Time-lapse: New Insights in the Pathogenesis?

Background and objectives: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative illness, responsible for 60-70% of all dementias, affecting over 50 million people worldwide, and nearly 11 million in European countries. Several putative factors are identified in the literature as causative agents or risk factors for the development of AD. The amyloid cascade hypothesis has been the main hypothesis about the pathophysiology of AD for decades. Recent studies raised the possible role of dysbiosis in the development of AD which prevents memory loss. The amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition might be considered as an inflammatory reaction to certain molecular products arising from the altered microbiome. Based on the above observations, it has been suspected, that antibiotic consumption patterns of different antibiotic classes might be associated with the prevalence of AD in European countries. Methods: Antibiotic consumption (ECDC) for 1997-2007, 2008-2018, and as the whole 1997-2018 period, have been compared to the AD prevalence for 2018 expressed in percentage of the population and statistically analyzed by Pearson calculation. Results: A significant positive correlation has been found between the AD prevalence (2018) and the average quinolone consumption for the year 1997-2007 (p: 0.044). A similar association was not observed for the entire 22 years (1997-2018) of the average quinolone consumption, and the years 2008-18, indicating 10-20 years of time-lapse between the antibiotic exposure and the development of AD. The ratio of broad-spectrum and narrow-spectrum antibiotics (B/N) estimated in the ECDC database for the years of 2008-2018 showed a strong positive association with AD prevalence (2018) (p: 0.026) and a positive correlation tendency for the entire 22 years 1997-2018 (p: 0.063), but none for the years 1997-2007 (p: 0.241). Broad-spectrum, beta-lactamase sensitive penicillin (J01CA) consumption showed a positive (non-significant) correlation with the prevalence of AD for the years 2008-2018 (p:0.080).Discussion: Our study indicated the possible sequential role of certain classes of antibiotics in the development of dysbiosis leading to amyloid deposits of AD, which strengthen the possible role of different mediator molecules (short-chain fatty acids, lipopolysaccharides, etc.) produced by the altered microbiome in the development of AD.

Znaczenie stereotypów w postrzeganiu atrakcyjności Nowej Huty dla odwiedzających i mieszkańców

The paper undertakes the broadly understood perception of tourism space. The research aim is to present the topic in the context of Nowa Huta – the youngest quarter of Krakow (Poland). Empirical data was gathered on the basis of questionnaires distributed among 400 permanent and temporal residents of Krakow and the closest neighburhood of the city. The main hypothesis is related to the existence of differences in the perception of Nowa Huta according to the place of residence of respondents. On the basis of analysis of the empirical material it was proved that the majority of respondents are familiar with the quarter. In their opinion, Nowa Huta is presented as a dangerous, grey, and scary place. Positive perception of the quarter is typical mainly its residents. The results might be used to determine the directions of the future development of Nowa Huta to improve its image and become more attractive for tourists and residents. The results also prove the relationship between the familiarity of the place and its positive perception.

The role of sustainable marketing in building customer relationships – A field study for a number of engineering and design companies –: دور التسويق المستدام في بناء علاقات الزبون – دراسة ميدانية لعدد من شركات الهندسة والتصميم –

The study aims to examining the relationship between the dimensions of sustainable marketing represented by ethics and social marketing responsibility and its role in building customer relations through value and customer satisfaction from the point of view of marketers, and launched the importance of research on determining the importance of both marketing ethics and social responsibility in building customer relationships. The research sample included (40) marketing people in a number of engineering and design companies and the questionnaire was adopted to poll the sample opinions. The extracted data was analyzed using a set of computerized statistical analysis tools with a statistical system to test the hypotheses, and the practical side included the most important statistical means the arithmetic mean, standard deviation, correlation, and simple and multiple regression where the research was based On two hypotheses, the first main hypothesis is that there is a statistically significant correlation between sustainable marketing and building customer relationships, and the second main hypothesis is that there is a significant significant impact relationship between sustainable marketing and building customer relationships, The most important conclusions were the high level of awareness of the individuals under consideration of the importance of the sustainable marketing dimensions represented in marketing ethics and social responsibility, as well as focusing on building customer relationships by raising the value of the customer and trying to gain his satisfaction, and based on the results reached, the research set a set of proposals, the most important of which was to raise the level of responsibility Social services in companies with the aim of raising the value of the customer and gaining his satisfaction.

ОЦІНЮВАННЯ ЕКОНОМІЧНОЇ БЕЗПЕКИ ОРГАНІЗАЦІЙ НА ОСНОВІ ФОРМУВАННЯ СИСТЕМИ ПОКАЗНИКІВ

The problems of assessing the economic security of organizations on the basis of creating an integral system of final (resulting) and intermediate (factor) indicators related to indicators of determining its level in a state of statics and dynamics, given the current situation in the modern era, seem to be very relevant. The purpose of the study is to form an organic system of indicators economic security, providing organizations with the definition of all reserves of economic growth and identification of advantages over competitors on the basis of the current economic mechanism. The methodological basis of the study was the modern legislative and normative legal acts regulating the economic activities of organizations. Research tasks, goal achievement and problem solving are focused on the use of methods of chain substitutions and mathematical analysis, which, complementing each other, provide accurate information about the degree of influence of factor indicators on the resulting indicators, which is necessary for organizations to rank areas that enhance economic security. The main hypothesis of the study was the assumption about the possibility and feasibility of forming a system of indicators for assessing the economic security of organizations. Presentation of the main material. This article is devoted to the analysis of the approach proposed by the authors to assessing economic security as the core of the economic potential of organizations based on the creation of an integral system of final (resulting) and intermediate (factor) indicators related to indicators of determining its level in a state of statics and dynamics. The originality and practical significance is confirmed by our proposed toolkit, which includes factor and resulting indicators in their organic interaction, which makes it possible to objectively assess the economic security of organizations. The practical significance of the study also lies in the fact that these methods are applicable in all organizations, regardless of their economic and legal status, since they are built on general economic postulates and provide for the specifics of the current economic situation. Conclusions and prospects for further research. Having the tools created by the authors, presented by methods for calculating economic security indicators, organizations will qualitatively analyze its general and particular indicators, objectively assessing the final and intermediate desired benchmarks for the effectiveness and cost of activities and the strength of the impact of each of them on the result and costs, objectively subject to an increment in during a certain time interval. In the future, it is planned to develop and expand the proposed system of indicators for assessing economic security, including using a generalized version of this system in relation to other taxonomic objects at the meso-level - to regions and industries.

Translanguaging Knowledge Remotely: the Analysis of an Academic Webinar

This paper explores how academic webinars are translanguaged by drawing on the sort of linguistic strategies and techniques implicated in these webinars. The research, therefore, poses two key questions relevant to how knowledge is communicated and what strategies are used in this communication. The main hypothesis of the research maintains that academic webinars communicate knowledge from a single professional presenter to many knowledge-receiving attendees, based on a presupposed view that presenters and moderators in webinars adhere to certain linguistic and conversational moves. To explore how academic webinars proceed and what they imply, a single academic webinar is randomly sampled for analysis. First, academic webinars are analyzed, key terms defined, and some previous literature on the topic overviewed. Then, the sampled webinar is administered for analysis (gathering, transcription, analysis), and a discourse-conversational model of analysis is applied. The author concludes that webinars are knowledge-specific and highly professional in their character, and they manifest certain linguistic and discourse strategies. The research also reveals that webinars feature such strategies as reformulation, mono-versation, on-screen sharing, speaker invisibility, indirect engagement, inactive moderation, and graphic interaction. Further recommendations suggest a more linguistic investigation into online learning, whether in webinars, online workshops, massive open online courses, or in any virtual learning practices.

АНАЛІЗ МЕТОДІВ ОЦІНЮВАННЯ ФІНАНСОВОГО ПОТЕНЦІАЛУ ПІДПРИЄМСТВА

In today's turbulent economy, the basis for sustainable development of the enterprise is the effective use of its financial potential, which can ensure the continuity of the production process, timely fulfillment of financial obligations and dynamic development of the business entity by financing investment activities. Therefore, the problem of the enterprise financial potential estimation is relevant. The purpose of the article is to generalize and systematize the concept of "financial potential", analysis of existing methods of its estimation, the advantages and disadvantages identification, the possibility of application in practice. The object of research is the industrial enterprises financial potential and methods of its estimation. Methods used in the study: methods of scientific knowledge, namely analysis and synthesis, induction, measurement, observation, formalization, logical-analytical techniques, as well as the methodological apparatus of financial analysis and mathematical statistics. The main hypothesis of the study is the assumption that the diagnosis of the enterprises financial potential should be based on methods whose use will allow to correctly and unambiguously interpret their results, avoid bias and other shortcomings that reduce the quality of the enterprises financial potential estimation. Presenting main material. The study found that the enterprise financial potential is one of the most important characteristics of its financial condition, associated with the level of attractiveness to creditors and investors and is characterized by available financial opportunities. The concept of "enterprise financial potential" has systematized. The analysis of existing estimation methods of the industrial enterprise financial potential had carried out. The prerequisites for their practical implementation has identified, namely: taking into account the specifics of the industry, the level of financial potential, taking into account trends and dynamics of economic development. Has proved that the analysis of the enterprise financial potential is a key tool in determining the directions of expansion of industrial production. The originality and practical significance of the study lies in the fact that the results of the methodological basis analysis has classified methods for assessing the industrial enterprises financial capabilities, has identified their main advantages and disadvantages, the possibility of use. Conclusions and prospects for further research: the necessity of formation an individual complex vector of the enterprise financial potential research in the context of global socio-economic challenges in accordance with the methodological tools, the determinants of which should be economic and mathematical methods, has substantiated

МЕТОДОЛОГІЧНІ ПІДГРУНТЯ ІДЕНТИФІКАЦІЇ ДЕСКРИПТОРІВ ТА КОНТУРІВ УПРАВЛІННЯ СОЦІАЛЬНО-ЕКОНОМІЧНИХ СИСТЕМ

Use of the system approach to management of social and economic processes is connected with existence of the immanent contradiction caused by a high level of abstraction of the definition "system" and a considerable level of concreteness of real economic tasks. The mentioned thesis needs formalization of descriptors of socio-economic systems and identification of basic management contours. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the necessity of using a systematic approach to the construction of the socio-economic system construct based on the identification of relevant descriptors and management contours. The methodological basis of the study was a combination of the Marxist school of political economy, the modern economic mainstream and unorthodox currents within the systemic paradigm. The main hypothesis of the study was the assumption regarding the possibility and feasibility of using descriptive methodology of systems identification to the needs of management of socio-economic systems. Statement of the basic material. On the basis of the analysis, a certain basis is provided for the formation of correlations of correspondence of the descriptors of the national socio-economic system to the corresponding axiomatic conditions and basic components. It is proved that the dualistic understanding of the individual as an economic and institutional basic element of the socio-economic system is fully appropriate to the understanding of the essence of the national economy. Institutions should be seen as a structure of connections that combine the elements into a unified integrity. It is proved that the state and its institutions play a dialectical role in ensuring the integral existence of the national socio-economic system of market type. Originality and practical significance of the research. The resulting theoretical and methodological concept has theoretical significance and can be transformed into relevant tools for the development of scientific and practical recommendations on the management of socio-economic systems. Conclusions and prospects for further research. The results of generalization of theoretical statements on the essence and content of the definitions of "socio-economic system" and "national economy" led to the conclusion about the impossibility of considering the economic subsystem (national economy) separately from other subsystems. The expediency and sufficiency of the use of the definition "national socio-economic system" as more acceptable for solving the dialectical unity of social and economic subsystems of society was proved. Further research will focus on the development of the methodical support for the identification of management contours on the basis of socio-economic descriptors

Lean Construction Concept Used to Develop Infrastructure Facilities for Tourism Clusters

The relevance of the article is conditioned on tourist infrastructure problems and underdevelopment when creating and developing territorial clusters, for which there is not enough research materials in the context of tourism cluster facilities construction, despite the fact that the issues of lean construction (LC) are widely covered. Based on the relevance, the main hypothesis of the study was determined. It consists of the fact that the use of lean construction can increase the efficiency of construction megaprojects in the field of tourism clusters. The objective of this study is to develop a mechanism for the development of tourism clusters based on the lean construction concept that will be aimed at increasing the efficiency of construction projects taking into account the accumulated world experience. Within the framework of the tasks set, the analysis of the lean construction methodological base was carried out, methodological recommendations aimed at increasing the efficiency of construction megaprojects of tourism clusters based on the lean construction concept were developed, a model for the implementation of lean construction in infrastructure projects of tourism clusters, as well as a checklist of the analysis technology were elaborated. The proposed methodological approach to the implementation of tourism cluster megaprojects based on the lean construction concept is the basis for organizing and planning development activities at the tactical and operational levels. To assess the effectiveness of lean construction tool introduction to implement infrastructure projects of tourism clusters, a comparative analysis was carried out and the construction time and lifecycle cost of a typical guest house were calculated without taking into account the lean construction methodology and after its introduction. The results obtained, namely, the duration of the project and costs at life cycle stages made it possible to conclude that the proposed methodological approach is effective.

GENDER SPECIFICITY OF SUBJECTIVITY MANIFESTATIONS IN SITUATIONS OF AUTONOMY AND NON-AUTONOMY

The relevance of this article is due to the need to study the gender specifics of the relationship between the manifestations of subjectivity (mental states, procedural and effective parameters of the situation) with the basic psychological need for autonomy to apply the data obtained in the practice of psychological and pedagogical support of the educational process at the university. The goal of the empirical research was to determine the gender common and peculiar in the manifestations of subjectivity, depending on the degree of autonomy of the subject of activity. The main hypothesis was the assumption that there are differences in the manifestations of subjectivity in situations with different levels of autonomy among respondents of different genders. The sample consisted of 112 people (56 men and 56 women). The age of men was from 22 to 42 years (M=25, SD=3,5 years). The age of women was from 22 to 45 years (M=24, SD=2,8 years). The respondents - advanced students (n=112) in the form of a free essay described the situations of extrinsic and internal motivation when studying at the university and compared them with each other by any possible criteria. For data processing, the methods of content analysis, frequency analysis of text and the Fisher angular transformation criterion were used. Statistically significant differences in the emotional and intellectual-emotional manifestations of states in subjects of different sexes were revealed. In situations of autonomy, women more often experienced states of joy, interest and passion (p≤0,05), and men experienced pleasure (p≤0,01). The state of relief in situations of non-autonomy was more common for women than for men (p≤0,01). Differences in the frequency of mention of procedural and effective parameters of situations in respondents of different sexes were not found. The results of the study can be used in the development of programs for the adaptation of future specialists to changes in the labor market conditions.