Collective Intelligence Under a Volatile Task Environment: a Behavioral Experiment Using Social Networks and Computer Simulations

Collective intelligence in our highly-connected world is a topic of interdisciplinary interest. Previous research has demonstrated that social network structures can affect collective intelligence, but the potential network impact is unknown when the task environment is volatile (i.e., optimal behavioral options can change over time), a common situation in modern societies. Here, we report a laboratory experiment in which a total of 250 participants performed a “restless” two-armed bandit task either alone, or collectively in a centralized or decentralized network. Although both network conditions outperformed the solo condition, no sizable performance difference was detected between the centralized and decentralized networks. To understand the absence of network effects, we analyzed participants’ behavior parametrically using an individual choice model. We then conducted exhaustive agent-based simulations to examine how different choice strategies may underlie collective performance in centralized or decentralized networks under volatile or stationary task environments. We found that, compared to the stationary environment, the difference in network structure had a much weaker impact on collective performance under the volatile environment across broad parametric variations. These results suggest that structural impacts of networks on collective intelligence may be constrained by the degree of environmental volatility.

Overcoming and Penalizing Precarity: Narratives of Drug Personalities Arrested in the Philippine War on Drugs

The article problematizes state penality as a mechanism of repression of precarious workers through a war on drugs in the Philippines. The narratives of 27 arrested ‘drug personalities’ in Metro Manila tell of how methamphetamine energizes bodies and motivates minds for productive work. Bidding to be classified as willing and able workers and family men, the study’s participants orient to a moral stratification that pits the ‘moral versus immoral’ and the ‘hardworking versus lazy’. Qualifying their drug use as strategic and calculated, they uphold the neoliberal values of individual choice and accountability. Their support for the anti-drug campaign stems from their recognition of a drug problem and the socioemotional toll of the dysfunctions of living in the slums. While trade liberalization facilitates methamphetamine inflow, a war on drugs fuels an authoritarian populism. As the state reaffirms symbolic mission to protect its citizens, it blames precarity to a problem population.

When Fathers Feel Socially Constrained to Assume a Role: A Negative Predictor of the Coparental Relationship in Switzerland

Role distribution is a central issue for parents in the transition to parenthood, but little is known about the motivations in fathers to assume a specific role. Differences in work-family balance in each parent may be motivated by an individual choice mutually shared by both partners; however, in many couples, the parents may feel forced to adopt a traditional role distribution, either for financial reasons, or to comply with social expectations about what men and women should do when they are parents. This feeling of being socially constrained to adopt a role distribution that is not congruent with intrinsic motivations can generate dissatisfaction and may jeopardize the development of the interparental relationship. Coparenting refers to the emotional and instrumental support parents bring to each other in their parental tasks. It has been shown to be central in family functioning and a powerful predictor of children’s emotional and cognitive development. In this study, we aimed to assess the extent to which different motivations for role distribution in fathers are predictive of the quality of the coparental relationship. A convenience sample of 144 fathers from the French-speaking part of Switzerland completed online questionnaires about their motivations, coparental relationship, and sociodemographic characteristics. Results showed that the reasons for role distribution were mainly economical, practical, and in order to meet personal expectations. Multivariate general linear modeling showed that role distribution that is constrained to meet social expectations and age were predictive of a less cohesive coparental relationship, whereas a deliberate choice in role distribution was linked to a more cohesive coparental relationship.

EFFECTIVENESS OF DISTANCE LEARNING DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC FROM EDUCATIONAL PROCESS PARTICIPANTS’ VIEWPOINT

The educational system of Ukraine, like those of most countries in the world, was not ready for the long-term changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey of participants of the educational process revealed that 25% of secondary school students did not start the educational process at all for various reasons, which indicates the need to rethink and restructure the educational process based on new organizational and methodological approaches. The article presents the results of a study of the data of the survey “Challenges of distance learning” conducted by the Institute of Gifted Child of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine from 25.05.2020 to 10.08.2020 on determining the opinion of participants of the educational process in conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the study was to determine the features of distance learning and identify the disadvantages and advantages of distance education for individual participants (parents, students, educators). The research used statistical methods: summarizing and grouping data and visualization methods for their presentation, the method of testing hypotheses using the chi-square criterion, as well as analysis of variance. Respondents evaluated the effectiveness of forms and means of distance learning for different age groups of secondary school students, in particular, the importance for the educational institution of a unified learning platform, resources, partnership, individual choice of forms and methods of distance learning by the teacher, reasonable workload, weekly planning. Educators evaluate the existing measures to improve the effectiveness of distance learning higher than students and parents. In general, parents' assessment of the effectiveness of remote forms and means is the lowest. The study identified gender characteristics of views on the quality of distance learning. In addition, the survey participants, based on their experience, outlined a vision for the future of the educational system.

To See and to Tell: Lessing’s Criticism of Ageism in The Diary of a Good Neighbor

The Diary of a Good Neighbor is one of a series of works concerning age problems in the contemporary western society written by the Nobel laureate Doris Lessing. Through the record of the last days of Maudie Fowler, a ninety-two-year-old lower-class woman by a middle-aged professional Jane Somers, Lessing questions the modern social care system and criticizes the hidden social prejudice against the elderly. Lessing observes the defect of the modern social care institutions in oppressing individual choice and excluding aged people, and points out the professional service they provide cannot really comfort the aged individuals, which constructs a dilemma for both the institutions and the aged group. Different from the ageist neglect of the aged group, Lessing gives a detailed exhibition of both Maudie’s daily life and her inner world, which builds a personal connection between the old and the young and draws this isolated group close to the public. Lessing also explores the taboo topic of old age, sickness and death and gives a full display of Maudie’s tenacious wrestling with death, which shows the sublime of human life and challenges the ageist view of the co-decaying of spirit and body.

Therapeutic and preventive eff ect of physical exercises in primary open-angle glaucoma

The review assesses physical exercises as an additional non-pharmacological mean of combating the progression of primary open-angle glaucoma. The ophthalmic hypotensive effect is determined by the type of exercise, its duration and intensity. Moderate aerobic activity is preferred. Among dynamic exercises, jogging has the greatest hypotensive effect. Upper body isometric resistance training provides a more lasting decrease in ophthalmotonus. The decrease in intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with glaucoma is several times more pronounced in comparison with healthy people and occurs regardless of the nature of the local drug antihypertensive therapy. After the termination of classes IOP returns to the previous level on average within a month. An increase in ocular perfusion pressure associated with physical activity dictates the appropriateness of physical exercise for patients with pseudo-normal pressure glaucoma. The combination of hypotensive, vascular, neuroprotective effects of physical activity with a high level of physical fi tness does not exclude a decrease in the risk of development and progression of primary open-angle glaucoma. The development of indications for the use of physical activity by patients with advanced glaucoma, including those who have undergone hypotensive surgery, remains relevant. The type, intensity, dosage and mode of performing the recommended physical exercises require an individual choice.

Ending the Pandemic: How Behavioural Science Can Help Optimize Global COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake

Governments, public health officials and pharmaceutical companies have all mobilized resources to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdowns, social distancing, and personal protective behaviours have been helpful but have shut down economies and disrupted normal activities. Vaccinations protect populations from COVID-19 and allow a return to pre-pandemic ways of living. However, vaccine development, distribution and promotion have not been sufficient to ensure maximum vaccine uptake. Vaccination is an individual choice and requires acceptance of the need to be vaccinated in light of any risks. This paper presents a behavioural sciences framework to promote vaccine acceptance by addressing the complex and ever evolving landscape of COVID-19. Effective promotion of vaccine uptake requires understanding the context-specific barriers to acceptance. We present the AACTT framework (Action, Actor, Context, Target, Time) to identify the action needed to be taken, the person needed to act, the context for the action, as well as the target of the action within a timeframe. Once identified a model for identifying and overcoming barriers, called COM-B (Capability, Opportunity and Motivation lead to Behaviour), is presented. This analysis identifies issues associated with capability, opportunity and motivation to act. These frameworks can be used to facilitate action that is fluid and involves policy makers, organisational leaders as well as citizens and families.

STUDY OF APPROACHES TO IMPROVING DENTAL HEALTH OF DONETSK REGION RESIDENTS ON THE BASIS OF SELECTIVE ANALYSIS OF ORAL CAVITY DISEASES

The need to improve the dental health of the population does not lose its relevance and remains an unresolved medical, economic and social problem, with the need to find new approaches to the provision of dental care.The aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of preventive measures and public awareness of the course and consequences of dental pathology in order to improve dental health.To achieve this goal, the data of the annual reports of municipal dental services of Donetsk region were analyzed and a survey with additional functional (electromyography and digital analysis of occlusion) examination of the dental status of 200 people was conducted.Thus, in 2018, the number of primary visitors to therapeutic departments within the region included 718097 people. Patients who underwent primary preventive measures included: hygienic training and education, individual choice of prevention only 21.09% of the total number of people.Within the survey, 82.5 % did not understand the dependence of hygiene and carious processes, 75.5% had no information about the need for quality restoration of the anatomy of the dentition, and 21.5 % did not understand the need to replace the final defects of the dentition. It has been found some reflection of these facts in the analysis of annual reports. Thus, the percentage of filled teeth due to caries or its complications to removed teeth, for the same reasons, was 46.46 %. A similar result in 46.58 % was the number of patients who applied after the removal of teeth to the orthopedic department in order to restore the integrity of the dentition (removable, conditionally removable, non-removable structures). But in addition to the lack of full restoration of the dentition, it was found that the ratio of total filled teeth to cement fillings was 44.5 percent of all filled teeth due to both caries and its complications. 44.5 % was the restoration of lost tooth tissues using cements (zinc phosphate and SIC). Due to the impossibility of restoring quality anatomy, and as a result of the function of the tooth, such a percentage does not meet the needs of today in understanding quality dental services.Based on the results of the analysis of the study data, we concluded that patients are poorly informed about their condition, variations in their treatment and the consequences of lack of comprehensive treatment, the causes and consequences of certain dental conditions and prevention. The results of our surveys and diagnostic tests revealed the need for modern and objectively motivated approach to diagnosis and informing patients about their condition, which leads to a better understanding of the cause-and-effect relationships and the desire for full rehabilitation.In turn, this not only improves dental health at the end of treatment, but also helps to maintain it for a long time, which in turn improves the social and economic life of the patient.