A choice mind-set increases the acceptance and maintenance of wealth inequality

Wealth inequality has significant psychological, physiological, societal, and economic costs. In six experiments, we investigated how seemingly innocuous, culturally pervasive ideas can help maintain and further wealth inequality. Specifically, we tested whether the concept of choice, which is deeply valued in American society, leads Americans to act in ways that perpetuate wealth inequality. Thinking in terms of choice, we argue, activates the belief that life outcomes stem from personal agency, not societal factors, and thereby leads people to justify wealth inequality. The results showed that highlighting the concept of choice makes people less disturbed by facts about existing wealth inequality in the United States, more likely to underestimate the role of societal factors in individuals' successes, less likely to support the redistribution of educational resources, and less likely to support raising taxes on the rich-even if doing so would help resolve a budget deficit crisis. These findings indicate that the culturally valued concept of choice contributes to the maintenance of wealth inequality.     

Psychological Well-Being and Health Related Quality of Life among a Group of Low-Income Women Living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa

This study documented the relationships among biomedical factors, psychosocial factors, health related quality of life (HRQOL) and suicidality in respect of HIV positive women in KwaZulu-Natal. One hundred and thirty three (133) women over the age of 18 years (mean age 32.96 yrs; SD = 7.28) participated in the study. Participants completed a Suicidality Measure (SM: Sheebhan, Janavs, Amorim, Janavs, Weiller, Hergueta, Baker & Dunbar, 1998), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MPSS: Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet & Farley, 1988) and the Health Related Quality of Life Survey—SF-36 (Ware, Kosinski & Dewey, 2002). Information on social/contextual variables including income, marital status, employment status, number of children was obtained. Participants completed two biomedical measures, CD4 count and time since diagnosis information. The findings revealed a compromised level of HRQOL in the participants. After controlling for biomedical factors, psychosocial measures did not explain differences in quality of life. Perceived social support was inversely related to suicidality. Newly diagnosed patients were less likely to think of suicide as an option.     

Pressure-Induced transitions in amorphous TlxSe100−x alloys

Abstract

The electrical resistivity of bulk semiconducting amorphous Tl_xSe_100?x alloys with 0 ≤ x ≤ 25 has been investigated up to a pressure of 14 GPa and down to liquidnitrogen temperature by use of a Bridgman anvil device. All the glasses undergo a discontinuous pressure-induced semiconducting-to-metal transition. X-ray diffraction studies on the pressure-recovered samples show that the high-pressure phase is the crystalline phase. The pressure-induced crystalline products are identified to be a mixture of Se having a hexagonal structure with a = 4·37 Å and c = 4·95 Å and TlSe having a tetragonal structure with a = 8·0 Å and c = 7·0 Å     

Central synaptic mechanisms underlie short-term olfactory habituation in Drosophila larvae

Naive Drosophila larvae show vigorous chemotaxis toward many odorants including ethyl acetate (EA). Chemotaxis toward EA is substantially reduced after a 5-min pre-exposure to the odorant and recovers with a half-time of ～20 min. An analogous behavioral decrement can be induced without odorant-receptor activation through channelrhodopsin-based, direct photoexcitation of odorant sensory neurons (OSNs). The neural mechanism of short-term habituation (STH) requires the (1) rutabaga adenylate cyclase; (2) transmitter release from predominantly GABAergic local interneurons (LNs); (3) GABA-A receptor function in projection neurons (PNs) that receive excitatory inputs from OSNs; and (4) NMDA-receptor function in PNs. These features of STH cannot be explained by simple sensory adaptation and, instead, point to plasticity of olfactory synapses in the antennal lobe as the underlying mechanism. Our observations suggest a model in which NMDAR-dependent depression of the OSN-PN synapse and/or NMDAR-dependent facilitation of inhibitory transmission from LNs to PNs contributes substantially to short-term habituation.     

Ethical and Legal Issues in Publication and Dissemination of Scholarly Knowledge: A Summary of the Published Evidence

Research publication and dissemination of scholarly knowledge in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are among the most influential roles of many academic scholars in both industrialised and developing nations, but such experience and skills are rarely taught, transferred and shared in the real world. Dealing with issues of research misconduct might be challenging as well as learning opportunities for new academics while conducting research and scholarship teaching and publication in HEIs. In this review paper, I will discuss some concepts of research misconduct, highlighting some relevant ethical and legal concerns in publication. This paper concludes that continued education and support on ethical research to graduates and scholars might help to prevent research misconduct related to publications and dissemination through developing appropriate strategies in practice.     

Modulations of muscle modes in automatic postural responses induced by external surface translations

The authors applied principal component analysis to investigate muscle activation patterns (M-modes) involved in the automatic postural responses induced by external surface perturbations. They focused on M-mode modulations as responses to the effects of practice, stability of the conditions and perturbed directions. While peak center of mass velocity reduced with practice, M-modes were similar with practice and across stability conditions. In contrast, atypical sway mode coactivations that combined proximal trunk muscles with distal muscles of the opposite lower extremity of the ventral-dorsal side were observed under the unstable conditions in both forward and backward perturbations after practice. In addition, M-modes in the forward translations were characterized by increased cocontraction patterns. Results suggest that compositions of the underlying M-modes show minor differences in each perturbed direction, but practice enhances coactivation patterns combining proximal muscles with distal muscles, and with accompanying cocontraction patterns, under more challenging conditions.     

A Review of Consumer Embarrassment as a Public and Private Emotion

Whether the result of mispronouncing a fancy brand name, miscalculating a tip, purchasing a sensitive product, or stumbling into a product display, embarrassment is an important part of the consumer landscape. Embarrassment has traditionally been considered a social emotion, one that can only be experienced in public. In this paper, we offer a comprehensive review of consumer embarrassment and consider situations in which embarrassment can affect consumer behavior in both public and private contexts. We define embarrassment using this broader conceptualization and outline the transgressions that might trigger embarrassment in consumption contexts. We also discuss the diverse implications of embarrassment for consumer behavior, and review the strategies that both consumers and practitioners can use to mitigate embarrassment and its negative consequences. We hope this framework will stimulate new research on consumer embarrassment in both public and private contexts.     

Correction to: Quality of Life and Spirituality in Indian University Students

Applied Research in Quality of Life - After the publication of this article, Dr. Deb noted he had mistakenly omitted two authors from the authorship, Dr. Mani and Dr. Vempaty.     

Happiness from Ancient Indian Perspective: Hitopadeśa

People who seek happiness intentionally often do not get it. That is, as per the paradox of happiness, in order to be happy one should forget about it (Martin in J Happiness Stud 9(2):171–184, 2008) and try to make others happy. Given that, the purpose of present article is to suggest a six-stage people-centric (rather than self-centric) theoretical model of happiness (sukha), which is constructed using a framework based on one of the eminent ancient Indian texts—Hitopade?a. The ancient yet novel model describes a balanced path to happiness. The propounded model indicates “knowledge” (vidyā) as a foremost antecedent of happiness. The model propounded not only offers insights on achieving integrated well-being and happiness in a moral and philanthropic way, but also extends complex constructs and perspectives in the realm of happiness studies and psychology, which could subsequently promote further research. Furthermore, the proposed model seems to corroborate some of the modern well-being theories.