Selective social interactions and speed-induced leadership in schooling fish.

Animals moving together in groups are believed to interact among each other with effective social forces, such as attraction, repulsion, and alignment. Such forces can be inferred using "force maps," i.e., by analyzing the dependency of the acceleration of a focal individual on relevant variables. Here, we introduce a force map technique suitable for the analysis of the alignment forces experienced by individuals. After validating it using an agent-based model, we apply the force map to experimental data of schooling fish. We observe signatures of an effective alignment force with faster neighbors and an unexpected antialignment with slower neighbors. Instead of an explicit antialignment behavior, we suggest that the observed pattern is the result of a selective attention mechanism, where fish pay less attention to slower neighbors. This mechanism implies the existence of temporal leadership interactions based on relative speeds between neighbors. We present support for this hypothesis both from agent-based modeling as well as from exploring leader-follower relationships in the experimental data.

Use of a low-tech tool in the improvement of social interaction of patients with Rett Syndrome: an observational study.

Introduction: The main aim of the present study was to examine whether the use of a low-tech tool, called click4all, inserted into cognitive and motor training can increase social interaction of patients with Rett Syndrome (RTT) with classmates in a school setting. Methods: Twenty-seven participants with RTT were randomly assigned to two groups: the experimental group received treatment with click4all, and the control group received traditional treatment without click4all. Parameters were measured before treatment (T1), 6 months after treatment (T2), 6 months after the second treatment phase (T3) and at the end of the third treatment phase (T4). Results: The results demonstrated an increase in levels of social interaction among classmates and patients with RTT in the experimental group, over time, compared to the control group, 95% CI [5.20-15.30]. Classmates also showed a higher level of knowledge related to participants of the experimental group, and this increased over time, 95% CI [24.98-63.52]. The level of knowledge related to the control group was stable over time and lower than the experimental group. Discussion: This study demonstrated that the use of a low-tech tool can increase social interactions of patients with RTT in a school setting. This is important, as patients with RTT are often restricted in an isolation condition.

Social interactions and heat stress mitigation among elderly people in a healthy city.

BACKGROUND: Increased frequencies and duration of extreme heat events have caused severe heat stress, especially among elderly people. Despite its obvious cause and universally known preventive measures, heat stress preventive measures have not been implemented effectively at community levels. This study examined heat coping practices among elderly people and their associations with living conditions, social interactions, and community involvement. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was done to assess heat-coping practices to mitigate heat stress, living conditions, and interactions with family, friends, and neighbours. Participants were 3000 randomly selected elderly people aged 65 years and older living in Owariasahi, Japan, a city that applies the 2004 Healthy City Approach. A generalised linear regression model was applied with binominal distribution to examine the association between social interactions and application of heat-coping practices. Sex and ages were adjusted in the model. FINDINGS: Among the 2127 elderly people who completed the survey, 745 (35·0%) had heat stress during the summer of the survey year. The presence of heat stress was higher in male participants living alone and having less interaction with friends and neighbours; only interaction with friends and relatives showed difference in the occurrence of the heat-related illness in female participants. The use of ice packs, air conditioners, and the opening of windows or doors were associated with the presence of heat stress. The odds of not applying relevant preventive practices were higher in participants disconnected from relatives and friends (odds ratio 1·52 [95% CI 1·12-2·04]). Participants living alone and disconnected from their neighbours showed similar trends to the connection with relatives and friends but not significantly. INTERPRETATION: The findings of the study indicated that heat stress mitigative measures were underused in elderly people who are socially disconnected. Heat illness prevention programmes need to focus on outreach to the disadvantaged population. FUNDING: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

Increased anger and stress and heightened connectivity between IFG and vmPFC in victims during social interaction.

Self-identification as a victim of violence may lead to increased negative emotions and stress and thus, may change both structure and function of the underlying neural network(s). In a trans-diagnostic sample of individuals who identified themselves as victims of violence and a matched control group with no prior exposure to violence, we employed a social exclusion paradigm, the Cyberball task, to stimulate the re-experience of stress. Participants were partially excluded in the ball-tossing game without prior knowledge. We analyzed group differences in brain activity and functional connectivity during exclusion versus inclusion in exclusion-related regions. The victim group showed increased anger and stress levels during all conditions. Activation patterns during the task did not differ between groups but an enhanced functional connectivity between the IFG and the right vmPFC distinguished victims from controls during exclusion. This effect was driven by aberrant connectivity in victims during inclusion rather than exclusion, indicating that victimization affects emotional responses and inclusion-related brain connectivity rather than exclusion-related brain activity or connectivity. Victims may respond differently to the social context itself. Enhanced negative emotions and connectivity deviations during social inclusion may depict altered social processing and may thus affect social interactions.

Psychosocial working conditions as determinants of slips and lapses, and poor social interactions with patients among medical assistants in Germany: A cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to examine the relationship of unfavorable psychosocial working conditions with slips and lapses and poor patient interaction as well as potential intermediate factors among medical assistants (MAs) in Germany based on prospective data. METHODS: We used data from 408 MAs from a 4-year cohort study (follow-up: 2021). At baseline, psychosocial working conditions were assessed by the established effort-reward-imbalance questionnaire and a MA-specific questionnaire with 7 subscales. Frequency of slips and lapses (e.g., pertaining to measurements and documentation) and the quality of patient interactions (e.g., unfriendliness or impatience) due to work stress were assessed at follow-up with three items each (potential score ranges = 3-15). Potential intermediate factors at baseline included work engagement (i.e., vitality and dedication (UWES)), work satisfaction (COPSOQ), anxiety (GAD-2), depressiveness (PHQ-2), and self-reported health. We ran multivariable linear regression using z-standardized exposures to estimate unstandardized coefficients (B) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Potential intermediate factors were added separately to the regression models. Attenuation of the association between exposure and outcome toward the null value (B = 0) was interpreted as mediation. RESULTS: High reward and lack of resources were weakly associated with the frequency of slips and lapses (the Bs were -0.18 and 0.23, respectively; p<0.05), with little evidence of mediation. With the exception of low recognition, all unfavorable psychosocial working conditions predicted a higher frequency of poor interactions with patients (p-values<0.01). These associations were attenuated by work engagement, work satisfaction, and health outcomes. CONCLUSION: We found mostly non-significant associations between adverse psychosocial working conditions and the frequency of slips and lapses. However, unfavorable psychosocial working conditions among MAs predicted a higher frequency of poor interaction with patients due to stress.

Social neuroscience: How we learn to avoid the bully.

During social interactions, individuals evaluate relationships with their peers and switch from approach to avoidance, particularly in response to aggressive encounters. A new study in mice investigated the underlying brain mechanisms and identified oxytocin as a key regulator of social avoidance learning.

Infants' brain responses to social interaction predict future language growth.

In face-to-face interactions with infants, human adults exhibit a species-specific communicative signal. Adults present a distinctive "social ensemble": they use infant-directed speech (parentese), respond contingently to infants' actions and vocalizations, and react positively through mutual eye-gaze and smiling. Studies suggest that this social ensemble is essential for initial language learning. Our hypothesis is that the social ensemble attracts attentional systems to speech and that sensorimotor systems prepare infants to respond vocally, both of which advance language learning. Using infant magnetoencephalography (MEG), we measure 5-month-old infants' neural responses during live verbal face-to-face (F2F) interaction with an adult (social condition) and during a control (nonsocial condition) in which the adult turns away from the infant to speak to another person. Using a longitudinal design, we tested whether infants' brain responses to these conditions at 5 months of age predicted their language growth at five future time points. Brain areas involved in attention (right hemisphere inferior frontal, right hemisphere superior temporal, and right hemisphere inferior parietal) show significantly higher theta activity in the social versus nonsocial condition. Critical to theory, we found that infants' neural activity in response to F2F interaction in attentional and sensorimotor regions significantly predicted future language development into the third year of life, more than 2 years after the initial measurements. We develop a view of early language acquisition that underscores the centrality of the social ensemble, and we offer new insight into the neurobiological components that link infants' language learning to their early brain functioning during social interaction.

Exogenous oxytocin increases gaze to humans in male cats.

Although oxytocin (OT) plays a role in bonding between heterospecifics and conspecifics, the effects of OT on the formation of such interspecific social behavior have only been investigated between humans and dogs (Canis familiaris). In this study, for comparative evaluation of the effects of OT between dog-human and cat-human social interaction, we investigated the effects of exogenous OT on the behavior of domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus) toward humans. We intranasally administered OT or saline to 30 cats using a nebulizer and recorded their behavior (gaze, touch, vocalization, and proximity). The results showed an interaction between the administration condition and sex for gaze duration. Post hoc analyses revealed a significant increase in gaze in the OT condition in male cats but not in females. There were no significant differences in gaze toward owners and strangers in any condition or sex. The male-specific OT-mediated increase in gaze toward humans observed in this study differs from previous research on dogs wherein such effects were observed only in females. These findings suggest an overall effect of exogenous OT on cats' social relationship with humans as well as the possibility of different mechanisms between cat-human and dog-human relationships.

"Treated as second class citizens" - the lived experience of obesity-related stigma: an IMI2 SOPHIA study.

PURPOSE: Obesity-related stigma impacts on and shapes the physical and psychosocial wellbeing of individuals living with obesity. Often absent from the literature in the field is the voice(s) of those living with obesity capturing the nuances of the lived experiences of obesity-related stigma. METHODS: This study adopted a qualitative approach encompassing individual (n = 15) and photovoice method (n = 12), with a purposeful sample of patients accessing treatment for obesity within the healthcare setting during 2021. Analysis was undertaken using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Key themes developed from the analysis related to experiencing obesity-related stigma as exposure to external judgement, societal exclusion and felt environmental stigmatization. Exposure to external judgement was described as judgemental comments resulting in hypervigilance to societal judgement. Participants reported how being overlooked and ignored by others had various negative effects and compounded obesity-related stigma through societal exclusion. Public spaces lacking suitable equipment further made obesity-related stigma visible through felt environmental stigmatization when pursuing hobbies and in everyday life. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity-related stigma had a profoundly negative impact on participants in this study, particularly in shaping social interaction, limiting life experiences and impacting psychosocial wellbeing.

A cure for deafness?

Congenital deafness critically challenges the ability of affected children to acquire spoken language and normal social interactions. The clinical study by Lv et al. recently published in The Lancet1 presents a major breakthrough as the first successful causative treatment aiming to restore natural hearing in deaf children.

Synaptic pruning during adolescence shapes adult social behavior in both males and females.

Evolutionarily conserved, peer-directed social behaviors are essential to participate in many aspects of human society. These behaviors directly impact psychological, physiological, and behavioral maturation. Adolescence is an evolutionarily conserved period during which reward-related behaviors, including social behaviors, develop via developmental plasticity in the mesolimbic dopaminergic "reward" circuitry of the brain. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is an intermediate reward relay center that develops during adolescence and mediates both social behaviors and dopaminergic signaling. In several developing brain regions, synaptic pruning mediated by microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain, is important for normal behavioral development. We previously demonstrated that during adolescence, in rats, microglial synaptic pruning shapes the development of NAc and social play behavior in males and females. In this report, we hypothesize that interrupting microglial pruning in NAc during adolescence will have persistent effects on male and female social behavior in adulthood. We found that inhibiting microglial pruning in the NAc during adolescence had different effects on social behavior in males and females. In males, inhibiting pruning increased familiar exploration and increased nonsocial contact. In females, inhibiting pruning did not change familiar exploration behavior but increased active social interaction. This leads us to infer that naturally occurring NAc pruning serves to reduce social behaviors toward a familiar conspecific in both males and females.

Belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) create facial displays during social interactions by changing the shape of their melons.

Beluga whales are considered unique among odontocetes in their ability to visibly alter the appearance of their head by changing the shape of the melon, but only anecdotal observations are available to evaluate the use or potential function of these melon shapes. This study of belugas in professionally managed care aimed to establish an ethogram for the repertoire of categorizable melon shapes and then evaluate their potential function as intentional communication signals by determining if they were produced and elaborated during social interactions of varying behavioral contexts while in the line of sight of a recipient. Five different melon shapes were reliably identified in video observations of the primary study population (n = 4) and externally validated in a second aquarium population (n = 51). Among the 2570 melon shapes observed from the primary study subjects, melon shapes occurred 34 × more frequently during social interactions (1.72 per minute) than outside of social interactions (0.05 per minute). Melon shapes occurring during social interactions were performed within the line of sight of a recipient 93.6% of the time. The frequency of occurrence of the different melon shapes varied across behavioral contexts. Elaboration of melon shapes through extended duration and the occurrence of concurrent open mouth displays varied by shape type and across behavioral contexts. Melon shapes seem to function as visual displays, with some characteristics of intentional communication. This ability could yield adaptive benefits to belugas, given their complex social structure and hypothesized mating system that emphasizes pre-copulatory female mate choice.

Facilitators and barriers to codesigning social robots with older adults with dementia: a scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Social robots including telepresence robots have emerged as potential support in dementia care. However, the effectiveness of these robots hinges significantly on their design and utility. These elements are often best understood by their end-users. Codesign involves collaborating directly with the end-users of a product during its development process. Engaging people with dementia in the design of social robots ensures that the products cater to their unique requirements, preferences, challenges, and needs. The objective of this scoping review is to understand the facilitators, barriers, and strategies in codesigning social robots with older adults with dementia. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The scoping review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review methodology and will be conducted from November 2023 to April 2024. The steps of search strategy will involve identifying keywords and index terms from CINAHL and PubMed, completing search using identified keywords and index terms across selected databases (Medline, CINAHL, PubMed, AgeLine, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Scopus, IEEE, and Google Scholar), and hand-searching the reference lists from chosen literature for additional literature. The grey literature will be searched using Google. Three research assistants will screen the titles and abstracts independently by referring to the inclusion criteria. Three researchers will independently assess the full text of literature following to the inclusion criteria. The data will be presented in a table with narratives that answers the questions of the scoping review. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This scoping review does not require ethics approval because it collects data from publicly available resources. The findings will offer insights to inform future research and development of robots through collaboration with older people with dementia. In addition, the scoping review results will be disseminated through conference presentations and an open-access publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Language-based game theory in the age of artificial intelligence.

Understanding human behaviour in decision problems and strategic interactions has wide-ranging applications in economics, psychology and artificial intelligence. Game theory offers a robust foundation for this understanding, based on the idea that individuals aim to maximize a utility function. However, the exact factors influencing strategy choices remain elusive. While traditional models try to explain human behaviour as a function of the outcomes of available actions, recent experimental research reveals that linguistic content significantly impacts decision-making, thus prompting a paradigm shift from outcome-based to language-based utility functions. This shift is more urgent than ever, given the advancement of generative AI, which has the potential to support humans in making critical decisions through language-based interactions. We propose sentiment analysis as a fundamental tool for this shift and take an initial step by analysing 61 experimental instructions from the dictator game, an economic game capturing the balance between self-interest and the interest of others, which is at the core of many social interactions. Our meta-analysis shows that sentiment analysis can explain human behaviour beyond economic outcomes. We discuss future research directions. We hope this work sets the stage for a novel game-theoretical approach that emphasizes the importance of language in human decisions.

Same allocation proposed by an individual or a group elicits distinct responses: Evidence from event-related potentials and neural oscillation.

People tend to perceive the same information differently depending on whether it is expressed in an individual or a group frame. It has also been found that the individual (vs. group) frame of expression tends to lead to more charitable giving and greater tolerance of wealth inequality. However, little is known about whether the same resource allocation in social interactions elicits distinct responses depending on proposer type. Using the second-party punishment task, this study examined whether the same allocation from different proposers (individual vs. group) leads to differences in recipient behavior and the neural mechanisms. Behavioral results showed that reaction times were longer in the unfair (vs. fair) condition, and this difference was more pronounced when the proposer was the individual (vs. group). Neural results showed that proposer type (individual vs. group) influenced early automatic processing (indicated by AN1, P2, and central alpha band), middle processing (indicated by MFN and right frontal theta band), and late elaborative processing (indicated by P3 and parietal alpha band) of fairness in resource allocation. These results revealed more attentional resources were captured by the group proposer in the early stage of fairness processing, and more cognitive resources were consumed by processing group-proposed unfair allocations in the late stage, possibly because group proposers are less identifiable than individual proposers. The findings provide behavioral and neural evidence for the effects of "individual/group" framing leading to cognitive differences. They also deliver insights into social governance issues, such as punishing individual and/or group violations.

A systematic review of the efficacy of group social skills interventions on social functioning and social participation in children with acquired brain injury or cerebral palsy.

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Group social skills interventions (GSSIs) versus any comparator on social functioning in children aged 5-12 years with acquired brain injury or cerebral palsy. BACKGROUND: GSSIs are an evidence-based approach to foster social skills development in children with autism spectrum disorder. Currently, limited literature exploring GSSIs in children with acquired brain injury and cerebral palsy is available. RESULTS: MEDLINE, SCOPUS, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, clinicaltrials.gov, ICTRP and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses were systematically searched. Study screening, risk-of-bias, Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation and data extraction were performed in duplicate. Six studies were included in the narrative synthesis (one randomised controlled trial and five nonrandomised studies). Results indicate that GSSIs may increase children's social skills as measured on the Social Skills Rating System and Social Skills Questionnaire. Very low certainty evidence was found for improvements in social functioning and competence. CONCLUSIONS: There is low certainty evidence that participation in GSSI may lead to gains in social functioning for children with acquired brain injury or cerebral palsy. Given the certainty of the evidence, these results must be interpreted with caution. Only one randomised controlled trial of GSSIs for children with acquired brain injury was identified, underscoring the need for additional high-quality studies.

Social Connectedness as a Determinant of Health in African-American Low-Income Families with Young Children: A Cross-Sectional Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the level of social connectedness (SC) in African-American low-income families with young children attending a pediatric primary care clinic and examine its relationships with food insecurity and parental well-being. METHODS: This cross-sectional analysis used data from the Healthy Children and Families program, a cohort intervention study addressing food insecurity, conducted by an urban pediatric clinic serving low-income predominantly African-American families. Twenty-seven families completed baseline screening tools, including the Social Provisions Scale five-question short form (SPS-5) to measure SC, a modified version of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Household Food Security Survey Module six-item short form to assess food insecurity, and the Parental Stress Index Short Form to measure parental stress. Descriptive statistics, correlations, and partial correlations were conducted to analyze the data. RESULTS: The average SPS-5 composite score was 14.5 on a scale of 5 to 20. Moderate negative correlations were identified between SC and food insecurity, weaker when controlled for parental stress. Strong negative correlations were identified between SC and parental stress that held when controlled for food insecurity. CONCLUSION: In this study, we propose a conceptual framework highlighting the complex interplay of social connectedness with other social determinants of child health. The findings align with the 2023 Surgeon General's Advisory on the epidemic on the healing effects of social connection and provide insight into the value of incorporating SC assessments into routine screenings in pediatric primary care settings. Further research is needed to explore causal relationships and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions designed to enhance SC in diverse populations.

Effect of Physical Performance Levels of Elderly Living in Urban and Rural Areas on Social Participation, Social Functioning, and Quality of Life: A Cross-sectional Study from the Mediterranean Region of Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Social interaction is a very important subject for the elderly, especially in the context of active aging. AIM: This study aims to investigate the effect of physical performance levels of the elderly living in rural and urban areas on social participation, social functioning, and quality of life. METHODS: A total of 418 volunteer elderly aged 65 and over, living in rural (42.3%) and urban (57.7%) areas, participated in this study. The Mini-Mental State Examination, Short Physical Performance Battery, the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale for Older Adults, Social Functioning Scale, and the Community Integration Questionnaire were applied to participants. RESULTS: The scores of social functioning (P = 0.027) and the social network subscale of social participation (P = 0.001) were significantly higher among participants living in urban areas compared to those living in rural areas. Physical performance was positively correlated with social participation (r = 0.404) and social functioning (r = 0.324) at a moderate level (P = 0.000), and with quality of life at a low level (r = 0.158) (P = 0.001). Social participation was positively correlated with social functioning at a high level (r = 0.572) and with quality of life at a moderate level (r = 0.300) (P = 0.000). Social functioning was positively correlated with quality of life at a low level (r = 0.234) (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: To increase social participation, social functioning, and quality of life among the elderly, it is necessary to keep physical performance levels higher. In addition, in the planning of social participation, it is crucial to take into account where the elderly live in.

Emotion recognition and social functioning in individuals with autism spectrum condition and intellectual disability.

OBJECTIVE: Most previous studies have examined emotion recognition in autism spectrum condition (ASC) without intellectual disability (ID). However, ASC and ID co-occur to a high degree. The main aims of the study were to examine emotion recognition in individuals with ASC and co-occurring intellectual disability (ASC-ID) as compared to individuals with ID alone, and to investigate the relationship between emotion recognition and social functioning. METHODS: The sample consisted of 30 adult participants with ASC-ID and a comparison group of 29 participants with ID. Emotion recognition was assessed by the facial emotions test, while. social functioning was assessed by the social responsiveness scale-second edition (SRS-2). RESULTS: The accuracy of emotion recognition was significantly lower in individuals with ASC-ID compared to the control group with ID, especially when it came to identifying angry and fearful emotions. Participants with ASC-ID exhibited more pronounced difficulties in social functioning compared to those with ID, and there was a significant negative correlation between emotion recognition and social functioning. However, emotion recognition accounted for only 8% of the variability observed in social functioning. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate severe difficulties in the social-perceptual domain and in everyday social functioning in individuals with ASC-ID.

Suboptimal decision making and interpersonal problems in ADHD: longitudinal evidence from a laboratory task.

Over half of children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) display interpersonal and social problems. Several lines of research suggest that suboptimal decision making, the ability to adjust choices to different risk-varying options, influences poorer choices made in social interactions. We thus measured decision making and its prediction of social problems longitudinally with the Cambridge Gambling Task in children with ADHD over four years. Children with ADHD had shown suboptimal decision making driven mainly by delay aversion at baseline and we expected this to be a stabile trait which would predict greater parent-reported social problems. From the baseline assessment (n = 70), 67% participated at the follow-up assessment, 21 from the ADHD group and 26 from the typically developing group. The mean age at the follow-up was 14.5 years old. The results confirmed our expectations that suboptimal decision making was a stabile trait in children and adolescents with ADHD. Although delay aversion did not differ from controls at follow-up it still proved to be the main longitudinal predictor for greater social problems. Our findings indicate that impulsivity in social interactions may be due to a motivational deficit in youth with ADHD.