Third-party intervention and post-conflict behaviour in agonistic encounters of pigs (Sus scrofa).

BACKGROUND: Third-party interference in agonistic contests entails a deliberate intervention in an ongoing fight by a bystanding individual (third party) and may be followed by post-conflict social behaviour to provide support to a specific individual. The mechanisms behind third-party intervention are, however, still largely understudied. The aim of this study was to investigate third-party interference, with the predictions that (1) the interferer derives benefits from its action by winning a fight, (2) that patterns of intervention depend on familiarity, (3) that dyadic fights last longer than triadic fights, and (4) that interferers engage in non-agonistic social behaviours afterwards. Pre-pubertal pigs (Sus scrofa) (n = 384) were grouped with one familiar and four unfamiliar conspecifics (all non-kin) to elicit contests for dominance rank. Third-party interference was analysed for the first 30 min after grouping, along with the behaviour (nosing or aggression), contest duration, contest outcome, and interferer behaviour after the fight (post-conflict social behaviour). RESULTS: Three types of interference were observed: non-agonistic involvement (nose contact) by the interferer in a dyadic fight; a triadic fight with each of three contestants fighting one opponent at a time; and triadic fights with two opponents jointly attacking the third one (two-against-one fights). The likelihood of a third-party intervention to occur did not depend on the presence of a familiar animal in the fight. However, once intervention was triggered, interferers attacked unfamiliar fight initiators more than familiar ones. Two-against-one fights lasted longer than other triadic fights and occurred more often when both initial contestants were females. Results of 110 triadic fights (out of 585 fights in total) revealed that interferers were more likely to win compared to the initial opponents at equal body weight. The most common post-conflict behaviour displayed by the interferer was agonistic behaviour towards another group member, independently of familiarity. CONCLUSIONS: The general lack of discrimination for familiarity suggests interference is not driven by support to familiar individuals in pigs. The results show that intervening in an ongoing fight gives the interferer a high chance of contest success and may be a strategy that is beneficial to the interferer to increase its dominance status.

The influence of educational and emotional support on e-learning acceptance: An integration of social support theory and TAM.

Flexible education is considered the primary function of e-learning, however, empirical evidence during the COVID-19 pandemic has also demonstrated that students may seek emotional comforts in e-learning to alleviate their negative emotions. This study aims to provide a holistic view of the antecedents of college students' e-learning acceptance by integrating social support theory with the technology acceptance model. Specifically, drawing upon social support theory, this study adopted perceived educational support and perceived emotional support as two driving factors and examined their influences on students' continuous intention in e-learning. The model was empirically validated using survey data from 512 college respondents in China during the first wave of the pandemic. Our results suggested that while perceived educational support exerts a major influence on e-learning acceptance, perceived emotional support also has an important role to play. Besides, the analytics results suggested that the two facets of support had different influencing patterns: perceived educational support has a positive and significant relationship with both perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, whereas perceived emotional support solely has a significant relationship with perceived ease of use. Additionally, compared with the prior studies, the effect size ( ß ) between perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness is larger in the present study (COVID-19 context). These findings stress the need to better understand the mechanism by which social support influences college students' e-learning acceptance and to make use of various kinds of social supports to enhance perceived ease of use (e.g. human-computer interface), promote perceived usefulness, and ultimately motivate more students' continuance intention in e-learning.

Perceived availability of future care and depressive symptoms among older adults in China: evidence from CHARLS.

BACKGROUND: Major concerns have arisen about the challenges facing China in providing sufficient care to its older population in light of rapid population ageing, changing family structure, and considerable rates of internal migration. At the family level, these societal changes may produce care uncertainty which may adversely influence the psychological wellbeing of older individuals. This paper applies social support and control theories to examine the relationship between perceived availability of future care and psychological wellbeing of older adults in China, and how this relationship is moderated by economic insufficiency, health vulnerability, and urban/rural context. METHODS: Analyses are based on data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, a multi-panel nationally representative household survey of the Chinese population aged 45 years and older. Data are taken from 2013 and 2011 waves of the study, with an initial sample size around 17,000, in which around 11,000-14,000 respondents are used for our final regression model. The score of depressive symptoms was measured in both waves with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D10), and perceived availability of future care was measured in 2013 by asking respondents the question "Suppose that in the future, you need help with basic daily activities like eating or dressing, do you have relatives or friends (besides your spouse/partner) who would be willing and able to help you over a long period of time (yes/no)?" RESULTS: Multivariate regression analysis revealed that uncertainty regarding future care support was associated with greater depressive symptoms even after controlling for factors confounded with care uncertainty such as family structure, socio- economic status, and a lagged measure of depression. Further, older adults without an anticipated source of care faced double jeopardy in their depressive symptoms if they also experienced functional limitations. CONCLUSIONS: Considering rapid aging of the Chinese population, anticipated increases in chronic disease burden, and possible attenuation of filial care, this analysis suggests that older adults in China may increasingly face health and social conditions detrimental to their mental health. Polices that remedy these concerns should be discussed, developed and implemented.

Social support as predictor of anxiety and depression in cancer caregivers six months after cancer diagnosis: A longitudinal study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To establish the predictive utility of specific social support domains for emotional well-being in cancer caregivers, six months after their partner's cancer diagnosis. BACKGROUND: In cancer caregivers, social support has been consistently related to anxiety and depression. There is little information, however, about the predictive utility of specific social support domains for psychological well-being in the first six months after a partner's cancer diagnosis. DESIGN: Longitudinal research study. METHODS: Sixty-seven caregivers of recently diagnosed cancer patients were recruited from the Reina Sofia University Hospital in Cordoba (Spain). Participants completed a set of questionnaires including the Berlin Social Support Scale (BSSS), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and a socio-demographic questionnaire. Data were collected at two time points: T1 (30-45 days after diagnosis) and T2 (180-200 days after). TRIPOD checklist was used. RESULTS: Most of the caregivers were female (65%) and the partner of the patient (58%), with an average age of 51.63 years (SD = 13.25). Statistical differences were observed between the two assessment points for the social support domains of perceived emotional support, satisfaction with support and protective buffering. Logistic regression analysis showed that less physical and sports activity, more support seeking and less informational support received at T1 predicted anxiety at T2, while less perceived available support predicted depression. CONCLUSIONS: Accurate information and support from other members of the community and the promotion of physical and sports routines for cancer caregivers may help to alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression in the first months after a partner's cancer diagnosis. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Clinicians must pay attention to the social support needs and physical activity of caregivers in the first days after diagnosis, in order to prevent anxiety and depression.

Low self-control, perceived social support and internet gaming addiction: findings from an ethnicity minority region in China.

Background: Adolescent Internet gaming addiction (IGA) is an pincreasing global concern. Drawing on self-control theory, social support theory, and problem behavior theory, this study aimed to examine the relationships between low self-control, perceived social support, and IGA among Chinese Yi and Non-Yi adolescents, with a focus on the moderating role of perceived social support and ethnic differences. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,997 adolescents (53.78% female, mean age 14.70 years) in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China, using a multi-stage cluster random sampling method. Participants completed questionnaires assessing IGA (Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form), low self-control (Low Self-Control Scale), and perceived social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, OLS regression, and the seemingly unrelated estimator (SUE). Results: Low self-control was positively associated with IGA (ß = 0.35, p < 0.001), while perceived social support was negatively associated with IGA (ß = -0.27, p < 0.001). Perceived social support, particularly from family (ß = -0.43, p < 0.05) and significant others (ß = -0.49, p < 0.01), moderated the relationship between low self-control and IGA. These associations were more salient among Yi adolescents compared to non-Yi adolescents. Conclusions: This study highlights the protective role of perceived social support, especially from family and significant others, in buffering the risk of low self-control on IGA. The findings extend self-control theory and social support theory, and provide empirical support for problem behavior theory in a cross-cultural context. The results underscore the importance of considering cultural contexts in understanding IGA and developing targeted interventions for ethnic minority adolescents.

Assessment of Chinese rehabilitation assistance system for disabled children.

Using the social support theory for reference, a subject-object influencing mechanism model of China's rehabilitation assistance system for disabled children is built based on the survey data on 1,698 disabled children in 243 designated rehabilitation institutions in Hu'nan Province as well as the topic of the assessment and optimization of the rehabilitation assistance system for disabled children. The analysis using the structural equation modeling reveals that the inclusive welfare effect of the rehabilitation assistance system for disabled children has emerged, and disabled children receiving free rehabilitation in the designated institutions have achieved good rehabilitation results as a whole, however, disabled children of different age groups have generational differences in the rehabilitation effects, and the preferential aspect of the system needs to be strengthened. Government support, institutional support, and social support have positive non-equilibrium effects in enhancing the rehabilitation effects of disabled children. Institutional support plays a partial mediating role between government support, family support, and disabled children's rehabilitation effects, showing that the current social support system for the rehabilitation assistance of disabled children is experiencing structural, social and kernel changes, to evolve from the traditional closed and disconnected one-way resource support to open, coordinated, and interactive multi-support, and gradually become a comprehensive and efficient interactive support system with families as the foundation, institutions as the main body, and the government as the core.

The public needs more: The informational and emotional support of public communication amidst the Covid-19 in China.

Public communication is critical for responding to disasters. However, most research on public communication is largely focused on its informational support function, overlooking the emotional support that could equally offer. This study takes the lead to investigate their separate impacts. In particular, the variable public engagement, which is a function of the number of Shares, Likes, and Comments in a particular post, is introduced to benchmark the effect of public communication. Besides, considering the evolving nature of the crisis, their dynamic impacts across different COVID-19 pandemic stages are examined. Data from Dec 2019 to Jul 2020 were collected from 17 provincial government-owned social media (Weibo) accounts across COVID-19 in China with a Natural Language Processing-based method to compute the strengths of informational support and emotional support strength. An econometric model is then proposed to explore the impacts of two supports. The findings are twofold: the impact of emotional support on public engagement is empirically confirmed in the study, which is not in lockstep with the informational support; and their impacts on public communication are dynamic rather than static across stages throughout the crisis. We highlighted the importance of emotional support in public engagement by deriving its impact separately from informational support. The findings suggest incorporating both social supports to create stronger public communication tactics during crises.

Unlocking infodemics and mysteries in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: Nexus of conspiracy beliefs, digital informational support, psychological Well-being, and religious fatalism.

Guarding against an anti-science camouflage within infodemics is paramount for sustaining the global vaccination drive. Vaccine hesitancy remains a growing concern and a significant threat to public health, especially in developing countries. Infodemics, conspiracy beliefs and religious fatalism primarily fuel vaccine hesitancy. In addition, anti-vaccine disinformation, lack of understanding, and erroneous religious beliefs also trigger vaccine hesitancy. Global behavioral strategies such as wearing face masks and long-term preventive measures (i.e., COVID-19 vaccination) have effectively limited the virus's spread. Despite the alarming rate of global deaths (i.e., over 99% being unvaccinated), a large proportion of the global population remains reluctant to vaccinate. New evidence validates the usefulness of technology-driven communication strategies (i.e., digital interventions) to address the complex socio-psychological influence of the pandemic. Hence, the present research explored the digital information processing model to assess the interface between informational support (through digital interventions) and antecedents of vaccine hesitancy. This research involved two separate studies: a focus group to operationalize the construct of infodemics, which remained ambiguous in previous literature (Study 1), followed by a cross-sectional survey (Study 2) to examine the conceptual model. Data were collected from 1906 respondents through a standard questionnaire administered online. The focus group's findings revealed a multi-dimensional nature of infodemics that was also validated in Study 2. The cross-sectional survey results substantiated infodemics, religious fatalism and conspiracy beliefs as significant predictors of vaccine hesitancy. Similarly, conspiracy beliefs negatively influence an individual's psychological well-being. Furthermore, information support (through digital intervention) affected infodemics and religious fatalism, whereas it inversely influenced the strength of their relationships with vaccine hesitancy. Information support (through digital intervention) also moderated the relationship between conspiracy beliefs and psychological well-being.

Is a Match Better Than No Match? On the Interaction of Demands and Support During Technological Change.

Progressing digitalization and technological changes triggered by COVID-19 lockdowns means for organizations that new technologies need to be implemented in shorter time periods. The implementation of new technologies in the workplace poses various change demands on employees. Organizations try to counteract these effects by providing change support in the form of for example training or participation options. However, to date, it is unclear how change demands develop a detrimental effect and whether change support can buffer this relation due to which working mechanisms, and whether the effectiveness of support measures can be increased by matching them to specific change demands. Based on the integrative framework of social support theory, which draws on the job demands-resources model and self-determination theory, we hypothesize that change demands can be most effectively addressed through matching change support. In three consecutive experimental vignette studies (N 1 = 89, N 2 = 134, N 3 = 138) of dependently employed samples, we analyzed the interaction of change demands and change support on attitude to change, satisfaction with the change process, and behavioral intention to use by manipulating the degree of demand (high vs. low) and provided support (high vs. low) and by conducting moderated mediation analyses, and integrated the results meta-analytically. The results show that change demands have a detrimental effect on technology implementation outcomes. In one of the three studies we confirmed a moderating effect of change support. The relation was mediated by perceived frustration, but the mediating effect of psychological need satisfaction was inconclusive. Based on our results, we discuss that the research on matching support requires the evaluation of the personal relevance of the support receiver to increase the chance of achieving a match.

Factors Related to Diabetes Self-Management Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Chinese Cross-Sectional Survey Based on Self-Determination Theory and Social Support Theory.

Purpose: Self-management behavior (SMB) plays a significant role in glycemic control. This study aimed to explore the factors related to SMB among patients with type 2 diabetes and how these factors interacted with each other. Patients and Methods: Patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes were recruited from 18 community healthcare stations (CHSs) from six community healthcare centers (CHCs) in Beijing, China from April to May in 2017. Motivation, competence, autonomy support, social support, self-management skills, adherence to self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) and haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) measurement were tested by questionnaire. Correlation analysis and path analysis were performed so as to identify the factors associated with patients' SMB. Results: A total of 532 participants completed this study. Participants who have good compliance to SMBG got higher scores in social support (F = 7.68, p = 0.01), competence (F = 10.47, p = 0.01), and skills (F = 12.34, p < 0.01). Higher competence (ß = 0.03, P < 0.001), higher social support (ß = 0.01, P < 0.001), better skills(ß = 0.01, P < 0.001) directly led to better adherence to SMBG. Social support had a positive effect on autonomy support (ß = 0.69, P < 0.001), motivation (ß = 0.45, P < 0.001), competence (ß = 0.28, P < 0.001), skills (ß = 0.14, P < 0.001), which was also indirectly linked to better adherence to SMBG. Better self-management skills directly led to better adherence to HbA1c measurement (ß = 0.03, P < 0.001). Social support had a positive effect on autonomy support (ß = 0.69, P < 0.001), motivation (ß = 0.45, P < 0.001), competence (ß = 0.28, P < 0.001), skills (ß = 0.14, P < 0.001), which was also indirectly linked to better adherence to HbA1c measurement. Conclusion: Self-determination theory and social support theory were practical in explaining SMB in Chinese population. Competence, motivation and social support played an important role in diabetic self-management. Paying attention to the promotion of individual's intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy may be able to help patients maintain self-management behavior in the long-term routine.

Why should I consult? The impact of social support on patient consultation in online healthcare communities.

The COVID-19 epidemic put the traditional healthcare system and offline consultation method under strain. Patient consultations through online healthcare communities (OHCs) provide patients and physicians with a more convenient and secure route. Based on the social support theory, this study explores the impact of three dimensions of social support from physicians-information diagnosticity, source credibility, and emotional support-on patient consultations in OHCs and their moderating effect on patients' compliments. We utilized Python Spiders to retrieve data from Haodf.com and gathered 2,982 physician reports. The model uses OLS regression with fixed effect estimations. The results show that these three dimensions of social support are positively impacted by consultation. Furthermore, patients' compliments weaken the positive relationship between the three dimensions of physicians' social support and patient consultations. This study contributes to the literature on social support theory in OHCs by exploring the physicians' social support dimension and its impact on patient consultation. Moreover, this study makes practical contributions to physicians and platform administrators in OHCs.

Evaluation of an Intervention Program for Promoting Breast Self-Examination Behavior in Employed Women in Iran.

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in the world. Screening is the basis for early detection. However, the mortality rate is still high in Iranian women related to not screening and timely check-ups. We offered a theory-based intervention program to improve breast cancer screening behavior in women. METHODS: This interventional study was conducted in 135 employed women in 2019. Their screening behavior was investigated using a questionnaire based on the Protection Motivation and Social Support Theories. We compared the efficacy of 2 educational interventions (a workshop and an E-learning program) between 2 intervention groups and a control group. The results were collected 3 months after the interventions had taken place. Data were analyzed in SPSS 23 using descriptive statistics, chi-square, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the paired sample t-test. RESULTS: We found a significant difference between the mean score of knowledge and the theoretical constructs (P value < .001) before and after the interventions. Our results also showed that both the intervention methods had a similar effect and that there was a significant difference in the performance of breast self-examinations between the intervention and control groups after the intervention (P value < .001). CONCLUSION: Given the cost-effectiveness and feasibility of implementing an E-learning program, we would recommend that health care planners assist in designing and implementing this effective form of intervention to encourage many more women to perform self-examinations to aid breast cancer screening.

Correlates of stalking victimization in Canada: A model of social support and comorbidity.

Research into stalking victimization has proliferated over the last three decades, but little research has been done with Canadian data and several theoretical questions related to stalking victimization risk remain largely unanswered. To address the gaps in the literature, this study advances an integrated approach of neighborhood social support from criminology and comorbidity model from health science to examine the correlates of stalking victimization. Relying on data from Canadian General Social Survey, results confirm that the correlation model is better justifiable than the causal model in exploring the relationships between risk factors and being stalked and that variables broadly derived from social support theory, such as community order and trust, are statistically significant correlates of stalking victimization. In addition, most variables in the comorbidity model are significant correlates of stalking victimization. We conclude that social contexts and individual life habits are both important for the risk of stalking victimization.

Correlates of Illicit Drug Use Among Indigenous Peoples in Canada: A Test of Social Support Theory.

Relying on a national stratified random sample of Indigenous peoples aged 19 years old and above in Canada, this study investigates the correlates of illicit drug use among Indigenous peoples, paying special attention to the association between social support measures and illegal drug use. Results from multivariate logistical regression show that measures of social support, such as residential mobility, strength of ties within communities, and lack of timely counseling, are statistically significant correlates of illicit drug use. Those identifying as Christian are significantly less likely to use illegal drugs. This is the first nationwide analysis of the illicit drug usage of Indigenous peoples in Canada. The results are robust because we have controlled for a range of comorbidity variables as well as a series of sociodemographic variables. Policy implications from these findings are discussed.

Imprisonment, Social Support, and Desistance: A Theoretical Approach to Pathways of Desistance and Persistence for Imprisoned Men.

Desistance should be the main ground for reentry policies for imprisoned offenders. However, theories on desistance are diverse, and they disagree about the key factors related to the origin, maintenance, and failures of the desistance process. This research considers three main theories of desistance-control, cognitive transformation, and strain-social support-to explain desistance in a sample of imprisoned men in Spain. The main finding of the research is that strain-social support theory may be of primary importance for understanding desistance because of its capacity to explain processes of change that begin during imprisonment and that continue upon release.