How does the content of so-called 'fake news' differ across Western democracies? While previous research on online disinformation has focused on the individual level, the current study aims to shed ...light on cross-national differences. It compares online disinformation re-published by fact checkers from four Western democracies (the US, the UK, Germany, and Austria). The findings reveal significant differences between English-speaking and German-speaking countries. In the US and the UK, the largest shares of partisan disinformation are found, while in Germany and Austria sensationalist stories prevail. Moreover, in English-speaking countries, disinformation frequently attacks political actors, whereas in German-speaking countries, immigrants are most frequently targeted. Across all of the countries, topics of false stories strongly mirror national news agendas. Based on these results, the paper argues that online disinformation is not only a technology-driven phenomenon but also shaped by national information environments.
The interest in nonparametric statistical analysis has grown recently in the field of computational intelligence. In many experimental studies, the lack of the required properties for a proper ...application of parametric procedures–independence, normality, and homoscedasticity–yields to nonparametric ones the task of performing a rigorous comparison among algorithms.
In this paper, we will discuss the basics and give a survey of a complete set of nonparametric procedures developed to perform both pairwise and multiple comparisons, for multi-problem analysis. The test problems of the CEC’2005 special session on real parameter optimization will help to illustrate the use of the tests throughout this tutorial, analyzing the results of a set of well-known evolutionary and swarm intelligence algorithms. This tutorial is concluded with a compilation of considerations and recommendations, which will guide practitioners when using these tests to contrast their experimental results.
Empirical research has illustrated an association between study size and relative treatment effects, but conclusions have been inconsistent about the association of study size with the risk of bias ...items. Small studies give generally imprecisely estimated treatment effects, and study variance can serve as a surrogate for study size.
We conducted a network meta-epidemiological study analyzing 32 networks including 613 randomized controlled trials, and used Bayesian network meta-analysis and meta-regression models to evaluate the impact of trial characteristics and study variance on the results of network meta-analysis. We examined changes in relative effects and between-studies variation in network meta-regression models as a function of the variance of the observed effect size and indicators for the adequacy of each risk of bias item. Adjustment was performed both within and across networks, allowing for between-networks variability.
Imprecise studies with large variances tended to exaggerate the effects of the active or new intervention in the majority of networks, with a ratio of odds ratios of 1.83 (95% CI: 1.09,3.32). Inappropriate or unclear conduct of random sequence generation and allocation concealment, as well as lack of blinding of patients and outcome assessors, did not materially impact on the summary results. Imprecise studies also appeared to be more prone to inadequate conduct.
Compared to more precise studies, studies with large variance may give substantially different answers that alter the results of network meta-analyses for dichotomous outcomes.
Studies comparing teacher-student relationships between Eastern and Western countries are relatively rare. This study compared the affective qualities of teacher-student relationships between Eastern ...(i.e., China) and Western (i.e., Italy) countries to explore the measurement invariance, latent mean differences, and cultural differences in reporters' (teachers and students) agreement levels. An Italian sample of 31 teachers and 1647 students (46.9% girls; ages 9–14 years) and a Chinese sample of 28 teachers and 1474 students (44% girls; ages 9–14 years) reported on their perceptions of closeness and conflict in the teacher-student relationship. Measures of both student-perceived and teacher-perceived relationships achieved (partial) scalar invariance between the two cultures in the full sample, elementary school subsamples, and junior high school subsamples. Compared to their Chinese peers, the Italian junior high school students reported lower levels of conflict with their teachers, but there was no difference in closeness level. In addition, there was no difference in reporters' agreement across China and Italy in the full sample and in the junior high school subsample, whereas the Italian reporters' agreement on conflict was higher in the elementary school subsample.
•A survey of the BWM based on the publications from 2015 to January 2019 is provided.•This paper intends to answer five questions about the BWM.•This paper has guiding significance for the later ...research related to the BWM.
After the first paper regarding the Best Worst Method (BWM) was published in Omega in 2015 (J. Rezaei, Best-worst multi-criteria decision-making method, Omega 53 (2015) 49–57), it has attracted many scholars’ attention due to the efficiency of this method in reducing the times of pairwise comparisons and the good performance in maintaining consistency between judgments. Lots of researches related to this method have been published over the past several years. This paper concentrates on the state-of-the-art survey of the BWM based on the in-depth analysis over the publications concerning this method published from 2015 to 26th, January 2019. This paper intends to answer five questions about the BWM: (1) How does this method perform in bibliometric analysis? (2) Why to propose this method and what is it? (3) Which integrations that the BWM were focused on and which areas did they apply to? (4) What extensions of this method were investigated? (5) What are the challenges and future research directions regarding this method? In view of the fact that the research on this method is still in infancy, this paper has guiding significance for the later research related to the BWM. From the theoretical point of view, the reasonable value of consistency ratio, the inconsistency improving methods, the uncertain extensions of the BWM and the techniques for solving multi-optimality model in the BWM are good research issues that need to be further investigated in the future. From the perspective of application, the software packages for this method, the various integrations of this method, the wider application areas, and the international cooperation on this method are good topics to consider.
Abstract
International comparisons in organic analysis (OA) are organized and coordinated by the Organic Analysis Working Group (OAWG) of the Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance (CCQM). ...OAWG also performs strategic planning and highlights the focus areas and challenges in OA. Realizing well that the amount of organic compounds and potential combinations of analyte-matrix is numerous, the OAWG has developed a systematic approach to the comparisons organizing. This approach allows to comprehensively describe the specifics of each comparison and appropriate features combination allows to cover all relevant aspects of OA. In terms of CMCs submission, recently the new concept has been created suggesting a broader view on the NMIs competence – it is the concept of “Broad Scope Claims” (BCs). BCs allow NMIs to submit CMCs for a wider range of analytes and matrices. In 2021 the OAWG has highlighted the priority areas for activities and promising methods and technologies for the OA for the period up to 2030.
In international comparisons on OA Russia is represented by VNIIM. Since 1998 VNIIM has been taking part in more than 35 comparisons covering various aspects of OA. Each successful comparison is a real and documented confirmation of Russia competence in the relevant OA area. At the moment 89 CMCs are presented in the Database, including 25 BCs.
Abstract
In the paper is discribed the preparation method of buffer solution for interlaboratory and international comparisons. This technique was developed by scientists of All-Russian Scientific ...Research Institute of Physicotechnical and Radio Engineering Measurements during the preparation of samples for international comparisons in the field of measuring the hydrogen index of borate buffer solution. According to the measurement results, the offered method allows to prepare the homogeneous and stable buffer solutions.
Background and aims. The majority of Australians are regular users of social media, especially young adults. Of concern, is that a minority of people appear to use social media in an addictive or ...problematic way which is associated with negative psychological outcomes such as depression. Social comparisons, where users compare themselves to others on social media, have also been linked with depression. Therefore, the key aim of the study was to determine whether social comparisons mediate the relationship between Problematic Social Media Use (PSMU) and depression. Method. In a two-part study 144 participants (65 females) answered a series of self-report questions assessing factors relating to PSMU and then came into the lab to view a series of social media images, (pre-tested to be upward or downward comparisons). Results. Females used social media more problematically, liked more upward than downward comparison images and compared themselves more negatively to others on social media than did males. Higher PSMU scores were associated with depression and low self-esteem and comparing oneself more negatively to others on social media. Finally, focusing on upward comparisons and a tendency to make negative comparisons to others on social media partially mediated the association between PSMU and depression. Discussion and conclusions. Social comparisons may function as a mechanism linking PSMU with negative psychological outcomes. Clinical interventions for individuals with PSMU which reduce the focus on upward social comparisons may also reduce negative psychological outcomes such as depression.
One of the central issues in cognition is identifying universal and culturally specific patterns of thought. In this study, we examined how one aspect of culture, a linguistic part of speech known ...asclassifiers, are related to categorization of solid objects. In Experiment 1, we used a numeral classifier elicitation task to examine the classifiers used by speakers of Hmong, Japanese, and Mandarin Chinese (N = 34) with 135 nouns that referred to solid objects. In Experiment 2, adult speakers of English, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, and Hmong (N = 64) rated the similarity of 39 pictured objects that depicted a subset of the nouns. All groups classified the objects into
natural kinds and artifacts,
with the category of
humans
anchoring both divisions. The main difference that emerged from the study was that speakers of Japanese and English rated
humans
and
animals
as more similar to each other than Hmong speakers; Mandarin speakers’ ratings of the similarity between
humans
and
animals
fell in between those of Hmong and English speakers. However, the pattern of categorization of
humans
and
animals
found among speakers of the classifier languages contradicted their patterns of classifier use. The findings help to tease apart the effects of language from other cultural factors that impact cognition.
PDF
