Abstract A social movement is a collective effort in which diverse actors work together to challenge or change an existing social order. According to sociologist Mario Diani, social movements are characterised by dense informal networks, shared beliefs and collective identity, and sustained collective action on conflictual issues. This paper reviews Diani’s concept of social movement alongside those of other scholars. It discusses social movements from the perspectives of collective behaviour, resource mobilisation, the political process, the environmental movement, and new social movement theory. Keywords: Social movements, Resource mobilisation, Environmental movement, Political process, and New social movement.
Considering the rise of far-right groups in Western countries, we examined whether exposure to media coverage on the far-right is associated with attitudes toward it, using surveys in 15 Western democratic countries (total N = 2,576). We hypothesized that greater media exposure to the far-right will be associated with greater perceived prevalence and acceptability of it, which will in turn be associated with divergent attitudes. On the one hand, greater perceived prevalence may be associated with more unfavorable attitudes toward the far-right (a threat response). On the other hand, greater perceived acceptability may be associated with more favorable attitudes toward the far-right (a normalization response). Overall, there was more evidence for a threat response than a normalization response: media exposure was consistently related to greater perceived prevalence (but not acceptability) of the far-right. This research underscores the importance of studying the consequences of the rise of the far-right.
Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Fear-avoidance beliefs are associated with reduction of back movements. This implies their importance during chronification of pain and their potential for therapeutic approaches. Introduction: Psychosocial function in people with chronic low back pain (cLBP) is often impaired, indicating poor well-being. Fear-avoidance beliefs (FAB) are common concomitants of cLBP. Fear-avoidance beliefs are gaining attention as a potential prognostic factor for chronification and resulting disability in cLBP. This article aims to examine the associations of back function with FAB. Methods: This study presents data from a cohort study (DRKS00027907). In the present cross-sectional analyses, we included 914 participants (480 nonchronic LBP [ncLBP], 227 cLBP, 207 asymptomatic). Fear-avoidance beliefs were assessed using the fear-avoidance belief questionnaire (FABQ). The association between the FAB and clinical measures (Ott and Schober test, the sit-to-stand test [STS], and the finger-floor distance [FFD]) were analyzed. Back shape and function were also measured using a noninvasive device. The association between FABQ scores and clinical measures was assessed using age, body mass index, sex, and pain intensity–adjusted multiple linear regression models. Results: Associations between FAB and both clinical (Ott, Schober, STS, FFD) and noninvasive device measures were small. All relevant clinical measures were attenuated in individuals with elevated FAB. Discussion: We were able to demonstrate the association of both back shape and function in both clinical tests and noninvasive device measurements with self-reported fear-avoidance beliefs. However, the effect sizes were small. This may be attributed to the different assessment methods (objective vs self-report), resulting in reduced common method variance. In addition to the FAB, there may be other factors (eg, altered neuronal pathways; actual avoidance behavior such as reduced physical activity) that contribute to functional impairment.
This study aims to examine the autochthony beliefs of local people in Türkiye, which is at the center of migration movements, especially by Syrian refugees. Enrolling participants (N=1820) with different demographic characteristics from seven geographical regions of Türkiye, the study collected data using a survey method. Quantitative statistical methods were used to analyze the collected data. The findings revealed that the Turkish people’s overall scores on the autochthony beliefs survey were not affected by gender or age variables but were affected by geographical region and education level variables. In addition, as a result of the multiple linear regression analysis conducted to reveal how the perception of fear/threat from refugees, the tendency to act together against refugees, and the perception of global and national identity, which are thought to have an impact on autochthonous beliefs, predict the autochthonous beliefs of the Turkish people, it has been concluded that the perception of threat/fear, the tendency to act together and the perception of global and national identity have a significant relationship with autochthonous beliefs.
A remarkable project to record the Complete Songs of Robert Tannahill, the Paisley weaver-poet, has concluded with the 2024 release of a fifth and final disc, a fitting tribute marking the 250th anniversary of Tannahill’s birth. This review article discusses why Tannahill is an important and distinctive voice in the Scottish traditional song repertoire, and assesses the achievements of the recording project.
Beliefs are central to individual decision-making and societal dynamics, and they are shaped through complex interactions between personal cognition and social environments. Traditional models of belief dynamics often fail to capture the interplay between internal belief systems and external influences. We present a meta-model that represents belief dynamics through three belief types: Personal beliefs, Expressed beliefs, and Social beliefs about others (PES). This distinction allows the model to account for the potential misperception of others' beliefs as well as distortions in the belief expression, and it permits the formalization of psychological processes such as ego projection, social influence, authenticity, and conformity. These processes have been studied extensively in social psychology but are rarely integrated into a comprehensive formal model. The PES meta-model also encompasses many existing belief dynamics models, such as versions of the Voter, Ising, DeGroot, and bounded confidence models. Its nested structure enables comparative analyses between different models and supports the construction of new models by recombining its components, providing a flexible framework for cumulative theory development.
AbstractIt is essential to understand the psychological mechanisms that help explain how people perceive, and why they participate in, social movements. Two psychological theories relevant to this endeavor are founder ownership and system justification beliefs. The current work examined how founder ownership and system‐justifying beliefs related to people's attitudes toward the Black Lives Matter movement (Studies 1 and 2) and other social movements (Study 2), as well as people's willingness to participate in collective action for these movements (Study 2). Across two studies, participants (total N = 1064) completed measures of founder ownership beliefs, system justifying beliefs, general political orientation, and attitudes and participation intentions toward different social movements. We found that, even after controlling for demographics, people higher in founder ownership and system justifying beliefs still held more negative attitudes toward social movements that challenged the status quo and were less willing to engage in collective action that supported these movements. The present findings highlight some important psychological processes that help explain why some people are more or less likely to support and engage in social change.
In the past few decades, the world has seen progressive and regressive movements in the acceptance of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual, and intersex (LGBTQI+) persons as well as the acknowledgment of their rights. This study explores the perceptions of various stakeholders regarding LGBTQI+ acceptance in Nigeria. This study employs a descriptive research design of the survey type. The population of the study consisted of all stakeholders such as religious leaders, policy makers, health officials’ community leaders and law enforcement officials. The sample for the study consisted of 602 stakeholders selected through the use of multistage sampling procedure. A structured questionnaire, grounded in Social Identity Theory, was used to collect data on demographics, in-group identification, attitudes towards LGBTQI+ individuals, perceived group norms, and the influence of community leaders. Surveys was distributed both online and offline to maximize reach, with data collection facilitated by trained research assistants. The research questions raised were answered using frequency count, percentages and bar charts. The finding of the study revealed that prevailing attitudes towards LGBTQI+ individuals in Nigeria are predominantly negative, with significant resistance from religious leaders, cultural, religious, and social factors significantly shape attitudes towards LGBTQI+ individuals in Nigeria, there are a significant lack of recognition of constitutional protections and human rights provisions that could offer some level of protection, prevailing laws and policies in Nigeria, such as the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act and sections of the Criminal Code, contribute significantly to the negative perception and treatment of LGBTQI+ individuals. To address the deeply entrenched negative attitudes towards LGBTQI+ individuals in Nigeria and promote greater acceptance, several recommendations are proposed. Legal reforms are essential; the Nigerian government should prioritize repealing discriminatory laws such as the Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act (SSMPA) and sections of the Criminal Code that criminalize LGBTQI+ identities and relationships. Enacting legal protections that ensure the rights and safety of LGBTQI+ individuals is crucial for reducing systemic discrimination and violence. Second, comprehensive public education campaigns are needed to combat misinformation and challenge negative stereotypes about LGBTQI+ individuals among others.
I. Pilch, Agnieszka Turska-Kawa, Paulina Wardawy
et al.
Background The number of psychological studies on conspiracy beliefs has been systematically growing for about a dozen years, but in recent years, the trend has intensified. We provided a review covering the psychological literature on conspiracy beliefs from 2018 to 2021. Halfway through this period, the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, accompanied by an explosion of movements based on conspiracy theories, intensifying researchers’ interest in this issue. Methods Adhering to PRISMA guidelines, the review systematically searched for relevant journal articles published between 2018 and 2021. A search was done on Scopus and Web of Science (only peer-reviewed journals). A study was included if it contained primary empirical data, if specific or general conspiracy belief(s) were measured and if its correlation with at least one other psychological variable was reported. All the studies were grouped for the descriptive analysis according to the methodology used, the participants’ characteristics, the continent of origin, the sample size, and the conspiracy beliefs measurement tools. Due to substantial methodological heterogeneity of the studies, narrative synthesis was performed. The five researchers were assigned specific roles at each stage of the analysis to ensure the highest quality of the research. Results Following the proposed methodology, 308 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility and 274 articles (417 studies) meeting the inclusion criteria were identified and included in the review. Almost half of the studies (49.6%) were conducted in European countries. The vast majority of the studies (85.7%) were carried out on samples of adult respondents. The research presents antecedents as well as (potential) consequences of conspiracy beliefs. We grouped the antecedents of conspiracy beliefs into six categories: cognitive (e.g., thinking style) motivational (e.g., uncertainty avoidance), personality (e.g., collective narcissism), psychopathology (e.g., Dark Triad traits), political (e.g., ideological orientation), and sociocultural factors (e.g., collectivism). Conclusion and limitations The research presents evidence on the links between conspiracy beliefs and a range of attitudes and behaviors considered unfavorable from the point of view of individuals and of the society at large. It turned out that different constructs of conspiracy thinking interact with each other. The limitations of the study are discussed in the last part of the article.
Moroccan fundamentalist movements employ distinct religious curricula as tools for indoctrinating their ideologies. While some subjects align with formal religious institutions, others are either adopted or omitted to adhere to the movements' beliefs and objectives. This article employs a qualitative methodology with a phenomenological and pedagogical approach to compare the religious curricula of two prominent religious agents: "Justice and Spirituality" and "The Call to Quran and Sunnah." The study seeks to unveil the main aspects of their religious Curricula and understand the internal dynamics of Moroccan fundamentalist movements. Findings reveal that "The Call to Quran and Sunnah" prioritizes Islamic creed learning, employing a teacher-centered approach, while "Justice and Spirituality" encompasses not only religious matters but also addresses social and political issues through a learner-centered approach. Moreover, as both movements rely on social media and the internet to expand their educational program, some limitations affect the achievement of an ideal Islamic learning environment.
Abstract
Shiism experienced a significant crisis following the tragedy of Ashura characterized by oppression, fear, isolation, and the practice of taqiyyah. This study focused on the strategies employed by Imam Sajjad (A.S.) to revive Shiism in the aftermath of this event. Specifically, it addressed this question: How can we analyze Imam Sajjad’s strategies for revitalizing Shiism after the Ashura event? It appeared that Imam Sajjad (A.S.) utilized components of diffusion theory—namely, the destination of diffusion (environments that were both receptive and intolerant, along with political and cultural barriers), paths of diffusion (including displacement, contagious, and hierarchical diffusion), and timing of diffusion. By leveraging various tools, such as the community's reverence for the Prophet’s family, he transformed the emotional landscape created after Ashura, mitigating the effects of the oppressive Umayyad regime and countering the influence of pro-Umayyad scholars. Through initiatives like cadre building and promoting pilgrimage, he effectively revived Shiism after the Ashura event. This research elucidated Imam Sajjad's actions through the lens of diffusion theory, demonstrating how Shiism was revitalized in the wake of Ashura. Employing a historical methodology, the study analyzed Imam Sajjad's activities aimed at reviving Shiism, including cadre development, exposing Umayyad injustices, mobilizing the populace post-Karbala, challenging beliefs in predestination, elucidating the fundamental principles of Imamate, addressing key issues, and countering deviation through prayer and supplication.
Keywords: Strategies of Imam Sajjad (A.S.), Revival of Shiism, Ashura Event, Diffusion Theory, Umayyad Era.
Introduction
The era of Imam Sajjad (A.S.), which commenced on Ashura in 61 AH, unfolded under exceptional circumstances. The oppressive measures of the Umayyads coupled with the suppression of dissenting movements and emergence of deviant intellectual currents underscored the urgent need for the revitalization of Shiite life. In light of the political, social, and cultural conditions of his time, Imam Sajjad (A.S.) adopted various approaches to articulate the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt, employing methods, such as prayer and pilgrimage. This study sought to analyze how Imam Sajjad (A.S.) revived Shiism following the Ashura event and identify the factors that influenced this revival. Several books and articles have been published regarding Imam Sajjad's role in the resurgence of Shiism. Notably, Seyyed Ja'far Shahidi's Life of Ali ibn al-Hussein (2001) examined and critiqued some well-known historical accounts of Imam Sajjad (A.S.). While this work shared common themes with the present research, it offered a new perspective by integrating theoretical frameworks. Additionally, Mohsen Ranjbar's Studying the Role of Imam Sajjad (A.S.) in Shiite Leadership after the Karbala Incident (2002) explored the cultural and political landscape of Imam Sajjad's era, focusing on his stance against the caliphate. However, this article distinguished itself by analyzing the environmental factors and components of diffusion theory relevant to Imam Sajjad's context. Another significant work was Madrasah Kalami Medinah from the Beginning to the Imamate of Imam Baqir (2024) written by Seyyed Ali Hussainizadeh from Khizrabad, which reviewed the history of Imamiyyah thought up to the end of Imam Sajjad's era through historical reports. Unlike the other two works, it did not provide an analysis of Imam Sajjad (A.S.) based on diffusion theory. Finally, Seyyed Gholam Hossein Hosseini's article, Headlines of the Political Movement of Imam Sajjad (A.S.) in the Karbala Movement (2002), touched upon similar themes; yet, it did not specifically apply diffusion theory, revealing a gap in independent research on this topic.
Materials & Methods
Diffusion theory introduced by Swedish geographer Hagerstrand in 1935, explored how innovations, phenomena, ideas, and thoughts spread. Initially applied to agriculture and disease transmission, this theory has since found relevance in political science and international relations. It effectively explains the reasons behind the spread of various intellectual and physical innovations, detailing how they disseminate, the pathways they follow, and the factors that may halt or re-ignite their spread. Additionally, it accounts for the stability of certain trends and the decline of others. In the modern era, cultural elements and innovations cross borders at unprecedented speeds, akin to jet travel and satellite communication. Contagious and hierarchical diffusion represent two rapid forms of expansion diffusion, where ideas and concepts migrate from new sources without the need for physical relocation. When analyzing the impact of any political innovation through the lens of diffusion theory, key factors like origin and destination, timeframes, tools, and channels of dissemination are considered. Furthermore, diffusion barriers and competing waves serve as mitigating factors that must be addressed in the examination of the phenomenon and its diffusion.
Research Findings
Imam Zayn al-Abidin (A.S.) aimed to restore order in a society that had succumbed to misguidance and moral decay, striving to revive authentic Islam (Shi'a). Alongside the Sahifa al-Sajjadiyah, which encapsulates the principles and teachings of Islam, the Treatise on Rights outlines fundamental rights that govern human life and ensure its happiness. Indeed, religion and Sharia were revealed to uphold these rights. Through this guidance, the Imam demonstrated that only an Imam, intimately connected to the source of revelation, possesses the authority to enact progressive laws that resonate with the human spirit.
Discussion of Results & Conclusion
The continuation of Umayyad rule under Yazid and Abdul Malik ibn Marwan following the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (A.S.) coupled with the atmosphere of fear and repression that ensued after the Ashura event posed significant challenges for Imam Sajjad (A.S.) in his efforts to revive and expand Shiism. Despite these obstacles, Imam Sajjad (A.S.) emerged as a pivotal figure in this revival, leveraging the emotional climate following events, such as the incident of Hurra and the destruction of Kaaba by Yazid's forces, alongside the public’s growing interest in the Prophet's family. To navigate the unwelcoming environment, the Imam implemented several strategies: he focused on training and building a cadre of supporters, exposed the injustices of the Umayyad regime, and sought to awaken the populace in the aftermath of Karbala. He also challenged the legitimacy of predestination and clarified the fundamental principles of Imamate. Through prayers and invocations, he addressed key issues and countered deviations, significantly advancing his goals. Utilizing methods like prayer and pilgrimage (path of diffusion) and disseminating religious concepts through his students and trained followers (path of contagion), Imam Sajjad (A.S.) endeavored to revive Shiism even amid the oppressive rule of the most tyrannical Umayyad caliphs, including Yazid and Abdul Malik ibn Marwan. This period marked a crucial phase in the diffusion of Shiism.
History (General) and history of Europe, History of Asia
We present a model elucidating wishful thinking, which comprehensively incorporates both the costs and benefits associated with biased beliefs. Our findings reveal that wishful thinking behavior can be characterized as equivalent to superquantile-utility maximization within the domain of threshold beliefs distortion cost functions. By leveraging this equivalence, we establish WT as driving decision-makers to exhibit a preference for choices characterized by skewness and increased risk. Furthermore, we discuss how our framework facilitates the study of optimistic stochastic choice and optimistic risk aversion.
Bayesian games model interactive decision-making where players have incomplete information -- e.g., regarding payoffs and private data on players' strategies and preferences -- and must actively reason and update their belief models (with regard to such information) using observation and interaction history. Existing work on counterfactual regret minimization have shown great success for games with complete or imperfect information, but not for Bayesian games. To this end, we introduced a new CFR algorithm: Bayesian-CFR and analyze its regret bound with respect to Bayesian Nash Equilibria in Bayesian games. First, we present a method for updating the posterior distribution of beliefs about the game and other players' types. The method uses a kernel-density estimate and is shown to converge to the true distribution. Second, we define Bayesian regret and present a Bayesian-CFR minimization algorithm for computing the Bayesian Nash equilibrium. Finally, we extend this new approach to other existing algorithms, such as Bayesian-CFR+ and Deep Bayesian CFR. Experimental results show that our proposed solutions significantly outperform existing methods in classical Texas Hold'em games.
Understanding and attributing mental states, known as Theory of Mind (ToM), emerges as a fundamental capability for human social reasoning. While Large Language Models (LLMs) appear to possess certain ToM abilities, the mechanisms underlying these capabilities remain elusive. In this study, we discover that it is possible to linearly decode the belief status from the perspectives of various agents through neural activations of language models, indicating the existence of internal representations of self and others' beliefs. By manipulating these representations, we observe dramatic changes in the models' ToM performance, underscoring their pivotal role in the social reasoning process. Additionally, our findings extend to diverse social reasoning tasks that involve different causal inference patterns, suggesting the potential generalizability of these representations.
Typically, when evaluating Theory of Mind, we consider the beliefs of others to be binary: held or not held. But what if someone is unsure about their own beliefs? How can we quantify this uncertainty? We propose a new suite of tasks, challenging language models (LMs) to model the uncertainty of others in dialogue. We design these tasks around conversation forecasting, wherein an agent forecasts an unobserved outcome to a conversation. Uniquely, we view interlocutors themselves as forecasters, asking an LM to predict the uncertainty of the interlocutors (a probability). We experiment with re-scaling methods, variance reduction strategies, and demographic context, for this regression task, conducting experiments on three dialogue corpora (social, negotiation, task-oriented) with eight LMs. While LMs can explain up to 7% variance in the uncertainty of others, we highlight the difficulty of the tasks and room for future work, especially in practical applications, like anticipating ``false
Ozan Catal, Toon Van de Maele, Riddhi J. Pitliya
et al.
When collaborating with multiple parties, communicating relevant information is of utmost importance to efficiently completing the tasks at hand. Under active inference, communication can be cast as sharing beliefs between free-energy minimizing agents, where one agent's beliefs get transformed into an observation modality for the other. However, the best approach for transforming beliefs into observations remains an open question. In this paper, we demonstrate that naively sharing posterior beliefs can give rise to the negative social dynamics of echo chambers and self-doubt. We propose an alternate belief sharing strategy which mitigates these issues.
New religious movements are often described as bizarre and sinister. Direct acquaintance, however, often gives a different impression from media portrayals and even from some academic writing. After decades of undertaking fieldwork, the author George Chryssides discusses his experiences, as well as studies by other scholars, and the issues that fieldwork involves. How do one's personal beliefs and lifestyle impinge on field research? How involved should a participant–observer become? How should we assess what we are told by insiders and ex-members? What ethical problems does field research create? How should we engage in online fieldwork, arising from the increasing use of the Internet, accelerated by the Covid pandemic? These are among the issues which this Element explores, and which will be of interest both to field researchers and to those who read about the fieldwork of others.