Social Sciences

Abstract: Contemporary society faces the ubiquitous proliferation of algorithmic systems that structure social life, from intimate subjective modulation to planetary crisis management. This conceptual paper therefore proposes the analytical category of vigitalization. Rooted in relational sociology, vigitalization is defined as a co-constitutive sociotechnical configuration that fuses datafication with structural surveillance to interpret the autonomization of algorithmic governance. Employing a multilevel theoretical framework bridging the macro (systematicity), meso (grouping), and micro (interaction) dimensions, the study dissects the relational interdependencies between technological infrastructures, political economy, and algocratic bureaucracies. Vigitalization operates under a strict recursive logic: digitizing to monitor and monitoring to digitize, naturalizing behavioral extraction across all institutional boundaries. Crucially, this framework positions vigitalization as the primary sociotechnical matrix governing the ASAM Nexus (Agency-Structure-Algorithm-Matter). By doing so, it equips sociology with the critical apparatus required to address the existential macro-risks, biopolitical subsumption, and biometric enclosures intrinsic to the Digital Anthropocene.

Abstract: This paper examines whether sports whose rule structures reward the infliction of bodily harm—paradigmatically boxing and mixed martial arts—can be justified within a framework of human development understood through the capabilities approach. I argue that these sports generate a distinctive normative problem: they systematically undermine the very capabilities—bodily integrity, practical reason, affiliation, and play—that Sen and Nussbaum identify as conditions of human flourishing. The medical evidence on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and repetitive head trauma establishes a strong prima facie case against their permissibility, though significant evidentiary uncertainties remain. I then examine three lines of defence: Millian autonomy, consent-based moral permissibility, and the claim that reform rather than prohibition is the appropriate response. While the autonomy objection has considerable force for competent adults, it fails to address the intergenerational dimension of the harm: children of fighters are involuntarily exposed to parental cognitive decline, abandonment, and trauma. Moreover, the consent of fighters is undermined by the fact that the mechanism of risk and the mechanism of autonomy impairment are identical. I conclude that a qualified prohibition is justified: an immediate ban on youth participation, a phased elimination of professional competition, and a robust system of compensation and support. The argument is not that fighters are irrational or that their courage is unworthy of respect, but that a society committed to human development cannot coherently permit activities whose rule structures reward the destruction of the capabilities that make development possible.

Abstract: Population data in Canada is published against Census Dissemination Blocks, irregular polygons whose shape reflects administrative and privacy constraints rather than the spatial distribution of residents. This paper presents a method for disaggregating Dissemination Block population onto a uniform Uber H3 hexagonal grid, resolution 8, mean cell area 0.74 square kilometres, using dasymetric allocation. The goal is to place population where people plausibly live within each block rather than distributing it evenly across block area or collapsing it to a single centroid. Two independent allocation methods are constructed from open Government of Canada data. The first uses points from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's Pseudo-Household dataset, which distributes population along road segments. The second uses Statistics Canada's National Address Register, which distributes population across real address points. Both methods conserve population exactly against published Dissemination Block totals when aggregated to the provincial level. Comparing the two hexagon layers shows close agreement across the large majority of the country and a smaller set of hexagons where the two methods diverge sharply. We quantify this disagreement with a threshold-free displaced population index, defined as the share of national population that would need to move between hexagons to reconcile the two layers exactly, which stands at 8.5 percent nationally. Diagnostic decomposition of individual divergent hexagons down to the contributing Dissemination Blocks shows that this disagreement has more than one cause: a minority of high-density buildings with no National Address Register coverage at all, and a separate, smaller effect in which the two methods place the same residents into adjacent hexagons differently near block boundaries. We propose a hybrid allocation rule that uses the National Address Register wherever a Dissemination Block has address coverage above a people-per-point threshold and falls back to the road-based method otherwise, which corrects the coverage-gap mechanism while preserving exact population conservation. We present this comparison of two independently constructed dasymetric layers, used to locate and explain disagreement rather than to validate either layer on its own, as a useful diagnostic strategy for hexagonal population products built from administrative open data.

Abstract: Higher education institutions must uphold high educational standards while adapting to rapid technological, social, and policy changes. Pedagogical staff competency development for sustainable development has been identified as a strategic factor in supporting continuous improvement in higher education quality assurance systems. However, much existing research examines faculty development and quality assurance processes separately, with limited theoretical integration among competency development, institutional quality assurance, and sustainable organizational performance. This conceptual paper addresses this gap by proposing an integrated framework explaining how sustainable pedagogical competency development can strengthen quality assurance systems in higher education. The study is conceptual, with its design informed by a literature review and synthesis of research on higher education quality assurance, competency development, Human Capital Theory, Organizational Learning Theory, continuous quality improvement, and sustainable development. The proposed framework integrates these perspectives to explain the relationships among institutional governance, professional development, pedagogical and digital competencies, organizational learning, quality culture, quality assurance effectiveness, and educational outcomes. The study contributes by integrating competency development and sustainable quality management within a single conceptual model, offering a broader perspective on how institutions can develop faculty capabilities while strengthening educational quality. The framework also highlights the importance of organizational learning and digital pedagogical capabilities in sustaining quality improvement amid changing educational environments. It provides a theoretical foundation for future empirical research and offers practical guidance to university leaders, accreditation bodies, and policymakers seeking to strengthen institutional quality assurance through sustainable faculty development and organizational capacity building. This integrated approach emphasizes that sustainable educational quality depends on both effective assurance mechanisms and institutional capacity for continuous learning, adaptation, and improvement.

Abstract: This study examines the relationship between visual design, user trust, distrust, and willingness to provide personal information in digital interfaces under conditions of information overload. A quantitative survey was conducted among 390 respondents from Bishkek using four structured questionnaires representing different combinations of website familiarity and visual design quality. Participants evaluated interface characteristics associated with trust and distrust and indicated which types of personal information they would be willing to provide. In addition, a dataset of 1,000 website screenshots was analyzed to identify recurring visual and structural patterns in contemporary digital interfaces. The results indicate that high-quality images, intuitive navigation, readable typography, and clear visual organization are frequently associated with trust, while pop-ups and advertisements, visual clutter, overly bright or aggressive colors, outdated design, and insufficient company information are associated with distrust. The findings on personal information indicate that users distinguish between different levels of data sensitivity and show greater reluctance to provide more sensitive information, particularly in low-trust conditions. The study demonstrates that visual and structural characteristics of digital interfaces are related not only to users’ perceptions of trust and distrust but also to their stated willingness to provide personal information. The findings provide a basis for practical recommendations aimed at designing clearer and more trustworthy digital interfaces.

Abstract: Tourism is a strategic sector in India's development agenda, and scholarship on its management has expanded quickly since the pandemic. This paper reviews 52 publications from 2022 to 2026 and organizes them into five themes: (1) smart tourism, artificial intelligence (AI) and digitalization; (2) sustainability and overtourism; (3) governance, policy and law; (4) niche and special-interest tourism (adventure, medical, spiritual); and (5) economic performance and hospitality management. The review finds a marked rise in technology-oriented and Viksit Bharat 2047-linked work since 2025, alongside a persistent reliance on conceptual, descriptive and single-region designs. Three gaps stand out: little empirical validation of AI and smart-tourism frameworks, weak integration between sustainability goals and governance mechanisms, and limited attention to workforce readiness and community outcomes. A research agenda is proposed.

Abstract: Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 positions media as both an instrument and an object of national transformation. This systematic literature review synthesizes peer-reviewed evidence published between January 2016 and September 2026 to establish how, and under what conditions, media contribute to social change. In accordance with PRISMA 2020, a search of Open Alex conducted on September 28, 2026, was complemented by scoping searches; 86 studies in journals indexed in Scopus or the Directory of Open Access Journals were appraised on design features adapted from the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool and synthesized thematically across three mechanisms: ownership and investment, digital audience engagement, and regulation. Three convergent patterns emerge. State-led investment and cultural policy have expanded capacity and youth-oriented production across television, film, streaming, gaming, and entertainment, a pattern termed here managed diversification. Platforms have become arenas in which reform, particularly women’s empowerment and flagship national projects, is debated, endorsed, and normalized, with influencers as prominent intermediaries. Regulatory modernization has formalized a fast-growing creator economy, and women’s professional inclusion has advanced, while studies report reliance on official sources and link legal uncertainty and perceived monitoring to anticipatory self-restraint. The review refines the concept of conditional transformation: the communicative visibility of reform has expanded substantially at home and abroad, whereas editorial autonomy has expanded more gradually, and the evidence points to regulatory predictability as a condition for its further expansion. The review maps gaps in political-economy, longitudinal, and reception research and derives recommendations aligned with Vision 2030’s commitment to effective, transparent, and accountable government.

Abstract: Armed conflict generates long-term effects on mental health, social cohesion, and community resilience. In post-conflict settings, ancestral food practices may represent important yet underexplored mechanisms for preserving identity, promoting well-being, and facilitating recovery. This study explored the relationships between artisanal sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) transformation, resilience, and health perceptions among women survivors of the Colombian armed conflict in the Montes de María region. Ten women involved in the traditional production of sesame paste participated in a qualitative narrative study. Oral narratives were analyzed using a five-stage interpretative framework comprising transcription and coding, textual analysis, contextual analysis, metatextual reconfiguration, and artificial intelligence-assisted sentiment analysis using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC-22). The narratives revealed five major themes: intergenerational transmission of ancestral knowledge, embodied technical expertise, economic sustainability, cultural identity, and perceived health benefits. Participants consistently described sesame transformation as a source of livelihood, dignity, family continuity, and community cohesion. LIWC-22 analysis demonstrated high social orientation, elevated cognitive processing, strong authenticity, and limited predominance of negative emotional language despite histories of displacement and violence. These findings suggest that artisanal sesame transformation functions as a multidimensional resilience practice linking collective memory, cultural continuity, emotional recovery, and food sovereignty. We propose an “Ancestral Food-Based Neuroresilience” framework integrating traditional food systems, psychosocial adaptation, and health promotion in post-conflict communities.

Abstract: Artificial intelligence is rapidly moving from the accumulation and representation of knowledge toward a more difficult problem: the assembly of heterogeneous bodies of knowledge. Knowledge accumulation is not knowledge integration, and knowledge integration is not yet knowledge assembly. Distinct scientific domains differ in objects, semantics, methods, and local representational frames, even when they share deeper mathematical structures. Building on the program of Integration Science, this paper proposes that such cross-disciplinary structures can be transformed in Artificial Science from descriptive correspondences into operational interfaces for knowledge assembly. Gauge symmetry is developed here as the first structural technology of a broader theory of Big Knowledge Assembly Dynamics. The framework begins with a global-to-local structural principle: for cross-domain knowledge assembly, identification of a common structural group precedes the construction of domain-dependent local gauge transformations. A principal knowledge bundle is introduced as the geometric setting in which a global knowledge connection is represented locally by domain-specific gauge potentials. Covariant derivatives distinguish changes of knowledge content from changes of local frame, while curvature measures irreducible local path dependence in assembly. Domain-specific dynamical phases, already developed in prior models of market, reasoning, economic, and AI dynamics, are lifted into a cross-domain geometric setting in which Berry-type phases represent geometric memory. Yang’s non-integrable phase factor supplies the path-dependent parallel-transport operator, and closed-loop transport yields knowledge holonomy. The framework therefore separates local curvature from global holonomy and allows the possibility of global path memory even when local curvature vanishes. To coordinate the geometry of the knowledge base space with transformations in internal knowledge fibers, a Total Knowledge Connection is proposed by combining an affine connection with an internal gauge connection. This structure supports geodesic and variational descriptions of knowledge-assembly paths. A Geodesic-Pareto principle is then formulated cautiously: when a multi-objective assembly problem induces an effective geometric action, stationary efficient paths may be represented by geodesics of the induced geometry. The resulting concept of covariant Pareto efficiency provides a candidate optimization principle for AI knowledge assembly. The paper concludes with an Artificial Standard Model program in which U(1), SU(3), SU(2), and Higgs-type differentiation organize subsequent studies of single-charge knowledge transport, three-component non-Abelian assembly, doublet coupling, and the emergence of stable local rationality. The proposal is not that AI literally contains physical gauge fields, but that gauge geometry supplies a mathematically disciplined architecture for converting shared structures discovered by Integration Science into operational technologies of Artificial Science.

Abstract: Background/Objectives: Food environments shape children’s eating practices yet lived experiences remain insufficiently understood. This study explored how children and adolescents experience neighborhood food environments in relation to dimensions of subjective well-being in a context of social vulnerability in Chile. Methods: A quali-tative participatory study was conducted with 15 children and adolescents aged 12–15 years in La Legua and Carmen Mena, San Joaquín. Data were generated through Pho-tovoice, interviews, and emotional mapping. Photographs, maps, transcripts, and field notes were integrated and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, complemented by spatial analysis of emotional maps. Results: Five themes were identified: proximity, mobility, and safety; availability, diversity, and food procurement; food as an affective, familial, and social experience; children’s agency; and tensions among practices, pref-erences, restrictions, and aspirations. Nearby food outlets facilitated access, whereas insecurity constrained mobility. Multiple points of sale did not necessarily translate into food diversity, with circuits centered on bread, beverages, snacks, sweets, and fast food. Food experiences included pleasure, care, recognition, togetherness, security, and relief, alongside concern and distress. Children selected, purchased, prepared, and evaluated food within family, economic, and territorial constraints. Conclusions: Neighborhood food environments were experienced as territorial, social, and affective spaces. Access depended not only on availability and proximity but also on safety, prices, mobility, family relationships, preferences, and situated agency. Participatory approaches can broaden nutrition research by revealing how children experience and negotiate food environments.

Abstract: The preceding papers of Principles of Artificial Science I developed a global gauge architecture for Big Knowledge Dynamics and three mechanism-specific models: U(1)-based transport, SU(3)-based internal binding, and SU(2)-based externality-driven transformation. The present paper addresses the final structural problem of this gauge-symmetry sequence: stabilization. How can a knowledge system, after transport, binding, and transformation, settle into a stable local organization without becoming rigid? The physical scaffold is spontaneous symmetry breaking and the Higgs mechanism, but the proposal is structural rather than ontological: human rationality and artificial intelligence are not asserted to be physical Higgs systems. Earlier work on ordinary rationality identified eight principles - high selectivity, subjective certainty, null action, sunk cost, hesitation, better life, face, and emotion - and characterized ordinary rationality by minimum-energy, inertial, and degenerate-background properties. The present paper converts these inherited correspondences into a multi-layer Artificial Science stabilization model. The state is represented by Z=(Φ, M, S), separating a rational configuration, history/memory, and social-affective context. The eight principles are assigned to distinct dynamical roles rather than inserted as undifferentiated terms in a single potential. A symmetry-selected state Φ₀ is described by a vacuum manifold and residual stabilizer H=Stab(Φ₀). Global symmetry breaking is explicitly distinguished from gauge-coupled Higgs stabilization. The latter generates an anisotropic resistance spectrum over transformation directions. Local stability, recoverability, adaptation threshold, and return time are then defined as candidate AI observables. The resulting theory treats artificial ordinary rationality as a stability architecture that suppresses destructive drift while permitting information-bearing change. Stable intelligence is therefore not immobility but symmetry-constrained adaptability.

Abstract: The preceding papers of Principles of Artificial Science I developed a global gauge architecture for Big Knowledge Assembly Dynamics, a U(1)-based mechanism for single-charge knowledge transport, and an SU(3)-based mechanism for non-Abelian internal binding. The present paper develops the next mechanism: externally induced transformation in doublet knowledge systems. The physical scaffold is weak-isospin dynamics, but the proposed theory is not a claim that economic, cognitive, or artificial systems literally instantiate electroweak physics. Rather, SU(2) is used as a mathematically disciplined control architecture for two-state coupling, externally induced transition, order-sensitive intervention, and post-transition memory. Earlier work on economic externality modeled policy, regulation, and other third-party influences as weak-like forces and introduced two isospin structures: achievement versus fear-of-failure, and market behavior versus market aftertaste. Related Integration Science work extended the same architecture to cognitive achievement/fear and reasoning behavior/problem-solving residuals. The present paper upgrades those correspondences into a Big Knowledge Control Dynamics model. A domain externality is lifted by an explicit map from a semantic externality space into the Lie algebra associated with SU(2); the reversible component of transformation acts on a Bloch-type knowledge state, while dissipation, forgetting, noise, and residual feedback are represented by an open-system term. Macroscopic market or logical charge becomes an observable q(ρ) = Tr(ρQ̂), finite intervention order is measured by a group commutator, externality curvature is defined on an intervention parameter space, and closed-loop memory is represented by gauge-covariant holonomy with a gauge-invariant Wilson-type scalar. Aftertaste is modeled as a separate residual state coupled to the doublet dynamics, allowing net residual memory to be distinguished from accumulated memory burden. A supplementary U(1) residual phase provides an Aharonov-Bohm-type representation of path memory without conflating it with the SU(2) transition connection. The Better-Life Principle is reformulated as an asymmetric transition-rate hypothesis rather than an unsupported lifetime assertion. Finally, three testable AI diagnostics are introduced: externality susceptibility, finite-order sensitivity, and long-horizon drift, with extensions to multi-agent interaction and control. The resulting framework specifies state, control, dynamics, memory, and observable quantities, thereby moving from structural analogy toward an operational theory of Artificial Science and Big Knowledge Dynamics.

Abstract: Bride price (caili) has become one of the most debated features of contemporary Chinese marriage. Rising payments, a surplus of unmarried men, and public controversy over the "commodification" of marriage have generated a large and multidisciplinary literature. This paper reviews 46 publications from 1990 to 2026 drawn from demography, economics, sociology, gender studies, law and media studies. The literature is organized into five themes: (1) demographic foundations of the marriage squeeze; (2) economic explanations and consequences of marriage payments; (3) gender, family and women's position; (4) historical and cultural transformation of marriage customs; and (5) rural governance, law and public discourse. The review shows that most explanations converge on a market logic in which sex-ratio imbalance and competition for brides raise payments, while newer work emphasizes women's agency, class and regional variation, and the moral politics of bride price. Gaps remain in causal identification, urban–rural and regional comparison, men's experiences, and evaluation of policy interventions. A research agenda is proposed.

Abstract: Childhood maltreatment is associated with adult stress response, but the roles of basic psychological need satisfaction and frustration remain unclear. This study examined indirect associations between childhood maltreatment and adult stress response through psychological need dimensions, considering overall maltreatment and its subtypes. Participants were 345 adults, including 74 with and 271 without a reported psychiatric diagnosis. Self-report measures assessed childhood maltreatment, need satisfaction and frustration, and stress response. Hierarchical regression, mediation, and sensitivity analyses were conducted, adjusting for age, sex, subjective socioeconomic status, and diagnosis status. In the final regression model, competence frustration and autonomy frustration were positively associated with stress response, whereas competence satisfaction was negatively associated. In parallel mediation, only competence frustration retained a significant indirect association after false discovery rate (FDR) correction (B = .144, β = .083, adjusted p = .002). In subtype-specific models, emotional abuse showed corrected indirect associations through all need frustration dimensions, emotional neglect through all need satisfaction dimensions, and physical neglect through relatedness frustration. No corrected indirect associations were observed for sexual or physical abuse. Sensitivity analyses found no robust moderation by diagnosis status. Findings highlight competence frustration and differing need-related patterns, although the cross-sectional design precludes causal interpretation.

Abstract: Tropical dry forests are among the most threatened ecosystems worldwide. This study examines how hydro-climatic variability and demographic change interact to shape vegetation trajectories in the Montes de María region of Colombia, one of the largest remaining fragments of neotropical dry forest. Using the 2016 Peace Accord as a historical context, we integrate dasymetric population grids (2005-2018), CHIRPS-derived rainfall anomalies (2003-2007 vs. 2016-2020), and Landsat Enhanced Vegetation Index composites (2008-2010 vs. 2021-2022) within a Geographically Weighted Regression framework. Results reveal marked spatial non-stationarity and improve on a global model (adjusted R² rising from 0.049 to 0.426, with a concurrent AICc reduction of 193.5 points). Contrary to the assumption that demographic recovery drives forest degradation, population growth is associated exclusively with vegetation greening. Climatic effects are locally significant across a larger share of the region but vary in direction, indicating that rainfall anomalies do not produce uniform ecological outcomes. These findings suggest that post-conflict vegetation change in Montes de María cannot be reduced to a single dominant driver, and that displacement legacies, resettlement, and climatic variability interact differently across the landscape.

Abstract: Sport events are increasingly recognized as potential catalysts for tourism development, destination promotion, local economic activity, and community engagement. However, the extent to which these opportunities are strategically leveraged in developing tourism destinations remains insufficiently understood in Ethiopia. This study examined the opportunities and challenges associated with using sport events as catalysts for tourism development in Ethiopia. An exploratory mixed-methods design was employed across five cities: Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, Hawassa, Adama, and Dire Dawa. Quantitative data were collected from 384 respondents using a structured questionnaire measuring ten constructs related to sport-event tourism development. Qualitative evidence was obtained through 25 key informant interviews and six focus group discussions involving sport, tourism, government, hospitality, community, and academic stakeholders. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha, Pearson correlation, one-way ANOVA, and multiple linear regression, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The findings indicate substantial perceived potential for sport-event tourism development. Strategic Event Leveraging recorded the highest mean score (M = 4.12), followed by Visitor Attraction (M = 3.92) and Destination Promotion and Branding (M = 3.84). In contrast, Institutional Coordination and Governance recorded the lowest mean (M = 2.88), while Infrastructure and Accessibility also remained relatively low (M = 3.10). Significant differences were observed across the five cities for all ten constructs (p ≤ .005). The regression model explained 61.6% of the variance in Strategic Development (R² = .616, p < .001), with Strategic Event Leveraging showing the strongest unique positive association (β = .418, p < .001). Qualitative findings reinforced a potential–implementation gap, highlighting institutional fragmentation, infrastructure constraints, limited cross-sector packaging, and uneven community benefits. The study concludes that Ethiopia’s challenge is not simply to host more sport events, but to strategically connect events with tourism resources, destination markets, local economies, communities, and long-term development objectives.

Abstract: The proliferation of fraudulent university rankings presents a growing challenge to academic integrity and scholarly communication worldwide. This study examines the cross-border and systemic penetration of fake Webometrics domains (webometrics.org, webometricsranking.com, and webometrics.online), which emerged in 2025, into official scientific discourse. Utilizing advanced search tools in Google Scholar as of September 2026, the research identifies numerous instances of erroneous data and methodology citations across national peer-reviewed journal articles, doctoral dissertations, and master's theses. Evidence reveals that researchers from multiple countries—including Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Poland, Spain, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine—have mistakenly utilized these fraudulent platforms as official sources. The findings demonstrate how blind trust in unverified scientometric metrics leads to severe distortions in institutional performance assessments and creates administrative and reputational risks for higher education entities. The paper emphasizes the urgent need to enhance the scientometric literacy of researchers, peer reviewers, and dissertation councils, and stresses that critical source verification of global rankings must become a mandatory element of academic quality control.

Abstract: This study examines the relationship between AI-enabled digital connectivity and agricultural productivity in Saudi Arabia, with particular relevance to remote rural settings. Using annual time-series data covering 2000–2025, the study employs the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) and Nonlinear ARDL (NARDL) approaches to investigate long-run relationships, short-run dynamics, and asymmetries in the productivity response to changes in digital connectivity. Because direct and consistent national-level measures of agricultural AI adoption are unavailable, mobile cellular subscriptions are used as a proxy for AI-enabling digital connectivity and the underlying digital infrastructure that facilitates technology-enabled agricultural applications. The ARDL bounds test confirms a stable long-run relationship between digital connectivity and agricultural productivity, with the long-run estimate indicating a positive and statistically significant, but moderate, association between connectivity and cereal yield. The short-run results reveal dynamic and delayed responses, consistent with adjustment processes associated with technological adoption and integration. The NARDL estimates further demonstrate statistically significant asymmetry, with the Wald tests rejecting symmetry in both the long run and short run. In particular, negative changes in digital connectivity generate a delayed adverse productivity response, highlighting potential vulnerability to disruptions in digital access. Overall, the findings indicate that digital connectivity functions as a complementary long-run productivity factor and that its benefits depend not only on expanding access but also on reliable infrastructure, technological capabilities, and supportive institutional conditions. The results underscore the importance of resilient and inclusive digitalization strategies for agricultural development in resource-constrained and remote rural environments.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE To examine the association between workplace gaslighting and actors’ mental health and professional life in Greece. METHOD We carried out a cross-sectional study in Greece and collected data through an online survey conducted from April 2026 to July 2026. The questionnaire was developed using Google Forms and distributed via social media platforms, including actors groups on Facebook and Instagram. We employed a convenience sample of actors in our study. We used the Gaslighting at Work Scale (GWS) to measure levels of workplace gaslighting among our actors. We used the Patient Health Questionnaire-4, the single item job burnout scale, and the single item turnover intention scale to measure anxiety, depression, job burnout, and turnover intention, respectively. RESULTS The study population included 512 actors. Among them, 56.1% were females and 43.9% were males. Mean age of actors was 36.1 years. In our sample, 77.1% (n=395) experienced high levels of workplace gaslighting. After adjustment for gender, age, and work experience we found a positive association between score on the GWS and anxiety (b = 0.793, 95% CI = 0.639 to 0.948, p<0.001), and depression (b = 0.873, 95% CI = 0.711 to 1.035, p<0.001). In other words, actors who experienced higher levels of gaslighting behaviors from their supervisors had also more anxiety and depressive symptoms. After eliminating confounding factors, we found a positive association between score on the GWS and job burnout (b = 0.853, 95% CI = 0.576 to 1.130, p<0.001). Moreover, we found a positive association between score on the GWS and turnover intention (b = 0.725, 95% CI = 0.569 to 0.881, p<0.001). In other words, workplace gaslighting increased levels of job burnout and turnover intention among our actors. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggested that actors who experience higher levels of gaslighting behaviors from their supervisors have also more anxiety and depressive symptoms. Moreover, workplace gaslighting increases levels of job burnout and turnover intention.

Abstract: Objectives: This pilot study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of the Up-Res school-based resilience intervention designed for immigrant and refugee students in European secondary schools (Germany and Greece). Methods: A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was implemented across four pilot schools in Germany and Greece. In the quantitative phase, 57 immigrant and refugee students (aged 12–15 years; 63.2% male) completed the 25-item Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-25) across three time points (PreTest, PosTest after Module 1, and final PosTest), with longitudinal changes analyzed using Friedman and post hoc Wilcoxon tests. In the qualitative phase, inductive thematic analysis was applied to teacher analytical reports, authorized student interview recordings, and digital reflection journals to evaluate implementation conditions and mechanisms of change. Results: Statistically significant longitudinal gains were observed across all resilience sub-dimensions (all p < 0.001), with overall resilience scores increasing from baseline (60.44 ± 12.72) to mid-intervention (68.88 ± 15.67) and final post-test (74.51 ± 15.90, W = 0.64). The qualitative findings supported these improvements through five key themes: growing student engagement, high contextual relevance of migration-sensitive materials, perceived skill gains (coping, emotion regulation, positive thinking), strengthened trust and willingness to seek adult help, and key practical considerations (pacing and group size). Conclusions: The Up-Res intervention is a feasible, acceptable, and contextually meaningful framework for enhancing psychosocial resilience and social connectedness among displaced youth. Translating abstract concepts into concrete, participatory activities, as well as adopting a strengths-based approach, can facilitate implementation in European educational settings.