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Brexit was perceived as a Pandora's box moment by both Eurosceptic and pro-integration parties in the EU, as they expected it would embolden Euroscepticism by providing a paradigm to be followed. This article explores the initial reactions of nine Populist Radical Right parties to Brexit and how they evolved in tandem with the unfolding of negotiations. It also discusses possible reasons for the differentiation in the responses of those parties, from triumphant to moderated reactions. The empirical basis is a dataset that contains the public communications of these parties on Twitter between 2015 and 2020. The results show that although there was initial differentiation with some parties calling for referenda in their own countries, by 2017 every party's communication on Brexit drastically decreased, and by the time the UK left the EU (January 2020), calls for secession had disappeared from their discourses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher-order structures such as simplicial complexes are ubiquitous in numerous real-world networks. Empirical evidence reveals that interactions among nodes occur not only through edges but also through higher-dimensional simplicial structures such as triangles. Nevertheless, classic models such as the threshold model fail to capture group interactions within these higher-order structures. In this paper, we propose a higher-order non-Markovian social contagion model, considering both higher-order interactions and the non-Markovian characteristics of real-world spreading processes. We develop a mean-field theory to describe its evolutionary dynamics. Simulation results reveal that the theory is capable of predicting the steady state of the model. Our theoretical analyses indicate that there is an equivalence between the higher-order non-Markovian and the higher-order Markovian social contagions. Besides, we find that non-Markovian recovery can boost the system resilience to withstand a large-scale infection or a small-scale infection under different conditions. This work deepens our understanding of the behaviors of higher-order non-Markovian social contagions in the real world. High-order structures are ubiquitous in numerous real-world networks and play a significant role in social contagion phenomena, the authors introduce a novel higher-order non-Markovian social contagion model, addressing limitations of traditional models. Through mean-field theory and simulations, the authors demonstrate that there is an equivalence between the higher-order non-Markovian and the higher-order Markovian social contagions and reveal the resilience enhancement conferred by non-Markovian recovery, shedding light on real-world contagion dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Illegal file sharing of copyrighted contents through popular file sharing networks poses an enormous threat to providers of digital contents, such as, games, softwares, music and movies. Though empirical studies of network effects on piracy is a well-studied domain, the dynamics of peer effect in the context of evolving social contagion has not been enough explored using dynamical models. In this research, we methodically study the trends of online piracy with a continuous ODE approach and differential equations on graphs to have a clear comparative view. We first formulate a compartmental model to study bifurcations and thresholds mathematically. We later move on with a network-based analysis to illustrate the proliferation of online piracy dynamics with an epidemiological approach over a social network. We figure out a solution for this online piracy problem by developing awareness among individuals and introducing media campaigns, which could be a valuable factor in eradicating and controlling online piracy. Next, using degree-block approximation, network analysis has been performed to investigate the phenomena from a heterogeneous approach and to derive the threshold condition for the persistence of piracy in the population in a steady state. Considering the dual control of positive peer influence and media-driven awareness, we examine the system through realistic parameter selection to better understand the complexity of the dynamics and suggest policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence from both theoretical and empirical studies suggests that higher-order networks have emerged as powerful tools for modeling social contagions, such as opinion formation. In this article, we develop a model of social contagion on directed hypergraphs by considering the heterogeneity of individuals and environments in terms of reinforcing contagion effects. By distinguishing the directedness between nodes and hyperedges, we find that the bistable interval of the discontinuous phase transition decreases as the directedness strength decreases. Additionally, directed hypergraphs tend to generate bistable intervals when nodes with a large hyperdegree are more likely to adopt a specific opinion, as evidenced by simulations of directionality assignments for three sets of real networks. These findings provide two approaches to enhance the accuracy of predicting social contagion dynamics: one is to increase the stubbornness of all individuals, and the other is to prioritize increasing the stubbornness of highly influential individuals. Directed hypergraphs emerge as a potent framework for analyzing social contagion phenomena, incorporating the nuances of individual heterogeneity and the amplifying effects of environmental contagion reinforcement. The authors demonstrate that the interval of bistability within discontinuous phase transitions contracts with diminishing directedness strength [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social contagion is a ubiquitous and fundamental process that drives individual and social changes. Although social contagion arises as a result of cognitive processes and biases, the integration of cognitive mechanisms with the theory of social contagion remains an open challenge. In particular, studies on social phenomena usually assume contagion dynamics to be either simple or complex, rather than allowing it to emerge from cognitive mechanisms, despite empirical evidence indicating that a social system can exhibit a spectrum of contagion dynamics--from simple to complex--simultaneously. Here, we propose a model of interacting beliefs, from which both simple and complex contagion dynamics can organically arise. Our model also elucidates how a fundamental mechanism of complex contagion--resistance--can come about from cognitive mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much research examines the state-dissident nexus by large-n studies and rational choice theories. This article contributes an analysis of dissident reasoning through a computational evaluation of ethnographic interviews. The analysis shows that dissident decision-making is based on tit-for-tat deliberations: Dissidents choose violent means primarily in response to violent repression, and nonviolent means in response to nonviolent repression. Ordinary citizens not participating in dissent consider positive state behavior or safety concerns instead. Consistent with arguments that state-dissident interactions are reciprocal, these findings reveal unexpected cognitive similarities between political dissent and cooperation, which is often associated with tit-for-tat deliberations. They also show the importance of state repression compared with other motivators of dissent, including perceived relative deprivation and social contagion. The findings identify heuristic patterns of reasoning which suggest that dissidents may be more open to change and, ultimately, cooperation with state authorities than what is argued by repressive states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prosocial behavior is fundamental to societies. But when and toward whom do humans act generously? We investigate the impact of a listeners' gaze direction and the emotional context of the story heard on (a) perceptions of their social cognition skills and (b) prosocial decisions toward them. In three experiments (two preregistered, N = 486), human participants witnessed prerecorded video encounters between a listener (visible) and a speaker (audible, not visible). The listener either established eye contact, averted gaze, or showed a mixed gaze pattern (gaze direction), while the speaker told a neutral or negatively valenced autobiographic episode (emotional context). Participants rated the listeners' empathy and perspective-taking after each video and played the trust game (Study 1) or the dictator game (Study 2) with the listener. Replicating previous findings, occasional gaze avoidance, especially during negative narrations, increased attributions of social understanding to the listener. Critically, mediation analyses revealed that listeners perceived as empathic and taking perspective were ultimately treated with more trust and generosity in strategic and nonstrategic economic games, suggesting that social signals and contextual cues can serve as an indication of another's reputation, thereby promoting indirect reciprocity. Last, in Study 3, we show that emotional context, but not listeners' gaze behavior, promoted the spread of generosity toward anonymous, previously unobserved individuals in a dictator game, driven by social cognition skills attributed to the listener. We conclude that social signals and contextual cues can be important drivers of cooperation in societies via mechanisms such as indirect reciprocity and social contagion of generosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on theories of emotion contagion and social appraisal in interpersonal affect transfer and the control-value theory of achievement emotions, the present study examined associations between students' perceptions of peer emotions and their own self-perceived emotions in English as a foreign language (EFL) classrooms. Data were collected from 103 seventh to ninth grade classrooms (n = 3,643) using self-report questionnaires. Doubly latent multilevel structural equation modeling showed that perceived peer enjoyment, anxiety and boredom, and students' corresponding emotions for language learning, were positively related and that the effects of perceived peer enjoyment, anxiety and boredom on corresponding student emotions were mediated by control and value appraisals at the individual level. At the class level, however, the mediation effects were only significant for control appraisal as a mediator of effects on anxiety and value appraisal as a mediator of effects on boredom. Effects were robust across grade level, gender and previous language achievement. The discussion centers on the practical implications of peer emotion interactions for promoting foreign language development in classroom instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weapon carrying among White rural populations is understudied although evidence suggests that rural White boys have high rates of carriage. This study delineated patterns of weapon use and pro‐gun beliefs using a latent class analysis on a sample of 32,916 White rural adolescents. Five groups were identified (i.e., Low Gun Risk, Naïve, Social Contagion, Independent, Unsupervised) using pro‐gun beliefs, peer risk factors, and weapon carrying items. Multinomial logistic regression analyses revealed that identifying as male, age, housing instability, and victimization consistently differentiated group membership between different classes. These results suggest that rural White adolescents vary in their belief systems about guns and weapon carrying behavior and that this heterogeneity can be differentiated by lived experiences of these adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: It is widely acknowledged that dogs synchronise their behaviours with those of humans. In this article, we delve into the neural and cognitive bases of this form of behavioural adjustment. Using knowledge of cerebral processes underlying behavioural synchronisation in humans, namely motor resonance and the activation of mirror neurons, we investigated whether dogs' behavioural synchronisation with humans could be based on similar mechanisms. In humans, both perceiving and executing an action activate the motor representations of that action. Motor resonance occurs when motor representations of an action are simultaneously activated in both the observer and the individual being observed. Mirror neurons are the neural substrate for motor resonance as these motor neurons activate both when an individual performs or perceives an action. Our review of existing literature shows that motor resonance could occur in dogs, suggesting that dogs' behavioural synchronisation with humans relies on the activation of both human and canine mirror neurons. Behavioural studies suggest but do not prove the existence of motor resonance between the two species, and thus further research is needed to confirm this hypothesis. Revealing the mechanisms underlying dogs' behavioural synchronisation with humans would contribute to a better understanding of how dogs and humans have evolved together since the beginning of their cohabitation. Dogs' behavioural synchronisation with humans is of growing scientific interest. However, studies lack a comprehensive exploration of the neurocognitive foundations of this social cognitive ability. Drawing parallels from the mechanisms underlying behavioural synchronisation in humans, specifically motor resonance and the recruitment of mirror neurons, we hypothesise that dogs' behavioural synchronisation with humans is underpinned by a similar mechanism, namely interspecific motor resonance. Based on a literature review, we argue that dogs possess the prerequisites for motor resonance, and we suggest that interspecific behavioural synchronisation relies on the activation of both human and canine mirror neurons. Furthermore, interspecific behavioural studies highlight certain characteristics of motor resonance, including motor contagion and its social modulators. While these findings strongly suggest the potential existence of interspecific motor resonance, direct proof remains to be established. Our analysis thus paves the way for future research to confirm the existence of interspecific motor resonance as the neurocognitive foundation for interspecific behavioural synchronisation. Unravelling the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying this behavioural adjustment holds profound implications for understanding the evolutionary dynamics of dogs alongside humans and improving the day-to-day management of dog–human interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although representing a rather small percentage of gun deaths in the United States, mass shootings receive a disproportionate share of crime news coverage, with the fears of countless Americans at a level well above the actual risk. This article attempts to clarify some of the wide-ranging confusion regarding what exactly is a mass shooting, how often they occur, and whether they have been on the rise over the past several years. After discussion of some methodological issues associated with measuring prevalence, trends exhibited in several reliable data sources on mass shooting are presented. The article concludes with a brief discussion of contagion and whether it is reasonable to expect that the recent spike in mass shootings will persist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the history of doubt in France in relation to witchcraft and subsequent legal trials involving witchcraft, and it mentions attitudes about magic and belief. According to the article, the dislocation of doubt and uncertain attitudes towards magic are attributed to processes involving exclusion and return, marginalization and contagion, and fragmentation and recombination. Modern views about vaccinations and racism are also assessed.

While the significant role of external environments in shaping the implementation of building information modeling (BIM) as a systemic innovation in construction projects has been increasingly acknowledged, little is known about how heterogeneous projects concretely interact with each other to facilitate or inhibit the advancement of BIM implementation practices in the "conservative" construction industry. Drawing on a social contagion perspective, this study explores how the contagion effects through participant- and attribute-based ties among construction projects differently impact project-level BIM implementation practices via the interproject learning and competition processes. The proposed propositions are tested using an industry-wide longitudinal data set of BIM-based construction projects within the construction industry in Shanghai, China. After controlling for the effects of related organizational and project characteristics, the results show that, compared with the attribute-based contagion effects, which are primarily related to the interproject competition process, the participant-based contagion effects primarily related to the interproject learning process generally play more substantial roles in impacting project-level BIM implementation practices within interproject networks. The results further provide evidence that the participant-based contagion through the ties of project owners is more substantial than that through the ties of project contractors, and that the magnitude of the attribute-based contagion varies in different sizes and types of projects. As an exploratory effort of using longitudinal data to empirically characterize how project-level BIM implementation practices are contagious through different types of interproject ties from a social contagion perspective, this study contributes to a deepened understanding of how heterogeneous construction projects interact with each other through interproject learning and competition processes to facilitate or inhibit the advancement of innovative practices in the industry. The findings reinforce the need to regard BIM implementation practices in construction projects as complexly socialized activities and provide insights for policymakers and practitioners in developing strategies to facilitate the in-depth implementations of BIM and related innovations in the "conservative" project-based construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article, titled "Prologue: Shame: Sources and Trajectories," explores the concept of shame from various perspectives. It discusses how shame is a deeply personal emotional experience that can lead to a collapse of the self. The article also examines shame in the context of psychotherapy, childhood development, racial dynamics, and moral values. It highlights the importance of understanding shame as an emotion that can produce movements within individuals and between people. The article features contributions from multiple authors who provide clinical examples and insights into the nature of shame. [Extracted from the article]

Using a vignette methodology, this study examined reactions to same-gender versus other-gender flirtation in a sample of 445 German young adults: 320 participants with a heterosexual orientation and 125 participants with a lesbian or gay (LG) orientation. Even in LG-friendly societies as Germany, receiving advances from someone of the same gender might still evoke heterosexuals’ homonegativity. Another factor that might influence heterosexuals’ reactions to same-gender flirtation is the fear of being misidentified as LG (social contagion concerns). Contrary to hypothesis, results provided little evidence to classify heterosexual participants’ reactions to same-gender flirters as homonegative. Firstly, heterosexual participants showed the same degree of negative affect and avoidance behavior in the same-gender flirtation condition as LG participants did in the other-gender flirtation condition. Only positive affect scores were somewhat lower for heterosexual participants in the same-gender flirtation condition compared to LG participants in the other-gender flirtation condition. Secondly, when anti-LG attitudes and social contagion concerns were considered together, only social contagion concerns contributed to explaining variance in heterosexual participants’ response to same-gender flirters. Specifically, the impact of social contagion concerns on heterosexual participants’ avoidance of same-gender flirters was mediated by (lacking) positive affect, but not negative affect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on leveraging social contagion to achieve various objectives, such as improving health, wealth, sustainability, and learning, by targeting individuals within social networks. Topics include the use of the friendship paradox to identify influential individuals for interventions, the comparison of friendship-nomination targeting with random targeting strategies in a large trial, and the varying impact of interventions based on different fractions of seeds used.

The concept of contagion defines how attitudes, emotions, or behaviors spread within a specific group. Traditional models of social contagion account for network characteristics that define the spread of simple or complex ideas based on the degree of exposure of susceptible agents to their affected "contact neighborhood". However, these models understate two principal characteristics of real-world dynamics: (i) the competition among ideas of varying degrees of complexity (as observed in voting models) and (ii) the feedback-driven evolution of contagion complexity. Certain network features (e.g., network size, topology, neighborhood size) might favor the diffusion of competing simple or complex ideas, depending on their distinct characteristics. Furthermore, the dominant behavior disseminated may alter the agent's operational environment, thereby modifying the cost of influencing additional agents. For instance, in co-evolutionary games such as the tragedy of the commons, encouraging agents to collaborate in the context of abundant and untapped resources requires a costly and complex contagion; conversely, in situations of resource depletion, prompting agents to reduce excessive exploitation is less costly—in line with the pathway of simple contagion. In this report, we develop an agent-based model that incorporates all of these aspects. • We build a Socio-ecological model of pro-environmental behavior linked to resource use. • Varied social network configurations influence behavior spread in our analysis. • Social relationships crucial in coordinating collective action. • Results emphasize social ties' crucial role in coordinating collective efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a social contagion model with group interactions on heterogeneous network, in which the group interactions are represented by incorporating higher-order terms. The dynamics of the proposed model are analyzed, revealing the effect of group interactions on the system dynamics. We derive a global asymptotically stability condition of the zero equilibrium point. If the parameters enhancement factor and transform probability meet the condition, the social contagion will eventually disappear. The bifurcation behavior arising from group interactions is investigated, when the enhancement factor exceeds a threshold, the system undergoes a backward bifurcation. This implies that R 0 < 1 does not guarantee the disappearance of social contagion, we also need to control the initial values of social contagion at a lower level. The optimal control strategies for the model are provided. Moreover, the numerical simulations validate the accuracy of the theoretical analysis. It is worth noting that the group interactions lead to the emergence of a bistable phenomenon, in which the social contagion will either fade away or persist eventually, depending on the initial values. • The simplicial SIS social contagion model with delay is proposed on heterogeneous networks. • The dynamics of the model are analyzed, revealing the effect of group interactions on the system dynamics. • An optimal control strategy is proposed for the model, incorporating group interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]