Showing papers on "Judgement published in 2023"

Reflexivity in quantitative research: A rationale and beginner's guide

Abstract: Reflexivity is the act of examining one's own assumption, belief, and judgement systems, and thinking carefully and critically about how these influence the research process. The practice of reflexivity confronts and questions who we are as researchers and how this guides our work. It is central in debates on objectivity, subjectivity, and the very foundations of social science research and generated knowledge. Incorporating reflexivity in the research process is traditionally recognized as one of the most notable differences between qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Qualitative research centres and celebrates the participants' personal and unique lived experience. Therefore, qualitative researchers are readily encouraged to consider how their own unique positionalities inform the research process and this forms an important part of training within this paradigm. Quantitative methodologies in social and personality psychology, and more generally, on the other hand, have remained seemingly detached from this level of reflexivity and general reflective practice. In this commentary, we, three quantitative researchers who have grappled with the compatibility of reflexivity within our own research, argue that reflexivity has much to offer quantitative methodologists. The act of reflexivity prompts researchers to acknowledge and centre their own positionalities, encourages a more thoughtful engagement with every step of the research process, and thus, as we argue, contributes to the ongoing reappraisal of openness and transparency in psychology. In this paper, we make the case for integrating reflexivity across all research approaches, before providing a ‘beginner's guide’ for quantitative researchers wishing to engage reflexively with their own work, providing concrete recommendations, worked examples, and reflexive prompts.

Corporate Purpose: A Social Judgement Perspective

Abstract: We apply the lens of social judgement theory to understand the causes and consequences of the growing debate about the purpose of the corporation. Our historical analysis suggests that the debate about corporate purpose is not new and that it tends to arise during periods of growing economic inequality. Our analysis also suggests that the discursive shift from shareholder to stakeholder capitalism will trigger a new standard of social evaluation of corporations in which we no longer judge corporate behavior based on standards of legitimacy but rather on standards of authenticity. We explore what this change in social evaluation will mean for corporate competition.

Learning to work with the black box: Pedagogy for a world with artificial intelligence

Abstract: Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly integrating into our society. University education needs to maintain its relevance in an AI-mediated world, but the higher education sector is only beginning to engage deeply with the implications of AI within society. We define AI according to a relational epistemology, where, in the context of a particular interaction, a computational artefact provides a judgement about an optimal course of action and that this judgement cannot be traced. Therefore, by definition, AI must always act as a ‘black box’. Rather than seeking to explain ‘black boxes’, we argue that a pedagogy for an AI-mediated world involves learning to work with opaque, partial and ambiguous situations, which reflect the entangled relationships between people and technologies. Such a pedagogy asks learners locate AI as socially bounded, where AI is always understood within the contexts of its use. We outline two particular approaches to achieve this: (a) orienting students to quality standards that surround AIs, what might be called the tacit and explicit ‘rules of the game’; and (b) providing meaningful interactions with AI systems. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic Artificial intelligence (AI) is conceptualised in many different ways but is rarely defined in the higher education literature. Experts have outlined a range of graduate capabilities for working in a world of AI such as teamwork or ethical thinking. The higher education literature outlines an imperative need to respond to AI, as underlined by recent commentary on ChatGPT. What this paper adds A definition of an AI that is relational: A particular interaction where a computational artefact provides a judgement about an optimal course of action, which cannot be easily traced. Focusing on working with AI black boxes rather than trying to see inside the technology. Describing a pedagogy for an AI-mediated world that promotes working in complex situations with partial and indeterminate information. Implications for practice and/or policy Focusing on quality standards helps learners understand the social regulating boundaries around AI. Promoting learner interactions with AI as part of a sociotechnical ensemble helps build evaluative judgement in weighting AI's contribution to work. Asking learners to work with AI systems prompts understanding of the evaluative, ethical and practical necessities of working with a black box.

Constraints of the constraints-led approach in American football and comments on Yearby et al. (2002)

Abstract: In recent literature, constraints-led approaches have been promoted for practice design to coaches of American football. While we agree that this approach would represent a useful tool, we put forward that ecological approaches alone are insufficient to address the complexity and diversity of real-world sporting contexts, so coaches must carefully consider how constraints-led approaches might fit within the total coaching process and associated challenges. With this in mind, this paper explores the implications and challenges of constraints-led approaches within the American football environment. In doing this, we consider the context and constraints of the game and their implications for both coaching practice and the implementation of ecological principles. To conclude, we also propose the need for pragmatic balance and consideration of approaches as part of a professional judgement and decision-making process by coaches.

Editor’s choice for publication—Readers need, sound methodology and scientific reporting

Abstract: The main essence of a scientific publication is to share scientific knowledge to improve patients’ outcomes. If authors need publication for their professional growth, the editors need a good manuscript to maintain their journal’s standards. The success of a submitted manuscript to be published in a medical journal depends on various factors. The essential aspects that bring the publication to scientific attention are its translational value in improving patient care, robust methodology and reporting as per specified norms for a scientific publication. In this journey of manuscript, the journal editors consider the suitability of a manuscript based on its readership, a peer review and editorial discussion in addition to their judgement, which culminates in the final decision for revision, rejection or acceptance of a submitted manuscript. The manuscript goes through various stages before a final decision for possible publication. The reviewers have a vital role in commenting on and improving the manuscript. Reviewers are genuine neutral referees who guide the journal editors in making a balanced decision about the manuscript. The reviewers decide the merit of a manuscript on various parameters, including novelty, methodology, conduct and appropriate reporting. This issue presents two essential aspects which shall be helpful for all the authors while planning and submitting a manuscript for possible publication.[1,2] These manuscripts highlight the importance of using appropriate keywords and presenting new science to the readers. I shall strongly suggest all the authors to go through the “instructions for authors” available on the journal website[https://journals.lww.com/ijaweb/pages/default.aspx] before submission of the manuscript to the Indian Journal of Anaesthesia (IJA). These instructions must be followed for a smoother editorial process without undue delay.[3] The manuscripts must be reported per reporting guidelines, and details can be assessed at the EQUATOR (Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research) Network website (http://www.equator-network.org/). It is prudent to use appropriate reporting guidelines from the EQUATOR Network website and include all the components required to submit the manuscript. For example, the randomised controlled trials should be described based on the CONSORT statement (http://www.consort-statement.org).[4] These reporting guidelines provide flow charts, checklists or even structured text to help the authors prepare the manuscript scientifically, including all required components before submission to a journal for publication. Indeed, these reporting guidelines should be considered at the planning stage as it ensures all components required for reporting have been taken care of during the research planning itself. When these aspects are taken care of for a research publication, its replicability is ensured, helps doctors to use research outcomes confidently for their patient benefit and even becomes a part of systematic review and/or meta-analysis.

How Does Collective Moral Judgment Induce Unethical Pro-Organizational Behaviors in Infrastructure Construction Projects: The Mediating Role of Machiavellianism

Abstract: The sustainable development of infrastructure construction projects heavily depends on favorable cooperation of all parties and ethical code of conduct, while Un-ethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB) may undermine the mutual efforts and cause serious consequences. UPB has aroused wide interest of researchers, but what may trigger construction employees to engage in UPB at team-level has not been elucidated completely. With information asymmetry and huge uncertainty, the behaviors of employees in temporary project teams are marked by environmental and personal characters. The study discusses the influences of collective moral judgement focus on self (CMJS) and Machiavellianism on UPB. Through a moderated mediation analysis conducted on a set of survey data from Chinese construction projects, the empirical results of the two-level hierarchical linear model indicate that CMJS positively impacts UPB directly, and meanwhile Machiavellianism acts as a partial mediator in the relationship between CMJS and UPB. The findings also reveal that performance-avoidance goal orientation (PAGO) and motivation to learn (MTL) moderate and strengthen the relationship between Machiavellianism and UPB. The study offers practical suggestions for both project managers and policymakers of construction projects.

Interference in quantifier float and subject-verb agreement

Abstract: When forming a dependency between two elements of a sentence, the processor must retrieve a grammaticality licensed element from memory. Previous research has suggested that this dependency formation is susceptible to interference from structurally unlicensed elements. However, there has been debate on why dependency formation is susceptible to interference and whether interference arises in only certain dependencies or not. The present study addressed these issues in four self-paced reading experiments and four speeded judgement experiments by investigating a well-examined dependency, namely subject-verb agreement, and so-called quantifier float, which remains unexplored in existing sentence processing research. Our results largely suggested interference in ungrammatical sentences, but we did not find clear interference effects in grammatical sentences. We argue that both subject-verb agreement and quantifier float are similarly susceptible to interference when the processor initiates cue-based memory retrieval and retrieves a structurally unlicensed element due to difficulties forming grammatically licit dependencies.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice Regarding Antibiotic Prescription by Medical Interns: A Qualitative Study in Spain

Abstract: Antibiotic resistance is an issue of growing importance in the public health sphere. Medical interns are of great relevance when it comes to the source of this problem. This study therefore sought to ascertain which factors influence the management of antibiotic therapy by this population, in order to pinpoint the possible causes of misprescribing habits. We conducted a qualitative study based on focus group techniques, with groups consisting of medical interns from the Santiago de Compostela Clinical University Teaching Hospital. Our study identified factors which the participants considered to be determinants of antibiotic use and their relationship with the appearance of resistance. The single most repeated factor was the influence of the attending physician’s judgement; other factors included a high healthcare burden or prescribing inertia. This stage is an opportunity to correct misprescribing habits, by implementing educational interventions aimed at modifying the identified factors.

Development of Digital Teaching Competence: Pilot Experience and Validation through Expert Judgment

Abstract: The development of digital teaching competence is one of the fundamental requirements of what is known as the “knowledge society”. With the aim of evaluating, from an expert point of view, the design of a training itinerary oriented to the training development of non-university teachers under the t-MOOC architecture for the improvement of digital teaching competence (DTC), the following quantitative research is presented. For this purpose, a quantitative validation design was established using the expert judgement technique. To measure the level of the expert coefficient, the expert competence (K) index was calculated for a random sample of 292 subjects participating in the study: teachers belonging to preschool and primary schools in the Andalusian community. The responses of those experts who scored ≥0.8 on the external competence index were then selected. The results demonstrate the validity of the tool produced (T-MOOC) as well as the uniformity of the criteria of the experts participating in the evaluation. Consequently, the necessary structuring of personalised training plans supported by reference models is discussed.

The labels and models used to describe problematic substance use impact discrete elements of stigma: A Registered Report

Abstract: Objectives: Problematic substance use is one of the most stigmatised health conditions leading research to examine how the labels and models used to describe it influence public stigma. Two recent studies examine whether beliefs in a disease model of addiction influence public stigma but result in equivocal findings – in line with the mixed-blessings model, Kelly et al. (2021) found that whilst the label ‘chronically relapsing brain disease’ reduced blame attribution, it decreased prognostic optimism and increased perceived danger and need for continued care; however, Rundle et al. (2021) conclude absence of evidence. This study isolates the different factors used in these two studies to assess whether health condition (drug use vs. health concern), aetiological label (brain disease vs. problem), and attributional judgement (low vs. high treatment stability) influence public stigma towards problematic substance use. Methods: 1613 participants were assigned randomly to one of eight vignette conditions that manipulated these factors. They completed self-report measures of discrete and general public stigma and an indirect measure of discrimination. Results: Greater social distance, danger, and public stigma but lower blame were ascribed to drug use relative to a health concern. Greater (genetic) blame was reported when drug use was labelled as a ‘chronically relapsing brain disease’ relative to a ‘problem’. Findings for attributional judgement were either inconclusive or statistically equivalent. Discussion: The labels used to describe problematic substance use appear to impact discrete elements of stigma. We suggest that addiction is a functional attribution, which may explain the mixed literature on the impact of aetiological labels on stigma to date.

The utility of cognitive testing to predict real world commercial driving risk

Abstract: Driving is a complex task which requires numerous cognitive and sensorimotor skills to be performed safely. On-road driver evaluation can identify unsafe drivers but can also be expensive, risky, and time-consuming. Poor performance on off-road measures of cognition and sensorimotor control has been shown to predict on-road performance in privately-licensed light vehicle drivers, but commercial drivers have not yet been studied despite such vehicles generally being larger and heavier, thus increasing risks from unsafe driving. Commercially-licensed truck, bus, and light vehicle drivers undertook the tablet-based Vitals cognitive screening tool, which measures reaction time, judgement, memory, and sensorimotor control, and also undertook an on-road driving evaluation using their vehicle. Accuracy and reliability of the Vitals tasks on predicting road test outcomes were investigated using a trichotomous classifier (pass, fail, borderline), and task performance was analyzed depending on vehicle type and road test outcome. Performance on the Vitals tasks predicted on-road performance across all vehicle types. Participants who failed their on-road evaluation also demonstrated lower success on the Judgement task, fewer correctly replicated shapes on the Memory task, and less time on-target in the Control task compared to those who passed. Performance on cognitive and sensorimotor tasks is a good predictor of future driving performance and driver safety for commercially-licensed drivers. Regardless of vehicle type, stakeholders can use cognitive measures from the Vitals assessment to identify an increased driving risk. Use of the Vitals as a screening tool prior to on-road evaluation can benefit both drivers and evaluators.

Co-Design and Validation of a Family Nursing Educational Intervention in Long-Term Cancer Survivorship Using Expert Judgement

Abstract: The number of cancer survivors is increasing exponentially thanks to early screening, treatment, and cancer care. One of the main challenges for healthcare systems and professionals is the care of cancer survivors and their families, as they have specific needs that are often unmet. Nursing students, as future healthcare professionals, need education to face these new health demands. They will need to develop specific competencies to help them care for and empower this emerging population. The aim of the study was to co-design and validate an educational intervention on long-term cancer survivorship for nursing, through a multidisciplinary panel of experts. Group interviews were conducted with a panel of 11 experts, including eight professionals from different backgrounds (oncology, cancer nursing, pharmacology, and education), a long-term cancer survivor, a family member of a cancer survivor, and a nursing student. The experts validated a pioneer educational intervention to train nursing students in long-term cancer survival. The co-design and validation of the intervention from an interdisciplinary perspective and with the participation of long-term cancer survivors and their families was considered relevant as it included the vision of all the stakeholders involved in long-term cancer survivorship.

From Data to Insights: Developing a Tool to Enhance Our Decision Making Using Reflexive Thematic Analysis and Qualitative Evidence

Abstract: ABSTRACT Evidence based library and information practice (EBLIP) encourages us to use evidence to inform our practice and professional decision making. Evidence, such as user feedback, can help ensure that our decisions match to the needs of our community. However, to extract insights from qualitative evidences such as user feedback to inform our professional judgement, we must be able to analyse this data: a feat complicated by our having limited training in research skills across the Library and Information Science (LIS) sector. To support our use of evidence in our decision making, we can develop personal ‘tools’. Tools offer a transparent structure which we can use to guide our data analysis, while also providing a learning and reflection framework for our ongoing development. This article will guide the reader through the construction of a minimalistic tool for analysing qualitative evidence for use in personal or organisational LIS decision making, informed by pragmatism and reflexive thematic analysis.

"Correct answers" from the psychology of artificial intelligence

Abstract: Large Language Models have vastly grown in capabilities. One proposed application of such AI systems is to support data collection in the social and cognitive sciences, where perfect experimental control is currently unfeasible and the collection of large, representative datasets is generally expensive. In this paper, we re-replicate 14 studies from the Many Labs 2 replication project with OpenAI's text-davinci-003 model, colloquially known as GPT3.5. We collected responses from the default setting of GPT3.5 by inputting each study's survey as text. Among the eight studies we could analyse, our GPT sample replicated 37.5% of the original results as well as 37.5% of the Many Labs 2 results. Unexpectedly, we could not analyse the remaining six studies as we had planned in our pre-registration. This was because for each of these six studies, GPT3.5 answered at least one of the survey questions (either a dependent variable or a condition variable) in an extremely predetermined way: an unexpected phenomenon we call the "correct answer" effect. Different runs of GPT3.5 answered nuanced questions probing political orientation, economic preference, judgement, and moral philosophy with zero or near-zero variation in responses: with the supposedly "correct answer." For example, our survey questions found the default setting of GPT3.5 to almost always self-identify as a maximally strong conservative (99.6%, N=1,030), and to always be morally deontological in opposing the hypothetical pushing of a large man in front of an incoming trolley to save the lives of five people (100%, N=1,030). Since AI models of the future may be trained on much of the same data as GPT3.5, training data from which GPT3.5 may have learned its supposedly "correct answers," our results raise concerns that a hypothetical AI-led future may in certain ways be subject to a diminished diversity of thought.

Retelling stories: The validity of an online oral narrative task

Abstract: This study examined the validity of data collected from a novel online story retell task. The task was specifically designed for use by junior school teachers with the support of speech–language therapists or literacy specialists. The assessment task was developed to monitor children's oral language progress in their first year at school as part of the Better Start Literacy Approach for early literacy teaching. Teachers administered the task to 303 5-year-olds in New Zealand at school entry and after 20 weeks and 12 months of schooling. The children listened to a story with pictures via iPad presentation and were then prompted to retell the story. The children's spontaneous language used in their story retell was captured and uploaded digitally via iPad audio recording and analyzed using semi-automated speech recognition and computer software. Their responses to factual and inferential story comprehension questions were also analyzed. The data suggested that the task has good criterion validity. Significant correlations between story retell measures and a standardized measure of children's oral language were found. The Better Start Literacy Approach story retell task, which took approximately 6 min for teachers to administer, accurately identified children with low oral language ability 81% of the time. Growth curve analysis revealed that the task was useful for monitoring oral language development, including for English as second language learners. Boys showed a slower story comprehension growth trajectory than girls. The Better Start Literacy Approach story retell task shows promise in providing valid data to support teacher judgement of children's oral language development.

National qualifications in Scotland: A lightning rod for public concern about equity during the pandemic

Abstract: Scotland, traditionally, has high levels of confidence in teachers. Fairness and justice are key concepts in policy and practice in Scottish education. For more than 100 years, the high-stakes assessment system in Scotland, with the Scottish Higher qualification at its heart, has been crucial to that sense of opportunity and justice. However, in 2019–2020, public confidence in high-stakes assessment in Scotland, as in other United Kingdom countries, was dented. In Scotland, the Covid-19 pandemic meant that schools were closed, teachers provided online learning opportunities for pupils working at home and, for the first time in 130 years, it was not possible to run national examinations. To ensure that learners were not further disadvantaged, alternative approaches to gathering evidence for qualifications were instigated. However, these results were challenged as socially unjust and the results that had been nationally moderated were replaced by results based on locally moderated teachers' professional judgement. As Scotland looks to qualifications beyond Covid-19, trust must be re-built. This article reports on a participative research project that sought to understand public perceptions of standards and fairness across a range of key communities following this experience. Drawing on both qualitative and quantitative data, we analyse factors which affected trust in National Qualifications under the pandemic. The evidence suggests that when considering what matters for qualifications to be trusted, technocratic solutions are likely to be rejected by stakeholders. Understanding and responding to what led to the mistrust of qualifications in Scotland will be crucial to inform its future qualifications system.

EXPRESS: Can't catch the beat: Failure to find simple repetition effects in three types of temporal judgements.

Abstract: More experience results in better performance, usually. In most tasks, the more chances to learn we have, the better we are at it. This does not always appear to be the case in time perception however. In the current article, we use three different methods to investigate the role of the number of standard example durations presented on performance on three timing tasks: rhythm continuation, deviance detection, and final stimulus duration judgment. In Experiments 1a and 1b, rhythms were produced with the same accuracy whether one, two, three or four examples of the critical duration were presented. In Experiment 2, participants were required to judge which of four stimuli had a different duration from the other three. This judgement did not depend on which of the four stimuli was the deviant one. In Experiments 3a and 3b, participants were just as accurate at judging the duration of a final stimulus in comparison to the prior stimuli regardless of the number of standards presented prior to the final stimulus. In summary, we never found any systematic effect of the number of standards presented on performance on any of the three timing tasks. In the discussion, we briefly relate these findings to three theories of time perception.

Divided Minds and Divine Judgement:

Abstract: In this paper, I shall argue that Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), a disorder in which seemingly independent identities (alters) arise within the same individual, can have considerable consequences in Christian theology. I shall focus on traditional Christian understandings of the afterlife. I shall begin by outlining DID, and shall argue that in some DID cases, alters appear to be different persons according to some definitions of personhood in Christian theology. I shall then illustrate the difficulty this raises for two influential ideas in the Christian tradition: the heaven and hell understanding of the afterlife, and the idea of the resurrection of the body. Finally, I shall consider some objections to the problem, and shall highlight which responses are the most plausible.

Ethics of the algorithmic prediction of goal of care preferences: from theory to practice.

Abstract: Most jurisdictions require a patient to consent to any medical intervention. Clinicians ask a patient, ‘Given the pain and distress associated with our intervention and the predicted likelihood of this best-case outcome, do you want to accept the treatment?’ When a patient is incapable of deciding, clinicians may ask people who know the patient to say what the patient would decide; this is substituted judgement. In contrast, asking the same people to say how the person would make the decision is substituted interests.1 The UK Mental Capacity Act 2005 uses the latter approach, and my comments appertain to that approach. When a patient lacks capacity, the question facing clinicians is, ‘Given the likely outcome of this treatment plan for the patient’s life in the long term, would the patient decide to accept the plan?’ This answer depends on the patient’s wishes, values and other factors they would use when deciding. The proposed development of an algorithm involves the following:2

Judgement bias may be explained by shifts in stimulus response curves

Abstract: Judgement bias, or ‘optimism’ and ‘pessimism’, has been demonstrated across many taxa, yet the cognitive mechanisms underlying this behaviour remain unclear. In an optimism paradigm, animals are trained to an association, and, if given a positive experience, behave more favourably towards ‘ambiguous’ stimuli. We tested whether this effect could be explained by changes to stimulus response gradients by giving bees a task where their response was tested across a wider gradient of stimuli than typically tested. In line with previous work, we found that bees given a positive experience demonstrated judgement bias, being more likely to visit ambiguous stimuli. However, bees were also less likely to visit a stimulus on the other side of the rewarded stimulus (S+), and as such had a shifted stimulus response curve, showing a diminished peak shift response. In two follow-up experiments we tested the hypothesis that our manipulation altered bees’ stimulus response curves via changes to the peak shift response by reducing peak shift in controls. We found that, in support of our hypothesis, elimination of peak shift also eliminated differences between treatments. Our results point towards a cognitive explanation of ‘optimistic’ behaviour in non-human animals and offer a new paradigm for considering emotion-like states.

Cultural Differences in Moral Judgement

Abstract: Morality can be explained as an innate sense of morality, a basic sense of fairness and a basic sense of justice. Moral judgments refer to people's positive or negative evaluations of what they see and hear and the actions of others. Moral judgments are affected by different factors. Cultural differences are one of the factors that can influence moral judgments. This article summarized and analyzed recent research regarding the impact of different cultures on moral judgments. The influence of culture on moral judgment was discussed from three aspects: cross-cultural similarity, differences across cultures, and developmental perspective. In the part of cross-cultural similarity, the influence of different genders and ages in different cultures on moral judgments was discussed. In the part of differences across cultures, the article compared the differences in moral judgments of participants from Eastern and Western cultures. The differences between collectivists and individualists in their moral judgments were also discussed. In the part of developmental perspective, how different cultures shape people's moral values and standards of moral judgment were analyzed and discussed. Through the analysis of recent research, it can be concluded that across all cultures, women and the elderly rely more on emotion when making moral judgments, while men rely more on reasoning. Besides, both collectivists and individualists were willing to punish violators when faced with immorality. Both collectivists and individualists were harsher when criminals were members of their own race. Individualists, after reflection, would reduce their dislike of offenders, but collectivists would not be affected by reflection. There are some limitations of recent studies. These include a lack of longitudinal comparisons and experimental procedures using assumed scenarios. The addition of follow-up experiments and simulated behavioral scenarios in future studies can solve these problems. At present, there is a lack of research regarding the influence of cultural differences on moral judgment in the research field. This paper fills this gap by analyzing the standards of moral judgment shaped by different cultures.

Understanding and Mitigating Gender Bias in Information Retrieval Systems

Abstract: Recent studies have shown that information retrieval systems may exhibit stereotypical gender biases in outcomes which may lead to discrimination against minority groups, such as different genders, and impact users’ decision making and judgements. In this tutorial, we inform the audience of studies that have systematically reported the presence of stereotypical gender biases in Information Retrieval (IR) systems and different pre-trained Natural Language Processing (NLP) models. We further classify existing work on gender biases in IR systems and NLP models as being related to (1) relevance judgement datasets, (2) structure of retrieval methods, (3) representations learnt for queries and documents, (4) and pre-trained embedding models. Based on the aforementioned categories, we present a host of methods from the literature that can be leveraged to measure, control, or mitigate the existence of stereotypical biases within IR systems and different NLP models that are used for down-stream tasks. Besides, we introduce available datasets and collections that are widely used for studying the existence of gender biases in IR systems and NLP models, the evaluation metrics that can be used for measuring the level of bias and utility of the models, and de-biasing methods that can be leveraged to mitigate gender biases within those models.

Chapter 3. Types of German causal clauses and their syntactic-semantic layers

Abstract: This chapter aims to discuss some distinguishing syntactic and interpretative properties of German causal weil-clauses, da-clauses and verb-first causal clauses. The chapter argues that these different properties can be fruitfully analysed in Krifka’s (2018, to appear) system of decomposition of a speech act into the levels of a proposition, of a judgement, of a commitment and of a speech act. These semantic levels are represented in syntax by TP, JP, ComP and ActP, respectively. Standardly, a weil-clause is just a TP (covered by a CP-shell). In contrast, a da-clause is of the more complex category JP (covered by a CP-shell), which is adjoined to the JP of its host, i.e., a da-clause is interconnected with a judgement. Related to this there are, for example, the findings that in contrast to the situation with a weil-clause, a da-clause cannot be narrowly focal, that the causal relation expressed by da is not at-issue, and that there is no binding from the host into a da-clause. Furthermore, a da-clause may host a certain type of root phenomena. A verb-first causal clause is of the most complex category ActP and is licensed by an ActP. It cannot be syntactically embedded and it has illocutionary force, which, however, has a supporting function with regard to the illocutionary force of the preceding sentence. A verb-first causal clause may host all kinds of root phenomena. The chapter also compares Krifka’s layers of interpretation and Sweetser’s (1990) three domains of interpretation (content, epistemic, speech act) and shows that these two classifications complement each other with correlations.

Artificial Intelligence algorithms cannot recommend a best interests decision but could help by improving prognostication

Abstract: INTRODUCTION Most jurisdictions require a patient to consent to any medical intervention. Clinicians ask a patient, ‘Given the pain and distress associated with our intervention and the predicted likelihood of this bestcase outcome, do you want to accept the treatment?’ When a patient is incapable of deciding, clinicians may ask people who know the patient to say what the patient would decide; this is substituted judgement. In contrast, asking the same people to say how the person would make the decision is substituted interests. The UK Mental Capacity Act 2005 uses the latter approach, and my comments appertain to that approach. When a patient lacks capacity, the question facing clinicians is, ‘Given the likely outcome of this treatment plan for the patient’s life in the long term, would the patient decide to accept the plan?’ This answer depends on the patient’s wishes, values and other factors they would use when deciding.

IABSE Survey of Implemented Decision-making Models used by Public and Private Owners/Operators of Road- and Railway Infrastructures

Abstract: Infrastructure systems, such as bridges, are a driver for the economic growth and sustainable development of countries. Similarly, the development of operation and maintenance strategies for infrastructure systems may aim at optimal management using Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as reliability, redundancy, availability, safety, economy, environmental performance and resilience. Recent research and development projects, such as COST TU1406, highlight that infrastructure managers make decisions based on a mix of qualitative and quantitative data from various sources paired with models of various levels of complexity as well as expert judgement. Similarly, recent state-of-the-art academia reports on a variety of different decision-making models applicable to the optimal management of infrastructure systems may be used. Within IABSE Commission 5 on Existing Structures, Task Group 5.4 has performed a survey on implemented decision-making models among 23 infrastructure managers from 20 countries. It highlights some similarities in relation to KPIs, condition rating and limit state checks. This has stimulated the standardisation of decision making. The application of risk-based methods, performance prediction and intervention modelling are somewhat more scattered and may call for further research and development as well as training. The need to bridge the gap between implemented decision-making models and research is of paramount importance.

The application of appraisal theory in Maphalla’s poem: ‘Ditema’

Abstract: Evaluative language includes any linguistic expressions (written or spoken) that may be perceived as conveying stances or attitudes (feelings and views) towards entities and people in the real world. It also utilises the material presented and the parties involved in the communicative exchange. The poetic text is that which utilizes numerous figures of style to provide emotions and feelings while respecting the criteria of the style of the author. Regarding Maphalla’s anthologies, several South African scholars have worked on his literary works from various literary approaches, but have not used appraisal theory in their analysis. The central aim of this study is to investigate, employing the appraisal framework, a theoretical tenant of systemic functional linguistics, the way language is used evaluatively in Sesotho in Maphalla’s poem, ‘Ditema’ (decoration patterns). This study maintains that there are more positive words used in this poem, indicating that the poet uses the judgement of social esteem, praising hard work and commitment and that there are also social sanctions in the poem, where the poet scorns laziness.