Reassessing the Facebook experiment: critical thinking about the validity of Big Data research

The Facebook experiment of 2014 manipulated the contents of nearly 700,000 users’ News Feeds to induce changes in their emotions. This experiment was widely criticized on ethical grounds regarding informed consent. This controversy, however, diverted attention from a more important concern the experiment was intended to address, which is the impact of Facebook use on well-being. In this paper, I explore the well-being concerns raised by prior research and argue that the experiment does not alleviate them, owing to poor research design. As the question of Facebook's impact on well-being is of great importance, both to Facebook and to society overall, there is a pressing need for more experimental research that is both sensitive to informed consent and carefully designed to yield reliable results. In turn, the lessons of this case have implications for general issues of validity that emerge in Big Data research, now in vogue at major scientific venues.     

Behavioral and Physiological Components of Communication Training: Does the Topic Affect Outcome?

This study experimentally examined the Speaker‐Listener technique when couples (N= 30) were instructed to either discuss an issue within or outside their marriage, on marital satisfaction, and communication behaviors. This study examined the J. M. Gottman, J. Coan, S. Carrere, and C. Swanson (1998) hypothesis that the Speaker‐Listener technique may lead to improved marital satisfaction when the couple is discussing a third party issue, but discussing an issue about each other may weaken the marital relationship. Behavioral and physiological data during marital interactions were sequentially analyzed. Results suggested that the Speaker‐Listener technique reduced negativity but did not increase positivity in marital interactions. There were significant differences in positive reciprocity across the 2 experimental groups, but no differences in negativity. Additionally, adherence to the Speaker‐Listener technique was poor, which has implications for both research and theory. Possible interpretations and areas for further investigation are suggested.     

可持续产业技术新标竿

绿色科技强调原子经济原则、无毒无害、节能减碳等,但仅限于此的绿色科技,并不足以构成可持续科技,绿色是可持续科技的必要条件,其充分条件则必须能促进社会公平正义,增进人类可持续福祉,例如能解决非洲小孩营养、卫生、饮用水安全及医疗等问题的科技(即便宜到他们或世界组织可以负担得起并且全面实施),包括能解决极偏远地区供电问题的太阳能发电技术等.本文依据国内外最新期刊信息之国际标竿(benchmark),说明可持续产业未来的走向.     

Social stigma and negative consequences: factors that influence college students' decisions to seek testing for sexually transmitted infections

College students often delay or avoid seeking testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), even if the services are readily available. We used in-depth, semistructured interviews to survey 41 college students aged 18 to 23 years about factors that influence decisions about STI testing. We grouped statements into 9 themes that represent influences on the decision. The most frequently mentioned factors were negative consequences of testing and perceived vulnerability to infection; other issues that influenced decision making included perceived benefits, perceived severity of diseases, public knowledge and opinion, social norms, provider characteristics, test-site characteristics, and personal considerations. Social stigmas and negative consequences appear to represent significant barriers to college students' being tested, which could increase the risk of spreading infections to others. Clinicians and health educators should raise students' awareness of the need for screening and should work to reduce the barriers to screening, including social stigmas and negative consequences.