Category Archives: Human Behavior

Human Behavior

Observing group-living animals with drones may help us understand … – Innovation Origins

Scientists have developed a new method for collecting data about animal behavior and the animals surrounding natural physical landscape using drones and computer vision.

Now picture this: a drone is flying over a herd of plains zebras in central Kenya, high enough that the animals are not bothered by it. The zebras are interesting for collective and spatial behavior studies, as the researchers Ben Koger and Blair Costelloe, who are monitoring the drone, say. This is because the plains zebras live in multi-level societies: small groups of females and males combine to form larger herds of dozens of animals. This social and spatial structure could influence behavioral processes such as decision-making and information sharing and have implications for understanding our own complex societies, researchers from the University of Konstanz and other institutions across Europe explain in a press release.

Traditionally, it has been very difficult to conduct this kind of research. But new techniques their team has developed using imaging drones and artificial intelligence open up new possibilities.

Behavioral ecologist Blair Costelloe describes the method: We created an analytical pipeline that lets us take aerial drone footage and extract information about the animals locations, movement, and behavior. We can measure their spatial distribution and behavioral states and get rich information about their surroundings, including the 3D structure of the environment.

Previously researchers mostly got high-precision data sets about animal group dynamics in highly-controlled lab conditions where you could repeat experiments repeatedly. But the team asked themselves: Could we use imaging drones and new computer algorithms to take the same lab approaches but bring them into the natural landscapes?

It is possible, but several challenges had to be solved: We were often recording 20 or more different individuals at a time. Quantifying where each of the individuals is in a single half-hour video observation as a human would take weeks, Ben Koger explains. The first challenge was how could we automatically detect the animals we were interested in? The solution was training powerful deep learning algorithms. The second challenge: The researchers were interested in the animals movements, and yet the videos they recorded included animal movement and drone movement and distortions from the hilly landscape they were filming over. All those elements needed to be untangled before they could get meaningful data.

The power of our image-based method is that its a general solution, Koger says. Since the drones observe the animal group and the landscape, you get a very broad data set, which includes information on the social and environmental context of all animals of the observed group. This is possible because they explicitly model the 3D landscape they are recording.

Therefore, the method can be used in any open landscape and lets researchers explicitly examine the effects of habitat on behavior. Thats a really powerful approach that has been very difficult so far, Blair Costelloe says. Another advantage, unlike another common method, is that animals dont need to be captured and fitted with movement sensors, which can be risky and expensive, especially when working with endangered species such as the Grevys zebra.

Worldwide, wildlife populations are declining due to habitat loss, climate change, and other threats. Learning more about how groups of animals behave in complex natural environments can help inform conservation actions and generate new insights into the lives and behavior of wildlife species.In their paper, the team outlines certain areas of research where their method has a strong potential to generate new insights, such as spatially mediated behavioral processes, multi-animal collective behaviors, and animal-environment interactions.

Go here to read the rest:
Observing group-living animals with drones may help us understand ... - Innovation Origins

Human Behavior

Mann named director of School of Public and Population Health – Boise State University

The College of Health Sciences named Michael Mann director of the School of Public and Population Health.

Mann has been acting as the interim leader of the school since summer 2022 and will officially assume the director role July 23, 2023.

Drawn to the schools mission of strengthening and improving the health of Idahoans, Mann said he enjoys working with those that devote themselves to ensuring the health and wellbeing of others.

My role is largely about helping good people do their best work especially work that creates new opportunities for folks to build a healthy, happy life for themselves, their families and their neighbors, he said.

Dean of the College of Health Sciences Tim Dunnagan says Mann has a breadth of experience in research, education and leadership.

While it is exciting to find someone who excels in one of these areas, it is rare to find someone who can do all three, Dunnagan said. Ultimately, his ability to translate these attributes with the faculty, staff and students in the school, college and university creates great potential for the future.

After living in Idaho for the last five years, Mann hopes to better connect with Idahoans across the state in his new role. As part of this goal, Mann is planning what he calls a listening tour to learn the real hopes and desires of Idahoans especially as they relate to public health.

We cant do a good job of serving the state if we dont know it well and love it deeply, Mann said. Doing so requires spending time together, listening to each other and helping each other.

Prior to his interim appointment, Mann served as the associate divisional dean of the School of Public and Population Health starting in 2019.

Mann earned his Ph.D. in health and human behavior from the University of Florida in 2007. Before joining Boise State University, he was an associate professor with the School of Public Health at West Virginia University.

Mann spent nearly 20 years working as a teacher, principal, regional director, operations leader and program founder in the alternative school setting.

Read the original:
Mann named director of School of Public and Population Health - Boise State University

Human Behavior

Irina Solomonova’s bad behavior is the star of Love Is Blind – My Imperfect Life

Irina Solomonova only hit our screens one week ago, yet she's already caused an internet firestorm.

The Love Is Blind season 4 cast member joined the Netflix experiment with the hopes of forming an authentic connection beyond appearances, a notion she dispelled upon connecting with ZackGoytowski. But her behavior within the dating quarters is what's really garnering viral attention.

She and Micah Lussier have quickly been labeled the mean girls of the season on social media, and it all kind of takes away from the primary purpose of the show: romance. While temporarily living alongside the other women, the two laugh at another cast member's heartbreak (the same person competing for Paul Peden's attention as Micah). Then, Irina needles Bliss Poureetezadi, Zack's other connection, to get under her skin and drive a wedge between her rival and her connection.

Naturally, things don't unfold smoothly with Zack, either. Ultimately, it's clear she's not attracted to him, as she refuses to hug him or kiss him. Plus, she insists he looks like a cartoon character, probably not what he hoped to hear. On their honeymoon, she pretended he didn't even exist.

"You got the worst part [of me]," Irina admitted to Zack. "I'm literally treating you so poorly. Like, I know it. I won't even look at you, touch you. You talk to me and I literally look away."

And the cherry on top of the bad behavior comes when Irina gets a little handsy with her new love interest, Paul...who just so happens to be engaged to her "best friend" Micah. It's utterly messy and heartbreaking, yet we can't look away...and we can't stop expressing our frustrations on Twitter.

As much as fans hate how she's behaving, Irina has a firm grasp on them, and you better believe everyone's tuning in to see what happens next. Something about her catty behavior has given us all middle school flashbacks to the cliques that made our lives a living hell.

"TV shows with heavy amounts of drama often tap into universal human emotions and experiences [and] many of these shows are crafted with a deep understanding of human psychology," says positive psychology coachElle Mace (opens in new tab). "Viewers often become emotionally invested in the characters and their storylines, which can lead to a sense of empathy."

We've all been deeply triggered, whether we've had an Irina or been an Irina at some point in our lives. Despite the negativity that tags bullying, Mace insists that showcasing such behavior can have its positives.

"While it may be uncomfortable or even distressing to witness, the portrayal of female bullying in media can raise awareness of the issue and prompt discussions about how to address it," she says.

Perhaps this is one way to keep us mindful of our own behaviors and hold ourselves accountable.

Social Links Navigation

Elle is a therapist tackling relationships, eating behaviors and mindset. She has her own podcast on self-development and mental health, calledMore to Life (opens in new tab).

Solomonova is one of four children in her family and owns a small business, Solo Collective, which focuses on event planning. The 26-year-old is based in Seattle, Washington, and it's not clear whether or not she has moved on since her stint on Love Is Blind.

Here's the schedule for all of the remainingLove Is Blindseason 4 episodes. Be sure to check out othershows likeLove Is Blind, too.

Today's best streaming deals

Link:
Irina Solomonova's bad behavior is the star of Love Is Blind - My Imperfect Life

Human Behavior

Health quotes Dill in article about rise of Babesiosis – UMaine News … – University of Maine

In an article about the rise of the tick-borne disease Babesiosis, Health spoke to Griffin Dill, manager of the Tick Lab at the University of Maine. Dill said that the increasing spread of babesiosis is directly related to the increasing population size and geographic range of the blacklegged tick. There are a variety of factors including land use change, climate change, changes in wildlife populations, and changes in human behavior that have contributed to the blacklegged ticks ability to spread into new regions which it turn has allowed babesiosis and other [tick-borne] illnesses to spread, Dill said. Yahoo Life shared the Health report.

Read more here:
Health quotes Dill in article about rise of Babesiosis - UMaine News ... - University of Maine

Human Behavior

There’s still time for the planet, Goodall says, if we stay hopeful – University of Wisconsin-Madison

Never forget: Every single day you make some impact on the planet, Goodall told the crowd. Photo by: Jeff Miller

Goodall continues to work tirelessly to spread messages of conservation and hope, and she encouraged her audience to make both key parts of their lives. Photo by: Jeff Miller

Goodall acknowledges the capacity crowd of 1,160 who came to see her speak at Shannon Hall. Photo by: Jeff Miller

At just 23 years old still far from becoming one of the worlds most famous scientists, but very close in age to many who packed Shannon Hall Sunday night for her event in the Wisconsin Union Directorates Distinguished Lecture Series Jane Goodall shipped out for Africa on her own dime, looking for an opportunity to study animals.

What she found in wild chimpanzees wasnt unlike human behavior. She observed them using sticks as tools (to gather termites for a snack), holding hands, kissing, cleaning, grooming and maintaining strong familial bonds.

Males competing for dominance, standing upright, swaggering, trying to look big and dangerous, might remind you of some male politicians, said Goodall, now almost 90 and the veteran of six decades of chimpanzee research.

Goodall, an internationally renowned ethologist and conservationist, spoke to a 1,160-person capacity crowd at Memorial Unions Shannon Hall.

Goodall talks to a small group of students and invited guests during a private reception at the Memorial Union before her speech in Shannon Hall. Photo: Jeff Miller

It wasnt easy for a young Goodall to get other scientists to take her findings seriously, she recalled. Her professors at the University of Cambridge, where she was working toward a doctorate in ethology, only accepted her observations on human-like animal behavior after they joined her in Africa and experienced the chimps firsthand.

My professor said he learned more in two weeks in Africa than he had his whole career, Goodall said.

One cannot study the natural world without noticing the impact humans have made, including climate change, according to Goodall. She experienced this with chimpanzees through direct observations of population decline, forest degradation, loss of biodiversity and more.

When I flew over Gombe [a region in Tanzania], it used to be part of a great equatorial forest belt, Goodall recalled. That was in 1960. When I flew over in the late 80s, it was a little island forest, surrounded by bare trees and bare hills, all the trees gone.

As her passion for preserving our planet and its creatures has grown, Goodalls focus has shifted to education, awareness, and conservation efforts. She discourages dwelling on gloom and doom, preferring a message of hope.

Why do people rush to my lectures all over the world? If I go to speak, the tickets are sold out in record time. Its because I talk about hope, she says, from amazing people doing incredible projects, natures resilience, the human brain beginning to solve some of the problems that we have created, and the energy and passion of youth.

Goodall emphasized the pressing need for both individual and societal action to avoid environmental catastrophe.

Weve got this window of time, but its closing, she said. We really do have to take action to change the way we live, the practices of business, and very often politics. So, it seems very grim. But if everybody does their one bit to live with a lighter ecological footprint, then, with billions of people all doing their best, thats going to make a difference.

That would go a long way to heal the natural habitats of chimps as well, she said, much of which have been cut down by poverty-stricken people in order to survive.

We need to help people to find ways of living without destroying the environment, Goodall said.

The Jane Goodall Institute puts this sentiment into practice through an approach it calls Tacare, starting conservation efforts by first consulting local communities about their needs, and then collaboratively developing solutions not only for a sustainable environment, but for sustainable economies. Tacare programs are operating successfully with more than 80 villages across six African countries.

Goodall continues to work tirelessly to spread messages of conservation and hope, and she encouraged her audience to make both key parts of their lives.

Never forget: Every single day you make some impact on the planet, she said, with a goal of saving the world. Together we can, together we will, together we must.

Learn more about Jane Goodall at janegoodall.org.

From left, Paul Robbins, dean of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, Dr. Jane Goodall, Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin and Eric Wilcots, dean of the College of Letters and Science, chat following a private reception at the Memorial Union. Photo: Jeff Miller

Read the original here:
There's still time for the planet, Goodall says, if we stay hopeful - University of Wisconsin-Madison

Human Behavior

Relationship between chronotypes and aggression in adolescents … – BMC Psychiatry

Evans J, Silver R. The Suprachiasmatic Nucleus and the Circadian Timekeeping System of the body. In: Pfaff DW, Volkow ND, Rubenstein J, editors. Neuroscience in the 21st century. New York: Springer; 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6434-1_66-4.

Skene DJ, Skornyakov E, Chowdhury NR, Gajula RP, Middleton B, Satterfield BC, et al. Separation of circadian- and behavior-driven metabolite rhythms in humans provides a window on peripheral oscillators and metabolism. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018;115:782530. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1801183115.

Article CAS PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar

Bumgarner JR, Nelson RJ. Light at night and disrupted circadian rhythms alter physiology and behavior. Integr Comp Biol. 2021;61:11609. https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icab017.

Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar

Adan A, Archer SN, Hidalgo MP, Di Milia L, Natale V, Randler C. Circadian typology: a comprehensive review. Chronobiol Int. 2012;29:115375. https://doi.org/10.3109/07420528.2012.719971.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Bauducco S, Richardson C, Gradisar M. Chronotype, circadian rhythms and mood. Curr Opin Psychol. 2020;34:7783. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.09.002.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Jeon HJ, Bang YR, Park HY, Kim SA, Yoon IY. Differential effects of circadian typology on sleep-related symptoms, physical fatigue and psychological well-being in relation to resilience. Chronobiol Int. 2017;34:67786. https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2017.1309425.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Wang L, Chartrand TL. Morningness-eveningness and risk taking. J Psychol. 2015;149:394411. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2014.885874.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Deyoung CG, Hasher L, Djikic M. Morning people are stable people: circadian rhythm and the higher-order factors of the big five. Personality & Individual Differences. 2007;43:26776.

Article Google Scholar

Tsaousis I. Circadian preferences and personality traits: a meta-analysis. Eur J Pers. 2010;24:35673. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.754.

Article Google Scholar

Buss AH, Durkee A. An inventory for assessing different kinds of hostility. J Consult Psychol. 1957;21:3439. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0046900.

Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar

Jackson LA, Gerard DA. Diurnal types, the Big Five personality factors, and other personal characteristics. J Social Behav Personality. 1996;11:27383.

Google Scholar

Zhu X, Wang K, Cao A, Zhang Y, Qiu J. Personality traits and negative affect mediate the relationship between cortical thickness of superior frontal cortex and aggressive behavior. Neurosci Lett. 2020;718:134728. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2019.134728.

Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar

Zhang Y, Shi P, Gao M, Chang H. Factors influencing aggressive adolescent behavior: an analysis using the decision Tree Method. J Genet Psychol. 2022;183:53748. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221325.2022.2094213.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Zhang B, Hao YL, Rong RG. The reliability and validity of chinese version morningness/eveningness questionnaire. Chin J Behav Med Brain Sci. 2006;15:8568. https://doi.org/10.3760/cma.j.issn.1674-6554.2006.09.044.

Article Google Scholar

Li XY, Fei LP, Zhang YL, Niu YJ, Tong YS, Yang SJ. Development, reliability and validity of the chinese version of Buss & Perry Aggression Questionnaire. Chin J Nerv Mental Dis. 2011;37:60713. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1002-0152.2011.10.010.

Article Google Scholar

Eysenck HJ. Genetic and environmental contributions to individual differen- ces: the three major dimensions of personality. J Pers. 2010;58:24561.

Article Google Scholar

Gong YX. The revision of the Eysenck personality questionnaire in China. Psychol Sci.1984:1320.https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1987-30122-001.

Boyd CP. The family environment scale: reliability and normative data for an adolescent sample. Fam Process. 2010;36:36973.

Article Google Scholar

Jiang GR. Class environment in the chinese school system: structure and measurement. Psychol Sci. 2004;27:83943.

Google Scholar

Duffy JF, Cain SW, Chang AM, Phillips AJ, Munch MY, Gronfier C, et al. Sex difference in the near-24-hour intrinsic period of the human circadian timing system. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011;108(Suppl 3):156028. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1010666108.

Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar

Haraden DA, Mullin BC, Hankin BL. The relationship between depression and chronotype: a longitudinal assessment during childhood and adolescence. Depress Anxiety. 2017;34:96776. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22682.

Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar

Haraden DA, Mullin BC, Hankin BL. Internalizing symptoms and chronotype in youth: a longitudinal assessment of anxiety, depression and tripartite model. Psychiatry Res. 2019;272:797805. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2018.12.117.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Mehta PH, Beer J. Neural mechanisms of the testosterone-aggression relation: the role of orbitofrontal cortex. J Cogn Neurosci. 2010;22:235768. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn.2009.21389.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Bowie BH. Understanding the gender differences in pathways to social deviancy: relational aggression and emotion regulation. Arch Psychiatr Nurs. 2010;24:2737. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2009.04.007.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Schlarb AA, Sopp R, Ambiel D, Grunwald J. Chronotype-related differences in childhood and adolescent aggression and antisocial behaviora review of the literature. Chronobiol Int. 2014;31:116. https://doi.org/10.3109/07420528.2013.829846.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Jankowski KS, Linke M. Angry night birds: emotionality, activity and sociability temperament in adolescent chronotypes. Chronobiol Int. 2020;37(5):6529.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Schluter T, Winz O, Henkel K, Prinz S, Rademacher L, Schmaljohann J, et al. The impact of dopamine on aggression: an [18F]-FDOPA PET study in healthy males. J Neurosci. 2013;33:1688996. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1398-13.2013.

Article CAS PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar

Cherek DR, Lane SD, Pietras CJ, Steinberg JL. Effects of chronic paroxetine administration on measures of aggressive and impulsive responses of adult males with a history of conduct disorder. Psychopharmacology. 2002;159:26674. https://doi.org/10.1007/s002130100915.

Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar

Wang LY, Shofer JB, Rohde K, Hart KL, Hoff DJ, McFall YH, et al. Prazosin for the treatment of behavioral symptoms in patients with Alzheimer disease with agitation and aggression. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2009;17:74451. https://doi.org/10.1097/JGP.0b013e3181ab8c61.

Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar

Daz-Morales JF. Morning and evening-types: exploring their personality styles. Personality & Individual Differences. 2007;43:76978.

Article Google Scholar

Mann JJ, Brent DA, Arango V. The neurobiology and genetics of suicide and attempted suicide: a focus on the serotonergic system. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2001;24:46777. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0893-133X(00)00228-1.

Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar

Kahn-Greene ET, Lipizzi EL, Conrad AK. Sleep deprivation adversely affects interpersonal responses to frustration. Pers Indiv Diff. 2006;41:143343.

Article Google Scholar

Taillard J, Philip P, Bioulac B. Morningness/eveningness and the need for sleep. J Sleep Res. 1999;8:2915. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2869.1999.00176.x.

Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar

Takeuchi H, Oishi T, Harada T. Association between moringness-eveningness preference and mental/physical premenstrual symptoms in japanese females 12 to 31 years of age. Chronobiol Int. 2005;22:105568. https://doi.org/10.1080/07420520500398007.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Figueiredo S, Vieira R. The Effect of Chronotype on Oppositional Behaviour and Psychomotor Agitation of School-Age Children: A Cross-Sectional Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Oct 14;19(20):13233. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013233. PMID: 36293815; PMCID: PMC9602728.

Espelage DL, Holt MK, Henkel RR. Examination of peer-group contextual effects on aggression during early adolescence. Child Dev. 2003;74:20520. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8624.00531.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Alink L, Mesman J, Van ZJ. Maternal sensitivity moderates the relation between negative discipline and aggression in early childhood. Soc Dev. 2009;18:99120.

Article Google Scholar

Hsu CY, Gau SS, Shang CY, Chiu YN, Lee MB. Associations between chronotypes, psychopathology, and personality among incoming college students. Chronobiol Int. 2012;29:491501. https://doi.org/10.3109/07420528.2012.668995.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Murray-Close D, Han G, Cicchetti D, Crick NR, Rogosch FA. Neuroendocrine regulation and physical and relational aggression: the moderating roles of child maltreatment and gender. Dev Psychol. 2008;44:116076. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0012564.

Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar

Lopez-Duran NL, Olson SL, Hajal NJ, Felt BT, Vazquez DM. Hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis functioning in reactive and proactive aggression in children. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2009;37:16982. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-008-9263-3.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

van Bokhoven I, Van Goozen SH, van Engeland H, Schaal B, Arseneault L, Seguin JR, et al. Salivary cortisol and aggression in a population-based longitudinal study of adolescent males. J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2005;112:108396. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-004-0253-5.

Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar

Popma A, Vermeiren R, Geluk CA, Rinne T, van den Brink W, Knol DL, et al. Cortisol moderates the relationship between testosterone and aggression in delinquent male adolescents. Biol Psychiatry. 2007;61:40511. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.06.006.

Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar

Haller J, Makara GB, Kruk MR. Catecholaminergic involvement in the control of aggression: hormones, the peripheral sympathetic, and central noradrenergic systems. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 1998;22:8597. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0149-7634(97)00023-7.

Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar

Nelson RJ, Trainor BC. Neural mechanisms of aggression. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2007;8:53646. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2174.

Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar

Tornatzky W, Cole JC, Miczek KA. Recurrent aggressive episodes entrain ultradian heart rate and core temperature rhythms. Physiol Behav. 1998;63:84553. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0031-9384(98)00008-0.

Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar

Todd WD, Machado NL. A time to fight: circadian control of aggression and associated autonomic support. Auton Neurosci. 2019;217:3540. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autneu.2018.12.008.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Morales JFD, Garca MA. Relaciones entre matutinidad-vespertinidad y estilos de personalidad. Anales De Psicologa. 2003;19:24756.

Google Scholar

Daz-Morales JF. Morning and evening-types: Exploring their personality styles. Personality & Individual Differences. 2007;43:76978.

Article Google Scholar

Selvi Y, Aydin A, Atli A, Boysan M, Selvi F, Besiroglu L. Chronotype differences in suicidal behavior and impulsivity among suicide attempters. Chronobiol Int. 2011;28:1705. https://doi.org/10.3109/07420528.2010.535938.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Read the rest here:
Relationship between chronotypes and aggression in adolescents ... - BMC Psychiatry

Human Behavior

Recidivism Too High? Don’t Blame the Data | Opinion – Newsweek

We know for a factas credible a fact as we get from the criminal justice systemthat more than eight out of 10 prisoners in the United States are rearrested after release. These data suggest some inconvenient truths about our criminal justice systeminconvenient, that is, to putative "reformers" determined to decarcerate the United States.

First, the high reoffending rates suggest that those in prison are typically there for a good reason. Unless one believes that prisons are so criminogenic (meaning, that they encourage criminality) that inmates enter pure but leave corrupted, it is hard to explain the preponderance of post-release crime. In fact, there is little evidence that prison is criminogenic. If it were, then longer sentences would produce more crime. But a 2021 review of the relevant research found "no substantial evidence" that longer sentences have a criminogenic effect. In other words, there is little indication that longer sentences generate more crime after release, or that shorter sentences produce less.

Second, a relatively small number of people commit a large proportion of the serious crimes. Around 5% of the United States population is responsible for half of all crime. These "ravenous wolves" keep repeating their predations until the criminal justice system finally incapacitates them.

Third, rehabilitation within prison walls is largely ineffective. If it worked, we simply wouldn't be getting an 83% recidivism rate for discharged prisonerswhich is what the data evince.

Lately, many analysts sidestep these truths and attack the very concept or use of recidivism as an appropriate criminal justice yardstick. One recent paper argued that recidivism is such a crude indicator that relying on it is akin to "insanity": "it does not lead to any new information that could be used to shape an effective response" to crime.

It is true that recidivism measures are imperfect. For instance, if a police force is deployed in increased numbers to a high-crime area, there will be more arrests and of course more recidivists from that neighborhood. If the neighborhood is relatively poor and black, there would be increased numbers of poor black recidivists.

Likewise, if there is a spike in a particular type of crimesay, selling drugs on the streetand a prosecutor increases the demand for incarceration of drug arrestees, that too could generate more recidivism.

In both of the above hypothetical scenarios, one could argue that it was policy changesas opposed to changes in human behaviorthat produced more recidivism. But so what? The various "imperfections" in measuring recidivism do not render its penological use inappropriate. Would it be "insanity" to ignore the crime history of poor black recidivists or drug dealers simply because law enforcement policy changes increased their chances of apprehension and conviction? That is the equivalent of telling a judge that you shouldn't have to pay a fine for speeding because the cops never used to put a patrol car on that street before. In fact, recidivism provides an excellent prediction of post-release behavior and should be used to shape the response to misconduct.

Moreover, virtually all of the criticisms of recidivism apply to measures of crime itself. After all, the definition of any specific crime varies from state to state, and enforcement differs from police force to police force and from prosecutor to prosecutorto say nothing of conviction and sentencing variations among judges. Should we therefore scrap crime itself as a measure of social health or local habitability, because of these ineluctable inconsistencies?

The answer is obvious. Humans can only make policy based on the best information available. We cannot wait for data perfection.

The best information on recidivism is that it is a very good predictor of criminal behavior. While we know that the overwhelming majority of released prisoners reoffend, it also turns out that those who have no prior arrests or convictions before their imprisonment are most likely to be crime-free upon release. The U.S. Sentencing Commission once examined the crime histories of federal prisoners and found that those without prior criminal histories had a mere 6.8% recidivism rate.

Likewise, a new study of New York State's bail reforms showed that the reformssurprisinglydid not cause more people to be arrested as a result of the reduction in jailings. However, this was mainly true for non-repeaters. Defendants without a pending case were less likely to be rearrested after bail reform. But those with a pending case were 6% more likely to be rearrested after the reforms. In short, freeing recidivists is risky and judges should be able to take defendants' arrest and conviction history into account when determining whether to release or jail them.

Decarcerationists want to discredit recidivism because they don't like its implications. But recidivism remains the gold standard for criminal justice outcomes. Consideration of recidivism does not preclude consideration of other measures, too. We should, for instance, look at addiction reduction rates for drug intervention programs and employment rates for vocational training programs. But if these interventions are targeting prisoners or former prisoners, we will always want to know if the subjects have been arrested again.

Barry Latzer is emeritus professor at New York's John Jay College of Criminal Justice and author of The Myth of Overpunishment: A Defense of the American Justice System and a Proposal to Reduce Incarceration While Protecting the Public(Republic Books).

The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.

See original here:
Recidivism Too High? Don't Blame the Data | Opinion - Newsweek

Human Behavior

How to prepare for a world without passwords – VentureBeat

Join top executives in San Francisco on July 11-12, to hear how leaders are integrating and optimizing AI investments for success. Learn More

Businesses are spending billions of dollars each year on cybersecurity solutions, but were still seeing a steady increase in security breaches. We hear about high-profile cases, but for every breach that makes headlines, there are countless others that are just as devastating for businesses at every stage of growth.

Why are we seeing this increase? The answer is simple no matter how strong your security infrastructure, the vast majority of breaches today stem from the same culprit: Compromised login credentials. The password the very tool that was designed to guard against cybercriminals is fundamentally flawed because it relies on human behavior for its efficacy.

There is good news, however.Recent industry developments show promise in addressing this password problemwith a new type of login that can replace passwords the weakest link in the cyber defense chain with un-phishable and frictionless passkeys.

Cybersecurity has been an issue for a long time in tech a constant concern over the last 30 years of my career at companies like IBM and HubSpot. This milestone is an opportunity to refocus on the basics of cybersecurity and address how the risk of not investing in this area will impact organizations, regardless of industry or stage of growth. Extending far beyond the dollar cost of a hack, a breach can lead to costly penalties, a tarnished brand, low employee morale, and possibly a damaged executive reputation.

Transform 2023

Join us in San Francisco on July 11-12, where top executives will share how they have integrated and optimized AI investments for success and avoided common pitfalls.

The next wave of authentication technology is upon us. To prepare yourself and your workplace, here are three things to keep in mind.

As the CEO of a security company, I am a little more cognizant of password hygiene now than the average person but I have to admit that Ive fallen into bad behavior in the past.

Growing up in Louisiana as a huge football fan, I remember setting up my first password and wanting to pick LSU. Sadly, the service required at least six characters (shamefully too few, I now know), so I went with ELESHU instead. I dont use that one anymore, but as humans, were still too often tempted by shortcuts that expose our companies and ourselves to security risks. As a result, hackers have identified this type of behavior as their most promising attack vector, and weve seen tremendous growth of phishing incidents to steal user credentials.

It should come as no surprise, then, that eliminating passwords has always been the goal. So what is a passkey, and why is it different? A passkey is a passwordless credential, where the website and the authenticator are communicating by exchanging keys. These cannot be seen or accessed by humans, removing all human-related risks of password usage.

You cant accidentally leave a passkey lying around, and theres no need to worry about generating unique passwords. Passkeys are based on public-key cryptography, and unlike passwords, they dont rely on storing shared secrets on servers. Humans can type passwords anywhere (sometimes accidentally on a website like facebok.com instead of facebook.com), but passkeys cant be phished they are bound to the website they are set up for.

Its hard to change human behavior, but we can change the way we approach authentication. Only a handful of websites currently support passkey-based authentication, but that doesnt mean we need to wait around for adoption. Until passkeys become mainstream, you can experience the notion of passwordless authentication through biometrics, or via apps like Discord or Whatsapp using QR codes to allow cross-platform logins.

Next year marks the tenth anniversary of the FIDO Alliance, the industry group thats been working on this problem. Their initial focus has clearly been on consumer applications, not business applications. That makes sense because our employees are consumers too, and their behavior as they shop and interact online will shape the way they interact at work.

In general, I think there has been a major shift in business software, including security software the user experience has to be consumer-grade to drive adoption, and the expected broad availability of passkeys for sign-ins to various online services. So while the early evolution of passkey technology is geared toward consumer solutions, there is a rich supply of user problems that passkeys will address for businesses at any stage of growth.

On average, internet users are juggling more than 200 logins for various accounts with that, it only takes one wrong click, one convincing phishing email or one reused password to disassemble an entire organization. The widespread shift to remote work only expanded the number of disparate applications and tools used by teams on a daily basis.

As our workplaces become more digitized and distributed, the surface area that we leave vulnerable to bad actors grows larger and larger. A phishing-resistant solution like passkeys addresses an obvious and urgent need, and the argument for a wide rollout of this technology has already been proven Microsoft, Apple and Google have made their bets, all recently launching passkey solutions.

A majority of popular websites are planning to deploy passkeys toward the end of 2023, and early adopters like PayPal are already offering passkey support for payment. However, during the transition period between passwords and passkeys, websites (like Paypal) will support both. This hybrid phase is important, because the switch wont happen overnight. Today, even diligent companies enforcing multi-factor authentication (MFA) are falling victim to disruptive attacks. Until passkey technology becomes ubiquitous, a combination of good password hygiene and MFA is still our safest bet.

During this phase, make sure your organization understands the reasoning behind a move from MFA and passwords (which might have always felt like a pain point) to passkeys the most secure, easy to use, interoperable and trustworthy way for us to live and work online.

JD Sherman is an advisor and board member of Dashlane.

Welcome to the VentureBeat community!

DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.

If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.

You might even considercontributing an articleof your own!

Read More From DataDecisionMakers

More:
How to prepare for a world without passwords - VentureBeat

Human Behavior

Is AI Transforming Humans into an Outdated Resource? – Analytics Insight

With advanced capabilities, AI is transforming humans into an outdated source

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a rapidly growing field that has the potential to revolutionize the way we live, work, and interact with the world around us. AI is already being used in various applications, from self-driving cars to virtual assistants, and its influence is only set to grow in the coming years.

However, as AI continues to advance, some people are beginning to ask whether AI is transforming humans into outdated resources. Will machines ultimately replace humans in the workforce, leaving us with little to do except watch as they take over our jobs and lives?

There is no doubt that AI transformation has the potential to automate many of the tasks that humans currently perform. For example, machines can be trained to recognize patterns, make predictions, and carry out complex calculations with incredible speed and accuracy. This means that tasks that were once performed by humans, such as data entry or repetitive manufacturing tasks, can now be completed by machines.

In some cases, this automation is a good thing. It can free human workers to focus on more creative and complex tasks requiring human intuition and problem-solving skills. However, in other cases, AI replacing humans with machines can lead to job loss and economic disruption.

The impact of AI on the job market is a topic of much debate among economists and policymakers. Some argue that AI will create new jobs and industries, just as the industrial revolution did in the 19th century. They point out that new technologies often create more jobs than they replace and that AI will be no different.

Others, however, are more pessimistic. They argue that the rise of AI will lead to massive job losses, particularly in low-skilled and routine jobs. They point to the fact that machines are becoming increasingly capable of performing tasks that were once thought to require human intelligence, such as language translation and even creative writing.

The truth is likely somewhere in between these two extremes. While it is true that AI has the potential to automate many jobs, it is also true that it will create new jobs and industries. The key question is whether these new jobs will be accessible to everyone or whether they will require a high level of education and specialized skills.

In addition to the impact of AI on the job market, there are also concerns about the impact of AI on society as a whole. For example, some worry that AI could exacerbate existing social inequalities. If large corporations and wealthy individuals primarily use AI, it could widen the gap between the rich and the poor.

Similarly, there are concerns about the impact of AI on privacy and personal autonomy. As machines become better at recognizing patterns and predicting human behavior, they will have access to an unprecedented amount of personal information. This could lead to a world in which our every move is monitored and analyzed by machines.

Despite these concerns, it is essential to remember that AI is not inherently good or bad. Like any technology, it is a tool that can be used for good or ill. The challenge for society is ensuring that AI is developed and used to maximize its benefits while minimizing its risks.

To do this, we need to invest in education and training programs that prepare people for the jobs of the future. We also need to ensure that the benefits of AI are shared widely and that its use is regulated in a way that protects the privacy and personal autonomy.

See the original post here:
Is AI Transforming Humans into an Outdated Resource? - Analytics Insight

Human Behavior

Priyanka Kumar considers the birds: A review of Conversations with … – The Christian Century

Though its categorized as a collection of essays, one might, at first glance, mistake Conversations with Birds as a coffee-table book of whimsical shelf art. Wrapped in a selection of images from the famed paintings of John James Audubon, the books smooth exterior provides a stunning entryway into its pages of compelling and poetic prose.

Born in the foothills of the Himalayas, Priyanka Kumar grew up with the rhythm of recurrent moves prompted by her fathers post as an Indian diplomat. In light of this, she recalls a lingering sense of disconnection between herself and the people and places she inhabited. After arriving in the West in her late teens, she describes her experience as being marked by brittle connections, erratic friendships, and paper-thin communities. This thread of detachment followed her through graduate school at the University of Southern California and into her vocation as a filmmaker in Los Angeles, where her sense of place was challenged each time the doors of opportunity swung shut in her face. With a weariness laced with strength and wit, she reflects that a masters degree from the so-called top film school didnt really matter if you werent one of the boys. Graduating at the top of my class didnt matter either. Being an outsider and telling stories outside of the cultural norm were deal breakers.

An avid hiker, Kumar eventually identified the inward chasm she had felt for years as a disintegration between herself and the natural world. Though she had enjoyed a sense of oneness with creation as a child, roaming the forests of northern India, she struggled as an adult to really see and experience the beauty of her surroundings through the veil of smog and Western consumerism that shrouded her vision. It was her communion (and conversations) with birds that eventually inspired an awakening and informed her pilgrimage toward reconnection and a renewed sense of belonging. She notes, seeds of transformation lie dormant in all of our hearts. Sometimes it just takes the right bird to awaken us.

This dynamic book reads like a memoir, although it is packed with a steady stream of information on the birds she is watching, the landscapes she explores, and the environmental issues that threaten the future of both. Kumars effortless and elegant writing style weaves each thread into one seamlessly fashioned piece that keeps readers turning each new page in anticipation of whatever she offers next. Although her focus is primarily on birds, she takes time to acknowledge myriad other creatures as they struggle to maintain their place here on earth.

From an opossum and a mountain lion forced to straddle the line between wilderness and suburbs amid rapid urbanization to a bobcat raising her cub along a shared trail, Kumar uses animal testimonies to build a portrait of our planets creatures gasping for air under the weight of humanitys insatiable thirst for expansion. As she does, readers receive an invitation to observe alongside her:

The goshawk is a feral top predator; its eye has a glint of wildness. Isnt it awesome that when its incensed by our intrusion over its territory, it thwacks us on the head? We see trees as crops, we plant tree saplings in clean rows, and we have chopped down magnificent old growth stands, which grew exuberantly in asymmetrical groves. We are draining the last remaining wildness out of even the forests. The goshawk has every right to thwack us.

Kumar seems to hope that our attention to these stories will inspire a shift in our posture toward the creatures with whom we share this world.

Throughout the essays, she often points to various Eastern religions and other spiritual traditions, reflecting a generous appreciation for the wisdom they hold. Yet she addresses Christianity sparingly and with a tone that I find dismissive. I think it is precisely this dismissiveness that should bend the ears of Christian readers and prompt us to open our hearts to an uncomfortable question: Can we actually be dismissed from a conversation that we have, for the most part, failed to show up for in the first place?

In The Art of Commonplace, Wendell Berry writes, The culpability of Christianity in the destruction of the natural world and uselessness of Christianity in any effort to correct that destruction are now established clichs in the conservation movement. While much of the world laments the condition of our planet and has joined together in search of viable solutions for its renewal, the majority of the Christian sphere has remained silent, relatively unmoved, and at times even resistant to addressing the plight of Gods handiwork. As creation groans under the yoke of slavery imposed upon it by human greed, we fail to draw any connection to our vocation to steward it.

God instructed us to tend to creation and keep it, preserve it and protect it, serve it and seek good on its behalf. And nestled in the treasure trove of the gospel is the solution that the world needs: a message of radical life change, of a turning that resists the exploitive and yields a servant where there once was a wayward lord, the exact sort of transformation in human behavior required to redeem all things. Still, we too often remain silent and disengaged. Its for this reason that Christians need people like Kumar: prophets and poets who are at the periphery of our norms, stirring us from our apathetic slumber, pointing us back into conversation with creation and our Creator, and inspiring us to consider the birds.

Read the rest here:
Priyanka Kumar considers the birds: A review of Conversations with ... - The Christian Century