In recent years, retro-style outfits have continued to gain popularity on social media platforms. Clothing styles marked by earlier eras, such as Y2K millennium style, vintage outfits, and retro sportswear, have become widely popular among young people. This phenomenon raises a question worth exploring: why have young people developed such strong interest in “old clothes”? What role does social media play in the transformation of nostalgic emotions into consumption behavior? Taking 2018 to 2026 as the time window, this paper systematically reviews the literature on youth nostalgic consumption in social media environments and discusses it from three dimensions: conceptual definition, activation mechanism, and identity. The review preliminarily reveals the role of social media in the dissemination and diffusion of nostalgic content and also confirms that nostalgic consumption is an important path through which young people respond to identity anxiety and seek group belonging. However, existing studies still have three limitations. First, they lack a systematic explanation of how platform mechanisms promote the transformation of nostalgic emotions into consumption behavior. Second, they pay insufficient attention to how young people continuously construct identity through symbolic practices, community interaction, and consumption choices on social media. Third, the special mechanism of “non-experiential nostalgia” in the digital age has not been fully discussed. Future research may focus on constructing theoretical models that take social media as an intermediary variable and connect the logical path from emotion to behavior and then to identity.
This paper provides realistic snapshots and in-depth navigation on phonological variation transpired in typical conversations among Rizaleños, specifically on intonational patterns within the context of Tagalog as spoken across Rizal Province, Philippines. The inadequacy of documents pertaining to language research on this unique regional variety, the study fills a significant gap by analyzing 420 conversational corpora collected from 13 municipalities and one city of the Province. The study utilizes qualitative and quantitative methods, through David Brazil’s Intonational System framework which acoustic analyses through WavePad software to identify and characterize tonal patterns, including tone, key, termination, and prominence. The findings disclose significant intonational diversity linked closely to geographical variation, forming a distinct melodic contour that exemplifies the linguistic "DNA" of Rizaleño Tagalog. Remarkably, the results highlight that numerous municipalities in the province are in danger of linguistic attrition due to urban migration, social media language evolvement, and external factors, underscoring the impending peril to their phonological heritage. Despite these risks, Rizaleños actively maintain their language and culture through unique prosodic features that uphold local identity and day to day speech dynamics. In the end, the study adds valuable empirical evidence to Philippine sociolinguistics, emphasizing the fundamental function of intonation in regional language variation and identity protection. It advocates for continuous documentation and revitalization initiatives to sustain the phonological identity and uniqueness of Tagalog Rizaleño for future generations.
Background Sleep problems are common among university students due to academic stress, lifestyle factors, and psychological distress and may adversely affect physical and mental health, academic performance, and social functioning. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have increasingly been used as a non-pharmacological approach to improve sleep health; however, previous findings remain inconsistent, and evidence specifically addressing sleep quality in university students remains limited. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the effects of MBIs on sleep quality in university students and explore factors that may account for variations in intervention effects. Methods We searched seven databases—PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO, the Cochrane Library, Scopus, Embase, and ScienceDirect—from inception to June 26, 2026. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating MBIs for sleep quality in university students were included. Two reviewers independently conducted study selection, data extraction, and risk-of-bias assessment using the RoB 2 tool. Meta-analysis was conducted in Stata 17.0 using a random-effects model. Subgroup analyses, sensitivity analyses, publication bias assessment, and GRADE assessment were also performed. Results Ten RCTs involving 638 university students were included, with 335 participants in the intervention groups and 303 in the control groups. MBIs significantly improved sleep quality [SMD = −0.97, 95% CI (−1.43, −0.51), p < 0.001], although substantial heterogeneity was observed ( I 2 = 85.1%). Subgroup analyses revealed statistically significant between-group differences with respect to sleep-outcome measurement instrument ( p = 0.001), intervention type ( p = 0.009), and session duration ( p = 0.030), indicating that these variables may partially account for the observed heterogeneity. Sensitivity analyses supported the robustness of the pooled results. Egger’s test revealed no evidence of significant publication bias ( p = 0.270). The certainty of the evidence was rated as low according to the GRADE framework. Conclusion MBIs may improve sleep quality in university students. However, given the substantial heterogeneity and low certainty of evidence, further high-quality RCTs are needed to confirm these findings. Systematic review registration CRD420261458068, https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420261458068 .
Background Warship crews live and work for extended periods in confined spaces, separated from their families and exposed to high operational demands. While psychosocial risks in naval and maritime work are increasingly documented, little is known about how sailors collectively organize, regulate, and adapt their daily activity aboard combat vessels. To our knowledge, no psychological study has documented collective activity in situ aboard a French warship. Objective Document sailors’ professional practices, collective dynamics, and psychosocial aspects in situ during an eight-day embarkation aboard a French multi-mission frigate. Method This is a descriptive and qualitative study, of the experience report type, carried out in March 2026 during an eight-day embarkation aboard a French Navy European Multi-Mission Frigate taking part in a high-intensity exercise in the Atlantic. Data were collected through unstructured participant observation, from an observer-as-participant position. Inductive analysis drew on grounded theory and work psychology literature. Results Three mechanisms emerged. First, rank-based messes provided spaces for peer interaction, informal regulation, and the expression of tensions. Second, sailors used situational leeway to adapt their activity to operational constraints and develop practical solutions. Third, interactions between experienced and less experienced sailors supported the transmission of knowledge, practices, and norms, contributing to collective memory and professional continuity. Conclusion These findings illustrate how professional practices, collective dynamics, and psychosocial aspects are intertwined in sailors’ daily activity aboard a French warship. Informal collective spaces, opportunities to adapt work activity, and the transmission of the professional genre between experienced sailors and newcomers support professional activity.
The Ig Nobel Prize, a spoof on Nobel Prize, has long performed a valuable service to science.It honours achievements that make people laugh and then think [1].Global Health, after several decades of earnest endeavour, would seem ready for similar recognition.I therefore propose, with all due humility, the establishment of an Ig Nobel Prize for Global Health.There is, of course, no intention to mock Global Health, which is too noble, and the inequalities it seeks to address too consequential.But, like most human enterprises, Global Health has acquired its own vocabulary, rituals, paradoxes and unintended ironies.The proposed Ig Nobel Prize for Global Health would therefore recognise such phenomena for their ability to make us laugh first, think second, and perhaps recognise a little of ourselves in the process.Five examples readily come to mind.
Purpose This longitudinal study examined the development of complex syntax in Spanish–English bilingual children with and without developmental language disorder (DLD) from prekindergarten (PK) to 3rd grade. We evaluated syntactic complexity and grammaticality using Subordination Index (SI) and ungrammaticality (UG), overall subordinate clause use using the percentage of complex utterances, and subordinate clause-type development (nominal, adverbial, and relative clauses) in English and Spanish. Method Fifty-four bilingual children (39 typically developing TDL, 15 DLD) completed narrative retells in English and Spanish in PK, 1st, and 3rd grade. Language samples were analyzed using SALT-derived SI and UG measures, and utterances were coded for subordinate clause presence and type. Linear mixed models examined the effects of Grade and Group separately by language and outcome. Results Both groups showed developmental increases in syntactic complexity and subordination across grades, but patterns differed by language. In English, TDL and DLD children showed broadly similar growth, with no significant group differences in SI, overall subordinate clause use, or clause-type production. In Spanish, the heritage language, group differences were more pronounced. TDL children showed significant gains in overall subordination and nominal clause use, whereas children with DLD showed limited growth after 1st grade. Clause-type analyses revealed reduced growth and lower diversity of subordinate clauses in Spanish among children with DLD, particularly for nominal clauses. Conclusions Complex syntax developed in both groups across languages; however, Spanish showed greater vulnerability than English, particularly for children with DLD. Clause-type analyses revealed group differences not fully captured by global syntactic measures, highlighting the importance of examining complex syntax in the heritage language. This study provides longitudinal evidence of distinct syntactic trajectories across the two languages in bilingual children with and without DLD.
Research on information and communication technology (ICT) use and educational outcomes has reported positive, negative, and null associations, and little is known about creative thinking, which Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) assessed for the first time in 2022. This study examined how profiles of ICT use relate to creative thinking and whether profile membership predicts creative thinking beyond the dimensions of use from which the profiles are derived. Using data from a large international sample of PISA 2022 students, latent profile analysis of the six Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) dimensions of ICT use identified four profiles that differed mainly in the overall level of use. Creative thinking was compared across profiles using all plausible values, replicate weights and a bias-adjusted three-step approach, and random forest models compared the predictive value of the profiles and the dimensions. Students with below-average use scored highest, followed by those with above-average use, whereas students with very low and very high use scored lowest. The low scores at the two ends had different correlates: adjustment for socioeconomic status and gender substantially reduced the gap for very low use but left the gap for very high use almost unchanged. In the random forest models, the six dimensions predicted creative thinking better than profile membership did. Partial dependence plots showed higher predicted scores with more school activities outside the classroom and lower predicted scores with high weekday leisure use and more support or feedback via ICT. The findings suggest that the association between ICT use and creative thinking is not linear, and that profiles based on the level of use are useful for describing groups of students but carry less information than the dimensions of use.
Background Helping professionals face elevated risks of compassion fatigue and burnout, yet the daily processes through which emotional transformation occurs during therapeutic interventions remain poorly understood. This study examined how participants’ daily reflections shifted across the Emotion-Focused Training for Helping Professions (EFT-HP), analyzed through three complementary theoretical frameworks: Emotion-Focused Therapy's inner dialogue model (self-criticism, self-compassion, self-protection), Compassion-Focused Therapy's three-systems framework (threat, drive, soothing), and Ekman's basic emotion theory (primary emotions). Method Two hundred twenty-five helping professionals (88.0% female; M age = 38.7 years) from healthcare, social work, psychology, and education began the 14-day online EFT-HP intervention. Primary analyses focused on the 146 participants who completed at least 9 of the 14 days (completers), whose daily written reflections yielded 7,307 coded reflection units. Reflections were analyzed with directed content analysis and frequency quantification, applying non-exclusive, AI-assisted coding within three theoretical frameworks—EFT inner-dialogue categories, CFT emotion-regulation systems, and Ekman's discrete emotions—with a verbatim textual evidence excerpt retained for every assigned code. Results Across the intervention, participants’ reflections shifted from threat- and self-criticism-related content toward soothing and self-compassion. Within the EFT inner-dialogue framework, Self-Compassion was the most frequent category (17.9% of units) and was sustained throughout (Day-13 peak 30.8%), while Self-Criticism fell from 14.3% on Day 1 to 3.9% on Day 14 (73% relative decrease) and Self-Protection peaked on Day 6 (11.3%). Within the CFT emotion-regulation framework, the soothing system was the most frequently coded system overall (31.8% of units), followed by drive (20.4%); over the 14 days the threat system declined from 35.4% on Day 1 to 7.0% on Day 14 (80% relative decrease). Within Ekman's discrete-emotion framework, specific emotions were named less frequently: Fear declined from 2.7% to 0.8%, Anger peaked on Day 6 (15.0%), Joy rose to a Day-13 peak (14.8%), and Love was comparatively prominent (11.9% overall, Day-5 peak). Conclusions Across the 14-day intervention, participants’ daily reflections showed substantial shifts in emotional content, characterized by marked self-criticism and threat reduction alongside sustained self-compassion and soothing activation. Triangulated findings across three analytical frameworks: EFT inner dialogue, CFT emotion systems, and Ekman's primary emotions, are consistent with the emotional-transformation processes proposed by EFT-HP and with findings from previous controlled trials. Because the three frameworks were applied to the same reflection data, their convergence reflects analytic (theoretical) triangulation rather than independent confirmation.
Aim and background: Sleep is a biological necessity essential for physical and mental well-being, yet many young adults, particularly college students, experience sleep disruptions due to major life changes and poor sleep hygiene.This study aimed to identify the determinants of insomnia among undergraduate female students in a rural area of Haryana.Materials and methods: A mixed-method study was conducted between May 2024 and May 2025 involving 340 undergraduate female students.Quantitative data were collected using a semi-structured socio-demographic questionnaire and the insomnia severity index (ISI).Qualitative insights were gathered through in-depth interviews (IDI) with 15 students identified with clinically significant insomnia.Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software version 26, with significance set at p < 0.05.Results: The prevalence of clinically significant insomnia in the cohort was 5.6% (n = 19).Quantitative analysis revealed that the participant's state of origin was the only statistically significant socio-demographic determinant (p = 0.031).Students from states other than Haryana reported a significantly higher insomnia prevalence (12.5%) compared to those from Haryana (4.2%).Factors such as age, socio-economic status, and type of occupancy showed no significant correlation.Qualitative themes highlighted academic performance, overuse of electronic devices, social environment, and psycho-social stress as primary triggers.Conclusion: While the prevalence of insomnia is relatively low, it is significantly driven by academic transitions, excessive screen time, and communal living challenges.A notable awareness-action gap exists, as students recognize the importance of sleep but prefer self-management or mindfulness over professional clinical help.
Abstract We investigated public beliefs about the extent to which mental disorders are perceived to be part of the true self, that is, the set of traits and behaviors that compose one’s core character. We conducted three quantitative vignette-based studies (total n = 601) in UK general public samples, considering seven disorders (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anorexia nervosa, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)). For each disorder, participants rated how much the disorder reflects the vignette character’s true self, along with perceived causes of the disorders (studies 1 and 2), perceived severity, age of onset, duration, probability of recovery (study 2), and stigmatization (study 3). Disorders differed sharply in the extent to which they were judged to be part of the true self: ADHD, ASD, and OCD received higher true self ratings than major depressive disorder, anorexia nervosa, and schizophrenia, with bipolar disorder intermediate. A disorder was rated more ‘true self’ when it was: perceived as more “biologically” caused; less “psychologically” caused; less severe; and recovery was perceived as less likely. Although the extent of stigmatization also varied across disorders, true self ratings did not predict stigmatization. Our results show that the public thinks about different mental disorders in quite different ways, suggesting that different disorders should not be lumped together when considering attitudes and their consequences.
This study develops an approach to predict personality traits based on the Big Five model through essay text by combining global and contextual information using a Vocabulary Graph Convolutional Network (VGCN) and Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT). VGCN is used to capture global relationships between words through a vocabulary graph representation built based on NPMI weights, while BERT plays a role in producing richer and more contextual text representations. Experimental results show that the integration of structural and contextual features can provide good performance in multi-label classification tasks. Based on the grid search process and 5-fold cross-validation, the best model configuration obtained a macro F1 score of 0.6827 and a weighted F1 score of 0.6829 in out-of-fold prediction. The evaluation results for each feature show that the recall value is close to 1.0, while the precision value ranges from 0.50 to 0.56. This condition indicates a tendency for the model to produce more positive predictions. Furthermore, the results of the study highlight the importance of optimizing the prediction threshold value to obtain a more optimal compromise between precision and recall. Overall, the integration of graph-based semantic information with contextual representations from BERT shows that the VGCN-BERT approach has good potential for application in multi-label personality classification
Background Trans, non-binary and gender diverse (TNBGD) sexual function has historically been narrowly defined as physical capacities following medical and surgical gender affirming (GA) interventions; and this population's sexual health has been researched more in terms of external influences considered risky rather than being founded in individuals' desires and needs. This can produce discrepancies between services and people who access them. This study explores the service-related barriers, facilitators and compensatory strategies for TNBGD people seeking healthcare related to sexual function. Methods Based on qualitative interview data from n = 19 TNBGD adults in the UK, the dataset was deductively analyzed using Levesque's framework of healthcare access. Results TNBGD people face barriers in distance and transport to appropriate sexual health services, overlaps between sexual healthcare and GA services, and limits in professionals' TNBGD specific knowledge and cultural competence. To navigate these TNGBD people pursued independent knowledge acquisition, were selective during clinical interactions and access, and sought to meet their needs outside clinical settings. The analytical themes demonstrate varied barriers and their interrelatedness. For example, acceptability of a service was informed by the appropriateness of clinician's knowledge and interactions. In turn, TNBGD people's anticipation of un (der) met needs motivated compensatory measures, such as seeking information online or from peers before approaching formal services or sometimes instead of approaching them. Conclusions Healthcare services' design and delivery can present significant barriers to TNBGD adults seeking healthcare to support their sexual function. Providers' ways of interacting may offset some of the barriers and TNBGD adults may deploy strategies that enable them to access care that leads to satisfactory health outcomes. However, while significant barriers persist, TNBGD adults are liable to have unmet needs and consequent health inequalities.
The article examines how prolonged wartime risks transform the marketing value of Facility Management (FM) in the corporate B2B segment of the office property market. It shows that customer value increasingly extends beyond routine service delivery, price and SLA compliance toward business continuity, responsiveness, risk reduction, transparency and organizational resilience. The study combines services marketing, perceived value, relationship marketing, business continuity and resilience approaches with qualitative analysis of recurring FM practices in Ukraine. A four-level model of FM value evolution is proposed: Operational FM, Integrated FM, Risk-oriented FM and Resilience-oriented FM. The findings support a shift from service-list and price-based positioning toward differentiation based on measurable business outcomes, adaptability and continuity support.
Abstract Objectives We hypothesized that benzodiazepine/z-drug (BZRA) dose, insomnia symptoms, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) risk are associated with cognitive performance above and beyond other modifiable dementia risk factors. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we used baseline data from recruited patients without dementia from one VA site and one academic site to analyze regression models based on previously published risk factors for cognitive impairment, adapted to include sleep and benzodiazepine usage interactions. Changes in R 2 and model fit (F-tests) were examined for four nested regression models predicting Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Trail Making Test (TMT)-A, TMT-B, and Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST). Base Models included common dementia risk factors. Model-2 = Base + Insomnia Severity Index; Model-3 = Model-2 + dose; Model-4 = Model-3 + OSA risk; and Model-5 = Model-4 + OSA-BZRA. Results R 2 for the base model predicting MMSE was 0.139 (n = 313), 0.241 for TMT-A (n = 298), 0.229 for TMT-B (n = 287), and 0.189 for DSST (n = 285). Model-5 R 2 was 0.142 for MMSE, 0.246 for TMT-A, 0.238 for TMT-B, and 0.190 for DSST, with all F-test p-values >.145. Conclusions Sleep disorder variables did not significantly explain additional variation in cognition performance. Studies with a wider range of cognitive performance are needed.
Human well-being has received increasing attention as an indicator of individual and social health and as a consideration in public policy. Gender differences in subjective well-being (SWB), a widely accepted indicator of human well-being, have long been documented. However, explanations of these gender differences remain varied and inconclusive. This study utilizes Gallup World Poll data comprising 1,911,212 observations from 2009 to 2022. Employing advanced machine-learning techniques within an Exogenous Switching Treatment Effect Model (ESTEM) framework, we decompose the gender gap in SWB into differences in characteristics and differences in regime-specific returns. Conditional on observed characteristics and under a common predictive regime, the model predicts higher SWB for men. In contrast, the regime-specific returns component is associated with lower predicted well-being under the male regime. This component also increases over time, widening the estimated gender gap in SWB, while its magnitude varies across countries. The results suggest the potential relevance of institutional flexibility and reduced gender-role pressures for addressing gender disparities in human well-being.
Background: Brief psychological treatment programmes in primary care are increasingly used to address common mental disorders (CMDs), yet patient outcomes remain heterogeneous. Routine symptom measures may help identify patients who are more or less likely to achieve clinically meaningful change and may support treatment planning within stepped-care systems. This study examined associations between baseline depressive and anxiety symptom severity predicted reliable improvement and reliable recovery following brief psychological treatment in a real-world primary care programme. Methods: This secondary analysis used routinely collected data from 512 adults treated in a real-world primary care psychological intervention programme. Participants were assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) before and after brief psychological treatment. Baseline demographic and clinical variables, including age, sex, number of sessions, and PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores, were examined according to reliable improvement and reliable recovery status. Logistic regression analyses examined associations between baseline variables and treatment outcomes. Results: Reliable improvement was observed in 73.6% of participants, whereas 53.3% achieved reliable recovery. Higher baseline anxiety severity was associated with reliable improvement (odds ratio [OR] = 1.16, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08–1.23), whereas lower depressive severity predicted reliable recovery (OR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.88–0.96). Fewer treatment sessions were associated with both reliable improvement and reliable recovery. Age and sex were not significantly associated with outcomes. Conclusions: Baseline anxiety and depressive symptom severity may be relevant for understanding variability in clinically meaningful outcomes following brief psychological interventions in primary care. Patients presenting with greater depressive symptom burden may benefit from closer monitoring and more intensive or extended treatment pathways within stepped-care models.
In corridors shared by humans and robots, mobile robots should follow paths that are comfortable for passengers and observers. Previous studies have examined straight corridors with uniform width; however, actual environments include varying-width corridors, such as hallways connected to open spaces or containing static obstacles. Comfortable path design in such environments is unclear, and differences between passenger and observer preferences remain underexplored. This study provides initial, context-specific empirical evidence on comfort preferences among robot paths in varying-width corridors from passenger and observer perspectives. Through experiments (n = 35), three paths were examined: a straight wall-following path, a center path with a small heading change, and a wall-following path with a larger heading change. Each path was evaluated in two perspectives (passenger and observer) and two environments with sudden or gradual width changes. Comfort was measured by ranking the three paths. A Plackett–Luce model was used to test within-condition path preferences, the effects of perspective and environment, and their interaction. Across all conditions, the straight wall-following path was mainly preferred. In the sudden-change environment, path preference differed significantly between perspectives: passengers preferred the center path over the path with the larger heading change, whereas observers showed no such preference and rated the latter relatively higher. No significant effect of environment or interaction was detected. These findings suggest that, within the scenarios tested, smaller heading changes are associated with comfort, whereas less center-aligned motion may be particularly relevant when observer comfort is prioritized.
Stress is a major contributor to physical and mental health disorders, underscoring the need for reliable and interpretable detection systems. We present an interpretable multimodal deep learning framework that integrates electrocardiogram (ECG), electrodermal activity (EDA), and respiration signals using modality-specific neural architectures complemented by feature-based classical models. To ensure robustness and generalizability, the framework was evaluated under both subject-independent and subject-dependent protocols. Results show that multimodal fusion consistently outperformed single modalities, achieving 94.8% accuracy, 93.9% F1-score, and 0.97 AUC under subject-independent validation, compared with 86–91% accuracy for individual signals. In subject-dependent experiments, performance reached 97.2% accuracy and 96.8% F1-score. Comparative analysis with recent state-of-the-art methods demonstrated the competitiveness of our approach, while ablation studies confirmed the contribution of each modality and fusion strategy. Statistical significance testing with ( p < 0.05) further validated the reliability of these gains. Importantly, interpretability analyses using Grad-CAM and attention visualization provided physiological insights, revealing that the model emphasizes clinically meaningful regions such as ECG R-peaks and phasic EDA fluctuations. By uniting high performance, robustness, and interpretability, this work advances stress detection research and offers a physiologically grounded framework for continuous mental health monitoring.
Introduction This cross-sectional, exploratory study investigated the association between physical exercise (PE) and social anxiety (SA) among 862 left-behind adolescents in China. It examined emotion regulation abilities (ERA) and peer relationships (PR) as potential mediators and gender as a moderator in this association. Methods A cross-sectional exploratory design was adopted. Participants were 862 Chinese left-behind adolescents. Path analysis was used to test the hypothesized sequential mediation model and gender moderation effect. Results Path analysis revealed that PE was negatively associated with SA. Each separate path of the hypothesized sequential chain (PE → ERA, ERA → PR, PR → SA) was statistically significant, while the overall sequential mediation effect (PE → ERA → PR → SA) was non-significant (95% CI included zero). This indicated that the significant PE–ERA association had a small effect size and could not propagate fully through the chain to SA. The direct path from PE to PR was also non-significant. The data favoured independent mediation pathways rather than a sequential mediation process. Gender moderated the pathway: the positive PE–ERA association was significant for females but non-significant for males. Discussion The findings are hypothesis-generating rather than confirmatory and require replication via longitudinal research. For vulnerable adolescents, PE may help build emotional competence, which contributes to improved peer bonds. Interventions could integrate emotion-regulation skill training into physical activity programmes, particularly targeting female adolescents. Due to the cross-sectional nature of the study, causal conclusions cannot be drawn.
Perceptual expertise is widely assumed to refine multisensory perception, yet the empirical literature appears inconsistent. Trained musicians show narrower audiovisual temporal integration windows and quicker segregation, whereas experienced wine tasters seem more influenced by a wine's color in their aroma and flavor judgments than novices are. We argue that the inconsistency arises from a conflation of two formally distinct quantities: the prior probability that concurrent signals arise from a common source, and the coupling between the values of signals that share one. We present a generative model in which both are free parameters, along with channel precision and a decision criterion, that contains causal-inference and coupling-prior models as special cases. The model shows that the correlation between the values of two signals across an environment reflects only the product of the two priors, so that a correlation-tracking learner acquires the coupling when the signals always share a source, whereas separating the two priors requires representing causal structure; that binary common-source reports confound the common-cause prior with the decision criterion; that the coupling trades off against the measurement noise of the influencing channel unless its precision is measured independently; and that the two priors leave distinct signatures in how cross-modal influence varies with disparity. When the source is fixed, as for the color and odor of a wine, tighter coupling alone produces the conjunction of greater displacement by color and better discrimination between wines reported for experienced tasters, which no change in odor precision can produce. Simulations of a test battery combining continuous estimates, common-source reports and discrimination thresholds show that the parameters can be recovered, that a within-subject dissociation can be detected with conventional sample sizes under illustrative effect sizes, and that recovery fails in certain cases. The account yields a rule classifying environments by their base rate of common causation and their coupling strength, and the same ambiguity attends claims about altered multisensory processing in autism and aging. We also show that the most cited demonstration of expert susceptibility to color contains no expertise manipulation, and suggest that apparent expert biases may reflectwind calibration to real-world statistics.
