social_science papers | Gist.Science

Complexity Suppression: An Institutional Theory of Governmental Cognition in Complex Policy Systems

This article proposes "complexity suppression" as a mechanism-based institutional theory explaining how governments' necessary simplification of complex realities into authoritative representations can lead to policy failure by excluding critical causal dynamics, filtering contradictory feedback, and accumulating cognitive debt, ultimately arguing that effective governance requires a disciplined balance between simplification for action and the preservation of sufficient systemic variety for learning and correction.

Mohammed Alotaibi2026-09-14

📄 social science

Analysing Tutor Involvement, Institutional Assistance, and Their Influence on the Fidelity of Bachelor of Education Curriculum Execution via Teacher Professional Development Initiatives at Ghana's Colleges of Education

This mixed-methods study of Ghanaian Colleges of Education demonstrates that structured, collaborative Teacher Professional Development significantly enhances the fidelity of Bachelor of Education curriculum implementation by improving tutor competency, aligning assessments with National Teachers' Standards, and reducing inter-college disparities through systematic mentoring and evaluation.

Emmanuel Adom Ashun, Regina kwaw Nsiah, Anthony Bordoh, Theophilus Kweku Bassaw, Isaac Eshun2026-09-14

📄 social science

Experiences of Stigma Associated with Psychotherapy Among Chinese International Students in the United Kingdom

Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis on interviews with four Chinese international students in the UK, this study reveals that psychotherapy-related stigma is a relational process where participants navigate compromised normality, selectively manage self-disclosure to protect themselves, and endure emotional costs from misrecognition, highlighting the need for services to address power dynamics and foster felt safety.

Qixiao Wu2026-09-14

📄 social science

On the happiness roller-coaster with SDR 2.0 data

This paper introduces the Survey Data Recycling 2.0 (SDR 2.0) database as a comprehensive resource for subjective well-being research, detailing its harmonized individual-level data across 156 countries and demonstrating its potential to advance cross-national and longitudinal studies on topics such as the Easterlin paradox and the determinants of life satisfaction.

Francesco Sarracino, Giulia Slater2026-09-14

📄 social science

Governing through fragmentation: Waste marketization and contamination rights in semi-peripheral EU regions

This article argues that despite comprehensive EU regulations and penalties, the fragmentation of regulatory authority across supranational, national, and regional levels has created accountability gaps that enable criminal networks to exploit illegal waste trafficking, leading to persistent municipal waste crises in semi-peripheral regions like Italy, Greece, and Bulgaria.

Julianna Faludi2026-09-14

📄 social science

From Social Support to Well-Being Among Chinese Professional Football Players: The Mediating Role of Communication Resilience Processes

This longitudinal study of Chinese professional football players reveals that while family support directly enhances well-being, support from significant others and friends promotes well-being by fostering communication resilience processes, with continuity specifically aiding meaning in life and change driving life satisfaction.

Lijie Du2026-09-14

📄 social science

Does the Measure Make the Effect? A Specification-Curve Analysis of Social-Media Use and Mental Health in Indian Adolescents

This study's first specification-curve analysis of Indian adolescents reveals that the perceived link between social media use and mental health is highly dependent on measurement choices, with attitudinal and intensity-based metrics showing significant but small associations while objective usage counts remain largely inert.

Geetesh Kumar Singh, Vidushi Jaswal2026-09-14

📄 social science

Impulsivity and Trait Anger as Predictors of Binge-Eating Disorder Symptom Intensity in Adult Women

This study of 225 adult women with binge-eating disorder reveals that while trait anger and impulsivity are significant predictors of symptom intensity, their weak associations suggest they represent only one component of a more complex psychopathological mechanism.

Karolina Lewandowska, Waldemar Klinkosz, Wojciech Styk, Justyna Iskra2026-09-14

📄 social science

Digital Parenting in the Global South: Integrating Digital Media into Everyday Toddler Care and Family Life

This study examines how South Asian parents in the Global South manage digital tools for toddler care by identifying three culturally specific dimensions—Digital Influence on Family Relationships, Parental Control Expectancy, and Perceived Development Impact—that extend existing technology acceptance models to better reflect collectivist values and resource constraints.

Mihiri Wickramasinghe, Sulochana Dissanayake, Dhanuja Somathilake2026-09-14

📄 social science

Sibling Relationships and Anxiety Symptoms: An Exploration of Heterogenous Subgroups

This study of 516 young adults utilized latent class analysis to identify four distinct sibling relationship profiles, revealing that individuals experiencing high levels of both positive and negative interactions or predominantly negative interactions report significantly higher anxiety symptoms compared to those with very positive or low-intensity satisfied relationships.

Laura Finan, Chang Su-Russell2026-09-14

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