Cosmopolitan cities: the frontier in the twenty-first century?

Deviation from Design: A Meta-Analytic Review on the Link Between Social Media Use and Less Connection Between the Self and Others

Social media were designed to connect people and support interpersonal relationships. However, whether social media use is linked to the connection between the self and others is unknown. The present research reviewed findings across psychology to address whether social media use is linked to defining and expressing the self as connected to others (i.e., interdependence) versus separate from others (i.e., independence) and whether this link appears in both individualistic and collectivistic cultures. Eligible studies reported an association between social media use (e.g., time spent, frequency of use) and a characteristic supportive of independence (e.g., narcissism, envy, self-enhancement). Meta-analytic results of 133 effect sizes across the reviewed studies show that social media use is linked to independence rather than interdependence. This relationship was more pronounced in collectivistic cultures than in individualistic cultures. These findings suggest that characteristics linked to social media use differ from what one might expect based on the design of social media to connect people.

Mobility, independent agency, and cosmopolitan settlement: Evidence from Chinese senior undergraduates

Cosmopolitan cities share similarities with historical frontiers, including potential opportunities for economic success, high social mobility, weakened traditional conventions, and adventure and novel experiences. Individuals with high independence typically prefer to settle in cosmopolitan cities. However, previous research testing this cosmopolitan settlement hypothesis did not consider the influence of relational mobility and residential mobility. Moreover, the mechanisms that drive people to prefer cosmopolitan cities remain unclear. This study examines the relationships among independence, relational mobility, residential mobility, and preference for cosmopolitan cities among 296 Chinese senior undergraduates. The results indicate that: (1) independence remains a positive predictor of the preference for cosmopolitan cities above and beyond relational mobility, residential mobility (i.e., history, state, and intention), and other covariates; (2) intention of residential mobility also positively predicts preference for cosmopolitan cities when controlling for related covariates; and (3) relational mobility indirectly predicts perceived preference for cosmopolitan cities through dependence. This research underscores the importance of identifying the factors and mechanisms affecting cosmopolitan settlement.

Characterizing Unaccompanied Foreign Minors: Educational Level and Length of Stay as Individual Difference Factors That Impact Academic Self-Efficacy

The aim of the present study is to analyze individual differences in academic self-efficacy within a population of Unaccompanied Foreign Minors (UFM) from the European cities of Ceuta and Melilla (Spain). Variables describing educational level and length of stay were considered in a sample of 377 individuals being cared for in different youth centers. Of these, 63.4% belonged to the group who had stayed at the center for less than 9 months and 36.6% reported a length of stay of more than 9 months. The age of participants ranged between 8 and 17 years old (M = 14.87 years). Once the quality parameters of the instrument (academic self-efficacy) were elaborated, reliability and validity was confirmed through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) methodology. Data collection was then initiated. The results overall indicate that 87.6% of those who completed the questionnaire reported a higher level of self-efficacy with regards to working with any classmate, whilst at the same time seeing themselves as capable of achieving good marks. ANOVA results indicated significant differences with respect to educational level and length of stay. In this regard, students who had received professional training and had been at the Center for more than 9 months, were the ones who developed greater academic self-efficacy for spending more time working when tasks were judged to be difficult. The results obtained demonstrate that any intervention will be positive as long as it promotes different institutions to develop strategies that cater to a length of stay of more than 9 months and target education, academic self-efficacy, socialization and strengthening the future workforce. Such interventions can be directed through new European, Spanish or local level policies. It is clear that institutions still have a lot of work left to do.

Personal Learning Environments that Facilitate Socio-Educational Integration of Unaccompanied Foreign Minors

The aim of the present study was to predict the variables that facilitate integration of unaccompanied foreign minors (UFM) and to develop personal learning environment (PLE) questionnaire dimensions with respect to social integration of UFM. Methods: A social study that was descriptive in nature was conducted with a quantitative empirical-analytical focus. Results: Results from discriminant function analysis indicate that 86% of group membership was correctly classified from gender alone, with female learning environments leading to greater future success. Conclusions: It can be concluded that the predictive results possess methodological coherence. Thus, from them we can propose possible development strategies, particularly targeting males, in order to improve learning and promote social integration. According to the results obtained, improvement of learning strategies and strengthening of the very learning environments, demands new policies to be established which promote emotional improvement and better futures for UFM, especially males.

Ongoing Voluntary Settlement and Independent Agency: Evidence from China

Voluntary frontier settlement leads to independent agency. Since this type of research has not yet been implemented in ongoing voluntary settlement frontiers, we conducted several cultural tasks to investigate Shenzhen, known as China's ongoing "South Frontier," which is composed mostly of people that have emigrated from other Chinese provinces within the past 30 years. We hypothesized that residents of Shenzhen are more independent than those in other regions of Mainland China. As predicted, residents of Shenzhen scored higher than China inland residents in self-reported independent beliefs and scored lower in nepotism. The results indicate that, even in a short-term ongoing frontier, voluntary settlement is associated with independent agency.