פרסומים

Abstract

Intragroup empathy is vital for resilience. However, it is often impaired in advantaged-dominated environments when one adopts advantaged-group characteristics to climb the social ladder. The current work examines contextual factors that may affect intragroup empathy: the motivation behind adopting the advantaged-group characteristics, and negative encounters with members of the advantaged group. We hypothesized that coercively, versus willingly, adopting advantaged-group characteristics will increase intragroup empathy both when the outcomes are negative and positive. We further hypothesized that a negative encounter with an advantaged-group member would increase intragroup empathy, compared to no encounter. In three studies, Palestinian students in Israeli academia were assigned to read scripts depicting the academic experience of a Palestinian student adopting advantaged-group characteristics. We tested (a) the effects of motivation following a negative outcome (N = 182); (b) the effects following a positive outcome (N = 205); and (c) the interaction between a negative encounter with an advantaged-group member and motivation, and its effect on intragroup empathy (N = 282). Intragroup empathy was higher in the coerced condition compared to the free-willing condition both for negative and positive outcomes. A negative encounter with an advantaged-group member increased intragroup empathy in the willing condition. By illuminating contextual variables that shape intragroup empathy, this research shows that impairment in intragroup empathy is not inevitable. This work may serve as a foundation for future interventions.

Security concerns about immigration are on the rise. Many countries respond by fortifying their borders. Yet little is known about the influence of border security measures on perceived threat from immigration. Borders might facilitate group identities and spread fear of outsiders. In contrast, they might enhance citizens’ sense of security and control over immigration. We test these claims using survey experiments run on a quota sample of over 1000 Americans. The findings show that allocating more government resources to border security increases desired levels of immigration. This effect is likely driven by a sense of control over immigration, induced by border security measures even when the number or characteristics of immigrants remain unchanged. Our findings suggest that border controls, which are widely considered as symbols of closure and isolation, can increase public support for immigration.
 

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a major grain legume grown worldwide as a staple protein source. Traditionally, it is a rain-fed crop, but supplemental irrigation can increase yields and counteract the challenges posed by the changing climate worldwide. A fast and non-destructive plant water status assessment method may streamline irrigation management. The main objective of this study was to remotely assess the leaf water potential (LWP) and leaf area index (LAI) of field-grown chickpea. Five irrigation treatments were applied in two farm experiments and two commercial fields. Ground hyperspectral canopy reflectance and Vegetation and Environment monitoring on a New Micro-Satellite (VENµS) images acquired throughout the study. In parallel, LWP and LAI measurements were captured in the field. Vegetation indices (VIs) and machine learning (ML) based on all spectral bands were used to calibrate and validate spectral estimation models. The normalized difference spectral index (NDSI) that used bands on 1600 and 1730 nm (NDSI(1600,1730)) selected in the current study yielded the LWP lowest estimation error on independent validation (RMSE = 0.19 [MPa]) using linear regression. VENµS based VIs resulted in relatively lower LWP estimation accuracy (RMSE = 0.23–0.29 [MPa]) compared to VIs calculated from ground hyperspectral data (RMSE = 0.19–0.21 [MPa]). Artificial neural network (ANN) models for LWP from ground and space spectral data showed similar performances (RMSE = 0.15–0.17 [MPa]), and were both more accurate than VIs. LWP response to the irrigation treatments was faster than the LAI response and was captured by the NDSI(1600,1730). The low correlation found between LWP and LAI (r = 0.08–0.44) supports the conclusion that spectral reflectance of chickpea canopy can be used to estimate LWP per se and is only partially affected by morphological changes induced by irrigation treatments and canopy development. The ability to rapidly estimate chickpea LWP may improve irrigation scheduling in the future.