Employers are encouraged to embrace neurodiversity

UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO

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image: Dr Dana L. Ott 

Credit: University of Otago

Unwavering focus, superior analytical ability and mathematical talent are just some of the untapped skills neurodivergent people can bring to workplaces, a University of Otago researcher has highlighted.

Lead author Dr Dana L. Ott, of the Department of Management, has written a report which provides practical recommendations for multinational corporations (MNCs) to improve their neurodiversity inclusion.

Neurodiversity refers to neurological differences in the human brain, and includes a range of conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Dr Ott says there are multiple benefits to encouraging diversity in the workplace, yet neurodivergent people are often unemployed.

“Embracing neurodiversity is both the smart and the right thing to do,” she says.

“Employing and supporting neurodivergent people within organisations also means potentially gaining access to a variety of skills.

“These include, but are not limited to, unwavering focus and pattern recognition capabilities, excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities, and memory and mathematical skills.”

The report, published in AIB Insights, recommends ways for MNCs to embrace neurodiversity.

Dr Ott says the first step is for employers to forget everything they think they know about neurodiversity and get to know the person.

“This should include asking them what adjustments or accommodations will help support them to reach their full potential but also allowing them to tell you about their skills and strengths, and the challenges they face.”

Employers should also aim to develop ways in which they can allow for individualisation throughout the employee lifecycle.

An important starting point is to ditch the traditional recruitment processes – resume reviews and formal interviews – which can potentially disadvantage neurodivergent candidates, Dr Ott says.

“It would be much more meaningful and insightful to take a strengths-based approach and develop opportunities for each individual to demonstrate their capabilities.

“Diversity is about visible and invisible uniqueness among individuals so we cannot use the same measures and ways of evaluating all potential employees.

“If companies want to support and capture diversity, they need to be accommodating to give individuals the opportunity to show what they are capable of.”

Finally, MNCs should develop a culture where neurodivergent employees feel safe disclosing their condition without the fear of being stigmatised or discriminated against.

These recommendations can be implemented in a range of organisations, no matter the size.

In some cases, employers of smaller companies may find it easier.

“Organisations need to be champions of diversity, and this requires having, recognising, harnessing, and celebrating diversity at all levels.

“Everyone deserves the opportunity to gain meaningful work.”

ETRI leads international standardization of the medical 3D printing and 3D scanning

Preparing 5 essential international standards for the development of patient-tailored medical devices. Establishing 3D scanning standard working group and leading the next generation of data-based biohealth

Reports and Proceedings

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

 

IMAGE: RESEARCH TEAM OF ETRI DISCUSSING ABOUT THE PROCESS OF MEDICAL 3D STANDARD view more 

CREDIT: ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE (ETRI)

Korean researchers are taking the lead in developing international standards for medical 3D printing and 3D scanning, which are essential for creating customized medical devices for each patient. If this standard is developed, it is expected to be of great help in promoting public health, revitalizing the related medical equipment industry, but also spreading digital twins and metaverse.

The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) announced that three new international standard development tasks for 『Medical Image Based Medical 3D Printing Modeling』were approved and a working group for 3D scanning standard development was also established. Two related international standards, which began development in 2019, are about to be finalized.

This has further strengthened Korea's leadership in international standards for medical 3D printing and 3D scanning. Also, it is evaluated to have laid the foundation for a leap forward as a global digital powerhouse by laying the foundation for expansion into construction, manufacturing, national defense, aviation, culture and art, and reverse engineering.

The three newly adopted standardization items are ▲Standard evaluation process for precision/accuracy evaluation in the manufacturing process of medical 3D printing implants based on standard CT images ▲Precision/accuracy error evaluation method in the human tissue segmentation stage and 3D modeling stage ▲ The standard operating procedure for creating a data set.

Medical 3D printing is a technology that uses the patient's medical image information to make customized surgical devices, implantable medical devices, and pre-simulation tools. It is used to make implants and prostheses that fit the patient's facial skeleton.

Until now, to prepare medical equipment suitable for the patient's condition, printing models had to be made by hand. This is because it is not easy to clearly distinguish the tissue parts in the image. It took a long time to produce, so there were many restrictions in an urgent situation, and it was difficult to use data from other medical staff because there was no standard plan.

When this standard is completed, the research team expects to be able to evaluate the precision/accuracy with standardized procedures and methods for medical 3D printing modeling software, which will be of great help in domestic and overseas medical 3D printing software licensing.

The design time can also be reduced from 24 hours to around 3 hours. Comprehensive quality control is also easy. Above all, when it will be commercialized, it is expected to help establish a new medical paradigm, such as predicting treatment effects and prescribing optimal drug through virtual simulation based on personal health data.

Experts from the US FDA, RSNA, and DICOM are also expected to participate in this standardization work, so it is expected to have a big ripple effect on the medical and related industries.

The research team have been developing standards for surgical 3D printing modeling and artificial intelligence-based automation since 2019, and are set to enact two standards at the end of this year. The three new proposals this time contain an additional precision/accuracy core evaluation system and method.

ETRI established a working group (AHG-3) for the development of 3D scanning standards and held its first meeting on the June 16th. The working group will discover international standard issues linking 3D scanning and 3D printing in the future, develop technical reports and establish an international standardization roadmap.

Hyung-jun Kim, head of ETRI’s Intelligent Convergence Research Institute, said, "It is very meaningful to develop more than 5 medical 3D printings essential for patient-tailored medical care led by Korea, establish a 3D scanning group, and lead the core international standards that can lead to digital twins and metaverse“

Based on this achievement, ETRI is planning to expand international standards to cover various industrial fields by collecting additional opinions from industry-academic institutions related to medical 3D printing and 3D scanning.

ETRI has been promoting the establishment of a committee to lead the international standardization of 3D printing and scanning since 2015, and established Working Group (WG) 12 in August 2018 and is leading the international standardization of the medical field by collaborating with domestic and foreign experts.

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This research was conducted as a part of 『Development of International Standard for Evaluation Technology on Automatic Modeling of 3D Printed Implants』 project that is supported by a number of Korea ministry.

Thyme among almond trees: it mitigates climate change and increases the land’s production

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF CÓRDOBA

 

IMAGE: THE CASE STUDY WHERE DIVERFARMING PROJECT EXPERIMENTS CROP DIVERSIFICATION IN ALMOND TREE view more 

CREDIT: DIVERFARMING

The introduction of perennial crops in the alleys of Mediterranean dryland almond orchards reduces greenhouse gas emissions and increases soil carbon sequestration, according to the latest study within the Diverfarming project

Agriculture has become a source of greenhouse gas emissions due to the intensification of farming and the high use of inputs, however, it has great potential to be a carbon sink. In fact, agricultural soils present a unique opportunity for carbon sequestration and for compensating emissions if managed adequately.

 

In the search for that management that helps to combat climate change and maintains (and even increases) the land’s productivity, the Diverfarming project has focused on the introduction of two perennial crops (thyme and caper) among the alleys of a dryland almond orchard in Murcia, with reduced tillage.

 

A team comprising researchers from the Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena (UPCT) together with the CEBAS – CSIC has evaluated the short-term effect of this intercropping compared to monocropping with tillage, regarding soil CO2 emissions and its organic carbon content. They measured the carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions for two years. The carbon dioxide emissions decreased in the intercropping systems, with regard to the practice of no-tillage in comparison to the monocropping (moreover, it was shown that the peaks in the emissions occurred after tillage on hot days, so it is recommended to avoid tilling on hot days).

 

The system involving the introduction of thyme was the one that led to a greater increase in the total soil organic carbon, due to the high thyme yield, in addition to the almond yield. In the case of the capers, two more years would be required to check the level of total soil organic carbon.

 

Considering that these crops introduced in rows between the main crop can be subsequently commercialised then the increase in economic productivity of the land is also an important factor when choosing this type of intercropping systems. In fact, in the case of thyme, up to seven litres of essential oil were obtained per hectare and without any negative effects on the almond production.

 

The combination of crops adapted to the soil and climate conditions to introduce in rows in the alleys of the main crop and the use of sustainable management strategies arise as effective action to obtain increases in soil organic matter in the short term, avoiding soil losses, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These techniques would be in line with the strategy of the European Green Deal and European climate legislation that moves toward climate neutrality in agricultural activity in 2050.

 

Diverfarming is a project financed by the Horizon 2020 Programme of the European Commission, within the challenge of “Food Security, Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry, Marine, Maritime and Inland Water Research and the Bioeconomy”, under agreement 728003. It counts on the participation of the Universities of Cartagena and Córdoba (Spain), Tuscia (Italy), Exeter and Portsmouth (United Kingdom), Wageningen (Netherlands), Trier (Germany), Pecs (Hungary) and ETH Zurich (Switzerland), the research centres Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria (Italy), the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (Spain) and the Natural Resources Institute LUKE (Finland), the agrarian organisation ASAJA, and the companies Casalasco and Barilla (Italy), Arento, LogísticaDFM and Industrias David (Spain), Nieuw Bromo Van Tilburg and Ekoboerdeij de Lingehof (Netherlands), Weingut Dr. Frey (Germany), Nedel-Market KFT and Gere (Hungary) and Paavolan Kotijuustola and Polven Juustola (Finland)

V. Sánchez-Navarro, V. Shahrokh, S. Martínez-Martínez, J. A. Acosta, M. Almagro, M. Martínez-Mena, C. Boix-Fayos, E. Díaz-Pereira, & R. Zornoza. (0000). Perennial alley cropping contributes to decrease soil CO2 and N2O emissions and increase soil carbon sequestration in a Mediterranean almond orchard. Science of the total environment, 845, 157225. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157225

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JOURNAL

Science of The Total Environment

DOI

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157225 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Case study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Perennial alley cropping contributes to decrease soil CO2 and N2O emissions and increase soil carbon sequestration in a Mediterranean almond orchard

Swimmer’s Itch: what causes this neglected snail-borne disease?

Peer-Reviewed Publication

PENSOFT PUBLISHERS

 

IMAGE: FIELD STUDY IN THE OUTBREAK AREA view more 

CREDIT: PROFESSOR DR. DUANGDUEN KRAILAS

Cercarial dermatitis, also known as swimmer’s itch or clam-digger’s itch, is caused by the larvae of blood flukes that are parasites of birds or mammals. When these larvae, called cercariae, penetrate human skin, they trigger an allergic reaction within 10-15 hours that takes about a week to heal. Unable to mature into adults, the larvae then die on the skin. The gravity of an outbreak depends on how humans and birds or mammals come in contract with the aquatic environment, but people engaged in water activities, such as farmers, fishermen, and agricultural workers, are most likely to be affected.

Between August and October 2020, a cercarial dermatitis outbreak with 359 confirmed cases occurred in Chana district, Songkhla Province, South Thailand. It mostly affected rice farmers from the area, who were busy with cultivation during the rainy season. Following a short investigation, three cases of patients were confirmed to be cercarial infections by skin biopsy (Bureau of Epidemiology, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand).

“The study of intermediate host and definitive host in the outbreak area are important for the control program of snail-borne disease,” the researchers argue in their research paper, which was published in the open-access scientific journal Evolutionary Systematics.

Having studied six snail species from the area, they found out that two were infected, each with three different species of flatworms. The cercarial dermatitis outbreak was due to ruminant parasites, such as the blood fluke Schistosoma indicum, which often uses domestic animals as its host.

            “Ruminant-infecting trematodes, namely, S. indicum and S. spindale, cause a hepato-intestinal schistosomiasis resulting in reduced milk yield,” the authors explain. “This occurrence of S. indicum and S. spindale implies the spread of cattle blood fluke cercariae in aquatic environments.”

“Additionally, these species of the S. indicum group primarily cause cercarial dermatitis in humans, which has become an important public health issue for people living in endemic regions.”

“In South India and Southeast Asia, where S. indicum and S. spindale have been reported to be widespread, they caused major pathology and mortality to livestock, leading to welfare and socio-economic issues, predominantly among poor subsistence farmers and their families.”

Some of the other worm species they found parasitized the intestines of fish, mammals, or birds, while others caused anemia and even death in ruminant animals.

“The results of this study will provide insights into the parasite species that cause cercarial dermatitis and may improve our understanding of public health problems in the outbreak and agricultural vicinity areas,” the authors of the study say. “In addition, the sequence data generated here are the first S. indicum DNA sequences from Thailand, which will be useful for further genetic study of the other blood flukes in this region.”

CAPTION

Location of the outbreak area

CREDIT

Professor Dr. Duangduen Krailas

CAPTION

Collected snails from five locations of the cercarial dermatitis outbreak area

CREDIT

Professor Dr. Duangduen Krailas

CAPTION

Cercarial dermatitis cases from Chana district, October 2020

CREDIT

Professor Dr. Duangduen Krailas

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JOURNAL

Evolutionary Systematics

DOI

10.3897/evolsyst.6.87670 

ARTICLE TITLE

Cercarial dermatitis outbreak caused by ruminant parasite with intermediate snail host: schistosome in Chana, South Thailand

Survey finds stress and worry over the state of the world keeps some Americans up at night

Many partake in certain habits like looking at screens before bed, which can be detrimental to healthy sleep

Reports and Proceedings

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY WEXNER MEDICAL CENTER

 

VIDEO: A NEW NATIONAL SURVEY COMMISSIONED BY THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY WEXNER MEDICAL CENTER FINDS ALL OF THE CHANGES AND TURMOIL OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS ISN’T JUST STRESSING AMERICANS OUT, IT’S KEEPING THEM UP AT NIGHT. AFTER A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, POLITICAL DIVISION AND TWO YEARS OF TURBULENT EVENTS, NEARLY ONE IN FIVE AMERICANS SAY THEY STRUGGLE TO FALL ASLEEP DUE TO STRESS AND WORRY OVER THE STATE OF THE WORLD. view more 

CREDIT: THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY WEXNER MEDICAL CENTER

 A new national survey by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center finds many Americans are losing sleep over stress and worry about the current state of the world. After a global pandemic, polarizing political division and more than two years of turbulent events, nearly one in five survey respondents report struggling to fall asleep at night.

“Here at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, there was a 29% increase in referrals for insomnia from 2018 to 2021,” said Dr. Aneesa Das, professor of internal medicine. “Stress can increase your heart rate, increase your blood pressure, make you have an upset stomach and cause muscle tension. All of those things increase our alertness, making it harder to fall asleep.”

The survey also found many Americans try to mitigate sleep issues by using habits that may be detrimental to a good night’s sleep. Nearly half of Americans say they scroll their phones right before bed and 37% fall asleep with the TV on.

“Our circadian drive is that central clock telling us when we're supposed to be awake and asleep, and that is driven by light more than anything,” said Das. “When we use our smartphones and our TVs right before bed, we increase that bright light exposure at the wrong time.”

Instead, Das suggests increasing natural light exposure by getting outside during the day as much as possible. Once the sun sets, limiting light exposure is essential to obtaining better sleep. Also, consistent exercise during the week is key to helping your body get on an optimal sleep routine. 

Other simple behavioral adjustments that can help improve sleep patterns include: 

• Keeping your bedroom cool, dark and quiet
• Spending time in bed only when it is time to sleep
• Using cognitive behavioral therapies like meditation and muscle relaxation
• Keeping bedtimes and wake times consistent, even on the weekends 

If you’re unable to improve your sleep, experts recommend speaking with your primary care physician as a first step. They can help determine if additional methods, like sleep restriction, may be beneficial or if the insomnia could be a symptom of an underlying health condition.

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METHOD OF RESEARCH

Survey

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

CAPTION

A new national survey by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center finds 37% of Americans fall asleep with the TV on, which sleep physicians say can be detrimental to establishing a healthy sleep schedule.

CREDIT

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

\ 

CAPTION

Dr. Aneesa Das consults with a patient about healthy sleep habits at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Das says small behavioral changes like avoiding screens at night and maintaining consistent sleep and wake times can help you get a good night’s rest.

CREDIT

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Millions of farmers put their faith in God when making decisions

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN - FACULTY OF SCIENCE

 

IMAGE: GOYTOM ABRAHA KAHSAY, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND RESOURCE ECONOMICS, UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN view more 

CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN

A widespread belief among millions of smallholder farmers in one of the world's poorest countries is that God determines their yields. This is shown by a study from the University of Copenhagen that has examined the correlation between religiosity and economic decisions. The finding can contribute to an understanding of the mechanisms behind unproductive agriculture in developing countries - one of the major global poverty problems. A problem that requires new political initiatives according to the researchers behind the study.

It's God's will. This is the explanation offered by millions of farmers in one of the world's poorest countries as to why their yields are what they are, the implication being that their own efforts make no difference. This is part of the conclusion of a comprehensive study among small-scale farmers in Ethiopia conducted by researchers from the University of Copenhagen. The study has examined the possible link between religiosity and risk-taking in economic contexts.

One of the major hunger and poverty problems in developing countries, which is also a part of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, is unproductive agriculture. The prevailing view among economists is precisely that an unwillingness to take economic risks is part of the explanation of why many farmers in the developing countries are doing badly.

"The general explanation that poverty is associated with risk aversion - i.e. an unwillingness to use new technology or try out new crops should be re-assessed in relation to structural and contextual factors. Both our data and other recent studies show that people in developing countries are generally willing to take risks. But now we are able to explain it through religiosity," says Goytom Abraha Kahsay, an assistant professor at the Department of Food and Resource Economics at the University of Copenhagen, who is originally from Ethiopia.

One in four believe that God decides everything

According to the researchers, 95 per cent of all Ethiopians living in rural areas categorise themselves as religious.

The findings from the study show that both religious and non-religious farmers are generally willing to take risks when it comes to economic decisions, but that the farmers' risk preferences increase, the more religious they are.

Approximately 26 per cent of the more than 800 small-scale farmers surveyed believe that God is the omniscient power who ultimately determines everything, and that God intervenes to decide their success as farmers.

"Many of the surveyees choose to take risks because they believe that their success is entirely in the hands of God anyway. Even though the majority of the population do not share this belief, it equates to millions Ethiopians sharing this conviction," says Goytom Abraha Kahsay, who points out that small-scale farmers make up the greatest share of the population in Ethiopia.
 

Design of the study

To map the surveyees' risk preferences, the researchers designed a lottery experiment in which farmers were able to choose between economic decisions with either a certain and an uncertain outcome in a number of situations.

Prior to the experiment, the researchers had assessed the religiosity of the individual farmers, based on questionnaires. This was assessed based on a number of criteria, including the extent to which the surveyees believe that God intervenes in their lives and how much money they donate to the church or mosque. In this case, there was a strong correlation between the degree of risk-taking and the degree of religiosity.
 

Church can make a difference

"If we're to improve farming practices in poor countries, we need to understand how farmers make the decisions that affect their economic outcomes. And religiosity appears to play a significant role. It's obvious to study what explains whether farmers are successful or not, and to what extent their success is influenced by religiosity," says Goytom Abraha Kahsay.

He hopes that the new knowledge about the role played by religiosity will be useful in shaping new political initiatives:

"Given ours and other studies' findings suggesting that religiosity affects economic preferences and socio-economics outcomes, the authorities and policy makers may consider working with the Church and other religious institutions, which could probably make a difference in terms of technology adoption, climate adaptation, etc. Most people trust the Church, so any messages conveyed to them in church can probably affect their way of thinking," concludes Goytom Abraha Kahsay.

The researchers from UCPH are also studying what is getting in the way of farmers using modern technology, testing new crop variants, making climate adaptations, etc. if they are essentially willing to take risks.

 

SMALL-SCALE FARMERS MAKE UP LARGEST POPULATION GROUP

• Small-scale farming is the main occupation in Ethiopia, where more than 80 per cent of the population of 113 million inhabitants live in rural areas. The population pattern is the same in many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
   

• 95 per cent of the farmers in Ethiopia are small-scale/subsistence farmers with very low incomes. They are highly reliant on so-called rainfed agriculture and are therefore very vulnerable to climate change (drought and floods). Most of these farmers use modern technology to a limited extent.
   
• Most of the population in Ethiopia is Christian (primarily Ethiopian-Orthodox and Protestant), while the second-largest religion in the country is Islam.

 

ABOUT THE STUDY

• The study was based on a survey of 819 subsistence farmers in Ethiopia, which consisted of a lottery experiment, a questionnaire designed, among other things, to determine the religiosity of the surveyees, as well as focus group interviews.
   
• Approximately 26 per cent of the 819 small-scale farmers surveyed believe that God ultimately decides everything and intervenes in their success as farmers.
   
• The study has been published in the scientific journal Agricultural Economics.
   
• The researchers behind the study are Goytom Abraha Kahsay and Lars Gårn Hansen from the Department of Food and Resource Economics at the University of Copenhagen as well as Workineh Asmare Kassie from the University of Gondar, Ethiopia, and Haileselassie Medhin from the World Resources Institute in the Netherlands.

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JOURNAL

Agricultural Economics

DOI

10.1111/agec.12697 

ARTICLE TITLE

Are religious farmers more risk taking? Empirical evidence from Ethiopia

US presidential narcissism linked to longer wars

Study suggests some leaders base decisions on self-interest

Peer-Reviewed Publication

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

COLUMBUS, Ohio – U.S. wars last longer under presidents who score high on a measure of narcissism, new research suggests.

The study, which examined the 19 presidents who served between 1897 and 2009, found that the eight leaders who scored above average on narcissism spent an average of 613 days at war – compared to 136 days for the 11 presidents who were below average on narcissism.

Beyond these raw numbers, the connection between narcissism and war length held up even when taking into account a variety of other factors that could influence how long a war lasts, said study author John P. Harden, who did this work as a doctoral student in political science at The Ohio State University.

The results suggest not all U.S presidents sacrifice their self-image for the good of the country, said Harden, who joined Ripon College this month as an assistant professor of political science.

“More narcissistic presidents tend to only exit wars if they can say they won, and they will extend wars to find a way to declare some kind of victory,” he said.

“They want to look heroic and strong and competent – even if it means fighting the war beyond what is reasonable.”

The study was published recently in the Journal of Conflict Resolution.

This research builds on an earlier study by Harden that found that the most narcissistic presidents preferred to instigate conflicts with other great power countries without seeking support from allies.

Harden studied presidents from 1897 – roughly the time the United States became a great power in the world – through George W. Bush in 2009.

In order to measure presidential narcissism, Harden used a dataset from 2000 created by three researchers to assess the personalities of presidents.

These researchers tapped the knowledge of presidential historians and other experts who had written at least one book on a president. Each expert completed a personality inventory with more than 200 questions about the president they studied.

Using the personality test results for the 19 presidents from 1897 to 2008, Harden analyzed five facets of the test that relate with a common measure of grandiose narcissism: high levels of assertiveness and excitement-seeking and low levels of modesty, compliance and straightforwardness.

Based on these results, Lyndon Johnson was the president who scored highest on narcissism, followed by Teddy Roosevelt and then Richard Nixon.

The president who scored lowest on narcissism was William McKinley, followed by William Howard Taft and Calvin Coolidge.

This new study used the Correlates of War database, which defines war as sustained combat between two countries where there are at least 1,000 battle deaths within a one-year period. With this definition, the United States was involved in 11 wars during the period studied.

Results showed that presidents who scored low on narcissism, such as McKinley and Dwight Eisenhower, “separated their personal interests from state interests, saw war as a last resort and pursued speedy exits,” Harden said.

Meanwhile, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and Nixon, who scored high on narcissism, “had difficulty separating their own needs from state interests” and were involved in lengthy wars, he said. 

Of course, many factors determine if the United States goes to war and how long wars last, Harden said. But this study showed presidential narcissism is one key factor – one that has been overlooked in previous studies.

In one analysis, Harden examined how narcissism fit into a model of U.S. war duration based on variables that other studies have shown can lengthen wars. For example, research shows that the terrain a war is fought on can predict how long wars last, as well as whether presidents start or inherit the war, and the balance of power between the combatants.

Using this model, Harden found that the narcissism of presidents still can lengthen wars, even after these other factors are taken into account.

In another analysis, he found narcissism held up as a factor in making wars longer when controlling for factors including whether the president had prior military experience, whether he was term limited, whether the president’s party controlled Congress, and whether the conflict occurred during the Cold War.

“What I found is that the traditional way political scientists have looked at war dynamics doesn’t capture the whole story,” he said.

“Presidents don’t always look rationally at the evidence to make their wartime decisions.  Many presidents have done that, but others are more interested in their own self-interest than the interest of the state.”

There are several evidence-based reasons why narcissistic presidents should experience longer wars, besides their focus on their own personal interests, Harden said.

One is that narcissists have grander war aims – they have higher expectations because of their aggressiveness and belief in their own abilities.

“They also adopt ineffective strategies because of their overconfidence about their own abilities and the conflicting goals that arise from trying to maintain their self-image,” he said.

Finally, narcissists, because of their need to protect their inflated self-image, make mistakes when stressed and resist updating their strategies despite their failures.

Harden said the study shows that presidents don’t always act rationally and in the best interests of the United States when it comes to making wartime decisions.

“Narcissistic presidents spend more time worrying about their image than other presidents,” he said.

“These motivations, especially their desire to protect their inflated self-image, cause them to drag out wars longer than needed.”

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JOURNAL

Journal of Conflict Resolution

DOI

10.1177/00220027221123757 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Data/statistical analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Looking Like a Winner: Leader Narcissism and War Duration

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

6-Sep-2022