Aspects of marriage counseling may hold the key to depolarizing, unifying the country, study finds

By April Toler

University of Notre Dame

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Laura Gamboa, assistant professor of democracy and global affairs at the Keough School of Global Affairs, University of Notre Dame.

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Credit: University of Notre Dame

Research has shown that polarization undermines democracy by driving citizens to prioritize partisan preferences over democratic principles, encourages democratic gridlock and threatens democratic attitudes and norms, such as tolerance for opposition.

Today, Americans are grappling with deep political divides, often seeing those on the other side as untrustworthy, unpatriotic and misinformed — a rift that threatens democracy.

Could marriage counseling hold the key to a more unified country?

A recent study, published in Political Behavior and co-authored by Laura Gamboa, an assistant professor of democracy and global affairs at the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame, found “reciprocal group reflection” — an intervention inspired by marriage counseling — helped reduce affective polarization among opposing political parties.

“Polarization threatens democracy, and finding ways to reduce it is vital,” Gamboa said. “This study uses a unique approach to understand why a proven depolarizing intervention works. With depolarizing efforts multiplying across the U.S., understanding not just if they work, but how and why, is more important than ever.”

The study brought together groups of undergraduate students on four university campuses who identify as Democrats and Republicans. They attended workshops designed on practices used in couples counseling that seek to elicit mutual vulnerability and compassion while working to improve the health of the marriage. Researchers partnered with Braver Angels, a non-governmental organization, to utilize the group’s “red/blue” workshops designed to apply principles from couples therapy to partisan polarization.

During the workshops, study participants mainly interacted with members of their own group, reflecting on the attitudes, beliefs and characteristics of co-partisans. When the two opposing groups met, they did not try to persuade or reach a compromise on particular issues, but focused on generating understanding and tolerance of the other side and the motivations and experiences behind their beliefs.

According to the study, the workshops helped reduce both subtle and open signs of political division, by both Democrats and Republicans. Participants were also more willing to support depolarization efforts, such as donating to programs that encourage constructive political conversations among young Americans. While the immediate effects on reducing division faded somewhat over time, participants’ willingness to support depolarization efforts remained strong even after six months, according to the study.

While other methods aim to get groups to work together on shared goals or reach agreements on specific issues, Gamboa said “reciprocal group reflection” doesn’t try to make people cooperate or compromise. Instead, it focuses on improving understanding and communication, which are important for better discussions and decision making.

“Unlike similar interventions, these workshops combine strategies proven to reduce political divisions, like sharing information about the beliefs and policies of people from the other side with activities designed to build empathy and understanding, based on ideas from social psychology,” Gamboa said.

The findings, Gamboa said, illustrate the effectiveness of depolarization when it combines both informational and emotional elements, helping to bridge divides and laying the groundwork for a healthier democracy.

Gamboa’s co-authors include Hannah Baron, Tulane University; Robert Blair and Donghyun Danny Choi, both from Brown University; Jessica Gottlieb, University of Houston; Amanda Lea Robinson, Ohio State University; Steven C. Rosenzweig, Boston University; Megan M. Turnbull, University of Georgia; and Emily A. West, University of Pittsburgh.

Contact: Tracy DeStazio, associate director of media relations, 574-631-9958 or tdestazi@nd.edu

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Journal

Political Behavior

DOI

10.1007/s11109-024-09993-z 

Method of Research

Randomized controlled/clinical trial

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Couples Therapy for a Divided America: Assessing the Effects of Reciprocal Group Reflection on Partisan Polarization

Article Publication Date

28-Jan-2025

 

With $2 million in new funding, Montana State research lab continues explorations into viruses and honeybee health

Montana State University

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BOZEMAN – With the help of two major grants from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a team in Montana State University’s College of Agriculture is furthering investigations of honeybee antiviral defense mechanisms with the goal of developing strategies to reduce honeybee colony deaths.

According to Michelle Flenniken, a professor in MSU’s Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology and co-director of the university’s Pollinator Health Center, annual honeybee colony losses have averaged roughly 38% in the U.S. in the past 15 years. Despite these losses, beekeepers in the U.S. have maintained the number of bee colonies at roughly 2.5 million by dividing one colony to make two – a process called “splitting.” 

While splitting helps to offset some of the impact of colony losses, Flenniken said the core problem of population decline is concerning. Many factors, including mite infestation, chemical exposure and pathogens – including viruses – contribute to those losses. In Montana, Flenniken said, beekeepers maintain over 250,000 honeybee colonies for honey production and crop pollination, both in and out of the state. Therefore, pollinator health is a crucial area of research for Montana and beyond.

Many of the viruses that affect honeybees cause observable symptoms for which they are named, such as deformed wing virus. However, scientists have learned that many virus-infected bees don’t exhibit symptoms, even when they harbor high viral loads. The impact of these asymptomatic infections on honeybee health is not clear, Flenniken said, and since viruses use the cellular and energetic resources of their host to replicate, she hypothesized that these overlooked infections may be more detrimental to honeybee health than is currently appreciated.

Supported by a $1.4 million grant from the NSF, Flenniken’s team of graduate and undergraduate student researchers is working to better understand the impact of virus infections on honeybee health. One study, by MSU doctoral student Naomi Kaku, is using flight performance as an indicator of overall bee health. Kaku uses flight mills, machines to which an individual bee is attached by a leash, measuring its flight distance and speed. The mills were made by associate professor Mark Jankauski in MSU’s Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. Kaku’s research compares the flight distance, duration and speed of healthy bees to virus-infected bees.  

So far, Kaku has found that bees infected with some viruses don’t fly as far or as fast as healthy bees. The reduced flight distance in infected bees may reduce the ability of forager bees to obtain nectar and pollen to feed their colony, extending the impacts of infection to a community of roughly 30,000 bees. In addition, Kaku and Flenniken are examining the role of the honeybee heat shock stress response in combatting viral infection.

“Flight generates heat, and we know that for at least some viruses, that heat shock response can reduce infections,” said Kaku, who is in her fifth year of doctoral studies in Flenniken’s lab. 

In addition to investigating that hypothesis, Flenniken’s team is researching the potential of two supplements to boost honeybee immune strength, a project supported by a $680,000 grant from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. 

Previous research in the Flenniken lab, as well as data from other labs, indicated that the honeybee immune system is activated by double-stranded RNA, which is produced by replicating viruses. Therefore, Flenniken’s team is experimenting with the use of synthetic dsRNA to stimulate the immune response, which in turn is expected to reduce virus infection levels.

Similarly, thyme oil and thymol, which are naturally produced by thyme plants, have been shown to activate honeybee immune responses. Therefore, members of the Flenniken lab, including doctoral student Hunter Charles in MSU’s Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, are carrying out studies to determine the potential virus reducing efficacy of these compounds.

“Research in our lab is aimed at understanding how bees have evolved to fend off viruses on their own,” Flenniken said. “By better understanding that process, we hope that will lead to strategies that we could use to promote bee health.” 

These strategies may include the development of feeding supplements, but for now Flenniken encourages bee enthusiasts to plant for pollinators; a list of pollinator-supporting plants can be found on MSU’s Pollinator Health Center’s resource page. In addition, she encourages members of the community to join her team at volunteer events held every summer at MSU’s Pollinator Garden, which is the home of MSU’s own honeybee colonies.

“We love having groups come, learn about bees and volunteer in the garden,” Flenniken said.

Opportunities to volunteer will be posted to the MSU Calendar. The team also welcomes donations that support undergraduate and graduate students working on honeybee research.

 

Scientists chip away at potato storage problems

Cranfield University

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They’re one of the UK’s most loved staples, providing around half of our carbohydrate intake as a nation and supporting over 20,000 farm, transport and manufacturing jobs. Now, new research is focusing on ensuring reliable supplies of the potato all year round with a project that focuses on potato dormancy and extending storage life.

To achieve year-round supplies in the UK, around 1.5 million tonnes of potatoes are kept in cold stores for up to eight months to prevent sprouting. However, following the withdrawal of a chemical that suppresses sprouting, CIPC, vegetable losses have increased and the storage duration time for potatoes can be halved to four months.

Now researchers from Cranfield University, working with PepsiCo and Solynta, a leader in hybrid potato breeding, are using advanced genetic analysis to tackle the challenges of maintaining crop quality whilst extending storage life. The project aims to solve the problem of keeping potatoes dormant for longer, using fewer chemicals, less energy and generating less food waste.

With a grant from Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) prosperity partnership fund , the project to enhance potato dormancy brings together expertise in genetics, plant biology, and technology.

The team aims to develop new potato varieties and storage methods that:

• Extend storage life: reducing food waste and ensuring year-round supply.
• Lower energy consumption: minimising the environmental impact of cold storage.
• Reduce chemical use: promoting sustainable agriculture practices.

Findings from the study could help inform storage methods around the world with adaptations according to regional variations in harvest periods and facilities.

“By reducing chemical use and improving energy efficiency in storage, we’re safeguarding the future of potato farming making it safer for the end consumer” said Mari Carmen Alamar Gavidia, Senior Lecturer in Postharvest Biology from Cranfield University.

“This approach will not only cut waste but also supports the environment. It will ensure a year-round supply of safer and higher quality potatoes for consumers and make sure the nation can enjoy crisps, chips and mash uninterrupted.”

Professor Leon Terry, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Research and Innovation at Cranfield University, said: “Mitigating food waste is a key piece of the puzzle to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This grant is testament to the longstanding applied research Cranfield has provided to the GB potato industry over many years.”

 

People’s acceptance of AI judgements on moral decisions: A study on justified defection

Rissho University

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A research team led by Dr Prof. Hitoshi Yamamoto of Rissho University and Dr Prof. Takahisa Suzuki of Tsuda University explored the conditions under which people would accept the moral judgments of AI. They focused on the behaviour of "not helping people with bad reputations (justified non-cooperation)," which is difficult for people to judge as good or bad, to investigate under what conditions people are more likely to accept AI's judgments over human judgments. The study revealed that people tend to be more accepting of AI's judgments when AI makes positive judgments and humans make negative judgments. The research results were published in the online academic journal Scientific Reports of the Nature Publishing Group on 27th January 2025.

As AI technology becomes more integrated into daily life, understanding public acceptance of AI's decisions is critical. Previous studies have shown that people often hold biases, such as "algorithm aversion" and "algorithm appreciation," where they might distrust or over-trust AI. However, this study addresses the less-explored scenario where individuals find themselves uncertain in their moral judgment, specifically in indirect reciprocity, where individuals decide whether to cooperate with others based on reputation.

The researchers conducted two experiments with Japanese participants, examining how they judged an AI manager's decision compared to a human manager's in a workplace scenario. The key findings showed that participants were more inclined to accept the AI's decision when AI judged a non-cooperative action as positive (justified defection) and a human judged it as negative. The results suggest that individuals may perceive AI's judgment as more objective, especially when human judgments might be perceived as biased or driven by hidden intentions.

The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind people’s acceptance of AI in moral and social decision-making, highlighting the importance of context in shaping these perceptions. As society continues integrating AI into complex decision-making roles, such insights are essential for designing AI systems that align with human expectations and societal norms.

Read more:
Exploring condition in which people accept AI over human judgements on justified defection.
Yamamoto, H., Suzuki, T.
Scientific Reports  volume 15, Article number: 3339 (2025).
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-87170-w

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Journal

Scientific Reports

DOI

10.1038/s41598-025-87170-w 

Article Title

Exploring condition in which people accept AI over human judgements on justified defection

Article Publication Date

27-Jan-2025

AI DEI 

Can AI be governed by an ‘equity by design’ framework?

Penn State

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CARLISLE, Pa. — Approaches to regulating artificial intelligence (AI), from creation to deployment and use in practice, vary internationally. Daryl Lim, Penn State Dickinson Law associate dean for research and innovation, H. Laddie Montague Jr. Chair in Law and Penn State Institute for Computational and Data Sciences (ICDS) co-hire, has proposed an “equity by design” framework to better govern the technology and protect marginalized communities from potential harm in an article published on Jan. 27 in the Duke Technology Law Review.  

According to Lim, responsibly governing AI is crucial to maximizing the benefits and minimizing the potential harms — which disproportionally impact underrepresented individuals — of these systems. Governance frameworks help align AI development with societal values and ethical standards within specific regions while also assisting with regulatory compliance and promoting standardization across the industry.  

Lim, who is also a consultative member of the United Nations Secretary General’s High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence, also addressed this need and how socially responsible AI governance may impact marginalized communities in the published article.  

Lim spoke about AI governance and his proposed framework in the following Q&A. 

Q: What does socially responsible AI mean? Why is it important? 

Lim: Being socially responsible with AI means developing, deploying and using AI technologies in ethical, transparent and beneficial ways. This ensures that AI systems respect human rights, uphold fairness and do not perpetuate biases or discrimination. This responsibility extends to accountability, privacy protection, inclusivity and environmental considerations. It’s important because AI has a significant impact on individuals and communities. By prioritizing social responsibility, we can mitigate risks such as discrimination, biases and privacy invasions, build public trust and ensure that AI technologies can contribute positively to the world. By incorporating social responsibility into AI governance, we can foster innovation while protecting the rights and interests of all stakeholders. 

Q: How would you explain the “equity by design” approach to AI governance? 

Lim: Equity by design means we should embed equity principles throughout the AI lifecycle in the context of justice and how AI affects marginalized communities. AI has the potential to improve access to justice, particularly for marginalized groups. If someone who may not speak English is looking for assistance and has access to a smartphone with chatbot accessibility, they can input questions in their native language and get generalized information that they need to get started. 

There are also risks such as perpetuating biases and increasing inequality, which I call the algorithmic divide. In this case, the algorithmic divide refers to the disparities in access to AI technologies and education about these tools. This includes differences between individuals, organizations or countries in their ability to develop, implement and benefit from AI advancements. We also need to be aware of biases that can be introduced, even unintentionally, by the data that these systems are trained with or by the people training the systems.  

Q: What is the goal of this approach to AI governance? 

Lim: The overarching goal of this work is to shift the focus from reactive to proactive governance by proposing an equity-centered approach that includes transparency and tailored regulation. The article seeks to address the structural biases in AI systems and the limitations of existing frameworks, advocating for a comprehensive strategy that balances innovation with robust safeguards. The research explores how AI can both improve access to justice and entrench biases. This approach aims to provide a roadmap for policy makers and legal scholars to navigate the complexities of AI while ensuring that technological advancements align with broader society values of equity and the rule of law.  

Q: What are some solutions to suggest to further reach an equitable approach to AI? 

Lim: The solution, in part, lies in equity audits. How do we, by design, make sure that before an algorithm is released there are checks and balances with the people who are creating the system? People that pick the data may be biased, and that may entrench inequalities, whether the bias manifests itself through racial bias, gender bias or geographical bias. A solution could be hiring a wide group of people with awareness of different biases and who can call out unconscious biases or having third parties look at how systems are implemented and provide feedback to improve outcomes.  

The article also looks at normative impact on the rule of law, which in this case involves assessing whether our current legal frameworks adequately address these challenges or if reforms are necessary to uphold the rule of law in the age of AI. Emerging technologies like AI can influence fundamental principles and values that underpin our legal system. This includes considerations of fairness, justice, transparency and accountability. AI technologies can challenge existing legal norms by introducing new complexities in decision-making processes, potentially affecting how laws are interpreted and applied. 

Q: What observations further demonstrate the importance of an equity-centered approach to AI governance? 

Lim: In September, the “Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence,” was signed by the United States and European Union (EU). This AI treaty was a major milestone in establishing a global framework to ensure that AI systems respect human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The treaty specifies a risk-based approach, requiring more oversight of high-risk AI applications in sensitive sectors such as health care and criminal justice. The treaty also details how different areas — specifically the U.S., the EU, China and Singapore — have different approaches to AI governance. The U.S. is more market-based; the EU is rights-based; China follows a command economy model and Singapore follows a soft law model, which serves as a framework rather than enforceable regulatory obligations. The treaty emphasizes the importance of global collaboration to address challenges across AI governance approaches. My proposed framework embeds the principles of justice, equity and inclusivity throughout AI’s lifecycle, which aligns with the overarching goals of the treaty. While the equity by design framework does not focus on post-implementation protections, it emphasizes that AI should advance human rights for marginalized communities, and that there should be more transparent and protective audits. 

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Article Title

Determinants of Socially Responsible AI Governance

Article Publication Date

27-Jan-2025

 

From bowling balls to hip joints: Chemists create recyclable alternative to durable plastics

Cornell University

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ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell University researchers have developed a recyclable alternative to a durable class of plastics used for items like car tires, replacement hip joints and bowling balls.

Known as thermosets, this type of plastic boasts a “crosslinked polymer” chemical structure that guarantees longevity but has also made these petrochemical-based materials – which comprise 15%-20% of all polymers produced – impossible to recycle.

“Currently, zero percent of the world’s thermoset materials are recycled – they’re either incinerated or thrown in landfills,” said Brett Fors, professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Cornell.

The Fors lab has addressed that environmental challenge by creating an alternative made from a bio-sourced material that has crosslinked thermosets’ durability and malleability but can be easily recycled and degraded.

“The whole process, from creating to reusing, is more environmentally friendly than current materials,” said Reagan Dreiling, a doctoral student in the field of chemistry and first author of the paper, which published in Nature.

The Fors group studies dihydrofuran (DHF), a monomer – or chemical building block – that can be made from biological materials and has the potential to eventually compete with petroleum-based feedstocks.

Dreiling used DHF, a circular monomer with a double bond, as a building block for two successive polymerizations, the second of which results in a crosslinked polymer that can be recycled through heating and will degrade naturally in the environment.

DHF thermosets show comparable properties to commercial thermosets, including high-density polyurethane (used in electronics instruments, packaging and footwear, for example) and ethylene propylene rubber (used in garden hoses and automotive weatherstripping).

In contrast to current petrochemical thermosets, the DHF-based materials offer a circular economy of use, Fors said. Chemically recyclable, the material can be made back into its building block monomer and used again from scratch. And when some of the material inevitably leaks into the environment, these materials will degrade over time into benign components.

The researchers are working toward applications, including making the DHF-based material useful for 3D printing. They are also experimenting to expand the properties with additional monomers.

“We’ve spent 100 years trying to make polymers that last forever, and we’ve realized that’s not actually a good thing,” Fors said. “Now we’re making polymers that don’t last forever, that can environmentally degrade.”

For additional information, see this Cornell Chronicle story.

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Journal

Nature

DOI

10.1038/s41586-024-08386-w 

Article Title

Degradable thermosets via orthogonal polymerizations of a single monomer

Article Publication Date

29-Jan-2025