RESUMO

The group polarization phenomenon is a widespread human bias with no apparent geographical or cultural boundaries [1]. Although the conditions that breed extremism have been extensively studied [2-5], comparably little research has examined how to depolarize attitudes in people who already embrace extreme beliefs. Previous studies have shown that deliberating groups may shift toward more moderate opinions [6], but why deliberation is sometimes effective although other times it fails at eliciting consensus remains largely unknown. To investigate this, we performed a large-scale behavioral experiment with live crowds from two countries. Participants (N = 3,288 in study 1 and N = 582 in study 2) were presented with a set of moral scenarios and asked to judge the acceptability of a controversial action. Then they organized in groups of three and discussed their opinions to see whether they agreed on common values of acceptability. We found that groups succeeding at reaching consensus frequently had extreme participants with low confidence and a participant with a moderate view but high confidence. Quantitative analyses showed that these "confident grays" exerted the greatest weight on group judgements and suggest that consensus was driven by a mediation process [7, 8]. Overall, these findings shed light on the elements that allow human groups to resolve moral disagreement.

Assuntos

RESUMO

We implemented a Choice Blindness Paradigm containing political statements in Argentina to reveal the existence of categorical ranges of introspective reports, identified by confidence and agreement levels, separating easy from very hard to manipulate decisions. CBP was implemented in both live and web-based forms. Importantly, and contrary to what was observed in Sweden, we did not observe changes in voting intentions. Also, confidence levels in the manipulated replies where significantly lower than in non-manipulated cases even in undetected manipulations. We name this phenomenon unconscious detection of self-deception. Results also show that females are more difficult to manipulate than men.

Assuntos

RESUMO

We present the results of a gamified mobile device arithmetic application which allowed us to collect vast amount of data in simple arithmetic operations. Our results confirm and replicate, on a large sample, six of the main principles derived in a long tradition of investigation: size effect, tie effect, size-tie interaction effect, five-effect, RTs and error rates correlation effect, and most common error effect. Our dataset allowed us to perform a robust analysis of order effects for each individual problem, for which there is controversy both in experimental findings and in the predictions of theoretical models. For addition problems, the order effect was dominated by a max-then-min structure (i.e 7+4 is easier than 4+7). This result is predicted by models in which additions are performed as a translation starting from the first addend, with a distance given by the second addend. In multiplication, we observed a dominance of two effects: (1) a max-then-min pattern that can be accounted by the fact that it is easier to perform fewer additions of the largest number (i.e. 8x3 is easier to compute as 8+8+8 than as 3+3+…+3) and (2) a phonological effect by which problems for which there is a rhyme (i.e. "seis por cuatro es veinticuatro") are performed faster. Above and beyond these results, our study bares an important practical conclusion, as proof of concept, that participants can be motivated to perform substantial arithmetic training simply by presenting it in a gamified format.

Assuntos

RESUMO

O processo físico-químico da precipitação de estruvita é uma técnica que apresenta elevado potencial na remoção de nutrientes, a partir de diferentes tipologias de efluentes. O presente estudo teve por objetivo a avaliação de um composto industrial com elevado teor de magnésia e baixo custo como fonte reagente alternativa de magnésio e alcalinidade necessários ao processo de precipitação, tornando-o economicamente viável com a redução de gastos despendidos com químicos. Suspensões de Mg(OH)2 foram obtidas e tiveram desempenho avaliado em função da remoção de nutrientes, a partir de um efluente sintético rico em N-NH4+ e P-PO43-, e qualidade dos cristais gerados, com a identificação do mineral de interesse - estruvita. O experimento foi realizado em escala laboratorial utilizando reator cônico de leito fluidizado operado em semi-contínuo. O adequado controle operacional do pH (8,0-8,5) pela adição automatizada da suspensão de Mg(OH)2 possibilitou uma considerável remoção de P-PO43-, que atingiu valor médio igual a 93,5%. Os sólidos recuperados no processo apresentaram pureza de, aproximadamente, 84% de estruvita.

The physico-chemical process of struvite precipitation is a technique that demonstrates a high potential in nutrients recovery from different kinds of wastewaters. This study aimed to evaluate the use of a low cost industrial compound with high magnesia content as alternative reagent source of magnesium ions and alkalinity required for precipitation. It was a strategy to turn the process economically viable and reduce the chemical costs. Mg(OH)2slurries were obtained and evaluated regarding the nutrients recovery from a synthetic wastewater rich in NH4+-N and PO43--P and the quality of the generated crystals with the identification of the mineral of interest - the struvite. The experiment was performed in laboratory scale using a conic fluidized bed reactor in a semi-continuous operation. The proper pH control (8.0-8.5) by the automated addition of Mg(OH)2slurry allowed considerable PO43--P removal equal to 93.5%. The recovered solids from the process showed purity of approximately 84% of struvite.