Culture consists of shared conceptual representations in an individual’s cognition. Thus, there may be cultural differences in the representation of a concept. To assess this possibility, we compared the subjective semantic structure of “privacy” in Iran and the United States. Participants were 200 adults, 100 from Iran and 100 from the United States. In the first phase of the experiment, using the associative terms task, we detected nine of the most frequent terms that were associated with the concept of “privacy” in each culture. In the second phase, using the judged-similarity task, we asked participants to rate the degree to which each of the nine terms from the previous phase was associated with every other term and with the concept of “privacy.” Results from a correspondence analysis model suggest similarities in the mapping of terms related to “privacy” along the dichotomous dimension of physical vs. informational concerns. However, cultural differences emerged in a second dimension, the extent to which individualism vs. collectivism was stressed. While “personal privacy” and an individual’s relationship with the government was important for American adults, the main focus for Iranian adults was “familial privacy” and family-centered living.

Risky driving behaviors of young novice drivers and related crashes pose not only a threat to road safety but also a significant challenge to sustainable development. The high rate of traffic crashes involving young drivers leads to substantial losses in human capital, productivity, and labor, which are irreparable and place a strain on societal resources. Addressing the safety issues of this vital group in society is crucial for promoting the long-term social and economic sustainability of communities. Despite this, studies have lacked a comprehensive explanation of the safety issues surrounding young novice drivers. Therefore, the aim of this study is to identify factors affecting the safety of young novice drivers in Iran, a developing country with a significant young population. The study uses a qualitative approach that is built on grounded theory to reveal the model. The statistical population of the study is specialists, experts, and researchers in the field of road safety who are spread across Iran. The data collection phase was realized through the conduction of semi-structured interviews with 36 of them, and the analysis process was continued until complete theoretical saturation was achieved. The research data were then analyzed using the coding method based on the systematic design of Strauss and Corbin’s grounded theory. Finally, the categories were organized into seventeen subcategories within the six dimensions of the paradigm model: main category (three subcategories), causal factors (three subcategories), contextual factors (three subcategories), strategies (two subcategories), environmental conditions (three subcategories), and consequences (three subcategories). These findings not only provide a deep understanding of the safety issues faced by young novice drivers but also offer strategies that can contribute to improving road safety, thereby fostering social sustainability. Enhancing driver safety is crucial for reducing the economic and social costs of road crashes, which aligns with the broader goals of sustainable development by preserving human capital and societal well-being.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. MS causes many changes in the lives of its patients, forcing them to renegotiate their lives. Part of these changes are related to patients’ self- and others- mental representations. Despite the importance of mental representations in changes caused by or adaptation to MS, limited research has been conducted to examine the mental representations of people with MS. Methods: This study examines the mental representations that Healthy Controls (HC) and people with MS (PWMS) have of themselves and others, including childhood and current self-images, as well as those of their mothers, love partners, and close friends. In both groups (HC (n = 82) and PWMS (n = 82)), participants completed demographic variables as well as a modified version of the comfortable interpersonal distance (CID) task in both passive (when protagonists approached them) and active modes (when participants approach protagonists). Participants estimated the point at which they felt discomforted. Results: The PWMS group preferred a significantly larger interpersonal distance than the HC group for both current self-image and love partner. There is no difference between the two groups in preferring interpersonal distance from their childhood self-image, mother, and friends. Conclusions: Based on the research results, it seems that PWMS experience a kind of alienation at the level of self-mental representations. This research can be helpful in modifying MS interventions and increasing the engagement of support systems.

هدف: تنظیم فاصلة بینافردی در برهم­ کنش ­های اجتماعی یک مؤلفة اساسی در کیفیت روابط نزدیک انسان­ ها است. این فاصله در وضعیت­ های روان­ شناختی و افراد مختلف به شیوه­ های متفاوتی تنظیم می­ گردد. هدف از مطالعة حاضر بررسی فاصلة بینافردی مطبوع در افراد واجد خودپندارة مثبت و منفی بود. روش: در این مطالعه 47 دانشجوی واجد خودپندارة مثبت با 47 دانشجوی واجد خودپندارة منفی در انتخاب فاصلة بینافردی مطبوع هنگام مواجهه با شخصیت­ های مادر، شریک عاطفی، دوست صمیمی، تصویر خود در کودکی، تصویر خود در زمان حال، فروشنده، و دزد مورد مقایسه قرار گرفتند. کلیة شرکت­ کنندگان به نسخة اصلاح ­شده و کامپیوتری آزمون فاصلة بینافردی مطبوع در دو حالت منفعل (وقتی دیگران به آن­ها نزدیک می ­شوند) و فعال (وقتی خودشان به دیگری نزدیک می­ شوند) پاسخ دادند. یافته­ ها: نتایج تحلیل واریانس با اندازه­ های مکرر نشان داد که گروه واجد خودپندارة منفی به­طور معناداری فاصلة بینافردی بزرگ­تری را در قیاس با گروه واجد خودپندارة مثبت حین مواجهه با تمامی شخصیت ­ها (به­جز فروشنده و دزد) انتخاب کردند. نتیجه­ گیری: نتایج این مطالعه ضمن تأکید بر نقش از خودبیگانگی در تنظیم فاصلة...