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Online health question-and-answer (Q&A) forums have developed a new business model whereby listeners (peer patients) can pay to read health information derived from consultations between askers (focal patients) and answerers (physicians). However, research exploring the mechanism behind peer patients' purchase decisions and the specific nature of the information driving these decisions has remained limited. This study aims to develop a theoretical model for understanding how peer patients make such decisions based on limited information, i.e. the first question displayed in each focal patient-physician interaction record, considering argument quality (interrogative form and information details) and source credibility (patient experience of focal patients), including the contingent role of urgency.

The model was tested by text mining 1,960 consultation records from a popular Chinese online health Q&A forum on the Yilu App. These records involved interactions between focal patients and physicians and were purchased by 447,718 peer patients seeking health-related information until this research.

Patient experience embedded in focal patients' questions plays a significant role in inducing peer patients to purchase previous consultation records featuring exchanges between focal patients and physicians; in particular, increasingly detailed information is associated with a reduced probability of making a purchase. When focal patients demonstrate a high level of urgency, the effect of information details is weakened, while the interrogative form is strengthened.

The originality of this study lies in its exploration of the monetization mechanism forming the trilateral relationship between askers (focal patients), answerers (physicians) and listeners (peer patients) in the business model “paying to view others' answers” in the online health Q&A forum and the moderating role of urgency in explaining the mechanism of how first questions influence peer patients' purchasing behavior.

The research aims to explore the influence mechanism of peer feedback and users' knowledge contribution behavior. This study draws on the social identity theory and considers social identity as a mediating factor into the research framework.

This paper collected users' activity data of 142,191 ideas submitted by 76,647 users from the MIUI community between October 2010 and May 2018 via Python software, and data were processed using Stata 16.0.

The results indicate that knowledge feedback and social feedback positively influence users' knowledge contribution (quantity and quality), respectively. User's cognitive identity positively mediates the relationship between peer feedback and knowledge contribution behavior, affective identity positively mediates the relationship between peer feedback and knowledge contribution behavior, while evaluative identity positively mediates the relationship between peer feedback and knowledge contribution quality, but there is no mediating effect between peer feedback and knowledge contribution quantity.

This study advances knowledge management by highlighting peer feedback on online innovation communities. By demonstrating the significant mediating effect of social identity, this study empirically clarifies the relationships of peer feedback (knowledge feedback and social feedback) to specific dimensions of knowledge contribution, thereby providing managerial guidance to the online innovation community on incentivizing and managing user interaction to foster the innovation development of firms.

This paper aims to explore the challenges and themes discussed in the associated article “The Effects of Changing the Classroom Play Environment on the Peer Interactions of Autistic Children with an Intellectual Disability.” It expands on the research's context, foundation and potential impact, critically analysing the evidence on this topic.

This commentary evaluates the perceptions and effectiveness of different classroom play environments for autistic children with intellectual disabilities, using a multiple treatment reversal design (ABACADA) to investigate how various play conditions impact prosocial behaviours.

The inclusion of toys related to preferred interests, such as anthropomorphic toys and small animals, promotes engagement and social interactions. The commentary highlights common barriers, but the study’s results are encouraging. Further investigation could benefit clinicians and educators in optimising classroom setups for applied practice. Potential solutions to barriers are considered.

The value and design of classroom play environments for autistic children with intellectual disabilities remain debated. This commentary provides a balanced, evidence-based perspective on how specific stimuli can enhance prosocial behaviours, contributing to ongoing discussions on inclusive and supportive educational practices.

Autistic children, particularly those with an intellectual disability, often face difficulties with early verbal development and social interaction. The science of behaviour analysis has developed procedures shown through research to help support and teach these skills. Interventions focusing solely on manipulating the antecedent stimuli in the environment are presented less frequently in the literature than those concerned with response consequences. This study aims to evaluate if changes to the classroom environment would evoke prosocial behaviours during play sessions.

A multiple treatment reversal design was used to compare the presence of anthropomorphic toys, pet animals and toys themed upon preferred interests, introduced on a central table within the existing play area. Data were collected on the social behaviour of peers in two primary classrooms.

For five of the six participants, all three conditions resulted in increased social behaviour compared to baseline conditions.

At the time of the study, social interaction opportunities were limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, placing greater emphasis on safely encouraging opportunities within the classroom to ensure skill maintenance. Due to the reported outcomes, educators, particularly in specialised settings, should focus on evaluating their classroom environment to ensure the contents and layout support children in maintaining and generalising their social skills. Further research on the benefits of class pets is also encouraged.

This study aims to investigate the dynamics of cyberbullying among minority youths, focusing on its increasing prevalence in the digital realm, which does not necessitate technical expertise from the offenders. It explores a shift from conventional bully characteristics to individuals assuming new digital personas, merging traditional criminology with flag theory to analyze violent behavior online, specifically in educational environments, and studying the correlation between low self-control, affiliations with delinquent peers and the likelihood of cyberbullying occurrences.

The research uses structural equation modeling to examine survey data from 237 eleventh-grade students in St. Louis public schools, focusing on the relationships between cyberbullying, low self-control and association with delinquent peers within a comprehensive theoretical framework that includes the flag theory and demographic factors, as well as using multigroup analysis to investigate racial dynamics and confirming indirect effects using bootstrapping techniques.

The research establishes strong connections between low self-control, delinquent peer involvement, and cyberbullying, supporting the flag theory in digital violence contexts, while also showing that low self-control and peer engagement play a mediating role in cyberbullying incidents among minority youth, with racial composition having no significant impact on these dynamics.

The study is restricted by its focus on a particular geographical area, in conjunction with its reliance on self-reported information obtained exclusively from a specific age group. This specificity raises concerns about the applicability of the findings to diverse populations. Furthermore, the study’s dependence on a three-item assessment for cyberbullying, combined with the challenges encountered in achieving complete scalar invariance during multigroup analysis, emphasizes the need for more precise measurement tools and improved methodological frameworks.

This research discloses actionable insights fundamental to the advancement of cyberbullying prevention strategies. The finding that the connection between race and the effects of peer association and self-control on cyberbullying is minimal suggests that these interventions can be generally applied, transcending racial boundaries. Moreover, identifying self-control as a critical intermediary offers fresh avenues for cybercrime research, shifting the conventional focus from established predictors. By zeroing in on peer influence as a fundamental element, this study provides innovative angles to bolster the understanding of digital violence mitigation in educational settings.

This research emphasizes the urgent concern of cyberbullying among minority youths, along with its psychological and academic impacts. By elucidating the interaction between personal traits and social networks, the findings can guide comprehensive strategies aimed at cultivating safer digital spaces and bolstering social wellness within educational frameworks.

This research presents an original and ground-breaking method that combines various theories in criminology specifically in the context of cyberbullying among minority youths. By proposing a new and redefined role for self-control, which is not seen as the common main predictor but rather as a crucial mediator, this study provides fresh insights into the dynamics of cyber aggression. Through the detailed examination of the flag theory framework, the study uncovers the complex reciprocal relationship between self-control and peer engagement, revealing previously overlooked mechanisms in a broader landscape of digital violence.

Given declining tuition funds and government grants, Kenyan universities need to develop strategies, including increased research grants and collaborations, to diversify their income sources. Well-managed doctoral students can boost a university’s teaching and research outputs. However, numbers of students enrolled in doctoral programmes at Kenyan universities are low, and graduation rates and time-to-graduate statistics are disturbing. Research undertaken elsewhere underline the important role played by supervisors and peers in facilitating students’ sense of belonging and their success. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the influence of supervisory and peer support on PhD students’ sense of belonging and their success at Kenyan universities.

In this cross-sectional study, data were gathered through an online questionnaire from 614 students admitted to doctoral programmes at Kenyan universities between 2010 and 2018. We used multi-item scales to collect data on PhD students’ self-efficacy, supervisory and peer support and a sense of belonging.

Structural equation modelling results revealed that PhD students’ modes of study and self-efficacy were significantly associated with the quality of supervision, peer support and a sense of belonging. However, only age, a sense of belonging and the quality of supervision were directly linked to their success.

This study contributes to the literature on doctoral-level education, responding to the need for research on the influence of relationships with supervisors and peers on PhD students’ sense of belonging and their success, especially in developing countries.

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically altered daily life for Gen Z. The purpose of this study was to examine parental perceptions of the pandemic’s effects on their children’s peer relationships. As children sought peer connection during the pandemic, technology usage soared. The second purpose of the current study was to assess how greater time on social media affected adjustment among Gen Z and whether this effect was mediated by experiences of cyber victimization.

In total, 250 U.S. parent-child dyads participated in the study. Parents reported on their children’s social media use and described how they believed the pandemic affected their children’s peer relationships. Child participants were transitioning to middle school and reported on cyber victimization and adjustment.

Thematic analysis of parental reflections revealed three themes: children spent more time online since the onset of the pandemic, there were negative implications of increased time online and there were positive and protective implications of being online. Analysis also indicated significant indirect effects of social media use on internalizing and externalizing problems through victimization.

Parents reported Gen Z continues to use electronic forms of communication and social media at high rates even after pandemic-related restrictions eased with some suggesting that their children prefer digital over face-to-face communication because they have become accustomed to this way of connecting and may find it easier than in-person interaction. Current findings highlight concerns about this increased time online as social media use negatively affected adjustment via cyber victimization.

This paper describes an exploratory, international research collaboration that seeks to gain a deeper understanding of the development and experiences of peer leaders in higher education across different international contexts, namely the USA, Canada (CAN), Australasia (Australia and New Zealand) (ANZ), the United Kingdom (UK) and South Africa (SA).

Data are summarized and compared across each of the participating countries, providing a more global context and depth of perspective on peer leadership (PL) in higher education than is currently available in the literature.

The findings highlight some apparent differences between countries in relation to student engagement in peer leader roles and the ways in which PL is supported by higher education institutions, as well as some similarities across the different international contexts, particularly in the way peer leaders view the benefits of their involvement in PL.

These insights provide a valuable addition to the literature on PL and practical information to higher education institutions for supporting student leadership development and involvement.

This study aims to explore the experiences of newly resettled refugee-background high school students participating in the Teen Response program, a community-based initiative to assist refugee-background adolescents (RBAs) in navigating educational and career opportunities in the midwestern USA.

Using a mixed-methods approach, this study examined twenty-two RBAs through survey and focus groups.

The findings reveal significant growth and transformation in the students' self-efficacy and advocacy skills. This growth underscores the critical role of social support and community engagement in helping RBAs, empowering them to advocate for themselves and others in pursuing educational and career goals.

This study contributes new insights into the community-based support programs for RBAs, focusing on enhancing self-efficacy and advocacy. It offers valuable implications for developing effective support frameworks and recommends future research on these approaches.

Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The study’s aims were to (1) Explore challenges, barriers and successes of students of color, as a result of the instructor’s approach to teaching in a remote learning environment; and (2) Determine what types of practices and approaches students of color found supportive in adjusting to a remote learning environment.

This qualitative study used in-depth interviews to explore the experiences of students of color, reflecting on in-person and remote learning environments. A total of 18 students from a large public university participated in the study.

The findings suggest significant adjustments were made by both students and professors during the pandemic. Although academics were important to students, there was an emphasis on the impact on social interactions with peers and the ability to build meaningful relationships with professors. Students displayed a sense of compassion and empathy toward professors and themselves.

The results from the study provide some insight into how higher education can move forward, potentially conducting future research that includes the perspectives of both students and professors to determine how to best provide support in the aftermath of a pandemic.

This qualitative study used in-depth interviews to explore the experiences of students of color, reflecting on in-person and remote learning environments.