A thought-provoking exploration of human behavior, ethics, and society written by Diandra Maria Pânișoară, this book brings together interdisciplinary research, philosophical perspectives, and empirical evidence to examine the forces that shape individuals and civilizations.
Interdisciplinary Studies on the Human Condition
DIANDRA MARIA PÂN I ȘOARĂ
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DIANDRA MARIA PÂNIȘOARĂ is a young researcher and writer who has developed articles for DC News in the field of psychology. She contributed in the creation of two educational board games and promoted books, especially classics, online. In addition, she participated in a CIVIS Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) conference, where she presented the role of AI tools in education, and took part in a televised debate regarding general educational aspects. In 2024, she was a finalist for The John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize in Philosophy. She is passionate about writing scientific research in the fields of psychology, philosophy and sociology, as well as creative writing.
Interdisciplinary Studies on the Human Condition
I n this book I have gathered several researches carried out by me in an attempt to understand the external environment and the complex internal world found in the human experience. I have focused on social dynamics, ethical aspects and the individual in several contexts through an epistemological manner that combines aspects from vast fields. Whether we are talking about global elements, primary development or we are talking about aspects that have a certain uniqueness regarding different social cultures, moral values and well-being in terms of evolution, most people feel the need for answers. Thus, I have gathered theories, experiments, and opinions of great thinkers and a vision of current dynamics through statistics that provide an objective basis for my arguments. There are many unknown elements in terms of human behavior and even more in terms of the way it was formed, but perception and the way we process information changes in a subjective manner. There are many aspects that embody existence but the analysis of situations happening currently and the way in which they are perceived remains a diverse discussion and raises relevant questions. I can’t say that I have answered all the questions I had but I have managed to form a clear opinion about each aspect addressed, topics that will continue to increase controversy. I hope that through research, a broad, fundamental discussion can be started about subjects that will increase humanity’s interest in what has always been fascinating.
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Moral Intuition and Its Limits
I n order to determine if the moral intuition of an individual has a valid reasoning to take consecrated decisions that can influence his life and those around him, it is essential to analyze the ethical valuation in terms of human existence. As far as older scientific studies are concerned, a now traditional way of explaining moral intuition has developed. This view holds that moral intuition does not go beyond the bounds of ethical decisions that are deliberate and rational, subjected to error and the situational factors involved (Treviño et al., 2006). However, new research determines that ethical behavior is influenced by intuitive and emotional factors (Graham et al., 2011; Haidt, 2001; Reynolds, 2006). To understand the contextual mechanism of moral intuition, we can define it as the emergence in what we call consciousness, the evaluative feeling regarding an external factor that undergoes an unconscious evaluation process. This new way of seeing moral intuition explains the whole process as automatic and guided by emotional boundaries. Given that this process is made with automatic neural functions guided by irrational reactions and subjunctivized by emotional factors, our trust in moral intuition may decrease characterizing the whole procedure as unstable. That is if we analyze the whole way of thinking as strictly reactive. We can consider that essential values are learned; when it comes to automated processes, the external environment and potential conditioning may play a relevant role. Thus, we can take the example of Michael A. Olson and Russell H. Fazio which includes an extensive study of the “reduction of active racial bias by implicit evaluative conditioning”. This study utilized an implicit
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evaluative conditioning procedure on white participants to reduce racial bias in a short period of time and with few trials. The first procedure determined that participants were unaware of the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus (positive associations Black individuals and negative associations with White individuals). The way this first step has been carried out is as follows. According to the adjectival connotation task, an error rate of 20% or more demonstrates a lack of attention and involvement, so the minimum requirement was not met and those cases were excluded. In the second stage, a bias minimization was demonstrated a factor calculated by an evaluative priming measure of automatically activated biases. In the third stage it was found that the reduction of racial prejudice excels over a distance of two days during the procedure and the administration of the dependent measure. Given that the initial hypothesis inferred the possibilities relatively correctly, and this study demonstrates a remarkable opportunity to utilize conditioning for societal beneficial purposes. The question from which this essay takes off indubitably raises a debate on the level of individual development and the importance of the environment, as well as natural endowment. So far, we have validated the possibility of moral intuition from a biological point of view, in which automatic decisions are factorial on the emotional side — a hypothesis supported by neurology and psychology. Furthermore, we have the role of the environment and the conditioning process, that is not felt systematically but which has the ability to alter the existence of factors that were pre-existing or irrelevant until the time of the procedure. Although it can be concluded that emotions are a prominent factor in ethics and moral intuition, a question arises regarding the nature of these emotions: whether they are primary, rational, logical, or created by conclusive factors that limit the individual to behave in an exact and calculated manner at certain moments, environments, or components.
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In order to determine if the moral instinct is to be believed and respects an objective conduct and not only subjective and/or genetic factors, most studies develop an analysis asking the question “Nature or nurture?” This approach examines the triggering element of an individual’s thinking, not just the conclusion of the final product, which in this case would be the complexity of many triggering processes behind an individual’s action. This question found an answer in the scientific environment that combines nature and nurture in creating man and his subsistence in relation to internal and external constituents. Thus, genetic research incorporates environmental research and environmental research incorporates genetic factors. The theory of nature, of the brain that makes decisions with pre- existing functions, that deals with intuition, the selection of information has been a marked interest for many psychologists, neurologists and philosophers. The context and the good practice of knowledge and its entire existence have, of course, evolved, but the questions from classical theories such as dualism and its opposite, materialism are creating an intricate contribution. Immanuel Kant had a well-established opinion in completely rejecting materialism. He believed that intuition locates both spatial and temporal factors and that it is guided by a unified consciousness. Let us take a relevant example from psychology that illustrates ambivalent thinking in relation to justice and the trust attributed to moral intuition. This example is that of Phineas P. Gage. Phineas was an American railroad foreman who suffered a terrible and unforeseeable accident, in which a large iron rod was driven into the left frontal lobe of his brain. Surprisingly, and very implausibly, he not only did not die instantly but escaped with his life without being incapacitated in a manner of gruesome relevance. The accident, however, perniciously caused wounds in Phineas’s personality that led to rather severe behavioral changes, easily noticeable to people who had known Phineas before the tragedy.
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This example shows the implacable relevance of the matter from which the brain is made, the existence of an authentic individual being as a consequence adjacent to the components in the brain to which are implicitly added the formative experiences. The example shows us the material importance in thinking but this does not indicate the lack of subjectivity. Moral intuition that can be shaped to a certain extent and cultivated by the external environment. This idiosyncratically indicates a particularity for the individual in his conception, which may be different from other individuals even if there is the possibility of validation in him. Given these processes and theories that possess an individual dynamic, we can consider that our moral intuition is correct in replicating the collective decisions in our society. This technique of identifying correctness is quite unreliable since, if we look at certain aspects, we have all been taught to proceed in a certain way. According to Aristotle, the moral and virtuous person is classified by reason and character. This type of person is not only aware of what is right but is conclusively proud of the good deeds done by him. Virtue that can be classified, for example, an unsatisfied pleasure in the name of fairness that brings a supreme pleasure of justice. In conclusion, to be able to answer a question such as “Do we have good reasons to trust our moral intuition?”, we have to understand that there is no well classified way of thinking as right. However, given the components we are born with, along with the experiences and laws (that serve as restrictions) that prepare us to live in this social environment, we have no other solution than to make our subjective way of thinking as well adapted to objectivity as possible.
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References
• Athanassoulis, N. (2025). Virtue Ethics . Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. https://iep.utm.edu/virtue/ • Brook, A. (2008). Kant’s view of the mind and consciousness of self. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy . Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ kant-mind • Cook, D. T. (2020). The SAGE Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood Studies . https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529714388 • Graham, J., Nosek, B. A., Haidt, J., Iyer, R., Koleva, S., & Ditto, P. H. (2011). Mapping the moral domain. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101(2), 366–385. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021847 • O’Driscoll, K., & Leach, J. P. (1998). “No longer Gage”: an iron bar through the head. BMJ , 317 (7174), 1673–1674. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.317.7174.1673a • Olson, M. A., & Fazio, R. H. (2006). Reducing Automatically Activated Racial Prejudice Through Implicit Evaluative Conditioning. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin , 32 (4), 421–433. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167205284004 • Thagard, P., & Finn, T.. Conscience: What is Moral Intuition? in Carla Bagnoli, Morality and the Emotions. Oxford, GB: Oxford University Press UK. pp. 150 (2015) • Treviño, L. K., Weaver, G. R., & Reynolds, S. J. (2006). Behavioral ethics in organizations: A review. Journal of Management, 32(6), 951–990. https://doi. org/10.1177/01492063062942 • Weaver, G. R., Reynolds, S. J., & Brown, M. E. (2013). Moral Intuition. Journal of Management , 40 (1), 100–129. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206313511272
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Responsibility in the Construction of Beliefs
A Dictionary of Psychology (Colman, 2009) defines belief as being “stronger than a baseless opinion but not as strong as an item of knowledge.” This simple phrase disposes that the individual who believes in a particular item is indubitably convinced of that item to the contradictory belief that is disposed by objective factors. This implies that a person has structured ideas to be convinced of his initial belief but has the lucidity to understand the correct and well delineated facts of reality. Up to this point a person should be held accountable for what they believe if they have been presented with the correct information that contradicts their initial ideas. However, there are special cases of people with certain psychiatric illnesses who have lost touch with reality, their beliefs being more than validated for them against the deliberate logical explanations of those around them. No matter how informed or uninformed an individual may be they will be reinforced by the laws and social (norms or structures) that they are forced to abide by. The law must be followed, but not necessarily obeyed blindly. We can question why certain rules exist, but within a socially accepted context, this scrutiny should never translate into breaking or flouting the law.) Our beliefs — whether political, religious, or otherwise — must be expressed in a peaceful and non-aggressive manner. Otherwise, if this protocol is not respected the belief begins to violate the other person’s rights and becomes illegal and unethical. When it comes to what we believe, we can focus on Aristotle’s way of thinking. He expresses that the imagination is the one we possess, in which we have absolute control, but what we believe is somewhat random and uncontrollable by our own person. This particular piece of thinking
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can make us “victims” in what we think is right and wrong. It humanizes us and gives us freedom to want to express our opinion, which is a fundamental human right as long as it does not violate the rights of those around us. What fundamentally differs between imagination and belief is the perception used in imagination over which we have control. Aristotle determines that all beliefs do not belong to us because both possess the capacity to be either true or false. These arguments seem to be related to the value of truth, which can be contradictory and paradoxical when we talk about fundamentally wrong actions, which can be explained as correct in the mind of the person who favored them, but not in society. Kant dedicated his life to the vision of transcendental idealism, which helps us to perceive the difference between what we can experience and what we cannot. According to him, we can only have knowledge through what is accessible to mankind. Kant’s rule of ethical evaluation that is widespread in philosophy expresses the need to see the humanity of fellow human beings, the right action in his regard validates the rules that apply to the majority. This way of seeing the world may require a certain conformity in actions that express the direct result of thinking. However, as noted earlier, actions and imagination are in the control of the individual, but what one believes may ultimately lie beyond their control. The content of our faith has a variable value and is formed based on concrete, epistemological and abstract factors. There are infinite theories that explain the foundations of faith, however, they can explain the personality of an individual in their respective group (Shavitt & Nelson, 1999) or can help with the individual’s belonging in society (Sears & Levy, 2003). Beliefs serve as an answer, they ground an individual’s world and explain it in order to survive in distinct settings (Roney & Sorrentino, 1995). Beliefs can preserve someone’s personality and the way that individual identifies (Baumeister, 1997). Previous theorists have concluded that people who change beliefs do not always deliberately try to achieve their representational goals. Representational beliefs try to resolve and validate the surrounding world.
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We have hedonic functions that represent a significant part of our system in relation to acquired beliefs. Beliefs have emotional components that help regulate feelings depending on the individual and the situation. Various theories fully support the hedonic functions of faith such as Just-World Theory (Lerner, 1980) Lerner researched the hypothesis that claims that most individuals need to see the world as a just place. This context favors people to see their sufferings with a valuable, beneficial purpose. A study carried out in 1965 shows that subjects are more likely to believe that a lottery won by a student makes the winning student more worthy and hardworking than a student who did not win the lottery. In a separate study conducted one year after the end of this study, Lerner and a colleague of his filmed an experiment. The participants were actors who pretended to be electrocuted. The experiment concluded that subjects tend to devalue the victim, forming a lower/negative opinion of them when one voluntarily chooses to remain in the study despite their suffering.) Thus, people have a tendency to have a devout opinion about a person who is in pain without having the chance of a prize for his or her suffering. The person considered to have a bad character is a way for people to help themselves to process something unfair as being fair. To exemplify how an individual’s beliefs shape their personality, we can look at the survey done in 1975 by Zick Rubin (from Harvard University) and Letitia Anne Peplau (from UCLA). Their findings showed that those who tend to believe in a just world are often religious people who share characteristics such as authority and are quite unfavorable to people who have beliefs contrary to them. In a conclusive way with the situation that can influence faith in a significant matter, we have Terror Management Theory. This theory takes the considerable fear of death and demonstrates that this fear encourages people to have a view of themselves that increases their dignity and self- worth. In order to live a meaningful life and to capitalize on this fear, the individual wants to build a hierarchical life, thus forming prejudices. This theory was consecrated by Jeff Greenberg, Sheldon Solomon and Tom Pyszczynski (1986), based on other concepts of Ernest Becker who
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claim that the distinct actions of each individual is a continuous attempt to avoid the idea of death. Thus, the need for a different vision than the realistic one was proven in order to mitigate the emotional damage. Taking only these theories into account, one might agree with Aristotle that what we believe is not in our power that it is a defense mechanism against uncontrollable elements. We can consider another philosophical approach, that of Nietzsche, who does not address intuition directly but concludes, like contemporary philosophers, the mental states of presentation metamorphose into affective responses. The content of the belief becomes true and the beliefs will not be identical to the mental states of presentation, so the beliefs are explicit. In conclusion, we cannot identify the exact source of the beliefs, but we can understand the mechanism behind them. Thus, no citizen who belongs to a civilized society should be persecuted for what they believe, as long as the rights of others are not violated and the law is not disobeyed.
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References • Andre, C. Velasquez, M. The Just World Theory . Issues in Ethics - V. 3, N. 2 Spring 1990. https://www.scu.edu/ethics/ethics-resources/ethical-decision-making/ the-just-world-theory/ • Boden, M. T., Berenbaum, H., & Gross, J. J. (2016). Why Do People Believe What They Do? A Functionalist Perspective. Review of General Psychology: Journal of Division 1, of the American Psychological Association , 20 (4), 399–411. https://doi. org/10.1037/gpr0000085 • Colman, A. M. (2009). A Dictionary of Psychology. Oxford University Press. https:// www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095456806 • Flora, I. (2009). Aristotle on [part of] the difference between belief and imagination. The Society for Ancient Greek Philosophy Newsletter . 345. https://orb. binghamton.edu/sagp/345 • Greenberg, J., Pyszczynski, T., & Solomon, S. (1986). The causes and consequences of a need for self-esteem: A terror management theory. În R. F. Baumeister (Ed.), Public self and private self (pp. 189–212). Springer. https:// doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-9564-5_10 • Hayes, J. (2017). Terror Management Theory. Springer EBooks , 1–10. https://doi. org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_1190-1 • Jankowiak, T. (2025). Immanuel Kant . Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. https://iep.utm.edu/kantview/ • Lerner, M. J. (1965). Evaluation of performance as a function of performer’s reward and attractiveness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1(4), 355–360. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0021806 • Lerner, M. J. (1980). The belief in a just world: A fundamental delusion . Springer New York. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0448-5 • Remhof, J. (2019). Nietzsche’s intuitions. Inquiry , 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080 /0020174x.2019.1667867 • Rubin, Z. and Peplau, L.A. (1975), Who Believes in a Just World?. Journal of Social Issues, 31: 65-89. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.1975.tb00997.x
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Individualism and Collectivism: Social and Cultural Perspectives
V arious aspects can manipulate a person’s view on society and self-importance. There are numerous theories regarding the development of the individual in society. These theories challenge the perspective of the natural elements that the individual detains from birth as well as the factors that can condition the human experience creating from a perfectly pure mind a way of thinking in relation to certain elements. Regardless of the outcome of this dynamic, the individual’s worldview becomes inherently self-centered or oriented toward others. The American Psychological Association describes individualism as “a social or cultural tradition, ideology, or personal outlook that emphasizes the individual and their rights, independence, and relationships with other individuals” as well as “in ethical and political theory, the view that individuals have intrinsic value”. These definitions have a fundamental similarly in explaining the relation with self and others, the value that the individual should seek in himself with this specific outlook that indubitably highlights the importance that one has. Another perspective is offered by the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary, which frames the issue as “the idea that each person should think and act independently rather than depending on others”. As well as the Cambridge Business English Dictionary defines individualism as “the principle that the single person is more important than the group and that people should work and own things for their own advantage”.
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To better understand the good side of individualism in today’s society one must look at the opposite ideology, collectivism. Collectivism is described by the American Psychology Association as „the tendency to view oneself as a member of a larger (family or social) group, rather than as an isolated, independent being”. In a more political and hierarchical way Britannica describes the concept as “any of several types of social organization in which the individual is seen as being subordinate to a social collectivity such as a state, a nation, a race, or a social class”. In an article from Britannica (2019), the political aspect of G.W.F. Hegel’s philosophy is also emphasized: that the individual is able to achieve freedom when is submissive to the laws and orders of the state to which they belong. An article provided by the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy regarding the work of Jean Jacques Rousseau explains collectivism from the perspective presented in „The social contract”, which states that in a highly developed society, collectivism is not only present but required in order to avoid dynamics that could lead to inequality. The view of collectivism is based on the idea that the individual’s virtue comes from him depending on society’s lows or groups of choice, which can create proper conditions for restrictive political forms of government such as communism and socialism. Now if we consider the ideology in a non-political manner and as being an alternative for belonging and socialization, we can find benefits regarding some of the social human nature traits. Another article from Britannica shows that individualism emerged in the XIX century, and different countries had different approaches in utilizing this ideology. In France, for example, the main focus was on personal gain, on the individual’s right over the collective. In Germany, individualism was based on the idea of self-importance and realization. In England, the topics of religion and economic integrity were the main source of prosperity in the matter. The article goes on to explore individualism regarding the influence of New England Puritanism that latter becomes in the United States a value of natural rights.
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Regarding society’s way of forming one’s character, a research from SAGE (Green, Deschamps & Páez, 2005) explains that in regions such as North America and in European cultures the focus is mainly on individualist values, which differ from those found in cultures across South America, Asia and Africa. The research continues to explain how we should view this ideology according to the population. Where the main focus is on individualism people view success and failure as their responsibility. In contrast, where collectivism prevails, even the gain of one individual is viewed in relation to others. This makes implacable differences in the mentality of citizens around the world. As evolved human beings it stays in our nature to chase a sense of comfort that goes beyond subsistence. A research at National Library of Medicine explained that brain circuits that have the responsibility of providing individual emotional experiences are very plastic and easy manipulated. The article (Davidson, 2014) also stated how important individuality is in context of a person’s emotions. This analogy makes us understand the fact that the common ground is our unique way of understanding objective experiences — a fact that can separate us. Another research published in National Library of Medicine ( Chiao et al 2009 ) shows us an example in the effect of individualism on our brains. It was discovered that values of individualism and collectivism have a role in the activation of medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC). In both cases this neuronal activity is beneficial for self-knowledge. The main difference that the study collected is that in bilateral parahippocampal gyri during general and contextual implications there is more activity in the right superior frontal gyrus during comprehension of self in individualists than in collectivists. Is fundamentally important to understand the complexity of human dynamics and their impact on the human brain. If we see all ideologies as conditions that are given either by states and decisions people make in order to shape the individual — profoundly impacting our health and functioning — we would have a more stoic, objective point of view. A
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subjunctive way of seeing the contrast of individualism, as in all cases, will only manipulate the outcome. In conclusion, as long as society does not collapse due to unethical reasoning, as all of the factors have consequences on physical and psychological well-being, we shall not be nervous about negative dynamics, since the ideologies are ones of great value.
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References
• American Psychological Association. (2023, November 15). APA Dictionary of Psychology . Dictionary.apa.org. https://dictionary.apa.org/individualism • American Psychological Association (2026). APA Dictionary of Psychology . https:// dictionary.apa.org/collectivism • Bertram, C., “Jean Jacques Rousseau”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2024 Edition), Edward N. Zalta & Uri Nodelman (eds.) https://plato. stanford.edu/archives/sum2024/entries/rousseau/ • Britannica. (2019). Collectivism | sociology. In Encyclopædia Britannica . https:// www.britannica.com/topic/collectivism • Cambridge Dictionary. (2026) Individualism. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/ dictionary/english/individualism. • Chiao, J. Y., Harada, T., Komeda, H., Li, Z., Mano, Y., Saito, D., Parrish, T. B., Sadato, N., & Iidaka, T. (2009). Neural basis of individualistic and collectivistic views of self. Human Brain Mapping , 30 (9), 2813–2820. https://doi.org/10.1002/ hbm.20707 • Davidson, R. J. (2014). One of a Kind: The Neurobiology of Individuality. Cerebrum: The Dana Forum on Brain Science , 2014 , 8. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ articles/PMC4436197/ • Green, E. G., Deschamps, J. C., & Páez, D. (2005). Variation of individualism and collectivism within and between 20 countries: A typological analysis. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 36(3), 321–339. https://doi. org/10.1177/002202210427365 • Individualism (psychology). (2009). In L. E. Sullivan (Ed.) The SAGE glossary of the social and behavioral sciences (Vol. 3, pp. 253-253). SAGE Publications, Inc., https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412972024.n1283 • Lukes, S. (2016). Individualism. In Encyclopædia Britannica . https://www.britannica. com/topic/individualism
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The Impact of Technology in Contemporary Society Technology appears in various forms today and has a significant impact on many fields. There are positive and negative aspects. The positive aspects vary from increased access to communication, efficiency and access to diverse data. However, individuals experience low activity levels, mental health is affected and social isolation becomes a recurring feature. These elements demonstrate that there are diverse circumstances. Thus, technology is not fundamentally good or bad and everything is based on how it is used. The term technology comes from the combination of the term “techne” which means art, craft and “logos” which means word, speech. By the early 20th century, the term had encompassed more means, processes and ideas. We can turn our attention to the process of development of technology. The Industrial Revolution began in the 18th century when factories began to replace certain manual labor to increase efficiency and technological objects. The 20th century marked by the digital era saw the invention of the transistor (1947), an essential aspect for today’s computers, followed in 1989 by the World Wide Web, which provided a platform for easy development of all domains. Although there are significant risks regarding certain technological components, in terms of the labor market it has been a real help. The demand for college graduates between 1940 and 1996 increased by improving certain industries. Digitalization in EU countries has had a positive impact by improving the labor force. Regarding the ever-increasing use of technology and the ever-expanding access to the impact that the digital environment has on people, certain
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statistics have been configured. At the beginning of October 2025, 6.04 billion people are users of internet, 73.2% of the total population. This number is growing, increasing by 294 million in the last 12 months. This data shows that approximately 2.21 billion people are left offline. The vast majority of those who use the internet (96%) use a phone to go online some of the time, with 60% of online use being accessed through phones (see also Kemp, 2026). Regarding social media, 5.66 billion accounts were discovered, in October 2025. Between 2024 and 2025, 259 million new accounts were created. These data demonstrate a steady increase in the use of the internet and devices for various purposes, in distinct digital sources. Although there is also individual use in access, technology has distinct purposes that encourage increased access in various fields of interest. Micro and macro technologies are undergoing extraordinary progress. They make diverse contributions in fields such as electronics, biomedical, pharmaceutical, aerospace, photography and energy. In these fields, technology is used to create lighter, more reliable equipment that lasts longer and has a positive impact. Technology conditions human interactions. 92% of those surveyed claim that face-to-face communication has been negatively impacted by the technological process, with 89% noting that the quality of face-to- face discussions has diminished (Drago, 2015). In addition to the social aspect that can be affected, there are also questions regarding the ethics surrounding artificial intelligence. Issues such as algorithmic opinion and autonomy in critical thinking bring various controversies. Another study (Khalaila & Vitman-Schorr, 2018) analyzed various circumstances in the lives of those over 50 years old regarding technological implications. It was demonstrated that technology does not only affect youth and creates problems that go beyond addiction and critical thinking impairment. Where access to technological sources is widespread, problems such as isolation can arise.
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As for risk factors, these are characterized by context, whether we are talking about the alteration of reactions for a quick need of dopamine or unverified information taken from sources that encourage misinformation, the subject grows in interest. According to Anderson and Buchman (2001), a significant portion of young learners express a preference for aggressive media content, with 59% of fourth-grade girls and 73% of boys reporting that their favorite video games feature violent themes. But in a more optimistic way, another study (Rosser at al, 2007) concluded that the skills used in video games are a good predictor of surgeon’s success in performing laparoscopic surgeries. When it comes to mental health, 95% of people in a study conducted by Mental Health America with 2600 participants have regular access to technology and 88% use it for essential aspects. 44% note that they do nothing to stop the negative aspects of technology and 81% of people between 18-24 rely on technology, mainly for entertainment. In contrast, those with poor mental health are more likely to feel distracted, dependent, frustrated with how they use their devices than those with good mental health that are more likely to associate technology with information, connection, and productivity. 32% of individuals hope for the simplification of life with the help of technology, 31% wish for easier learning, and 31% increased productivity, but 46% fear the loss of privacy, 43% human decline, and 31% addiction and loss of attention. In conclusion, technology is evolving rapidly and constantly and has positive aspects that help individuals in their daily lives, increasing opportunities, but if it is not used in a moderate and intentional manner, it can cause harm, depending on the context.
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References • Anderson, C. A., & Bushman, B. J. (2001). Effects of violent video games on aggressive behavior, aggressive cognition, aggressive affect, physiological arousal, and prosocial behavior: A meta-analytic review of the scientific literature. Psychological Science, 12(5), 353–359. • Buchanan, R. A. (2018). History of Technology. In Encyclopædia Britannica . https://www.britannica.com/technology/history-of-technology • Drago, E. (2015). The effect of technology on face-to-face communication. Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications, 6(1), 13–19. http:// www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1137/the-effect-of-technology-on-face-to- face-communication • Kemp, S. (2026, 23 aprilie). Digital around the world. DataReportal. https:// datareportal.com/global-digital-overview • Khalaila, R., Vitman-Schorr, A. Internet use, social networks, loneliness, and quality of life among adults aged 50 and older: mediating and moderating effects. Qual Life Res 27, 479–489 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-017-1749-4 • Lusha, E. (2023). The Impact of Technological Advancements on Society: Examining the Possibility of a Brave New World. Economicus , 22 (2), 53–67. https://doi.org/10.58944/iblr9210 • Rosser, J. C., Jr., Lynch, P. J., Cuddihy, L., Gentile, D. A., Klonsky, J., & Merrell, R. (2007). The impact of video games on training surgeons in the 21st century. Archives of Surgery, 142(2), 181–186. • Swenson, B. (2020, December 30). Technology: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly . University of Arkansas Grantham https://www.uagrantham.edu/blog/technology-the- good-the-bad-the-ugly/ • The Evolution of Technology: Transforming Our World | Atlantic International University . (2024, July 26). Atlantic International University. https://www.aiu.edu/blog/the- evolution-of-technology-transforming-our-world/ • Technology and mental health: A complex relationship | Mental Health America . (2025, June 16). Mental Health America. https://mhanational.org/technology-mental- health-report/ • Wolpert, S. (2009, January 27). Is technology producing a decline in critical thinking and analysis? UCLA Newsroom. https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/is-technology- producing-a-decline-79127
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Interdisciplinary Studies on the Human Condition
The Impact of Social Media in Contemporary Society
T he fundamental reality is that social media has had an impact on individuals and how they function in society. Whether we are talking about cognitive functions such as attention span or exposure to different cultures, traditions, beliefs and moral values, whether we seek them out or those around us expose us to them through social media. The APA Dictionary of Psychology describes social identity as “the personal qualities that one claims and displays to others so consistently that they come to be regarded as part of one’s essential, stable self”, as well as “the part of self-concept that derives from membership in social groups or categories, ranging from family to nationality or race”. This has implications for group dynamics, described as “the processes, operations, and changes that occur within social groups and that affect patterns of membership, communication, conflict, conformity, decision- making, influence, leadership, norm formation, and power”. Observing geopolitical situations, as shown by Zexing Xie’s research (2023) Analysis of the Impact of Social Media on Social Dynamics, we can give an example of the situation in Ukraine in 2022, where 20.28% of those spreading information on the subject were probably bots. Thus, the statistics found by Oxford University, which the research shows, assume that 76 out of 81 countries, 93%, used the virtual environment to spread false information. There are theories that support the fundamental nature of the individual from birth, or their conditioning by the stimuli to which they are exposed. We could consider the theory of habit and draw a parallel in understanding the human dynamics to which we are accustomed. Modern theories derived from classical behaviorism describe how habits manifest
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themselves. Thus, habits are repetitions of factors that are activated by certain external stimuli, independent functions that are not necessarily influenced by extrinsic motivation or the need for rewards. Classical behaviorism is at odds with some of the implications of current theories regarding habits, which would be derived from internal movements. John B. Watson, who explored the vast features of conditioning and managed to show a possibility of explaining irrational fears and patterns through the harmful conditions of the Little Albert Experiment. As for B.F. Skinner, he believed that behavior is controlled by determinants found in the environment, achieved by successive factors. The transmission of dopamine helps learning through certain synaptic connections. This is an error of prediction. Thus, aversive and alarming factors can be “motivators” with different sensory effects. Social media through likes, posts, messages and others give us a boost for a limited period of time that we internalize as a reward, making us much more exposed to accumulate information unconsciously. In conclusion, because we need this constant exposure to stimuli and information, we transform ourselves unconsciously and continuously, learning through repeated actions, habits, certain elements that fundamentally change the way we relate to society, both culturally and personally, on a social scale.
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References • Abntti Gronow, Habit. (2016, November 28), Oxford Bibliographies https:// www.oxfordbibliographies.com/display/document/obo-9780199756384/obo- 9780199756384-0186.xml . https://10.1093/obo/9780199756384-0186 • American Psychological Association. (2014) Dictionary of Psychology. https:// dictionary.apa.org/group-dynamics • American Psychological Association. (2018, April 19). APA Dictionary of Psychology, dictionary https://dictionary.apa.org/social-identity • Bromberg-Martin, E. S., Matsumoto, M., & Hikosaka, O. (2010). Dopamine in motivational control: Rewarding, aversive, and alerting. Neuron , 68(5), 815–834., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2010.11.022 • Burhan, R., & Moradzadeh, J. (2020). Neurotransmitter Dopamine (DA) and its Role in the Development of Social Media Addiction, Journal of Neurology & Neurophysiology , https://www.iomcworld.org/open-access/neurotransmitter- dopamine-da-and-its-role-in-the-development-of-social-media-addiction-59222. html • Harvard University. (2007). B. F. Skinner, Harvard.edu. https://psychology.fas. harvard.edu/people/b-f-skinner • Orbell, S., & Verplanken, B. (2020). Changing Behavior Using Habit Theory (K. Hamilton, L. D. Cameron, M. S. Hagger, N. Hankonen, & T. Lintunen, Eds.), Cambridge University Press,https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/ handbook-of-behavior-change/changing-behavior-using-habit-theory/5F222BC 3AF6ADD9A8307BBB726D43F5C • Xie, Z.-H. (2023). Analysis of the Impact of Social Media on Social Dynamic. Communications in Humanities Research , 11(1), 237–242, https://doi. org/10.54254/2753-7064/11/20231450
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Diandra Maria Pânișoară
Conditioning, Social Constructs, and Decision- Making
O ur experiences change the way we see the world and dominate the course of our actions. We are conditioned by the circumstances that exceed our expectations, and we find ourselves in a continuous metamorphosis. We extend the simple conditioning of Ivan Pavlov and John B. Watson, but we seem to be easily manipulated by the factors that arise in our daily endeavors. Now, of course, our intellect may be more evolved than the one of a dog or a baby, but when it comes to our needs, especially the fundamental need for safety and comfort, we become fragile and exposed to the atrocities that can be found in every environment. As in all controversial topics, the opinions are divided, and questions about the nature of human experience arise. Are we born as we are, or does our environment create the values and morals within an individual? Do we have more to gain in an individualistic or collective society? We grow up in cultures that show certain patterns, traditions, and even the rejection of such factors drives us to adapt to elements that create a new view on the preexisting conditions. What makes the learning process and the contradictory conditions implacable even when it comes to adults with an already made-up mind? We could consider the theory of habit and draw a parallel in understanding the human dynamics to which we are accustomed. Modern theories derived from classical behaviorism describe how habits manifest themselves. Factors that are easy to overlook are everywhere, and thus we act without understanding certain decisions that we are responsible for. Vulnerability can be found in many individuals; however, children are
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Interdisciplinary Studies on the Human Condition
the easiest to shape in this regard, and when the environment has no influences but rather deprivations, the human brain undergoes real changes. Thus, half of the institutionalized children who grow up in an environment where attachments are different by the age of 16 meet the criteria for psychiatric disorders compared to youths who have not been institutionalized, in which case only 15% meet the criteria for such disorders. An article from Nature (Sonuga-Barke et al, 2017) gives the example of the English and Romanian Adoptees (ERA) Study, where children adopted before 6 months have a lack of psychiatric symptoms similar to those who did not spend time in government care, as opposed to those adopted after 6 months. Thus, fundamentally underscoring the importance of primary attachment and the environment that makes pre- existing human traits vulnerable. Vulnerability also arises from the contradictory moments of limiting situations that create cognitive dissonance in individuals. Cambridge Dictionary describes cognitive dissonance as “a state in which there is a difference between your experiences or behavior and your beliefs about what is true” (2025). This can lead individuals to make decisions contrary to their normal ways of acting and to form incorrect attachments and contradictory ethical values. Thus, we observe the inability of a person to remain unaffected by the environment in which they live and by the factors to which they are constrained. The decisions we make define us; everything we decide creates a significant consequence in our lives. In the professional or personal environment, we make decisions, we surround ourselves with certain people, and we begin to look at our reflection in what we do. We have the impression that we are the ones who go through unique experiences, only to find out that the independence of our experience does not make it unique but distinct from the subjective way in which the person next to us saw it when they went through it. Of course, we go through moments that take a different form, but we end up having the same feelings and lessons, which make us integrate into society while remaining marked and conditioned by what happened to us. The similarities we observe
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guide our lives, and we end up making contradictory choices that lead to a cognitive dissonance that occupies any future experience. It is said that without the past a person would have no personality. We are creatures of habit, and the way we act is determined by the values and traditions we have inherited, and the fact that rejecting them classifies us and puts us in a social category shows that the environment we form is pre-existing and we conform to it. In conclusion, life is going to alter our perception, and this should absolutely make us consider on a fundamental level that the patterns we adapt to need to be rational and moral rather than emotionally biased, given that our wellness is at stake.
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References • Cambridge Dictionary. (2025, May 28). Cognitive dissonance . https://dictionary. cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/cognitive-dissonance#google_vignette • Gronow, A. (2016). Habit . Oxford Bibliographies Online Datasets. https://doi. org/10.1093/obo/9780199756384-0186 • Individualism (psychology). (2009) In L. E. Sullivan (Ed.) The SAGE glossary of the social and behavioral sciences (Vol. 3, p. 253). SAGE Publications, Inc., https:// doi.org/10.4135/9781412972024.n1283 • Sonuga-Barke, E. J., Kennedy, M., Kumsta, R., Knights, N., Golm, D., Rutter, M., Maughan, B., Schlotz, W., & Kreppner, J. (2017). Child-to-adult neurodevelopmental and mental health trajectories after early life deprivation: The young adult follow-up of the longitudinal English and Romanian Adoptees study. The Lancet, 389(10079), 1665–1672. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140- 6736(17)30045-4 • Wade, M., Wright, L., & Finegold, K. E. (2022). The effects of early life adversity on children’s mental health and cognitive functioning. Translational Psychiatry , 12 (1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-022-02001-0
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Diandra Maria Pânișoară
Mechanisms of Social Control in
Different Social Contexts H umans have always been malleable beings. There are several ways to manipulate an individual, to take steps towards a political or religious arrangement. The most logical option is to take the person from a young age and educate him or her with certain limits and restrictions in order to enter the norms of the society you want to form. Young children, especially from 0 up to 7 years old are extremely malleable, their brains are not formed at all and they can be molded into anything. Of course, we have multiple questions on this subject. Are we born with a certain character or the environment in which we grow up shapes us? The latest studies say that both equally. We are born with certain cognitive and emotional capacities, these are metamorphosed into a way of living with the environment around us. Thus, in the scenario of shaping the perfect citizen, the easiest thing is conditioning. The Cambridge Dictionary describes conditioning as “the process of training or influencing a person or animal mentally so that they do or expect a particular thing without thinking about it.” Multiple experiments have been created to prove the effects of conditioning. The best-known example is an experiment conducted by behavioral psychologist John B. Watson who was determined to discover the processes of conditioning. He took a baby and placed him in front of some fluffy white elements. At first, the child enjoyed their presence and showed no sign of contempt or fear when the objects were presented in front of him. After these things were noticed, every time the child touched a white and fluffy object, a powerful sound that frightened the child was placed next to him. Over time, the child became repulsed by such white and fluffy objects and every time they appeared to him without any sound, the child panicked and refused to touch them. This experiment not only proves to us how powerful
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