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1. Multidimensional attributes expose Heider balance dynamics to measurements

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-42390-w  

   Linczuk, Joanna; Górski, Piotr J.; Szymanski, Boleslaw K.; Hołyst, Janusz A. (September 2023, Scientific Reports)

   Abstract Most of studied social interactions arise from dyadic relations. An exception is Heider Balance Theory that postulates the existence of triad dynamics, which however has been elusive to observe. Here, we discover a sufficient condition for the Heider dynamics observability: assigning the edge signs according to multiple opinions of connected agents. Using longitudinal records of university student mutual contacts and opinions, we create a coevolving network on which we introduce models of student interactions. These models account for: multiple topics of individual student opinions, influence of such opinions on dyadic relations, and influence of triadic relations on opinions. We show that the triadic influence is empirically measurable for static and dynamic observables when signs of edges are defined by multidimensional differences between opinions on all topics. Yet, when these signs are defined by a difference between opinions on each topic separately, the triadic interactions’ influence is indistinguishable from noise. 

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2. Teaching Models to Balance Resisting and Accepting Persuasion

   Stengel-Eskin, E; Hase, P; Bansal, M (April 2025, Proceedings of the Nations of Americas Chapter of the Association for Computational Linguistics)
3. Teaching Models to Balance Resisting and Accepting Persuasion

   https://doi.org/10.18653/v1/2025.naacl-long.412  

   Stengel-Eskin, Elias; Hase, Peter; Bansal, Mohit (January 2025, Association for Computational Linguistics)
4. Cortical response to balance perturbation is more sensitive in modern dancers than nondancers during biomechanically similar balance recovery

   https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.11.14.688528  

   Kerr, Kennedy G; Boebinger, Scott E; Mirdamadi, Jasmine L; Protzak, Janna; Borich, Michael R; Ting, Lena H (November 2025, bioRxiv)

   ABSTRACT Motor skill expertise can facilitate more automatic movement, engaging less cortical activity while producing appropriate motor output. Accordingly, cortical-evoked N1 responses to balance perturbation, assessed using electroencephalography (EEG), are smaller in young and older adults with better balance. These responses may thus reflect individual balance challenge versus functional, or objective, task difficulty. However, the effect of balance expertise on cortical responses to balance perturbation has not been studied. We hypothesized that balance ability gained though long-term training facilitates more automatic balance control. Using professional modern dancers as balance experts, we compared cortical-evoked responses and biomechanics of the balance-correcting response between modern dancers and nondancers. We predicted that modern dancers would have smaller cortical-evoked responses and better balance recovery at equivalent levels of balance challenge. Support-surface perturbations were normalized to individual challenge levels by delivering perturbations scaled to 60% and 140% of each individual’s step threshold. In contrast to our prediction, dancers exhibited larger N1 responses compared to nondancers while demonstrating similar biomechanical responses. Our results suggest dancers have greater cortical sensitivity to balance perturbations than nondancers. Further, dancer N1 responses modulated across perturbation magnitudes according to differences in objective task difficulty. In contrast, nondancer N1 responses modulated as a function of individual challenge level. Our findings suggest dance training increases sensitivity of the initial, cortical N1 response to balance perturbation, supporting postural alignment to an objective reference. The N1 response may reflect differences in balance-error processing that are altered with specific long-term training and may have implications for rehabilitation. NEW & NOTEWORTHYModern dancers show larger cortical responses to balance perturbations than nondancers, suggesting a greater sensitivity to perturbations. These results contrast with evidence of larger cortical-evoked responses in young adults with poorer balance, consistent with the cortical N1 response being a balance error assessment signal. Whereas nondancers scaled cortical responses by individual differences in N1 amplitude, dancers’ cortical responses were scaled to objective differences in perturbation magnitude, suggesting increased postural awareness due to training. 

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5. Moderate sensory balance training leads to improvements in elderly

   https://doi.org/10.7243/2055-2386-6-12  

   Thompson, Lara A (January 2019, Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation)