This week in multidisciplinary research, we highlight 10 studies, with 6 African-led and 4 global.
📊 This week at a glance
🌍 African-led research
Global sports education policy research is dominated by the US and UK, with African contributions marginal.
A bibliometric analysis of 1,088 documents (1990–2025) shows that scientific output on sports education policies is overwhelmingly from the United States and United Kingdom, with African research underrepresented. This challenges assumptions of a balanced global discourse and implies that African perspectives are missing from policy discussions. For African scholars, it highlights the need for increased local research and publication to inform context-specific policies.
Children and caregivers find unguided internet CBT for grief helpful, but desire more support.
Qualitative interviews with bereaved children (aged 6–12) and their caregivers after a four-week unguided internet cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention revealed that participants felt less alone but wanted more guidance. This suggests that while digital interventions can offer some benefit, human support may be crucial for grieving children. For African contexts with limited mental health resources, such interventions could be scalable if adapted with adequate support.
Community radio journalists in Limpopo navigate safety, ethics, and community expectations when covering service delivery protests.
A qualitative study of community radio journalists in a South African municipality reveals that they face precarious conditions while reporting on protests, balancing professional ethics with community ties. This highlights the unique pressures on local journalists and implies a need for better safety and ethical guidelines. For African media scholars, it underscores the vital role of community radio in democratic discourse and the risks involved.
Unemployment, inflation, and exchange rate fluctuations have a dynamic relationship with South Africa’s economic growth (1994–2022).
Using an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model, the study finds that these macroeconomic variables significantly impact growth in both short and long term, with unemployment and inflation posing persistent challenges. This confirms structural imbalances and implies that policy must address these interconnected factors simultaneously. For African policymakers, it reinforces the need for coordinated monetary and fiscal strategies to stabilize growth.
Perceived leisure education may promote inclusion among youth with and without disabilities in Vhembe District, South Africa.
The study examines perceptions of leisure education as a tool for inclusion, though the abstract is not available. Based on the title, it likely assesses how leisure activities can foster social integration. For African communities, this highlights the potential of inclusive leisure programs to bridge divides, but further details are needed to draw firm conclusions.
Playful work design—adding fun and competition to tasks—boosts employee engagement even in structured jobs.
A diary study based on Job Demands-Resources theory shows that proactively incorporating playful elements into routine work increases activated positive affect and engagement. This challenges the view that job design must come from management, implying that employees can self-initiate playful tweaks for better outcomes. For African workplaces, it suggests low-cost strategies to enhance motivation and productivity.
🔬 Global breakthroughs
ChatGPT can forecast stock price movements, showing return predictability from large language models.
The study demonstrates that ChatGPT’s predictions have predictive power for stock returns, suggesting that AI language models can extract valuable information from news. This challenges the efficient market hypothesis and implies new tools for investors. For African financial markets, it raises questions about accessibility and regulation of such technologies.
Virtual influencers appear more impactful when shown interacting with humans in photos.
A multimethod investigation finds that social tie presence—depicting virtual influencers with humans—increases consumer engagement. This suggests that human-like social connections enhance the effectiveness of computer-generated influencers. For African marketers, it implies that virtual influencers should be designed to appear socially connected to resonate with audiences.
MambaTS improves long-term time series forecasting using selective state space models.
The paper introduces MambaTS, a model that enhances forecasting accuracy by adapting selective state space models. This advances machine learning for time series, with potential applications in finance, climate, and health. For African data scientists, it offers a new tool for predictive analytics in resource-constrained settings.
Airport games are a subclass of irrigation games, and the Shapley value characterizes cost-sharing on rooted trees.
The study formalizes irrigation games for cost-sharing on rooted trees and shows that airport games are a special case. It provides a characterization using the Shapley value, a solution concept in cooperative game theory. For African economists, this offers a framework for equitable cost allocation in network infrastructure projects.
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