Yang-Yang Zhou’s research while affiliated with Dartmouth College and other places

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Publications (41)


The Price of Dignity: Measuring Migrants' Metaperceptions using Behavioral Games
  • Preprint

January 2025

Yang-Yang Zhou

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Daniel Rojas

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Margaret E. Peters

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Cybele Kappos

How do migrants perceive host citizens’ stereotypes about them, and can these metaperceptions change behaviors? We theorize that migrants are cognizant of hosts' stereotypes against them, which drive them to make choices that seem irrational based on economic cost-benefit calculations but are rational to restore status and dignity. To test our argument, we conducted behavioral lab games in Colombia, with 600 citizens and Venezuelan migrants. By randomizing partners and varying the information on partners' nationalities, we identify bias for and against outgroups. We find across games that Venezuelans give more to Colombians when both players' nationalities are known, compared to the baseline of no information and when playing with other Venezuelans. These findings suggest that migrants may act against their own financial self-interest to counteract prevalent stereotypes, such as being freeloaders on state welfare. We also find qualitative evidence that migrants desire to regain dignity by countering hosts' negative stereotypes.


Protecting Irregular Migrants: Evidence from Colombia

December 2024

When do host governments protect migrants and expand their rights? On February 8, 2021, Colombian President Iván Duque announced a 10-year temporary protected status for over 1.7 million Venezuelan migrants, a policy shift that contrasts with more restrictive migration responses globally. This paper examines the underlying motivations for Colombia's unexpected generosity, identifying three key factors: the pragmatic response to challenges in border control, the economic and legibility benefits of migrant regularization, and the pursuit of international reputation gains. Drawing on interviews with 30 Colombian policymakers, politicians, diplomats, bureaucrats, and NGO leaders, this study offers new insights into the drivers of inclusive migration policies in the Global South.



Temperature distribution in the back region of healthy children. In healthy children, a uniform distribution of heat can be observed in the back region (Fig. 1)
Temperature distribution in the back region of TD children. In the back region of TD patients, there is a tendency for heat to rise (Fig. 2)
Infrared thermographic changes in the back of TD patients. The thermal distribution on the back before and after acupuncture treatment in individuals with TD is presented from left to right
Flow chart. Flow chart of the trial
Sham acupuncture needles

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Effect of acupuncture on tic disorder: a randomized controlled clinical trial based on energy metabolomics and infrared thermography
  • Article
  • Full-text available

June 2024

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65 Reads

BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies

Yi-ming Fan

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Ying-xin Li

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Yi Zhang

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[...]

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Chao Bao

Background Acupuncture is a method for treating tic disorder. However, there is a lack of sufficient clinical objective basis in regards of its treatment efficacy. Indeed, there are structural abnormalities present in energy metabolism and infrared thermography in children with tic disorder. Therefore, this study proposes a clinical trial scheme to explore the possible mechanism of acupuncture in treating tic disorder. Methods This randomized controlled trial will recruit a total of 90 children, in which they will be divided into non-intervention group and intervention group. The non-intervention group consists of 30 healthy children while the intervention group consists of 60 children with tic disorder. The intervention group will be randomly allocated into either the treatment group or the control group, with 30 children randomly assigned in each group. Children either received acupuncture treatment and behavioral therapy (treatment group) or sham acupuncture treatment and behavioral therapy (control group), 3 treatment sessions per week for a period of 12 weeks, with a total of 36 treatment sessions. Outcome measures include YGTSS, urinary and fecal metabolomics, infrared thermography of body surface including governor vessel. For the intervention group, these outcome measures will be collected at the baseline and 90th day prior to intervention. Whereas for the non-intervention group, outcome measures (excluding YGTSS) will be collected at the baseline. Discussion The main outcome will be to observe the changes of the severity of tic condition, the secondary outcome will be to observe the changes of structural characteristic of infrared thermography of body surface/acupoints along the governor vessel and to evaluate the changes of urinary and fecal metabolomics at the end of the treatment, so as to analyze the relationship between them and to provide further knowledge in understanding the possible mechanism of acupuncture in improving the clinical symptoms via regulating and restoring the body metabolomics network, which in future it can develop as a set of clinical guideline (diagnosis, treatment, assessment, prognosis) in treating tic disorder. ChiCTR2300075188(Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, http://www.chictr.org.cn, registered on 29 August 2023).

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Prolonged contact does not reshape locals' attitudes toward migrants in wartime settings

April 2024

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10 Reads

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4 Citations

American Journal of Political Science

Despite record numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs) globally, we know little about the causal effects of intergroup contact between migrants and locals in active conflict settings. We conduct a randomized controlled trial of a vocational skills‐training program implemented by Mercy Corps that enrolled 2597 locals and migrants in near equal numbers in Kandahar, Afghanistan, where IDPs face daily prejudice and discrimination. Courses lasting up to 6 months emphasized collaborative learning and soft skills development. We surveyed participants at endline and followed up 8 months later. While the program provided the most sustained duration of intergroup contact (360–720 h) experimentally evaluated to date, we find no evidence of reported behavioral or attitudinal change by locals ( N = 1276) toward migrants generally, regardless of classroom demographics or course duration. Our findings suggest that prolonged contact through vocational training programs is insufficient to improve relations in conflict settings.




Unpacking immigrant integration: Concepts, mechanisms, and context (2023)

April 2023

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50 Reads

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5 Citations

Much opposition to migration centers on worries that migrants are too culturally and socially different from the host population, that they will fail to integrate, or that they will change the demographics and culture of a destination society too dramatically. In both public and academic discourse, there is a tendency to assume that the “problem” of sociocultural integration is one of “cultural distance,” understood as an objective and measurable fact, and hence that the “solution” is to reduce cultural distance. This paper offers an alternative diagnosis and prescription. Whether an immigrant group is perceived as culturally close or culturally distant is not a product of objective differences. Rather, such perceptions arise out of complex boundary-making processes in which certain points of commonality and difference are highlighted while other points of similarity and difference are ignored or denied. These boundary-making processes are historically contingent, institutionally mediated, and politically constructed in ways that open up paths for certain immigrant groups while putting up barriers to others. The paper also argues that insofar as there are cultural differences, they are not always a “problem” for integration; successful integration does not require cultural assimilation or cultural convergence. There are a wide range of models of integration that involve various forms and combinations of cultural maintenance, cultural adaptation, and cultural convergence. The paper concludes by discussing a few strategies for improving migrant integration, including interpersonal interventions aimed at changing the attitudes and beliefs of members of destination societies, recasting national narratives to be more inclusive, and promoting policies or programs to enhance migrant minorities’ ability to exercise political agency and voice.


Baseline characteristics of patients with gastric GISTs (2-5 cm) undergoing ER or LAP in the cohort.
Laparoscopic resection is not superior to endoscopic resection for relative small gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors: A propensity score-matched study

October 2022

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14 Reads

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1 Citation

Background and Aim Endoscopic resection (ER) and laparoscopic resection (LAP) have been recommended for the treatment of gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) less than 2 cm. However, the therapeutic approach for gastric GISTs between 2 and 5 cm in diameter is still under debate. In this retrospective study, we aimed to evaluate the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of ER for gastric GISTs (2–5 cm) compared with LAP. Methods From January, 2011 to January, 2018, 197 patients with GISTs at our institution with tumor diameter between 2 and 5 cm were included in our study. Clinical baseline characteristics, histopathological results, and perioperative outcomes were collected and compared in all the patients. Propensity score matching (PSM) methods were used to balance baseline characteristics. Results There was no significant difference in age (p = 0.246), gender (p = 0.572), tumor location (p = 0.333), pathological risk classification (p = 0.543), Ki-67 index (p = 0.212), and follow-up time (p = 0.831) in the ER and LAP groups. However, significance difference was found in times to liquid diet intake (4.45 ± 1.2 vs. 5.40 ± 1.5 days, p = 0.013) and hospital stays (7.72 ± 1.1 vs. 10.01 ± 1.3 days, p < 0.001). During the follow-up period, there was one recurrence in the ER group vs. two recurrences in the LAP group. After PSM, the tumor size was balanced between the two groups with 49 patients in each group. The times to liquid diet intake (4.18 ± 1.3 vs. 5.16 ± 1.6 days, p = 0.042) and hospital stay days (7.12 ± 1.1 vs. 9.94 ± 1.3, p < 0.0001) were still short in the ER group. Conclusions ER is more associated with a quick postoperative recovery than LAP. ER could be an alternative approach for gastric GISTs (2–5 cm). However, the long-term follow-up outcomes are still unclear and random control trials are needed.


Who’s Deserving? How People Experiencing Displacement View Migrant Identity and Asylum Policy

September 2022

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17 Reads

How do people leaving their homes due to crises conceptualize the “refugee” or “migrant” label? Do they identify with other refugees and migrant groups? How would they prioritize certain types of migrants for resettlement in our current system? What do they think of the current system and possible changes to it. While numerous studies have explored host citizens’ attitudes on migration, largely within in the Global North, this study highlights the views of those affected by three major recent forced displacement contexts. We interviewed Syrians (N=1192) and Iraqis (N=235) living in Turkey, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq, as well as Venezuelans (N=1612) living in Colombia. We also conducted six focus groups (N=36) and community leader interviews (N=8) with Syrians living in Istanbul, Turkey. Our study is unique in that we are able to make multiple comparisons: across displacement contexts, and between those who are legally categorized by the international community as “refugees” (Syrians and Iraqis) and those who do not fall under this legal category (Venezuelans). We use conjoint experiments to probe respondents’ views on which refugees are deserving of being granted asylum and/or receive assistance. We find similar results across contexts: our respondents do not strongly identify with the “refugee” label or other migrant groups; they favor their conationals and people who are experiencing similar crises for priority entrance. We find little evidence that they develop solidarities with other migrant groups or engage in perspective-taking.


Citations (27)


... Beyond cross-group ties at the relational level, immigrant integration policies at the societal level can act either as facilitators or barriers to inclusion for immigrants in the host society (Bloemraad et al. 2023). Such policies can include immigrants by granting them access and rights comparable to non-migrants, or they can exclude immigrants by restricting immigrant rights. ...

Reference:

Friendship With Immigrants and Inclusive Policies Correspond to More Positive Perceptions of Immigrants: A Longitudinal Multilevel Analysis Across North America and Europe
Unpacking immigrant integration: Concepts, mechanisms, and context (2023)

... By fostering familiarity, the hope is that cross-group interactions will build "bridging" social capital, paving the way for more cohesive communities (Putnam, 2000;Varshney, 2001). But despite early optimism, recent experiments paint a mixed picture (e.g., Scacco and Warren, 2018;Elwert et al., 2023;Grady et al., 2023;Zhou and Lyall, 2023). A meta-analysis of pre-registered trials finds that intergroup contact has only modest positive impacts on prejudice, with improvements in attitudes toward outgroup members directly interacted with typically not carrying over to attitudes toward the outgroup as a whole (Lowe, 2024). ...

Prolonged contact does not reshape locals' attitudes toward migrants in wartime settings
  • Citing Article
  • April 2024

American Journal of Political Science

... In countries like the United States, Americanness has been long associated with the Protestant work ethic, property ownership, and the ability to control one's labor; thus, a few studies highlight material consumption or economic markers as part of being American (Bloemraad 2013;Park 2005;Warikoo and Bloemraad 2018). Even in contexts in which migrants largely share the same racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds as the majority destination society, political elites can emphasize differences in order to exclude, such as the case of Venezuelan migrants in Colombia being labeled as a growing "leftist threat" (Holland, Peters, and Zhou 2023). In short, prior research identifies diverse boundaries that immigrants and their children face-boundaries that can be drawn by language, religion, citizenship, race, culture, economic condition, political ideology, or other markers of difference. ...

Left Out: How Political Ideology Affects Support for Migrants in Colombia
  • Citing Article
  • February 2024

The Journal of Politics

... Second, this study considers a case in which migrants are active political agents of change. Previous studies have either considered the impact of interventions and events, such as migrants arrival or economic shocks, on the opinions of natives (Adida, Lo, and Platas 2018;Dancygier and Donnelly 2013;Emeriau 2024;Zhou, Grossman, and Ge 2023) or have considered how migrants are impacted by policies granting or revoking rights, such as the right to access the country, citizenship, and clothing regulations (Abdelgadir and Fouka 2020;Hainmueller, Hangartner, and Pietrantuono, 2017;Masterson and Yasenov 2021). ...

Inclusive refugee-hosting can improve local development and prevent public backlash
  • Citing Article
  • June 2023

World Development

... However, these traditional methods have high personnel skills and equipment requirements. Our previous randomized controlled trial using a wearable bracelet device based on the principle of TEAS found that it reduced the incidence of PONV in patients undergoing hysteroscopic surgeries [6]. Although previous studies have suggested that the TEAS bracelet can prevent PONV, its effectiveness on PONV that has already occurred remains unknown. ...

Wearable transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation bracelet for prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing hysteroscopic surgery: a randomised controlled trial
  • Citing Article
  • August 2022

BJA British Journal of Anaesthesia

... My experiences further illustrate that the "doing gender" during my fieldwork was a mutual categorization (Kosygina, 2005), evolving through continuous interactions among personal contacts, male partners in FBCs, the participants, and myself in the researcher's role. Similarly, reflections from this study also contribute to the evolving understanding of positionality, as influenced by studies challenging the rigid insider-outsider dichotomy (Britton, 2020;Bukamal, 2022) and arguing for the blurring of positionalities (Kim et al., 2022;Parikh, 2020). ...

Navigating “Insider” and “Outsider” Status as Researchers Conducting Field Experiments
  • Citing Article
  • May 2022

Political Science and Politics

... Studies have focused on aspects such as refugee integration and globalization Wamara and colleagues [8]. Refuge policies have also been another area of interest, and this research has led to significant policy revisions regarding refugee management [9]. Studies related to this topic include work by Balyejussa [10], who also researched the well-being of refugees from Somalia who are based in Kampala City. ...

Inclusive Refugee-Hosting in Uganda Improves Local Development and Prevents Public Backlash
  • Citing Book
  • March 2022

... Those that do, such as Scacco and Warren (2018), Mousa (2020), or Zhou and Lyall (2022), have come away with results suggesting mixed effects in the short term with ambiguous implications for the longer term. In this paper, we examine the impact of youth contact in conflict settings with a randomized controlled trial (RCT) embedded within an existing program in Israel, and a "data fusion" analysis to characterize the effects of multiyear contact exposure. ...

Prolonged Contact Does Not Reshape Locals’ Attitudes toward Migrants in Wartime Settings: Experimental Evidence from Afghanistan
  • Citing Preprint
  • January 2022

... Relations are often strained between the refugee population and Ugandans, some of who perceive refugees as unwelcome competition for local resources and services (Search for Common Ground 2021; UNHCR 2018; World Vision 2018). Proximity to refugee settlements in Uganda is associated with higher levels of fear of crime, as well as higher electoral support for the incumbent president (Zhou and Grossman 2022), whose party has been increasingly implicated in democratic erosion. In addition to the substantive importance of Uganda, several past studies have demonstrated the feasibility of collecting village network data there (e.g., Eubank et al. 2021;Ferrali et al. 2020;Larson and Lewis 2017). ...

When Refugee Exposure Increases Incumbent Support through Development: Evidence from Uganda
  • Citing Preprint
  • October 2021

... Liu et al., 2020). The objective behind placebo tests is to confirm that an effect does not exist when it should not exist because if it does, then factors other than the proposed independent variable are driving the effect (Y. Zhou & Shaver, 2021). The specific procedure for the placebo test is as follows. ...

Reexamining the Effect of Refugees on Civil Conflict: A Global Subnational Analysis

American Political Science Association