Abstract: Understanding how socio-economic and demographic factors influence electric vehicle (EV) adoption is crucial for designing equitable policies that support the global transition to sustainable transportation. While EV uptake is rising worldwide, adoption patterns often reflect existing social and economic inequalities, with higher-income communities more likely to benefit from emerging technologies. Addressing these disparities is essential to ensure an inclusive transition. This study focuses on Australia, using New South Wales (NSW) as a case study to examine how socio-economic and demographic characteristics shape EV adoption across different postcodes. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using 2021 data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) census and EV registration records. Postcodes were categorised based on EV uptake levels, and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression models were applied to identify key influencing factors. The results show a strong correlation between higher EV adoption rates and areas with greater wealth and population density. In contrast, factors such as marital status, dwelling structure, driving habits, vehicle ownership, and younger age showed no significant association with uptake. These findings highlight the need for targeted policy interventions to bridge socio-economic gaps in EV adoption. Expanding charging infrastructure and providing financial incentives in lower-income areas could promote more inclusive access to EV technology. Moreover, aligning EV adoption strategies with broader environmental and transportation policies can further accelerate Australia’s energy transition. This study emphasises that a more equitable approach to EV adoption not only enhances environmental outcomes but also supports a fair and sustainable transportation future for all communities.

Abstract: Faced with the urgent challenges of climate change and environmental degradation, governments and frameworks like the EAT–Lancet Commission advocate for sustainable diets. Yet a persistent gap remains between individuals’ intentions to eat sustainably and their actual behaviour. Current approaches often attribute this gap to deficits in individual attitudes or motivation. In this paper, we challenge that view. We introduce the construct of dietary affordances to describe how opportunities for action emerge from the interplay between individuals and their environments. Crucially, we define this affordance as the synergistic product of value (goal alignment) and precision (reliability) thus implying that without sufficient reliability, high motivation (value) is mathematically insufficient to drive behaviour. Drawing on ecological psychology and contemporary active inference accounts of perception and action, we treat dietary choices not as an individual failure, but as the selection of “policies” (action sequences) that minimise risk and “expected surprise” given constraints on time, money and access. Within this framework, unsustainable eating is reframed as a rational and predictable response to a misaligned affordance field: for many, the safest, most predictable, and lowest-effort course of action is to choose foods that undermine climate goals. We argue that closing the intention–behaviour gap requires shifting the focus of interventions away from individual consumers and towards the institutions that design and govern food environments. We identify specific leverage points within the food system, including pricing, urban design and social protection, that researchers and policymakers can use to reshape the feasible behavioural policy set, ensuring that sustainable habits are not just intended but practically achievable. By reducing the expected risk and computational cost of sustainable diets, policymakers can align these options with the brain’s drive to minimize uncertainty, ensuring that sustainable habits are selected not through self-regulation, but as the natural outcome of a successfully optimized system.

Abstract: In most poor and developing countries, the authorities largely pursue different objectives, which naturally end up diverging in different directions. This divergence arises from the outset due to the inability of these same governments to effectively align these objectives with what they actually want in the short, medium and long term in particular. In this particular approach, I analyse some implications related to the objectives pursued by policy makers in most poor countries. Evidence shows that governments that pursue targeted objectives, such as those related to spending on education, research and development, have been the countries that have managed to break the vicious circles. On the other hand, other factors also contribute to this growth in particular. For example, countries that pursue a non-exclusive democracy aligned with the objectives of the majority tend to differ significantly from governments that pursue democracies aligned with the objectives of a small group. However, in some countries where democracies are in fact at the service of vicious circles, there tends to be strong resistance to how these vicious circles should be broken. democracies are at the service of vicious circles, they tend to show strong resistance to how they should break the vicious circles.

Abstract: Background: A paediatric cancer diagnosis is a profound stressor for the entire family system. While coping strategies are well-studied, their link to the quality of the parent-child attachment relationship remains less explored. This study investigates whether dyadic attachment dynamics — specifically closeness and conflict between parent and child — are associated with the use of adaptive or maladaptive coping strategies in caregivers of children undergoing active treatment for oncohaematological diseases. Methods: A multicentre, cross-sectional study was conducted across three Italian paediatric oncohaematology centres. A total of 165 caregivers of 91 paediatric patients completed self-report measures assessing parent-child relationship quality (Child-Parent Relationship Scale - CPRS), coping strategies (COPE-NVI), perceived social support (MSPSS), and resilience (RS-14). The study aimed to test whether the quality of the parent–child attachment relationship is associated with caregivers’ coping strategies. We hypothesised that Attachment Closeness would be associated with adaptive coping (Positive Attitude, Social Support, Problem Orientation), whereas Attachment Conflict would be associated with maladaptive coping (Avoidance). Hierarchical multiple linear regressions, adjusted for key covariates and clustered by centre, were conducted to test these hypotheses. Results: Higher levels of emotional closeness (CPRS) were significantly associated with greater use of adaptive coping strategies, specifically Positive Attitude (β = 0.20, p = 0.049) and Problem Orientation (β = 0.26, p = 0.002), even after controlling for sociodemographic factors, social support, and resilience. Conversely, higher levels of relational conflict were significantly associated with greater use of the maladaptive Avoidance strategy (β = 0.14, p = 0.015). The hypothesis linking closeness to Social Support seeking was not supported. Conclusions: The quality of the parent-child attachment is significantly and independently associated with coping styles in caregivers of children with cancer. Interventions aimed at supporting the caregiver–child dyad by fostering emotional closeness and reducing conflict may promote more adaptive parental coping mechanisms, thereby enhancing family resilience and psychological adjustment throughout the treatment journey.

Abstract: This paper extends Cultivation Theory—a theoretical framework developed by George Gerbner to explain television's influence on social perception—to the medium of filmmaking. Cultivation Theory proposes that prolonged, cumulative exposure to media narratives shapes audiences' perceptions of social reality. While television has dominated cultivation research, this analysis applies the theory's core principles to cinema's unique characteristics, including concentrated narrative structures, immersive experiences, and global cultural reach. Employing qualitative discourse analysis of filmmaking practices and narrative forms, this paper examines how cinema contributes to shaping social beliefs and attitudes regarding crime, cultural norms, and social reality.The analysis addresses how filmmaking operates within an evolving digital environment characterized by streaming platforms and algorithmic curation, while also examining the interplay between filmmaker intentionality and audience interpretation. This paper concludes that filmmaking represents a significant yet underexplored mechanism for cultivating social perceptions, with substantial implications for understanding how individuals and communities construct their worldviews in contemporary media environments. Based on these findings, the paper offers comprehensive recommendations for future research directions that address methodological innovations, cross-cultural investigations, and emerging technological contexts.

Abstract:

This study aimed to develop a comprehensive model for optimizing cultural events within the education sector through a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design. In the qualitative phase, grounded theory using Glaser’s emergent approach was applied via semi-structured interviews with purposively sampled planning and policymaking managers, school principals, educational counselors, and students, leading to the identification of five core constructs: cultural governance (strategy orientation, goal orientation, and unified decision-making), design and content (needs orientation, diversification, personalization, timing, and standardization), context and infrastructure (school structure redesign, actor empowerment, student networking, and school cultural economy), motivation and enhancement (motivation building, intelligent rewards, sustainable support, awareness raising, media engagement, and evaluation), and participation and implementation (cultural guidance, student responsibility delegation, alignment with educational life, and talent mapping). Subsequently, in the quantitative phase, a researcher-developed questionnaire was administered to 276 managers and 263 educational counselors (determined via Cochran’s formula), and second-order confirmatory factor analysis within structural equation modeling confirmed that these components collectively account for a substantial proportion of the variance in the optimization of cultural events. The proposed model offers practical implications for enhancing the efficiency, relevance, and impact of cultural programming in educational settings.

Abstract:

This paper reviews the development and adaptations of the BRIC (Baseline Resilience Indicators for Communities) method for measuring local community resilience to disasters, grounded in the DROP (Disaster Resilience of Place) theoretical framework. The point of departure is the analysis of the DROP framework, which defines resilience as a dynamic process conditioned by pre-existing social, economic, institutional, and infrastructural conditions, as well as their interaction with natural systems. The first part of the paper discusses the theoretical value of this framework, as well as the practical challenges of its application arising from the limited availability of reliable data and the lack of standardized methodological approaches. The second part of the paper presents a detailed analysis of the development of resilience dimensions in contemporary literature, including socio-demographic structure, well-being and social capital, economic stability, institutional capacities, infrastructure, geographical and spatial characteristics, cooperation, and risk analysis. Through a comparative approach, it is shown that, although differently labeled, these indicators essentially converge on the same conceptual cores and reveal developmental discontinuities relative to the original DROP framework and the initial BRIC method. The central part of the paper examines the evolution of the BRIC method and its adaptations across different national contexts, including analyses of indicator applications in Norway, England, Nepal, Hungary, and Australia. Particular attention is paid to the role of the OECD methodological guidelines in indicator selection, with an emphasis on their frequent partial implementation, especially in areas related to handling missing data, reliability testing, and sensitivity analyses. In conclusion, the paper demonstrates that the BRIC method possesses high conceptual potential and broad applicability; however, without deeper contextual adaptation, stricter methodological discipline, and the integration of spatial and local approaches, its validity and operational usefulness in community resilience planning may remain limited.

Abstract: This review examines how cultural orientations, as defined by Hofstede’s six dimensions, shape family structures, parenting practices, and child protection systems in Ghana and Latvia. Using a systematic review guided by the PRISMA framework, 441 records were screened, and twenty-five sources were synthesized to ensure methodological rigor and transparency. Findings reveal stark contrasts between Ghana’s collectivist kinship systems and Latvia’s individualist nuclear structures. In Ghana, extended family networks and hierarchical authority dominate, reinforcing Authoritarian parenting and widespread acceptance of physical discipline. Conversely, Latvia’s emphasis on autonomy and egalitarianism aligns with Authoritative parenting, prioritizing reasoning and emotional warmth, though high rates of single-parent households introduce economic and psychosocial vulnerabilities. These cultural orientations influence not only caregiving arrangements but also the resilience of child protection systems: collectivist contexts buffer children through shared responsibilities, while individualist settings heighten risks in cases of family dissolution. The review underscores the need for culturally responsive interventions by mobilizing kinship networks in Ghana and strengthening community supports for single-parent families in Latvia. Overall, this study contributes to global social work discourse by highlighting how macro-level cultural values translate into micro-level family practices and child welfare outcomes.

Abstract: This study examines the association between Black women’s emotional responses to racial violence and their mental health outcomes, specifically clinical indicators of anxiety, depression, and hostility. Drawing on self-reported emotions from 384 participants (Mage = 37), this study uses the Multiple Affect Adjective Checklist-Revised (MAACL-R) to assess emotional responses to racial violence and determine whether participants met threshold criteria for mental health risk. Sentiment analysis was applied to participant responses, and linear regression was used to evaluate associations between negative and neutral sentiment scores and clinical outcomes. Findings revealed that negative sentiment scores were significantly associated with higher depression and hostility T scores. Neutral sentiment scores were largely nonsignificant but were weakly negatively associated with anxiety. These results highlight the psychological toll of racial violence, suggesting that negative sentiment, possibly reflecting emotional burden, frustration, or suppressed distress, may be an important indicator of compromised mental health. To better support Black women’s psychological well-being, findings highlight the need for culturally responsive mental health interventions that consider how emotional expression, especially of distress, is shaped by racialized experiences and social context.

Abstract: The proliferation of short-form social media content, particularly reels on platforms such as TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Facebook Reels, has transformed digital media consumption patterns among children globally. In Bangladesh, where smartphone penetration is rapidly increasing, children under 10 are increasingly exposed to high-intensity visual content, yet empirical evidence on its psychological impact remains scarce. This study investigates the association between reel exposure and mental health outcomes—specifically attention problems, emotional dysregulation, behavioral imitation, and dependency-like use patterns—among children aged 4–9 years in urban and semi-urban Bangladesh. Utilizing a cross-sectional survey design (n = 412) and structural equation modeling (SEM), the study also examines the moderating roles of parental mediation and socio-cultural context. Results indicate that higher reel exposure is significantly associated with increased attention deficits (β = 0.41, p < .001), emotional dysregulation (β = 0.36, p < .001), behavioral imitation (β = 0.29, p < .01), and dependency-like behaviors (β = 0.44, p < .001). Parental mediation significantly attenuated these negative effects across all outcomes, while socio-cultural context provided partial protective moderation. Multi-group analyses reveal that younger children (4–6 years) are more vulnerable to reel-induced cognitive and emotional challenges than older children are (7–9 years). These findings highlight developmental vulnerability, the role of the family microsystem, and contextual influences on digital media effects. Policy implications include the development of age-appropriate digital guidelines, parental training, school-based interventions, and platform-level content management, tailored to the Bangladeshi context. The study contributes to theoretical understanding by integrating Developmental Cognitive, Social Cognitive, Attention Economy, and Ecological Systems perspectives, offering a framework for research and policy in low- and middle-income countries experiencing rapid digital transformation.

Abstract: The rapid development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has reshaped how communities access and utilize essential services. Rural communities, however, continue to face significant access barriers due to geographic isolation, ICT infrastructure gaps, and social inequalities. Smart divide, an emerging concept representing the disparities in smart infrastructure penetration, the variation in smart service adoption, and entrenched digital inequalities across communities, is expected to widen in the coming decades. This study aims to examine the causes of this divide quantitatively from the lens of a socio-technical system, emphasizing the interwoven roles of social and technological factors in contributing to the divide. A Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) model is developed to examine the interplay of ICT infrastructures, social infrastructures, and socio-economic factors contributing to smart divide. The model tests three relationships: both insufficient ICT infrastructures and disadvantaged socio-economic factors proportionately correlate to smart divide occurrence, and social infrastructure acts as a mediator reducing the impact of both ICT infrastructures’ deficiencies and socio-economic disadvantages. Mail survey data on households’ digital connectivity, socio-economic indicators, and smart divide metrics (smart education and health) was collected from 262 residents of two remote small towns with racially diverse and underserved communities in Southern Illinois. The model explained 41.3% of variance in the smart divide. Human factors showed the strongest relationship with smart divide (β = 0.407, p = 0.098), while digital connectivity had no significant direct effect (β = 0.161, p > 0.05). Social infrastructure significantly moderated the relationship between digital connectivity and smart divide (β = -0.167, p < 0.01) but not the relationship between human factors and smart divide relationship (p > 0.05). Results indicate that social support can compensate for connectivity gaps but cannot address persistent inequalities rooted in individual characteristics.

Abstract: This paper employs the OSINT evidence auditing methodology for normative texts, using publicly available and verifiable normative documents as the evidentiary boundary. It examines the configuration of disclosure rules governing foreign influence and agency relationships of proposal entities during the legislative proposal stage of the National People's Congress and its Standing Committee. Through clause-by-clause verification of authoritative texts including the Legislation Law and the Rules of Procedure of the NPC/NPCSC, this study finds that current disclosure rules adequately address meeting procedures and the structure of attached materials versus exceptions. However, they fail to codify provisions concerning disclosure of foreign influence/agency relationships, the entities and standards for tiered verification, and the closed-loop audit trail field. Guided by the principle of proportionality, this paper proposes a minimal closed-loop solution comprising ‘minimum disclosure set—tiered verification—audit trail—security exceptions/remedies’. It provides a set of trigger conditions, threshold calibration mechanisms, and an audit field dictionary directly embeddable into regulations to support the upgrade of legislative security through auditability. Furthermore, the Explanatory Notes on the Draft Amendment to the Legislation Law of the People's Republic of China indicate that the amendment seeks to strengthen disclosure of ‘explanatory statements and reports’ alongside constitutional review information: For instance, it mandates that explanatory notes to draft laws include relevant opinions concerning constitutionality issues. It further requires timely publication of legal texts, announcements, draft explanatory notes, deliberation outcome reports, and other materials in the Gazette of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and on the NPC website, thereby providing institutional interfaces for establishing ‘audit-safe’ rule-based traceability. However, this explanatory note itself does not constitute a mandatory provision for disclosing and verifying ‘proposing entities' foreign-related impacts/agency relationships’. The Rules of Procedure of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China further stipulate: When a delegation or 30 or more deputies jointly propose a bill, the Presidium shall decide whether to include it in the agenda. For bills included in the agenda, the proposers and relevant institutions ‘shall provide relevant materials,’ and the proposers ‘shall submit an explanatory statement on the bill.’ Concurrently, meetings shall be held publicly as a principle, with closed sessions permitted when necessary, establishing an ‘open-as-a-rule, closed-as-an-exception’ institutional framework.

Abstract: This study investigates the impact of the Collaborative Quantum Learning Model (CQLM) on teaching self-efficacy, relational trust, and student learning outcomes in elementary school settings. The research employed a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with control and experimental groups. Participants consisted of recent elementary education graduates with less than two years of teaching experience working in Tehran province schools. From the Ministry of Education's reported total of 13,154 eligible teachers, researchers selected 265 novice educators from Districts 10 and 11 of Tehran for initial screening. Through random assignment, 40 teachers were divided equally into experimental and control groups following baseline assessments of self-efficacy and relational trust. The experimental group participated in an 8-week CQLM intervention totaling 48 instructional hours. Three primary measurement instruments were utilized: the Teaching Self-Efficacy Scale (Tschannen-Moran & Hoy, 2001), the School Relational Trust Survey (Bryk, 2002), and standardized academic performance tests in mathematics, science, and Persian language. Analysis revealed statistically significant improvements in the experimental group for both teaching self-efficacy (F=10.96, p<.05) and relational trust (F=7.56, p<.05). However, no significant effect was observed on student learning outcomes (F=0.60, p=.44). Participant feedback indicated strong approval for the CQLM approach, with many teachers requesting program continuation. The model's effectiveness appeared linked to its alignment with professional development needs, innovative delivery methods, carefully selected content, and developmental approach to learning concepts.

Abstract: Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is a paradigm shift that redefines knowledge retrieval, development, communication, and verification. However, GenAI’s capabilities for mimicking the work of human scholars have advanced, generating content indistinguishable from that of human authors, making pre-publication editing and peer review challenging. Through an extensive bibliographic exploration of the Scopus and HeinOnline databases, we investigated academic, ethical, and legal attitudes toward GenAI and scientific authorship. A backward reference search was conducted, beginning with bibliographic evidence published from 2022 to 2025, to identify earlier contributions that demonstrate stakeholders' positions. Index keyword co-occurrence analysis was performed to identify trends and attitudes among the scientific and legal professional communities. It is well recognized that GenAI impacts the traditional ideas and practices of authorship, creativity, ownership, and copyright, but accountability and responsibility remain with the authors. Although the need for reforming guidelines and laws related to these subjects is unanimously recognized, academic scholars tend to debate theoretical and doctrinal subjects, while legal professionals focus on the deliberate misuse of GenAI, legal schemes, ethical compliance, verification of the origin of content, and unauthorized use of resources protected by proprietary rights. The ongoing technological developments in GenAI powerfully shape opinions and drive new ideas for the scientific and legal community.

Abstract: The interrelation between economic growth and financial development have fuelled the debate in the area of economics. The financial development in countries is driven by concert action of the governments in terms of policy making creating favourable financial infrastructures and taking strategic initiatives to building a conducive financial sector. The paper attempts to empirically revisit the association between financial development and long run growth in context of Saudi Arabia. The research uses select variables measured by World bank to predict economic growth and financial development. The research study analyses the link between financial development and economic growth in Saudi Arabia from 1980 to 2020 spanning a 40-year period. It uses a five variable ADRL model using a supply led approach. The Grainger test of causality and the VECM model proposes a unidirectional relationship flowing from proxy of financial development to Economic growth. The paper reports findings that support that financial development leads to economic growth in Saudi Arabia.

Abstract: Open-air food markets have long functioned as key sites of food provision, social interaction, and local economic exchange in European cities. In recent decades, many of these markets have undergone significant transformation due to modernization-oriented urban regeneration. This study examines the transformation of Palilula Market in Belgrade, Serbia’s capital, from a traditional open-air market to a large, enclosed market complex, situating the analysis within the post-socialist urban context. Utilizing historical analysis, semi-structured interviews with vendors, and on-site observations, the research examines the impact of spatial reconfiguration on vendor livelihoods, economic practices, and social relations. The results demonstrate that, although the new indoor market has enhanced infrastructure, hygiene, and year-round usability, it has also led to higher rents, reduced stall capacity, increased competition, and stricter regulations. These developments have constrained small-scale vendors and diminished informal social interactions. This study expands the understanding of urban regeneration processes in post-socialist, neoliberal contexts by showing how market modernization shapes the inclusivity and socio-cultural significance of traditional urban markets.

Abstract:

Effort frequently fails to initiate despite explicit intentions and incentives, a phenomenon not fully explained by prevailing motivational or cognitive control models. Cognitive Drive Architecture (CDA) conceptualises effort as conditionally available, governed by structural system states rather than continuous motivational strength. Here, we formally derive Lagun’s Law as a canonical structural relation for effort emergence and examine its empirical tractability using a secondary educational dataset of 480 students. CDA components were operationalised using behavioural, attendance, and contextual proxies and evaluated via multinomial ordinal regression of academic performance. Ignition readiness (Primode) exhibited the largest effects (β = 3.05–6.02, p < .001), followed by motivational amplification (Cognitive Activation Potential; β = 2.55–3.60, p < .001), while resistance-related factors (Grain) showed stable suppressive associations (β = −1.16 to −2.00, p ≤ .002). Stabilisation effects were smaller, and adaptability and entropy components were not robustly detected. These findings do not establish causality but demonstrate that the core structural terms of Lagun’s Law are empirically anchorable in naturalistic data.

Abstract: This paper examines how young adults integrate generative artificial intelligence chatbots into everyday life and the implications of these engagements for the constitu-tion of selfhood. Whilst existing research on AI-mediated subjectivity has predomi-nantly employed identity frameworks centered on social positioning and role enact-ment, this study foregrounds selfhood—understood as the organization of subjective experience through narrative coherence, interpretive authority, and practices of self-governance. Drawing upon Paul Ricœur's theory of narrative self and Michel Fou-cault's concept of technologies of the self, the analysis proceeds through in-depth qual-itative interviews with sixteen young adults in Norway to investigate how algorithmic systems participate in autobiographical reasoning and self-formative practices. The findings reveal four dialectical tensions structuring participants' engagements with ChatGPT: between instrumental efficiency and existential meaning; between algorith-mic scaffolding and relational displacement; between narrative depth and epistemic superficiality; and between augmented agency and deliberative outsourcing. The anal-ysis demonstrates that AI-mediated practices extend beyond instrumental utility to reconfigure fundamental dimensions of subjectivity, raising questions about interpre-tive authority, narrative authorship, and the conditions under which selfhood is nego-tiated in algorithmic environments. These findings contribute to debates on digital subjectivity, algorithmic governance, and the societal implications of AI systems that increasingly function as interlocutors in meaning-making processes.

Abstract:

The current debate on digital education is at a crossroads between the need for technological innovation and the growing concern about the impact of passive screen use. In this context, identifying sustainable pedagogical models that integrate Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in a meaningful and inclusive way is an urgent need. This article presents a case study of the Amara Berri System (ABS), considered an innovative model able to develop its own approach to digital education. The investigation is based on a mixed and sequential methodological design. A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 292 Amara Berri teachers, to collect data on their practices and perceptions. Subsequently, a discussion group was organized with 8 teachers, belonging to the same system, to further explore the meaning of their practices. Quantitative results show that the implementation and positive evaluation of inclusive ICT practices correlate significantly with teachers’ seniority within the system (rho = .322, p < .001), which suggests that the model is formative in itself. Qualitative analysis shows that ICTs are not an end in themselves within the ABS, but an empowering tool for the students. The “Audiovisual Media Room”, managed by students, functions as a space for social and creative production that gives technology a pedagogical purpose. The study concludes that the sustainability of digital innovation requires coherence with the pedagogical project. The Amara Berri model offers an example of sustainable pedagogy, giving ICT a meaningful role as a collaborative, creative, and inclusion-promoting tool. Findings offer valuable implications for the design of teacher training contexts that foster the integration of technology within a framework of truly inclusive education.

Abstract:

Accented speech contains talker-indexical cues that listeners can use to infer social group membership, yet it remains unclear how the auditory system categorizes accent variability and how this process depends on language experience. The current study used EEG and the MMN oddball paradigm to test pre-attentive neural sensitivity to accent changes of English words stopped produced by Canadian English or Mandarin Chinese accented English talkers. Three participant groups were tested: Native English listeners, L1-Mandarin listeners, and Heritage Mandarin listeners. In the Native English and L1-Mandarin groups, we observed MMNs to the Canadian accented English deviant, indicating that the brain can group speech by accent despite substantive inter-talker variation and is consistent with an experience-dependence sensitivity to accent. Exposure to Mandarin Chinese accented English modulated MMN magnitude. Time-frequency analyses suggested that α and low-β power during accent encoding varied with language background, with Native English listeners showing stronger activity when presented with Mandarin Chinese accented English. Finally, the neurophysiological response in the Heritage Mandarin group reflected a broader phonological space encompassing both Canadian English and Mandarin-accented English, and its magnitude was predicted by Chinese proficiency. These findings provide brain-based evidence that automatic accent categorization is not uniform across listeners but interacts with native phonology and second-language experience.