Understanding Seat-Belt Intentions and Behavior: A Decision-Making Approach1

In an experimental study designed to investigate a decision-making model of seat-belt use, 227 employees of an agrochemical company participated in a health information program in which they watched either a videotape on seat belts or a control videotape and completed questionnaires immediately afterward and at 3 months and 1 year after exposure. In terms of total effects, the seat-belt videotape influenced beliefs, fear, and intentions assessed immediately after exposure, but had no effect on self-reported frequency of belt use at 3 months or 1 year. A full path analysis indicated some support for the decision-making model. In particular, probability difference (the perceived reduction in risk of death or serious injury due to wearing a belt) had a large influence on intentions to wear a belt and partly mediated the effect of the videotape on intentions. Reported frequency of belt use at 3 months was influenced both by post-test intentions and by initial frequency of belt use. Similarly, belt use at 1 year was affected by belt use at 3 months and by initial belt use. The findings are discussed in terms of the role of subjective probabilities and habitual factors in seat-belt use.     

In Defense of Consciousness: The Role of Conscious and Unconscious Inputs in Consumer Choice

Although the argument that unconscious inputs are often key determinants of consumer decision making is compelling, it may be overstated, particularly with respect to choice. A comparison of the effect of conscious inputs (e.g., the attributes of options in the choice set) and unconscious inputs (e.g., a seemingly irrelevant observation or task) indicates that the former have a significant advantage. In particular, the impact of conscious inputs is supported by choice task norms and is less susceptible to being lost in the “noise” that is characteristic of most natural consumer environments (e.g., stores). Indeed, although consumers often have limited insight into influences and processes producing their choices, the assumption that consumers base their choices on conscious, willful evaluation of task‐relevant inputs has been quite successful in explaining a wide range of phenomena. It is expected that future research will put greater emphasis on the interactions between conscious and unconscious influences on decision making.     

Category-Based and Feature-Based Cognitive Processes: The Role of Unfavorable Information1

Recent research on selection decisions suggests that favorable features (e.g., attractive physical features or positively-evaluated personality traits) can enhance ratings of applicant suitability, but little research has examined the impact of unfavorable features. Theories of person perception distinguish between two information processing strategies: category-based and feature-based. We predicted that unfavorable features would influence selection decisions only when raters used feature-based processing strategies. Results suggest that applicant features' prototypicality and favorability can compensate for one another, with applicants' negative features resulting in a disadvantage only when the applicant is perceived as nonprototypical.     

Understanding the Determinants of Consumer Composting Behavior1

This study compared 3 models of waste management behavior: (a) a theory of reasoned action model, (b) an environmental belief-behavior model, and (c) an integrated waste management model which is based on the theory of planned behavior. The three models were compared using data from a sample of over 1,400 individual respondents who each completed a survey and a 2-week diary of their consumer composting activities. Overall, the results suggest that while the environmental beliefs-behavior model and the integrated waste management models both fit the data well, the integrated waste management model provided better predictive power and offers significant insight into the factors that influence composting behavior.     

消费者网上购物决策模型分析

首先回顾了消费者传统购物决策模型,消费者网上购物行为及其决策类型,探讨了传统购物决策模型与网上购物决策模型的区别和联系,并在目前存在的三种传统购物决策模型和四种网上购物决策模型的基础上,根据我国电子商务发展情况,提出综合的购物决策模型,对网上购物决策过程今后的研究方向作出了预测与建议     

Consumer Evaluation of Low Price Guarantees: The Moderating Role of Reference Price and Store Image

This article reports the findings of 2 studies that examined the effects of low price guarantees (LPG) in retail advertisements within the framework of signaling theory. Overall, an LPG in an ad resulted in higher value perceptions and shopping intentions. Findings also suggest that the effect of an LPG is likely to be moderated by other price cues such as reference prices and by the price image of the store. An LPG resulted in higher value perception and shopping intention when reference prices were low or absent, but lowered search intention in the presence of a high reference price. Additional findings suggest that intention to search for a better price was lower, particularly when an LPG was offered by a low price image store. For high price image stores, an LPG increased value perceptions and shopping intentions, while also increasing search intentions, indicating the possibility that LPGs can act as a double‐edged sword in certain instances. Managerial and public policy implications are also noted.     

The Role of Executive Function in Arithmetic Problem-Solving Processes: A Study of Third Graders

This study investigated the roles of different executive function (EF) components (inhibition, shifting, and working memory) in 2-step arithmetic word problem solving. A sample of 139 children aged 8 years old and regularly attending the 3rd grade of primary school were tested on 6 EF tasks measuring different EF components, a reading task and a reading comprehension task, an arithmetic facts task evaluating basic knowledge of calculation, and three 2-step arithmetic word problems. Multiple hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to investigate the roles of the different EF components in the various phases of the problem-solving process. The results showed that EF affects the various phases of problem solving differently over and above calculation knowledge and reading abilities. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to further understanding the role of cognitive skills in mathematical problem solving and in relation to instructional approaches that may increase children’s performance on 2-step arithmetic word problems.     

Product Packaging and Product Evaluation: An Individual Difference Approach1

In Study I, with actual product quality held constant high self‐monitors, compared to low self‐monitors, more favorably evaluated products that they believed came from attractive packages. In Study 2, high and low self‐monitors evaluated a perfume sample that came from a rather attractive bottle or from a significantly less attractive bottle. In addition, for some, the perfume was quite pleasant smelling; for others, it was less pleasant smelling. Regardless of its actual fragrance, high self‐monitors evaluated the perfumes from the attractive bottle more favorably than the perfumes from the less attractive bottle. Low self‐monitors evaluated the pleasant‐smelling perfume more favorably than the less pleasant‐smelling perfume, regardless of from which bottle it came.     

Affective Decision-Making and Externalizing Behaviors: The Role of Autonomic Activity

We tested a conceptual model involving the inter-relations among affective decision-making (indexed by a gambling task), autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms in a largely impoverished, inner city sample of first through third grade children (N=63, 54% male). The present study hypothesized that impaired affective decision-making and decreased sympathetic and parasympathetic activation would be associated with higher levels of ADHD and ODD symptoms, and that low sympathetic and parasympathetic activation during an emotion-inducing task would mediate the relation between affective decision-making and child externalizing symptoms. In support of our model, disadvantageous decision-making on a gambling task was associated with ADHD hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms among boys, and attenuated sympathetic activation during an emotion-inducing task mediated this relation. Support for the model was not found among girls.     

应用层次析分法和模糊综合评判研究保健品消费心理

将层次分析方法与模糊综合评判理论相结合,以营养成分、包装情况、价格因素、广告宣传、售后服务为一级评判指标,以保健品专卖店、大型超市、小型超市、杂货店、厂家邮购五种销售渠道为二级评价指标,给出一种模糊判断的权重计算方法,建立了保健品消费心理的层次模糊决策模型。应用该模型对长春地区消费者的保健品消费心理进行了测试,结果表明：测试结果与实际销售情况相符。说明应用该方法建立起来的模型在了解消费者对保健品的消费心理方面是可行的,同时也为新型保健品的开发和市场推广提供了一定的依据。     

The Role of Candidate Sex in Voter Decision-Making

Recent studies investigating the role of candidate sex in voter decision-making have not found discrimination against women candidates. Thus, voter bias is often dismissed as part of the explanation for the drastic underrepresentation of women in high elective office. In a dual sample of Wyoming and California college students, bias against women candidates was found to be a factor in the vote choice. Studies that examine only one sample of voters in one region may be prematurely dismissing the possible existence of gender discrimination in some regions or cultures within the United States.     

Excellent Performance: The Role of Communication and Cooperation Processes

This paper summarises recent research on excellent performance in the domains of software development and engineering. The paper focuses on differences between excellent and moderate performers with respect to communication and cooperation activities. When excellent performers' peers were asked to describe an excellent performer, they frequently mentioned competencies referring to cooperation and communication. Compared to moderate performers, excellent performers more often regarded cooperation as a useful strategy. Excellent performers generally participated more in work-related communication and cooperation processes than did moderate performers. Moreover, they were found to be more engaged in specific cooperation-related activities, such as helping coworkers and asking them for feedback.     

The Role of Evidence in Chronic Care Decision-Making

Topoi - In the domain of medical science, factual evidence is usually considered as the criterion on which to base decisions and construct hypotheses. Evidence-based medicine is the translation of...     

In Search of Understanding: Re-reading The Theaetetus

Journal of Indian Council of Philosophical Research - The article is an attempt to interpret Plato’s Theaetetus, with a view to show that a crucial distinction between knowledge and...     

Problematic Identity Processes: The Role of Identity Distress

This special issue of Identity: An International Journal of Theory and Research explores some of the anxiety, distress, and difficulties that may be encountered in the identity development process. Despite findings documenting the presence of identity distress in samples from a variety of settings and cultures, it has been slowly moving out of direct attention within the world of clinical psychology and psychiatry. This special issue expands on our understanding of identity distress in a number of ways. It adds to our knowledge of prevalence and severity, as well as its psychological correlates. It examines identity distress under the contexts of traumatic exposure and the refugee experience, and it offers some cross-national comparisons. Also offered is a developmental psychopathology perspective as a way to lay the groundwork for increased prevention and intervention work, and an example of such an intervention program for emerging adults. It is hoped that this special issue on identity distress will shine more light on this important, and possibly growing, yet understudied phenomenon, and will contribute toward expanding and enhancing efforts to foster positive youth development.     

Understanding Public Attitudes Toward Tobacco Harm Reduction: The Role of Attitude Structure1

The present research examines whether and to what extent the underlying structure of attitudes toward harm reduction and specific reduced‐exposure products contributes to an understanding of public attitudes toward harm reduction. Past research has focused on the extent to which some attitude objects are primarily affective or cognitive. Using survey data from a 5‐state Upper Midwest sample, we tested the relevance of 4 pertinent properties of attitudes for predicting overall attitudes toward tobacco harm reduction: affective and cognitive bases of attitudes; knowledge; experience with smoking and reduced‐harm products; and affective/cognitive consistency. We found that feelings about harm reduction are most predictive of overall attitudes toward harm reduction and specific reduced‐harm products. Theoretical and policy implications are discussed.