Predicting Psychologists' Intentions to Integrate Complementary and Alternative Therapies Into Their Practice

Drawing on an extended Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) framework, we employed a cross‐sectional design study to investigate psychologists' intentions to integrate complementary and alternative therapies (CAT) into their practice via recommending CAT to clients or referring clients to CAT practitioners. Participants were registered practicing psychologists from a range of therapeutic orientations (e.g., narrative, cognitive behavioural, psychodynamic). The psychologists were either recruited by phone, following a search of the Internet, or were contacted through their place of employment (hospitals, university counselling service). Those who agreed to participate (N = 122; n = 88 females, n = 34 males) completed a questionnaire that included standard TPB items of attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control, along with items measuring perceived risk, past behaviour, CAT knowledge, and gender. The outcome variables of interest were (a) intention to recommend CAT to clients and (b) intention to refer clients to CAT practitioners. Structural equation modelling revealed that the extended model was a good fit, explaining 69% (recommending CAT) and 51% (referring to CAT practitioners) of the variance in intentions. For both behaviours, direct paths from attitude and subjective norm to intentions were observed, with perceived risk and past behaviour influencing the TPB predictors of attitudes, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control. The findings illustrate the role that cognitive and risk factors have on psychologists' decisions to integrate CAT into their practice. Understanding psychologists' cognitions and decisions about CAT integration forms an important basis on which to consider future changes in policy or practice.     

Sleep hygiene behaviours: An application of the theory of planned behaviour and the investigation of perceived autonomy support,past behaviour and response inhibition

This study investigated the sleep hygiene behaviour of university students within the framework of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB [Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50, 179–211.]), and examined the predictive validity of additional variables including perceived autonomy support, past behaviour and response inhibition. A total of 257 undergraduate students from an Australian university were administered two online questionnaires at two time points. At time 1, participants completed the TPB questionnaire and the Go/NoGo task as a measure of response inhibition. A week later at time 2, participants completed a questionnaire measuring the performance of sleep hygiene behaviours. Multiple and hierarchical regression analyses showed that the TPB model significantly predicted intention and behaviour. Although intention and perceived behavioural control were statistically significant in predicting behaviour, past behaviour and response inhibition accounted for more variance when added to the TPB model. Subjective norm was found to be the strongest predictor of intention implying the importance of normative influences in sleep hygiene behaviours. Response inhibition was the strongest predictor of behaviour, reinforcing the argument that the performance of health protective behaviours requires self-regulatory ability. Therefore, interventions should be targeted at enhancing self-regulatory capacity.     

消费者购买决定与前额叶脑活动的不对称性——来自EEG的证据

摘要：目前营销科学界对消费者购买决策阶段的神经运作机制仍然缺乏准确的理解,本研究探索了大脑前额叶不对称性是否与消费者购买决策有关。采用田野实验方法,21名受试者在真实的在线购物中,分别对自己购物车里5件物品做出真实的购买决策,他们的EEG脑电图被完整记录了下来,共观察到104次购买决策过程。结果表明,在产品页面观看过程中,受试者的gamma频带前额叶不对称,与随后真实购买行为显著相关。alpha、beta频带额叶不对称与购买决策无关。结果还发现与商品的售价对beta和gamma不对称指数的调节效应,且调节效果正好相反。本研究发现了消费者在购买决策过程中一种独特的EEG成分——前额叶gamma波不对称指数（PAIγ）与肯定的购买意愿和实际购买行为相关性最强。     

The darkroom of the mind — what does neuropsychology now tell us about brands?

How does a brand live and die in the memory? Where does the concept of a relationship with a brand fit into mental activity? What are thoughts, emotions and feelings and do people have them about brands in any meaningful way? What should one think about such concepts as consciousness and the unconscious in relation to brands and brand messages? Is the way in which managers of brands codify them a reflection of reality? These are only some of the fundamental questions that should concern professionals involved with organisations and brands. This paper draws on scientific discoveries about the human brain to build on the empirical knowledge that leaders in organisations, marketers, academics and researchers have gained about brands over the last five decades. The first part of the paper highlights the inconsistencies that occur between what is found in the development and evaluation of brand strategy and what happens in ‘real life’. It suggests that the newly merged disciplines of neuroscience and cognitive psychology (called neuropsychology) offer the scientific basis for understanding how human beings create, store, recall and relate to brands in everyday life. The second part explains some of the most relevant neuropsychological discoveries about the brain in terms of the implications for brand marketing. The topics covered are: brain functions and structure; consciousness and the unconscious; memory and language. The paper concludes by thinking about the current practise of qualitative research and how it matches up to the findings of the new science. Copyright © 2002 Henry Stewart Publications.     

7–0? That is awful! Should I trust my national team again?: The role of mindsets in team trust

This investigation examined the role of mindsets in team trust after a major loss. It is proposed that individuals can believe that personal characteristics are fixed and that there is not much one can do about it (a fixed mindset) or that personal characteristics are malleable and that one can improve (a growth mindset). The participants, self-identified football fans, were shown a picture of a major loss experienced by the Mexican national team and then answered questions that assessed the participants' team trust, intention to provide future support, and mindsets. We conceptualised mindsets as latent variables and classes to test our hypotheses. The results from the latent variable model showed a significant, positive influence of a growth mindset on team trust. Similarly, the results from the latent class model showed that the class characterised by high levels of a growth mindset was more likely to trust the national team. Regarding intentions to provide future support to the national team, a growth mindset had an indirect, positive effect through its influence on team trust. Similarly, the class with high levels of a growth mindset was more likely to support the national team in the future. The implications for social psychology and consumer behaviour are discussed.     

Internet-based exercise intervention systems: Are more interactive designs better?

Abstract

The benefits of Internet-based health promotion programmes are much discussed, yet the literature on their feasibility and utility is limited. Here, we evaluate an Internet-based exercise motivation and action support system (Test system), relative to a group receiving no intervention (Reference) and another receiving a less interactive version of the same system (Control). We report results from a 10-week pilot study with 75 participants aged 23–54 years. We found that, relative to the control system and reference group, the more interactive (test) system was more engaging (better user retention), created higher expectations for exercise, greater satisfaction with motivation and increased self-perception of fitness. Seven months after the intervention, participants who used the test system reported greater levels of increase in exercise than the control or reference groups. Our study adds to the growing body of evidence on the benefits of interactive systems and the role they could play in health promotion programmes. However, it should also be noted that not all Web-based systems offer the same level of advantage; careful design is crucial to ensure that key messages are clearly communicated to attentive users. Further research is required to identify the optimum interactive system design principles, across a range of user types.     

A study of emotion and reason in products and services

This study investigates the relationship between emotion, reason and perceived risk. Evidence is presented using an aggregative data set of 146 products and services which were randomly selected from the SIC (Standard Industrial Classification Codes) manual. It is demonstrated that emotional factors account for a significant and substantial portion of the variance in perceived risk even after the effect of rational factors (perceived differences between alternatives) has been taken into account. It is suggested that emotion be explicitly modelled in future conceptualisations of perceived risk. Copyright © 2002 Henry Stewart Publications.     

The international financial crisis and the north‐south dialogue

The author describes several origins of current international financial problems. Shortcomings of current solutions are analyzed, and solutions which the author thinks are more appropriate are presented.     

Individually tailored internet-based cognitive behaviour therapy for older adults with anxiety and depression: a randomised controlled trial

Mixed anxiety and depression is common among older adults. The aim of the study was to compare the effects of an eight-week-long tailored internet-supported cognitive behaviour therapy (ICBT) programme and to compare against the provision of weekly general support. A second aim was to investigate if pre-treatment cognitive flexibility and self-reported cognitive problems would predict outcome. We included 66 older adults (aged over 60 years) with mixed anxiety/depression following media recruitment and randomised them into treatment and control groups. We also included a one-year follow-up. As a measure of executive function, we used the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (perseverative errors) and the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire during the pre-treatment phase. Results showed a moderate between-group effect on the main outcome measure, the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) (d= .50), favouring the treatment group. Nearly half (45.5%) of that group were classified as responders. One person (3%) in the treatment group deteriorated. There were significant correlations between perseverative errors and outcome (on the BAI r = ?.45), but not among self-reported cognitive function. We conclude that guided, tailored ICBT may be effective for some older adults and that the role of cognitive function needs to be investigated further.