Exploring how consumer cooperatives might strategically incorporate social media to distribute wine

This research advances our understanding of disruptions to marketing channels in the digital world by investigating the viability of consumer cooperative systems which are envisioned as multi-actor constructed networks using social media (SM) platforms. It introduces the concepts of “social media consumer wine cooperator” as a new distribution channel for wine and investigates the consumer's intention to participate in an SM and become a wine cooperator. Relying on the uses and gratifications theory (UGT), we adopted a quantitative research inquiry with data gathered using an online survey involving a sample of 486 French consumers. We empirically tested the relationships among four factors: attitude toward buying wine based on SM recommendations, perceived risks, intention to buy wine on SM, and consumer intention to become an SM wine cooperator. Findings indicate that the intention to be an SM wine cooperator is positively correlated with attitude toward buying wine based on SM recommendations and the intention to purchase wine on SM. To finish with, we link the concept of the consumer wine co-op to the current debate in the literature on centralized versus decentralized (built on top of blockchain networks) social media platforms, opening the door for future research avenues.     

On perturbation and pattern coexistence in postural coordination dynamics

In studies of postural control, investigators have used either experimentally induced perturbations to stance or unperturbed stance. The distinction between perturbed and unperturbed stance has gained renewed importance in the context of inphase and antiphase coordination of the hips and ankles. Several contributions have replicated the findings published over the past decade, suggesting the possibility of a unified view of postural control. However, any proposed unified view depends on how so called perturbed and unperturbed are defined. The authors argue that, to date, there is no explicit and general definition of those terms. The main reason is that all perturbations are relative and depend on appropriate frames of reference for perception and action. Arguments about empirical or theoretical unification of perturbed and unperturbed stance are premature.     

The strategic pursuit of moral credentials

Moral credentials establish one's virtue and license one to act in morally disreputable ways with impunity (Monin & Miller, 2001). We propose that when people anticipate doing something morally dubious, they strategically attempt to earn moral credentials. Participants who expected to do something that could appear racist (decline to hire a Black job candidate in Studies 1 and 2, or take a test that might reveal implicit racial bias in Study 3) subsequently sought to establish non-racist credentials (by expressing greater racial sensitivity in Studies 1 and 2, or by exaggerating how favorably they perceived a Black job candidate in Study 3). Consistent with prior research, a follow-up study revealed that the opportunity to establish such credentials subsequently licensed participants to express more favorable attitudes towards a White versus a Black individual. We argue that strategically pursuing moral credentials allows individuals to manage attributions about their morally dubious behavior.     

Postural Sway and the Amplitude of Horizontal Eye Movements

In 2 experiments, we evaluated relations between postural activity and the amplitude of visually guided eye movements. Participants shifted their gaze to follow horizontal oscillation of a visible target. The target moved with amplitude 9° or 24°. In different experiments, the frequency of target oscillation was 0.5 Hz or 1.1 Hz. In both experiments, the variability of head and torso motion was reduced (in the anterior-posterior axis) when participants viewed moving targets, relative to sway during viewing of stationary targets. Sway variability was not influenced by the amplitude of target motion. The results are compatible with the hypothesis that postural activity was modulated relative to the demands of suprapostural visual tasks.