The effect of artificial intelligence (AI) robot characteristics and dialectical thinking on AI robot adoption intention

Artificial intelligence (AI) is an essential strategic element for many industries. Practitioners are exploring ways to incorporate AI into their products, services, and processes, as it transforms everyday life. Recent studies have increasingly examined how consumers respond to various forms of AI robots. This study adds to the existing literature by investigating the factors that drive consumers to adopt AI robots and the underlying psychological processes. Through three studies, we show that consumers' perceived congruence in an AI robot plays an important role in determining their adoption intention for the AI robot. We further demonstrate that such a perception of congruence is jointly determined by the AI robot's benefit type and appearance familiarity. The findings suggest that consumers are more inclined to adopt an AI robot when they are designed to provide hedonic benefits and resembles real-life objects. By contrast, an AI robot designed for utilitarian benefits are more likely to be adopted when it has the appearance of a machine. In addition, we show that perception of fit mediates this joint effect. Furthermore, we show that the effect of congruence perception on adoption intention is attenuated when consumers have a higher level of dialectical thinking. This study discusses both the theoretical and practical implications.     

Internalized transphobia: Exploring perceptions of social messages in transgender and gender-nonconforming adults

Background: Transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) individuals encounter a variety of minority stressors that have yet to be fully articulated or explored within the research literature. The purpose of this study is to better understand internalized stigma—the experience of accepting and internalizing negative social messages and experiences about one's identity—an underexplored minority stressor for TGNC people.

Method: We conducted in-depth interviews with 30 diverse TGNC participants using consensual qualitative research (CQR) methodology.

Results: Following data saturation and analysis, six distinct themes emerged across participants: (1) TGNC identities are regarded negatively by society; (2) social messages are perceived as originating from the media and religious ideology; (3) TGNC individuals report emotional distress; (4) negative self-perceptions in response to social messages; (5) TGNC individuals report resilience processes in response to negative social messages; and (6) social messages are perceived generally to differentially impact TGNC people of color.

Conclusion: Findings highlight the common experience of encountering social marginalization for TGNC individuals. Structural interventions that target pervasive sociocultural messages regarding TGNC identities are warranted.     

Predicting item exposure parameters in computerized adaptive testing

The purpose of this study is to find a formula that describes the relationship between item exposure parameters and item parameters in computerized adaptive tests by using genetic programming (GP) – a biologically inspired artificial intelligence technique. Based on the formula, item exposure parameters for new parallel item pools can be predicted without conducting additional iterative simulations. Results show that an interesting formula between item exposure parameters and item parameters in a pool can be found by using GP. The item exposure parameters predicted based on the found formula were close to those observed from the Sympson and Hetter (1985) procedure and performed well in controlling item exposure rates. Similar results were observed for the Stocking and Lewis (1998) multinomial model for item selection and the Sympson and Hetter procedure with content balancing. The proposed GP approach has provided a knowledge‐based solution for finding item exposure parameters.     

Effects of input device and motion type on a cursor-positioning task

Many studies have investigated the performance of using nonkey-board input devices under static situations, but few have considered the effects of motion type on manipulating these input devices. In this study comparison of 12 mens' performance using four input devices (three trackballs: currently used, trackman wheel, and erectly held trackballs, as well as a touch screen) under five motion types of static, heave, roll, pitch, and random movements was conducted. The input device and motion type significantly affected movement speed and accuracy, and their interaction significantly affected the movement speed. The touch screen was the fastest but the least accurate input device. The erectly held trackball was the slowest, whereas the error rate of the currently used trackball was the lowest. Impairments of the random motion on movement time and error rate were larger than those of other motion types. Considering objective and subjective evaluations, the trackman wheel and currently used trackball were more efficient in operation than the erectly held trackball and touch screen under the motion environments.     

Students' perceptions of constructivist Internet learning environments by a physics virtual laboratory: the gap between ideal and reality and gender differences.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of Internet users of a physics virtual laboratory, Demolab, in Taiwan. Learners' perceptions of Internet-based learning environments were explored and the role of gender was examined by using preferred and actual forms of a revised Constructivist Internet-based Learning Environment Survey (CILES). The students expressed a clear gap between ideal and reality, and they showed higher preferences for many features of constructivist Internet-based learning environments than for features they had actually learned in Demolab. The results further suggested that male users prefer to be involved in the process of discussion and to show critical judgments. In addition, male users indicated they enjoyed the process of negotiation and discussion with others and were able to engage in reflective thoughts while learning in Demolab. In light of these findings, male users seemed to demonstrate better adaptability to the constructivist Internet-based learning approach than female users did. Although this study indicated certain differences between males and females in their responses to Internet-based learning environments, they also shared numerous similarities. A well-established constructivist Internet-based learning environment may encourage more female learners to participate in the science community.     

Adult Attachment Styles and Life Satisfaction in Individuals with Physical Disabilities

Examined the impact of adult attachment style on overall psychosocial adjustment among people with physical disabilities. 100 individuals with chronic, non-progressive physical disabilities living in the community. Adult attachment style, self-esteem, social integration and life satisfaction. Participants with physical disabilities did not differ from the general population in terms of secure versus insecure attachment styles represented. Secure attachment style predicted higher selfesteem. Both attachment security and physical independence were independently related to life satisfaction. This study highlights the importance of examining interpersonal relationships in life satisfaction in people with physical disabilities     

Computation of mean size is based on perceived size

The present study investigated whether computation of mean object size was based on perceived or physical size. The Ebbinghaus illusion was used to make the perceived size of a circle different from its physical size. Four Ebbinghaus configurations were presented either simultaneously (Experiment 1) or sequentially (Experiment 2) to each visual field, and participants were instructed to attend only to the central circles of each configuration. Participants’ judgments of mean central circle size were influenced by the Ebbinghaus illusion. In addition, the Ebbinghaus illusion influenced the coding of individual size rather than the averaging. These results suggest that perceived rather than physical size was used in computing the mean size.     

The directionality and functional organization of frontoparietal connectivity during consciousness and anesthesia in humans

Frontoparietal connectivity has been suggested to be important in conscious processing and its interruption is thought to be one mechanism of general anesthesia. Data in animals demonstrate that feedforward processing of information may persist during the anesthetized state, while feedback processing is inhibited. We investigated the directionality and functional organization of frontoparietal connectivity in 10 human subjects anesthetized with propofol on two separate occasions. Multichannel electroencephalography and a computational method of assessing directed functional connectivity were employed. We demonstrate that directed feedback connectivity is diminished with loss of consciousness and returns with responsiveness to verbal command. We also applied the Dendrogram classification method to assess the global organization of directed functional connectivity during consciousness and anesthesia. We demonstrate a state-specific hierarchy and subject-specific subhierarchy in functional organization. These data support the hypothesis that specific states of human consciousness are defined by specific states of frontoparietal connectivity.     

The ameliorating effect of oroxylin A on scopolamine-induced memory impairment in mice

Oroxylin A is a flavonoid and was originally isolated from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi., one of the most important medicinal herbs in traditional Chinese medicine. The aim of this study was to investigate the ameliorating effects of oroxylin A on memory impairment using the passive avoidance test, the Y-maze test, and the Morris water maze test in mice. Drug-induced amnesia was induced by administering scopolamine (1 mg/kg, i.p.) or diazepam (1 mg/kg, i.p.). Oroxylin A (5 mg/kg) significantly reversed cognitive impairments in mice by passive avoidance and the Y-maze testing (P<.05). Oroxylin A also improved escape latencies in training trials and increased swimming times and distances within the target zone of the Morris water maze (P<.05). Moreover, the ameliorating effects of oroxylin A were antagonized by both muscimol and diazepam (0.25 mg/kg, i.p., respectively), which are GABA(A) receptor agonists. Furthermore, oroxylin A (100 microM) was found to inhibit GABA-induced inward Cl(-) current in a single cortical neuron. These results suggest that oroxylin A may be useful for the treatment of cognitive impairments induced by cholinergic dysfunction via the GABAergic nervous system.