Characteristics of congregations that might increase their participants’ risk of depression

This research examines some characteristics of congregations that might increase the risk of their participants being depressed. Analysing data from the Portraits of American Life Study Wave 1 (2006), this research found that those affiliated with a congregation that did not meet their spiritual needs had arguments about traditional versus contemporary beliefs, made them feel like outsiders, and had unsatisfactory decision-making processes which were more likely to feel depressed than their counterparts. The findings of this research suggest that to alleviate the problem of depression, individuals need to choose a congregation that meets their spiritual needs and makes them feel accepted, rather than just attending any congregations.     

Entropy of Linkography: Evaluating the Creativity of Short Animation

There are important research issues surrounding the best methods for evaluating creativity of animation. This study proposed an approach to evaluate the creativity of short animation by adopting Linkography. This article reported the results of two experiments performed to test this approach. In study 1, participants identified as impressive a set of images drawn from a short animation. These images then represented moves on Linkography. Next, the interrelations between images were recognized as links on Linkography. The creativity of a short animation was determined by entropy, which was calculated by links. Results of study 1 revealed that entropy of Linkography had a high correlation (.86) with the evaluation scores obtained through a questionnaire, thus confirming the adequacy of using Linkography as a tool in evaluating the creativity of short animation. In study 2, an experiment was conducted to adjust entropy calculation. The study results showed that there existed alternatives for adjusting this calculation to reflect better the irregularity of ideas, which serves as an indicator of creativity. Further studies are needed to test the generalization of the present findings.     

Quantile Mediation Models: A Comparison of Methods for Assessing Mediation Across the Outcome Distribution

Recent introduction of quantile regression methods to analysis of epidemiologic data suggests that traditional mean regression approaches may not suffice for some health outcomes such as Body Mass Index (BMI). In the same vein, the traditional mean-based approach to mediation modeling may not be sufficient to capture the potentially different mediating effects of behavioral interventions across the outcome distribution. By combining methods for estimating conditional quantiles with traditional mediation modeling techniques, mediation effects can be estimated for any quantile of the outcome distribution (so-called quantile mediation effects). Estimation and inference techniques for quantile mediation effects are compared through simulation studies, and recommendations are given. The quantile mediation methods are further compared with the traditional mean-based regression approaches to mediation analysis through analysis of data from Healthy Places, a trial that is examining the effects of the community–built environment on resident obesity risk. We found the magnitudes of indirect (mediating) effects of walkability on BMI and waist circumference were substantially larger for the upper quantiles compared with the median or mean. Results suggest that restricting the examination of mediation to the mean of the outcome distribution provides an incomplete picture of proposed mediating mechanisms and in some cases may miss important mediational relationships to outcomes.     

The Selection of Freebies and the Preference for Freebie Promotions—A Perspective on Item Characteristics

Research on consumer decision making has mainly focused on individual products; however, many products are purchased with other items as part of a promotional package. This paper explores how the characteristics (hedonic versus utilitarian) of the items in freebie promotional packages (e.g., buy one item and get a different item for free) influence consumers' preference for the promotional package. Additionally, the authors examine how the characteristics of the focal item influence consumers' choice of either a hedonic or a utilitarian freebie item. Five experiments, rooted in the concepts of consumer avoidance of overloading negative emotions and motivation to seek hedonic pleasure, show that a package with one utilitarian and one hedonic item generates higher purchase intentions and willingness to pay than a package with either two hedonic or two utilitarian items. Furthermore, consumers who purchase a hedonic (utilitarian) focal item are more likely to choose a utilitarian (hedonic) freebie. These effects exist not only in hypothetical scenarios but also in an incentive‐compatible design. Moreover, the impact of the focal item characteristics on consumer choice of freebie is moderated by acquisition format and time separation. The authors also explore the internal mechanism influencing consumers' freebie choices. The findings have significant implications for both theory and practice. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The push and pull of temptation: the bidirectional influence of temptation on self-control

This article examines how people respond to the emergence of temptation in their environment. Three studies demonstrated that how people respond to temptation depends critically on their visceral state--whether or not they are actively experiencing visceral drives such as hunger, drug craving, or sexual arousal. We found that when people were in a "cold," nonvisceral state, the presence of temptation prompted cognition to support self-control. However, when people were in a "hot," visceral state, temptation prompted the same cognitive processes to support impulsive behavior. Study 1 examined how heterosexual men's level of sexual arousal influences their attention to attractive women. Study 2 examined whether satiated and craving smokers would engage in motivated reasoning in order to dampen (or enhance) the appeal of smoking when confronted with the temptation to smoke. Study 3 tested the boundaries of the interaction between visceral state and temptation.     

Understanding the Effect of Social Capital on the Depression of Urban Chinese Adolescents: An Integrative Framework

Using data from an ongoing longitudinal study of 5,164 adolescents and their parents from seven cities in mainland China, this study investigated how social capital embedded in the family and the community, together with family human capital and financial capital, influenced the depressive symptoms of urban Chinese adolescents within an integrative framework. The structural equation modeling results suggested that higher community social capital was associated with lower level of adolescent depressive symptoms and was the strongest predictor among all these contextual factors. Family social capital played a significant role in mediating the effects of all other contextual factors on adolescent depressive symptoms. Unexpectedly, higher family financial capital predicted increased depressive symptoms both directly and indirectly through its negative effect on family social capital. As for gender, female adolescents reported more depressive symptoms as a result of less available family social capital. Implications of these findings for theory, practice, policy, and future research are discussed.     

An investigation into assessment centre validity,fairness, and selection drivers

This study examined the construct‐related validity of an assessment centre (AC) developed by a national distribution company for the selection and development of lower‐grade managers. In five locations throughout Britain, 487 individuals were observed on nine dimensions, each of which was measured through six distinct exercises. Multitrait‐multimethod analyses conducted to investigate the convergent and discriminant validity of the AC revealed strong exercise (“method”) effects. This finding was corroborated by an exploratory factor analysis showing that AC ratings clustered into factors according to exercises, rather than according to performance dimensions. A series of MANOVAs and chi‐squared tests demonstrated that neither the exercise ratings nor the selection decision were biased by sex, ethnicity, or training location, and a logistic regression determined which exercises had most impact on the final decision.     

After-School Supervision, Psychosocial Impact, and Adolescent Smoking and Alcohol Use in China

We examined effects of self-care after school hours and psychosocial factors on cigarette smoking and alcohol use among adolescents in China. Survey data were obtained from 4734 7th and 11th grade students from seven cities across China. Students were queried about the frequency and quantity of unsupervised self-care after school in an average week. Tobacco and alcohol usage were also obtained. Odds ratios were calculated to determine the strength of association between unsupervised self-care after school and substance use. Results indicated that the amount of self-care after-school (how many days and how many hours per week) was significantly associated with increased risk for smoking and alcohol use among Chinese adolescents. These associations remained significant even after controlling for anxiety, depressive symptoms, and peer influence. The interaction between unsupervised self-care after school and peer influence indicated that unsupervised self-care after school is a stronger risk factor for smoking among adolescents with pro-smoking friends. The findings suggest that substance use prevention programs for youth in China should try to enhance parental monitoring. As it may not be feasible for families to revert to a lifestyle that includes supervision by relatives, other approaches such as organized after-school care are worthy of consideration.     

Guanxi networks and members' effectiveness in Chinese work teams: Mediating effects of trust networks

The present study examined 33 teams with a total of 206 team members (excluding team leaders) to explore the effects of intrateam guanxi and trust networks on individual effectiveness in Taiwan. Guanxi networks included non-job, departmental and past team networks, while trust networks included affective and cognitive trust networks. Results showed that: (i) guanxi networks could better explain members' effectiveness compared with relational demography, and different guanxi networks had different effects; (ii) the more central an individual's position was in the cognitive trust network, the higher the individual's effectiveness; (iii) the past team guanxi network of a team member displayed a positive effect on the centrality of cognitive trust network, while non-job and departmental guanxi networks showed negative effects; and (iv) the effects of members' guanxi networks on individual effectiveness were mediated by the centrality of trust networks.     

Paternalistic leadership and subordinate responses: Establishing a leadership model in Chinese organizations

Paternalistic leadership (PL) is the prevalent leadership style in Chinese business organizations. With an approach similar to patriarchy, PL entails an evident and powerful authority that shows consideration for subordinates with moral leadership. Although PL is widespread in Chinese business organizations, very few studies have focused on this leadership style and those that have were simply conceptual analyses and not empirical studies. We sampled 543 subordinates from local businesses in Taiwan to investigate PL, Western transformational leadership, and subordinate responses to these two leadership styles. Our hypotheses were as follows: (1) PL has a significant and unique effect on subordinate responses compared to Western transformational leadership; (2) there exists an interaction between the three elements of PL (benevolence, morality, and authoritarianism) and subordinate responses; and (3) the authority orientation of a subordinate's traditionality has a moderating effect upon the relation between PL and subordinate responses. Statistical analyses generally supported these hypotheses. Directions for follow-up studies are offered and implications for leadership theory and practice are discussed.