On measurement properties of continuation ratio models

Three classes of polytomous IRT models are distinguished. These classes are the adjacent category models, the cumulative probability models, and the continuation ratio models. So far, the latter class has received relatively little attention. The class of continuation ratio models includes logistic models, such as the sequential model (Tutz, 1990), and nonlogistic models, such as the acceleration model (Samejima, 1995) and the nonparametric sequential model (Hemker, 1996). Four measurement properties are discussed. These are monotone likelihood ratio of the total score, stochastic ordering of the latent trait by the total score, stochastic ordering of the total score by the latent trait, and invariant item ordering. These properties have been investigated previously for the adjacent category models and the cumulative probability models, and for the continuation ratio models this is done here. It is shown that stochastic ordering of the total score by the latent trait is implied by all continuation ratio models, while monotone likelihood ratio of the total score and stochastic ordering on the latent trait by the total score are not implied by any of the continuation ratio models. Only the sequential rating scale model implies the property of invariant item ordering. Also, we present a Venn-diagram showing the relationships between all known polytomous IRT models from all three classes.     

Superexponentially Accelerating Evolution

This article investigates the rate at different periods of the evolutionary process on Earth. The investigation is based on the author's previous investigations of the growth of evolutionary complexity and on other recent investigations of the rates of scientific evolution and information technology. The measures of the evolutionary rates are given in terms of their doubling times, being several million years for animal evolution, and ranging from a million years to some thousand years for human cultural evolution. After the Galilean scientific revolution the doubling time shows a dramatic drop to about only twenty years and is found to be still shorter for modern information technology. The result shows that the totality of the evolutionary processes on Earth follows a superexponentially increasing rate, characterized by steadily decreasing doubling times.     

Development and validation of an instrument for assessing job demands arising from accelerated change: The intensification of job demands scale (IDS)

Accelerated societal and organizational changes have placed new pressures on employees. Especially, service employees are exposed to intensified workloads, planning and decision-making, and learning demands. Despite the growing attention given to this intensification of job demands, a comprehensive measure is missing. In the present study, we developed the Intensification of Job Demands Scale (IDS) and validated it in four samples (N = 1363). Confirmatory factor analyses supported the differentiation into five subscales, namely work intensification, intensified job-related planning and decision-making demands, intensified career-related planning and decision-making demands, intensified knowledge-related learning demands, and intensified skill-related learning demands. This five-factor structure holds for both the German and the English versions of the instrument. Convergent and discriminant validity tests showed that the IDS subscales are moderately related to established measures of job demands, but at most have small correlations with negative affectivity. Providing support for the incremental validity, the IDS subscales were found to add to the prediction of burnout and job satisfaction beyond established job demands. Finally, the IDS subscales helped to identify employees who experienced changes in their work situation. In sum, the results indicate that the IDS is a valid and reliable measure to assess the intensification of job demands.     

Synergistic interaction between ankle and knee during hopping revealed through induced acceleration analysis

The forces produced by the muscles can deliver energy to a target segment they are not attached to, by transferring this energy throughout the other segments in the chain. This is a synergistic way of functioning, which allows muscles to accelerate or decelerate segments in order to reach the target one. The purpose of this study was to characterize the contribution of each lower extremity joint to the vertical acceleration of the body’s center of mass during a hopping exercise. To accomplish this, an induced acceleration analysis was performed using a model with eight segments. The results indicate that the strategies produced during a hopping exercise rely on the synergy between the knee and ankle joints, with most of the vertical acceleration being produced by the knee extensors, while the ankle plantar flexors act as stabilizers of the foot. This synergy between the ankle and the knee is perhaps a mechanism that allows the transfer of power from the knee muscles to the ground, and we believe that in this particular task the net action of the foot and ankle moments is to produce a stable foot with little overall acceleration.     

On-Road vehicle study of the experience of automated driving

Prior studies of automated driving have focused on drivers’ evaluations of advanced driving assistance systems and their knowledge of the technology. An on-road experiment with novice drivers who had never used automated systems was conducted to examine the effects of the automation on the driving experience. Participants drove a Tesla Model 3 sedan with level 2 automation engaged or not engaged on a 4-lane interstate freeway. They reported that driving was more enjoyable and less stressful during automated driving than manual driving. They also indicated that they were less anxious and nervous, and able to relax more with the automation. Their intentions to use and purchase automated systems in the future were correlated with the favorableness of their automated driving experiences. The positive experiences of the first-time users suggest that consumers may not need a great deal of persuading to develop an appreciation for partially automated vehicles.     

The dynamics of purchasing an electric vehicle – A prospective longitudinal study of the decision-making process

This paper presents the results of a longitudinal prospective study which followed 113 people interested in the purchase of an electric vehicle for a period of two months. Based on an adapted stage model of self-regulated behavioral change (Bamberg, 2013b), a short online questionnaire with a stage diagnostic and the measurement of central model constructs was administered to the participants every second day. The analysis shows that 85% of transitions between the stages occur along the paths of the stage model. Stage transitions are preceded by increases in goal intentions and implementation intentions during the week before the transition. Intentions are predicted by most of the expected model constructs, but the effects were different on the between-person and the within-person level. The average stage durations are between two and three weeks. Implications of the study for research on stage models and practice are discussed.     

Effects of working memory and reading acceleration training on improving working memory abilities and reading skills among third graders

Working memory (WM) plays a crucial role in supporting learning, including reading. This study investigated the influence of reading acceleration and WM training programs on improving reading skills and WM abilities. Ninety-seven children in third grade were divided into three study groups and one control group. The three study groups each received a different combination of two training programs: only reading acceleration, WM followed by reading acceleration, and reading acceleration followed by WM. All training programs significantly improved reading skills and WM abilities. Compared with the control group, the group trained with only the reading acceleration program improved word accuracy, whereas the groups trained with a combination of reading and WM programs improved word and pseudo-word fluency. The reading-acceleration-alone group and the WM-program-followed-by-reading-acceleration group improved phonological complex memory. We conclude that a training program that combines a long reading acceleration program and a short WM program is the most effective for improving the abilities most related to scholastic achievement.     

Use it or lose it: purchase acceleration effects of time‐limited promotions

While researchers have examined the impact of retail promotions on purchase acceleration in the past, the distinction between time‐limited and time‐independent promotions has not been made in this context. In this paper, the authors report findings from two studies. In Study 1, it was found that promotions of short duration (time‐limited), such as store coupons, accelerate purchases, whereas promotions of longer duration (time‐independent), such as manufacturer's coupons, have no such impact. In Study 2, the impact of semantic cues was examined highlighting the time‐limited nature of promotions (such as ‘10 Hours Only Sale’), impact on purchase willingness, intent to search further for deals and attitudes towards the deal. Copyright © 2003 Henry Stewart Publications.     

Seeking consistency between planning orientation and situational purchase mindset

The research applies consistency theory to investigate how planning orientation, planner, or reactor combines with situational purchase mindsets. The results of three studies reveal that (i) consistency between planning orientation and situational mindset fosters more action responses in terms of number of stores one intends to visit or actually visited; (ii) when inconsistency is experienced, action responses are fewer because the consumer seeks to resolve inconsistencies by consulting others to help build consensus toward one emerging purchase decision alternative; (iii) the findings depend upon whether the purchase context is hedonic or utilitarian for the planner but not for the reactor; and (iv) the impulsive scenario reverses the predictions of consistency theory. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Conditional acceleration and external disinhibition of operant lever pressing by prereward, neutral, and reinforcing stimuli

Rats responding under a differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate schedule increased their rates of lever pressing during a 20-second click/flash stimulus that preceded the delivery of a response-independent food pellet. The increase could not be attributed to suppression of collateral behavior that has been said to mediate temporally-spaced responding. We propose that the prereward stimulus functioned as an external disinhibitor of lever pressing that had been inhibited by the constraints of the operant schedule. Support is derived from the observed disinhibitory effects of a 10-second unpaired click/flash stimulus and of unsignaled, response-independent pellets that were presented while the animals were responding under the same schedule.