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.     

Improved statistics for contrasting means of two samples under non‐normality

This paper presents the asymptotic expansions of the distributions of the two‐sample t‐statistic and the Welch statistic, for testing the equality of the means of two independent populations under non‐normality. Unlike other approaches, we obtain the null distributions in terms of the distribution and density functions of the standard normal variable up to n^?1, where n is the pooled sample size. Based on these expansions, monotone transformations are employed to remove the higher‐order cumulant effect. We show that the new statistics can improve the precision of statistical inference to the level of o (n^?1). Numerical studies are carried out to demonstrate the performance of the improved statistics. Some general rules for practitioners are also recommended.     

Residents’ reactions to environmental stressors in Kathmandu: A Comparison of the inner city versus the outskirts

Residents of eight different locations in Kathmandu, four in the inner city and four on the outskirts, were interviewed about environmental stressors, mental distress, and physical symptoms. There were significant gender and location differences on all three measures. Compared to men, women reported more mental distress and more physical symptoms, but fewer environmental stressors. Compared to residents of the inner city, residents of the outskirts reported more mental distress, more physical symptoms, and fewer environmental stressors. Environmental stressors were linked to mental distress among residents in the outskirts but were not linked to mental distress among residents in the inner city. Results suggested that residents’ belief in perceived control of their lives by God partially explained this effect.     

Visual short-term memory for sequential arrays

The capacity of visual short-term memory (VSTM) for a single visual display has been investigated in past research, but VSTM for multiple sequential arrays has been explored only recently. In this study, we investigate the capacity of VSTM across two sequential arrays separated by a variable stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA). VSTM for spatial locations (Experiment 1), colors (Experiments 2-4), orientations (Experiments 3 and 4), and conjunction of color and orientation (Experiment 4) were tested, with the SOA across the two sequential arrays varying from 100 to 1,500 msec. We find that VSTM for the trailing array is much better than VSTM for the leading array, but when averaged across the two arrays VSTM has a constant capacity independent of the SOA. We suggest that multiple displays compete for retention in VSTM and that separating information into two temporally discrete groups does not enhance the overall capacity of VSTM.     

Visual short-term memory for two sequential arrays: One integrated representation or two separate representations?

Two dot arrays, each containing a different set of six randomly selected locations from a 5 × 5 matrix, were presented briefly and were separated by an interstimulus interval (ISI) of 0, 200, 500, or 1,500 msec. Subjects were asked to remember these locations and to report whether a probe dot matched the locations in memory. To find out whether the subjects had formed an integrated representation of the two arrays, the probe dot was accompanied by matrix elements from the first array, from the second array, or from both arrays. Memory for Array 1 was significantly impaired when the retrieval context was drawn from Array 2, and vice versa, suggesting that the two arrays were represented separately. This effect was observed only at an ISI of 500 msec or longer. We propose that as Array 1 is better consolidated, its representation becomes more separated from that of Array 2.     

Integrating sequential arrays in visual short-term memory

Are sequential visual arrays represented as separate images or as a combined image in visual short-term memory (VSTM)? Proponents of the integration account suggest that an image of the first array is gradually formed and integrated with an image of the second to produce a combined representation. This view is evidenced by successful performance in an empty-cell detection task. In this task, on a 4 x 4 square matrix, 7 locations are occupied on a first array, followed by a variable interval, and then by 8 other occupied locations on a second array. Subjects' success in identifying the remaining empty cell has been taken as evidence for integration. In this study, we show that success in this task can be better accounted for by a convert-and-compare process than by an integration process. We conclude that VSTM only supports limited integration across sequential arrays.     

The response-signal method reveals age-related changes in object working memory

Sixteen healthy young adults (ages 18-32) and 16 healthy older adults (ages 67-81) completed a delayed response task in which they saw the following visual sequence: memory stimuli (2 abstract shapes; 3,000 ms), a blank delay (5,000 ms), a probe stimulus of variable duration (one abstract shape; 125, 250, 500, 1,000, or 2,000 ms), and a mask (500 ms). Subjects decided whether the probe stimulus matched either of the memory stimuli; they were instructed to respond during the mask, placing greater emphasis on speed than accuracy. The authors used D. L. Hintzman & T. Curran's (1994) 3-parameter compound bounded exponential model of speed-accuracy tradeoff to describe changes in discriminability associated with total processing time. Group-level analysis revealed a higher rate parameter and a higher asymptote parameter for the young adult group, but no difference across groups in x-intercept. Proxy measures of cognitive reserve (Y. Stern et al., 2005) predicted the rate parameter value, particularly in older adults. Results suggest that in working memory, aging impairs both the maximum capacity for discriminability and the rate of information accumulation, but not the temporal threshold for discriminability.     

The relationship of attitudes,habit and loyalty to market share in relation to a staple good in a local grocery store: An exploratory study

The influence of brand attitudes, brand loyalty and habit on market share is analyzed. The data were generated from a sample of bar soap purchasers in a store, where there were no variations in price or promotional displays during the field study. Results indicate that brand attitudes and habit are both directly and indirectly related to market share with the indirect path occurring through brand loyalty. The results are discussed in terms of their significance for researchers and managers.     

Modulation of Amygdala Response by Cognitive Conflict in Adolescents with Conduct Problems and Varying Levels of CU Traits

Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology - Adolescents with conduct problems and low callous-unemotional traits are characterised by high levels of reactive aggression. Prior studies...     

Bladder training and enuresis: A controlled trial

This study was designed to test the effectiveness of a short bladder training procedure to increase bladder capacity and to improve enuresis. Eighteen enuretic children, aged 5–13 years, were randomly assigned to either an experimental or control group. Pre- and post-treatment measures of bladder capacity and frequency of bedwetting were obtained from subjects in both groups. The experimental group received 35 days of bladder training administered at first by the experimenter and then by the parents. The training consisted of required drinking, practice in holding and rewards for retaining progressively larger volumes of fluid before voiding. The control group received no training during the duration of the experiment. The results showed that the mean bladder capacity of the experimental subjects increased significantly with bladder training compared to controls. However, the frequency of bedwetting of the experimental subjects did not decrease significantly with training. Consequently, the efficacy of a bladder training procedure in the treatment of enuresis is questioned