Abstract Many people enjoy listening to live music. But what exactly does a live context contribute to people’s experience, and do different types of concerts influence the musical experience in different ways? In this study, we focus on the Western classical concert, which has been claimed to be in an existential crisis. One way in which practitioners are seeking to counter this crisis is by adapting the concert format. Our study was inspired by such artistic endeavors and conducted live concert experiments in an ecologically valid setting to explore the effects of the concert format on the audience’s aesthetic experience. Eleven chamber music concerts were organized, all of which presented the same three string quintets but differed regarding several format components. To represent the aesthetic experience of the audience ( N = 802) in an exhaustive way, self-report data, physiological responses, as well as camera recordings of facial expressions were collected. The analyses revealed that each concert format variant had a unique effect on the audience. Variants that differed the most from the standard format had the strongest influence on the audience’s experience, while also one concert that represented an ideal realization of the standard format, led to particularly positive experiences. Aesthetic emotions and heart rate were particularly susceptible to format changes, whereas appreciation of the music and the musical performance were not affected by the concert format. We found that (1) a high-quality concert venue can afford a more immersed experience and a higher appreciation of the concert as a whole; (2) explanations of the meaning of the pieces in a relatable, personal way during the concert help people connect emotionally with the pieces and increase tolerance towards contemporary pieces; (3) an intense musical experience and a satisfying social experience may compete with each other. Our results do not only broaden our scientific understanding of how contexts contribute to aesthetic experiences, but can also be of use for concert practitioners.

Abstract This article introduces the vignette study as a research method in foreign-language education that can be used to examine the effects and interaction of multiple variables. A vignette study presents hypothetical scenarios (i.e., vignettes) to its participants (i.e., L2 learners, L2 teachers) to investigate their self-reported attitudes, decisions, or reactions regarding these vignettes. A vignette set systematically varies attributes in its vignettes (e.g., L2 feedback type). The vignette study is thus able to identify the causal effect of these attributes on the participants’ attitudes, decisions, or reactions (e.g., learner motivation). The vignette study offers several benefits to L2 research, such as flexible research questions, analysis of multiple variables, compatibility with quantitative and qualitative assessments, and research economy. The vignette study is a valuable, but underused method to investigate complex causal interactions in foreign-language education. To illustrate the potential of the vignette study for L2 research, the article presents an exemplary vignette study with L1-German L2-English students (grade 5-9, secondary school). The vignette study examined the effect of online vs. onsite teaching (IV) on the students’ foreign-language enjoyment (DV) in the L2 English classroom and showed that their enjoyment was lowered by online teaching in the study sample (i.e., descriptive, but non-significant result).

Abstract Governance evaluation represents a fundamental issue and a critical link in assessing the effectiveness of government governance. It is widely acknowledged that social trust serves as a pivotal factor for effective governance. However, existing research primarily concentrates on the correlation between social trust and objective measures of governance performance, lacking a systematic exploration of how social trust influences governance evaluation and the underlying mechanisms involved. Based on the relevant data from the “2021 China Social Survey (CSS2021),” a quantitative study was conducted on the relationship between three types of social trust of Chinese farmers and their evaluation of grassroots government governance. At the same time, the mediating effect of fairness perception and its sub-dimensions among was explored. The study findings demonstrate that social trust has a positive impact on the evaluation of grassroots government governance in rural China. Specifically, trust in government exerts the most significant influence, highlighting the predominant role of grassroots governments in rural governance in China. Furthermore, fairness perception and its sub-dimensions serve as causal mediators between social trust and the evaluation of governance at the grassroots level, validating the importance of social equity as a primary objective in rural governance. This research unpacks the complex relationship between social trust and the evaluation of grassroots government governance, elucidates the differentiated pathways, and establishes fairness perception and its sub-dimensions as key transmission mechanisms. It provides significant reference for optimizing grassroots government governance strategies and enhancing rural governance effectiveness.