Behavioral Attributes Research Articles

The building blocks of art and its accompanying role and meaning

In this article, focusing on the building blocks of art with its concomitant role and meaning, we commence with a brief evolutionary overview of the origin of land vertebrates, which culminated in the rise of our species as we view it. We then review three iconic phases of human evolution, colloquially designated as the Neanderthals, the San and the Cro-Magnons, as manifested by their artistic endeavours. We are well aware that the Cro-Magnons are currently regarded as not sufficiently distinct from modern Homo sapiens to be separately designated. Therefore, the terms ‘anatomically modern humans’ (AMH) or ‘early modern humans’ (EMH) are suggested for these inhabitants of the Upper Palaeolithic as they shared an anatomical resemblance with us but still lacked the full complement of behavioural attributes that typify ourselves. This particular selection was chosen because these groups have partially overlapped historically, yet each represents a distinctive approach to the artistic impulse. Subsequently, we consider more contemporary developments regarding human art intertwined with our interpretation of art’s role and meaning. Then, we briefly discuss a broader account of the evolution of art in which these three phases are firmly based and through which our understanding of and engagement with the evolutionary development of these stages are elucidated and complemented. In conclusion, particular views about language and the role and meaning of art are confirmed. Particular views about language and the role and meaning of art are endorsed and supplemented by an extensive body of relevant literature.Contribution: This article explores the evolution of art and its accompanying role and meaning in an intersectional and interdisciplinary manner that fits well with the intention of this unique collection on the building blocks of our past, present and future and with the nature of this journal and our ongoing engagement with HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies.

Improvement of mechanical and wear resistance property by varying glass fiber contents and amino-silicate coupling agents on polyamide 612 composites

Among the polyamide series polymer materials, PA612 has excellent mechanical properties and low moisture absorption characteristics. This work studied the effect of coupling agent addition on the crystallization behavior, adhesive wear, mechanical, thermal, and morphological attributes of glass fiber (GF) reinforced PA612 composites. Amino-silane was applied as a coupling agent to enhance the interfacial adhesion between glass fiber and the PA612 matrix. The loading level of the coupling agent was changed to 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0wt%, while the GF loading level in the composite material was 10, 15, 20, and 30wt%. The composite materials were analyzed via X-ray diffraction, tribological characterization, and adhesion wear test. The mechanical, rheological, and thermal properties were also investigated. In addition, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis was used to study the analytical samples’ wear and fracture surfaces. Test results unveiled that adding 1.0wt% amino-silane coupling agent upgraded the fiber-matrix adhesion, mechanical properties (tensile strength:136 MPa), and corresponding wear resistance of GF reinforced PA612-based composites. Furthermore, it is compatible with pure PA612 substrates and has similar processing rheological behavior. These results reveal that the compiled PA612 matrix is highly viable for tribological applications comprising automotive parts, bearings, and bearing materials for space applications.

Influence of Human Resource Management on Quality of Education in Public Primary Schools in Cameroon.

Most nations in the world are always in the process of national reconstruction. To consolidate this process, they have prioritised quality education as a bedrock of sustainable development. In this gruse, Cameroon like some African Countries have embarked on huge budgetary allocations in the education sector as well as the persuance of good governance geared toward the efficient and effective management of resources. This paper therefore aims at examining the role of efficient and effective human resource management in the promotion of quality education.This study is based on the prism that efficient and effective human resource management has a bearing on the quality of education. From the pratis of Human capital theory developed by Gary Stanley Becker(1960),this paper makes the postulation that the value of human capacities (knowledge, skills, intelligence, talents, experiences, behaviour, honesty, punctuality, competence and other attributes) could be developed through education and training so as to enhance productivity and thus quality of education.

AGENT-BASED MODEL AND MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING: CULTURE-CONTINGENT MANAGERIAL BEHAVIOR IN LIGHT OF BUDGETARY CONSTRAINTS

Objective: The paper aims at creating a model to simulate managerial behavior within a budgetary process affording analysis of evolving overall performance and specific behavioral attributes, at both firm- and manager-level.Method: This study focuses on computer science, decision systems and management, by exploring agent-based modeling (ABM) in management accounting, with Python and Mesa. The model adopts a Consumer Service Provider firm and its quarterly sales budgeting process for a network of 400 branches over a 5-year term, contingent to firm culture (authoritarian or participative).Results and discussions: Data analytics yielded results based on intense model simulation, with more than 19 million data points. Findings show culture-contingent firm performance and managerial behavior evolution linked to the budgetary process. Authoritarian firms generated fair more sales with similar managerial human capital and market, under increasing strong demand; authoritarian firms paid more bonuses as part pf their reward system. In general, an authoritarian culture may benefit in a strong demand scenario thad participative firms, potentially due to budgetary slack form negotiation. On the other hand, authoritarian forms showed lower levels of happiness and engagement among their managers. Contributions: Contributions are threefold, pointing to (a) management accounting practice and research, (b) science and research strategy, and (c) accounting education.

The interpersonal consequences of stealing ideas: Worse character judgments and less co-worker support for an idea (vs. money) thief

As the demand for creativity grows, the vulnerability of ideas to theft becomes increasingly salient. Knowledge workers are keenly aware of idea theft and nearly one-third report having co-workers who steal ideas. However, the severity of consequences people face for stealing ideas is unclear. In this article, I investigate the interpersonal consequences of stealing ideas compared to stealing money. Across a series of experiments, I found that idea thieves are judged to have worse character than money thieves, and that individuals are less willing to offer them co-worker support. Further, I found that stronger internal attributions for idea theft behaviors drive this effect. Furthermore, I tested and found no evidence supporting value as an alternative explanation. Lastly, I found that individuals are judged more negatively for stealing creative (vs. practical) ideas. Taken together, these findings suggest that idea theft has significant interpersonal consequences with negative implications for co-worker dynamics.

Interested in situational judgment tests? Preparing pharmacy educators for potential challenges

PurposeThere is a growing interest in situational judgment tests (SJTs) for assessments and the authors offer their insights to help others develop and utilize these instruments while navigating common challenges. DescriptionThis manuscript provides important considerations to those interested in SJTs using the “What? So What? Now What?” reflection framework. The authors offer their experience developing, implementing, and evaluating SJTs designed to measure empathy, adaptability, and integrity. Analysis/interpretationEffective SJT design can be organized around five key steps: attribute definition, item design, key development and scoring, test administration, and data analysis and interpretation. There are general recommendations to optimize SJT design to enhance reliability and validity of the results; however, there are often other challenges that have not been previously described. ConclusionsSJTs offer an exciting tool for measuring social and behavioral attributes; however, their infancy in health professions education warrants caution. Like any assessment, there are several challenges to consider when designing, implementing, and evaluating SJTs in pharmacy education. ImplicationsIndividuals interested in SJTs are encouraged to ensure the construct measured is well-defined, there are clear and supported decisions around item and key design, and the appropriate psychometric analyses are conducted.

Improvement of whole wheat dough and bread properties by emulsifiers

Whole wheat bread is widely available worldwide, but it is always associated with less desirable dough processibility, small loaf volume, firm and gritty texture, and other distinctive attributes compared to white bread. Emulsifiers are commonly used to improve dough handling and baking quality during bread production. In present study, five emulsifiers (diacetyl tartaric acid esters of mono- and di-glycerides (DATEM), polysorbate 80, sodium stearoyl lactylate (SSL), soy lecithin, and sucrose esters) were added during dough preparation of the whole wheat flour at 0.2%, 0.5%, and 1.0% (flour weight basis). Dough rheological behavior and bread quality attributes, such as specific loaf volume and hardness, were measured. The results showed that DATEM, sucrose esters, and SSL increased the resistance to extension of the dough, whereas soy lecithin and polysorbate 80 increased the extensibility. Soy lecithin and polysorbate 80 were the only emulsifiers that significantly increased loaf volume compared to the control. Adding higher levels (1.0%) of sucrose esters, polysorbate 80, and SSL increased the formation of amylose-lipid complex and mitigate the crumb staling during storage. The results suggested that the emulsifiers could be applied to contribute to optimum functional quality of whole wheat bread.

Patient Activeness During Online Medical Consultation in China: Multilevel Analysis

BackgroundOnline medical consultation is an important complementary approach to offline health care services. It not only increases patients’ accessibility to medical care, but also encourages patients to actively participate in consultation, which can result in higher shared decision making, patient satisfaction, and treatment adherence.ObjectiveThis study aims to explore multilevel factors that influence patient activeness in online medical consultations.MethodsA data set comprising 40,505 patients from 300 physicians in 10 specialties was included for multilevel analysis. Patient activeness score (PAS) was calculated based on the frequency and the proportion of patient discourses to the total frequency of doctor-patient interactions. Intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated to identify between-group variations, and the final multilevel regression model included patient- and physician-level factors.ResultsPatients were not equally active in online medical consultations, with PASs varying from 0 to 125.73. Patient characteristics, consultation behavioral attributes, and physician professional characteristics constitute 3 dimensions that are associated with patient activeness. Specifically, young and female patients participated more actively. Patients’ waiting times online (β=–.17; P<.001) for physician responses were negatively correlated with activeness, whereas patients’ initiation of conversation (β=.83; P<.001) and patient consultation cost (β=.52; P<.001) in online medical consultation were positively correlated. Physicians’ online consultation volumes (β=–.10; P=.01) were negatively associated with patient activeness, whereas physician online consultation fee (β=.03; P=.01) was positively associated. The interaction effects between patient- and physician-level factors were also identified.ConclusionsPatient activeness in online medical consultation requires more scholarly attention. Patient activeness is likely to be enhanced by reducing patients’ waiting times and encouraging patients’ initiation of conversation in online medical consultation. The findings have practical implications for patient-centered care and the improvement of online medical consultation services.

Clinical and behavioral attributes leading to sleep disorders in children on the autism spectrum.

Sleep disorders are a common comorbid condition in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder ("autism"). However, the relationship between the clinical features of autism and sleep disorders remains unclear. A better understanding of the inherent autism-related characteristics linked to comorbid sleep disorders would improve comprehensive assessment and management. This study examined the relationship between sociodemographics, autism symptoms, sleep problems, cognitive status, behavioral attributes, and sensory profiles. Using data from 1268 participants who took part in the Australian Autism Biobank, sleep-related measurements using the Child Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) were compared between autistic children aged 2 to 17 (N= 969), their siblings (N= 188), and unrelated children without an autism diagnosis (N= 111). The known relationship between sleep problems and autism was further explored by including scores from the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2, Mullen Scales of Early Learning, Vineland Adaptive Behavioral Scale-II and the Short Sensory Profile-2; which were included in analyses for autistic participants who had a completed CSHQ. Multiple regression models were used to identify clinical/behavioral variables associated with CSHQ subscales. The autism group had a significantly higher total CSHQ score than the sibling and comparison groups (p< 0.001), indicating worse sleep quality. Within the autism group, lower adaptive behaviors (i.e., VABS-II) and sensory issues (i.e., SSP-2 subclass scores) were positively associated with the severity of sleep problems (i.e., the CSHQ subclass scores) (p< 0.001). The significant functional impact of poor sleep on autistic children warrants an assessment of sleep as a critical part of a holistic approach to supporting autistic children and their families. LAY SUMMARY: Autistic children generally have co-occurring conditions. Sleep disorders impact approximately 50%-80% of autistic children. The impact on the quality of life for both the children and their families can be significant. This study compares sleep problems in autistic children and adolescents with their siblings and children without a diagnosis of autism, and investigates the relationship between specific autistic traits, daily life behaviors and sleep problems. The findings highlight the importance of a holistic assessment for autistic children and matching appropriate sleep intervention and supports where indicated.

Психологическая устойчивость личности: результаты факторного анализа и анализа Раша психометрических показателей русской версии шкалы (ER89-R)

The concept of sustainability is closely related to the security of the individual. The Ego Resiliency Scale Revised (ER89-R) is a brief, widely used scale that examines resilience as the ability to flexibly alter reactions in response to varying contextual demands. Consistent with contemporary evidence, the measure conceptualises ego resiliency as a higher-order construct comprising two factors denoting different behavioural and temperamental attributes that promote management of emotionality, Openness to Life Experiences (low negative) and Optimal Regulation (Positive orientation toward life). The present study translated the ER89-R into Russian, and evaluated its psychometric performance using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Rasch analysis (N = 1110 respondents: 426 males, 686 females). CFA supported a higher-order factor structure. Rasch analysis assessing Openness to Life Experiences and Optimal Regulation scales, reported good item/person reliability and item/person fit, gender invariance, and existence of unidimensionality. However, items appeared to be slightly easy to endorse overall, and developing the measure to incorporate more varied items in terms of difficulty would be beneficial. Overall, results supported a higher-order conceptualisation of the ER89-R and suggested that the Openness to Life Experiences and Optimal Regulation scales are appropriate measures of ego resiliency in a Russian sample.

Predictive self-organizing neural networks for in-home detection of Mild Cognitive Impairment

In-home sensing of daily living patterns from older adults coupled with machine learning is a promising approach to detect Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), a potentially reversible condition with early detection and appropriate intervention. However, the number of subjects involved in such real-world studies is typically limited, posing the so-called small data problem to most predictive models which rely on a sizable number of labeled data. In this work, a predictive self-organizing neural network known as fuzzy Adaptive Resonance Associate Map (fuzzy ARAM) is proposed to detect MCI using in-home sensor data collected from a unique Singapore cross-sectional study. Specifically, mean and standard deviation of nine in-home behavioral attributes of 49 subjects over two months were derived for each subject from the raw sensor data. We first applied fuzzy ARAM to the 49-subject data set with missing data, and achieved a F1-score of 58.3% to detect MCI from cognitive healthy. To eliminate the effect of missing data, we next conducted our study using an even smaller 25-subject data set with no missing values, of which fuzzy ARAM achieved a F1-score of 63.6%. To derive concise rules for prediction and interpretation, antecedent pruning was subsequently employed. For the 25-subject data set, the F1-score improved to 76.2%, while the symbolic IF–THEN rules revealed that behavior metrics such as variation of forgetfulness and sleep contained notable predictive utility. Compared with Support Vector Machines (SVM), Decision Tree, Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), our benchmark experiments show that fuzzy ARAM provided the highest predictive performance and yielded unique rules for MCI detection. These results demonstrate the potential of fuzzy ARAM to detect MCI using in-home monitoring sensor data.

Behavioural modelling for personal and societal benefits of V2G/V2H integration on EV adoption

The prevailing knowledge-value-intention-action gaps on personal and societal benefits of electric vehicle (EV), challenges an energy user’s ability from its wider adoption. This work presents a model to empower an energy user to emerge as an EV-prosumer using vehicle-to-grid(V2G)/ vehicle-to-home(V2H) integration. The proposed algorithm uses an energy user's behavioural attributes ‘knowledge-gap’ and ‘risk-averseness’ to showcase the impact of EVs adoption on personal and societal benefits. Four categories of energy users are defined and considered to model the problem as per their behavioural outlook on EV adoption. The first two energy user categories inactive and active consumers are considered without EV integration. And, the comparative analysis of their personal payoff is discussed with the another two energy user categories considered with EVs: Type I EV-prosumer with single EV, and Type II EV-prosumer with multiple EVs. Further, the impact of an EV prosumer’s emergence on societal benefits is discussed for two types of micro-grid (MG) settings: MG-I and MG-II.A mix-integer non-linear programming (MINLP) model is developed to optimize each type of energy user’s welfare for V2G/V2H interactions in MG-I and MG-II, respectively. The model results confirm that improvement in the awareness and risk-tolerance ability of an energy user's behaviour on EV adoption empowers them to emerge as a grid-independent entity during the peak hours. Also, the objective function of an inactive user improves by 120%, 163%, and 147.6 % for an active, Type I EV-prosumer, and Type II EV-prosumer, respectively, with improvements in their behavioural parameters by 12.5%, 25%, and 27.5 %, correspondingly. The results show that the incremental welfare of Type I EV-prosumer is 63.5% higher than that of the active user, while for Type II EV-prosumer, it is as low as 25.2% than that of Type I EV-prosumer.

Assessment of Safe Sexual Practice and Knowledge of HIV/AIDS among Female Sex Workers in Port Harcourt

Introduction: Monitoring of the practices and behaviour of populations more vulnerable to HIV infection is essential for effective interventions and it is of importance to curtail the spread of HIV and to help generate significant changes in the transmission pattern of HIV/AIDS in the general population. The aim of this study was to assess safe sexual practice and knowledge of HIV/AIDS among female sex workers in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.&#x0D; Method: Two hundred female sex workers participated in this cross-sectional study. Data was collected using an adapted IBBSS-2014 semi-structured questionnaire and interview method. Knowledge of HIV among Female Sex Workers (FSWs) was also assessed with questions on Test for HIV, modes of transmission, prevention, behavioural attributes of HIV and safe sexual practice assessed for with the options of answers of these dimension: YES and NO. Data for this study was collected by trained peer educators who are familiar with the environment via interview method with FSWs. Data Obtained were analyzed and presented using descriptive statistics of frequency tables, simple percentage and bar charts using Microsoft Excel 2016.&#x0D; Results: Result obtained showed that the mean age of FSWs was 25.7±3.7years, majority of the respondent (59.5%) had secondary education, majority (81.0%) of FSWs are Single and about 2.5% are married. Also more than a quarter (44.5%) started sex work at 20-24 years with a mean age of 22.0±3.0 years. Also, majority of them do not have other source of income (70%). On Assessment of risky behaviours such as multiple sex partners, no condom use during sexual intercourse, there was a high prevalence of use of condoms with most especially paying partners (70.5%) and casual partners (52.5%). On assessment of female Sex Workers’ knowledge on HIV, majority of FSWs have good knowledge of HIV transmission, prevention and the need to get tested.&#x0D; Conclusion: Though FSWs practice a minimal safe sexual practice by the use of condoms with higher percentage of different identified partners as well as having acceptable knowledge of HIV, the few FSWs who lack this knowledge and do not practice safe sex needs to be re-sensitized of the need for their benefit and the benefit of the general population. Conclusively, safe sexual practices and acceptable knowledge about prevention, transmission and the need to be tested for HIV were observed.

Trait emotional intelligence can predict the health behaviour of employees

Emotional Intelligence can be measured either as an ability, based on maximum performance tests or as a trait, based on self-perception tests. A lot of academic, professional and behavioural attributes have been studied in relation to EI and research has shown that trait EI is better correlated with health outcomes than ability EI. Health behaviour is an understudied subject that has been shown to be linked with EI. The present study evaluated the correlation of EI, measured both by an ability and a trait measure among one hundred nineteen employees of the Indian pharmaceutical industry with health behaviour, as measured by Vickers health behavioural checklist, and to assess the role of age in association with these parameters. Trait EI, as measured by Schutte self-report test, was found to be better correlated with health behaviour than ability EI, as measured by an Indian scale by Chadha and Singh. Further, trait EI was found to be predictive of health behaviour. Age was positively correlated with both ability and trait EI, but not with health behaviour. The potential implication of the results for the organization and the future direction of research in this field has been discussed in the Indian scenario.

Social isolation impairs feed intake, growth and behavioural patterns of catfish under culture conditions

Globally, the culture of fishes is important for food production. There is a growing interest in understanding and improving the welfare of cultured fish from both ethical and production perspectives. Social isolation is a common practice in catfish farming. This study assessed how social interactions affect the feeding behaviour, growth performance, and behavioural pattern of Clarias gariepinus under different social conditions. Juveniles of African catfish with a mean weight of 23.6 ± 1.09 g were stocked in 20L-aquaria (1.7 m × 1.2 m × 1.0 m) and fed twice daily in isolated (one fish/tank; N = 6 replicates) and non-isolated (six fish/tank; N = 6 replicates) conditions for a 36-day experimental period. Feed intake and growth response were monitored, while behavioural patterns were observed twice per week using focal sampling techniques for a total of 40 minutes per day. Wilcoxon two-sample tests and GLMs were used to analyse the data. Social context significantly (P < 0.001) affected the feed intake, feeding duration, and other observed behavioural patterns. However, the time of feeding (P > 0.001) did not affect the feed intake or the duration of feeding. Fish cultured in non-isolated conditions consumed more pellets (63 ± 2.36). The duration of feeding was longer in isolated conditions (431 s) while the latency to feed increased significantly (P < 0.001) from the first and fifth day of the experiment for the non-isolated and isolated, respectively. Behaviourally, isolated groups were inactive (Ws = 446.34, z = 5.397; P < 0.01) and displayed fewer aggressive acts (Ws = 0.95, z = 1.19; P < 0.01), while non-isolated groups were more active (Ws = 564.39, z = −5.397; P < 0.01) and displayed more escape attempts (Ws = 11.56, z = −5.47; P < 0.01). Non-isolated groups had higher (Ws = 23.41, z = 1.06; P < 0.01) number of scars and bruises. Furthermore, non-isolated fish had a higher specific growth rate (2.36 ± 0.12), feed conversion ratio (1.27 ± 0.01) and a better condition factor (1.01 ± 0.08). Conclusively, these findings are relevant to African catfish welfare as social isolation changes the behavioural attributes, feeding pattern and growth rate of C. gariepinus. However, social context should be monitored since it resulted in more scars and bruises, which might affect the acceptability and welfare of this aquatic fish species.

Behavior feature extraction method of college students’ social network in sports field based on clustering algorithm

Abstract In order to improve the integrity of the social network behavior feature extraction results for sports college students, this study proposes to be based on the clustering algorithm. This study analyzes the social network information dissemination mechanism in the field of college students’ sports, obtains the real-time social behavior data in the network environment combined with the analysis results, and processes the obtained social network behavior data from two aspects of data cleaning and de-duplication. Using clustering algorithm to determine the type of social network user behavior, setting the characteristics of social network behavior attributes, and finally through quantitative and standardized processing, get the results of college students’ sports field social network behavior characteristics extraction. The experimental results showed that the completeness of the method feature extraction results improved to 9.93%, and the average extraction time cost was 0.344 s, with high result integrity and obvious advantages in the extraction speed.

Young adults’ default intention: influence of behavioral factors in determining housing and real estate loan repayment in India

PurposeThe primary purpose of this paper is to determine the role of behavioral characteristics of young adults on housing and real estate loan default intentions. The behavioral factors considered in this study are financial literacy, materialism, emotions, indebtedness and risk perception.Design/methodology/approachThe sample frame comprises of young clients who have taken house loans and work in India’s metropolitan cities. These cities provide a higher quality of life, more employment possibilities and cheaper living costs. A systematic questionnaire was used, which was divided into six components. A total of 352 valid responses were collected and analyzed through a structural equation model.FindingsThe findings suggest that financial literacy, materialism and risk perception have a considerable impact on loan default intention among young adults. The results also ascertained that emotion and indebtedness do not have a considerable impact on loan default intention among young adults.Research limitations/implicationsThe scope of this study is limited to India’s metropolitan cities. Future studies can examine comparative examinations of young adults working in the public and private sectors and those working in different cities across India.Practical implicationsThis paper contributes to a better understanding of behavioral variables which may lead to the creation of preventive measures for young defaulters. The findings of this study will help financial institutions to improve their credit-offering models.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to determine the role of behavioral attributes of young adults on housing and real estate loan default intentions in India. This work will be executable to all the stakeholders of the housing and real estate industry altogether.

Social Attitude Profiles and Attribution Types Confronting Pandemic COVID-19

This study aimed to analyze the social processes confronted during the COVID-19 pandemic, arguing that social problems should be primarily analyzed to utilize public health policies. The theoretical framework concerns social attitudes of behavior, emotion, and cognition (BEC) and social attribution types of inner and outer crossed by temporal and permanent, as proposed by Weiner (1974). A quasi-experiment research design was processed using a questionnaire which included personal identities designed by between-subject of 221 people sampled, and items of social attitudes profiles and attribution types designed by within-subject of 27 conditions. Factor analysis expounded that all the items be grouped into 8 independent components that corresponded to the items constructed to be evaluated as a successful design. Analyzing within-subject variables, BEC of social attitudes as health, medical, faith, and risk and mental symptoms except that of political were highly negative skewed in distributions. Each of BEC was individualized to compose the related social attitudes. For attribution types, the permanent ones of personal, governmental, and religious, but not medical, were attributed to the epidemic. This study suggested that social attitudes of BEC were adapted to the pandemic and that attribution should be regarded primarily to make policies efficient for public health.

Measuring the Impact of Greece as a Safe Branding Tourist Destination: Evidence from Spain and Greece

After the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak, many tourist destinations promoted a safe, COVID-free image to attract tourists. The main purpose of this paper is to examine and analyze the effect that the image of a place as a safe tourist destination (STD)—in our case, Greece—can have on the decision-making processes of tourists who were willing to take summer holidays in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined the relationships between destination safety perceptions, trust, attractive attributes of destinations, travel intentions, and health-protective behavior for domestic and inbound tourists from Spain. This study confirms differences in destination safety perceptions among domestic and inbound tourists from countries that have suffered significant negative impacts due to the novel coronavirus.

Sexual Concurrency Among Adolescent Women With Multiple Partners: A Daily Diary Study

PurposeSexual partnerships that overlap in some period of time (i.e., concurrent) are a key factor in sexually transmitted infection (STI) transmission. Research examining concurrency among adolescents typically uses person-level, cross-sectional, and/or retrospective data, obscuring factors that manifest on any given occasion of concurrency. We used sexual diaries to examine: (1) daily prevalence of vaginal sex concurrency when two partners are reported by adolescent women; and (2) individual, relational, and behavioral attributes that impact the likelihood of sex with neither partner, with one partner or the other, or with both partners on any given day. MethodsDaily diaries were drawn from a large longitudinal cohort study examining sexual relationships, behaviors, and STIs among adolescent women. Participants contributed 280,844 partner-associated diary entries, of which (27.9%; n = 78,356) indicated multiple partners. All two-partner diary entries were retained for analysis (N = 323; Mage = 17.55; 90% African American). Random intercept mixed-effects multinomial logistic regression was used to evaluate the impact of predictor variables on odds of having sex with one or the other, both, or neither partner. ResultsMost two-partner days (93.5%) involved no sex with either partner. Few reports (.2%) indicated same-day sexual concurrency. Older age, greater partner support, and higher sexual interest increased the likelihood of sex with both partners on the same day. ConclusionsIndividual, relational, and behavioral factors predict concurrency in ways that challenge assumptions that secondary partnerships constitute negligible relationships. Programs targeting partner concurrency in adolescents may find success tailoring messaging around these findings.