Cue Utilization Research Articles

Effects of availability of diagnostic and non-diagnostic cues on the accuracy of teachers’ judgments of students’ text comprehension

Accurately judging students’ comprehension is a key professional competence for teachers. It is crucial for adapting instruction to students’ needs and thereby promoting student learning. According to the cue-utilization framework, the accuracy of teachers’ judgments depends on how predictive (or diagnostic) the information (or cues) that teachers use to make judgments is of student performance. It is, however, unclear from prior studies if merely providing access to diagnostic cues aids accuracy, or whether this only helps if non-diagnostic cues are unavailable or ignored. Therefore, we investigated, using a within-subjects experimental design, the accuracy of secondary school teachers’ (N = 33) judgments of anonymous students’ text comprehension under four cue availability conditions: 1) non-diagnostic cues only; 2) diagnostic cues only; 3) a mix of diagnostic and non-diagnostic cues; and, 4) after an intervention informing them of the diagnosticity of cues, again a mix of diagnostic and non-diagnostic cues. Access to diagnostic cues enhanced teachers’ judgment accuracy, while access to non-diagnostic cues hindered it. While teachers’ judgment accuracy was not enhanced by the intervention (presumably because it was already relatively high), their diagnostic cue utilization increased, and non-diagnostic cue utilization decreased. In addition, teachers’ calibration increased after the intervention: They knew better when their judgments were (in)accurate. Furthermore, teachers were quite aware that diagnostic cues are diagnostic, but their awareness that non-diagnostic cues (especially students’ interest) are not, could be improved. These results could be useful in designing effective interventions to further foster teachers’ judgment accuracy.

Customers’ Cue Utilization in Delivery Restaurant Selection and Its Changes With Different Health Risks

Amid Covid-19, restaurant customers have substantially turned to delivery services. Given that table service and ambience are absent in the delivery service mode, cue utilization for restaurant delivery could be different from that in dine-in consumption. Furthermore, increased hygiene and health concerns may lead to changes in cue utilization patterns after the pandemic. Therefore, we explored how restaurant type and its interactions with brand and review rating affected delivery sales and whether their sales effects changed according to the severity of infection risk. Fixed-effects estimation and marginal analysis were employed to investigate 579,858 observations from 193,286 restaurants in China between 2019 and the second quarter of 2020. The findings revealed that full-service and/or branded restaurants had higher delivery sales than other groups. Interaction effects between restaurant type and brand as well as restaurant type and review rating were also found. Theoretical and practical implications for effective cue utilization are discussed.

Spanish–English bilingual heritage speakers processing of inanimate sentences

This study investigated how heritage Spanish–English bilinguals integrate their cue hierarchies to process simple sentences in both Spanish and English. Sentence interpretation is achieved by weighing the various cues that are present in the sentence against that language's cue hierarchy. The Unified Competition Model (UCM) suggests that bilinguals show a variety of patterns in sentence interpretation strategies depending on language proficiency. Previous research on heritage Spanish–English bilinguals and late bilinguals has demonstrated differences in cue utilization and sentence interpretation compared to monolinguals. However, good-enough processing suggests that when a sentence does not meet certain heuristics, like the first-noun agent heuristic, a semantic representation of the sentence will be processed instead of a syntactic one. Even with reliable sentential-level cues such as word order, a plausible semantic representation of the sentence is favored. This is especially the case with inanimate–inanimate (IA-IA) sentences, like in the present study, in which there is less reversibility of thematic roles without competing with semantic plausibility. For this study, participants (n = 32) read a total of 80 inanimate sentences in English and Spanish with subject–verb–object and object–verb–subject (OVS) word orders, indicated the subject of the sentences, and completed language proficiency and dominance tasks. When reading Spanish sentences, participants read the OVS word order faster. English proficiency was a significant predictor of sentence reading time and choice selection time but did not predict word choice. The results suggest that IA-IA sentences pose challenges for cue utilization and thematic role assignment due to semantic limitations. This study found that participants may prioritize semantic plausibility over syntactic representations in sentence processing, supporting a good-enough processing model.

Consumer xenocentrism when domestic products are better

PurposeDrawing on cue utilization theory and the theory of motivated reasoning, we investigate the impact of consumer xenocentrism on product preferences in a situation where domestic products objectively outperform their foreign counterparts.Design/methodology/approachWe develop and test a model linking xenocentrism to consumers’ preference towards domestic vs. foreign products by (1) examining the mediating role of consumers’ ability to identify the superior product and (2) assessing the role of product involvement in potentially moderating this relationship. An experimental design was employed, whereby respondents (Thai consumers, N = 579) were asked to compare two products in the same product category, one foreign and one domestic. In one condition, the foreign product outperformed the domestic one on a range of relevant product attributes, whereas in a second condition, the opposite was the case.FindingsOur findings provide clear evidence that xenocentric consumers often cannot recognize the superiority of domestic products and, even if they do, they still exhibit preferences toward (inferior) foreign products. Thus, for xenocentric consumers, it seems that the country of origin (COO) overrides other cues and often results in suboptimal product choices.Originality/valueOur study adds to our theoretical understanding of the functioning of the consumer xenocentrism construct and has important implications for foreign companies targeting xenocentric consumers as well as for local firms seeking to counteract xenocentric tendencies.

Tonal language experience facilitates the use of spatial cues for segregating competing speech in bimodal cochlear implant listeners.

English-speaking bimodal and bilateral cochlear implant (CI) users can segregate competing speech using talker sex cues but not spatial cues. While tonal language experience allows for greater utilization of talker sex cues for listeners with normal hearing, tonal language benefits remain unclear for CI users. The present study assessed the ability of Mandarin-speaking bilateral and bimodal CI users to recognize target sentences amidst speech maskers that varied in terms of spatial cues and/or talker sex cues, relative to the target. Different from English-speaking CI users, Mandarin-speaking CI users exhibited greater utilization of spatial cues, particularly in bimodal listening.

Empowering Independence through Real Time Object Identification and Navigation for People with Disabilities

Recent studies in assistive technologies for visually impaired individuals showcase a diverse range of methodologies, algorithms, and implementations aimed at enhancing their independence. A notable focus revolves around leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as YOLO (You Only Look Once), SSD (Single Shot Multibox Detector), and Faster R-CNN (Region-based Convolutional Neural Network) to develop real-time object detection systems and deep learning-based smartphone navigation solutions . One prevalent theme in these advancements is the incorporation of auditory feedback to facilitate enhanced user interaction. This is achieved through sophisticated text-to-speech conversion and the integration of audio cues. The utilization of auditory cues not only aids in real-time awareness of the surroundings but also significantly contributes to the overall user experience . Despite remarkable progress, challenges persist in the realm of assistive technologies for the visually impaired. Issues such as processing speed, the occurrence of false positives and negatives, and the adaptability of these systems to various environmental conditions remain prominent. These challenges underline the need for continued research and development in this field to address existing limitations and refine the effectiveness of these assistive technologies .In essence, this survey provides a comprehensive understanding of the current landscape of assistive technologies for the visually impaired. By identifying both achievements and existing challenges, it serves as a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners, contributing to ongoing advancements that ensure tailored solutions and improved independence for individuals with visual impairments

Understanding consumer herding behavior in online purchases and its implications for online retailers and marketers

Herding behavior refers to the imitation of the behavior of the masses. The primary purpose of this study is to determine how herding affects digital purchases. It is an under-researched area in the marketing and consumer behavior context. First, one needs to understand the circumstances under which one is likely to herd. Second, it is yet to be understood how the effect of observing others' buying behavior transmits into herding. Third, there needs to be a better understanding of the role of price in one's tendency to herd. An online experiment with 541 participants was conducted using a 3 (consumer ratings/sales volume/control) × 2 (high involvement product/low involvement product) between-subjects design. LED TV was selected as a high-involvement product and ball pen pack was selected as a low-involvement product. This research study combined three theories to propose a holistic herding model. It used the social impact theory to capture its persuasive impact, the information adoption model to analyze the acceptance of herding information, and the cue utilization theory to assess the inference from herding information in consumer decision-making. Results indicated significant negative moderating effects of perceived price and product knowledge and the positive moderating effect of perceived uncertainty between the relationship of herding cues (star rating and the number of products sold) and herding behavior. In addition, the mediating results of perceived information usefulness and perceived quality were also significant. This herding model provides a holistic view of the herding process beyond limiting it to an attempt to follow others blindly. Therefore, this study has both theoretical as well as managerial implications.

Metamemory and executive function mediate the age-related decline in memory.

Although the effect of aging on episodic memory is relatively well studied, little is known about how aging influences metamemory. In addition, while executive function (EF) is known to mediate the age-related decline in episodic memory, the role of metamemory in aging-related memory differences beyond EF remains unknown. This study aimed to elucidate the effect of aging on metamemory and to clarify the role of metamemory in the age-related decline in memory. One hundred and four adults aged 18-79 years (50 M, 54 F) performed several EF tasks, as well as a face-scene paired-associate learning task that required them to make judgments of learning, feeling-of-knowing judgments, and retrospective confidence judgments. Aging was significantly associated with poor metamemory accuracy and increased confidence across metamemory judgment types, even after controlling for EF and memory performance. A parallel mediation analysis indicated that both confidence of learning and EF performance had significant partial mediation effects on the relationship between aging and memory, albeit in different ways. Specifically, poor EF explained the age-related decline in memory, whereas increased confidence of learning served to compensate for this memory decline. Aging is associated with general changes (i.e., poor inferences from cues) rather than specific changes (i.e., declined activation or utilization of certain cues) in metamemory monitoring. Also, changes in confidence of learning and in EF ability contribute to the preservation and decline of memory during aging, respectively. Therefore, boosting confidence during encoding and enhancing EF skills might be complementary memory intervention strategies for older adults.

Investigating expert and lay judgments of pathogen transmission risk in urban and architectural environments

ABSTRACT The threat of infection posed by the COVID-19 virus forced the general public to use the visible cues within urban and architectural environments as a ‘lens’ through which pathogen transmission risk could be inferred. This study presents a model that quantifies associations between (1) the visible cues of urban and architectural environments and lay ratings of pathogen transmission risk, (2) the same relationship for experts (i.e. Infection Control Practitioners), and (3) the association between the lay ratings and the expert ratings. A series of urban and architectural environments were rated on twenty visible architectural cues and for their perceived pathogen transmission risk by lay and expert raters. Correlational analyses between the two groups yielded considerable consensus between risk ratings, as well as between which cues were significantly associated with risk ratings, which included the space’s crowdedness, the potential for crowds, and cleanliness. Expert risk ratings were also significantly associated with corridor size, and marginally significantly associated with the number of touchable surfaces, the number of furniture/seating, and access to fresh air. In this way, expert cue utilization is more complex than lay assessments. Implications for public health policy makers and designers of the built environment are discussed.

Salient Object Detection With Edge-Guided Learning and Specific Aggregation

Recently, the performance of salient object detection (SOD) has been significantly improved by utilizing edge information for auxiliary training. However, the extraction and utilization of edge cues and multi-level feature fusion are still two issues in existing edge-aware models. In this paper, we devise a novel SOD network with edge-guided learning and specific aggregation, named ELSA-Net, to cooperatively address these two issues. First, we propose the <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">edge-guided learning strategy</i> , which utilizes edge cues as low-level guidance to improve saliency prediction. Specifically, we design a two-stream model that uses a saliency branch and an edge branch to detect the interior and the boundary of salient objects, respectively. Then, an edge-guided interaction module (EGI) is further designed to achieve feature enhancement by embedding edge information into the saliency branch as the spatial weights. In addition, two <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">specific aggregation modules</i> are proposed for the progressive fusion of multi-level features in the above two streams, thus making full use of semantic and detailed information. The high-level interactive fusion module (HIF) leverages the correlation between two deeper features to obtain more powerful global contexts. And the low-level weighted fusion module (LWF) focuses on the complement of fine information by selectively integrating input features. Extensive experiments show that the proposed approach outperforms 19 state-of-the-art methods on five datasets, which validates its effectiveness both quantitatively and qualitatively.

Combination of streamers' product description and viewers' comments: moderating effect of streamer–viewer relationship strength

PurposeThis study examines the relationship between streamers' product descriptions, customer comments and online sales and focuses on the moderating effect of streamer–viewer relationship strength.Design/methodology/approachBetween June 2021 and April 2022, the structured data of 965 livestreaming and unstructured text data of 42,956,147 characters from two major live-streaming platforms were collected for the study. Text analysis and regression analysis methods were employed for data analysis.FindingsFirst, the authors' analysis reveals an inverted U-shaped relationship between comment length and product sales. Notably, comment volume and comment emotion positively influence product sales. Furthermore, the semantic richness, emotion and readability of streamers' product descriptions also positively influence product sales. Secondly, the authors find that the strength of streamer–viewer relationship weakens the positive effects of comment volume and comment emotion without moderating the inverted U-shaped effect of comment length. Lastly, the strength of streamer–viewer relationship also diminishes the positive effects of emotion, semantics and readability of streamers' product descriptions on product sales.Originality/valueThis study is the first to concurrently examine the direct and interactive effects of user-generated content (UGC) and marketer-generated content (MGC) on consumer purchase behaviors in livestreaming e-commerce, offering a novel perspective on individual decision-making and cue utilization in the social retail context.

Children with dyslexia show no deficit in exogenous spatial attention but show differences in visual encoding.

In the search for mechanisms that contribute to dyslexia, the term "attention" has been invoked to explain performance in a variety of tasks, creating confusion since all tasks do, indeed, demand "attention." Many studies lack an experimental manipulation of attention that would be necessary to determine its influence on task performance. Nonetheless, an emerging view is that children with dyslexia have an impairment in the exogenous (automatic/reflexive) orienting of spatial attention. Here we investigated the link between exogenous attention and reading ability by presenting exogenous spatial cues in the multi-letter processing task-a task relevant for reading. The task was gamified and administered online to a large sample of children (N=187) between 6 and 17 years. Children with dyslexia performed worse overall at rapidly recognizing and reporting strings of letters. However, we found no evidence for a difference in the utilization of exogenous spatial cues, resolving two decades of ambiguity in the field. Previous studies that claimed otherwise may have failed to distinguish attention effects from overall task performance or found spurious group differences in small samples. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: We manipulated exogenous visual spatial attention using pre-cues in a task that is relevant for reading and we see robust task effects of exogenous attention. We found no evidence for a deficit in utilizing exogenous spatial pre-cues in children with dyslexia. However, children with dyslexia showed reduced recognition ability for all letter positions. Children with dyslexia were just as likely to make letter transposition errors as typical readers.

Meme marketing on social media: the role of informational cues of brand memes in shaping consumers' brand relationship

PurposeThe proliferation of digital communication on social media provides new opportunities for businesses to take advantage of Internet memes to boost customer engagement. Academic literature on digital communications mostly focuses on popular forms such as selfies, branded posts, and branded emoticons. Less attention has been paid to brand memes and their implications for brand management. Based on the cue utilization theory, this research aims to investigate the informational cues of brand memes foster brand partnerships.Design/methodology/approachThe structural equation modeling and importance-performance matrix analysis were used to empirically validate the research hypotheses with 595 respondents to an online survey.FindingsThree informational cues of brand memes (i.e. comprehensibility, novelty, and meme-brand congruity) stimulated consumers' attitudes, which in turn impacted consumer-brand relationships. Another brand meme informational cue, sarcasm, negatively moderated the relationships between the three informational cues and consumer-brand relationships.Originality/valueOur findings indicate that a brand can engage consumers in conversations on social media and foster long-term consumer-brand relationships through brand memes.

Country-of-origin image and consumer brand evaluation: a meta-analytic review

PurposeThis study aims to draw on cue utilization and irradiation theories to: determine the extent to which country-of-origin image and its sub-dimensions exert an aggregate and relative influence on consumer brand evaluations; and identify the contextual and methodological factors that account for between-study variance in the focal relationship.Design/methodology/approachA random-effects model was used to examine 166 empirical articles encompassing 499,563 observations, and 282 effect sizes from 1984 to 2020 using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software.FindingsResults show that country-of-origin image has a positive, moderate effect on consumer brand evaluations. Moreover, findings reveal that each dimension of country-of-origin image – general country image, general product country image, specific product country image and partitioned country image – significantly influences consumer brand evaluation, but the effect of general product country image is the largest. What’s more, the aggregate impacts of country-of-origin image on consumer brand evaluation – brand commitment, brand-specific associations and general brand impressions – show that the effect on brand commitment is the largest. Finally, findings show that contextual factors (brand source, product sector, culture [individualism vs collectivism], brand origin continents and respondents’ continent) and methodological factors (cues, sampling unit, publication year and sample size) significantly account for between-study variance.Originality/valueThis study provides the first meta-analytic review of the relationship between country-of-origin image and consumer brand evaluation to help clarify mixed findings and balance out the literature, which has only seen quantitative reviews on product evaluation and purchase decisions.

The impact of buying intention of global fashion on local substitute: The role of product design and price

In a competitive environment, the relationship between global and local fashion in shaping consumption behavior is under question. This study explores the antecedents of consumers' purchasing intentions for local fashions, mainly considering buying intentions for global alternatives, price, and product design while controlling for age, income, gender, geographic location, and occupation. We discovered that consumers’ buying intentions for global fashion harm their intent to buy local substitutes, based on a non-probability survey of 260 young adults and hierarchical multiple regression analysis. We associate these findings with cultural identity theory, social identity theory, ethnocentrism, substitute versus complementary concepts, and cue utilization theory. International marketers can devise marketing strategies referring to these findings.

Expert goalkeepers' and coaches' views on anticipation and cue utilisation facing backcourt throws in handball goalkeeping.

Handball goalkeepers have to act under severe spatio-temporal pressure in both standardised (e.g., 7 m penalty) and non-standardised situations (e.g., backcourt throws) which require them to predict action outcome before ball flight is visible. So far, research on goalkeepers' cue utilisation for anticipation of an opponent's action has mainly focused on 7 m throw situations whereas little attention has been paid to the latter, more complex and far more frequently occurring backcourt throw situations. To address this gap, we conducted semi-structured interviews with N = 6 expert handball goalkeepers and goalkeeper coaches [all of whom were (former) expert handball goalkeepers] on anticipation and cue utilisation when facing backcourt throws. The interviews were subsequently transcribed, coded and results were inductively as well as deductively categorised by means of a thematic analysis. Results reveal a variety of kinematic and contextual cues relevant for action anticipation that become available before the game and before or during the throw. Participants reported to use information from the offence (e.g., thrower's jump; opposing team's task distribution) and the defence (e.g., defensive players' strategies, block position) for anticipation in backcourt throw situations. Additionally, we identified several factors that influence cue availability and utilisation. Our findings provide a thorough basis to (a) guide future research that yields questions on kinematic and contextual cue integration and in-situ cue usage as well as (b) inform the development of training programs to foster goalkeepers' anticipatory skill.

Can metacognitive accuracy be altered through prompting in biology text reading?

Metacognitive accuracy is understood as the congruency of subjective evaluation and objectively measured learning performance. With reference to the cue utilisation framework and the embedded-processes model of working memory, we proposed that prompts impact attentional processes during learning. Through guided prompting, learners place their attention on specific information during the learning process. We assumed that the information will be taken into account when comprehension judgments are formed. Subsequently, metacognitive accuracy will be altered. Based on the results of this online study with pre-service biology teachers, we can neither confirm nor reject our main hypothesis and assume small effects of prompting on metacognitive accuracy if there are any. Learning performance and judgment of comprehension were not found to be impacted by the use of resource- and deficit-oriented prompting. Other measurements of self-evaluation (i.e. satisfaction with learning outcome and prediction about prolonged comprehension) were not influenced through prompting. The study provides merely tentative evidence for altered metacognitive accuracy and effects on information processing through prompting. Results are discussed in light of online learning settings in which the effectiveness of prompt implementation might have been restricted compared to a classroom environment. We provide recommendations for the use of prompts in learning settings with the aim to facilitate their effectiveness, so that both resource-oriented and deficit-oriented prompts can contribute to metacognitive skill development if they are applied appropriately.

Townscape and Wayfinding: A Review of Existing Literature

Amidst the urban public health challenges in Malaysia, where obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and road traffic accidents are increasing, the importance of walkability in cities is gaining recognition. This paper provides an overview of the existing literature on the visual structure of townscapes and its impact on pedestrian navigation, investigating two main factors: environmental (visibility and saliency) and psychological (navigational competency). Urban visual studies and the theoretical progression are explained and compared. The review concludes that there is a general consensus on the significance of visual characteristics in orienting the urban environment. Specifically, the degree of permeability of the townscape visual scene and the availability of salient visual cues significantly influence wayfinding performance. Additionally, individual difference, including spatial ability, also reflects the utilisation of visual cues for wayfinding. However, further research is needed to explore a holistic approach encompassing the visual scene as a whole (gestalt) of the townscapes in the context of visual navigation.

Cue Sources and Cue Utilization Patterns of Social Mentalizing during Two-Person Interactions.

Social mentalizing plays a crucial role in two-person interactions. Depending on the target of inference and the content being inferred, social mentalizing primarily exists in two forms: first-order mentalizing and second-order mentalizing. Our research aims to investigate the cue sources and cue utilization patterns of social mentalizing during two-person interactions. Our study created an experimental situation of a two-person interaction and used the "Spot the difference" game to reveal our research question with multi-stage tasks. Our study was divided into two experiments, Experiment 1 and Experiment 2, which examined the cue sources and cue utilization patterns of first- and second-order mentalizing, respectively. The results of the experiments showed that (1) self-performance and other performance are significant cues utilized by individuals during social mentalizing. (2) Individuals employ discrepancies to modulate the relationship between self-performance and first-order mentalizing as well as to adjust the relationship between otherperformance and second-order mentalizing. The results of this study further complement the dual-processing model of mindreading and the anchoring and adjustment hypothesis during social inference.

Dairy purchase behaviors: Increasing understanding of Chinese consumers using a consumer involvement segmentation approach

Understanding consumers' purchase behaviors is fundamental to the success of the dairy industry. With its economic importance, the Chinese market is critical to dairy producers in most countries around the world. However, understanding consumers in this market is particularly challenging as these consumers often have a different relationship with dairy products to consumers elsewhere in the world, given the country's historical dairy-related scandals. This special relationship can be characterized by what consumer behavior researchers call "high involvement," indicating that Chinese dairy consumers often attempt to reduce the level of risk associated with buying dairy products. Surprisingly, while this relationship impacts several important aspects of purchase behavior, examination of the concept of involvement in the dairy sector has not been widely considered. Of note, there is no understanding of how Chinese consumers vary in their involvement levels and their implications on their dairy purchase behaviors. Nor have there been involvement-based insights provided on how dairy companies can position their marketing mix to suit the needs of these consumers better. Thus, this study proposes a new approach to understanding Chinese consumer dairy decisions by introducing "consumer involvement" as a segmentation tool through which individuals' behavioral consequences can be predicated according to their involvement profile. Based on an online survey administered in Shanghai using 1,073 dairy consumers, principal component analysis confirmed involvement with dairy is a multidimensional construct, which has 4 factors: pleasure value, symbolic value, risk importance, and risk probability. A 2-step cluster analysis identified 4 consumer clusters based on their involvement profile: face-concerned dairy lover, carefree dairy consumer, cautious dairy lover, and confused dairy consumer. According to a one-way ANOVA test and cross-tabulation with χ2 test, these consumer segments behave differently in relation to the extensiveness of decision making, cue utilization, trust of information sources, and consumption behavior. The outcomes of this paper further explain why measurements aiming to restore consumers' trust for dairy products do not work among some consumers, as individuals may exhibit diverse attitudes toward such information due to their heterogenous involvement levels. The study also provides suggestions for market practitioners and organizations to develop effective target market strategies and policies according to different consumer clusters.