Differences In Terms Of Attitudes Research Articles

Consumers expectations toward luxury brands websites: a qualitative analysis through the lens of personal and interpersonal motivations

PurposeNowadays all luxury brands have their own websites, using them either as a communication and/or distribution tool. However, luxury consumers might still have different perceptions regarding these websites, as it can be seen as a loss of prestige or selectivity. This study aims to have a deeper understanding of luxury consumers’ perceptions of luxury brand websites by identifying a typology and defining the individual characteristics of the groups identified.Design/methodology/approachThe research uses the opposition of personal and interpersonal luxury as theoretical framework and the semiotic square based on this semantic opposition. A qualitative analysis based on 42 semi-structured interviews has been conducted. The interviews have been analyzed and subjected to interpretive content analysis.FindingsThe analysis of the verbatims shows that the consumers’ motivations toward luxury consumption (luxury for self or personal, luxury for others or interpersonal, negation of luxury for self and negation of luxury for others) can explain consumer differences in terms of attitudes toward luxury brand websites. The four classes are characterized according to their positive and negative perceptions of e-commerce and interaction tools used in luxury brands websites and also their expectations.Practical implicationsThis study defines guidelines for managers to develop luxury brand websites that correspond to their target.Originality/valueThe originality of this study lies in the use of the semiotic square to refine the analysis of luxury consumers’ attitudes and to make more precise contributions. It also relies on using the theory of personal and interpersonal luxury to understand consumers’ expectations toward luxury brands websites.

A Survey of U.S. Audiologists' Usage of and Attitudes Toward Otoacoustic Emissions.

Otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) provide information on outer hair cell function and have multiple clinical applications. Two types of OAEs, transient-evoked OAEs (TEOAEs) and distortion product OAEs (DPOAEs), are currently utilized in clinical practice. However, it remains unknown how confident U.S. clinicians are in performing and interpreting TEOAEs and DPOAEs. Additionally, the extent to which U.S. audiologists incorporate OAEs for different clinical applications and populations has not been thoroughly investigated. To fill these gaps in knowledge, this study characterized the attitudes toward and usage of TEOAEs and DPOAEs in a sample of U.S. audiologists. This study utilized an online survey distributed to U.S. audiologists through multiple channels from January to March 2021. A total of 214 completed surveys were included in the analysis. Results were analyzed descriptively. Associations between variables and comparisons between users of DPOAEs only and users of TEOAEs and DPOAEs were also examined. DPOAEs were reportedly utilized more frequently and with greater confidence than TEOAEs. The most common clinical application of both OAE types was a cross-check. Significant associations were found between responses to DPOAE questions and the clinician's setting and patient age. There were some significant differences between users of DPOAEs only and users of TEOAEs and DPOAEs. Results suggest that U.S. audiologists utilize OAEs for multiple clinical purposes and that there are appreciable differences in terms of attitudes toward and usage of DPOAEs versus TEOAEs. Future work could investigate the reasons that underlie these differences to further improve clinical implementation of OAEs.

Employees’ attitudes toward cancer, cancer survivors, and cancer survivors’ return to work

ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate employees' attitudes toward cancer, patients with cancer, and cancer survivors’ return to work. MethodsThis study used a cross-sectional survey with online questionnaires to collect data during a 1-month period in April 2022. A stratified sampling method was used to select 237 participants. The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients and an independent t-test. ResultsThe following trends were observed regarding attitudes toward cancer and patients with cancer: impossibility of recovery: 9.00 ​± ​2.10 (4–16); stereotypes: 8.08 ​± ​2.12 (4–16); discrimination: 6.98 ​± ​2.26 (4–16); and financial instability: 7.37 ​± ​1.87 (3–12). Regarding public attitudes toward cancer survivors' return to work, the following results were confirmed: gender and living with family members/acquaintances who had survived cancer significantly impacted perceptions toward cancer survivors’ return to work. For both variables (gender and job type), a significant difference was observed. Men had significantly higher negative perceptions of patients with cancer and their return to work than women, and there were significant differences between professional group and labor group. Moreover, participants living with cancer survivors (either among their family members or acquaintances) showed a significant difference in terms of attitudes toward cancer and patients with cancer and a greater recognition of such survivors’ return to the workplace. ConclusionsDespite a reduction in social stigma attached to cancer and cancer survivors, survivors may find returning to the workplace difficult. Public efforts and strategies are necessary for increasing awareness and reducing discrimination in society. This study's results could be used as basic data for establishing a social support system in the workplace and developing policies and educational programs to increase awareness about cancer survivors' issues.

Attitudes towards and perceptions of females who sexually offend against children: a comparison between students and professionals

ABSTRACT Research has identified that male and female perpetrators are viewed differently. The aim of the study was therefore to (a) explore attitudes towards and perceptions of females who sexually offend against children, and (b) compare these attitudes and perceptions between a sample of students and professionals. Ten students, who had not previously studied theories of sexual offending or the management of child sexual offenders, and ten professionals, who work with females in a therapeutic capacity, took part in the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcribed and analysed using Thematic Analysis. Three themes were identified, namely the “facilitating role of women in society”, “why women offend”, and “what should happen to women who offend”. There was a tendency to minimise sexual offending by females. Across the two samples, there were similarities in terms of perceptions around why women offend, and differences in terms of attitudes around what should happen to women who offend. PRACTICE IMPACT STATEMENT The current study builds on our existing understanding of the attitudes and perceptions held by both students and professionals towards females who sexually offend against children. It highlights how attitudes and perceptions inform decision-making in regard to treatment and supervision, including how personal factors, such as being a parent or working with victims of sexual abuse, may facilitate this in professionals. It is important to further develop our understanding of the impact of attitudes and perceptions on decision-making, especially in professionals, given the role therapeutic alliance plays in promoting treatment efficacy.

İş Güvenliği İletişim Mesajlarında Korku Çekiciliğinin Kullanımı: Deneysel Bir Çalışma

Persuasive communication messages are important in order to inform and motivate workers and encourage them to take work safety precautions. Fear appeals are broadly used to persuade individuals in public health and work safety communication messages. This experimental study compares attitudes, perceived ethicality, fear emotions, and behavioral intention of workers when exposed to a stimulus containing the threat of physical injury message, compared to a stimulus without such a message. Findings reveal statistically significant differences in terms of attitude toward the message and perceived ethicality when comparing two treatments. However, no significant differences emerged in fearful emotions and behavioral intention. Therefore, associations on work safety, governmental organizations, social marketers, and occupational safety specialists should be cautious about the effectiveness of threat of injury messages.

Fear of Hospital-Acquired Infections: The Combined Impact of Patient's Hygiene Sensitivity and Perceived Staff Preventive Behavior.

Over the years, the public has paid growing attention to hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). Currently, infection prevention and control are considered a number one national priority in leading developed countries. However, while some hospital visitors are knowledgeable of the topic, others may be ignorant or careless as regards sterility and hygiene-related matters. This study, conducted in Israel, compared people cognizant of hygiene-related issues to those who are less so, in an attempt to account for differences in terms of attitudes and perceptions regarding the hospital environment. Based on Endsley's (in: Proceedings of the IEEE 1988 national aerospace and electronics conference, IEEE, 1988, 1995) situation awareness concept, we hypothesized that people attending the hospital with different hygiene schema would react differently when faced with HAI-related triggers. Based on a survey of 208 respondents, the results support the hypotheses, and showed a significant moderating effect of hygiene-sensitivity on the relationship between the staffs' hospital acquired infection-related proactive behavior and avoidance tendencies among hospital visitors. Theoretical as well as practical recommendations are discussed.

Life Cycles and Gender in Residential Mobility Decisions

Using household survey data from the recent economically depressed period, we attempt to identify typical household characteristics by residential type and study whether households change their residence at different stages of life. We find that the general trend in residential choice is influenced by socioeconomic background. The results of a multinomial probit estimation highlight that the probability of homeownership is higher in rural areas and increases with age of household heads, financial wealth, and family size. In contrast, the probability of renting a house is higher in urban areas and among female households. Moreover, it is observed that people adjust residential size despite market imperfections. The dwelling size increases with age of household heads and declines once they reach retirement age; however, the residential mobility is low at older ages. Furthermore, there are gender differences in terms of attitudes toward downsizing residences; female households are more willing to accept downsizing than are male households.

A Comparison of Learning High School Modern Physics Topics Based on Two Different Curricula

In this study, the impacts of teaching modern physics topics according to textbooks that are prepared based on two different physics curricula implemented in Turkey on students' success, problem-solving skills and attitudes are examined. In addition, the convenience of the modern physics chapters of the textbooks to the curricula is evaluated in the study. The differences between the modern physics chapters of two different physics textbooks have been determined in terms of didactic and measurement-evaluation features. The sample of the first part of the study consists of 80 high school students studying at the 12th grade. The sample of the second part of the study consists of 20 physics teachers and 10 physics education experts who have completed their doctorates in the field of physics education. Within the scope of the study, the modern physics achievement test, the problem-solving inventory and the attitude scale towards physics class has been applied to the students. The physics teachers and experts of physics education have been asked to fill in the textbook evaluation questionnaire. Data analyses revealed that course achievements and problem-solving skills of the students learning modern physics topics with the 2011 curriculum differ significantly in comparison to those of the students learning modern physics with the 2005 curriculum, yet there is no difference in terms of attitudes of the students. When the modern physics chapters of the textbooks are examined, it has been found that both the teachers and the experts have found the textbooks sufficient in terms of scientific content, but inadequate as to their learning-teaching features and measurement-evaluation features.

Exploring the implications of wearable virtual reality technology for museum visitors' experience: A cluster analysis

AbstractDespite the spreading of virtual reality (VR) in tourism, little is known about the characteristics of different segments of tourists experiencing cultural tourism attractions through VR applications. This paper proposes to profile museum visitors based on their perceptions and attitudes towards VR applications and investigates whether they are significantly different in terms of socio‐demographic characteristics and emotional responses towards the VR‐mediated experience. With the use of exploratory factor‐cluster analysis of 287 visitors of a cultural attraction, three clusters were identified with significant differences in terms of attitudes and perceptions towards the VR‐mediated experience and emotional feelings. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Protein Supplement Usage Among Male University Students: Comparisons Between Current and Previous Users

ABSTRACTObjective: Interest in specialized dietary supplements is leading market growth, and protein supplements are popular for increasing muscle mass among young males. Therefore, this study investigated the attitudes toward and satisfaction with protein supplements to identify detailed consumer behaviors related to the consumption of protein supplements.Method: The study sample includes male university students in their 20s in South Korea. In total, 223 responses were entered for analysis. Questions related to attitudes, satisfaction, and future behavioral intentions were asked using 5-point Likert scales. The responses were divided into two groups, current and previous users, to identify significant differences in terms of attitudes, satisfaction, and future behavioral intentions. A descriptive analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple regression were run.Results: The majority of respondents prefer the powdered form of supplements in bulk with a price range between 30,000 won and 60,000 won. Online shopping was preferred, while word of mouth and friends/family were considered credible information sources. The most common side effects experienced were problems with digestion and hives, although more than 78% did not experience side effects. In comparison between current and previous users in terms of attitudes and satisfaction, the following areas showed significances. Regarding attitudes, the importance of brand, preference for products from overseas, the search for nutritional facts, and reading carefully all product information were significant, while regarding satisfaction, price, effectiveness, and ease of consumption were significant. All significances showed that current users had more positive attitudes and greater satisfaction. Overall, consumers' satisfaction regarding ease of consumption influenced future behavioral intentions.Conclusions: The market for protein supplements has been growing, so measuring consumers' attitudes and satisfaction would help attract potential consumers. In addition, analyzing previous users' opinions on products could guide product development and encourage customers to return for repurchase.

Voicing Voluntary Childlessness: Narratives of Non-Mothering in French. By Natalie Edwards.

This study of first-person narratives of voluntary childlessness in this century is the first book-length analysis of texts in French that challenge entrenched cultural assumptions about motherhood, on the one hand, and about women who choose not to mother, on the other. In the first part of her book, Natalie Edwards explores feminist, sociological, and psychoanalytic theories on voluntary childlessness, before moving on in the second part to undertake detailed and fascinating analyses of specific texts by Linda Lê, Jane Sautière, Lucie Joubert, and Madeleine Chapsal, all loosely defined as ‘life-writing’ and all seeking (in markedly different ways) to ‘take ownership of their childless identity and to create a textual space to explore this through literature’ (pp. 15–16). It is significant that Lê is from Vietnam, Sautière from Iran, and Joubert from Quebec: key to this study is a recognition of cultural differences in terms of attitudes to mothering and non-mothering — the context in France is importantly acknowledged here to be very different from that in the Anglo-American places from which the most prevalent theorizations of voluntary childlessness are derived. The study had originally planned to cover French women’s narratives of non-mothering from a range of ethnicities, races, socio-economic backgrounds, and sexual orientations; the relative lack of available narratives of voluntary childlessness underscores precisely the difficulty of articulating the desire not to have children amongst French women (and the discrimination that women who are not mothers face — as shown in the texts studied here), even in this century. Lê’s epistolary confession, Sautière’s experimental autofiction, and Joubert’s interrogative ‘autocritography’, as Edwards puts it, are analysed as constituting alternative textual experiments through which voluntary childlessness can be voiced and claimed; the less formally innovative La Femme sans, by Chapsal (2001), is included for its doubly silenced perspective, narrated by a woman past retirement age (in her seventies) who does not regret her choice not to have children. The choice to explore both form and content in these texts is effective, highlighting the limits of traditional narrative forms — as well as language — to formulate identity as a woman who chooses childlessness. It might be helpful to interrogate further still the notion of a ‘childless identity’ (p. 16), which presumably runs similar risks to an identity rooted only in maternity; if, as Edwards observes, the texts that she analyses ‘ask that society refrain from defining women according to their reproductive role’ (p. 191) then part of this shift would mean shifting away from tropes of identity and more, as indeed this study powerfully does, towards (textual) experimentation and to the voicing of hitherto silenced perspectives. This book — which is written beautifully, with exemplary clarity — offers a fascinating exploration of voluntary childlessness in contemporary French texts, as well as articulating a paradigm shift in the relation between maternity (refused or otherwise) and identity.

Importance and Implementation of Prevention in Germany--A Nationwide Survey of Decision-makers in the GKV-Spitzenverband and Political Decision-makers

Representatives of the statutory health insurance (n=46) and policy makers at the local, federal and state level (n=136) were interviewed in 2 nationwide online surveys about the significance and degree of implementation of prevention. The group comparison between the decision-makers shows significant differences in terms of attitudes towards health prevention. The political leaders are demanding an improvement of the GKV-benefit package and the obstacles require the cooperation of urgent attention.

Sport Spectator Segmentation: Examining the Differing Psychological Connections Amongst Spectators of Leagues and Teams

This research broadens the understanding of sport spectator segmentation by providing evidence of validity for a segmentation tool which groups sport spectators into stages of increasing psychological connections. Specifically, this research included the Psychological Continuum Model (PCM) (Funk & James, 2001; 2006) and the involvement based PCM segmentation process (Beaton, Funk & Alexandris, 2009) as a basis to understand the subset of consumers that exist amongst sport spectator populations. The PCM has been acclaimed and used in various sport, leisure and tourism research streams to understand the psychological connections consumers develop with various sport and leisure objects (Beaton et al, 2009; Beaton, Funk, Ridinger & Jordan, 2011; Funk, Beaton & Pritchard, 2011; Filo, Chen, King & Funk, 2011). Though the PCM is widely employed as a theoretical framework, to date, the related segmentation procedure has only been empirically validated on sport participants. Further validation is needed as the PCM was developed to be appropriate for a wide range of applications in sport and leisure, including sport spectator segmentation (Funk & James, 2001). This paper therefore extends previous research by empirically testing the involvement-based segmentation procedure on sport spectators.Data were collected using two online studies which focused on consumers at both the league and team level. This decision was made as spectators may follow a specific league without focusing on one particular team, and vice versa (Branscombe & Wann, 1991), and to increase the generalisability of results. Study 1 focused on spectators (N = 761) of Australia’s two most popular football leagues, the National Rugby League (NRL) and the Australian Football League (AFL). Study 2 utilised spectators with links to teams within either of these codes (N = 623). Both studies collected data assessing the respondents’ involvement with the sport organisation, attitudes towards the organisation and behaviour exhibited towards supporting the organisation. Data analyses explored the subset of consumers that existed within each sample as well as their reported differences in terms of attitudes and behaviours.For both samples, the established three-step PCM segmentation procedure (Beaton et al, 2009) placed respondents into the defined PCM stages of Awareness, Attraction, Attachment and Allegiance. ANOVA with Games-Howell post-hoc tests indicated the four groups were significantly different from one another on attitudinal and behavioural measures. Specifically, the likelihood of an individual possessing durable positive attitudes and displaying behaviours supportive of their chosen sport organisation increased in line with the PCM hierarchy (i.e., from awareness to attraction, from attraction to attachment and from attachment to allegiance). Findings support the theoretical perspective offered by the PCM and its proposed stages of fan development. Findings also provide preliminary evidence the segmentation tool is appropriate for use with spectator samples, and can help sport marketers better understand their diverse consumer bases. After segmenting spectators into the PCM stages, sport marketers can develop targeted marketing campaigns with the specific wants and needs of each group in mind. Efforts geared at satisfying each spectator segment and moving spectators onto the next level of psychological connection should be embraced by sport marketers at both the league and team level.

Attitudes and Perceptions of Egyptian EFL Post-Graduate students towards Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Terms of Gender, Geographical Location, and Employment Status

Information and communication technology (ICT) has widely spread in all the fields of life including education. The inclusion of ICT in teaching and learning has become a necessity to cope with the latest technological developments and to improve the quality of the educational system of any society. Accordingly, this study aimed to explore the overall attitudes of two hundred (100 males and 100 females studying at four centers, two in Upper Egypt and two in Lower Egypt) Egyptian EFL post-graduate students enrolled at the Educational Qualification Diploma organized by the Faculty of Education, Al-Azhar University, towards ICT and their perceptions of four variables: computer attributes, perceptions of computer relevance to the Egyptian society and schools, computer competence, and computer access, and, then, analyze them in terms of gender, geographical location, and employment status. Findings revealed that students as a one group have positive attitudes toward ICT, positive perceptions of computer attributes and relevance, but with a low level of computer competence due to the existence of some barriers such as lack computer sets, lack of software, lack of training, lack of technical support, lack of ample time, and low income. Besides, results indicated that most of students get computer access at home on their own, half of them get access at school, and a few students get access at Internet cafes. The study also indicated that gender is an insignificant factor regarding students' attitudes towards ICT and their perceptions of computer attributes, relevance to Egyptian society and school, and competence. As far as the geographical location is concerned, the study revealed significant differences in terms of attitudes towards ICT and computer competence in favor of Lower Egyptian students and insignificant differences in terms of computer attributes and relevance. Finings also showed that the employment status of participants is insignificant in terms of attitudes towards ICT and perceptions of computer attributes and relevance and significant in terms of computer competence in favor of unemployed students

Influence of Work Attitudes on Working Ability Among Those Affected by Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

The author analyzed the influence of work attitude on working ability among those affected by posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The research was conducted during 3 years (1997–2000) at the Psychiatric Clinic, Clinical Hospital Osijek, Osijek, Croatia. The sample consisted of 160 subjects divided into two groups, each consisting of 80 subjects assessed and estimated by a psychiatrist who treated them as able to work (first group) or unable to work (second group). Work attitudes of the patients, of their significant others, and of the psychiatrist who treated them were measured. No differences in terms of attitudes toward work between the groups were found. Work attitude of the significant person within the family was the major factor, which indirectly (through work attitudes of those affected) influences working ability of those affected by PTSD. The attitude toward work of the psychiatrist who treated the patient did not significantly affect working ability.