Context Effects Research Articles

The influence of regulatory focus and evaluation mode on consumers’ decision making

ABSTRACT This research investigates the impact of individuals’ regulatory orientation on their responsiveness to context effects arising from different evaluation modes. Drawing on the theoretical framework of regulatory focus, we conducted three experiments to explore these dynamics. The findings reveal that individuals primed with promotion focus display a higher likelihood of choosing an option when presented with a separate evaluation than those with prevention focus. Conversely, in joint evaluation mode, the pattern reverses. Specifically, activating promotion orientation renders individuals more susceptible to an attractive yet risky (extreme) option. Conversely, when a prevention orientation is activated, individuals tend to avoid extreme options and gravitate toward a low-risk, low-return option or even abstain from making a choice altogether. Joint evaluation mode effectively facilitates promotion-focused individuals in selecting an attractive but extreme option, whereas it prompts prevention-focused individuals to opt for a compromise option. These findings provide valuable insights into the intricate interplay between regulatory orientation and evaluation mode in shaping consumer decision-making processes.

Designing manufacturer’s new product technology for a closed-loop supply chain with consumer context effect

As commonly believed, without consumer context effect, manufacturers facing horizontal competition from independent remanufacturers/refurbishers may reduce the remanufacturability of new products. Nevertheless, given the retailer’s refurbishment capability, we examine how a manufacturer’s product design, as measured by the technology level of the new product, is influenced by vertical competition from a retailer and consumer context effect. We consider three scenarios: (1) a vertical supply chain where the retailer lacks refurbishment capability, (2) a closed-loop supply chain involving a retailer with refurbishment capability, and (3) a closed-loop supply chain with consumer context effect which implies that retailer-refurbished products positively influence the perceived value of the manufacturer’s new products. We propose a game-theoretical model to determine the manufacturer’s optimal product technology level and pricing strategy, as well as the retailer’s pricing and refurbishment decisions. We show that, with the retailer’s refurbishment capability, although refurbished products of the retailer will cannibalize new products of the manufacturer, the manufacturer may design a low technology level instead of a high one. Our analysis also reveals that, under certain conditions, the profits of the manufacturer, retailer, and supply chain can increase with the emergence of the retailer’s refurbishment capability, compared to the scenario where the retailer lacks this capability. Furthermore, our findings suggest that in the presence of consumer context effect, even if refurbished products positively impact the perceived value of new products, the manufacturer may design a higher technology level to alleviate the vertical competition.

Transformational leadership and well-being when working from home – the role of ICT demands

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of transformational leadership (TFL) for employee well-being when working from home (WFH) and under the light of stressors coming from the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs).Design/methodology/approachModeration analyses were conducted with a sample of 763 employees who work at least one day a week from home.FindingsThe results suggest that TFL still has a positive effect on employee well-being during WFH, but that its effectiveness decreases when certain ICT demands that inhibit communication occur. Contrary to our expectations, constant availability did not weaken the effects of TFL.Practical implicationsLeaders must be aware of the influence of ICT demands on their leadership effectiveness and take countermeasures to increase effective communication and decrease the occurrence of ICT demands.Originality/valueCurrent literature on TFL was enhanced by examining its effectiveness in a WFH context and providing important insights into the challenges of remote work for leadership and employee well-being.

Valuations of target items are drawn towards unavailable decoy items due to prior expectations.

When people make choices, the items they consider are often embedded in a context (of other items). How this context affects the valuation of the specific item is an important question. High-value context might make items appear less attractive because of contrast-the tendency to normalize perception of an object relative to its background-or more attractive because of assimilation-the tendency to group objects together. Alternatively, a high-value context might increase prior expectations about the item's value. Here, we investigated these possibilities. We examined how unavailable context items affect choices between two target items, as well as the willingness-to-pay for single targets. Participants viewed sets of three items for several seconds before the target(s) were highlighted. In both tasks, we found a significant assimilation-like effect where participants were more likely to choose or place a higher value on a target when it was surrounded by higher-value context. However, these context effects were only significant for participants' fastest choices. Using variants of a drift-diffusion model, we established that the unavailable context shifted participants' prior expectations towards the average values of the sets but had an inconclusive effect on their evaluations of the targets during the decision (i.e. drift rates). In summary, we find that people use context to inform their initial valuations. This can improve efficiency by allowing people to get a head start on their decision. However, it also means that the valuation of an item can change depending on the context.

Organizational Bricolage and Insurgent Group Effectiveness in Cities: The Formation and Initial Urban Campaign of the Movement of the 19th of April in Colombia (1973–1980)

Abstracts How do rebel groups form in cities? What makes urban-based insurgent organizations effective? Urban armed conflicts have become an important subject of research due to the political, economic, and demographic significance of cities. Yet, we know little about the mechanisms of insurgent group formation and effectiveness in urban contexts. Building on the case of the formation and initial urban campaign of M-19 in Colombia (1973–1980), this article argues that rebel leaders originating from multiple organizations and confronted with intramovement competition have strong motives to employ organizational bricolage to form their organization. Organizational bricolage shapes insurgent effectiveness by producing structures that are fit for achieving certain objectives but not others. M-19’s organizational bricolage combined the armed vanguard, intellectual collective, and populist party forms. This structure was effective to foster public support but ineffective to establish a robust social base and maintain urban operations under repression. The research employs the analysis of organizational repertoires and process tracing to retrace M-19’s formation and initial urban campaign. Empirical material includes an original dataset comprising M-19 founders’ biographical data, archival documents, and interviews with ex-combatants. Studying how rebel leaders employ organizational bricolage sheds light on how insurgent organizations form, behave, and transform after war.

Intensive ground cover management and landscape simplification affect community-wide floral visitor-plant interactions in olive groves

Plant-pollinator interaction networks can provide insights about the impacts of agricultural practices on biodiversity. However, studies on the agricultural impact on these networks most often focus on specific pollinator guilds (i.e., wild bees), hindering our understanding of the effects at the entire insect visitor community level. Here, we evaluated the impact of intensive agriculture and the moderation effects of landscape context on the topology of community-wide plant-visitor interaction networks (381 insect species). We also compared the responses of wild bee-based networks and community-wide plant-floral visitor networks to agricultural intensification to examine whether the former can be a good proxy of the latter. To this aim, we sampled plant-pollinator interaction networks in 24 paired olive farms with contrasting herb cover management (low-intensity management, where ground herb cover is not removed during the flowering season, and intensive management, with herbs persistently removed by herbicides and/or recurrent tillage) across a gradient of landscape complexity in Andalusia (Spain). Results show that the topology of whole floral visitor interaction networks was affected by the herb cover management and the landscape simplification. Furthermore, we found that the effects of the herb cover management were often moderated through the interaction with the landscape context at both floral stand and landscape scale. However, the landscape scale at which these interaction effects occurred varied with the network metric. Non-bee floral visitors were fundamentally redundant for the network topology. We concluded that the implementation of low-intensity management of ground covers in olive groves, together with the enhancement of the flower stands at the local level (e.g., floral strips) and the maintenance and/or restoration of semi-natural habitats at the large landscape scale, would be beneficial to the preservation of healthy and robust floral visitor communities. Our study further supports that wild-bee based interaction networks may adequately reflect the response of the entire networks of plant-floral visitor, at least in this study system.

The effect of temporal context on memory for art

Although considerable research has been done on memory for temporal information, as well as on the relationship between context and cognition, not much is known about the influence of temporal context on memory formation and retention. In this study, given that our sample comes from a largely Roman Catholic population, we used religious practices that occur throughout the calendar year to operationalize temporal context into two religious seasons (Lent and Ordinary Time). In addition, we used religious art to assess experience and memory as a function of whether there was temporal congruity or incongruity. This allowed us to explore different levels of memory representation; namely, memory for perceptual details of the art, memory for more inferential understanding of the art, and autobiographical memory for the initial experience of the art. Participants viewed 22 representational and abstract artworks during either Lent or Ordinary Time. After viewing, memory was tested at immediate, 1-day, and 7-day delays. We expected that the congruent temporal context (i.e., Lent) would lead to more activated semantic knowledge, which would then aid memory encoding and retention. This was the case only for perceptual details of the art. In addition, during Lent, forgetting followed a more linear pattern. These results suggest that priming semantic knowledge through temporal context leads encoding to focus on low-level information, as opposed to the processing of more complex information. Overall, these findings suggest that temporal context can influence cognition, but to a limited extent.

A Bibliometric Review of Factors Causing Burn Out

Burnout has garnered significant attention across multiple scientific disciplines, particularly in health, management, and psychology. This bibliometric review aims to delve into the factors influencing burnout, while also highlighting emerging trends, influential authors, and potential avenues for future research. Utilizing systematic data collection and analysis through VOS Viewer software, this study uncovers key themes, research contributors, and interdisciplinary connections within the realm of burnout literature. The findings reveal a substantial body of research dedicated to burnout, with academia notably engaged in its exploration. However, a notable gap exists in the emphasis on causal factors. Predominant contributors to burnout identified include excessive workload, work-life imbalance, and inadequate social support systems. This underscores the pressing need for comprehensive interdisciplinary collaboration to formulate effective prevention and intervention strategies. The study advocates for the integration of disciplines such as psychology, human resource management, and health to address burnout holistically. By bridging these diverse fields, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners can develop more nuanced and effective approaches to tackle burnout's adverse effects in both workplace settings and broader contexts. In conclusion, this review offers valuable insights for stakeholders invested in mitigating burnout's detrimental impacts. By recognizing the multifaceted nature of burnout and fostering collaboration across disciplines, the groundwork is laid for more robust and sustainable solutions to combat this pervasive phenomenon.

A meta-analysis of the effects of context, content, and task factors of digitally delivered instructional feedback on learning performance

AbstractEven though context, content, and task factors are considered essential parts of digitally delivered instructional feedback, their effects on learning performance are most often studied separately. A meta-analysis was carried out to address the effects of context, content, and task factors of digitally delivered instructional feedback on learning performance. A summary effect of .41 (SE = .05) was found for 116 interventions. Significant influencers on learning performance in the sample were feedback focus, discipline, assessment type, and learner control (amongst others), showing the potential to explain the heterogeneity in effects. Also, any simple feedback (e.g. verification or knowledge of result) is more effective than no feedback. A meta-regression with all significant influencers and feedback focused on the process explained the heterogeneity in learning performance.

Caries status in 12-year-old children, geographical location and socioeconomic conditions across European countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Understanding of socioeconomic context might enable more efficient evidence-based preventive strategies in oral health. The study assessed the caries-related socioeconomic macro-factors in 12-year-olds across European countries. This systematic review involved epidemiological surveys on the caries status of 12-year-olds from 2011 to 2022. DMFT was analyzed in relation to gross national income (GNI), United Nations Statistical Division geographical categorization of European countries (M49), unemployment rate, Human Development Index (HDI), and per capita expenditure on dental health care. A meta-analysis was performed for countries reporting data on DMFT, stratified by GNI, and geographical location of European countries, using a random-effects model. The study involved 493 360 children from 36 countries in the geographic region of Europe. The analysis confirmed a strong negative correlation between income and caries experience (p < .01). Children living in higher-income countries showed 90% lower odds of poor oral health than in middle-income countries. Children living in West Europe showed 90% lower odds of poor oral health than children living in East Europe. The strong effect of macro-level socioeconomic contexts on children's oral health suggests favoring upstream preventive oral health strategies in countries with economic growth difficulties, Eastern and Southern parts of Europe.

Culture, sex and social context influence brain-to-brain synchrony: an fNIRS hyperscanning study

BackgroundUnique interpersonal synchrony occurs during every social interaction, and is shaped by characteristics of participating individuals in these social contexts. Additionally, depending on context demands, interpersonal synchrony is also altered. The study therefore aims to investigate culture, sex, and social context effects simultaneously in a novel role-play paradigm. Additionally, the effect of personality traits on synchrony was investigated across cultures, and a further exploratory analysis on the effects of these variables on pre- and post-session empathy changes was conducted.Methods83 dyads were recruited in two waves from Singapore and Italy and took part in a within-subjects session where they interacted with each other as themselves (Naturalistic Conversation) and as others (Role-Play and Role Reversal). Big Five Inventory (administered pre-session) and Interpersonal Reactivity Index (administered pre- and post-session) were used as measures of personality and empathy respectively, while synchrony was measured using hyperscanning functional near-infrared spectroscopy in the prefrontal cortex. After data-preprocessing and preliminary analyses, a mixture of multiple linear regression and exploratory forward stepwise regression models were used to address the above study aims.ResultsResults revealed significant main and interaction effects of culture, sex and social context on brain-to-brain synchrony, particularly in the medial left cluster of the prefrontal cortex, and a unique contribution of extraversion and openness to experience to synchrony in the Italian cohort only. Finally, culture-driven differences in empathy changes were identified, where significant increases in empathy across sessions were generally only observed within the Singaporean cohort.ConclusionsMain findings indicate lowered brain-to-brain synchrony during role-playing activities that is moderated by the dyad’s sex make-up and culture, implying differential processing of social interactions that is also influenced by individuals’ background factors. Findings align with current literature that role-playing is a cognitively demanding activity requiring greater levels of self-regulation and suppression of self-related cognition as opposed to interpersonal co-regulation characterized by synchrony. However, the current pattern of results would be better supported by future studies investigating multimodal synchronies and corroboration.

Individual and group behavioral responses to nutritional state and context in a social fish

Understanding how animal collectives and societies form and function is a fundamental goal in animal biology. To date, research examining fish shoaling behavior has focused mostly on the general principles and ecological relevance of the phenomeon, while the ways in which physiological state (e.g., nutrition) affects collective behavior remain overlooked. Here, we investigated the shoaling behavior of common minnows (Phoxinus phoxinus) with three different nutritional states (control treatment: fasting for 24 h, fasting treatment: fasting for 7 days, and digestion treatment: 1 h after satiation feeding) across two ecological contexts (i.e., without and with food). No effects of either nutritional state or context were found on swimming speed, but the acceleration was greater in the digestion group than in the control group, with that in the fasting group being intermediate. Similar to change tendency in group length and group width of shoals, both interindividual distance and nearest neighbor distance were also greater in the fasting group than in the digestion group, suggesting that fasting and digestion may exert opposite driving forces on group cohesion. However, neither nutritional state nor context influenced the group area, group speed, group percent time moving, or group polarization. Both the foraging efficiency and the percentage of food items consumed by the fish shoals were greater in the fasting and control groups than in the digestion group. Our study suggested that one week of hunger and the energetically demanding stage of food digestion tend to have opposite influences on group shape, while the social foraging context does not influence the individual and group behavior of fish.

Optimizing process-based therapy: A Boruta-driven approach to Identifying key clinical outcomes in a Swedish validation of the process-based assessment tool (PBAT)

BackgroundThe Process-Based Assessment Tool (PBAT), is an item pool showing promising results in assessing psychological processes of change relevant for both psychotherapy and research in its original English version. However, further research focusing on translation and validation in other languages is needed for broader applicability. This study aims to translate and validate the PBAT in Swedish, and to examine the relationship with common clinical outcome variables. MethodsThe PBAT and STOP-D were translated and culturally adapted to Swedish. The study included 427 Swedish-speaking participants recruited online, with a mean age of 48. The PHQ-4 and Single Item Stress Scale were used as criterion variables. Correlational analyses and the Boruta feature selection algorithm were employed for data analysis. ResultsThe translated PBAT demonstrated significant correlations with clinical outcomes, indicating its effectiveness in a Swedish context. Positive PBAT items correlated with higher vitality and health, while negative items were predictive of sadness, anxiety, and stress. The Boruta analysis highlighted the importance of specific PBAT items to different clinical outcomes, underscoring the tool's validity. ConclusionThe Swedish version of the PBAT shows strong validity and reliability in assessing psychological health. This study contributes to the cross-cultural applicability of the PBAT, offering a valuable tool for psychological assessment in the Swedish context.

Face detection in contextual scenes.

Object and scene perception are intertwined. When objects are expected to appear within a particular scene, they are detected and categorised with greater speed and accuracy. This study examined whether such context effects also moderate the perception of social objects such as faces. Female and male faces were embedded in scenes with a stereotypical female or male context. Semantic congruency of these scene contexts influenced the categorisation of faces (Experiment 1). These effects were bi-directional, such that face sex also affected scene categorisation (Experiment 2), suggesting concurrent automatic processing of both levels. In contrast, the more elementary task of face detection was not affected by semantic scene congruency (Experiment 3), even when scenes were previewed prior to face presentation (Experiment 4). This pattern of results indicates that semantic scene context can affect categorisation of faces. However, the earlier perceptual stage of detection appears to be encapsulated from the cognitive processes that give rise to this contextual interference.

Decision uncertainty as a context for motor memory

The current view of perceptual decision-making suggests that once a decision is made, only a single motor programme associated with the decision is carried out, irrespective of the uncertainty involved in decision making. In contrast, we show that multiple motor programmes can be acquired on the basis of the preceding uncertainty of the decision, indicating that decision uncertainty functions as a contextual cue for motor memory. The actions learned after making certain (uncertain) decisions are only partially transferred to uncertain (certain) decisions. Participants were able to form distinct motor memories for the same movement on the basis of the preceding decision uncertainty. Crucially, this contextual effect generalizes to novel stimuli with matched uncertainty levels, demonstrating that decision uncertainty is itself a contextual cue. These findings broaden the understanding of contextual inference in motor memory, emphasizing that it extends beyond direct motor control cues to encompass the decision-making process.

Countering extremism through islamic education: Curriculum and pedagogical approaches

The research aims to evaluate how Islamic education can counter extremism, focusing on curriculum and teaching methods. It reviews existing literature to identify how Islamic education can promote peace, tolerance, and critical thinking to challenge extremist ideologies. The study outlines the research process, which includes defining objectives, searching academic databases, and selecting relevant studies based on predefined criteria. It analyzes selected literature to identify key findings and gaps, providing insights for educators and policymakers. Key findings suggest that balanced Islamic teachings can reduce support for extremism, emphasizing values like compassion and justice. Critical thinking and interfaith dialogue are crucial in fostering peaceful coexistence. Educator training is vital for navigating sensitive topics and promoting tolerance. Successful educational programs often extend their impact beyond classrooms through community partnerships. The research highlights the need for ongoing evaluation and development of scalable educational interventions. It calls for collaboration among educators, policymakers, and researchers to create comprehensive Islamic education programs that promote peace and counter extremism, ultimately fostering inclusive and resilient societies. The keywords "Islamic education, countering extremism, curriculum, pedagogy, and systematic review" encapsulate the study's focus on educational strategies to combat radical ideologies. Research Highlights: Pedagogical Innovations: Research highlights the significance of integrating innovative pedagogical methods within Islamic education to foster critical thinking and dialogue. Approaches such as experiential learning, role-playing, and interactive discussions empower students to engage with complex religious concepts and challenge extremist ideologies effectively. Community Engagement: Studies emphasize the importance of community involvement in Islamic education initiatives. Collaborative efforts between educational institutions, religious leaders, and grassroots organizations facilitate the development and implementation of culturally relevant programs that promote peace, tolerance, and social cohesion within communities. Long-Term Impact: Research underscores the need for longitudinal studies to evaluate the sustained impact of Islamic education programs on countering extremism. Understanding the long-term effects of these interventions on students' attitudes, behaviors, and community engagement is crucial for informing evidence-based policies and practices. Cross-Cultural Perspectives: Cross-cultural research highlights the diversity of approaches to Islamic education and their effectiveness in different contexts. Comparative studies offer valuable insights into best practices and challenges, informing the adaptation and implementation of educational strategies across diverse cultural and regional settings

The dark side of artificial intelligence in marketing: meta-analytics review

PurposeArtificial intelligence (AI) has become a pivotal technology in both marketing and daily life. Despite extensive research on the benefits of AI, its adverse effects on customers have received limited attention.Design/methodology/approachWe employed meta-analysis to synthesise effect sizes from 45 studies encompassing 50 independent samples (N = 19,503) to illuminate the negative facets of AI's impact on customer responses.FindingsAdverse effects of AI, including privacy concern, perceived risks, customer alienation, and uniqueness neglect, have a negative and significant effect on customers' cognitive (perceived benefit, trust), affective (attitude and satisfaction) and behavioural responses (purchase, loyalty, well-being). Additionally, moderators in AI (online versus offline), customer (age, male vs. female), product (hedonic vs. utilitarian, high vs. low involvement), and firm level (service vs. manufacturing) and national level (individualism, power distance, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, long-term orientation) moderate these relationships.Practical implicationsOur findings inform marketing managers about the drawbacks of utilising AI as part of their value proposition and provide recommendations on how to minimise these effects in different contexts. Additionally, policymakers need to consider the dark side of AI, especially among the vulnerable groups.Originality/valueThis paper is among the first research studies that synthesise previous research on the dark side of AI, providing a comprehensive view of its diminishing impact on customer responses.

Long-term effects of the school context on depressive symptoms among Asian Americans.

Despite the importance of the school environment for mental health outcomes, there is little research on how the school context during adolescence may impact depressive symptoms among Asian Americans (AAs) over time. The purpose of this study was to investigate (a) the long-term effects of perceived prejudice from peers and teachers on school belonging and depressive symptoms in adolescence, early young adulthood, and young adulthood among AAs and (b) the mediating effects of school belonging and two early depressive symptoms on the associations between perceived prejudice from peers and teachers and young adulthood depressive symptoms. The data came from the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health. The present study used a subsample of 689 AAs who completed interviews during adolescence, young adulthood, and adulthood. The major data analysis strategy was structural equation modeling. The structural equation modeling results indicated that the major path coefficients from school context to depressive symptoms at the three time points for AAs were statistically significant, except for the path from adolescent depressive symptoms to young adulthood depressive symptoms. There were three significant mediating effects of school belonging and two early depressive symptoms on the association between perceived prejudice from teachers and young adulthood depressive symptoms in AAs. The results emphasize the importance of identifying school contextual risk factors leading to mental health disparities and developing culturally appropriate intervention strategies for AAs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Too hard, too easy, or just right? The effects of context on effort and boredom aversion.

Despite people's general desire to avoid cognitive effort, there is a limit to our parsimony: boredom, a state defined by a lack of successful mental engagement, is found to be similarly aversive. The work presented here investigates how context - the alternative tasks present and the environmental context - impacts people's aversion to exerting cognitive effort and avoiding boredom via a demand-selection task. In a population of undergraduate students, we assessed how people's willingness to exert mental effort (in a working memory task) is affected by the presence of an easier alternative (less cognitively demanding) or a boring alternative (doing nothing at all). To manipulate environmental context, we conducted the experiment online, where participants completed the task remotely, and in a controlled laboratory setting. We find people willingly seek out effortful tasks to avoid boredom, despite avoiding high demands when both tasks on offer required some effort. We also find large effects of the participants' environmental context, with preferences for the most demanding task increasing by over 150% in the lab compared to online. These results bear relevance to theories that argue the costs of effort are determined relative to the alternatives available (e.g., opportunity cost theories). Moreover, the results demonstrate that researchers who deliberately (or inadvertently) manipulate effort and boredom must consider the effects context (both choice and environmental) may have on people's behaviour.

Designing a Cognitive Supply Chain Platform Using Sap ERP Solution for Smart Decision Support

Purpose: This paper aims to discuss how cognitive computing can work with supply chain management and differentiate it from the SAP ERP solutions which improves decision-making activities. It would reveal the potential of using analytics, machine learning techniques, and natural language processing for real-time decision-making. Methodology: To start with, a critical review of the literature is made and a functional breakdown of SAP ERP is conducted to understand the system’s structure and components. Talking about it in detail, the paper explores the chances, threats, and outlooks of integrating cognitive computing into SCM. Findings: In light of the above findings, it is revealed that integrating cognitive technologies with SAP ERP can enhance supply chain decision-making by equipping managers with complete timely information and possible future outcomes. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Considering this, the paper suggests that more studies and implementations of cognitive supply chain platforms connected to the SAP ERP solution will improve decision-making effectiveness and company competitiveness in the modern context.