Context Effects Research Articles

Beyond measurement: a deep dive into the commonly used pain scales for postoperative pain assessment.

This review explores the essential methodologies for effective postoperative pain management, focusing on the need for thorough pain assessment tools, as underscored in various existing guidelines. Herein, the strengths and weaknesses of commonly used pain scales for postoperative pain-the Visual Analog Scale, Numeric Rating Scale, Verbal Rating Scale, and Faces Pain Scale-are evaluated, highlighting the importance of selecting appropriate assessment tools based on factors influencing their effectiveness in surgical contexts. By emphasizing the need to comprehend the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for these scales in evaluating new analgesic interventions and monitoring pain trajectories over time, this review advocates recognizing the limitations of common pain scales to improve pain assessment strategies, ultimately enhancing postoperative pain management. Finally, five recommendations for pain assessment in research on postoperative pain are provided: first, selecting an appropriate pain scale tailored to the patient group, considering the strengths and weaknesses of each scale; second, simultaneously assessing the intensity of postoperative pain at rest and during movement; third, conducting evaluations at specific time points and monitoring trends over time; fourth, extending the focus beyond the intensity of postoperative pain to include its impact on postoperative functional recovery; and lastly, interpreting the findings while considering the MCID, ensuring that it is clinically significant for the chosen pain scale. These recommendations broaden our understanding of postoperative pain and provide insights that contribute to more effective pain management strategies, thereby enhancing patient care outcomes.

Scaling of social initiatives: the role of entrepreneurial skills and positions

PurposeThe scaling of social initiatives is important to achieve broad social impact based on successful small-scale experiments. This paper focuses on the influence of the characteristics of the initiators of social initiatives on scaling processes. The limited literature on this topic highlights two critical actor characteristics: high entrepreneurial skills and a central position in the area. Both characteristics influence two critical components of the scaling process: mobilizing stakeholders and focusing on retaining effectiveness. The purpose of this paper is to explore these complex relationships in a deductive analysis and to use these findings for an inductive analysis to generate new insights and extend our academic understanding.Design/methodology/approachA comparative qualitative study of 20 social initiatives in the Dutch social sector was conducted, including 48 in-depth interviews with initiators and stakeholders in three different areas – mental health, debt and labour participation.FindingsHigh entrepreneurial skills are more important for mobilizing stakeholders and focusing on retention of effectiveness than the position of the initiators, but these are a condition rather than a guarantee. Creating space for scaling and investing in measuring effectiveness in other contexts are also important.Originality/valueBy combining the literature on social entrepreneurship and public innovation and conducting an empirical study, our study provides a broad and nuanced picture and brings precision to our understanding of the relationships between initiators' entrepreneurial skills and position and the scaling process.

Distributor whistleblowing: The effects of manufacturer trustworthiness, opportunism, and transaction contexts

Distributor whistleblowing: The effects of manufacturer trustworthiness, opportunism, and transaction contexts

College peer effects on learning behaviors in synchronous online courses

This study contributes to the growing body of research on peer effects in educational contexts by examining the peer effects on learning behaviors, which are pivotal in understanding how peers impact academic achievements, especially in online education. Drawing upon an administrative dataset and a learning behavior dataset from an online education platform at a Chinese research university in 2020, we employ fixed effects and dynamic models to investigate the peer effects on undergraduates' class absence. Notably, we further consider partially overlapping networks of peers and utilize the class absence of “classmates of classmates” (who are not one's own classmates) as instrumental variables for peers' absence to address potential estimation biases. Our findings reveal significantly positive effects of classmates' class absence on individuals' both full-class and part-class absence in synchronous online courses. Additionally, heterogeneity analyses show that males, freshmen and sophomore students are more susceptible to peer influence and exhibit greater influence on their peers, and peer effects are stronger in subject required courses, courses with larger class sizes, courses with mandatory attendance policies, and among students in the same department or grade level.

Modelling Context Effects in Exit Choice for Building Evacuations

Understanding exit choice behaviour is essential for optimising safety management strategies in building evacuations. Previous research focused on contextual attributes, such as spatial information, influencing exit choice, often using utility models based on monotonic functions of attributes. However, during emergencies, evacuees typically make rapid, less calculated decisions. The choice of context can significantly impact the evaluation of attributes, leading to preference reversals within the same choice set but under varying context conditions. This cognitive psychological phenomenon, known as context effects, encompasses the compromise effect, the similarity effect, and the attraction effect. While researchers have long recognised the pivotal role of context effects in human decision making, their incorporation into computer-aided evacuation management remains limited. To address this gap, we introduce context effects (CE) in a social force (SF) model, CE-SF. Evaluating CE-SF’s performance against the UF-SF model, which considers only the utility function (UF), we find that CE-SF better replicates exit choice behaviour across urgency levels, highlighting its potential to enhance evacuation strategies. Notably, our study identifies three distinct context effects during evacuations, emphasising their importance in advancing safety measures.

Temporal context effects on suboptimal choice.

Choice can be driven both by rewards and stimuli that signal those rewards. Under certain conditions, pigeons will prefer options that lead to less probable reward when the reward is signaled. A recently quantified model, the Signal for Good News (SiGN) model, assumes that in the context of uncertainty, signals for a reduced delay to reward reinforce choice. The SiGN model provides an excellent fit to previous results from pigeons and the current studies are the first to test a priori quantitative predictions. Pigeons chose between a suboptimal alternative that led to signaled 20% food and an optimal alternative that led to 50% food. The duration of the choice period was manipulated across conditions in two experiments. Pigeons strongly preferred the suboptimal alternative at the shorter durations and strongly preferred the optimal alternative at the longer durations. The results from both experiments fit well with predictions from the SiGN model and show that altering the duration of the choice period has a dramatic effect in that it changes which of the two options pigeons prefer. More generally, these results suggest that the relative value of options is not fixed, but instead depends on the temporal context.

VARIABILITY OF RADIOCARBON RESERVOIR AGE EFFECTS IN LAKES AND RIVERS IN ANATOLIA AND LESSER CAUCASUS

ABSTRACT Multiproxy sedimentary sequence analysis constitutes the basis for reconstructions of past paleoenvironments and climate evolution. These sequences are, for the most part, obtained by coring in lakes, maars or crater lakes whose waters can record volcanic activity or karstic contributions, especially in Eastern Anatolia and the Lesser Caucasus. The reservoir age effect in these geological contexts leads to an apparent aging of the radiocarbon ages which also affects the plants and animals developing in or near these waters and consequently the population consuming them. We present here some results obtained from modern samples taken from Mediterranean, central and eastern Anatolian lakes, from the Van and Sevan lakes and along the Kura River and its tributaries from the Lesser Caucasus. The effect of volcanic CO2 outgassing in the vicinity of maar crater lakes is also discussed.

A reduced kinetic method for investigating non-local ion heat transport in ideal multi-species plasmas

A reduced kinetic method (RKM) with a first-principles collision operator is introduced in a 1D2V planar geometry and implemented in a computationally inexpensive code to investigate non-local ion heat transport in multi-species plasmas. The RKM successfully reproduces local results for multi-species ion systems and the important features expected to arise due to non-local effects on the heat flux are captured. In addition to this, novel features associated with multi-species, as opposed to single species, cases are found. Effects of non-locality on the heat flux are investigated in mass and charge symmetric and asymmetric ion mixtures with temperature, pressure, and concentration gradients. In particular, the enthalpy flux associated with diffusion is found to be insensitive to sharp pressure and concentration gradients, increasing its significance in comparison to the conductive heat flux driven by temperature gradients in non-local scenarios. The RKM code can be used for investigating other kinetic and non-local effects in a broader plasma physics context. Due to its relatively low computational cost it can also serve as a practical non-local ion heat flux closure in hydrodynamic simulations or as a training tool for machine learning surrogates.

High-performance work practices and entrepreneurial firm performance: the moderating role of firm size and industry type

PurposeThis paper examines the moderating role of firm size (FS) and industry type in the relationship between high-performance work practices (HPWPs) and entrepreneurial firm performance.Design/methodology/approachA descriptive research design involving a five-year dataset from firms in the retail and services industries of Nigeria was used in the analyses.FindingsThe use of HPWPs is widespread among entrepreneurial firms, with ability- and motivation-enhancing practices being dominant. Country context influences the types of HPWPs implemented by entrepreneurial firms. FS and industry type do not have significant moderating effects on the relationship between HPWPs and the performance of entrepreneurial firms. The positive effect of HPWPs on performance is consistent with findings made in prior studies.Research limitations/implicationsFS plays a neutral role in the relationship between HPWPs and entrepreneurial firm performance. Within the broader retail and services industries, this relationship is weaker in capital-intensive firms compared to less capital-intensive ones. The restricted focus on only retail and service industries may limit the universal applicability of the findings.Practical implicationsFindings indicate that the efficacy of HPWPs is neither influenced by FS nor industry type. Entrepreneurial firms with higher capital intensity benefit relatively more from the use of HPWPs.Originality/valueUnlike other research efforts focusing on a single moderating influence, this study combines two important contextual factors, FS and industry type, to provide a better understanding of HPWPs. The study spotlights the effects of country context in the implementation of HPWPs in a way that prior studies have not done.

50 Years of Context Effects: Merging the Behavioral and Quantitative Perspectives

Abstract Over the past 50 years, consumer researchers have presented extensive evidence that consumer preference can be swayed by the decision context, particularly the configuration of the choice set. Importantly, behavioral research on context effects has inspired prominent quantitative research on multialternative decision-making published in leading psychology, management, economics, and general interest journals. While both streams of research seem to agree that context effects are an important research area, there has been relatively limited interaction, communication, and collaboration between the two research camps. In this article, we seek to initiate an active dialogue between the two sides. We begin by providing a critical overview of the two literatures on context effects, discussing both their strengths and weaknesses, as well as disparities and complementarities. Here, we place particular emphasis on deepening consumer researchers’ understanding of context effects by drawing on prominent quantitative research published in non-marketing journals over the last decades. Importantly, we provide a roadmap for the future that can inspire further research and potential collaborations between the two camps, overcoming silos in knowledge creation.

The Concise Language Paradigm (CLaP), a framework for studying the intersection of comprehension and production: electrophysiological properties.

Studies investigating language commonly isolate one modality or process, focusing on comprehension or production. Here, we present a framework for a paradigm that combines both: the Concise Language Paradigm (CLaP), tapping into comprehension and production within one trial. The trial structure is identical across conditions, presenting a sentence followed by a picture to be named. We tested 21 healthy speakers with EEG to examine three time periods during a trial (sentence, pre-picture interval, picture onset), yielding contrasts of sentence comprehension, contextually and visually guided word retrieval, object recognition, and naming. In the CLaP, sentences are presented auditorily (constrained, unconstrained, reversed), and pictures appear as normal (constrained, unconstrained, bare) or scrambled objects. Imaging results revealed different evoked responses after sentence onset for normal and time-reversed speech. Further, we replicated the context effect of alpha-beta power decreases before picture onset for constrained relative to unconstrained sentences, and could clarify that this effect arises from power decreases following constrained sentences. Brain responses locked to picture-onset differed as a function of sentence context and picture type (normal vs. scrambled), and naming times were fastest for pictures in constrained sentences, followed by scrambled picture naming, and equally fast for bare and unconstrained picture naming. Finally, we also discuss the potential of the CLaP to be adapted to different focuses, using different versions of the linguistic content and tasks, in combination with electrophysiology or other imaging methods. These first results of the CLaP indicate that this paradigm offers a promising framework to investigate the language system.

Analysis of Market Entry Strategies for Foreign Multinational Corporations in India A Market Research Study

This research paper explores market entry strategies for foreign multinational corporations (MNCs) in India, aiming to provide actionable insights for navigating the complexities of this dynamic market landscape. Through a qualitative research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with key industry experts and executives of foreign MNCs operating in India. The findings reveal that joint ventures are the preferred entry mode, with factors such as access to local knowledge, regulatory requirements, and cultural compatibility influencing entry mode selection. Performance evaluation metrics primarily focus on revenue growth, market share, and customer satisfaction, while adaptation strategies include product localization, marketing customization, and supply chain optimization. Challenges faced by foreign MNCs in market entry include regulatory compliance, cultural differences, and competition. Overall, this study contributes to filling the identified literature gap by providing a nuanced understanding of market entry strategies and their effectiveness in the Indian context. The implications of these findings extend to both academia and practice, offering opportunities for further research and guiding strategic decision-making for MNCs seeking to establish and expand their presence in India.

Native advertising on mobile applications: using eye tracking to investigate the effects of advertising format, user motivation, and advertising disclosure on advertising effects

Although native advertising has become the primary advertising type in the mobile application context, few studies have focused on its influential factors. This study uses eye-tracking technology to examine the impacts of ad format, user motivation, and ad disclosure on advertising effects in the Chinese context. Respondents (N = 422) were recruited to participate in a 2 (ad format: statics vs. dynamics) × 2 (user motivation: information-seeking vs. entertainment-seeking) × 2 (ad disclosure: non-disclosed vs. disclosed) between-subjects experiment. The results showed that users with an entertainment-seeking motivation paid greater attention and showed less attitudinal responses to dynamic (vs. static) ads. While no differences were observed in attention duration and attitudinal responses to disclosed dynamic and static ads for users with an information-seeking motivation, these users perceived undisclosed dynamic (vs. static) ads as more intrusive. These findings extend the literature on native advertising to the Chinese mobile media context and offer practical implications for native advertising designs.

Design and development of robotic technology through microcontroller system with machine learning techniques

Through the integration of AI and IoT, the digital twin transforms industrial sectors by virtually portraying physical systems. Simulation and the application of lifecycle management improve decision-making. In this paper, a virtual prototype system a digital twin framework that integrates robotic devices is proposed. Created using debugging platforms, they track every robotic activity, supported by real-time microcontroller structural design systems. Machine learning methods are the fundamental engine of the digital twin system. Because of this connection, robotic actions may be seamlessly controlled and monitored, guaranteeing effectiveness and adaptability in changing contexts. Robotics has advanced significantly with the combination of digital twin technology, machine learning, and microcontroller systems, offering improved performance and versatility in a range of applications.

The relation between resident mentorship and in‐training examination scores: A nation‐wide, cross‐sectional study in Japan

AbstractBackgroundMentorship is a dynamic reciprocal relationship, wherein a novice (mentee) grows with the encouragement of an advanced careerist (mentor). It is widely implemented in medical training programs. However, there are few reports on mentorship's educational effects in the Japanese context. This study investigated the association between mentorship and in‐training examination scores during a clinical residency program in Japan.MethodsA cross‐sectional study was conducted in Japan, involving first and second year postgraduate (PGY‐1 and PGY‐2) residents set to take the General Medicine In‐Training Examination (GM‐ITE) at the end of the academic year of 2021. The GM‐ITE, developed by a non‐profit organization in 2012, assesses the overall clinical knowledge of PGY‐1 and PGY‐2 residents. Data on mentorship were obtained through an electronic survey, conducted immediately after the GM‐ITE. The association between a resident's self‐reported identification of at least one mentor and GM‐ITE score was analyzed at multiple levels.ResultsOf the total 4929 residents, 3266 (66.3%) reported having mentors. However, there was no association between mentorship and GM‐ITE scores (adjusted score difference [aSD] = −0.22; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: −0.64 to 0.19).ConclusionsAmong Japanese residents, in‐training examination scores were not associated with mentorship.

“Adapting to a New Reality”: Older Adults’ Experiences during the COVID-19 Pandemic

<i>This qualitative study explores the perceived challenges for older adults during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and how they worked on overcoming this adversity. Our sample (n=50), derived from a larger study, includes individuals 60 or older in Puerto Rico and the United States. Data were collected through an online questionnaire between May and August 2020 and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Themes describe resilience through reflection and adaptation, critique of systemic problems and injustices, and reaffirmation of values and what is important. Considering the detrimental effect of the pandemic context on the older population, understanding their experiences and sources of strength can improve how they are supported in future crises.</i>

The relationship between mathematics self-efficacy and mathematics achievement: multilevel analysis with NAEP 2019

BackgroundThis empirical study aims to investigate the association between mathematics self-efficacy and mathematics achievement gaps among students in Grades 4, 8, and 12, utilizing data from the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The study also considers student-level (e.g., mathematics self-efficacy, gender, race/ethnicity) and school-level (e.g., school location, proportion of underrepresented students) demographics to provide a comprehensive analysis of the factors contributing to mathematics achievement gaps.MethodsA two-level cross-sectional multilevel modeling approach was employed to analyze the variance in mathematics achievement, partitioning it into within- and between-school components. This approach allowed for an examination of association between mathematics self-efficacy and achievement gaps while considering various student and school characteristics. The rationale behind this methodology lies in its ability to capture the hierarchical nature of educational data and provide a nuanced understanding of the factors associated with mathematics achievement.ResultsThe analysis of the NAEP data revealed substantial variability in mathematics achievement across schools in the United States at all grade levels. Furthermore, mathematics self-efficacy emerged as a robust predictor of students' mathematics achievement, exhibiting significant effect sizes for Grades 4, 8, and 12. Remarkably, when students' mathematics self-efficacy was held constant, the mathematics achievement gaps among different student subgroups by gender, race/ethnicity, ELL, IEP, NSLP status narrowed, highlighting the importance of self-efficacy in addressing these disparities. The study also identified the presence of significant school contextual effects, further emphasizing the role of the educational environment in shaping mathematics achievement.ConclusionsThis study underscores the critical role of mathematics self-efficacy in influencing mathematics achievement gaps among students. By acknowledging the association between self-efficacy beliefs and mathematics achievement, policymakers and educators can develop targeted interventions to enhance students' confidence and motivation in mathematics, ultimately promoting equitable educational outcomes. The findings also emphasize the significance of school-level factors, calling for comprehensive approaches that consider both individual and contextual factors in narrowing achievement gaps. The implications of adopting a self-efficacy perspective to address mathematics achievement gaps extend to educational policy, curriculum development, and instructional practices, ultimately fostering more inclusive and effective mathematics education for all students.

What Value Do You Bring to the Company? Daily Diary Insights on the Relationship between Employees’ Autonomy and Value Creation Beliefs*

The purpose of this study is to explore the link between work autonomy and employees’ daily value creation beliefs outside an exclusively economic standpoint. We utilized Lackéus’ (2018) value creation model, which encompasses not only economic but social, influence, enjoyment and harmony-based categories of value creation as well. Data were based on 59 Greek employees who completed a quantitative diary questionnaire for five consecutive workdays. Results from multilevel analyses suggested positive links between daily work autonomy and value creation beliefs and between trait positive affectivity (tPA) and value creation beliefs. A negative contextual effect for work autonomy was found, suggesting that when individuals experience greater control and independence in their job tasks during our study period, it has a detrimental impact on their perception of contributing value to the organization. The research adds to the continuous theoretical expansion of value creation literature in organizational settings by demonstrating that both trait affectivity and work autonomy serve as motivators, propelling employees to explore various avenues for value creation.

A multiscale examination of heat health risk inequality and its drivers in mega-urban agglomeration: A case study in the Yangtze River Delta, China

Increased frequency of extreme urban heat and its exposure to urban populations is one of the challenges presented by climate change, especially in urban clusters. Due to the rapid but unequal development, heat exposure disproportionately increased in the underdeveloped regions compared to the developed regions in urban agglomeration. To address this issue, it is crucial to clarify the spatial pattern of heat health risk (HHR) inequality for urban heat resilience. However, analyses for the disparity of HHR inequality often used a single scale, neglecting important spatial context effects at other scales. Moreover, the rationale of HHR inequality remains unclear. Here, we took the well-developed and highly urbanized Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region as a case study and employed multiscale approaches to examine how and why the HHR inequality varied at and within the regional scale. We first assessed HHR using a comprehensive assessment framework at a 1 km grid level. Then, we quantified the inequality between regions using local Moran's I and KS distance. Therefore, we utilized the Gini coefficient and Bayes quantile regression to quantify inequality and identify its drivers within the regional scale. Finally, we proposed a conceptual framework to inform policymaking in regions with different patterns of multiscale equality. Our results found that the HHR in YRD exhibited significant spatial inequality at the regional scale (Moran's I = 0.562, P < 0.001) and within the regional scale (Gini coefficient: 0.27–0.54). Higher population concentrations and building densities often led to higher HHR. In high HHR areas, intra-regional inequality was often lower due to high and coordinated socioeconomic levels (Gini coefficient: 0.27–0.34). Additionally, in areas with low and medium levels of risk, healthcare resource availability and local temperatures had a greater impact on intra-regional inequities, which varied at different levels of inequality. This study contributes to a better understanding of multiscale HHR inequality, which helps optimize heat risk management strategies and regional sustainable development.

Exploring the Impact of Decoys on Decision‐Making by Young Children

ABSTRACTThe asymmetric dominance effect (or decoy effect) is a decision‐making phenomenon that occurs when preference for a target alternative shifts with the addition of a similar, yet inferior alternative dubbed the decoy. Despite the considerable number of studies examining the decoy effect with adult humans and animals, there is comparatively less research on context effects within the developmental domain. In this study, we explored the impact of a decoy on choice behavior by young children (3–9 years old) using a preferential choice task as well as a perceptual discrimination task. Introduction of an inferior decoy impacted choice behavior across 2‐alternative (binary) versus 3‐alternative (trinary) sets, such that inclusion of the dominated decoy in expanded sets decreased selection of the superior target alternative. This pattern of results indicates a reversal of the standard attraction effect, also known as the repulsion effect. We discuss these findings in light of the adult and comparative literatures on decoy effects as well as call for additional developmental studies exploring the impact of inferior alternatives in multialternative decision‐making.