Context Effects Research Articles

Effects of environmental and sensory labelling on acceptability of plant-based products: Effects of energy density, context and framing

Effects of environmental and sensory labelling on acceptability of plant-based products: Effects of energy density, context and framing

Contextual coherence increases perceived numerosity independent of semantic content.

Number perception emerges from multiple stages of visual processing. Understanding how systematic biases in number perception occur within a hierarchy of increasingly complex feature representations helps uncover the multistage processing underlying our visual number sense. Recent work demonstrated that reducing coherence of low-level visual attributes, such as color and orientation, systematically reduces perceived number. Here, we ask when in the visual processing hierarchy coherence affects numerosity perception and specifically whether the coherence effect is exclusive to low-level visual features or instead whether it can be driven by contextual or semantic relationships. We tested adults in an ordinal numerical comparison task with contextual coherence mathematically manipulated using a statistical model of visual object co-occurrence. Across several experiments, we found that arrays with high contextual coherence were perceived as numerically larger than arrays with low contextual coherence. This contextual coherence effect was not attenuated even when we reduced objects to texforms (unrecognizable images that preserve midlevel visual features) or removed semantic content from the images through box scrambling and diffeomorphic warping. Together, these results suggest that visual coherence derived from natural statistics of object co-occurrence systematically alters perceived numerosity at low-level visual processing, even before later stages at which items can be explicitly categorized and identified. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Reduced contextual uncertainty facilitates learning what to attend to and what to ignore

Variability in the search environment has been shown to affect the capture of attention by salient distractors, as attentional capture is reduced when context variability is low. However, it remains unclear whether this reduction in capture is caused by contextual learning or other mechanisms, grounded in generic context-structure learning. We set out to test this by training participants (n = 200) over two sessions in a visual search task, conducted online, where they gained experience with a small subset of search displays, which significantly reduced capture of attention by colour singletons. In a third session, we then tested participants on a mix of familiar and novel search displays and examined whether this reduction in capture was specific to familiar displays, indicative of contextual cueing effects, or would generalise to novel displays. We found no capture by the singleton in either the familiar or novel condition. Instead, our findings suggested that reduced statistical volatility reduced capture by allowing the development of generic predictions about task-relevant locations and features of the display. These findings add to the current debate about the determinants of capture by salient distractors by showing that capture is also affected by generic task regularities and by the volatility of the learning environment.

Perceptual compensation for vowel intrinsic f0 effects in native English speakers.

High vowels have higher f0 than low vowels, creating a context effect on the interpretation of f0. Since onset F0 is a cue to stop voicing, the vowel context is expected to influence voicing judgements. Listeners categorized syllables starting with high ("bee"-"pea") and low ("bye"-"pie") vowels varying orthogonally in VOT and onset F0. Listeners made use of both cues as expected. Furthermore, vowel height affected listeners' categorization. Syllables with the low vowel /a/ elicited more voiceless responses compared to syllables with the high vowel /i/. This suggests that listeners compensate for vowel intrinsic effects when making other phonemic judgements.

Undergraduate Students Achievements in Pure-English- Taught Translation Class Influenced by Their English Learning BackgroundsAn Empirical Research from Cognitive Perspective

This work aims to figure out factors relating to the English learning backgrounds of undergraduate students that influence their diversified learning outcomes from a pure-English-taught translation class. The statistics acquired from both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used for analysis from the perspectives of effectiveness of language contexts and expectancy-value theory, so that certain connections between students cognitive activities and their acceptance level of pure L2 learning environment can be demonstrated. The research found that more impressive academic performance in pure-English class were shown by students who were more frequently and closely exposed to divergent naturalistic English contexts and activities, and who had higher self-efficacy and interest in translation learning.

The Effect of Sampling Context on Preschoolers' Finite Verb Morphology Composite Scores.

The finite verb morphology composite (FVMC) is a valid measure for charting children's tense development and for differentiating children with and without language impairment during preschool and early elementary years. However, it is unclear whether FVMC scores vary as a function of language sample elicitation contexts. The current study evaluated the performance on FVMC in preschool-aged children across different language sampling contexts. Participants were 38 English-speaking children who were between the ages of 3 and 4 years and below the mastery level of tense usage in three language sampling contexts, including conversation (free-play), picture description, and narratives (story retell). FVMC from each sampling context was computed by calculating the overall accuracy of copula be, auxiliary be, third-person singular present -s, and past tense -ed combined. A linear mixed-effects model comparison was carried out to determine the effect of sampling context on FVMC scores. After controlling for child age, mean length of utterance, and the number of obligatory contexts for FVMC scoring, FVMC scores were significantly higher in conversation than in picture description and narratives. In addition, FVMC scores across the three sampling contexts were significantly correlated (rs ≥ .62, p < .001). Although children's performance on FVMC relative to each other was quite stable across sampling contexts, FVMC scores may vary with sampling contexts. As compared to picture description and narratives, conversation may not adequately capture the limitation in preschoolers' tense development that is important for therapeutic planning.

Synectic Model: Unleashing Creative Expression in Students' Narrative Writing Skills

This research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the synectic model in enhancing students' narrative writing skills. A quasi-experimental design was employed, involving 60 participants randomly assigned to either a control group or an experimental group. Data collection utilized pretests and posttests to assess students' writing performance. Analysis involved calculating mean scores and employing t-tests and gain score analysis to determine the impact of the synectic model. The results revealed a significant increase in narrative writing abilities among students in the synectic model group compared to the control group. This suggests that the synectic model effectively promotes creative thinking and diverse perspectives, making it a valuable tool for educators to improve students' narrative writing skills. The study highlights the potential of the synectic model in fostering narrative writing skills. Educators can integrate this model into their curriculum to enhance students' writing abilities. Further research is recommended to explore the model's effectiveness in different contexts and grade levels.

The Business of Murder: Business Types and the Moderating Effects of Neighborhood Context on Homicide

The Business of Murder: Business Types and the Moderating Effects of Neighborhood Context on Homicide

Validity and reliability of motor competence assessment as an instrument measuring fundamental motor skills for 12-year-olds in Indonesia

The research aims to assess the validity and reliability of the Motor Competence Assessment (MCA) instrument for 12-year-olds. The validity and reliability test provides a comprehensive framework for objectively measuring motor competence and identifying areas for intervention to enhance motor skill development. The study included 321 participants (156 male and 165 fe-male) from diverse Indonesian elementary school backgrounds. Motor competence assessment involved six test components, each conducted with two trials. Validity was assessed through exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and reliability was assessed via Cronbach's alpha, with raw data converted to a scale for EFA. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) &amp; Bartlett Test results and the Sampling Ade-quacy (MSA) measure are suitable for running EFA because they show more than 0.50. The standards for each item were met in the Communalities test by showing an extraction of &gt;0.50 for each item. The MCA instrument proved valid because each test item (variable) firmly attaches to one instrument. Reliability tests, using Cronbach's Alpha, show that MCA instruments are reliable and usable. The Motor Competence Assessment (MCA) instrument demonstrates validity and reliability in measuring motor skills. Ex-ploratory factor analysis (EFA) identifies two main components: locomotor skills and stability and manipulative motor skills. Cronbach's alpha further confirms MCA's reliability. Its effectiveness in various contexts, including physical education and rehabilitation, supports targeted interventions. Understanding motor skill development with MCA enhances tailored approaches for individu-als, promoting physical well-being and performance. Keywords: physical education, motor skill, elementary school, assessment.

Rent‐seeking or value‐creating? The impact of managerial autonomy from state‐built corporate pyramids on M&amp;A performance

AbstractHow to give managers autonomy to improve organisational performance has long been a focus of business practice. In this paper, we use a unique Chinese context to investigate the effect of managerial autonomy arising from state‐built corporate pyramids on mergers and acquisitions (M&amp;A) performance. We find that the number of pyramidal layers between the government and the state‐owned enterprise (SOE) is positively associated with M&amp;A performance. This relationship is stronger when the SOE managers possess professional M&amp;A abilities but weaker when the SOE management team and the government are politically connected. We attribute the positive association to the career path incentives of SOE managers. Additionally, we address the role of managerial autonomy in the M&amp;A process and integration. We also analyse this effect in contexts where managerial autonomy is crucial in some investment decisions. Taken together, our study fills a critical gap on managerial discretion within internal organisational contexts.

How and Why Marriage is Related to Subjective Well-Being? Evidence from Chinese Society

Although research on the relationship between marriage and subjective well-being (SWB) has been a principal focus in social sciences, research that takes cultural contextual effects into account is scant. Drawing on data from the five-wave 2010–2018 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) panel survey, we explore how marital status (married or not) affects SWB among 15,507 Chinese adults. Utilizing the two-way fixed-effects (FE) model, we show that under the influence of Confucianism, getting married leads to higher SWB levels in Chinese people. The result is robust to alternative SWB measures. Our heterogeneous analyses indicate that the impact of marriage varies across gender, cultural context, income, and couples’ differences in the level of education. In particular, how Confucianism impacts the relationship between marriage and SWB differs by gender. Structural equation modeling ( N = 13,196) predicts that individual human capital and social capital are mediators in marriage–SWB relationships.

Is the sharing economy a sustainable mode of consumption? An empirical case study of sharing of household goods and environmental rebound effects in a university context

The Sharing Economy has been suggested as a sustainable mode of consumption due to its potential to lower resource use and waste generation. A better understanding of sharing drivers, consumption dynamics, and their interlinkages is essential to suitably appraise the role that sharing practices can play in sustainable transitions. A survey of 654 participants from the EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne; Switzerland) was carried out in order to investigate their household goods sharing practices. Among the participants, 328 people that borrowed household goods (takers) were identified and their responses were analysed to find motives and barriers for sharing household goods. Furthermore, Environmental Rebound Effects (EREs) were investigated with the consideration of psychological and economic factors that may influence them. The findings indicate that attitudes towards sharing household goods are most positively influenced by expected environmental impacts followed by enjoyment, economic savings, and social interactions. Negative influences include concerns about a potential loss of independence and lack of trust in people. However, it also turned out that EREs actually amounted to 102%, indicating that the motivating (direct) environmental benefits from sharing tend to be fully compensated for by the negative impacts derived from subsequent re-spending. The imperfect substitution of sharing and the moral licensing effect contributed to this result. Furthermore, consumers’ sharing rationale significantly influences the magnitude of EREs; either increased by economic motivations, or decreased by environmental motivations. Based on our results, we suggest that, to ensure the implementation of the Sharing Economy as a sustainable mode of consumption, it is necessary to increase awareness of the environmental rebound effects caused by re-spending. Consumers could thus be more motivated to share for environmental reasons, identify themselves with sustainability and decide to abstain from morally licensing themselves to re-spend their extra disposable income on Carbon Footprint intense activities.

Effects of riparian vegetation restoration and environmental context on ecosystem functioning in tropical streams of southeastern Brazil

Tropical stream ecosystems are under increasing human pressure, making the development of effective restoration approaches and expanding knowledge in this field urgent. This study evaluated the impact of riparian vegetation restoration and environmental context on stream ecosystem functioning by measuring key ecosystem functions - gross primary production (GPP), ecosystem respiration (ER), and nutrient uptake of ammonium and soluble reactive phosphorus - across ten tropical streams in southeastern Brazil. The streams represented a gradient from clearcut areas (impacted reaches) to relatively pristine conditions (reference reaches), including intermediate stages of vegetation recovery (restored reaches). In the short-term (~15–20 years after restoration), restoration led to reduced GPP akin to reference reaches. Yet, ER did not show the anticipated increase, suggesting a longer timeframe is necessary for restored streams to emulate the functional characteristics of reference reaches. Additionally, the restored reaches did not achieve the nutrient uptake efficiencies observed in both impacted and reference reaches, pointing to a partial recovery of ecosystem function. This study suggests that while riparian vegetation restoration contributes positively to certain aspects of stream function, environmental variables less related to this type of restoration, such as discharge and hydromorphology, significantly influence stream ecosystem functioning, highlighting the importance of considering environmental context in restoration efforts. A more holistic approach, possibly encompassing broader hydromorphological and habitat enhancements, is needed to fully restore ecological processes in these vital ecosystems. These insights are critical for informing future tropical stream restoration projects, advocating the use of ecosystem function metrics as comprehensive indicators of ecological recovery and restoration success.

Assessing lethal and sublethal effects of pesticides on honey bees in a multifactorial context

The registration of novel pesticides that are subsequently banned because of their unexpected negative effects on non-target species can have a huge environmental impact. Therefore, the pre-emptive evaluation of the potential effects of new compounds is essential. To this aim both lethal and sublethal effects should be assessed in a realistic scenario including the other stressors that can interact with pesticides. However, laboratory studies addressing such interactive effects are rare, while standardized laboratory-based protocols focus on lethal effects and not on sub-lethal effects.We propose to assess both lethal and sublethal effects in a multifactorial context including the other stressors affecting the non-target species. We tested this approach by studying the impact on honey bees of the insecticide sulfoxaflor in combination with a common parasite, a sub-optimal temperature and food deprivation. We studied the survival and the transcriptome of honey bees, to assess both the lethal and the potential sublethal effects of the insecticide, respectively. With this method we show that a field realistic concentration of sulfoxaflor in food does not affect the survival of honey bees; however, the significant impact on some key genes indicates that sublethal effects are possible in a realistically complex scenario.Moreover, our results demonstrate the feasibility and reliability of a novel approach to hazard assessment considering the interactive effects of pesticides. We anticipate our approach to be a starting point for a paradigm shift in toxicology: from an unifactorial, mortality-centered assessment to a multifactorial, comprehensive approach. This is something of the utmost importance to preserve pollination, thus contributing to the sustainability of our food production system.

The relative importance of postharvest eating quality and sustainability attributes for apple fruit: A case study using new sensory–consumer approaches

Consumer-sensory methods based on check-all-that-apply (CATA) for texture and flavour terms and conceptual descriptors offer alternatives for characterising eating quality. In this study, ‘Red Delicious’, ‘Gala’ and ‘Scilate’ apples (Malus domestica Borkh.), which were of comparable instrumental firmness, and similar in crispness and apple flavour, evoked profoundly different consumer responses. Mean liking scores from 122 consumers were 7.1 (∼like moderately), 5.8 (∼like slightly), and 5.1 (∼neither like nor dislike) for ‘Scilate’, ‘Gala’, and ‘Red Delicious’ respectively, and cluster analysis indicated three consumer-segments: one that preferred ‘Scilate’ over the other cultivars (62 % of consumers), another that liked ‘Scilate’ and ‘Gala’ equally over ‘Red Delicious’ (26 %), and a small third segment that liked ‘Red Delicious’ and ‘Gala’ equally over ‘Scilate’ (12 %). In the associated experimental auction, consumers were provided with $US3, and the mean bids for ‘Scilate’, ‘Gala’, and ‘Red Delicious’ reflected the pattern of consumer liking at $US1.72, $US0.79, and $US0.52, respectively. Correspondence analysis plots of CATA data indicated that ‘Scilate’ was associated with sensory descriptors sweet, fruity, tropical and pear flavours and positive conceptual descriptors including exciting, complex, unique, premium, yummy, intense, and powerful. ‘Gala’ and ‘Red Delicious’ were associated with sensory descriptors including old, mealy, bland, green-grassy and sour-acidic and negative conceptual descriptors dissatisfied, inferior, boring, disappointing, and uninspiring. A best-worst scaling methodology was used to elicit consumers’ priorities regarding the aspects of apple quality and production sustainability. Despite the profound differences in eating quality uncovered in the hedonic and CATA tasks, the statement ‘tastes like the best apple eaten today’ was assessed as being only 23 % as important as the statement ‘grown in a way that is sustainable and does not harm the environment’ in consumer choices. This notable outcome was contradicted in a matching online study changing the eating quality statement ‘tastes like the best apple eaten today’ to ‘Crisp, juicy and sweet’ (the attributes most frequently identified in the sensory CATA). This suggests that trade-offs between eating quality and sustainability are subject to context effects associated with whether taste is an experienced or imagined factor. There is an urgent need to better understand how consumers’ needs for sustainability in the food production system might alter what is acceptable in terms of eating quality.

Emotional contextual effects of face perception: a test of the affective realism hypothesis

Affective feelings naturally infuse individuals’ perceptions, serving as valid windows onto the real world. The affective realism hypothesis further explains how these feelings work: as properties of individuals’ perceptual experiences, these feelings influence perception. Notably, this hypothesis based on affective feelings with different valences has been substantiated, whereas the existing evidence is not compelling enough. Moreover, whether specific affective feelings can be experienced as properties of target perception remains unclear. Addressing these two issues deepens our understanding of the nature of emotional representation. Hence, we investigated the affective realism hypothesis based on affective feelings with different valences and specific emotions, comparing it with the affective misattribution hypothesis. In Experiment 1, we examined the effects of affective feelings with various valences on targets’ perception through the AM (1a) and CFS paradigms (1b). In Experiment 2, we investigated the effects of affective feelings with anger, sadness, and disgust using similar methods. Results from Experiments 1a and 1b consistently indicated significant differences in valence ratings of neutral faces under emotional contexts with varying valences. Experiment 2a revealed significant differences in specific emotion ratings of neutral faces under different specific emotional contexts in the AM paradigm, whereas such differences were not observed in the CFS paradigm in Experiment 2b. We concluded that affective feelings with different valences, rather than specific emotions, can be experienced as inherent properties of target perception, validating the affective realism hypothesis. These findings supported the view that the nature of emotional representation should be described as affective dimensions.

Modeling and Analyzing of Financial Data within Digital Transformation Era and its Impact on Balanced Scorecards Utilizations: A Theoretical Review

The present theoretical review outlines the interaction between digital transformation and financial data modeling and the use of Balanced Scorecards in improving strategic management in organizations. Considering the context of rapid technological processes and the growing influence of international competition, the principle question of this work is how current management accounting methods, most of which are inspired by digitization, shift the theoretical perspective of how organizations use (BSCs) for strategic forecasting and performance assessment. By conducting a thorough review of the literature within the realms of management accounting, information systems, and strategic management, this theoretical review identifies the main trends, the rationale, and the challenges behind the use of (BSCs) and digitization. The current finding indicates that the implementation of digital technologies into the process of financial data modeling substantially increases the potential of (BSCs) by offering real-time, useful information for strategic decision-making. At the same time, the implementation process raises a set of challenges, such as security issues, hefty financial investments into technological infrastructures, and human factors of organizational change. Despite these hurdles, the potential benefits of digitally-enhanced (BSC) framework-such as improved decision-making accuracy, strategic agility, and operational efficiency-underscore the importance of adopting a holistic approach to digital transformation in strategic management practices. This review calls for a balanced perspective that considers both the technological and cultural dimensions of implementing digital innovations within (BSC) frameworks. It concludes with recommendations for future research, emphasizing the need for empirical studies to validate theoretical insights presented and explore the practical implications of digital transformation organizations-BSCs effectiveness in diverse organizational context.

Village as Contextual Factors and Other Risk Factors Related with the Incidence of Clinical Tuberculosis in Children in Wonogiri, Central Java: A Multilevel Analysis

Background: Indonesia is in the second rank with the highest burden of tuberculosis (TB) in the world. Childhood is a period of rapid growth, the body still has a low immune system so it is susceptible to disease including tuberculosis in children which requires control efforts. This study aims to analyze the influence of risk factors and village contextual factors on the incidence of TB in children.Subjects and Method: Case-control study research was conducted in 82 villages in Wonogiri Regency, from November to December 2023. A sample of 200 children aged 0 to 4 years old was selected through fixed disease sampling. The dependent variable of this study was the incidence of TB in children. The independent variables in this study were stunting, contact history, exposure to cigarette smoke, home sanitation, gender, parental education, child age, parental income, BCG immunization status, and village contextual influences. Data on TB disease was obtained from the Tuberculosis Information System Application (SITB) at the Wonogiri District Health Service in 2023. Other data was collected through questionnaires. The data analysis was done through multilevel multiplelogistic regression.Results: The factors that increased the incidence of TB in children were stunting (OR= 10.94; CI 95%= 2.50 to 47.90; p= 0.001), contact history to TB (OR= 8.37; CI 95%= 1.60 to 43.83; p= 0.012), and exposure to cigarette smoke (OR= 7.36; CI 95%= 1.99 to 27.14; p= 0.003). The reducing factors were healthy sanitation (OR= 0.24; CI 95%= 0.08 to 0.78; p= 0.017), female children (OR= 0.40; CI 95%= 0.15 to 1.05; p= 0.062), and parents with ≥high school education (OR= 0.40; CI 95%= 0.15 to 1.05; p= 0.062). There was no relationship between age (OR= 0.93; CI 95%= 0.13 to 6.23; p= 0.940), parental income (OR= 1.14; CI 95%= 0.40 to 3.25; p= 0.807), and BCG immunization status (OR= 0.12; CI 95%= 0.00 to 105.98; p= 0.550). Village has a contextual influence on the incidence of clinical TB in children (ICC= 52.95%).Conclusion: The risk of clinical TB in children increased with stunting, a history of TB contact and exposure to cigarette smoke, it decreased with healthy home sanitation, female gender, parents with ≥high school education. There was no relationship between age, parental income, and BCG immunization status. The village has a contextual effect on the incidence of clinical TB in children.

Invariant contexts reduce response time variability in visual search in an age-specific way: A comparison of children, teenagers, and adults.

Contextual cueing is a phenomenon in which repeatedly encountered arrays of items can enhance the visual search for a target item. This is widely attributed to attentional guidance driven by contextual memory acquired during visual search. Some studies suggest that children may have an immature ability to use contextual cues compared to adults, while others argue that contextual learning capacity is similar across ages. To test the development of context-guided attention, this study compared contextual cueing effects among three age groups: adults (aged 18-33 years, N = 32), teenagers (aged 15-17 years, N = 41), and younger children (aged 8-9 years, N = 43). Moreover, this study introduced a measure of response time variability that tracks fluctuations in response time throughout the experiment, in addition to the conventional analysis of response times. The results showed that all age groups demonstrated significantly faster responses in repeated than non-repeated search contexts. Notably, adults and teenagers exhibited smaller response time variability in repeated contexts than in non-repeated ones, while younger children did not. This implies that children are less efficient at consolidating contextual information into a stable memory representation, which may lead to less stable attentional guidance during visual search.

An investigation into the influence of context effects on crowd exit selection under gender difference in indoor evacuation.

Exit selection is crucial in indoor emergency evacuation. Domestic and foreign scholars have found that exit choice behavior is influenced by three factors: environmental factors, social interactions, and individual internal factors. Previous studies have shown that in addition to a single environmental factor affecting exit decisions, the influence of other available exit options in the context can ultimately lead to a reversal of exit decisions -The context effect. However, the impact of context effects on exit decisions in emergency situations has not been thoroughly explored. Therefore, this article identifies three basic independent variables: context effects, crowd flows, and gender differences, to study the exit decisions of different gender groups facing different crowd flows, as well as how context effects affect existing exit decisions. In this paper, we used virtual reality technology to construct an indoor fire scene and designed a total of 15 virtual experiments with different crowd distribution or context effects. 131 participants were divided into two groups, male and female, and their exit decisions were observed under different crowd flows and contextual effects. The research results show that: 1) Both men and women have an innate preference to avoid crowded exits, and the proportion of following crowd evacuation significantly decreases when there are crowded crowds in the scene; 2) The exit decisions of female participants are more influenced by the crowd, while men tend to be more influenced by context effects when evacuating independently; 3) The context effects on exit decisions in emergency situations is statistically significant, and this performance is more significant in the male population. Further analysis reveals that similarity effects have a more significant impact on exit decisions than attraction effects. These findings provide deeper insights into the exit choice behavior of the population and may contribute to the design of safe exits in indoor buildings. In addition, this article emphasizes the importance of context effects and provides a foundation for future research.