Motivational Drivers Research Articles

Effect of a behaviour change intervention on household food hygiene practices in rural Bangladesh: A cluster-randomised controlled trial

IntroductionBehavioural interventions could improve caregivers’ food hygiene practices in low-resource settings. So far, evidence is limited to small-scale and short-term studies, and few have evaluated the long-term maintenance of promoted behaviours. We evaluated the effect of a relatively large-scale behaviour change intervention on medium and long-term maintenance of household food hygiene practices in Bangladesh. MethodsWe analyse a secondary outcome of the Food and Agricultural Approaches to Reducing Malnutrition (FAARM) cluster-randomised trial and its sub-study Food Hygiene to reduce Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (FHEED), conducted in Habiganj district, Sylhet division, Bangladesh. The FAARM trial used a 1:1 parallel arm design and included 2705 women in 96 settlements: 48 intervention and 48 control. Women in the intervention settlements received training in homestead gardening, poultry rearing and nutrition over three years (2015–2018), complemented by an eight-month (mid-2017 to early-2018) behaviour change component on food hygiene using motivational drivers. Nested within the FAARM trial, the FHEED sub-study evaluated several outcomes along the hygiene pathway. For this article, we evaluated household food hygiene behaviours by analysing structured observation data collected in two cross-sectional surveys, four and 16 months after the food hygiene promotion ended, from two independent subsamples of FAARM women with children aged 6–18 months. We assessed intervention effects on food hygiene practices using mixed-effects logistic regression, accounting for clustering. In exploratory analyses, we further assessed behaviour patterns – how often critical food hygiene behaviours were performed individually, in combination and consistently across events. ResultsBased on the analysis of 524 complementary feeding and 800 food preparation events in households from 571 participant women, we found that intervention households practised better food hygiene than controls four months post-intervention, with somewhat smaller differences after 16 months. Overall, the intervention positively affected food hygiene, particularly around child feeding: using soap for handwashing (odds ratio 5·8, 95% CI 2·2–15·2), cleaning feeding utensils (3·8, 1·9–7·7), and cooking fresh/reheating food (1·8, 1·1–2·8). However, the simultaneous practice of several behaviours was rare, occurring in only 10% of feeding events (intervention: 15%; control: 4%), and the practice of safe food hygiene behaviours was inconsistent between events. ConclusionOur findings suggest that a motivational behaviour change intervention encouraged caregivers to maintain certain safe food hygiene practices in a rural setting. However, substantial physical changes in the household environment are likely needed to make these behaviours habitual. Trial registration numberNCT02505711.

Leadership and job satisfaction in the public healthcare sector: An empirical analysis of employees’ motivations

The supply of health services, which are primarily supplied by the human resources that staff the health facilities, makes the field of health extremely difficult. The conduct of health professionals as a result of their efforts heavily influences the quality of the services under study. To boost their efficiency and, by extension, the effectiveness of the health units, the administrations of the health units must place a high value on the use of the human component. Simply said, incentives are necessary to incentivize healthcare staff in order for them to please patients and improve their efficacy. Incentives provided to healthcare personnel appear to help them overcome these issues and provide patients with the best care possible, even in situations where they lack the appropriate resources and tools. Many academics argue that giving employees what they need in the form of incentives is a potent weapon that managers may use to motivate them and boost productivity. All health organizations should make use of this component, as it can assist them in addressing and resolving significant issues that restrict their effectiveness. In this context, it's critical to stress that motivating healthcare professionals is urgently needed because doing so improves their performance, which in turn improves the effectiveness of the services offered and the satisfaction of patients. The purpose of the current study is to investigate the potential sources of employee motivation at a public hospital in Northern Greece. Regression analysis was used to examine data that were gathered from 74 hospital personnel. The findings indicate that connections with co-workers and degree of performance are the primary drivers of employee motivation, with pay and job features playing a supporting role. These findings demonstrate that in order for the hospital's administration to increase employee performance, it is necessary to foster a positive work environment and recognize people for their contributions.

Motivational drivers of heavy work investment: intercultural comparison between USA and Egypt

Purpose The purpose is to identify the underlying motives of heavy work investment (HWI) types (i.e. workaholism and work engagement) based on self-determination theory, while controlling for job demands and resources. The role of four cultural differences (i.e. individualism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance and masculinity) in moderating the motivational correlated relationships is also explored using data retrieved from two distinct cultures (i.e. the USA and Egypt).Design/methodology/approach Full-time employees (N = 595) in the USA and Egypt were surveyed. Multiple regression analyses were used to test the associations between the two HWI types and four types of motivation (i.e. intrinsic, extrinsic, introjected and identified motivations). Furthermore, moderation analyses were conducted to explore potential effects of four cultural dimensions (i.e. individualism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance and masculinity) on the motivationalcorrelated relationships.Findings Workaholism positively relates to the controlled types of motivation (i.e. extrinsic and introjected regulation), while work engagement positively relates to the autonomous ones (i.e. intrinsic and identified regulation) and negatively associates with extrinsic motivation. Moreover, cultural masculinity moderated the relationship between work engagement and extrinsic motivation, as well as the association between workaholism and extrinsic motivation.Practical implications A clear differentiation of motivation behind both types of HWI is required by occupational health practitioners to design interventions that stimulate employee engagement rather than fuel workaholism. Multinational organizations could also benefit from understanding the interaction between cultural dimensions, motives and HWI, thereby planning more effective work engagement strategies among different cultures.Originality/value This is the first study to investigate the motivational correlates of HWI types across two contrasting cultures.

Motivations for violent extremism: Evidence from lone offenders’ manifestos

AbstractThis study explores the motivational drivers of violent extremism by examining references to motivational goals—values—in texts written by lone offenders. We present a new database of manifestos written by lone offenders (N = 103), the Extremist Manifesto Database (EMD). We apply a dictionary approach to examine references to values in this corpus. For comparison, we use texts from a matched quota sample of US American adults (N = 194). Compared to the general population, extremists referred more often to values of security, conformity, tradition, universalism, and power, and less often to values of benevolence, stimulation, and achievement. In extremist manifestos, ingroup descriptions referred more to security and universalism values, whereas power values dominated outgroup descriptions. Non‐extremists referred to the same values in conjunction with “us” and “them” (benevolence and self‐direction). The values that extremists referenced suggest interpersonal detachment and a clear delineation of value narratives around “us” and “them”.

Mapping the evolution path of citizen science in education: a bibliometric analysis

ABSTRACT For over two decades now, the application of Citizen Science to Education has been evolving, and fundamental topics, such as the drivers of motivation to participate in Citizen Science projects, are still under discussion. Some recent developments, though, like the use of Artificial Intelligence to support data collection and validation, seem to point to a clear-cut divergence from the mainstream research path. The objective of this paper is to summarise the development trajectory of research on Citizen Science in Education so far, and then shed light on its future development, to help researchers direct their efforts towards the most promising open questions in this field. We achieved these objectives by using the lens of the Affordance-Actualisation theory and the Main Path Analysis method.

Wiseconsumerchoices inonlinesecondhandluxury(OSHL)shopping: Anintegratedmodel ofmotivations,attitudes, andpurchaseintentions for OSHL aswise,conspicuous, andsustainableconsumption

This study investigates the attitudes and key purchase determinants of online second-hand luxury (OSHL) consumption among Chinese consumers using a mixed-methodological approach across two studies. In Study 1, we applied thematic analysis to informants' narratives about SHL from the Chinese Q&A platform Zhihu. From this analysis, we discovered three distinct attitude dimensions toward OSHL consumption among Chinese consumers: their perceptions of OSHL consumption as wise, conspicuous, and sustainable. Additionally, we identified the key motivational drivers influencing Chinese consumers' OSHL consumption. This encompassed the combination of four product attributes, three personal values, and two online platform features, all of which constituted the purchase determinants shaping Chinese consumers’ positive attitudes toward OSHL consumption. In Study 2, we empirically tested our qualitative findings, demonstrating the key relations between product-, consumer-, and channel-related factors, and OSHL as wise, conspicuous, and sustainable consumption, which subsequently influenced repurchase intention. Further, we proposed and examined income as a potential moderator in the mechanisms of OSHL as a combination of wise, conspicuous, and sustainable consumption. Our study fills critical gaps in the OSHL literature and provides meaningful insights to OSHL marketers who wish to increase online sales and engage with Chinese consumers more effectively in the digital marketplace.

Environmental enrichment improves hippocampus-dependent spatial learning in female C57BL/6 mice in novel IntelliCage sweet reward-based behavioral tests.

The IntelliCage is an automated home-cage system that allows researchers to investigate the spontaneous behavior and learning abilities of group-housed mice. The IntelliCage enables us to increase the standardization and reproducibility of behavioral outcomes by the omission of experimenter-mouse interactions. Although the IntelliCage provides a less stressful environment for animals, standard IntelliCage protocols use controlled water access as the motivational driver for learning. To overcome possible water restrictions in slow learners, we developed a series of novel protocols based on appetitive learning, in which mice had permanent access to plain water but were additionally rewarded with sweetened water upon solving the task. C57BL/6NCrl female mice were used to assess the efficacy of these sweet reward-based protocols in a series of learning tasks. Compared to control mice tested with standard protocols, mice motivated with a sweet reward did equal to or better in operant performance and place learning tasks. Learning of temporal rules was slower than that in controls. When faced with a combined temporal x spatial working memory task, sweet-rewarded mice learned little and chose plain water. In a second set of experiments, the impact of environmental enrichment on appetitive learning was tested. Mice kept under enriched environment (EE) or standard housing (SH) conditions prior to the IntelliCage experiments performed similarly in the sweet-rewarded place learning task. EE mice performed better in the hippocampus-dependent spatial working memory task. The improved performance of EE mice in the hippocampus-dependent spatial working memory task might be explained by the observed larger volume of their mossy fibers. Our results confirm that environmental enrichment increases complex spatial learning abilities and leads to long-lasting morphological changes in the hippocampus. Furthermore, simple standard IntelliCage protocols could easily be adapted to sweet rewards, which improve animal welfare by removing the possibility of water restriction. However, complex behavioral tasks motivated by sweet reward-based learning need further adjustments to reach the same efficacy as standard protocols.

An interpretive phenomenological analysis of nursing student perceptions of summative assessment feedback using LEGO® Serious Play®

PurposeThe aim of the study is to explore perceptions of the impact of assessment feedback by international undergraduate nursing students. Research to date indicates that summative assessment feedback may impact significantly on student achievement but if it is undertaken sub optimally or does not provide students with the opportunity to engage with the process and reflexively respond, it can also be exceptionally damaging to the learning experience.Design/methodology/approachA scoping exercise of overall student feedback experience was initially collated via the adoption of an Interpretive Phenomenological Approach (IPA). Participants were recruited via purposive sampling and the LEGO® Serious Play® method was used to collect data. Analysis with Quirkos software was used to examine the salience as well as commonality of findings as an integral part of a recognised five-step thematic analytical approach.FindingsFeedback was perceived, by students, as significantly impacting factor in relation to their overall progression, attainment and retention rates. Themes generated from the findings evidenced student perceptions that summative feedback is a positive driver and source of motivation for academic success and progression. It was perceived that levels of attainment were related to the clarity, quality and individualised nature of feedback that students received and that this was perceived to be evident in their final grades. These were accompanied by perceptions that feedback clarity also determined the potential of breaking down perceived student barriers to learning, their perceived capacity for effective assignment planning and preparation and the likelihood of them having any positive collective or individual interpersonal relationships with their tutors. Summarised, students perceived that feedback ought to lead to student empowerment in managing their studies and as such it ought to be clear, straightforward and non-ambiguous.Research limitations/implicationsThe methodological design of the study means that generalisability from its findings was never intended or possible. However, there may be the potential transferability of findings to similar institutions and contexts of nurse education with students who have similar demographic profiling. The study was also a means of providing an insight into the lived experience of students which could be used in the prospective adaptation of feedback mechanisms for staff at a local level within Higher Education.Practical implicationsThe study reveals the perceived impact of gamification as a mechanism of summative assessment as conveyed by a designated group of students. Whilst specific recommendations for change can only be made within the context specificity of the research, there may be aspects of the findings which are potentially transferable to other similar contexts of Higher Education delivery whose pedagogical approaches mirror those in operation at the institution where the research was undertaken. It became apparent that the standardisation of feedback approaches offered many opportunities to improve existing systems. The issue of monitoring workloads is also of significance in terms of the level and degree of summative assessment and feedback that academic staff can undertake.Originality/valueThe study revealed the perceived magnitude of assessment feedback on progression, attainment and retention rates, alongside the perceived need for a universal feedback template and the opportunity to provide audio-video feedback. This study adds to existing knowledge in the field of pedagogic practice about both the execution of LEGO® Serious Play® as a research methodology and why the perceptions of feedback as articulated and illuminated by a group of contemporary nursing students ought to matter in the context of Higher Education.

Effect of competence and compensation on work motivation: Moderation of performance appraisal

Effective public services hinge on adept human resource management in government, yet challenges persist. Chief among them is the lack of employee motivation and competence, impacting service quality. Bolstering work motivation and competence is crucial, alongside fair compensation and unbiased performance evaluations. Recognizing and harnessing employee motivation is key for optimal public service. This study delves into how performance appraisal moderates the effects of competence and compensation on work motivation in ASN employees of Balai Besar Pelaksanaan Jalan Nasional Jawa Timur – Bali in Bali Province. Employing a quantitative approach, the research explores the interplay between competence, compensation, performance appraisal, and work motivation. Targeting ASN employees within the specified unit, the study employs saturated sampling, yielding 92 respondents. Data collected through questionnaires undergoes Moderated Regression Analysis (MRA) using IBM SPSS Statistics 25, following classical assumption tests. Findings reveal the positive impact of competence on work motivation; enhancing competencies heightens motivation. Similarly, higher compensation positively influences work motivation. Surprisingly, performance appraisal does not moderate the effects of competence or compensation on work motivation. Competence, compensation, and performance appraisal collectively shape individual work motivation within the organization. In conclusion, enhancing public service quality requires addressing employee motivation and competence issues. The study underscores competence and compensation as vital drivers of work motivation, while indicating a limited role for performance appraisal moderation. Elevating these aspects can substantially enhance public service efficiency and efficacy, benefiting both government bodies and the communities they serve.

The Influence of Parenting Styles on the Motivation of Private College Students

Parenting styles are formed and developed in the course of parent-child interactions. The results of this interaction are reflected not only in the physical parenting process of the child but also in the transmission of parental behavioural norms to the child. Behaviours such as students' willingness to learn, attitudes, emotions, attention and thinking are the direct drivers of motivation. Parenting styles, as an important part of the home environment, support the development of students' motivation to learn. Taking private colleges and universities as an example, this paper explores the characteristics of learning motivation of college students in private colleges and universities, the characteristics of parenting styles, and the influence of parenting styles on students' learning motivation. The study found that good parenting style has a significant positive impact on the learning motivation of students in private colleges and universities.

The motivational influence of collective efficacy and charged behavior and the moderating effect of risk-taking propensity on new product development team innovativeness

PurposeThis study examines the motivational processes of charged behavior and collective efficacy driving interdependence and agency in new product development (NPD) teams and the moderating impact of team risk-taking propensity as affective, cognitive and behavioral social processes support team innovation.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 92 NPD teams engaged in B2C and B2B product and service development. Mediating and moderating effects are examined using partial least squares structural equation modeling, referencing social cognitive and collective agency theories as the research framework.FindingsThe analysis validates collective self-efficacy and charged behavior as interdependent motivational–affective processes that align cognitive resources and govern team effort toward innovativeness. Teams' risk-taking propensity regulates behavior, and collective efficacy facilitates self-regulated motivational engagement. Charged behavior cultivates the emotional contagion, team identification, cohesion and adaptation required for team functioning. Team potency fosters cohesiveness, while team learning improves adaptability along the innovation journey. The resulting theory asserts that motivational drivers enhance the interplay between cognitive and behavioral processes.Practical implicationsManagers should consider NPD teams as social systems with a capacity for collective agency nurtured through interdependence, which requires collective efficacy and shared competencies to generate motivational purpose and innovativeness. Managers must remain mindful of teams' risk tolerance as regulating the impact of motivational factors on innovativeness.Originality/valueThis study contributes to research on the motivational–affective drivers of NPD charged behavior and collective efficacy as complementary to cognitive and behavioral processes sustaining team innovativeness.

Motivational Drivers behind the Consumption of Dietary Supplements by Leisure-Time Athletes.

The prevalence of dietary supplement use has been growing continuously worldwide. Nevertheless, limited research evidence is available on dietary supplement usage related to the segment of leisure-time athletes with the determinants of motivational drivers, sport types, and demographic characteristics. This research, which was conducted in Hungary among leisure-time athletes, aims to learn about the demographic and sports characteristics of consumers who identified themselves as active dietary supplement consumers in the survey. The motivational drivers for consuming dietary supplements and their differences, as well as the frequency of dietary supplement consumption in each sports category, are examined. The findings of the study provide valuable insights into the key motivational drivers, among which health preservation, improvement in physical well-being, and cartilage protection are predominant. The results show that there are significant differences between segments taking part in different leisure-time sport activities and age groups when it comes to dietary supplement usage. Three different segments were identified based on the motivational drivers examined. As a limitation, to note is that due to the sample size, the study can be considered as prospective. In practical terms, the results of the study can be used to support marketing projects that aim to reach leisure-time sport athletes.

Teaching and Playing? A Survey on Young Musicians’ Well-Being and Motivations

The aim of this study is to analyze the well-being of young music teachers working in Trentino Music Schools (TMS). Specifically, we assess (i) the extent to which the interaction between teaching and playing affects the well-being of young musicians using a satisfaction measure for their overall professional path as teachers and musicians, and (ii) what extrinsic and intrinsic drivers may guide their involvement in teaching activities in the early stages of their careers. To this end, we analyze original survey data on young musicians teaching in TMS to estimate their relative satisfaction and identify their motivational drivers. Specifically, we estimate from elementary items six constructs concerning material work conditions, immaterial welfare (i.e., the capabilities activated by the schools), and initial monetary and non-monetary motivations to become a music teacher, then we run two ordered logit regressions to test whether a set of variables of interest and the estimated constructs contribute to explaining junior teachers’ satisfaction. Our findings highlight that junior teachers are satisfied if they can preserve the desired proportion of artistic activity and can teach a consistent number of hours so as to leave the desired space and time for making music independently of school activities. They consider teaching to be one of the components of their professional activities and can be expected to try to maintain sufficient space to be able to also develop the independent artistic sphere of their career as musicians.

Encouraging research and development collaboration amidst geographical challenges in less developed regions of the European Union: a systematic literature review

This study explores the growing literature on research and development (R&D) collaboration in the context of less developed regions (LDRs) in the European Union (EU) and examines the opportunities for LDRs to successfully collaborate with developed regions. A systematic review of the literature shows that studies on R&D collaboration in LDRs are at the forefront of regional innovation research in the EU and that opportunities to explore this research topic are still wide open. A critical review and synthesis of the selected articles shows that LDRs have equal opportunities to collaborate and build successful relationships with developed regions by paying attention to at least five motivational drivers and critical factors to enhance the success of their R&D collaborations.

Making decisions about agroecological innovations: perspectives from members of farmers’ organizations in Burkina Faso

ABSTRACTThere is a growing promotion of agroecological techniques in many Sub-Saharan African countries as a response to the current climatic variability challenges. In the case of Burkina Faso, a number of studies have mentioned the role of Farmers’ Organizations (FOs) in the promotion of agroecological techniques. Although previous studies have highlighted the role of FOs in agroecology, more detailed studies on the effectiveness of their intermediation activities and especially those focusing on the way the FOs influence farmers’ agroecological innovations decisions are still scarce. This study addresses this gap by providing the answer to the question of what drives farmers’ decisions to implement agroecological innovations and how their FOs influence these decisions. The results show that the implementation of agroecological innovations varies, with some farmers using many and others few of the innovations promoted by their respective FOs. Farmers’ implementation of these innovations is largely influenced by the actions of their FOs on at least one of the three drivers of individual motivation or innovation behavior (Vroom 1964): instrumentality, valence, and expectancy. Finally, the study calls for policy actors to increase funding support to FOs for widening their continuous provision of agroecology development activities.

Leveraging synergy to drive digital transformation: A systems-theoretic perspective

Given the strategic importance of digital transformation, IS research pays meticulous attention to identifying its key drivers, including awareness, motivation, and capability. Nevertheless, the interaction and synergy among these drivers remain conceptually and empirically understudied. Our study tries to address this research gap. We first consider digital proactiveness as awareness, change commitment as motivation, and organizational flexibility as the capability driver of digital transformation. Drawing on systems theory, this study proposes the synergy of these three key drivers in steering digital transformation. Recent data from 206 Dutch firms support the existence of synergy, showing that digital proactiveness, change commitment, and organizational flexibility contribute jointly to digital transformation. Our analysis reveals that the effect of organizational flexibility on digital transformation is highest when digital proactiveness and change commitment are both at a high level. This study extends our understanding of the complementary and synergistic digital transformation drivers and broadens research in this tradition by considering the synergy of awareness, motivational, and capability drivers in driving digital transformation.

Motivational drivers for serial position effects: Evidence from high-stakes legal decisions.

Experts and employees in many domains make multiple similar but independent decisions in sequence. Often, the serial position of the case in the sequence influences the decision. Explanations for these serial position effects focus on the role of decision-makers' fatigue, but these effects emerge also when fatigue is unlikely. Here, we suggest that serial position effects can emerge due to decision-makers' motivation to be or appear consistent. For example, to avoid having inconsistencies revealed, decisions may become more favorable toward the side that is more likely to put a decision under scrutiny. As a context, we focus on the legal domain in which many high-stakes decisions are made in sequence and in which there are clear institutional processes of decision scrutiny. We analyze two field data sets: 386,109 U.S. immigration judges' decisions on asylum requests and 20,796 jury decisions in 18th century London criminal court. We distinguish between five mechanisms that can drive serial position effects and examine their predictions in these settings. We find that consistent with motivation-based explanations of serial position effects, but inconsistent with fatigue-based explanations, decisions become more lenient as a function of serial position, and the effect persists over breaks. We further find, as is predicted by motivational accounts, that the leniency effect is stronger among more experienced decision-makers. By elucidating the different drivers of serial position effects, our investigation clarifies why they are common, when they are expected, and how to reduce them. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Analyzing the Usefulness of Demonstration Plots as Perceived by the Farmers in District Faisalabad, Pakistan

Agricultural extension is the driver of motivation of farmers towards the adoption of agricultural innovations. Therefore, different extension methods are employed to enhance the effectiveness of extension services and bring change in farmers' behaviour. In this study, an attempt is made to explore the use of demonstration plots as perceived by the farmers in district Faisalabad. In this study, a total of 130 randomly selected farmers, five Agriculture Officers (AOs) and five Field Assistants (FAs) participated. From the farmers, data were collected through face-to-face interview techniques on a structured and validated interview schedule whereas from the extension field staff, the data were collected on an interview guide. Quantitative data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and qualitative data were analysed using a content analysis approach. Qualitative results indicated that the demonstration plots helped farmers to change their behaviour from a traditional farming approach to a modern approach of farming for more production and profits. Group discussion, method and result demonstration methods were focused areas while demonstrating technologies at the demonstration plot. Farmers found demonstration plots useful for the reasons of being active, cooperation from the extension staff, equal treatment to the farmers, participation of farmers in group meetings, enhanced learning and motivating farmers to adopt the latest technologies. Considering the usefulness, there is a need to enhance the number of demonstration plots. More research studies are also recommended to be conducted in other districts of the Punjab s well to investigate the further room for improvement and strengthen the extension services for farmers.

Exploring young consumer's adoption of secondhand luxury: insights from a qualitative study

PurposeThis study explores reasons for and against secondhand luxury (SHL) fashion adoption among young consumers in an emerging nation, India. As a trend, SHL has witnessed tremendous growth in the past few years, but scholarly interest remains scant.Design/methodology/approachDrawing from an interpretivist paradigm, this study uses an exploratory qualitative approach with 26 semi-structured interviews with SHL buyers, analyzed using NVivo software.FindingsThe findings shed significant light on value drivers and find support for status value, uniqueness value, quality value and monetary value, while adding the role of emotional value in reasons for SHL adoption. The results reveal an interesting trait of Indian consumers: price, fashion and celebrity association outweigh sustainability concerns, where an attitude–behavior gap is observed. Also, the findings add depth to risk perceptions as a major reason against SHL adoption.Originality/valueWhile most existing studies have only focused on the motivational drivers, this study offers in-depth insights into the growing SHL literature by drawing attention to the enablers and equally important inhibitors by applying the novel Behavioral Reasoning Theory. It also intends to enhance practitioner knowledge in understanding a culturally diverse market and developing strategies relevant to a new set of consumers. The study calls for SHL retailers to sensitize young consumers in India about the sustainability aspect of SHL consumption, which is currently less appreciated.

Perceived chronic stress and impulsivity are associated with reduced learning about the costs and benefits of actions

Many psychiatric conditions have been linked with deficits in cost-benefit reinforcement learning. However, previous results have been mixed, partly due to significant symptom heterogeneity within distinct psychiatric conditions and symptom overlap between them, making it difficult to disentangle whether alterations in cost-benefit reinforcement learning are condition- or symptom-specific. Here, we investigate whether transdiagnostic (sub-)clinical symptoms and risk factors for psychopathology are associated with reinforcement learning and cost-benefit integration. For this reason, we use an online cost-benefit reinforcement learning task in combination with self-rated measures of common transdiagnostic factors (perceived chronic stress, anhedonia, impulsivity, energy/fatigue) in 360 subjects (18–46 years old) with(out) a diagnosis of a psychiatric condition. Increased chronic stress and impulsivity were associated with poorer reinforcement learning, independent of whether participants were learning to minimize costs (physical effort) or maximize benefits (monetary rewards). These associations were selectively driven by a reduction in learning from positive and negative reinforcement, not punishment. The use of mobile phone (compared to laptop/PC) was also associated with lower performance accuracy. Data and scripts are available (https://osf.io/w3mvq/). Our work emphasizes the importance of chronic stress and impulsivity as potential drivers of altered motivation and goal-directed behavior beyond diagnostic labels, in addition to methodological challenges associated with data collection via online platforms.