Multiple Intentions Research Articles

Two-stage multi-intent detection for spoken language understanding

This paper presents a system to detect multiple intents (MIs) in an input sentence when only single-intent (SI)-labeled training data are available. To solve the problem, this paper categorizes input sentences into three types and uses a two-stage approach in which each stage attempts to detect MIs in different types of sentences. In the first stage, the system generates MI hypotheses based on conjunctions in the input sentence, then evaluates the hypotheses and then selects the best one that satisfies specified conditions. In the second stage, the system applies sequence labeling to mark intents on the input sentence. The sequence labeling model is trained based on SI-labeled training data. In experiments, the proposed two-stage MI detection method reduced errors for written and spoken input by 20.54 and 17.34 % respectively.

Levers of eco-control and competitive environmental strategy

An emerging stream of literature has investigated the link between management controls and the environmental strategy. However, this literature has provided an incomplete picture of that link, notably because of the lack of distinction between the intended and realized strategy and the lack of attention devoted to multiple environmental strategic intentions. The purpose of this study is twofold: (i) to examine the ability of eco-control to support competitive environmental strategies by translating strategic intentions into eco-practices, (ii) to examine the extent to which the role of eco-controls, when translating environmental strategic intentions into eco-practices, varies when strategic intent is predominately based on eco-efficiency or eco-branding. Using survey-data from a sample of 249 manufacturing firms, the results suggest that the predominance of either eco-efficiency or eco-branding intent leads to variations in the use of beliefs, boundaries, diagnostic and interactive levers of eco-control. More specifically, the results suggest that firms focusing predominately on eco-efficiency intent rely on the levers of eco-control to convert their strategic intentions into eco-production practices to a greater extent than organizations focusing predominately on eco-branding intent to implement eco-marketing practices. Also, the results suggest that, while the adoption of the levers of eco-control framework seems to be driven by eco-efficiency intentions, organizations may act on cost reduction before using eco-controls to implement eco-marketing practices when increasing revenues.

"You Can't Always Get What You Want": A Novel Research Paradigm to Explore the Relationship between Multiple Intentions and Behaviours.

ObjectiveResearch investigating cognitive moderators of the intention–behaviour relationship and psychological consequences of failure to enact intentions is usually conducted in a single‐behaviour paradigm. A multiple‐behaviour paradigm is introduced which overcomes bias inherent to single‐behaviour designs and allows testing of novel hypotheses. Two exploratory studies illustrate the utility of this new paradigm by investigating the role of cognitive predictors and psychological correlates of intention–behaviour relationships.MethodThe proposed method involves measuring multiple intentions across common areas of life activity at baseline and corresponding behaviours at follow‐up. In two studies, 51 intentions and behaviours were assessed (49 by self‐report, 2 objectively). In Study 1, participants (n = 126) also completed self‐reported measures of everyday cognitive failures and dysexecutive behaviours, crystallised intelligence (Mill Hill Vocabulary Scale) at baseline and Quality of Life (QoL; follow‐up). In Study 2, objective executive function measures (Stroop, Go/NoGo task and Word Fluency test) were completed by N = 30 participants.ResultsThe total number of intentions, cognitive, and QoL measures were unrelated to the percentage of intentions enacted. Crystallised intelligence was related to successful intention implementation and problems with emotion regulation were associated with forming fewer intentions and with fewer failed intentions. QoL was strongly related with more intentions, regardless of whether or not these were implemented. Study 2 showed that cognitive flexibility (word fluency) and task errors, rather than Stroop effect and Go/No‐Go performance were related, to intention–behaviour congruence.ConclusionIntention–behaviour relationships might be better understood when considering the multiple intentions and behaviours that people are engaged in at once at any one point in time. A multiple‐behaviour paradigm suggests novel hypotheses. Preliminary findings reported here require replication. Anticipated applications of the paradigm are outlined and discussed.

Will and communality in Bakhtin, from a Nietzschean perspective

The article engages Bakhtin’s corpus with Nietzschean ideas in order to draw out critical resources for the social theory of ‘community’. It begins by considering both thinkers’ debt to neo-Kantianism, and proceeds to relate the ‘will to power’ to Bakhtin’s early intersubjective phenomenology of intentional acts. This interpretation is then extended to Bakhtin’s conception of art, where aesthetics stands in tensile relation to ethics in the exercise of authorial will. Bakhtin’s later work might be seen as elaborating more complex terms for describing will and event, now as composite embodiments of multiple intentions within art, discourse and language, thus suggesting a novel approach to ‘communality’ in modern social life.

Process conflict management among Indian software employees

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to test the possible influence of the Ajzen’s theory of planned behaviour (TPB) in predicting conflict-handling intentions during process conflict episodes. Conflict situations are often to be managed with limited time in software projects. With this cue, the study is conducted in the context of software companies in India. Design/methodology/approach – Five variables of the TPB comprising attitude, injunctive subjective norms, descriptive subjective norm, conflict efficacy (CE) and structural assurance (SA) have been studied in relation to the two standard conflict-handling intentions: integrating and dominating approach. By developing vignettes on process conflict, salient beliefs towards process conflicts were elicited among software employees in India. A questionnaire using Ajzen’s guidelines was administered. Structural equation modelling for 150 responses is used for testing path suitability and significance. Findings – Employees with positive attitude towards conflict, high CE and high SA intend to integrate during process conflict. Employees with low efficacy and who are influenced by the action of their role model intend to dominate during process conflict. Research limitations/implications – The study is contextualized to Indian software employees. Findings should not be generalized until replicated in samples from other settings. Practical implications – This study will help practitioners in understanding the various elements that play role in a process conflict and also help in developing appropriate interventions in managing conflicts. This can be done by identifying and resolving issues related to unfavourable attitude and behavioural norms towards process conflicts. Originality/value – This study is the first to examine the efficacy of the TPB model in predicting multiple conflict-handling intentions among Indian software companies.

Editing Beckett's Twin Texts

This article tries to envision and assess the feasibility of a critical multilingual edition of Beckett's works, against the background of both traditional editorial theory and new developments in the field. In the case of Beckett's theatrical work, he kept revising his texts in performance. German editorial practice in particular has offered several examples of dealing with this kind of variance, reflecting the author's multiple and changing intentions over time in a critical edition. The situation becomes more complex in Beckett's case due to the multilingual aspect of his work. One way to reflect the multiplicity of Beckett's texts would be to present them as both product and process, in the form of critical multilingual editions with revision narratives connected to, and informed by, the Beckett Digital Manuscript Project ( www.beckettarchive.org ). In this way, the various versions of Beckett's work are not reduced to a critical apparatus but exist alongside the critically edited twin texts, calling the readers’ attention to crucial points of textual variation, rather than smoothing them out.

Organizational culture and withdrawal intentions and behavior

The goal of the present study is to examine the influence of five dimensions of organizational culture (i.e. job challenge, communication, trust, innovation and staff cohesiveness) on employees’ withdrawal intentions and behavior. Specifically, three forms of employees’ withdrawal intentions (i.e. from the occupation, job, and organization), and one form of employees’ withdrawal behavior (i.e. self-reported absenteeism) are examined. The paper investigates these relationships among staff workers in the Iranian bank sepah system through a structured questionnaire. Regression analyses were employed to test the research hypotheses. The findings of this study indicate that an organizational culture that provides challenging jobs, diminishes employees’ absenteeism, and withdrawal intentions from the occupation, job, and the organization. The results also show that other dimensions of organizational culture were not significantly correlated with the dependent variables, with the exception of the relationship between a culture of innovation and employees’ withdrawal intentions from the job. This study contributes to a better understanding of the influence of organizational contexts (e.g. culture) on the development of multiple withdrawal intentions and behaviors among staff service employees in the bank sepah sector.

Comparison of ERD evoked by imagery of different hand movements in healthy participants and stroke patients

Comparison of ERD evoked by imagery of different hand movements in healthy participants and stroke patients

Examining multiple behavioral effects of third-person perception: Evidence from the news about Fukushima nuclear crisis in Taiwan

This study focuses on examining the behavioral component of the third-person effect. It explores the self-other perceptual gap concerning the influence of nuclear pollution news on the prediction of different actions: corrective, protective, and promotional. The study analyzes data from a probability sample collected in Taiwan after the news about nuclear pollution from Fukushima was widely reported. The results showed that the discrepancy in self-other perceptions was a significant predictor of multiple behavioral intentions, which included seeking self-protection (e.g., taking iodide pills), supporting corrective actions (e.g., opposing the building of new nuclear power plants), and supporting government-led promotional measures (e.g., launching public educational campaigns on nuclear safety). These results indicate that the behavioral component of the third-person effect extends beyond the realm of willingness to censor.

Ya gotta have friends: social support and self-efficacy predict success following immersion treatment.

This study examined the impact of perceived social support and self-efficacy on predicting success in weight management following immersion treatment of adolescent obesity. 198 overweight and obese adolescents (M% overweight = 81.4%; M BMI = 36.0) participated in Wellspring's cognitive-behavioral therapeutic camps for 3-10 weeks during the summer of 2011. The campers and one of their caretakers completed a series of questionnaires at the halfway point during immersion. One year following camp, campers and their parents provided follow-up heights and weights. Multiple regression intent to treat analyses indicated that campers who perceived their friends as supportive, reported confidence in their ability to succeed, and believed that their families functioned well achieved relatively more substantial reductions in percent overweight 1 year after immersion. Perceptions of support anticipated from parents failed to predict success. Campers who more fully engaged in the process of change at camp also achieved somewhat greater success in the long run. These results suggest that participants in cognitive-behavioral immersion treatment may improve outcomes by nurturing support from their friends, increasing self-efficacy, and having their families consider family therapy if warranted.

Confucius Institutes as Instruments of Soft Power: Comparison with International Rivals

The Chinese Confucius Institutes, which have become common around the world and particularly in Asia, have followed the examples of the British Council, Alliance Française and the Goethe Institute. Yet by following the earlier examples, Confucius Institutes have the benefit of late development and can learn from the experiences of earlier approaches. This paper studies and analyses the overseas educations institutions of China, Britain, France and Germany to identify similarities and dissimilarities and then draws conclusions from this. It is shown that Confucius Institutes are a representative of the overseas soft power approach of the Chinese government and have multiple intentions and purposes.

Less is more: The effect of multiple implementation intentions targeting unhealthy snacking habits

AbstractImplementation intentions have been shown to effectively change counter‐intentional habits. Research has, however, almost solely been concerned with the effectiveness of a single plan. In the present research, we investigated the behavioral and cognitive implications of making multiple implementation intentions targeting unhealthy snacking habits and its underlying processes, linking multiple habitual snacking cues to healthy alternatives. Study 1 revealed that formulating multiple implementation intentions was not effective in decreasing unhealthy snacking, whereas formulating a single plan successfully induced behavior change. By using a lexical decision task in Study 2, it was found that when making a single plan, but not multiple plans, the healthy alternative became cognitively more accessible in response to a critical cue prime than the habitual response. However, when making additional plans in an unrelated domain, the negative effects of making multiple plans were absent. In sum, the current findings suggest that formulating multiple implementation intentions is ineffective when changing unwanted behavior. These reduced effects of multiple implementation intentions do not occur when making the plan but are rather due to interference in the enacting phase of the planning process. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The road to performance ratings is paved with intentions

Employee performance appraisals are complex events in organizations. They occur in contextually rich environments and have implications for careers, training opportunities, remuneration, and interpersonal relationships. For years, the study of performance appraisals has mirrored this complexity and has revealed a multitude of variables that can influence the accuracy of performance ratings. Of late, the importance of managers’ intentions as a determinant of performance ratings has gained prominence. What is less understood is where these intentions come from and what determines their relative strength or weakness. In the current paper, we present a model that explains the simultaneous presence and strength of multiple rating intentions that managers can have when rating employee performance.

Toward the modelling of safety violations in healthcare systems

When frontline staff do not adhere to policies, protocols, or checklists, managers often regard these violations as indicating poor practice or even negligence. More often than not, however, these policy...

A Volitional Help Sheet to Reduce Alcohol Consumption in the General Population: A Field Experiment

Volitional help sheets (VHS) have been shown to be effective in changing health behavior, but not yet alcohol consumption in a general population. The aim of the present research was to test the ability of VHS to reduce alcohol consumption against an active control condition, a "standard" self-generated implementation intention condition, and forming a single implementation intention using the VHS. Sixty-nine participants were randomly allocated to one of four conditions: active control, VHS: single implementation intention, VHS: multiple implementation intentions and self-generated implementation intention. The main outcome measure was alcohol intake, assessed using a version of the timeline follow-back technique. Subsequent alcohol consumption decreased by more than 0.5 standard units (8 grams) per day in each of the experimental conditions (ps < 0.05), but increased marginally (0.05 units/day) in the active control condition. There were no significant differences in cognition or behavior between the three experimental conditions. The findings support the efficacy of a new VHS to reduce alcohol consumption. Further research is needed to identify alternative means by which people may form implementation intentions.

Approaches to suffering at the end of life: the use of sedation in the USA and Netherlands

BackgroundStudies describing physicians’ experiences with sedation at the end of life are indispensible for informed palliative care practice, but they are scarce. We describe the accounts of physicians from the...

Performing the Practice Turn in Archaeology

Many strands of archaeology have not succeeded in disentangling the complex relationship between humans and things. They are based on the anthropocentric notion that the relationship between humans and things is guided by human intentionality and conceptualized from a human perspective. Within the last few years, material culture studies and workplace studies have demonstrated how objects can trigger practices or have an agency of their own. These studies have empirically applied Pierre Bourdieu’s habitus concept and Bruno Latour’s actor-network theory. In my view, it is time to extend the practice turn of culture studies and social anthropology to archaeology. This should not lead archaeologists to dismiss previous approaches but should encourage them to supplement them with additional insights. Humans and objects are connected by complex entanglements which are based on a mutual dependence. Humans use objects with multiple intentions, but at the same time feel that things move or prompt them to act. Humans communicate through objects but also with objects in the context of social practices. I argue for the transformative power of the human-thing-entanglement within processes of appropriation by drawing on contextual analyses of Aegean-type pottery in the Southern Levant in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages.

Estimation Algorithm of Machine Operational Intention by Bayes Filtering with Self-Organizing Map

We present an intention estimator algorithm that can deal with dynamic change of the environment in a man-machine system and will be able to be utilized for an autarkical human-assisting system. In the algorithm, state transition relation of intentions is formed using a self-organizing map (SOM) from the measured data of the operation and environmental variables with the reference intention sequence. The operational intention modes are identified by stochastic computation using a Bayesian particle filter with the trainedSOM. This method enables to omit the troublesome process to specify types of information which should be used to build the estimator. Applying the proposed method to the remote operation task, the estimator's behavior was analyzed, the pros and cons of the method were investigated, and ways for the improvement were discussed. As a result, it was confirmed that the estimator can identify the intention modes at 44–94 percent concordance ratios against normal intention modes whose periods can be found by about 70 percent of members of human analysts. On the other hand, it was found that human analysts' discrimination which was used as canonical data for validation differed depending on difference of intention modes. Specifically, an investigation of intentions pattern discriminated by eight analysts showed that the estimator could not identify the same modes that human analysts could not discriminate. And, in the analysis of the multiple different intentions, it was found that the estimator could identify the same type of intention modes to human-discriminated ones as well as 62–73 percent when the first and second dominant intention modes were considered.

Examining mediating role of attitudinal loyalty and nonlinear effects in satisfaction‐behavioral intentions relationship

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the mediating role of attitudinal loyalty in the relationship between satisfaction and customer behavioral intentions such as willingness to pay more and internal and external complaining responses. It also seeks to examine the nonlinear effects in the relationship between satisfaction, attitudinal loyalty and behavioral intentions.Design/methodology/approachThe paper adopted the structural equation modeling approach to test the hypotheses (sample size 202). It used Marsh et al.'s unconstrained method to test latent quadratic effects in the conceptualized relationships.FindingsThe results support the fully mediating role of attitudinal loyalty in the relationship between satisfaction and behavioral intentions. The paper also finds partial support for nonlinear effects in the relationship. Results support nonlinearity, and in particular diminishing sensitivity, in the link from attitudinal loyalty to willingness to pay more.Originality/valueThe paper adds to the existing literature by detangling the complex relationships between satisfaction, attitudinal loyalty and behavioral intentions such as willingness to pay more and external and internal complaining responses. In particular, this is the first study to simultaneously examine the nonlinear effects of attitudinal loyalty on multiple behavioral intentions constructs. This study also establishes the superiority of a fully mediated model, in which satisfaction affects behavioral intentions through attitudinal loyalty, over a partially mediated model.

The association between home environmental variables and soft drink consumption among adolescents. Exploration of mediation by individual cognitions and habit strength

Soft-drink consumption is one of the important target behaviours for the prevention of excessive weight gain among adolescents. To be able to modify these behaviours in obesity prevention interventions, further understanding of the underlying factors and mediational pathways is required. The present study aimed to explore associations between home environment variables and adolescent soft drink consumption and potential mediation of these associations by individual cognitions derived from the Theory of Planned Behaviour and habit strength. The ENDORSE study ( N = 1005) provided data on soft drink consumption and on home environment variables related to soft drink consumption (availability, accessibility, parental modelling, and parental rules), cognitive variables (intention, attitude, perceived behaviour control, and parental norm) and habit strength. Multiple mediation analyses were conducted using regression analyses according to the steps described by MacKinnon to assess the association between home environment variables and soft drink consumption and mediation of these associations by cognitive variables and habit strength. The bootstrapping method was used to calculate the confidence intervals. There were significant associations between the home environment variables and soft drink consumption. After inclusion of the mediators the strength of these associations was reduced. In the multiple mediator models, habit strength (39.4–62.6%) and intention (19.1–36.6%) were the strongest mediators. Intention and habit strength partly mediate the associations between home environment factors and soft drink consumption, suggesting that home environment variables influence soft drink consumption both indirectly and directly.