Peer Recommendations Research Articles

Burning the candle at both ends: motivations for non-medical prescription stimulant use in the American workplace

Studies indicate prescription stimulant use for cognitive performance enhancement is normalized, contributing to increases in non-medical prescription stimulant use (NPSU) through peer recommendations and drug diversion. NPSU may follow users beyond their academic years to the workforce with some initiating use later in adulthood.Aims: Examine findings from a San Francisco Bay Area National Institute on Drug Abuse funded research project. Explore motivations to initiate and continue NPSU focusing on San Francisco Bay Area adults in the workforce. Analyze motivations for use and use practices within the American sociocultural context. We also examine consequences of use, including falling into the ‘Adderall trap’ – a cycle of using to perform, sleeplessness, then using again to wake up and perform.Methods: 67 in-depth interviews analyzed using Grounded Theory methods.Findings: Increased availability combined with pressure to perform and compete at work, facilitated decisions to initiate and continue use. Some also used recreationally to mitigate the effects of alcohol and prolong a night out.Conclusions: Cultural factors such as the pressure to perform in a society as the US valuing hard work, competition, and success motivate NPSU. In these cases, NPSU is not necessarily considered to be deviant, but rather following conventional values.

Expert reviews, peer recommendations and buying red wine: experimental evidence

ABSTRACTThe micro level behavioral foundation for how quality reviews of experts and word of mouth (WOM) affect demand for experience goods has received scant attention in previous research. Taking an experimental approach, the present study examines how quality reviews and peer recommendations influence consumers’ decisions to buy red wine. Four main findings are presented for a sample of Norwegian wine consumers. First, consumers prefer wines that have obtained very good quality reviews to wines getting OK quality reviews. Second, consumers prefer peer-recommended wines to non-recommended wines. Third, the effect of a very good quality review is greater for non-recommended wines than for peer-recommended wines. Fourth, some of these effects on wine buying decisions are contingent on price level, and there is also some heterogeneity to their magnitude. The results are mainly in concert with the proposed hypotheses.

Peer Recommendations, Consumption Variety, and Product Performance: Evidence from a Digital Platform

Users and suppliers of complementary products on digital platforms routinely face several non-trivial challenges due to an overload of information and fierce competition for attention. As such, eff...

Exploring doctoral students’ expectations of work-based skills training

Purpose Doctoral students are expected to undertake work-based skills training within their doctoral studies in areas such as problem solving, leadership and team working. The purpose of this paper is to explore student expectations of doctoral training within a UK Higher Education context. Design/methodology/approach The data for the study were gathered via two focus groups conducted among doctoral students from different faculties in a post-92 UK University. Participants were selected using a snowball sampling approach. Findings The findings suggest that the expectations of doctoral students are contingent upon their year of study, study mode, perceived fit between training goals and available training, peer recommendations, word-of-mouth (WoM) and the scholarly support they received from their supervisors. Practical implications The study suggests a better understanding of students’ segmentation can help Higher Education Institutions deliver training that meets the expectations of doctoral students in a way that result in zero or a positive disconfirmation. Originality/value This paper develops and deepens the understanding of the doctoral students’ expectations of work-based skills training and highlights the need for universities to adapt their doctoral training according to the expectations of different student segments.

Peer Recommendations, Consumption Variety, and Product Performance: Evidence from a Digital Music Platform

Users and suppliers of complementary products on digital platforms routinely face several non-trivial challenges due to an overload of information and fierce competition for attention. As such, effective management and governance mechanisms facilitating network effects and value co-creation with suppliers are an important determinant of a platform's competitive advantage. In the present study, we analyze a peer-based recommendation system on a digital music platform, arguing that it can facilitate the match between products' horizontal characteristics and users' idiosyncratic tastes or encourage users' exploration of new varieties, leading to an increase in products' performance. We derive predictions from a simple theoretical model of peer recommendations which we subsequently test at two levels of analysis. Our results provide strong evidence that peer recommendations indeed lead to increased performance of complementary products, and that they encourage users to extend the scope of the varieties they consume.

Relational social recommendation: Application to the academic domain

This paper outlines RSR, a relational social recommendation approach applied to a social graph comprised of relational entity profiles. RSR uses information extraction and learning methods to obtain relational facts about persons of interest from the Web, and generates an associative entity-relation social network from their extracted personal profiles. As a case study, we consider the task of peer recommendation at scientific conferences. Given a social graph of scholars, RSR employs graph similarity measures to rank conference participants by their relatedness to a user. Unlike other recommender systems that perform social rankings, RSR provides the user with detailed supporting explanations in the form of relational connecting paths. In a set of user studies, we collected feedbacks from participants onsite of scientific conferences, pertaining to RSR quality of recommendations and explanations. The feedbacks indicate that users appreciate and benefit from RSR explainability features. The feedbacks further indicate on recommendation serendipity using RSR, having it recommend persons of interest who are not apriori known to the user, oftentimes exposing surprising inter-personal associations. Finally, we outline and assess potential gains in recommendation relevance and serendipity using path-based relational learning within RSR.

Bodybuilders as Vigilantes and Vigilantes as Perpetrators of Election Violence: True?

In Sub-Saharan Africa, bodybuilders have been demonized as Vigilantes who are not violence averse, and who cause election violence. The situation is more complex and does not provide a straight forward cause and effect approach. This is an investigation into the relationship between bodybuilding and political party vigilantism and the role these actors play in election violence. The author used mixed methodology of analytical literature review and ethnographical investigative tool. Observer-Participant studied 16 bodybuilders in an Accra City Gym to determine if bodybuilding predisposes one to Political Party Vigilantism and consequently to election violence. Prompted by the generally known fact that some recreational and professional athletes’ use Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids, AAS for performance enhancement and image improvement, the association between AAS and increased aggression and violence was reviewed (Hoskin & Ellis, 2015). The investigation appears to suggest that the national media may be justified for painting some bodybuilders as testosterone driven, thrill seekers who morph into vigilante groups with the propensity for violence (Beaver et al., 2008; Piacentico, Kotzalidis, del Casale et al., 2015). This finding was not sustained by other researchers (Bahsin, Storer, Berman et al., 1996; Yates et al., 1999). In the national situation, the youth appear to use bodybuilding as part of their health-seeking needs, although there are aspects of bodybuilding that may not contribute to overall good health, such as the injection of steroids for muscle mass. Those recruited into Political Party Vigilante Groups join through peer recommendation, Political Party affiliation, personal choice and direct employment by “strongmen and financiers” in the Political Parties. A more objective approach to reporting on, and understanding of bodybuilding and its association with vigilantism or election violence should be adopted. Political Party vigilantism appears to be an effect of systemic economic malaise and under-development, which ought to be addressed by central government through progressive investment in education and employment opportunities.

Analysis on influencing factors of unprotected sexual behavior among men who have sex with men based on structural equation model

Objective: To analyze the influencing factors and mechanism for unprotected sexual behavior of men who have sex with men (MSM) in China. Methods: MSM who are more than 16 years old and have had homosexual sexual behaviors in recent years were recruited from five cities (Tianjin, Harbin, Nanjing, Chongqing and Xi'an) with active MSM population during 2013-2014 through network, site recruitment and peer recommendation using convenient sampling method. 3 519 subjects were included in this study. The sexual behavior related information of MSM in five cities was investigated using questionnaires. The confirmatory factor analysis was used to construct the measurement model by using the robust estimation method based on the weighted least square method to estimate parameters, and the final model was determined through evaluation and modification. Results: A total of 3 519 subjects were (29.9±8.76) years old, with a clear sexual orientation of 3 223 (91.6%), and 2 287 (65.0%) were aware of free HIV/AIDS treatment policies. The proportion of using condom last time was 77.2% (n=2 718), and the proportion of using condom every time was 36.9% (n=1 299) and 43.2% (n=1 521) respectively for the past six months with fixed and temporary partners. Structural equation model provided a good fit, the root mean square error of approximation, comparative fit index and non-normed fit index was 0.07, 0.97, 0.95, respectively. Knowing AIDS knowledge, educational level and sexual orientation had direct effects on unprotected sexual behavior, and the path coefficients were 0.179,-0.049 and -0.159, respectively. While the role of interventions was indirect, the path coefficient was 0.147. Conclusion: Lower education and unclear sexual orientation are disadvantages for reducing unprotected sexual behavior. Interventions mainly affect the unprotected sexual behavior by improving the level of HIV/AIDS knowledge. Increasing the comprehensive knowledge of MSM through intervention should be highly valued.

Learning peer recommendation using attention-driven CNN with interaction tripartite graph

Learning peer recommendation (LPR) is one of the effective solutions to overcome the information load of learners. This paper presents a multi-objective LPR framework for online learning. Using a dynamic interaction tripartite graph (DITG), we characterize and model the complex relationships among learners, learning content, and interaction behaviours, followed by capturing the dynamic interactions among learners with an attention-driven convolution neural network (CNN). The proposed attention-driven CNN is leveraged to tune the weights of interaction behaviours according to the features of the learning content. A multi-objective function composed of three conflicting metrics, interaction intensity, diversity and novelty, is optimized to achieve simultaneous multiple recommendations for a group of learners. Compared to the state-of-the-art approaches, the proposed LPR framework and algorithms perform favourably.

Peer recommendation in dynamic attributed graphs

In this paper, we propose a novel model to recommend possible research peers to a user efficiently. We model all the authors along with their attributes as an attributed graph and then perform community search on this attributed graph to find the most appropriate peer for a user. We propose algorithms to recommend a dynamic attributed graph efficiently and create a real-time community search model by deploying an incremental training algorithm. We also propose dynamic weighted attributes for each node (peer). Given a node and set of attributes (query), the proposed model is capable of self-expansion of the attribute set leading to a more significant match between two nodes. Our experimental results show that our proposed model achieved substantial performance gains over the existing models. In a nutshell, we present an intelligent system that incorporates the changes going on in the research world and suggest up-to-date recommendations. The proposed model is also robust enough to ensure that the recommendations do not suffer due to poor queries.

Decision support criteria and the development of a decision support tool for the selection of conservation materials for the built cultural heritage

Abstract Significant criteria for choosing materials (consolidants and protective coatings) for the conservation of the built cultural heritage were gathered from the literature and by consultation with experts working on the preservation of cultural heritage. Ten criteria were chosen from these, and a questionnaire was prepared and sent to stakeholders in the cultural heritage conservation domain in order to evaluate, score and rank the importance of the proposed criteria. Based on the results obtained a decision support tool was developed, aimed at conservators and other stakeholders, to help them to make sustainable decisions with regard to the selection of conservation materials for treatment of the built cultural heritage. Performance characteristics and health and safety were identified to be the most important criteria. A preliminary decision can be made based on these two criteria, however, reversibility, minimum intervention and re-treatability are also of very high importance and additional information about these characteristics of the material are required to support decisions. Information about environmental performance, peer recommendation, the application techniques, the price and availability of the materials, which are also integrated in decision support tools, can help conservators and stakeholders to reach a final decision on interventions. The study also provides feedback for the manufacturers of conservation materials. For the users of material, it is very important that the manufacturers clearly identify key characteristics (i.e. criteria) on the product, including those related with environmental performance of the materials.

The teaching practice and reflection of a public course of nutrition and health by adding views from top research papers

Objective To explore the impact of introducing cutting-edge scientific and technological literature into the general course of nutrition and health on the teaching effect. Methods Undergrad-uates were divided into experimental group and control group, with 50 students per group. The views from top research papers, as a part of teaching substance, were introduced to experimental group but not control group. The results of studying were evaluated by quiz and team presentation, and the effects of teaching were evaluated by questionnaire. The data were analyzed by the statistic method of independent sample double t-test. Results Statistical difference was found in average score between experiment group and control group [(54.40±5.47) vs. (47.96±4.29) in quiz, and (38.54±0.85) vs. (36.14±1.21) in team presentation, P=0.000]. Meanwhile, the score of questionnaire survey for interest, active thinking, studying effect, satisfaction and peer recommendation in experimental group were significantly higher than control group (P<0.05). Conclusion The introduction of cutting-edge research papers in class helps students to be more thoughtful and creative, thus it is an effective way to improve the integrative quality of the under-graduates. In the selection of literature content, we should adopt topics that are close to life, so as to arouse students' interest in active learning. Key words: Nutrition and health; Public course; Top research papers; Culture of creative thinking

Affecting brand loyalty intention: The effects of UGC and shopping searches via Facebook

ABSTRACTDespite the fact that social networking sites (SNSs) provide new opportunities for firms and brands, there is still a little understanding of how user-generated contents (UGC) and shopping-related research via Facebook (FB) affects brand loyalty intention in the luxury fashion context. The present work develops a conceptual model to empirically analyze how brand loyalty intention is affected by customers’ trust in a brand’s FB page, by their willingness to utilize brand’s FB page for shopping-related searches, and by three different types of UGC: peer recommendations, informational support and emotional support. In order to fulfill this aim, the study examines 277 Millennials and the Victoria’s Secret FB page. Structural equation model results reveal that online shopping-related searches, peer recommendations and social support have significant positive effects on customers’ trust. Moreover, the research points out a significant positive effect between customers’ trust and their brand loyalty intention, supporting marketers to better understand the role played by trusted UGC. The research provides interesting insights, for both academic and practitioners, because it contributes to the existing body of knowledge in the field of brand and social media marketing. Moreover, UGC, especially informational support, could enable firms to influence consumers’ behavior positively and to transform their brands’ FB pages into trusted ones.

Undergraduate use of medical radiation science mobile applications

IntroductionDespite the technologically intense nature of the medical radiation science (MRS) profession, literature specifically supporting the adoption of mobile learning in MRS education is scarce. To this aim, we explored student utilization of and influences for choosing MRS applications (apps, a specific type of mobile learning) within the Bachelor of Medical Radiation Science course at Charles Sturt University (CSU), Australia. Secondary objectives briefly investigated content reliability within selected chosen apps and overall student willingness to embrace this methodology prior to mainstream integration. MethodsA mixed-method census survey was delivered to 415 enrolled students using the software Survey Monkey to compile responses to 28 questions. Inclusion criteria included students who owned a smartphone or tablet and who used any apps listed on the survey. ResultsAmong the 97 students who completed the survey, 37% (36/97) freely use MRS apps at least weekly (70%, 21/30), of which anatomy atlases were reported as most popular. Peer recommendation influenced 67% (20/30) of students to choose the MRS apps used. Thirty-seven percent (11/30) of students integrated only one method to check the accuracy of app content prior to download. Students who do not use MRS apps (78%, 76/97) stated they were unaware of this resource; however, 91% (80/88) of the respondents indicated they would use MRS apps if incorporated into the curriculum. ConclusionThe majority of CSU students agreed that apps offer a convenient way to engage in a variety of interactive content both in the classroom and on-the-go, using apps most pertinent to their specific curriculum and/or for revision. Students preferred to use MRS apps if integrated as supplemental study tools vetted by the lecturer.

Enhancing green loyalty towards apparel retail stores: A cross-generational analysis on an emerging market

Faced with an array of scandals and challenges caused by environmental pollution and exploitation of workers, apparel retailers are often compelled to re-think their strategies in compliance with environmental governance, and to implement specific measures aimed at environmental protection and preserving resources. By adopting green-based strategies to reach their target segments, retailers seek not only to capture the attention of different consumer generations, but also to inspire loyalty and encourage them to re-visit stores.Based on the generational theory and by means of quantitative research addressing four consumer generations in an emerging market, the authors highlight the extent to which clothing retailers are able, by adopting green strategies and consistently implementing environmental protection actions, to attract mainly young consumers to their stores, encouraging the sharing of peer recommendations, increasing purchasing behaviour and invoking loyalty. The article highlights the contribution of green marketing strategies in developing consumer loyalty in an emerging market by offering retailers the possibility of deepening their understanding when approaching different consumer generations.

Social media influencers - shaping consumption culture among Malaysian youth

This study reveals the significance of social networking sites (SNS) that created vast opportunities for cultural awareness and consumption among youth SNS users in Malaysia. Simplicity and user-friendly features on Instagram had heightened interest and growth of its users where the ability to “hashtag” on Instagram identifies current trends based on user-generated images and videos that enable users to generate search results instantaneously. Researchers have argued that SNS users at present trust peer recommendations more than search engines and this phenomenon is evident from their resonance with “social media influencers” (SMIs) who are capable of influencing massive followers through reviews of products, services and social trends on their social media accounts; particularly on dining out and “cafehopping” as a social experience. This study examined the curation of Instagram posts by SMIs and found that their visibility of content created shared voices and reinforced cultural identities among their followers. The content analysis deployed in this study also investigated feedback on the selected SMI’s curation of posts and established that peer engagement is a tangible socialization process that would contribute to the youths’ future use of Instagram as a social, cultural and educational tool.

Motivations and Experiences of Canadians Seeking Treatment for Lyme Disease Outside of the Conventional Canadian Health-Care System.

Objective:We aimed to describe the experiences of Canadians who seek diagnosis and treatment for Lyme disease outside of the conventional Canadian health-care system.Methods:Forty-five individuals who had sought treatment for Lyme disease outside of the conventional Canadian health-care system were recruited from Lyme support and advocacy groups across Canada to answer open-ended questions about their experiences.Results:Respondents sought treatment outside of the conventional medical system due to extensive diagnostic procedures and treatments that did not resolve symptoms. Escalating health concerns, lack of effective treatment, and stigma produced a sense of abandonment and desperation. Respondents accessed alternative forms of care based on the recommendations of peers, yet considerable financial and emotional stress was experienced.Conclusions:Many individuals with Lyme or Lyme-like diseases are deeply dissatisfied with the care received within the conventional Canadian health-care system and therefore felt both pushed and pulled to seek treatments either from international physicians using different treatment protocols or from alternative medicine providers in Canada.

Selection and Use of Online Learning Resources by First-Year Medical Students: Cross-Sectional Study.

BackgroundMedical students have access to a wide range of learning resources, many of which have been specifically developed for or identified and recommended to them by curriculum developers or teaching staff. There is an expectation that students will access and use these resources to support their self-directed learning. However, medical educators lack detailed and reliable data about which of these resources students use to support their learning and how this use relates to key learning events or activities.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to comprehensively document first-year medical student selection and use of online learning resources to support their bioscience learning within a case-based curriculum and assess these data in relation to our expectations of student learning resource requirements and use.MethodsStudy data were drawn from 2 sources: a survey of student learning resource selection and use (2013 cohort; n=326) and access logs from the medical school learning platform (2012 cohort; n=337). The paper-based survey, which was distributed to all first-year students, was designed to assess the frequency and types of online learning resources accessed by students and included items about their perceptions of the usefulness, quality, and reliability of various resource types and sources. Of 237 surveys returned, 118 complete responses were analyzed (36.2% response rate). Usage logs from the learning platform for an entire semester were processed to provide estimates of first-year student resource use on an individual and cohort-wide basis according to method of access, resource type, and learning event.ResultsAccording to the survey data, students accessed learning resources via the learning platform several times per week on average, slightly more often than they did for resources from other online sources. Google and Wikipedia were the most frequently used nonuniversity sites, while scholarly information sites (eg, online journals and scholarly databases) were accessed relatively infrequently. Students were more likely to select learning resources based on the recommendation of peers than of teaching staff. The overwhelming majority of the approximately 70,000 resources accessed by students via the learning platform were lecture notes, with each accessed an average of 167 times. By comparison, recommended journal articles and (online) textbook chapters were accessed only 49 and 31 times, respectively. The number and type of learning resources accessed by students through the learning platform was highly variable, with a cluster analysis revealing that a quarter of students accessed very few resources in this way.ConclusionsMedical students have easy access to a wide range of quality learning resources, and while some make good use of the learning resources recommended to them, many ignore most and access the remaining ones infrequently. Learning analytics can provide useful measures of student resource access through university learning platforms but fails to account for resources accessed via external online sources or sharing of resources using social media.

The Spread Fashion: an Explorative Research of Italian Fashion Blog

In the collaborative context of the web 2.0 the blogging phenomenon has become one of the most common ways to communicate and share information through its user-generated content. In the blogosphere fashion blogs represent probably one of the liveliest segments. Focusing on fashion brands, fashion products, street style, and personal style, fashion blogs can be written by both fashion professionals and normal people with an interest in the fashion system. This phenomenon has become even more relevant since the fashion brands have recognized the role of fashion bloggers in influencing the final consumers as well as the role of peer – to – peer recommendations in shaping desires and attires of fashion blog users. The paper presents the preliminary results of a netnographic analysis conducted on some of the most popular Italian ‘non-professional’ fashion blogs in order to map the different approach to this grassrooted blog phenomenon, and to categorize and interpret the blog postings and the audience comments concerning fashion product-related information.

Apps in therapy: occupational therapists’ use and opinions

To gather information on occupational therapy practitioners’ use and opinions of apps, an online survey was distributed to occupational therapy practitioners licensed in the state of Ohio. The survey sought information regarding clinical populations and skill areas for which apps are used, potential barriers to use of apps and preferred apps/app features. OTs working in medical and education-based settings and with clients of all ages responded to the survey. Over half (53%) reported not using apps in therapy, with “not having access to the technology at work” being the leading reason endorsed. Of practitioners who did report using apps, the majority used them with ≤25% of their case load and primarily used tablets to do so. Clinicians indicated that they use apps for a wide variety of reasons, including to promote skill building and to support the therapeutic process. Preferred features included the ability to grade difficulty up/down, multiple uses and accurate feedback. Recommendations from peers were the most commonly reported way respondents found new apps. The results suggest that occupational therapy practitioners employ clinical reasoning when implementing apps in therapy. Possible ways to improve access to apps for therapists who would like to implement them are discussed.Implications for RehabilitationMany occupational therapy practitioners are using apps with at least a portion of their caseloads.Therapists select apps based on peer recommendations, most commonly selecting those which promote skill building and support the therapeutic process.More therapists might make use of apps if potential barriers were reduced or eliminated, including availability of technology in the clinical practice setting, therapist training and education, therapist input into app development and an enhanced evidence base.