Perceptions Of Competence Research Articles

Social Media Analysis of Instagram Reveals Increased Scrub Attire in Non-OR Settings.

Physician attire on social media impacts patient perceptions of professionalism, competency, and trustworthiness. Plastic surgeons have rapidly adopted social media for educating and recruiting patients. Although social media is increasingly integrated into plastic surgery practice, there is little data on the attire surgeons portray themselves in online. This study explores trends in the attire of plastic surgeons in the USA in non-OR clinical settings through social media analysis. Public Instagram accounts were identified by searching #PlasticSurgery and #PlasticSurgeon. Only USA-based board-certified plastic surgeons were included. Three pictures per surgeon per year (2018-2022) in non-OR clinical settings were randomly selected. Attire was categorized as scrubs, professional clothing, or business casual. The use of a white coat along with the geographic region (West, Midwest, Southwest, Southeast, and Northeast) was also recorded. In total, 1000 pictures (100 surgeons) were reviewed. ANOVA testing revealed significant (p < 0.05) differences over time with a trend toward decreased white coat and increased scrub use over the past 5years. Significant gender differences were also noted, including male plastic surgeons wearing scrubs more often and white coat less often than female plastic surgeons (p < 0.05). Plastic surgeons looking to maintain an Instagram presence may consider posting in scrubs and no white coat versus traditional professional clinic attire to be aligned with modern social media trends. Further study is necessary to understand how these trends continue to evolve and what impact the pandemic may have had on plastic surgeons' clinical attire. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Cute or competent? Contextual dynamics of consumer acceptance toward service robots

ABSTRACT Despite the prevalence of service robots, consumer attitudes toward them are mixed. We consider how conversational styles (CS) of robots influence consumer experiences in different service contexts. Two experiments investigated this issue from the theoretical perspective of the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM). The results show that robots with cute (vs. competent) CS lead to higher perceived entertainment (PEn); robots with competent (vs. cute) CS lead to higher perceived competence (PC). PEn and PC mediate the effect of CS on consumer service acceptance intention. We also identified the moderating role of service context in the relationship between consumer perceptions and service acceptance intention. These findings inspire service robot designers and managers to design and deploy service robots with different CS in consideration of service context to enhance the human–robot service interactions.

Novice Perioperative Nurses' Perceptions of Nursing Competence and Strategies Used to Enhance Competence: A Phenomenographic Study.

Novice Perioperative Nurses' Perceptions of Nursing Competence and Strategies Used to Enhance Competence: A Phenomenographic Study.

Evaluating the effectiveness of gamification in physical education: enhancing engagement through play and movement

Introduction: The increasing number of students who remain physically inactive creates dual health and educational problems that call for new PE strategies. Research demonstrates that gamification enhances student participation levels as well as their motivational factors while increasing their physical movement. Objective: The research evaluates how gamified PE classes affect student participation levels together with their internal drive and physical movement. Methodology: A six-week quasi-experimental study examined middle school student participation through an examination of 120 subjects. The PE activities used competition-enhancing game elements including goals and feedback systems and leaderboards. The researchers evaluated engagement through cognitive behavioral and emotional domains and used the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory to measure motivation. Wearable fitness trackers tracked the number of steps students took as well as the length of their activities and their expended energy. Results: Tests yielded significant findings showing that engagement showed substantial growth (t = 5.47, p &lt; 0.001) especially in cognitive engagement aspects. The participants exhibited significant enhancement in their perception of competence as well as their sense of autonomy and relatedness between subjects (p &lt; 0.001). The participants achieved better physical activity outcomes through 1,600 additional daily steps and a 60-minute increase in active time and 600 kcal increase in expended energy. Conclusion: Gamified PE interventions help boost student engagement while improving their motivation toward health activities and active behavior changes. Short-term evaluations in this research have proven effective yet long-term results alongside educational strategy combinations need additional research.

Uncertainty and perceptions of competence under pressure: Affective and motivational consequences of relative feedback during cognitive performance.

Uncertainty and perceptions of competence under pressure: Affective and motivational consequences of relative feedback during cognitive performance.

Cross-modal congruency effects in online service settings: a telepresence – stereotype content perspective

Purpose This study aims to integrate research on multimodal congruency with the stereotype-content model to offer a novel explanation of why and when consumers respond favorably to vision-sound congruency in online service settings. Design/methodology/approach A mixed methods approach included a field study (360° panoramic desktop-virtual tour of a winery) and a laboratory study (fully immersive virtual realtiy (VR) tour of a pub). The explanatory mechanism was tested through conditional process analyses, specifically, a custom-made serial mediation model where effects of cross-modal congruency were channeled through telepresence and warmth/competence with familiarity with the service provider included as a moderator. Category knowledge and involvement were included as controls. Study 2 additionally accounted for sensory olfactory and haptic information present in the consumer’s physical location. Findings Congruency between vision and sound positively influences consumer intention to visit the environment in person, to purchase online and to engage in positive word-of-mouth. These effects are channeled through enhanced feelings of telepresence as well as more favorable perceptions of service provider warmth. Congruency effects are robust in the presence of additional sensory input in the offline environment and across levels of involvement and knowledge but may depend on a consumer’s familiarity with the setting. Research limitations/implications The study offers a novel process explanation for how cross-modal congruency in online service settings influences consumer intention. Examining two specific sensory modalities and two service settings presents limitations. Practical implications The findings help service providers to better understand how perceptions of warmth and competence transmit cross-modal congruency effects, resulting in more favorable responses. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this work is among the first to adopt a stereotype-content and multimodal congruency perspective on consumer response to online service settings.

Supplemental Material for Uncertainty and Perceptions of Competence Under Pressure: Affective and Motivational Consequences of Relative Feedback During Cognitive Performance

Supplemental Material for Uncertainty and Perceptions of Competence Under Pressure: Affective and Motivational Consequences of Relative Feedback During Cognitive Performance

Preparing for Student Affairs Work: Graduate Students’ Perceptions of Essential Professional Competencies

Using thematic analysis on a variety of documents and semi-structured interviews, 13 participants identified three clusters of professional competencies that they find essential to succeed in student affairs work: (a) navigating higher education and student affairs (HESA) interpersonal dynamics; (b) logistics and planning to ensure quality and ethical work; and (c) developing and using research and resources. These findings inform practical implications for meaningful and intentional learning by HESA faculty and fieldwork supervisors. Recommendations for future research are encouraged to advance this study into a critical, identity-conscious line of inquiry.

Chatbot dynamics: trust, social presence and customer satisfaction in AI-driven services

PurposeThis study investigated the factors that influence customer satisfaction with AI-driven services by focusing on chatbot agents. The conceptual model included psychological and social factors, such as trust, perceived social presence, competence perception, social-oriented communication style, warmth perception, subjective norms and attachment anxiety.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative methodology was employed utilising a survey conducted among 525 consumers who interacted with chatbot services. The data were analysed using structural equation modelling (Smart-PLS 4.0) to test the proposed hypotheses.FindingsThe study revealed that social-oriented communication, perceptions of competence and warmth, trust and subjective norms significantly enhanced customer satisfaction with chatbots. Trust was critical in fostering satisfaction, whereas perceived social presence and attachment anxiety had minimal impact. The findings suggest that despite the emphasis on social presence, its influence on satisfaction may depend on contextual factors that were not captured in this study.Originality/valueThis study extended the Technology Acceptance Model and Stereotype Content Model by integrating factors such as perceived social presence, trust, competence perception, social-oriented communication style, warmth perception, subjective norm and attachment anxiety. Challenging conventional assumptions on the role of social presence and attachment anxiety, the study provides new insights into the complex dynamics of human–chatbot interactions, offering practical implications for improving chatbot design and enhancing user experience that emphasise the importance of trust, competence and social-oriented communication in customer satisfaction.

The Dual Role of AI: A Capable Assistant in Collaboration and a Scapegoat in Competition

This study aims to delve into the mechanisms by which two distinct relationship modes—collaboration and competition—affect human perceptions of warmth and competence towards artificial intelligence (AI), focusing on the roles of anthropomorphism and contact approaches. In the first study (N = 242), we simulated the dynamics of collaboration and competition between humans and AI and the approaches of direct and indirect contact. In the second study (N = 256), we controlled the collaborative and competitive relationships between humans and AI, in addition to different degrees of anthropomorphism. Feedback from participants on their perceptions of warmth and competence towards AI from two studies indicated that the collaborative relationship could significantly enhance participants’ perceptions of warmth and competence towards AI, while the competitive relationship had the opposite effect, treating AI as a scapegoat. Moreover, a high level of anthropomorphism not only enhanced participants’ perception of AI’s competence but also led to a higher level of perceived warmth in collaborative interactions. Finally, the contact approach had no significant effect on perceptions of AI’s warmth and competence.

Exploring The Compatibility Between English Teacher Professional Competency And Students’ Motivation In EFL Learning Process At High Schools

This study investigates the relationship between English teachers' professional competency and student motivation in high schools in Tanjungpinang, Indonesia. Recognizing the critical role of teacher competence in influencing student engagement and learning outcomes, this research addresses a gap in understanding how different aspects of teacher effectiveness impact student motivation across various schools. The study aims to evaluate how teachers' pedagogical skills, competency perceptions, and classroom strategies affect students' attitudes towards learning English. Using a qualitative approach, data was collected through interviews with four English teachers and questionnaires completed by 127 students from SMKN 1 Tanjungpinang, SMKS Maitreyawira Tanjungpinang, SMAN 2 Tanjungpinang, and SMA Pelita Nusantara Tanjungpinang. Key findings reveal that while overall student motivation is high, significant variability exists in how teaching methods and teacher competency are perceived and their effect on motivation. Teachers at different schools employ varied strategies, impacting student engagement differently. The study highlights the need for targeted professional development to address inconsistencies and improve teaching effectiveness. The implications suggest enhancing teacher training programs and refining classroom practices to foster a more uniformly motivating learning environment. Future research should explore longitudinal effects of teacher competency on student outcomes and further investigate the interplay of external factors affecting motivation.

Mixed signals of status: luxury consumption shapes competence and warmth impressions through different routes

ABSTRACT Individuals engage in luxury consumption to signal status and realize the benefits of higher status. Research on how observers explain luxury consumption is limited. In Study 1 within a social interaction context and Study 2 within a social media context, luxury consumption increases perceived competence and reduces perceived warmth. Perceived status mediates the effect of luxury consumption on increased competence perception. Study 3 compares the effects of mere wealth and wealth plus luxury. Luxury consumption further reduces perceived warmth, with no effect on perceived competence. Study 4 shows that inference of status signaling motive drives the decreased warmth impression of luxury consumers. In sum, luxury consumption increases competence perception through perceived status, whereas it reduces warmth perception through status signaling motive inference.

The Dark Side of a Big Smile: Detrimental Effects of Smile Intensity on Luxury Brand Advertising Effectiveness

ABSTRACTThe expresser's smile is a ubiquitous nonverbal communication cue used to elicit favorable impressions among consumers. However, does the expresser's smile exert persuasive power in luxury advertising, where exclusivity often outweighs approachability? Integrating the social‐functional perspective of emotions with the stereotype content model of social judgments, we explore how, why, and when the intensity of a smile can adversely impact the effectiveness of luxury advertising. We demonstrate that a neutral expression (vs. a slight and broad smile) leads to higher levels of luxury ad engagement scores, click‐through rates, ad attitudes, and purchase behaviors. This effect is unique to luxury products and driven by a serial processing mechanism: enhanced competence judgments and perceived ad credibility that surface when the expresser features a neutral expression. To provide a deeper understanding of how the persuasive impact of smile intensity vary depending on complementary nonverbal signals and individual level factors, we elucidate two boundary conditions: lay rationalism level of consumers and eye gaze direction of the expresser. Specifically, the detrimental effect of smile intensity on competence perceptions is attenuated for low‐lay rationalistic consumers, who base their decisions on emotions, while the neutral expression facilitates higher ad effectiveness when paired with a direct gaze (vs. an averted gaze). Six preregistered studies, including field data on Instagram ads (N = 435), two large‐scale field experiments on Meta (Ntotal = 233,301), and three controlled online experiments (Ntotal = 940), using different luxury products as well as fictitious and real brands, support these findings. Theoretically, this research advances literature on the nonverbal communication of emotions and the psychology of luxury consumption by showing that smile intensity serves as a visual deterrent to the effectiveness of luxury advertising. Managerially, it offers implications for luxury brand marketers on how to leverage the psychophysical characteristics of facial expressions in their ad design and positioning strategies.

Determining the Classroom Needs of School-Based Agricultural Education Teachers in Minnesota

Retaining quality SBAE teachers is key to the success and growth of the agricultural industry. Given the connection between SBAE teacher perceived competence and professional commitment (Palmer, 2020; Rada, 2023), it is vital to explore the perceptions of competence of teachers concerning their classroom. Using a Borich needs assessment model, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the perception of Minnesota SBAE teachers in the areas of teaching, classroom management, and technical agriculture to identify professional development needs. The SBAE teachers who participated in this study utilized various sources of professional development to enhance their competence as educators. Agriculture teachers' association workshops and school in-service workshops were their main sources of professional development. Most respondents (69.2%) had also participated in the Teacher Induction Program (TIP) as an early-career teacher. Managing student behaviors, motivating students to learn, proper implementation of IEPs for students with disabilities, integrating current advances in agricultural technology into the curriculum, teaching in an agricultural mechanics laboratory, and teaching knowledge and skills in biotechnology were identified as the top six professional development needs. Our results showed limited differences in professional development based on years of SBAE teaching experience. In addition to continued content-focused trainings, professional development focused on pedagogy and student engagement are recommended as focus areas for professional development.

EXPRESS: The role of arousal and subjective significance in the perception of warmth and competence in abstract stimuli and human faces.

Meeting unknown people is inevitably linked with evaluating them, and many factors can influence this evaluation. The aim of our two experiments was to study the relationships between emotional (arousal, subjective significance) and social cognition dimensions (warmth, competence). The participants were asked to evaluate how warm and competent neutral stimuli were. Before the presentation of the neutral stimuli there were always emotional words differing in arousal and subjective significance. It was observed that higher levels of subjective significance intensified the ratings, similarly to moderate arousal, while lower and higher arousal decreased the ratings for abstract stimuli. Nevertheless, for human faces lower and moderate arousal increased ratings compared to high arousal. Finally, Higher subjective significance increased the ratings of competence (but not warmth). The results confirm the influence of emotions on social cognition and the relationship between subjective significance and competence.

What Do You Do Outside of Work? When and Why Disclosing Eudaimonic Leisure Activities Increases Competence Perceptions and Consumer Choice

Abstract Consumers have increasing access to more holistic information about the providers they consider working with and hiring (e.g., realtors, designers), including how they spend their free time. This research examines how a professional’s disclosure of their leisure activities impacts consumer choice. While the way people spend their leisure time should be unrelated to their professional aptitude, across an online field study and four lab studies, the authors demonstrate that disclosing leisure activities associated with eudaimonic well-being (ie, meaning, fulfillment), such as hiking or cooking, can positively impact consumer choice. Such disclosures, relative to either not disclosing leisure or disclosing less eudaimonic activities such as relaxing or watching television, increase perceptions of competence, and in turn, interest in choosing, hiring, and supporting these individuals. Notably, the effects of eudaimonic leisure on competence and hiring intentions are attenuated if other diagnostic competence cues are present, such as a job- related award, and among those who value productivity less (ie, have a low productivity orientation). Thus, the authors show how seemingly irrelevant personal information about professionals can inform consumer choice. Moreover, by manipulating eudaimonic well-being via leisure disclosures, they demonstrate how such cues impact person perception, integrating research on well-being, self-disclosure, and social perceptions.

Gendered AI in fully autonomous vehicles: the role of social presence and competence in building trust

PurposeThis study aims to examine users’ perceptions of gendered artificial intelligence (AI) interfaces in the context of autonomous vehicles (AVs). It focuses on the gendered effects of social presence, warmth and competence on trust and introduces the moderating role of perceived autonomy as a key factor.Design/methodology/approachA between-subjects experimental design was used (n = 309), using a 360-degree virtual tour simulation with gendered voice assistants.FindingsAs AVs are perceived as highly autonomous, the impact of gender on social presence intensifies, affecting trust. Female voices enhance social presence, conveying warmth but also perceived competence traits. Notably, competence impacts trust more significantly than warmth.Research limitations/implicationsThe study’s experimental approach might not fully capture real-world interactions with AVs. Future research could benefit from field and longitudinal studies.Practical implicationsThese findings are crucial for AV designers and interface developers. They highlight the importance of considering human-like characteristics such as gender and enhance perceptions of competence in developing highly autonomous AI interfaces.Social implicationsAddressing gender stereotypes in AV design is vital to ensure inclusivity, to cater for a diverse user base and to give all users a trustworthy experience.Originality/valueThis study is pioneering in its examination of how gender stereotypes impact trust toward AVs, an area previously unexplored, despite the significant influence gender might have due to the high level of autonomy and traditional car-related stereotypes. It uniquely identifies feminine traits as denoting competence in highly autonomous technologies like AVs, especially where safety is critical. This challenges traditional gender stereotypes and emphasizes the need to rethink attributes associated with competence and trust in AI.

The Effect of Perceptions of Professional Competence of Preschool Teachers on Their Professional Burnout During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The aim of the research was to examine the effect of preschool teachers’ perception of professional competence on their professional burnout in Türkiye. A total of 157 teachers composed the study group. In this research, The Burnout Measure, Short Version, Teacher Professional Competence Scale and Personal Information Form prepared by the researchers were used as data collection tools. According to the regression results, the sub-dimensions of teachers’ professional competence, managing teaching and learning processes, and personal and professional development negatively affected the level of professional burnout. The findings indicate that teachers with a bachelor’s or postgraduate degree were less burned out compared to those who graduated from high school or associate’s degree programs. Teachers who graduated from a preschool education departments were less burned out compared to those from child development or other departments. Teachers working in public schools were more burned out compared to those working in private schools. Teachers aged 31 and above scored higher in the sub-dimension of planning education and educating. Additionally, it was observed that teachers working in private schools perceived higher competency levels in overall professional competence as well as in the sub-dimensions of subject matter knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, legislative knowledge, managing teaching and learning processes, and assessment and evaluation compared to teachers working in public schools. As a result, undergraduate and graduate preschool teachers in Türkiye usually work in public schools. These teachers may have higher expectations from themselves. Not being able to meet their expectations during the pandemic may have caused these teachers to feel more burnout. In this case, it would be appropriate to provide these teachers with appropriate environments and adequate psychological support.

The perceived pedagogical competence of teacher candidates in blended learning programs in Finland

ABSTRACT The global challenge of an insufficiency of teaching staff in Early Childhood Education (ECE) prompts initiatives such as Finland’s 1000+ training project, addressing the shortage through collaboration among universities. This research concerns the initial perceptions of pedagogical understanding and competence among students embarking on a blended teacher training program aiming to integrate work and study outside university hubs. The research approach was quantitative, as we surveyed 235 adult students to shed light on the interplay between their work experience and their pedagogical competence. The data analysis involved forming sum variables and conducting one-way analyses of variance to discern statistically significant patterns in the students’ responses. The results indicate significant connections between various aspects of work experience and perceived competence. Notably, the relationship between teaching experience and perceived competence in setting goals for pedagogical activities was significant. Furthermore, we identified a significant relationship between work experience and perceived competence in evaluating pedagogical activities. Hence, the study brings valuable new insights into the field of ECE teacher education in informing program development and pedagogical practices such that the existing competencies of adult students are acknowledged and further enhanced to tackle the diverse challenges of education.

You cannot start a fire without a spark: Strengths-based leadership and personal initiative

A pivotal characteristic of leaders is their ability to assist employees in recognizing, harnessing, and cultivating their strengths. This study explores the hypothesis that strengths-based leadership fosters employees’ personal initiative (PI). Grounded in self-determination theory (SDT), it is posited that strengths-based leadership indirectly bolsters employees’ PI by enhancing their competence perceptions. The study further argues that with the increase in remote work opportunities in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative to consider whether teleworking influences the relationships among strengths-based leadership, employees’ perceived competence, and employees’ PI. A two-wave, web-based questionnaire was utilized to collect data from 626 employees in the public sector in Norway. Multiple regressions and the PROCESS macro were used to test the hypotheses. The results corroborate a mediation model in which strengths-based leadership amplifies employees’ PI by increasing their perceived competence. The results supported the hypothesis that remote working moderates the positive association between strengths-based leadership and employees’ perceptions of competence, whereas a moderated mediation model, with the number of hours working remotely as the moderator, did not. This study contributes to research on strengths-based leadership by offering a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that drive proactive employee behavior within the framework of self-determination theory. As such, this study also contributes to self-determination theory and the literature on PI by examining how context and leadership influence the satisfaction of employees’ needs and foster proactivity. The study further provides insight into the implications of the increase in home office use in the post pandemic workforce.