Preferences For Different Types Research Articles

Barriers and opportunities of combining social and ecological functions of urban greenspaces – Users’ and landscape professionals’ perspectives

Combined provision of social and ecological functions of urban green spaces (UGSs) can facilitate sustainable development by combating the adverse effects of rapid urban growth. However, barriers and opportunities of such provision need to be better understood so that policy-makers and managers can ensure their benefits are realised. This paper addresses this by investigating user and manager preferences for different types, characteristics, facilities and activities associated with UGSs, and by exploring academic and managerial perceptions about policy and management practices. Empirical evidence from two UK cities – Manchester and Leeds – revealed that the barriers and opportunities to combining social and ecological functions in UGSs were linked to user demand; knowledge and understanding about UGS functions; and budget/funding. The research also indicated that addressing these issues would require the active promotion of a number of key priority areas. These included enhancing awareness and knowledge amongst both users and managers, the development of management guidelines linked to combining functions, and better use of context specific measures grounded in innovative techniques.

Spatial Equity of Multilevel Healthcare in the Metropolis of Chengdu, China: A New Assessment Approach.

The spatial equity of the healthcare system is an important factor in assessing how the different medical service demands of residents are met by different levels of medical institutions. However, previous studies have not paid sufficient attention to multilevel healthcare accessibility based on both the divergence of hierarchical healthcare supplies and variations in residents’ behavioral preferences for different types of healthcare. This study aims to propose a demand-driven “2R grid-to-level” (2R-GTL) method of analyzing the spatial equity in access to a multilevel healthcare system in Chengdu. Gridded populations, real-time travel distances and residents’ spatial behavioral preferences were used to generate a dynamic and accurate healthcare accessibility assessment. The results indicate that significant differences exist in the spatial accessibility to different levels of healthcare. Approximately 90% of the total population living in 57% of the total area in the city can access all three levels of healthcare within an acceptable travel distance, whereas multilevel healthcare shortage zones cover 42% of the total area and 12% of the population. A lack of primary healthcare is the most serious problem in these healthcare shortage zones. These results support the systematic monitoring of multilevel healthcare accessibility by decision-makers. The method proposed in this research could be improved by introducing nonspatial factors, private healthcare providers and other cultural contexts and time periods.

Choosing a Professional: The Influence of Practitioner Nationality, Experience, and Sex in Shaping Preferences for Accountants

The present study examined British adult participants preference for an accountant as a function of the latter’s demographics and experience. A sample of British participants completed a questionnaire in which they were asked to rate eight accountants stratified by nationality (British versus Asian), sex (male versus female), and experience (great versus moderate). A mixed-design analysis of variance showed a preference for female accounts trained in the home country. There were also a number of significant two- and three-way interactions, although the effect sizes of these interactions were relatively small. These results are discussed in relation to the extant literature on patient preferences for different types of health care practitioners.

The significance of political culture, economic context and instrument type for climate policy support: a cross-national study

ABSTRACTWhile many countries have pledged to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the choice of national climate policy measures demonstrates widespread variation. Although system of government, path-dependency and economic entanglements can explain a certain amount of variation in policy choice, research also points specifically towards the highly politicized nature of climate policy instruments and their sensitivity to public support as explanatory factors for cross-national differences. Previous studies hypothesize that various country-specific contextual factors determine both general preferences for environmental protection and the public’s preferences for different types of policy instruments. One suggestion is that countries’ prevailing political cultures have significant consequences for such public support. Another supposition is that, since countries differ in their economic dependency on climate detrimental industry such as fossil fuel production, this should be a significant factor determining both public attitudes and subsequent political decisions. This paper applies unique, original data from four countries with significant variation in (i) political-cultural contexts (Sweden and Norway vs New Zealand and Australia and (ii) economic dependency (Norway and Australia vs Sweden and New Zealand) to analyze how, and to what extent, these two contextual variables interact with, and moderate, the effect of individual-level factors on support for climate policy measures in the four countries. Furthermore, the paper explores variations in support for different types of CO2 taxes (directed towards individual consumers, industry, and fossil-fuel producers) in the four countries.Key policy insightsAcross contexts, public policy support is lower for taxes directed towards private consumption than for taxes directed towards industry, and the strongest for CO2 taxes on fossil fuel producing industry.Political culture and economic context influence the effect of individual-level factors on policy support.In a context of high economic dependency on the fossil-fuel industry, people are less likely to support the introduction of CO2 taxes.The effect of left-right ideology on policy support is sensitive to political-cultural context.

The social and cultural psychology of honour: What have we learned from researching honour in Turkey?

ABSTRACTA growing literature in social and cultural psychology has examined cultures of honour primarily focusing on southern states in the United States and on Mediterranean countries of southern Europe. In this article, we review a programme of research that has extended theories of cultures of honour to an under-researched context: Turkey. We first describe research that assessed lay reports of the situations that enhance or attack a person’s honour and lay prototypes of honour. Next, we review research that built on this foundation and examined emotional implications, actual retaliatory responses, and preferences for different types of actions (e.g., attack vs. withdrawal) in the face of honour threats. We then briefly comment on our current research focused on the ways that honour threats can impede goal pursuit, on the distinction between different types of honour threats, and on acculturation processes in immigrant groups from cultures of honour. We conclude by highlighting the contributions of this programme of research to the literature on cultures of honour and discuss future directions.

In the eye of the beholder: The role of cognitive style and similarity in the evaluation of brand extensions

AbstractFit has been identified as an antecedent of the success of brand extensions. Recently, a new stream of literature has distinguished two different types of fit: feature‐based taxonomic similarity and relation‐based thematic similarity. Although researchers in this field have investigated how thematic and taxonomic brand extensions are evaluated, they have not accounted for interindividual differences in these evaluations. To address this gap, we investigate how cognitive styles are related to the evaluation of brand extensions that are based on different types of similarity. We show that a systematic cognitive style is related to the evaluation of taxonomic brand extensions. Moreover, we take the first steps to disentangle the relationship between intuitive cognitive style and the evaluation of thematic brand extensions, and we show that positive affect might play an important role as a moderator in these cases. The results provide us with a better understanding of how interindividual differences in information processing might account for differences in preferences for different types of brand extensions and, hence, consumer behavior.

Associations Between Defense Styles, Approaches to Learning, and Achievement Among University Students

The present study explores associations between defense styles, approaches to learning, students’ preferences for different types of courses/teaching and achievement. The psychometric properties of the Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ-40), used for assessing students’ defense styles, are also explored. Participants in this study were undergraduates (N=425) studying in a social science department.The Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) is used for exploring students’ approaches to learning, while Grade Point Average (GPA) measured students’ academic achievement. The study suggests the contribution of defense styles to the Student Learning Research; it reports a mature and an immature learning pattern. Deep and strategic approaches to learning, preferences for classes that support understanding and GPA are associated with a mature defense style, whereas surface approach and preferences for classes that transmit information are associated with immature, image-distorting and neurotic defense styles. Defense styles as well as preferences for different courses appear to act as antecedents of approaches to learning; approaches mediate the effect of defenses and preferences on achievement although defenses have only a small impact. The study also suggests a four factor structure of the DSQ-40 in undergraduates. The findings are discussed in the context of the recent literature.

The Effects of Inequality, Density, and Heterogeneous Residential Preferences on Urban Displacement and Metropolitan Structure: An Agent-Based Model

Urban displacement - when a household is forced to relocate due to conditions affecting its home or surroundings - often results from rising housing costs, particularly in wealthy, prosperous cities. However, its dynamics are complex and often difficult to understand. This paper presents an agent-based model of urban settlement, agglomeration, displacement, and sprawl. New settlements form around a spatial amenity that draws initial, poor settlers to subsist on the resource. As the settlement grows, subsequent settlers of varying income, skills, and interests are heterogeneously drawn to either the original amenity or to the emerging human agglomeration. As this agglomeration grows and densifies, land values increase, and the initial poor settlers are displaced from the spatial amenity on which they relied. Through path dependence, high-income residents remain clustered around this original amenity for which they have no direct use or interest. This toy model explores these dynamics, demonstrating a simplified mechanism of how urban displacement and gentrification can be sensitive to income inequality, density, and varied preferences for different types of amenities.

The Effects of Inequality, Density, and Heterogeneous Residential Preferences on Urban Displacement and Metropolitan Structure: An Agent-Based Model

Urban displacement—when a household is forced to relocate due to conditions affecting its home or surroundings—often results from rising housing costs, particularly in wealthy, prosperous cities. However, its dynamics are complex and often difficult to understand. This paper presents an agent-based model of urban settlement, agglomeration, displacement, and sprawl. New settlements form around a spatial amenity that draws initial, poor settlers to subsist on the resource. As the settlement grows, subsequent settlers of varying income, skills, and interests are heterogeneously drawn to either the original amenity or to the emerging human agglomeration. As this agglomeration grows and densifies, land values increase, and the initial poor settlers are displaced from the spatial amenity on which they relied. Through path dependence, high-income residents remain clustered around this original amenity for which they have no direct use or interest. This toy model explores these dynamics, demonstrating a simplified mechanism of how urban displacement and gentrification can be sensitive to income inequality, density, and varied preferences for different types of amenities.

Ebb and Flow of Dispositional Goal Orientations: Exploring the Consequences of Within-Person Variability

Goal orientation theory has long recognized both stability and variability in people’s preferences for different types of goals in achievement contexts. However, empirical examination of this fundamental theoretical tenet about dispositional goal orientations remains an essential need in extant scholarship. In a field study of a multi-month, job-related training program designed to instruct foreign language capabilities (N = 972), we examined within-person fluctuations in dispositional goal orientations over time and the influences of this variability on multiple learning outcomes. The results of longitudinal measurement invariance analyses as well as latent growth models depict both stability and significant within-person variability in dispositional goal orientations over time. Our findings further indicate that this fluctuation holds consequences for both skill-based and affective learning outcomes. We discuss the implications of our findings for future goal orientation theory and research, as well as for training practice.

The valuation of social rewards in schizophrenia.

Social impairment in schizophrenia is often thought to reflect poor social cognition. Here we examine responses to social rewards, an aspect of social functioning that is not featured prominently in the literature. The goal of this experiment was to explore whether people with schizophrenia (a) undervalue social rewards, and (b) whether the undervaluation of social rewards was related to motivation and pleasure deficits in schizophrenia and decreased social functioning. People with schizophrenia and healthy participants completed a game (Shore & Heerey, 2011) to explore preferences for different types of social (polite and genuine smiles) and nonsocial (monetary) rewards from computerized opponents. Preferences for reward types were quantified for each participant based on choice behavior during the game. Participants also completed a smile discrimination task to assess their ability to discriminate these types of smiles. Analyses revealed that people with schizophrenia (N = 41) treated genuine smiles as significantly less rewarding than did healthy participants (N = 29), despite showing a similar preference for monetary rewards. The undervaluation of social rewards was not related to the ability to discriminate between the smiles. The current findings provide preliminary evidence of reduced social reward valuation among individuals with schizophrenia, which may have implications for behavior in face-to-face social interactions. (PsycINFO Database Record

Engaging the senses

Abstract This case study examined the benefits of a sensory-based approach for teaching second language pronunciation to actors, addressing the unique learning goal of nativelike speech for nonnative professional actors. Two French Canadian actors (Marianne and Sebastian) were followed over 10 weeks of pronunciation instruction based on Knight’s (2012) theatrical voice methods and Gibson’s (1969) principles of sensory learning. Audio samples from scripted performances before and after instruction were rated for global and linguistic measures by 10 linguistically trained listeners and for performance measures by 10 advanced acting students. Listener ratings showed a significant improvement in accentedness for Marianne and greater comprehensibility for both actors, while qualitative data revealed actors’ preferences for different types of instruction. Results suggest that sensory learning appears beneficial for some learners and that pronunciation instruction could be supplemented with sensory-based activities.

Preferences for Depression Treatment Including Internet-Based Interventions: Results From a Large Sample of Primary Care Patients.

Background: To date, little is known about treatment preferences for depression concerning new media. This study aims to (1) investigate treatment preferences for depression including internet-based interventions and (2) examine subgroup differences concerning age, gender and severity of depression as well as patient-related factors associated with treatment preferences.Methods: Data were derived from the baseline assessment of the @ktiv-trial. Depression treatment preferences were assessed from n = 641 primary care patients with mild to moderate depression regarding the following treatments: medication, psychotherapy, combined treatment, alternative treatment, talking to friends and family, exercise, self-help literature, and internet-based interventions. Depression severity was specified by GPs according to ICD-10 criteria. Ordinal logistic regression models were conducted to identify associated factors of treatment preferences.Results: Patients had a mean age of 43.9 years (SD = 13.8) and more than two thirds (68.6%) were female. About 43% of patients had mild depression while 57% were diagnosed with moderate depression. The majority of patients reported strong preferences for psychotherapy, talking to friends and family, and exercise. About one in five patients was very likely to consider internet-based interventions in case of depression. Younger patients expressed significantly stronger treatment preferences for psychotherapy and internet-based interventions than older patients. The most salient factors associated with treatment preferences were the patients' education and perceived self-efficacy.Conclusions: Patients with depression report individually different treatment preferences.Our results underline the importance of shared decision-making within primary care. Future studies should investigate treatment preferences for different types of internet-based interventions.

Motivation exchange rate: the real value of incentives

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe how individuals compare the value of different types of incentive. This is similar to comparison in the financial field for currency exchange. The proposed exchange rate between incentives is referred to here as motivation exchange rate (MER).Design/methodology/approachSurvey-based empirical data were analyzed to test for the existence of MER, based on 330 samples collected from a number of organizations. Partial least square-based structural equation modeling was applied to test the research model, specifically examining the exchange rate between intrinsic motivation and monetary incentives.FindingsIndividuals place their own value on job enjoyment. The present analysis suggests that MER exists between intrinsic motivation and monetary incentive and varies among individuals.Originality/valueThe motivation literature has shown that individuals have their own preferences for different types of incentives. When studying employees’ working behavior, scholars have traditionally focused on preferred incentives. However, the present study reveals that these predominant incentives may change when employees are sufficiently compensated by other types of incentive; how much is “sufficient” depends on MER, as elaborated here.

Understanding travellers’ preferences for different types of trip destination based on mobile internet usage data

New mobility data sources like mobile phone traces have been shown to reveal individuals’ movements in space and time. However, socioeconomic attributes of travellers are missing in those data. Consequently, it is not possible to partition the population and have an in-depth understanding of the socio-demographic factors influencing travel behaviour. Aiming at filling this gap, we use mobile internet usage behaviour, including one’s preferred type of website and application (app) visited through mobile internet as well as the level of usage frequency, as a distinguishing element between different population segments. We compare the travel behaviour of each segment in terms of the preference for types of trip destinations. The point of interest (POI) data are used to cluster grid cells of a city according to the main function of a grid cell, serving as a reference to determine the type of trip destination. The method is tested for the city of Shanghai, China, by using a special mobile phone dataset that includes not only the spatial-temporal traces but also the mobile internet usage behaviour of the same users. We identify statistically significant relationships between a traveller’s favourite category of mobile internet content and more frequent types of trip destinations that he/she visits. For example, compared to others, people whose favourite type of app/website is in the “tourism” category significantly preferred to visit touristy areas. Moreover, users with different levels of internet usage intensity show different preferences for types of destinations as well. We found that people who used mobile internet more intensively were more likely to visit more commercial areas, and people who used it less preferred to have activities in predominantly residential areas.

Preferences for befriending schemes: a survey of patients with severe mental illness

BackgroundBefriending has become a widely used method for tackling social isolation in individuals with severe mental illness (SMI), and evidence exists to support its effectiveness. However, patient preferences for befriending remain unclear. We aimed to determine whether patients with SMI want a volunteer befriender and, if so, the volunteer characteristics and character of the relationship they would prefer.MethodsA survey of outpatients was conducted across London-based community mental health teams, for individuals diagnosed with affective or psychotic disorders. Questions consisted of measures of demographic characteristics, befriending preferences and social context, including measures of time spent in activities, number of social contacts, loneliness and subjective quality of life (SQOL). Binary logistic regressions were used to investigate potential predictors of willingness to participate in befriending.ResultsThe sample comprised of 201 participants with a mean age of 43 years. The majority (58%) of the sample indicated willingness to participate in befriending. In univariable analyses this was associated with less time spent in activities in the previous week, higher level of loneliness and lower SQOL. When all three variables were tested as predictors in a multivariable analysis, only lower SQOL remained significantly associated with willingness to take part in befriending.Relative to other options presented, large proportions of participants indicated preference for weekly (44%), 1-hour (39%) meetings with a befriender, with no limits on the relationship duration (53%). Otherwise, patient preferences exhibited great variability in relation to other characteristics of befriending schemes.ConclusionsA substantial number of patients with SMI appear willing to take part in a befriending scheme. Patients with lower SQOL are more likely to accept befriending, so that befriending schemes may be a realistic option to help patients with particularly low SQOL. The large variability in preferences for different types of befriending suggests that there is no one-size-fits-all formula and that schemes may have to be flexible and accommodate different individual preferences.

Liveability, sense of place and behavioural intentions

PurposeCities from developing countries strive to compete on a global scale and hence try to attract and retain their residents in offering higher liveability. The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which liveability influences resident’s sense of place and determines residents’ behavioural intentions.Design/methodology/approachA survey was carried out to test the hypotheses using a sample of 362 residents from the city of Dubai (United Arab Emirates). Structural equation modelling and the method suggested by Hayes and Preacher (2010) for mediation analysis were used.FindingsFindings show that residents’ preferences for different types of liveability attributes (included in seven dimensions) influence their sense of place that in return shapes their behavioural intentions towards their place of residence. Results also reveal the importance of non-economic attributes of the urban environment. Moreover, residents’ sense of place mediates the relationship between liveability and residents’ behavioural intentions.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research could more deeply investigate the social functioning of a place and particularly the role of place identity, as it is recognized to affect residents’ attitudes and behaviours. In addition, further developments may contribute to the ongoing debate on the relationship between liveability and growth.Practical implicationsFrom a public policy standpoint, this study suggests that local authorities need to identify a distinct set of economic and non-economic characteristics that will encourage residents to stay longer in the place they live. As such, enhancing liveability represents a critical strategic initiative for cities from developing countries to make them a great place to live.Originality/valueCompared to developed countries’ cities, few attempts have been made to investigate the attitudes of residents towards a place and the role of liveability in the context of emerging countries fast-growing urban areas. In addition, findings revealed the importance of place-based meanings, i.e. sense of place, which played a pivotal role in the development of place-protective behaviours.

Does density of green infrastructure predict preference?

Green Infrastructure (GI) refers to the natural spaces in a city that improve urban ecology and bring social, economic, and environmental benefits to residents and communities. Although we know a good deal about people’s preference for urban forests, we know little about how people reaction to other types of GI and even less about how varying levels of vegetation density influence preference. Without this knowledge, planners and designers risk creating landscapes that people experience as insufficiently restorative.To understand people’s preference for different types and vegetation density levels of GI, we conducted three GI preference surveys and utilized a new technology called Brown Dog’s Green Index Extractor to calculate vegetation density. We found that, overall, tree density and understory vegetation density are positively associated with preference in a power-curve relationship. The nature of the relationship between bioretention density and preference remains unclear, even though it is significant and positive.The findings presented here expand our knowledge of landscape preference to the emerging field of GI. Designers and planners can use these results to create preferred landscapes that manage stormwater that also promote human well-being. Future studies might explore the relationship between GI density and preference further by investigating other aspects of GI such as planting designs and maintenance and the relationships between GI’s vegetation density and various health and well-being indicators.

Going Against the Grain of Optimism: Flour Fortification in Pakistan

Food fortification is a popular strategy for addressing ‘hidden hunger’, and staple foods are seen as promising, if unproven, vehicles for the delivery of essential micronutrients to poor people in developing countries. This article examines wheat flour fortification with iron in Pakistan as a case of technocratic optimism in the face of institutional constraints. An evaluative framework based on the analysis of entire value chains can provide a reality check on technocratic optimism. We find that poor people based their preferences for different types of flour on price as well as perceptions of nutritional value. Many of these flour types are not covered by fortification programmes. Fortification interventions, meanwhile, have attempted to leverage public–private partnerships in a segment of the wheat flour value chain which is beset with regulatory weakness. This article illustrates why technical interventions should support rather than ignore a broader agenda of reforms in food policy.

End-of-life decision making by family caregivers of persons with advanced dementia: A literature review of decision aids.

Objectives:To investigate existing knowledge in the literature about end-of-life decision making by family caregivers of persons with dementia, focusing on decision aids for caregivers of persons with advanced dementia, and to identify gaps in the literature that can guide future research.Methods:A literature review through systematic searches in PubMed, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, and PsycINFO was conducted in February 2018; publications with full text in English and published in the past 10 years were selected in multiple steps.Results:The final sample included five decision aids with predominantly Caucasian participants; three of them had control groups, and three used audiovisual technology in presenting the intervention materials. No other technology was used in any intervention. Existing interventions lacked tailoring of information to caregivers’ preferences for different types and amounts of information necessary to make decisions consistent with patients’ values.Conclusion:Research is needed in exploring the use of technology in decision aids that could provide tailored information to facilitate caregivers’ decision making. More diverse samples are needed.