Preferences For Labels Research Articles

Supervised clustering of label ranking data using label preference information

This paper studies supervised clustering in the context of label ranking data. The goal is to partition the feature space into K clusters, such that they are compact in both the feature and label ranking space. This type of clustering has many potential applications. For example, in target marketing we might want to come up with K different offers or marketing strategies for our target audience. Thus, we aim at clustering the customers' feature space into K clusters by leveraging the revealed or stated, potentially incomplete customer preferences over products, such that the preferences of customers within one cluster are more similar to each other than to those of customers in other clusters. We establish several baseline algorithms and propose two principled algorithms for supervised clustering. In the first baseline, the clusters are created in an unsupervised manner, followed by assigning a representative label ranking to each cluster. In the second baseline, the label ranking space is clustered first, followed by partitioning the feature space based on the central rankings. In the third baseline, clustering is applied on a new feature space consisting of both features and label rankings, followed by mapping back to the original feature and ranking space. The RankTree principled approach is based on a Ranking Tree algorithm previously proposed for label ranking prediction. Our modification starts with K random label rankings and iteratively splits the feature space to minimize the ranking loss, followed by re-calculation of the K rankings based on cluster assignments. The MM-PL approach is a multi-prototype supervised clustering algorithm based on the Plackett-Luce (PL) probabilistic ranking model. It represents each cluster with a union of Voronoi cells that are defined by a set of prototypes, and assign each cluster with a set of PL label scores that determine the cluster central ranking. Cluster membership and ranking prediction for a new instance are determined by cluster membership of its nearest prototype. The unknown cluster PL parameters and prototype positions are learned by minimizing the ranking loss, based on two variants of the expectation-maximization algorithm. Evaluation of the proposed algorithms was conducted on synthetic and real-life label ranking data by considering several measures of cluster goodness: (1) cluster compactness in feature space, (2) cluster compactness in label ranking space and (3) label ranking prediction loss. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed MM-PL and RankTree models are superior to the baseline models. Further, MM-PL is has shown to be much better than other algorithms at handling situations with significant fraction of missing label preferences.

What nutrition label to use in a catering environment? A discrete choice experiment

Worksite and university canteens are increasingly used for daily main meal consumption. Following the use of front-of-pack nutrition labels on pre-packed foods, the provision of easily accessible nutrition information on foods prepared and consumed out of home is a highly topical policy issue with the potential to help consumers making better informed and more healthy food choices when eating out. Information that is presented in a format preferred by the target group is more likely to be used. A sample of 1725 university canteen users participated in a web-based choice experiment designed to identify and understand individual preferences for alternative nutrition labels on canteen meals. Participants valued the presence of nutrition labels on canteen meals and showed a preference for more detailed formats. Ability and motivation to process information as well as socio-demographics explained differences in label preferences. Observed decreasing marginal utility from combinations of two simple label formats as well as from combinations of two detailed formats, signalled information insufficiency versus information overload, respectively. In order to satisfy most canteen users’ information needs, a nutrition label that contains basic Guideline Daily Amount (GDA)-type of numerical information in combination with familiar visual aids like stars and colour codes is proposed to be used in university canteens.

Consumers' knowledge of food label information: an exploratory investigation in Potchefstroom, South Africa.

To determine the ability of consumers to: locate and manipulate food label information; assess the accuracy of nutrient content claims and which health/nutrient claims are allowed; and identify symbols on food labels. Associations pertaining to use and knowledge regarding food label information were also determined for consumers from different demographic and related groups. An exploratory descriptive study was undertaken, employing a face-to-face survey focusing on demographic information, shopping behaviour, nutrition is important beliefs, label use, label knowledge and label preference and information sources. Selected public locations in Potchefstroom in the North West Province of South Africa. Respondents (n 229) complying with set inclusion criteria were recruited through purposive sampling. The results indicated respondents' general health and label awareness, as most of them (>80%) could locate label information and identify symbols and specific nutrient content claims although only 53% were able to calculate the number of servings. Nevertheless, an inability was found to assess the accuracy of some nutrient content claims and permissible health/nutrient claims. More educated, younger, Afrikaans- and English-speaking respondents seemed to be more knowledgeable regarding food label information. Respondents who were informed about nutrition were also informed about label information, while label reading practices resulted in label-influenced purchasing decisions. Educational programmes on food labels should start with nutritional background that could be implemented by consumers during label reading and purchasing decisions.

Consumer Preferences for Eco, Health and Fair Trade Labels. An Application to Seafood Product in France

How are consumer attitudes towards eco-labeled products affected by a profusion of labels? This article provides both theoretical and empirical insight into this issue. Assuming that consumers perceive a label both as a sign of quality and of a particular characteristic of a product, we deduce theoretical determinants for preferences for three types of label: a health label, an eco-label and a fair trade label. We enrich this analysis by synthesizing most empirical determinants of eco-labeling demand mentioned in the literature. Using a French survey on seafood products, the estimation of a rank-ordered multinomial logit with random intercepts shows a certain proximity between the profiles of pro-eco-label and pro-fair trade label consumers, whereas pro-health label individuals have a more distinct profile: The two former are more likely to be young men mainly concerned with fishing conditions, whereas the latter are older married women with children who pay attention to the product form. We relate preferences for labels to degree of altruism, environmental consciousness and other socio-economic features.

Cross-regional in-vehicle information system design: the preferences and comprehension of Australian, US and Chinese drivers

The increasing global distribution of automobiles necessitates that the design of in-vehicle information systems (IVIS) is appropriate for the regions to which they are being exported. Differences between regions such as culture, language, environment and traffic context can have important influences on the usability and acceptance of IVIS and, as a consequence, on driving performance and safety. This pilot study examined the cross-regional factors that may influence IVIS preferences and comprehension, across three regions: Australia, China and the United States. The study used an online questionnaire to examine drivers' preferences for, and comprehension of, a range of surface-level aspects of IVIS interfaces. Cross-regional factors including cultural values, demographic and driving pattern data were also collected. The study was conducted locally within Australia, employing a sample of recently migrated American and Chinese and local Australian students. Regional differences were found in terms of current technology use, preferences for IVIS input control types and labels, and in the recognition and comprehension of IVIS functions and features. These findings are discussed within the framework of relevant regional differences. Based on the findings, a number of general and region-specific IVIS design recommendations are offered.

Do priming effects in dialogue reflect partner- or task-based expectations?

It is now well established that people in conversations repeat each other's words and structures. Does doing so reflect dialogue participants' expectations that their own choices of words or structures will be repeated back to them? In two experiments, subjects and confederates (purportedly) took turns describing pictures to each other. On critical trials, we measured response latencies to choose pictures when labels (e.g., stroller) or syntactic structures (a prepositional dative) that subjects had just produced were repeated back to them, versus when they heard reasonable alternatives (baby carriage or a double-object structure). Experiment 1 showed that repeated words and syntactic structures both elicit faster responses. Experiment 2 showed that the effect happens even when subjects hear descriptions from computers, instead of from their addressees, and that the repeated-word effect was not due to preferences for labels. These observations suggest that dialogue participants expect their own word and structure choices to be repeated back to them, and this is general to the task situation rather than specific to their communicative partners.

The implications of cross-regional differences for the design of In-vehicle Information Systems: A comparison of Australian and Chinese drivers

The increasing global distribution of automobiles necessitates that the design of In-vehicle Information Systems (IVIS) is appropriate for the regions to which they are being exported. Differences between regions such as culture, environment and traffic context can influence the needs, usability and acceptance of IVIS. This paper describes two studies aimed at identifying regional differences in IVIS design needs and preferences across drivers from Australia and China to determine the impact of any differences on IVIS design. Using a questionnaire and interaction clinics, the influence of cultural values and driving patterns on drivers' preferences for, and comprehension of, surface- and interaction-level aspects of IVIS interfaces was explored. Similarities and differences were found between the two regional groups in terms of preferences for IVIS input control types and labels and in the comprehension of IVIS functions. Specifically, Chinese drivers preferred symbols and Chinese characters over English words and were less successful (compared to Australians) at comprehending English abbreviations, particularly for complex IVIS functions. Implications in terms of the current trend to introduce Western-styled interfaces into other regions with little or no adaptation are discussed.

Classifying carbon credit buyers according to their attitudes towards and involvement in CDM sustainability labels

Carbon markets are increasingly conscious of the social and environmental ‘quality’ of credits delivered by CDM projects. Consequently carbon credits are no longer viewed as a homogenous good and buyers now differentiate between credits supplied by different types of CDM project. The objective of this paper is to classify CER buyers according to their attitudes towards and preferences for CDM sustainability labels. K-means clustering was used to segment a sample of buyers into two clusters. The results indicate that two clear clusters exist with distinct profile patterns. Moreover, the results of discriminant analysis confirmed that the two-cluster solution was valid. Finally, the results of the chi-square analysis and a cross-tabulation showed that these two clusters were significantly different in: organization type; level of paid up capital; perception of sustainable development benefits; perception of return on investment; perception of image of the sustainability labeling; participation in the voluntary market; the project priority; knowledge in the sustainability label; attitude towards the host country's duty; and their willingness to pay.

Ethnic Group Labels and Intergroup Attitudes in New Zealand: Naming Preferences Predict Distinct Ingroup and Outgroup Biases

New Zealand society is unique in that New Zealanders of European descent (the majority group) are regularly labeled in institutional and popular discourse using an ethnic group label created by Māori (the indigenous minority group). This label is “Pākehā.” Endorsement of this label is by no means consensual, and opposition to its use is often claimed on the grounds that the term is pejorative. We tested the validity of this concern in a national sample (N = 6,507) by assessing differences in the ingroup and outgroup evaluations of Māori and New Zealanders of European descent based on their label preferences. We found no support for the claim that the term “Pākehā” is associated with a negative evaluation of the majority group. Rather, Māori expressed positive attitudes toward New Zealanders of European descent regardless of the label they preferred to describe them. For Māori, use of the term “Pākehā” was instead indicative of ingroup cultural engagement, including the use of Māori language, and had little to do with outgroup attitudes. New Zealanders of European descent who preferred the term “Pākehā,” in contrast, expressed more positive attitudes toward Māori than those who preferred the terms “New Zealand European,”“New Zealander,” or “Kiwi.”

Declaring Label Preferences: Terminology Research in Mental Health

This exploratory descriptive research attempts to determine current preferences and understandings of terms used to refer to persons with a mental illness. From September 2005 to January 2006, 760 surveys were completed across Canada at mental health conferences and meetings, via provincial and national mental health websites, and during college classes. Respondents were asked to indicate whether they were a mental health service provider, an individual with mental illness, a friend or family member, or someone not in the three categories mentioned. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Analyses of the data indicate that respondents show an aversion to labels, and a majority of respondents prefer to use the term individual or the person's name.

Consumers' preferences for geographical origin labels: evidence from the Canadian olive oil market

Geographical origin labels are important information and marketing tools and have recently become a central component of EU agricultural promotion. We consider demand in a non-EU export market for two distinct label types: country of origin (COO) and geographical indications (GIs). Additionally, two types of GIs, 'protected designations of origin' (PDOs) and 'protected GIs' (PGIs) are considered. Empirical findings indicate consumers' willingness to pay varies with the oil's COO and is greater for GIs than for non-GIs from a given country. Weaker evidence that consumers value PDOs more than PGIs is also found.

Labeled versus Unlabeled Discrete Choice Experiments in Health Economics: An Application to Colorectal Cancer Screening

Discrete choice experiments (DCEs) in health economics commonly present choice sets in an unlabeled form. Labeled choice sets are less abstract and may increase the validity of the results. We empirically compared the feasibility, respondents' trading behavior, and convergent validity between a labeled and an unlabeled DCE for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programs in The Netherlands. A labeled DCE version presented CRC screening test alternatives as "fecal occult blood test,""sigmoidoscopy," and "colonoscopy," whereas the unlabeled DCE version presented them as "screening test A" and "screening test B." Questionnaires were sent to participants and nonparticipants in CRC screening. Total response rate was 276 (39%) out of 712 and 1033 (46%) out of 2267 for unlabeled and labeled DCEs, respectively (P<0.001). The labels played a significant role in individual choices; approximately 22% of subjects had dominant preferences for screening test labels. The convergent validity was modest to low (participants in CRC screening: r=0.54; P=0.01; nonparticipants: r=0.17; P=0.45) largely because of different preferences for screening frequency. This study provides important insights in the feasibility and difference in results from labeled and unlabeled DCEs. The inclusion of labels appeared to play a significant role in individual choices but reduced the attention respondents give to the attributes. As a result, unlabeled DCEs may be more suitable to investigate trade-offs between attributes and for respondents who do not have familiarity with the alternative labels, whereas labeled DCEs may be more suitable to explain real-life choices such as uptake of cancer screening.

Label Preference Schemes for Lightpath Provisioning and Restoration in Distributed GMPLS Networks

In wavelength-routed networks based on a GMPLS control plane, the resource reservation protocol with traffic engineering extensions (RSVP-TE) allows to establish end-to-end lightpaths. The resource reservation can be blocked due to lack of available resources (forward blocking) or due to resource contentions (backward blocking). In wavelength-routed networks, the backward blocking is the predominant blocking contribution, when traffic load is low or highly-dynamic and when lightpath restoration takes place. To reduce the backward blocking, the paper proposes two label preference (LP) schemes compliant with RSVP-TE message exchanges. LP schemes provide the destination node with a label identifying the preferred wavelength to reserve. The preferred label is computed in a distributed way during the forward signaling phase, with the objective of assigning disjoint wavelengths to reservation attempts that may contend the resources. Simulation results demonstrate that, compared to other schemes, LP schemes are effective in reducing the backward blocking during both lightpath provisioning and restoration, without negatively impacting the forward blocking.

The information needs and labelling preferences of food allergic consumers: the views of stakeholders regarding information scenarios

The information provision to food allergic consumers might be improved if new information and communication technologies were used to optimise traceability of potentially allergenic ingredients. Eight different information scenarios were developed, and their feasibility of application in European food chains discussed with different interested food chain actors in five European countries. The standardised label was chosen as a first preferred scenario, although participants were also positive about the feasibility of introducing novel ICT approaches to traceability and information delivery. Concerns were raised about accountability, upkeep of food allergy data bases, and the additional costs for the services to the food industry.

Consumer Preferences for Detailed versus Summary Formats of Nutrition Information on Grocery Store Shelf Labels

The health-related problems caused by poor diet choices has elevated the policy importance of how to communicate nutrition information more effectively to consumers at the point of purchase. At the same time, food retailers want to provide their customers with nutrition information in the format their shoppers prefer. The shopping environment, which includes the provision of nutrition information, is a way that food retailers can differentiate themselves from the competition. In this article, we present a simple model of the demand for nutrition information and empirically evaluate consumer preferences for two different formats. We compare nutrition information on grocery store shelf labels in the Greater San Francisco Area presented in detailed and summary formats. The detailed nutrition information provides an explicit description of specific nutrients but may be more costly to process and difficult to understand. Summary nutrition information reduces processing effort but provides a condensed description of nutritional content. The results indicate that there are higher mean preferences for detailed nutrition labels but also a greater dispersion of preferences. Nutrition-conscious consumers are more likely to prefer detailed information. The summary format may benefit shoppers who are less likely to use other forms of information.

Food-allergic consumers' labelling preferences: a cross-cultural comparison

Recent changes in European food safety legislation have resulted in the implementation of statutory requirements regarding the traceability and labelling of 12 food allergens. This article describes research conducted to establish if current food labelling practices are perceived to be adequate by food-allergic consumers, and whether further policy changes need to be implemented in order to optimize consumer protection. A total of 40 food-allergic consumers were recruited in both the Netherlands and Greece. Participants were people suffering from one or more of the three most common food-allergies, milk, egg, and/or peanut or tree nut. In a retail environment, participants were given a list of 15 potentially problematic food products which they were asked to buy as if for their own household. The participants were observed during the course of product selection and questioned about specific problems they experienced, as well as information preferences for food allergy information. Participants reported many problems linked to the readability of the label (e.g. font size, contrast). Not all packages contained relevant allergy information, and many participants reported that the ingredients list was insufficient for their needs. Personal experience of particular products was an important factor in the selection process. Dutch participants reported frustration regarding frequent changes in recipes of products available in the supermarket. In general, food-allergic consumers were not satisfied with the current labelling practices. Information was thought to be unclear or insufficient, which resulted in personal stress and feelings of insecurity. Further research is needed to identify how best allergy information might be provided.

Label preference schemes in GMPLS controlled networks

The GMPLS assumption that all available labels are equal is reasonable in electronic networks but not always true in WDM optical networks where labels correspond to physical wavelengths. In this paper we present two schemes for collecting the preference for specific labels during GMPLS signaling. For this purpose a new use of the Suggested Label object is proposed, and a novel object called Suggested Vector is introduced. The approach is validated through simulations showing significant wavelength converter usage reduction in a WDM optical network

Labelling information demanded by European consumers and relationships with purchasing motives, quality and safety of meat

Meat labelling can be an important way of informing the consumer on the quality attributes of meat. However, the type of information consumers demand is not well known and there is a lack of consumer-oriented information. Thus, meat labelling requires special attention. The objectives of this paper were: to identify the type of information that is most demanded by European consumers on beef and lamb labelling; to analyse the relationships between the importance of informational cues and other aspects concerning consumer attitudes towards meat consumption and meat quality, and socio-demographic characteristics; and to identify groups of consumers according to their labelling preferences. The information cues considered most important related to the deadline for meat consumption and the origin of meat. Other important cues were nutritional information, maturation time, name of cut and, especially for beef consumers, information on the system of production and on the traceability and the quality control of the meat. Some groups or segments of consumers were identified that had significant differences in relation to the type of information demanded, purchasing motives, quality preferences, sources of information on quality they trusted most and socio-economic features. They could be briefly profiled as: ‘ quality/safety orientated’; ‘ traditional’; ‘ quality unconcerned/ convenience-driven’ and ‘ origin motivated’ consumers.

Do toddlers have label preferences? A possible explanation for word refusals

Two studies focus on whether 2-year-olds (and adults) have consistent preferences for one type of label for objects, using a simple verbal judgement task. Participants compared basic level labels to superordinates in Study 1, and to subordinates in Study 2. Though all labels were familiar, children and adults chose the basic level label as 'best' in comparison to superordinates. For children, subordinates competed with basic labels only when referents were not highly typical of basic categories. For adults, subordinates were preferred as often as basic labels with typical items, and were more preferred with less typical items. These studies demonstrate that toddlers can be effectively tested for label preferences. They also suggest a simple explanation for what we call the refusal effect, when toddlers refuse a perfectly acceptable and familiar label for an object in favour of another label for that object. Toddlers may understand that two familiar labels are applicable, but they prefer one over the other. Future work must address the extent to which 2-year-olds' refusals are consistent with their independently assessed label preferences.

Social Identity and Preferred Ethnic/Racial Labels for Blacks in Canada

A number of studies conducted in the United States have found that Black and African American are the preferred labels for ethnic/racial self-designation by Blacks. The purpose of this study was to assess which labels were preferred (and disliked) by a sample of Black Canadian students (N = 101), as well as to uncover the personal meanings of their preferred labels. In addition, the relationships between label preferences and measures of ethnic/racial identity developed in America (African Self-Consciousness Scale, Black Racial Identity Attitude Scale) and Canada (York Ethnic Identification Scale) were examined. Although Black was the most preferred label, the following four types of preferred labels were identified: Black, Africentric, Caribbean, and Canadian. Different label preferences were associated with different measures of social identity. Issues of social identity and ethnic/racial self-designation for Blacks in Canada are discussed.