Sequential Effects Research Articles

Temporal and sequential negative priming generalise across visual and auditory modalities and are dependent on relative rather than absolute speed.

Prior work has found a negative priming effect for a sequence, and more purely time-based negative priming has also been identified. Although sequential effects have been reported with both visual and auditory stimuli, only visual stimuli have been used in experiments examining purely temporal negative priming. In this article, sequential and temporal negative priming are compared across modalities. Prime trials included random presentation of a target (auditory bird chirp or visual X), a non-target (auditory dog bark or visual O), and two neutral stimuli (auditory computer beeps or empty visual boxes). Probe trials included random presentation of the target and three neutral stimuli. Participants indicated the temporal location of the target. On 88% of the trials, participants (N = 119 in Experiment 1; N = 65 in Experiment 2) indicated the location of the non-target stimulus from the prime trial. Results showed an increase in response time when the temporal location of the probe's target was the same as the location of the non-target stimulus from the prime trial, but this only occurred when the prime was presented more slowly. Experiment 2 tested, and falsified, the hypothesis that a fixed amount of time on the prime is necessary to bind features of the non-target stimulus with temporal and sequential positions. Together, these data show that sequential and temporal negative priming effects generalise across modality and that relative rather than fixed timing is critical. Implications for theories of negative priming are discussed.

Characterizing the sequential effects toward the impregnations of supported bimetallic catalysts

Supported bimetallic catalysts have been paid great attention regarding their excellent catalytic performances in chemical process. Notably, comparing to monometallic catalysts, the synergetic properties of dual-metal-based materials demonstrate unique physiochemical functionalities that single metal materials do not possess. The preparation of supported bimetallic materials is widely conducted with applying the impregnation method because of the straightforward and inexpensive technique. Wherein, the impregnation of dual metals on support could either undergo co-impregnation or sequential impregnations. It has been frequently reported that there are substantial differences in physiochemical properties and catalyst performances by impregnation sequences. Specifically, during the investigation of various sequential impregnated bimetallic catalysts, a host of characterization strategies are employed to compare the physical and chemical properties that play vital role to impact the catalyst activity/selectivity/stability. However, it is still not well understood regarding the impregnation sequential effects, such as the nature of bimetallic active sites and the dynamics of bimetallic surface structures along with reaction progress. This presenting perspective article is devoted to take a succinct review regarding the general sequential impacts on the physiochemical properties and further profoundly address the research outlook in this topic.

Serial dependence for oculomotor control depends on early sensory signals

To create an accurate percept of the world, the visual system relies on past experience and prior assumptions.1 For example, although the retinal projection of an object moving in depth changes drastically, we still perceive the object at a constant size and velocity.2,3 Consequently, if we see the same object witha constant retinal size at two different depth levels, the perceived size differs (illustrated by the Ponzo illusion). Past experience also directly influences perceptual judgments, an effect known as serial dependence.4,5 Such sequential effects have also been reported for oculomotor behavior, even on the trial-by-trial level.6-10 An integration of past experiences seems like a smart and sophisticated mechanism to reduce uncertainty and improve behavior in a world full of statistical regularities. By leveraging the Ponzo illusion to dissociate perceived size and speed from retinal signals, we show that serial-dependence effects for oculomotor control are mediated by retinal error signals. These sequential effects likely take place in early sensory processing because they transfer to different visual stimuli. In contrast to recently reported history effects for perceptual decisions,11 sequential effects for oculomotor control deviate from perceptual mechanisms by not integrating spatial context and by ignoring size and velocity constancy. Although this dissociation might appear suboptimal, we argue that this effect reveals the different goals of the oculomotor and perceptual systems. The oculomotor system tries to reduce retinal error signals to bring and keep the target close to the fovea, whereas the visual system interprets retinal input to achieve an accurate representation of the world.12.

"Does a Good Firm Diminish the Bad Behavior of Its Employees?": The Sequential Mediation Effect of Organizational Trust and Organizational Commitment, and the Moderation Effect of Work Overload.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on an employee’s negative behavior, in addition to its intermediating mechanism (i.e., mediators and moderator) in the relationship. This paper proposes that CSR may diminish an employee’s negative behavior, such as counterproductive work behavior. Relying on the context–attitude–behavior framework, this study investigated the mediators and moderator of the relationship between CSR and counterproductive work behavior. Specifically, this study hypothesized that not only does CSR diminish the level of counterproductive work behavior by sequentially boosting the level of employees’ organizational trust and commitment, but their work overload also negatively moderates the association between CSR and organizational trust. Utilizing three-wave time-lagged online survey data from 342 employees in South Korean companies, this study tested the hypotheses by building a moderated mediation model with structural equation modeling analysis. The results indicate that CSR decreases the level of employees’ counterproductive work behavior through enhancing their organizational trust and commitment. Moreover, work overload negatively moderates the association between CSR and organizational trust. The findings of this study make theoretical and practical contributions to the CSR literature.

Longitudinal Relations Between Child Maltreatment in Families and Psychological Maltreatment by Teachers: The Mediating Roles of Internalizing and Externalizing Problems Among Chinese Children.

Relationships in the family (e.g., child maltreatment in families) and school environments (e.g., psychological maltreatment by teachers) are influential in children's socialization, but how family and teacher-student domains mutually affect each other and which mediating mechanisms are involved in cross-domain spillover at the within-person level are not well understood. This study examined the bidirectional relations between child maltreatment in families and psychological maltreatment by teachers and whether internalizing and externalizing problems functioned as mediators between them after separating between-person effects from within-person effects. A total of 4270 Chinese children (54.9% boys; Mage = 9.92; SD = 0.51) participated in a five-wave longitudinal study with 6-month intervals. Results from random intercept cross-lagged panel modeling mainly found that: (1) Child maltreatment in families predicted psychological maltreatment by teachers, and vice versa; (2) child maltreatment in families influenced psychological maltreatment by teachers through externalizing problems; child maltreatment in families affected the likelihood of psychological maltreatment by teachers via the sequential effect from internalizing problems to externalizing problems at the within-person level; and (3) internalizing and externalizing problems mediated the longitudinal relations from psychological maltreatment by teachers to child maltreatment in families separately. Findings demonstrated bidirectional spillover effects in the domains of family and teacher-student relationships, suggesting that children may be trapped in a vicious cycle of negative relationships through internalizing and externalizing problems, either directly or indirectly. Thus, these two domains influence each other through children's internalizing and externalizing problems. Interventions aimed at addressing maltreatment should include family, school, and individual (i.e., internalizing and externalizing problems) components to prevent a downward spiral.

Nexus of Ethical Leadership, Career Satisfaction, Job Embeddedness, and Work Engagement in Hospitality Industry: A Sequential Mediation Assessment.

The paper proposes a research model explaining the sequential mediation effect of job embeddedness (JE) and work engagement (WENG) between ethical leadership (EL) and career satisfaction (CS). The model also examines whether JE heightens WENG, a factor indirectly influenced by ethical practices ending in employee satisfaction. The study used a time-lagged data collection procedure and survey responses of 247 hotel workers in China. Data were analyzed through structural equation modeling. The results showed that EL directly and indirectly (through sequential mediation effect of JE and WENG) contributes to employee CS. The present empirical framework extends the hospitality industry literature by explaining the precise mechanism (i.e., JE and WENG) through which EL generates CS among hospitality workers in China. The paper offers theoretical and practical implications and future research directions.

An improved fatigue life prediction model based on loading sequence

PurposeIn view of the difficulty in determining the key parameters d in the Corten-Dolan model, based on the introduction of small loads, damage degrees and stress states to the Corten-Dolan model and the existing improved model, the sequential effects of the adjacent two-stage load were further considered.Design/methodology/approachTwo improved Corten-Dolan models were established on the basis of modifying the parameter d by two different methods, namely, increasing stress ratio coefficient as well as considering the effects of loading sequence and damage degree as independent influencing factors respectively. According to the test data of the welded joints of common materials (standard 45 steel), alloy materials (standard 16Mn steel) and Q235B steel, the validity and feasibility of the above two improved models for fatigue life prediction were verified.FindingsResults show that, compared with the traditional Miner model and the existing Corten-Dolan improved model, the two improved models have higher prediction accuracy in the fatigue life prediction of welding materials whether under two-stage load or multi-stage load.Originality/valueBecause the mathematical expressions of the models are relatively simple and need no multi-layer iterative calculation, it is convenient to predict the fatigue life of welded structure in practical engineering.

Translating questions to estimands in randomized clinical trials with intercurrent events.

Intercurrent (post‐treatment) events occur frequently in randomized trials, and investigators often express interest in treatment effects that suitably take account of these events. Contrasts that naively condition on intercurrent events do not have a straight‐forward causal interpretation, and the practical relevance of other commonly used approaches is debated. In this work, we discuss how to formulate and choose an estimand, beyond the marginal intention‐to‐treat effect, from the point of view of a decision maker and drug developer. In particular, we argue that careful articulation of a practically useful research question should either reflect decision making at this point in time or future drug development. Indeed, a substantially interesting estimand is simply a formalization of the (plain English) description of a research question. A common feature of estimands that are practically useful is that they correspond to possibly hypothetical but well‐defined interventions in identifiable (sub)populations. To illustrate our points, we consider five examples that were recently used to motivate consideration of principal stratum estimands in clinical trials. In all of these examples, we propose alternative causal estimands, such as conditional effects, sequential regime effects, and separable effects, that correspond to explicit research questions of substantial interest.

Benevolent leadership and organizational citizenship behaviors in a higher education context: a moderated mediation model

PurposeDrawing upon the conservation of resources (COR) theory, this paper investigates the moderated mediation model linking benevolent leadership to organizational citizenship behaviors towards the organization (OCBO) and towards individuals (OCBI) in the context of higher education. The mediating roles of leader-member exchange and affective commitment as well as the moderating roles of the two attachment styles—attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance—are also examined.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from a sample of 333 university lecturers and analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).FindingsThe results demonstrate that leader-member exchange and affective commitment are mediating resources that help benevolent leaders motivate university lecturers to engage in two types of OCBs. Moreover, attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance act as the respective enhancer and inhibitor for the indirect effects of benevolent leadership on both OCBs through leader-member exchange. In contrast, the relationships between benevolent leadership and two types of OCBs through the mediating role of affective commitment are not contingent on the attachment styles of lecturers.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that university leaders who aim at promoting OCBs among lecturers should deploy benevolent leadership style to facilitate a positive social exchange relationship as well as foster their affective commitment. Such leadership style is especially effective in influencing lecturers who possess attachment anxiety personality traits.Originality/valueThis pioneer research develops and empirically tests a COR theory-grounded moderated mediation model pertaining to benevolent leadership and lecturers' OCBs. The findings contribute to the educational management literature by demonstrating that benevolent leadership, a crucial organizational resource, significantly motivates lecturers' voluntary and extra-role behaviors in a dynamic and contingent manner. Leader-member exchange and affective commitment are important mediating resources in the process of transforming benevolent leadership into beneficial behaviors. Further, the effectiveness of benevolent leadership largely depends on lecturers' personality traits of attachment anxiety and avoidance. These novel mediating and moderating findings demonstrate the sequential and interaction effects of various organizational and individual resources on lecturers' OCBs; thus, adding value to the COR theory's core principles, including resource caravans and resource investment behaviors.

The impact of corporate social responsibility directed toward employees on contextual performance in the banking sector: A serial model of perceived organizational support and affective organizational commitment

AbstractUsing the lenses of stakeholder and social exchange theory, we propose that both perceived organizational support (POS) and affective organizational commitment (AOC) play sequential mediating roles in the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) directed toward employees and organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) of employees. The theoretical model was tested using a time lagged data. Further, the information pertaining to the organizational citizenship behaviors of the employees was collected by their immediate supervisors. The mediation hypotheses were tested using process method. Results confirmed a positive and significant relationship between perceived CSR directed toward employees and OCBs, as well as the sequential mediation effect of both POS and AOC between CSR directed toward employees and OCBs. Although the majority of the literature has studied the impact of CSR at the macro level, recently researchers have shifted their focus on the behavioral impact of such activities at the individual level. We particularly focus on CSR directed toward employees and our findings confirm that such CSR activities prove be critical for improving the performance outcomes of the employees.

Fuzhuan brick tea affects obesity process by modulating gut microbiota.

The effect of Fuzhuan brick tea (FBT) on metabolism in obese mice is mediated by regulation of N-methyltransferase by aryl hydrocarbon receptor. The expression of the phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase gene is regulated by many transcription factors, and those specific to this effect need further investigation. Experimental animal studies have been designed to observe the effects of a single drug or the sequential effects of drugs. A washout period should be included if different drugs (e.g., antibiotics and FBT) are given to avoid or reduce additive effects or synergy. Currently, most experimental studies performed in mice used only male animals. However, experience has revealed that the results of using only male mice are very likely to have sex differences.

Rivaroxaban population pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic modeling in Iranian patients.

Although predictable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic of rivaroxaban allow fixed dosing regimens without routine coagulation monitoring, there is still the necessity to monitor and predict the effects of rivaroxaban in specific conditions and different populations. The current study was designed and conducted to analyze the rivaroxaban population pharmacokinetics in Iranian patients and establish a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic model to predict the relationship between rivaroxaban concentration and its anticoagulant activity. A sequential nonlinear mixed effect pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modeling method was used to establish the relation between rivaroxaban concentration and anti-factor Xa activity, prothrombin time, and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) as pharmacodynamic biomarkers in a population of sixty-nine Iranian patients under treatment with oral rivaroxaban. Rivaroxaban plasma concentration was quantified by a validated high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The typical population values (inter-individual variability%) of the oral volume of distribution and clearance for a one-compartment model were 61.2 L (21%) and 3.68 L·h-1 (61%), respectively. Creatinine clearance and Child-Turcotte-Pugh score were found to affect the clearance. A direct link linear structural model best fitted the data for both prothrombin time and aPTT. The baseline estimates of aPTT and prothrombin time in the population were 35.0 (15%) and 12.6 (2%) seconds, respectively. The slope of the relationship between apTT, prothrombin time, and rivaroxaban concentration was 0.033 (28%) and 0.018 (54%) s·ml·ng-1 , respectively. The selected model for anti-factor Xa activity consisted of a direct link inhibitory Emax model with Hill coefficient. The maximum level of inhibition (Emax ) was 4 IU·ml-1 . The concentration of rivaroxaban producing 50% of the maximum inhibitory effect (EC50 ) was 180 (24%) ng·ml-1 , and Hill coefficient (γ) was 1.44 (108%). No covariates showed a statistically significant effect on PT and activated partial thromboplastin time prolonging properties and anti-factor Xa activity. Our results confirmed that pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic models similar to those of the other studies describe the relationship between the rivaroxaban concentration and its anticoagulant effect in Iranian patients. However, considerable differences were observed in the parameters of the pharmacodynamics-pharmacokinetic models with the results of other reports that can explain the unpredictable effects of rivaroxaban in some patients.

부모화 경험이 초기성인기의 대인관계능력에 미치는 영향

This study aims to investigate the mediating effects of self-differentiation and rejection sensitivity on the relations of parentification and interpersonal competence in early adulthood. For this research, the data from 456 adults in early adulthood were analyzed. The research model is verified through structure equation modeling and final model is selected. SPSS 18.0 and AMOS 22.0 is used for analysis. The result showed that self-differentiation has the mediating effects between parentification and interpersonal competence. However, rejection sensitivity doesn’t show the mediating effects between parentification and interpersonal competence. Self-differentiation and rejection sensitivity showed the sequential mediation effect in relation with parentification and interpersonal competence. On the basis of the result above, this study confirmed that self-differentiation and rejection sensitivity caused by parentification of the past affects interpersonal competence in early adulthood. Therefore, this study is significant in determining that the counselor can improve interpersonal competence of client who experienced parentification through dealing with self-differentiation and rejection sensitivity.

Relationship between Religiosity and Subjective Well-Being among Middle-Aged Korean Women: Focused on Roles of Existential Consciousness and Savoring Beliefs

This study identified the relationship between religiosity and the subjective well-being of middle-aged Korean women, and examined a double mediating effect model of existential consciousness and savoring beliefs on this relationship. The participants of this study were 285 middle-aged Korean women, aged between 40–60 years. The PROCESS Macro 3.5 Model 6 was used to analyze the sequential double mediating effects. The results revealed that existential consciousness and savoring beliefs were positively correlated with the subjective well-being of middle-aged women, whereas their intrinsic religiosity was not significantly correlated with subjective well-being because it was positively correlated with negative emotions, as well as with life satisfaction and positive emotions. In a sequential double mediation model for the subjective well-being of middle-aged women, the direct effect of intrinsic religiosity on savoring beliefs was negatively significant after adjusting for indirect effects through existential consciousness. The sequential indirect effect of existential consciousness and savoring beliefs on the intrinsic religiosity and subjective well-being of middle-aged women was significant. Without these indirect effects, intrinsic religiosity negatively influenced middle-aged women’s subjective well-being in this model. These results suggest that existential consciousness plays an important role in the subjective well-being of middle-aged women.

Effects of sequential approach of positional release for subscapularis and OLA Grimsby technique on shoulder external rotation in adhesive.

A sample of 34 patients was randomly assigned to two Groups A and B (17 in each group). Positional release of subscapularis technique to Group A participants and Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) (hold-relax) and anterior mobilisation technique were simultaneously applied to Group B participants. Data was collected from Nusrat Abdul Rauf Centre for Enablement and Faisal Hospital, Faisalabad, from August 30, 2018 to November 27, 2018. The duration of the treatment was four weeks with three sessions per week. The main outcome measures were Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), and shoulder external rotation range of motion. The differences between Ola Grimsby group (Group B) and subscapularis release group (Group A) were statistically significant for pain, disability and shoulder range of motion (p-value<0.05) with higher mean values for Ola Grimsby group. This study concluded that the sequential effects of Ola Grimsby technique are better as compared to positional release of subscapularis in terms of reducing pain and improving shoulder external rotation range of motion.

Factors Impacting Functioning Level of Cancer Survivors in Turkey

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between demographic variables, personal factors, impairment-related variables, and functioning levels of cancer survivors in Turkey. Data for this study were collected from a major oncology institute and a nonprofit cancer organization in Turkey. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to investigate the sequential effect of demographic variables (i.e., age, gender, income, and education), personal factors (i.e., core self-evaluations, purpose in life, and religiosity), and impairment-related variables (i.e., pain, fatigue, perceived stress, and sleep disturbance) on the functioning level of Turkish cancer survivors (i.e., physical functioning, role functioning, emotional functioning, cognitive functioning, and social functioning). The results indicated that impairment-related variables explained a significant amount of variance in functioning scores above and beyond demographic and personal factors. Pain intensity and perceived stress were most prominent factors impacting functioning levels of Turkish cancer survivors. Pain and stress self-management training, psychotherapy and counseling, physical activity and exercise, and cognitive remediation training are recommended interventions to increase the functioning level and well-being of cancer survivors.

Revisiting variable-foreperiod effects: evaluating the repetition priming account.

A warning signal preceding an imperative stimulus by a certain foreperiod can accelerate responses (foreperiod effect). When foreperiod is varied within a block, the foreperiod effect on reaction time (RT) is modulated by both the current and the prior foreperiods. Using a non-aging foreperiod distribution in a simple-reaction task, Capizzi et al. (Cognition, 134, 39-49, 2015) found equal sequential effects for different foreperiods, which they credited to repetition priming. The multiple-trace theory of Los et al. (Frontiers in Psychology, 5, Article 1058, 2014) attributes the slope of the foreperiod-RT function to the foreperiod distribution. We conducted three experiments that examined these predicted relations. Experiment 1 tested Capizzi et al.’s prediction in a choice-reaction task and found an increasing foreperiod-RT function but a larger sequential effect at the shorter foreperiod. Experiment 2 used two distinct short foreperiods with the same foreperiod distribution and found a decreasing foreperiod-RT function. By increasing the difference between the foreperiods used in Experiment 2, Experiment 3 yielded a larger sequential effect overall. The experiments provide evidence that, with a non-aging foreperiod distribution, the variable-foreperiod paradigm yields unequal sequential-effect sizes at the different foreperiods, consistent with the multiple-trace theory but contrary to Capizzi et al.’s repetition-priming account. The foreperiod-RT functions are similar to those of the fixed-foreperiod paradigm, which is not predicted by the multiple trace theory.

Estimating and testing sequential causal effects based on alternative G-formula: an observational study of the influence of early diagnosis on survival of cardia cancer

Cancer diagnosis is part of a complex stochastic process, in which patients' personal and social characteristics influence the choice of diagnosing methods, diagnosing methods in turn influence the initial assessment of cancer stage, cancer stage in turn influences the choice of treating methods, and treating methods in turn influence cancer outcomes such as cancer survival. To evaluate the performance of diagnoses, one needs to estimate and test the sequential causal effect (SCE) under a specified regime of diagnoses and treatments in such a complex observational study, where the data-generating mechanism is unknown and modeling is needed for statistical inference. In this article, we introduce a method of statistical modeling to estimate and test SCEs under regimes of treatments (diagnoses and treatments in cancer diagnosis) in complex observational studies. By applying the alternative G-formula, we express the SCE in terms of the point effects of treatments in the sequence, so that the modeling can be conducted via the point effects in the framework of single-point causal inference. We illustrate our method by a medical example of cancer diagnosis with data from a Swedish prognosis study of cardia cancer.

How Perceived Corporate Social Responsibility Raises Employees' Creative Behaviors Based on Appraisal Theory of Emotion: The Serial Mediation Model.

This study examines the micro-level consequences of perceived corporate social responsibility (CSR) and hypothesizes that perceived CSR affects the perception-emotion-attitude-behavior sequence. We hypothesized that perceived CSR affects organizational pride (OP) (emotion), affects affective commitment (AC) (attitude), and enhances the employees’ creative behaviors (behavior) by using the lens of appraisal theory of emotion (ATE). This study also hypothesizes that the association of perceived CSR and employee creative behaviors (ECBs) is serially mediated by OP and AC. The time-lagged data were collected from employees of only those companies participating in CSR activities to analyze the sequential mediation effect. We have tested the hypotheses of this study through Hayes approach. Results showed that perceived CSR kindles the employees’ creative behaviors. Furthermore, “organizational pride” and “affective commitment” serially mediate the association of perceived CSR and ECB. Hence, the hypothesized perception-emotion-attitude-behavior model received a significant support and demonstrated that micro-level positive consequences of CSR could be created through emotional, attitude, and behavioral mechanisms. The organization should promote their CSR activities using documentaries and contents to improve their perception of environmental and social issues, and it enhances employees’ pride and creativity.

Impact of workplace safety on employee retention using sequential mediation: evidence from the health-care sector

Purpose This study aims to examine the impact of workplace safety (WPS) on employee retention (ER) in the health-care sector in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&amp;K), Pakistan. At the same time, a mediation relationship through job satisfaction (JS) and employee loyalty (EL) was also tested. Design/methodology/approach Structured questionnaires were used to collect the data from 300 doctors, using purposive sampling technique analysed using partial least squares (Smart-PLS 3). Findings This study’s findings supported all hypotheses, such as WPS has a significant positive relationship with ER. In addition, a mediation relationship between JS and EL was also confirmed. Furthermore, a serial mediation effect of JS and EL between WPS and ER was also confirmed in this study. Research limitations/implications This study might not fit organisations from other regions due to regional norms. In the future, this study’s model may be tested on other regions and segments of the health-care sector, such as nurses, management staff and support staff. Practical implications The present study is unique because it is based on a newly formulated framework, WPS → JS → EL → ER, under the social exchange theory, which has not been tested before. Social implications In a safe environment, doctors will feel relaxed, stay longer and provide better services; resultantly, patients will get better treatment. Originality/value This study tested the sequential mediation effect through JS and EL for the first time in ER, which was missing previously, to the best of the authors’ knowledge. This will add more insights to the safety-retention literature in health-care settings. Furthermore, this study is also the first attempt to explore the relationship between WPS and ER in the health-care sector in AJ&amp;K.