Situational Influences Research Articles

Why Do Farmers Over-Extract Groundwater Resources? Assessing (Un)sustainable Behaviors Using an Integrated Agent-Centered Framework

This study uses an Integrated Agent-Centered (IAC) framework to investigate the socio-psychological drivers of Iranian farmers’ unsustainable groundwater management practices. Empirical land use change analysis of US Geological Survey Landsat satellite images of the Jaz-Murian wetland region for 1990, 2010, and 2022, is combined with community surveys conducted with randomly selected farmers in five townships within the region (n = 356). Visual analysis reveals dramatic increases in agricultural land coverage, diminished water bodies, and increased salt lands over the 32-year sampled period. We use survey data to explain the socio-psychological drivers of unsustainable groundwater use that lead to these adverse environmental changes. In the IAC survey analysis, we find that variables for “expectation” and “subjective culture” have a negative influence on pro-environmental “intention”. “Intention” and “habit” have a positive influence and “contextual factors” have a negative influence on the drivers of “unsustainable water use behavior”. We conclude that situational influences, habitual process, intentional process, and normative processes must be considered together to alleviate pressure on wetland ecosystems. Policy makers must provide effective agricultural extension training, deliberative dialogue amongst farmer networks, well-governed local water markets and financial support to shift farmer short-termist economic gain-thinking towards socially-supported pro-environmental habits over the longer term.

The new normal: the adoption of food delivery apps

PurposeIn the wake of lockdown regulations and limited mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic, dining habits shifted towards usage of food delivery apps to avoid physical interaction. Nonetheless, it is unknown whether the COVID-19 pandemic had an influence on the adoption of food delivery apps. Therefore, this study examined factors influencing the adoption of food delivery apps during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the moderating effects of education and age.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 282 food delivery application users in South Africa using a web-based survey. Partial least square structural equation modelling analysis was used to test the hypotheses, while partial least squares multigroup analysis was used to examine the moderating effect of education level and age.FindingsThe results indicated that perceived ease of use has a significant impact on perceived usefulness and attitudes, perceived usefulness has an impact on attitudes and continuous intention, attitude influences continuous intention and social pressure and convenience influence attitudes. The perceived COVID-19 threat had no impact on attitudes, and education and age had no significant impact on any relationships. The findings are imperative for restaurants and mobile application designers, as they enable more effective strategic management planning.Originality/valueThis study is the first paper to empirically employ technology acceptance model to analyse the adoption of food delivery applications during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its uniqueness is in examining situational influence associated with the pandemic such as social pressure, perceived COVID-19 threat and convenience.

When and why we ostracize others: Motivated social exclusion in group contexts.

Research on ostracism has mostly focused on ostracized targets' reactions to being excluded and ignored. In contrast, the ostracizing sources' perspective and reasons for why individuals decide to ostracize others are still a largely unexplored frontier for empirical research. We propose two fundamental motives situated in the target's behavior that drive motivated ostracism decisions for the benefit of one's group: A perceived norm violation of the target and perceived expendability of the target for achieving group goals. Two survey studies and five experiments (total N = 2,394, all preregistered) support our predictions: When asked to recall a recent ostracism decision and the motives for it, participants reported both perceived norm violations and/or expendability of the target as motives (Study 1). Switching to the target perspective, the frequency of experienced ostracism was associated with both self-perceived norm violations and expendability (Study 2). In five experiments (Studies 3-7), participants consistently choose to ostracize targets more often when they perceived them to be either norm-violating, or inept in a skill important for the group and thus expendable. Additionally, Studies 5-7 show that strategic considerations about the requirements of the situational context influence ostracism decisions: Participants were more likely to ostracize norm-violating targets in cooperative contexts, and more likely to ostracize inept targets in performance contexts. Results have strong theoretical implications for research on ostracism and group dynamics, as well as for interventions targeting ostracism behavior: Particularly, adjusting the requirements of the situational context might be a viable option to decrease ostracism and promote inclusion in groups. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

In‐game performance: The role of students' socio‐economic status, self‐efficacy and situational interest in an augmented reality game

Digital games are widely used in education to motivate students for science. Additionally, augmented reality (AR) is increasingly used in education. However, recent research indicates that these technologies might not be equally beneficial for students with different background characteristics. Moreover, students with different backgrounds may differ in their self‐efficacy and interest when playing games and this could lead to differences in performance. Given the increased use of games and immersive technologies in education, it is important to gain a better understanding of the effectiveness of games for different student groups. This study focused on the role of students' socio‐economic status (SES) and examined whether SES was associated with in‐game performance and whether interest and self‐efficacy mediated potential associations between SES and in‐game performance. Since log data are increasingly used to predict learning outcomes and can provide valuable insights into individual behaviour, in‐game performance was assessed with the use of log data. In total, 276 early secondary school students participated in this study. The results indicate that SES has no direct or indirect effect through self‐efficacy and interest on in‐game performance. However, a lower self‐efficacy increased the likelihood to drop out of the game. These findings suggest that students from different socio‐economic backgrounds are equally interested and self‐efficacious while playing the game and that their performance is not affected by their background. The affordances of AR as an immersive learning environment might be motivating enough to help mitigate possible SES differences in students. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Digital games are an effective tool to increase motivation and learning outcomes of students. Students' self‐efficacy and situational interest influence learning outcomes and in‐game performance. It is unclear whether digital games are equally effective for students with different socio‐economic status. What this paper adds Socio‐economic status (SES) of students does not affect in‐game performance. Students with different SES are equally interested and self‐efficacious. Lower self‐efficacy and lower school track influence the likelihood of dropout. Implications for practice and/or policy Socio‐economic status does not fortify the possible performance differences between students and games can be utilized as a learning tool that motivates all students equally. There are students who do not optimally benefit when games are implemented in education and who may need additional support.

The moderating role of gamification toward intentions to use mobile payments applications in Bahrain: an integrated approach

PurposeUsing an integrated theoretical model, this study aims to examine the moderating role of gamification in influencing intentions to use mobile payment applications in Bahrain.Design/methodology/approachThe current examination happens to be the first approximation in the context of Bahrain wherein an extended TPB-based model integrating variables from TAM and UTAUT2 is used along with gamification and situational influence to examine the intentions to use m-payment applications.FindingsThe findings revealed that among the variates of the TPB, AT and PB significantly affect the intentions (IN) to use m-payment applications in Bahrain, but SN fails to affect intentions, similarly SI also fails to affect intentions thereby proving that the pandemic fails to drive the intention of the population under study toward using m-payment applications. However, when the application offers gamification (GM) features, SI significantly affects intentions through GM, thus experience along with situation drives intentions and this becomes the major theoretical contribution of the study.Practical implicationsThis examination offers useful practical implications in the form of the findings revealing that GM affects intentions to use m-payment applications and that GM moderates the relationship between perceived risk (PR) and IN, as well as SI and IN, which can be used by the service providers to improve the user experience and achieve better acceptance of their application.Originality/valueThe novelty of the study lies in testing the integrated theoretical model in the context of a GCC nation, Bahrain.

Strike while the iron is hot: Temperature affects consumers' appetite for risk

AbstractMany consumer decisions—from trying a new brand to trying a new recipe—involve risk. However, although consumers' appetite for risk has received over 50 years of investigation, the impact of situational variables (e.g., atmospherics) on consumer decision‐making involving risk remains relatively unexplored. To address this gap, the current work examines the influence of temperature, a ubiquitous situational influence, on consumers' inclination toward risk. Across four studies, we find evidence for a positive relationship between temperature and risk‐taking, using multiple operationalizations of temperature and measurements of risk. Evidence suggests that this effect is driven by warm temperature engaging the Behavioral Activation System, which in turn heightens risk‐taking.

Crisis and bias: Exploring ethnic prejudice among Chinese‐Dutch children before and during the COVID‐19 pandemic

AbstractInterethnic prejudice in children has been studied mostly among White and Black populations in the United States, but less among East Asian populations and Europe. Given that interethnic prejudice is sensitive to populations and contexts, research on previously neglected groups is needed. In the current study, interethnic prejudice is examined among Chinese‐Dutch children aged 7–11 years (N = 80, 42 girls and 38 boys), focusing on their preference for and rejection of East Asian, White, Southwest Asian and North African, and Black peers. In addition, interethnic prejudice is examined in relation to the COVID‐19 pandemic, a global crisis that has led to anti‐Asian racism. The results revealed that Chinese‐Dutch children evaluated their ethnic ingroup and the White outgroup most positively, and the Black outgroup least positively. Moreover, stronger ingroup affinity (in terms of lower ingroup rejection) among Chinese‐Dutch children was found during than before the COVID‐19 pandemic, highlighting the importance of situational influences on children's interethnic prejudice.

The Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Prosocial Behavior among High School Students: A Correlational Study

This study aimed to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence and prosocial behavior among students at SMA Negeri 1 Taman. A quantitative correlational approach was employed, with a sample of 290 students selected using stratified random sampling from the total population of 1,118 students. Data collection involved psychological scales, and Spearman's rho was used for data analysis. The results revealed a significant correlation (p < 0.05) between emotional intelligence and prosocial behavior among the students, with a correlation coefficient of 0.951, indicating a strong positive correlation. The majority of students demonstrated high levels of both emotional intelligence (57.6%) and prosocial behavior (60.3%). These findings suggest that an increase in emotional intelligence positively influences prosocial behavior, while a decrease in emotional intelligence leads to a decline in prosocial behavior. The implications of this research provide a basis for understanding students' emotional intelligence and prosocial behavior levels, allowing for interventions to enhance emotional intelligence and maximize prosocial behavior. Future studies should consider increasing the sample size and exploring additional factors, such as mood, genetic factors, situational influences, and personality, which may impact prosocial behavior. Highlight: Significant correlation: The study establishes a significant correlation between emotional intelligence and prosocial behavior among high school students, indicating a strong positive relationship. Impact of emotional intelligence: Higher levels of emotional intelligence contribute to an increase in prosocial behavior, while a decrease in emotional intelligence leads to a decline in prosocial behavior. Implications for intervention: The findings provide a basis for developing interventions to enhance students' emotional intelligence and maximize their prosocial behavior. Strategies such as organizing study groups and fostering empathy towards the environment can be implemented to improve emotional intelligence. keyword: Emotional Intelligence, Prosocial Behavior, High School Students, Correlation, Quantitative Study

Effects of False Feedback on Pain Tolerability Among Young Healthy Adults: Predictive Roles of Intentional Effort Investment and Perceived Pain Intensity.

Expectations and modification gained through critical learning influence pain perception. We tested how pain tolerability was influenced by the effects of orally delivered false feedback and participant status immediately prior to performing tasks. A total of 125 healthy college students (69 females and 56 males) were randomly assigned to 3 groups (positive, negative, and control) to participate in two formal cold pressor tests (CPTs). Participants completed the same series of task-related questionnaires (perceived importance, intended effort, current affect, and self-efficacy) before each CPT. False performance feedback was delivered after completion of the baseline level CPT. After completion of each CPT, both pain intensity and pain tolerability (duration in ice water) were recorded. The results of linear mixed models revealed significant condition × time interactions on pain tolerability and task self-efficacy after controlling for individual variance as a random effect. Participants who received negative feedback exhibited increased pain tolerability without decreasing their self-efficacy, whereas participants who received positive feedback showed increased self-efficacy with no change in pain tolerability. A longer pain tolerance duration was also predicted by a more intentional investment of effort and a lower intensity of experienced pain as well as the effect of false feedback. The research highlights the effect of powerful situational influences on laboratory-induced pain tolerance.

Explaining the perspective of people living with HIV on health-promoting behaviours based on Pender's model: A directed content analysis.

Health-promoting behaviours are an important challenge in people living with HIV (PLHIV). Knowing PLHIV's perspective can be helpful for more effective health-promoting behaviour planning. Therefore, the present study aims to explain PLHIV's perspective on health-promoting behaviours based on Pender's health-promotion model. A qualitative study with a directed content analysis approach. Altogether, 17 PLHIV referring to the Behavioural Diseases Consultation and Control Center in Tehran, Iran and were selected through purposive sampling. The data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews and the results were analysed through directed content analysis based on Pender's model. Data management was done by MAXQDA V10. Data analysis led to the extraction of 396 codes in 35 subcategories and 15 main categories in 6 constructs of Pender's model, including the perceived benefits (health assurance and optimal disease control), perceived barriers (insufficient knowledge and awareness, lack of motivation, adverse outcomes of the disease and socioeconomic status), perceived self-efficacy (endeavouring to have a healthy lifestyle, responsibility for one's health and that of others), activity-related affect (positive and negative feelings), the interpersonal influences (family, friends and relatives and social media) and situational influences (the resources available to the community and community's culture). In this study, the contribution of PLHIV was used and their perspectives were surveyed. The findings of this study can help policymakers and planners formulate health policies to select the most appropriate strategies and approaches to promoting effective healthy behaviours among PLHIV.

Using a willingness to wait design to assess how readers value text

What affects moment-to-moment motivation to read? Existing reading motivation questionnaires are trait-based and not well suited to capturing the dynamic, situational influences of text or social context. Drawing on the decision science literature, we have created a paradigm to measure situational enjoyment during reading. Using this paradigm, we find reading enjoyment is associated with further decision-making about the text and with reading comprehension.

Factors affecting customers' adoption of fintech in the gulf cooperation council countries

This study examines the factors affecting customers' adoption of fintech in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Based on fintech adoption models, a conceptual framework was developed and extended to include COVID-19 situational influences. Data were collected during the spread of COVID-19 and its subsequent variants. The sample comprises 484 customers who obtained financial services in the GCC countries. Hypotheses were tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, trust, and situational influences of COVID-19 have significantly affected customers' attitudes toward the use of fintech. Furthermore, such attitudes had a significant effect on customers’ intentions to use fintech. The findings also indicate that both perceived usefulness and the situational influences of COVID-19 have had significant direct and indirect effects on customers’ intentions to use fintech. Social influences have only directly affected customers’ intentions to use fintech, both perceived ease of use and trust have only indirectly affected the customers’ intentions to use fintech. Conversely, the findings show that social influence does not affect customers’ attitudes towards using fintech. This study provides several recommendations to financial institutions in the GCC Countries.

When the Norwegian ‘politeness marker’ vennligst becomes impolite

Abstract This corpus-based study contributes to the ongoing discussion on conventional politeness markers, such as please, by being the first to examine how the corresponding Norwegian lexical item vennligst ‘please’ is used. The study investigates the use of vennligst in data from two Norwegian corpora in standard situations, where the relationship between the interlocutors is clear, and non-standard situations, where the relationship between the interlocutors is less clear. The results show that although Norwegian dictionaries describe the pragmatic function of vennligst as being that of a polite request, most instances were found in standard situations where vennligst indicates a ritual frame that goes unmarked. The results also show that in non-standard situations, vennligst is not only used as a politeness device but more often strengthens the requestive force into a command. Therefore, we caution against using vennligst in non-standard situations due to the likelihood of being interpreted as impolite. Depending on the situation type, the various interpretations may explain why some Norwegians interpret vennligst as polite, whereas others deem it impolite. By illustrating how vennligst may be interpreted differently, we hope to draw attention to the situational influences on such markers and the dangers of relying on their conventional meanings.

How does online streaming reform e-commerce? An empirical assessment of immersive experience and social interaction in China

The present study examined why live-stream commerce is superior to traditional e-commerce since its retail sales have been booming in China and the communication style with live broadcast technology is entirely different. An integrated model was employed to predict the drivers or restraints of this new business model to substantiate the existence of a lacuna in understanding individual and situational influences. The research described a study that used a combination of information processing theory and flow theory within a Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework to investigate how individual factors and situational factors influence the experience of flow. An integrated model was proposed that stimuli such as individual (i.e., perceived interactivity) and situational influences (i.e., dynamic characteristics and atmosphere clues) can elicit the intrinsic states of organisms (i.e., immersive experience and social interaction), which then result in a response (i.e., online purchase intention). Some shoppers with live-streaming experiences in China were invited to participate in online surveys in 2020. The structural equation modeling results (n = 408) show that atmosphere clues and perceived interactivity of streaming attributes can contribute to both immersive experience and social interaction, predicting consumers’ intention to transact in the new e-commerce. However, the current dynamic/situational infrastructures can only improve the immersive experience but do not assure effective social interaction, leading to the need for continuous tasks in digital development and the directions for future research.

How others light the creative spark: Low power accentuates the benefits of diversity for individual inspiration and creativity

Power has been shown to liberate actors from situational influences that harm creativity because they elicit conformity. However, the workplace creativity literature recognizes that situational factors can also promote creativity. In this paper, we combine these findings and investigate whether this means that low-power actors benefit more from creativity-enhancing situational factors. Specifically, we test how power attenuates the impact of diversity in an actor’s environment on individual inspiration and creativity. Data from two large survey studies and one archival study provide converging evidence for the proposed contingent benefits of diversity for low-power actors’ inspiration and creativity. Together, the results of these studies demonstrate that low power may render individuals more receptive to social influences conducive to creativity, such as diversity, thereby facilitating individuals’ feelings of inspiration and displayed creativity.

Re‐Envisioning a Hierarchy of Leadership Behaviours Using Insights from the Psychological Literature on Personality Traits

AbstractThe current body of research on leadership styles is plagued with the problem of a bewildering number of styles that overlap conceptually and empirically, and whose dimensionality is contested. In this paper, we use analogical reasoning to argue that recommendations based on the personality psychology literature could be used to overcome these and related problems to substantially advance the literature on leadership styles. We argue that scholarly understanding of leadership styles needs to be redeveloped by theoretically identifying root behaviours and then seeing how they aggregate into higher‐level dimensions and meta‐categories. We offer a roadmap that will help facilitate such progress and enable future research to cumulate into a more comprehensive, coherent, and empirically justifiable hierarchical model of leadership behaviours. We also discuss how personality research raises a variety of other interesting analogous questions about leadership behaviours, including how to incorporate situational influences and whether patterns of characteristic leader behaviours develop over time.

Personal accounts of compulsive exercise and bulimia nervosa: an exploration of psychosocial influences through creative nonfiction storytelling

ABSTRACT Compulsive exercise is a common component of eating disorders, characterised by an obsessive need to exercise, often following rigid rules, and using exercise as a maladaptive coping mechanism. However, compulsive exercise is often not well addressed or treated, mainly due to a lack of understanding of how compulsive exercise is developed, experienced, and resolved. Most research, to date, has explored compulsive exercise among individuals with anorexia nervosa and has not considered the social and cultural factors that influence compulsive exercise. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the complex interplay of personal and sociocultural factors that influenced the lived experiences of four individuals with bulimia nervosa and compulsive exercise. A series of four narrative interviews were conducted with each of the participants to allow for an in-depth exploration of lifelong experiences, attitudes, and behaviours around eating, exercise, and the body. The analysis involved two phases: a thematic narrative analysis and creative non-fiction. Two creative non-fiction stories were created that depict the tales of Amber and Carley. Both stories are first-person accounts of their personal experiences developing, living with, and (attempting) recovery from compulsive exercise. Woven through the two stories are the personal, situational, and sociocultural influences that shaped their experiences with exercise, eating, and their body. The two stories recount both different and shared experiences, influences, and trajectories with compulsive exercise and bulimia nervosa, presented through emotional and relatable narratives to appeal to a broad audience of readers.

Mechanisms to change farmers' drought adaptation behaviors in Sistan and Baluchistan Province, Iran

IntroductionFrequent droughts in Iran have imposed economic and social losses on farmers. To mitigate drought implications, farmers' behaviors should be shifted towards drought adaptation. This research mainly aimed to study mechanisms for changing farmers' drought adaptation behaviors in Sistan and Baluchistan Province.MethodsThe research was conducted among farmers in this province (N = 950). The sample whose size was estimated at 275 farmers by Krejcie and Morgan's table was taken by the stratified random sampling technique. The research instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire. Data were analyzed by SPSS23 and AMOS23 software. The comprehensive action determination model was validated by confirmatory factor analysis. Furthermore, structural equation modeling was used to explore the components influencing farmers' drought adaptation behaviors.Results and discussionAccording to the results, personal norms, attitudes, objective barriers, and subjective barriers had positive and significant effects on the farmers' intention to apply drought adaptation strategies. As well, the farmers' adaptation behaviors were influenced by their behavioral intentions, objective barriers, and subjective barriers. It can be concluded that changing the mechanism of farmers' behaviors toward drought adaptation is shaped by the processes included in the comprehensive action determination model in which norms, habits, situational influences, and intentional processes are involved.

Development and initial validation of questionnaire on predictors for the use of hearing protection devices among noise exposed manufacturing workers in Tanzania: A methodological study.

The use of hearing protection devices (HPDs) has been an intervention of choice in many workplaces such as in the construction industry for quite some time due to impractical effects of engineering and administrative interventions. Questionnaires for assessment for HPDs use among construction workers have been developed and validated in developed countries. However, there is limited knowledge of the same, among manufacturing workers in developing countries that are assumed to have a different culture, work organizations and production processes. We conducted a stepwise methodological study to develop a questionnaire to predict the use of HPDs among noise exposed workers in manufacturing factories in Tanzania. The questionnaire included 24 items and was developed through rigorous and systematic procedures involving three steps; (i) item formulation that involved two experts, (ii) expert content review and item rating that involving eight experts with vast experience in the field, and (iii) a field pre-test that involved 30 randomly selected workers from a factory with similar characteristics as a planned study site. A modified Pender's Health Promotion Model was adopted in the questionnaire development. We analyzed the questionnaire in terms of content validity and item reliability. The 24 items were categorized into seven domains i.e., perceived self-efficacy, perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, interpersonal influences, situational influences and safety climate. The score for content validity for each item was satisfactory as the content validity index ranged between 0.75 to 1.00 for clarity, relevance, and essentiality criteria. Similarly, the scores for the content validity ratio (for all items) were 0.93, 0.88 and 0.93 for clarity, relevance, and essentiality, respectively. In addition, the overall value for Cronbach's alpha was 0.92 with domain coefficients: perceived self-efficacy 0.75; perceived susceptibility 0.74; perceived benefits 0.86; perceived barriers 0.82; interpersonal influences 0.79; situational influences; 0.70; and safety climate 0.79. The mean inter-item correlation was 0.49 suggesting good internal consistency. The developed and preliminary validated questionnaire can be used to predict the HPDs use among noise exposed manufacturing factory workers. Future surveys using this questionnaires warranted for further validation of the scale developed.

Who exploits? The trusted one, the dark one, or both?

Trust represents one of the most complex phenomena in social settings, in that, while it is necessary for social interactions, it also renders one vulnerable to exploitation. Further, its examination stands at the crossroads of the person-situation debate due to its conceptualisation as a dispositional trait as well as a situational artefact. This study examined the role of dark traits and trust in promoting exploitative choices at the individual and situational levels. In a sample of working managers (Study 1), we hypothesised and investigated the moderating role of trust in the relationship between dark core and exploitation at the trait level. In a sample of prospective managers (Study 2), we examined the situational influence of social distance and reward on the propensity to behave exploitatively using a trust game. The findings revealed a positive moderating role of trust in both studies. Additionally, it was observed that dark core and trust significantly interacted with the inherent reward for defection and social distance to predict exploitation, self-interest, or benevolence across the situations. As managerial trust is essential, our study is relevant considering that dark individuals are increasingly rising in the organizational hierarchy.