Typology Of Users Research Articles

Exploring typologies of users among Latino immigrant day laborers in New Orleans

Exploring typologies of users among Latino immigrant day laborers in New Orleans

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: A growing concern in Israel?

s / Drug and Alcohol Dependence 140 (2014) e86–e168 e159 Exploring typologies of users among Latino immigrant day laborers in New Orleans Nalini Negi1, A. Cepeda2, A. Valdez2 1 School of Social Work, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, United States 2 School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States Aims: Studies indicate crack use among Latino immigrant day laborers (LIDLs) who arrived in New Orleans to work on rebuilding efforts post-Katrina. This emergence of crack use is compelling as it hasbeenpreviously found tobe lowamongLatinoswhencompared to other groups and its use has been associated with the spread of HIV and other blood borne pathogens. The aim of this study is to explore heterogeneity among LIDLs who use crack and factors associated to sub-groups of crack users. Methods: In-depth qualitative interviewswere conductedwith 52 LIDLs in NewOrleans. Participants recruited fromday labor sites were: 18 years of age or older; self-reported use of illicit drugs during the past year; arrived in New Orleans post-Katrina; and living in the New Orleans area. In-depth interviews were conducted in Spanish lasting 1–1.5h. Analysis of data consisted of defining the broad dimensions and specific variations distinguishing patterns of crack use. Results: A post-disaster context, social isolation,workers’ rights abuseswere identified as contributing factors to drug initiation and periods of daily use. Variations among crack users were seen in frequency of use (occasional users vs. frequent users), initiation of druguse (initiationofdrugspre-migrationvs. initiationofdruguser post-migration), and family ties (strong ties vs. weak ties). Conclusions: The emergence of crack use among this sub-group of Latino immigrant day laborers is particularly problematic as this population lacks access to preventative and health care services. Interventions should acknowledge variations in crack use among Latino immigrant day laborers to provide effective services for this vulnerable and high risk population. Financial support: NIDA administrative supplement “High Risk DrugandRelatedRiskBehaviorsAmongHispanic ImmigrantWorkers in New Orleans” National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) $71, 725 [1R01 DA021852-03; PI: Avelardo Valdez. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.02.448 Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: A growing concern in Israel? Yehuda Neumark1, I.D. Wexler2, A. Tenenbaum2 1 Braun School of Public Health, Hebrew University-Hadassah, Jerusalem, Israel 2 Pediatrics, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem,

Artisanal Recreational Fisheries: Using a Combined Approach to Fishery Assessment Aimed at Providing Insights for Fishery Managers

To provide insights for artisanal recreational fisheries management, using Belize as a case study, our research addressed the following research question: What is the natural resource base in terms of the fish species, typology of users, and general management regulations comprising artisanal recreational fisheries in Belize? To answer it, a mixed method approach, which included social and biological surveys, was used. Our results indicated: (1) there is a mismatch in the very definition of “recreational fisheries” between the fishery managers and resource users; (2) current management regulates the so called “sport fishing,” whereas three other recorded fisheries—reef fishing, blue fishing, and local recreational fishing—remain unregulated; (3) 26 bony fish species in the study area; and (4) the direct users (fishers) are primarily non-residents, whereas the indirect users (service providers) are residents. Our study suggests that any management plan for these fisheries should consider local complexities and stakeholders’ inputs.

Cyberspace: Connected or Segregated? Examining Virtual Segregation among Hong Kong Internet Users

In this paper we discuss how cyberspace has been interwoven in the geographies of social stratification and segregation nowadays. It conceptualizes ‘virtual segregation’ as an extension of the ‘digital divide’ and sociospatial segregation in urban spaces. A case study was conducted in Hong Kong in 2010, when 770 Internet users were surveyed. A comparison of their patterns of Internet use shows that these individuals, all of whom possess devices and Internet access, have varied levels of connectivity in cyberspace. A typology of Internet users was then derived from the perspective of virtual segregation. The findings suggest that people may be stratified and segregated in cyberspace in similar ways to the physical world, and that segregation studies should pay more attention to virtual segregation.

Privacy and control in online social profiles: Toward a typology of users

This poster uses Q methodology to investigate subjective perspectives on privacy of and control over social network profiles. Earlier research using interview and focus group techniques suggests that the default conception of online social networks is as public spaces where there is little or no expectation of control over content or distribution. This conception, however, applies largely to information posted by others, and participants frame their own online participation in different ways. The current study explicitly investigates these different subjective perspectives. The results suggest three different user profiles or privacy orientations: one group views their online profiles as spaces for social display, but exert control over content and audience; a second group treats their profiles as spaces for open social display, exercising little control over either content or audience; and a third group views social network profiles as places to post personal information to a controlled audience. These different perspectives lead to different privacy needs and expectations.

Carsharing with electric vehicles in the context of users' mobility needs - results from user-centred research from the BeMobility field trial (Berlin)

Both carsharing and the battery electric vehicle (BEV) are innovations central to the discourse on the future development of urban mobility. Here, we investigate the potential of carsharing with BEVs as part of an integrated mobility system with a focus on user acceptance. Drawing on selected results from the project ‘BeMobility – Berlin elektromobil’, the aim is to provide insights on two main questions: 1) Are BEVs suitable for carsharing?; 2) What are the target groups for carsharing as a part of an integrated mobility system? The former is addressed from the users’ point of view in terms of suitability of BEVs for typical use patterns, satisfaction with e-carsharing and aspects of usability. To answer the second question, the article draws on results from the project regarding motives, attitude profiles and mobility needs of current users of e-carsharing and combines them with an attitude-based typology of transport users resulting from a representative study in German agglomerations.

Typology of alcohol users based on longitudinal patterns of drinking

ObjectiveWorldwide, alcohol is the most commonly used psychoactive substance. However, heterogeneity among alcohol users has been widely recognized. This paper presents a typology of alcohol users based on an implementation of idiographic methodology to examine longitudinal daily and cyclic (weekly) patterns of alcohol use at the individual level. MethodA secondary data analysis was performed on the pre-intervention data from a large randomized control trial. A time series analysis was performed at the individual level, and a dynamic cluster analysis was employed to identify homogenous longitudinal patterns of drinking behavior at the group level. The analysis employed 180 daily observations of alcohol use in a sample of 177 alcohol users. ResultsThe first order autocorrelations ranged from −.76 to .72, and seventh order autocorrelations ranged from −.27 to .79. Eight distinct profiles of alcohol users were identified, each characterized by a unique configuration of first and seventh autoregressive terms and longitudinal trajectories of alcohol use. External validity of the profiles confirmed the theoretical relevance of different patterns of alcohol use. Significant differences among the eight subtypes were found on gender, marital status, frequency of drug use, lifetime alcohol dependence, family history of alcohol use and the Short Index of Problems. ConclusionsOur findings demonstrate that individuals can have very different temporal patterns of drinking behavior. The daily and cyclic patterns of alcohol use may be important for designing tailored interventions for problem drinkers.

Two selves and online forums in China

Chinese society is characterized by emerging fragmentation and by the coexistence of traditional and Western values, goals and norms. In this multifaceted environment bi‐cultural selves, which encompass social and individual orientations, may emerge. The aim of this paper is to explore if features of bi‐cultural selves concerning interactions, emotions, and values are reflected in online public discussions in China. In order to address this question, we explored two of the most popular bulletin board systems (BBSs): Tian Ya and Feng Huang Forums. BBSs attract almost one third of Internet users in China and provide these users with a forum to carry out public dialogue; BBSs are thus an ideal place to study how the self is socially shaped in public communication. A sample of 6109 messages was subjected to quantitative content analysis. Results show that twofold self‐construal, corresponding to the individual‐ and social‐oriented self, are (also) detected in BBSs forum content: direct and polemic content coexist with conciliatory content; ego‐focused and other‐focused emotions are almost equally as frequent as one another; and traditional values are evoked together with the quest for truth and individual rights. Moreover, three typologies of Internet users (proactive, ambivalent, and follower), which were identified on the basis of the quality of their online interactions, show different patterns of emotions and values. We may thus conclude that alternative ways of constructing self‐other and self‐society relationships currently coexist in China and that these alternative views confront each other on BBS forums.

Discrimination in relation to parenthood reported by community psychiatric service users in the UK: a framework analysis

BackgroundExperienced discrimination refers to an individual’s perception that they have been treated unfairly due to an attribute and is an important recent focus within stigma research. A significant proportion of mental health service users report experiencing mental illness-based discrimination in relation to parenthood. Existing studies in this area have not gone beyond prevalence, therefore little is known about the nature of experienced discrimination in relation to parenthood, and how is it constituted. This study aims to generate a typology of community psychiatric service users’ reports of mental illness-based discrimination in relation to becoming or being a parent. A secondary aim is to assess the prevalence of these types of experienced discrimination.MethodsIn a telephone survey 2026 community psychiatric service users in ten UK Mental Health service provider organisations (Trusts) were asked about discrimination experienced in the previous 12 months using the Discrimination and Stigma Scale (DISC). The sample were asked if, due to their mental health problem, they had been treated unfairly in starting a family, or in their role as a parent, and gave examples of this. Prevalence is reported and the examples of experienced discrimination in relation to parenthood were analysed using the framework method of qualitative analysis.ResultsThree hundred and four participants (73% female) reported experienced discrimination, with prevalences of 22.5% and 28.3% for starting a family and for the parenting role respectively. Participants gave 89 examples of discrimination about starting a family and 228 about parenting, and these occurred in social and professional contexts. Ten themes were identified. These related to being seen as an unfit parent; people not being understanding; being stopped from having children; not being allowed to see their children; not getting the support needed; children being affected; children avoiding their parents; children’s difficulties being blamed on the parent’s mental health problem; not being listened to; and being undermined as a parent.ConclusionsThis research highlights the need for: greater support for parents with mental illness, those wishing to have children, and those who lose access or custody; services to better meet the needs of children with a mentally ill parent; training about discrimination for professionals; and parenting issues to be included in anti-stigma programmes.

Menores y ocio digital en el siglo XXI. Análisis exploratorio de perfiles de usuarios de videojuegos en España

The importance of play in the social and personal development of children has been recognized long ago. However, in the last decades new forms of entertainment such as video games have developed and became very popular among young people. The aims of the analysis, which is based on a large sample of Spanish children and teen-agers under 18 who play video games, are twofold. First, it provides a typology of users considering socio-demographic variables, use of other screens (transversal leisure), academic outcomes, and the degree of family involvement (mainly parents) in the use of video games. Secondly, it examines the behavior of different types of children and teen-agers who play video-games considering two dimensions: the time they devote to playing and to study and family mediation. Eight different types of video game users were identified confirming the hypothesis that the users are not a homogenous group in relation to the variables and dimensions used in the analysis. The article concludes with educational recommendations about the role of digital entertainment among young people in relation to academic performance and family life.

A typology of internet users based on comparative affective states: evidence from eight countries

PurposeThe role of affective states in consumer behaviour is well established. However, no study to date has examined online affective states empirically as a basis for constructing typologies of internet users and for assessing the invariance of clusters across national cultures. This paper aims to address this issue.Design/methodology/approachFour focus groups were carried out with internet users to adapt a set of affective states identified from the literature to the online environment. An online survey was then designed to collect data from internet users in four Western and four East Asian countries.FindingsBased on a cluster analysis, six cross‐national market segments are identified and labelled “Positive Online Affectivists”, “Offline Affectivists”, “On/Off‐line Negative Affectivists”, “Online Affectivists”, “Indistinguishable Affectivists”, and “Negative Offline Affectivists”. The resulting clusters discriminate on the basis of national culture, gender, working status and perceptions towards online brands.Practical implicationsMarketers may use this typology to segment internet users in order to predict their perceptions towards online brands. Also, a standardised approach to e‐marketing is not recommended on the basis of affective state‐based segmentation.Originality/valueThis is the first study proposing affective state‐based typologies of internet users using comparable samples from four Western and four East Asian countries.

Adoption of Online Social Media Innovation

Few but mentionable studies have been conducted in typifying the Online Social Media (OSM) users. Studies on innovations taking place within the OSM environment are also very much found. But gaps are present in linking OSM innovations and adoption of innovations by the OSM users. Precise and objective studies to put the OSM users in an adoption spectrum are close to nil, though such studies might carry great significance in this new but exploding field of business and marketing. This study focuses on proposing an ‘Adoption Spectrum’ for OSM innovations by the users by proliferating Rogers’s ‘Adoption of Innovation’ with the ‘Typology of OSM Users’. Absolutely conceptual and qualitative in nature, the study concentrates on assessing the speed and magnitude of adoption of OSM innovations by the users. The proposed spectrum is an alignment between Rogers’s work and the OSM user typology. Mentionable limitation of this piece of work may be forwarding the empirical justifications for further study. However, the study may be used as input for managing innovations by the firms that venture through OSM.

Exploratory study of the psychopathological profiles of adolescent cannabis users

Although adolescent cannabis users have been reported not to be a homogeneous group, they are few typological studies and only one based on psychopathological variables. A better knowledge of the typology of cannabis users might contribute to the identification of specific needs concerning prevention or treatment. Among 199 adolescents using cannabis at least monthly during the last six month, cluster analysis yielded three clusters based on depressive symptoms, social anxiety, borderline personality traits, and psychopathic traits (impulsivity and callous-unemotional traits). The largest cluster, called ‘ordinary’ was well below the mean on all measures. Another cluster, labeled ‘borderline’ was distinguished by high levels of borderline traits, depressed mood, and social anxiety. The smallest cluster, called ‘impulsive’ was well above the mean in impulsivity and callous traits but low on all other measures. Frequency of cannabis use was higher in the borderline and impulsive clusters than in the ordinary cluster. Multiple regression analyses suggested that the contributions of psychopathological variables to cannabis use varied across clusters.

Elderly-technology interaction: accessibility and acceptability of technological devices promoting motor and cognitive training.

As the world population is ageing, studies on the socio-economic and health consequences are proliferating. Little has been done on the effectiveness and impact elderly may benefit from the use of technology in their everyday life. The pilot study, implemented within a funded project aimed at identifying sustainable actions to promote Seniors' quality of life, intended to investigate this kind of interaction in terms of accessibility and acceptability that senior citizen experience with technological devices promoting motor and cognitive training. In the hypothesis, interfaces and technological artifacts, that still take in little account the seniors' physical characteristics (e.g. physiological limitations in sight, hearing, movement) and cognitive processes (selective memory often driven by practical needs), can cause elderly to mistrust technology. Study participants were twenty over seventy-year-old people, who were observed and interviewed in context in a two-hour training session regarding the technological devices user experience. The results are presented with scenario-based techniques that help represent typologies of users in different use situations. Findings confirm the hypothesis, highlighting that elderly may accept technological artifacts when they perceive them as bringing benefits in terms of well-being and health.

Development of an assistance environment for tutors based on a co-adaptive design approach

In this article, we present a co-adaptive design approach named TE-Cap (Tutoring Experience Capitalisation) that we applied for the development of an assistance environment for tutors. Since tasks assigned to tutors in educational contexts are not well defined, we are developing an environment which responds to needs which are not precisely identified or not expressed by these users. Our approach rests on three development cycles which aim at gradually clarifying and refining users' needs and expectations which we translate into computing functionalities. Each cycle is composed of three steps that allow the use of prototypes developed with regard, on the one hand, to theories of users' activities and, on the other hand, to the needs that we have identified to be observed. We finally obtain a stable typology of users' needs and expectations upon which we base the development of the computer environment. We illustrate the two first cycles of this iterative and co-adaptive approach during the development of TE-Cap. We then discuss the difficulties raised by this type of approach.

The direct use value of municipal commonage goods and services to urban households in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

To redress past racial discrepancies in ownership and tenure, the ANC government of South Africa initiated programmes to make land accessible to the previously disadvantaged. A key component of the national land reform programme was the provision of commonage lands to urban municipalities for use by the urban poor. However, there has been no assessment of the contribution that urban commonage makes to previously disadvantaged households. This study assessed the economic benefits of the commonage programme to local households, through an in-depth survey of 90 households across three small towns in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. We examined the marketed and non-marketed consumptive direct-use values of land-based livelihoods on commonage, calculated via the ‘own reported values’ approach. The results indicate that a proportion of South Africa's urban population rely to some degree on municipal commonage for part of their livelihoods. Commonage contributions to total livelihood incomes ranged between 14 and 20%. If the contributions from commonage were excluded, the incomes of over 10% of households in each study town would drop below the poverty line. Overall, the value of harvests from commonage was worth over R1 000 (US$ 142) per hectare per year and over R4.7 million (US$ 0.68 million) per commonage per year. However, the extent and nature of use and reliance was not uniform among households, so that we developed a typology of commonage users, with four types being identified. However, rapidly growing urban populations and high levels of poverty potentially threaten the sustainability of commonage resource use. Yet the national land reform programme focuses largely on the transfer of land to municipalities and not on sustainable management. Municipalities, in turn, invest relatively little in commonage management, and the little they do is focussed on livestock production. Non-timber forest products are not considered at all, even though this study shows that they are a vital resource for the urban poor, notably for energy and construction materials.

User Communities and Social Software in the Video Game Industry

Firms manufacturing video games and player communities enjoying the games are closely related, not only in a producer-user way, but also in co-development, testing and diffusion activities. This paper explores these tight relationships. The interaction between firms and user communities in this industry has drastically increased in intensity and quality with the introduction and development of social software. However, Social software has simultaneously raised new managerial challenges. Based on a theoretical discussion and empirical material we propose a typology of users in the video game industry. These communities have different reactions to incentives coming from firms producing games and therefore have to be approached and harnessed with specific community management practices and social software devices.

Exploring social media user segmentation and online brand profiles

Because of the relative recency of widespread participation in social media technologies, research on online social media users has been limited. Furthermore, the extant literature treats users as either homogeneous or segments on the basis of one dimension. This study provides a deeper understanding of the use of online social media technologies among young adults by developing a typology of social media users. In addition, the study assesses perceived profiles of brands reported as connecting well with customers in the online space, discusses the implications of the findings and presents a roadmap for future research in this emerging field.

Who goes online? Evidence of internet use patterns from rural Greece

This paper attempts to reveal the heterogeneity of Internet users in rural areas. Who is really using the Internet? Is it the farmer or other members of the rural family? Can rural areas be seen as a homogenous space or do different types of Internet users exist? Research is based on both the descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis techniques on a sample of 920 individuals in three administrative regions of rural Greece. Basic findings suggest that less than one out of three rural residents go online. A set of perceived potentials and pitfalls of Internet use are analyzed. Social networking and e-mail are the principal uses of the Internet, classifying users into three distinct types. For “basic users”, Internet access is influenced by income and gender while the “socially interactive users” are influenced by the existence of a young member in the family. For “farm oriented users”, Internet access is influenced by the digital divide between rural and urban location and by farmers' competency. The typology of users along with their perceptions regarding Internet use can provide useful policy insights on the ways that Internet access can contribute to diffusion of innovation and rural development.

Een typologie van jonge nieuwsgebruikers in een multimediaal landschap

A typology of young news users in the Low Countries A typology of young news users in the Low Countries This article investigates different types of young news users (15-34 years) in the Low Countries. Therefore a survey among 1200 Flemish and Dutch youngsters and adolescents was conducted, analyzing the combined use of media platforms for news consumption and time spent with these news carriers. The cluster analysis identified five types of news users: the sound and vision group, characterized by the use of mainly audiovisual news platforms, combined with online news sites; the e-news users, who give most prominence to online news sites but also rely on traditional news platforms, the all rounders, depending on a range of off- and online news channels; the traditionalists, who spent most time with offline news media; and the dabblers, a group with an overall low level of news consumption. Our results indicate that Flemish and Dutch youngsters combine online and traditional news platforms for their news gathering, giving most prominence to traditional news media, especially television news.