Word Association Technique Research Articles

Understanding meaning transfer in celebrity endorsements: a qualitative exploration

Purpose Of the three major streams of research in celebrity endorsements, the “Meaning Transfer Model (MTM)” has received the least attention from researchers. In the present study, the authors aim to investigate the basic components of the “Meaning Transfer Model” proposed by McCracken (1986, 1989) and outcome of the flow of meaning through celebrity endorsements. Design/methodology/approach The authors used an interpretive approach to address four broad research questions framed after a comprehensive literature review. Eight focus group discussions (FGD) (along with embedded word association techniques) were conducted among audience from heterogeneous demographic backgrounds from India. Content and thematic analysis were carried out on the FGD transcripts and the word association test results to generate findings. Findings The findings indicate seven themes of celebrity meaning, namely, personality, credibility, physical appearance, feelings, performance, values and cogent power. Most meanings were found to be transferred to a brand via the endorsement. The possibility of reverse meaning transfer and the change of celebrity meanings overtime were also observed. Research limitations/implications The major contribution of the present study is the development of a measurable and applicable model of meaning transfer in celebrity endorsements, along with a set of testable propositions. Practical implications The findings provide a guiding framework for practitioners who would like to use a celebrity endorsement strategy. Originality/value This is one of the first attempts to develop a comprehensive model of meaning transfer in celebrity endorsements that includes sub-constructs of “meaning” and the moderators in the process.

Hedonic and Word Association Techniques Confirm a Successful Way of Introducing Fish into Public School Meals

AbstractThis study aimed to evaluate the acceptance of fish meatballs introduced into the lunch of 132 6‐ to 14‐year‐old students at a public school in Brazil. Responses were obtained using a seven‐point facial hedonic scale and the word association method was used to determine children's cognitive perception of the product. We used multinomial logistic regression to evaluate the effects of age and gender on the acceptance of fish meatballs and established a predictive model for different acceptance levels. The technique known as correspondence analysis was used to verify the relationship between the acceptance rates or student's age with the terms that emerged during the word association. Results showed that age was significantly and inversely correlated with the acceptance of fish meatballs. The cognitive evaluation of the word association results through the word association technique demonstrated that the preferences of the younger students are given by the appearance of the fish meatballs, and, in as they grow older, their cognitions become more abstract. We found that the word association can be effectively used for cognitive assessment in children, and fish meatballs proved to be a potentially accepted food in school meals of the Brazilian public education.Practical ApplicationsFish is considered as a high nutritional value food in the diet. However, it has low acceptance among children. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the attributes and insights that lead the children to accept a fish‐based product.

Comparative analysis of Rank Aggregation techniques for metasearch using genetic algorithm

Rank Aggregation techniques have found wide applications for metasearch along with other streams such as Sports, Voting System, Stock Markets, and Reduction in Spam. This paper presents the optimization of rank lists for web queries put by the user on different MetaSearch engines. A metaheuristic approach such as Genetic algorithm based rank aggregation technique has been proposed and implemented in MATLAB for Kendall-tau as (GKTu) and Spearman's foot rule as (GSFD) distance measures. A comparative analysis has been carried out between ranked lists for with and without GA on the basis of simulated results. From the results it has been found that proposed GA optimized rank list (for a particular query on the basis of minimum distance) is better than the conventional methods. In addition, a word association technique i.e., AND-OR operator has been applied on each query. The results are investigated in comparison to non- logic operators for the same query.

COGNITIVE EVALUATION AS A FOOD SAFETY TOOL - A FOOD HANDLER CASE STUDY

This research aimed to evaluate the perception of professionals and future professionals in the food industry on concepts related to food safety. Therefore, we conducted a course to evaluate knowledge and perception of issues related to food safety by the cognitive word association technique, with total workload of 24 hours. The target audience was made up of two distinct groups, one consisting of 52 cooks responsible for handling of school meals at public schools and another formed by 73 students from public agricultural technical school. For data collection, self-administered surveys were applied, before and after the capacitation course. The results revealed word association technique as an important tool to evaluate the perception of issues related to food safety and reinforced the importance of constant participation and improvement of the professionals in the food industry. Practical Applications Food safety focuses on ensuring that food will not cause harm to health when prepared or consumed. It is associated with a set of rules and techniques needed to ensure food safety in all stages of the food chain, in this context, it is important that the knowledge on issues related to food safety is the first step in its pursuit.

Application of the Word Association Cognitive Technique in the Evaluation of Food Safety Perception

This opinion article aims to highlight the use of the Word Association technique (WA) as a food safety tool, as evidenced in the article by J.M. Latorres and coauthors. The application of this cognitive technique revealed two interesting results: a) the importance of the constant participation and improvement of professionals in the food area when the subject is food security; and b) the immediate associations with the stimuli employed that were made by each group studied. The application of the technique also allowed for the verification of changes or improvements in the perceptions referring to the subjects related to food safety after the training courses, which demonstrated their efficacy. Once again this reinforces the importance of the propagation and re-propagation of knowledge with professionals in the food area, which, as a practical consequence implies in a reduction in the risks of foodborne diseases.

Patients with Cancer: Social Representations in Nursing

The meaning attributed to cancer, when passing the patient-family boundary is, in some degree, also shared between health professionals, which can have effect on the professionals’ performance and influence the opinions of users about health services. The focus of this work is the analysis of social representations about patients with cancer, in a population of nurse students, professional nurses working with cancer patients, and professional nurses not working with cancer patients, of both sexes. Our main goal is to know their conceptions towards oncologic patients. The methodological option was the social representations theory. The data was retrieved by questionnaire using the free word association technique. Several Factorial Correspondence Analysis where made to identify the different dimensions (or dependent variables). In general, all professional groups represent oncologic patients by their physical alterations. Nurse students decipher cancer in a distant perspective, as the unknown and something that causes discomfort and eventually… death. In fact, patients with cancer are strongly associated to situations of pain, involving suffering, and death. Women show a more positive perception of cancer, supported in treatment and hoping for a healing possibility. Men demonstrate a greater difficulty in dissociating the patients with cancer of people who soon will die. There is still a long way to walk before cancer patients are no longer associated to a death sign. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n6s4p495

You can't do that! Hugo Münsterberg and misapplied psychology

This article examines a false start in the application of psychology to the law. While there had been expert testimony from physicians in criminal and civil cases in America since the nineteenth century, forensic psychology first emerged in the early twentieth century. Following European traditions of experimental psychology, Hugo Münsterberg applied the nascent science of memory research to the assessment of witness credibility. A brilliant and popular Harvard professor, Münsterberg touted his technique of word-association to determine truth. Forensic psychology's development was stalled by resistance from within legal authorities, including John Henry Wigmore, the leading expert on evidence. However, Münsterberg was a sensation in popular media. In this article, the authors examine early attempts to import experimental psychology into the courtroom and the arguments against them. Not only were Münsterberg's findings premature, they touched on a forbidden domain for witnesses: fact finding. While sincere, he learned that the determination of truth lay within the province of juries and judges, not psychologists. Thus, the application of psychology to the law was delayed. The authors review the lessons from Münsterberg's false start and comment on developments in the admissibility of scientific testimony.

Beyond sensory characteristics, how can we identify subjective dimensions? A comparison of six qualitative methods relative to a case study on coffee cups

This article compares six qualitative methods used to identify consumer perceptions: the sorting task with verbalization, the repertory grid method, the projective technique of word association and sentence completion, the projective technique of image association, a method based on the self-explanation of preferences and the focus group. We applied these methods to a set of coffee cups. For each method, eight different consumers assessed the same eight cups. The terms thus elicited were classified into two pre-established categories: product attributes (this cup is modern) and evocations (this cup reminds me of family time). We then proposed sub-categories: ten for product attributes and five for evocations. The methods were compared according to the number of different variables generated in each sub-category. The ease of implementation and pragmatic considerations relative to the methods are also presented. The test methods enabled the elicitation of different subjective dimensions distributed into several pre-defined categories. According to our criteria, the word association and sentence completion method appeared to be the most comprehensive technique to identify subjective dimensions.

Representações sociais do crack elaboradas por usuários em tratamento

The main goal of this research was to know and to analyze the content and the structure of crack social representation, elaborated by drug addicts under treatment. This study was conducted in a psychiatric institution of Joao Pessoa-PB (Brazil), with 30 crack users. Two instruments were used: an interview, which was analyzed by the Thematic Content Analysis; and the Free Word Association Technique, with the tag which was analyzed from the EVOC program. It was found a negative representation of the crack, where it is embodied in the figure of the Devil, having enough power to destroy its users' lives and the society in general. It was also observed that this representation is made up by negative elements which evidence the sadness and the suffering that permeate the crack users reality. The results found are expected to aid state offices to bring out public policies in order to find this problematic issue a solution, which is able to encompass the psychosocial aspects of the crack usage.

Percepción del consumidor sobre los tipos de carne picada que se comercializan en Montevideo

The word association technique was used to perform a preliminary study consumers' perception of ground meat sold in Montevideo. A total of 60 consumers were presented with five cards with the words: Regular Ground Meat, Lean, Premium, Veal, and Special and were asked to write the first four images, associations, thoughts or feelings that came to mind with each card. Afterwards, the participants assessed how healthy they considered each type of ground meat to be. The answers were grouped in 16 categories. Regular ground meat was perceived as a food product with high fat content, and assessed as not very healthy. Lean and Premium ground meats were perceived as having low fat content, being nutritious, healthy and expensive. The Premium ground meat was also considered a high quality product. Lean ground meat was perceived mainly as tender, soft and mushy, while for the Special ground meat contradictions in the choice of words were found (expensive-inexpensive, low fat-high fat). Through this technique the most relevant attributes in the selection process and decision making process were identified.

Identity Representations of People With Diabetes.

In this study, we aimed to investigate the construction of identity representations by primary health care patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and their relationship to the required self-care actions. A free word association technique required clients from a basic health unit (N = 34) to suggest a word or expression and justify it in response to the question, "When talking about being a diabetic, what comes to your mind?" We performed, transcribed, and categorized the recordings, then interpreted them according to thematic content analysis, social representation, and social identity theories. Intentions mediated by identity processes-social comparison, social attribution, and categorization within the studied group-and also by objectification and anchoring, provided the following social constructions: normal, accepting of the disease, feeling unaccepting, and experiencing difficulties. The disease might alter patients' identity representation within a context permeated by individuals' subjective sense.

Consumers' perception of beef burgers with different healthy attributes

Although the demand for healthy foods has increased, the desire for convenience prevails. Thus, there is an opportunity to popularize convenient yet healthy food. Despite efforts investigating the technical feasibility of achieving healthy attributes in meat products, few studies have addressed consumer perceptions regarding these products. Projective techniques have been used to better understand consumer attitudes towards foods and beverages. For these reasons, the objective of this study was to evaluate the suitability of the projective technique of word association to obtain inferences about consumer perceptions regarding four types of frozen burgers: traditional, reduced-sodium, reduced-fat and with antioxidants. The projective technique of word association was employed with cluster analysis based on an attitudinal questionnaire. Fifty-six consumers participated. Healthiness, Good Flavor, Quality/Flavor Apprehension and Fat/Calories were the most mentioned categories and therefore deserve the industry's attention. Different types of burgers revealed distinct associations, suggesting that marketing efforts could consider these particular attributes. Consumers with different attitudes towards health might have different perceptions of these meat products, which could be further explored. In general, all products considered in this study merit further investigation in quantitative and qualitative consumer studies, and the projective technique of word association deserves to be increasingly used.

Justice as social representation: diffusion and differential positioning / La justicia como representación social: difusión y posicionamientos diferenciales

The aim of this paper is to analyse the relationship between the diffusion process of social representations of justice by the press and their appropriation by readers. Two simultaneous cross-sectional studies were carried out. Study 1 analysed the meaning and the frequency of the word justice in the most important newspaper in Buenos Aires. The results indicate that the representation of justice has a retributive and institutional meaning. Study 2 investigated university students’ social representations of justice (N = 404) through a word association technique. The results showed that the central core of social representation has a retributive and institutional meaning, similar to the representations diffused by the most important newspaper. Nevertheless, significant differences were found with regard to the value attached to justice depending on the newspaper that the participants claimed to read. We can conclude that there is a mutual constitutive circular movement between the social representation of justice diffused by the newspapers and university students’ social representations. Moreover, the differences identified in the way justice was evaluated in the peripheral elements might express the existence of different positionings related to a hegemonic social representation.

What is satiating? Consumer perceptions of satiating foods and expected satiety of protein-based meals

Designing food items with high satiating capacity is an area of increasing interest. It would be desirable for consumers to be able to make informed choices about individual products based on understanding the energy balance and the meaning of satiety.In the present work, the perceptions that consumers have of the word “satiating” and of different protein-based dishes were investigated in two populations (100 subjects related to the field of food science and technology and 100 unrelated to it). The Word Association (WA) technique was used, asking the consumers for the first four words that came into their mind when they thought of “satiating food”. This was followed by a Free Listing (FL) exercise that asked them to list four satiating food items. They also completed a Nutritional Knowledge Questionnaire. To evaluate the consumers' perception of the expected satiating capacity of different protein-based meals, they were shown eight photographs of equicaloric dishes composed of one piece of protein (beef, pork, chicken or fish) and one of two different side vegetables (salad or boiled potatoes). The expected satiety scores ranked fish last among the protein foods and potatoes last among the side vegetables. The results indicated that “satiating” food was related more with the immediate sensation of “stomach full” than with the cessation of hunger. This was reinforced by the mention of negative sensations of discomfort after a copious meal. Hearty dishes and meat were the meals most associated with satiating food items.

Word Association Technique Applied to Cosmetic Products – a Case Study

AbstractWord association, a projective qualitative technique, was applied to the development of olive oil‐based and olive leaf extract‐supplemented cosmetic creams.One hundred twenty female respondents presented with five stimulus terms – namely, “nourishing cream,” “antiaging cream,” “olive oil‐based cream,” “olive leaf extract‐supplemented cream” and “antioxidant‐rich cream” – were asked to write down four images, associations, thoughts or feelings evoked by each of the different stimuli. Word associations made by the surveyed sample were then grouped into 14 categories. For each of the proposed stimuli, the frequency of mention of elicited words was analyzed according to and within each category.The use of word association enabled the identification of expected or desired sensory properties and efficacy of the studied cosmetic creams, as well as the concepts associated – in the minds of respondents – with each of the creams. The resulting information may be used to optimize the selection of new products and their denominations.Practical ApplicationsRelevant information regarding consumer perception of different aspects of prospective cosmetic creams, made available by application of a word association technique, enables the definition of major product development processes as well as the identification of most suitable marketing and communication strategies.

‘I can choose’: the reflected prominence of personal control in representations of health risk in Canada

Multidisciplinary research has contributed to a better understanding of the personal and societal correlates of risk perception. However, representations of ‘health risk’ remain to be characterised more fully. Drawing on a Canadian study conducted in 2004, an analysis was conducted to develop better characterisations of individual representations of health risk. The study involved a national telephone survey (N = 1503) and face-to-face semi-structured interviews with individuals across Canada (N = 73) in which participants’ representations of health, risk and health risk were elicited using a word association technique. In the telephone survey, it was found that representations of health risk were most frequently negative, with many participants referring to disease and illness. The concept of health risk was also associated with lifestyle, individual control and personal agency, suggesting that individual health behaviour and personal responsibility for health were prominent features of public discourse on health risk in Canada. However, subtle variations in representations of health risk were observed in analyses of semi-structured interviews, pointing to important differences according to age and gender in this specific discourse. There was agreement among participants that health risks were associated with individual vulnerability and menace to life or health, and that such vulnerability increased with age. However, women were less likely to focus on the idea of actively making choices to control health risks and less frequently made references to the positive aspects of health risks.

The principles of the Brazilian Unified Health System, studied based on similitude analysis

Objectivesto analyze and compare the incorporation of the ethical-doctrinal and organizational principles into the social representations of the Unified Health System (SUS) among health professionals.Methoda study grounded in Social Representations Theory, undertaken with 125 subjects, in eight health institutions in Rio de Janeiro. The free word association technique was applied to the induction term "SUS", the words evoked being analyzed using the techniques of the Vergès matrix and similitude analysis.Resultsit was identified that the professionals' social representations vary depending on their level of education, and that those with higher education represent a subgroup responsible for the process of representational change identified. This result was confirmed through similitude analysis.Conclusiona process of representational change is ongoing, in which it was ascertained that the professionals incorporated the principles of the SUS into their symbolic constructions. The similitude analysis was shown to be a fruitful technique for research in nursing.

Social representations of mothers about gestational hypertension and premature birth

To identify the meanings attributed by mothers to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDPs) and their consequences, such as premature birth and hospitalization of the infant in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). A qualitative study, based on the Central Nucleus Theory, with 70 women who had hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and preterm delivery. We used the technique of free word association (FWAT) with three stimuli: high blood pressure during pregnancy, prematurity and NICU. We obtained 1007 evocations, distributed as follows: high blood pressure during pregnancy (335) prematurity (333) and NICU (339). These constituted three thematic units: representation of HDPs, prematurity and the NICU. The categories death and negative aspects were inherent to the three units analyzed, followed by coping strategies and needs for care present in HDPs and prematurity. The study had death as its central nucleus, and highlighted the subjective aspects present in the high risk pregnancy and postpartum cycle. It is hoped that this research will contribute to qualifying nursing care for women confronting the problem of HDPs, so that they can cope with less impacts from the adverse effects of high risk pregnancy and birth.

Exploring consumer perception about the different types of chocolate

The Word Association technique was used to analyze the perception of 120 Uruguayan consumers concerning the different types of chocolate. Similarly, it was estimated how healthy consumers perceived dark, white and milk chocolate to be. As a generic product, chocolate was associated with good taste, positive feelings, sweetness, feelings of warmth and calories/energy. White, dark and milk chocolate were significantly associated with other concepts (creaminess, bitterness, intense taste, etc.). A cluster analysis was performed on the scores regarding the perceived healthiness as reported by the consumers. 3 clusters were identified: Cluster 1 did not perceive any of the three types of chocolate to be very healthy, Cluster 2 considered dark chocolate to be very healthy but white chocolate to be less healthy and Cluster 3 perceived the three types of chocolate as very healthy. The Word Association technique enabled us to identify the differences between the associations made by each cluster.

Quantitative assessment of a field-based course on integrative geology, ecology and cultural history

A field-based course at the University of Arizona called Sense of Place (SOP) covers the geology, ecology and cultural history of the Tucson area. SOP was quantitatively assessed for pedagogical effectiveness. Students of the Spring 2008 course were given pre- and post-course word association surveys in order to assess awareness and comprehension of the geology, ecology and cultural history of the Tucson area. Students who had previously taken SOP (2005–2007) and students who had never taken SOP also completed the survey. The survey consisted of 12 stimulus terms, all of which represent concepts integral to an understanding of environmental geography of the Tucson area. The students wrote words that they associate with each stimulus term. Differences between the pre- and post-course responses showed clear improvement in awareness and comprehension of the geology, ecology and cultural history of the Tucson area. Results from students who took SOP in past years indicate that long-term retention of course content is good. The word association technique proved to be effective for collecting data and evaluating the course. The field trips of SOP are described in the Appendix, which also contains the word association survey used in this research.