Immersion and Gameplay Experience: A Contingency Framework

The nature of the relationship between immersion and gameplay experience is investigated, focusing primarily on the literature related to flow. In particular, this paper proposes that immersion and gameplay experience are conceptually different, but empirically positively related through mechanisms related to flow. Furthermore, this study examines gamers' characteristics to determine the influence between immersion and gameplay experiences. The study involves 48 observations in one game setting. Regression analyses including tests for moderation and simple slope analysis are used to reveal gamers' age, experience, and understanding of the game, which moderate the relationship between immersion and gameplay experience. The results suggest that immersion is more positive for gameplay experience when the gamer lacks experience and understanding of the game as well as when the gamer is relatively older. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed at length in the paper

It’s all about Trust and Loyalty: Partner Selection Mechanisms in Tourism Networks

Does expected partner or task related criteria affect how trust and loyalty is developed between tourism firms? This paper poses a model, which is developed on the assumption that well defined partner and task related partner expectations and experienced trust, should build loyalty between tourism firms. The model provides a more precise assessment for scholars, which believes that trust is related to the risk that is associated with personal relationships between two or more firms, and that risk depends on expectations that are derived from personal relationships. The model also integrates the role of experienced trust in transforming different partner selection criteria into loyalty. The contribution of the model is that it provides insights into cooperative relationships by examining the role of trust between small tourism firms when cooperation is established. Data from a sample of 96 tourism firms in the Northern U.S. is used to test the model. The findings provide implications for tourism scholars and policy-makers who are interested in developing managerial strategies that are based on personal relationships

Early life origins of asthma : genetic and environmental factors in twin and kin

During the last decades there has been an upsurge of studies investigating how early life exposures may affect subsequent health outcomes in childhood. For instance, low birth weight and exposure to antibiotics during fetal or early life have been suggested to increase the risk of childhood asthma. Twin- and sibling comparisons can help to account for confounding factors shared within families and to shed light on potential causal pathways. Thus, in Study I, we aimed to investigate if low birth weight, as a proxy for fetal growth restriction in twins, was associated with the development of asthma in a cohort of 10 918 Swedish twins aged 9 or 12 years. We found a significant association which was thought to be explained by unique individual factors and not due to familial confounding or gestational age. It can be speculated that restricted fetal growth affects lung development in utero which influences the risk of developing asthma in childhood. In Study II, we aimed to further understand the adverse effects of restricted fetal growth, by specifically investigating its association with childhood lung function in a cohort of 576 twins aged 9-14 years at invitation to the study. We found a significant association between fetal growth restriction and reduced forced expiratory volume in the first second, which could be explained by unique factors of each twin. Similar effects were found in non-asthmatic individuals, whereas other factors may be of importance for the association between fetal growth and lung function in individuals with asthma. To be able to study asthma in register-based studies, a valid measure of the disease is needed. In Study III, medical records for roughly 1700 individuals, corresponding to prescription dates of asthma medications or to discharge dates accompanying asthma diagnoses and identified from population-based drug- and patient registers, were collected from health care units and evaluated against pre-defined criteria of asthma. We found a high positive predictive value for asthma medication as a proxy for asthma in older children and the majority of children with an asthma diagnosis in the patient register fulfilled pre-defined criteria of asthma. In Study IV, the previously suggested association between antibiotic exposure in fetal and early life and childhood asthma (based on the validated outcome measure from Study III) was investigated in a cohort of 493 785 children. We found an association between antibiotic exposure both in fetal and early life and asthma. Yet, sibling control analyses suggested that the associations were due to shared factors within families, and confounding by indication or reverse causation due to respiratory infections. In conclusion, shared genetic and environmental factors contributed to the association between antibiotics and asthma, but not between fetal growth and asthma and lung function, respectively. Genetically informed designs to control for familial confounding are useful tools to help provide a clearer understanding of the etiology of asthma. In addition, asthma identified from population-based registers can be used as a validated outcome measure and contribute towards future studies on asthma using register-based data

It’s all about Trust and Loyalty: Partner Selection Mechanisms in Tourism Networks

Does expected partner or task related criteria affect how trust and loyalty is developed between tourism firms? This paper poses a model, which is developed on the assumption that well defined partner and task related partner expectations and experienced trust, should build loyalty between tourism firms. The model provides a more precise assessment for scholars, which believes that trust is related to the risk that is associated with personal relationships between two or more firms, and that risk depends on expectations that are derived from personal relationships. The model also integrates the role of experienced trust in transforming different partner selection criteria into loyalty. The contribution of the model is that it provides insights into cooperative relationships by examining the role of trust between small tourism firms when cooperation is established. Data from a sample of 96 tourism firms in the Northern U.S. is used to test the model. The findings provide implications for tourism scholars and policy-makers who are interested in developing managerial strategies that are based on personal relationships.Loyalty; partner selection; trust; tourism; Experience stratos

Consumption relationship analysis on Salmon and Cod

There is an endangerment of cod stocks in Sweden. It has been found that farmed salmon from aquacultures is a more sustainable alternative to the overfished and endangered cod. In terms of the consumption relationship between salmon and cod, is it complementary or substitutional? This thesis conducted a consumption analysis on the economic relationship between salmon and cod by Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System (QUAIDS) approach using data on daily barcode observations from ICA Maxi Nacka, Sweden. The own-price elasticities for salmon and cod showed that the own-price elasticities of fish are negative, implying that both cod and salmon are normal goods for Swedish consumers. This is in line with previous literature and expectations. The hypothesis of salmon being a substitute to cod was rejected as the cross-price elasticities results implied that salmon and cod are complements to each other. There is scarcity of cod demand and substitutions studies that are published. This complication gave this study the possibility to fill a small part of that huge gap of cod studies and contribute with new research on the topic

Učinkovitost strategija suočavanja poduzetnika sa stresom i njihov utjecaj na osobnu dobrobit i uspješnost poduzeća

This paper analyzes effectiveness of coping strategies that entrepreneurs use to daily manage work related stress. Coping is the process of expending efforts to solve personal and interpersonal problems and reducing stress induced by unpleasant and stressful situations. Two broad strategies of coping are identified; problem-based coping refers to a cognitively-based response behavior that includes efforts to alleviate stressful circumstances while emotion-based coping involves behavioural responses to regulate the affective consequences of stressful events. The purpose of this research is to analyze relationships among the coping strategies used by entrepreneurs and a set of antecedents influencing the selection of coping strategies. The methodology used is based on structural equation modeling and empirical data of 469 entrepreneurs from two European countries. Our results show that problem based coping facilitates well-being and venture performance. In addition, our findings also support interaction effects of founder centrality and contextual conditions of venturing on the extent entrepreneurs engage in coping. We believe that our insights can help in training entrepreneurs in the development of effective coping strategies that are context dependent. In specific, our results suggest entrepreneurs to engage in problem-focused strategies when they want to effectively address the economic aspects of their lives whereas when they engage in emotion based strategies they seem to increase the self-knowledge they need to start subsequent ventures and facilitate learning from failure. Future studies on coping strategies could study the interplay of coping strategies used to resolve challenging social situations that various stakeholders of practicing entrepreneurs impose.U ovom radu analizira se učinkovitost strategija suočavanja sa stresom koje poduzetnici upotrebljavaju na dnevnoj osnovi radi upravljanja stresom uzrokovanim poslom. Suočavanje sa stresom je proces usmjeren na rješavanje ljudskih i međuljudskih problema i reduciranje stresa kojeg izazivaju neugodne i napete situacije. U širem smislu riječi, identificirane su dvije strategije suočavanja: problemski orijentirano suočavanje, koje se odnosi na kognitivno utemeljene bihevioralne odgovore s ciljem ublažavanja stresnih okolnosti, te suočavanje zasnovano na emocijama, koje uključuje bihevioralne reakcije usmjerene na reguliranje afektivnih posljedica stresnih događaja. Cilj istraživanja je analizirati odnose između poduzetničkih strategija suočavanja te set čimbenika koji utječu na odabir istih. U radu se koristi metoda modeliranja strukturnih jednadžbi i empirijske podatke 469 poduzetnika iz dviju europskih zemalja. Rezultati analize pokazuju pozitivan utjecaj problemski orijentiranih strategija suočavanja na dobrobit poduzetnika i uspješnost njihovih poduzeća. Dobiveni rezultati potvrđuju i interakcijske učinke centralnosti poduzetnika i kontekstualnih odrednica poduzetništva na razinu suočavanja poduzetnika sa stresom. Vjerujemo da će rezultati našeg istraživanja pridonijeti obuci poduzetnika u području razvoja učinkovitih strategija suočavanja ovisnih o kontekstu. Preciznije, dobiveni rezultati sugeriraju poduzetnicima primjenu problemski orijentiranih strategija u slučajevima kada se žele efektivno usmjeriti na ekonomske aspekte svojih života. S druge strane, pokazalo se da suočavanje zasnovano na emocijama povećava poznavanje samog sebe koje je potrebno za poduzimanje budućih poduzetničkih pothvata i olakšavanje učenja iz neuspjeha. Buduća istraživanja strategija suočavanja mogla bi obuhvatiti njihovo međusobno djelovanje u funkciji rješavanja zahtjevnih društvenih situacija koje poduzetnicima nameću različiti dioničari

Učinkovitost strategija suočavanja poduzetnika sa stresom i njihov utjecaj na osobnu dobrobit i uspješnost poduzeća

This paper analyzes effectiveness of coping strategies that entrepreneurs use to daily manage work related stress. Coping is the process of expending efforts to solve personal and interpersonal problems and reducing stress induced by unpleasant and stressful situations. Two broad strategies of coping are identified; problem-based coping refers to a cognitively-based response behavior that includes efforts to alleviate stressful circumstances while emotion-based coping involves behavioural responses to regulate the affective consequences of stressful events. The purpose of this research is to analyze relationships among the coping strategies used by entrepreneurs and a set of antecedents influencing the selection of coping strategies. The methodology used is based on structural equation modeling and empirical data of 469 entrepreneurs from two European countries. Our results show that problem based coping facilitates well-being and venture performance. In addition, our findings also support interaction effects of founder centrality and contextual conditions of venturing on the extent entrepreneurs engage in coping. We believe that our insights can help in training entrepreneurs in the development of effective coping strategies that are context dependent. In specific, our results suggest entrepreneurs to engage in problem-focused strategies when they want to effectively address the economic aspects of their lives whereas when they engage in emotion based strategies they seem to increase the self-knowledge they need to start subsequent ventures and facilitate learning from failure. Future studies on coping strategies could study the interplay of coping strategies used to resolve challenging social situations that various stakeholders of practicing entrepreneurs impose.U ovom radu analizira se učinkovitost strategija suočavanja sa stresom koje poduzetnici upotrebljavaju na dnevnoj osnovi radi upravljanja stresom uzrokovanim poslom. Suočavanje sa stresom je proces usmjeren na rješavanje ljudskih i međuljudskih problema i reduciranje stresa kojeg izazivaju neugodne i napete situacije. U širem smislu riječi, identificirane su dvije strategije suočavanja: problemski orijentirano suočavanje, koje se odnosi na kognitivno utemeljene bihevioralne odgovore s ciljem ublažavanja stresnih okolnosti, te suočavanje zasnovano na emocijama, koje uključuje bihevioralne reakcije usmjerene na reguliranje afektivnih posljedica stresnih događaja. Cilj istraživanja je analizirati odnose između poduzetničkih strategija suočavanja te set čimbenika koji utječu na odabir istih. U radu se koristi metoda modeliranja strukturnih jednadžbi i empirijske podatke 469 poduzetnika iz dviju europskih zemalja. Rezultati analize pokazuju pozitivan utjecaj problemski orijentiranih strategija suočavanja na dobrobit poduzetnika i uspješnost njihovih poduzeća. Dobiveni rezultati potvrđuju i interakcijske učinke centralnosti poduzetnika i kontekstualnih odrednica poduzetništva na razinu suočavanja poduzetnika sa stresom. Vjerujemo da će rezultati našeg istraživanja pridonijeti obuci poduzetnika u području razvoja učinkovitih strategija suočavanja ovisnih o kontekstu. Preciznije, dobiveni rezultati sugeriraju poduzetnicima primjenu problemski orijentiranih strategija u slučajevima kada se žele efektivno usmjeriti na ekonomske aspekte svojih života. S druge strane, pokazalo se da suočavanje zasnovano na emocijama povećava poznavanje samog sebe koje je potrebno za poduzimanje budućih poduzetničkih pothvata i olakšavanje učenja iz neuspjeha. Buduća istraživanja strategija suočavanja mogla bi obuhvatiti njihovo međusobno djelovanje u funkciji rješavanja zahtjevnih društvenih situacija koje poduzetnicima nameću različiti dioničari

The effectiveness of coping strategies used by entrepreneurs and their impact on personal well-being and venture performance

This paper analyzes effectiveness of coping strategies that entrepreneurs use to daily manage work related stress. Coping is the process of expending efforts to solve personal and interpersonal problems and reducing stress induced by unpleasant and stressful situations. Two broad strategies of coping are identified; problem-based coping refers to a cognitively-based response behavior that includes efforts to alleviate stressful circumstances while emotion-based coping involves behavioural responses to regulate the affective consequences of stressful events. The purpose of this research is to analyze relationships among the coping strategies used by entrepreneurs and a set of antecedents influencing the selection of coping strategies. The methodology used is based on structural equation modeling and empirical data of 469 entrepreneurs from two European countries. Our results show that problem based coping facilitates well-being and venture performance. In addition, our findings also support interaction effects of founder centrality and contextual conditions of venturing on the extent entrepreneurs engage in coping. We believe that our insights can help in training entrepreneurs in the development of effective coping strategies that are context dependent. In specific, our results suggest entrepreneurs to engage in problem-focused strategies when they want to effectively address the economic aspects of their lives whereas when they engage in emotion based strategies they seem to increase the self-knowledge they need to start subsequent ventures and facilitate learning from failure. Future studies on coping strategies could study the interplay of coping strategies used to resolve challenging social situations that various stakeholders of practicing entrepreneurs impose

Development and evaluation of outcome measures in children with knee disorders

Background and aim: The knee joint is one of the most common sites for injury in children. Severe knee injuries are often associated with long-term symptoms, functional impairment and disability. Today there is a lack of appropriate clinical outcome measures to evaluate knee function in children with knee disorder. As a result, instruments developed for adults are often used. Unfortunately, this may lead to inaccurate evaluation and selection of treatment. The overall aim of this thesis was to develop and evaluate outcome measures for use in children with knee disorders. In Study I, the aim was to evaluate the reliability of knee muscle strength measurements in healthy subjects using the Strength Measuring Chair (SMC) and to evaluate the agreement between the SMC and an Isokinetic Dynamometer (ID). The aims of Study II, were to evaluate the Single-limb mini squat test and the Quadriceps-angle (Q-angle), as discriminative tests of medio-lateral knee position, with respect to reliability and reference values. In Studies III and IV the aim was to evaluate the comprehensibility of the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) when used in children, to suggest modification for a pediatric version (KOOS-Child), as well as to evaluate the psychometric properties of the KOOS-Child when used in children with knee disorders. Patients and Methods: In Studies I and II, healthy children and adults were recruited and a test- retest design was used. In Study I, muscle strength tests were performed in 20 children and 23 adults during three sessions; two in the SMC and one in the ID. In Study II, 246 children were included and dynamic and static medio-lateral knee position was assessed by the Single-limb mini squat test and by the Q-angle respectively. In Study III and IV, children with various knee disorders were recruited. In Study III, cognitive interviews were conducted with 34 Swedish children to evaluate the comprehensibility of the KOOS when used in children. According to the findings the KOOS was modified and the KOOS-Child was developed. In Study IV, 115 children participated in three sessions to evaluate the psychometric properties of the KOOS-Child. Results: In Study I, the SMC was found to reliably measure knee muscle strength in children and adults; however, a large disagreement was found between the instruments. In Study II, the reliability of the Single-limb mini squat test was determined moderate and a fair to moderate reliability of the Q-angle measurements was found. Q-angle reference values varied with age and sex, however the difference may not be clinically relevant. Findings from Studies III and IV, showed that the KOOS was not well understood by children, thus the KOOS-Child was developed. The KOOS-Child demonstrated good psychometric properties, i.e. it is valid, reliable and responsive to clinical change when used in children with knee disorders. Conclusion: Outcome measures for the evaluation of different aspects of knee function, specifically developed for a pediatric population is very important and necessary. In the present thesis, existing measures originally designed for adults were evaluated for use in children and new outcome measures were developed. The studies have highlighted the importance of using instruments that are specifically designated for the study population when measuring knee muscle strength, and emphasized the difficulties encountered when comparing results from different strength measuring devices. Evaluation of medio-lateral knee position showed that the Single- limb mini squat test can be used in a pediatric population however the Q-angle needs further investigation before its use can be justified. A new patient-reported outcome measure, the KOOS-Child, was also developed to measure knee function and knee-related quality of life in children with various knee disorders. KOOS-Child is recommended to be used whenever studies intend to evaluate patient reported outcomes in children with knee disorders

No association between macrolide treatment in infancy and later pyloric stenosis in Sweden

NoneAccepte