Extending the Implicit Association Test (IAT): Assessing Consumer Attitudes Based on Multi-Dimensional Implicit Associations

Background: The authors present a procedural extension of the popular Implicit Association Test (IAT; [1]) that allows for indirect measurement of attitudes on multiple dimensions (e.g., safe–unsafe; young–old; innovative–conventional, etc.) rather than on a single evaluative dimension only (e.g., good–bad). Methodology/Principal Findings: In two within-subjects studies, attitudes toward three automobile brands were measured on six attribute dimensions. Emphasis was placed on evaluating the methodological appropriateness of the new procedure, providing strong evidence for its reliability, validity, and sensitivity. Conclusions/Significance: This new procedure yields detailed information on the multifaceted nature of brand associations that can add up to a more abstract overall attitude. Just as the IAT, its multi-dimensional extension/application (dubbed md-IAT) is suited for reliably measuring attitudes consumers may not be consciously aware of, able to express, or willing to share with the researcher [2,3].Product Innovation ManagementIndustrial Design Engineerin

Structuring effect of tools conceptualized through initial goal fixedness for work activity

Analysis of work activities in nuclear industry has highlighted a new psycho-cognitive phenomenon: the structuring effect of tools (SET) sometimes leading to unexpected operating deviations; the subject is unable to perform a task concerning object A using or adapting a tool designed and presented to perform the same task concerning object B when object A is expected by the subject. Conditions to isolate and identify the SET were determined and reproduced in experiments for further analysis. Students and seven professional categories of adults (N = 77) were involved in three experimental conditions (control group, group with prior warning, group with final control) while individually performing a task with similar characteristics compared to real operating conditions and under moderate time-pressure. The results were: (1) highest performance with prior warning and (2) demonstration that academic and professional training favor the SET. After discussing different cognitive processes potentially related to the SET, we described (3) the psycho-cognitive process underlying the SET: Initial Goal Fixedness (IGF), a combination of the anchoring of the initial goal of the activity with a focus on the features of the initial goal favored by an Einstellung effect. This suggested coping with the negative effect of the SET by impeding the IGF rather than trying to increase the subjects’ awareness at the expense of their health. Extensions to other high-risk industries were discussed

Modeling working memory: An interference model of complex span

This article introduces a new computational model for the complex-span task, the most popular task for studying working memory. SOB-CS is a two-layer neural network that associates distributed item representations with distributed, overlapping position markers. Memory capacity limits are explained by interference from a superposition of associations. Concurrent processing interferes with memory through involuntary encoding of distractors. Free time in-between distractors is used to remove irrelevant representations, thereby reducing interference. The model accounts for benchmark findings in four areas: (1) effects of processing pace, processing difficulty, and number of processing steps; (2) effects of serial position and error patterns; (3) effects of different kinds of item-distractor similarity; and (4) correlations between span tasks. The model makes several new predictions in these areas, which were confirmed experimentally

Sonnien jatkuva jälkeläisarvostelu, käyttö ja valinta Israelissa

The breeding policy of the Israeli Holstein-type dairy cattle is reviewed. The bulls are progeny tested on their daughters’ first three lactations. The traits evaluated are the following: milk, fat, yield persistency, fertility, incidence of mastitis, and % cullings for three most important reasons. The test analysis takes into account the genetic level of daughters’ contemporaries and maternal grandsires. The paper describes a general outline of the selection decisions in AI bulls. Considerable amount of imported semen is used for breeding young bulls. Breeding goals are discussed against the estimated genetic parameters for and between the given traits.Israelissa on vain yksi lypsykarjarotu, Israelin friisiläinen. Sonnit jälkeläisarvostellaan kolmesti vuodessa, erikseen kunkin kolmen ensimmäisen lypsykauden suhteen. Arvosteluun sisältyvät seuraavat ominaisuudet: maitomäärä, rasvamäärä, rasvan taloudellisen arvon suhteen korjattu maitomäärä, rasva-%, pitkämaitoisuus, tyttärien tiinehtyvyys, utaretulehdustiheys sekä karsinta-% utaretulehduksen, heikon tuotoksen tai hedelmättömyyden takia. Vaikeiden poikimisten ja vasikkakuolleisuuden yleisyys lasketaan erikseen hiehojen ja vanhempien lehmien poikimisista. Maitomäärät muunnetaan vastaamaan poikimisvälin keskimääräistä päivätuotosta ja kerrotaan 365:llä sekä korjataan iän, poikimiskuukauden ja tyhjäkauden pituuden suhteen. Tuotosominaisuuksien arvostelumallissa otetaan huomioon parsitoverien isien ja tyttärien emänisien vaikutukset. Keinosiemennykseen otetaan vuosittain 50 nuorta sonnia. Sukusiitoksen välttämiseksi 40 % nuorsonneista tuotetaan valikoidulla tuontispermalla. Mitään sonneja tai lehmiä ei tuoda maahan, eikä siementäkään muuta kuin sonninemille. Keskimäärin hyväksytään jälkeläisarvostelun jälkeen viisi sonnia. Näitä käytetään keskimäärin kolme vuotta. Neljäsosa tarkkailukarjojen siemennyksistä tehdään nuorsonnien, loput jälkeläisarvosteltujen sonnien spermalla. Nuorsonneja käytetään kerran poikineille lehmille. Sonnien pääasiallinen karsinta tapahtuu tyttärien 1. lypsykauden aikana tai päätyttyä

The modified cumulative difference

International audienc

Continous progeny testing, use and selection of proven bulls in Israel

vokKirjasto Aj-KSonnien jatkuva jälkeisarvostelu, käyttö ja valinta Israeliss