A test of the automaticity assumption of compliance tactics: discouraging undergraduate binge drinking by appealing to consistency and reciprocity

The mindfulness of compliance with requests making use of the commitment/consistency or the reciprocity principle was investigated. Participants (N = 129) received a foot-in-the-door (FITD) request (commitment/consistency application), a door-in-the-face (DITF) request (reciprocity application), or no request. Next, participants read either a weak or neutral message about the importance of moderate alcohol consumption then reported the likelihood of not drinking excessively for one week (target request). When accompanied by a weak message, the target request elicited less compliance if preceded by the DITF or FITD requests than by no initial request, suggesting compliance tactics sometimes increase thoughtfulness

Southeastern Association of Law Libraries Annual Meeting

The 2009 SEAALL Annual Meeting was held in Athens Georgia, April 16-18, 2009

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to Elicit Restaurant Employee Beliefs about Food Safety: Using Surveys Versus Focus Groups

Within the framework of the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1991), this study compared the relative usefulness of utilizing a focus group or survey methodology when eliciting restaurant employees’ beliefs about performing three important food safety behaviors (handwashing, using thermometers, and cleaning and sanitizing work surfaces). Restaurant employees completed both a survey and focus group interview assessing their beliefs about food safety. Results obtained through surveys were observed to be comparable to focus groups, suggesting researchers employ the less expensive and less time-consuming survey methodology. The strengths and weaknesses of each method are discussed. Specific salient beliefs (e.g., advantages, barriers, etc.) about the behaviors offer implications for workplace food safety interventions and training

Timeless Demonstrations of Parkinson\u27s First Law

Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion, Parkinson\u27s law, is an explanation classic that has survived without an artifact-free demonstration at the individual level. To evaluate Parkinson\u27s law, undergraduate subjects expected to judge four sets of photos effaces with reference to a subjective criterion. The experimental subjects, who were told that the fourth set was canceled before they began work on the third set, dallied on the third set; that is, as compared with controls, they prolonged work. The cancellation-dalliance effect was reobtained in two exact replications. It was obtained again in a fourth study, a conceptual replication wherein subjects processed negatively toned phrases against an objective criterion. The generalizability of the effect and explanations for it are discussed

Timeless Demonstrations of Parkinson\u27s First Law

Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion, Parkinson\u27s law, is an explanation classic that has survived without an artifact-free demonstration at the individual level. To evaluate Parkinson\u27s law, undergraduate subjects expected to judge four sets of photos effaces with reference to a subjective criterion. The experimental subjects, who were told that the fourth set was canceled before they began work on the third set, dallied on the third set; that is, as compared with controls, they prolonged work. The cancellation-dalliance effect was reobtained in two exact replications. It was obtained again in a fourth study, a conceptual replication wherein subjects processed negatively toned phrases against an objective criterion. The generalizability of the effect and explanations for it are discussed

Restaurant employees' perceptions of barriers to three food safety practices

Limited research has been conducted to assess employees' perceptions of barriers to implementing food safety practices. Focus groups were conducted with two groups of restaurant employees to identify perceived barriers to implementing three food safety practices: handwashing, using thermometers, and cleaning work surfaces. Ten focus groups were conducted with 34 employees who did not receive training (Group A). Twenty focus groups were conducted with 125 employees after they had participated in a formal ServSafe training program (Group B). The following barriers were identified in at least one focus group in both Group A and Group B for all three practices: time constraints, inconvenience, inadequate training, and inadequate resources. In Group A, additional barriers identified most often were a lack of space and other tasks competing with cleaning work surfaces; inconvenient location of sinks and dry skin from handwashing; and lack of working thermometers and thermometers in inconvenient locations. Additional barriers identified most often by Group B were no incentive to do it and the manager not monitoring if employees cleaned work surfaces; inconvenient location of sinks and dry skin from handwashing; and lack of working thermometers and manager not monitoring the use of thermometers. Results will be used to develop and implement interventions to overcome perceived barriers that training appears not to address. Knowledge of perceived barriers among employees can assist dietetic professionals in facilitating employees in overcoming these barriers and ultimately improve compliance with food safety practices

Effects of observing employees for food safety compliance rates.

Research investigating foodservice employees’ compliance with food safety guidelines often utilizes observational methodology where an observer is present and recording employees’ behaviors as they work. Research must determine if the observer’s presence influences employees who are trained in food safety and those who are not. A group who had received a four‐hour ServSafe® food safety training course and a control group were included in the study (N=252). Both groups’ compliance rates were higher during the first hour of the observation compared to the last two hours of the observation. Implications for foodservice managers, researchers, and health inspectors are discussed