FaceSpex

In their paper titled "Deep Models of Superficial Face Judgments" [1], Joshua C. Peterson et al. employ Nvidia’s StyleGAN technology to manipulate facial images based on surfacelevel attributes such as attractiveness or age. They conducted an exhaustive investigation to capture these attributes. More than 1000 synthetic facial images were generated, accompanied by over a million human judgments across 34 attributes. The resultant model has the capability to produce facial images that evoke specific impressions aligned with the modeled attributes. Both the evaluated images and the corresponding judgments have been publicly shared. Leveraging this dataset, we have developed our own customisable face generation model. Our model is publically available on Githu

A Dieting Facilitator on the Fridge Door: Can Dieters Deliberately Apply Environmental Dieting Cues to Lose Weight?

Individuals exposed to dieting-related environmental cues have been repeatedly shown to be better able to resist tempting food. This especially applies to restrained eaters who hold a chronic dieting goal. Thus far, mainly short-term effects of environmental dieting cues have been examined and the individuals were typically unaware of being influenced. Yet, it is unclear whether individuals can deliberately apply environmental dieting cues for themselves to facilitate the pursuit of the longer-term goal of losing weight. The present longitudinal study applied a 2 (cue: visually dieting-related vs. visually neutral cue) × 2 (awareness: being aware vs. not being aware of the cue’s facilitating influence) between-subjects design for 6 months (N = 166 participants who started the study; Mage = 47.85 years; 69.9% female; MBMI = 29.07 kg/m2). Our results provide preliminary indications that cue, awareness, and restrained eating interact. The results suggest that high (vs. low) restrained eaters could deliberately apply environmental dieting cues for themselves to facilitate losing weight. However, further studies are needed to explore the effects of environmental dieting cues over a longer period of time

The Performance and Likability of the Federal Council of Switzerland Is Assessed More Positively than That of its Members on Average

The Federal Council of Switzerland is often perceived as a single entity. The aim of this paper is to compare an evaluation of the performance and likability of the Federal Council as a group with a mean evaluation of the individual members of this body. There are theories that predict different outcomes: An equal-weight averaging model predicts that the Federal Council will be evaluated equally to the mean evaluation of the members. Some unequal-weight averaging models predict that the Federal Council will be evaluated more negatively than the mean of the members because, for example, negative members could be given more weight. Other unequal-weight averaging models predict that the Federal Council will be evaluated more positively than the mean of the members as individuals. One reason is that in the domain of ability, positive information is more diagnostic than negative. Therefore, members with high abilities could be given greater weight. In two studies, the present paper provides evidence for a more positive evaluation of the Federal Council of Switzerland than the mean evaluation of its members. These studies extend the validity of previous work on individual impression formation to group evaluations

Unreliable is Better: Theoretical and Practical Impulses for Performance Management

This review aims to stimulate discussion about a comprehensive understanding of performance evaluation—namely, the taken-forgranted benefit of maximal reliable performance evaluation, where employee performance is evaluated with high levels of reliability (i.e., large samples of performance observations). So far, the management discipline has ignored the evidence-based view that one’s performance is better under unreliable performance evaluation compared to reliable performance evaluation. Drawing on tournament theory, behavioral research, and real-world sports data, we argue that while reliable performance evaluation boosts only superior employees, unreliable performance evaluation boosts all employees. The mechanisms that drive inferior and superior employees to perform better when evaluated unreliably substantiate that psychological insight is essential for efficient performance management. Overall, we complement the predominant thinking of performance management by offering innovative insights and implications that are significant for academics, employees, and employers

Führungsstrategien und Personalentwicklung in der Hochschule

In Hochschulen werden Konzepte zur Unternehmensführung entwickelt und gelehrt. Angewendet werden sie jedoch häufiger in Wirtschaftsunternehmen als in Hochschulen. Dieser Artikel diskutiert ein Modell zur Übertragung von Führungsstrategien und Grundprinzipien der Personalentwicklung auf Hochschulen. Als Basis einer erfolgreichen Hochschulentwicklung sehen wir die Vereinbarung von klaren Leitlinien, deren Umsetzung in der Verantwortung von Hochschullehrern und Führungsverantwortlichen liegt. Die Vereinbarung von Zielen auf der Ebene der Mitarbeiter bietet die Möglichkeit der Ausrichtung der Tätigkeiten der Mitarbeiter und des optimierten Einsatzes von Ressourcen. Hochschullehrer und Führungsverantwortliche haben dabei nicht nur Vorbildfunktion; sie müssen ihr Handeln auch transparent und fair gestalten. Darüber hinaus ist die Förderung der Entwicklung der Mitarbeiter eine wesentliche Quelle für die Exzellenz einer Hochschule. 23.06.2006 | Arnd Florack & Claude Messner (Basel

How Focusing on Superordinate Goals Motivates Broad, Long-Term Goal Pursuit: A Theoretical Perspective

Goal-setting theory states that challenging, specific, and concrete goals (i.e., subordinate goals) are powerful motivators and boost performance in goal pursuit more than vague or abstract goals (i.e., superordinate goals). Goal-setting theory predominantly focuses on single, short-term goals and less on broad, long-term challenges. This review article extends goal-setting theory and argues that superordinate goals also fulfill a crucial role in motivating behavior, particularly when addressing broad, long-term challenges. The purpose of this article is to shed light on the benefits of superordinate goals, which have received less attention in research, and to show theoretically that people pursue long-term goals more successfully when they focus on subordinate as well as superordinate goals than when they focus on either subordinate or superordinate goals alone

Using a Goal Theoretical Perspective to Reduce Negative and Promote Positive Spillover After a Bike-to-Work Campaign

Behavioral change interventions often focus on a specific behavior over a limited time period; for example, a bike-to-work intervention that incentivizes cycling to work over 2 months. While such interventions can successfully initiate behavior, they run the risk of triggering negative spillover effects after completion: Reaching the end of an intervention could reduce the motivation to maintain the behavior; or an increase in the targeted behavior (e.g., cycling to work more often) could lead to negative spillover across behaviors (e.g., cycling less in leisure time). Using a goal theoretical perspective, we tested whether an intervention focusing on a specific behavior during a limited time period (a subordinate goal) triggers negative spillover, and whether superordinate goals and/or action steps reduce negative or promote positive spillover. We conducted an experimental field study (N = 1,269) in the context of a bike-to-work campaign with a longitudinal multilevel design. Participants across all four experimental conditions had the campaign goal of cycling to work for a maximum of 2 months (a subordinate goal). A quarter of the participants additionally generated superordinate goals, a quarter action steps and a quarter superordinate goals and action steps. The last quarter was a control condition which only set the subordinate campaign goal. Surprisingly, the intervention caused no negative and some positive spillover effects. Participants increased the frequency of cycling to work across all groups and the increase could be maintained up to 2 months after the campaign. An increase in cycling to work spilled over to an increase in cycling in leisure time and to an increase in eating fruits and vegetables. No spillover effects were found regarding exercising and eating sweets and snacks. Participants focusing additionally on a superordinate goal cycled to work more frequently at the end of the campaign than the control group. Contrary to our expectations, the maintenance of cycling to work over time and the positive spillover effects across behaviors did not differ due to the goal manipulation. These results reduce the concern that interventions focusing on a subordinate goal could trigger negative spillover effects and show the need for additional experimental field studies

Improving Personality-Mining Algorithms Used for Psychological Targeting with a Psychometric Scale for Susceptibility to Social Influence

This research shows that susceptibility to social influence as personality trait predicts consumer behavior in Online Social Networks (OSNs) such as Facebook. We suggest that a psychometric scale for susceptibility to social influence improves psychological targeting in OSNs. Social influence drives the diffusion of content in OSNs. In order to leverage social influence in OSNs, users must be identified that are susceptible to social influence, e.g., regarding consumer decisions. In view of this, it surprises that psychological targeting in OSNs by means of personality mining does not consider susceptibility to social influence (Azucar, Marengo, & Settanni, 2018). In fact, present personality-mining algorithms focus on the Big Five personality traits, i.e. they identify digital footprints that correlate with personality traits such as extraversion or openness. Knowing which digital footprints are indicative for a certain personality trait is interesting as it helps to match ads to user personalities. Facebook’s targeting option, for example, allows marketers to show a particular ad only to users with Facebook Likes that are indicative for extraversion (e.g., socializing; Matz, Kosinski, Nave, & Stillwell, 2017). This research examines the relation between susceptibility to social influence as personality trait and behavior in OSNs. Data of an online survey reveals that an existing psychometric scale capturing susceptibility to social influence (Bearden, Netemeyer, & Teel, 1989) predicts diverse Facebook-liking behaviors. For marketers this is interesting as many of these behaviors are consumer related (e.g., view other Facebook users' posts on products, brands). Further, our data suggests that susceptibility of social influence is a more powerful predictor for OSN behavior than the Big Five. Overall, this research suggests that a psychometric scale for susceptibility to social influence improves personality-mining algorithms for psychological targeting in OSN and thus allows marketers to more effectively target customers in OSN

Promoting novelty, rigor, and style in energy social science: towards codes of practice for appropriate methods and research design

A series of weaknesses in creativity, research design, and quality of writing continue to handicap energy social science. Many studies ask uninteresting research questions, make only marginal contributions, and lack innovative methods or application to theory. Many studies also have no explicit research design, lack rigor, or suffer from mangled structure and poor quality of writing. To help remedy these shortcomings, this Review offers suggestions for how to construct research questions; thoughtfully engage with concepts; state objectives; and appropriately select research methods. Then, the Review offers suggestions for enhancing theoretical, methodological, and empirical novelty. In terms of rigor, codes of practice are presented across seven method categories: experiments, literature reviews, data collection, data analysis, quantitative energy modeling, qualitative analysis, and case studies. We also recommend that researchers beware of hierarchies of evidence utilized in some disciplines, and that researchers place more emphasis on balance and appropriateness in research design. In terms of style, we offer tips regarding macro and microstructure and analysis, as well as coherent writing. Our hope is that this Review will inspire more interesting, robust, multi-method, comparative, interdisciplinary and impactful research that will accelerate the contribution that energy social science can make to both theory and practice

RealExperienceInsight: A smartphone app to conduct survey and experimental research

We introduce RealExperienceInsight (REI), an ambulatory assessment smartphone app platform that will enable behavioral and social scientists to remotely administer experiments and surveys in the field. REI will allow researchers to integrate surveys created in third-party software (e.g., Qualtrics, Unipark) and to collect data from smartphone built-in sensors. It will be possible to schedule surveys and reminders, based on dates/times as well as on events (e.g., after 10,000 steps). REI will be able to collect data from other smartphone apps. REI will be available for Android/iOS and works with an easy-to-use interface and requires no programming from researchers. REI is developed in three stages. First, the outlined app is programmed. Second, external researchers are called in for trial runs (beta stage) to improve REI. Third, we will launch an open call to participate in a project that aims to evaluate and compare REI with conventional methods (e.g., paper-pencil diaries). REI is expected to advance behavioral and social sciences by facilitating the collection of ecologically valid data. REI’s user-friendliness helps to tackle some of the digital and computational challenges currently facing researchers interested in society and human behavior and enables these researchers to engage with computationally demanding methods. While the technical specification with professional app developers has been completed, we are currently raising additional money for the comprehensive app programming. Crowdfunding within the scientific community is scheduled