The Behavioral Mechanisms Behind Feedback – A Preliminary Model for Quantifying Cause-Effect Relationships

The ubiquity of information technology makes it possible to provide individuals with personalized, context-specific, and timely feedback at low marginal cost. This allows for highly scalable behavioral interventions that can support behavior change even for frequent, habitual, and incidental behaviors. Despite the well-documented potential of feedback interventions in improving personal and societal outcomes, the associated theoretical insights – in particular for real-time feedback on everyday behaviors – are sparse. To this end, this research-in-progress paper proposes a conceptual model to formalize cause-effect relationships between feedback interventions, the antecedents of behavior, and resulting behavioral changes by integrating important concepts from feedback intervention theory and other behavioral theories. Moreover, this paper outlines the planned validation of the model and research hypotheses with an empirical field study. Ultimately, the results are expected to inform the development of (future) Information Systems for behavior change by holistically explaining behavioral mechanisms associated with feedback interventions

Empowering Consumers to Make Environmentally Sustainable Online Shopping Decisions: A Digital Nudging Approach

An ever-increasing share of people is using online shopping to satisfy their consumer needs. This has led to a vivid discussion regarding the environmental sustainability of e-commerce that also emphasized the role that consumer's decisions can play in mitigating its negative impacts. However, while many individuals state that they are willing to act more sustainably, they often struggle to follow through with their `green' intentions. We propose digital nudging as an approach to encourage environmentally sustainable online shopping decisions and empower consumers to act in line with their intentions. In an online experiment with 323 participants, we evaluate the effectiveness of three different nudging interventions (defaults, active choice, and self-nudging) to promote environmentally sustainable shipping options in an online store and assess the consumers' ethics and empowerment perceptions of the nudges. We find that all nudges are effective in changing decisions, but default nudges lead to negative perceptions among consumers

Addressing Learners\u27 Heterogeneity in Higher Education: An Explainable AI-based Feedback Artifact for Digital Learning Environments

Due to the advent of digital learning environments and the freedom they offer for learners, new challenges arise for students\u27 self-regulated learning. To overcome these challenges, the provision of feedback has led to excellent results, such as less procrastination and improved academic performance. Yet, current feedback artifacts neglect learners’ heterogeneity when it comes to prescriptive feedback that should meet personal characteristics and self-regulated learning skills. In this paper, we derive requirements from self-regulated learning theory for a feedback artifact that takes learners’ heterogeneity into account. Based on these requirements, we design, instantiate, and evaluate an Explainable AI-based approach. The results demonstrate that our artifact is able to detect promising patterns in data on learners\u27 behaviors and characteristics. Moreover, our evaluation suggests that learners perceive our feedback as valuable. Ultimately, our study informs Information Systems research in the design of future Explainable AI-based feedback artifacts that seek to address learners\u27 heterogeneity

No Longer Without a Reward: Do Digital Rewards Crowd Out Intrinsic Motivation of Young Children?

In the learning journey of young children, rewards are ubiquitous. Yet, psychologists and behavioral economists question the success of rewards and even claim that they displace intrinsic motivation, a phenomenon referred to as motivation crowding out. While information systems can help children learn everyday tasks, it is unclear if and when digital rewards produce motivation crowding out. Theoretically sound, empirical field studies on this topic are lacking and existing information system research on motivation crowding is limited to specific domains, not covering children’s behavior. Therefore, we aim to elicit how digital rewards influence an everyday health behavior that children learn in kindergarten – handwashing – and the underlying intrinsic motivation. We conduct a randomized controlled trial that is conceptualized in this paper. Our results will extend motivation crowding theory in the context of young children and inform the design of digital behavior change interventions

Tuning SMSI Kinetics on Pt-loaded TiO2_2(110) by Choosing the Pressure: A Combined UHV / Near-Ambient Pressure XPS Study

Pt catalyst particles on reducible oxide supports often change their activity significantly at elevated temperatures due to the strong metal-support interaction (SMSI), which induces the formation of an encapsulation layer around the noble metal particles. However, the impact of oxidizing and reducing treatments at elevated pressures on this encapsulation layer remains controversial, partly due to the 'pressure gap' between surface science studies and applied catalysis. In the present work, we employ synchrotron-based near-ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP-XPS) to study the effect of O$_2$ and H$_2$ on the SMSI-state of well-defined Pt/TiO$_2$(110) catalysts at pressures of up to 0.1 Torr. By tuning the O$_2$ pressure, we can either selectively oxidize the TiO$_2$ support or both the support and the Pt particles. Catalyzed by metallic Pt, the encapsulating oxide overlayer grows rapidly in 1x10$^{-5}$ Torr O$_2$, but orders of magnitudes less effective at higher O$_2$ pressures, where Pt is in an oxidic state. While the oxidation/reduction of Pt particles is reversible, they remain embedded in the support once encapsulation has occurred

Frequency, Local Dynamics, and Genomic Characteristics of ESBL-Producing Escherichia coli Isolated From Specimens of Hospitalized Horses

Previous research identified veterinary clinics as hotspots with respect to accumulation and spread of multidrug resistant extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli (EC). Therefore, promoting the prudent use of antibiotics to decrease selective pressure in that particular clinical environment is preferable to enhance biosecurity for animal patients and hospital staff. Accordingly, this study comparatively investigated the impact of two distinct perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis (PAP) regimens (short-term versus prolonged) on ESBL-EC carriage of horses subjected to colic surgery. While all horses received a combination of penicillin/gentamicin (P/G) as PAP, they were assigned to either the “single-shot group” (SSG) or the conventional “5-day group” (5DG). Fecal samples collected on arrival (t0), on the 3rd (t1) and on the 10th day after surgery (t2) were screened for ESBL-EC. All isolates were further investigated using whole genome sequences. In total, 81 of 98 horses met the inclusion criteria for this study. ESBL-EC identified in samples available at t0, t1 and t2 were 4.8% (SSG) and 9.7% (5DG), 37% (SSG) and 47.2% (5DG) as well as 55.6% (SSG) and 56.8% (5DG), respectively. Regardless of the P/G PAP regimen, horses were 9.12 times (95% CI 2.79–29.7) more likely to carry ESBL-EC at t1 compared to t0 (p < 0.001) and 15.64 times (95% CI 4.57–53.55) more likely to carry ESBL-EC at t2 compared to t0 (p < 0.001). ESBL-EC belonging to sequence type (ST) 10, ST86, ST641, and ST410 were the most prevalent lineages, with blaCTX–M–1 (60%) being the dominant ESBL gene. A close spatio-temporal relationship between isolates sharing a particular ST was revealed by genome analysis, strongly indicating local spread. Consequently, hospitalization itself has a strong impact on ESBL-EC isolation rates in horses, possibly masking differences between distinct PAP regimens. The results of this study reveal accumulation and spread of multi-drug resistant ESBL-EC among horses subjected to colic surgery with different P/G PAP regimens, challenging the local hygiene management system and work-place safety of veterinary staff. Moreover, the predominance of particular ESBL-EC lineages in clinics providing health care for horses needs further investigation.Peer Reviewe

Life as a fortress – structure, function, and adaptive values of morphological and chemical defense in the oribatid mite Euphthiracarus reticulatus (Actinotrichida)

Background: Oribatid mites are among the primordial decomposer faunal elements and potential prey organisms insoil. Among their myriad morphological defenses are strong sclerotization and mineralization, cuticular tecta, and the “ptychoid” body-form, which allows to attain an encapsulated, seed-like appearance. Most oribatid mites possess a pair of exocrine glands that produce blends of hydrocarbons, terpenes, aromatics, alkaloids and cyanogenic compounds.Many species evolved “holistic” defensive strategies by combining several morphological and chemical traits. Methods: We describe the morphological and chemical bases of defense in the ptychoid oribatid Euphthiracarus reticulatus. The functional morphology was investigated with synchrotron X-ray microtomography (SRμCT) and highspeed life-radiography. Gland secretions were collected from 20,000 adult specimens, purified and fractionated by preparative capillary gas chromatography (pcGC) and analyzed by gas chromatography / mass spectrometry (GC/MS), high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). The adaptive values of morphological and chemical defenses were estimated in bioassays against three predators: a similar-sized gamasid mite (Stratiolaelaps miles, ca. 0.8 mm, with slender chelicera for piercing membranous cuticular regions), and two larger staphylinid beetles, Stenus juno (ca. 7 mm, bearing a harpoon-like sticky labium and sickle-shaped mandibles) and Othius punctulatus (ca. 14 mm, bearing plesiomorphic chewing mandibles). Results: The secretions comprised two components: the diterpene β-springene and a novel compound with a mass of 276 g/mol – eventually elucidated as 2-(but-1-en-1-yl)-4-butylidene-3-(pent-2-en-1-yl)-pentanedial, to which we assign the trivial name δ-acaridial. Upon attacks by S. juno, E. reticulatus reacted quickly: within 150 ms from the first contact the encapsulation was almost completed – less time than the beetle needed to retract the labium and transfer the mite to the mandibles. Chemically-defended specimens of E. reticulatus effectively repelled all predators. After depletion of oil-gland reservoirs, however, O. punctulatus easily fed on the mites while S. miles and S. juno were not able to overcome the morphological barrier of strong cuticle and ptychoid body form. Conclusion: Such an effective, holistic defense strategy, involving both morphological and chemical traits, probably carries high resource-costs, but it allows adult euphthiracaroid mites to occupy an almost “enemy-free space” despite the high diversity of predators in soil

Life as a fortress structure, function, and adaptive values of morphological and chemical defense in the oribatid mite Euphthiracarus reticulatus (Actinotrichida)

Background Oribatid mites are among the primordial decomposer faunal elements and potential prey organisms in soil. Among their myriad morphological defenses are strong sclerotization and mineralization, cuticular tecta, and the “ptychoid” body-form, which allows to attain an encapsulated, seed-like appearance. Most oribatid mites possess a pair of exocrine glands that produce blends of hydrocarbons, terpenes, aromatics, alkaloids and cyanogenic compounds. Many species evolved “holistic” defensive strategies by combining several morphological and chemical traits. Methods We describe the morphological and chemical bases of defense in the ptychoid oribatid Euphthiracarus reticulatus. The functional morphology was investigated with synchrotron X-ray microtomography (SRCT) and high-speed life-radiography. Gland secretions were collected from 20,000 adult specimens, purified and fractionated by preparative capillary gas chromatography (pcGC) and analyzed by gas chromatography / mass spectrometry (GC/MS), high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). The adaptive values of morphological and chemical defenses were estimated in bioassays against three predators: a similar-sized gamasid mite (Stratiolaelaps miles, ca. 0.8 mm, with slender chelicera for piercing membranous cuticular regions), and two larger staphylinid beetles, Stenus juno (ca. 7 mm, bearing a harpoon-like sticky labium and sickle-shaped mandibles) and Othius punctulatus (ca. 14 mm, bearing plesiomorphic chewing mandibles). Results The secretions comprised two components: the diterpene -springene and a novel compound with a mass of 276 g/mol eventually elucidated as 2-(but-1-en-1-yl)-4-butylidene-3-(pent-2-en-1-yl)-pentanedial, to which we assign the trivial name -acaridial. Upon attacks by S. juno, E. reticulatus reacted quickly: within 150 ms from the first contact the encapsulation was almost completed less time than the beetle needed to retract the labium and transfer the mite to the mandibles. Chemically-defended specimens of E. reticulatus effectively repelled all predators. After depletion of oil-gland reservoirs, however, O. punctulatus easily fed on the mites while S. miles and S. juno were not able to overcome the morphological barrier of strong cuticle and ptychoid body form. Conclusion Such an effective, holistic defense strategy, involving both morphological and chemical traits, probably carries high resource-costs, but it allows adult euphthiracaroid mites to occupy an almost “enemy-free space” despite the high diversity of predators in soil.(VLID)286348