Keeping your eyes on the prize versus your nose to the grindstone : the effects of level of goal evaluation on mood and motivation

The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file.Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on November 27, 2007)Vita.Thesis (Ph. D.) University of Missouri-Columbia 2007.Though higher level, primary goals provide meaning and direction for a person, evaluating progress on that primary goal versus a sub-goal is risky. Study 1 was a 2 x 2 experiment in which framing level (sub-goal or primary goal) and feedback valence (success or failure) were manipulated for participants (n=118) during a computer game. Positive mood and expectancy decreased and negative mood increased the most for those who received primary goal failure feedback. Study 2 was a short longitudinal study that took place over 8 weeks throughout which participants (n=113) evaluated their progress on a primary goal (Grade goal) or sub-goal (Study hours goal). Success or failure varied naturally for individuals. When progress was lacking, the primary goal focus was associated with decreases in mood and expectancy. These results indicate that a person might be better off evaluating goal progress at the lower, sub-goal level, especially when receiving negative feedback.Includes bibliographical reference

Utjecaj veličine tijela i obojenosti prilikom odabira partnera kod prugastog smrdljivca (Graphosoma lineatum L.) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

Female as well as male mate choice has already been recognized in many insects. The traits responsible for the mate choice in a striped stink bug (Graphosoma lineatum L.) are not yet explored. This works concentrates on few possible traits responsible for mate choice in a striped stink bug. For this analysis free living copulating individuals as well as the single ones were collected. On two different locations animals were collected and their body length, pronotum broadness and coloration were measured. No differences were found in all measured traits between copulating and control individuals, showing no preferences when choosing copulation partner. Results also show no evidence of assortative mating, referring to the body length and the pronotum broadness of both sexes. All three measured traits seem not to have an influence on the mate choice of both sexes. Further experimental testing is needed to fully excluded importance of body size and coloration in mate choice of a striped stink bug.Odabir partnera od strane ženke, kao i mužjaka, već je prepoznat kod mnogih kukaca. Evoluirale su različite strategije odabira partnera na temelju veličine tijela i zabilježene su kod mnogih vrsta kukaca, uključujući i neke smrdibube (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). Osim veličine tijela kod kukaca je zabilježen i utjecaj obojenosti na odabir partnera. Osobine odgovorne za odabir partnera prugastog smrdljivca (Graphosoma lineatum L.) nisu detaljno istražene. Ovaj se rad usredotočuje na utjecaj veličine tijela i obojenosti oba spola kod odabira partnera prugastog smrdljivca. Ukupno 10 dana su na dvije lokacije prikupljane kopulirajuće jedinke, kao i slobodne (nekopulirajuće) jedinke. Životinjama je determiniran spol, izmjerena duljina tijela, širina pronotuma i zabilježena boja. Jedinke u kopulaciji su brojevno označene u svrhu izuzimanja iz analize podatke ponovljenih parenja. Podaci uključuju ukupno 65 različitih kopulacijskih kombinacija, 44 jedinki kontrolnih ženki i 53 kontrolna mužjaka. Za sve tri mjerene osobine nisu pronađene statistički značajne razlike između kopulirajućih i kontrolnih (nekopulirajućih) jedinki, što ukazuje da ne utječu na preferencije prilikom odabira partnera. Rezultati također ne pokazuju dokaze asortativnog parenja, barem što se tiče duljine tijela i širine pronotuma. Kod oba spola čini se da sve tri mjerene osobine nemaju utjecaja na izbor partnera. Unatoč dobivenom, potrebna su daljnja ispitivanja kako bi se u potpunosti isključila važnost veličine tijela i boje u odabiru partnera prugastog smrdljivca, kao i ispitivanja vezana uz mogući utjecaj kemijskih i vibracijskih signala

The role of adoption norms and perceived product attributes in the adoption of Dutch electric vehicles and smart energy systems

We studied to what extent perceived adoption norms affect the likelihood of adopting sustainable innovations, next to evaluations of the instrumental, environmental and symbolic attributes of these innovations. As hypothesised, results showed that people are more likely to adopt a sustainable innovation the more they evaluate the attributes of these sustainable innovations favourably and the more they think significant others would consider adoption (i.e., when adoption norms are strong). Moreover, we hypothesised and found that positive evaluations of the symbolic attributes are more likely to promote the adoption of sustainable innovations when people expect that few significant others would consider adoption. These findings suggest that weak adoption norms that are typical in the early adoption stage may both inhibit and promote adoption of sustainable innovations, via different routes

Forest Residue Management Impact on Rodent (Rodentia: Murinae, Arvicolinae) Damage in Pedunculate Oak (Quercus robur L.) Forests in Croatia

Small rodents (Rodentia, subfam. Murinae: real mice, Arvicoline voles) greatly affect natural regeneration, stability and dynamics of forest communities worldwide. Every 3–4 years rodent damage in Croatian state forests is the most severe in forest regeneration stands, especially in pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) and narrow-leaved ash (Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl.) forests, where rodents can seriously impede natural regeneration by damaging seeds, stems and roots of saplings. These negative interactions are an even bigger challenge nowdays as pedunculate oak and narrow-leaved ash have become more vunerable in the last decades and are known as the most sensitive species of lowland forests in Croatia due to microclimatic and macroclimatic changes and the unfavourable interaction of a whole series of anthropogenic, abiotic and biotic factors. In the last 40 years, in Croatian state forests, rodent management consisted of monitoring and mainly rodenticide use. Trying to implement IPM (Integrated Pest Management) postulates into practice over the years, different prevention methods against small rodents were tested, but not many came to use. The aim of this research was to look into different logging residue management approaches and their effect on the rodent damage in two pedunculate oak forest regeneration stands in central Posavina in Croatia. Rodent damage on stem and root of tree saplings was recorded by visual inspection on three plots (5x5 m) with scattered logging residue, and one plot (5x5 m) with no residue at one micro-depression site (95 m a.s.l.), and on one micro-elevation (99 m a.s.l.) site. Plots with scattered logging residue represented a type of forest residue management in which logging debris (branches) is cut to smaller lengths and distributed evenly at the forest regeneration stand. Plot with no logging debris represented a residue management method in which wood mass is completely removed from the regeneration stand after felling. We counted, determined and inspected tree saplings found at chosen plots for rodent damage (on stem and roots) and also determined the average weight and moisture content of logging residue (branches around 5–7 cm in diameter) found at the site. In spring 2017, 3380 tree saplings (2978; 81% pedunculate oak, 7; 0.2% narrowleaved ash and 395; 11.7% other deciduous species) were inspected for rodent damage. At micro-depression site, on a plot with no logging residue, only 13.4% of the saplings were damaged, while the average share of damaged saplings on three plots with scattered residue was more than six times higher; 87.8%. The average mass of the logging residue weighed at site with scattered residue was 10.14 kg kg/m2 and moisture content was 19.2%. At microelevation site, 25.4% of the saplings were damaged on a plot with no logging residue, while the average share of damaged saplings on three plots with scattered residue was two times higher; 51.4%. The average mass of the logging residue weighed at SRP 1–3 was 5.1 kg/m2. We also determined moderately strong positive correlation (R=0.69133) between the mass of logging residue and rodent damage and strong negative correlation (R=–0.89598) between wood moisture content of the logging residue and rodent damage. In years ahead, with unpredictable climate effects and potentially very variable small rodent dynamics, removing the logging residue after the felling could represent a residue management that contributes to a more effective and ecologically based rodent management. It could also become a usable preventive method within IPM and help prevent sever rodent damage, even during the outbreaks in pedunculate oak regeneration stands

Engaging consumers through artificially intelligent technologies

While consumer engagement (CE) in the context of artificially intelligent (AI-based) technologies (e.g., chatbots, smart products, voice assistants, or autonomous cars) is gaining traction, the themes characterizing this emerging, interdisciplinary corpus of work remain indeterminate, exposing an important literature-based gap. Addressing this gap, we conduct a systematic review of 89 studies using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach to synthesize the AI-based CE literature. Our review yields three major themes of AI-based CE, including (i) Increasingly accurate service provision through AI-based CE; (ii) Capacity of AI-based CE to (co)create consumer-perceived value, and (iii) AI-based CE's reduced consumer effort in their task execution. We also develop a conceptual model that proposes the AI-based CE antecedents of personal, technological, interactional, social, and situational factors, and the AI-based CE consequences of consumer-based, firm-based, and human-AI collaboration outcomes. We conclude by offering pertinent implications for theory development (e.g., by offering future research questions derived from the proposed themes of AI-based CE) and practice (e.g., by reducing consumer-perceived costs of their brand/firm interactions)

Armisongade alloplastika tulemused Tartu Ülikooli Kliinikumis

Taust ja eesmärgid. Kõhuseina songade plastikaks kasutatavat võõrmaterjali on seostatud tugeva võõrkehareaktsiooni tekkega, mille tulemuseks võib olla pidev düskomfort ja elukvaliteeti oluliselt häiriv krooniline valu. Uuringu eesmärgiks oli hinnata kroonilise valu, võõrkehatunde ja retsidiivide esinemist armisonga alloplastika järel ning alloplastika mõju patsientide elukvaliteedile. Metoodika. Kesklõike armisongaga patsientidele tehtud alloplastika järgsel kontrollil mõõdeti valu esinemist erinevate tegevuste juures visuaalanaloogskaalal ja hinnati võõrkehatunde esinemist. Elukvaliteedi hindamiseks kasutati küsimustikku SF36. Kõik patsiendid labisid kliinilise uurimise võimaliku retsidiivi suhtes. Tulemused. 6. postoperatiivsel kuul esines kroonilist valu 32,5%-l ja 3. postoperatiivsel aastal 27,9%-l patsientidest. Võõrkehatunne esines 6. postoperatiivsel kuul 25%-l ja 3. postoperatiivsel aastal 25,6%-l uuritutest. Elukvaliteedi erinevate valdkondade keskmised skoorid paranesid oluliselt 6. postoperatiivseks kuuks. 3. postoperatiivseks aastaks oli retsidiive 6,5%. Kokkuvõte. Krooniline valu ja võõrkehatunne on alloplastika järel sagedased probleemid. Arvestades väikest retsidiivide esinemist, on onlay-alloplastika hea operatsioonimeetod kesklõike armisonga likvideerimiseks. Elukvaliteedi oluline paranemine pärast operatsiooni näitab, et sümptomaatiliste songade puhul tuleks plaanilist kirurgilist ravi rakendada esimesel võimalusel. Eesti Arst 2012; 91(9):463–46