The Influence of Descriptive Norms on Investment Risk

This study examines the effect of descriptive norm messages (i.e., highlighting what others are doing) on intentions to increase investment risk. Evidence shows that alarming numbers of people nearing retirement insufficiently save for this next life stage. In addition, research finds that differences exist in investment risk tolerance between men and women, with many women investing too conservatively. This finding is of particular concern as women typically experience longer lifespans, thus relying on accumulated savings for longer periods of time. The present study extends work in financial marketing by examining the influences of social norms and peer influence, constructs shown to be instrumental in guiding behavior. An experiment using 182 U.S. student subjects tested the hypothesis that introducing descriptive norms concurrently with certain variables (financial self-efficacy and gender traits) influences the level of risk taken within investment portfolios. The results did not support the hypothesis; however, we did find support for the existence of differences in investment risk between genders and show that financial self-efficacy is associated with greater financial risk taking

Nurses\u27 Alumnae Association Bulletin, June 1967

President\u27s Message Officers and Committee Chairman Financial Report Report to Alumnae Association Nursing Service Report Operating Room Report School of Practical Nursing Report School of Nursing Report President Herbert\u27s Address (abstracted) Report from Africa Student Activities Nursing Service Staff Association Resume of Alumnae Meetings Way and Means Report Social Committee Building Fund Report Class News Notice

This meat or that alternative? How masculinity stress influences food choice when goals are conflicted

Introduction: This research integrates literature on masculinity stress—the distress experienced as the result of a perceived discrepancy with male gender norms—with research on goal conflict to examine preferences for plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs). Men experiencing masculinity stress are likely to hold salient a goal of being masculine, which should lead to less preference for PBMAs. However, many of these men simultaneously hold competing goals, such as making ethical food choices, which remain inhibited in favor of the focal masculinity goal. We argue that once men experiencing masculinity stress highlight their masculinity through the selection of a manly product, they satisfy that higher-order goal and are then free to pursue previously inhibited goals, such as making an ethical choice through the selection of PBMAs. Methods: We present the results of three studies supporting these expectations. Study 1 tests the link between masculinity stress and meat (alternative) consumption using consumer search behavior collected from Google Trends, showing that masculinity stress is positively (negatively) correlated with searches for red meat (PBMAs). Study 2 shows that men experiencing masculinity stress are more inclined to choose PBMAs, provided they are presented within a masculine product context. Study 3 presents a parallel mediation model, showing that ethical considerations (as opposed to masculine goals) shape the choice of PBMA preference. Results and discussion: We conclude with a discussion of theoretical implications for the impression management strategies utilized by men experiencing masculinity stress and practical implications for the growing PBMA industry

Microplastic ingestion by pelagic and demersal fish species from the Eastern Central Atlantic Ocean, off the Coast of Ghana

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via the DOI in this recordWe present data on the occurrence of microplastics in fish from the Guinea current region off Ghana's Coast. Frequency of occurrence of microplastics in the fish species followed the order: Sardinella maderensis (41%) > Dentex angolensis > (33%) > Sardinella aurita (26%). Mean numbers of microplastics ingested were 40.0 ± 3.8, 32.0 ± 2.7 and 25.7 ± 1.6 for S. maderensis, D. angolensis and S. aurita respectively. Industrially produced pellets were the most dominant (31%) microplastic type followed by microbeads (29%), burnt film plastics (22%) and unidentified fragments (9%). Microfibers (2%), threads (2%) and foams (1 and below 1 for S. maderensis. The findings of the study show the common occurrence of microplastics in fish stocks and pave the way for future studies on microplastics in this Region.Academy of Medical Science

Advocacy in the tail: Exploring the implications of ‘climategate’ for science journalism and public debate in the digital age

This paper explores the evolving practices of science journalism and public debate in the digital age. The vehicle for this study is the release of digitally stored email correspondence, data and documents from the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia in the weeks immediately prior to the United Nations Copenhagen Summit (COP-15) in December 2009. Described using the journalistic shorthand of ‘climategate’, and initially promoted through socio-technical networks of bloggers, this episode became a global news story and the subject of several formal reviews. ‘Climategate’ illustrates that media literate critics of anthropogenic explanations of climate change used digital tools to support their cause, making visible selected, newsworthy aspects of scientific information and the practices of scientists. In conclusion, I argue that ‘climategate’ may have profound implications for the production and distribution of science news, and how climate science is represented and debated in the digitally-mediated public sphere

Mediation: A Review and Analysis of the Approaches for Discovering Mediating Relationships

The purpose of this paper is to present a discussion of the statistical techniques used to test mediating effects in marketing research. The goal is to help researchers better understand the theoretical underpinnings of mediation analysis and select the most appropriate analysis method to use. The approach is quasi-historical because it follows a chronological sequence describing how various researchers have proposed to analyze mediating effects and points out the strengths and weaknesses of each method. The methods are illustrated with data from a consumer survey (n = 351). The paper concludes with a set of summary recommendations for analyzing mediating effects

Better or different? Self‐differentiating appeals interact with self‐theories to predict volunteer intentions

This research explores how charities can harness individuals' desire for self‐enhancement in their advertisements to boost volunteerism. Two studies examine the effects of advertising which promote either horizontal differentiation (appeals to uniqueness, existing skills) or vertical differentiation (appeals to status, skill acquisition) and how these interact with consumers' self‐theories (incremental—belief in changeable attributes through effort, or entity—belief in unchangeable attributes). Study 1 (n = 183, 56% female) shows entity theorists are more inclined to volunteer following horizontally framed appeals, while incremental theorists respond similarly to both types of appeals. Study 2 (n = 107, 58% female) builds on this, revealing that self‐theory influences the type of individuation (horizontal or vertical) sought by individuals, in turn enhancing volunteer intentions. These findings highlight the complex relationship between self‐theory and advertising appeals in motivating volunteerism, offering valuable insights for creating effective charitable ads and understanding volunteer motivations

The use of gamma radiation for the preservation of kola nuts

Kola nuts wrapped with Mitragyna stipulosa (Akan: subaha) leaves and stored in baskets (traditional method) and irradiated with Co-60 gamma rays with absorbed doses ranging from 0.10 to 0.50 kGy at a dose rate of 0.171 kGy/hr to control kola weevils (Balanogastris kolae) during storage. The number of nuts per treatment ranged between 20 and 1353, and the ambient storage temperature fluctuated between 16.5EC and 37.5E C. Gamma radiation suppressed the development and emergence of kola weevils that destroy the nuts in storage. Whilst no live insects were found in the treated samples, up to 48 live weevils were counted per packet in the control treatment at 28 days in storage. Consequently, nut infestation in the control was about 98.4%. Fungal deterioration of both irradiated and unirradiated kola nuts was observed. Weight loss in kola nuts irradiated at 0.25 and 0.50 kGy and stored for 84 days after irradiation was 18.2% and 19.2%, respectively, whilst comparable loss from the control treatment was 39.9%. Weevils fed with treated and untreated nuts did not show any preferences and differences in growth. A panel of tasters did not detect any differences between treated and untreated nuts. JOURNAL OF THE GHANA SCIENCE ASSOCIATION Volume 2 No. 3 (2000) pp. 184-19