Social influence fosters the use of a reusable takeaway box

The severe ecological and economic consequences of disposable takeaway containers call for the implementation of effective interventions: namely, the use of reusable takeaway boxes. The present field study examined how social influence determined whether customers chose a reusable or a disposable takeaway box at a takeaway restaurant. We unobtrusively recorded the takeaway packaging choices (reusable vs. disposable) of customers over lunchtimes during a period of four weeks. We operationalized social influence in two ways. First, we manipulated social norms. For half of the field days, we added a normative message to the existing informational material on the counter of the takeaway outlet. Second, we observed social modeling by recording whether the takeaway packaging choice took place in the presence of other customers using a reusable takeaway box. The results were mixed: On one hand, we found no effect from the manipulated social norm, which we discuss in the light of past interventions using social norm messages. On the other hand, we found an effect of the observed social modeling: witnessing others using a reusable takeaway box increased the odds of choosing one oneself. This finding demonstrates the importance of getting customers to perform the desired behavior, to serve as social role models for others

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 Darkside of Online Social Networks: Measuring the Negative Effects of Social Influence in Online Social Networks

This research conceptualizes and develops a scale of Susceptibility to Social Influence in the context of Online Social Networks such as Facebook or Instagram. Three studies find support for the conceptualization and for a valid and reliable scale. Next steps for scale development and its future application are discussed

Normative prompts reduce consumer food waste in restaurants

This field study demonstrates that prompts reduce food waste in a restaurant. Based on the behavioral change literature, it was hypothesized that (1) informational prompts encourage consumers to reduce food waste, and that (2) an informational prompt with a normative message is more effective than a prompt with only an informative message. The results were mixed. As expected, diners who were exposed to prompts asked to take away their leftovers more frequently than diners who were exposed to no prompts. However, prompts with an informative and normative message were no more powerful than prompts with only an informative message

Normative Prompts Reduce Consumer Food Waste in Restaurants.

This field study demonstrates that prompts reduce food waste in a restaurant. Based on the behavioral change literature, it was hypothesized that (1) informational prompts encourage consumers to reduce food waste, and that (2) an informational prompt with a normative message is more effective than a prompt with only an informative message. The results were mixed. As expected, diners who were exposed to prompts asked to take away their leftovers more frequently than diners who were exposed to no prompts. However, prompts with an informative and normative message were no more powerful than prompts with only an informative message

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

Gelingt der Berufseinstieg von Agrarpraktikerinnen und Agrarpraktikern mit eidgenössischem Berufsattest?

Die zweijährige berufliche Grundbildung zum Agrar-praktiker/zur Agrarpraktikerin mit eidgenössischem Berufsattest (EBA) ermöglicht auch schulisch schwächeren Lernenden den Zugang zum ersten Arbeitsmarkt1. Vor Abschluss des Qualifikationsverfahrens im Mai 2019 und ein Jahr danach befragte man alle in dieser Ausbildung im Kanton Bern. Dabei wurden Vorbildung und Ausbildungsverlauf untersucht sowie erste Ein-schätzungen zum Berufseinstieg oder zum Beginn einer weiterführenden Ausbildung eingeholt. Kurz vor dem Abschluss der zweijährigen Ausbildung befragte man die Lernenden nach der Anschlusslösung: 30 % der Lernenden hatten einen Arbeitsvertrag. Knapp die Hälfte der Lernenden beabsichtigte, einen Abschluss zum Landwirt/zur Landwirtin EFZ zu erlangen und hatte bereits einen Lehrvertrag. Bei 20 % der Befragten fehlte eine Anschlusslösung. Ein Jahr später liegt die Beschäfti-gungsquote bei 95 %. Mehr als die Hälfte der Befragten befindet sich nun in der EFZ-Ausbildung zum Landwirt/zur Landwirtin. Von denjenigen Jugendlichen, die direkt in den Arbeitsmarkt eingestiegen waren, sind je die Hälfte im erlernten oder in einem anderen Beruf tätig

A nudge in a healthier direction: How environmental cues help restrained eaters pursue their weight-control goal

Losing weight is a goal for many people, but it is hard to pursue. However, dieting cues in the environment hold promise for improving individuals' eating behavior. For example, exposure to thin, human-like sculptures by the artist Alberto Giacometti has been found to promote healthy snack choices at a vending machine. Whether health- or weight-related processes drive such effects has not yet been determined. However, a detailed understanding of the content-related drivers of environmental cues' effects provides the first indications regarding a cue's possible use. Therefore, two laboratory studies were conducted. They examined the Giacometti sculptures' effects on unhealthy and healthy food intake (Study 1) and on the completion of weight- and health-related fragmented words (Study 2). Study 1 indicated that the sculptures are weight-related by showing that they reduced food intake independent of food healthiness. Furthermore, the “Giacometti effect” was moderated by restrained eating. Restrained eaters, who are known for their weight-control goal, ate less after having been exposed to the thin sculptures. The results of Study 2 pointed in the same direction. Restrained eaters completed more weight-related words after being exposed to the sculptures. Overall, these studies suggest that the thin sculptures are primarily weight-related cues and particularly helpful for restrained eaters. Environmental weight-control cues such as the Giacometti sculptures could act as a counterforce to our obesogenic environment and help restrained eaters pursue their weight-control goal. In this way, they could nudge food decisions in a healthier direction

Tick-borne encephalitis affects sleep-wake behavior and locomotion in infant rats.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a disease affecting the central nervous system. Over the last decade, the incidence of TBE has steadily increased in Europe and Asia despite the availably of effective vaccines. Up to 50% of patients after TBE suffer from post-encephalitic syndrome that may develop into long-lasting morbidity. Altered sleep-wake functions have been reported by patients after TBE. The mechanisms causing these disorders in TBE are largely unknown to date. As a first step toward a better understanding of the pathology of TBEV-inducing sleep dysfunctions, we assessed parameters of sleep structure in an established infant rat model of TBE. METHODS 13-day old Wistar rats were infected with 1 × 106 FFU Langat virus (LGTV). On day 4, 9, and 21 post infection, Rotarod (balance and motor coordination) and open field tests (general locomotor activity) were performed and brains from representative animals were collected in each subgroup. On day 28 the animals were implanted with a telemetric EEG/EMG system. Sleep recording was continuously performed for 24 consecutive hours starting at day 38 post infection and visually scored for Wake, NREM, and REM in 4 s epochs. RESULTS As a novelty of this study, infected animals showed a significant larger percentage of time spend awake during the dark phase and less NREM and REM compared to the control animals (p < 0.01 for all comparisons). Furthermore, it was seen, that during the dark phase the wake bout length in infected animals was prolonged (p = 0.043) and the fragmentation index decreased (p = 0.0085) in comparison to the control animals. LGTV-infected animals additionally showed a reduced rotarod performance ability at day 4 (p = 0.0011) and day 9 (p = 0.0055) and day 21 (p = 0.0037). A lower locomotor activity was also seen at day 4 (p = 0.0196) and day 9 (p = 0.0473). CONCLUSION Our data show that experimental TBE in infant rats affects sleep-wake behavior, leads to decreased spontaneous locomotor activity, and impaired moto-coordinative function

Validity Testing of the Conspiratorial Thinking and Anti-Expert Sentiment Scales during the COVID-19 Pandemic Across 24 Languages from a Large-Scale Global Dataset.

In this study, we tested the validity across two scales addressing conspiratorial thinking that may influence behaviours related to public health and the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the COVIDiSTRESSII Global Survey data from 12 261 participants, we validated the 4-item Conspiratorial Thinking Scale and 3-item Anti-Expert Sentiment Scale across 24 languages and dialects that were used by at least 100 participants per language. We employed confirmatory factor analysis, measurement invariance test and measurement alignment for internal consistency testing. To test convergent validity of the two scales, we assessed correlations with trust in seven agents related to government, science and public health. Although scalar invariance was not achieved when measurement invariance test was conducted initially, we found that both scales can be employed in further international studies with measurement alignment. Moreover, both conspiratorial thinking and anti-expert sentiments were significantly and negatively correlated with trust in all agents. Findings from this study provide supporting evidence for the validity of both scales across 24 languages for future large-scale international research