The impact of naturalness on affective response to logo design: A cross-national study

Literature concerned with logo strategy suggests that the aesthetic appeal of brand logos significantly influences consumer responses. Yet, despite the fact that companies invest significant amounts of time and money promoting, updating and changing their logos, empirical studies of logo design issues are rare. In particular, there is little systematic research on the effect of logo design across different cultures. The main purpose of this research is to address the communalities and asymmetries between consumer responses to logo design across cultures. In particular, we focus on the influences of different types of natural designs on consumers’ affective responses in three different countries, Portugal, Spain and The Netherlands. Findings should provide relevant contributions for multinational companies since logos are critical brand identity sings and they tend to be used in an unaltered form in new markets

Empathy of medical students and personality : evidences from the five factor model

The main aim of this study was to test hypothetical associations between personality dimensions and empathy scores in medical students. The Portuguese version of NEO-FFI was administered in order to characterize participants in terms of five personality traits: Neuroticism, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Openness to Experience and Conscientiousness. Self-reported empathy measures were obtained with the Portuguese version of the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE-spv), a Likert-type questionnaire specifically developed for administration in health sciences settings that measures domains such as compassionate care and perspective taking. Correlation analysis, multivariate analysis of covariance and logistic regression analysis were conducted. The results confirmed positive associations between agreeableness, openness to experience and empathy and did not support our hypothesis of negative associations between neuroticism and empathy. It is suggested that that the personality of students should be taken into account in programs to enhance empathy in undergraduate medical education.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - PTDC/ESC/ 65116/2006

Design, personality traits and consumer responses to brand logos

Despite the relevance of logos as communication cues, empirical studies of logo design issues in marketing journals are still scarce (Peterson et al., 2015). This study seeks to address this research gap by examining consumers’ responses to logo design, and specifically to the different types of natural designs, at a behavioral and psychological level. Additionally, we explore whether socio-demographic variables and consumer personality traits are sources of differences in such reactions

Relational complementarity: the motivational form of social relationships

What motivates people to engage in coordinated social interactions? Building on relational models theory, and on philosophical and psychological accounts of joint action, I propose that all forms of coordination require participants to generate actions that are congruent with the actions of the partners, according to shared cognitive relational models. When the actions of all interacting participants fit together, they create a pattern of Relational Complementarity (RelComp). Hence, RelComp is the goal intrinsic to all forms of coordination. Building on this conceptualization, this thesis addresses two theoretical hypotheses. First, RelComp is inherently satisfying; the prospect of RelComp is sufficient to motivate behavior in the absence of rewards ulterior to coordination. Four studies tested whether participants primed with RelComp as a goal (vs. non-primed) would be more motivated to follow the instructions of an experimenter, and therefore, would spend more effort to complete the tasks requested during the experimental session. The results did not support the hypothesis that RelComp motivates social behavior. However, a second unrelated line of five studies demonstrated that RelComp is satisfying, by showing that participants experienced more positive affect in complementary (vs. non-complementary) interactions. The second theoretical hypothesis states that, since RelComp is intrinsic to coordination, it is sufficient to fulfill the motives that have been proposed to explain coordinated behavior. Five studies showed that participants experienced higher control, belonging and trust in complementary (vs. non-complementary) interactions, and that these effects could not be explained by expectations about the partner’s actions, nor by the benefits of coordination.O que motiva as pessoas para se coordenarem socialmente? Tendo como base a teoria dos modelos relacionais, e perspetivas filosóficas e psicológicas da ação conjunta, proponho que todas as formas de coordenação social requerem que os participantes produzam ações congruentes com as ações dos parceiros, de acordo com modelos relacionais cognitivos partilhados. Quando as ações de todos os participantes em interação se ajustam, criam um padrão de Complementaridade Relacional (CompRel). Assim, a CompRel é o objetivo intrínseco a todas as formas de coordenação. Partindo desta conceptualização, esta tese apresenta duas hipóteses teóricas. Primeiro, a CompRel é inerentemente gratificante; a perspetiva de CompRel é suficiente para motivar o comportamento, na ausência de recompensas ulteriores à coordenação. Quatro estudos testaram se os participantes primados com o objetivo de CompRel (vs. não primados) ficariam mais motivados para seguirem as instruções de um experimentador e, por isso, fariam mais esforço para completarem as tarefas pedidas durante a sessão experimental. Os resultados não suportaram a hipótese de que a CompRel motiva o comportamento social. Contudo, uma outra linha de cinco estudos demonstrou que a CompRel é gratificante, revelando que os participantes experimentaram mais afeto positivo em interações complementares (vs. não-complementares). A segunda hipótese teórica propõe que, sendo a CompRel intrínseca à coordenação, é suficiente para satisfazer os motivos que têm sido propostos para explicar o comportamento coordenado. Cinco estudos demonstraram que os participantes experimentaram mais controlo, pertença e confiança em interações complementares (vs. não-complementares), e que estes efeitos não puderam ser explicados pelas expectativas em relação à ação do parceiro nem pelos benefícios da coordenação

The mediator role of the perceived working conditions and safety leadership on the relationship between safety culture and safety performance: A case study in a Portuguese construction company

Occupational accidents in the construction sector are still a major concern with relevant costs at different levels, both individually and socially. We developed and tested two structural equation models to study, from the workers’ point of view, the mediator role of working conditions and safety leadership on the relationship between safety culture and safety performance, in a Portuguese firm. This quantitative and correlational case study applied a questionnaire to a convenience sample of 320 workers. A structural equation modeling analysis showed that safety culture was predominant in predicting safety performance and that working conditions mediated this relationship, but safety leadership did not. The results allow company’s managers gaining certain insights about the role of safety culture, working conditions and safety leadership on safety performance prediction and in the work accidents’ prevention. Furthermore, likely may help to understand what is going on in other firms, in construction sector in Portugal, and to identify problematic areas needing to be addressed.Os acidentes de trabalho no setor da construção constituem uma preocupação séria, com custos ao nível individual e social. Com base num questionário aplicado a uma amostra de conveniência com 320 trabalhadores de uma construtora portuguesa, desenvolvemos e testámos dois modelos para estudar, do ponto de vista dos trabalhadores, o papel mediador das condições de trabalho e da liderança de segurança, na relação entre a cultura de segurança e o desempenho em segurança. A análise baseada nos modelos de equações estruturais mostrou que a cultura de segurança foi sempre predominante na predição do desempenho em segurança e que as condições de trabalho mediaram essa relação, mas a liderança de segurança não mediou essa relação. Estes resultados enfatizaram a importância dos papéis da cultura de segurança, das condições de trabalho, e da liderança de segurança, na predição do desempenho em segurança e na prevenção de acidentes de trabalho na construtora. Poderão, ainda, contribuir para ajudar a compreender o que está a acontecer em outras empresas do sector da construção, em Portugal, e a identificar áreas problemáticas que necessitem de ser abordadasinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Occurrence of Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) by Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. producing extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) and/or carbapenemases in portuguese long-term care facilities

Extended-spectrum-β-lactamase (ESBL)- and carbapenemase-producing bacteria are widespread in hospitals, but the extent of this problem in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) is poorly understood. We aimed to elucidate, in the Portuguese regional clinical context, the relevance of LTCFs as a reservoir of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. producing ESBL- and/or carbapenemases (Ec/Kp-ESBL/CARB). Fourteen LTCFs from Portugal, corresponding to units of convalescence (UC/n = 3), medium-term internment and rehabilitation (UMDR/ n = 5), or long-term internment and maintenance (ULDM/n = 6), were analyzed (2016–2019). All patients with Ec/Kp-ESBL/CARB infections acquired during LTCF stay were included, and detailed information was collected. Prevalence of patients with healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) by Ec/Kp-ESBL/CARB did not vary significantly over time (1.48% in 2016–2017, 1.89% in 2017–2018, and 1.90% in 2018–2019), but a statistically significant association with the LTCF typology (ULDM, UMDR) was observed. HAIs were caused by K. pneumoniae (n = 51/54.3%), E. coli (n = 41/43.6%), or both (n = 2/2.1%), producing ESBL (96%) or carbapenemases (4%). Prior colonization (n = 14/16%) corresponded to seven Kp-CARB and seven Ec/Kp-ESBL. The worrying prevalence of patients acquiring HAIs by Ec/Kp-ESBL/CARB, associated with the estimated rates of those already colonized at admission, highlights a relevant role for LTCFs as a reservoir of Ec/Kp-ESBL/CARB. Epidemiological surveillance should be extended to the national level, and colonization screening at LTCF admission implemented systematically.This research received no external funding