Vulnerable consumers : marketing research needs to pay more attention to the brain health of consumers

We propose here that marketing research should increase consideration of the brain health of consumers, and argue that it would help both extend our current knowledge of vulnerable and other marginalised groups, as well as extend generalizability and external validity of marketing research in general. We show that such a focus would help enrich methodology, especially around causal inference, as well as impact on our understanding of a number of key emerging themes in marketing research. We particularly focus on the consumer behaviour around digitalisation, as well as compulsive buying behaviour. Further, we show that increasing consideration of consumer brain health will further efforts towards inclusivity of marketing, and help continue progress towards marketing research as a force for good

INFLUENCE OF SOIL TYPE AND NITROGEN FERTILIZATION SUGAR BEET YIELD AND QUALITY

smeđem tlu (T-2), obavljeno je istraživanje utjecaja gnojidbe dušikom na elemente prinosa šećerne repe. Dušik je dodavan u jesen, predsjetvenono na osnovi zaliha Nmin u tlu te u prihrani. Dobiveni rezultati istraživanja pokazali su da je značajno veći prinos korijena i šećera ostvaren na kvalitetnijem tlu T-2 u drugoj godini istraživanja. Utjecaj gnojidbe ureom u osnovnoj gnojidbi na prinos korijena i šećera zavisio je o godini, tlu i ukupno dodanome dušiku. U vlažnoj 2010. godini, na siromašnome tlu T-1, te u sušnoj 2009., na plodnome tlu T-2, na varijanti N-0 (bez prihrane), dodavanje dušika u jesen (G-46) uvjetovalo je značajno povećanje prinosa korijena i šećera. Na tlu T-1, najveći prinos korijena i šećera (9,54 tha-1) dobiven je na varijanti G-46 i bez dodavanja dušika u vegetaciji, a na T-2 tlu na varijanti bez gnojidbe dušikom u jesen (G-0) i uz prihranu 13,5 kgha-1N, dobiven je najveći prinos šećera (11,48 tha-1).In 2009 and 2010 we studied effect of nitrogen fertilization on the yield values on two soil types of different physical and chemical properties. Nitrogen was applied in autumn as a pre-sowing treatment on the basis of Nmin supplies in the soil, and as a top dressing. The obtained results showed significantly higher root and sugar yield values on the T-2 soil of better quality in the second year of the study. Effects of urea treatment in basic fertilization on the root and sugar yield values depended on the season, soil quality and total amount of the nitrogen added. In wet 2010 on barren T-1 soil and in dry 2009 on fertile T-2 soil with the variant N-0 (no top dressing application), nitrogen treatment in autumn (G-46) induced significant increase in the root and sugar yield values. On T-1 soil the highest root yield and sugar yield (9.54 tha-1) values were obtained with the variant G-46 even with no nitrogen application in the growing season (N-0), whilst on T-2 soil with no nitrogen application in autumn (G-0) and with top dressing up to 13.5 kgha-1N that significantly increased results in production, i.e. obtained sugar yield was 11.48 tha-1

Neuromarketing and consumer neuroscience:contributions to neurology

Background: 'Neuromarketing' is a term that has often been used in the media in recent years. These public discussions have generally centered around potential ethical aspects and the public fear of negative consequences for society in general, and consumers in particular. However, positive contributions to the scientific discourse from developing a biological model that tries to explain context-situated human behavior such as consumption have often been neglected. We argue for a differentiated terminology, naming commercial applications of neuroscientific methods 'neuromarketing' and scientific ones 'consumer neuroscience'. While marketing scholars have eagerly integrated neuroscientific evidence into their theoretical framework, neurology has only recently started to draw its attention to the results of consumer neuroscience.Discussion: In this paper we address key research topics of consumer neuroscience that we think are of interest for neurologists; namely the reward system, trust and ethical issues. We argue that there are overlapping research topics in neurology and consumer neuroscience where both sides can profit from collaboration. Further, neurologists joining the public discussion of ethical issues surrounding neuromarketing and consumer neuroscience could contribute standards and experience gained in clinical research.Summary: We identify the following areas where consumer neuroscience could contribute to the field of neurology:. First, studies using game paradigms could help to gain further insights into the underlying pathophysiology of pathological gambling in Parkinson's disease, frontotemporal dementia, epilepsy, and Huntington's disease.Second, we identify compulsive buying as a common interest in neurology and consumer neuroscience. Paradigms commonly used in consumer neuroscience could be applied to patients suffering from Parkinson's disease and frontotemporal dementia to advance knowledge of this important behavioral symptom.Third, trust research in the medical context lacks empirical behavioral and neuroscientific evidence. Neurologists entering this field of research could profit from the extensive knowledge of the biological foundation of trust that scientists in economically-orientated neurosciences have gained.Fourth, neurologists could contribute significantly to the ethical debate about invasive methods in neuromarketing and consumer neuroscience. Further, neurologists should investigate biological and behavioral reactions of neurological patients to marketing and advertising measures, as they could show special consumer vulnerability and be subject to target marketing

Neuro-Information Systems : methodological developments

Information Systems (IS) research is a scientific field that focuses on the development, use, and impact of information technologies (Benbasat and Zmud, 2003). A current stream of research has been established under the name ‘Neuro-Information-Systems (NeuroIS). Through the application of neuroscientific methods and theories, NeuroIS seeks to contribute, on the one hand, to the development of new theories that make possible accurate predictions of IT-related behaviors, and, on the other hand, to the design of IT artifacts that positively affect economic and non-economic variables, such as productivity, satisfaction, adoption, and well being (Riedl et al., 2010). Several reference disciplines are connected to NeuroIS, such as neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience, neuroeconomics, decision and social neuroscience, consumer neuroscience, neuroergonomics, affective computing, and Brain-Computer Interaction (Riedl and Léger, 2016). In the state of the art before this doctoral thesis, methods typically applied in Neuro-IS research included neurophysiological measurements (e.g. heart rate variability, skin conductance, and facial-electromyography), electroencephalography (EEG), and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In order to contribute to the methodological development of NeuroIS, several different approaches have been conducted resulting in four publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals that represent the core of this cumulative doctoral thesis. In a didactic approach to incrementally improve scientific skills and rigor, this thesis comprises two projects where I was involved as co-author and two publications in the leading role as first author. While all publications focused on methodology, a close thematic link exists between the first two and the second two publications. The first project investigated technostress, defined as any negative impact on attitudes, thoughts, behaviors, or body physiology that is caused either directly or indirectly by technology (Weil and Rosen, 1997), through an experimental design in which a computer system breakdown was simulated. In order to operationalize technostress, we used measurements of cortisol in saliva, a hormone known to be released in a physiologic stress response for the first time in NeuroIS research. Indeed, it was possible to objectively prove a stress reaction due to the computer system breakdown (Riedl et al., 2012). In a second project, we returned to technostress using an established NeuroIS method to measure the stress response (skin conductance), but focused on another methodological avenue by investigating a possible gender aspect. In fact, we could show that there are gender differences in the physiological stress response to a computer system breakdown (Riedl et al., 2013). As I will argue later on, the outcome of these two studies does not only have implications for technostress research, but also on IS research in general, as they contribute significantly to the methodological evolution of NeuroIS. In another two separate, but connected, research projects, this doctoral thesis tried to implement a non-technological method derived from clinical neuroscience and neurology to NeuroIS by shifting the focus of research from single group investigations on healthy subjects to studying group differences between patients suffering from neurological diseases and healthy control subjects. This approach is routed in the historically earliest neuroscientific studies that investigated motor, cognitive, and/or behavioral functions of patients with cerebral lesions (so called ‘lesion studies, Rorden and Karnath, 2004). One published study of this thesis discussed the theoretical aspects of studying neurological patients in economically-oriented neurosciences in general (Javor et al., 2013), while a second one applied this approach to NeuroIS. More precisely, trust behavior towards avatars (artificially generated faces), an important research subject in NeuroIS, was investigated through an economic trust game that was played by a group of patients suffering from a neurological disease (Parkinsons disease) and another group of healthy controls. Indeed, we were able to show that a behavioral difference between patients and healthy controls exist and we argued that this difference has major impact on IS theory and practice (Javor et al., 2016). In conclusion, the methodological development of NeuroIS prior to and during this doctoral thesis was characterized by an excitement and search for new technological and non-technological methods. This has led to significant contributions to IS theory. Following this steep evolution, there are several scholars in the field arguing that a period of consolidation, in the sense of a refinement of and gaining experience with existing methods, should be pursued by future research.submitted by Mag. Dr. Andrija JavorZusammenfassung in deutscher SpracheUniversität Linz, Dissertation, 2017OeBB(VLID)196098

Computer Breakdown as a Stress Factor during Task Completion under Time Pressure: Identifying Gender Differences Based on Skin Conductance

In today’s society, as computers, the Internet, and mobile phones pervade almost every corner of life, the impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) on humans is dramatic. The use of ICT, however, may also have a negative side. Human interaction with technology may lead to notable stress perceptions, a phenomenon referred to as technostress. An investigation of the literature reveals that computer users’ gender has largely been ignored in technostress research, treating users as “gender-neutral.” To close this significant research gap, we conducted a laboratory experiment in which we investigated users’ physiological reaction to the malfunctioning of technology. Based on theories which explain that men, in contrast to women, are more sensitive to “achievement stress,” we predicted that male users would exhibit higher levels of stress than women in cases of system breakdown during the execution of a human-computer interaction task under time pressure, if compared to a breakdown situation without time pressure. Using skin conductance as a stress indicator, the hypothesis was confirmed. Thus, this study shows that user gender is crucial to better understanding the influence of stress factors such as computer malfunctions on physiological stress reactions

A.: Computer Breakdown as a Stress Factor during Task Completion under Time Pressure: Identifying Gender Differences Based on Skin Conductance. Advances in Human-Computer Interaction,

In today's society, as computers, the Internet, and mobile phones pervade almost every corner of life, the impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) on humans is dramatic. The use of ICT, however, may also have a negative side. Human interaction with technology may lead to notable stress perceptions, a phenomenon referred to as technostress. An investigation of the literature reveals that computer users' gender has largely been ignored in technostress research, treating users as "genderneutral. " To close this significant research gap, we conducted a laboratory experiment in which we investigated users' physiological reaction to the malfunctioning of technology. Based on theories which explain that men, in contrast to women, are more sensitive to "achievement stress, " we predicted that male users would exhibit higher levels of stress than women in cases of system breakdown during the execution of a human-computer interaction task under time pressure, if compared to a breakdown situation without time pressure. Using skin conductance as a stress indicator, the hypothesis was confirmed. Thus, this study shows that user gender is crucial to better understanding the influence of stress factors such as computer malfunctions on physiological stress reactions

Technostress from a Neurobiological Perspective - System Breakdown Increases the Stress Hormone Cortisol in Computer Users

Despite the positive impact of information and communication technology (ICT) on an individual, organizational, and societal level (e.g., increased access to information, as well as enhanced performance and productivity), both scientific research and anecdotal evidence indicate that human-machine interaction, both in a private and organizational context, may lead to notable stress perceptions in users. This type of stress is referred to as technostress. A review of the literature shows that most studies used questionnaires to investigate the nature, antecedents, and consequences of technostress. Despite the value of the vast amount of questionnaire-based technostress research, we draw upon a different conceptual perspective, namely neurobiology. Specifically, we report on a laboratory experiment in which we investigated the effects of system breakdown on changes in users’ levels of cortisol, which is a major stress hormone in humans. The results of our study show that cortisol levels increase significantly as a consequence of system breakdown in a human-computer interaction task. In demonstrating this effect, our study has major implications for ICT research, development, management, and health policy. We confirm the value of a category of research heretofore largely neglected in ICT-related disciplines (particularly in business and information systems engineering, BISE, as well as information systems research, ISR), and argue that future research investigating human-machine interactions should consider the neurobiological perspective as a valuable complement to traditional concepts

Stroke risk factors and treatment variables in rural and urban Austria: An analysis of the Austrian Stroke Unit Registry.

Background and objectivesDifferences in stroke risk factors and treatment variables between rural and urban regions in Austria were analyzed retrospectively as European data on this topic are scarce.Research design and methodsWe performed statistical analysis using group comparisons and time series analysis of data of the Austrian Stroke Unit Registry between 2005 and 2016. 87411 patients were divided into three groups (rural, intermediate, urban) according to the degree of urbanisation classification of the European Commission/Eurostat.ResultsPatients in the rural group were significantly younger, more often female, had a lower pre-stroke disability, and were more frequently transported by an emergency physician. Vascular risk factors were significantly higher in urban patients, leading to a higher rate of microangiopathic etiology. Onset-to-door (ODT) and Onset-to-treatment times were significantly higher in the rural group, but ODTs decreased over time. Door-to-needle times and time to first vascular imaging were significantly lower in the rural group. Intravenous thrombolysis and rehabilitation rates were lower in urban patients.Discussion and implicationsContrary to previous literature predominantly from outside of Europe, vascular risk factors were higher in Austrian urban patients. Further, rural patients had higher intravenous thrombolysis and rehabilitation rates maybe because of lower pre-stroke disability. ODTs in rural patients were generally higher, but they decreased over time, which might be a consequence of better education of the public in noticing early stroke signs, better transportation and education of emergency medical personnel, better advance notification to the receiving hospital and implementation of Stroke Units in rural areas