Women's 2011 Football World Cup: The impact of perceived images of women's soccer and the World Cup 2011 on interest in attending matches

The popularity of women's soccer has increased in Germany since the inauguration of the sport in 1970 by the German Football Association. The purpose of this study is to analyze the current image of women's soccer in general and the pre-event image of the World Cup 2011 in particular, as well as the key drivers and indicators that trigger interest in attending women's soccer matches. The study sample consists of sport-interested individuals who were questioned concerning their attitudes and actions related to the attendance at women's soccer matches at different leisure facilities and sport events in Germany in 2009 (n = 1284). Additive image indexes were created in order to evaluate the respective images of women's soccer and the Women's World Cup. Regression analyses were applied to test the key drivers for interest in attending matches. The results suggest that age is important in determining the perceived image of women's soccer and the Women's World Cup and gender influences the perception of the pre-event image of the Women's World Cup. Moreover, various image indicators influence future behavior which applies as well to age. No differences were found regarding an effect of gender on future behavior. Regarding women's soccer it can be said that the more interesting, exciting and cheerful it is perceived to be, the higher the interest in attending matches. These attributes can be used in marketing communications to foster game attendance.     

A Practical Introduction to Authoring for Computer-Assisted Instruction. Part I—IPS

IPS is a sophisticated courseware authoring tool. This paper presents an overview of the language, its structure and mode of operation. Some illustrative examples of its use are given and the results of some initial investigations of its potential as a tool for computer-assisted instruction in an open-learning environment are briefly described.     

Gradient form and sequential effects during generalization testing in extinction

Four naive pigeons were given six generalization tests in extinction after periods of pretraining in which S+ appeared with food reinforcement and S? appeared in extinction. An analysis of sequential effects among presentations of test stimuli showed that the overall gradient was influenced differently by stimuli at the extremes of the continuum of test stimuli and by S+ and adjacent stimuli. Gradients consisting of responding in each stimulus when it was preceded by an extreme stimulus tended to peak at S+, while gradients produced when each stimulus was preceded by S+ or an adjacent stimulus tended to show a peak shift. This was true whether the overall gradient showed a peak shift or not. Two naive subjects were added and four additional tests were given after pretraining in which unequal frequencies of reinforcement accompanied both S+ and S?. Results of all 10 tests show that sequential effects occur during generalization testing in extinction and that these “local dimensional effects” are unlike local contrast. These stimulus-specific sequential effects may greatly influence overall gradient form.