The NASCAR experience: Examining the influence of fantasy sport participation on ‘non-fans’

While NASCAR has traditionally been among the most watched sports in the US, the brand has suffered due to economic conditions and waning interest. As a result, NASCAR has focused its promotional efforts on new marketing and revenue-generating strategies to raise awareness of the sport. One way to increase awareness is through fantasy sports, which have seen a marked uptick in global popularity. However, using fantasy sports to activate involvement among self-described non-fans of a particular sport remains a relatively unexplored area. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of fantasy sports on attitude and certain behavioral factors using a mixed-method, comparison group design. Employing the path analytic model to examine relationships among variables, results indicate significant differences between study conditions and regression analyses show how patronage intentions were influenced. Focus group data buttress the quantitative results and support the use of fantasy sports as a way to convert self-identified sport non-fans into involved fans.     

为何进步、为何退步：重点大学城乡学生学业表现变化过程

对于学业表现变化过程的考察指向本科教育质量这个目前被广泛关注的议题。以大学生投入理论为指导，使用教育部直属X大学的学生学业记录和跟踪调研数据，考察学生学业表现进步和退步的过程。对学生大一、大二、大三学业表现进行了聚类分析，从而将学生分为五类——持续优秀、中上等进步、中上等退步、中下等进步、持续差等。学业进步的学生大二到大三持续投入，并没有避免挑战性课程；学业退步的学生从大二开始松懈，相对回避挑战性课程，深度学习相对不足。学生大学期间对作业的态度是影响学生学业表现变化的核心因素。农村学生虽然更可能持续差等，却也更可能取得学业进步；这些学生虽然面临家庭背景劣势和学习方法不当的压力，却依然实现了学业进步。研究结果不仅对重点大学进行过程性学业支持提供了实证依据，也对基于学业表现变化进行过程性评价，并以此激励弱势学生发展有着重要启示。     

Psychological traits and loyalty intentions towards e-Government services

Purpose

Having been rated the world's leader in e-Government Readiness in 2002, 2004, and 2005, Taiwan sought to capitalize on its experience in e-Government implementation by launching, in 2007, a new Government-to-Citizen service entitled “e-Housekeeper”. The success of this service has since then become an important focus for practitioners.

Methodology

The reported research utilizes a psychological approach that is different from the classical models that dominate the existing literature, by examining how citizens’ adaptive–innovative cognitive styles and involvement jointly influence their loyalty intentions towards e-Housekeeper. The style/involvement model is tested by means of information from a sample of 206 Taiwan citizens.

Findings

While innovators initiated e-Housekeeper significantly earlier than others, their usage did not last for long. In contrast, more-involved citizens have shown higher loyalty intentions. More specifically, a combination of decision-making style and involvement significantly influences both when citizens try the service and whether they continue to use it: more-involved adaptors reported the strongest loyalty intentions.

Originality/value

Practical implications of the findings for the style/involvement model are suggested in the context of enhancing the strategic performance of e-Government services. The value of the style/involvement model is enhanced as a social scientific approach to the analysis of consumer innovation.     

参与负荷假说与二语词汇习得

本文介绍了LauferandHulstijn提出的参与投入假说理论,并综述了有关的实证研究结果,说明不同负荷的任务对词汇习得会产生不同影响。最后解释和讨论了这个理论以及它对二语词汇习得的重要意义。     

Measures of communication‐bound anxiety

This study tested the hypothesis that individuals with different attachment styles vary in the degree to which they display intimacy and nonverbal involvement to their romantic partners. Eighty dyads currently involved in enduring romantic relationships participated in an observational study, with one partner from each dyad representing one of Bartholomew's (1990) four attachment styles. A team of coders viewed videotapes of the dyads' conversations and rated the degree of intimacy and involvement exhibited. Preoccupieds and Secures surpassed Dismissives and Fearful Avoidants on measures of trust/receptivity, gaze, facial pleasantness, vocal pleasantness, general interest, and attentiveness. Preoccupieds engaged in more in‐depth conversation than Dismissives. Fearful Avoidants sat farthest from their partners and displayed the least fluency and longest response latencies. Finally, Preoccupieds and Fearful Avoidants were the most vocally anxious. These findings, which provide preliminary behavioral validation of Bartholomew's four‐category model of attachment, are interpreted in light of the dimensions underlying attachment styles and the principle that communication reinforces mental models of self and others.     

Framing Effects of News Coverage of the Embryonic Stem Cell Controversy: Issue Involvement as an Effects Moderator

This study examines reactions to ethical and strategic framing in the news coverage of the embryonic stem cell research controversy, depending on the level of issue involvement. In order to test hypotheses regarding the effects of strategic vs. ethical frames and the moderating role played by issue involvement, an online experiment was conducted. Results indicated that these two frames interacted with issue involvement and generated different reactions among participants.     

Staff involvement in the design of a key skills curriculum model: a case-study

This case-study follows a school as it struggles to prepare for the changes brought about by Curriculum 2000 and the new key skills qualification. It describes the curriculum debate within the senior management team as it balanced the conflicting needs of subject popularity and necessity. It relates how inherent structural flaws were uncovered in the proposed curriculum strategy, how this very failure was used as an opportunity to initiate staff involvement in the design of curriculum structures and how success was subsequently fashioned from the process. It is a story of failure, consideration, reflection and improvement, and offers some insight into the lessons learned by management and teaching staff as they reflect on the process of change and their own participation in it.     

Travelling on parallel tracks: Chinese parents and English teachers

The present study is concerned with the problems in communication which arise between British teachers and Chinese parents in discussions of children's performance in British schools. A discussion of the importance of an understanding of cultural differences for the educational outcomes of ethnic minority children will form the backdrop for an analysis of four parent–teacher meetings and interview data gathered before and after the meetings. It is argued that Chinese parents pay attention to micro aspects of the learning situation, emphasizing accuracy and perfect scores. British teachers, in contrast, consider error as a normal part of the learning process and are more concerned with macro-aspects of learning such as problem-solving. Chinese parents have very high expectations of their children and are prepared to spend a great deal of time and effort in identifying areas where they need support. However, parental efforts to support their children are often perceived as unnecessarily harsh and undermining of children's confidence by British teachers who tend to stress the positive aspects of children's achievements. Considerable importance is attached to the need for dialogue which will increase the awareness of both parents and teachers to differences between Chinese and British expectations of education.     

“投入量假设”实证研究概述

“投入量假设”在二语词汇习得研究领域引起了很大关注，文章回顾了Laufer和Hulstijn提出的“投入量假设”和相关实证研究，并在此基础上讨论了有待进一步研究的几个问题。     

Student Hits in an Internet‐Supported Course: How Can Instructors Use Them and What Do They Mean?

The world of education is changing as Web‐based technology and courseware are increasingly used for delivery of course material. In this environment, instructors may need new measures for determining student involvement, and ultimately student performance. This study examines whether hits to a Web site have any value for predicting student performance in a traditional course supported by Web activities. Total Hits at the end of the semester was used as one measure. Hit Consistency, determined by assigning a 0 when no hits occurred between class meetings and by assigning a 1 when one or more hits occurred between class meetings, was another. Hit Consistency was significantly correlated with course average (r= .37, p < .001) for 108 students in two course sections. Hit Consistency started to show a significant relationship with course average by the third week (or class). Total Hits was not found to significantly correlate with course average (r= .08, p > .05) at the end of the semester or during any week. These results suggest that students who consistently access a Web site will perform better than those who do not. When Hit Consistency and Total Hits were entered as independent variables into a stepwise regression with course average as the dependent variable, the model was enhanced by the addition of Total Hits after Hit Consistency was entered (R= .43, p < .001) . Hierarchical regression analysis in which cumulative grade point average was entered as the first controlling variable suggested that online access may go beyond the predictive value of achievement alone for predicting course performance with Hit Consistency appearing to be the dominant causal variable.