Realism Matters: The Role of Perceived Realism in The Biggest Loser

This study investigated implications of viewing The Biggest Loser, NBC’s popular reality television show. Using online survey data collected from 613 participants, results suggest that exposure to the program is positively associated with perceived realism of the program, which in turn is positively associated with developing internal weight locus of control. Meanwhile, internal weight locus of control is positively associated with audience members’ exercise behavior, meaning the higher level of internal weight locus of control the audience members develop, the more likely they are to engage in physical exercise. This study offers evidence that health-related reality television might be a useful tool to influence audience members’ cognitions on health issues, which could potentially lead to healthy lifestyles.     

Perceived Message Effectiveness Predicts Information-Seeking Behavior

This study examined whether perceived message effectiveness (PE) predicted information-seeking behavior in the topical domain of colon cancer. Participants (N = 277) viewed one of three video messages (news, testimonial, and animation) that advocated screening for colon cancer. Information-seeking behavior was operationalized as reading time for a subsequent message about colon cancer. The proposed mediation model successfully reproduced the pattern of data, thereby providing evidence that PE predicts behavior via intention.     

Development and validation of the Perceived Game-Specific Soccer Competence Scale

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to create a valid, self-reported, game-specific soccer competence scale. A structural model of perceived competence, performance measures and motivation was tested as the basis for the scale. A total of 1321 soccer players (261 females, 1060 males) ranging from 12 to 15 years (13.4 ± 1.0 years) participated in the study. They completed the Perceived Game-Specific Soccer Competence Scale (PGSSCS), self-assessments of tactical skills and motivation, as well as technical and speed and agility tests. Results of factor analyses, tests of internal consistency and correlations between PGSSCS subscales, performance measures and motivation supported the reliability and validity of the PGSSCS. The scale can be considered a suitable instrument to assess perceived game-specific competence among young soccer players.     

“武、巫、舞”的融合与分解：非洲武技与中国武术差异性释例

从非洲文化的角度介绍“非洲武技”（或“非洲武艺”）的概念,描述非洲人对格斗术的理解并提出“非洲武技”的“武、巫、舞”概念,即将格斗、巫术和舞蹈的三位一体视为“非洲武技”的核心。另外,简要对比非洲武技与中国武术两个概念,以显出二者的相似与差异之处,便于促进中非文化理解。最后简单介绍了“非洲武技”中比较为有代表性的格斗术如Engolo、Dambe、Laamb、Donga以及 Zulu Stick Fighting（祖鲁棍法）。     

员工多样性、知识共享与个体创新绩效——一个有调节的中介模型

关于员工多样性与绩效的关系,已有的研究并无定论。将研究层次限定在个体层面,以信息决策理论、社会分类理论、断层线理论等为基础,选取个体感知差异来刻画组织的多样性情况,深入研究其对个体创新绩效的具体作用机理。面向全国多家企事业单位展开调研,回收有效问卷306份,对数据进行分层回归分析的结果表明:员工多样性与个体创新绩效正相关;知识共享部分中介了这一正向关系;员工对待多样性的态度对此中介过程发挥调节作用。随着个体对多样性的态度越来越积极、正面,多样性对知识共享的促进作用越来越显著。     

The effects of positive affectivity on expatriate creativity and perceived performance: What is the role of perceived cultural novelty?

This study set out to investigate the effects of positive affectivity (PA) on expatriate creativity and perceived performance in the host country workplace. Most importantly, the study examined the moderating role of perceived cultural novelty in the relationship between PA and creativity and its consequences for the indirect association between PA and perceived performance as mediated via creativity. Data from 297 expatriates in Denmark were collected and hypotheses were tested using regression-based analyses. Consistent with predictions, findings showed a positive relationship between PA and creativity. In addition, PA was positively associated with perceived performance. Results of mediation analysis indicated that creativity mediated the effects of PA on perceived performance. While a moderating effect of perceived cultural novelty in the relation between PA and creativity was found, this moderation was in the opposite direction of the postulated hypothesis, i.e. the positive association between PA and creativity was strongly attenuated at high levels of perceived cultural novelty. Subsequent moderated mediation analysis showed that the identified mediation ceased to exist at high levels of perceived cultural novelty.     

Authoritarianism, perceived threat and exclusionism on the eve of the Disengagement: Evidence from Gaza

Major political events such as terrorist attacks and forced relocation of citizens may have an immediate effect on attitudes towards ethnic minorities associated with these events. The psychological process that leads to political exclusionism of minority groups was examined using a field study among Israeli settlers in Gaza days prior to the Disengagement Plan adopted by the Israeli government on June 6, 2004 and enacted in August 2005. Lending credence to integrated threat theory and to theory on authoritarianism, our analyses show that the positive effect of religiosity on political exclusionism results from the two-staged mediation of authoritarianism and perceived threat. We conclude that religiosity fosters authoritarianism, which in turn tends to move people towards exclusionism both directly and through the mediation of perceived threat.     

Satisfaction and post-purchase intentions with service recovery of online shopping websites: Perspectives on perceived justice and emotions

This study explores post-recovery satisfaction and post-purchase intentions with service recovery of online shopping customers from the perspectives on perceived justice and emotions based on twenty scenarios that combine five service failures and four recoveries. Analytical results indicating that in addition to enhancing post-purchase intentions and post-recovery satisfaction among customers, distributive justice increases positive emotions and decreases negative ones. Additionally, procedural justice enhances post-recovery satisfaction as well as increases positive emotions and decreases negative ones, while interactional justice only increases post-recovery satisfaction of customers. Moreover, while positive emotions increase post-recovery satisfaction, and vice versa. Post-recovery satisfaction positively affects post-purchase intentions. Results of this study provide a valuable reference for operators and managers of online shopping websites.     

感知的企业社会责任对员工创新行为作用机制的实证研究

在经济转型和社会发展进入新阶段,创新成为时代主旋律的大背景下,“如何激发员工创新行为”已成为当前企业人力资源管理实践最重要的问题之一。本研究从责任伦理的视角探讨了员工感知的社会责任(PCSR)对员工创新行为的影响机制。通过对671名的家族企业员工的调查研究发现：(1)PCSR会对员工创新行为产生正向的影响;(2)组织认同、工作不安全感和员工的工作投入在PCSR和员工创新行为之间起着重要的中介作用,PCSR通过影响员工的组织认同、工作安全感和工作投入进而对其创新行为产生影响;(3)本研究把PCSR分为内部和外部两个层面,并对比研究发现员工感知的内部社会责任对组织认同、工作投入和员工创新力的影响效应要显著大于员工感知的外部社会责任。本研究着眼于责任伦理的教化与感知,比较有创见性的提出责任伦理的感知和教化等软性因素是驱动创新的重要源动力和管理落脚点,丰富了关于PCSR领域的研究,也为管理实践中“如何调动员工的创新行为”提供了一个新的有益思路。     

Perceived workplace discrimination,coping and psychological distress among unskilled Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia

Migrant workers face many migration-related stressors that may affect their mental health. This study examines workplace discrimination in relation to psychological distress, and the role of coping among unskilled Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia. In a sample of 119 workers (39 males and 80 females), results of a hierarchical regression analysis showed that workplace discrimination was positively related to psychological distress. Both problem-oriented coping and emotion/avoidance coping were predictive of distress. While problem-oriented coping was associated with lower distress, emotional/avoidance coping was related with higher distress levels. In addition, low emotion/avoidance coping was found to buffer the adverse effect of discrimination on distress. These results are discussed in relation to the literature on coping as well as the social-cultural context of the migrants and the host country.