What drives successful social networking services? A comparative analysis of user acceptance of Facebook and Twitter

This study identifies perceived mobility, security, connectedness, system and service quality, usefulness, attitude, and flow experience as key motivational factors for using social networking services (SNSs), and develops a theoretical model that explicates the process in which users adopt Facebook and Twitter by integrating these factors with the technology acceptance model (TAM). While results of structural equation modeling (SEM) on the collected data (N = 2,214) verified the validity and reliability of the research model, Facebook and Twitter users were found to emphasize different motivational factors when deciding to use SNSs. The implications of notable findings and directions for future studies are discussed.     

Difficulty in seeking information about health care quality and costs: The field of dreams fallacy

While government agencies and health organizations have increased efforts to provide online information about health care quality and costs, we know little about whether individuals seek out or understand this information. Using results from a Louisiana telephone survey (N = 1030), we examine intent to use a website devoted to information about health care quality and costs and self-reported difficulty in finding this information. Intent to use a website is driven primarily by prior Internet use while difficulty in learning about health care quality is associated with greater choice in health care providers and dissatisfaction with current care.     

Macroeconomic stabilization of primary commodities price cycles in developing economies

This paper proposes a strategy for stabilizing macroeconomic policy to address jointly the effects of changes in the prices of food, minerals and energy (oil). Our approach differs from the general literature, which analyzes the effects of a commodity boom or bust and therefore the solutions in terms of economic policy separately, that is, by type of commodity. The stabilization strategy that we propose considers a key fact affecting many open economies, namely, that they not only are affected by increases or decreases in commodity prices, but also benefit from them. Consequently, we use a structural model for an open economy with restricted households to show that welfare could be improved with a fiscal rule incorporating transfers to stabilize household consumption. This strategy noticeably dominates an aggressive monetary policy focused only on stabilizing inflation and a fiscal policy that has an excessive bias toward saving income from exports.     

The economic costs of US stock mispricing

The USAGE model for the United States is used to quantify economic costs due to stock mispricing, made operational by shocking Tobin's q. The simulations quantify a potentially large impact even in the most favorable environment, where export demand holds up, and, the dollar is pro-cyclical. A two-year investment boom in two sectors increases consumption by a Net Present Value (NPV) amount of nearly one per cent, due to a positive investment externality onto the US terms of trade. If the investment is wasted, however, the consumption loss is nearly one-half of a per cent. A 5-year ‘capital strike’ across the whole economy subsequent to the boom - mimicking financial distress from a burst bubble - shaves around 10 per cent off consumption. Given these significant costs associated with “boom” and “bust” equity markets, we consider some, policy options that might result in greater stability in these markets.     

Retail facilities in Colorado boomtowns

The energy boom in northwestern Colorado impacted local towns, which in turn affected the retail stores. This article investigates geographic characteristics of range, threshold, and exceptional functions in these towns during boom and bust periods, and compares this with retail characteristics of local recreation-retirement and agricultural towns.     

Professional parents’ loyalty to employer: The role of workplace social support

Professional mothers are more likely than professional fathers to leave workplaces—a phenomenon referred to as opting out. Previous research asserts that work–family challenges, including lack of access to supportive workplaces, are among the main reasons for this pattern. Despite revived interest in the study of opting out, little is known about factors shaping the loyalty to employer of those currently employed. Using data from the 2002 National Study of the Changing Workforce (N = 160 professional mothers; 114 professional fathers) we explore how three important forms of workplace social support – coworker support, supervisor support, and supportive workplace culture – are associated with professional mothers’ and fathers’ loyalty to their employees. Including fathers allows us to determine if gender dynamics are present in these patterns. The results suggest gendered patterns where supportive workplace culture relates to professional fathers’ employer loyalty and supervisor support relates to professional mothers’ employer loyalty.     

With strings attached: Philanthropic funding and greater inclusiveness

A dominant theme of the philanthropy research literature is conservative funder influence on social movements. In this paper we look at a “reverse” case, focusing on a philanthropic funder using financial clout to move non-profit organizations in a more liberal direction. We interviewed a random sample of 48 executive directors from the 634 non-profit organizations that were funded recently by the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado (GLFC). GLFC required grantees to change personnel policies toward greater inclusiveness and to publicly acknowledge GLFC funding. Directors responded to interview questions on reactions to sponsorship and changes in diversity and inclusivity. Results show retaliation, a serious form of resistance or pushback, was rare and is more common from external sources, especially donors, than internal sources (e.g. staff; p < .05). Because some organizations are diverse prior to grant application, further increases in organizational personnel diversity and constituent outreach are difficult. Therefore, the efficacy of attaching strings to funding was mixed.     

Development and validation of a Biodata Inventory as an alternative method to measurement of the five factor model of personality

The present study was designed to test the effectiveness of using a biographical inventory as an alternative to a traditional personality inventory in measuring the five factor model of personality. A combination of empirical and rational strategies were incorporated in the development and scoring of the biodata items. All (N = 383) participants completed the newly developed Biodata Inventory and the NEO-Five Factor Inventory. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to examine the goodness of fit of the five factor structure from the respondents’ data. All participants completed a letter cancellation task, reported grade point averages, and SAT scores. Predictive validity was assessed for both instruments’ scores. Results indicate that the five factor model fit the data from the biodata and personality inventories. Predictive validities of both inventories’ scores were consistent with many other research results. The relationship of the Conscientiousness biodata scores to grade point average and task completion performance were statistically significant.     

The effects of multiracial identification on students’ perceptions of racism

This paper compares the differing perceptions of racism reported by White (n = 222), Black (n = 99), and White–Black multiracial (n = 45) students at an urban campus of a Southern university. Using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), we examine the differences between the racial groups in three campus contexts—campus in general, with instructors, and with other students. Items chosen for analysis included behaviors or actions experienced by at least 4% of the respondents. In nearly all areas, the multiracial student group reported the most experience with prejudice. We employ standpoint theory to discuss these findings.     

Pluralistic media ignorance: Presence and causes

This study examines the presence and causes of pluralistic media ignorance - incorrect estimation of media content in a way that creates the impression that popular broadcasting is overabundant with morally controversial material. Using the appearance of sexual content in television advertising in Israel as a case study, we compare survey estimates (N = 305) of the prevalence of this material with its actual level according to the findings of a content analysis of commercials (N = 752). Pluralistic media ignorance emerges as a predominant norm, when viewers are requested to estimate the prevalence of “soft core” content like kissing and partial nudity, but it is a minor phenomenon, when estimating the share of more explicit material such as intercourse, homosexuality and rape. The most prominent predictors of pluralistic media ignorance are disapproval of the inclusion of objectionable content in popular media and extended recall of media exemplars that contain such content. Religiosity, ethnicity and sex are only partly predicting the emergence of pluralistic media ignorance. Media consumption, fear of media influence and other demographics are not predicting it at all. Public policy implications are discussed and suggestions for future research are given.     

Does residential segregation help or hurt? Exploring differences in the relationship between segregation and health among U.S. Hispanics by nativity and ethnic subgroup

In order to unpack whether and how self-rated health of Hispanics is linked to residential segregation from non-Hispanic whites, this study employs multi-level analysis combining data from the 1997–2002 National Survey of America's Families (n = 16,753 Hispanic respondents across 82 metropolitan areas) with metropolitan area segregation scores derived from restricted-use Census 2000 data. Separate analyses by nativity (U.S.-born vs. foreign-born Hispanics) and ethnic subgroup (comparing Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans) are also conducted. Net of individual-level controls, findings reveal a small significant negative effect of segregation on health for all Hispanics and for Mexicans in the sample. Nativity does not have a significant interaction effect. Evidence of a positive segregation/health link is found for Cubans, challenging the assumption that segregation is always bad for minority health. This research highlights the value of multi-level analysis in examining segregation as a social determinant of health, and reveals key Hispanic subgroup differences.     

Testing the qualitative differences between empathy and personal distress: Measuring core affect and self-orientation

In two studies the emotional valence, the level of arousal and self-orientation of empathic concern and personal distress are tested. The empathic concern prevalence versus personal distress prevalence is induced through pictures in Study 1 (N = 62) and perspective-taking instructions in Study 2 (N = 60). Results of Study 1 show that participants in the personal distress-prevalence condition report significantly more negative emotional valence (d = .65), higher arousal (d = .48), and higher self-orientation (d = .57) than participants in the empathic concern-prevalence condition. Results of Study 2 show that participants in the self-oriented condition report the highest arousal, followed by participants in the other-oriented condition, and the objective condition (η_p² = .58). Concerning the increase of self-orientation, results show that it is mediated by the personal distress induced by self-perspective instructions. Similar results in emotional valence were found between self- and other-oriented conditions.     

Financial frictions and indebtedness of Balkan firms: A comparison with Mediterranean and Central European countries

Using a large database of financial data for non-financial corporations, we study the process of debt accumulation and its influence on liquidity through the boom-bust-recovery regimes (2006–2010) in the Balkan countries and benchmark this against the Mediterranean and Central European countries. The domestic amplification effects (through the financial accelerator and collateral pricing) of both the capital surge from developed EU countries at the onset of the crisis and the capital reversal afterwards are the focus of the analysis. We show that domestic generators and amplificators of the crisis have much larger effects in the Balkan countries than in the Mediterranean countries, not to mention the countries of Central Europe. In the boom period, the financial accelerator was several times stronger in the Balkan countries than in the Mediterranean and Central European countries. In the bust and recovery periods, however, the direct effects of the financial accelerator declined, but the indirect effects increased considerably due to liquidity squeezes and contagion, especially strong were corresponding intercompany debt effects. In the Balkan countries, these effects in the bust and recovery periods were at least 50% larger than in the Mediterranean and Central European countries. Higher crisis costs in the Balkan countries, relative to the benchmark regions, could be attributed to the late integration of these economies into international financial and trade flows, weak institutions of financial intermediation, and inexperienced regulators; however, the importance of the contribution of misguided EU convergence doctrine cannot be ignored. Lessons for improving macromanagement in EU periphery countries are suggested.     

FM local newscasts in the Southwest: A disappearing service

This 2004 investigation of FM radio stations in seven southwestern states presents a snapshot of where radio news might be heading early in our new millennium. Radio is rarely the topic of discussion, giving it the dubious identity of the “forgotten medium.” Seven discrete variables in the form of YES|NO questions are formulated from a 1993 to 2004 literature review that takes into account the demise of radio news on the FM dial. An e-mail questionnaire was answered by management at N = 61 FM stations regarding newscasts in their daily programming. The picture for radio news on the FM dial is gloomy as budget cuts and consolidations impact the newsroom.     

The COVID-19 pandemic,mask-wearing,and emotion recognition during late-childhood

Face masks are an effective and important tool to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including among children. However, occluding parts of the face can impact emotion recognition, which is fundamental to effective social interactions. Social distancing, stress, and changes to routines because of the pandemic have also altered the social landscape of children, with implications for social development. To better understand how social input and context impact emotion recognition, the current study investigated emotion recognition in children (7–12 years old, N = 131) using images of both masked and unmasked emotional faces. We also assessed a subsample of participants (“pre-pandemic subsample,” n = 35) who had completed the same emotion recognition task with unmasked faces before and during the pandemic. Masking of faces was related to worse emotion recognition, with more pronounced effects for happy, sad, and fearful faces than angry and neutral faces. Masking was more strongly related to emotion recognition among children whose families reported greater social disruption in response to the pandemic. Finally, in the pre-pandemic subsample, emotion recognition of sad faces was lower during versus before the pandemic relative to other emotions. Together, findings show that occluding face parts and the broader social context (i.e., global pandemic) both impact emotion-relevant judgments in school-aged children.     

Does anti-Semitism among African Americans simply reflect anti-White sentiment?

In his classic essay (1967) titled “Negroes Are Anti-Semitic Because They’re Anti-White,” writer James Baldwin argues that African American resentment of Jews reflects generalized anti-White sentiment. The current study examines levels of anti-Semitic attitudes in the United States among African Americans and other racial/ethnic groups. Using General Social Survey (2000) data for a nationally representative sample of adults (n = 1,118), this research investigates whether variation in anti-White attitudes explains variation in anti-Semitic attitudes. Multiple indicators are used to operationalize anti-Semitic and anti-White attitudes. One such indicator is the degree to which one opposed living in a Jewish (or White) neighborhood. Control variables include measures of perception of wealth for Jews and Whites. A series of logistic regression analyses offers mixed results. One analysis indicates that while some anti-Semitic attitudes are strongly associated with anti-White attitudes, African Americans are still significantly more likely than White, Latino, and Asian groups to express anti-Semitic views when the level of anti-White sentiment is held constant (p < .05). In a second analysis the respondent's race is not a significant effect on expressed anti-Semitism when controlling for anti-White attitudes.     

The utilization of geographic information systems to create a site selection strategy to disseminate an older adult fall prevention program

Public health programmatic interventions are increasingly required to address the prevention needs of aging populations. Falls in adults age 65 and older are the leading cause of injury hospitalization in the U.S., and a leading cause of international fatal injuries in older adults. This project used geographic information systems (GIS) to create a site selection strategy for the dissemination and pilot evaluation of a community-based fall prevention program for older adults in Pierce County, Washington. Potential site addresses (n = 84), 2000 U.S. census data for adults ≥65 years of age, and local road networks, which were converted into service areas using actual travel time, were entered in a GIS. Potential sites were then ranked by census densities of older adults who lived within 10 min travel time. Nine sites launched the program, with the goal recruiting 20 older adult program participants at each site (n = 180). At the end of 12 months, participation exceeded program goals (n = 331). GIS can be used to determine actual travel time, and may facilitate the selection of community-based prevention program sites to maximize accessibility and utilization by targeted populations.     

When nature pushes back: environmental impact and the spatial redistribution of socially vulnerable populations

Objectives. This research investigates the spatial redistribution of socially vulnerable subpopulations during long-term recovery from natural disaster. We hypothesize that the local environmental impact of a disaster influences this redistribution process and that how it does so varies by the urban or rural context in which the disaster occurs.Methods. To test these hypotheses, we use a novel research design that combines the natural experiment offered by Hurricane Andrew with GIS technology and local census data.Results. Findings indicate that in a more urbanized disaster zone (Miami), long-term recovery displaces socially disadvantaged residents from harder-hit areas; yet, in a more rural disaster zone (southwestern Louisiana), long-term recovery concentrates socially disadvantaged residents within these harder-hit areas.Conclusion. These findings bridge classic and contemporary research on postdisaster recovery and open new terrain for thinking about how environmental and social forces intersect to transform regions in different settlement contexts.     

Understanding the relative influence of attitudes and societal norms on dietary intentions among African-Caribbean women

This study applies the theory of reasoned action (TRA) to understand the relative influence of personal attitude (AT) toward three chronic diseases (diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension), and social normative (SN) groups (family, friends, and church), toward intention to engage in dietary behaviors associated with obesity and chronic disease risk. The sample consists of N = 183 women, aged 18–55 years, in Barbados, West Indies, selected through a stratified cluster sample technique. The instrument includes demographic and anthropometric variables and components of the TRA. Analyses using structural equation modeling (SEM) indicate that the TRA explains 22%, 35% and 19% of the variances in intention to consume high-fat foods, alcohol, and fruits, nuts and vegetables, respectively. SN is a predictor of all three dietary intentions, while AT predicts only intention to eat fruit, nuts, and vegetables. In the models, social pressure from family is relatively more important than friends and church in influencing dietary intentions. It can be concluded that social normative influences have a stronger effect on intentions to consume fatty foods, alcohol, and fruit, nuts and vegetables than do personal attitudes.     

Who says what to whom: Why messengers and citizen beliefs matter in social policy framing

Issue frames (i.e., the thematic slants that elites use to structure issue debates) have been shown to alter how citizens think about social policy issues. However, support for a social policy issue not only depends on how the issue is framed, but also on the source or “messenger” associated with the frame. For the most part, issue frames have been faceless and research has failed to consider how characteristics of the frame's messenger such as expertise and trustworthiness influence citizens. The present study examines the influence that gun control frames and their messengers have on a variety of dependent variables. The results show that source cues moderate the impact of the frames, even when controlling for other variables. Specifically, credible sources significantly augment the effects of a frame while spokespersons with a perceived bias tend to weaken the frame's arguments and impact. These results point toward a more complex framing theory: public support for social issues depends on how the issue is framed, as well as who presents the message.