Consumer response to car fronts: eliciting biological preparedness with product design

Building on assumptions derived from evolutionary theory, we investigated viewers’ reactions to the design of car fronts (i.e., an automobile’s face), which were designed to be threatening using basic principles of anthropomorphism. Previous research suggests two opposite human reactions when presented with threatening stimuli: Initially, threatening objects attract human attention (e.g., when exploring a scene for the first time), but afterwards, people tend to avoid such threatening stimuli (as they are likely to induce discomfort in the viewer). This proposition is tested within a product design context using eye tracking methodology. Results showed that automotive stimuli not only activate affective dimensions of customers, but also lead to specific automatic reactions that can be explained by evolutionary theory. Practical implications for product design and marketing are discussed.     

‘It's capitalism on coke!’: From temporary to permanent liminality in organization studies

In recent years, organization studies have become increasingly aware of the concept of liminality. In our review and critique of this reception of liminality in organization studies, we emphasize that liminality involves a fundamental suspension of ordinary social structures. Although the prevailing use of the concept in anthropology as well as in organization studies has conceptualized liminality as a temporary state, we focus on permanent liminality. Yet the idea of permanent liminality leads to an inevitable paradox, because the concept, by definition, is a temporary state. Conceptualizing liminality as a constant state of social limbo, we show that the paradox in permanent liminality stems from the impossibility of drawing clear distinctions between different social spheres, especially as they apply to modern work–life. Examining a case study about a management consultant, we illustrate the paradox of liminality in terms of a zone of indistinction between work and life as it is reflected in an empirical self-narrative about a consultancy ‘lifestyle’. We further link these findings to a possible transition from disciplinary societies to societies of control.     

Nonverbal Communication of Similarity Via the Torso: It’s in the Bag

The human body plays a central role in nonverbal communication, conveying attitudes, personality, and values during social interactions. Three experiments in a large, open classroom setting investigated whether the visibility of torso-located cues affects nonverbal communication of similarity. In Experiments 1 and 2, half the participants wore a black plastic bag over their torso. Participants interacted with an unacquainted same-sex individual selected from a large class who was also wearing (or also not wearing) a bag. Experiment 3 added a clear bag condition, in which visual torso cues were not obscured. Across experiments, black bag-wearing participants selected partners who were less similar to them on attitudes, behaviors, and personality compared to the bag-less—and clear bag—participants. Nonverbal cues in the torso communicate information about similarity of attitudes, behavior, and personality; the center of the body plays a surprisingly central role in early-stage person perception and attraction.     

Concepts de dépendance et ordres stochastiques pour des lois bidimensionnelles

Yanagimoto and Okamoto (1969) introduced a stochastic ordering that generalizes a concept of monotone regression dependence introduced by Lehmann (1966). In this paper, we define and examine the properties of three new orderings which imply that of Yanagimoto and Okamoto. One of these orderings is seen to extend Shaked's (1977) notion of DTP(0, 1), and another includes Lehmann's concept of positive likelihood-ratio dependence as a special case. The proposed orderings are also compared with the TP₂ positive-dependence ordering defined by Kimeldorf and Sampson (1987).     

Simulation of truncated normal variables

We provide simulation algorithms for one-sided and two-sided truncated normal distributions. These algorithms are then used to simulate multivariate normal variables with convex restricted parameter space for any covariance structure.     

Speaking fluency,writing fluency and earnings of migrants

This paper analyzes the determinants of language abilities of migrant workers and the impact of language proficiency on their earnings position. The analysis is based on data for West Germany. The first part presents an ordered probit analysis of the determinants of German speaking and writing fluency for both male and female migrants. The data allow not only to consider personal characteristics of the migrant as explanatory variables, but to analyze additionally the effect of the family context and of illiteracy on the migrant's German language fluency. In the second part, the effect of language on the migrant's earnings position is analyzed. It is shown that language abilities, and especially writing proficiency, considerably improve the earnings position of migrants.I would like to thank John Micklewright, Jörn-Steffen Pischke, Christoph M. Schmidt and two referees of this journal for useful comments and suggestions. All remaining errors, of course, are mine.