scholarly journals Food disgust sensitivity predicts disease-preventing behaviour beyond the food domain in the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. e0254648
Author(s):  
Jeanine Ammann ◽  
Meret Casagrande
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Eating Behaviour ◽  
Personal Hygiene ◽  
Disgust Sensitivity ◽  
Disease Avoidance ◽  
Interpersonal Contact ◽  
Hygiene Behaviour ◽  
Shopping Behaviour ◽  
Preventive Behaviour

In the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, personal hygiene behaviours such as proper handwashing have gained significantly more attention and interpersonal contact is performed with great care. Disgust, as a disease-avoidance mechanism, can play an important role in the promotion of hygiene behaviour. We know from previous research that pathogen disgust can be a predictor of an individual’s behaviour in the pandemic. Given that the pandemic greatly affects our food and eating behaviour, the current study aims to add to the existing evidence and to complement it by investigating the role of food-specific disgust in the pandemic. For that, we conducted an online survey in Germany in April 2020, while the pandemic was spreading in Europe. A total of 519 participants completed the survey and provided information about their COVID-19-related attitudes and behaviours and about their food disgust sensitivity. The results show that food disgust sensitivity is an important predictor for an individual’s feelings, shopping behaviour, and disease-preventive behaviour related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Given that the success of political measures to fight the pandemic critically depends on the population to support and follow the proposed measures, a better understanding of the factors driving individual behaviour is key. Implications for pandemic management are discussed.

scholarly journals Body odour disgust sensitivity predicts authoritarian attitudes

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 171091 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Tullio Liuzza ◽  
Torun Lindholm ◽  
Caitlin B. Hawley ◽  
Marie Gustafsson Sendén ◽  
Ingrid Ekström ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Political Psychology ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Social Attitudes ◽  
Research Topic ◽  
Psychology Research ◽  
Disgust Sensitivity ◽  
Disease Avoidance ◽  
Donald Trump ◽  
Interpersonal Contact ◽  
Body Odour

Authoritarianism has resurfaced as a research topic in political psychology, as it appears relevant to explain current political trends. Authoritarian attitudes have been consistently linked to feelings of disgust, an emotion that is thought to have evolved to protect the organism from contamination. We hypothesized that body odour disgust sensitivity (BODS) might be associated with authoritarianism, as chemo-signalling is a primitive system for regulating interpersonal contact and disease avoidance, which are key features also in authoritarianism. We used well-validated scales for measuring BODS, authoritarianism and related constructs. Across two studies, we found that BODS is positively related to authoritarianism. In a third study, we showed a positive association between BODS scores and support for Donald Trump, who, at the time of data collection, was a presidential candidate with an agenda described as resonating with authoritarian attitudes. Authoritarianism fully explained the positive association between BODS and support for Donald Trump. Our findings highlight body odour disgust as a new and promising domain in political psychology research. Authoritarianism and BODS might be part of the same disease avoidance framework, and our results contribute to the growing evidence that contemporary social attitudes might be rooted in basic sensory functions.

scholarly journals Body odor disgust sensitivity predicts authoritarian attitudes.

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Tullio Liuzza ◽  
Torun Lindholm ◽  
Caitlin Hawley ◽  
Marie Gustafsson Sendén ◽  
Ingrid Anamaria Ekström ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Political Psychology ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Social Attitudes ◽  
Research Topic ◽  
Psychology Research ◽  
Disgust Sensitivity ◽  
Disease Avoidance ◽  
Donald Trump ◽  
Interpersonal Contact ◽  
Body Odour

Authoritarianism has resurfaced as a research topic in political psychology, as it appears rele-vant to explain current political trends. Authoritarian attitudes have been consistently linked to feelings of disgust, an emotion that is thought to have evolved to protect the organism from contamination. We hypothesized that body odour disgust sensitivity might be associated with authoritarianism, as chemo-signalling is a primitive system for regulating interpersonal contact and disease avoidance, which are key features also in authoritarianism. We used well-validated scales for measuring body odour disgust sensitivity (BODS), authoritarianism, and related constructs. Across two studies, we found that BODS is positively related to authoritarianism. In a third study, we showed a positive association between BODS scores and support for Donald Trump, who, at the time of data collection, was a presidential candidate with an agenda described as resonating with authoritarian attitudes. Authoritarianism fully explained the positive association between BODS and support for Donald Trump. Our findings highlight body odour disgust as a new and promising domain in political psychology research. Authoritarianism and body odour disgust sensitivity might be part of the same disease avoidance framework, and our results contribute to the growing evidence that contemporary social attitudes might be rooted in basic sensory functions.

Testing the Strain Theory of Suicide – The Moderating Role of Social Support

Crisis ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 82-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bob Lew ◽  
Ksenia Chistopolskaya ◽  
Yanzheng Liu ◽  
Mansor Abu Talib ◽  
Olga Mitina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Suicidal Behavior ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Perceived Social Support ◽  
Strain Theory ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Psychological Strains ◽  
Moderating Role

Abstract. Background: According to the strain theory of suicide, strains, resulting from conflicting and competing pressures in an individual's life, are hypothesized to precede suicide. But social support is an important factor that can mitigate strains and lessen their input in suicidal behavior. Aims: This study was designed to assess the moderating role of social support in the relation between strain and suicidality. Methods: A sample of 1,051 employees were recruited in Beijing, the capital of China, through an online survey. Moderation analysis was performed using SPSS PROCESS Macro. Social support was measured with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and strains were assessed with the Psychological Strains Scale. Results: Psychological strains are a good predictor of suicidality, and social support, a basic need for each human being, moderates and decreases the effects of psychological strains on suicidality. Limitations: The cross-sectional survey limited the extent to which conclusions about causal relationships can be drawn. Furthermore, the results may not be generalized to the whole of China because of its diversity. Conclusion: Social support has a tendency to mitigate the effects of psychological strains on suicidality.

Selecting which touchpoints to manage for customer loyalty: an empirical analysis in retail banking

2019 ◽  
pp. 39-54
Author(s):  
Marco Ieva ◽  
Cristina Ziliani
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Analysis ◽  
Customer Loyalty ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Customer Experience ◽  
Retail Banking ◽  
Customer Experience Management ◽  
Moderating Role

Customer Experience develops through a journey of touchpoints. However, little is known on the role of touchpoints in contributing to customer loyalty, which is the final aim of Customer Experience Management. This study provides an examination of the relative and moderating role of frequency and positivity of exposure to more than twenty touchpoints and their interplay in contributing to customer loyalty. An online survey on more than three thousand consumers is run with reference to retail banking. Results show that only a small number of touchpoints is significantly related to customer loyalty. Findings point companies' attention to invest their efforts in managing both the frequency and positivity of specific touchpoints.

Gender and Organizational Conflict Management: The Mediating Role of Personality

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maciej Kościelniak ◽  
Jarosław Piotrowski ◽  
Magdalena Żemojtel-Piotrowska
Keyword(s):  
Conflict Management ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Conflict Behavior ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Conflict Management Styles ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Big Five Model

Many authors examined the interplay between gender and conflict management preferences, but those findings were often mixed and inconsistent. In the current paper we tried to explain those inconsistencies by investigating the mediating role of personality for the relationship of gender and conflict management. Rahim's inventory was used for identifying five conflict management styles, and Big Five Model theory was a base for assessing participants' personality traits. Data were collected from a sample of 1,055 working Poles (52.7% women), in an online survey. Based on the structural equation modeling we detected multiple indirect mediating paths of gender on conflict management via personality traits, while no direct effect of gender was observed. Despite some limitations, the study sheds light on the actual role of gender in conflict behavior and the importance of personality traits in the conflict management, both from a theoretical and practical perspective.

scholarly journals Integrating Sustainability and Lean: SLIM Method and Enterprise Game Proposed

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 2103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilie Tăucean ◽  
Matei Tămășilă ◽  
Larisa Ivascu ◽  
Șerban Miclea ◽  
Mircea Negruț
Keyword(s):  
Performance Indicators ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Training Methods ◽  
Effective Solution ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Education Activity ◽  
Industry And Education ◽  
The Unemployed

Sustainability and leanness are organizational approach concepts for more efficient activities and increased competitiveness. This paper presents a study and an application of the concepts of sustainability and lean, with the purpose to capitalize on the benefits of the two concepts’ tools when used together in an industry and education activity. A literature review was carried out to evaluate qualitatively and empirically the concepts of sustainability, lean, and enterprise games, and the possibility to integrate the first two concepts into a new tool applied into an enterprise game. An online survey was done to identify which tools are used within companies in the region, how and what training methods they used, and what the reported benefits are. The survey results were used to design a new tool integrated in a new enterprise game (SLIM) developed by the authors. The game was tested and validated in educational laboratory with students and actual employees from companies. The game follows the frame of an enterprise game, considering the simulation of enterprise classical functions. The game’s purpose is to improve the activity in successive rounds. A scorecard is used to fill in and compute the key performance indicators (KPIs), and a new indicator is proposed (SLIMx). Applications of the instrument/game include: students’ training in an educational laboratory; lifelong learning; professional training in companies; and professional perfection/reconversion of potential employees and the unemployed. The SLIM game was simulated in a team of 15 players over three rounds, with teachers playing the role of the supervisor. A number of possible improvements have been identified. The next step is testing it in enterprises with various fields of activity. SLIM has proven to be an effective solution to improve organizational efficiency and motivate players to gain new knowledge.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Preventive Behaviours in Cameroon: A Six-Month Online National Survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 2554
Author(s):  
Joseph Nelson Siewe Fodjo ◽  
Leonard Ngarka ◽  
Wepnyu Y. Njamnshi ◽  
Leonard N. Nfor ◽  
Michel K. Mengnjo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Regression Models ◽  
Health Personnel ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Adherence Score ◽  
Preventive Behaviour ◽  
Predictors Of Adherence

Since March 2020, the Cameroonian government implemented nationwide measures to stall COVID-19 transmission. However, little is known about how well these unprecedented measures are being observed as the pandemic evolves. We conducted a six-month online survey to assess the preventive behaviour of Cameroonian adults during the COVID-19 outbreak. A five-point adherence score was constructed based on self-reported observance of the following preventive measures: physical distancing, face mask use, hand hygiene, not touching one’s face, and covering the mouth when coughing or sneezing. Predictors of adherence were investigated using ordinal logistic regression models. Of the 7381 responses received from all ten regions, 73.3% were from male respondents and overall mean age was 32.8 ± 10.8 years. Overall mean adherence score was 3.96 ± 1.11 on a scale of 0–5. Mean weekly adherence scores were initially high, but gradually decreased over time accompanied by increasing incidence of COVID-19 during the last study weeks. Predictors for higher adherence included higher age, receiving COVID-19 information from health personnel, and agreeing with the necessity of lockdown measures. Meanwhile, experiencing flu-like symptoms was associated with poor adherence. Continuous observance of preventive measures should be encouraged among Cameroonians in the medium- to long-term to avoid a resurgence in COVID-19 infections.

scholarly journals Extreme weight control behaviors among adolescent athletes: Links with weight-related maltreatment from parents and coaches and sport ethic norms

2021 ◽  
pp. 101269022110186
Author(s):  
Véronique Boudreault ◽  
Marie-Pierre Gagnon-Girouard ◽  
Noémie Carbonneau ◽  
Sophie Labossière ◽  
Catherine Bégin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Weight Control ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The Other ◽  
Weight Class ◽  
Psychological Violence ◽  
French Canadian ◽  
Adolescent Athletes ◽  
Weight Control Behaviors ◽  
Specific Factors

The use of extreme weight-control behaviors is prevalent among adolescent athletes and may result from individual and sport-specific factors. Weight-related maltreatment from coaches and parents, and conformity to sport ethic norms have recently been linked to the use of extreme weight-control behaviors. This study aims to investigate the role of sport ethic norms and weight-related maltreatment from coaches and parents in the use of extreme weight-control behaviors among adolescent athletes. A sample of 999 French-Canadian athletes aged 14–17 years competing in a variety of sports completed an online survey assessing extreme weight-control behaviors, weight-related maltreatment from coaches and parents, and conformity to sport ethic norms. A total of 16.9% of the adolescent athletes reported having adopted extreme weight-control behaviors during their athletic careers. Extreme weight-control behaviors were significantly more prevalent among girls (19.75% vs 9.7% in boys) and weight-class-sport athletes (44%). In addition, 7.4% of the sample experienced at least one type of weight-related maltreatment by coaches or parents. Sex, weight-related neglect by coaches and parents, and weight-related psychological violence by coaches explained 24.4% of extreme weight-control behaviors variance. Indeed, participants who engaged in extreme weight-control behaviors experienced significantly more violence than the other participants did. In contrast, no differences were observed between people who engaged in extreme weight-control behaviors and those who did not due to conformity to sport ethic norms.

scholarly journals Social Distance during the COVID-19 Pandemic Reflects Perceived Rather Than Actual Risk

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 5504
Author(s):  
Tina Iachini ◽  
Francesca Frassinetti ◽  
Francesco Ruotolo ◽  
Filomena Leonela Sbordone ◽  
Antonella Ferrara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Distance ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Interpersonal Distance ◽  
Actual Risk ◽  
Italian Regions ◽  
Environmental Events ◽  
Related Level

Interpersonal space (IPS) is the area surrounding our own bodies in which we interact comfortably with other individuals. During the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping larger IPS than usual, along with wearing a face mask, is one of the most effective measures to slow down the COVID-19 outbreak. Here, we explore the contribution of actual and perceived risk of contagion and anxiety levels in regulating our preferred social distance from other people during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. In this study, 1293 individuals from six Italian regions with different levels of actual risk of infection participated in an online survey assessing their perceived risk to be infected, level of anxiety and IPS. Two tasks were adopted as measures of interpersonal distance: the Interpersonal Visual Analogue Scale and a questionnaire evaluating interpersonal distance with and without face mask. The results showed that the IPS regulation was affected by how people subjectively perceived COVID-19 risk and the related level of anxiety, not by actual objective risk. This clarifies that the role of threat in prompting avoidant behaviors expressed in increased IPS does not merely reflect environmental events but rather how they are subjectively experienced and represented.

Applying Expanded Servicescape to the Hotel Industry

2021 ◽  
pp. 109634802110115
Author(s):  
Seonjeong (Ally) Lee ◽  
Ning-Kuang Chuang
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Customer Loyalty ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Hotel Industry ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Environmental Cues ◽  
Practical Implications

The physical environment plays an essential role in customers’ hotel stay experiences. Hotels offer a differentiated atmosphere that creates favorable customers’ evaluations. Based on the significant role of environmental cues, this study investigates the effects of an expanded servicescape on customers’ evaluations, including customer satisfaction, quality of life, and customer loyalty, in the context of the hotel industry. To test the proposed research framework, this study collects data from previous hotel customers and conducts a self-administered, online survey. Findings identified ambience, interactions with employees, authenticity, and fascination positively influenced customers’ satisfaction, which further influenced customer loyalty. Only ambience and fascination positively influenced quality of life, which in turn influenced customer loyalty. Results contributed to the application of expanded servicescape in the hotel context. Results also suggested practical implications of the holistic approach of servicescape in the hotel industry.

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