Functionality, Emotion, and Acceptance of Artificial Intelligence Virtual Assistants

This paper aims to expand the acceptance of the AI Virtual Assistant model from the perspective of user’s cognition. Based on the 240 samples, we used multi-layer regression analysis to investigate the influencing factors and differential effects of users' acceptance of AI Virtual Assistant. The results show that functional cognition and emotional cognition of users are important influencing factors for an artificial intelligence virtual assistant. This provides a new perspective for user acceptance processes of the AI Virtual Assistant. We also examined the moderating effect of social norms between user cognition and AI Virtual Assistant. At last, a new AI acceptance model of AI Virtual Assistant was established.

The Making of Meaning through Dyadic Haptic Affective Touch

Despite the importance of touch in human–human relations, research in affective tactile practices is in its infancy, lacking in-depth understanding needed to inform the design of remote digital touch communication. This article reports two qualitative studies that explore tactile affective communication in specific social contexts, and the bi-directional creation, sending and interpretation of digital touch messages using a purpose-built research tool, the Tactile Emoticon. The system comprises a pair of remotely connected mitts, which enable users in different locations to communicate through tactile messages, by orchestrating duration and level of three haptic sensations: vibration, pressure and temperature. Qualitative analysis shows the nuanced ways in which 68 participants configured these elements to make meaning from touch messages they sent and received. It points to the affect and emotion of touch, its sensoriality and ambiguity, the significance of context, social norms and expectations of touch participants. Findings suggest key design considerations for digital touch communication, where the emphasis shifts from generating ‘recognizable touches’ to tools that allow people to shape their touches and establish common understanding about their meaning.

Student entrepreneurship and perceptions on social norms and university environment: evidence from a developing country

Purpose Social contexts and academic environments are key elements in the debate about drivers of entrepreneurial intention and behavior in tertiary students. Nonetheless, the underlying dynamics of student entrepreneurship remain elusive. This study aims to contribute to this discussion by creating an original model that addresses the perception of entrepreneurs and potential entrepreneurs regarding the relationship between social norms, the university environment of support to entrepreneurship and the perceived satisfaction about universities’ conditions to nurture entrepreneurial orientation. Design/methodology/approach To investigate the hypotheses, a quantitative approach has been chosen through multivariate data analysis using partial least squares structural equation modeling applied to a sample of 595 students from 66 Brazilian universities. Findings The results indicate that social norms affect how students perceive their university environment in terms of entrepreneurial support. In turn, students’ impressions about such environment shape their levels of satisfaction. However, in contrast with the theory of intention–action gap, differences between actual and potential entrepreneurs could not be identified. Originality/value The originality of the research lies in filling an entrepreneurial intention–action gap among undergraduate students, with consistent results in a developing country. Additionally, the research presents new insights for researchers, policymakers and practitioners, exploring the students’ perceived satisfaction in relation to the university environment to support entrepreneurship.

Islam and Traditional Culture in Present-Day Uzbekistan: Relationship and Features

The article discusses the changes that occur in the religious policy of Uzbekistan after gaining state independence (1991), and the impact that they have on various areas of everyday culture — traditional ceremonies, costume, religious and everyday behavior, etc. It is noted that along with justifi ed government measures aimed at preventing religious extremism are strengthening the control of offi cial Muslim organizations and their representatives over everyday life, over the execution of something only religious, but also family and social norms and ritual practices. The policy of religious tolerance and the course towards enlightened Islam, which is currently being conducted in Uzbekistan, imply not only the freedom of Muslims to openly demonstrate their religious affi liation through visits to mosques, the performance of Muslim rites, through special details of a costume, etc., but also the “purifi cation” of Islam from pre- Islamic performances and rituals that traditionally existed in the “everyday” form of its functioning among local Muslims, the modifi cation of ancient rites and rituals and the revaluation of cultural heritage. Modern realities determine the relevance of the ethnographic study of Islam in Central Asia and the need for new approaches to the study of traditional everyday and everyday culture — its consideration in the context of the processes that occur in regional Islam. The article is based on the author’s fi eld materials, mainly collected during trips to Uzbekistan.

An Isle Near Terra Australis Incognita: Henry Neville’s Mental Experiment and Political Philosophy of Thomas Hobbes

The paper analyzes the ideas of H. Neville’s philosophical novel “The Isle of Pines”. The scope of the research is to make sense of its place within the context of Early Modern political philosophy, and especially its linkage with the Hobbesian theories of human nature, sovereignty and inevitable conflict engaging pre-political communities into bellum omnium contra omnes. Rethinking Hobbesian views on the natural state Neville replaces his mechanical interpretation of human’s passions and behavioral patterns with a historical perspective. Taking into his account contemporary ethnographical knowledge Neville set a mental experiment and found out that a Hobbesian trap before the emergence of a state was not inevitable as well as the lack of social norms. We argue that Neville’s novel was an attempt to escape Hobbesian pessimism and to describe the emergence of social and political structures as a historical and evolutionary proces

Integrating the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Norm Activation Model to Investigate Organic Food Purchase Intention: Evidence from Vietnam

Ample research has been conducted in the organic food market and researchers have investigated factors affecting the purchase behavior of consumers in many countries. However, the studies on organic food that integrate the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Norm Activation Model (NAM) in a transition country like Vietnam are limited. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate factors affecting the organic food purchase intention in the Vietnamese context. We combined the TPB and the NAM to propose an integrated research framework with attitude and personal norms as two mediators. Through a self-administered questionnaire survey, we collected 611 valid responses from the three biggest cities in Vietnam. Data were put into SPSS 22.0 and SmartPLS 3.0 for analysis. The structural equation modeling (SEM) technique was employed to test both direct and indirect relationships among factors of TPB and NAM in the research model. Our findings indicated that attitude plays the most critical role in explaining the organic food purchase intention of Vietnamese consumers, followed by social norms and personal norms. Notably, attitude also remarkably mediated the impact of environmental awareness and knowledge of organic food on purchase intention. Meanwhile, personal norms played the mediating role in the NAM that intervene the connection between social norms and purchase intention. Based on our analysis, we suggested policymakers, manufacturers, marketers, and sellers of organic food change their actions for the growth of the organic food market in Vietnam.