Trust in Institutions and the COVID-19 Threat: A Cross-Sectional Study on the Public Perception of Official Recommendations and of Othering in Switzerland

Objectives: To explore how perceived disease threat and trust in institutions relate to vaccination intent, perceived effectiveness of official recommendations, and to othering strategies.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of Swiss adults in July 2020. Outcome variables were vaccination intent, perceived effectiveness of official recommendations and othering strategies (labelling a given social group as responsible for the disease and distancing from it). Independent variables were perceived disease threat, trust in various institutions, perceived health-related measures, and sociodemographic variables. Linear and logistic regressions were performed.Results: The response rate was 20.2% (1518/7500). Perceived disease threat and trust in medical/scientific institutions were positively associated with vaccination intent and perceived effectiveness of official recommendations for coronavirus mitigation measures. Only disease threat was associated with a perception of effectiveness among othering strategies. Age and education levels were associated with vaccination intent.Conclusion: Reinforcing trust in medical/scientific institutions can help strengthen the perceived effectiveness of official recommendations and vaccination. It however does not prevent adherence to ineffective protecting measures such as othering strategies, where decreasing perceptions of epidemic threat appears to be more efficient.

Traditional Piscicidal Knowledge along the Chakpi River and other Water Bodies in Chandel District, Manipur State : Past and Present Scenario

The present study was undertaken with an aim to expound the various indigenous technical knowledge (ITK) practices centring around the stagnant or semi-stagnant water bodies in Chandel district of Manipur. The prevailing indigenous practices were considered and only three groups of indigenous practices were found to be rational in the present scenario which could be further assessed, documented and propagated for the benefit of farming community. The three group of indigenous practices involve the age-old methods of stupefying the fish in ponds or rivers using tree barks, roots and leaves of specific trees or plants having ichthyotoxic properties. Two filters were applied to identify the ITKs. The first filter being rationality therein only ITK practices having rationality score more than 2.4 being explained in the study. The second filter was mean perceived effectiveness index (MPEI). Of the 17 practices evaluated, 3 were rational (42.08%) while the remaining 14 were rejected as irrational (57.92%). The perceived effectiveness and adoption rate analysis of these age-old ITKs indicated that, the traditional use of stupefying barks was rated as rational (3.01), perceived as highly effective (2.60) and adopted by 78 per cent of the respondents whereas on the lower end, the method incorporating the juice extract of ichthyotoxic leaves was rated as rational (2.48), perceived as effective (1.9) and adopted by 48 per cent of respondents.

The effectiveness of mDPBL as a multimedia-based learning approach.

This study is aimed to investigate students’ perceptions towards the mDPBL approach as a multimedia-based learning approach. mDPBL approach is a combination of two different teaching approaches (i.e. DIA and PBL) with multimedia. Two departments were selected in this study (i.e. Informatics Engineering and Information System). The survey was divided into two phases, pre-survey and post-survey. 276 students participated in this study. The quasi-experiment method was used with two different ways teaching strategies (i.e. traditional and mDPBL approach). The study revealed that the majority of students have a positive impact on positive learning outcomes in the mDPBL approach. A significant increase in students' perceptions of the effectiveness of the mDPBL approach is proven by an increase in the average score of students' perceptions and perceived effectiveness of 2.67 points or 8.71%, respectively. Keyword- Multimedia, Traditional approach, mDPBL approach

The influence of organizational commitment on the perceived effectiveness of virtual meetings by filipino professionals during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A structural equation modeling approach

BACKGROUND: Virtual meetings have been widely utilized during the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of organizational commitment on the perceived effectiveness of virtual meeting by Filipino professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A total of 513 Filipino professionals answered an online questionnaire which covered four latent variables: organizational commitment to virtual meetings, attitude toward virtual meetings, perceived effectiveness of virtual meeting as collaboration tool, and perceived effectiveness of virtual meeting as a social tool. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was utilized to analyze the causal relationships between the latent variables construct. RESULTS: SEM showed that organizational commitment to virtual meeting during the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the positive attitude of the employees which subsequently led to the perceived effectiveness of virtual meeting as a collaboration and social tool. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first study that analyzed the influence of organizational commitment on the perceived effectiveness of virtual meeting during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. Our SEM construct can be applied and extended further, particularly in analyzing factors influencing the perceived effectiveness of virtual meeting during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Can I MOOC to Catch up? The Effects of Using an LMOOC as a Remedial Tool for EFL Students in Thailand

This study investigated the effects of supplementing a traditional EFL class with a grammar-focused LMOOC. It also investigated students’ attitudes to the LMOOC. Students taking a compulsory English course at a nursing college in Thailand were divided into two groups, a LMOOC group (n=33) and a non-LMOOC group (n=26). The LMOOC group engaged in a 4-week LMOOC as a supplement to their usual English classes. The non-LMOOC group continued with their usual English classes with no additional interventions. Final examination scores and gains since the midterm for the two groups were compared. Attitudes to the LMOOC were assessed using a questionnaire and interviews. Students in the LMOOC group experienced statistically significantly larger gains in grammar scores than the non-LMOOC group (M = 5.45, SD = 4.31, p < .001). Students reported very positive attitudes towards the LMOOC, in terms of enjoyment and perceived effectiveness. The estimated gains found in this small study were relatively modest, but our findings suggest that LMOOCs as a way to supplement in-class teaching may improve attainment and foster positive attitudes. Further controlled experiments to assess the wider applicability of our findings are needed.  

The Impact of Interactivity, Perceived Effectiveness, Trust, and Experiential Marketing on Online Transportation Customer Loyalty

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of interactivity, perceived effectiveness, trust, and experiential marketing on online transportation customers' loyalty in Indonesia. This study surveyed 264 online transportation customers. Purposive sampling was used to recruit respondents. Partial Least Squares analysis was used to analyze the data in three steps, including inner model analysis, outer model analysis, and hypothesis testing. The hypothesis testing supported seven of the nine hypotheses proposed. The findings of this study indicate that interaction is a significant predictor of online transportation consumer loyalty. The report also discusses the implications of the results and the direction for further research.

Optimizing Images for an E-Cigarette Messaging Campaign: Liking and Perceived Effectiveness

Introduction: Given the prevalence of electronic vapor product (EVP) use among young people in the US, there is a need for effective vaping education campaigns. This study tested 32 images for liking and perceived effectiveness (PE) to identify optimal images for a messaging campaign. Method: Images were selected from current campaigns, warning labels, and other images based on young adult reasons for use. Images were coded for the presence of (1) people, (2) vapor, (3) device, (4) color, and (5) similarity to warning label image. Young adults (n = 200) were recruited from the Amazon Mechanical Turk platform. Participants were randomly assigned to view and rate six of the 32 images on liking as well as PE, which measured the potential impact of the image to discourage vaping appeal and use. Results: Images containing vapor and/or a device or e-liquid were not well-liked but were perceived as effective in discouraging vaping (ps < 0.05). Images from warning labels were also not well-liked but were perceived as significantly more effective than those not from a warning (p < 0.01). Liking and effectiveness of features was similar for both EVP users and non-users. Discussion: Images with specific features were rated as less likable but rated as higher on PE. However, the consistency of image features rated as effective by EVP users and non-users supports the utility of similar imagery for vaping prevention and reduction efforts.