On the Effectiveness of Scaffolding Strategies and Task orientation on Receptive and Productive Knowledge of Lexical Collocations

The present study aimed at investigating the effects of scaffolding strategies using input and output-oriented tasks on Iranian EFL learners' receptive and productive knowledge of lexical collocations. For this purpose, 540 adult intermediate-level EFL learners- both male and female- were selected and divided into six experimental groups; three input-oriented and three output-oriented tasks. Each experimental group received treatment under one of the three scaffolding strategies of direct corrective feedback, cooperative group technique, and visual cues. After the treatment period, a 40-item multiple-choice test and a 40-item fill-in-the-blanks test were administered to assess the participants' receptive and productive collocations knowledge. To analyze the data, two separate two-way ANOVA procedures were used. The results indicated that visual cues were the most effective scaffolding strategy in teaching lexical collocations. Moreover, the cooperative group technique had a significant positive impact on learning collocations compared to direct corrective feedback. The results also showed that the participants in the output-oriented tasks group significantly outperformed those in the input-oriented tasks group. These findings can have practical implications for language learners, teachers, and materials developers, and theoretical implications for researchers.

Power of Advertising claims for Credence Goods: Can it shape Placebo effect and Repurchase Decisions?

This study aims to find out if Advertising claims of credence goods can shape Placebo effect and lead to repurchase decisions or not. The concept of extrinsic factors of a brand being an important ingredient in consumer satisfaction is the antecedent for the study. Studies have been made to show how Advertisement helps products and services to sell more. But very few have tried to connect it with credence goods and know how consumers perceive satisfaction for those products. Further the phenomenonof repurchase decisions of credence goods is still unrevealed. On the basis of focus group technique,data has been collected for five brands which are considered as credence goods and an analysis has been provided to seewhether advertising claims can create Placebo effect or not. The analysis of the factors involved in taking repurchase decision of credence goods has also been studied by selecting variables taken as basis. The results indicate that Advertising claims of credence goods can lead to Placebo effect for those where consumers have strong urge for a positive result after using the brand. The rationality of a consumer influences the repurchase decision inversely. There is a strong connection between Placebo effect, Rationality and Repurchase decision of credence goods. Marketers thus have to be cautious while publishing claims of such goods