Age-related deterioration of performance and increase of cortex activity comparing time- versus item-controlled fNIRS measurement

In our aging society, research into neurodegenerative processes is of great interest. Thereby, cortical activation under different neurocognitive conditions is considered to be a promising predictor. Against this background, the executive functions of a total of 250 healthy older adults (53–84 years) have been investigated using the Trail Making Test (TMT) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy in a block design. We investigated effects of age on the performance and cortical blood oxygenation during the TMT. Since it is assumed that older people may compensate for cognitive deficits by slowing their processing speed, we additionally analyzed the cortical blood oxygenation per solved item. Our results showed a significant decrease in processing speed in older participants compared to middle-aged individuals, however, also lower error rates during TMT part A. On a neurophysiological level, we observed increased cortical blood oxygenation in the older participants when completing the TMT. Finally, with respect to the combined measurement (O2Hb/item), no significantly higher hemodynamic cortical response per item was found within the older participants. The results confirm a deterioration of cognitive performance and an increase of cortical activity with increasing age. The findings are discussed in the light of current research.

Making Recommendations More Effective Through Framings: Impacts of User- Versus Item-Based Framings on Recommendation Click-Throughs

Companies frequently offer product recommendations to customers, according to various algorithms. This research explores how companies should frame the methods they use to derive their recommendations, in an attempt to maximize click-through rates. Two common framings—user-based and item-based—might describe the same recommendation. User-based framing emphasizes the similarity between customers (e.g., “People who like this also like…”); item-based framing instead emphasizes similarities between products (e.g., “Similar to this item”). Six experiments, including two field experiments within a mobile app, show that framing the same recommendation as user-based (vs. item-based) can increase recommendation click-through rates. The findings suggest that user-based (vs. item-based) framing informs customers that the recommendation is based on not just product matching but also taste matching with other customers. Three theoretically derived and practically relevant boundary conditions related to the recommendation recipient, the products, and other users also offer practical guidance for managers regarding how to leverage recommendation framings to increase recommendation click-throughs.

Advantages of the Rasch Model for Analysis and Interpretation of Attitudes: the Case of the Benevolent Sexism Subscale

<p>This paper describes how the use of Rasch Analysis (RA), compared with the Classical Test Theory (CTT) and other Item Response Theory (IRT) approaches, could enhance the study and interpretation of attitudinal scales. This is illustrated with data from 197 students from the University of Costa Rica who answered the Benevolent Sexism (BS) Scale (Glick &amp; Fiske, 1996). Besides providing estimations of the measure’s specific accuracy at different levels of the construct, the RA, thanks to the person versus item map, allowed us to generate respondents’ profiles describing particular aspects of the construct and according to their estimated scores in the scale. The analysis indicated that construct categories for participants with scores between [-0.30, 0.5] in the logit scale are the most accurately represented, with more items covering this interval, and reflecting the three aspects of the scale described by the theory. On the other hand, results showed less measurement accuracy for a considerable number of respondents with lower scores, suggesting the need for the development of additional items for that level of the scale. These evidences are discussed in light of the benefits of using the RA for the understanding and interpretations of respondents’ scores in attitudinal scales, according to the underlying theory.</p>

Facial Recall: Feature–Conjunction Effects in Source Retrieval Versus Item Recognition

Within memory processing, feature and conjunction effects refer to higher false alarms (incorrectly naming items as previously seen) for stimuli with partial/all features taken from different previously studied versus novel items. In this study, we compared feature–conjunction effects in the memory tasks of both item recognition and source retrieval, using faces as stimuli. We found greater feature–conjunction effects on source retrieval versus item recognition tasks, though participants gave slower responses on source retrieval versus item recognition. Thus, our data were consistent with dual-process memory theory in which familiarity contributes to high false alarms in compound faces even while feature–conjunction effects enhance recollection in source retrieval.