Determinants of Recreational Activities Choice in Protected Areas

Conciliating nature conservation and tourism development is an increasingly important task for authorities in charge of managing protected areas and requires an adequate knowledge of visitors′ preferences and recreational behavior. In this light, we used data collected by means of a choice experiment to investigate recreational preferences at Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park, a protected area located in Northeastern Italy. More specifically, we analyzed the determinants of visitors’ decisions to engage with different activities in the park. This is important information for park managers, as different recreational activities have both different impact on the natural heritage and different capability to generate revenue for nature conservation and for enhancing the quality of life of local communities. The findings of our study suggest that the choice of recreational activities is mainly driven by the features of recreational sites and by visitors’ personal characteristics. Concerning park features, visitors’ choices seem to be mostly driven by features directly related to each activity, such as thematic trails for hiking and climbing routes for rock climbing. Among visitors′ characteristics, we found that both previous experience with the activity and socio-demographic characteristics had a significant effect on activity choice. Overall, the results of our study can help park authorities in developing management plans aimed specifically at attracting a larger number of visitors of a certain type, which is an important tool to foster the more sustainable forms of tourism.

Stimulus-dependent relationships between behavioral choice and sensory neural responses

Understanding perceptual decision-making requires linking sensory neural responses to behavioral choices. In two-choice tasks, activity-choice covariations are commonly quantified with a single measure of choice probability (CP), without characterizing their changes across stimulus levels. We provide theoretical conditions for stimulus dependencies of activity-choice covariations. Assuming a general decision-threshold model, which comprises both feedforward and feedback processing and allows for a stimulus-modulated neural population covariance, we analytically predict a very general and previously unreported stimulus dependence of CPs. We develop new tools, including refined analyses of CPs and generalized linear models with stimulus-choice interactions, which accurately assess the stimulus- or choice-driven signals of each neuron, characterizing stimulus-dependent patterns of choice-related signals. With these tools, we analyze CPs of macaque MT neurons during a motion discrimination task. Our analysis provides preliminary empirical evidence for the promise of studying stimulus dependencies of choice-related signals, encouraging further assessment in wider data sets.

Participation in online activities while travelling: an application of the MDCEV model in the context of rail travel

Travel-based multitasking, i.e. using travel time to conduct enjoyable and/or productive activities, is the subject of an increasing number of theoretical and empirical studies. Most existing studies focus on modelling the choice of which activities people conduct while travelling, and a limited number of papers also focuses on their duration. The novelty of this study with respect to this literature is two-fold. Firstly, we specifically study the engagement in different online activities while travelling, and apply the state-of-the-art Multiple Discrete-Continuous Extreme Value (MDCEV) model to jointly model the choice and duration of multiple activities. We apply this model to data collected face-to-face from train passengers in the UK. We find that activity choice and duration is explained by both passenger and trip characteristics, especially trip purpose, ticket type and day/time of the trip. Secondly, we show how such modelling can assist in investment appraisal, in particular by providing insights into lower- and upper- bound estimates of the proportion of the entire travel time spent working, itself of importance in, for example, valuation of business travel time using the so-called Hensher Equation. We present a detailed discussion of how the findings from our work contribute to the broader discourse around the nature of travel time and its valuation.

Onboard activity choice of Chinese cruise tourists

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the onboard activity choice of Chinese cruise tourists on three international cruise ships departing Shanghai, China. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research method was adopted for this study. Data was collected using participant observation, casual conversation and semi-structured in-depth interviews from 76 Chinese cruise respondents. The data was analysed using thematic analysis. Findings Chinese cruise tourists were offered various onboard activities, most of which were Western. Booking these activities involved tourists searching information and assessing and choosing what appealed to them. They chose these activities according to the consumption values, and their decision was influenced by both context-dependent variables—the variety and style of the activities and their capacity to appeal, and the personal variable—age. Chinese tourists were satisfied with the array of onboard activity options and viewed them as an opportunity to experience Western culture. However, when they were unfamiliar with or did not understand some activities, they preferred Chinese activities. Originality/value This study formulates propositions to underlie a conceptual framework of how cruise tourists choose an onboard activity. The findings derived from the data will be valuable to cruise lines seeking to better manage tourists’ onboard experiences.

Pengembangan Alat Ukur Tingkat Efikasi Diri Siswa dalam Pembelajaran Kimia

This study aims to develop a student self-efficacy scale in learning, especially in chemistry learning. This scale has been developed with 4 main steps, namely the determination of aspects, preparation of indicators, preparation of statement items and validation. The measured aspects are activity choice, effort, perseverance, learning, achievement, and strategy orientation. The items developed were 30 statements. The validation process consists of expert validation and empirical validation. At the expert validation produced 24 valid statement points viewed from the Aiken V. The empirical validation phase involved 300 high school students. Analysis of the results at this stage using the Rasch model. At this stage, there were 22 valid and reliable statements for use in measuring students' level of self-efficacy. AbstrakPenelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengembangkan alat ukur efikasi diri siswa dalam pembelajaran, khususnya dalam pembelajaran kimia. Alat ukur ini telah dikembangkan dengan 4 langkah utama, yaitu penentuan aspek, penyusunan indikator, penyusunan butir pernyataan dan validasi. Aspek yang diukur adalah pilihan aktivitas, usaha, ketekunan, belajar, pencapaian/prestasi, dan orientasi strategi. Butir yang dikembangkan sebanyak 30 pernyataan. Proses validasi terdiri atas validasi ahli dan validasi empiris. Pada tahap validasi ahli menghasilkan 24 butir pernyataan valid dilihat dari besar Aiken V. Tahap validasi empiris melibatkan 300 siswa SMA. Analisis hasil pada tahap menggunakan model Rasch. Pada tahap ini menghasilkan sebanyak 22 butir pernyataan valid dan reliabel untuk digunakan dalam pengukuran tingkat efikasi diri siswa.

Stimulus dependent relationships between behavioral choice and sensory neural responses

Understanding the relationship between trial-to-trial variability in neural responses of sensory areas and behavioral choices is fundamental to elucidate the mechanisms of perceptual decision-making. In two-choice tasks, activity-choice co-variations have traditionally been quantified with choice probabilities (CP). It has been so far commonly assumed that choice-related neural signals are separable from stimulus-driven responses, which has led to characterizing activity-choice covariations only with a single CP value estimated combining trials from all stimulus levels. In this work we provide theoretical and experimental evidence for the stimulus dependence of the relationship between neural responses and behavioral choices. We derived a general analytical CP expression for this dependency under the general assumption that a decision threshold converts an internal stimulus estimate into a binary choice. This expression predicts a stereotyped threshold-induced CP modulation by the stimulus information content. We reanalyzed data from Britten et al. (1996) and found evidence of this modulation in the responses of macaque MT cells during a random dot discrimination task. Moreover, we developed new methods of analysis that allowed us to further identify a richer structure of cell-specific CP stimulus dependencies. Finally, we capitalised on this progress to develop new generalized linear models (GLMs) with stimulus-choice interaction terms, which show a higher predictive power and lead to a more precise assessment of how much each neuron is stimulus- or choice-driven, hence allowing a more accurate comparison across areas or cell types. Our work suggests that characterizing the patterns of stimulus dependence of choice-related signals is essential to properly determine how neurons in different areas contribute to linking sensory representations to perceptual decisions.

The Effects of Road Access on Income Generation. Evidence from An Integrated Conservation and Development Project in Cameroon

Many integrated conservation and development projects use road construction to induce a shift in income activities, since road access can reduce both poverty and environmental degradation. There is, however, little empirical evidence on the effects of road access on income patterns. We contribute to existing literature by analyzing the effects of road access on income activity choice in Korup National Park, Cameroon using a difference-in-difference approach. Road access led to a rise in total household income by 38% due to higher household participation in self-employment and wage labor. We neither found an effect on income from crop farming nor on participation in hunting activities. The effects of road access can be diverse and unforeseeable. Road construction in protected areas should thus be carefully considered and planned and only be implemented when other options are not feasible.