Expectation, Disappointment, and Exit: Evidence on Reference Point Formation from an Online Marketplace

We study disappointment and platform exit among new bidders in an online auction marketplace. In particular, we study a hybrid auction format with a “Buy-It-Now” option which, when executed, will abruptly end the auction and cancel any standing bids. When this happens, if the formerly leading bidder is new to the platform, then they are 6 percentage points more likely to exit the marketplace for every additional day they spent in the lead. This is rationalized by disappointment-averse bidders with outside options and rational expectations about the likelihood of winning. Our explanation is validated by three ancillary predictions: when expectations are lowered by higher competing bids, there is no effect; sensitivity of exit is declining in prior experience, and, for bidders who do not exit, time in the lead during the first experience predicts a subsequent preference for fixed-price, rather than auction, listings.

Associations Between Exposure and Receptivity to Branded Cigarette Advertising and Subsequent Brand Preference Among US Young Adults

Introduction Exposure and receptivity to cigarette advertising are well-established predictors of cigarette use overall. However, less is known about whether exposure and receptivity to advertising for specific brands of cigarettes (ie, Marlboro, Camel, and Newport) are longitudinally associated with any subsequent cigarette use and subsequent use of those specific brands. Methods We analyzed data from a US sample of 7325 young adults aged 18–24 years who completed both Wave 1 and Wave 2 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study. Weighted logistic regression models were used to examine (1) among Wave 1 never-smokers, associations between Wave 1 exposure and receptivity to advertising for Marlboro, Camel, and Newport and subsequent overall and brand-specific smoking initiation at Wave 2, and (2) among Wave 1 ever-smokers, associations between Wave 1 exposure and receptivity to advertising for Marlboro, Camel, and Newport and subsequent preference of those brands at Wave 2. Results Among Wave 1 young-adult never-smokers, exposure to Camel advertising, but not Marlboro or Newport, was associated with smoking initiation with any brand of cigarettes at Wave 2. Among Wave 1 young-adult ever-smokers, receptivity to Marlboro, Camel, and Newport advertising was associated with subsequent preference for each brand, respectively, at Wave 2. Conclusions This study found evidence for the association between receptivity to branded cigarette marketing and subsequent use of that brand. These findings provide evidence regarding the pathways through which cigarette marketing attracts young adults to use cigarettes and can inform tobacco prevention and counter-marketing efforts. Implications This study extends prior work on the effects of cigarette advertising exposure and receptivity by illustrating the brand specificity of this advertising. These findings provide evidence that receptivity to branded cigarette advertising is longitudinally associated with preference for those specific cigarette brands.

Hard decisions shape the neural coding of preferences

Hard decisions between equally valued alternatives can result in preference changes, meaning that subsequent valuations for chosen items increase and decrease for rejected items. Previous research suggests that this phenomenon is a consequence of cognitive dissonance reduction after the decision, induced by the mismatch between initial preferences and decision outcomes. In contrast, this functional magnetic resonance imaging and eye-tracking study tested whether preferences are already updated online while making decisions. Preference changes could be predicted from activity in left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and precuneus during decision-making. Furthermore, fixation durations predicted both choice outcomes and subsequent preference changes. These preference adjustments became behaviourally relevant at re-evaluation, but only for choices that were remembered and were associated with hippocampus activity. Our findings refute classical explanations of post-choice dissonance reduction and instead suggest that preferences evolve dynamically as decisions arise, potentially as a mechanism to prevent stalemate situations in underdetermined decision scenarios.

Iteration vs Recursion in Introduction to Programming Classes: An Empirical Study

In this article we have presented the results of an empirical study which was carried out on 130 students in Introduction to programming classes. Their initial preference, success rate, comprehension and subsequent preference were studied when dealing with programming tasks which could be solved using either iteration or recursion.

Abstract P038: US Consumer Attitudes Toward Sodium in Baby and Toddler Foods

Introduction: Average US sodium intake is 9 times higher among toddlers 12-24 months of age than among infants 0-6 months of age. About 80% of US toddlers aged 1-3 years consume excessive dietary sodium and research indicates that what children eat in the first 2 years of life may influence subsequent preference for salty-tasting foods. Information on consumer attitudes can influence strategies to reduce sodium in commercially packaged baby and toddler foods. Hypothesis: The objective of the study was to describe the prevalence of adult consumer attitudes and related sociodemographics on the importance of baby and toddler foods being low in sodium. We hypothesized that parents of children younger than 2 years, individuals with or at higher risk of cardiovascular disease, and those who agree that too much sodium intake is harmful or who are trying to reduce sodium intake would be more likely to agree that toddler foods should be low in sodium. Methods: Data was obtained from Porter Novelli’s 2012 ConsumerStyles online survey sent to a random sample of 11636 US adults aged ≥ 18 years enrolled in their national probability-based consumer panel. Of those who completed the survey (N=6728), 6378 responded to the statement, “It is important for baby and toddler foods to be low in sodium.” The data from the respondents were weighted to match 2011 US Current Population Survey Proportions. Compared with non-respondents (N=350), a higher proportion of respondents were male (49% v 34%), but respondents did not differ by race, age, education, income, or region of residence. Potential determinants of agreement included demographic, health, and sodium-related attitudes and behaviors. We used logistic regression to describe the association of adult consumer attitudes and related sociodemographic characteristics with the importance of baby and toddler foods being low in sodium. Results: About 7 in 10 (68%, 95% CI: 66%-70%) participants agreed it was important for baby or toddler foods to be low in sodium. More than 6 of 10 in most subgroups agreed, with the highest agreement among parents of children aged 65 years compared with adults aged 18-34 years, those of other non-Hispanic races compared with non-Hispanic whites, participants who reported having high cholesterol, and those currently watching or reducing their own sodium intake. Conclusions: The majority of respondents agree it is important for baby and toddler foods to be low in sodium, particularly among parents with children younger than 2 years of age, persons trying to reduce sodium, and those who agree sodium is harmful to their health. In conclusion, these data suggest broad support for strategies to lower sodium in these foods.

Triangle Taste Tests: Are the Subjects who Respond Correctly Lucky or Good?

When a triangle taste test, i.e., “Which of these three stimuli is different from the other two?”, is given twice to each subject, a natural question to ask is: “Are the subjects who got both tests correct really better discriminators than the other subjects who got 0 or 1 correct?” Surprisingly enough, the answer to this question has nothing to do with the number of subjects who got both correct, i.e., the twos. Rather, it is the ratio of the ones to the zeroes that supplies the necessary information. This information on the subject's abilities to discriminate can be used to develop a weighted voting procedure for subsequent preference tests.

Exteroceptive Context in Tasteaversion Conditioning and Extinction: Odour, Cage, and Bottle Stimuli

Five experiments investigated the extent to which the exteroceptive context, present on a saccharin aversion conditioning trial with rats, controlled the resulting aversion on one-bottle extinction tests and subsequent preference tests. The presence or absence of the specific odour which had been present on the conditioning trial was found not to influence saccharin intake on extinction tests, whereas the presence of the particular compartment in which, and the bottle from which, the saccharin had been consumed greatly suppressed saccharin intake as compared to the absence of these elements. Preference tests, performed in the respective conditioning contexts, showed extinction to be specific to the compartment + bottle context: groups that had extinguished their saccharin aversion in a context different from the conditioning context, retained their aversion in the conditioning context. No such specificity was found for the odour context. However, in the absence of the taste stimulus during the extinction phase, the odour that had been present on the conditioning trial did control the amount of water consumed, whereas the compartment+bottle context did not. Moreover, on preference tests, groups that had consumed water during extinction in the presence of the odour context, evidenced a lesser saccharin aversion than groups not exposed to the odour. The results are interpreted as demonstrating that rats learn about taste, odour, cage and bottle stimuli on a taste-aversion conditioning trial, and that taste and bottle stimuli seem to be the most salient.

Effects of Background Music on Musical Task Performance and Subsequent Music Preference

The present study examined the effects of background music on performance of a musical task and on subsequent preference for that music. 60 music and 60 non-music majors heard background music in music-only or music-plus-task conditions, and a third group heard no music in a task-only condition. A preference test of four musical excerpts, including the background music excerpt, was administered subsequently to all three groups of subjects. Although music majors scored higher than non-majors, background music did not differentially affect task scores. Music students exhibited a differential preference following both musical conditions, while non-music subjects demonstrated differential preference only following the music-only condition.

Sucrose consumption early in life fails to modify the appetite of adult rats for sweet foods

Male rats consumed a diet containing 0, 12, or 48 percent sucrose on days 16 to 30 of life. Thereafter, they had simultaneous access to all three diets until day 63. No relationship was detected between sucrose consumption early in life and subsequent preference for sucrose. The onset of puberty was associated with a decreased appetite for sucrose among animals of both sexes.