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People's Perceptions (people + perception)
Kinds of People's Perceptions Selected AbstractsAffecting the perception of verbal cues to deceptionAPPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2003Leif A. Strömwall An important but overlooked factor in deception detection research is how the perception of verbal cues to deception can be affected by situational factors. This study examined how participants' (N,=,200) perceptions were influenced by presentation mode (Experiments 1 and 2) and repeated exposure/assessment (Experiment 3). As predicted, presentation mode affected the perception of several verbal cues. Participants who watched a videotaped testimony rated the degree of the cues richness of detail, completeness, logical structure and plausibility, higher than those who read the transcript of the same testimony. Furthermore, repeated exposure to the testimony, in combination with repeated assessments, lowered the participants' ratings of the verbal cues. People's perception of the verbal content of a testimony can thus be affected by situational factors. The results are discussed in psycho-legal terms. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The impacts of changes in vegetation cover on dry season flow in the Kikuletwa River, northern TanzaniaAFRICAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 2009P. K. T. Munishi Abstract While the decrease in flow is obvious in the Kikuletwa River, the mechanism leading to the decrease is unclear. We assessed the influence of vegetation cover change on dry season flow in the Kikuletwa River. The combined cover of closed and open forests decreased by 68% while closed and open forests decreased by 56% and 64% respectively. Land under agroforestry decreased by 25%, while that under annual crops increased by 41%. Grasslands increased by 116% and riverine vegetation decreased by 53%. Daily dry season flow showed a slightly decreasing trend in one of the stations despite all of them receiving water from the Rundugai natural springs. On the other hand, low flow indices indicated no statistically significant changes in the long-term average flow and there was no identifiable change in the rainfall amount. The majority (93%) of the local people perceived a changing rainfall pattern and decline in dry season flow in the Kikuletwa River. Changes in the dry season flow then can be associated with the identified land cover changes. Further research to substantiate the local people perceptions is important as indigenous knowledge may be good evidence for ascertaining changes in the natural environment. [source] Land-use and cover changes (1988,2002) around budongo forest reserve, NW Uganda: implications for forest and woodland sustainabilityLAND DEGRADATION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 6 2008E. N. Mwavu Abstract Land-use and cover changes around Budongo Forest Reserve (BFR) were analysed from multi-temporal LandSat images (1988 and 2002) and associated field-based studies in 2003,2004. Three major land-use and cover classes: forest/woodland, sugarcane plantations and grassland/shifting-cultivation/settlements were clearly discriminated. The area under sugarcane cultivation increased over 17-fold, from 690,ha in 1988 to 12729,ha in 2002, with a concomitant loss of about 4680,ha (8·2 per cent) of forest/woodland, mainly on the southern boundary of BFR. Land-use and cover changes were a result of (a) agricultural expansion, (b) increasing human population, exacerbated by large influxes of refugees, (c) conflicts of interest and political interference in the management of BFR and (d) unclear land tenure. Agriculture is the main land-use practice and source of income to local people, with commercial sugarcane and tobacco as the primary cash crops. Individual smallholder sugarcane plantations covered distances ranging from 30 to 1440,m along the BFR edge, with no buffer zone, resulting in direct conflicts between farmers and forest wild animals. There is an ever-increasing need for more land for agricultural expansion, resulting in continued loss of forest/woodland on private/communal lands and encroachment into BFR. This unsustainable agricultural expansion and the local people's perception of BFR as an obstacle to agriculture, threatens the conservation of its threatened wild plants (e.g. Raphia farinifera) and the endangered chimpanzees. Therefore, their sustainable management for both development and conservation will require strong and incorruptible institutions that will seek a balance between resource exploitation and conservation. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Do You Enjoy Having More than Others?ECONOMICA, Issue 296 2007Survey Evidence of Positional Goods Although conventional economic theory proposes that only the absolute levels of income and consumption matter for people's utility, there is much evidence that relative concerns are often important. This paper uses a choice experiment to measure people's perceptions of the degree to which such concerns matter, i.e. the degree of positionality. Based on a random sample in Sweden, income and cars are found to be highly positional, on average, in contrast to leisure and car safety. Leisure may even be completely non-positional. Potential policy implications are discussed. [source] The structure of perceived qualities of situationsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 6 2005John A. Edwards Situations can be seen as having attributes or qualities in much the same way as people have traits. The structure of people's perceptions of these situation qualities was explored. A comprehensive list of adjectives that might describe situations was generated, and people rated situations using samples of the words. Across several samples of words and participants and several analytic methods, four factors show up regularly (positivity, negativity, productivity, and ease of negotiation). In a second study, it was shown that these factors predict the way in which people freely sort situations. The conceptual nature of these factors and of situation qualities is discussed, with particular emphasis on how people's goals and perceived outcomes influence their perceptions of situations. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] ,We're moving out': Youth Out-Migration Intentions in Coastal Non-Metropolitan New South WalesGEOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH, Issue 2 2008DANIELLE DROZDZEWSKI Abstract This article discusses youth out-migration on the non-metropolitan New South Wales Eastern Seaboard. High levels of in-migration and counter-urbanisation, typical of many coastal non-metropolitan towns in NSW, mask the out-migration of youth. There are relatively few 15,24 year olds in the coastal communities of non-metropolitan New South Wales, because many youths out-migrate to larger centres, for a range of reasons. Out-migration also demarcates a life transition away from school life, adolescence and the parental home. This paper draws from research with senior high school students in one coastal town , Coffs Harbour , where such trends have been particularly apparent. It examines the propensity for youth out-migration and discusses how young people articulate their migration intentions. Young people's perceptions of their current and future prospects feature prominently in their discourses about intended migration, although this research also demonstrates that the life courses of regional youth are unorthodox and diverse in nature. [source] Relational Uncertainty and Message Production Within Courtship: Features of Date Request MessagesHUMAN COMMUNICATION RESEARCH, Issue 3 2006Leanne K. Knobloch This paper theorizes about how relational uncertainty may predict features of date request messages within courtship. It reports a study in which 248 individuals role-played leaving a date request voice mail message for their partner. Relational uncertainty was negatively associated with the fluency (H1), affiliativeness (H2), relationship focus (H3), explicitness (H4), and perceived effectiveness (H5) of messages. Also as expected, relational uncertainty was negatively associated with people's perceptions of the effectiveness of their messages after covarying the judgments of independent observers (H6). Relational uncertainty continued to predict features of messages when length of romantic interest was covaried (RQ1). The paper concludes by discussing the implications of the results for understanding the link between relational uncertainty and message production. [source] Reconceptualizing risk perception: perceiving Majority World citizens at risk from ,Northern' consumptionINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 3 2006Sue L.T. McGregorArticle first published online: 3 APR 200 Abstract The premise of this paper is that the consumption behaviour of ,Northern' citizens places Majority World citizens at great risk. A theoretical evolution suggested in this paper is the extension of the notion of risky consumption to include the impact of consumption on the human security of others. Until people can envision that their consumption behaviour places others at risk of exposure to harm, they will not see the need to perceive, assess and manage the risk. The paper tenders a preliminary reconceptualization of risk perception, using the conventional consumer behaviour model constructs of personal, distribution channel and situational factors. From this new perspective, instead of judging whether the good or service is risky for a ,Northern' citizen to consume, risk perception scholars would examine people's perceptions of whether their consumption places fellow citizens at risk, the people labouring and producing the goods and services. [source] Young people's perceptions of complaints procedures in local governmentINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 4 2002Carol Brennan Abstract This study examined 46 young people aged 16,24 years and evaluated their knowledge and awareness of the formal complaints procedures used by local government. Two areas in Scotland, one city (Edinburgh) and one town (Stirling), were chosen to participate in the study. Six focus groups, three in each area, were carried out to identify the level of awareness among the respondents and to permit a cross-section of educational backgrounds to be obtained. A questionnaire was used to assemble a profile on each participant. After analysis of the focus groups, a focused interview with the Corporate Complaints Officers from two councils was undertaken. Each interview incorporated an in-depth discussion regarding the formal complaints procedure while focusing on the young people within their constituency. The research revealed that young people's knowledge and awareness of local government complaints procedures is low, regardless of educational background and area of residence. For a minority, social factors such as confidence and competence do play a role although it is mainly organizational barriers, such as lack of information and access, which are the main causes of the problem. A number of young people indicated that they would complain if they knew how to execute a complaint successfully. The service providers were knowledgeable that awareness is low among this age group. [source] Beliefs about organising learning: a conceptual and empirical analysis of managers' and workers' learning action theoriesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2000Ferd J. Van der Krogt This article describes research on the action theories that managers and workers hold toward organising learning. It begins with a conceptual analysis of learning action theories, then the empirical research is reported. The aim was to deter-mine the dimensions in people's perceptions of the learning system and whether these form more or less stable profiles. These perception profiles are interpreted as representing the respondents' learning action theories. [source] Insomnia Severity Index: psychometric properties with Chinese community-dwelling older peopleJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 10 2010Doris S.F. Yu yu d.s.f. (2010) Insomnia Severity Index: psychometric properties with Chinese community-dwelling older people. Journal of Advanced Nursing,66(10), 2350,2359. Abstract Aim., This paper is a report of a study to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Insomnia Severity Index. Background., Despite the high prevalence of insomnia in older people and its detrimental impact on well-being and healthcare costs, this problem is almost always undetected and consequently under-treated. The Insomnia Severity Index is psychometrically sound in measuring perceived insomnia severity. However, it has had very limited application in non-White populations. Methods., An instrument validation study was carried out between October 2008 and April 2009. The Insomnia Severity Index was translated into Chinese using Brislin's model and administered to a convenience sample of 585 older Chinese people recruited from three community centres for elders. Other instruments were also administered, including the Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Geriatric Depression Scale. Results., Cronbach's alpha of the Chinese version of the Insomnia Severity Index was 0·81, with item-to-total correlations in the range of 0·34,0·67. Construct validity was supported by its moderate relationship with the Chinese Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and sleep efficiency. The Chinese version of the Insomnia Severity Index also indicated more severe level of insomnia in older people who reported depressed mood on the Geriatric Depression Scale. Discriminant validity was supported as the Chinese version of the Insomnia Severity Index could discriminate poorer sleepers from normal sleepers. Exploratory factor analysis identified a two-factor structure for the Chinese version of the Insomnia Severity Index in measuring the severity and impacts of insomnia on the Chinese older people. Conclusion., The Chinese version of the Insomnia Severity Index is a culturally-relevant and psychometrically-sound instrument for assessing severity and impact of insomnia in Chinese community-dwelling older people. Nurses can use this tool to assess older people's perceptions of insomnia. [source] "Seeing is believing": The effects of facial expressions of emotion and verbal communication in social dilemmasJOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DECISION MAKING, Issue 3 2010Jeroen Stouten Abstract In social dilemmas, verbal communication of one's intentions is an important factor in increasing cooperation. In addition to verbal communication of one's intentions, also the communication of emotions of anger and happiness can influence cooperative behavior. In the present paper, we argue that facial expressions of emotion moderate verbal communication in social dilemmas. More specifically, three experiments showed that if the other person displayed happiness he or she was perceived as honest, trustworthy, and reliable, and cooperation was increased when verbal communication was cooperative rather than self-interested. However, if the other person displayed anger, verbal communication did not influence people's decision behavior. Results also showed interactive effects on people's perceptions of trustworthiness, which partially mediated decision behavior. These findings suggest that emotion displays have an important function in organizational settings because they are able to influence social interactions and cooperative behavior. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Third-Person Perceptions and Online Games: A Comparison of Perceived Antisocial and Prosocial Game EffectsJOURNAL OF COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION, Issue 2 2009Zhi-Jin Zhong The popularity of online games has inspired controversial discussion on the effects of game-play in both mass media and academia. However, we know little about ordinary people's opinions about the effects of game-play. The current study applies the theory of the third-person effect (TPE) to examine people's perceptions of game effects on self and on others, and detects significant third-person perceptual discrepancies. The results show that the magnitude of third-person perceptions is influenced by the social desirability of the message, the social distance between self and others, and by differential exposure to online games. The data supports the hypotheses that Internet efficacy and interdependent self-construal are significant antecedents of third-person perceptions, and partially supports the interaction effect of self-construal with Internet-efficacy and the interaction effect of self-construal with media social desirability. [source] Perseverance by Older People in Their Management of Chronic Pain: A Qualitative StudyPAIN MEDICINE, Issue 3 2007Beatrice Sofaer-Bennett PhD, Cert Couns ABSTRACT Introduction., Many older people suffer from degenerative and chronic diseases resulting in chronic pain. It is important for health professionals and researchers to gain insights into experiences of chronic pain sufferers, so that they may understand the patient's perspective and instigate appropriate treatments. Aim., This study set out to gain insights into older people's perceptions about the effect of chronic pain on their lives and how they self-manage it. Design., A qualitative approach to generating data based on Grounded Theory was chosen. Sixty-three people between the ages of 60 and 87 years participated and were interviewed using audiotape. The interviews were transcribed and subsequently analyzed, and the material was coded and collapsed into themes constituting the final grounded theory. Results., As the data collection progressed, a major theme of perseverance emerged, supported by two subthemes: ,,keeping occupied, and ,,a focus on social activities. It became apparent that the participants were determined to get on with their lives. Those with strong social links appeared to have a more positive outlook on life. Conclusions., "Keeping going" was a priority for most of the participants. It may be beneficial to identify the ways in which older people persevere despite chronic pain. It is important for health professionals to appreciate the social factors which are important to, and valued by, older people who experience chronic pain. [source] Knowing Versus Caring: The Role of Affect and Cognition in Political PerceptionsPOLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2001Kathleen A. Dolan This paper examines the importance of political knowledge in shaping accurate perceptions of the political world,specifically, how levels of general political knowledge influence the accuracy of specific political judgments, how those judgments might also be shaped by "wishful thinking," and how political knowledge attenuates the impact of wishful thinking on political judgments. Predictions of who would win the U.S. presidential election in 1984, 1988, 1992, and 1996, as surveyed in the National Election Studies conducted in those years, were used as a measure of the accuracy of political perceptions. Analysis of these data reveals that both political knowledge and wishful thinking are important determinants of the accuracy of people's perceptions; in addition, the impact of wishful thinking on perceptions is attenuated by political knowledge. [source] Attacks on local persons by chimpanzees in Bossou, Republic of Guinea: long-term perspectivesAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 10 2010Kimberley J. Hockings Abstract Attacks on humans by nonhuman primates are one of the most serious causes of human,primate conflict, and strongly influence people's perceptions and tolerance of nonhuman primates. Despite their importance, systematic and extensive records of such attacks are rare. Here, we report the attacks that occurred on local persons by chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) at Bossou, Republic of Guinea, from 1995 to 2009. There have been a total of 11 attacks during this period, the majority of which were directed toward children. They varied in their severity, but all were nonfatal. Attacks took place on a road and narrow paths that bordered the forest or in cultivated fields and orchards where opportunities for human,chimpanzee contact are high. Attacks occurred between the months of March and October, coinciding with wild fruit scarcity, increased levels of crop-raiding, and periods of human cultivation with likely increased human usage of paths. Although the families of attack victims felt angry and fearful toward chimpanzees after attacks, some drew on their traditional beliefs to explain why chimpanzees were respected, protected, and could not hurt them, even when attacks occurred. We provide suggestions for reducing future nonhuman primate attacks on humans in an effort to mitigate human,primate conflict situations. Am. J. Primatol. 72:887,896, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Perceptions of nonhuman primates in human,wildlife conflict scenariosAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 10 2010Catherine M. Hill Abstract Nonhuman primates (referred to as primates in this study) are sometimes revered as gods, abhorred as evil spirits, killed for food because they damage crops, or butchered for sport. Primates' perceived similarity to humans places them in an anomalous position. While some human groups accept the idea that primates "straddle" the human,nonhuman boundary, for others this resemblance is a violation of the human,animal divide. In this study we use two case studies to explore how people's perceptions of primates are often influenced by these animals' apparent similarity to humans, creating expectations, founded within a "human morality" about how primates should interact with people. When animals transgress these social rules, they are measured against the same moral framework as humans. This has implications for how people view and respond to certain kinds of primate behaviors, their willingness to tolerate co-existence with primates and their likely support for primate conservation initiatives. Am. J. Primatol. 72:919,924, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Perception of achievement attribution in individual and group contexts: Comparative analysis of Japanese, Korean, and Asian-American resultsASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2009Yukiko Muramoto The present study focuses on the relational dynamics between individual and group attributions and examines cultural variations of people's perceptions of self-enhancing and group-enhancing attributions. Middle school students in Japan, Korea and the USA (Hawaii) were asked to read a vignette and to evaluate the stimulus person who makes an internal or external attribution for his personal or team's success. The results revealed that: (i) the self-effacing attributor was perceived as likable by the participants from all three cultures, but as less self-confident by Asian-Americans; and (ii) although Japanese and Koreans share similar cultural backgrounds, they had different preferences for the group-enhancing or group-effacing attributions. The different systems of self-enhancement across cultures are discussed. [source] Adolescents' perceptions of a health survey using multimedia computer-assisted self-administered interviewAUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 6 2001Peter D. Watson Objective: To ascertain young people's perceptions of an adolescent health survey when administered by multimedia computer assisted self-administered Interview (M-CASI) through analysis of (1) questionnaire item responses and (2) focus group interviews. Methodology: Setting: Auckland, New Zealand, 1999. Study type: Pilot testing of a 488-item branching questionnaire delivered using a youth-oriented and user-friendly M-CASI interface in a variety of settings using both desktop and laptop computers. Post pilot focus groups of participants identifying their perceptions and experiences of the survey. Sample: 110 school students aged 12 to 18 years. Results: The mean number of questions answered by participants was 316 with the median time to completion being 48 minutes. On average 65% of the total number of questions were seen and of these 1.5% were deliberately not answered. A high level of acceptability and enjoyment of M-CASI was found in the analysis of focus group responses and agreed with the item responses relating to M-CASI within the questionnaire itself. Participants identified privacy and confidentiality as being particularly important for the honesty of their responses. The passive matrix screens of the computers were popular as they could only be viewed from in front. Conclusions: M-CASI is an acceptable instrument for the administration of a youth health survey. Laptop computers with passive matrix screens are able to enhance perceptions of privacy and confidentiality, which may improve honesty of responses. Implications: M-CASI is now feasible and offers advantages in health surveying. [source] Children's Perceptions of Families: What Do They Really Think?CHILDREN & SOCIETY, Issue 1 2007Andrea Rigg The perceptions of 111 New Zealand children from different family structures and cultures were examined. Lone-parent families, blended families, extended family, non-residential parents and couples with children were highly endorsed. No great distinctions were made between married and cohabiting couples when the relationship included children. Definitions of family frequently mentioned affective factors. In comparing ethnic groups and family structures some differences were noted, but in general children have many similarities in their family concepts. Comparisons with a recent study of adolescents did not reveal clear-cut developmental sequences in young people's perceptions. Overall, an inclusive and realistic view of families was expressed. © 2006 The Author(s) Journal compilation © 2006 National Children's Bureau. [source] Young people, social change and the negotiation of moral authorityCHILDREN & SOCIETY, Issue 2 2002Rachel Thomson This paper presents some of the main findings of the study ,Youth values: identity, diversity and social change', focusing on the ways in which young people aged between 11 and 16 negotiate moral authority. It begins by discussing young people's perceptions of social change, identifying narratives of both progress and decline. The structure of young people's values are then briefly described, including differences relating to gender, location, social class and age. The factors that contribute to the legitimacy of moral authority in young people's eyes are explored through young people's accounts of school discipline, bullying, parenting and media violence. The paper draws on a range of data sources including questionnaires, focus group discussions, individual interviews and research assignments in which young people undertook their own interviews with adults. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] An overview of cancer and beliefs about the disease in Indigenous people of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USAUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 2 2009Shaouli Shahid Abstract Objective: Cancer among Indigenous populations in the developed world appears to have increased over past few decades. This article explores issues related to cancer among the Indigenous populations of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the US and examines variations in the epidemiology, Indigenous peoples' perceptions about cancer and potential effects on care-seeking behaviour. Methods: A search of peer-reviewed journal articles, government reports, published and unpublished theses and other grey literature was undertaken using electronic databases and citation snowballing. Both epidemiological and qualitative studies were included. Results: Cancer in Indigenous populations in these four countries is characterised by high incidence and mortality rates for specific cancers and lower survival rates as a result of late diagnosis, lower participation and poorer compliance with treatment. A higher prevalence of many cancer risk factors occurs across these populations. Fear of death, fatalism, payback, shame and other spiritual and cultural issues are reported in the few qualitative studies examining Indigenous beliefs and understanding of cancer which undoubtedly influences participation in cancer screening and treatment. Conclusions and implications: The holistic approach (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual) to healing and well-being, and the concept that individual, family and community are inseparable underpin Indigenous care-seeking behaviour. Further community-based research is needed to increase understanding of the needs of Indigenous people with cancer, and to guide policy and practice towards more supportive and effective care. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||