Considering that descriptive norm appeals are only effective when they are framed positively, this research investigates the efficacy of such norms in a context in which the prevalent behavior is not ...environmentally friendly. Using an infomercial promoting purchasing of non-overpackaged products, three studies attempt to manipulate the presence and valence of a descriptive norm, an endorser's presence, and his or her profile. The findings show that triggering a positive descriptive norm results in the adoption of pro-environmental behavior, even when this norm does not reflect the behavior of the majority, provided that consumers perceive the ad as credible. Ad credibility influences intention to avoid overpackaging and, in turn, is influenced by a descriptive norm and a celebrity endorser's profile. The presence of a typical-consumer testimonial, however, influences behavioral intention directly, and the profile of this non-famous endorser influences ad credibility and intention through identification.
•Social descriptive norm influences intention to purchase non-overpackaged products indirectly, through ad credibility.•The presence of an endorser positively influences intention to purchase non-overpackaged products.•The profile of the endorser (similar vs. dissimilar to the target) influences intention through an identification process.•Celebrity endorsement is not a significant predictor of ad credibility and behavioral intention.•The profile of the celebrity (connected vs. non-connected with environmentalism) affects ad credibility.
Supervisor communication competence was used to predict employee perceptions of supervisor credibility. In the study participants working in various industries completed measures of communication ...competence and credibility about their direct supervisor. Effective and appropriate communication were positively related to perceptions of credibility (competence, goodwill, and trustworthiness). Regression analyses indicated an interaction effect between effective and appropriate communication for each of the three credibility outcomes, where high amounts of effective and appropriate communication produced the highest credibility outcomes. Effective communication was the best predictor of competence, whereas appropriate communication was the best predictor of goodwill and trustworthiness.
Social scientists have a robust history of contributing to better understandings of and responses to disease outbreaks. The implementation of qualitative research in the context of infectious ...epidemics, however, continues to lag behind in the delivery, credibility, and timeliness of findings when compared with other research designs. The purpose of this article is to reflect on our experience of carrying out three research studies (a rapid appraisal, a qualitative study based on interviews, and a mixed-methods survey) aimed at exploring health care delivery in the context of COVID-19. We highlight the importance of qualitative data to inform evidence-based public health responses and provide a way forward to global research teams who wish to implement similar rapid qualitative studies. We reflect on the challenges of setting up research teams, obtaining ethical approval, collecting and analyzing data in real-time and sharing actionable findings.
As individuals turn to social media sites for health information, it is important to understand the factors that influence their perceptions of this information. This study employed an experiment to ...investigate the impact of social media discussion on perceptions of vaccines. Analysis, using structural equation modeling, revealed that source credibility and the civility of a discussion indirectly influence policy support requiring vaccinations, intention to vaccinate future children, and willingness to engage in discussion about vaccines. This impact is mediated by message elaboration and attitudes of the value of vaccinations. As individuals think about a pro-vaccine message and understand the importance of receiving vaccinations, they are more likely to engage in pro-social vaccination choices.
The management of marketing and communication strategies involves a complex mix of different requirements, particularly for social enterprises, which try to fulfill both social and business aims ...while operating in a resource‐constrained context. Although social enterprises are a rising phenomenon, the research on how these businesses communicate their activities remains in its infancy. This study builds on the theory of planned behavior and the source credibility theory, presenting a conceptual framework that distinguishes between high, moderate, and low credibility of a social enterprise's communication, to analyze its effects on potential customers' behavioral intentions. Through an online experiment with 260 subjects, the authors demonstrate that attitude toward a social enterprise, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and, ultimately, the intention to support a social enterprise by purchasing its products increases with the social enterprise's message credibility. The authors also present practical implications and avenues for future research on the communication of social enterprises based on the empirical findings.
Urbanization processes are characterized by rapid change. The peri-urban context represents such a transition zone during urbanization. Here, change creates new realities and new demands, for which ...existing institutions may no longer suffice. Yet institutions do not change easily, as they typically exist to provide stability and predictability during social interactions. It poses a challenge for peri-urban actors looking for ways to manage their needs within this changing context. In peri-urban Khulna in Bangladesh, this refers to drinking water access. Our research examines how actors in two peri-urban communities in Khulna responded to changes in drinking water access via institutional mechanisms.
We do so using the credibility thesis as the starting point, complemented with theories from the field of institutional economics. We expect that system change will lead to institutional change based on (1) actors’ evaluations of institutional function and credibility, (2) a process of satisficing, whereby the costs, resources, and benefits of institutional change are considered in selecting an alternative that produces a satisfactory outcome, (3) whereby the nested structure of institutions strongly influences associated costs and resources available to actors to affect institutional change. The analysis is undertaken using the Institutional Analysis and Development framework. Case study findings offers insight into institutional function in peri-urban contexts. It demonstrates the difficulty of achieving institutional change and highlights the role of the informal context in peri-urban areas. Our paper shows the added value of understanding the institutional context during urban transitions and offers insight into the design of empirical studies on institutional change.
A content analysis of 2 years of Psychological Science articles reveals inconsistencies in how researchers make inferences about indirect effects when conducting a statistical mediation analysis. In ...this study, we examined the frequency with which popularly used tests disagree, whether the method an investigator uses makes a difference in the conclusion he or she will reach, and whether there is a most trustworthy test that can be recommended to balance practical and performance considerations. We found that tests agree much more frequently than they disagree, but disagreements are more common when an indirect effect exists than when it does not. We recommend the bias-corrected bootstrap confidence interval as the most trustworthy test if power is of utmost concern, although it can be slightly liberal in some circumstances. Investigators concerned about Type I errors should choose the Monte Carlo confidence interval or the distribution-of-the-product approach, which rarely disagree. The percentile bootstrap confidence interval is a good compromise test.
•Endogenous emergence of informal housing in China constitutes a successful, yet unintentional example of inclusive, pro-poor urbanization.•Chinese informal housing consists of well-built, ...multi-storey flats furnished with multiple-rooms and measuring over 80m2.•Low and middle income groups have increasingly bought informal housing, known as “Small Property Rights Housing” (SPRH).•SPRH enjoys credibility corroborated through: 1) investment; 2) access to credit; and 3) likelihood of eviction.•Majority of respondents deem themselves owners with rights to inhabit, rent out, bequeath and sell.
Internationally, there is considerable debate on the desired institutional form of informal housing, i.e. whether it needs to be formalized, prohibited or left informal. This debate is driven by demands for better functioning markets, urban planning, and sustainable development. Contrarily, we argue that the endogenous emergence of informal, untitled housing in China (known as Small Property Rights Housing or SPRH) may constitute a successful, albeit unintentional example of inclusive, pro-poor urbanization. To substantiate the argument, we examine how the property rights of SPRH function. In so doing, we draw on the “credibility thesis” and its underlying theory. This study is based on qualitative and quantitative fieldwork conducted in medium and large-sized cities distributed over North, Middle and South China. Despite lacking formal title, SPRH enjoys significant credibility ascertained through: 1) investment; 2) access to credit; and 3) the perceived likelihood of eviction. Noteworthy, most respondents (93 %; n=291) deem themselves owners, with the rights to inhabit (98 %), rent out (87 %), and sell (58 %). Lastly, opposed to the notion that informal housing equals low-quality, disordered slum housing, SPRH functions as affordable, single-family homes, consisting of professionally-built apartment buildings with multiple-room units averaging over 80 m2.
This study (N = 788) investigated experimentally how students respond to critical instructor feedback by manipulating teaching assistant (TA) cultural background and experience, and feedback wording ...and detail. Open-ended responses were also elicited to learn about students' reactions to such feedback. Results indicated that instructor competence and trustworthiness differed based on TA background, experience, and feedback wording. Instructor goodwill differed based on feedback wording and detail. Finally, feedback wording lowered students' self-efficacy and increased students' negative affect when worded negatively vs. affirmatively. Open-ended data revealed students respond to critical feedback by implementing it, seeking further clarification but also reacting affectively, or figuring out alternatives.
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